Thoughts

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head right now. I just wrote them in my journal and now I'm going to write them in here.



To begin with, Jess taught Gospel Doctrine today. The lesson was on the atonement of Christ. He said something that really stood out to me. When we are faced with trials and are going through rough patches, instead of asking, "Why is Heavenly Father putting me through this?" ask, "Why am I going through this? What am I supposed to learn?" And then, actually learn the lesson and use the trial to make you a better person. We aren't given trials because God doesn't love us. In fact, it is the opposite. Christ suffered all the same pains we did. Heavenly Father loves us so much that he let his only begotten son suffer those things, too, so that we may learn and grow to become more like Him.

The atonement is such an amazing thing. I cannot fully comprehend it. I think it is impossible for anyone to fully comprehend exactly what Christ went through for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. But he did. And I am so grateful for that. I love talking about the atonement and reinforcing my testimony of it.

Next, in Relief Society, we talked about the Holy Ghost. We talked about writing down spiritual thoughts and promptings right when we have them (which is something I need to get better at) and then acting upon them. We also talked about leaving time everyday to think and ponder and LISTEN for the Holy Ghost. With the media constantly surrounding us, sometimes this is a difficult task -- especially with our long to-do lists. But it is so important. We need to more fully balance out the time we spend doing things of a spiritual matter vs. those of a worldly matter.

This lesson got me thinking about something that has been nagging at me for awhile:

I need to be better. It's not that I'm doing anything terribly wrong right now, there is just a lot more that I could be doing that is right and good. And now is the time to start doing those things. So I have set some personal goals for myself and I hope that I may grow spiritually stronger and strengthen my testimony.

I love Sundays.

Yay for Friday

Does anyone else absolutely LOVE Fridays? What is it about the weekend that is so much greater than the week? Seriously.

Happy Things for Today:
No homework
I went to Sweet Cakes and ate yummy soup and cookies!
I took my GORGEOUS temple pic in to get custom framed.
I browsed Domestic Bliss and coveted all the things I want. (I know, sinner...)
I get to spend all day tomorrow with the Hubby.


And now for my awesome question:

1) I got a sewing machine for Christmas.
2) I have NO idea how to use it.
3) I really wanna learn to sew.
4) Does anyone know of somewhere I can take classes?

Happy Weekend!

Love vs. Don't Like

I love that I am ahead of my school assignments as of now.
I don't like that MyASU is currently not working so I can't turn in my essay.

I love that I have let myself sleep in all week.
I don't like that I'm staying up later.

I love that my husband and I watched a movie tonight at 5:30.
I don't like that the movie was lame-o.

I love that my family is crazy.
I don't like that I don't see them as much.

I love that Jess watches the weirdest shows on t.v.
I don't like that they are so loud.

I love that I get to hang out with my mom tomorrow and craft.
I don't like that we had to skip last week.

I love that I set some big goals for my writing this year.
I don't like that I'm off track.

I love that I have some amazing friends.
I don't like that I don't see them often enough.

I love that my puppy is so cute.
I don't like that he isn't potty trained yet.

I love that I'm pregnant.
I don't like that all my jeans are getting tighter.

I love that I have awesome bloggy friends.
I don't like that I don't know all of you in person.


P.S. -- Yes, my pages are ALMOST finished. Except the blogs to visit one. The spacing is off and I only got all my blogs up through the letter "M" done. It takes awhile. I will finish this weekend. Hopefully. Thanks for all the love!

I've Got a Secret

Jesse and Britney sitting in a tree...




K-I-S-S-I-N-G...




First comes love....




Then comes marriage...




Then comes a baby in the baby carriage...




That's right. I am prego. (Excuse the fuzzy picture. Scanner isn't working. I had to take a pic of the pic and it didn't work so well...)

But that is our little growing baby 2 weeks ago.

Little JesseBrit is due on September 9th.

I will be 12 weeks along on Thursday. I was trying to wait until then to spill the news...but I couldn't wait.

We are very excited to welcome our sweet baby into the world. Yay!

Thought of the Day

"My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us."
~President Thomas S. Monson, October 2009 Conference

I love general conference talks. They just make me so happy.

And I love this quote.

Service is so important. I think lately I've been getting too caught up in what I need to do for myself that I have neglected what I can do for others.

I need to work on this.

I used to be much better at it than I am now. Much better. And, in my opinion, that's sad. I should be getting better at this rather than worse.

So my new goal is to try and be more service oriented. To think about what I can do for others BEFORE I think about what I can do for myself.

It will lead me to greater happiness.

You in?

A Lesson in Loving Yourself

“I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; … He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I needed to read this today. I think I've been comparing myself to others a bit too much this week. And it's affecting my happiness. I think all girls do this at times.

So here's what I decided: we are all going to participate in a little exercise today. I'll start, you'll follow.First, we are going to name 3 physical traits that we actually like about ourselves. Then, we are going to name 3 talents we have. Next, we'll state 3 accomplishments we are proud of. After that, we will name 3 personality traits or qualities of ours we are glad we have. And last, we will name 3 people that we know love us unconditionally -- faults, insecurities and all.

Here goes:

Physical Traits
1. My bunny nose
2. My big lips
3. My butt (i feel weird saying this one...)

Talents
1. Writing
2. Crafting
3. Cooking

Accomplishments
1. Graduated in top 10% of high school class
2. Full ride scholarship to ASU
3. Overcame more than one big fear

Personality Traits/Qualities
1. Empathy
2. Self-motivation
3. Dedication

People that Love Me
1. Jess
2. Mom
3. Dad

Now, this may seem a bit conceited. I know I felt really weird writing all this. But, I don't care. It made me feel better. It made me remember that I have done good. I matter.

I think that it's important to remind ourselves of the good in us. I think we get so caught up in being the best or comparing ourselves to others that we forget what it is that WE OURSELVES are good at. And that's just silly. We need to remember the good things, the things that make us who we are. The things that OTHERS look at us and say, "I wish I were like her. I wish I could do _______ as good as she does. I wish I had her ______." You do it to other people. Other people do it to you.


So I want all of you to post your answers into the comment section. If you don't have an account, get one or e-mail me your answers (jessesgirlblog{at}gmail{dot}com) And I don't want excuses. It was hard for me to think of these answers. It took me awhile. So think about it. But don't ignore it.

And I will be very disappointed if someone reads this blog and then does not respond in some way. Yes, I can find out. I have a stat counter. And I know that there are about 50 people give or take on any random day that read my blog and do not comment. I know who some of you are specifically. Do this. You won't regret it.

After you answer, I want you to write down your answers somewhere you can go back to. I'm writing mine in my journal. Then, when you forget the good in yourself or are just feeling down, go back and read these. It will help. I promise.

Don't forget to love yourself. When you love yourself, it becomes easier to love others. It's hard to be happy when you aren't fully happy with yourself. So let's all make a pact to STOP comparing, STOP wishing, STOP being negative and to START thinking positively about ourselves, START working towards our goals, START becoming that girl we want to be and REALIZING that we are already part way there.

Now...go comment!

Hawaii Summary and V-Day Surprises

Day One: Read about here.

Day Two: Jess had class in the morning. I went and laid by the pool with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and aunt-in-law. Then when the guys were finished, we went on a whale watching boat. The whales got SOOOO close to us. It. was. awe.some. And they were EVERYWHERE. Too bad I forgot my camera. Bleh. Then we went back and got ready for the opening ceremony for the lawyer's convention: a luau. There was yummy food, fruit punch and Hawaiian dancers. At the end, my little brother-in-law was called onstage. Each dancer brought someone out and they went out 2-3 pairs at a time to dance. But, Matt was special. He got to go out on his own. I tried to upload the video...but it wasn't working. I'll just have to explain. He gets up there, takes his shirt off, and starts dancing.We were all DYING. It was so funny! If I ever figure out the video...I will post it. It's a must see. For real. If you're friends with him on facebook, go check it.

Day Three: It was Sunday, so we went to church, went to brunch, and hung out around the hotel all day. Jess and I took a walk along the beach and around the other resorts in the area.

Day Four: While Jess was in class, I went to the pool...again. Surprise, surprise. Then Jess and I hung out on the beach or by the pool all day. It was beautiful there. We even went snorkeling for a bit right on the beach at our hotel. It was so cool!



Day Five: We took a snorkeling cruise. This was so much fun! There were so many fish! And whales were everywhere on the ride out there. They kept breaching. It was so cool! And very unusual.

Day Six: A sad goodbye and a very long plane ride home.

And I know you are all DYING to know what Jess did for me for Valentine's Day.

Well, we exchanged gifts on Saturday because that's when we celebrated it. He had some work meetings that afternoon. When he got home, he had me hide away in a room. When I came out, there was rose petals and a "rose" arrow leading down the hall to our room. Then there was a rose petal heart in the middle of our bed, a vase of roses, Martinelli's cider, a cute book that totally tells our story, some chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries and some gift cards. It was so sweet.







Of course, I kissed him. Again and again.





And then I ate my strawberries. Of course. They. Were. Amazing.




And here is what I did for him:









For each week of the year, starting in March, I picked one fun unusual date for us to do. Doesn't matter what day of the week, we just have to do it. I photographed a few months.

Then I put together a fun basket for him with popcorn, chocolate, gift cards and perhaps some lacy undies....maybe?





It's okay. We're married.

Love Letter

I realize that this is a day late, but I had to write a tribute to the love of my life, Jesse. After all, I am Jesse's girl!

Jess,

Thank you for always being there when I need you the most.



Thanks for listening to me when I cry and for laughing at my stupid jokes.

Thank you for walking into my life and reminding me that it's okay to let someone in. It's okay to give your heart to someone. It's okay to love.

Thank you for being such a great example and for making me a better person.



Thanks for teaching me.

Thanks for making my hopes and dreams your own. I appreciate that you encourage me to be the person I want to be and to do the things that I want to do.

Thank you for pretending to understand me, even when I know you don't.




Thanks for telling me I'm beautiful when I forget.

Thanks for getting me water from downstairs when I'm thirsty and we're already snuggled into bed.

Thank you for reminding me of my talents and diminishing my weaknesses. You make me feel better about myself.




Thanks for being a leader in our home.

Thanks for making me laugh.

Thanks for being my best friend.




Thanks for holding me when I'm feeling sick.

Thank you for giving me your jacket when I'm cold.

Thanks for kissing me on the hand, cheek and forehead.




Thank you for asking me to be your wife.

Thanks for making me happier than I've ever been before.

Thanks for being YOU.



I love you so much babe.

I know it's cliche, but it's true nonetheless: You complete me.

Love,
Britney

M.I.A.

I told you I would inform you why I didn't blog for a while.

Well...first I had a bunch to get done because we were leaving on vacation. There was homework to get a week ahead on, bags to pack, a house to clean, and I was overwhelmed. Blogging went out the window.

Where did we go?

Hawaii.

Pure. Bliss.

Jess had a lawyer convention out in Maui so I was forced to go along. Ah man.

We had a lot of fun.

Correction: I had a lot of fun while HE was in classes. Aha.

But then we both enjoyed our afternoons and evenings.

Here are some pictures from the first day we were there. I'll add in my commentary. Enjoy!

I'm so in love with this guy. No lie.

Funny pics are the best.

I taught Jess to do the "wiggles" pictures.

And we kept doing them.

More.

And more.

They had flamingos. At our hotel. I love flamingos.

And penguins. So cute.

I love the ocean. B-E-A-UTIFUL!

I'll recap the rest of the trip tomorrow. In the meantime, my blog is under reconstruction. Ignore the "Pages" for now...they aren't finished yet.