San Fran with Jordan

Jake and I had the blessing to be able to head down to the bay area for Jordan's last weekend in California before heading to Utah for his mission. We celebrated Jordan's upcoming journey by going in to the City on Saturday. We had  blast! Our itinerary was quite full for the day, but I'm pleased to announce that we actually did almost everything we had planned and wanted to do! Go us! The day was full of laughter with Jordan's wit. Oh how I am going to miss him for that...and for the happy spirit he transmits.  He always puts me in a better mood.  It was a perfect day in the city, weather wise and company wise. It was so fun to be with my parents and Jordan. Jake and I are blessed to have been able to spend the weekend with them, as well as go back Tuesday night for Jordan's setting apart as a missionary. Jake was even able to join in the set apart. It was a special night. Jordan's going to do amazing things.  I'm so proud of him and excited for him and all that lies ahead. 

Below are a few of our pics of our San Fran day...Mom and Jordan have the other pics on their phones :) But for now..enjoy these! 

 Jake and Jordan on the cable car - it was Jake's first time!

 Jordan relaxing at one of our favorite bathroom stops (The Argonaut Hotel) near Ghiradelli Square. :)

 Near the little light house on the edge of the penninsula of San Fran/Golden Gate Bridge

 Random blind shot of Jordan at the lighthouse

 Proud parents!

 Such a stud!!!

 Such a hottie!! :)

 I love this man sooo much. Love this pic too! Jake and I's first San Fran trip together.

 Walking the Golden Gate Bridge!

 Beautiful!!! I love that I got this shot. Gorgeous!

 Waiting for our ice cream at Ghiradelli Square - after having dinner at Empress of China in Chinatown

 Love me my chocolate

 Such a fun day!!!

The view driving across the newly designed Bay Bridge! Beautiful!You can see the old one to the left...

Starting out the New Year...one smile at a time!

It's hard to believe that the first month of 2014 is coming to a close. It feels like forever since Christmas..but it's still hard to believe that February will be here before we know it.  I look forward to February - its a big milestone for Jake and I.  Starting Feb. 2nd, we start our milestones - from becoming friends that hang out to first hugs, kisses, and dates :) February was a big month last year, and its fun to think that Jacob Evans has been in my life for almost an entire year. So...I look forward to our celebrating - I always love reminiscing with Jake about the start of our lives together, and I'm sure we'll have more fun talking about it as the anniversaries begin.

I swear, each day, and week, and month that goes by, we hit reality harder and harder...the frustrations of starting out...minimum wage- paying jobs, student loans, not receiving government help...the list goes on...but...I am learning SO much. It's a very humbling process, and despite it all - I get the constant reminder of how much the Lord cares...I am the first to admit that I don't give enough time to Him as I should...I get caught up in the day to day tasks...and always seem to find 'stuff' to do, before getting on my knees or opening my scriptures...and yet the Lord reminds me every day of how much....He loves me...in so many ways...from the roof over my head, to messages and phone calls from my family...jokes or pictures that make me laugh...a good tv show...or even just a decent meal...but the one thing that surpasses them all...Is having the companionship of my eternal sweetheart.

Jake is more than I could have ever imagined, or asked for.  It has hit me hard a few times this month, of how perfect the Lord's plan for my life was to prepare me to wait and meet Jake.  Years and years of preparation. If I hadn't moved into the Riviera with Kristen my sophomore year of BYU, we wouldn't have met Shani. Shani connected Kris and I with jobs at BYU Independent Study, and later, myself with Heritage Makers. I had to get that job at Heritage Makers to meet Megs.  Megs had to work there so that we could become friends before my mission.  My mission was a gift - and helped me become more of who I am...and see what I can become. Collette and Megs still had to work at Heritage Makers, and Shani had to have connections there still as well, to allow the doors to be opened to working there again after the mission.  Megs had to move apartments and have an open room for me to move in with her. I had to go with my gut and make that decision on a whim...and it was a decision that changed my life forever. Jake would move in next door just a few months later, and enter into my life..finally! not to mention all that the Lord had to do to get Jake to that point....I am so...in awe....by how perfect it all is...and how He cares enough about me to put the stepping stones in order to lead me to my eternal companion.

Not only has he become my best friend, but he is truly a part of me...and I of him...He carries me through the hard days, he lifts me up when I am down...he laughs along side me when I laugh...his smiles are sincere, his heart is so giving and always there for me...He forgives, he learns, he loves...he is...my everything.  I love being in love.  He is the only man I have truly been in love with.  The only man to tell me that he loved me.  And I cherish that I got to hear those words for the first time, from my husband.  Love means so much to me now, more than I ever knew.

I love what marriage stands for. I love those that cherish it as well. I love that he and I waited for each other...I love that we have so much ahead of us. I am so grateful for the reminder that he is to me...that the Lord has cared for me...and still cares for me.  And that I am enough....I need to remember that a lot more often.

Life is good. And I want to focus on that more this year.  Remember the good, and pushing through the bad, and serving those around me. How grateful I am to have a testimony that God lives, that His son, Jesus Christ, is our Redeemer. And that through Him, we can all be happy forever. How simple it all is. How grateful I am for the power and peace that gives me. <3 about...let="" all="" forget="" is="" it="" nbsp="" not="" ove="" p="" s="" that.="" what="">
Ps. I LOVE to see that there are people in the world that stand up for what they feel is right.  Former Bachelor, Sean and his fiance Catherine, are getting married this weekend on ABC...and I love how they have waited to have sexual relations, or live together, til after they are married. It shocks the 'world', but I was truly uplifted by hearing it. It makes me so happy to know that people follow what they feel is right, an eternal principle...Love it!...and I can't wait to watch the wedding :)

The Bachelor: A Guilty Pleasure

So...Jake and I have a guilty pleasure - we LOVE to watch the Bachelor and Bachelorette.  I was so excited to hear that Jake actually doesn't mind watching the show, and that he actually enjoys it! When Jake and I were dating and engaged, the Bachelorette was on.  It was a surprise when Jake said he was excited for the season too! Thanks to some amazing girls in his past, they eased him into the show...big thanks to them, so that I can now watch it happily with my husband!

We love that this season is featuring Juan Pablo! He was so fun to watch on the Bachelorette this summer. So...we're cheering for our favorites this season...There is even a girl on the show from Sacramento! and my co-worker went to high school with her! Small world.

Kind of a pointless post..but for those of you that watch the Bachelor too, we can collaborate :) Jake and I's other favorite shows right now :
-Bachelor/Bachelorette
-Biggest Loser
-24 - netflix! finishing getting Jake prepared for season 8 this summer :)
-Melissa and Joey
-Survivor
-Amazing Race
-Nashville - just me...

The Evans's Biggest Loser Competition

FYI. Kind of a fun New Years celebration - The Evans Family is conducting a Biggest Loser competition. Now...if you know the Evans, they are all very competitive and serious when it comes to any opportunity to win, which makes this even more entertaining and fun.  Over Thanksgiving, my amazing mother-in-law, Lori, said that it was time for us to get serious about getting healthy.  We all agreed, but she had a bigger vision than we all did.  :) She proposed a Biggest Loser competition from January through June, with a $500 price to the winner! We all gasped with excitement. It was on!

 So... The first weigh in was January 1st.  Jake will be competing on behalf of our little family...Shauna, Colby's wife, and I are the supporters and weight verification supervisors :) Although, I'll be eating healthier, and also, I have the goal to get back into shape. I have officially gotten weak, which is pretty sad to say. So I'm getting back to the gym and toning up and getting swim suit ready.

Jake has a goal to win, and I'll be right by his side the whole time.  Here's to a year of workouts and healthier eating habits! We're both excited to just get healthier and to try to normalize our sweet-tooth habits.  The final weigh in is on June 28th - the first day of Jake's Grandma and Grandad's 50th wedding anniversary celebration in So. Cal. It makes us even more excited to think that we'll be able to celebrate with family and the sun at the end of it all.  We'll keep ya posted on here occasionally on Jake's progress!

Go team Evans: Sacramento!

Happy New Years! Here's to 2014!

Happy New Year!!! As I said in my last post, we were in Livermore for both Christmas and New Years. It was so fun to finally celebrate the holidays with my family.  Jake and I loved to have Aunt and Uncle time with Livi, lil' Will, and sweet Sam.  My sisters have done well at having adorably cute kids :) And I get to see more and more of how amazing they are as mothers. I had no doubt they would be...but its sure fun to see them and their beautiful kids. I hope I can become a mother like them, and take after my mom someday.

Kristen was an amazing photographer throughout the week, and even set up a family photo session.  She did a great job at taking everyone's pictures....so all the credit for the photos goes to my sister, Kris.  But I'm sure she won't mind me sharing a few to show everyone a little about our holiday celebrations.

Sadly, our time together came to a close pretty fast :( Chelle, Josh, and Sam left New Years Eve.  The rest of us went to see Saving Mr. Banks that night, and then ran home to celebrate with noise makers in the front yard and toast with some Martinelli's.  Our noise making was one of the funnest I've ever had, due to Jake and Jordan's unique New Year's noisemakers.  Jake's sounded like a dying Elk...it was hilarious! And Jordan was an extreme expert at rapid spinning of his tin noise maker. He even ran around crazy with it on the front lawn. HILARIOUS...wish I had it all on tape.  But we had a blast. Enough of a great time, that some guys walked by the house and asked, "Is this the party?" hahaha. we laughed pretty hard. That's when you know people were jealous of our fun times...

It was a New Years I'll never forget.  Especially the fact that I got my first new years kiss, and how fun it was to have it be with my eternal sweetheart. Here's to an AMAZING NEW YEAR! Bring it on!

 Baby Sam, Michelle's sweet boy - left.  Lil' Baby Will, Kristen's adorable boy - right.

  Livi loves Jake, can you tell?! haha

      Thanks Mom and Dad for welcoming all of us back home and giving us so much! We love you! And thanks for all of the gifts and love from the Evans as well. We love our family for sure!

Christmas Joys 2013

Christmas time for 2013 was a blast. It was Jake and I's first Christmas together and we couldn't have been more excited to have that time.  I LOVE Christmas time, and Jake was a BIG sport to put up with my giddiness for decorating and movie watching, treats, and Holiday music.  We had a blast spending nights cuddled up on the couch with hot chocolate and watching our favorite Christmas movies.  One of our favorite traditions we started this year was to continue our childhood tradition of Chocolate Advent Calendars. We were so excited each night to eat our little chocolates together.  Our little home was so fun to decorate. Jake's Grandma and Grandad event sent us a beautiful new little glass nativity set, which we loved adding to my collection of decorations.  

We were able to attend my work's Christmas party and had a very fun and eventful time there. We had some comical missionary experiences that night, explaining to some funny tipsy people that we don't drink...or swear...or gamble :) We had a blast celebrating in such a 'grown-up' setting, and everyone at my new job was so gracious and nice.  We felt so welcomed, such a blessing! 

We were able to help set up Christmas at my parents house as well, which was so fun for me, since it has been 9 years since the last time I got to help set it all up there. After Jake did amazing on his final, woot woot! we drove down to Livermore to spend the Christmas week with my family. It was the first time that we'd been together for Christmas in years, and the last one that we'll all be together for a while, because Jordan, our amazing brother, will be leaving on his mission on February 5th for 2 years.  It meant the world to us to be able to be there. Thankfully our work schedules allowed us to be able to stay for a whole week and half! Despite getting the stomach flu and the hot water heater going out, we had SUCH a great time there. It felt like Jake had been there so many Christmas's before.  It was so neat to be able to see, yet again, how he fits so perfectly with our family.  My heart was so happy to be able to be around my parents, siblings, and of course, my ADORABLE nephews and niece. My heart aches when I am not around them, so it was great to get an "auntie-fill" that week.  I'll have to post some pics of them on here soon - although half of my readers of this blog are my sisters and mother :) but...there you go. Family documentation, right?! haha 

One of the biggest highlights of the week was being able to go through the temple with Jordan to receive his endowments.  What a blessing to be able to finally be in the temple with all of my family, it meant the world. The Spirit was so strong, being able to see that we all made it to the temple...and that we had not only just us 4 made it, but that my sisters and I had our husbands there as well.  Our family is growing! It's so fun to see...kinda of surreal that we'll only get exponentially larger over the years.  But I know that we're all excited for it. (see pic above) 

  So...recap...Christmas this year was wonderful...So many tender mercies and fun memories.  And to spend it with my eternal sweetheart, Jake, was so special, and something that I'll never forget.  So grateful that we have so many more together to celebrate.  I'm excited for next year's Christmas holiday with the Evans clan in Vegas! But most of all, this Christmas was a wonderful time to remember the Savior...and to be once again, humbled by his birth and the events of that beautiful night.  How grateful I am for His example, for the example of both Mary, and Joseph - so submissive, trustworthy and faithful to Heavenly Father. And to the Savior himself, to come into this world to save us all. I'm learning more and more of why I need him...He saves me each and every day. How grateful I am to know that He is there, to make up for the rest, each day...And that takes a love that is incomprehensible to do that. 

I'll post more about New Years and our new year goals....But for now, here are some pics of our cute little decorated apartment. :) 

Our new nativity set from Grandma and Granddad - love it!

                                                Thanks to Mom for our new centerpiece!