2018 a year in review

I seem to always start out by saying "it's been awhile since I have posted..." Well, I guess it has been! It's about that time of year when everyone sends out their Christmas card and their year updates and I thought "yeah! it would be so fun to do our first Christmas card and have a cute picture of us." But let's be real, How the heck am I gonna get Jared to do a fun (or what I think would be fun) photo shoot? ;) Sorry Jared, but am I wrong? ;) 

No. 

I decided that a blog post would work too. 

For anyone who cares about our life, your welcome! If you don't you probably haven't even read this far. 

Our first year of marriage has been everything and more! It's been the good, the bad, and the ugly, and the most wonderful thing. 

We are about to celebrate one year in January. January 12th. Time is such a weird thing. I feel like this year has gone by so fast but also has been a slow year. 

We are both in school, Jared is studying Communications. He is hoping to become a sports journalist. Jared has been working really hard and we hope he graduates spring 2020! Jared also works full time at the Hospital as Valet and gets to park some awesome cars. 

I am studying Special Education. I hope to become a teacher! When will I graduate? That's a surprise! For you and me ;) 

I work at Freedom Preparatory Academy as an aide in the special ed. department. And it is a very interesting job. Everyday, all day. 

We both love to get out and do things, that don't cost a ton of $$$. But we have still have lots of fun. 

We went to California for spring break. We stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Evans in San Jose, which we enjoyed getting lost in and finding new places to explore. 

We made a stop in San Francisco and had lunch with Great-Grandpa and Grandma Schubert. and again had fun getting lost and exploring. 

We had a a great summer, and jumped back into school. 

We just finished our second semester as a married couple, and we are both still alive. 

Take that how you want it! ;) 

We are excited to enjoy our first Christmas married and have a fun trip to Georgia to visit Jared's mission. 

We have loved this past year and can't wait for the next year and the new adventures we have planned. 

"Every love story is beautiful but ours in my favorite."

I am married... 

I still wake up some mornings in shock that I am actually married to the man of my dreams! I know, I know my title and what I just said is SO cliche! But really I love our story and I love waking up amazed at the man next to me. He truly is amazing. 

Our last 6 months has been beautiful. We have learned so much about each other, about love, about marriage. It's been wonderful. 

I have been a hopeless romantic my whole life. Before being married I pictured marriage as this blissful, romantic, simple thing. But it hasn't been exactly what I expected. Don't get me wrong marriage has been wonderful! It's been so much better! 

I realized that I didn't need all the big romantic things or the sweet lovey dovey stuff. I just need the most amazing husband who loves me for who I am and supports me in everything. That's what I have learned has been the best. That's what has been the most life changing and important thing to me. Now I do think that being romantic and lovey dovey is important, but a relationship shouldn't be based solely off all that material stuff. There needs to be more. More, and deep. There isn't just 2 people in a marriage. There is more. 3 more actually.  Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. Can I just say that with out those 3, I don't think marriage would every really "work out" or be as blissful. I'll admit we've had our fair share of not reading our scriptures or praying as often as we should here and there. But when we do, our days are so much better. 

I remember testifying on my mission of how important family is and who the gospel really does bless families. I knew that it did. I saw that in my family growing up. But I didn't really understand how much it blesses families until we started our own little family. (note: we are not expecting.. just considering Jared and I to be our little family unit, for now ;))  

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to his eternal plan" (The Family A Proclamation The World; The First Presidency And Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) . So why not involve him in every aspect of the marriage. Something I am sure all of us can do better, and will get better with over time. We have eternity to learn that. 

I've loved everything about our marriage. Everything. Bad, good. I wouldn't change a thing. We still have so much to improve but I am excited for every step. 

  

"Marriage is a Mosaic you build with your spouse. Million of tiny moments that create your love story" (Author unknown)  

"And They Lived Happily Ever After!"

Every little girls dreams of her wedding day. What colors she will have, What her dress is going to be like, What the cake and flowers will be. Every detail of every moment is planned out since she was 7 years old. At least that is how I was! 

I had my dream wedding planned over and over again. Everything was going to be perfect. Nothing would go wrong and the groom would be eye candy for the ladies. 

And... that is exactly how my wedding was. Perfect. absolutely perfect. Don't get me wrong, things didn't go according to every detail I planned when I was 7, of course styles and colors change, But it was exactly what I had dreamed of as a little girl. I had the man of my dreams wrapped around my arm. Or more like I was wrapped around his arm. 

We were married in the most beautiful castles in all of the land, The Provo City Center Temple. Now most of you may know this story already but my guess is most of you don't so Ill give you the low key version. When I was little we would go to stake conference in the  Provo Tabernacle. In each of the four corners of the tabernacle there were beautiful, winding, green carpeted stairs. Oh how I loved those stairs! I know weird huh.. But I loved walking down those stairs and pretending I was marrying my knight in shinning armor. I would often tell my mom that I wanted to get married in that building, and she would remind me that it wasn't a Temple so I couldn't be married there. But that dream was still there and would never go away. 

When the tabernacle burned down I was devastated, SO many wonderful memories. SO many little girl dreams. But the greatest news ever came in General Conference 2011, President Thomas S. Monson announced that they would be rebuilding the tabernacle into a Temple. My little girl dreams become a reality! 

7 years later on January 12th 2018 I was married to the love of my life, Jared Jensen. It was the most beautiful day of my life. It literally was perfect. Nothing went wrong, Or I wasn't told anything was going wrong. My colors were perfect, My dress was perfect, and The flowers were gorgeous, But, in all honesty, None of that really mattered. What mattered most to me was that I was sealed for time and all eternity to my best friend. Someone who loves me for who I am and never judges. I am so in love and my life for Him and my Father in Heaven grows more and more each and everyday. I can't wait to see were our next chapter in life takes us. Our happily ever after is only beginning, And we only have eternity to go. 

2017: " A year I will never forget"

2017 was truly a year I will never forget. To be honest I was worried that 2017 was gonna be that awkward year... the year where nothing really big happens, I don't accomplish a whole lot, and It ends in a mediocre way.  

I WAS  TOTALLY WRONG!!!  

So many wonderful things happened, The biggest and best one was finding the love of my life.

Jared and I met almost year ago. How? Well we could make up a cute story about how we bumped into each other in the halls at school... but I wasn't going to school when we met so that wouldn't work. How about through Mutual friends?? ya that'd work... But we didn't know we knew some of the same people until after we started dating... The truth and the perfect part is we met over Tinder. I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, we are a Tinder success story! #TindertToTemple ;)

It took as a bit before we actually met. I kept bailing on him. But finally that wonderful day came. We had the most perfect first date. Sonic slushes and a movie. I do give Jared some big props, when we were watching a movie he grabbed a blanket and as he set it over both of us he placed his hand on my knee.. butterflies straight to my stomach! Even when I think about that moment I get butterflies. It was so cute! (yes I am a sucker for romance) We just clicked. It was the most comfortable I had ever been with a guy. I knew there was something special about him.

Our next date was two days later. A super snowy day! We tried making a snowman taller than Jared... and if you know how tall Jared is.... you know that was no small task.  I even made him meet my family... ON THE 2ND DATE! I know!!! WHAT WAS I THINKING!?  I don't know but he wasn't scared off haha. The night ended with.. you guessed it a kiss. Ya we kissed on our 2nd date.. we are crazy I know. 

But it only got better from there. 

Like I said before Jared and I just clicked. It was great. I felt like I could be 100% myself around him and he wouldn't run! 

I love every bit about him. Even his constant teasing ;) 

I knew I wanted to marry him relatively early on. Did I tell him... NO!  I didn't want to scare him off. So I waited. and waited.... and waited. 

I learned to be much more patient, with him. ;) 

He brought up the marriage talk in about June and I was super excited! But I tried not to show it... he can read me pretty well though.:) 

So then... More waiting happened. We went through a lot the next few months but we only came out stronger. Our love grew more, and we as a couple over came a lot. 

I kept waiting.. 

and waiting. 

I would tease him a lot about what ring I wanted or when I wanted to get married. But he didn't budge. 

On September 30th Jared took me on a little picnic up the canyon. Little did I know he had sent friends up before hand to set up a cute little lighted area. Pictures of us were hung. And a read heart wreath was in the middle. 

He got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. 

BEST DAY of 2017!! 

 Our adventures continued:

Lots of wedding planning. 

 We got to have our first Thanksgiving together. 

Our first Christmas. 

and  New years kiss! 

I am so excited to see where 2018 takes us. I have never been so excited for a new year.

Here's to  a new year, a new chapter and a new life! 

Here is to the year I will never forget!