ashley and jordan

26.1.12

valentine's wish list

i stopped by the grocery story earlier this week and was beckoned by the candy aisle
of course i yielded when i happened upon sweetarts, butterfingers, and reeses- all heart shaped
i have been itching to put out my valentine's decor and will most likely be doing this today

and i have been thinking of all the cute things i could get for myself to celebrate this day
so that's what this post is: a list dedicated to the day devoted to love

via

i bought a headband from ban.do on sale for a steal a while ago

and i have never been the same.

i.love.ban.do.

via

and come to think of it any of these maternity dresses would be nice.

via

i am also dying over these tiny toms

conclusion: do i need any of these? not really. do i want them? absolutely. will i buy them for myself? depends. it may have been a good idea to purchase the chocolate after all, especially if it curbs my appetite for all things valentine's day related.

18.1.12

temple square

before we left for california

hailey, jordan, and i stopped by temple square to see the lights

i was afraid we wouldn't go this year, but it worked out perfect

being at temple square with the nativities and the beautiful lights are a perfect reminder of why we celebrate the christmas season.

17.1.12

why we have temples

i just read this talk by elder richard g. scott. i have often wondered what i would say if i were asked why the lds church builds temples all over the world and elder scott's article answered many of my questions.

in the temple we can be sealed to our families. both jordan and i were born to parents who had been sealed in the temple and we know that our families will be together for eternity. because jordan and i have been sealed we know that it is possible for us to be together forever. this blessing also makes it possible for our children to be with us forever.
we also know that these blessings depend on how we choose to live our lives here. elder scott tells of his own experience with realizing this fact after losing two of his children. returning to the temple helps us to be reminded of these blessings and what we should be doing in our lives to live righteously.
elder scott also bears his testimony that attending the temple brings peace, joy, and understanding into our lives.

i am so grateful for temples on the earth today. i need to be better about making sure that temple attendance is a part of my regular schedule. i know that the temple is the house of the Lord.

16.1.12

27 weeks

i am loving this purple, silky shirt

lately i have started to feel like i am obviously pregnant

however, when i went to the dentist i told them that i was wanting to make sure my teeth and gums are still ok because i am expecting

they didn't believe me

baby girl is doing great

she is constantly moving around

i absolutely love these reassuring feelings

i am amazed that we have come this far!

there is still so much that i need to do to be ready for this little girl

i get so excited when i look at the teeny clothes we have waiting for her

i just can't wait to hold her!

13.1.12

our new year's vacation part 5

day 5: the boys spent day 5 at the rose bowl! they watched a great game where oregon beat wisconsin. all of them had a great day. the girls found the fabulous south coast plaza mall in costa mesa and we shopped until we dropped. {and took absolutely no pictures}

day 6: our trip came to an end. we flew in a tiny plane back to salt lake city.

this was such a fun week with our family. we loved spending time with my parents and siblings. it was great to travel with everyone {it was the first time ever traveling with the in-laws}. i loved it! i feel like my belly doubled in size on the trip and it was fun to have my family share the excitement that baby girl is almost here! it was just great to be all together, and we did so many exciting things. as soon as i hugged my brother to tell him goodbye i started crying because i love spending time with my family. i'm so glad to have them; they have become my best friends.

12.1.12

our new year's vacation part 4

day 4: we went to church with our cousins, jason and geri, visited huntington beach, and explored downtown hollywood.

i couldn't resist taking this "baywatch" picture. haha

11.1.12

our new year's vacation part 3

day 3: DISNEYLAND! i loved this day because there was so much that i could do, which explains how there are far less pictures of this day than others. we went on rides all day. i hit up the alice in wonderland ride, the monorail, pirates of the caribbean, and downtown disney. day 3 was new year's eve so we were there for the fireworks {at 8:45 p.m. we missed ringing in the new year because we were exhausted. but we did order pizza and drank sparkling cider.}

10.1.12

our new year's vacation part 2

day 2: drive by at the staples center + universal studios + then back to the staples center for a clippers vs. bulls game = a jam packed day of fun.

this is marley from marley and me

9.1.12

our new year's vacation part 1

this year we were so lucky to be able to go to california after christmas with my family. we spent three days at amusement parks {with a basketball game thrown in}, one day at the beach and sightseeing, and one day of shopping for the girls and the rose bowl for the guys. it was such a great trip! i loved being with my family and may have shed a few tears when i hugged them goodbye. i worried beforehand that i would feel left out not going on the rides, but i had such a great time. we filled our days with so much fun i am going to have to split this post into several parts.

day 1: traveling and knott's berry farm