In light of the fact that I am now MARRIED and am no longer Ashley Jacobson :O
...I now have a new blog! Be excited! :)
http://lifewithroths.blogspot.com/
...I now have a new blog! Be excited! :)
http://lifewithroths.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
On Being Engaged
The idea for this post comes from a similar blog post by my friend Shanette.
This semester I got engaged to a wonderful man. It has completely changed my life. Our wedding is coming up in a couple weeks now, and as my engagement is about to come to a close I've thought about this unique period of time in my life. There are a lot of reasons why I do and do not like being engaged. So let's start with the great things.
1. Someone Is There For You
I can't explain how great it is to have someone who you can always count on and turn to, no matter what. You get a sense of this with family and friends, but not in the same capacity. Since being engaged, I've really come to appreciate the benefit of knowing that there is a man who I love, who I know loves me unconditionally, and who is always willing to support and comfort me. It's indescribable. I am starting to understand why people describe their spouses as completing them, as their better half. With Josh in my life, I feel whole. I feel like there was something missing in my life before now, and now it's being filled. Call me young and hopelessly in love, but he really does complete me. I am so happy to know that he will always be there for me, and that I will be able to do the same for him.
2. It's a Time to Learn to Communicate
Personally, I've never been a very good communicator. It's in my nature to avoid conflict at all costs, so that usually means that if I have an issue with something, I won't bring it up and I'll just keep how I feel to myself. Also, I'm a huge people pleaser, so I tend to just want to go along with what everyone else says. Often I agree with them, but sometimes I don't. So for much of my life, I haven't practiced open communication. But I know that it's extremely important in relationships and especially in marriage; so many relationships struggle because of communication breakdowns. And being engaged brings two different people with different communication styles together. So I've had to really start learning how to express myself and speak openly and honestly, always with love. On the flipside, I have also been practicing listening without being offended. I tend to take criticism kind of hard, but I am learning to just take counsel and suggestions for what they are. And when all communications are treated with love, even if someone is upset or frustrated, it's a lot easier to work things out. I haven't had major issues or anything to deal with, but I feel like this time has been crucial for me to start learning how to always be open and honest, which in the long run only makes our relationship stronger.
3. Transitioning From Single- to Married-Life
The engagement is a period of time when you transition from your old single life to a new married life. Change is hard for many people, and I'm definitely one of those that has a really hard time with change. Even good change. So for me, being engaged is a good time to start getting used to certain aspects of marriage - focusing on another person instead of always just doing what you want, sharing responsibilities and finances, etc. It would be hard to just go immediately from singlehood to marriage. So being engaged lets you learn how to take care of each other and work together, so that when you're actually married and living together and everything, it's not as difficult a transition.
Now, not everything about being engaged is great. Sometimes it sucks. So here's some things that I hate about being engaged.
1. Stress of Planning
There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into getting married. It's one thing after another. And with a short engagement, you have to really stay on top of everything. It gets stressful, especially when you're a working student. Suddenly you're trying to coordinate not just your own busy schedules, but those of your families. You want to try to find the best fit for you that will work well for as many other people as possible. And then there's just the simple (or not so simple) preparation of it all - engagement pictures, getting rings, getting a dress, getting a tux, figuring out things like the cake, flowers, etc, etc. I try to have fun with some of it, knowing that I'll only have this chance once in my life, but sometimes it gets overwhelming or things don't go right and you have to adjust your plans. It can cause a lot of stress.
2. Saying Goodnight
I am at the point where saying good night to each other is just dumb. It's not that I can't go on without him until I see him again the next morning or anything dramatic like that, but sometimes I really want to just be able to cuddle together or let him hold me as we fall asleep together. I'm not talking in a sexual way. But we're so close to being married and that's something that I'm really looking forward to doing, just falling asleep in each other's arms. And it's starting to annoy me that one of us has to go home, and any tenderness and closeness we are sharing each night has to come to an end.
3. Sexual Tension
And my last point, sexual tension. Let's all be honest here. People have a sexual drive. We want it. We crave it. Josh and I have both promised to keep ourselves sexually clean until marriage, at which point we will be able to share that beautiful, sacred experience with only each other. And I would not change that for anything. But that doesn't mean it's not hard to wait. Knowing that we're going to be married, it's sometimes hard to hold back in the level of love and affection that we share with each other. And to put it bluntly, sometimes it sucks. Sometimes the feelings are really strong. It can be hard to discipline ourselves. But I know that it will be worth it.
All in all, I'm so happy to be engaged to Josh. I don't always like the actual engagement, but I'm grateful for the experiences that I'm having and there's no one that I'd rather be with.
This semester I got engaged to a wonderful man. It has completely changed my life. Our wedding is coming up in a couple weeks now, and as my engagement is about to come to a close I've thought about this unique period of time in my life. There are a lot of reasons why I do and do not like being engaged. So let's start with the great things.
1. Someone Is There For You
I can't explain how great it is to have someone who you can always count on and turn to, no matter what. You get a sense of this with family and friends, but not in the same capacity. Since being engaged, I've really come to appreciate the benefit of knowing that there is a man who I love, who I know loves me unconditionally, and who is always willing to support and comfort me. It's indescribable. I am starting to understand why people describe their spouses as completing them, as their better half. With Josh in my life, I feel whole. I feel like there was something missing in my life before now, and now it's being filled. Call me young and hopelessly in love, but he really does complete me. I am so happy to know that he will always be there for me, and that I will be able to do the same for him.
2. It's a Time to Learn to Communicate
Personally, I've never been a very good communicator. It's in my nature to avoid conflict at all costs, so that usually means that if I have an issue with something, I won't bring it up and I'll just keep how I feel to myself. Also, I'm a huge people pleaser, so I tend to just want to go along with what everyone else says. Often I agree with them, but sometimes I don't. So for much of my life, I haven't practiced open communication. But I know that it's extremely important in relationships and especially in marriage; so many relationships struggle because of communication breakdowns. And being engaged brings two different people with different communication styles together. So I've had to really start learning how to express myself and speak openly and honestly, always with love. On the flipside, I have also been practicing listening without being offended. I tend to take criticism kind of hard, but I am learning to just take counsel and suggestions for what they are. And when all communications are treated with love, even if someone is upset or frustrated, it's a lot easier to work things out. I haven't had major issues or anything to deal with, but I feel like this time has been crucial for me to start learning how to always be open and honest, which in the long run only makes our relationship stronger.
3. Transitioning From Single- to Married-Life
The engagement is a period of time when you transition from your old single life to a new married life. Change is hard for many people, and I'm definitely one of those that has a really hard time with change. Even good change. So for me, being engaged is a good time to start getting used to certain aspects of marriage - focusing on another person instead of always just doing what you want, sharing responsibilities and finances, etc. It would be hard to just go immediately from singlehood to marriage. So being engaged lets you learn how to take care of each other and work together, so that when you're actually married and living together and everything, it's not as difficult a transition.
Now, not everything about being engaged is great. Sometimes it sucks. So here's some things that I hate about being engaged.
1. Stress of Planning
There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into getting married. It's one thing after another. And with a short engagement, you have to really stay on top of everything. It gets stressful, especially when you're a working student. Suddenly you're trying to coordinate not just your own busy schedules, but those of your families. You want to try to find the best fit for you that will work well for as many other people as possible. And then there's just the simple (or not so simple) preparation of it all - engagement pictures, getting rings, getting a dress, getting a tux, figuring out things like the cake, flowers, etc, etc. I try to have fun with some of it, knowing that I'll only have this chance once in my life, but sometimes it gets overwhelming or things don't go right and you have to adjust your plans. It can cause a lot of stress.
2. Saying Goodnight
I am at the point where saying good night to each other is just dumb. It's not that I can't go on without him until I see him again the next morning or anything dramatic like that, but sometimes I really want to just be able to cuddle together or let him hold me as we fall asleep together. I'm not talking in a sexual way. But we're so close to being married and that's something that I'm really looking forward to doing, just falling asleep in each other's arms. And it's starting to annoy me that one of us has to go home, and any tenderness and closeness we are sharing each night has to come to an end.
3. Sexual Tension
And my last point, sexual tension. Let's all be honest here. People have a sexual drive. We want it. We crave it. Josh and I have both promised to keep ourselves sexually clean until marriage, at which point we will be able to share that beautiful, sacred experience with only each other. And I would not change that for anything. But that doesn't mean it's not hard to wait. Knowing that we're going to be married, it's sometimes hard to hold back in the level of love and affection that we share with each other. And to put it bluntly, sometimes it sucks. Sometimes the feelings are really strong. It can be hard to discipline ourselves. But I know that it will be worth it.
All in all, I'm so happy to be engaged to Josh. I don't always like the actual engagement, but I'm grateful for the experiences that I'm having and there's no one that I'd rather be with.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Lessons From Life After the Mission
As I recently made an entry about, there were some important lessons I learned from serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a sister missionary, I served for a period of 18 months, and since I've been home for another 18 months I have recently been reflecting on the things I've learned since I've been home. (Okay, it hasn't been exactly 18 months, it's been more like 20 or so, but who says I need to be technically accurate?) Here are some of the most important lessons I've learned.
When you are serving as a missionary, you are taught and conditioned to be selfless, constantly look for ways to serve, and to focus completely on others. This is all really important and I'm not discouraging that, but when you go home and transition into "normal" life, you have to learn to be a little selfish. I'm not trying to say that everything is all about you and that you shouldn't care about anybody else. But after your mission, you're in the time of your life where you have to learn to really take care of you. You have to figure out what to do with your life and choose what paths to take that will impact your life for years down the road. It's the time to build on what you've learned from your mission, and apply it to your life now. Things aren't easy when you get home, and taking care of yourself is really important. And the more you take care of yourself the better you prepare yourself for being a spouse and a parent, ultimately.
...If nothing else, make sure to treat yourself to ice cream once in a while. :)
After serving a mission and getting back into the routine (or lack of routine) of life, things get in the way. Real life happens and sometimes you lose sight of things that are really important for a while, whether it's not studying the scriptures, forgetting to say prayers, or whatever it might be. Let's just be honest. Real life happens. You can't be 100% diligent about everything all the time. And God doesn't expect you to be. He only expects you to try your best. And I found that time and time again, when I was having a hard time or not making spiritual things more of a priority in my life, I was led to go back to the basics. Faith. Repentance. Prayer. Obedience. Listening to the Spirit. The basic building blocks of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever I build up a strong foundation of faith, then everything else builds off of that and I'm more capable of handling the challenges of life.
I started to realize this on my mission, and it has continued to become apparent since I've been home - there are so many different ways for people to live the same gospel. Even in one religion, people will think and act differently. I'm attending college at BYU, where Mormons are plenty and just about everyone has the same belief in Christ. That's one of the things I love about being here, is that I'm surrounded by people who generally have the same standards and same faith as I do. And yet they can still be so different from each other - they have different opinions, different political views, different ideas on how things should be done at work or at home, etc. I've come to realize that everyone is just trying to live and contribute in the best way that they know how to do, and even if that's something different from what I think is best, it's okay. If girls want to wear pants to church, it doesn't matter to me. Faith is a personal thing, and we're all just trying to do our best.
As my mission came to a close and I was returning home, I had this image in my mind of exactly the type of person I wanted to be. Which was a lot different than what I was like before my mission. And guess what? That didn't happen. I fell short. I fell back into my old habits, my old way of life. And I hated myself for it. I served a mission, my testimony grew and strengthened so much, so why was I making the same old mistakes? I had a real hard time with this for a year or so after my mission. There were moments when things seemed right and good, but for the most part, the year after my mission was really hard. And I had to learn how to love myself. What I've realized is that it doesn't matter how many times you falter. God still loves you as His precious child. Jesus Christ atoned for all of our hurts and mistakes. Of course we're going to fall short. That's never going to change, not in this life. That's the point. We have weakness so that we must learn to rely on the Savior. He has forgiven me if I will just come to Him, so if I think that I'm not good enough for His help, isn't that kind of turning my back on all that He went through? He loved me enough to suffer and die for me. ME. Faults and all. My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me for who I am, and that is good enough for me.
1. Be a Little Selfish
When you are serving as a missionary, you are taught and conditioned to be selfless, constantly look for ways to serve, and to focus completely on others. This is all really important and I'm not discouraging that, but when you go home and transition into "normal" life, you have to learn to be a little selfish. I'm not trying to say that everything is all about you and that you shouldn't care about anybody else. But after your mission, you're in the time of your life where you have to learn to really take care of you. You have to figure out what to do with your life and choose what paths to take that will impact your life for years down the road. It's the time to build on what you've learned from your mission, and apply it to your life now. Things aren't easy when you get home, and taking care of yourself is really important. And the more you take care of yourself the better you prepare yourself for being a spouse and a parent, ultimately.
...If nothing else, make sure to treat yourself to ice cream once in a while. :)
2. Go Back to the Basics
After serving a mission and getting back into the routine (or lack of routine) of life, things get in the way. Real life happens and sometimes you lose sight of things that are really important for a while, whether it's not studying the scriptures, forgetting to say prayers, or whatever it might be. Let's just be honest. Real life happens. You can't be 100% diligent about everything all the time. And God doesn't expect you to be. He only expects you to try your best. And I found that time and time again, when I was having a hard time or not making spiritual things more of a priority in my life, I was led to go back to the basics. Faith. Repentance. Prayer. Obedience. Listening to the Spirit. The basic building blocks of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Whenever I build up a strong foundation of faith, then everything else builds off of that and I'm more capable of handling the challenges of life.
3. There Are Many Ways to Live the Gospel
I started to realize this on my mission, and it has continued to become apparent since I've been home - there are so many different ways for people to live the same gospel. Even in one religion, people will think and act differently. I'm attending college at BYU, where Mormons are plenty and just about everyone has the same belief in Christ. That's one of the things I love about being here, is that I'm surrounded by people who generally have the same standards and same faith as I do. And yet they can still be so different from each other - they have different opinions, different political views, different ideas on how things should be done at work or at home, etc. I've come to realize that everyone is just trying to live and contribute in the best way that they know how to do, and even if that's something different from what I think is best, it's okay. If girls want to wear pants to church, it doesn't matter to me. Faith is a personal thing, and we're all just trying to do our best.
4. Love Yourself
As my mission came to a close and I was returning home, I had this image in my mind of exactly the type of person I wanted to be. Which was a lot different than what I was like before my mission. And guess what? That didn't happen. I fell short. I fell back into my old habits, my old way of life. And I hated myself for it. I served a mission, my testimony grew and strengthened so much, so why was I making the same old mistakes? I had a real hard time with this for a year or so after my mission. There were moments when things seemed right and good, but for the most part, the year after my mission was really hard. And I had to learn how to love myself. What I've realized is that it doesn't matter how many times you falter. God still loves you as His precious child. Jesus Christ atoned for all of our hurts and mistakes. Of course we're going to fall short. That's never going to change, not in this life. That's the point. We have weakness so that we must learn to rely on the Savior. He has forgiven me if I will just come to Him, so if I think that I'm not good enough for His help, isn't that kind of turning my back on all that He went through? He loved me enough to suffer and die for me. ME. Faults and all. My Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me for who I am, and that is good enough for me.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Lessons From My Mission
As many of you know, I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 18 months in the Boise, Idaho area. With the recent change in age requirement for missionaries, I know a lot of people - especially future sister missionaries - who are preparing for their own full-time missions. I am thrilled to see an increased enthusiasm for missionary work! As so many people around me have been preparing for missionary service, I have been asked what are some of the most important pieces of advice I have for new missionaries. As I have reflected on my own experiences, these are the most important lessons I have learned from my mission. Remember that although this post is directed toward future missionaries, the principles remain the same and you can apply them to your own life, whatever part of life you may be in.
First off, you have to learn to love people. Really, genuinely love them. As a missionary you focus a lot on teaching people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and sometimes you can get caught up in going through the motions. Just moving from one lesson to the next, as if you're checking boxes. Unless you take the time to get to know them on a personal and spiritual level. But people don't really care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Not only does it help bring success and deep satisfaction to the work that you do every day, but when you really love someone - especially those who are difficult to love - then you are discovering how to be truly Christlike.
1. Love Everyone
2. Dedicate Yourself
Secondly, you have to let go of everything else and dedicate yourself to the Lord. When I went to Idaho knowing that I would be gone for 18 months, I thought that was all the sacrifice I needed to give. I was giving up my old, familiar life for a year and half, with very little contact with anyone or anything I knew and loved - wasn't that enough? It was during my mission that I realized that the Lord was asking me for something more. My heart. Doctrine and Covenants teaches us to serve God with our "heart, might, mind, and strength". Of course I loved God, and I was certainly giving up a lot and working hard every day to try to bring people closer to God, but my heart wasn't always in it. I still clung to my own thoughts and desires and often longed for all the things that I missed. To give God your heart, you have to learn to let go of everything you left behind. It's difficult, but when you are solely focused on the service that you are giving, then the Lord can really take control and use you for His intended purposes.
3. Don't Compare Yourself With Others
This might be the most important lesson to me personally. It's a natural human tendency to look at those around you, but being a natural introvert with anxiety, many aspects of being a missionary were extremely hard for me. Way out of my comfort zone. And I would look around at other missionaries who loved the work and were naturally out-going, and wonder why I couldn't be like them. If I loved the Lord, shouldn't I love being in His service? Shouldn't missionary work come as easily to me as it seemed to come to so many others? And I would get feeling like I was doing something wrong, or that I wasn't good enough. That my mission, my service, my trials, and my sacrifice, that none of it was good enough. Additionally, there were many times on my mission when I knew I could've been doing better than I was. My mission wasn't perfect by any means - there were times that I could've been more obedient or that I could have done something better than I gave the effort for. But sometimes I just didn't. The thing I had to learn for myself was that I WAS enough. My struggles and trials were different from those around me. My sacrifices were a lot for me personally, and that was all the Lord was asking for. He didn't want me to give in all the same ways as one missionary or another. My mission, exactly how it was, was enough for Him. My mission, mistakes included, were acceptable to the Lord, and He was pleased with my work and my sacrifice. Why? Because He knows me personally, and He loves me.
4. Have Fun
Missions are hard. No matter who you are, you will struggle. There are all kinds of reasons why your mission will be hard for you. You will face rejection, illness, difficult companions, homesickness, etc., etc. And the Lord intends it to be this way in part to help you grow as you face adversity. But your mission should also be FUN. God doesn't want you to suffer and be miserable for a year and a half or two years. He wants you to love it too. Yeah, sometimes it's going to suck. But sometimes it should be a blast! Don't get so caught up in trying to work so hard every second of every day that you don't ever let yourself unwind or have fun while you're hard at work. If your mission isn't fun, you're not doing it right. ☺
~ ~ ~
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Highlights of 2012
I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything here, and I figure now is a great time with the turn of the new year. I've decided to take a look back on 2012 and share some highlights from the year (in no particular order):
- Going to Six Flags with Chanelle to see iLuminate
- Getting awesome roommates for the Fall semester
- Hooking up with my amazing boyfriend
- Allen High School's football team winning the state championship
- BYU winning the Poinsettia Bowl
- Going to Six Flags with Chanelle to see iLuminate
- Getting awesome roommates for the Fall semester
- Hooking up with my amazing boyfriend
- Allen High School's football team winning the state championship
- BYU winning the Poinsettia Bowl
- Going to the beach in San Diego
- Watching the sunset and fireworks with an old companion
- Moving into a great ward with an awesome Bishop
- Living in the same complex as Trevin
- Going fishing with Chanelle and Poppy
- Visiting family in Missouri for Thanksgiving
- Going to an Owl City concert
- Seeing The Avengers
- Seeing The Hobbit
Here's to 2013!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Epic Proportions
On Friday, Mom and Dad came up to Provo for the weekend. They came (with Trevin) to the football game versus Hawaii, which, by the way, we STOMPED them. It was a really great game after the couple sad ones that we've had. And Mom and Dad of course spoiled Trevin and I while they were here. :) On Sunday we picked up my cousin Brianna and went to Tom and Carisa's place for church and dinner. Bridger's birthday was coming up, so we had his birthday dinner, which was (as usual) absolutely delicious. :) I love hanging out with family!
We took a few pictures during the weekend, but right now this is the only one that I have, from when we were at Tom and Carisa's:
(We have some attractive genes in this family. :)
The following Monday was also and awesome day for me because I went to an Owl City concert. It. Was. So. Awesome. He was on tour for his newest CD, The Midsummer Station.
I went with a couple of people that I met up with through a club on campus, and the three of us drove up to Salt Lake for the concert. I had never been to a concert before, and I really love Owl City, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. And it was so worth it. Even if I day pay too much for a T-shirt at the concert on top of the ticket fees. :) I just had so much fun that night. Pure joy and awesomeness. Pictures and videos hardly do that actual experience any justice, but here's a couple of pics from the night:
(Me and the guy we were with - the girl with us gradually got pushed up toward the front throughout the concert.)
(I feel like this picture makes him look like a giant.)
(Rockin' my new shirt.)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Motherhood
Having Mother's Day yesterday, I couldn't help but think about how important mothers are. And how easily their role is brushed aside in society. I can't speak from experience, but motherhood is a hugely demanding job to take on, and it's all day every day. No weekends off, nothing. Every day is spent in quiet, selfless sacrifice. Of course moms have other things they would like to do if they had the time, but they make the needs of others a priority over their own. I'm amazing by the amount of dedication that takes.
We are shaped largely by the way we are raised. How much more important is it, then, to have a strong force of mothers in the world, as opposed to women filling other occupations? Don't get me wrong, I admire and respect women in the workplace, and I aspire to have a career of my own someday, but I recognize that the need for strong mothers is great. They shape the rising generation, and generations to come.
Some voices in the world might say that motherhood isn't admirable, but I submit that the opposite is true. Motherhood is the most admirable thing any woman can do, and that kind of influence can be found whether you're raising your own children, adopting, you're an aunt, a church leader, or in any other motherly role. I love my mom, and I can only hope to be like her when I am a mom someday.
Thanks for everything Mom.
We are shaped largely by the way we are raised. How much more important is it, then, to have a strong force of mothers in the world, as opposed to women filling other occupations? Don't get me wrong, I admire and respect women in the workplace, and I aspire to have a career of my own someday, but I recognize that the need for strong mothers is great. They shape the rising generation, and generations to come.
Some voices in the world might say that motherhood isn't admirable, but I submit that the opposite is true. Motherhood is the most admirable thing any woman can do, and that kind of influence can be found whether you're raising your own children, adopting, you're an aunt, a church leader, or in any other motherly role. I love my mom, and I can only hope to be like her when I am a mom someday.
Thanks for everything Mom.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
No Title Comes To Mind
Well, I s'pose it's about time for another update. School is going well, for the most part, and that's the most important thing right now. Let's see...
I went to a bridal shower for my MTC companion. They call her Lora. But calling any of my mission companions by their first names still feels really weird to me. I don't know if that will ever change. It was really strange, knowing that she's about to get married. In fact, they're getting married this Saturday, St. Patrick's Day. It's crazy knowing that we got home from our missions at the same time, and she's already getting married. Because I'm nowhere close. Evidence that we all progress through life's phases at different rates. It was great to see her, since I hadn't seen her since the MTC. I'm way excited for her.
This semester I've also had the privilege of going to my aunt Carisa's and uncle Tom's house with Trevin a handful of times already. I haven't really had a lot of opportunities to visit very often in most other past semesters, so this has been a treat. We even spent the night once while our cousin Kelsey was there, which was a lot of fun. I have a pretty great family.
Oh, I also recently read The Hunger Games in anticipation of the upcoming movie. It was way good, and I'm stoked about the movie. I'm likely to see the midnight show with a friend, though now Cody isn't here to sit on the front row with me...
Shout out to David and Sammy in congratulations on their pregnancy, as well as to Jeffrey and Debbie on their pregnancy with a little girl! I'm so excited for you! :)
Well, life continues to roll on, and it's all we can do to keep up. But don't forget to enjoy the ride!
I went to a bridal shower for my MTC companion. They call her Lora. But calling any of my mission companions by their first names still feels really weird to me. I don't know if that will ever change. It was really strange, knowing that she's about to get married. In fact, they're getting married this Saturday, St. Patrick's Day. It's crazy knowing that we got home from our missions at the same time, and she's already getting married. Because I'm nowhere close. Evidence that we all progress through life's phases at different rates. It was great to see her, since I hadn't seen her since the MTC. I'm way excited for her.
This semester I've also had the privilege of going to my aunt Carisa's and uncle Tom's house with Trevin a handful of times already. I haven't really had a lot of opportunities to visit very often in most other past semesters, so this has been a treat. We even spent the night once while our cousin Kelsey was there, which was a lot of fun. I have a pretty great family.
Oh, I also recently read The Hunger Games in anticipation of the upcoming movie. It was way good, and I'm stoked about the movie. I'm likely to see the midnight show with a friend, though now Cody isn't here to sit on the front row with me...
Shout out to David and Sammy in congratulations on their pregnancy, as well as to Jeffrey and Debbie on their pregnancy with a little girl! I'm so excited for you! :)
Well, life continues to roll on, and it's all we can do to keep up. But don't forget to enjoy the ride!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Good Life
Well, my life has really been moving since I've been home. It was so nice to have a semester off after getting back from my mission so that I could have a little extra time with my family and make some much needed money. I really loved working at Chick-fil-A, especially so that I was able to spend some additional time with Cody before he left on his mission in December. That time we had together, even if it WAS at work, is so appreciated.
Now that we're into 2012, I've been back in school at BYU for a month, and I love it. I miss having Jeffrey and Debbie here in Provo, but I continue to be grateful that Trevin is here and I love living close to him. <3 I have a pretty good workload class-wise, but overall I'm managing okay. I enjoy all of my classes, though some are harder than others. :P And though I didn't date at all during the time that I was at home after my mission, I've already been on a couple of dates since I've been back at the Y. So yes, I can say that my life is in full swing right now. :)
I feel like there's so much I could talk about here, yet I don't know what to say or where to start. I have a lot of rough days, but I can honestly say that I'm at a pretty good place in my life right now. And what else could a girl ask for?
Now that we're into 2012, I've been back in school at BYU for a month, and I love it. I miss having Jeffrey and Debbie here in Provo, but I continue to be grateful that Trevin is here and I love living close to him. <3 I have a pretty good workload class-wise, but overall I'm managing okay. I enjoy all of my classes, though some are harder than others. :P And though I didn't date at all during the time that I was at home after my mission, I've already been on a couple of dates since I've been back at the Y. So yes, I can say that my life is in full swing right now. :)
I feel like there's so much I could talk about here, yet I don't know what to say or where to start. I have a lot of rough days, but I can honestly say that I'm at a pretty good place in my life right now. And what else could a girl ask for?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Family Visits and State Fair
Well, I've been home for a few months now, and I'm back into the swing of things here in the 'real world'. I have a job at Chick-fil-A, so that's where I spend a lot of my time. It's a good job, I get to work with some great people, it's closed on Sundays so I don't have to worry about being scheduled then, and not to mention, I love the food (no, I haven't gotten tired of it yet. I'm sure it's only a matter of time.)
In other news, I have gotten to do a bit of traveling since I've been home. The beginning of August, Trevin and I went to Missouri to see David and Sammy and their adorable kids. When I saw them on the way home from my mission, Ashton and Hannah were really shy around me, maybe even a little afraid of me, so I was relieved to find that they warmed up to me pretty quickly while we stayed there. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures while I was there, but I can assure you that I had a great time with them. We set up a trampoline in the basement, played with the kids, and otherwise just had fun together.
In September, I flew to Wisconsin specifically to babysit Knightley and Mason, but also to see Jeffrey and Debbie. It was a lot of fun. Knightley and Mason definitely didn't remember me, but they also warmed up to me not long after I got there. We did lots of fun things together-
In other news, I have gotten to do a bit of traveling since I've been home. The beginning of August, Trevin and I went to Missouri to see David and Sammy and their adorable kids. When I saw them on the way home from my mission, Ashton and Hannah were really shy around me, maybe even a little afraid of me, so I was relieved to find that they warmed up to me pretty quickly while we stayed there. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures while I was there, but I can assure you that I had a great time with them. We set up a trampoline in the basement, played with the kids, and otherwise just had fun together.
In September, I flew to Wisconsin specifically to babysit Knightley and Mason, but also to see Jeffrey and Debbie. It was a lot of fun. Knightley and Mason definitely didn't remember me, but they also warmed up to me not long after I got there. We did lots of fun things together-
We did puzzles...
...we played outside and drew with chalk on the sidewalk...
...built a fort...
...and their favorite thing was watching their new Cars movie: Mater's Tall Tales.
They're some adorable kids. Aside from that, I also had fun with Jeffrey and Debbie, talking with them and staying up late playing games. It was a fun trip.
In the beginning of October, David and Sammy also came here to visit, so we got to spend a few days with them again. And again, I didn't take any pictures while they were here. (I promise I'm not playing favorites!) But we had fun, and I loved having them here. I can't wait to see everyone at Thanksgiving.
In other news, we also went to the Texas State Fair last week - it was awesome! I haven't been in years. We looked around at some of the animals - horses, dogs, pigs... all so cute. We also watched an amazing dog show where the dogs would catch frisbees while doing back flips (no joke), and crazy cool stuff like that. It was incredible. We also had some chicken fried bacon, which tasted AMAZING. And finally - the highlight of the Fair - we got to see our favorite local band, the Killdares. They are awesome. All of us except Mom had Killdares T-shirts, and three of us had their new DVD/CD for them to sign. Yeah, we're fans.
Though my life seems mundane at times, it looks like I've had plenty going on. And I love it.
Friday, July 29, 2011
I'm Back!
I finished my missionary service and I am back at home! My mission went by so fast. I can't believe it's over and done. It was an amazing experience. It was super hard; the hardest thing I've done thus far. But I can say without hesitation that it was the best decision I ever made. I loved it.
I was really sad to leave, but I love being back home with my family. Now all I have to worry about is jobs, school, dating, money, and all that junk that comes with growing up. :) I'm going to be at home for a semester to hopefully work and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Now we'll just see where my life takes me!
I was really sad to leave, but I love being back home with my family. Now all I have to worry about is jobs, school, dating, money, and all that junk that comes with growing up. :) I'm going to be at home for a semester to hopefully work and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Now we'll just see where my life takes me!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
I'm Off!
Well everyone, I'm leaving for Utah in the morning. I'll spend a few days there, and then I go into the MTC! This is real!
For those who want to keep in touch with me, I'll have my mailing information up on my Facebook page, along with my mission blog that my family will keep updated for me:
http://sisterjacobson.blogspot.com/
Wish me luck!
For those who want to keep in touch with me, I'll have my mailing information up on my Facebook page, along with my mission blog that my family will keep updated for me:
http://sisterjacobson.blogspot.com/
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A New Decade
Happy 2010!
We've started a new year, people are going back to school, life is marching on.
It feels a bit odd not going back to BYU when everyone else was, but I gotta say, it's also nice. I could use a break from school. The thing I miss is seeing all the friends I've made there. It's been really fun staying at home, though, while Cody and Chanelle go to school and Dad goes to work. I haven't been up to much as I don't have a real job and no one would want to hire me for only a month. So I've spent some time with Wii Fit Plus and even more with Mom. :) Also, my roommate Jessica is coming to Dallas for the weekend! We've become great friends, and she's made a big impact on my life. Not to mention, she's going into the MTC just two weeks after I do!
It's so weird to think that I'm leaving for my mission in two and a half weeks. That's so close, it's scary! Of course I'm excited to an extent, but I'd be lying if I said I feel like I'm totally ready to go. I'm loving being at home with my family, and I don't know if I could ever get enough of it. But I do know that I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do, and I'm going where He wants me to go. And if I'm always trying to do those things, what more do I need?
We've started a new year, people are going back to school, life is marching on.
It feels a bit odd not going back to BYU when everyone else was, but I gotta say, it's also nice. I could use a break from school. The thing I miss is seeing all the friends I've made there. It's been really fun staying at home, though, while Cody and Chanelle go to school and Dad goes to work. I haven't been up to much as I don't have a real job and no one would want to hire me for only a month. So I've spent some time with Wii Fit Plus and even more with Mom. :) Also, my roommate Jessica is coming to Dallas for the weekend! We've become great friends, and she's made a big impact on my life. Not to mention, she's going into the MTC just two weeks after I do!
It's so weird to think that I'm leaving for my mission in two and a half weeks. That's so close, it's scary! Of course I'm excited to an extent, but I'd be lying if I said I feel like I'm totally ready to go. I'm loving being at home with my family, and I don't know if I could ever get enough of it. But I do know that I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do, and I'm going where He wants me to go. And if I'm always trying to do those things, what more do I need?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
'Tis the Season
Christmas break has been great!
I had a lot of fun playing with my friends as we finished up the semester; it was a really great one for me. Really awesome. ^_^
BYU went to Vegas for our bowl game, where we played against Oregon State. And we trashed them. It was an awesome game, which was fitting, because the game was actually on my birthday. What a place to turn 21 - Vegas! All the opportunities! I'm kidding, of course, but it was a good birthday all the same. :)
After the game I came home for the holidays, and on Christmas Eve it snowed! Typically if it snows at all in Texas, it doesn't stick for long if at all, but it kept snowing and stuck around all evening and into Christmas day! Believe me, this is a big deal. First of all, it's my first white Christmas (that I've been old enough to remember), and second of all, it's apparently the first time in I think 80 years that that's happened here! How awesome is that?
Christmas was awesome, as it always is. There were less people around this year, but I love being here with my family.
I had a lot of fun playing with my friends as we finished up the semester; it was a really great one for me. Really awesome. ^_^
BYU went to Vegas for our bowl game, where we played against Oregon State. And we trashed them. It was an awesome game, which was fitting, because the game was actually on my birthday. What a place to turn 21 - Vegas! All the opportunities! I'm kidding, of course, but it was a good birthday all the same. :)
After the game I came home for the holidays, and on Christmas Eve it snowed! Typically if it snows at all in Texas, it doesn't stick for long if at all, but it kept snowing and stuck around all evening and into Christmas day! Believe me, this is a big deal. First of all, it's my first white Christmas (that I've been old enough to remember), and second of all, it's apparently the first time in I think 80 years that that's happened here! How awesome is that?
Christmas was awesome, as it always is. There were less people around this year, but I love being here with my family.
Even sugar was dressed for the holidays with a gingerbread man on her shirt - she's so adorable in that thing! (I'm actually still amazed that Dad tolerated her wearing a shirt.)
One of our family traditions on Christmas Eve is playing Christmas songs on all our instruments. In this video Cody, Chanelle, and I are playing Frosty the Snowman. Yes, the brass instruments are considerably louder than the flute (particularly the trombone:).
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thanksgiving
This week I got to come home for Thanksgiving break. It's been so fun to be here with so much of my family. I couldn't ask for anything more. ^_^
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to list a few of the things in my life that I'm truly grateful for:
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to list a few of the things in my life that I'm truly grateful for:
- The awesome country that I live in
- My friends in all areas of my life
- My roommates, a.k.a. the best roommates in the world
- My job and the amazing people I work with
- My family; I love them more than anything
- Being able to see some of my family at school and in Provo
- The church I belong to; it brings me happiness
- The opportunity I have to serve as a missionary for my church
Friday, November 13, 2009
Band Practice
So, at band practice today, we worked on part of our show that we're doing joint with the University of Utah band. The U game is on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so a small group of people (myself included) won't be going to the game because of Thanksgiving break and the traveling that goes with it. So while most of the band was learning drill and practicing the new tune we're playing in the show, the small group that's not going to the game got to stand around on the sideline with nothing to do.
Half of us ended up playing a game called Ninja Strike for the first hour of rehearsal. Then we stood around talking and watching/listening to the band for another half hour. And then we split up for sectionals to work on our new music, and those of us who aren't going to the game don't have to pass it off, while everyone else does. So I just got to leave!
One hour of Ninja Strike. Half an hour of standing around talking. Go home. Best band rehearsal ever.
Half of us ended up playing a game called Ninja Strike for the first hour of rehearsal. Then we stood around talking and watching/listening to the band for another half hour. And then we split up for sectionals to work on our new music, and those of us who aren't going to the game don't have to pass it off, while everyone else does. So I just got to leave!
One hour of Ninja Strike. Half an hour of standing around talking. Go home. Best band rehearsal ever.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Mission Call
After a very long week of waiting for my mission call to come, it came in the mail on Thursday!
I wanted to open it with my family, so I had to wait until the time that worked best for everyone, which turned out to be 8pm Thursday night. It was a long day, but the time finally came.
Though the original plan was to open it at Jeffrey and Debbie's apartment, we decided that afternoon that we would all just come to my apartment for the event. So the crowd ended up consisting of Jeffrey, Debbie, Trevin, as well as my roommates Jessica, Serena, and Lyssandra (plus Mom, Cody, Chanelle, David, and Sammy all on the phone). With great anticipation (to the point where I was actually shaking a little), I opened my call. I had to cover up the lines and just go one line at a time, or I know my eyes would've skipped ahead. :P So I opened it and read it, and...
...I'm going to BOISE, IDAHO!!
And no, I'm not kidding. Though I do think it's hilarious that out of all the missions there are out there, I got the "joke" mission. (Thanks, Singles Ward.) Not that I mind; I'm really excited to serve in Boise. It's going to be amazing. I report to the MTC on February 3. Which is just perfect - it gives me about a month and a half at home before I leave, and I still get back in time to go to school again in Fall 2011.
So, that's the exciting part of my life right now! ^_^
I wanted to open it with my family, so I had to wait until the time that worked best for everyone, which turned out to be 8pm Thursday night. It was a long day, but the time finally came.
Though the original plan was to open it at Jeffrey and Debbie's apartment, we decided that afternoon that we would all just come to my apartment for the event. So the crowd ended up consisting of Jeffrey, Debbie, Trevin, as well as my roommates Jessica, Serena, and Lyssandra (plus Mom, Cody, Chanelle, David, and Sammy all on the phone). With great anticipation (to the point where I was actually shaking a little), I opened my call. I had to cover up the lines and just go one line at a time, or I know my eyes would've skipped ahead. :P So I opened it and read it, and...
...I'm going to BOISE, IDAHO!!
And no, I'm not kidding. Though I do think it's hilarious that out of all the missions there are out there, I got the "joke" mission. (Thanks, Singles Ward.) Not that I mind; I'm really excited to serve in Boise. It's going to be amazing. I report to the MTC on February 3. Which is just perfect - it gives me about a month and a half at home before I leave, and I still get back in time to go to school again in Fall 2011.
So, that's the exciting part of my life right now! ^_^
Friday, October 23, 2009
Passing the Time
The past month has been pretty awesome. My job and coworkers are awesome. My ward is fun. My roommates rock. Overall, life is good.
A couple weeks ago I was playing Capture the Flag with some friends from my ward. Jessica and I mostly went to hang out with people, not necessarily for the actual game. So we were kind of expecting to be sitting in jail for most of the time. But we ended up finding a stick and a tennis ball and tried to hit it in the dark. Fun stuff. The second round, on our way being led to the opponent team's jail, we ended up climbing a tree. The poor guy taking us to jail didn't know what to do with us. But it was a lot of fun, and we ended up having some visitors in our tree.
Last weekend we had a tri-ward dance, the theme being "Old School," meaning you could basically wear something that represented any decade you wanted. Jessica and I made up a lot of our own dance moves, and we had fun dancing with a bunch of people. It turned out to be quite the workout, too.
Things like these make being at BYU super fun. :)
In other news, I'm still waiting eagerly for my mission call. I just found out that my call was actually put in the mail today! I'm hoping that I'll get it within about a week! I'm just so excited. Thinking about leaving for a mission for a year and a half is sometimes a scary thought, with everything that will be so new and different and with everything that I'll be leaving behind for that time. But I'm excited to be able to go out and share the gospel. I've found so much joy in it, and I'm glad that I have the chance to give even just a piece of that to others. And now that I know my call is in the mail at this moment, it's all I can do to contain my excitement! I'll definitely be posting again when I find out where I'm going! ^_^
A couple weeks ago I was playing Capture the Flag with some friends from my ward. Jessica and I mostly went to hang out with people, not necessarily for the actual game. So we were kind of expecting to be sitting in jail for most of the time. But we ended up finding a stick and a tennis ball and tried to hit it in the dark. Fun stuff. The second round, on our way being led to the opponent team's jail, we ended up climbing a tree. The poor guy taking us to jail didn't know what to do with us. But it was a lot of fun, and we ended up having some visitors in our tree.
Last weekend we had a tri-ward dance, the theme being "Old School," meaning you could basically wear something that represented any decade you wanted. Jessica and I made up a lot of our own dance moves, and we had fun dancing with a bunch of people. It turned out to be quite the workout, too.
Things like these make being at BYU super fun. :)
In other news, I'm still waiting eagerly for my mission call. I just found out that my call was actually put in the mail today! I'm hoping that I'll get it within about a week! I'm just so excited. Thinking about leaving for a mission for a year and a half is sometimes a scary thought, with everything that will be so new and different and with everything that I'll be leaving behind for that time. But I'm excited to be able to go out and share the gospel. I've found so much joy in it, and I'm glad that I have the chance to give even just a piece of that to others. And now that I know my call is in the mail at this moment, it's all I can do to contain my excitement! I'll definitely be posting again when I find out where I'm going! ^_^
Monday, September 28, 2009
Things That Have Made My Day Today
- Downloading Owl City's album Ocean Eyes (and getting it cheap using Amazon store credit)
- Eating a volcano double beef burrito from Taco Bell for lunch
- Watching this video
- Finding out that they're remaking my favorite generation of Pokémon games for DS
- Seeing a good friend from work who I haven't seen in over 3 months
- Seeing someone on campus wearing the Red vs Blue shirt that says, "It's not pink. It's lightish red."
Friday, September 25, 2009
Back to the Grind
My last few weeks at home were awesome. I had a lot of fun with my family, and got to see David and Sammy (and of course, Ashton and Hannah) a couple times before I left. I didn't hang out with a few of my friends as much as I would've liked, but hey, nobody's perfect. Also... Chanelle turned 13! It's just insane! My little sister, and baby of the family, is now a teenager. She is growing up so much faster than I was prepared for. :P (And even more recently, Cody just turned 18. Crazy, I tell you.)
Sarah got married on the 28th... will the insanity never end? I was lucky enough to get out of band rehearsal that night to go to her reception. It was sweet. :)
Once school started, band became much easier - only two hours a day, three days a week. Classes are another story... but all in all, things are going fairly well here. My job is awesome, and I frequently hang out with people from work and play games until the late hours of the night/early morning. Not to mention, my roommate Jessica is awesome. We met at work during the Spring term, and living together is really fun. On top of that, our other two roommates, Serena and Lyssandra are also super fun. We all get along, we all love being crazy and having fun... what more could you ask for? :)
Preparations for my mission are going well; I've done everything I can do, and now I pretty much wait until it can all be submitted in early October. And then I have to wait for the call to come. :)
I have my moments that feel like I'm riding an emotional rollercoaster, but things are going overall pretty well. And that's what life's all about.
This is how Ashton says "Cheese!"
Me, Chanelle, and Ashton. He's got such a cute little grin.
And adorable Hannah. She's a pretty happy baby.
A week before school started, I had marching band. And don't get me wrong, I love marching band, but that first week is killer. We have rehearsal from about 8 in the morning until 10 at night, with breaks for lunch and dinner. Not only that, but it's a 30-minute walk from my apartment to where we practice. Needless to say, I didn't do much that week besides eat, sleep, and marching band.
Sarah got married on the 28th... will the insanity never end? I was lucky enough to get out of band rehearsal that night to go to her reception. It was sweet. :)
Once school started, band became much easier - only two hours a day, three days a week. Classes are another story... but all in all, things are going fairly well here. My job is awesome, and I frequently hang out with people from work and play games until the late hours of the night/early morning. Not to mention, my roommate Jessica is awesome. We met at work during the Spring term, and living together is really fun. On top of that, our other two roommates, Serena and Lyssandra are also super fun. We all get along, we all love being crazy and having fun... what more could you ask for? :)
Preparations for my mission are going well; I've done everything I can do, and now I pretty much wait until it can all be submitted in early October. And then I have to wait for the call to come. :)
I have my moments that feel like I'm riding an emotional rollercoaster, but things are going overall pretty well. And that's what life's all about.
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