Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

So lately it has been insanity at our house. We have been busy planning our ward Christmas party, working our buns off, and taking finals. However, once we had a Saturday morning together we headed off to the same Christmas tree farm as last year and found us a perfect tree.

Brad makes every occasion seem special and magical. As we were driving down the curvy roads, watching the snow fall he demanded we put on Christmas music, because after all we were going to pick out a Christmas tree.

We walked through the Christmas tree farm and inspected every tree until we found the one that would be just right. Of course Brad was so good to me and let me snap some pictures! We cut the tree down, strapped it to the top of the car, and headed home.

Once we got it home we turned on the Christmas pandora station, lighted our Bath and Body works "'Tis the season" candle, and decorated that tree so that it shimmers and shines.

I absolutely love how a real Christmas tree smells and makes it really feel like the holidays. I grew up with lots of Christmas trees and nothing makes it feel more like Christmas than a tree and nativities!

Here's to Christmas break and catching up on lots of blogging!

Post of Thanks

As I’m sitting here in my warm house watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, with the smell of delicious food filling my house, while the snow falls outside filling the air with magic (I hate snow but I have to admit it makes everything look like Narnia)I can’t help but feel  SO blessed.

I have so much to be thankful for that the list would go on and on, so I’ll just list a few here. I really have been so blessed and I am really trying to do better about expressing my thanks all year long.

I’m so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Without it I would be so lost and I wouldn’t be able to feel the joy that I have felt from being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At work people ask me why I’m so happy and full of energy, and really I feel like a lot of it relates to the gospel and the way I live my life.

I’m SO thankful for the family I have been blessed to be born into, they really are the BEST. They are the best support system and the best examples of unconditional love. I always knew I had a good family I just didn’t know how good until I got married! (funny what marriage teaches you).

Speaking of marriage, I’m so thankful that I married someone who loves me for who I am. Brad and I have so much fun together.  We enjoy doing the simple things together as well as the fun adventures that life throws at us. I am so glad I get to go through life with him by my side. I love this chapter of our life but am also looking forward to when we add our own littles.

Finally I’m so thankful for the opportunity I have to get a college education. There are times I really hate it and get annoyed with how much it costs and how much work I have to put into it but there are so many people who will never get that chance. And honestly I LOVE school.

I hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving, and remember is about more than just a feast of good food! ;)

Goodbye October, Hello November

Can you all believe how fast the month of October came and went? I am still having a hard time believing it's already November! Soon we will be into the New Year! Crazy to think about.

October was a pretty fun month for us. I feel like we squeezed in a lot of fun things when we didn't have to work. We went to a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, carved pumpkins, boo'd some friends, and even dressed up as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider for our ward's trunk or treat. Also, my mom came into town on Halloween and we LOVED having her visit. We had such a fun time chatting that I didn't even get any pictures of her visit (hate it when that happens).

I'm really excited (maybe more like nervous) for our crazy month of November. Hello midterms, working, moving the weekend before Thanksgiving, more than likely working Black Friday, and putting up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving (because that's how it is supposed to be).

I hope everyone has a fabulous week! I'm just hoping the snow stays away for a little bit longer.

Tis The Season To Get Married

{Just a heads up, it's a novel. Sorry not sorry. I consider this blog to be a journal so I want to make sure I document. You do not have to read the whole thing!}

This weekend I knew FIVE girls who got married (yes you read that right, 5, in two days). Let's just say weddings were on the mind this weekend, and it got me thinking back to my very own.

Of course I thought about how giddy I was on my wedding day and how excited I was to be sealed to Brad for eternity. I remember sitting in the bridal room with my mom and the temple worker coming in and telling me I was the calmest bride she had ever seen. I don't feel as though I was super calm (I seriously went to the bathroom four times in 20 minutes) but I felt at peace with the decision I was making.  I knew I had prepared and lived my life the way I should for the past 20 years so that I could be right where I was.

When I think back on my wedding day I think of the spirit that I felt as Brad and I were sealed together in that room on July 19, 2012 in the Birmingham, Alabama temple. I love that we were able to walk into the room side by side, just how we will do everything for the rest of our lives, side by side. I feel so blessed to be able to have Brad by my side through everything. Luckily for me I get to spend forever with that man of mine and I can always return to the temple to feel that same spirit. What an incredible blessing! 

Although all the weddings this weekend made me think of my own wedding day, I really spent my time reflecting on our marriage. I can't even begin to tell you how happy being married makes me. I feel so blessed that I found the man that I want to love and be with for the rest of forever at such a young age. I thought about how most days I still feel just as happy to know that I get to spend eternity with Brad (I say most days because we aren't perfect, and we do have our days) as the very day we were sealed.

I still feel like a newlywed most of the time.The other day I surprised Brad with a picnic when I picked him up from work. We headed to a local park and enjoyed our picnic on the most lovely fall day, the sunset was incredible so it really felt like the perfect day. Brad looked over at me and said "I think we are finally getting the hang of this whole marriage thing". I sat back for a moment and reflected on our first year of marriage.

I'm not going to lie the first three months were rough for me, I moved all the way to Washington State, Brad was either working or going to school and I didn't have a reliable job. I really just sat at home all day and did school work, I didn't really have friends out there and I was adjusting to married life. Then we moved to New York, during the winter. Oh how I HATE snow, and let me tell you we get a lot of it here. I was really worried when we weren't really clicking with anyone in the ward because everyone knew the likelihood of us staying here was very slim.  However, something changed and I can't even tell you when. Next thing you know we are being invited to hangout with people, I have made a few friends, I have a job that I love, and I have a calling that I love most Sundays.

So in reply to Brad's statement, I really have to agree. I think we really are starting to get the hang of this whole marriage thing. Although we are super busy, we do make the most out of the time that we do have together. Am I always the perfect wife, no. Is the house always spotless, no. Do those stress me out, yes. Even though we are starting to get the hang of it I still feel like I have a lot to learn! Good thing I have eternity to learn to love more and stress less!








 

How bout them apples?!

This past week has been stressful. I had two major breakdowns. Not like I'm proud to say it, but admitting it is the first step to recovery right?! I have bad anxiety because I like to plan EVERYTHING, and I stress way to easily. I'm trying to learn to let go, and leave it all in God's hands. He knows the big picture and I'm just seeing a microscopic part of it.

Anyways, Friday afternoon Brad got off early and we headed to the apple orchards on what seemed to be the perfect fall day. The fall breeze and the scent of apples seemed to be the perfect scene for a perfect day with my boy.

 I had such a wonderful time walking hand in hand with that handsome boy of mine down each of the aisles of trees. As we were walking through the orchards, I can't explain how good it felt to be laughing and forgetting about all the stressful things {work & school} life throws our way and just enjoying the company of one another.

I'm so grateful and excited that October is just around the corner. General Conference is this weekend and I'm thrilled. It seems like conference always comes at the perfect time! As fall is starting to come in full swing, I figure now is the perfect time to start to become a better person that I know I'm capable of. 

In other news this weekend we signed a lease for our next apartment for the next couple of months, and got another calling at church! With all that we have going on within the next few months this year will be over before we know it.

Happy Monday Friends! 

Recent Happenings

I know, I know.  I totally suck at being consistent here on the blog.

If only I were as OCD about the blog as I am about everything else in the world.

Y'all would probably get sick of me though. haha.

I can't believe it's been since my birthday, almost a month ago.

How is September almost over already?!?!

Also, do you like how I promised a post on our Labor Day trip to Alexandria Bay...

 yeah sorry that hasn't happened yet. 

At least it gives me something to blog about next time, or the time after that. ;)

I feel like I'm a broken record on this whole "Life is so busy for the both of us between work, school, and callings" but let's be honest that is the chapter of our life right now and "Come what may and love it"

...such a nice quote right?

Here is a quick catch up of the most recent happenings:

I was released from my young women's calling. I'm not sure I ever talked about this but I'm now in sunbeams and I LOVE it. Primary is the place for me. I have 6 kids in my class, 2 girls and 4 boys. I'm just so blessed to not have gotten the other class because those children are TERRIBLE. 

Brad is still in young men's and the whole ward loves that he is in there. I get told all the time how great he is with the boys and the boys absolutely love him. 

I got a new job at Hobby Lobby and it is so me. Although I'm still technically employed by Victoria Secret, I never pick up shifts there. I'm working about 24 hours a week at Hobby Lobby and it's been so wonderful. Although, it has been an adventure trying to figure out how to make sure I get my school work done all at the same time, but so far so good. I love going to work and time always flys by while I'm there. I can't wait till I get enough saved up for school so I can put that discount to use.

Speaking of school...I have three terms left, 27 weeks to be exact. May 18th could not come soon enough. I am so ready to be done with this stage and on to the next! ;)

And last but not least it looks like we will be staying here in good ole New York for another winter. I'm not the most excited about having to put on snow boots, coats, and hats, on just to go outside, or driving in the snow for that matter but I'm going to try to stay positive about it. 

So there is your update. If you made it through the whole thing I'm quite impressed.  I'm going to try to blog at least twice a week. Some people have mentioned my lack of blogging so I'm going to try to get better.

Happy First Day Of Fall!

  

I don't know about you

But I'm feeling 22.

On the 29th I turned the magical age of 22. Not really magical but it was still such a fun day!
I luckily had the day off work and woke up to a vase of beautiful flowers, a sweet card, balloons, and yummy dove chocolates. I may have had one or two after breakfast! ;)

Birthday Flowers, Cake, Card, and Chocolates

Birthday Cake and Balloon

Brad got off early and we headed to the fair. I was SO excited! I grew up going to the fair every year with my family and I was looking forward to seeing how this one compared.We got lucky and Brad's company had tickets to get us in for free which was awesome! So really all we had to pay for was parking and the fair food (SO delicious but SO bad for you). We spent the day looking at the exhibits, watching shows, going to the circus, and my favorite going to the horse stables.

Hawaiian Ice at the Fair

My trooper of a husband, poor guy was sick and tired!

I really had such an awesome birthday. I'm so excited to see what 22 brings me! I'm hoping for big life accomplishments! Thank you to all of those who sent me birthday wishes! 

Love this Boy!

I have been such a slacker at blogging lately. Lots of things going on around here with school and work. I will be starting a new job on Tuesday and of course it happens the same week that midterms are going on. I will try to be better about keeping up with the good ole blog!

I hope everyone has an exciting Labor Day! We will be making our way down to Alexandria Bay to tour the Boldt Castle and I'm so excited! So expect a post with pictures to recap that fun adventure!