Gratitude

It's crazy to look back and see how much can change in a year. 

This Thanksgiving last year (here) was easily one of my favorites, and I think my entire family is in agreement with that.

I went to bed last night a little sad that I wouldn't have my immediate family all together for Thanksgiving this year, but I woke up with a list of things too numerous to count swirling around in my head to be grateful about. 

It seems like gratitude has been a common theme in my life for the last few months.

This time last year I had just taken the GRE (for the second time) and scored one point above my goal. The nervousness that I felt when pressing that final submit button, and the relief I felt when I saw my score was overwhelming.

I walked out of that place with a thousand pounds lifted off of my shoulders and I drove straight home to pack my bags and head up to Park City to spend the perfect Thanksgiving with my family.

I had so much to be grateful for.

This year felt very different.

I woke up to an empty house. I didn't take and conquer a big test yesterday. I'm not spending a long holiday weekend with every member of my immediate family. My immediate sense of gratitude wasn't overwhelming when I woke up this morning. 

Rather, I realized that for the last several months I've taken a near-weekly inventory of the many things that I have to be grateful for, and unfortunately, that isn't something I've done nearly enough in my life.

This last year has been a whirlwind of change and for a girl that grew up learning to thrive on change, it rocked me to my core and took a lot of adjustment and acceptance, but over the last couple of months everything has fallen into place and with every last piece I've been more humbled and grateful for the interest that my Heavenly Father has in my life. 

Walking out of my graduate school interview with BYU, I knew I needed to be here, and while there were so many question marks and uncertainties, I've spent the last year watching reason after reason unfold before me.

The gratitude that I've felt this year has been unlike any other.

I only hope that through times in my life when things aren't falling into place and I can't clearly see the reasoning at all, I can look back and remember the times that He was so evidently there, and know that He still is every single day.

I hope I can focus on feeling gratitude in every circumstance, every day of the year, and then reflect on those moments of gratitude on Thanksgiving Day.

Lastly, what would Thanksgiving be without sharing a picture of the people who are the absolute most important to me?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas in Rexburg

This year we were due for Christmas in Rexburg with my sister Jen and her family!

It snowed big, beautiful, fluffy snowflakes all day on Christmas Eve.

We spent good quality time together, and the anxiousness for Christmas morning was palpable.

Christmas Day was simply perfect.

We opened presents, played games, colored, ate delicious food, and went to bed early.

I had the best time with my niece Sophie during this trip.
She's really growing up and it was so much fun to do puzzles with her, color with her, play games, and do endless crafts with her!

I cherish trips like this when I get to spend quality time with those nieces and nephews of mine.

The next day we decided to brave the frigid Rexburg temperatures and go sledding!

My girls and I were all matching! :)

Sophie and I had a snowball fight, Sam and I tried desperately to make a snowman with the dry snow, and we did quite a bit of sledding!

I haven't played in the snow like that since our Minnesota and Illinois days, and it was so much fun!

It was a simple, perfect, and spectacular Christmas.

Thanksgiving in Park City

Thanksgiving this year was particularly perfect!

My parents rented a house in Park City for all of us to stay for the long weekend.

I kicked off the weekend by taking and conquering the GRE, scoring one point above my goal.

I was so relieved and so drained from months of constant stress and non-stop school, work, and studying, that I quickly found a couch and a cute niece and nephew to crash with for a while.

Thanksgiving day was great!
We had my grandparents up to the house to join us for dinner.
As usual, my mom put on an incredible feast!

The rest of the weekend was filled with game playing, coloring (I haven't colored in ages!), ice skating, hot tubbing, and really great company.

It was such a picturesque weekend, and it was so hard to leave when it was over.

It was the perfect getaway and perfect Thanksgiving with my favorite people.

Halloween Weekend

Bonney and I finally found a time that worked for both of us to have a visit after way too long!

She came to Utah at the end of October, and it was so great to have a long weekend of Bonney&Melissa time!

She was here Halloween weekend, so naturally, we picked pumpkins, made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, had some delicious homemade Chili, went to a corn maze, watched Hocus Pocus, and went to a couple of Halloween parties, but best of all, we vegged on the couch and watched way too much TV.

Just like old times :)

We came up with some seriously last minute costume ideas, and decided to go as Effie Trinket and Katniss Everdeen, from The Hunger Games.

Bonney killed it with my makeup...

For being last minute costumes I think we pulled it off!

It was such a great visit and I already can't wait for the next one, when I get to go back and visit Washington!

Love ya, Bon!

God Bless the USA

Happy (belated) Independence Day!

I had a fantastic day that definitely reminded me why the Fourth of July is my absolute favorite holiday!

It started a week ago with the Huntsman Springs Celebrate America Celebration.

This is the third year in a row that I've been to it, and it's definitely the best fireworks show I have ever seen, and that includes some tough contenders like the Portland Waterfront BluesFest! 

It was definitely a great start to my holiday celebrations!

Yesterday morning I joined my sister and her family at the Rexburg parade down Main Street!

It was so fun to see Sophie waving away at all of the floats to try and get them to throw her candy :)

By the end her and Sam had acquired enough candy to last them quite a while!

Little Caroline had a hard time sleeping through all of the sirens and loud music, but she was still as happy as could be despite it all.

Just look at her pretty little face!

Isn't she the cutest?!

Later that afternoon my roommates and I headed down to Idaho Falls to stake out our spot for the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration.

We had six hours to wait for the fireworks to start, so we passed the time with games and really good food!

The Idaho Falls fireworks didn't disappoint, but they were definitely nowhere near as spectacular as Huntsman Springs. 

Huntsman Springs 2014

I am so thankful to live in a country where I have freedom.

It's easy to be negative about the direction our Nation is headed in, as well as the lack of freedom we sometimes feel we might have, but one thing is true - we really are blessed to live in the USA.

This Nation was founded on freedom!

Freedom of religion

Freedom of speech

Freedom of the press

Freedom of assembly

Freedom of petition

If there's one thing I've learned and one thing I really do believe, it's that as long as we stand for and protect those freedoms we were granted in the Bill of Rights, our Nation will be okay.

Happy Birthday, America!

New Year

Yesterday I wrote this rather hilarious (if I may say so myself) but probably slightly offensive blog post all about resolutions.

I decided not to post it for the latter reason (and also due to insecurity about the fact that I'm seriously not as hilarious and I believe myself to be ;) ).

Anyway, I can't decide if I love the whole New Year's Resolution hype, or if I find it a little silly.

Either way, I made two resolutions for this year.

1. Wear more lipstick

2. Have better posture

Yes, I am 100% serious :)

All of those other eating better, exercising more, being a better person things I like to work on and evaluate year round, or at least try to.

So for me, the New Year is just a refreshing moment where the whole world seems to push the reset button.

And it seems to put everyone in an incredibly happy mood.

I can't complain about that.

Happy Birthday, America!

Well it's that time of the year again!

Time for my favorite holiday!

Oh how I love parades, barbecuing, swimming, wandering around festivals, and of course,

fireworks!

Last weekend my mom and I went up to Rexburg to help my sister celebrate her birthday along with an early Fourth of July celebration.

Us ladies went for some pedicures...

...and then we headed to Driggs for Huntsman Springs Celebrate America! 

I went to Huntsman Springs last year for their celebration, so I knew it wouldn't disappoint!

The Beach Boys were there to perform before the fireworks!

Then the fireworks show was honestly the best I've ever seen, and that's saying a lot!

Plus, we had Lee Greenwood there to sing God Bless the USA during the show.

It. Was. Amazing.

(And that wasn't even the finale)

                               

I love the Fourth of July. 

Have a happy Independence Day, everyone!

Day of Love

I actually kind of love Valentine's Day. 

What can I say, I'm a sucker for love :)
 

So here's to those people that I really, really love...

Audrey Corinne and Jaden Patrick

Sophie Jane and Samuel Jeffrey

My lovely sisters, Alanna and Jennifer

 My brother in laws, Brian and Eric

and my wonderful parents

 

  

I love my family so much and I'm so thankful for all ten of them in my life!

I also can't wait for a few more additions sometime down the road... :)

(hint hint...)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning brought a lot of excitement :)

It was so fun seeing my niece and nephew open their stockings and their presents.

They were so overly excited and happy.

There was a whole lot of energy!

After presents (which surprisingly only took about an hour and a half...) we all had our traditional Christmas breakfast casserole with hot chocolate and fruit.

(If you couldn't tell, I'm all about the traditions :) )

The rest of the day was spent playing with new toys, playing games, listening to Christmas music, playing in the snow and just enjoying spending time together.

Jaden and Grandpa building a garage

Learning how to play Sorry :)

It snowed all day and I was thrilled.

I haven't had many Christmases that weren't white, and I hope I never have to :)

Playing with his new toy :)

Grandpa got Jaden a DVD of Tom and Jerry episodes, and holy moly, did those kids love it!

It was a great day :)