Grandma Afton

This Christmas was so great. Parker and I spent time with family and loved every minute of it. We are so blessed with the two families we both have. Christmas Eve was great with the traditional fondue at my parents house. We always read and act out the nativity scene. The kids love being the camel and donkey. Must say they are pretty good at it:) Christmas morning we went over to my parents again for breakfast. It was good to spend a few hours on Christmas day with my family. After breakfast we headed up to Parker's parents house. We spent the rest of the day with them. We played games and ate some delicious food! Christmas was good!!

This Christmas my mom gave each of her daughters pieces of her mom's china. She also put one of those heritage maker books together about my Grandma's life. My Grandma passed away about two years before I was even born. I didn't get to spend time on earth with her but I am positive she watched over me in heaven. I remember when I was little about 4 or 5 years old looking at her picture on my parents dresser. I started to cry thinking about how I missed her. How can you miss someone you have never even met?? Well that is why I know she was my Grandma up there..
I have heard many nice things said about her from others who got to know her. Sounds like she was so giving, nice, hardworking, and a righteous woman. Now after reading her personal entries from her journal I can see all of those things being true. The night my mom gave the book to us I instantly started to look through it. I got to see where she was born, pictures of youth and many other cool things. She wrote about each one of her 6 children, and I loved learning about them. She LOVED being a mom.
I must say that the best part of my Grandma's book was her Testimony. She knew her days were limited here on earth and yet she probably didn't show it. Her courage and faith of where she was going was powerful. Her testimony has helped mine. My favorite thing she wrote about was her view on life. "Not to be envious of those who have more material goods than I. I have tried to live by the creed. Change what you can and accept the rest." I love her, and I know I will continue to learn about her until I meet her once again.
Love you Grandma Afton!!! And love you mom for thinking to share this with us!!

New Year = New possibilites

Welcome 2011 I could not be happier for you to be here! This year is going to be a good one. How many times have you said you would do something or love to incorporate something into your life and never do?? Well that's my story. It was the story of my life but not anymore. I am sick of watching time go by where I could have done things. Here is what I figure I will conquer this year.

1. Take piano lessons, I did this in my youth and gave it up for the love of dance. Now at the age of almost 27, I don't dance. I wish I would have stuck out piano a little longer.

2. I am going to be active at least 3-4 days a week. I am not saying I am trying to lose weight cause I am so over that. I honestly want to feel healthy and strong. The new dogs help me get out and walk more often.. Plus exercise does wonders for our brains. Yes sign me up please!!!

3. I am going to work on having peace within my life. This is something that is a must and I am most excited for this.

4. Drink enough water. Really? I can imagine some of you saying, but yes this is big. I want to supply my body with lots of much needed fluid:) Do you ever feel sluggish, tired and headaches? Well I do and this is why, DEHYDRATION.

5. Last but not least I want to be a good aunt. I am going to make more time for my sweet niece and nephew. Time gets busy and we lose track of those around us. I don't want this to happen with me. I also have 2 new nieces coming this spring.. Yay!

Well these are a few of my ideas on how I can improve and better my 2011. I look forward to these additions and opportunities. Much love and happiness to you all....

Christmas time and a calling to change me....

Today at church I felt so blessed. I sat during sacrament listening to the hymns focused on Christmas. I LOVE this time of year and always look forward to spending time with loved ones. As I have gotten older I view Christmas entirely different. I mean I really don't care if I get any presents at all. I feel like I have all of my needs met.

I listened the other day while I was working to this little girl and one of my co workers talking. My co worker asked the little girl if Santa was coming to her house? She replied that she sure hoped so. My co worker proceeded to ask her what was on her wish list. She said one little thing, and my co worker asked what else? The little girl replied that was all she really needed in her life and that she had everything she really needed!!! What a good kid! I was seriously so impressed with her simplicity and gratitude for the things in her life. Way to go parents!!! I want my children to be like that:)

With my new calling I feel like I am going to learn so much more from the children then I will teach them. You hear this all the time but it's true. Kids are so smart when it comes to the church. I forget how much I learned in Primary. I am so thankful for this new calling and I know I will be a better person from it.

I feel really blessed and grateful for all the things in my life.. I often think back on my life even five years ago. I have sure evolved! I thank my lucky stars and for parents, siblings, and friends who helped form me. I now know what life is about and what is really important. I am pretty proud of where I am. If you knew me then, you would be proud too:)...

I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. May this time of year remind us of what the season is truly about. Embrace moments spent with family and friends. I love my Savior and I love celebrating his birth. Merry Christmas!!!

The new pups...

We added two new puppies to our family! We are very excited and love having them around. We got two because we both wanted a different kind and could not agree on just one. Dixie is our little Brittany Spaniel and she is so energetic and quite the little biter. Parker wants to train her as soon as possible for hunting reasons. I know she is going to be really smart.


Rosy is our Maltipoo. She loves to snuggle you when you hold her. My parents have a Maltipoo and this is where I fell in love with this breed. They have great temperaments. So sweet.

We are loving the new change at our house with these guys. Dogs really are man's best friend, and woman's too:)!!

One year anniversary!!

Parker and I celebrated our one year in Yellowstone and Jackson Hole.. Parker was so cute and took the initiative to plan this out. We spent three nights camping throughout Yellowstone, and then drove to Jackson Hole for the other two nights. We had alot of fun discovering the national parks together and loved the beautiful scenery. We went on a few hikes, one to Jenny Lake and the other to snow king peak. In Jackson we went white water rafting and that was a blast.. I have not been since my last experience of getting thrown out in the rapids when I was like 13 years old.. Let's just say I was a little nervous to jump back on the saddle:)

So as far as animals we saw so many. Not to mention baby animals were all over, so cute. We saw elk, deer, moose, bison, bald eagles, foxes, and a grizzly bear!

I really loved this time spent with my best friend. I have to tell you that I am one lucky girl, Parker treats me so well and he really LOVES me. I have never had someone be so sweet and loving towards me. I truly am so blessed to have found this man. Thanks babe for making me the happiest girl and for being my companion...

Here are a few pictures, the ones with the ice cream need to be explained. One night we went for ice cream in Yellowstone. I asked the man for a scoop of cookies and cream. He then told me if I would just take whats left in the bucket he would give it to me for free! Sweet I love free things, and love all the stares I was getting walking out with a bucket in one arm and a spoon in the other! Then theres my husband with a dinky little thing. Gotta love it.

The new place!

So this is not really like me to post pictures of my personal haven but it's new to us and we wanted to share this with those we care about.. Parker and I bought this house and moved in the first week of June.. We have loved having our own place and knowing we can change ANYTHING we want...

Here are a few pictures of our home. It was built in the 1940's and so therefore we need to update and change a few things still as we go. I didn't bother taking any pictures upstairs yet because we will be remodeling up there. It is set up like an apartment with a bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen. Pictures will soon be posted. The basement is storage and half unfinshed so I didn't take any there either. So pretty much this our main floor, where we spend all of our time anyways:)



This is our backyard... Fields behind us, true country out here :)


This is the front, Parker is in the process of putting a new roof on!




This is our living room


That is the front door.

Thoughtfulness!

Its about time I post something on this dang blog, people are going to wonder if Parker and I are the most boring people ever.. We have actually been busy busy doing some fun things, no pictures to prove it though. I was never good at that and still I am not. One day I will, hopefully when I have kids.

Ok here is a small recap of what we have been up to the last few months. We went to my Nelson side reunion up at Browne lake and that was so much fun. I have been going since I was born. I love going up there and just leaving the cares of the world behind. Lots of bbq's and lots of family, whats better than these two things?? We also bought a house and we are now all moved in and getting things situated. Oh what fun it is to be all grown up and have our own place. There is still much to do but we will take our sweet time getting there! I can remember for the last who knows how long that I pictured myself and my future life in an old house. Well this is exactly what we got! Life is great that way, if you want something bad enough I feel like you can get it. Maybe it just presents itself because it's what you put your positive energy towards?? Like a dream board.. I made a dream board at age 21 and put things I would love to have. I have achieved a few so far. I feel like I have scored with my sweet husband and now this house.

Now on to why I chose the title thoughtfulness.. I love my husband, for he is truly thoughtful. I usually get home late when I work so dinner gets tricky. I've tried the crockpot thing while I'm away, we only came home to charred spare ribs.. Whatever no big deal, it happens to the best of us. So yesterday I had a rough start to my day. Lets just say I needed to be at work at 9:00 and I left our house at 9:10. Yep there was a misunderstanding in my schedule. I live a good forty minutes away so my poor client sat and looked at magazines for forty five plus minutes. I just hate making people wait for me and I felt horrible. I also didn't get a chance to get ready either and we all know how this feels, yes I felt like the gross girl!! A few other things happened that day and so it just wasn't my best day.

I called Parker on my way home and he was out doing some errands. He kept asking me when I would be home and where I was. After the third time of him asking I started to wonder what he was doing and why he cared so much today as to where I was every five minutes. Well I eventually got home and this is what I walked into. My darling husband had dinner hot and ready on the table, drinks poured, and a nice little vase of flowers from our garden. I LOVED this loving act he showed me that day. Something so simple made my heart happy.


We watched Forever Young that night cause it was on tv. I found myself getting all teary eyed watching the last scene where he flys to his sweethearts house and they reunite. I watched them on the screen and thought of Parker and I. I can't wait to grow old with him and see what this beautiful life has in store for us. I love this man, and I know he loves me. Its through acts of love like the prepared dinner that show me so..