Best Husband Award

Earlier this week, Jacob knocked on our door and asked me to go on a date with him this Saturday, he told me he would pick me up at 11:00.  He is adorable and can still give me butterflies in my stomach.  About a half an hour before our date he left.  Silly me, I got all nervous, couldn't decide what to wear and was sitting there nervous excited for him to pick me up.  He knocked on the door, and when I opened it up, this gorgeous man was standing there in my favorite shirt of his, a red rose, and some Russian chocolate and soda, and it was raining.  What more could a girl ask for?!  We first went to a museum in Springville that has the largest Russian art collection west of the Mississippi.  I have always wanted to go there and it was incredible! The Russian art collection perfectly depicted many parts of Russia for me, I love that place, and the people. There was also good art from American artists that was part of a "whimsical" collection they are currently featuring.  Downstairs there were portraits, Jacob put on a costume that was provided while I drew his portrait, unfortunately pictures were not taken of that part of the activity. 

We went home, ate the soup I made the day before, and then colored in my Disney/Pixar coloring book while we listened and sang to music..  It is a good thing I married a man who still enjoys being a kid just as much as I do.

Later, I went with Mckell to watch the General Women's session at Abby's house.  We all haven't hung out really all together since before I got married I think, and needless to say, I think I am going to have to re-watch the conference.  We did our best to listen but we had a lot to catch up on. Abby and Scott have a cute little apartment and we had a great time talking as well as feeling the Spirit :).  When I got home I walked into our apartment to the fabulous smell of Pine-Sol.  Jacob had cleaned the whole house, and get this, he wiped down ALL of the baseboards!  He is pretty amazing right?  After showing me how clean everything was, he made me fall even farther in love with him today by dancing with me in the living room.  I love dancing with him and being close to him.  It reminds me of our wedding day, and seems to bring us closer to each other.  We finished our amazing date by eating breakfast for dinner and finally hanging up our crafts and other decorations on the wall.  I am the most blessed girl in the world.  I am blessed with a man who loves me so much and keeps me falling even deeper in love with him every day.

Friday Hike

Weekends for us are full of cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking that doesn't get done during the week, but we always try to do all that we can together.   Today while Jacob was at school I went to Winco for the first time, and let me tell you, the rumors are true!  It was so cheap!  I keep telling everyone that everything was a dollar! That isn't completely true, but it is true that it was very cheap. I went home and made some meals for this week, including a chicken, rice, cheese, and corn casserole and tortellini soup, Yum!  I also got to talk to my last companion from the mission, Tanya Karachova. She is learning taking classes online from BYU-I and needs an English speaking partner. I love it so much because we get to reminisce about all of the good times, catch up, and also discuss gospel topics.  It brings the Spirit into my life and it makes me happy to talk to her. 

The picture from above is from a hike that Jacob and I went on in the evening in Rock Canyon.  We both knew exactly where we wanted to go.  It takes quite awhile to hike to our spot, but eventually we ended up in the same spot where he proposed.  It is a beautiful place with a stream, surrounded by trees.  The changing of the colors of the leaves made it even more incredible.  Jacob knows just what to do to make me happy, we talked and laughed and made another great memory together in the canyon, it even started raining on the way out.  The weather has been amazing the past couple of days, gorgeous rainfall, mixed with a few thunder and lightning storms!  My favorite weather.

To end the night we made chocolate banana shakes and watched our new show, Melissa and Joey.  So happy to be with Jacob forever, making memories everyday. 

Once Upon a Time

In the mornings, Jacob leaves around 7:45 to go to school and I have until 10:00 before I have to work.  Sometimes I try to do productive things like work out, clean, cook, or other such things.  But, other times I just relax, make the bed, write Jacob a love note and leave something random.  The cards on the bed are part of a game that Jacob brought home this week with a theme of fairy tales.  I left him our love story told through the cards.  When I got home, he swept me off my feet, told me to close my eyes and in Russian (which makes it even greater of a romantic gesture for some reason) he told our story, but he said that even though the last card said, "The End", in all reality, our story was not over, and it would not have an end but it would go on forever.  I have such an amazing man. 

Leo Fox Browning

Mckell and I were so excited about Kate and Kye having a baby that we intruded on their hospital time (not that they had that much to do there but they were quite tired).  Kate was tired and so was Kye of course, not much sleep with a new baby and sleeping in a hospital on not so comfy couches and people coming in and out all night....the new life has begun!  Anyways though, little Leo was such a miracle, like every baby, and I love that his middle name is Fox.  When hearing about the name, Jacob said, "I think that is so cool!  Lion Fox!".  I have decided that I want to call him Mr. Fox, he is so so adorable.  He was very little and cute, and I was a little nervous to hold him, but after I got used to how tiny he was I didn't want to let him go.  Mckell says she isn't good with babies, but he loved her and slept the whole time.Kate and Kye were so happy and their little family is just so cute, I am very excited for them to start this new adventure and I am happy that we are friends and I get to know little Leo.

   

Saturday Fun!

Started Saturday morning out right with a race....well Jacob did at least....we drove all the way to Eagle Mountain for the race, not the most scenic place for a race but the atmosphere was filled with excitement making me wish that I was running as well.   Not to brag or anything but Jacob did AWESOME!  He really just killed it, like it was no problem. Especially the obstacles.  I had to run to keep up with him going to the obstacles so that I could watch him do them!   It was 11 miles with 20 obstacles, it took him 2 hours and 10 minutes, and the average time they expect people to finish in is 2:45-3:15. And as he said, he wasn't even in shape!  Now he wants to really train for it and see how much he dominates next time!  But seriously, I think he was one of the first to finish in his time block and he passed tons of people from people in previous time slots and he just soared over all the walls and things he had to climb, he is pretty much the coolest ever.  I had a great time being there and talking to a bunch of other spectators. 

Chalk the Block
I love chalk the block!  People are so incredible who can make such incredible masterpieces with chalk on the ground in a parking lot.  It was beautiful.  Here are a few of the pictures that I liked.

Testimonies

Today, being fast and testimony meeting in church, I was thinking a lot of testimonies.  My testimony especially.  I thought about my mission, my testimony, it seems, was a lot stronger while I was on my mission.  I realized that one of the biggest reasons that is true is because I bore my testimony countless times every day on my mission.  I spoke of the Savior, of His Gospel, of His Atonement throughout every moment of everyday to anyone that wanted to listen.  I thought of my Heavenly Father, of my Savior, of how I could become more like them.  Everything in my life was centered on living the gospel.  It is different now because I am not a full time missionary, BUT I reminded myself that still everything in my life can be related to the gospel, every answer to every question can be answered through prayer.  I need to remember that the Spirit can still be strongly constant in my life.  And in all reality this is how it not only can and should be, but it needs to be that way.  I bore my testimony today in Sacrament and it reminded me how blessed I am and also how much responsibility I have because of those blessings.  I have a testimony, it's time to more often share it and to more consistently live it. 

Kate and Kye

Kye Browning is so cool!  He plays in bands, did our wedding video, and today his music video was played in the Underfunded Film Festival.   He did an awesome job, and it was a great activity for a Saturday night.  We stayed and watched some of the short films and had a good time.  Kate is such a good sport and just keeps on going.  She is going to have little baby Leo any time now.  Kate and Kye are great friends and always looking for fun things to do, we are lucky enough that they want to hang out with us! We went out to dinner and then they came over to eat cookie dough and Oreos and to test out some of our new games!  Games are the best.  I love these two and I am so happy we have friends to be with and to make memories with. 

Tammy and Steve's Anniversary

Tammy Bailie and I have both decided that we are kindred spirits. We are supposed to know each other and are supposed to be in each other's lives.  I love her a lot.  Tammy has helped me to see life in a different way and has helped me to be more positive, trying to look for the good in everyone and in every situation.   It was obvious that she has many friends that love her and people that she has influence for good when she had her anniversary party. It was at a beautiful park in Riverton with treats and she invited people to share songs for the party. Her girls sang and did a really good job and some of her other friends, some of which we discovered are very well known.  Tammy also played some of her songs and ended with a song she had written for Steve about their relationship, love and life together.  They are both incredible people.    Music is a beautiful way to bring good feelings and to share feelings. We had a great night celebrating with them. 

Labor Day Weekend

We love having family so close to hang out with when we have the time.  Some of Jacob's siblings are close by and almost my whole family is as well.  The long weekend was the perfect opportunity to spend some time with all of them.

Saturday we went to Hooper to be with the Stewart clan.  Josh and Kristy recently made an addition to their family of a cute Canaan puppy named Marah who has lots of energy but is so soft and adorable you just have to love her!  Caeden, our nephew took a little while to warm up to us but after that he was playing with us and showing us his toys.  The boys helped Josh start building a fence around the house and Josh smoked us some chicken, YUM.  I love going to Hooper.  They have a beautiful view with a big amount of land with farms surrounding them, it feels like being in the country, gotta love nature. We had a good time talking, eating and playing games.  They are awesome and I am glad I am part of their family.

Sunday was a homecoming talk in my parents ward by Sister Rylee White who served in the Novosibirsk mission.  President and Sister Gibbons came and we were so excited to see them!  Her after party was at Spanky's (the sandwich shop that her parents own)  I swooped in on the Gibbons right when they sat down to eat so we got to talk to them for a good 20 minutes or so.  We love them so much, they invited us to their house whenever we want!  Being with them, as well as listening to talks of missionaries just getting home is a good reminder to me that I want to continue to be a missionary. I want to have the same goals and stay Spiritually minded as I was when I was on my mission.  I know that true joy comes from living and sharing the Gospel, helping others feel of Christ's love and through service.   That is hard to remember in day to day life so I am grateful for opportunities such as these.

PICTURE FROM PRESIDENT! (I will get it)

BBQ at Kendall grandparents.  Brooke made us some delicious steak and chicken, not to mention all the yummy sides and to top that all off we had peach pie, cherry pie, and chocolate cake, we have been eating good this weekend!  Jake brought LAX sticks and Jacob did very well for his first time (he is naturally good at everything) and Jake showed us his new skills to psych the other team out, he is one awesome kid!

Monday me, Jacob, my mom, and Jake hung out at Park City. It was crazy busy because it was Labor Day and everyone wanted to do something fun of course.  The leaves had already started changing colors and it was beautiful!  We stopped in a few stores, walked up and down Main Street, ate some yummy food, and then headed up the mountain so we could go on the Alpine Slide.  During the wait we had to have some Dippin' Dots (the Mint Chocolate kind cause it's the best)  and then got on the life.  This was Jacob's first time and he thought it was great!  I always forget how much fun it is and I feel like a kid again.  We want to go again when it isn't as busy so we can go a bunch of times.  It was great fun.  The drive there was our own concert by We are the Strike.  Love that band, and it is convenient because everyone likes them.