Because of Him

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as a Christian, Easter has always been a special time of year.  Not only does it mean the start of Spring and new beginnings, but also a time to reflect on the birth and life of Christ.  This past week, the LDS church released this video which encapsulates the true meaning of Easter and how truly miraculous Christ's life and ministry was.  I have watched it many times since first learning about it, and each time I am struck by the joyous message of hope it conveys.  I invite you to watch and remember how blessed we are because of Him. Happy Easter!!

new year, new goals

As we ease into the beginning of February (can you believe it's almost here?!), I have found myself determined to re-commit myself to the goals I have set for 2014.  There are so many things I want to improve and/or learn this year, but it is easy to become overwhelmed by ambition. And so, I have decided to write a few of the things I am most anxious to achieve in this next year as well as some of the things which I am currently inspired by.  Here is to a wonderful 2014!

Self-Improvement:

Oh dear, there are so many things that I want to improve in this category!  For my sanity, however, (and that of my husband's) I will try to pick a manageable few.


1. Photography:  Over the past year I have developed a love for photography!  As someone whose family almost never had a camera out,(Mom, I know you tried) , it is actually quite funny how much I enjoy taking out my DSLR and snapping random family moments.  But my goal for this year is to keep improving!  I don't know if I will ever seek out a profession in photography, but for now I am loving it as a hobby!


2. Education:  As someone who recently graduated, I have found myself in a serious academic slump. And while this may be only in my imagination, I feel like I need to take a more active role in seeking out new opportunities to learn.  I never want to become complacent in my understanding of this complex world we live in and am determined to "start afresh" in the words of Maria Lucas (for all you Pride and Prejudice lovers out there).

3. Fitness:  For those of you who know me, you know that both Stephen and I love a good workout.  We are generally healthy eaters and try to eat as many fruits and veggies as we can manage. However, I would like to push myself this year to work out in new ways.  Over Christmas Break I went to an awesome boxing class with my sister-in-law (thanks megs) and had a blast!  It was much harder than I expected it to be, but I LOVED how tired I was afterwards.  I want to take a step away from my typical treadmill/elliptical workout and experiment with new ways to keep my body in shape!

4.Travel:  Maybe it's the various bloggers I follow who all seem to be whisked away on a monthly basis to some exotic location, or maybe it's my just my Pinterest account, but Stephen and I have been discussing the need to travel this year.  We love exploring new places, and as a young couple without kids we know that now is probably the easiest to make that happen.  Ideally, we would be able to drop everything tomorrow and run-off to some remote local in Europe or South America, but unfortunately we both have jobs and plane tickets cost money (lame, amiright?).  But I am hopeful that with some planning we can make an international trip happen (maybe not this year, but definitely in the next).  So here is to buckling down and saving!

While these goals may seem trivial, (I'll admit that improving my photography skills may not lead to a life changing moment....but you never know) they are things that I am excited to work on!  I truly believe the most important part of making a resolution is to ensure your goals are attainable and that you will have fun along the way!  With that in mind, here is to stepping outside of my  our comfort zones and experiencing this incredibly inspiring world we get to call home.


Some Quotes and Images I am LOVING (please note that these are NOT my images)

How delicious do these look?! 

This photo was done by Bakers Royal, and I am just in love with it.  For anyone looking for an awesome food blog to follow, she is it! Where else do you get such beautiful photos and such tasty food?!

Some days I think I need this written on my forehead.  It is amazing how frequently I stop myself from progressing due to fear or uncertainty.  It's so important to remember that our potential is so much greater than we realize!  The only opinion that matters is our own.

Some serious travel inspo.  I am dying to go to Italy!

Winter Break

Hey guys! As I said in my last post, Step and I spent Winter Break in Utah this year.  And man, was it fun!  Here are some of my favorite memories from the trip! A special thanks to my in-laws for planning such fun activities while we were there! We love you guys!

One of the first things we did as a family was have dinner at The Roof, which is on the top floor of the Joseph Smith building in SLC.  It has an INCREDIBLE view of the SLC Temple AND the Capitol Building and I absolutely loved eating there.

My handsome, handsome, husband!

My precious niece Ellie!

Evie!

How cute is my sister-in-law and her new baby?!

My gorgeous Mother-in-law!

Brittany and little Ellie!

Twinners!

Over our break, we got to participate in our new nephew Eli's baby blessing!  How handsome is this little guy?!

The cutest 4 year old I know!

Silly girlies!

Thanks Megan for this photo!

Grandma Betty!

Stephen's twin Daniel, and his girlfriend Jane!

Happy Holidays

First, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  Between driving to see family and work, finding time to post and take pictures has been difficult!  For Thanksgiving this year, Stephen and I got to drive down and visit my family in NC!  I flew down on a Monday and spent an entire week relaxing, decorating, and cooking with my Mom.  It was so fun and I am so grateful we live close enough to visit often!

My beautiful parents

Love my Mom!

The best turkey I've EVER had! (Good job Dad!)

Our table

Pretty Flowers

Statement Necklace

This past Saturday, Spencer (my younger brother) turned 16!  We went to the movies, ate ice-cream cake and had a blast!!  I can't believe how old he is!

The Birthday Boy!

Lighting the Candles

It's a tradition in our family to get a ice-cream cake for our birthdays.  This year, Spencer chose Sherbet with Vanilla.  Yum!

!

Michael!

Best Buds!

Summer's End...

Can you believe the end of summer is upon us?!  It is crazy how fast time passes as you get older.  Anyways, since I have been less consistent in my posting, I felt like I would just do a giant post of pictures I've been stockpiling for the past few months.  We have had a great summer here in DC, full of trips to SLC, Baltimore and NC, lots of cooking, and some fun birthday celebrations for my 22nd.  And even though I am excited for Fall (it's my favorite season) I am also sad to see the summer end. First up in this compilation are some pictures from our day trip to Baltimore.  We celebrated our 1st year anniversary by walking along the docks and eating some killer seafood.

Such a pretty skyline

Such a sweet boat!

Two weeks ago, Stephen and I made a trip out to NC to celebrate my 22nd with my family.  It's always nice to "go home" even as an adult and spend time with the people who love you most in the world :) 

My brother Spencer

The family dog, Charlie!

My studly Dad

The brothers cleaning the boat after our fun day on the water

 For my birthday, my parents continued our family tradition of ordering a Baskin and Robbins ice cream cake (World Class Chocolate, and Cookie Dough).  It felt nice to celebrate a birthday at home!

This past weekend, Stephen and I drove down again to spend Labor Day weekend with our family and had just as much fun seeing Wolverine, boating, and hanging at the pool.

Michael

Stephen, the model!

My lovely Mom!

Spencer and Stephen

Waiting...