2013 Wrap-Up

It's been 2014 for almost a month now, so it's about time I paid tribute to Christmas break and the coming of the New Year before February gets here. We drove down to Texas with Trevin and Kim to stay with my family for a week, after which Josh and I flew out to Indiana to stay with his family for the second week.

It was wonderful to be back at home with my family, not going home to live with them during the breaks has been one of the harder things for me to adjust to being married. We had so much fun with everyone! Here are some pictures from that part of the trip...

I decided I wanted to change up my hair for
the New Year, so at first I cut it to about
chin-length, but then I decided to just go for
it and chopped it all off. Turns out I kinda
love it! (Picture taken at the High School
Football State Championship game,
which by the way WE WON and it was
AWESOME.)

All the girls getting pedicures! Well, Mom and
Kim are there too, but they were on the other
side of the room.

Making popcorn balls!

In our Christmas jammies!

I always miss our dogs; Lulu is so crazy, I love her!

Matching! Aren't we precious?

Matching some more. Good thing we love it! :)

Being silly on the way to the airport.

Goodbye Texas...

Leaving Texas and my family was kind of heartbreaking, but I was excited to spend some time with Josh's family, get to know them a little better, and see Indiana for the first time! Even though it's stupid winter. We had a great time! Here are some more pics...

Josh's mom got us a carriage ride and a night in a nice hotel!
 Luckily the carriage was covered, 'cause it was COLD
outside, but we had a blast taking a ride around Indianapolis!

I am IN LOVE with Christmas lights!!

Their adorable dog Buddy! :)

I love puzzles, and did a couple while we were there!

Some views from the plane flying back to Salt Lake...

I had such a wonderful break! It is so good to be with family, and I always hate to come back to "real life". But I am optimistic with the start of the New Year (aren't we all, at first?). I have some goals that I hopefully won't neglect before February is even over, like many New Year's Resolutions do, including reading goals and running a 5K (maybe multiple!), among others.

There a are few other changes happening too! I got a job at Chick-fil-A; I worked there in Texas too, but I just couldn't stay away when they opened up a new one here in Provo! Plus Trevin and Kim are working there as well, so that's also fun. (Chanelle and Cody - before his mission - worked there also, so we're basically planning a slow takeover of the company.) I'm also taking private voice lessons, which is both exciting and scary! (Don't ask me to sing a solo in Sacrament Meeting or anything though!) Josh is switching his major from film to communications, and he's pretty excited about it, which is great! And now that the Provo Temple is open again we're back to volunteering there on Saturdays, and we really love it. When we first started working there I thought the shifts would feel so long, but it's been a wonderful experience! We're also both trying to get ourselves more organized and time-efficient so that we don't have to stress as much! 

I am so incredibly grateful for the past year. It has really been the most life-changing year of my life! I still can't believe that someone like Josh wanted to marry me, but he continues to love me and I feel blessed beyond words to have him in my life.

~ Ashley

Why Did I Get Married?

This post is part of the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour, which I am excited to be a part of along with hundreds of inspiring bloggers. To learn more and join us, click here!

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Why did I get married?

I don't mean that in a negative way, like "what was I thinking?" Rather, I am looking to share the reasons why I chose to get married.

Though marriage has always been a prominent part of every society, over time it has held less importance. People are putting off marriage for longer and longer, and divorce rates continue to go up. Now, I am in no way trying to indicate that anyone should get married by a certain age - or at all - if it's not right for the individual. I am also not trying to indicate that anyone who gets a divorce is making a bad choice; there are all kinds of circumstances a person could find themselves in, and it is very personal and up to the individuals. That said, I do feel that the general trends are due in part to an increasingly self-centered attitude.

And if I'm completely honest, the trends sometimes scare me. Nobody goes into marriage with the attitude that they are not going to make it. Everyone thinks that they are the exception, that their love will never be touched and life will be like a constant honeymoon. But things can still fall apart, leaving behind broken hearts, scarred feelings, and even psychological damage. Does that freak anyone else out?

So why did I get married?

Sure, I have always known that I wanted to get married. Having been raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage holds a particular emphasis and is viewed as sacred. I am not ashamed of that. I believe that marriage is a sacred ordinance that is ordained of God. I believe that the family unit is the most important unit of society. I have always wanted to get married and have a family of my own. Yes, I was taught that way. But more importantly, I believe in it with all of my heart.

But it's about more than just believing in the idea of marriage.

When I was dating my husband Josh, I remember reaching a point in the relationship when I realized that if he had asked me to marry him right then, I would have said yes. Not just because he was super handsome and had a great laugh, even though both are true. :) It was because I knew that I would be happy with him. Like, really happy. Truly happy.

Josh is an amazing man. He is not perfect, and he would be the first to admit that. But he is perfect for me. He makes me laugh all the time. He has a sexy smile. He is smart and works hard. He is tender and caring. He is more generous than I have ever been. He is patient with me. He is gentle and comforting when I need it most. He is always trying to be better than he was the day before. He inspires me to be better than I was the day before. He is fun. He is silly. And he loves me for just being myself.

I know that I am still new to marriage. We have only been married a little over 8 months. But even at this point in our marriage, I have great faith. Just because our marriage is young doesn't mean that my views aren't as valid. The reasons why I got married were true in the earliest months and they will be true years from now.

I chose to marry my husband not only because I love him. He is there for me in a way that only he can be. He is my greatest friend and support. He brings a kind of happiness to my life that I never would have found on my own. And when there are disagreements or hurt feelings, he is the first to do everything he can to make things right, even if I'm just being irrational or emotional. He teaches me that the things that are most dear to us are worth fighting for.

I believe in marriages that can last. I believe in keeping marriage filled with love and laughter. I believe in looking at the face of the odds and the trends, and standing firm for what is most important in my life, even when it gets hard. I believe in fighting - together - against the things that will try to pull us apart.

That's why I got married.

And that's why I don't expect to just make it. I do expect to make it work.

~ Ashley

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