The Crandall Clan

A month and a half after registering for the Provo Haunted Half marathon, we found out we were ' pregonate '! After the great news, the many adventures of pregnancy ensued! Nausea, fatigue, road trips, girls' camp, vacations, work, and the general keeping on top of life took the frontseat whilst exercise existed as an afterthought. Then September came around, and I had a proper 1 month to prepare for a half marathon. 13.1 miles. My pregnant tummy and extra weight made each trip to the treadmill an uncomfortable experience. I did go 3 miles once, mostly jogging, then was out of commission with a sore ankle and groin for 3 weeks.  Justin was determined not to let sympathetic pregnancy (couvade) be a thing, so he was a much more consistent gym-goer and worked himself up to about a 6 mile run. (BAAABE) And this is how we went into the Haunted Half Marathon. Recklessly underprepared, yet determined. Paying $114 for a race that was nonrefundable was enough to fuel my motivation. ...

 I bet Justin was expecting me to say, "JUST KIDDINNNNNG!" some time between finally accepting a date with him and the actual date itself. (He had tried asking me up to 3 times from October 2017 to February 2018, and I turned it down every time.) BUT. I didn't change my mind. I agreed to go on our first 'official' date and was nervous as I'll get out.  It was February and very, very cold outside. We went to a cafe called Shirley's to get some hot chocolate and sit by the indoor fireplace. It was about 830p, and we didn't know the cafe was about to close at 9p.  We held our freshly poured hot chocolate close and stepped out into the numbing winter night, not sure where we would go next. Somewhere we could sit comfortably and just talk; because, despite being friends for so long, we really didn't know zipola about each other. The goal of the night was to actually learn about each other's lives. We needed to go somewhere we could do that... We sat...

I scrolled through some files on my computer the other day and was 100% amused by how many pictures I found of Justin mixed in there from before we even really knew each other! We met in 2016 when I first moved to Provo, UT.  My mission leader co-chair and I were called on assignment from my bishop to visit a certain number of male & female student apartments to meet some of the people in our ward. Lo and behold! Justin was in one of those apartments we were asked to visit. In my brown polka-dotted dress, I took my place on the living room floor while all the roommates were being summoned from their rooms to come out and say "hi." Someone probably offered me a place to sit, but it didn't really matter; the floor is usually my most comfy place to sit. Dumb dress. Justin was the only person in the room while we waited, so we started to chat with him. Small chat, you know? The usual stranger-to-acquaintance introductory talk. After the "Where are you from's,...

Now that Justin and I have officially started our lives together, it seems like a good time to begin a new blog!  It's mostly self-serving having a place to share our adventures, thoughts, and stories -- a journal of sorts. But in my experience, blogging is also an effective way to further connections with our family and friends. And to me, that is the coolest thing. With that said, Justin and I have experienced quite a bit in the last little while! From dating, engagement, and marriage to travel, career shifts, and personal growth, I figured what better time to start writing than now -- when it seems like I have a lot more to say than usual haha. So, welcome to our blog!