Hello everyone!
So Jeff and I have been getting settled in here in beautiful St. George, Utah. The weather has been absolutely wonderful-warm temperatures, sunny skies, I couldn't ask for better weather! After spending years in the frozen north, this Alaska girl is happy to be spending time in a warm place for the unforeseeable future!
Jeff has been attending Dixie State, where he is pursuing a pre-dental degree. His favorite class is Interpersonal Communication's...I'm his test dummy for everything haha but it's been a good learning process for both of us as we have started our marriage. It's really made me personally stop and think about things before I say or do them.
I was lucky enough to find a job as a Medical Assistant with Desert Pain Specialists. As usual, I seemed to luck into the job and have been trying to pick everything up every since. There has been so much to learn, but I have been loving every second of it. Because I have found such a wonderful job, at this time Jeff and I have discussed it and decided that I will not be going back to Alaska this next summer to work, it breaks my heart to think of not returning but sometimes you do what you have to do. Jeff will be going back up to work because let's be honest, he can just make a lot more money in Alaska than he could in Utah!
So last weekend we went to a water-park in Las Vegas with Jeff's cousin Emily and her boyfriend Mike. I had never been to one before and it was a BLAST!!! We were able to soak up some awesome sunshine, and the best part was we were able to use a Groupon and got a KILLER DEAL!!!! I love Groupon! Hahaha! There was a huge lazy river with inter-tubes, a wave pool with inter-tubes, and a whole bunch of slides. Some of them you could only go on individually, others you could go on in pairs. We had fun racing with Emily and Michael and then soaking up some sunshine afterwards!
This weekend we went up to Provo, Layton, and Salt Lake for Jeff's mission reunion and then for general conference. I was able to meet Jeff's mission companions and hear their stories, attend conference at the conference center, and then to top it off, we were able to stay with Cherise and her awesome family! I haven't seen Cherise in about a year and a half, and I haven't seen Davis or Abby for two years. It was so wonderful to spend some time with them, and for Jeff to meet them. We were able to catch up on what's happened in our lives since we last saw each other, share some laughs. It was awesome! We'll be heading back up that way in a few weeks again as one of Jeff's mission buddies will be getting married.
It was so cool getting to experiencing attending conference with Jeff, he had never been to the conference center, haha I don't think he realized just how big it really was until we were inside! Afterwards we met up with Kaitlyn (she came from Arizona with some of her friends) and my cousin Zach! Again we were able to catch up with each other and what we have been doing since the wedding a couple of months ago.
It's absolutely CRAZY to think we have been married for a little over two months now. Some days it's surreal because it doesn't seem like it's been that long and other days it's surprising because it feels like it should be a lot longer. Just within the past month we have packed up our lives, driven all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska down to St. George, Utah; I have gotten a job; we've taken a couple of small road trips, and moved into our own little home. It's truly incredible to see how blessed we truly have been. I have loved every second of it and am so grateful to have found the love of my life!
This month is going to be a pretty busy one for us, we have a couple more "road trips" planned so we will keep you posted on here of what is going on in our lives.
Lots of love,
Ashlyn and Jeff
Monday, October 6, 2014
Friday, May 9, 2014
Once upon a time....
Once upon a time there was a boy (we'll call him Jeff) who chose to serve a mission for his church. While serving on his mission, Jeff grew leaps and bounds, learning more not only about himself, but also about his faith and what it really meant to be a follower of Christ. About 5 months before Jeff was supposed to come home, his dad past away in a plane crash. Jeff flew home to be with his family and to attend the funeral.
Unbeknownst to him, one of his fellow mission companions (his name can be Tyson) had asked a girl (we'll call her Ashlyn) to attend the funeral in his stead as he couldn't be there (he was going to school in Utah) but wanted the family to know that he wished he could be.
So Ashlyn went to the funeral; she had met Dr. Tanner once before and had been introduced to Jeff once or twice. Tyson had asked that her to give the Tanner family a hug and tell them he was thinking of them and she said she would if it was possible. After the funeral was over, Ashlyn told one of her friends that she would only go and give them hugs if they were accessible (not tons of people waiting to speak/hug them as well). As soon as those words popped out of her mouth, the friend pointed behind her and said "Well there's your chance."
Ashlyn turned around and there was Jeff, so she went over and gave him a hug (after stepping on his foot...lets be honest, it can be a little awkward hugging someone you've only met a handful of times AND that is still considered a missionary!). She apologized for his loss and then passed along Tyson's message. Ashlyn then left and didn't think about the interaction again until she received a text from Tyson asking for her email. When she asked why, he responded with "Elder Tanner asked for it, idk why though."
The following Monday there was an email from Elder Tanner (he chose to complete his mission) thanking her for attending the funeral and for coming to say hello. He then said "Well we have a lot of mutual friends, and since we've only had a handful of conversations, what do you say we get to know each other a little better?" Unbeknownst to Ashlyn, this kid found out that she was single AND in his opinion the cutest girl. Ashlyn being all naive and innocent thought, "well sure, I could use a good friend!" The only warning she gave him was that she was NOT that good at remembering to write, so he was warned to not get offended if the responses were sporadic.
The emails flew back and forth every week, if he didn't have time for a long email, then he would send a short one and promise to write back later on during the week. The only time either of them missed an email was about two months before Jeff was supposed to come home; Ashlyn was in a head on collision with a semi-truck (obviously she lived to tell the tale.....) and Jeff was just BUSY BUSY that week. With every email that was sent, they became more and more personal for both of them. They shared daily experiences, thoughts, hopes, dreams, secrets, and more. Both Jeff and Ashlyn found it was easy to confide in the other.
It wasn't until about two weeks before Jeff was supposed to come home from his mission that Ashlyn even remotely thought there was a little something more than friendship brewing (remember she is naive and innocent); Jeff asked her if he could send her a silly form that the missionaries in his mission had. When she received the form later on in the week she was a bit flabbergasted and caught off guard by it....the form contained the following questions:
1. Does your dad own a gun
if so, how big?
2. Are your siblings bribable?
3. Where would you like to go on our first date?
a. Park b. Movies c. Park d. Fancy Dinner e. Park f. Beach g. Park
There were plenty more along those lines (like leaving three different lip impressions), however at the end there were the more important questions like:
1. What are you looking for in a future spouse?
2. Why do you want to date/marry a return missionary?
3. What do you want to be when you "grow up?"
After reading it a few times over the course of the next week, Ashlyn filled out the form. She wrote Jeff and let him know to expect lots of sass for replies to which he said "I wouldn't expect anything less!"
Three days before Jeff was supposed to come home, he let Ashlyn know what flight and time he would be home at and invited her to come if she would like. Ashlyn went back and forth right up until his flight came in on whether or not she would go to the airport. In the end she decided not to, she had never met his family (except for at the funeral) and she knew this was the first time they would be seeing Jeff since the funeral. Rather than interrupt that special moment she decided to wait.
The day after Jeff got home, Ashlyn left with some friends to go to Anchorage to attend the temple. It was the first time in almost two years since she had been, (23 months too long); instead of waiting another couple of months to go, she went ahead and left, prolonging seeing Jeff for another two days. Once Jeff was released from being an elder, the two began texting back and forth constantly (before he was released they emailed back and forth...emailing was allowed, texting not so much). When they finally saw each other for the first time, Ashlyn ran into his arms and gave him a HUGE hug! She attended his homecoming talk that same day at church, and then they went out on their first "date" that Monday (ice skating, prime rib sandwiches...they were delicious). Within a week of being home, Jeff had found himself a girlfriend AND had kissed her (he wasn't bad for taking a two year hiatus).
The next two months were pure bliss for them, life became pretty easy (well as easy as it can become). Jeff had a job pretty soon and he began settling in to a routine. It was a bit weird for him to not have his dad around but the adjustment wasn't too hard. He was grateful to have Ashlyn in his life (according to him, she is what made the adjustment a lot easier). They went on snowmachine adventures, ice park, ice skating (are you noticing a trend...the kid LOVES the winter time!). Pretty soon Jeff and Ashlyn started realizing that they couldn't imagine their lives without each other, so they decided to pray individually if they were ready to take the next step....
On 10 May 2014 Jeff asked Ashlyn to be his wife for time and all eternity (the proposal story will come at a later date).
They will be married on 26 July 2014, in the Anchorage, AK temple and then they will live happily ever after (and continue to have more adventures)!
So Ashlyn went to the funeral; she had met Dr. Tanner once before and had been introduced to Jeff once or twice. Tyson had asked that her to give the Tanner family a hug and tell them he was thinking of them and she said she would if it was possible. After the funeral was over, Ashlyn told one of her friends that she would only go and give them hugs if they were accessible (not tons of people waiting to speak/hug them as well). As soon as those words popped out of her mouth, the friend pointed behind her and said "Well there's your chance."
Ashlyn turned around and there was Jeff, so she went over and gave him a hug (after stepping on his foot...lets be honest, it can be a little awkward hugging someone you've only met a handful of times AND that is still considered a missionary!). She apologized for his loss and then passed along Tyson's message. Ashlyn then left and didn't think about the interaction again until she received a text from Tyson asking for her email. When she asked why, he responded with "Elder Tanner asked for it, idk why though."
The following Monday there was an email from Elder Tanner (he chose to complete his mission) thanking her for attending the funeral and for coming to say hello. He then said "Well we have a lot of mutual friends, and since we've only had a handful of conversations, what do you say we get to know each other a little better?" Unbeknownst to Ashlyn, this kid found out that she was single AND in his opinion the cutest girl. Ashlyn being all naive and innocent thought, "well sure, I could use a good friend!" The only warning she gave him was that she was NOT that good at remembering to write, so he was warned to not get offended if the responses were sporadic.
The emails flew back and forth every week, if he didn't have time for a long email, then he would send a short one and promise to write back later on during the week. The only time either of them missed an email was about two months before Jeff was supposed to come home; Ashlyn was in a head on collision with a semi-truck (obviously she lived to tell the tale.....) and Jeff was just BUSY BUSY that week. With every email that was sent, they became more and more personal for both of them. They shared daily experiences, thoughts, hopes, dreams, secrets, and more. Both Jeff and Ashlyn found it was easy to confide in the other.
It wasn't until about two weeks before Jeff was supposed to come home from his mission that Ashlyn even remotely thought there was a little something more than friendship brewing (remember she is naive and innocent); Jeff asked her if he could send her a silly form that the missionaries in his mission had. When she received the form later on in the week she was a bit flabbergasted and caught off guard by it....the form contained the following questions:
1. Does your dad own a gun
if so, how big?
2. Are your siblings bribable?
3. Where would you like to go on our first date?
a. Park b. Movies c. Park d. Fancy Dinner e. Park f. Beach g. Park
There were plenty more along those lines (like leaving three different lip impressions), however at the end there were the more important questions like:
1. What are you looking for in a future spouse?
2. Why do you want to date/marry a return missionary?
3. What do you want to be when you "grow up?"
After reading it a few times over the course of the next week, Ashlyn filled out the form. She wrote Jeff and let him know to expect lots of sass for replies to which he said "I wouldn't expect anything less!"
Three days before Jeff was supposed to come home, he let Ashlyn know what flight and time he would be home at and invited her to come if she would like. Ashlyn went back and forth right up until his flight came in on whether or not she would go to the airport. In the end she decided not to, she had never met his family (except for at the funeral) and she knew this was the first time they would be seeing Jeff since the funeral. Rather than interrupt that special moment she decided to wait.
The day after Jeff got home, Ashlyn left with some friends to go to Anchorage to attend the temple. It was the first time in almost two years since she had been, (23 months too long); instead of waiting another couple of months to go, she went ahead and left, prolonging seeing Jeff for another two days. Once Jeff was released from being an elder, the two began texting back and forth constantly (before he was released they emailed back and forth...emailing was allowed, texting not so much). When they finally saw each other for the first time, Ashlyn ran into his arms and gave him a HUGE hug! She attended his homecoming talk that same day at church, and then they went out on their first "date" that Monday (ice skating, prime rib sandwiches...they were delicious). Within a week of being home, Jeff had found himself a girlfriend AND had kissed her (he wasn't bad for taking a two year hiatus).
The next two months were pure bliss for them, life became pretty easy (well as easy as it can become). Jeff had a job pretty soon and he began settling in to a routine. It was a bit weird for him to not have his dad around but the adjustment wasn't too hard. He was grateful to have Ashlyn in his life (according to him, she is what made the adjustment a lot easier). They went on snowmachine adventures, ice park, ice skating (are you noticing a trend...the kid LOVES the winter time!). Pretty soon Jeff and Ashlyn started realizing that they couldn't imagine their lives without each other, so they decided to pray individually if they were ready to take the next step....
On 10 May 2014 Jeff asked Ashlyn to be his wife for time and all eternity (the proposal story will come at a later date).
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Is It Spring Yet?!
Goodness I have to wonder if this winter is going to end....I've been spoiled since I spent the last few winters in milder weather. I'm excited for my lil sis Kaitlyn, she's getting married the end of April to the love of her life. I've yet to meet the guy BUT so far I approve of what I've heard! Kaitlyn asked me to be one of her bridesmaids...so I get to go and spend over a week in BEAUTIFUL Arizona!
As we start gearing up for the summer I'm getting more and more excited! Friends will be returning and the summer adventures will begin! This summer I did decide to return to HAP Alaska-Yukon, however I will only be driving part-time during the months of May, August, and September. This will be the first summer I can actually have a breather and enjoy life and have some new Alaskan adventures. I'll be sure to document them with lots of pictures ;)
Soo I have started a new face wash regime (courtesy of work) which is going to make my face really red as the dead skin falls off and new skin comes out (kind of like a snake.... YUCK). I have been putting a little bit on the underside of my chin so that there isn't a "line" well ummmmm it appears that if you spray perfume on it ummm your skin becomes overly dried out and cracked...needless to say I'm hoping the coconut oil will help. But until it heals I will be wearing scarves to cover it up, I'm tired of having to explain to people that NO it is not a hickey, more like a chemical burn!
This upcoming weekend is our branch temple trip so that means ROAD TRIP!!! Sadly our closest temple is 300+ miles away which makes it difficult to go often, but when we do go oh boy are those trips memorable! I haven't been able to go to the temple for almost 2 years (partly because I haven't made time to do so). I'm excited to go down this weekend though, it'll be a fairly quick trip but it'll nice to get down there and do some baptisms.
Other than that, life has been pretty boring! But such is life as you grow up ;) just kidding! I can still have my moments of fun, you just have to know how to draw me out of my comfort zone.
Tootles :)
Ashlyn
As we start gearing up for the summer I'm getting more and more excited! Friends will be returning and the summer adventures will begin! This summer I did decide to return to HAP Alaska-Yukon, however I will only be driving part-time during the months of May, August, and September. This will be the first summer I can actually have a breather and enjoy life and have some new Alaskan adventures. I'll be sure to document them with lots of pictures ;)
Soo I have started a new face wash regime (courtesy of work) which is going to make my face really red as the dead skin falls off and new skin comes out (kind of like a snake.... YUCK). I have been putting a little bit on the underside of my chin so that there isn't a "line" well ummmmm it appears that if you spray perfume on it ummm your skin becomes overly dried out and cracked...needless to say I'm hoping the coconut oil will help. But until it heals I will be wearing scarves to cover it up, I'm tired of having to explain to people that NO it is not a hickey, more like a chemical burn!
This upcoming weekend is our branch temple trip so that means ROAD TRIP!!! Sadly our closest temple is 300+ miles away which makes it difficult to go often, but when we do go oh boy are those trips memorable! I haven't been able to go to the temple for almost 2 years (partly because I haven't made time to do so). I'm excited to go down this weekend though, it'll be a fairly quick trip but it'll nice to get down there and do some baptisms.
Other than that, life has been pretty boring! But such is life as you grow up ;) just kidding! I can still have my moments of fun, you just have to know how to draw me out of my comfort zone.
Tootles :)
Ashlyn
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