On Getting and Being Married

Once upon a time, there lived, in the middle of nowhere, a young lady with no aspirations for marriage. One day, at institute, this young maiden met the nicest, most attractive guy she'd ever encountered. She accepted an offer of a date, not thinking it would lead to anything more than - well - just a date. Little did she know what it would actually lead to. Well, actually the first date lead to another date, which lead to another, and another, and another, and that lead to hanging out on Halloween, going to Thanksgiving with his family, and spending Christmas together. They even got a tattoo together (FAKE!). Life was pretty fantastic whenever this girl was with that guy, doing something adventurous.


On January 25, 2014, this charming young man whisked the lady off to New York City on a red eye flight, and then took her to the top of the Empire State Building. It was here that he leaned close to her ear, and said, "Do you want to be embarrassed?" To the shake of her head, he then said, "Allie, will you marry me?" She, of course, said yes - how could she refuse after such a proposal?? Besides the Empire State building, the couple explored the subway system, rode the ferry past The Statue of Liberty, enjoyed New York Cheesecake, pizza, and street vendor food, and nearly got lost in Central Park.

It was so nice to get away from the stress of the world for just one day, and just enjoy being with each other. The most exciting thing about New York was finding a restroom. It's practically impossible, and became the biggest adventure of the day, by far. After getting home from New York via another red eye, the busy times, but also the happiest times, began.


After a lot of planning, stress, and more than anyone's fair share of headaches and tears on many sides, on March 8, 2014, the two knelt at the alter and were sealed for time and all eternity in the Monticello, Utah LDS Temple. They were so blessed to be surrounded by a lot of their family, and so many friends.  Best of all, the beginning of their marriage had the most wonderful start in the entire world - it was going to last forever. Never had any moment felt more perfect or right. In her eyes at least. They were quick to leave and get on their way, having had their reception the night before.

Their honeymoon was spent making their way towards Long Beach, California, where they boarded a cruise ship and spent the next three days in luxury, visiting Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. It was so nice not to worry about making dinner, doing dishes, or even making the bed. It was very hard to come home and get back to the daily grind, Chris teaching at Montezuma Creek Elementary, and Allie driving up to Blanding every day to work in the detention center. Then came the laundry, the dishes, the bed making, and the quiet moments, cuddled next to each other, talking about their day, and their future.

I have been so grateful these last five (almost six) months to be with my eternal companion. I love him so much, and I'm so happy that he is all mine, forever. I have learned a lot about myself throughout this adventure, and what I'm able to handle. Especially with him by my side. Things are a lot easier to deal with when I am safe in his arms. I am grateful for the peace and love I feel there.

To this man that is always there for me, I will always love you. Thank you for sticking by me through the hard times, and the best times. Thank you for being my best friend.

And now for a lot of pictures, which I am also very grateful for! Kara Laws with Illuminated Moments is the bomb!

It's Worth Waiting For

I was 26 when I got married. In Utah, that's old. I was to the point in my life that every conversation began with, "So, you seeing anyone special, yet?" One of my nephews even commented one day, "Aunt Alex, are you married yet?" to my negative response he replied, "Well, you better hurry! All the good ones will be gone!"

Despite the comments and loneliness, I knew that when the time was right, I would find my knight in shining armor. When I was in high school my dream was to go away to college, find and marry a man, and start having babies. I graduated from high school, went away to college, and found no one. And no one found me. To some people, I was wasting my time. Sometimes I felt like I was wasting my time. Really, I was making the best friends I would ever have, learning lessons that would help me throughout my life, serving my Savior in Tennessee, and falling in love with different people and finding a new home in a different part of the world. I was spending my time as wisely as I knew how, and I was trying to be accepting and patient - despite what my mom thinks.

I have never regretted one decision that I have made about my life. I have tried to be grateful for every moment, and enjoy it. And then when the time came that I was comfortable with who I was, as a single person, I met Chris, and have never been happier.

Moral of the story, God's plan for you is different, and you should enjoy life while you can, in every season you are in. Marriage to the "right one" is worth waiting for!

God's Plan for YOU

There have been a lot of times in my life, and even on this blog, where I have wondered at where my life was taking me. When I look back, I see a windy path of indecision, wrong turns, and a road that I never had planned to walk. In front of me, there is a future that I never could have imagined.

Often I have found myself praying for a specific thing, and it hardly ever works out the way I want it to. The saying, "We plan, God laughs" is not just a silly reminder of the lack of control in my life, but has also been a constant reminder to me, that although my plans aren't working out, someone is there who has another plan for me - a better plan for me.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, who knows me. He knows my strengths, my weaknesses, and what is best for me and my life. I have always loved the scripture Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.....", because of the simple truth it teaches us. God knows us. He loves us. He cares what happens in our lives. He has cared from the very beginning - a beginning we don't even remember. I have learned that, although I am attached to my own plans for myself and they are hard to let go, God's plans for me are always what is best, and what end up working out anyway.

I am grateful to be where I am today, in this moment. I am happier here than I have ever been, and much happier than I would have been in "my own plan".

Let God plan your life, and just go with it. His idea for you is so much better than your own. Our God is an awesome God, he's got your back!

Name Them One by One

The first time I started a gratitude journal, I was in a bad place spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I would probably call this time of my life "the dark ages". I had no ambition, I was depressed, and I had quit everything that was good in my life. I knew that God loved me, but I was still struggling and didn't really have a relationship with Him. After "a last straw" moment, I decided that I had had enough. Enough sorrow, enough crying, and enough self-inflicted pain. I was done being miserable. But I wasn't sure how to pull myself out of this "funk".

One of my friends happened to ask me along to Target with her one night. While there, she wanted to go look at notebooks. While she was trying to decide on which one to buy, I wandered over to where the journals were. One caught my eye. It had the word "gratitude" on it in big, happy, swirly letters. I decided then that I wanted to be more grateful. I wanted to write down the things in my life that made me happy. In an act of desperation, I bought a journal (not the gratitude one, because, although, it had the word I wanted, I didn't really like what it looked like...). The first few days were really hard for me to think of things that made me smile, made me want to wake up, and those things that made breathing worth it. I started finding quotes that made me smile, or feel good, and I added those to my entries. I started on a journey that would change my life.

Slowly, I started to notice a change. I was smiling again. I was happy! My days seemed brighter, even though I was living in Northern Utah, and there was always a cloud of gray smog hanging over the valley. The best outcome was the fact that I was going throughout my day looking for things that I could write down. I was ignoring the bad and magnifying the good in my life.

After awhile, there was just too much to write about, and I stopped writing in my gratitude journal, but it had achieved it's purpose. I was happy. I had things I loved. And best of all, it helped me develop a relationship with my Savior, and understand a little bit better that I am a daughter of God, who really loves me. It wasn't too much later that I decided to serve a mission, which only cemented everything that I had learned, and helped me gain an even stronger testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have kept more gratitude journals, miracle journals, and just plain good things journals to help me recognize the hand of the Lord in my life, and it has helped me so much. President Monson said, "Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God's love." I have see this happen in my own life.

I always loved thinking of things I am grateful for. This gratitude journal is was inspired me to start this blog in the first place. I have so many blessings in my life. So many tender mercies from the Lord. I am grateful for all of my experiences, even those that make me wonder if I can make it through. They make me a strong person. One of my favorite quotes that I wrote down in my first gratitude journal is by Mother Teresa,

“I am a little pencil in God's hands. He does the thinking. He does the writing. He does everything and sometimes it is really hard because it is a broken pencil and He has to sharpen it a little more.”

How grateful I am, even though it is hard, for those "sharpening days". Although it hurts and is hard, I always know that my Savior and Heavenly Father are near. "Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done".

{Insert incredibly awesome title here}

I have someone in my life that is special to me. Someone who can make me smile no matter what. Who makes me feel better when I am sad or sick. He is someone that I always want to be around, and never get sick of being with. We have been on a few adventures together, and have planned many more, which I am so excited for! He is a great friend. Someone I trust with all of my secrets.

The best thing about this person is his heart. It's so big. He takes care of everyone around him. He is a teacher, and just the way he talks about his students, you can tell that he loves them, not to mention how he interacts with them. But not only is he this way with people he knows, he treats strangers with love and thoughtfulness as well. And he is always a gentleman. Always opening doors for me, and helping me understand that it's okay not to be fiercely independent.

I have learned so much from him. He has taught me what it means to trust someone. I have learned a lot about the gospel. And he has taught me to always look on the bright side of things, and find joy in the journey.


I am so thankful for this man who has loved me, and has made me feel beautiful - even when I have had the
flu! And, although he has proven that I am indeed ticklish, I love him and I am so grateful for what he has done for me, there aren't words to even say how grateful I am, or how much he has done. This guy is wonderful. And I am thankful every day that he talked to me, and has taken then time to let me get to know him. I am blessed.

Chris, you're awesome! Happy Birthday. :)

Legacy to Live Up To

My grandpa, my mom, and I outside the tunnel on the mountain

My maternal grandfather is my hero. For as long as I have known him, he has been hardworking and very spiritual. He is in his eighties now, and still goes to work everyday, at least 40 hours a week. He knows the meaning of hard work.

He calls me Puddin. I have no idea why, or how I got that nickname, but I love it.

He has been involved in several projects in our community, county, and state. He values the heritage we have in the Four Corners, and is very involved with helping preserve ruins and the culture of the Native Americans here. He has also helped preserve the legacy of the Hole in the Rock pioneers, and has always reminded us that we are part of that. He has been a good example of how to emulate their lives.

My "gramps" has a love for our country. He has instilled in me the "American spirit" and a love for patriotism. Although I know he disagrees with a lot of political people/things, he always does his best to work with them, and fight for what's right.

He also supports our armed forces. This particular picture is taken in Arlington Cemetery while he is waiting for my mom and a couple of others to come welcome the Run for the Fallen crew, and to visit my brothers grave there.

I love my grandpa, and I am so thankful that I have a part of him in me. He is my biggest cheerleader. He helped me make the decision to serve a mission, and it was the best decision I have ever made. He never had the opportunity to serve, and so he has always been supportive of those who want to, sometimes even helping pay for their service. I remember taking my mission call over to show it to him and my grandma after I got it, and he cried. I have never and will never forget that moment.

 I don't know if I will ever be able to live up to his example, but I am sure going to try.

'Tis the Season... To Be Grateful!

Everyone is posting what they are grateful for on Facebook. And, I suppose, that's a good place to do it, since people actually read my Facebook posts, and no one reads these posts. However, I got thinking this morning that I have this blog, and it's a gratitude blog, and I should probably just post things here. Let's be honest, I might as well....
So, here it goes for this week:

• I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The blessings I have because of it are innumerable. Every minute of my life is affected by my decision to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God is good. 
• I love my family. I am so grateful for them, and the things that they have taught me. I love how huge my family is. I love how loud we can get. I love it when we are all together, playing games, and just hanging out. It is a good time... 
• I have the greatest friends. They are always there to listen to me complain, and then tell me to buck up and deal with it. 
• I am so grateful for the area I live in. Woo hoo for San Juan County! The most gorgeous place on earth. I am grateful that every time I look out a window, I am reminded that God created this earth for us.