Wingsuit what now?

My husband has lost it!  The past few days he has developed a facination/obsession with wing suit base jumping.  Wing suit base jumping...what the *!#$&*@)#!  That's exactly what I thought!  You have to watch this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttz5oPpF1Js

Because that doesn't look dangerous or terrifying at all...

So basically it consists of purchasing an extremely expensive wing suit (a.k.a squirrel or bird suit) that hopefully allows you to fly, and then jumping crazily off of an enormous cliff, while proceeding to fall to your death!  I'll pass.  I'm not sure what was funnier (is that even a word), the fact that my husband thought I would let him do it, of the fact he turned to me and asked if I would do it with him...what are you nuts!  No thanks, not a chance!  Not sure what my husbands deal is with flying, but I assure you he'll be sticking to airplanes.  I'm such a mean wife...

Family pictures and a new church calling...

Christmas is almost here!   I'm so excited!  It's starting to feel very Christmasy at our house.  I love having a fireplace this year, not only for the fire, but to hang the stockings from.  It is a must.  Jarom and I got our real Christmas tree again this year, I've decided it's the only way to go. (I  have loved starting our own family traditions. Last year and this coming year we plan to have our own Christmas morning together before getting together with our families.  I really enjoyed that last year, just the two of us.  It's been a fun memory of mine of our own "little family."

Back to the tree...I love walking into a pine smelling home.  I'm also going to put in another plug real quick about how amazing my new found love the candle "leaves" is from Bath and Body Works.  Put the two together and it's like heaven. (I wish I could enter a smell here...wouldn't that be fantastic). I love the Pandora Christmas Station, it has been playing reguarly. And, I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping!  Yay!

Jarom recieved a new calling in church to serve as Secretary in the Young Men's Presidency.  He's really excited that he'll be involved with the Young Men's Program and that he'll be able to teach and be more involved with Scouting.  He's also about to finish up another gruling semester, and is hoping to obtain his Multi-Engine Pilot certificate in between semesters.  We are shopping around to try to find the most affordable program.  It's only a 4-day program, but those things are not cheap!  Jarom's been working really hard so we could save up and pay cash for it.   I'm a proud wife :)

We recently had family pictures taken.  We have pictures back from the Brown family. I was pretty dissapointed with how most of them turned out, but I thought I would at least post one of the whole group and my cute nieces and nephews...

How lucky am I that I went from having 0 nieces and nephews to 9 within a year or so...?  Aren't they the cutest!  It's crazy to me how different each of their personalities are, but I love having these cute kids to love. 

And lastly, I realize I may be biased, but Jarom is so great.  Typically Men leave it to their wives to sign up for things at church, or service opportunities, but not Jarom.  A few months ago we had a ward chili cook-off, (Yay!) and Jarom, knowing I would be working that day and wouldn't be able to go, signed up not only to attend with my sweet Mom, but signed up to make and bring one of our favorite salads.  Cute right?  Then for Thanksgiving he signed up for the food drive to donate certain food items, and for Chirstmas he grabbed an ornament for Sub-for-Santa...He is such a great example to me, and is always quick to think of others.

When we lived in Pleasant Grove, we had a Stake President talk to us about paying Fast Offerings and giving service.  He taught us that paying our fast offerings should be a true sacrafice, and challenged each of us to double what we had been paying for our fast offereings in order to help all of those in need.  He promised if we did, not only would our faith be increased, but our blessings would be significantly multiplied.  I hadn't had much experience personally paying fast offereings, and I remember feeling hesitant knowing how tight things already were, and that what he was asking was a "hard" thing, but Jarom was immediately onboard.   He offered a suggestion as to what we should pay, and ever since then every month as I write the check he  just smiles and asks me "Is it a sacrafice?"  Since then, my testimony of paying tithing and fast offerings has grown tremendously and with Jarom's help I now know that it's not so much about how much we pay, but about the principle and our willingness to obey.  All in all, it has been some great advice and a great blessing in our lives and in our marriage and I'm grateful everyday for Jarom's example...

Nightmares...

Have you ever had a terrible night's sleep...because of what you were dreaming.  Last night, despite my efforts to think of anything else, I dreamt about the most awful and hurtful things, all night long.  It was the kind of sleep that you beg to wake up from so you can escape it, but even after being awake, and you realize it was just a dream...you still can't quite shake the emotions you were feeling.  And then, you're left feeling upset and wondering why in the crap did you just dream about all of that anyway.  Because there must be a reason right?  I'm sure it has something to do with feelings of insecurity and a loss of control, because lets be honest, I've felt both of those a time or two over the past several crazy years of my life.

I got a phone call from work this morning about 4 a.m. telling me to come into work at 10 a.m. instead of at 6 this morning.  I was grateful to be woken up, but relieved I would be able to go back to sleep since I felt exhausted from not sleeping well all night.  But it didn't mater, no matter how many times I tried to go back to sleep the dream continued...so here I am.  Blogging, at 6:30 a.m.  hoping to get all those negative feelings out so I can go about my day not feeling all choked up and upset inside. 

It amazes me how much of an effect dreaming can have on a person...or am I just crazy? 

It is moments like these that I am especially thankful for the power of prayer, and a loving Heavenly Father who knows what it is I am struggling with personally, without me having to describe every detail or thought.  He just knows. 

"I am led to believe that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because he loves us...Please believe how very much your loving Heavenly Father wants to bless you, but we must ask for His help.  This is generally done through prayer.  Prayer is one of the most precious gifts of God to man."  -Elder J. Devn Cornish of the Seventy (The Privilege of Prayer)

Poison & Wine

"Poison & Wine"  By the Civil Wars

You only know what I want you to
I know everything you don't want me to
Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine
You think your dreams are the same as mine
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
I always will

I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back
The less I give the more I get back
Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise
I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

Oh I don't love you but I always will

 

I always will

I always will

I always will

I always will

I always will

Mission Call

Great news!  Jayden recieved his mission call on Wednesday!  He was called to the Vancouver Canada Mission, which is funny, because Jayden absolutely loves warm weather.  He keeps his bedroom at like 85 degrees, and I'm pretty sure it'll be cold in Canada, but I hear it's beautiful!  :)   His call came in the mail Wednesday afternoon and we had to wait until that night when everyone could get home. Jayden was so anxious, and couldn't get over the fact that whatever was typed after the "You have been called to serve in the..."  would determine where he would live for the next two years, and litterally change his life.  It never gets old to hear a missionary read that first paragraph...I'll have to post the little video we got.  It was pretty funny.  :)  All he kept saying was "like what do they eat there?  Bison?" lol.

His area is pretty big, and reaches as far North to border Alaska!  He leaves December 28th, (surprisingly soon!) We're just grateful he'll be with us for the holidays!  He'll be in the MTC for 3 weeks, and then off to Canada.  He's really excited and can't wait to say "eh" all the time ha ha.  I just love my kid brother...  He's the best, and I'm totally proud of him.  In the mean time I'll be searching with my mom for some crazy winter coats and lots of layers for the scrawny kid...

Park City

For our most recent date night, Jarom and I took a drive through the canyon and into Park City.  I wasn't quite sure where we were going, (I'm not 100% convinced that Jarom did either), but he insisted on going for a drive and that's where we ended up.  The leaves were amazing. I was glad we went, I was worried I wouldn't get the chance to see the leaves change before winter came.  I didn't get any pictures, wife fail....but hopefully one day when I get a nice smart phone, it'll have an amazing camera attached to it so I will always have it with me ;)  cough, cough.  Jarom and I drove up and down the Main Street looking at all the cute houses.  I love the quaint little houses up in Park City with the wood doors, and earth tone colors, some cabin style...if I wouldn't have to worry about the snow and commuting in it I would live there forever...maybe we'll retire in the woods one day ;)   We stopped at a few art galleries that were open on Main Street.  Jarom especially loves looking at the photography because so many of the photographs are taken in Zion National Park, and other famous nearby areas that Jarom can relate to since he grew up in Southern Utah.  This one photographer used all natural lighting, and his photographs were not edited.  They were amazing...some photos sold for up to $98,000 dollars!  Can you imagine...I about died.  After looking through some shops and stopping by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for my all time favorite chocolate dipped pretzels and a toffee carmel apple, we headed over to the Outlet Mall for some shopping which is always my favorite...not so much Jaroms, but he was a good sport.  We ate dinner at Ruby Tuesdays...their white cheddar mashed potatoes were to die for, and Jar ordered a blackberry lemonade which was a first, but it was so delicous!  I love going out, we had a great time.  I think having no plan and just going, makes for some of the best nights, (which is huge coming from me, since I'm such a crazy planner all of the time). Somedays I really stop and think how crazy different Jarom and I are, but it works, and I love it!

I love that fall is here...Nothing screams fall more than the color of changing leaves, having the fireplace on, smell good stuff, and great harvest bread (expensive, but so worth it, just had to throw that in there)  :)  I'm pretty sure I have zero decorations for this time of year, and so, on my list of things to do today is to stop by JoAnn's for what will hopefully be a good find, and on sale of course.  My fingers are crossed.  We need some pumpkins for the front porch too!  I also recently discovered a new love of mine, the "Leaves" scented candle at Bath and Body Works.  It is seriously amazing...try it, you will love it and trust me, you'll thank me later....

Dancing

Last week, Jarom told me he had a surprise for me that I had to wait until friday for.  For those of you that know me, I'm terrible with surprises...I was on him all day about it and wouldn't let it go, but he never caved, the good man.  Friday came, and by some miracle, I had forgotten entirely about it.  He told me to get dressed and that we were going out and he drove me out to west valley ish to a church (scary right), and then I realized what we were doing.  Jarom's Aunt and Uncle have invited us before to some dance lessons that they teach but I had never really pushed going because I didn' think Jarom would be into it, and instead he found out all about and surprised me.  Husband points! We were terrible, but we had so much fun.  This week we took on the Waltz, and Swing dancing.  We gave it an honest attempt, lol.  Also, I'm pretty sure I am the worst at following someone elses lead, and I am grateful for a husband who refuses to let me wear the pants because lets be honest, if he would allow it, I totally would.  Moral of the story, I'm glad I married me a man's man...becaues I'm a stubborn little thing, and who doesn't enjoy being taken care of?  I wish I would have gotten some pictures, I'm pretty sure we were definetly the youngest couple there.  But, if any of you are dying to have some free dance lessons let me know...It's the first Friday of every month, and it is definetly a good time....  :)