oh the memories of 2008

2008 has been an exciting year for our little family! 

i am sure it will seem like that is the case for every year for the next 60 years!

i am so grateful for the blessings we have had this year and all the answers to prayers we have received!

we have had a lot of opportunity to grow and have been so lucky to have such awesome family and friends to surround us! 

i am excited to see what changes will come in 2009:

grad school?

undergraduate school?

a house?

a move?

a career?

a baby? (just kidding!)

anywho...here is a recap of 2008! (in no particular order...)

probably the funnest thing we did all year was celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

we took a cruise to the west caribbean! (we honeymooned in jackson hole so i thought it was 

fair!)

we had so much fun in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, on the ship, the Grand Cayman Islands and in Cozumel Mexico! We snorkled and sunbathed and kayaked and ate...lots! we went to shows and gambled and danced and lounged! it was the best vacation/anniversary ever! and i can't wait to go again sometime! (soon...please!)

We cheered on our cougars at our annual BYU game! its a fun tradition even if we never get good seats, atleast they are free!  I hope kevin & kyle enjoy it too!

we spent a week or so up at flaming gorge with our family. it was so beautiful and fun! we fished and hiked and played games. and obviously didn't wear make up or do our hair! (ryan never wears make up just to clarify!)

ryan bagged the biggest buck of his hunting career during the mussel load hunt. he got the beauty at 270 yards, which for those of you unfamiliar is almost impossible. he did his own european mount and it looks incredible (in his hunting/fishing room...)

this year we became an aunt and uncle for the very first time! we have the sweetest nephew, Zak and we love him so much, our only complaint is he lives so far away!

we spent the summer hiking ogden's beautiful mountains and enjoying the breathtaking views from the top. i may have slowed ryan down but he didn't complain! 

ryan graduated from Weber State in the spring with his bachelors in

microbiology. he is currently preparing to apply for grad school.

we had so much fun celebrating with family! thanks again to mom & dad for 

coming out to support us! 

i hope you all have the best new years! and good luck with those resolutions! 

the holidays...

DISCLAIMER:

so my blog was not working f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

so this is going to be rather lengthy...

but  there will be pictures!

on the 19th we had a couple's baby shower for Ryan's best friend Dan and his adorable wife Tara! it was at Famous Dave's...so delicious! we had the best time, even though i have never been so embarrassed! we love all our friends!  and wish they could all live closer! 

on the 20th we did 

the traditional Jensen's outing to Salt Lake! we ate at Braza Grill in Layton (i LOVE this place!)  shopped at the gateway...

the boys did not shop!

visited antique shops and learned all about grounding our own wheat... (oh boy)

and of course went to temple square to 

see the beautiful lights. 

(chelsie: check out my jacket...)

i loved it so much! thanks to kevin and lynette for everything! 

we were so excited to end the night with nelson's custard! (i think thats what it is called...that yummy place in bountiful...)

(sorry if you are still reading this! :)

we spent christmas eve at the Jensen's with the family (though smaller in numbers..)

we ate the traditional christmas eve korean dinner...(i am such a dork and forgot to take a picture!) it was so good and such a fun tradition! maybe 

ryan and i will have like tacos for christmas eve since he went to mexico on his mission! haha...

hayley read the sweetest story (won't she make the cutest mom ever..hint hint) the three trees. if you haven't read it you should, you'll cry!

we sang christmas carols! aww... (i was designated picture taker for Brayden...)

and ended the evening with an intense game of scum! and i totally won!

christmas was so weird! ryan and i slept in til like 8 (that makes you feel old when you are more excited to sleep than to open gifts!) we got all ready for the day and then finally "got around" to opening gifts! 

I didn't even want to at all, it looked so beautiful! but we did and it was fun! 

we really are so grown up, its more fun to see the other person get excited and love what you got them then to open your own gifts! but ryan did wonderful and i LOVED everything i got and i think he was pretty happy too! my brother, Jeremy, came to join us for the christmas day activities. we made a breakfast a big breakfast and finished making and wrapping up our gifts. we went to the in-laws to open more gifts (they were SO generous) and spend the day. 

we spend the rest of the day visiting the grandparents and eating til we literally could not eat any more! that night i called my family to wish them a merry christmas! it was sad not to see them! and we missed them so much! but they did spoil us and its always fun to get mail right!?  well that night there was the craziest storm EVER. so we hung out a little bit longer hoping it would pass. We enjoyed a couple games of clue and five crowns...ryan struggled but eventually he got it! :) we made it home safely...and ended our lovely christmas with a snowy scene.

ryan and i went to see the lights at christmas village on friday night. they were so much better than last year! (recession what?) it was perfect...totally cold...but perfect! 

we enjoyed all the family parties (Golden Corral...) and visits and i think i am a little sad its all over...

i hope you all had the best christmas and have a happy new year!

p.s. someone invite us to their new years party ok?!

A Christmas Story...

I may have already mentioned this...

I have the most incredible husband ever! 

He is so thoughtful, spontaneous, creative and romantic 

(don't tell him I said that last one...)

Last year we had the best time cutting down our very own tree in the dark hours of the night right off of the road by pine view. 

(also don't mention that to law enforcement...I think it is a misdemeanor) 

in fear of getting caught and because its easier, we decided to just purchase a tree (we are getting lazy in our old age)

well like it does when you plan something so fun and wonderful, memories to cherish, things kept coming up and we weren't able to go. 

I got so discouraged and totally grinchy about it all!

Yesterday I came home for lunch and in

side the clip next to 

the door

 was this:

so cute right?!

I opened the door and found...

this

if you can think of anything cute to put in those black boxes let me know!

Well, our plan was to have a decorating party last night but again, things came up so for now it just looks like this. 

  

but tonight we will get all out ornaments on it!

while Ryan had a company dinner i worked 

on some holiday crafting and decorating

(this is not a preview to our 

holiday card, those are for my stampin' up group exchange, and the "it's a boy" card is not announcement, we are throwing a baby show for Ryan's best friend and his adorable wife)

we bought the set of 84 ornaments from Costco, they are so cute but needless to say that is a bit much for our tree. i saw this cute decorating idea on the today show i love that show

...one last thing...

Christmas cards or newsletter 

what are ya'll doing?

thanksgiving with our california family...

i loved seeing all my family, my brothers and sisters and their wives and husband! and my most adorable nephew who is by far the cutest baby!

thanks mom and dad for everything! 

we visited with my friends. we ate out with my friends, thanks girls for getting me caught up on everyone. 

we got family pictures. i can't wait to see them! thanks to the whole family for being part of it! 

all the girls. 

all the boys.

most importantly...the food!

i am so thankful for my husband. he loves me. he spoils me. he is so good. so hardworking. so fun. he has such a strong testimony and knows the gospel better than almost anyone i know. i spend everyday with my best friend and i could not be more grateful! 

i love you Ryan!

CALiFORNiA DREAMiN'

i am so excited to go spend a week in california. 

i am so excited for delicious Thanksgiving dinner made by our professional chef brother-in-law. i think every family might need one of those.

i am so excited for my first thanksgiving with my family in threeyears

i am so excited to see family and friends we go way to long without seeing. (just a reminder you are all always welcome here!)

i am so excited to have our family picture taken with all the fam-dam for my parents! they are going to cherish it!

i am so excited to go to my parents ward. i love the flashbacks.

i am so excited to see twilight. so excited

i am so excited for my mom's cooking. so much for my gym membership after a week of her cooking and no gold's for miles and miles

i am so excited to get down crafting with the girls! and our new tradition of after thanksgiving shopping...i swear we are like 10 years behind everyone 

i am so excited to see my little man zak! we haven't seen him since he was like 2 months old...

i am so excited for the macy's thanksgiving day parade!

i am not excited about the 12 hour drive

i am not excited for buying gas to drive like 1500 miles

i am not excited to put 1500 miles on my car

i am not excited to miss the utah vs. byu game to sit in a car for 12 hours (minus sometime for a must stop shopping experience at the summit mall in reno with my partner in crime, hayley! -oh and gun show...we have priorities)

the next post there will be pictures. lots of them. lots of memories. 

p.s. this thanksgiving will be so much better than last year:

5 AM: ryan wakes up to go hunting "i will be back at 11" (famous last words)

7 AM: jessica wakes up...cries...alone and no TV on thanksgiving that means no parade!

8 AM: jessica has enough of it, goes to walmart buys bunny ears to watch parade

8:30: jessica attempts to call ryan (35 times) for help hooking these babies up, no success. calls her dad...bingo! hooked up in no time (minus one small electric shock)

1:30: thanksgiving dinner begins at the Jensen's, no ryan...jessica-alone, on "our first thanksgiving" at the in-laws....for 40 minutes. 

3:00: family kick-ball game. jessica trips and falls flat on her face. in front of the whole family. (we'll end it on that note!)

there is so much hope for this thanksgiving!

p.s. i hope someone reads this whole thing 

Better Late Than Never...

We are SO excited to get a blog! I told everyone I wasn't going to get a blog until I was pregnant and had something to blog about and....

 I caved! 

WE ARE NOT PREGNANT! 

I just thought this would be a fun way to keep everyone posted on our (sometimes very boring) life! For my California family this will be a fun way to keep in touch, and see pictures (mostly its only Ryan's facial hair and the color of my hair  that changes...but still) and all our happenings! Thank you to the incredible Chelsie Toyn for making this blog beautiful! She only charges a small fee, I think I owe her one kidney! Anyway, we love you all! And are so excited to keep in touch, make new friends and see what's going on in everyones life, we are so nosey like that!