Our Own Little World

I'm a contributor too

2011-12-22T15:48:00.001-08:00

I was changing some settings in Google and noticed that I'm a contributor to this blog as well. Imagine that. So I thought I'd assert my blogginess here to keep our blog going in some continuous fashion (this is heavily inspired by the fact that our friends, the Barnes, arealways updating their blog, and it's so good that even my sister follows it... *sigh*).

This last weekend was Laura's Senior Recital. The whole event has made me rather reflective (much, I'm sure, to Jaimie's annoyance). The bottom line of my reflection: a big family is both a massive blessing and at the same time full of heartache. Who among you have an instant 9 friends to call up and talk to, 9 people to visit and invite to your house for a good time, 9 people to blame for your childhood woes, and 9 people to blame for the best times of your life? (Not to mention their spouses/significant others and kids).

But that's 9 people you forget to call every week, 9 people whose birthdays you do little more for than send the (often late) card, that's 9 more people's feelings you have to worry about when making Christmas plans, and 9 more ways for your family to get mad.

Being the 6th child, I have had the odd position of being actively involved in the lives of all my siblings. I've watched Jessica go from my super-(second)-mom to her two kids' (first) super-mom. I learned the great ninja ways of mountain lion traps and eucalyptus leaf teas from Jason. I don't know how many 3D puzzles I helped Don with or how many nights he kept me awake kicking my bed from his bunk below. Sarah and I were the (obnoxious) shrimp duo. Barbara and I were bitter enemies until high school, when she was the best older sister known to humankind. Laura and I searched the car seat-cushions for enough money to buy Taco Bell after our weekly piano lessons. Ammon went from annoying to tender. John changed from moody to helpful. Dallon's just Dallon and that's great. He's probably a little too much like me.

Watching Laura deal with the enormous stress that culminated before her recital was such an eye opener. I realized how little I could help, and how little I was there for her when things were hardest. I suppose every older brother one day wishes he'd done more. I think about Jason and how often he was there to give me advice, and yet how little advice I can give him now. Who was Jessica's second mother? I never taught Dallon how to catch mountain lions. I don't include Don in my 3D puzzles. And nobody was looking out for Barbara in high school.

But then it's not all bad. Sometimes we're lucky and have the opportunity to give back. The night before the recital, Laura was so stressed she began to cry. I didn't know what else to do but give her a hug and let her stain my nice white shirt with mascara. I don't think it did all that much for Laura, but at least I got to tell her what we all need to hear sometimes: you're doing a great job, and you'll keep doing it.

I've reached the end of my reflective-ness with nothing to conclude. I guess it's where I started: big family = big blessing = heartache. That's 9 people who, without explanation, provide a full and rich life. It's 9 people I worry about. It's 9 people I see make good and bad choices, and 9 people to watch me make mine. But I suppose, most importantly, it's 9 people I wish I could tell (without feeling embarrassed or cheesy) how well they really are doing in life, how proud I am of them (if that matters), and how much I look up to them.

But then again, that would be 9 more phone calls I don't know I'll ever make.

Always on my mind....

2011-12-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

Thoughts that run through my mind daily normally go like this...

Time to wake up...

I want to be a mom...

Did I get all my homework done?...

I want a baby...

Is class almost over?

Why does everyone have to be pregnant...

Time to do more homework...

I can't wait to be a mom...

I have to clean the house

One day I will have a baby...

What should I make Aaron for dinner...

I still want a baby...

I hope I pass all my classes...

I don't want to wait longer to have a baby...

Time to sleep...

I can't wait to have a baby...

I am not sure you can tell but I am a little baby hungry and it gets worse daily.The only thing I think about is how after I graduate I will be one step closer to being a mom. I am excited that I am getting closer to my degree not only because of the other benefits that may come after but also because I will have accomplished the biggest goal in my life. Aaron and I will go to to grad school and start a wonderful adventure. All of this is just a year and half away. I may be a little nervous to leave but I can't wait to stand by Aaron to live out his goal just like he is doing with me. So many things on my mind but none out weigh the overwhelming desire to be a mom.

Camping at Mirror Lake

2011-09-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

We were able to go camping a few weeks ago before school started and we found an amazing campsite. We did however forget flash lights and there was no moon because there were scattered thunderstorms throughout the night. So of course it was very difficult to see from nine on but we did have a beautiful fire going that we all huddled around to stay warm and cook dinner. Which I might add was an extremely yummy dinner (we were in charge of food, my favorite part of camping). Aaron and Drew also had a good time fly fishing while Jessica and I stayed by the fire trying to stay warm. We were able to stay dry in the tents at night but we didn't really get a chance to sleep because we forgot sleeping pads and Aaron and I forgot our own blankets but luckily Drew and Jess always bring extra. We were also Lucky enough to see a family of moose! It was an amazing thing to see. They really are amazing to watch. This truly was beautiful. It was so much fun and I am hoping we can go again next year.

My Grandma

2011-08-06T00:22:00.000-07:00

As I sit and watch Aaron attempting homemade chocolate ice cream for the second time I can't help but think of the time we have spent together and our future to come. My grandpa who is in his late 80's is going to marry a very wonderful lady tomorrow. I bring this up because even though for some reason my grandpa remarrying has been surprisingly harder for me than expected I can't help thinking that if Aaron was in this position I would want him to find someone to keep him company. I love the thought of becoming old together and always having him there when I wake up every morning.

When I started this post I wanted to talk about the future and everything it has to hold but I can't stop thinking about my Grandma. I remember clearly the day she passed away because a couple days before she couldn't remember who I was, but the morning my mom went to go see her I had a feeling that I had to go see her. I didn't know what it was because the doctors scheduled her to be released from the hospital that morning, however when my mom got there she had taken a turn for the worst. That night after school was very difficult for me. My grandma has always been very important to me. She was sick for quite a while but she always seemed so strong, I have never understood where she got her strength. Most the time I believe she was ready to go but stayed for my grandpa. There were many occasions when in the middle of the night she would stop breathing and we would rush her to the hospital, she always came back for my grandpa.

I always miss her but this weekend as been extremely difficult. I am so happy for my grandpa and I love Laurel, the woman he his marrying. He needs companionship and in a way I believe my grandma has had a helping hand in this. I don't want him to be lonely but taking out some of the furniture from my childhood made me feel like my grandma was leaving. I do have a few things from her jewelry that I wear constantly and when I wear them I feel like she is with me. My grandma taught me the importance of staying strong during the many years she was sick, because of her strength my grandpa was able to say good bye when the time was right. She did stay strong for herself but more importantly she stayed strong for him and her children. She has always and always will be on mind and in my heart. She was a truly amazing women and I know because of her I will be a better person. Not only because of what she taught me but also because of her I have an amazing mom who keeps her memory alive.

Grandma I love you and because of you your family is better.

Working towards a healthy life style

2011-07-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

At the end of June I decided it was time I took control of my life style, I have too long eaten like a teenage boy. Aaron and I have been married just a little over a year and in the that year I have gained 20 or 25 pounds. I know this is common but I know if I do not take control now I can lose control of my life. I signed up for a 24 hour fitness gym pass and have been working with a personal trainer. I see him two times a week at 6:00am and do my best to go on my own the other days. I haven't lost any weight but I can tell I have lost inches.

Current weight: 150

Goal weight: 125

I have been working out every day but my food choices are lacking. I find myself eating more but instead of eating more fruits or veggies it is more tacos, pizza, and other unhealthy fried foods. I have always struggled to eat healthy but I have recently noticed the effect it has on my day. This summer my goal is to not just loose weight but to also learn how take better care of my body, and other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Not only will I have a better life because of it but my mom is going to buy me a lovely prize when the weight loss is accomplished. I have decided to keep track of my goals and accomplishments on the blog because it will help me keep it up. It is time I took action and this is how I plan to do it. So wish me luck as I try to accomplish these goals and if any of you have suggestions on how to live a healthier life style I am more than willing to take them.

I sorta love him!

2011-05-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Aaron is an amazing husband, he is sweet, loving, goofy and just kinda sorta perfect. He takes amazing care of me and makes me happier than anyone ever has. I am very blessed to have a husband who will protect me and make sure we have everything we need. He leaves me every morning at 6:30 and I don't see him until 6:30 that evening. He works so hard to give me a beautiful home and makes it possible for me to concentrate on school. He helps me follow my dreams and encourages me to try new things. I try to thank him with a clean home and a cooked dinner but I sometimes struggle with being a homemaker. I am so grateful to have a man in my life that I can always depend on and loves me as much as I love him.

So Aaron thank you for being my husband and thank you for always being there! I couldn't do it with out you. Because of you I will graduate, be the mom I am suppose to be and live a few of my dreams before it is too late. I love you!

Eternal Life, Happiness, Love and Family. What else is there?

2011-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

During conference weekend Aaron and I walked around temple square while we waited to have dinner with a few of our friends. as we sat in the little courtyard near the Joseph Smith building I couldn't help but think how blessed am I am to be part of the LDS church and to have an eternal family. The temple is a very special place and recently I have been able to understand how much I love to go and how much heavenly father loves us.

We have been blessed to be able to live for eternity with the ones we love. I can't imagine not knowing what would happen once life on earth is over. I know that I am truly part of something great. I have a purpose hear on earth. I will raise my children to know the beauties of this world and the world we are waiting to join. I love the church and I hope I will raise my children to love the church.

My parents have been wonderful examples. My dad has always told us how much he loves the church and how blessed we all are to have the gospel in our lives. We would rarely go a day with out hearing his testimony and because of the my testimony stayed strong. I hope i can keep the gospel strong in my home and always find a way to make it part of our daily conversation.

Math Complete and Doors Open!

2011-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I finished my online math course through BYU. After this experience I have decided I will never ever teach algebra and I will never do it again if i can help it. The wonderful thing though is i finally made it over the fence into greener areas! I was residing in a swamp before with this horrible math class. The best part of getting this all over with is that I will not be mad at my loving husband for helping me with math. It got to the point where I had his best friend help by listening to Aaron's instructions and then Rex simplifying what Aaron said so I could understand. Really it was more if Aaron talked to me I would become extremely anger so Rex was a mediator. I think it is safe to say Aaron and I are much happier with this math class out of the way.
It was wonderful to know that i was able to start something and finish it. I have always worried I was a sort of flake. I have my moments just like everyone, when I say i will do something and then it never gets done and I never think of it again. I have using my college experience to prove i am the opposite. I know being a high school drop out never helps much but it is always fun to see the surprise on peoples faces when they find out you can be in college without a GED. Oh how i love to surprise people. And hey I am defiantly staying original. That's what I think I will say, I dropped out of high school to maintain my originality. As my semester comes close to the end i realize that math really took up all my time and I am a little behind. Luckily though the majority of the books that need to be read before the semester ends are no higher than a 6th grade reading level, and my art projects have to do with potato stamps, tear art, finger painting, and painting rainbows! Life is good, I have picked a major where I get to finger paint! Now how many of you can say you finger painted for an hour today in class.
I can't wait to be a teacher and unfortunately is will be harder than school but much more rewarding which in my opinion makes it worth it. i would love to teach at a school but what I really want to do is open my own preschool! When I was younger I had great preschool teacher, who I absolutely love! And growing up her classroom was my favorite place to play! I want to create and environment just like the one Teri created. Finishing this math class really helped me understand that i am really almost there! The door to my future is finally open!
I will soon find out if i was excepted into the program and I am keeping my fingers crossed and I really hope you all are too. I will post weather or not a get in as soon as I receive the letter, my advisor thinks i will get in just fine so keep you fingers crossed, and wish me luck!!!!!

Who am I?

2011-02-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wander whats the point of blogging the only people who read it are my sisters and maybe a cousin or two. But then I remember that the majority of the time i am really just righting down what ever nonsense fill the pages for my self. Sure every now and then I will give an update on our life for the in laws that live far away but really how many updates can one person have.
The past few days my thoughts have been focusing on one thing "Who am I?" I know everyone asks this question probably daily and I know the obvious answer I am Jaimie a daughter of God and a wife that is loved deeply by her husband but there is more to everyone one than that. It may be silly but I have always wanted to that girl that goes out and will fix the fence the kind that will just get the job done with out needing help from a man or being pushed to do it. I have always wanted to be that girl but I am not. The truth I am a girl who fears everything, daily i convince my self that the horse I ride wont kill me or if he takes of and I can stay on. These may be small things for some people and yes it is silly that a person who has been riding horses for over 10years still feels like that scared little girl that had to be led around before she would do anything alone.
Fear has ruled my life in everything, I feel like the type of girl that people after look after and push to get things done. My sister Lindsay has always been the go to girl the girl that if she wanted could go outside and fix the fence. She doesn't need anybody to push her to work she is a natural born worker and We tease her about being needed and always wanted attention but really she is one of the most independent people I know. I have always wanted to be like Lindsay. She gets the job done and she does it with out fear.
I have learned that fear is one of the most powerful weapons the devil uses to keep us from striving and it is my biggest weakness, and I don't know what to do about it. I want to be the girl that get the job done. I know my fears and there are a few I know I can control but there are some that I feel will over come me. I have a happy life and amazing husband and an amazing family but there is something that I am lacking something that I know only I can find. I know this post isn't very clear but these are the thoughts that go through my head daily. I am constantly wondering, what I am doing wrong? Why am I always scared? Who am I? Who will I be?
My fears irrational or rational are there and they keep me from being "That Girl" as silly as it may sound I want to be the go to girl, the one who controls her fears, I just don't know how.

Dreams are meant to come true

2011-01-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

This semester in school I am taking a children's literature class, and for once in my life I am excited to read the textbook. The whole book is made up of passionately written textbooks and a lot of it is telling teachers to back off and let the student experience an adventure that no one else can experience. I have always loved reading but rarely find time for it because I am either in class, doing homework, at the ranch, or cleaning. Well okay I clean when I don't have homework so that doesn't happen a lot at the moment but thankfully Aaron understands.

This has helped me remember my dream to write children's books. My blog doesn't really show my talent for writing mainly because I don't always go back over what I write and I just kind of type whatever pops in my head. However, my niece is turning two soon and I thought that was the best way to see if I had the talent to write 10 pages with a couple sentences on each page. Most would find that pretty easy and maybe it is but I have been terrified for some silly reason.

I loved having the idea in the back of my mind to one day have a library of books that I wrote for my children. I never necessarily felt the need to publish anything but I have always wanted my children to experience the things I love most. Today as I sat in my Art class for elementary school teachers instead of listening to the lecture that I will probably be quizzed on unfortunately, I just wrote for 2 hours and before I knew I had a story about a girl who loves stars and every day her mom kisses her good night and tells her to shine bright. I don't know if it is any good or if it a work of art. I don't know and I don't care because I did it. Now for those who don't know my niece loves stars which is where I got the idea and I tried to write a mom that resembled my sister and I know to her Margaret shines brighter than any star in the sky.

I don't really know why I felt the need to share this with the maybe two people that read my blog but to me the accomplishment was profound and I will one day have my own library of books for my children and for anyone else that wants to enjoy it.

I hope for whoever is reading this will go out and make time for their dreams and their passions. I know their are mothers out there who may say "You don't have kids yet, try then" or someone with a stressful job or school schedule will always have an excuse. I have a stressful school schedule but this year for once I am making time for my dreams and passions, I am making time because one day i want to say to my children "I live my dreams, so why can't you live yours?" Wake up early, stay up later, just do whatever it takes. We are given dreams for a reason, lets do something about it. I know later in life it will get more and more difficult but the joy I felt today when I called my family to see what they thought or when I called my mom to see if she would illustrate it for me (I am a terrible artist) was one of the proudest moments of my life. I want my future children to know that feeling and I know if I live my dreams then maybe they have a chance of living their own.

Wisdom teeth and thanksgiving

2010-11-30T07:44:00.000-08:00

For all those who had a wonderfully delicious thanksgiving dinner in front of you count your blessings that you were able to eat it! Because my family is full of huge procrastinators I of course still had my wisdom teeth in at the age of 20 when the dentists told me at 15 it was time for them to be removed. Well I came up with excuses because call me crazy but i had a fear of have my jaw drilled into and people hammering out four teeth. Maybe it's just me but that just doesn't sound enjoyable. Little did I understand that the longer I waited the more painful it would be for me. Never thinking ahead will always bite you in the butt. Lucky as I was I married a man who dad is a dentist and who has been telling me i really need them to be removed. That was over a year ago when Aaron tried to get me to let his dad do it. Which of course would be free and my parents really enjoyed that seeing as how a non-complicated surgery is about 350 a tooth and I of course had all four, but I still found a way out of it. When Aaron and I got married i knew i was going to have to let Mark do it sense we sadly have no dental insurance we really wouldn't be able to afford it. Recently I had started getting awful headaches, and no matter what i took they wouldn't go away. So of course we called my father-in-law and he said it was time to pull those babies out and when of all day did he want to do it? The day before Thanksgiving! I guess I was lucky because I knew i wouldn't gain the 5lbs that everyone unfortunately gains the week of thanksgiving. You see Americans don't just feast the one day, no we find it absolutely necessary to feast everyday of the week. However I only got one meal because our plans we had for the day before didn't work out because there was a huge snow storm in Nevada that kept us in reno for over an hour and made us 3 hours. However I did have yummy pizza that they made for us the night before the dreaded surgery.

I was lucky enough to have extremely strong drugs, before the surgery so I was almost unconscious but still conscious enough to move my mouth anywhere I needed. You would think I would be falling every where after the surgery because that is when people are really out of it right? Wrong! An hour before I was unable to dress myself, put my shoes on and Aaron and my brother-in-law Don had to carry me to the car on the way to the dentist office. and carry me into the office to sit on the chair. It was all a very odd experience i remember the surgery but I don't remember anything before or after. I do however remember passing out in the bathroom hallucinating that my rather tall brother-in-law was a giraffe and the three younger boys of the family were in a caterpillar costume. I don't know why my mind thought of giraffes and caterpillars but I guess the mind does weird things sometimes. the best part of the whole experience was when afterwards my face felt like it had a case of elephantitis from all the numbing, and the fact that I had to double check that cups of water were against my mouth because otherwise I would spill it all over my lap. Now I am grateful that Mark did because if any other dentist did it I know I would have severe bruising all over my previously pleasantly plump cheeks. Well as you can see it was a rather interesting thanksgiving and today is the first day I haven't had any need to take a massive amount of pain killers! I thought the pain would never end. My cheeks are still a little extra round and i have yet to eat solid food so i am constantly hungry and jealous of the lucky people eating around me. Aaron was amazing and rarely left my side and sense I didn't sleep for three days because of the awful pain I was in sadly neither did he. but he was always willing to run to the kitchen at 3 in the morning to get me another ice pack or dose of pain killers that in my opinion wore off much too quickly. It was defiantly a memorable holiday and I am very grateful that wisdom teeth never grow back, because I never want to do that again!

I hope everyone Had a wonderful Thanksgiving that they will never forget! But if i may suggest something, never wait five years to get your wisdom teeth pulled and don't do it the day before thanksgiving, you will either end up with four impacted extra large teeth or you will just end up slurping mash potatoes and gravy! neither are a good outcome trust me!

Graduation

2010-09-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Aaron graduated!!! I was so proud of him! He made me so happy to be able to see him walk. I wanted nothing more than to see him walk. It was a great accomplishment. Here are a few pictures of the weekend. The ones at the bottom are of the honors luncheon we went to with Aaron's mom! It was such a fun day! I love Aaron so much enjoy the pictures!!

Survey Results

2010-08-10T09:23:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, Jaimie's probably not gonna like this, but I'm doing it anyway. Here's a link to see some of the cool survey results. You should probably take the survey before you look though, otherwise it may bias your answers.

http://survey.qualtrics.com/CP/Report.php?RP=RP_3HOdufySLWi5f0g

Our Little home!

2010-07-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have had a few people complain that i don't blog enough so I thought it would be a good idea to take a few pictures of our apartment! We both feel so blessed to have found such an amazing apartment. We love it so much and have been able to make it feel more like a home now that we have decorated. I still feel like I have a little tweaking to do but for now I am happy with the results of my first time decorating alone.

And now for your tour!

This is our bedroom which really needs quite a bit of my attention but I still need to find a cheap way to decorate and i have learned that I am drawn to the finer more expensive things for the home. I am determined to one Saturday drag Aaron to all the, apparently cool, thrift stores in salt lake and pick out some cool accessories for the bedroom! who knows maybe some good old fashion yard sales will do the trick.

our dining area slash piano room is my favorite part of our apartment even though its a little crowed for two people. It is so great to be able to get ready in the morning and hear Aaron playing the piano. I love to be able to see him enjoy his favorite things whenever he wants. Its also an added bonus because I can now practice for voice every day.

Our living room. I had a surprisingly difficult time decorating the room. The walls are too big!! but I think I was able to pull it together rather nicely and the best part about this room is that the coffee table and end table were only $30!!! Yeah that right I found something cheap for the house!
My kitchen, oh how I love to create fun new things in here! This is my own little art studio! It may be small but it gets the job done. I still have a ways to go in the decorating department here though. i am trying to give a 50's feel with a hint of yellow. so far no yellow but i have the cool clock to give it the 50's diner feel.

Moving on to Aaron's favorite part. this is our Porch, and in the evenings we will come out and light all the candles and either read or just enjoy the occasional thunder storms. Even though our view is the on ramp to i15 it is still a relaxing place to sit no matter how unfortunate the view.

This is the bed for our new little guest! but I have learned she prefers either my lap or pillow directly next me or Aaron. Since Aaron works at home and I work in Salt Lake they get to spend a lot of time together so she will often choose to be near Aaron over me, but this my fingers get licked less so I don't complain.

The best birthday present ever!!!!! we went to the laundry mat once and I couldn't handle it took too long cost too much and was just all around inconvenient and didn't even dry our clothes. So I received a lovely gift from a lovely husband! Yeah he loves me alright. Don't worry they are used very very used. The bathroom. I spent so much on the shower curtain that I couldn't throw it away and I like it and luckily Aaron thinks its fun so instead of having a calm neutral bathroom it is hot pink, black and white. and you know what i think its pretty down right cool! not to mention we have towels with P's embroidered on them! they were a pretty awesome wedding present!

Well that's our home and I promise I will do a better job keeping up the blog even when I don't have anything good to say! I love you all!

WEDDING!!!!

2010-05-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know how amazing Kimmy Conley is then you will for sure know by the time the wedding comes around because it will blow everyones mind! I swear I am not being a snobby bride that thinks her wedding is better than everyones but it will be amazing!!!! And it wont be like any Utah wedding you have ever seen!

There is only one thing that i am doing that every other LDS girl does. We are getting married in the Salt Lake City Temple. I just can't help but want to get married there it is so beautiful and my parents were married there I can't help but feel sentimental.

Pierpont Place is where we are having the reception!!! Its a great venue with just a blank canvas to work with. with every event it looks like a new place I cant wait to see how it looks for mine!

Did I mention the belly dancers? we will be having belly dancers dancing the night away while we have our amazing dinner. For those who have wanted to go to Morocco but couldn't no worries because I am bringing it to you!

The amazing Cedars of Lebanon will be catering our dinner! The food is amazing and you will want to eat there everyday after wards.

The wedding will be amazing and my dress is fabulous! It is going to be the perfect day! Aaron will look handsome and luckily he will be able to get rid of any nerves i will be feeling. He is so amazing I cant wait to have everyone I love meet him!

Sardines, Rivers and Long hikes = happiness

2010-05-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

For those who are wondering why Sardine equal happiness its more Cannery Row makes happiness which is where many Sardines were or are still canned. Cannery Row is also A famous book written by Steinbeck. Well to move on with why sardines make me happy it is because recently i had the opportunity to go to Monterey CA with Aaron for a day while we were visiting his family in Auburn. It was such a lovely trip. We were able to walk up and down Cannery Row and walk through some really cool stores. We also were able to go to the Aquarium!!! I love aquariums they are the best things to go see. Aaron was so amazing the whole time! we had so much fun! we saw jellyfish which were Aaron's favorite but the sea horses were my favorite but that is obvious i guess i really am just a horse girl at heart! I will warn you this blog is a little picture heavy and very few words but in my opinion those are the best kind so enjoy!

We had such a great time at the aquarium! although Aaron was eaten by a shark by the time we left! But then he broke out and know has the jaws as a prize!

For some of our fun adventures we went on two hikes! i was able to get a few pictures they were both so much fun! The beginning of hike number one! I was so excited for the first time ever i was actually dressed properly for a hike!Aaron's sister Barbara was so nice and took us on a hike that she has been on a few time with the younger boys. out of the two hikes this was by far my favorite.

we passed a mini water fall! well really it was just run off from the snow but it felt so good! and it was pretty!

yay to waterfalls! they are so beautiful. anytime a hike results in a waterfall it is definitely worth any pain i might feel the nest day. Yay to the cool things that on can find on a hike! i love taking pictures! this blue belly lizard was awesome it stayed in this protective stance for a good five minutes.the hike was beautiful and we hound all kinds of fun stuff. yeah the lizard was fun but these flowers grown on the rocks and they were so interesting. They felt like cactus just without the needles.

The second hike we went on was Steven's trail! it was such a lovely day. i didn't get very many pictures but i was able to get a few. so enjoy! Aaron thought it would be a good idea for him to climb up the waterfall all the way to the top! i was a little nervous he would fall but he was safe the whole time.The hike was so pretty! at part of the hike we passes a water fall! Aaron and i climbed up to get our picture taken in it.Dallon, Ammon and Aaron all jumped in the river at the bottom of Stevens trail but Dallon was by far the most enthusiastic about it! he did a countdown and everything! he is such a cutie and love those boys.

next it was Ammon. the water was freezing cold I don't know how they did it!

The boys finally got Aaron to go in but he wasn't nearly as brave as the other two! he didn't want to get his hair wet! but we finally convinced him to put his head under! But the worst part was when he gave me a hug he was so cold i am so happy i didn't jump in! Its the end!!! I am a new and improved hiking girl!

I love to go to California and the great part about it all is that I am able to get to know Aaron's family a little more every time i visit. Aaron has been able to get to know my family so well and has to be around them so often. I almost feel like we are cheating in a way. I had such a great time with his family. Barbara was so much fun to be with, it was the first time I ever got to spend time with her and all the younger boys are all so different from the first time I met them.

We always make so many memories when ever we go to California and we love being able to go back!!! Hopefully one day we will be able to own a ranch in Loomis like we both want to do! It would be so fun and it is such a great town! Sorry to all my southern California friends but Northern California is so much better and because i grew up in Southern California i am aloud to say which is better and my friends northern is so much better.

We had such a great time on the trip! I hope you all enjoyed the pictures as much as i enjoyed taking them!

THE RING!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

I know this post is long over due especally since aaron and I have been engaged since february abd we are getting married next month! YAY! but of course i have to post it anyways because it is the most amazing ring ever!!!!The picture doesnt nearly do it justice because the flash hides all the beautiful design on the side but these were the best two pictures I could get!

Its a ruby!!! I always wanted a colored stone for my wedding ring and I got it! Isn't Aaron the best in the whole world!

SCHOOL, SCHOOL, SCHOOL!!! and NEWS NEWS NEWS

2010-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I feel like the semester will never end! I am so tired and so ready for my summer to come. Luckily i have a million things to keep my mind occupied to make the semester end quickly, NOT! everything on my mind makes it go slower! All i can think about is our wedding. last time it wasn't this hard. I constantly have other things on my mind making school impossible to concentrate on and on top of it all i am going to be competing with horses all summer. i think the semester should end this second! Oh man it didn't happen i guess i have to wait until the end of April.

Well for the new information i have regarding me and Aaron, we have been apartment hunting for so long and it has been driving me crazy! My mom told me that if i don't take fancy then she will give her away to a new family and i wasn't going to stand for that and Aaron felt bad for me so he said that Fancy will live with us! Awesome! So we have been trying to find a pet friendly complex and that is not easy my friends not easy at all. There is no where in Provo that allows dogs and byu approved housing is so expensive to live in so that isn't an option. So we ditched Provo and went to look in Orem near UVU. We looked at so many apartments but one was a run down tiny apartment for 850 a month for 1 bed 1 bath! how ridiculous! so we kept looking but we had almost given up on the idea to find housing that would allow a dog it seemed impossible and we thought if we ever found a place then there was no way we would ever be able to afford it so instead we decided to drive around Oren to try and find a complex that we were unable to find on line. And guess what we drove past a beautiful complex where real families live, and very few students! We went to talk to the manager and she gave us a list of prices and you will never guess what they allowed, ok well maybe you can guess they allow pets under 30lbs luckily Fancy only ways 2lbs! And they had a two bed one bath for 740 a month! we took a tour of the apartment and I fell in love! it was beautiful and it was huge! there was a dining area and a living room and the main bedroom can fit my queen size bed plus all my bedroom furniture! the living room can fit real living room furniture and it has room for more than one couch. This apartment is a wonderland! it is so beautiful and it has a balcony right next to the Dining room! Its a dream come true. the kitchen had counters for me to work on and there was a dishwasher! I think i am in love.
So i called a few days later to see if anything had opened since the last time we came in a a top floor apartment with VAULTED ceilings had just opened and would be available for move in 30 days after we sign the lease! so we went to get all the paper work needed to apply for the apartment and scrapped up enough money for the deposit and the application fees. Which unfortunately made a large dent in both of our checking accounts but we both decided it was well worth it! We have recently been informed that we are basically approved and all we need to bring in are pay stubs for proof of income! I am so excited to move in and decorate however i want! I hope they will let me paint! I am hoping we will have the lease signed by the end of the week. Keep you fingers crossed for us!

The cat is out of the bag!

2010-03-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

I couldn't hold in the surprise any longer! Aaron knows what we are doing for our reception so why not tell everyone else. Now everyone needs to promise to keep an open mind because this is going to be a very different wedding especially for the LDS culture. The reception will be at the Peirpont Place in salt lake city. The venue is a blank slate and you all know how the Conley girls love to be creative and unique so a blank slate is exactly what we need. My brilliant sister Megan get the credit for the brilliant idea! We are having a Moroccan wedding!!! It is going to be so colorful and the food is amazing. Cedars of Lebanon will be doing are catering and we will be getting married in the salt lake temple.
Our reception is going to be so amazing! We will have dinner and dancing and amazing music! the best way to describe the idea meg and I had behind the wedding is to just watch either the remake of a little princess or Casablanca! Unfortunately we wont have Sam playing for us like rick did but that is the kind of Music we will have so come prepared to dance and have amazing Delicious food.
I can't wait to see everyones faces when they walk in the room! Be prepared for a treat while we all eat dinner!!! Can't wait to see you there so we can have a party!

We are engaged!!!

2010-02-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

I do realize that Aaron and have been engaged for a couple weeks but most people who need this blog found out through me immediately or through Aaron because everyone seemed to be in on the plan. and seeing how Aaron and I have been down this road once before I wasn't sure if it was really necessary for me to blog about it. However seeing how this is definitely the last time i will be engaged i thought is was appropriate for me to tell you all how it happened without Aaron trying to sugar coat it. The other reason I am blogging about it is because I love keeping my amazing cousin Becky in the loop and I know she reads my blog on occasion.
In December Aaron and I had officially been dating for a year! He had a wonderful evening planned. He made reservations fro the roof and we spent the evening walking around temple square looking at the lights just like we did on our first date. well little did he know that two months before I had called the roof to make reservations because i wanted to propose to him that night. i thought it was only fair seeing as he already did it once. Without me ever mentioning anything about my plans he made it very clear that he didn't want me to propose to him because he didn't want to tell his sons for the rest of his life that their mom proposed to their dad. Understanding his view i called the roof and cancelled my reservations. he still doesn't know any of this so keep it on the down low but i guess if I don't want him to find out it probably shouldn't be posted on the world wide web for all to see, oh well. So anyways because I wasn't able to be engaged the day i wanted to I had to wait and wait and wait! It was the longest two months of my life! Once February hit I would cry almost everyday terrified that he didn't want to marry me. He would laugh and say he loves me and to just trust him, he even took me to look at rings! You would think that i would be smart enough to put the two together but no i was just CRAZY!!!! Well even though i wasn't going to be engaged i had an appointment to try on dress at Alta Moda Bridal Salon on February 13th. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, there was a truck show going on for Ann Barge's new Spring line and she was going to be there! She never goes to her shows she always sends a rep! So I said i don't care i am going to get a dress by Ann Barge and meet her. Well even though I was so excited about dress shopping I knew they would ask me when I was getting married and i knew i wouldn't have an answer! It made me less excited you wants to try on wedding dresses when they aren't even a bride yet. so weeks went by and i continued to cry because I really wanted to marry Aaron and just get the show on the road but I was really scared that he decided he didn't want to get married yet.
The morning of the 13th came and I had to meet my mom and sister in salt lake at 8am because they wanted to have breakfast before my appointment. My roommates and I both arrive at Mimi's Cafe and when we get there I see my dad, Daniel and Riley all at the table, with 3 dozen roses and 22 beautiful tulips that my mom said my dad brought for her. So I was annoyed by this point because i told Aaron he couldn't come because it was a girls day and here are all these men!!! The light bulb still hadn't gone off. Well as I am sure you all can tell Aaron showed up and gave me a huge hug and had me sit right in front of a large wrapped box and inside that large wrapped box was a small white box! i was so excited because i just knew that my ring was in it, he got down on one knee i opened the box and the ring was taped to the bottom of the box where it said be my valentine, and as Aaron spoke he said" Jaimie will you...be my valentine?" they ring inside was an $8 ring from walmart that i called beautiful because I really believed that was all he could afford, but let me tell you it wasn't beautiful at all! But i acted like I loved it because i only cared that we were getting married. However, Megan chimes in and says "isn't that funny a fake proposal?" yeah i know I am stupid but i looked up and pulled my menu over my face and began to cry, no not cry sob! It was the worst way to start my morning! Well the waitress bring Aaron another box that was intended to be brought out after my dinner but the sobbing was to pathetic that he didn't think he should wait so my dad went to the waitress and told them they would need the box a little sooner than they thought. So after 10 minutes of sobbing behind the menu the waitress was able to get the box out of the safe. he got down on his knee again but i told him if this was a joke it isn't funny and he opened the box and asked if i would marry him with quite a bit of worry in his voice. of course I said yes and the sad tears became happy ones but after I smiled and gave him a kiss i made sure to give a good punch in the arm for being such a guy.
So there you have it! that is how Aaron and I got engaged! My ring is beautiful with an amazing ruby in the center! i promise I will have pictures up as soon as possible.

I am almost there!!!

2010-02-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

For those who think I'm nuts I swear I only set a number so i will do it! So don't you fret Cris there wont be any whithering away here. i have officially lost 10 pounds!! woo hoo! and at my dress fitting i was a size four in wedding dress sizes! is that awesome or what? eating healthy really seem to pay off, and i am not as tired and I feel healthy too. Its a miracle! I currently way 130 I am still hoping to loose a little more. When Aaron and I first started dating I weighed 124 but the silly boy stated to feed me. So I would like to weigh at least that much but if my boobs start shrinking then i will have a problem.
Eating healthy has been great but this whole no wheat thing sucks!!!! I cant even have pasta and who want gluten free bread! ummm yuck not me. So has I near my goal weight i have been much happier. which Aaron also likes because this way I don't complain about not looking as pretty as I did when we started dating. I am chugging along and loving but i really miss my bread!

Current weight 130
weight left to loose 5-10 pounds!

Project: Lose 20 pounds!

2010-02-09T11:20:00.001-08:00

As the winter comes to an end, I realized that means summer is only around the corner which also means bathing suits!!!! Eek. My starting weight was 140 I have been working on the project for a little over a week now. My current weight is 134. I am only blogging about my so called project so i will actually go through with it. so here are my goals!

lose 20 pounds
goal weight 120
run a mile a day
30 sit ups a day
eat three meals a day
no more eating after 7
no bread/wheat
no candy
have yohgurt when I need a snack
have the wieght lost by March 1st

remaining weight to lose: 15 pounds

Time for me to be able to get into my Itty Bitty yellow polk-a-dot bikini! Wish me luck and don't worry I will keep you updated.

The best Thanksgiving ever!!!!

2009-12-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

For thanksgiving My whole family and Aaron went to Chino Hills, California. We got to do som many fun thing like go to Disneyland, Canters Deli, grabber olive farms, and LA to show Aaron and Whit all the attractions the tourists take part in when they visit our wonderful home!

This is Aaron and I at the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. We had such a wonderful time, I was so excited to go with Aaron!

And the best part was the Haunted mansion was nightmare before Christmas theme!!!

The castle was finally finished and look how beautiful covered in lights! i was so excited to see it lit! it may be silly but it almost brought me to tears I thought it was so pretty! Ok it was definitely silly but I loved it so much!

We also went to the mans Chinese theater in LA where all the stars have put there hand prints. And I was lucky enough to find one with all the Harry Potter stars! how lucky is that?!

We also went to canters and was the most amazing breakfast/lunch of my life! if you like Reuben, you must go to canters it will make it impossible for you to ever enjoy another Reuben sandwich again!

So that was out thanksgiving! We had a wonderful time visiting and showing Aaron where i grew up, i love chino hills and i hope it doesn't change too much more!

Meet Lola every one!!!

2009-11-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

This, My friends is Lola! Yes I did name my care because in my opinion everyone should name there own car! Well at least girls, it would be a little weird if a guy named his car Lola. Maybe even a little creepy! Now that I think of it only girls should name their car. Now if it was boat that would be different. Anyways back to Lola, She is a red SX4 Crossover with AWD.

This is my key. It is a smartpass so all you need to have it in the cup holder and you don't need to put the key in the ignition to turn it on its so awesome!!!

It also has fog lights!!! Cool huh?!

I also have a GPS system with bluetooth!!!!

It also has a six CD player and even the stereo is cute!!!

And here is my steering wheel with all the cool nifty gadgets!!!

We are still alive.

2009-11-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

For the few people who actually read this blog I thought I would let you know that Aaron and I are still alive and since the only people I believe to read any of the silly things that have been written here are family members, I assume you are already aware of our well being. I don't really have a point for this blog anymore but since I am too big of a lazy butt to get rid of it, I have decided to use it. I think i have actually decided to do something that takes more time than just quickly erasing the blog. Oh well i never said my choice made sense.
As i sit in the computer lab at school and decide to spend time writing a blog than reading a 700 page book that needs to be finished by Tuesday along with a 7 page paper. I realize that my fellow students are quite odd. one girl who is still sporting her Hogi Yogi visor with pride while she chows down on a twelve inch sandwich in her hand and some how is able to type with the other hand without getting whatever disgusting smelly sauce she has on her sandwich all over the computer. I must say i am impress at her devotion both to her food and what ever she is doing on the computer, my guess would be facebook. I have noticed that every person in the lab is either on facebook or YouTube. Every few minutes a notice will pop up on every ones computer saying "If you are not doing any school related work we ask you to leave." I am so happy to know that I am not the only liar that ignores the message and keeps on browsing the web until my next class, which unfortunately isn't for another 2 hours.
The guy in the computer next to me keeps peaking his head over my monitor and as soon as i look up and notice him he ducks right back down. Its a little creepy actually, who knows maybe there is something on my face.
If anyone ever is looking for some good people watching they could just come to UVU and sit in the halls all day wondering if someone is a guy or a girl. As i say how odd my fellow students are I can only imagine they are saying the same about me, as I wear shirt that is perfect for fall because it sadly resembles a pumpkin or squash, which ever you prefer really. Aaron being the sweety that he is says its a pumpkin shirt in October and a squash the other 11 months of the year. I was tempted to make some sort of stem and leaf for a hat for Halloween. It would have been one of the cheapest costume, but since i wear the shirt on days besides October 31st I decided against it so it wouldn't be forever known as the pumpkin shirt. Unfortunately I fear it has already received the reputation from teasing and from the fact that it is now on the world wide web.
For all those who may take this post seriously I ask you not to. This is all just bored rambling to help me entertain myself and if i entertain others in the process then good on me right? and I assure you i mean half of it, well maybe more I don't know I am undecided. I will post of few pictures of Aaron and I on here seeing as how the blog was intended for us. I will probably begin to update you on our fun happenings and all that jazz, but until then i say goodbye!

Festival of colors

2009-04-02T13:10:00.001-07:00

Aaron and I went to the festival of Colors. It was so fun to see all the beautiful colors of chalk go up at once. Aaron and I weren't able to get any chalk sadly so we decided to sit back and just watch. So i thought I would show you all some of the fun pictures we took.This picture was taken right outside the temple. It was so nice outside. i cant remember the last time I could wear short sleaves without freezing.

We had to take our shoes off to go inside the temple. As soon as you walked in you could smell the amazing looking food! I wanted some so bad but we already had dinner plans with my family. :( And then people start to through the colors!

There was so many color I couldnt believe it! With all the chalk in the air it was hard to breath but it was so fun to watch everything. I was so surprised to see people with babies down where all the chalk was being thrown I though that people would think but I guess not everyone uses their brain as regularly as they should.

Flowers Flowers and more Flowers

2009-04-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Aaron is the sweetest! He got me flowers for every day last week and got me more yesterday! So i thought I would show you all my beautiful flowers and brag about how amazing the man I am going to marry is!!!!This is the beautiful varity of flowers that i have been lucky enough to recieve!!! he has had to by me three vases though because i wasnt prepared for a multitude of flowers in such a short period of time.
Aaron made sure that the flowers were diffrent every day. I think he might be running out of kinds soon. He knows way more about flowers than I do. I know that i am always getting a quality flower every time he brings them to me.

These came yesterday with a red rose inside. I loved how the white and the red looked together it was so amazing to see how the red stood out.

I love colorful flowers and my roomates love it too because our apartment looks so homey with all the lovely flowers! I feel so loved all the time.

My favorite rose every and was lucky enough to get two!!! Oh my man sure does love me. My favorite part of getting flowers is seeing Aarons face when he walks out and he has a look of triumph but also the same face a little boy makes when he is embarrassed because he knows that he will get a big reaction out of his sweet actions.

He saved the roses for last because he know they are my favorite. My favorite rose is an orange rose and he got me two on friday. You always should save the best for last! Right?

Wedding plans!

2009-03-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have booked our reception hall. We are having our reception at Northampton House in American Fork. It's so beautiful. It's an Old LDS church that was built in 1903. It is beautiful and i got lucky with a great guy who is letting me pick everything. He wants me to be happy but luckily everything I have shown him he has loved as much as I have.

We are getting married July 18, 2009 in the Timpanogos Temple at 12:00pm. Originally we wanted to get married in the Salt Lake City Temple but it was closed, so instead we decided to get married a little closer and this way I will be lucky enough not to have to get up at 5am to get my hair and make-up done. Aaron and I are both very excited to be married and can't wait to share such a special day with all of our friends and family.

The Proposal

2009-03-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I are engaged! He asked me last night at a beautiful restaurant called Log Haven. It was an amazing dinner and I didn't expect anything so amazing. I loved every minute, and he did everything perfectly. After we ordered dessert he held my left hand and started playing with my fingers. He said that if we got married he would probably want to wait a year, still playing with my fingers he said "but what if..."and just stared at my hand hand and said "what if i got on one knee and said I wanted to be with you forever?" As he was on his knee he opened up a little black box and inside was the most amazing ring that i had ever seen! After he asked me I told him that I wanted to be with him forever too. He put the ring on my finger and we exchanged a kiss. I can't wait to keep all of you updated as we plan the wedding and the events that happen in our own little world.