Ok Darlin'

do the dew tour with us!

2012-02-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

2012 dew tour is here! we've been each year it's been in utah and always have a great time. there are other events going on because of the tour too...like a salomon athlete poster signing tonight at ogden's salomon center from 8-9pm. because i'm the star struck person that i am, i'm excited for this! and if you're hip to it, there's a free concert tonight as well. the artist's name is mac miller. i'm not sure who he is, but free concerts are pretty good way to mingle and have some fun with your friends.

once again, this is just another reason we love where we live! come out and support rad events like this so we keep getting more!

receive and trust

2012-02-07T22:00:00.022-07:00

this is a rather long post (with no photos)...i typed a lot of notes during this conference. and i couldn't leave any them out! i also included scripture references...something i have never done before. i feel kind of strange doing it but they are necessary for me to remember.

at the week mark of the new year i had the opportunity to attend a woman's conference with the keynote speaker being Sherri Dew. i have read a few of her books and love the inspiration i get from each one. she asked each of us to review our past year and ask ourselves "what did i learn last year?" i answered to myself "the Lord trusts me so i should trust him." she then asked "what is turning out to be harder than you ever thought it would be?" again i answered to myself "making the decision to start our family...and actually starting it." she went into discuss how our spirits are preprogrammed to progress. our spirits want to keep learning & progressing. built into all experiences is opportunity to learn & keep progressing. you can tell when you've done something that makes you not feel as close to the lord. real progression comes with those baby steps. constant progression has set backs & that's okay. but remember progression is upward. she encouraged us to do a 2011 recap: see what the Lord has blessed me with. what ways do i know that the Lord was with me in life lessons last year? she suggested that to help do this think about it this way "The lord did this for me and I learned this, he protected me from this, etc. all of our answers are a reflection of how we much we love the lord...that why we serve & do the things we do.
her main discussion was about the need for us to learn how to receive. it is crucial to learn how to receive. she referenced 2 Nephi 28:30: unto him who receive with I will give more and 3 Nephi 9:14: arm of mercy to everyone & I will receive all who come to me...which means he will not leave anyone out! He is saying that if you come unto me I will receive you as my daughters that you are. in D&C 88:32 it says we will enjoy what we are willing to receive. Celestial Kingdom!! I want to receive that!!
What is out there to receive? in D&C 76:7 (side note: the first ten verses are amazing!) it says that all mysteries will be revealed to those who serve in righteousness and truth unto the end - mysteries teach us how god works & are tutored by the spirit, how broad & dramatic this scope D&C 121:26 no knowledge will be withheld from us...we live in the time of fullness dispensation (verse 28). Everything the lord has will and can be given to us...(wow, what is my problem!!) All of this will be given to those who have learned to receive.
the Atonement of Christ: entire salvation hangs on this! We're in a position to learn & receive. our temple covenants: gift of knowledge & power!! Priesthood: gift through the access & benefits (how do I draw the power of the priesthood in my life?) try not to focus on the here & now...focus on the bigger picture.
we need to know for ourselves why we're here so we don't get side tracked. where are our roots? are they deep? she told a story about her planting some flowers in her yard and woke up the next day with each one gone. she thought maybe the deer came and ate them all, but could quickly tell that wasn't the case. she called the police because she could see footprints and thought she had been vandalized. after a quick look around the policeman told her that all of her plants were in her neighbors backyard. they knocked on her new neighbor's house - very early in the morning...welcome to the neighborhood - only to be told that their little girl loves flowers and pulled out each of them. she related this back to our spirituality and if our roots are not deep we will be easily moved. she said that he part you can't see (roots) is more important of the plant than what you can see (the pretty parts). it's what's on the inside that makes us grow - fed, nurtured, receive testimony & knowledge, gifts etc. again she asked us to look at ourselves...what does the part you can't see look like? what does my courage, testimony, knowledge, & faith look like? do i believe? the lord has built you up and protect you before...is he not going to do it again?! we believe he atoned & is full of power. yes the roots are most important but the outside is important too: be stewards of what we have been given. but what's on the inside is what's more important...& it's usually what we don't give as much attention to.
The influence of a righteous women is hard to beat (satan hasn't an ounce of the power a righteous woman has). The bond between mother & child are beautiful.
she again asked us questions: what are we here for & are we rooted? Be strong, be true, teach instead of being taught, don't resist the dark & dreary world...the world needs you. Adam & Eve didn't resist it. The potential influence we have!! we have the power of the priesthood to protect & the power of the savior to heal us. in Ether 12:27 it says: come unto me and I will make weakness strengths. he can heal us from our anxieties, our wear & tear, & our fear. the healing power of the atonement is what this is.
if you want to see the view you have to make the climb. we're here in this life to make an ascent. with every step you take the more you will receive. the more sincere my prayer...the more scripture study. the more we make an ascent the more we will receive. if we want to learn what heavenly father wants for us we have to make a sacrifice. somethings matter more than others. what's on the inside is more important...the roots enable the flower.
you are not alone in the climb and it can be fun! sometimes we are critical of ourselves & others...don't be! be a team! in every single sermon Joesph Smith taught he said be nice to each other! it's not a surprise that the adversary wants to go against us...women are the healing balm of society. she challenged us to watch our thoughts for the next 3 days.. it may surprise you. what you think may not be delightful.

on the climb be tethered to the bridge. are we tethered to Jesus or the world?
the lord had said i will give. he will teach you everything...make our roots deep. to learn to receive is the only way to tether ourselves to the lord. set specific goals! if the goals are set in mind to help us receive, our roots will become deeper and deeper. we will be more beautiful because that's what will show through.
she ended with the question: what do you want to be able to say a year from now? the father can make a lot more out of our lives than we can...we can look back & see this.

and my one of my most favorite things she said...the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints is the church of happy endings! i know this is true!

joy in my journey.

2012-01-04T21:21:00.003-07:00

i don't think i'll ever get use to receiving inspiration as strongly as i have been lately. i am constantly in awe at the little things i experience on a regular basis. and most of the time i feel inspired for other people. it's something i can't put into words but something that needs to be in words so i can remember all the beauty i am experiencing. you would think i would never complain but i do. more often than i should i'm sure.
i'm experiencing so much joy in my journey. i can't let it go by without mention.

hello 2012!

2012-01-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

12/31/11

new year's eve

dinner at bistro 258 with family and friends

walking dead marathon (what's the deal with mid-season finales anyway?!)

a little bubbly to toast to the new year

and fireworks...of all kinds

can i share a secret?

i'm really excited for 2012.

like really excited.

2011 holiday season favorites

2011-12-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

1. homemade grape juice that was mixed to create a lime rickey

2. the man (& cousin) behind the grape juice

3. burton family christmas party

4. petersen family christmas party

5. not one but two bags of flo's delicious caramels (one for him, one for me...we've been known to fight over the last caramel because they're that delicious)

6. an evening spent listening to my favorite christmas cd making christmas coal to be delivered to our neighbors by none other than santa briggs

7. i made coasters for a couple of my co-workers christmas gifts

8. caroling at an assisted living facility (we gained a few carolers along the way too)

9. a secret day of relaxation (which was also an early christmas gift)

10. gordon gave me a starbucks gift card which gave me the chance to try every holiday flavor

11. lunch with the staff at my sister's work

13. breakfast with the boys (and by boys i mean gordon's friends...i love it when chris is in town)

14. fraga family christmas party. lots of listening to frank sinatra records with my grandpa.

15. a christmas eve movie favorite: sherlock holmes!

16. christmas was on a sunday...it was nice to feel the spirit on christmas day.

17. abbi got leopard print booties from my mom for christmas.

18. the petersen family circle on christmas day. no, it doesn't have to be christmas for this circle to form.

19. my brother was at every christmas activity we had. we even got to celebrate his birthday with him. he's doing so well. i pray he continues to stay strong because we love making memories with him.

20. no photo but my grandma was released from the hospital a couple of days before christmas and is doing okay. an answer to many prayers.

my besties since junior high

2011-12-29T09:10:00.001-07:00

12/21/11

birthday dinner for bree

dinner at mandarin

we were there until they closed

we didn't want the night to end so we found the only place open past 9pm on weekday

so it wasn't awkward we were hanging out there without purchasing anything we got boba drinks

we laughed all night

it was just what i needed

simply having a wonderful christmas time

2011-12-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

christmas 2011

the older i get the less christmas is about gifts and the more it is about spending time with family, making memories, and smiling. lots of smiling.

*most of the smiles captured in these photos were because of gifts, but that was definitely not the only reason there was smiling.

a christmas party i'm not ready to have.

2011-12-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

christmas time means lots of get togethers with our family. over the weekend we had two family christmas parties (and gordon's company christmas party). it's always fun getting together will extended family. you get a chance to catch up and see each other one more time before the year ends. the burton family christmas party was a bit different this year than from year's past. we were missing one very important person...my grandma. she hadn't been feeling well and couldn't stand to be away and off of her oxygen for too long so she opted to stay home. when i was younger we use to have the family christmas parties at her house. i wish we could have done that. instead we had it at a church to fit all 80+ of us. it wasn't the same without her. a christmas tradition has always been that as we leave we get a christmas orange. my grandpa use to be the one to pass them out. he would give each and every one of us a hug and "grandpa kiss" (the slobbery kind that i miss oh so much) as he handed us our orange. my grandma took his place once he died. this year the oranges were passed out by other family members. it just wasn't the same and it gave me a glimpse of what's to come once my grandma does pass on and i didn't like it. don't get me wrong, my grandparent's posterity is made of some of the finest people, and as i spoke to my grandma after our party was over to tell her how strange it all was and how much i missed her she told me how proud she was of her posterity and loved each of us so much, but i don't want to have christmas parties without her. ever. not realistic, i know, but i need her there. it's just not the same without her.

she's currently in the hospital. turns out she has more fluid around her heart and lungs and she's in heart failure. none of this is new. she's been in heart failure for the past couple of years. however, the size of her heart has significantly increased. it's not looking good. she's fine, under great care, and is in no pain. but with her heart the size that it is the doctor says it's only a matter of time.

many prayers are constantly being said on my grandma's behalf and for that i am eternally grateful. it's those prayers that have kept her here as long as she has been. i know she's ready to be with my grandpa again. shoot, i am too i miss him so dang much. i love my grandma so much and know what ever happens next is what's meant to be.

it's just hard.

dinner with my besties

2011-12-16T08:38:00.003-07:00

12/8/11

dinner at tona on 25th st

an evening for just us girls to catch up and spend some much needed time together.

love these girls and all the memories we have together.

nights like this make me miss the good ol' college days with these ladies.

some of the best times of my life are because of them.

*photos taken with instagram

follow me

what's been going on...

2011-12-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

1. date night.

we made homemade pizza, watch art of flight (a snowboarding film), & washed it all down with virgil's rootbeer

2. favorite part about the city during the holidays: FREE PARKING!

3. went shopping at a mall far far away from my house. i made the mistake of looking at that section in nordstrom that i'll never be able to afford. i tried on this sweet vest. jodi made me do it. ("all in the name of instagram" she told me...i'll do anything to instagram it)

4. mel made yet another impressive cake. this one was for baby k's first birthday party. our kids will not be as fortunate as mel's (unless of course aunty mel makes them a cake...)

5. the birthday girl. yeah we also think she's the cutest baby in the world.

6. don't ask us to do anything july 26, 2012. we're going to see wicked! (by the time we actually go it will have been close to a year and a half since it's been planned...i've never scheduled something that far in advance before. it felt silly doing it and feels silly saying it out loud, but i'm ridiculously excited for it none-the-less!)

7. sunday dinner at my mom's. briggs is in heaven there. he never wants to leave (can you blame him...non stop treats and the comfiest spot on the couch are all his!)

8. a treat for a sister date night to watch new girl. new girl is quickly becoming my new favorite tv show. "new favorite tv show meet madbrook donut holes"...great night!

9. gordon wishes there was more snow to shovel...and not because he likes shoveling snow. the snow season needs to arrive quickly because this husband of mine can only watch so many snowboarding films without living them in real life.

10. i've become a little obsessed with my iphone. everyday i hear "you sure are glued to that phone" from gordon. it's true. i am. (especially instagram. favorite app ever!)

33 hours

2011-12-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

i'm pretty sure that's the longest i have ever gone without power (besides when i'm camping).

last week we had a record breaking windstorm in our area that literally blew the roof off of people's homes in our neighborhood. our power went out thursday morning mid blow-dry of my hair. it didn't come on until the evening of the next day (33 hours later). we were tricked into thinking it was on earlier than that because others in our neighborhood had power but apparently we are on a separate power line (and water line but that's not really related to this story) than they are. sometimes that works for us, sometimes against us. we made it through (with gordon telling me that it was just like we were camping). we bundled up in the evenings, and when it was time for work i made sure my dogs were bundled in their sweaters (since they would be left home in the 52 degree house).

all of this just made me realize how grateful i am to live in a time that i have all the comforts of electricity at my fingertips. i could not have been a pioneer.

over the weekend: my husband the holiday decorating expert?

2011-12-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

my mother in law's home during the holidays is beautiful. she has a lot of holiday decorations. so many that she practically replaces all of her normal home decor with christmas decor. because she is recovering from back surgery, she hadn't had the time to put up her christmas decorations this year yet. so on sunday night that's what gordon and i did. her house was prepped ready for us to arrive (thanks kim!). and close to three hours laterwe were finished. gordon brought in and took out millions of rubbermaid bins, each one filled with christmas decorations. my favorite moment of the night was when we were down to the last four bins, gordon opened one of them up, then looked at leeann and me and said "this one is full of thanksgiving crap! this is the best thing to happen to me all day!" needless to say he wasn't thrilled to be putting up all of his mom's christmas decorations, but by the end of the night he was a pro. so much that leeann may just ask him to help every year!

we also brought the dogs.

abbi is cute.

our november

2011-11-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

regular daily activities of work, church service, and being wife and husband
we final started getting some snow!
our quest for the best rootbeer may have ended...virgil's, we love you (so much that we bought a case...best food storage purchase ever!)
we went to our first ski movie of the year together - TGR's "one for the road" (gordon has seen plenty already on his own...yeah, i'm still jealous of his sweet job perks)
i got my first pro skier signature (you rock todd ligare!)
on veteran's day we went to the big city and had breakfast at the all famous ruth's diner where they serve mile high biscuits the size of my hand with every meal! so delicious!
also on veteran's day gordon's mom had back surgery. she's recovery slowly and she needs your prayers...please pray for her with us.
i joined the rest of the world and bought my very first smart phone (hello instagram!)
the little man turned 3
an early christmas present was given to my nephew. you can't hold out on a new snowboard and set up when the ski resorts are opening - it's just not right.
thanksgiving was spent with immediate family only (just dad, brenda, sis, sky, bro, jade, gordon, me, & the pooches)...and at my dad's house (he was actually in town). it was like i had the thanksgiving that dreams are made of...two different methods of turkey cookin', homemade everything, football all day (go packers!), motorcycle rides to enjoy the beautiful weather, and lots of lounging (i have never had a thanksgiving day like that before...we've always gone to 2 or 3 places...i missed seeing everyone but loved the relaxation of it all)
i got to spend the majority of the thanksgiving break with my texan cousin, mat, who is in his first year of college at byu. we saw the new twilight movie (i liked it, whatever), ate lunch at bistro, had cupcakes from some new local places downtown (mexican hot chocolate & sweet potato with maple cream cheese frosting...both delish!), washed our cupcakes down with holiday chai teas (green tea based of course), went thrifting, got pizza from the best pizzeria in town, went to lunch with grandma, and spent lots of time laughing and making cousin memories. if i had favorite cousins (i don't) he would be one of them. he is so easy going, loves the same things i do, and is up for anything. best thanksgiving break ever!

well november, you came and went very quickly. lots of memories made. now bring on december (cause our christmas shopping is only one present away from being done...woot!).

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T21:48:00.000-06:00

our first halloween at home

we went for a run

we passed out our first halloween candy to trick-or-treaters

gordon made soup for dinner

(& bought fancy bottled beverages for us to drink...rootbeer & cream soda)

i put the dogs in their annual halloween get-ups (a glow-in-the-dark halloween bandanna for briggs, & a glow-in-the-dark halloween t-shirt for abbi)

we watched a few episodes of the walking dead

and then went to bed.

it was one of my favorite nights.

we had a busy weekend!

2011-10-24T21:17:00.000-06:00

dinner with our good friends the pursers on friday. katherine made chicken tikka masala. let's just say gordon and i thought we were in an indian restaurant; it was that fantastic! gordon made sure i left with the recipe. we also got to play with their little two year old girl. she had me grinning all night! she wanted to watch toy story 3 and in the beginning credits the disney castle appears. she looked up at me and said "look, it's the temple!" oh, she is too cute!

early morning rise on saturday to take an autumn ride to logan and visit the logan lds temple. gordon and i had never been to the logan temple before. we love how unique it is. afterwards i couldn't leave logan with eating at logan's heroes sandwich shop. the locals rant and rave about this place. gordon really liked his hero sub. i've had better. you must need to be a local to love this place.

on our way home we made a pit-stop in willard at paul's patch to pick out some pumpkins to decorate our front porch. i couldn't leave without getting some apples too.

later that evening we went to my family's halloween party at my dad's house. the theme of the evening was nite of the zombies. the "man cave" was decorated from top to bottom in zombie decor. my aunt and step mom put so much work into every detail of the party. the kids had pillow sack races, bobbed for apples, played musical chairs, and danced to mj's "thriller!"

oh, our costumes? we. are. robots. (please say that in your best robot voice) gordon did a wonderful job putting our costumes together. right down to the very detail (he had an on/off switch and i had function buttons). our inspiration was a combination between a little kid robot costume and flight of conchords robot costumes. all and all i think they turned out great. one of my favorite costumes to date!

sunday evening i was requested by the young women in my ward to speak to them at their "evening of personal progress." i was flattered that they requested to hear from me. i spoke about how personal progress helps develop individual worth. each of the young women in my ward are amazing and inspire me to be the best me i can be. each of them shared something about their own personal progress and i was amazed at each girl's achievements. i am so grateful for each of them and the outstanding young women that they are.

(side note: i saw one of my most favorite people from my home ward growing up at this personal progress evening. marylin liptrot was the sweetest lady i had ever met. her family always sat in the church bench in front of my family. from the time i was able to walk i would always want to sit with her. she would entertain me all through sacrament meeting. as i grew up things did not change. when i moved from the ward at age twelve i thought i would never see any of the people in my ward again - yes a little dramatic i know - but i have been reconnected with two of them moving back to the ogden area. marylin is one of them, and my stake president, dave christensen, is the other. both played an instrumental role in my life when i was growing up. isn't it funny how life works?)

although very busy, this weekend ended up to be a very special weekend for me. my life is good.

over the weekend: a date, a pumpkin carving contest, and family sunday dinner

2011-10-17T20:16:00.003-06:00

i love farr's ice cream and was super excited when a new restaurant (pop's) opened up close by our house that serves it. when i found out the place was 50's themed i was that much more excited (poodle skirts, black and white oxfords, leather jackets, fun wholesome music...what's not to love!). we went mostly for the ice cream. when i saw they had malts i immediately knew i needed to upgrade my drink to a malt. chocolate based malt with real whip cream and sprinkles on top! and they give you your excess in the metal container. any place that doesn't waste ice cream and gives me the excess is my kind of place. we don't need to go back for the food, it was good but not amazing, but we will be going back for ice cream treats.

halloween time wouldn't be the same without the annual pumpkin carving contest with gordon's family. everyone was in attendance. the creative juices were flowing and the stakes were high...okay the stakes were not high but you wouldn't know that if you were there. we're all pretty competitive. this year each person got their own pumpkin to carve (in year's past we did it as couples/families, so this year there everyone was competing against each other). my idea didn't turned out like i wanted it to and i quickly had a flashback to when i was little and my family would carve pumpkins. i would get super upset when my design wasn't working out, i would pout, and my dad would take over and finish it for me...i'm not proud of how i acted but it happened. that almost happened again, but this time my dad wasn't there to recover my mistakes so i had to take a breather and do my best to make my design work. i was pleasantly surprised that once my pumpkin was lit it didn't look so bad...and i won 3rd place! (maybe it was a pity win...either way i placed in the top 3! no pride here.)

on sunday we had family dinner with my side of the family. my brother joined us and it was nice to see his progress and spend sometime with him. it was much needed for him and all of us. he's doing fantastic!
all and all it was a great weekend.

a no photo weekend

2011-10-10T20:46:00.001-06:00

we tried a new thai food restaurant. it was gross. and the service was bad.
i went to pilates saturday morning with my mom, sister, and aunt. it was hard and i loved it.
we went to my dad's for a toy story marathon. he made chili verde. it was delicious. he's a great cook.
i taught the presidency message in my relief society meeting.
we watched an episode of mad men in bed in the middle of the afternoon.
we had dinner with gordon's family, minus his sisters and their families.
and we were in bed by 8:20pm sunday night.
it was a nice weekend. even if not one photo was taken.

over the weekend: bear lake in the fall

2011-10-03T21:19:00.000-06:00

not exactly your typical fall weather...

we were able to be beach bums

gordon got some time in his kayak

a cool breeze made it possible to lay out all day long

in the evening the men went to priesthood session

and we met up with them after for milkshakes

we explored a new cave we had never been to before

ice caves in paris, idaho

and enjoyed all the beautiful colors of fall

this weekend is special.

2011-09-30T07:00:00.003-06:00

i am so excited for this weekend. it's by far one of my most favorite. i get the chance to listen to my church's general conference. i usually feel like every talk is meant for me. and afterwards i get that zest to do that much better. i also feel overwhelmed and grateful beyond belief at the love my heavenly father has for me. and i get to do all of this at one of my favorite places. i can't wait!

hello autumn.

2011-09-29T22:56:00.000-06:00

teton village, teton national park, jackson hole wyoming

car ride shenanigans

staying in a beautiful home with its own private hot tub

early morning family get together for elk watching and breakfast (the mcgreg)

gordon spending time with two of his favorite people: the little man & baby k

hearing elk bugle in the dark

watching "a black bear with a brown nose eat berries"

hike to phelps lake

and spending time with extended family

can't think of a better way to end the summer...

2011-09-22T22:16:00.001-06:00

lake powell, utah

5 day trip on "the voyager" with the marsh family (no relation but we'd gladly be apart of their family if they'd have us)

learning how to jet ski

going off the houseboat slide

taking the leap off the houseboat diving board

crawling the red rocks with remote control rock crawlers

flying remote control air planes

kayaking

outside movie under the stars on the top of the house boat

exploring indian ruins

enjoying some girl time and having my new friend courtney decorate my nails

wakeboarding

tubing battles

and a stop at hollow mountain gas station

over the historical weekend: a church social, my cousin's wedding, and sunday dinner at mel's

2011-09-12T17:17:00.000-06:00

friday evening i went to my first church relief society social. i suppose i went because i was expected to be there. i didn't particularly want to go. but i am very happy i went. to my surprise i enjoyed it. i enjoyed the wonderful women i was able to mingle with and get to know. feel of their sweet sincere love for one another. it was an experience i needed.

on saturday my cousin, kristin on my dad's side of the family, got married. her day was beautiful. she walked down the aisle to her uncle playing the bagpipes. that was my favorites part of her wedding. my favorite part of her reception was the mariachi band performing. because we were apart of the brides family our table was serenaded by them. even though i have no idea what they are saying, i could listen to them for hours.

sunday september 11th didn't go by without remembering what had happened 10 years ago. gordon and i talked about it while we got ready for church. how old we were (he was a sophomore in high school, i was a senior), what we were doing (he was getting ready for school and saw it on the news channel his dad was watching that morning, i was picking up my friend for school when i heard it on the radio - confused, i kept changing the channel to find music when my friend approached my vehicle to tell me this was for real and to actually listen to what was being said) and how we felt (mostly shocked, and scared for those in the attacks). while at mel's for dinner each of us shared our feelings and stories from that day 10 years ago. we watched a little bit of news as we shared. although not directly affected, it will be a day that i will remember forever. the aftermath has been horrific. a war that i don't agree with, that i feel has gone on for much too long. my heart is full of gratitude for those courageous enough to serve our country, to protect this beautiful place i love and the many freedoms i enjoy.

september

2011-09-09T07:25:00.000-06:00

thank you for arriving. you brought with you some cooler weather, which i fully enjoy. you come packed with fun outings and vacations. i can hardly wait to be enclosed in red rock mountains when we go to lake powell or to wrap up in cozy sweaters and see the changing leaves of fall when we go to jackson hole. i feel like you bring with you change. change of heart, change of mind, change of life. i'm excited. i am looking forward to each day.

waiting with anticipation,
jessica

another sunday i will never forget

2011-09-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

inspired. that's the word i'll use to sum up the experience i had sunday.

my first counselor gave our presidency lesson. "who am i?" she asked us to get in pairs. once we were in pairs she had us face our partner, the front of our knees touching each other. then she said we are going to stare into our partner's eyes for 2 minutes. (yes, i also was freaking out) "the eyes are windows to the soul." as incredibly uncomfortable as this was going to be i looked at my partner and she smiled with a smile of “yeah, i’m uncomfortable too”, and we began to stare. seconds into it to my partner began to cry. a steady stream of tears were running down her face. this brought tears to my eyes. every now and then we would smile and laugh because we both realized how silly we felt and tried to break the awkwardness that was surely fading. after the two longest minutes of my life were over we were asked to tell the other person what we saw and felt. she would say something, i would say something. this is when i began to cry. the words she used to describe what she saw in me were words i would have never associated with myself. humility, love, confident, spirituality, light. we were then asked to write down words for ourselves and what we wanted to be. i underlined the words my partner said to me because i want to be those things. and so much more. in the close of the lesson the teacher asked the group to share about their experience. i loved how many people paired with someone they did not know. i loved the closeness that came from this. i loved the feeling of sisterhood and love that was felt so strongly that my soul was going to burst. unity. it was beautiful. there was not one woman in that room that did not feel it.

i pray that each woman that was there on sunday will also never forget the feelings they felt, the love that was shared, and the bond that was made.

dear husband,

2011-09-07T07:28:00.000-06:00

you completely took me by surprise when i walked in our house saturday to fresh scents, vacuumed carpets, spotless counters, squeaky clean bathrooms, and dogs that didn't smell like dogs because they were just bathed. how did you know i was in no mood for cleaning? how did you know that i was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up and take a nap? how did you know where the cleaning supplies were? this is one of the sweetest acts of kindness i can imagine. and the offering of a candlelit massage at the end of the night? my heart was already so full i thought it was going to burst!

thank you. i love you.
your wife

over the labor day weekend: swiss days, best peach pie i've ever tasted, sunday cruiser ride, and "the help" movie

2011-09-06T22:35:00.003-06:00

it was the women of the hardcastle/petersen family's annual labor day weekend getaway to midway utah for swiss days and park city utah for shopping. i think i wouldn't be putting words into any of these fine ladies' mouths to say that we all had a fabulous time. with our toms shoes on we were ready to take on the crafts at swiss days. my favorite part of swiss days this year were the cocoa hut drinks. choose your chocolate type (dark please), then your flavor (oh, banana), and if you're feeling crazy get the boost (what exactly is the boost? a variety of vitamin b's and other natural stimulants...sure i'll try that). my favorite part of the weekend was trying to get them all to fall in love with justin beiber. i think jodi is on board. mel for sure is not. i also loved the "secret sister" gifts aunt karen gave to us. so cute and creative. they trumped the rest of our treats we brought to share with everyone (sorry jodi, it was the thought behind her treats that won me over the blue lemon cookies, although they were a close second).

i can't tell you how much i love each and every one of these women. they are unique, talented, beautiful, inspired, fabulous women and i'm so happy they are my family. thanks leeann for another great swiss days trip!
also over the weekend gordon and i tried a restaurant, sandy's, i thought was just for the older adults (you know the 70+ crowd). i ate the best peach pie i've ever had in my entire life! everything is homemade there...all from scratch. there are a few more menu items i wouldn't mind trying so we'll be going back there (hopefully before the peach pie is gone for the season)!

on sunday we took the cruiser out. i love riding in this thing! and the weather is making it that much more enjoyable. i can't wait for some fall foilage rides soon!

to relax on labor day gordon and his friends went up the mountain to shoot some guns and i went to see the movie "the help" with my sister and mom. heartwarming movie. i loved the book and thought the movie followed it very closely.

i love long weekends spent with the ones i love most.

"i need to get in that"

2011-08-31T07:27:00.000-06:00

those are words right out of the little man's mouth.

he tricked me into taking him outside to get his trains. as soon as we went out he went straight towards the cruiser and said "i need to get in that."

gordon shook the cruiser from side to side while the little man made big truck noises.

gordon is oh so happy the little man loves his cruiser. it was probably his favorite part about sunday.

HIGH school football!

2011-08-30T08:43:00.002-06:00

i can't believe it.

my nephew is a high schooler. first year - sophomore.

and he's on the high school football team.

the games are much more entertaining and the crowds are louder.

he's gained a lot of new skills and perfected others.

and played the majority of his first game (which they won by the way).

football season has arrived and i couldn't be more excited!

over the weekend: almost all girls over-nighter to park city

2011-08-29T08:30:00.002-06:00

what was originally planned (3 days ahead is considered planned right?) as a girls trip with my mom, sister, and niece to park city to do a little school clothes shopping turned into an almost girls trips, plus my nephew. he wasn't feeling well so my sister was going to stay home, but after a trip to the doctor it was decided that we should all still go and skyler could join us (don't worry, he wasn't sick with any contagious). i'm so glad he came! he's such a fun kid to be around. and i don't get to hang out with him quite as often as i used to because he's getting older and it's not super cool to hang out with your 27 year old aunt on the weekends. go figure.

we ate good food (of course). went swimming 'til midnight. and shopped our hearts out (although i didn't go too crazy...i'm going back up this weekend for a real girls trip with the girls in gordon's family).

here are some photos that were taken while we were up there.

thanks mom for taking all of us! i think you may have just started a new tradition...

there's only one, one, one, one, one...lagoon!

2011-08-26T07:00:00.002-06:00

in all of the years gordon and i have known each other we had never been to lagoon (a local theme park) together.
we can't say that anymore!

we made out in dracula's castle...
we passed by each other on the sky ride, telling one another the other was hot...
oh wait...that was what i did when i was a teenager. we did none of those things.

gordon was worried i was one of those people that get sick after certain rides.
i was also worried i was one of those people after i got a little woozy after riding the screamer and roco planes.
turns out i was just hungry and hot.

we rode all the rides we thought were worth while in the park (which was practically all of them, minus the kiddy rides). our top 3 favorites: wicked, spider, and samurai.

i loved being so scared that when i screamed, nothing came out and i could barely breath. that happened a few times. and gordon got really wet on rattle snake rapids. i loved that too.

their first house guest

2011-08-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

they made me feel right at home as soon as i got there.
i was welcomed, shown my room, and then we relaxed and watched alittle mactv.
on monday we went to dinner (just the girls) to bluelemon. jodi got the black bean ravoli and i got the fiery fish tacos. we both got a flower sugar cookie. to say it was delicious would be an understatement. it's gourmet, quick style, with real ingredients that are healthy. just my style (which jodi knew).
we also exercised together that evening. like old times. chit chatting all the way. while we walked around her neighborhood jodi saw her dream house equipped with a unicorn stained glass window and everything. i'm jealous already.
on tuesday we went to the mount timpanoges temple. she lives less than 5 minutes away (oh how i miss that). we did a session, then came back to her place where she made me dinner (i've got to give trevor credit too...he grilled). and dessert. and we watched grey's anatomy some more.

the whole time i was there trevor did a lot of school stuff. he is working hard. and is very busy. he's going to do great!

i sort of want another work training in utah county...it's a nice to place to visit. everyone is very friendly and waves to you as you drive by. the mountains are beautiful (even the one with the 'y' painted on it). and two of the most amazing people live there.

thanks again jodi and trevor for your hospitality. i give you 5 stars.

over the weekend: 5K & a date night

2011-08-22T15:13:00.000-06:00

months of preparation for an event that lasted but a few hours.
of course it couldn't have gone smoothly...heavens no.
people were upset. stupid timing error.
sorry justin, you did not win $100 after all.

thanks to everyone that came out to support me! especially the little man. he was so excited (he would run in place and with a big smile on his face say "i'm so excited"...it's the most adorable thing i've ever seen!). if it wasn't for the little man's shoes getting stuck in the mud he would have finished in the top 3 of his race. next year little man.

to celebrate each others hard work we had a date night. dinner at rovali's and dessert at subzero ice cream. delicious and fun. try the lavender lemonade at rovali's...it's calming and refreshing. just what i needed.

hike to malan's peak

2011-08-18T19:16:00.001-06:00

we didn't quite make it to the peak, but the view at the halfway point was very pretty.
next time we'll start earlier.
oh how i'm learning to love the great outdoors for exercise.

over the weekend: camping trip!

2011-08-16T19:15:00.000-06:00

tony grove - logan canyon, utah

our first camping trip (just the two of us) this year

two different campsites (not ideal, but worked out okay)

hiking

campfires

roasted marshmallows and rolls with honey butter (gordon's new campfire dessert)

naps in the daytime

time to finally read bossypants by tina fey (hilarious by the way)

dogs being dogs

veggie style hobo dinners

delicious breakfasts prepared by gordon (who is known around these parts as 'the breakfast master')

sleeping in til 10:00am!

fields of wildflowers

quality time as a family

working man

2011-08-12T06:10:00.001-06:00

i played the role of embarrassing little sister this weekend when i went to visit my brother at his new job. i promised he smiled a lot while i was there visiting him (although you couldn't tell by my photo). my sister and i watched him for about 10 minutes before it was our turn in line for him to help us. i would be lying if i said i didn't tear up watching how charismatic he is with everyone. and how happy it looked. and healthy.

when we left he gave us both a hug and told us he loved us a lot.

he's doing so well.

it's different this time.

better.

shameless promotional effort

2011-08-11T22:27:00.001-06:00

i'm the race director for my work's 5k and kids mud race.

this year the 5k and kids mud race will be held saturday august 20th in davis county.

if you want to and are able to support my efforts please sign up.

http://www.daviscountywalks.regtix.com/

pre-registration price ends tomorrow at midnight. after that the price goes up five dollars.

the kids mud race is free...but pre-registration is required.

thanks for your support...no more work related items on my blog until next year's race.

a baby shower in the park

2011-08-11T06:22:00.002-06:00

my good friend since junior high, mandi, is having a baby girl (due next month). to celebrate we had a baby shower at a park (a park that just so happens to be that same park we use to spend endless summer nights at). bree and mystie did a great job putting everything together. it was a lot of fun visiting, catching up, and hearing my good friends that are now mothers talk about motherhood. it made me excited. they are all such wonderful women that i look up to in many different ways. i hope i can be mothers like them some day.

sunday dinner for two

2011-08-10T06:38:00.002-06:00

it was my family's turn to host sunday dinner. my mom and step dad decided to go out of town, leaving gordon and i to fend for ourselves. i'm pretty sure i can count on one hand the amount of times i have had to cook sunday dinner. but i feel confident in saying that each time i have i've been successful.

this sunday gordon and i wanted something delicious yet simple. slow-cooker meal it was. root-beer pulled pork. over top "cauliflower rice" (which is just cauliflower chopped up to the consistency of rice...gotta sneak in the vegetables where you can right).

i'm not one to toot my own horn (yes i am) but it was mouthwatering good! and easy (besides the fine chopping of cauliflower for rice...that took more time than i had anticipated, but worth it). we also had sweet potato fries as a side (and treat...i love those things!).

i would say this was a successful sunday dinner.

and to top off our sunday together we went for a walk.

i wouldn't want to do this every sunday (i love seeing our families) but every now and then this is nice. just us two. hanging out. sunday style.

family night: movie night

2011-08-09T06:19:00.011-06:00

last monday gordon took me to see the movie crazy stupid love. we said it was for family night.

i loved it. gordon didn't hate it. i laughed so hard in some parts. emma stone and ryan gosling are two of my favorite actress/actor.

i like could get use to this whole family night thing.

friday night art stroll

2011-08-08T11:55:00.000-06:00

while gordon was at another scout over nighter, my sister and i went downtown to the art stroll. there are a lot of amazing artists in our city. i wish i could own more original pieces of art. but for now i will just admire them the first friday of every month at the art stroll.

oh and painting of the man and the gun? that's my sister's boss, dr. lewis. his sisters are artists and one of them painted this of him. the detail is crazy good. such talent.

boating

2011-08-05T23:40:00.000-06:00

we went boating. on a week night. yeah, we're young like that. gordon learned how to surf. kira showed everyone else up by doing a 360. i sat on the boat, waved the orange flag when needed and threw the rope to whoever was in the water surfing. we had a great time!

and now gordon wants a boat. and also loves warren g.

thanks kira, brad, and little miss for inviting us!

p.s. doesn't gordon look so natural holding little miss? yes, yes he does. adorable.

trail running

2011-08-04T23:32:00.001-06:00

i promise we are not one of those couples that have matching attire.

these shoes are just amazing. and gordon gets an insane deal on them.

and i had my pair first.

my new exercise partner doesn't go to the gym. doesn't like them. would rather do something "enjoyable" like mountain bike, rock climb, hike, trail run...

so i went trail running for my first time yesterday. it was intense. i could feel my heart beat in my head. and my new partner kicked my trash.

i can't wait to go again. and do all the other things he enjoys too.

i miss jodi terribly, but i've gotta admit, this extra time i get to spend with gordon is fabulous!

i wish this wasn't so.

2011-08-02T21:53:00.000-06:00

jodi (my sister-in-law, best friend, and use to be gym partner, who is now a utah county resident): just joined a gym...golds...it felt dirty. i hate it there.

me: that sucks. golds...ugh. well i'm no longer a gym goer... gordon hates gyms. i'm an outdoors woman now. that's dirty.

jodi: that makes me sad.

me: me too jo.

july 28, 2011

our last gym session together

i don't think i have cried coming home from the gym so much in all my life.

i cried when she told me her house sold and they were actually moving.

and i cried after our last workout together.

i also cried on the way home from sunday dinner. i usually tell her i'll see her tomorrow. i didn't get to say that.

of course i'll miss working out with her.

but what i'll miss the most is the social aspect of it all.

like i said, she's one of my best friends.

this sucks.

i'm probably just going to get fat now.

our weekend sure felt longer than it actually was

2011-08-01T20:10:00.000-06:00

we began our weekend by getting up in the 5 o'clock hour, leaving in the 5 o'clock hour, and arriving 35 minutes later to my dogs groomer. they had a grooming appointment at 6:30am on saturday. this was the only time that "worked" for my groomer and me. to pass time we went to breakfast at a little place in north salt lake called sunshine cafe. this is where gordon tried his first biscuits and a gravy. he liked it, but not enough to get it again. thank goodness...heart-a-ttack!

from the groomers we came back home, dropped off the pooches, and headed out to gordon's sister's house to help her move. this was my least favorite part of the day. not because we had to help her move. but because she was actually moving. and not just to the next city. they were moving to utah county! happy to help, but hated to see her stay there. in utah county!

after helping her move we came home, got cleaned up, and headed out to my dad's for a bbq. we were exhausted at this point. the food was yummy, the entertainment was fun (yes, entertainment...he hired a friend to play his guitar and sing old rock and roll), and we were in good company.

sunday we went to hear my cousin, who recently returned home from serving 2 years on a lds mission, speak. after that we went to visit with gordon's family. we celebrated his dad's birthday. ate navajo tacos and homemade ice cream (not together...that's gross).

i went to bed at 8:53pm sunday evening. it was still light outside.

2011-07-28T22:43:00.000-06:00

i love homemade ice cream. i especially love it when my mom has a buffet of mix-ins.

first, ice cream.

next, chocolate chip cookie dough.

and last, homemade carmel.

enjoy!

i wish i was a prettier crier

2011-07-27T22:42:00.001-06:00

i gave a talk in my church on sunday. i may have cried multiple times while giving it. it didn't help that i had an overwhelming amount of support from my family. my mom, step-dad, sister, nephew, dad, step-mom, and my husband were all in the congregation. i can't tell you how overjoyed i was when i walked in to the chapel to see almost my entire immediate family sitting all together. it especially meant so much to me to have my dad there. one of the ladies that spoke with me said that she watched him while i spoke. she said he was glowing. and that he looked really proud. i loved hearing that.

it was a "utah holiday" weekend for us

2011-07-26T22:37:00.000-06:00

i kicked off my weekend by going to the farmers market with my sister and mom. it was my mom's first farmers market. needless to say it won't be her last. she loved it!

to celebrate utah's pioneer holiday gordon's cousin annie had a bbq. i knew the food would be amazing. we had korean sandwiches, a variety of salads, dips, cookies, and for dessert we each had our own shavy jones snow cone! ("don't touch my buried treasure" is what my puka shell necklace wearing brother-in-law trevor said to jodi when she asked him for a taste. buried treasure is ice cream at the bottom of the snow cone. not something else.) sadly gordon was still backpacking with the scouts so he missed out.

on monday we got up and cooked breakfast (which is such a rarity these days!) and enjoyed the delicious buttermilk syrup i bought at the farmers market.

that night we asked our neighbors, which also just so happen to be gordon's brother and his wife, if they wanted to come and light off some free fireworks gordon got from a friend. they did. lucky for all of us, matt didn't blow his face off, and gordon and him both still have all of their fingers. it was a good time.

thanks pioneers for sacrificing so much so we can live in this beautiful state and enjoy all it has to offer!

miss independent

2011-07-23T07:16:00.001-06:00

i like to think of myself as very independent. but when gordon is gone i realize i'm not. i'm just not myself. i don't eat like i normally do (meaning it's pretty much just cereal for dinner, if there's dinner at all). i don't go on evening walks with my dogs. i don't laugh near as often. i'm extremely bored. i don't have anyone to share my lame daily stories with. and if he's out of cell service i don't get to hear 'i love you' multiple times a day. no morning kisses. no good night kisses. and sleep? what's that.

so i guess what i'm saying is i need him.

i am also saying something i never thought i would say, but i can't wait for summer to be over. scouting trips are significantly reduced once summer ends.

what i should be doing...

2011-07-22T22:38:00.000-06:00

is preparing a talk that i have been asked to give in my church this sunday. but i'm looking at pictures from our bear lake trip last month (and blogging), wishing i was there instead.

the coolest grocery store around these parts

2011-07-21T10:39:00.002-06:00

harmons

farmington, utah

they have a healthy check out line with fresh fruit and beverages without high fructose corn syrup lining the aisles. (want a treat kids? grab an apple.)

samples galore.

knowledgeable staff.

a cafe, yummy looking buffets, and an upstairs that makes you think you're not in a grocery store. yes, those are leather couches in that photo.

oh, and gelato, which just might be my new favorite treat right now.

over the weekend

2011-07-20T22:39:00.000-06:00

gordon went on a short trip to st. george - utah to visit his best friend chris. they went camping, boating, jet skiing, and night wheelin'.

while he was gone i kept myself busy...

went to the big city (slc!) to go shopping at gateway and have dinner at vinto. go there. their pizza and gelato are fantastic!

my sister and i went to a few yard sales, stopped by the farmers market to buy a couple of fresh mint limeades and some green tea scones, and went thrifting.

sunday was family dinner at the hardcastle's where we found out that gordon's dad has also received quite a big service calling in his ward.
and i got to play with the little man. he's pretty much the most adorable almost 3 year old i know.

fun, busy weekend. maybe one of these weekend posts i'll tell you what gordon and i did together...hopefully sooner than later. but so far, it doesn't look like good. stupid scouts.

famous.

2011-07-15T08:11:00.002-06:00

and a paparazzi photo to prove it

my sister and i were joking with each other all saturday about how we were treated like royalty while shopping at the farmers market. the limeade man with all his cheerfulness and doing a little dance while i took his photo. the cherry man who gave us a deal because we bought 2 bags. the plant lady for telling someone that was eyeing the plant i wanted to buy that i was there first so if i wanted it i had first choice. the boutique owner that hugged us multiple times telling us how much he missed us and how fun we are being sisters. the crepe lady who offered us water and no one else. i'm sure this is just people being friendly and nice but we like to think that all of our many appearances there are paying off.

but this photo that was not taken by us and it was taken without us evening know it and ended up online...makes us think it is true.

what will this weekend bring?!

what heroes are made of

2011-07-14T09:49:00.001-06:00

these girls are my heroes. mothers. wives. strong. independent. loving. caring. smart. beautiful.

one of them recently told me i was her hero. she was going through a loss of unborn child and told me she thought about me the entire time. i have never lost a child. but i knew what she meant. little does she know she is my hero. during that experience we visited with her. the way she was handling everything was remarkable. she gave me strength. and made me realize how wonderful our friends are.

katherine, shelli, and keri...i love you girls. thanks for being some of my closest friends. and being the strong women you are. each of you are examples to me.

you are not alone in this

2011-07-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

"and you are not alone in this, and you are not alone in this. as brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand...hold your hand." mumford and sons - timshel

i talked to my brother on the phone on sunday. he wanted me to know how sorry he is for the grief he has caused and is causing his family...me. he told me how much he loved his family. and then he told me how much he loved me. he said "i love you jess". i told him i loved him very much. and that i pray for him daily. and put his name in the temple prayer box each time i go. he thanked me. and said it was nice to know i had his back.

this was the first time we had ever told each other we loved each other. he's 35 and i'm 27. it was a day i will never forget. words i never thought i needed to hear from him i realized i needed to hear my whole life. i'm glad we didn't go any longer without letting each other know how much we care about each other.

he continues to struggle with his addiction. but where he is now is helping him. he's attends AA and NA faithfully. and as equally important he attends a weekly lds institute class. he told me that once he gets his life straighten out he wanted his life to be filled with work and church. i told him he should ask to be the relief society president.

i love my brother very much. i know that if he does his part to do what is right the lord will lift him up and make his burdens light. i pray that this is the last time he has to go through what he is going through. and he becomes the man we all know he can be. for his family. my mom. my dad. and most importantly his daughter.

it's always nice to getaway

2011-07-12T09:31:00.005-06:00

to celebrate my birthday...

white chocolate banana cream cake from vintage tea room...mouth watering!

hang out on the beach with family...

ride our bikes into town for milk shakes...

have a taco night (my sister and i even cooked!)...

spend a week without any outside duties calling for me...

aw, i love bear lake.

the weekend

2011-07-11T21:30:00.001-06:00

went to the farmer's market with my sister. if you go this year find the guy selling the fresh mint limeade...it is one of the best drinks i've ever had! and the guy is super nice so show your support.

spent time with my dad at a raptor's game (rain or shine, they still play).

and had sunday dinner with my family. my mom got fancy and grilled peaches with other fresh fruit for dessert. i love fruit for dessert.

another wonderful weekend spent with the people i love most.

i hope i feel more like this more often

2011-07-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

i have struggled with this new service calling i have been given. i do not always want to be who they want me to be. i do not always want the great responsibility that has been given to me. i do not always want to serve others. and i do not always want to have my days full of everyone else's problems.

but yesterday was wonderful. i wanted to be the person i should be. i wanted to have the responsibility that i have been given. i wanted to serve others. and i didn't care that i was listening to someone else’s problems. i wanted to. i wanted to help. i wanted to be a friend. i wanted to learn more about them to help them.

i hope i have more days like yesterday. and that i remember days like that so when i have the attitude that "i hate this", "this isn't for me" and "i'm quitting" i can remember the way i felt yesterday and know what i am doing is right. and that i like it.

dinner at the flint's

2011-07-07T10:37:00.001-06:00

we played games. had a talent show. and just enjoyed family time together.

oh i'm kidding.

my in-laws were out of town so what was normally their turn in the rotation of sunday dinners, jodi and trevor offered to host it at their house. we did the normal stuff: eat, talk, and have the little man and baby k entertain us.

in the words of the little man "i never knew this could be so fun!" (he's two and three fourths and adorable. he said this while he was jumping on jodi's neighbor's trampoline and climbing all over their playground. later he cooled off in the sprinklers and did fireworks aka sparklers).

i had a birthday.

2011-07-06T22:32:00.000-06:00

it was lovely. i received so many kind text messages, phone calls, and birthday cards that i feel overwhelmed with gratitude for my amazing family and friends. i was surprised with fun gifts from my husband, who always out does everything and knows exactly how to make this girl feel special. i love birthdays.

our fourth of july

2011-07-05T22:32:00.000-06:00

we hung out with family the week previous and then had bbq's and family dinners over the weekend, so our fourth was free! we hung out, just us two. did some yard work, went grocery shopping, ate homemade personal pizzas for dinner, watch a new tv series on netflix that were addicted to (shamefully), and ate some of mel's delicious caramelized banana ice cream for dessert. right before bed we stepped outside on our front porch to watch all of our neighbors’ fireworks. it was one of my favorite fourth of july's to date.

first you take the raspberries and you smash them...

2011-06-21T09:56:00.001-06:00

then you take jalapenos and mix them in too. add some sugar and what do you get?

the best jam you ever tasted!

gordon picked up a couple of bottles of bear lake's raspberry jalapeno jam while at youth conference last week. he felt silly spending $13 on jam, but once he had his first bite all the delicious memories came flooding back and it was all worth it.

my father's day weekend

2011-06-20T21:56:00.000-06:00

kicked off with dinner with my mom and step-dad on friday night. when gordon is gone i usually crash their dates nights. hope they don't mind me being the third wheel a lot this summer.

then on saturday it was off to the swap meet, where my sister and i scored our first 'the doors' albums! we have a few people looking out for us now at the swap meet. i have a feeling we're going to continue to receive gold from our 'ins' at the swap meet.

then my friends from work, teresa and megan, ventured up to ogden to have tea at high noon with my sister and me. it was all in the name of my birthday (which is this saturday).

after that gordon was home (hur-ray!) and we went to my mom's to celebrate father's day with my step-dad and his kids. i'm pretty sure our gift was probably his favorite (like usual). we found some beatles records on our first swap meet trip that we knew he would love to have for his collection. he was over the moon about them and couldn't wait to listen to them.

on sunday we celebrated father's day with our dads. my dad had us over for a bbq. he's the grill master so dinner was fantastic, like it always is when he's grilling. we then headed over to visit with gordon's dad and family. while we were there we also celebrated my birthday. so kind of kim to share his day with me.

i have been thinking a lot about the father figures in my life. all of them are so different, but are so special to me. i am very blessed to have 3 outstanding men i call dad. i love each of them very much.

lately i've been getting notes that say things like...

2011-06-20T10:04:00.000-06:00

i can't wait for all these scouting trips and youth conferences to be over with! i don't remember what a weekend hanging out with my husband is like.

the people i go with to get tasty things like cupshakes

2011-06-17T09:58:00.000-06:00

my work friends. megan, chris, and teresa. without them i wouldn't know what a coconut mango cupcake mixed with ice cream tastes like.

sunday

2011-06-16T21:49:00.000-06:00

i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i recently accepted (and as of sunday have been set apart) a church calling that i am having a hard time believing is meant for me or that i can do it. so i looked to my church's website to get some information about church callings. here are some of the things i read:

"In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no professional clergy, as is common in the other churches. … All members of the Church are subject to call to render service and carry on the activities of the Church" (Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Apr. 1966).

Our Church leaders have the responsibility to call members to fill positions in the Church. They know the requirements of each position and the desirable qualifications that members must have to fill them. With these thoughts in mind, Church leaders prayerfully consider the list of eligible people, seeking for and obtaining inspiration and guidance from the Lord in making each call.

Once we have been selected to fill a calling, we are called by our priesthood leader for a private interview. At this time he reviews the responsibilities of our new calling and inquires about our personal and family circumstances to help us assess whether we can meet the requirements of time, preparation, meeting attendance, travel, and so on, involved in our calling. We should understand to whom we report and from which leaders we may request assistance. Sometimes the family is asked to pledge their support to the person receiving the call.
Even though we may realize that the call to serve has come through inspiration, sometimes we still feel inadequate, unqualified, or afraid.

We can gain confidence as we realize that the Lord knows our abilities, talents, and potential, and that, in light of His knowledge, He has selected us to serve in our callings.
The bishop or the branch, district, or stake president usually gives us a blessing to help us perform our new calling. This is referred to as being set apart. When we are called to serve in the Church, we are not expected to do it alone. We can receive power, strength, and assistance from the Lord.

When we accept responsibility in the Lord’s Church, we become His stewards. This simply means that He has entrusted us to carry out particular responsibilities and that we are His agents to accomplish them. It also means that we are accountable to the Lord for the trust He has given us. Each of us is given a stewardship over that which we have been called to do.

Sister Belle S. Spafford, a former general president of the Relief Society, said: "The Lord’s call, ‘Follow me,’ comes to us in this day as truly as it came to his early disciples. … His work must go on. Its progress depends upon the strength we lend it. Needing our strengths, he is tolerant of our weaknesses. Each of us is called to a particular work because of some strength we possess. It is our responsibility to accept his calls, to grow in his service" (Women in Today’s World [1971], 67).

Remember that serving the Lord is a privilege. Remember also that the Lord inspires His leaders to call us to Church service. In fulfilling our callings we should seek for help from the Lord, our leaders, the scriptures, and authorized manuals. We should also be willing to accept full responsibility for our stewardships.

and with that i say "here i go."

and "please pray for me."

tuesday was rough for me.

baptism by fire my bishop kept telling me.

and that he was sorry.

i was up until 10:35pm doing church things.

i'm usually asleep by this time...and have been for at least 35 minutes.

all i could think about was how tired i was going to be the next morning (yes i know my attitude needs to change...i'm working on it).

well guess what? i wasn't tired at all.

a blessing.

reoccurring weekend

2011-06-14T21:00:00.001-06:00

it seems that i do the same things every weekend.

shop. eat.

two of my most favorite things.

it might even appear that i spend a lot of money every weekend. i do not.

this weekend wasn't any different.

except the money part. i bought myself an early birthday present.

i love it! perfect for the room i am currently decorating, our bedroom.

it was the ogden arts festival this weekend. local music, local artists, local food. i couldn't walk away empty handed.

and as part two of my mom's mother day celebration we went to a boutique called purple pogo. we had the entire boutique to ourselves, which i'm sure isn't good for business, but we had a lot of fun with it just being us three. the upstairs is where the fitting room is and the way the owner has it set up you feel like you are a famous person. you try your stuff on, come out into the loft area equipped with leather sofas, a coffee table, and mirrors set up so you can see how great you look in all your stuff. we were having so much fun that the owner asked if we wanted to order lunch and continue trying on clothes.

fun times.

and then sunday happened.

simply the best

2011-06-10T09:45:00.003-06:00

i have not exactly been pleasant to live with this week. i've been an emotional roller-coaster trying to wrap my brain and soul around something new i have never done before. but gordon has been simply the best husband this gal could ask for. he's definitely the better of us two. he has done so much for me this week. on top of being super supportive, i came home after the gym one evening to a surprise dinner.

"just a little something i whipped up" he kept telling me. when actually it was something he had sampled at costco earlier that evening. he's a sucker for samples at costco.

i am full of gratitude for gordon. and seriously have no idea how i would have gotten through this week without him.

hard to describe, but i don't want to forget

2011-06-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

overwhelmed.

humbled.

stressed.

crying. a. lot.

second guessing myself.

drawn to tears easily by the mentioning of it.

inadequate.

never thought it would be me.

and then i went to the temple...i didn't have an 'aw ha' moment like everyone else i talked to had in my situation. i had a moment that was meant just for me and how i receive inspiration. nothing popped out at me. i didn't see faces. i held a list in my hand and felt love for everyone on it. and as i looked over the list my heart began to swell and my chest was burning as i crossed over certain people's names. and i knew.

and then i questioned it. every last detail of it. and cried in the shower that night. so confused and scared that i would make a wrong decision.

but today i feel peace. peace with the decision i made in my heart. and that is my answer.

thank you all for your prayers.

i have felt them so strongly.

something i have never felt before.

yes, i did have a good weekend.

2011-06-07T21:14:00.002-06:00

i went to a swap meet. again.

had tea time with my sister and mom in celebration of mother's day. our mom was in hawaii over mother's day so we celebrated late.

shopped along 25th street. again.

went to my cousin's surprise 40th birthday party at my dad's. he turned his man cave into a beach. equipped with sand and all.

and had a meeting sunday that has change my life.

his first vacation without us

2011-06-02T09:29:00.003-06:00

boy he's tall...i'm standing on my tippy toes and everything!

that's right. my nephew, who's more like a little brother to me, is gone for a whole week to the big state of california. he'll be visiting some of my favorite places too: san francisco and sacramento, just to name a couple. he worked pretty hard earning money to go on this trip, helping everyone from family to my sister's friends. he's growing up much too quickly. i can't believe it...high school already?!

i'm telling myself i'm not to old to love him

2011-06-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

because my sister and i watched never say never, the justin bieber movie, last night and this kid is the most adorable thing ever! he is overly talented. what is this kid not good at, seriously. not just music either. there's a shot of him playing with a yo-yo...he's doing tricks i've never seen before! i've already talked with my twelve year old niece and she's going let me borrow her cds to put on my ipod. i just can't get enough him. let me on this band wagon cause i've got bieber fever!

over the long weekend...

2011-05-31T20:34:00.001-06:00

gordon was away in moab.

so i did my cleaning early (knowing it would stay cleaner than normal since it was just me and the dogs)

started some home projects that were long over due (painting things my favorite color just might be one of favorite things to do. you can never too much mustard yellow right?)

went to my first swap/flee market. let's just say it won't be my last. i scored an awesome metal chair that fits perfectly on my front porch, a couple of records, and a metal cooler for the husband, all for a steal of a deal.

went out to breakfast with my sister

went to church alone, and was planning on leaving early from my last meeting but one of the sweet young women in my sunday school class saw me sitting alone and sat by me.

woke up to snow on memorial day

went to a family memorial day/birthday party bbq.

and stayed home every night all by myself. no sleeping at my mom's this time. not even once. i'm such a grown up.

the photo booth

2011-05-27T09:38:00.001-06:00

my favorite part of jodi and trevor's wedding? the guest book. no signature necessary. just your photo to remember you by. such a cute idea! look at all the fun photos (taken by gordon's amazingly talented cousin annie)

jodi and trevor say i do

2011-05-26T21:38:00.000-06:00

technically they said yes, but it means the same thing.

jodi and trevor were sealed for time and all eternity in the salt lake city temple friday may 20th. they had a dinner at joseph smith memorial building afterwards to celebrate. the day was wonderful. i am so happy for them. i love weddings. especially when they are the wedding of someone you care so much about and want nothing but the best for. jodi is one of my best friends (and she's also my sister in law...bonus!). she is so happy. it makes me so happy. i'm so excited for her and trevor.

photo by annie

photo by melanie

photo by annie

photo by me (the quality is horrible...i forgot my camera and used my phone)

our 5 hour pet

2011-05-23T21:59:00.000-06:00

i was taking a nap after church when i heard a knock at the door followed by jingling of keys. next i heard gordon yell to me "jessica, come outside! and bring your camera! you won't regret it!" hearing the excitement in his voice i got up, grabbed my camera and headed outside.

"i found something on my way home from church in the middle of the road. i put it on our front lawn."

"what is it?" i asked.

"just come see. it's on our lawn."

"is it a turtle?" i said jokingly.

"how did you know?!" gordon replied.

i asked how he knew it was a turtle and not a rock when he was driving by. he said literally every single day he is looking out for turtles. he drives by rocks and thinks "is that a turtle?"

this time it was. gordon said yesterday was "the coolest day ever!"

we're pretty sure, after much research and observation, that the turtle was a wild turtle. and it was a yellow-slider.

we took it over to gordon's parent's house so the little man could see it. he was impressed to say the least. he also named the little guy. nemo.

nemo was released back into the wild later that evening. i would be a liar if i said i didn't cry. i get attached to things much too quickly. and even though i know it's in turtle heaven on earth at the ogden wetland preserve, a part of me wanted to keep it. a big part of gordon did too. but we knew what was best for nemo.

and that's the story of our 5 hour pet. and the coolest day ever.

how my husband of four years and two days and i spent our anniversary.

2011-05-19T09:33:00.001-06:00

we went to work.
once we were both home, we took the dogs for a walk.
then went to dinner at bistro 258.
gordon enjoyed the black and blue penne while i feasted on the coconut macadamia halibut.
and the fuzzy peaches dessert...heaven in my mouth.
we came home.
i put new linens on our bed (a traditional gift) along with 4 glass bottle sodas and 4 chocolate covered strawberries.
we enjoyed our new linens, ate the strawberries, and are going to save the sodas while on a cruiser ride (because those are the only types of drinks you drink on cruiser rides).
it was a lovely evening.

an evening at grandma's.

2011-05-18T21:32:00.000-06:00

yahtzee.
pizza.
laughs.
and spending quality time with my grandma.

one of the best girl's nights ever.

four

2011-05-17T09:19:00.002-06:00

today gordon and i are celebrating our four year wedding anniversary.

four years ago today we were married for time and all eternity.

yes, eternity.

yeah, what we have is pretty special.

and we wouldn't have it any other way.

today i feel like i could conquer the world.

2011-05-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

remember this post?

i can do that now.

ice cream. it will make your next visit to the grocery store that much better.

2011-05-11T08:06:00.002-06:00

trust us.

we rarely shop at Macey's grocery store, but every time we have we always get an ice cream cone while we shop. it makes me hate grocery shopping that much less.

taco tuesdays. 3 tacos for a dollar!

2011-05-10T20:06:00.000-06:00

this just might be the cheapest dinner date we've ever had!

all items in photo are from viva market...our new favorite grocery store!

my weekend: a joan jett concert

2011-05-09T19:20:00.002-06:00

i dressed up in my best 80's rock n' roll outfit (and i didn't even have to buy anything new...all if it came right out of my closet. i don't know if that's a good or a bad thing...).

i sang "ch ch ch ch ch cherry bomb", " i love rock n' roll", "crimson & clover", "do you wanna touch me (oh yeah), "i hate myself for loving you", & "a.c.d.c." with all the zest i had.

i had a wonderful time singing and dancing with my sister, step-mom, and dad.

and joan looked amazing!

apparently...

2011-05-04T22:09:00.001-06:00

i should be better at yoga than i am. claudette, my yoga instructor, called me out in yoga today saying i should be able to do this yoga pose. (“you can do this right jess?!)

i cannot.

i can’t get my leg above my arm to get into it (that's how you start the pose...the above picture is the pose in full expression).

i’m working on it. gees.

however, i can do this:

image from here

how about she point that out.

i love this yoga instructor and i know she did not mean anything by this...

and i'm not upset by what she said at all.

like i said, i'm working on it.

i was just caught off guard, that's all.

what did we do this weekend?

2011-05-02T21:38:00.001-06:00

i went to a wedding shower for jodi. my other sister-in-law and i were asked to bring fruit. and since melanie is so creative we did rainbow fruit kabobs. while at the shower i ate one of the best cupcakes i have ever had...gordon's cousin annie's cherry chocolate. a-m-a-z-i-n-g! gordon planted trees in our backyard. and he also taught my nephew how to drive a manual transmission vehicle...which just so happened to be on his cruiser.

can't wait til next weekend!

i've said it before and i'll say it again...lunch dates with my husband are the best!

2011-04-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

because it's so rare that we get to go to lunch during the week together, going out to lunch with gordon is one of my most favorite things. this lunch date we tried one of the few places we have yet to try on my favorite street downtown, historic 25th street, called two bit street cafe.

want homemade french fries? they've got them. in the mood for a delicious philly steak sandwich? they've got that too. oh, you want something full of veggies? try the penny panini. it's excellent.

we'll be going there again for sure. i want to try their homemade sweet potato fries. and their made from scratch desserts.

our easter weekend in photos

2011-04-25T20:54:00.000-06:00

attending the temple with gordon's grandma to celebrate his grandparent's wedding anniversary. eating one of the most deliciously moist lemon cakes i've ever had (happy birthday tim!). enjoying an easter dinner with gordon's family. having an egg dying contest. no, we didn't win, but we had a blast competing against siblings.

what a fun weekend! hope yours was too.

the little things

2011-04-22T14:19:00.001-06:00

seeing my dad driving by my work on his bike…waving and I waved back.

the crossing guard I pass by every morning on my way to work that waves at everyone…no matter the weather.

saying sorry and getting a kiss from my husband.

sending a text message to the wrong person about something silly…but it ended well and now everything is out in the open.

being invited to celebrate gordon’s grandparents anniversary by going to the temple with his grandma.

buying a new cd to discover that they sing that song.

this is the first time in all our years of being together that we're both sick at the same time.

2011-04-21T09:12:00.002-06:00

gordon started feeling sick thursday (the day we left for our backpacking trip) and has been in full blown sick mode ever since. i started to feel sick sunday and have been coughing, sneezy, throat on fire, blowing my nose like a mad woman sick ever since. two sick people in one house is not a good thing. okay, i'll be honest. me being sick is not a good thing. gordon never complains about feeling like garbage. he continues with his day like he's just fine (example A: the backpacking trip). i am the complete opposite. you know when i'm sick. i'm not pleasant to be around. i go about my day moaning and looking like how i feel. it's not my best quality, i know. but i did make soup for both of us. gordon cleaned up afterwards because i was too sick for that. actually, i don't have to be sick for gordon to clean up after dinner. he's amazing like that.

moral of this rant...gordon is a silent sufferer. i am not. the end.