Ashley's Wedding.

It's been a while since I blogged last. Our little family traveled to Texas (we were gone 10 days) and I've been so busy I have yet to unpack. . . even though we've been home five days. Eek! I love traveling, but sometimes I need a vacation from my vacation, if you know what I mean. We had a wonderful, sunny, family-filled time and I can't wait to share cute pictures of our Tenley bug at the beach. BUT, first things first. . . my dear friend Ashley's wedding.

Baby Shower

The Skousens and a few of my friends planned a baby shower for me a few weeks ago. Cory made all of the adorable decorations; Abby and Julie sent out the invitations, prepared the food, and planned the games; Melissa hosted the get-together in her home; Jada, Stefanie and Abby brought extra treats (Am I forgetting anyone? Sorry if I left someone out!) A lot of neighbors and friends came to support and love me. I felt overwhelmed by their willingness to share and give. There were a lot of women there from my ward (or local church congregation) who barely know me, but know Melissa and Julie, and were willing to reach out to me in fellowship and love.  Their presence at my shower was a sweet example to me of how we can serve each other, even in small and simple ways. 

Abby and Julie Skousen

Mari and Jada, my closest friends from Spanish Fork

Cory, my roommate sophomore year at BYU

The whole gang.

I can't say thank you enough to all the people who have sent gifts and clothes and toys our way in preparation for the baby. We are grateful and excited! 

Also, Abby took a few pictures on her camera I still need to get from this shower. I was so glad to see and visit with my friend Holli from Texas and all my old roommates who are still in Utah. Love my girls!

The Last Few Weeks

JD and I have done a lot of fun things in the last few weeks!

 Here's a re-cap of what we've been up to:

Dinner at Jared and Karen's with Bryce and Sheree. These guys were JD's good friends in high school and we got together because Bryce just accepted a job offer in Louisiana and they'll be moving soon. It was nice to visit and catch up with them.

Dinner at Chick-fil-A. We were trying so hard to not spend money on eating out in May, but I had been talking about Chick-fil-A for weeks. . . so we gave in. Worth it!

Tyler and Mikella's Wedding. JD's little brother got married over Memorial Day weekend. We were both in the wedding party and loved sharing in their celebration.

JD's mom's side of the family at the reception. It had rained most of the day, so it was pretty chilly. . . but the backyard was absolutely lovely!

It started raining hailing during their wedding dance. While everyone rushed to get the tables and chairs and stereo equipment under cover, these lovebirds shared their romantic moment in the rain. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck, right? :)

NBA on television. We've been watching a lot of basketball lately. JD has been cheering against the Spurs (only because he's bitter they swept the Jazz) and I've been teasing him by wearing my San Antonio apparel sometimes. I'm not as committed to the Spurs as I probably should be and wouldn't mind if OKC won (gasp!) because it would make JD happy. 

Park City with the newlyweds. Tyler and Mikella stayed in a condo up in Park City for their honeymoon. We went up later in the week for dinner and games. We played games until like two in the morning and spent the night up there.

Tiffanie's graduation. JD's little sister, Tiffanie, graduated from Layton High School. We are super proud of her and are so excited for what's in store in her life.

Camping with the Weeks and Leues. We planned to go camping with these guys, but ran into issues when we tried to find a camp spot. It didn't end up working out as we planned, but we had a bonfire anyway and spent the evening playing games and visiting.

Fishing with the Williams family. Camping didn't work out, but JD still really wanted to go fishing. We invited the family we live with and JD taught all their kids how to fish. I sat out in the sun and helped cook breakfast in the morning. We were up in the mountains for a few hours, but JD was the only one who ended up catching a fish. Still, it was pretty special to see JD's sweet interactions with those kiddos.

Dinner and dominoes with friends. Cory and Sean and Jeremy and Stefanie came over for dinner on Saturday night. We enjoyed delicious food and played dominoes. Love spending time with these guys!

We are blessed with such good friends and family and are trying to enjoy the sweet time we have together before our little one joins the family. We know we'll miss these days!

Wedding Week

My best friend from college got married yesterday. This week has been busy with all her wedding festivities. Tuesday: bridal shower. Thursday: pre-wedding dinner. Friday: sealing ceremony and reception. I'm so happy for Cory (and just a tad jealous Sean gets to keep her as a roommate forever!) 

I loved getting to spend so much time this week with all these lovely ladies. It's hard to think about us growing up and apart, but I'm so thankful for the special memories and bonds that will keep us connected forever.  Love ya'll!

Sushi Party for Abby

Last Wednesday, our dear friend Abby had a birthday. On Friday, we spent the afternoon helping her prep for her big sushi party. JD made a big bowl of fried rice and helped prepare the sticky rice for the guests to make sushi rolls when they arrived. We cut veggies, meat, and other toppings (uh, fillings?). While JD was busy doing his thing, Abby and I also made a type of sushi I actually like. . . candy sushi! We made rice krispy treats and let them harden. Then we cut them into strips and wrapped gummy worms in the middle and rolled them up like sushi. Finally, we bundled them in fruit roll-ups and cut them into little bites. Most precious treat ever! The party turned out to be a roaring success and JD taught oodles of people how to wrap their own sushi. I ate up the fried rice and might have had more than my fair helping of candy sushi. We're so glad Abby was born and loved helping her celebrate her big day!

  

 

Richly blessed.

Tonight, I went out for dessert with Jada and Mari (and their husbands) for Jada's 25th birthday. They are my co-workers and I am incredibly grateful to work with and beside them. But the truth is, they are much more than that. They have seen me at my most vulnerable. I have cried, laughed, played, worked, crafted, and learned with them. They have supported me as I've tried to find my way as a staff in health care services. They have taught me how to be assertive, direct, and consistent. They have shown me how to be authentic, compassionate, and non-judgmental. They have listened to me talk out my issues and offered advice when I needed it. They have encouraged me to take control of my physical health and challenged me when I've wanted to give up. They know all about me and my life right now. They are some of my closest friends. I will forever be grateful for the time I've spent at New Haven and the things I've learned, but I am especially thankful for the relationship I've built over the last year with these two.

Thank you for loving me and making sure I know it. Thank you for supporting me in my growth as a staff. Thank you for reaching out to me on our days off. Thank you for challenging me to take care of myself and my body. Thank you for making me laugh every time I'm with you. But mostly, thank you for being my friends. I am richly blessed to know you!

Happy Birthday, Jada! I am so ridiculously glad you were born .

A Quick Visit.

Remember when Kylie had her baby 5 months ago? I finally got to meet her this week! I went up to Kylie's parents' house for a quick visit while she was in town for the holidays. It was so good to visit with her family, see her cute face, and play with her little one. 

All six.

I've talked about them lots of times. We've lived together, celebrated birthdays and holidays, gone to basketball and football games, talked a lot, traveled together, celebrated love, spent time in the sun and snow, and made oodles of memories. 

It was weird when Stefanie bought a house, but it was okay because it was still in Utah. It was weird when Kasidy left for Argentina, but it was okay because we knew she'd be back. Now Kylie is moving to Las Vegas, which is weird to think about, but also exciting. Way to go on being a grown-up and stretching your wings! 

Cory put together a little surprise party for Kylie on Sunday and invited all of her friends. So glad all six of us could be there!! Love when that happens :)

Together again.

My old roommates and I were finally able to be together again last Sunday. It's been a long time since all six of us were in the same place at once! Kasidy's been gone for a year and a half on her mission and just got back (she served in the same area my little brother is going!) Steph's been gone in California all summer for her internship doing economic consulting. Cory has been busy courting Sean (see cute picture below) and rockin' her new job as a party planner. Stefanie lives in a house with her husband of over a year, works with the young women at church, and travels around the state for her job. Kylie's been applying for dental hygiene schools and preparing to move to Vegas in a few months.

It's freaky to me that half of us have already graduated from BYU. It seems like only a few weeks since we all lived under the same roof a few blocks from campus. We've since seen all different parts of the country (and the world!). We're getting grown-up jobs. We're learning how to support and take care of ourselves. We are accepting change and trying to listen as the Lord directs our lives. In many ways, things are very different than they were when we lived together. However, there is one thing I'm sure won't change. . . we are forever connected by a strong and abiding friendship.  No matter where we live or what we do, we'll always love eachother. And for that, I am deeply grateful.

L to R: Kasidy, Stefanie, Kylie, Me, Cory, Stephanie

Kylie, Stephanie, Cory, Sean

Cory and Sean, Stefanie and Jeremy



Baby girl onesies.

This week, I've been working on some baby girl onesies for Kylie's first daughter. Kylie was one of my closest friends growing up and it still seems so unreal to me she'll have a little baby this summer. The baby's name is going to be Evalyn (Daniel's dad, Evan + Kylie's dad, Lynn= Evalyn). So sweet. For Evalyn's gift, I picked out some plain white onesies at the store and fancied them up a bit.

I did yo-yo flowers, a pretty tree, and the Great State. It was such a fun excuse to use my machine.

(I was working on the tree onesie in the storage office earlier this week and a customer came in to sign up for a unit. She asked me if I had an etsy shop (!!) and I told her I didn't. Then, she asked me if I at least sold at craft fairs (!!) and I told her I didn't. Then she scolded me and told me I shouldn't be hiding my talents and I should start sharing what I can do with others. Dear lady, do you know how much your sweet comments meant to me? She gave me such a confidence boost about pursuing this little butterfly dream in the back of my mind of making things and selling them. I was so flattered by her I was literally turning rosy in the cheeks. New favorite customer!)

Kylie was cute as could be at her baby shower this morning- just as darling as she was on the Ellen Show (!!) She got tons of precious baby girl clothes and other sweet gifts. Her sister-in-laws put together lots of pretty decorations and yummy food. It was a lovely morning :)

Love you, Kylie.

Back at BYU.

I'm back at BYU tonight. JD's busy throwing Jeff's bachelor party (he gets married Friday!) and I needed to study for my big test in two days. I've been cramming so much the past few hours and my brain is starting to hurt from thinking too much. I feel so strange being in this library- on this campus really. I still have to pinch myself every few days. . . am I really a college graduate? Where did the time go? I must've missed my life. It feels like only a few weeks ago that I made my dad pull over at the "Welcome to Utah" sign for a picture on our way up to Provo with all my stuff for college.  Just weeks ago, I swear, I was dressing up for dance parties, seeing a counselor about what to do with my life, flirting with boys I didn't like to try and get over ones I really did, carving pumpkins, taking aerobics, spying on the guitar-playing neighbor boys across the street, and dreaming of being an EFY counselor and serving an LDS mission. And then, oh! The glorious summer. Wasn't it just weeks ago? I was serving queso with my favorite girls, staying up late to watch the stars, jumping on the trampoline, receiving flowers, letting my heart learn to love again, soaking in the sun with my sisters, and sharing my faith with someone new. Weeks ago, really, I was moving in with 5 new girls, having roommate basketball wars, discovering a profession that totally intrigued me, fighting my head for what I knew in my heart, going country dancing, dressing up in themes for Halloween, inviting a boy home for Christmas, and accepting a marriage proposal. My life plans changed. I was pushing my emotional and physical limits working with a hard population, planning a wedding, fighting my fears, living with my future in-laws, and preparing to go to the temple. Weeks ago, I was making a promise, using a passport for the first time, painting furniture, seeing a boy in the nude, managing bills, adjusting to having a new family, and cooking meals for two. Oh! how the time has flown! I am back at BYU tonight and my thoughts are skipping and dancing in and out of old memories. The test I take the day after tomorrow is the capstone of my academic growth and learning at this university. I'll get a degree in the mail in the next few days. Hopefully, I'll get a license to practice what I've learned. But more than anything, what I'll take from BYU is a deeper, more powerful understanding of my Savior, a stronger faith in Him, a handful of friends who mean more to me than words can express, a collection of experiences and life lessons to buoy me up in hard times, a strong work ethic, and a profound appreciation for God's hand in my life. My BYU experience didn't turn out exactly how I imagined it, but it was beautiful and wonderful nevertheless. And, tonight, my heart is full.

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Cory turns 22 tomorrow and we celebrated with a surprise party tonight. I love her so much!

5 hours.

Jocelyn came over on Saturday while JD was working. We spent 5 hours just chatting on my couch, and I couldn't have asked for a better night.

I feel remarkably blessed to have her as a friend. Thank goodness for college roommates :)

Girlfriends.

Even though it stinks JD works on Saturdays til midnight, I'm grateful for the chance to spend time with girlfriends. Last weekend, Cory, Jenessa, and I went to the BYU bball game and I helped them get ready for their Valentine's party.

I like them. They're party people. And I'm glad they're my friends.

ONE.

Thank you sweet girls for learning with me, laughing with me, praying with me, studying with me, researching with me, processing with me, and being my friends. It was such a good last semester :)

Now. . . onto our internships!

Starting in ONE week. EEKS!

More red and green lovin'

Jeremy and Stef.
Red lipstick!

Lovely roommates,

Rockin party.