BYU Grad!

April was a month full of chaos, stress, and so many family events, in particular, my graduation from Brigham Young University. But it was so great to be with family and celebrate this life milestone with them!

As for most Seniors, graduation couldn’t come soon enough! My mom flew into town a week early and we had fun going shopping, eating, and getting spoiled by her as usual! Amid all the fun I had to find the time to study and take my finals which was tough when I just wanted to play with the family. Finally, I came home from my last and toughest final, happy to have done well enough to Ace the class. To my surprise, Travis had decorated the living room with  Cougar Blue balloons, a bouquet of roses, and a graduation present! I opened it and couldn’t believe my eyes, it was an Apple Watch!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!! Never in my dreams did I think I’d own such a savvy piece of technology! Little did I know, Travis had opened up a secret savings account where he was staching away some extra money to buy it for me without knowing! I was shocked at how long he’d been keeping this a secret (since January!) because Trav is so horribly terrible at keeping any surprises from me, haha ;)

Finally the day came to walk at Commencement, the opening ceremony of graduation, where the BYU graduates parade from the Abraham Smooth Administration building to the Marriott Center, where the ceremonies take place. Somehow I ended up first in line leading the parade which was so fun! I remember the distinct overwhelming feeling that came over me as all the graduates walked into the building to the Pomp and Circumstance March and the entire audience stood up clapping and cheering! I nearly cried and was so incredibly full of gratitude, not only for my accomplishments and the blessing that I had to receive an education and strengthen my testimony at BYU, but also for all those who made it possible like my mom, sister, husband, professors, friends and especially my Heavenly Father.

It was a memorable ceremony with great speakers and formalities declaring all students eligible for gradation. In the end we all got to go ring the victory bell as a tribute for our graduation; A BYU tradition which has gone on for decades not only during graduation, but any other victory the university has had such as winning games and other celebrations!

Afterwards, we went to Texas Roadhouse with the family to celebrate, of course, they made me ride the saddle haha! Then it was home to rest up for Convocation the next morning.

Convocation was a much longer ordeal since BYU’s Life Science Department is the largest in the university. It felt like it’d never end, but finally the moment came, the moment where I officially walked across the stage and shook the Dean’s hand and was passed my “diploma”! (It really was the cover cause the real deal is sent to you in the mail.) 

After a photo sesh on campus, we ended the day by going out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory to celebrate! I couldn’t of asked for a better graduation day celebration surrounded by those I love.

During these past 2 days of graduation my mind was flooded with all the incredible memories and experiences I’ve had at BYU…

I remember my first time on campus for EFY and the incredible spirit and prompting I felt (after not even considering to apply to BYU) that THIS is where I needed to be and receive my education.

I remember the nerves I felt after receiving an e-mail from BYU that more applicants than ever had applied that semester and that many more than usual would be denied. That week I went to the temple and prayed about my future and whether or not I would get into BYU, the exact date was February 13, 2010. And as I sat in the lobby of the temple I received this answer in D&C 59:22-24 “22 Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter. 23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. 24 I, the Lord, have spoken it, and the Spirit beareth record. Amen.” A great feeling of peace and assurance came over me that it would all work out, and four days later on February 17, I received my acceptance letter to BYU! 

Ever since I stepped foot on that campus for my first day of class one early summer morning, I made and was surrounded by incredible friendships and people, I was challenged by professors who were passionate and masters in their field, and my testimony was strengthened by weekly campus devotionals, religion classes, and classroom prayer. Gaining an education at BYU is a unique experience like no other, and I’d do it all over again if I could! Go Cougs!!!

(Photo cred to Passafras Photos)

Valentine in Moab

It was the weekend of love! And it came at the perfect moment because it was a 3-day weekend and I had Monday of work and school! That Saturday we decided to stay in, Travis built us a fort and we watched moved and had Chinese take out for dinner.

We also exchanged gifts, Travis got me a cooking apron I’ve been begging for since we got married cause I love to cook and bake and can make such a mess sometimes. I got Travis the 5 senses, smell was cologne he’s been wanting, taste were donuts from beyond glazed- yum!!!, sound were some Shel Silverstein poems about love that I read for him, touch was some massage oil, and sight, well let’s just say it was something for his eyes only X)

Sunday came and we were ready for our 3 hour trip to Moab! Trav drove most of the way as usual, he’s just so great like that, and after driving through beautiful canyons and valleys covered in snow we finally arrived! It was too early to check-in to the hotel, so we decided to walk down main st. after getting some lunch at subway and visited the cute little boutiques and souvenir shops. Once at the hotel we decided to spend the rest of the evening in the hot tub which was completely vacant and watching some cool shows on HBO! 

The next day the real adventure began, and after out continental breakfast we headed out bright and early to Arches National Park! It was Travis’ first time (even though he’s lived here all his life) and I was so excited to share it with him. We saw Balanced Rock, the Windows, and the infamous Delicate Arch. The weather was cool, but sunny making the hikes absolutely perfect. Getting to Delicate Arch was a little sketchy cause part of the trail was covered in ice, but we made it! We were also able to bust-out the go-pro we got for Christmas and it works awesome! Overall, it was an amazing day, and after some good Mexican food we made the drive back to the bustling town of Provo. Going on little adventures like this is what I live for, I can’t wait for the spring to come so we can experience the great outdoors again! 

The Windows

Balance Rock

Ancient Petroglyphs

The famous Delicate Arch

Birthday Bash!

Another year means another birthday, and this year I turned 24! As my first birthday married it was definitely one of the most epic! I celebrated with family, Trav’s family that is,  and we went over for Sunday dinner and cut me an ice cream cake! Ice cream cake is my absolute favorite kind of cake and I typically won’t eat any other kind. Don’t know what it is, but when I’d go to birthday parties as a kid I’d never eat the cake. It was just too sweet and artificial tasting, that is, unless it was ice cream cake.  

The actual day of my birthday we had dinner at Tucano’s, one of our favorite places to celebrate. Few things can beat all you can eat stake, roasted pineapple, and Brazilian lemonade. 

 

Friday was a layed back day to celebrate with friends. We got one of the most delicious ice cream cakes from cold stones and just caught up and talked about old times. Birthdays are about celebrating life, and there’s nothing better than to be surrounded by those you love most in life- family and friends.

A New Year’s Kiss

You see it in the movies and on the TV, one of the most romantic traditions of the New Year, kissing your loved one when the clock strikes 12. I always wanted this to happen to me, but I usually found myself single or home from college for the break. That was, until, I started dating Travis. It was actually my first Christmas break and New Years in Utah last year, There were several reasons why I decided not to go home that year, it was a bit emotional for me since I’d barely come home from my mission and only got to be home 2 weeks before leaving for school. But being with Travis definitely made up for it! And I finally got to have my New Year’s Kiss <3

Unlike last year, where we spent New Year’s Eve walking around Down Town Salt Lake and doing all sorts of fun activities, this year, we both got a cold. It was the worst week of my life! I had the worst migraine-attack, followed by congestion, vomiting, and sleepless nights. Travis, as most spouses, caught my cold, and we both found ourselves staying home on New Year’s Eve, but I was not gonna let staying in suck-up my fun! So I planned some funny, but REAL, Hispanic traditions  to do with Travis while we welcomed the new year in our apartment. We ate 12 grapes and made a wish/ goal for each one, we swept our porch for a fresh start, we walked in 12 circles pulling a suitcase to travel, and we held $1 in our hand during the count-down for a prosperous year! Travis was such a good sport about it, but he said we’re never gonna do any of these crazy traditions when we have kids! LOL 

In the end it was all good fun, we made goals to travel to Honduras, get a puppy, and of course, I got my New Year’s kiss! :-*  

First Christmas as Mr & Mrs

Christmas is one of the happiest times of the year. It’s a time to reflect back on the past, our marriage, what we’ve accomplished these past 7 months, our blessings, and of course, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I can’t believe that a year ago this month Travis asked me to marry him. It was a time of excitement, jitters, and concerns as we planned to commit ourselves to one another for eternity. I had only known Travis for 4 months, but what I knew then was all I needed, to know that I could be happy with him for eternity. As the year has gone by I've continually received confirmations of the choice I made that cold winter night on an illuminated bridge in the Provo Canyon, and I know the sacrifices and choices we’ve made together since, have blessed us in so many ways.

This Christmas Trav & I reached a marriage milestone, we bought a new car! We’ve made sharing a car work all these months, but Trav working full-time as he waits to get into BYU come Spring and me graduating and working full-time in the Spring, it’s a much needed necessity that we can’t live without now. Car shopping was so much fun! I let Trav do all the test-driving, first car of the lot and he runs a red light! LOL After letting him try a bit of everything, we finally climbed into the seat of  a Honda CR-V. I had been leaning towards this car since the beginning of our search, but it was until Travis was behind the wheel of one that he was on board. It had leather, tons of storage space, a navigation system, and my favorite feature, a sun-roof! Travis and I love camping and the outdoors, so summer couldn't come sooner to take our CRV, new go-pro, and inflatable kayak we also got for christmas, on a camping trip.

As if all these gifts weren’t enough, Nu Skin hooked it up this Christmas and had a private concert with American Authors which was catered. Travy and I got rows in the 6th seat, the food was delicious, and they showered us with gift cards and a bonus check.

This Christmas, like last, we spent it at the Robert’s home. Travis' siblings came up from Arizona with all their kids and it was a fun time of ginger-bread house making, family meals, staying up late, playing games, and spending quality time together. Christmas morning is so different as an adult, I personally find more joy in seeing my nieces and nephews open their gifts than receiving my own. It’s such a magical moment to see the excitement and wonder in their eyes. It snowed non-stop Christmas Eve, although I’m not a fan of the cold, I have to admit that it does make the season that much more magical.

After opening the gifts and eating a star breakfast, we headed to Trav’s aunt and uncles house for dinner and to hang out with extended family. We also spent the weekend with my sister and went out for dinner and a movie and saw the last part of the Hunger Games.

We ended Christmas with a big family dinner sunday night; it was delicious and a perfect way to end the Christmas Season. I’m just so grateful for a season made to cherish our families, recognize our blessings, and worship the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Travis and I have been blessed in so many little ways as we started this crazy journey called marriage, and I know that it’s because we strive, although imperfectly, to follow in Christ’s footsteps and make his teachings the center of our home. 

Roberts go to Arizona!

Married life can just be so crazy somedays! Between work, school, family, and finals coming up it’s easy to get caught up on everything else and put “fun” on hold. So naturally I was so excited when we started planning our road trip to Arizona for some other important family events. It was our niece Danika’s wedding and her little sister Arianna’s baptism!

The trip to Gilbert was 10 hours, we wanted a head start, so we left Wednesday as soon as Travis got out of work and stayed at my mission companion’s parents house in Panguitch. (Thank you Amy for opening your home to us!) We rolled in around 10 p.m. and just crashed, it wasn’t hard because there’s hardly any cell phone reception or wifi connection out there to do our usual bed routine of binge-watching House until we fall asleep. 

The next day we were up bright and early to drive the rest of the 7 hours. Travis was so excited to see his sibblings that he drove the whole way there! On the way we passed by a ton of little obscure towns I’ve never heard of, like Orderville, Glendale, Mt. Carmel, and Tuba city! For fun I would look them up on wikipedia and read out the history of the town, who settled the area, and whatever fun facts I could find. No surprise that most were established by Mormon pioneers ;) After a couple of naps, gas stations, and snacks, we finally made it to Gilbert at 3 p.m. And just in time too because Danika’s endowment was at 5 p.m.! We unpacked, greeted the family, and got ready for the session. As we were getting ready, Travis was worried because he doesn’t own any temple shoes and this temple doesn’t rent, what he didn’t know was that that was the least of his concerns! As he searched his wallet he realized that he didn’t have his recommend! Aaaaaaaaah! Of course this would happen on a very important day when we were a state away from home! I told him to call our bishop, that he could call the temple and get him cleared to go in. Neither him nor his councilors answered so we decided to get to the temple early to see what we could do. 

The brother at the temple desk took his name down and started making some calls. I went to the lobby area to let his family know the situation, when two men walked into the temple. They were dressed in shorts and sneakers and looked around in awe at the foyer. It was obvious to me that they were not members so I immediately went into missionary mode and greeted them. I asked them if they knew what this place was, if they’ve been here before, and where they came from. Apparently they were in town from Minnesota, they were amazed at the beauty of the building and were so intrigued that Mormonism is the only and fastest growing religion in the world, so they decided to check it out. I explained to them what the temple was and what we did there. I shared that I was there for my husband’s nieces wedding, one man asked, “Your husband’s wedding?!” I said, “No, my husband’s niece! I’m his only wife.” he laughed and said, “Yeah, I heard about that!” Hahaha, a really funny moment! The two fella’s thanked me for what I was able to share with them and left. I had such a warm feeling inside me after that, a feeling I once felt everyday when in Chile. How I miss it...

Us with Vivian, Travis’ niece who is so in-love with him! 

Eventually everything got cleared up with Trav’s recommend and we were all able to attend the session. The session coordinator invited us to be the witness couple which was so special and fun! The only other time we had that opportunity was when we went to Florida, and it really makes it a more personal experience as we make these covenants with our heavenly father directly from the alter. After the session we went to eat at a restaurant called Rancho de Tia Rosa. I’m not a huge fan of Mexican food, but this place was AMAZING! It was a party of 30 so they had the entire porch reserved for us and we ate, laughed, and had such a good night in preparation for the wedding.

The next day we were up bright and early for the sealing. Travis had to go early to the temple again to take care of the whole recommend situation. This time was easier now that the bishop was expecting his call. The ceremony was so special, and a lot of what the sealer said made me so grateful and reminisce my sealing to Travis. I don’t remember a lot of what our sealer told us word for word. But something this sealer said as he spoke to Danika and Savio was that wedding bands are a great reminder that no matter how bad things get, there is someone there who loves you and is there to support you. And that’s exactly how I feel about Travis, I’ve had some pretty overwhelming days at school, been sick, had issues with my family, etc. but Travis was there for me each of those days and his love means everything to me. Marriage is such a blessing in so many ways, temporal and spiritual, and I’m so excited for Danika and Savio as they discover these blessings throughout their new life together.

After the sealing and pictures we went to the chapel for a luncheon and then home to nap before the reception at night. The reception was so adorable, it was at a stable in a neighbors backyard, and had lights and a rustic victorian feel to it. They had chik-fil-a nuggets and frozen yogurt with all sorts of toppings and sauces. The cake was made by my amazing sister-in-law Katie who made our wedding cake and tasted amazing! In fact we took several frozen slices home to relive our wedding day! The rest of the night we mingled and danced until it was time to go home. It was back to bed early because the following day was Arianna’s baptism!

The baptism started at 10, and thinking back, the last baptism I attended was that of my own investigator Carolina & Benjamin over a year ago. Such a sweet spirit was felt at her baptism, especially as she went up to share her testimony after the ordinance, all on her own. All the testimonies shared there were just so powerful, including the bishop’s, and it was just such a spirit-filled weekend for the family! 

After the baptism we went to the park and had pizza and all the wedding leftovers from the night before. Ari opened her presents and we all sat in the sun eating frozen yogurt and enjoying the perfect Arizona weather. That night we went to a hot air balloon expo and they had booths set up and all sorts of amazing hot air balloons were up for display and taking people on rides. After walking around and taking the kids on some bounce houses we went back to Tia Rosa's for dinner and enjoyed our last night in Arizona. In the morning we had everything packed and ready to go and got up early to take Melissa, Trav’s sister, to the airport with her little girl, Vivian, who follows Trav everywhere. Trav and I have entertained the thought of moving to Arizona once we graduate, and after this trip I was so sold! The sun, the palm trees, the clay tiled roofed homes, all reminded me so much of my home in FL! We’ll see where life takes us, but for now we’re back in Provo, our home sweet home.