Time to get real....

"Surprise Party"!

St. George Getaway...

Another year...

Women's Conference

I was so glad I was able to make it to Women's Conference at BYU this year with my mother and sister-in-laws.  It was so uplifting, and a great way to spend my birthday day.   

The theme of the conference was "And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory."  -1 Nephi 14:14

I wanted to just share a few of my favorite things from the notes I jotted down. 

"Never apologize for having your first priority be to raising your children and being in the home."

"Be kind to everyone you meet for they are fighting a great battle."

"It will be alright in the end, if it's not alright yet, it's not the end."

"Until you are grateful for the things you have, you will never get what you want."

"...certainly I will be with thee..." -Exodus 3:12 "It's not our capability, but our availability."

Wrestle before God:  The process of working through our own will to ensure it is aligned with the Lord's will.

"We must work to be protected and strengthened and avoid entitlement.  We cannot wait around for someone else to solve our problems."

"Don't ever give up on teaching, edifying or supporting your family, even if you feel like you are failing.  You can do it!"

"As hope endures, faith increases."

"Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves."

"Let us be the people Christ would want to claim as His, let us love Him more."

"You can either be right all the time, or be happily married."

"Whether or not a Priesthood Holder is exhaulted depends on the Woman who stands by his side and the relationship you have established, and vice versa.  In other words how we treat each other determines our own character and eternal salvation."

"The closer each spouse is to their Heavenly Father, the closer they will be to each other."

"Learn to value, not just about values"  ...We need to teach children to understand and to live gospel principles, not just know about them.  "Children need and want strong parents....

"Nurture flowers, and not the weeds in our children."

A Celebration of Marriage

I can't believe I've already had two great years with Jarom.  Time goes by so fast.  Jarom and I decided not to do anything super crazy for our Anniversary this year because we've been saving up for a little something else, and quite frankly we can't find the time to even get away for more than a night with Jarom's crazy work/school schedule. Jarom's gift is still on it's way, so I'll post some pictures soon once it arrives!  They say it's important to try new things that interest your spouse so that you can learn to enjoy each others hobbies together. So far every hobby of Jarom's that I've tried, I've ended up enjoying (i.e. shooting guns, flying, riding dirt bikes, motorcycling...all of which have been very new to me) so we're giving it a shot.  Jarom and I were both scheduled to work on our Anniversary, and Jarom had math class that night, so we didn't do anything too fancy. I ended up being called of, so I made a nice meal at home, and we went and saw Hunger Games that night after Jarom got out of math class, and enjoyed some Snickers cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory for dessert. It was delic.

Jarom was sweet, and ordered an Edible Arrangement

for me and had it sent to the house.  It was so fun to have
something delivered just for me.  It was such a surprise, and so thoughtful. He sure knows the way to my heart, chocolate covered fruit. I loved it!  I'm a lucky woman, that's for sure.

And finally, this post wouldn't be completed without an expression of love for pinterest.  I found this idea for a date jar off of pinterest.  Jarom and I are always so indecisive when it comes to making choices about where to eat out or what to do on date nights, so I made this "dates for a year" jar for Jarom as part of his Anniversary gift. I'm actually kind of excited about it.  I came up with a bunch of things we've been wanting to do for awhile now, and threw them in the jar, in hopes that we'll actually follow through, try a few new restaurants, and make some time to get away.... I got the idea from here: http://www.lifeinthegreenhouse.com/2012/02/date-night-in-jar.html in case any of you struggle, or are as indecisive as we are when it comes to going out or deciding what to do when we stay in. I  realize while the chances may be high that this may be another one of my failed attempts at a super girly project made to strengthen our marriage from pinterest that I'm constantly throwing at Jarom, it may just turn out to be amazing, and he was sure sweet about it  If he didn't like it, at least he pretended too. Husband points.  Thanks for not making me feel lame babe....

I love the quote from Grey's Anatomy that says "I made a choice, and I keep making it everyday, that's what marriage is." I'm so grateful I chose Jarom.

Happy Anniversary love, I love you.

I love the month of April...

The other day, Jarom brought to my attention that April happens to be a great month for me, although I was already aware of what a great month April is for me (easter, anniversary, and birthday), I responded by saying it's not so bad for him either. (easter, anniversay, and the end of the semester) :)

Jarom and I were able to finally sneak a trip down to Hurricane for Easter weekend to spend some time with Jarom's family.  It was so nice to get away for the weekend and not have to worry about work and school.  It's always fun to help the kiddos with the Easter Egg Hunt that Terri puts together. You may remember the "Easter Basket" Jarom put together for me last year...

a.k.a. GIANT eggs....Which I loved. I tried to be equally as clever this year by buying Jarom his own giant eggs.  Jarom said it ended up being so expensive and that he had to spend so much money on candy last year to even come near filling these eggs, so I decided I would be super cool and fill Jaroms eggs with lame things that he needed like a new white shirt for church, and a belt.  Yeah, I'm that awesome.  Wife points.  lol Sorry honey. He however was a good sport, and I managed to squeeze in a few of his favorite things. I can't belive I didn't take a single picture. I went shooting with Jarom and the guys.  I love my 22. It's so fun to shoot. Who knew, I'd love having my own gun. We also went over to the annual Hurricane Car Show.  I would love to someday own an old vintage car.  How cool are they...? Right?

I love Easter.  I'm so grateful that I know and have a testimony of the Plan of Salvation, of my Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Resurection.  I can't imagine not knowing or believing in life after death, or the opportunity we have to be with our families forever.