Dear Sunday...

Dear Sunday,

You came way too soon this weekend. Meaning, I feel like the weekend didn't happen at all and now all the sudden its almost Monday. Lame.

Dear This Quote,

I love the talk that you came from. I love the idea of not needing to walk WHERE the Savior walked but to focus on walking LIKE He walked. I need to work on that. Thanks for the reminder 

Dear Thanksgiving Break,

You are SOO close and boy I cannot wait. This little brain of mine needs a major break and you are just what the doctor ordered.

Dear Steven,

I missed you like mad while you were on your campout on Friday. I had to stay up extra late and watch an extra episode of Bones or two in order to get crazy tired and not think about being in bed alone. Also, sorry about the argument we had on the way home today. I wish I could take back every word.

Dear Cache Valley,

The whole 17 degrees that you were today was so stinking cold but you were as beautiful as ever. I had to close my lips tight as Steven thought aloud about living there again some day.  I pictured that today and almost liked it. Shh, don't tell.

Dear Sunday...

Dear Sunday,

You da you da best. Thanks for having choir practice at 9:00 in the morning so that we could start our day with Christmas music. Thanks for being the night for water bottle bowling in my parents entry way. That was killer. And thanks for always ending with Steven and I snuggled up watching our favorite show. You da best.

Dear Daylight Savings,

You rock.

Dear Hair,

I'm so glad you are dark again. I tried the blonde. I tried hard. But the bleach fried you, the toner turned you silver, and the lightness accentuated my double chin. So yes. I'm glad you're dark again.

Dear Halloween,

You are so not my favorite holiday. Not even close. But the party that we had on Friday night was super fun, mostly because it felt like just a family party not a halloween party. That's how it should be.

Dear Radiology Test,

Please don't be too hard tomorrow. I've worked really really hard to do well and I would appreciate it if you could help me out a bit.

Dear Christmas,

I'm counting down the day til you get here. Hello most wonderful time of the year.


xoxo Abby

Ode to Kalynn

My best friend in the whole world turned 23 today.

There's not much more than to say I love her and am beyond grateful she moved from St. George 8 years ago. 

She's the Susan to my Judith, the other pea in my pod.  

Love you, Kay. 

Happy Birthday.

hi we went to ITALY together.

and took a photo with every single gelato we ate. only we would.

Lagoon for Kay's 19th birthday. How was this 4 years ago?!

we used to get mistaken as sisters all the time. 

best. compliment. ever.

after marrying my bff, squeezing my other bff.

worlds best maid of honor!!

xoxoxo.

One of way too many Cafe Rio dates.

Lucky to call her my best friend. Love you, Kay.

Dear Sunday...

Dear Sunday,

Thank you for forever and always being my favorite day of the week. Thank you for being filled with sleeping in and morning cuddles and family dinner and skyping with the worlds cutest nephews.

Dear Steven,

Thank you for tidying up the house this morning before I woke up and for starting a load of laundry before you went to bed. You know how badly i want to be the perfect housewife, but I am grateful for the days when you quietly pick up my slack.

Dear Church Building,

Thank you for being close enough to walk to. I love walking hand in hand with Steven in the early afternoon to our church meetings. It is the perfect way to prepare our minds and hearts for sacrament meeting.

Dear Family Pictures,

Why is it that I always have such a love/hate relationship with you? You were going to be perfect yesterday, but then of course we woke up late and my hair didn't hold a curl and I had a double chin in the majority of the photos. Oh well, until next year.

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for being the best sister-in-law in all the land. Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing when he had us marry brothers. You're the other pea in my pod and I am beyond grateful to have you as my bff sister.

Dear Christmas Music,

We started listening to you this week and boy, you are good. I can't wait for you to be in full swing come December. You make it the most wonderful time of the year. 

Dear Hygiene School,

You're hard. Like way hard. But I actually am really enjoying you.  Thanks for testing my patience and pushing my limits. I'm not only training to become the best hygienist I can be, I feel like I'm becoming a better person.

Meet the Mormons

A few weeks ago, Steven and I had the opportunity to volunteer at a pre-screening of 

the new movie "Meet the Mormons." 

This is a film put out by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church that I very proudly belong to!

From mormon.org, "The new film, Meet the Mormons, takes you around-the-world as you observe six families who face their daily struggles head-on by exercising faith in Jesus Christ. And when you combine their six extraordinary stories, that makes for one inspiring movie."

As we sat in the theater while the film rolled, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for this gospel and our Savior! It is so wonderful to feel connected to people all around the world, living different lives and coming from unique backgrounds. We are all so different, and yet have one big wonderful thing in common; We are children of God and doing our best to become like Him!

This weekend, "Meet the Mormons" is coming out in theaters all over the United States. I encourage you to go on opening weekend support The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or to learn more about our church and meet some Mormons!

Want to meet a Mormon right now? Head on over to my mormon.org profile, or chat with a full-time missionary online about life, faith, and God.

I know our church is true and I am proud to be a mormon!

one of the songs featured on the film. "Glorious" performed by David Archuleta

xoxo Abby

Once A Week

My goal to post more often has clearly been so successful. I'm the worst! Blogging has not even been close to a priority for years now and I miss having something so simple and accessible to look back on with dates clearly listed and pictures attached to remember fun days and good memories. SO! I've made a goal to post at least once a week. I'm in full swing dental hygiene school, and I tell you what, it's nuts!! Just absolutely crazy, but I couldn't love it more. It is SO me. I've found my thing and it feels so good to finally be doing it! It can be so overwhelming at times, so I'm looking forward to once again having this outlet where I can just spill my thoughts out and one day look back and laugh.

For now, I need to get back to Head & Neck Anatomy, but a quick shout out to my handsome boy who just came into the kitchen and said "I love you sweetie, you're a champ" and gave me a kiss goodnight.  Just what I needed to bust out another hour or two of studying.

Here's to posting more and recording simple memories like that. Even if it's just for me. :)

XoxoAbbs

I'm Feelin 22

My 22nd birthday was by far the best to date. Steven was so sweet and spoiled me rotten all day long. He wanted to make it a day of memory-making, being sure that I would remember the day forever, and I really think I will!

He woke up early and made me a huge yummy breakfast! He snuck out of bed early and cooked for a solid hour without me even knowing! He woke me up with a kiss and wished me a happy birthday (for the first of a hundred times that day) and we ate breakfast in bed! It was so simple and so sweet.

I got ready for the day and went into work for a few hours, and I thought Steven was going to go into work for the morning also, but when I came home at noon, hour little apartment was filled with balloons, there was a banner hung across our kitchen, beautiful flowers were on the table, and a picnic lunch was waiting for us to take it out! It was the sweetest surprise. Steven had taken all morning to put it all together and wrap up my gifts to have out. He got me some fun little trinkets, a "coupon" for a gift that hadn't yet arrived in the mail, and the best surprise of all, letting me know of our appointment to go indoor skydiving later that afternoon! I was beyond excited. Steven knows the thrill seeker in me has always wanted to do crazy things like that, so  I couldn't wait.

After opening gifts and enjoying all the decorations, we headed out to the Ogden River Trail where we had lunch next to the river and went on the prettiest walk through the park the the botanical gardens. I feel like we are always going a million miles an hour, so it was so nice to just feel like we had the whole day to ourselves to enjoy being outside and with each other. It was the perfect day.

Later that afternoon, we headed downtown and went to the iFly center at the Junction in Ogden! We had a little training on what we were going to do, and then got suited up and ready to go! It was the most amazing feeling! My heart was beating and my eyes were watering and my sensitive teeth hurt so bad from the wind (haha, i'm 22 going on 75) but it was like nothing I had ever experienced before! I can't even think of a better way to explain it but to say IT WAS SO COOL!! 

It makes me want to do the real thing so badly now!!

After our crazy skydiving, Steven took me out to my number-one-all-time-favorite Cafe Rio. He knew that I wouldn't want or need some big fancy spread for dinner, he knew that I would want my favorite food on my special day..so a Cafe Rio Pork Salad it was! I haven't been super impressed with our Ogden Rio since moving here, but my salad that day tasted especially good. :)

We were both pooped after a full day of fun so we headed home and put on a movie and cuddled. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.  Love that man of mine!!

xoxo Abby