Life Couldn't Possibly Better Be..

Even though it's been a rough week...



Things don't seem to be getting worse... gotta be thankful for that! It's interesting how one second you're so hopeful for the future, and the next you feel pretty hopeless. By March we were going to be almost debt free, and by the next year we were going to be completely debt free. (by almost debt free, that meant all we had to pay was the above car.) On Sunday, after the wreck, I broke down and wondered how we could deal with this right now. Our other car is a Chevy Metro, which besides being the dumbest car ever created- is HORRIBLE in snow. Our work schedules are exactly the same, which poses a problem with dropping off and picking up. Financially, we aren't prepared for it- what with Alex and I both in school, and Alex just starting a helpful- but expensive- tutoring program for math next week. It all seemed to happen at the wrong time.

But after the initial shock wore off, we started to look at the situation, and realized we are extremely blessed. Both of our families have been supportive and caring, and we're lucky that the accident wasn't worse. Plus the Lord works in mysterious ways... and we both have a feeling that everything will work out. (Besides, we were on our way to tithing settlement when the accident occurred. Surely we'll be blessed for that.........)

Things aren't going to be easy, but it will eventually be worth it.

It's the Holiday Season!

Alex and I are coming up on our second Christmas as a married love birds. We've found that we're enjoying this Christmas much more than last... particularly because last year we were just so excited to be married, we kind-of skipped over the "savoring Christmas" thing. Also we are both SO bad at surprises that we inevitably spoiled almost all of our gifts for eachother. We're not proud of it.. but we both grew from that experience, and this year we're doing much better!


We've been watching Christmas movies and enjoying the cold weather. (Yep, I said enjoying.) :) It makes the holiday season much more Christmas-y when there's snow on the ground. Agree? I love everything about this time of year.


Due to budget cuts and unable to work around work... this will be year #2 spent away from Oklahoma. Sigh. It's hard but I know that it will make the year we get to go back even more special. I'm crossing my fingers for next year, but if for some reason it doesn't work out- we're definitely going the year after. My brother will be home from the mish that year and hopefully the whole fam will be able to get together. You really learn to cherish the moments spent together when you don't see your family whenever you want.


Anyway, to update on our lives- our callings are going well. I'm gradually becoming more comfortable on the piano and I'm trying to help Alex get into his calling a little more. (On my day off this week, I spent 2 and a half hours cutting, coloring, pasting and creating little activities that went with his lesson. I also bought candy canes and taped a sign saying Merry Christmas on each little one. Alex was more than thrilled when he came home and even went as far as calling me a "life saver". Best wife? I think so!) I think after having a solid game plan, he gained more confidence and hopefully this Sunday he won't be over-run by little maniacs. Time will tell.


I want to post pictures of my decorated apartment, so that will come in a latter post. I also just realized that I haven't posted pictures of our new apartment (we've only been here since what, March!?)


Hello. My name is Rachel.. and I'm a procrastinator.


BUT on a much happier note, I have ideas for each and every one of my names on my little gift list, and I'm very proud of myself for the choices I've made. I pride myself on finding a thoughtful and personable gift, so I was stressing for a while about it. Not to fear, I prevailed and I'm so excited to give them out!

Don't you love this season? Mm..mm..mm.

Introducing:

Our new toy. :) We have needed a new digital camera since we've been married. Alex's old one accompanied him on his mission (in a very hot, humid place where Alex frequently dropped it). SO, drum roll please...

I've already played around and taken a couple pictures, and it's amazing what a difference it makes. It's nothing incredible, but it's a huge step up. Not quite sure what to make of this face. I do see it quite often though. ;)
I'm just starting to get over what has been one of THE worst colds I've ever had. A co-worker developed a bad cough early last week, and by Wednesday I woke up with a slight sore throat. I was so nervous- with good reason. By mid afternoon I was developing a bad cough and it was all downhill from there. I called in sick 3 days in a row, missed church, went to work on Monday- realized that was a stupid idea and called in sick yesterday. It has been a long weekend. On Saturday Alex forced me to go to an Instacare where they said I had an upper respiratory infection and that I 'just needed to drink a lot of fluids and ride it out.' I thought they were just gonna give me the boot without any drugs to numb the pain, but they ended up giving me A-MAYY-ZING cough syrup that without a doubt changed my life. (To cough syrup: I couldn't have made it without ya. My lungs/throat/head/tired husband owe you one!)

Thankfully, I will be in good enough spirits to enjoy Thanksgiving. I was starting to get anxious. I absolutely love this time of year and was going to be extremely bummed if I had to miss out. Nothing like having great family and friends around a table full of delicious. Ya know!?

Life is great.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Thang

I've been having an internal struggle with my hair over the past few months. I have enjoyed it being longer than I've ever had it, and when I put the time and effort into it, I really loved it. However... it is truly a pain in the butt, and since my hair is so thin and fine- it takes me 30-45 minutes to get my hair the way I want it, and within 20 minutes it's stringy, flat and tangly.

But even with this, the thought of chopping it off gave me anxiety. I've come close a couple of times, but when I sat in the chair.. I quickly changed my mind to only a trim. I'd go home shortly liberated and proud of myself for not cutting it, but soon after I'd be kicking myself.

So I finally did it. I made an appointment for 9:00 this morning, and didn't look back! I have to admit, I became quite emotional afterwards (a little during, too..) I called Alex in tears- completely overreacting and saying that he's going to hate it over and over. (Not building his confidence in the haircut, I'm sure...) It's a lot to get used to, but here she is... "The New Do":

Blessings

I love this time of year. It gives me another reason to be thankful for the many, many blessings I have.

• Alex. I can't ever start a "thankful" list without him. I don't think I truly understand just how good I have it. I have a man who loves a clean house, is sensitive, who will watch chick fliks with me (and not complain), is affectionate, says I love you at LEAST twice a day, has a strong testimony, served a mission, is a hardworker, is a good singer, is extremely loyal to his beliefs and friends, can walk through home decor stores for hours with me and ENJOY it, cares about looking nice, is ridiculously good looking, is organized, is thoughtful, is funny, is smart, who is NOT quick to anger, who hates to fight, and who is just the greatest guy I've ever known. Take all of this and add to that he loves me? I know what you're thinking... this can't be a real human being. But it is. And I am darned lucky.
  Did I mention ridiculously good looking? Mmm..mm..mmm..
  • Family. I know this is a generic one that is probably on everyone's lists. But I don't care. Like the preceding blessing, I can't forget this one either. As I have grown older, I've realized that I have a fantastic family. My family has evolved so much in these last couple years. At one point, I figured that everyone in my family would stay within an hours distance from eachother. We'd all live in Oklahoma for the rest of our lives, and even one day- we'd all have houses right next door to eachother. (I know that sounds crazy....) The Lord didn't have that in mind for us, but I think that He knew we'd all stay in touch, no matter the distance. That is why I am living in Utah, I have a sister in OH, soon to be FL, I have another sister who will be in another country by the end of next year, a brother in TX and a brother on a mission. There is only one sibling that will be left in OK. Pretty spread out... but I know that even though we are starting our own eternal units, we are still an eternal family. Which brings me to my next blessing....
  • The Gospel. Without it I would not be who I am. Without it I wouldn't have survived the darkest days following my dad passing away. Without it I wouldn't have met my husband and been sealed to him for time and all eternity. Without it I wouldn't have the comfort and peace that comes with the occasional trial. Without it I wouldn't have any reason to challenge myself and strengthen my weaknesses. Without it I wouldn't be truly happy. I love it, and my life is anchored to it.
  
• Christmas Music. Yep. I said it. I am not ashamed! I enjoy listening to Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. :) Nothing quite compares to the feelings you get when you hear the first Christmas song of the season. Ahhhhh.. I love this time of year!
• Seeing those you care about turn tragedy into triumph. My brother, Coulter, is currently serving a mission in Dominican Republic. I won't go into great detail, but it has been a long road to get here, and he has always had a positive attitude. Many times the outlook seemed bleak, but he perservered and made it through. Now he is a worthy, happy, successful missionary and I literally get giddy when I think about him.

• Good friends. There are only a few who I still remain in constant contact with, and I don't mind it. I love the friends I have and I'm very blessed to have them in my life.
• Great examples. My mom and uncle both joined the church in college. Their parents still aren't members, yet they don't let this dwindle their testimonies. They are rock solid people and I know I can call both of them whenever I need anything.

And furthermore, I'm grateful for (deep breath): Pumpkin pie, hot chocolate, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a great relationship with Alex, blankets, twinkly lights on garland, Christmas Trees, random acts of kindness, a job, a healthy body, repentance, piano, great music, talking about old times with friends, anticipation for the season, planning for the future, being almost debt free by March (a personal favorite), Cafe Rio, Dr. Pepper, and the list could go on and on and on......

Who COULDN'T love this?!

That's what I thought. ;)

Lately..

When I first started this blog, I thought that I would always have something interesting to write about. But as I started to really think about what we do in our day to day lives... I found that we truly aren't that interesting, and there really isn't anything interesting to write about. Hmm. I've found myself in a pickle.

So, I'll try to give you a quick (and trust me, it's quick) update on what's been going on in the Teran household.

• We both have callings now, and we both are back in Primary. I have to admit, at first we weren't particularly psyched, but we decided to give it our best shot. I'm the primary pianist, and he is teaching alongside another teacher of the 4-5 year olds. Playing in front of people has never been a strong suit of mine, but I've found that it is forcing me to practice- and that the kids don't listen to me anyway. :)
• I got a little promotion at work. It gave me a small raise, and I'm not complaining. Anything is better than nothing at this point.
• I decided to go to school, and even though I'm only taking one class- it makes me feel somewhat accomplished. I've been talking about going to college for a while now, and one class is better than no class! :)
• Alex and I are going to be lumberjacks for Halloween. I'm not one who generally enjoys dressing up for the holiday, but decided to give it a shot. Besides, it just means that the holidays are coming up!! I felt the urge to put on Christmas music.... but I restrained myself. Proud?

And truly, that is the updates of our lives. We're just living the routine life, and loving it. It's nice to have time to spend together and just enjoy this phase in our lives. I have no idea what will happen in the next few years, or where we'll be... but I'm excited for the journey.

A Change Of Seasons

Well, it's offically fall. We have autumn scents burning non-stop, and I've been trying to bake a little more often than usual. Due to it being our vacation (we have had this week off together) I thought it would be the opportune time to start my baking frenzy, but on Monday morning, I woke up with a horrible cold. I'm just now starting to feel better.... I've felt lousy all week. I was determined, however, to not let it get me down! :)

This week has been filled with:

• TaiPan
• Rolo Cookies
• Rolls :)
• Shooting guns. (Yep, you read correctly. I have to admit, I did enjoy it!)
• A photography exhibit downtown- followed by eating at a cute, delicious cafe.
• Deseret Book (where I finally purchased a journal... I've been dying to get one for the longest time, and I have been faithfully writing since!)
• IKEA
• Going on a mini hike in the canyons (and believe me when I say it was mini... my head felt as if it would explode.)
• Out to lunch with a good friend
• Getting excited for the holidays!
• Staying up late and sleeping in. :)

I'm thinking that when I go back to work on Tuesday, I'll feel refreshed and energized. It was a much needed break! I've been lovin' all this quality time with Al. I've been bad haven't taken any pictures thus far.. hopefully I'll manage to take a couple before the vacation is officially over.

Trust

"Our God will deliver us from ridicule and persecution, but if not ... Our God will deliver us from sickness and disease, but if not ... He will deliver us from lonelieness, depression, or fear, but if not ... Our God will deliver us from threats, accusations, and insecurity, but if not ... He will deliver us from death or impairment of loved ones, but if not ... we will trust in the Lord.

Our God will see that we receive justice and fairness, but if not ... He will make sure that we are loved and recognized, but if not ... We will receive a perfect companion and righteous and obedient children, but if not ... we will have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that if we do all we can do, we will, in His time and His way, be delivered and receive all that He has."

-Dennis E. Simmons

Called To Serve

This isn't the greatest picture of me, but I didn't get many pictures of my handsome brother before he left. This is only moments before he officially left to go to the MTC. (He was borrowing my other brother's nametag to feel more 'missionary like') :) I am very proud of myself, I only got a little teary eyed. I would have moreso, but I'm just too excited for him!! He'll be great.

My mom was in town with him for the weekend. Coulter wasn't feeling too great, so we went to the Oquirrh Temple without him and did a session. It was nice to see her again and go to the temple together. :) We also went and did a session in the Salt Lake City temple the day before Coulter reported. There are many blessings that come from attending the temple!!

It's been a difficult week is some aspects for me, but my mom showed me a scripture that changed my attitude a little.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."

Galatians 5:22

Those are some pretty specific adjectives. I've been trying to be more Christlike in my thoughts and actions... and I admit, many of those qualities aren't really natural for me. I've got a lot of work to do. :)

Dedication

Alex and I were fortunate enough to attend the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple this morning. It was an incredible opportunity for me, solely because the last (and only) dedication I had been to was the Oklahoma City Temple and that was when I was around 12. What a morning! We felt the Spirit multiple times, and can't WAIT to go and do a session! After going through the open house last month, we have been itching to go back. It's truly a house of the Lord.


My brother, Coulter, will be leaving to go on a mission next month to the Dominican Republic. I'm so excited for him!! It's something he's deserved for quite a while.

He and my mother will be coming up a few days prior to him reporting at the MTC, so I'm going to make an appointment for all of us to do a session. There is something so special about going to the temple with not only your eternal companion, but your eternal family as well.


As I sat through the dedication, I realized a great many things about my life. I looked at Alex sitting next to me, and felt an overwhelming gratitude for him. To know that he has the same goals, respect and love for the Lord as I do brings me such comfort. I love him with everything I have... I couldn't have chosen a better companion.

My Wish List:

And I say wish list because they truly are wishes, and I'm not sure if any of my wishes will come true any time soon. ;) A girl can dream, right?

Yes, I'm sure you've seen the infomercials for Time Life's anything... but everytime I see this particular set come on- I watch the entire thing. It's my favorite era... (at least where music is concerned...) Call me a hippie if you will, but I absolutely, without a doubt want this collection.

'Nuff said.

Old Navy. Weekend Jeans. $19.00. Sigh....

Alex and I go to IKEA almost every single weekend. Along with getting a workout- we do much gawking. There are so many fantastic deals, and this chair always catches our longing eyes. A beauty, isn't she?

Those are only some of the items I am currently dreaming about. There are more, but I feel those should be enough eye candy for now.

Finally...

I got a library card!


I should have done this light years ago, but I finally decided to just do it. I've been slacking on my reading lately, and I'm so excited! The very first books that I checked out?

I usually prefer to only get one book at a time so I can completely zone in and focus on that particular book (especially when it comes to church literature). However, the first one looked like an interesting, uplifting choice. It's a very light read (and very short) so I went ahead and checked it out too. I'm SO glad I did! I only received it yesterday and I'm almost finished.

The second book was recommended by my mother, and anything Holland-related I usually love. I'm very excited to dive in.

Lots of good reading ahead. :)

P90X

Alex and I are starting on what's going to be a painful journey....


For the next 90 days, we will be doing some hardcore workouts, and hopefully we'll survive. If you have heard of this, then you know what I mean... if you haven't- you should look it up. We're nervous, but so excited!


I guess we'll see what happens! See you in 90 days :)

Oh, and here's some food for thought. I've lost 7 pounds since returning from my vacation in Oklahoma. What a great set up to starting this workout! I am not in the least bit surprised, however, that I did lose weight. We ate out soooo much, and just had to have a Dr. Pepper with every meal. I can proudly say I haven't had a Dr. Pepper in close to 3 weeks.


You have my permission to be impressed.

Happy 4th!

We went and saw the fireworks last night. Here are us both anticipating the show to begin. This is the best picture we took.... Alex wasn't exactly cooperating. His head kept ending up in a weird angle... Whatever, he still looks cute.


Hope you all enjoyed your 4th, and remembered how blessed we are live in the country we do.

Parasite?

Ever since Alex and I started dating, he's always had stomach problems. Anything he eats irritates it, and he always feels sick. This has been going on for well over a year now, and I have had an especially grumpy husband these past few months, (at least where the stomach is concerned.) SO. While we were in Oklahoma, we went to see a specialist that our family has been using for years, and after some testing- it seems that Alex has a parasite.


Therefore a strict diet and daily herbs have been implemented. For the next 30 days, Alex can't have any dairy or sugar. This is quite the task.... You never realize how many recipes call for milk and/or sugar until you can't have them. I told him I would do it with him (or rather I promised I wouldn't eat anything bad in front of him). :) Aren't I a good wifey?


This will be a good time, however, to kick start a healthier lifestyle. We went to Wal-Mart last night and bought a cart-full of delicious veggies, fruits, and ingredients for healthy meals. I'm getting more excited because I love to cook and I like challenge of trying new things. If you have any recipes- throw them my way!

At Last!

My big brother is married.

The sealing was beautiful; the bride and groom looked beautiful; the pictures were beautiful and the reception was, well, beautiful.

2 very important ordinances were performed on June 20th. Not only was Evan sealed to Shelbee for time and all eternity, but my other big brother Coulter went through the temple. He was endowed prior the the sealing, so the entire family was able to be in the sealing room together. That was an experience I'll likely never forget. As we've grown older, and as we're all moving forward with our lives, it's much more difficult to all gather together.


I know that I will cherish this weekend until we all are lucky to be together again. It's one of those moments in life where you truly never want it to end.

But alas, it does.

Decisions, Decisions.

I want new glasses.


Of course I'll likely stick to my famous thick framed ones (because I can't possibly go a day without being asked the infamous question, "Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Tina Fey?" Yes. Yes they have.) I digress.... I have a pair of glasses in mind.


I saw these on an adorable blog that I often go to; and I've found myself coming back to them frequently.


Now. They may seem, what you may call, geeky. HOWEVER, I am geeky.... so crazy it might just work.

I believe I've fallen in love.

After much patience...

We finally have internet and cable.

And there was much rejoicing.


HOPEFULLY I'll get to put up some much-awaited pictures soon.... other than this, life is good. We go to Dallas in 5 days to see my cute brother and his cute fiance get married. Then off to Oklahoma for a whole week. So, so excited. It's been thundering and raining everyday lately, and I have to say I've been loving it. It sure brings a nostalgic feeling; makes it feel a little bit like home. Man I miss that state....


Our one year was very relaxed; I don't understand those who say the first year is the hardest. If that's true, we have some outstanding years a head of us. It's been such an adventure, and I continue to learn more about Alex every day.


Lately we've been taking regular walks through the neighborhoods around our apartment. We've had some great conversations. There's just something about being outside that brings great conversation. Sometimes I just can't believe I got him. I'm truly blessed.


Anyway, hope all is well with everyone. I haven't written much because there hasn't been much to write about. Hopefully there will be some spark of excitement soon. :)

To My Love:

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
Or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
In secret, between the shadow and the soul.


I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.


I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way.


That this: where I does not exist, nor you,
So close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
So close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
-Pablo Neruda

Happy One Year, Alex. Can't wait for the years to come.

Quick Update

Still loving our apartment...

And yes, I'm still planning on posting pictures... eventually......

Alex is done with school for the semester...

Going to Oklahoma for a nice little vacay in about a month...

Coming up on our 1 year exactly a month from today...

Still loving life and eachother...

Life couldn't be sweeter. :)

Congratulations!

To my sister, the new Mrs. Oklahoma!

I'm so excited for her! Heather obviously looked gorgeous, and I wish I could have been there.

Goals:

Starting now, I am going to:

• Get in a routine of reading scriptures and praying daily.
• Learn to sew.
• Save up for that camera....
• Make sure I get dressed every day, and look presentable.
• Take more risks in the kitchen.
• Enjoy nature, and make sure I'm out and about in it daily.
• Develop a more healthy lifestyle.
• Learn something new everyday about my husband.
• Stop dreaming, and start doing.

Whew. So much to do. :)

Be of Good Cheer

"Let us never despair, for the work in which we are engaged is the work of the Lord. It has been said, "The Lord shapes the back to bear the burden placed upon it." The strength which we earnestly seek in order to meet the challenges of a complex and changing world can be ours when, with fortitude and resolute courage, we stand and declare with Joshua, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

These are words spoken by our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson, during the priesthood session. Though I obviously wasn't able to attend that session, I read the words and I get chills. I love how he expresses that the Lord will shape our backs in order to bear burdens. How remarkable, and how true.


I have a problem with change. Lately, there have been many changes happening, and while they aren't bad, they are different... and of course, different can be seen as negative. My life has a common thread throughout it. I get into a groove, I get into my comfort zone, I am happy... and then it's turned completely upside down. I'm sure this isn't coincidental. ;)


When I am feeling particularly low, or if I feel my life is filled with too many trials... too many things gone wrong... I read "Come What May, and Love It" by Joseph B. Wirthlin. It is one of my favorites, and I read it regularly in order to remind myself to be happier. An excerpt from that talk comes to mind when I am feeling like I can't go on.

"I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it."

Learn to love it. Learn to love adversity. Learn to love trials and hardships. Seems impossible, but it isn't. Difficult, yes. But not impossible.


I know I've used this picture before in a previous post, but I love it. It shows the true essence of these incredible men. Conference was fantastic this session, as it always is, and I needed it very much.


Enjoy the Easter weekend. :)

Reunited

And it feels so good!

Well, this weekend was the move. Everything went very smoothly (which is easy for me to say because I didn't do any of the heavy lifting) and we love our new apartment. It feels much more "homey" (as homey as you can get with an apartment.....) and it's change.

As you can see, my dear sweet piano and I were reunited. We didn't have it in our last apartment, it was stored away in his parents living room.. untouched, unplayed...... and now we are back together again. This piano is particularly important to me because it has been around since before I was born, and everytime I look at it- I have this image of my mom playing on it. Sigh... It's a beauty. Seriously, we'll be having a lot of jam sessions very soon.

I don't have too many pictures as of yet, because we still have a few pictures to nail up and re-arranging to do... but we love it. And we finally get to use our bedset! Once I get some better pictures, I'll put them on herrre.
 

Within the next couple days you'll see our new casa. I dream of the day when we can have our own house... I'm realistic, and I know that in time that dream will become a reality, but it's nice to think about...... is it sad that I have ideas for every one of my rooms in a house that I don't have???

I saw this on Pottery Barn and I fell in love. I have decided that I need it. It's not a want, it's a need. Fantastic.

This. This is the color that will be my bedroom. Isn't the dark blue romantic? Yes... I love it. I've been looking around for a white comforter... it just looks so clean... and relaxing.

My Big Day

I can happily say that I have a very enjoyable birthday. My husband was absolutely fantastic (no surprise there) and it was a relaxing, mentally satisfying day.

It started out with....

A bright and early temple session. A friend of mine, Catie, thought it would be a nice change to get up and make a 5:00 A.M. session before work. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. (Notice: I get a paid day off for my birthday. This took much sacrifice.) I admit, it wasn't very exhilarating when the alarm went off at 4:15.... but once I was up and on my way, I really loved it. It was peaceful, and we were done before the sun was up.

After that....

Brynnly took me to lunch and a movie. We ate at a UFood Grill, and it was delish!

Truly, one of the best places I've been to in a while.


Oh yeah, and we also bought some cookies from Over The Top, and I don't regret it one bit.

Makes your heart skip a beat, doesn't it? Mmm...

Then....

By this point, Alex was home from work and he had secret plans. I wasn't even allowed home until he said! So I went thrifting... and I had a pretty dang good time doing it.
Alex still wasn't done when I was finished with the thrift store. Therefore, I went to Victoria's Secret to buy lotion/body splash/bubble bath...... all very important, right? Thankfully, he gave me the green light to head home, and as I opened the door, I found he had candles, flowers, a homeade dinner, a sweet card, and a a c.d. waiting for me. Really, this guy knows me better than anyone!


All in all, a great day spent with the man I love. :)

Life is good.

Priorities and Such

I've decided that the next few months are going to be used wisely. I want to start projects for myself so I can start being more productive. Time is starting to fly by, and before I know it, it's been 3 months, and I hadn't done anything productive at all. Therefore, that is going to change.

(Or rather that I hope writing them down may help me be successful....)

In the next few months, I hope to:

• MOVE! (Actually, this is in the works for next weekend. We're moving and it's starting to be crunch time. I guess my goal is to get everything as packed and organized as I can before we move so it won't be as stressful.)
• Start my wedding album. (Yes, and this means that I'm going to give the whole scrapbooking thing a try. I may love it, I may hate it... but I'm going to start it none-the-less. I've been wanting to start it for a while, and I have decided now is the time.)
• Enjoy my sister. (Jennifer and her husband, Willis, are coming to stay with us from April 2nd-6th. I haven't seen her in ages, and I'm so excited to see her. I've felt extremely blessed these past couple weeks. I've seen so much family!) 
• Enjoy my best friend. (Audrie and her husband, Nate, are also coming to visit for about a week or so! And that is also in the beginning of April. I'm trying to breathe and enjoy it all instead of stressing out.)
• Buy plane tickets! (My brother is getting married in June, and we're going. Of course we won't miss out, but I don't want to put it off, put it off, put it off until we realize that we don't have the money or have to use the credit card. I want to have it all planned out early so the vacation will be enjoyable.)
• Enjoy our 1 year! (June 6th will mark our 1 year together. We've made plans to go stay at the same place we went for our honeymoon... an adorable bed and breakfast, Inn on the Hill. It's not really that cheap, so this is another thing I want to be able to do. We are going to try all we can to set aside money and make this possible.)
• Get on a more regimented work out schedule. (Isn't this always a goal?)
• Enjoy the present.

Also, there's always the fact that my birfday is on Tuesday, and the hubs has plans... which he won't disclose to me. Which means I'm a pretty excited wifey. 

Introducing

Probably the cutest couple... in the entire world.

(Well, if you don't count us, of course.)

My brother Evan is engaged, and Shelbee is freaking adorable. They are so cute together, and I'm so excited for them. :)

Beautiful Images

To brighten your day, because they definitely brightened mine.

Sigh... one day, one day.

On an even brighter note, my brothers are in town, and I am ridiculously excited to spend the week with them. (Even though I will be at work most of the time.....) There will be glorious pictures following our fun-ness. And another even EVEN brighter note, my birfday is next week.

So many exciting things coming up.... so many pictures and happy stories.... so much fun.

Just a reminder.

"If the Church allowed critics and opponents to choose the ground on which its battles are fought, it would risk being distracted from the focus and mission it has pursued successfully for nearly 180 years. Instead, the Church itself will determine its own course as it continues to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world."

Achieving the Seemingly Impossible

Well, I finished Inside My Heart and I immediately picked up another. Running with Angels was the next book on my list, and talk about motivation! I am so inspired by Pam Hansen's spirit. It sucked me in from the first page. Truly, EVERYONE read this book. It doesn't matter if you have a problem with obesity or not. It's about taking care of yourself, and making goals for yourself, even though it seems impossible. Great, great read.


I'm going through one of my reading phases, where it's all I want to do. I read before I go to bed, I read when I come home from work. And there definitely isn't anything better than a lazy Sunday afternoon and doing some reading after church. I should make more of an effort to always be reading something, but time gets the best of me, and I often forget. I'll have to be better. :)

And P.S. Isn't this chandelier amazing?

V-Day Weekend

"Love is a friendship set to music."-E. Joseph Cossman

(I love.love.love. that sweater on him. That was my gift to him at Christmas, and it just looks fantastic.)

On Friday.... we went to go see "Taken" (which by the way, was INCREDIBLE, and very intense.) and just enjoyed a nice evening together. We both love going to the movies, and don't get opportunities to go very often solely because it's expensive. I'm so glad we went because I haven't seen a good movie in a long time. Seriously, guys... great movie. Scary, but great. I also ordered take out from The Olive Garden for V-Day because we just wanted to stay in and eat rather than go out.

On V-Day.... we just had a great day. We went to the mall, he bought me some shirts and I bought him a watch. We relaxed until about 5:30 and we picked up our food. It was great because we walked in and looked at hords of people who were having to wait at least an hour and a half to even get a table. We just smiled, walked past all of them, paid for our food and walked out. I'm a firm believer in take out from now on. :)

We can't forget dessert! I was planning on trying out this pie (triple chocolate pumpkin... doesn't that sound incredible?!) but I was nervous about trying a new recipe on the day of. Therefore, we went to Edible Arrangements and bought some chocolate covered strawberries. If you haven't been there, go. The fruit is incredible!

Yep. It was a great weekend indeed.

Current Read?

My friend Brynnly suggested to me to read this book, and so far I love it. It's basically about being excited about your life and excited about being a woman. It's about seeing your life as a vast array of choices that can bring you closer to the person you long to be. I LOVE the motivation and how she always brings God into her situations and choices. It's a wonderful 'pick me up' and helps you be more excited about life, and making your own opportunities.


Great read, thus far.


I know how it is to get into a groove with your daily life, and often times you forget to stop and realize what you have. I have a caring husband, an amazing family, a loving heavenly Father who knows my needs personally, and plenty of other blessings. It's nice to have a reminder of those things from time to time.

Alex and I have been on such an organizing power trip lately, and I must say it's only getting worse from here. I have an addictive personality, and now that Alex has turned me on to cleaning/organizing/re-organizing/re-arranging/etc, I feel I'll never get away from it. And ya know, I'm okay with that. :) I think that my favorite thing in the world are these storage tubs. How could something so plain, so simple bring such joy into my life? I've been gung-ho about wanting to put everything in these. It's the simple things in life....

Quite the Expensive Weekend...

Well, Alex and I got our tax return in this week, and we had many plans for it. We put $1000.00 in a CD, put $1100.00 away for when we move next month, paid Alex's tuition and had about $1900.00 left. Our plans for that money was to buy a dresser and mirror that matched our set (which was going to be about $850.00.... yeah, I know. Expensive.) and to buy a computer desk, because the one we had was extremely bulky and didn't match any of our stuff. Well... we did get the computer desk.

IKEA is a dangerous place. We went there with a computer desk in mind, but ended up spending about $200.00. You know, organizational stuff... decorative stuff.... organizational stuff.... We look at everything and think, "You know... we really do need a new mouse pad," or "We really don't have enough soup ladles." They have great lamps though, and we had to get one. You can't see it on the desk, but here is a picture of it not lighted.

Love it. So, after leaving IKEA, we decided to go and get the dresser and mirror. His parents joined us... and instead of buying the dresser/mirror that went with our set for $800.00... we purchased a 6 piece bedroom set for $1200.00........ Yeah. It's being delivered on V-Day, so I'll take pictures then. I had to leave and look at other furniture while Alex swiped the card. At least we bought it with cash and not credit, but wow.. it was intense.

Needless to say, we're selling our queen size headboard. Anyone interested? :)

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

I always thought simplifying was just throwing away clutter and giving away clothes you don't wear anymore.


But.


I read an excerpt from a book about simplifying your life, and it showed me a whole different perspective. You can emotionally simplify! What an incredible concept! Having your mind cluttered with bad thoughts are just as bad- if not worse- than papers, books, old clothes and shoes.


What feelings do I harbor? Feelings of envy, anger at something a friend said in a thoughtless moment, variance of opinions, negative attitudes, regret, untrue assumptions, pride, hurt from feeling slighted, anger, resentment? Sadly I admit that all of those emotions I have been feeling. And not just recently, it's been over the past few months. It is hard for me to 'let go' of hurt, resentful feelings.
So I decided to do a emotional cleansing. I'm trying to not speak ill of anyone. Whether it's about someone from a long time ago that I don't even talk to anymore- or my every day interactions with friends, family, co-workers or strangers. I started on Saturday, and I've found that my anger about situations dwindle, my mood is enhanced, and I'm a lot more positive.

"Conversion basically represents the transformation from the 'natural man' to becoming the 'man of Christ'. It is labor that takes more than an afternoon."- Neal A. Maxwell

Since I began reading "Not my Will, but Thine" by Elder Maxwell, I've learned a lot about not only myself, but the Lord. My relationship with Him has grown in such a short time, and all it took was simple steps that I oft forgot to do. Remembering to pray, frequent temple worship, trying to improve my thoughts and actions, doing my best to pay attention and feel the Spirit during church.

I've been on such a spiritual high these past few weeks, and I find myself always starting my blog entry with something ordinary, and ending with me bearing my testimony of Christ. That's the wonderful thing about the Gospel! It can be attributed to any situation in life we are in, big or small.

Anyway, it will be a long process, but an amazing one. :)

Can I just say?

That going to the temple by yourself gives a whole new meaning to making spiritual goals?


Wow...

"Do we periodically participate in all of the temple ordinances and thus receive the full blessings of vicarious work for our ancestors? Do we return to the temple often to receive the personal blessings that come from regular temple worship?"
-Gordon B. Hinckley

Regular temple worship. Alex and I do try to go at least once a month, and I would say we are mostly successful... but would I call that regular? Especially now, before we have kids? Especially now, where I live 15 minutes away from the nearest temple? Especially now, when I'm strengthening my testimony to be a rock for my husband and future children? No, in this juncture in my life, I would not say that is regular.

I've been feeling the lack of the Spirit in my daily routine. Yesterday while at work, I made the decision to go do a session straight after work. I haven't gone by myself before, and it was absolutely incredible. I love going with Alex, don't get me wrong, but when you are in the House of the Lord by yourself, it forces you to look inside, and see where you've been lacking.

Definitely some serious introspection involved.

I've decided that for the next couple months, I'm going to go to the temple once a week. Alex has school at night, so it gives me the perfect time to go. I feel it's going to get me back on track, and help me get through this rut I'm in. Also, there are many big decisions that will need to be made, and I want to make sure that we're following His council, and we're completely in tune with the Spirit.

It seems that I've felt the urge, or rather the need to go to the temple more often. Sometimes it's hard to just sit at home for a minute without thinking, "I should be at the temple right now." When I ignore it, it only becomes more persistant. Interesting how that works...

I am so grateful for the knowledge I have.