November

I love November for two reasons... my husbands birthday and Thanksgiving! Both went well this year.

Jaren turned 25 years old! I am now officially married to an old man ;) For his birthday I decided to go with the theme of "favorite things". I left surprises for him to find throughout the day. The surprises were some of his favorite things with notes on them that told him some of my favorite things about him. That might sound confusing... here are some pictures to clear it up :)

Here are the notes that I taped onto his surprises

Does anyone know how to rotate pictures in blogger?

His birthday present: New shirt and permission to get an Xbox 360 on
black friday (he has been begging for 2 years) ;)

We spent Thanksgiving down in Utah with my mom's side of the family. It is always fun to be with family.

Waiting in line for 3 1/2 hours at Walmart :)

I'm so grateful

Thanksgiving is this week. I love thanksgiving. I think that it sometimes gets overshadowed by Christmas and we miss out on how special Thanksgiving is. It is at this time of year that we can reflect on our lives and what we are grateful for. I am grateful for so much. My life is rich with blessings. I am grateful for...

My husband Jaren Lance - I started falling for Jaren when I was 16 years old. Four years later, we were married for eternity. I'm so grateful that he chose me. He treats me like a princess. He lets me spread my wings and chase my dreams. I'm grateful for our growing love.

My family - I love my family so much. They have helped me to become the woman I am. My parents are my heroes and my siblings are my friends. I am so grateful that I get to be with them forever.

My friends - I have been greatly blessed with amazing friends that love me and love their Savior Jesus Christ. Each friend that I have had throughout the years holds a special place in my heart. They are part of me.

Education - I love school and what comes from education. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to go to college. My college years have been an amazing time for me. I have found my passion for social work and helping the people who need it the most.

Music - Music is a huge part of my world. It calms the heart and mends the soul. I am grateful for my talents and how music has touched my life.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ - I am a Mormon and because of this, I have been able to find true joy and happiness. I know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. Jesus Christ is my best friend. I am grateful for my religion and beliefs.

 

A Lasting Marriage

Happy 24th Anniversary to my Mom and Dad! They have been an example of what a lasting marriage can be like. They have taught me that marriage is hard but so worth it. With divorce rates rising and Hollywood making marriage seem less and less desirable, I'm so grateful to know that love can last. Marriage can work and be wonderful. And, like my Mom says, "it only gets better."  

Jaren and I decided to suprise my parents with a romantic dinner
for the two of them at our apartment. They loved it :)

The love birds themselves :)

On a side note... I am so excited for the CMA awards! They are tomorrow night. That probably sounds silly but I LOVE country music :)

The Benefit of the Doubt

Giving people the benefit of the doubt is liberating. This is something that has really hit me this past little while. A few things happened this week that could have hurt my feelings. During these times, it just hit me that these people are not "out to get me". I was able to take a step back and realize that what was done was not to hurt my feelings. I usually do not do this well at stepping into other peoples shoes, but this time I did and I learned a big lesson. I could have wasted my time pondering on what had happened. I could have felt bad and been mad at others. But, by giving them the benefit of the doubt, I freed myself of those feelings. It was liberating. I have found that it is really easy to look into what someone says or does and take it personally. Usually, what was said or done was not meant to come across that way at all. It sure does save a lot of grief to assume that nobody is deliberately trying to be mean.