twenty twelve :)

hey there! told ya i'd do better at blogging! although i will admit, this post is going to be pretty awesome cliche... i just feel like i have to let the blogging world know how thankful i am for this past year, and how pumped i am for the upcoming 12 months!!! so athough it isn't original, it is necessary... 

my 2011 timeline of happiness

january- alex and i got a head start on the wedding planning process and took our engagement pictures... it was a BLAST... 

February- had my bachelorette party! i am so blessed with amazing friends and family who all supported me and my marriage!

March- this one is easy. i married my best friend in mesa temple for time and all eternity and we honeymooned on a fabulous cruise to mexico... i mean come on... :)

April - alex and i stuggled to get into the swing of things.. being married, living together, understanding each others feelings was hard on both of us, but we made it out alive, and we grew and changed for the better within this first month of marriage and i wouldn't have changed any of it. Also, it was baseball season so he took me to a few games! 

May - school was out and it was time to party!! it was finally warm enough to go to the lake, so that is what we did, every chance we got!!

June - We celebrated my brothers birthday, went to the Aquarium, had more lake trips and just enjoyed the lazy days that summer has to offer :)

July - I turned 20, and was doted upon by my sweet husband. We also hosted our very first 4th of July party :)

August - We took a trip to mexico with our dearest friends Mark & Hope. It was an awesome trip!!!

September - we attended sports games and had our last lake trip for the year. 

October- went and visited Hope at Disneyland where she was working for the semester :) 

November - Started my new nanny job, enjoyed thanksgiving and black friday :)

December - put up our very own Christmas tree, celebrated Alex's birthday, got a new kitten and celebrated Christmas and enjoyed the season with our families!

i feel so blessed to have had such a fabulous year. 

and now that i've over loaded you with photos, i'll sign off and talk about my love for 2012 another day :)

i suck.

So it's been over a month since I've posted and i feel horrible. So much has happened, and i just feel so overwhelmed to try and catch up. I'm going to do my best, and i will definitely try to keep a regular tap on this blog so that i can write more than just "catch up" posts.

Hmm... So, Halloween happened, and we did nothing exciting. We dressed up like Darth Vadar and Padme, which was cute, but we had no parties to go to so, it ended up being kinda a waste.... I'll include a picture for good measure, but it definitely wasn't the most incredible Halloween.

Then thanksgiving came next. We had an amazing thanksgiving at Alex's parents house. We also had Alex's aunts and uncles there with all their little munchkins! We ate the most delicious turkey I've ever eaten, shared what we are most grateful for and stuffed our faces with pie!! It was delicious!!

We also shared our first Black Friday together!! We bought an awesome mattress topper to make our hand me down mattress a million times more comfortable. It was crazy!! But I think it's something that we will continue to do for many many years!!

After thanksgiving comes the holiday season! We bought our Christmas tree and attended Christmas parties. Participated in white elephant gift exchanges and frosted sugar cookies. We spent time with family and started our own Christmas traditions. Alex also had his birthday!! It was fun to dote on him all day! We went to dinner at Tia Rosas! And then had cake and ice cream and opened presents at our home later that night!!

We had a very special Christmas with my family! We spent the whole weekend at my family's house, playing games, eating food, making puzzles, watching movies and just enjoying each others company! We also had a HUGE surprise planned for my mom. My dad bought her a brand new car and it was the hardest secret I've ever had to keep!!! But the look on her face when she realized what was happening was priceless!! She loves her new Ford Explorer so much and I'm so glad I could be a part of the surprise!!

Some other things that are worth mentioning are my new job!! I stopped working at the law enforcement tactical store and became a nanny for a sweet family with two little girls. I loved my previous job, but now I work more hours for better pay... So it was the right move for me and Alex financially :) and since I took this new job we have started the process of buying a house!! We are actually under contract on a house out in San Tan Valley and I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly so that we can buy this home!

Also worth mentioning is our new kitty!!
His name is Franklin and he is such a fun addition to our little family!!

well I'm exhausted from playing catch up, but i hope this helped get you caught up on my life and I promise to blog a lot more frequently!!

Happy Fall

I just wanted to share a thought about the lovely fall season...

 

 Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff... including the seeds of doubt, hate and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see. 

 

God Bless you all - and Happy Fall :)

25 Prayers for My Husband

 I pray… 

1. that he continues to grow spiritually through the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and quiet times. (Proverbs 4:23) 

2. that his relationship with God will bear much fruit in his life, and that he will be a man who seeks wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 3:7, Psalm 112:1) 

3. that he would walk humbly with God, and would always be convicted quickly about any sin in his life. (Micah 6:8) 

4. that he will continue to grow as the leader of our family, and that God would be glorified in our marriage. (Ephesians 5:25-29) 

5. that he would have a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart, and that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Proverbs 15:33) 

6. that he would always look to the way of escape from any kind of temptation, and that he would rely on God to remain faithful to our marriage, and to God. (1 Corinthians 10:13) 

7. that he would safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex, and this heart would pure and undivided in his commitment to me and to our marriage. (Proverbs 6:23-25) 

8. that he would continue to be able to provide for our family, and that he will not become discouraged by doing work he does not enjoy. 

9. that money would never become a source of discord in our family, and that we would be wise in handling finances and in stewardship. (Luke 16:13) 

10. that the words he speaks will build our family, and reflect a heart of love. (Proverbs 18:21) 

11. that our physical intimacy would be a positive reflection of selfless love. (Song of Solomon 7:10) 

12. that the men in his life would encourage his accountability before God, and that he would be a godly influence on his friends and coworkers. (Proverbs 13:20, 27:17) 

13. that he would choose healthy foods and activities, and honor God by taking the best possible care of his body as the tabernacle of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19) 

14. for his strength — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. (Ephesians 3:16) 

15. for him to have wisdom and discernment in training/disciplining our children, and that You would enable him to love them unconditionally. (Ephesians 6:4) 

16. that he would always have an eternal perspective, and make the most of however much time he has in this life. (Ephesians 5:16) 

17. that he would always be a man of peace, who allows the Holy Spirit to lead his responses in all situations. (Romans 14:19) 

18. that he would have a balanced life in regards to work and play, and that he would submit his schedule to You. (Proverbs 16:9) 

19. for him to find favor with the Lord, but also with people he knows and interacts with. (Luke 2:52) 

20. that he would enjoy peace and refreshment in his relationship with the Lord. (Psalm 16:11) 

21. that he would always be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will protect our family from Satan’s attacks. (Ephesians 6:13) 

22. that he would be a man of prayer, seeking God in purposeful ways. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) 

23. that he will serve God and others with pure motives, and that God would be glorified in everything he does. (Colossians 3:23-24) 

24. that he would offer all this dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those that bring God glory, and that count for eternity. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

25. that he will recognize the lies of the enemy in his life, and that he will always be guided by the Truth. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

i saw this list on Pinterest and just thought it was such a sweet list of things to pray for for all our Husbands, future husbands, sons & brothers for when they become husbands :)

for the love of laundry.

today i folded my laundry... the same laundry that i washed on tuesday... yay me.

i seriously need this sign hanging above my washer and dryer

source: pinterest

honestly, it's a REALLY bad habit that i've gotten into. i do the laundry and it sits in the dryer for about 2 days, then i decide to bring it inside and it sits in the basket at the base of my bed. i pick through it during the week trying to find my favorite black shirt, or the jeans that make my bum look awesome. then eventually, i have enough dirty clothes on the floor that i have to fold and put away the clean laundry so i can fill the basket with the dirty clothes that are piling up in the corner... hahaha. it's so so bad, and even though Alex doesn't complain about it i'm sure it drives him crazy.

but anyways, tonight we were catching up on our shows (mainly Modern Family and The Office) and i decided to fold the laundry <you're all shocked i know> and it was such a nice surprise when Alex sat down right next to me and grabbed a pile of clothes and started helping me fold. I looked over and smiled and we just kept folding laundry in silence, watching the hilarity that is Modern Family and enjoying each others company.

I love marriage. i love that folding laundry with my husband makes my love for him grow. i love that we can laugh over a random sock that we found in the dryer (seriously, neither of us had ever seen this sock in our lives... how it ended up in our dryer we will never know). and i love that the small piles of clean clothes will most likely stay in my family room until sometime later on in the week ;)

that's the funny thing about marriage. you live with someone who you are completely in love with and suddenly mundane tasks become these epic adventures that you look forward to every day. little things that most people would over look, or view as silly are the things that you love most about your spouse. you are able to look at each other and have conversations and read each others thoughts and finish each others sentences. you fall into routine, but somehow there is nothing routine about it. you can be a complete weirdo and you will receive kisses on the forehead instead of skeptical looks (okay, sometimes you receive skeptical looks)... haha. you always have someone to tell your secrets to. you have someone to root for you when you don't even want to root for yourself.

and most of all you will always have someone to help you avoid doing the laundry.

:)

insomnia

It's late, and i should be sleeping. i can hear my husband snoring in the other room, my kitten in asleep on the couch and nothing new has been updated to Facebook in the last 30 minutes... the world is asleep... and yet, here i am. typing away. kinda at a loss for what i will write. but i hope that whilst i randomly jab at the keyboard sleep will find me, and i can go snuggle with my hunny and dream happy things...

but until that happens, you're stuck with me and my randomness... you lucky person.

hmmm... i feel like there are never an new pins on Pinterest... i go and scroll through all the pins, and i think "hmm i am pretty sure i've seen ALL of these before..."
but i still never log off!! it's like CRACK i tell you. seriously so addicting, it's bad bad bad!!

 I should try and do something productive with my life...

 My house has successfully stayed clean all week! Which is a big deal if you know me... usually, i clean and then i see that as an excuse to bake something complicated or scrapbook... which then ends up making a bigger mess... it's a vicious cycle. But don't get too excited, i still haven't put away the laundry i did on tuesday... i'm not a super hero.

In other, still unimportant news I did actually make something off of Pinterest the other day! <insert applause here> I made a magnetic make up board... but since it is late, i'm not going to bother uploading a picture... but just know that it is really awesome and handy and cute and crafty and has totally solved the Cosmetic Clutter Epidemic of 2011. and it was SO easy and SO cheap. I highly recommend it. :)

hmm what else is new. OH. i saw The Help today. ohmahgooooddddddnnnnesssssss!! so fantastic. i cried and laughed and clapped and gasped. I thought it was wonderfully executed and even though i haven't finished reading the book, i feel like the movie is a very great representation of the book, and i truly love it when that happens.

I also got to spend time with my mom and sister today. and man it was just so great to talk and laugh and be with someone who understand my quirkiness and who can quote Jeff Dunham and The Ringer in normal conversation! It is nice to feel loved and to have someone to laugh at my stories and listen to my random ideas... i miss having girlfriends... everyone i know and love has moved far away from me and i feel abandoned and sometimes i just really need that old familiar feeling... and sometimes it's hard to come by. so i'm grateful for family who lives so close by and will still agree to be seen with me in public... ;)

and lastly, i just wanted to announce that my dearest sweetest friend Hope Andersen is engaged! I can't even begin to explain how happy i am for her and Mark. they are our special friends and i can't wait to see what the future has in store for them. <3 yay weddings.

i've rambled enough. and my eyelids are finally starting to droop. so i'm gonna head for bed (haha rhymes) and hopefully have more intelligent things to say in the near future!

:) Night Y'all

21 Suggestions for Success

i just love this... :)

 

21 Suggestions for Success by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6. Be generous.

7. Have a grateful heart.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12. Commit yourself to quality.

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.

14. Be loyal.

15. Be honest.

16. Be a self-starter.

17. Be decisive even if it means you’ll sometimes be wrong.

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you’ll regret the things you didn’t do more than the ones you did.

20. Take good care of those you love.

21. Don’t do anything that wouldn’t make your Mom proud

and there you have it my friends...

now, go out there and be successful ;)