harry potter movie marathon!

Check out what I got for Christmas:

That's one more thing crossed off on the marriage bucket list
{it took us only 4 days}

I love, love, love the following song. Listen to it. Love it with me. And thank me later.

He ain't the leavin' kind

sometimes while riding the bus to UVU i like to listen to random songs on my i-pod.
i happened to fall upon this song right when i was feeling kind of down
it wasn't until i was about halfway done with the song that
i decided to actually listen to the lyrics.
at first i thought the song was talking about a random person
and i thought:
"is this guy for real?"
and then i realized that he is indeed for real. he is as real as you let him.
this song is about God.
and how he never leaves us. 
i got a little emotional :)

He ain't the leavin' kind- Rascal Flatts

it's all about your heart

I dedicate this song to my husband, Ammon who has the biggest heart!



My dearest Ammon,
When I think of your heart I think of the lives you're changing for good-especially mine.
I think of you embracing me when I'm trying to hide my tears.
You wouldn't let me go no mater how silly I felt.
I think of Stephen in the ward who has the body of an adult, but the mind of a child.
You taught him a cool handshake and put the biggest smile I've seen on his face.
I think of Nephi, your brother.
You tease each other and I know you care so much about him.
I think of your past; your scars.
You never gave up and because of it, you can reach people no one else can.
I think of why I fell in love with you.
It's all about your heart, and yours is the biggest I know.

ring in the new!

Alfred Tennyson wrote a poem titled, Ring Out, Wild Bells which is often recited on New Year's Eve to celebrate the coming of a new year. 

And did you know that this very poem is also in the Hymn book for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? It's located in the Christmas section and is hymn number 215.

I was a little excited when I found out today!

I know, I know, it isn't Christmas time, but this poem/hymn is applicable to anyone anytime of the year. I really like the beginning of the second verse. It says, "Ring out the old, ring in the new."

Here are a few new things I'm excited about:

1. My new blog header!

 Doesn't it look so good? Candace, an ex-co-worker from Brick Oven is amazing at graphic design and has been working with me to make it just how I wanted! If you're interested, look at her online portfolio here. Or if you just want see her super fun blog and show her some lovin, go here. 

2. New clothes. It's okay to be girly sometimes, right? Well, ring in the new blue pair of pants I just bought: 

Aeropostale-on sale- only $15

And this beauty:

Downeast- $10

Looks kind of silly, right? I used to walk past these "half-tank-top things" and thought they were a joke. I didn't see why anyone would want half a tank top. Then I realized how hot it is outside and that half my shirts are long enough at the bottom, but too low at the neck line. Solution: a "half-tank-top thing." I LOVE IT! 

3. New adventures. Ammon and I are driving to Bicknell this weekend for Shelby's wedding. It is right by Capitol Reef. I'm super stoked for that. Also, in 2 weeks, Ammon's family is having a family reunion in Heber. (Also super stoked for that.) And then maybe Ammon and I will be able to join my family in Moab for Labor Day. My brother Taylor will be skydiving for the first time and who doesn't want to see that?

Alright. On a more serious note, I would like to go back to the poem that Alfred Tennyson wrote. The poem is centered on Christ and how through Him, we can ring out the old and ring in the new. Meaning, we can ring out the things about ourselves that need improvement, and ring in the new when we overcome them. It is our choice whether or not we want to ring out the old. It starts with a desire and is nourished with prayer, faith, and applying the atonement. I'm so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ who made ringing out the old and ringing in the new possible!

the bus ride home

every thursday i ride the bus home from school
same bus
same time
and same bus driver

as i was listening to ingrid's new album, human again, (which by the way, is AMAZING!) i was able to observe people in a different light. there's just something about drowning out all the noise around me and replacing it with a song of my choice that makes me look at the world and the people in it differently.

suddenly, the girl sitting 2 seats away from me was no longer just another girl on the bus. as i inconspicuously observed her happily conversing with another girl across from us (who appeared to be new at the whole "bus" thing) how i viewed her changed. she became friendly, knowledgeable, even inspiring! and i felt really good sitting next to her.

my bus driver was no longer just a bus driver, but a friendly, heart-warming human who had feelings too. i watched him point outside the window or nod his head and smile when people talked to him. he put his hand high in the air and waved when another bus passed by. he pretended to shut the door on someone and laughed as he let them back in. he's always been more than a bus driver, but for the first time i SAW it.

after i got off the bus and started walking the 3 blocks ahead of me, the song: blood brothers was playing in my headphones. this got me thinking. too often, i find myself viewing the world from a "me" standpoint. the one where anyone different than myself starts to bug me and it's all their fault. but when i take a moment, and view people from a "them" standpoint and see where they're coming from, we're incredibly similar! what they want, i want too. we all crave food, water, shelter, and love. people will always do things we don't understand. but if we just remember that we all have that in common, then maybe we wouldn't rate people. and maybe just maybe they might not even bug us. (that's the one that's really hard for me)

 as ingrid so beautifully said, "we're all the same, under a different name."