12.31.2012

christmas eve and day

one of the best things about marrying scotty (aside from his good looks, wit, charming personality, etc.) is the convenience of celebrating christmas with our families.  scotty's family has a big party on christmas EVE, while my family has a big party christmas MORNING. again - it's real convenient. so those 48 hours of christmas eve/day are always so fun for us! we get a happy mixture of both of our families, combined with food, presents, games, and pure joy!

on the 24th we woke up and ran some errands (a.k.a. bought last-minute gifts).
we wrapped some presents and were very productive! 
then ron took us out shooting, and it was a blast. 
i realized that if i'm ever in a situation in which my life depends on my strength or ability to shoot, i will probably die. i think i'm okay with that.
we shot a 50 cal and an AR 15...
it was way fun! scotty did really well, and i was just happy that i hit the target one time. after that, we headed over to my brother-in-law matt's house for the marx family christmas exchange! we all exchanged gifts with the other siblings and with ron and kim. it was a hit! we ate delicious macayos food and played fun reindeer games. i am frustrated with myself because i didn't take a single picture the entire night... but just trust me, even though i don't have photographic proof, it was fun. i am grateful for my thoughtful in-laws who showered us with gifts. scotty is excited about his tickets to a jazz game next year, and i can't wait to use my new temple bag and purse!

after the marx extravaganza, we went to my parents' house and opened our traditional christmas eve pajamas.  a few hours later (at approximately 6:30 a.m.) tanner woke us all up to an exciting christmas morning. we opened gifts, ate way too much candy, and made bacon with french toast.
one of my presents was a box with 6 tickets to the 12:25 showing of les miserables! i was so happy!
the movie was absolutely amazing -
but that's a whole other blog post in the works.
we lounged around playing with our presents and trying on clothes until scott & jenn came over with their cute babies to celebrate my birthday. we watched a movie and played with afton and jack. we ate dinner, dessert, and opened more presents.
i was pretty spoiled. i got the enzo angiolini boots i've been drooling over for months, clothes, school supplies (for my nerdy teacher side), new phone cases, scarfs, and last but not least, A PET BUNNY! my husband is so sweet.
i adore him!
he's so soft and cuddly.
and i'm up for name suggestions... so feel free to contribute.
we are so blessed to belong to two amazing families!

12.30.2012

mitchell's farewell

i can't freaking believe my kid brother is leaving for his mission in 10 DAYS.
i think we're still just a tad bit in denial. however, the whole thing seemed so real today when mitch gave his farewell talk. he did an amazing job. seriously, i was so surprised. he sounded like a mature, confident missionary, and i was so proud.
that picture might be a little inappropriate for church,
but for the record i didn't take it haha!
doesn't he look good?
and please don't mind my chipmunk cheeks. 
i had the pleasure of getting wisdom teeth removed this weekend.
after sacrament meeting, we invited everyone over to our house for some mexican food to celebrate mitchell and his decision and his worthiness to go on a mission. 
it was so special to feel all of the love and support from his friends and family! it's crazy to think the next time i see him, we will be dropping him off at the MTC. i will miss him, but i am so excited for him to leave and to touch many people's lives. those mexicans are lucky people!

12.18.2012

girls weekend 2012

just incase some of you haven't been keeping up with my pictures, statuses, and check-ins on social media, i wanted to fill you in on my incredibly fun trip to seattle. our trip was so fun, in fact, that i don't have enough self-restraint to narrow the pictures down to anything less than 24. accept my apology in advance. 

my mom and i arrived in seattle thursday morning. uncle dave picked us up and took us out to a delicious teriyaki lunch! i have a new-found theory: the closer i get to japan, the better the food is. dave went back to work while my mom and i made our attack on downtown seattle. 
the famous "gum wall" and i shared a special moment.
we watched the guys at pike place throw fish, and we sat on the pig. 
tourist activities: check. check.
we shopped, ate frangos, gossiped, visited the original nordstrom, and simply enjoyed each other's company! living in utah makes me miss my mom way too much.
it was a wonderful day. and friday was also wonderful.
we shopped allllllllll morning long. you should be happy to know that i happened upon some serious deals and made a good dent in my christmas shopping list.
fun fact: bellevue square has the nation's largest in-mall apple store.
i'll admit it was pretty freaking large.
after lunch, we headed to the temple to support my dear cousin kelsie.
the temple is beautiful, and the session was so special.
i am so proud of kels for making this big step in her life.
following the temple session was a rehersal dinner. the dinner was full of family, delicious food, tears, laughs, stories, memories, and cheesecake. 
what did we do after the rehearsal dinner? more shopping. 
we had 5 mall trips in 2 days. 

saturday was the big day
kelsie and cameron were sealed in the morning, and we spent the rest of the afternoon driving around town taking pictures, eating, and taking more pictures. (my two favorite pastimes!) 
she looked beautiful! i am so happy for these two love birds. 
the reception was held in a lovely room at the puyallup fairgrounds.
i am so happy my mom and i could be there! we had a great time.
meanwhile, the whole entire trip, i couldn't stop noticing how beautiful seattle is! granted i hadn't been there for almost 10 years, but i completely forgot how incredibly GREEN everything is! i love it! 
green + overcast = happy ashley
i voiced this opinion multiple times throughout the weekend, and everyone told me i "would get so sick of not seeing the sun."
... i don't think i would.
sunday, we ventured off to dave and rebekah's house in north bend. 
their house did nothing but fuel my desire to live in northwestern washington. 
i mean, LOOK AT THE VIEW FROM THEIR LIVING ROOM! 
are you kidding me? it's a freaking forest back there!
we snuggled up by the fireplace and spent the afternoon catching up, laughing, taking pictures, sipping hot cocoa, and crocheting. life could not get any better.
thanks mom for the fun weekend! 
the only downside was leaving. 
i am already itching to go back with scotty. 

12.13.2012

ashley's how to:

here is my easy step-by-step guide to making a fool of yourself in an airport.
1. download hulu plus on your iPhone
2. insert headphones
3. start modern family episode "diamond in the rough"
4. fail to hold in your uncontrollable laughter
i couldn't stop myself.
i freaking love modern family! 
if you haven't watched this week's episode, 
go do yourself a favor.
you won't be sorry. 
... unless, that is, you're sitting in a silent airport with 80 people watching you. 

12.11.2012

it all comes down to ONE.

right now,
at this very moment,
i have the following things in my way:

one more study session
one breakfast
one final exam
one project
one lunch
one shower
one book to sell back
one sonic happy hour
one suitcase to pack
one shift of work
one more commute to/from provo
one dinner
one drive to the airport
one nonstop flight

and once i overcome those obstacles, i will be in SEATTLE having a fun-filled girls weekend with my dear mother! i am one freaking excited girl.

12.03.2012

fa la la la la

... FINALLY!
the greatest time of the year is here, and i could not be more excited.
i mean, what's better than a celebration of christ's birth, my birth, the end of a semester, the exchanging of gifts, and three whole weeks off of school?

yeah... there is nothing greater.
(although, girl scout cookie time is a close second)
i love the decor, the candy, the carols, and basically everything else aside from the temperature drop. but even with my shivering legs and a frozen nose, i still walk around with a smile on my face simply because I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

needless to say, the second my calendar flipped to december,
i was ready to decorate.
scotty and i had fun rearranging our apartment... it feels so homey and festive. once we plug in our electric blanket, there is no chance i'll ever leave.
on sunday we had the pleasure of attending the christmas devotional with jen and tony. it was such a great experience. listening to the members of the first presidency share their memories and testimonies was touching. they are the best examples to me.
i especially liked president uchtdorf's talk about being a good receiver of gifts. 
... but seriously, if you only have time for one, read uchtdorf's. 
i hope all of you are getting into the christmas mood!
it's time for coats, hot cocoa, and candy canes.