Dec 21, 2013

white christmas

i'm   dreaming   of a white christmas.

Oh wait, this isn't a dream ;) 

four days before christmas and mother nature has been feeling quite festive over here in our parts. A blanket of white has completely covered our little northern utah world. 













Dec 18, 2013

marcello's


love finding little hole-in-the-wall restaurants. 

this tasty gem definitely catered to the italy excitement.


Dec 13, 2013

seasonal thoughts



>When I have my own house, I think I want to get at least one real "christmas" tree each year. Just a little one, even if it's a Charlie Brown tree. I think they add so much. and... the smell... lets be honest.

>Just spent too much money on a swimsuit. In December. Target kills me. All I could think was... "oh this will look so good on the beaches in Italy.".... I have a problem. But on the plus side, I came out of Target with only 1 thing for myself.. the situation could have been worse. 

>Christmas shopping is such a funny concept to me... but every year I get sucked back in and do it! I just love giving presents away too much I guess.

>I've had the goal for a while to find at least one person I can serve each day. And I pray every day for God to help me find these people... cause sometimes I look too hard, when really the people who need me most are right under my nose. 

>Farmington Station is really cute. Especially at night, when it's all lit up with christmas lights! 

>It has been winter for a couple months now and I STILL haven't had a single 7-11 hot chocolate. Or any hot chocolate for that matter. what is going on.

>Well, too late now cause i'm not eating sugar or white flour til christmas. Yes I just made this public so i'm committed. (wait, actually do drinks count?)

>Jordan hates blue christmas lights, they give him a "weird feeling" And I laugh out loud and miss him lots when I see them.

>Julia asked my parents to give all the money they would have spent on her christmas to a family who needs it more than her. Thanks for making us all look bad julia.. but seriously she's got the right idea.

>Craving cafe rio one hundred percent of the time. Snow or sunshine... it never fails! :)



Dec 12, 2013

little house in the middle of the wood



 I really love these people a lot. Couldn't ask for a better group. As friends have come and gone, these guys are solid :) 
Also, we got these pictures taken in my grandparents old yard. (yes, obviously during the summer) They sold this house in Farmington before they went on their mission together, and at the time it was definitely a bitter parting of their house haha. I spent a majority of my childhood making memories with my cousins at this house, and in this yard. Going back was definitely nostalgic, and brought back loads of memories. It's weird to look at my childhood from the perspective I'm at now, and to watch my younger siblings and cousins growing up and wondering what they are going to have to look back on, and hold special in their hearts? I'm sure that their experiences are going to be just as special as mine were to me, but i'm tellin you it's hard to imagine that because I swear I had the best childhood ever! 

but from our family to yours, 
may your holidays be merry and bright!











My siblings are perfect.





Dec 11, 2013

sending you cheer

>due to there being five months left when he gets this
...(and a 19 month worn out package sending girl)...
we kept this christmas package to Elder C on the simple side. 

>just a few of his favorite things, and some holiday cheer so he knows he is loved and supported!
And dearly missed, we can't leave that one out. 

merry christmas elder 
>> that means yes, officially past the 6 months left mark :)







LAST YEARS CHRISTMAS PACKAGE HERE



and  here's  to  spending  next  christmas  with  you  again 

Dec 9, 2013

sister care package

The sister friends need some holiday lovin too!


So blessed to have such awesome girlfriends serving missions. 
These ladies rock and are the best examples ever.
From surviving typhoons, to dealing with haters I have the strongest cutest friends and I seriously admire the heck out of them. 

Dec 7, 2013

accepted to italy





Congratulations

You are on your way to Italy in May!



You are the qualified 19. We wish we could take all of the applicants, but we can't, so the 19 of you are UVU's 2014 Italy Study Abroad participants. Congrats; your preparations now begin.



I have worked and prayed SO hard for this. I wanted it bad. And after my discouraging experience with not being able to go to England... I kind of kept this on the DL. I wasn't giving up, but I didn't want to get my hopes up again. 
But after a stressful interview Wednesday morning, >& I only say stressful because we scheduled a Skype interview to avoid a drive to Provo in the snowy weather, and of course our Skype wouldn't connect. I ended up having my interview conference-call style. I was freaking out. I got looking cute that day and not to be vain but I was kind of counting on taking advantage of that. 
But regardless of the interview twitches. Thursday night, I received a very lovely e-mail informing me of my acceptance.

I'M GOING TO ITALY!!!

I'm extremely excited, and feel so beyond blessed to have this opportunity. I know i'll never regret it! 

Mission "Taking Jessica out of her comfort zone": in progress.
This is huge for me, cause i'm a whimp. 
and i've never been more happy to have to grow out of my comfort zone.
 five months is going to fly by and soon i'll be indulged in the middle of art history studies in a beautiful country! 



Oh, and my last day of class this semester is over. Hallelujah.
Don't ask me why, but the cold & snow is so much more bearable and pretty when you don't have to trudge through campus in it ;)


Nov 29, 2013

happy holidays

hope your thanksgiving was happy. 
i have a lot to be grateful for, namely the special people who are nearest and surround me every day called my family. 
If I had nothing else in my life, I would still have everything if I had my family. 







My thoughts on Black Friday?
I'd like to take a gun to it. 
I know that sounds violent, but maybe thats because i've worked it the past three years. DUMB idea. 
i'm all for the 

"SAVE THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING"

campaign.
where everyone stays home, watches christmas movies, and eats left overs all day. 
OH, after a good nights rest that is. 
Online shopping would be acceptable.



doing a little anxious dance before the gun was handed over



 

Needless to say, I wouldn't trust myself with a gun if I were you. 
(i missed every single clay pigeon by a mile... aka the one that sat 20 feet in front of me on the ground the entire time) 


H A P P Y   H O L I D A Y S



Nov 25, 2013

pray




semester break is so close i can almost taste it.

then it's out with the old books in with new and diving right into level 2 of craziness.

including lots of drives up to weber ( every day :( )
and lots of hours in the classroom.

sometimes i wonder if I really know what i'm doing. (i don't)


BUT our christmas tree is up. two of them. :) yay!
And Thanksgiving is this week, I have oh so much to be grateful for.

today i'm grateful for prayer. because it works, and God is listening.
how comforting that we can send a message of gratitude, a plead for comfort, or ask for guidance.
he is watching over us, he loves us, and he will not lead us astray or abandon us. we are never alone and i am so extremely comforted by that knowledge.


Nov 23, 2013

a little excerpt


"i've learned that people dont care about how much you know or what you say, but how you made them feel. Just remember that ok? with everyone you come in contact with. make them feel special. make them feel important. We are each so special to our heavenly father and he loves us all the same so make everyone feel just as special as you would want to feel. thats all people really want. is to feel important and that they matter. Thats why i love being a missionary so much is cuz i can be that person for others and its so awesome." 

Nov 19, 2013








Photos by: Kailey Rae Photography

so, you should all check out Kailey Rae Photography
and ask her about buying a ticket to the Raw artist exhibition on Dec. 3 and give yourself some culture for the night!