A Series of Fortunate Events

This time of year always makes me super nostalgic. It's the time of year I graduated high school 5 years ago, Bryan left on his mission 4 years ago, we both came back to Utah 2 years ago and I started school 1 year ago all around this time.

Do you ever think about the decisions you made or events that happened to lead you to where you are now? Like I just think about if my parents had picked a different neighborhood to live in back in 2000, I wouldn't have met Bryan and married him 14 years later. Also, if I hadn't decided to date Bryan, I may have not decided to think about seeking out my own adventure while he was serving his mission. I wouldn't have lived in San Francisco, I wouldn't have met my nanny family or some of my very best and closest friends.

Or sometimes when something didn't work out the way you'd planned, it turned out for the better. Like when I wanted to start school in February of last year but things didn't work out with my financial aid so I had to push it to May instead. If that hadn't happened, I probably wouldn't have the job I have now, or have the friends I do.

Right now, I'm super bummed because my goal was to be done with school by the end of July but I did the math and I won't actually be done until the end of September. But I'm sure there is a reason for that and something wonderful is going to happen that could only happen if my schooling got pushed back.

I also wonder how on Earth I didn't see Bryan for TWO. WHOLE. YEARS. like, what?! That is such a long time! Nowadays, I hate having to leave him for a few hours for school in the mornings. ha ha. It's kind of embarrassing. But he's just my favorite:)


We bought a truck this week. We are SO EXCITED. We cannot take it up into the mountains. Also, guess what, we are going to San Francisco in 107 days. I check my countdown every single day because I'm so excited but it turns out, that makes time go by super slow.

Have a great day and I hope everyone is enjoying this incredibly beautiful weather! And always remember this:

I couldn't resist this ^^^ Baylor insisted on rollerblading when I went on a walk with my parents tonight hahaha.

Utah Skies

The skies have been exceptionally incredible this week. Probably thanks to the nasty inversion. Oh Utah, I do love you but your air quality is sub par.

Bryan and I like to pretend we have the money to buy a house. We're constantly on KSL and Zillow finding what we like and what we would do in terms of updating and such. We even went and walked through an amazing model home. Its all in good fun. What was really fun was when the big ol' powerball jackpot was waiting to be claimed and we talked about what we'd do with all that money. But if I learned anything from Breaking Bad, (besides meth is bad) its that money doesn't fix everything. So for now, we are happy in our cute little apartment. 

I hope everyone is well. I'm a week away from taking my basic esthetics state board test, so wish me luck!!

a happy list.

I've been a bit overwhelmed the last couple weeks, I don't know what's changed but I've just felt so busy. And on top of the business this week (it's only Tuesday, what?) I've been a bit grumpy. I remembered THIS by my all time favorite blogger. So I thought I'd make my own to remind myself that I have a great life that I should be more grateful for, also because we all know how much i love a good list.

10 Things That Make Me Terribly Happy:

1. When my husband randomly texts me that he loves me. Small reminders are the greatest.
2. Getting praised for the work that I put into my job.
3. When my hard work towards my health pays off.
4. Random texts from my dad.
5. Coming home from work to see an empty sink
6. When Bryan talks about our future
7. Looking through old pictures
8. Bengal Spice Tea
9. Parks and Rec (Totally cried in the series finale)
10. Emails from my sister

HERE  is a previous happy list. in case you were wondering what else makes me happy:)

6 months later...

What? Where did the last 6 months go? Bryan and I have been married for SIX. MONTHS. Time really does fly when you're having fun. Which is all the time. I am seriously just so happy with my life right now, and I have Bryan to thank for that let me tell you 6 things I just love about him, cause I'm cheesy like that:

1- He is the HARDEST worker. I will never, ever have to worry about being taken care of because I know it's a priority of his.
2- You should see him with kids, it's adorable and it melts my heart. And then sometimes when he starts sentences with "When we have kids..." or "Let's do this with our kids.." it melts my heart even more. Even though it's usually followed with something totally ridiculous.
3- He may kill me for this one, but every night after he comes home from work, he pulls me over to his side of the bed to cuddle me.
4- He's a total dork and I love it.
5- He's so funny and not a day goes by that he doesn't make me laugh.
6- He will spend hours with my crazy family or drive for 24/48 hours because I asked him to because I'm selfish and I want to be with him and everyone else all at the same time.


I love you Bryan Scott Welty and I'm so happy that I am yours for eternity!!

(bonus #7 thing I love about him, even though he never smiles in pictures, he has the greatest most amazing smile around)

Sister's Weekend+

As I'm sure you've seen all over my Facebook and Instagram, I went on a little weekend trip to Moab with all the women on my mom's side of the family.

A little background, in February 2002, my grandparents were doing some traveling in their motorhome. My Grandpa got sick and they went to the hospital only to discover that he had cancer. Within a half an hour of finding out, my mother and her 4 sisters were on their way to the hospital. They spent a lot of time together just as sisters. My Grandpa died of cancer on February 9, 2002 in Needles, Cal.

A few years later, my mom and her 4 sister and mom decided to go on a "Sister Trip" every year around the same to get that same sister time with my grandma.

This year, all the daughters of the 5 sisters were invited. All but 4 of us were there! We travelled from Northern Utah, New Mexico and Arizona to all be together and it was such a great and uplifting weekend.

yes, we're those people. the ones who get awesome matching shirts

of course we made a paper livi

thank you to my aunts, cousins, grandma and mother for such a fun and memorable weekend!

*cliche new years post*

Wow. What an incredible year 2014 was. I've never had so many changes happen in such a short period of 365 days. Seriously, a year is not that long.

I'm not super good with change, I get really anxious and nervous. Like, sick to my stomach nervous. My first big thing was moving back to Utah from California. You should have seen me the entire week leading up to that even. While it was such a wonderful and magical week, showing my family, who drove out to get me, the city and the children I came to love more than I could ever imagine, I was kind of a nervous wreck. The whole moving home then Bryan coming home 3 weeks later thing. I seriously woke up every morning thinking I was going to puke.

But, as you very well know, all turned out fine and dandy because after the change of Bryan coming home, I had another change. You know, that thing where I got married. And what a glorious day it was. I know everyone says their wedding day was perfect but honestly, I think about my wedding day on the daily. It was the most perfect wedding that ever has been and ever will be.

You know what else I think about on the daily? My SF kids. I miss them so unbelievably much and I wish I could just walk downstairs and see them. But, I don't have a downstairs. And they live 750 miles away from me. Thank goodness for modern technology that allows me to see their cutest little faces every now and then :)

I know this is the most cliche post in the universe but here's another cliche for you: I can't wait for what this year brings.

more wedding shenannigans

the amazing jenna carlson made this for me. i'm in LOVE. she did such a great job!!

ONE MORE WEEK

i have one more week until i get to spend eternity with my best friend.

i'm not one with words but can i just say that i am ecstatic. i can't wait.

i can't wait to spend every second of my free time with him.

i can't wait to start our lives and family together.

i can't wait to wake up next to him everyday.

i even told him tonight that i can't wait to fold his laundry because that

means that we will be married.

i love him so much and i am one lucky girl :)

stop and stare part 2

we were literally everywhere the last few days. from one end of the city to the other and back. it was rainy, it was sunny. but always beautiful and always in good company. reminiscing times before maddy leaves us to go back to arizona on saturday. sleepovers, ghost stories, donuts, beaches, getting locked out of cars in the gas station (my fault), pizza, twin peaks (100 times). 

if you didn't see our music video, you should watch it. 

HERE

also, bryan OFFICIALLY comes home next month!!!

today's tender mercy

i'm HORRIBLE at reading my scriptures. i just put it off and put it off until i can't keep my eyes open then i tell myself that i'll FOR SURE read tomorrow etc... well today when i woke up, i got the kids out of the house then i came up to my room and i said a prayer and read my scriptures for a few minutes. no biggie. but then i was in an extremely good mood. so i'm thinking 'hey, i should do this everyday. read in the morning instead of at night'.

a while later, i had to walk to pick up my 3 year old from school. i walk an empty stroller a mile there and a mile back with a (very heavy) child. but my being out of shape is besides the point, today i was about a block away from the school when i get a phone call. i pick it up and a man tells me he found my purse outside where he was working and that i could pick it up on my way back.

i'm just gonna take it back to this quote again:

it's still a beautiful place and there are still good honest people in this world. and for that i am so grateful. yeah, i could have lived without my purse all that was in there was a $1 bill some lip gloss and my pepper spray. i had my card in there but i could have cancelled it. but no need because a man named matt decided to be a good person. we need more of those in this world and i hope that one day i can pay it forward. so thank you matt. and i hope that you can be blessed with a tender mercy the way i was when i answered your phone call this morning.

things i like

 this week has been rainy
 bryan gets home in 103 days
 my best friend is getting married in just a few short months
 when i'm skyping with my family my parents hold each other's hands
 the last two weeks have both been harry potter weekends
 i get to directly speak to my Heavenly Father whenever and wherever i want
 i got to experience life out of the utah bubble in the most amazing place possible
 i have the best of friends. i don't know how i made it so long out here without them
 i'm going to mexico in 3 weeks
 even though i don't always like the way i look, people still like me. and that's something i need to realize more often. and so do other people.
 my sister is hilarious and my best friend
 the fact that i move home in 19 weeks
 my hair is the longest it's ever been
 these guys and especially this song:

 when my 3 year old says "i luz you mimi. you my sazorite (favorite) mia ezer!"
 bruno mars' half time performance. he should just always dance and never stop
 when people on the street smile at me. not like, the creepy smile but the i-hope-you-have-a-great-day smile

wish upon a star

*WARNING*

prepare for extreme cheesiness but also extreme truthfulness

2 weeks ago as my plane was landing in SLC, i saw a shooting star. it was so unexpected but it was there, and i sat and thought about what i could wish for. and you know what i came up with? nothing. absolutely nothing. i have everything i need. 

i have an amazing family. 

the best job i could ever ask for and everything that comes with it, my bosses and kids and this beautiful city

my friends. i'm so blessed with such fantastic friends.

my boyfriend that i love so much and somehow manages to treat me like a princess even 2000 miles away

this gospel that brings me so much joy and comfort

so thanks everyone for giving me everything i need. and also for letting me be cheesy for a sec.

now i get to be cliche and tell you my new year resolution. just one. and it is to read more. scriptures, books, magazines, news, blogs, whatever. i just want to spend less time watching gossip girl and more time imagining what the divergent compound looks like.

cheers.

happy Christmas

from the stevens family

knowledge is happiness

if you've talked to me in the last 6 months you know what has been going on in my life and that things have been a little stressful. for the sake of my nanny family's privacy i'm not going to spill out details but through it all i'm just feeling so thankful for the knowledge i have of the gospel.

i'm thankful for eternal families. i'm grateful for eternity period. while i have admitted once or twice that the thought of eternity scares me to death, i really am grateful for it.

i'm thankful for the angels that comfort us in times of need. whether they know they are comforting us or not. but it's even more amazing when they don't know what they're doing for you, because that means they are so in tune to the spirit that they just know.

i'm thankful for my parents for bringing me up in this gospel and for being such strong examples for me and for getting married and sealed in the temple so that i can be with them forever.

i forget about all these things sometimes but when i remember them, it's overwhelming and so humbling.

socal skies

so as most of you know, i spent my thanksgiving in la quinta, california. for those of you who don't know, it's about 2 hours southeast of L.A. it was a beautiful week, a bit colder than usual but still warmer than SF, and utah, obvi. you'll notice most of these pictures are of the sky, well, cause the sky was beautiful the entire week.

(^^ i promise it's sparkling cider^^)

even though i spent the last night puking my guts out, i'd say it was still a pretty great trip.