Babysittin fools

{I promise if you can make it through this whole post it will be worth it}

Last week Am and I were asked to babysit for a friend of a friend. We obviously accepted and were excited to spend time around kiddos. Well we showed up to the house (keep in mind.. not knowing anyone there).. and literally  walked into a mad house. Turns out the family was only down here for the weekend; grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, and all. The two grandchildren (ages 3 yr, and 18 months) were SCREAMING bloody murder. It was apparent that they were NOT happy about their mother leaving and both were having complete breakdowns. awesome. The mother ran out the door (ya know one of those situations where she just had to leave or else it would get worse).. and 2 minutes later, there we stood. Alone. In some random house. with two tantrum throwing toddlers.

I headed toward the 3 year old boy, and tried to take his mind off his mom leaving, all while Ammon headed toward the 18 month old girl screaming while eating (more like covered in) a chocolate donut. After a few minutes of no change, I looked at Am and we immediately knew that maybe we should switch. So switch we did. While i cleaned up the little tot, [still screaming nonetheless] ammon somehow miraculously got the little boy to calm down. WTH. 

Finally after about ten minutes they both settled down. These two kids were CUTIES. seriously. The boy, Owen, was BOY through and through. All he wanted to do was tackle and wrestle with Ammon. It was the cutest thing ever. And the little girl, Leela, was as prissy as an 18 month old girl can get. She had her little fake makeup bag, with fake blowdryer (yes it did turn on, and yes i had the same one when i was little) comb, and curling iron. She would not let those things out of her sight! She had her little lipstick, and if the lid wasn't on she would flip! "LID LID LID?" It was so tender. She would just sit there as I pretended to do her hair, and all the while Ammon was getting plummeted into the ground. Hilarious. These kids were adorable to say the least.

We turned on Ice Age, and 5 minutes later I look over and see this:

We were both exhausted..this was the night of moving day :)

Tell me it is not the sweetest thing you have ever seen? Keep in mind these kids had only known us for a few hours. Poor Owen was dead asleep for the whole movie, and cute Leela fought and fought her sleepiness. She sat on my lap wide eyed, but yet so exhausted she couldn't even keep her head up.

I will tell you.. the cutest thing of the whole night was when momma walked in the door. There Leela sat, half asleep on my lap, and as soon as the door opened, "Momma! Momma" in her cute little binky filled mumbled 1 year old language. When her mom finally walked through the door.. She literally burst into tears and started bawling all over again, saying "mommy! Mommy!". She was SO happy to see her mom, and I could tell her mom felt the exact same. It was the most tender moment ever. I cannot wait to have that for myself someday. But for now, I just like watching my cute husby play with little kids. They absolutely LOVE him, and although they can never say his name (we've heard it all.. from Abmon, to Ashley, to Am-MONE, to Amos) he is always the favorite. That's why we are ecstatic that we have been called to teach in primary again.. this time, the 6 year olds!

Mi casa es su casa

Welp the house is finally coming together. In one short week our house went from this:




To this:

ignore the vacuum.

I just wish I could say the same thing about our room! BOXES. EVERYWHERE.

Obviously first things were first.. the tree had to go up. So.. with our house a jumbled mess, we unpacked the tree and up she went! I love the feeling of Christmas, and I love the cute ornaments my mother got us! Can't wait to get more next year.

Guys. I love or house. It is so perfect. Things are still messy, but gradually getting put away.  Eventually I will dare putting holes in the walls.. but for now, I just want everything organized. We went to church on Sunday and we felt soo welcomed. We had more people come talk to us than we EVER did in our last ward. We have been told that our ward has 4 nursery's... OK what!? and after sacrament we realized how.. It was literally a MAD dash to primary. I cannot even tell you how blessed and grateful we feel to be living in such a great area! Now we just need some visitors.

Tender Memories

So the other night Am and I were cuddled up in bed.. We had just watched Twilight [i know i am a horrible wife for making him watch these movies with me..] and Am was dead asleep. There i was, laying on his chest and the most overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me. It was one of those moments where I felt so incredibly lucky to have him as my husband, to have him forever, and my heart was just overflowing with love for him. I felt so inadequate to be his wife, and I began saying a silent prayer thanking my Heavenly Father for blessing me with the most amazing man as my husband, when I was reminded of an experience I had last fall.

The experience went something like this.. I had been fasting for 3 sundays straight for guidance in my relationship at the time. I was confused, miserable, and unsure why. I remember coming home from church soo frustrated that I had felt absolutely NO direction with where I was supposed to go, what i was supposed to do, and why I hadn't received any answer. I went straight downstairs to my bedroom where i literally collapsed on the floor in frustration and sadness. I was a bawling mess, but I slowly began to pray to my Savior. For the first time, instead of asking "who"..I told him the qualities I wanted in my husband, the things that were most important for him to have, the type of family I wanted, the things I wanted to accomplish, my deepest and most private desires.  It was a long genuine prayer filled with lots of tears and humility. As soon as I closed my prayer, a simple thought came into my head "that's Ammon." And at that second, I knew that my Savior was right.

Time proved to complicate things, and i quickly forgot the experience I had that Sunday. But as i was reminded this week, I vowed to never forget that experience again. I was reminded of all the things I asked for.. the things i told my Savior I wanted.. and guess what? Ammon is and has been the answer to everything. I love that dang husband of mine! And I love that my Savior provided me with that answer (which at the time I didn't think much of). It is such a testimony builder to me to remember that sweet "That's Ammon" moment.

Guys. The Lord answers our prayers. He knows us better than we know ourselves and he is there to provide us help when we ask. It breaks my heart to see my friends struggling with dating, life, school, decisions, etc.. But here's the thing I know to be true: If you will honestly submit your will to your Savior's will.. He will take you down the right path. You will end up right where you need to be. And you will be happier than you ever thought possible!

(this post was supposed to be a Sunday post.. but our internet is out soooo you got it today instead! Hope you don't mind)

For a good laugh (turn the captions ON)

the best dinner everrr

So we all know that I am not much of a cook. But thanks to the saving grace of my dearest neighbor's blog.. Baking With Blondie.. i have come to have [some] confidence in the kitchen. This is a recipe I found on her blog that has become one of mine and Ammon's favorites. It is superrr easy and relatively quick to prepare.

I got this image from the Banking with Blondie website. I have ZERO talent taking pics of food.. sooo i hope she doesnt mind i shared hers :)

Mexican Chicken Stuffed Shells.
1lb shredded chicken (I use the canned kind from costco..2 cans)
1/2 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese.
20ish jumbo shells (i usually just boil the whole box)
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup moterrey jack cheese ( I just use mexican blend)

Here's what you do:

Combine shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and [melted] cream cheese in a bowl.
Prepare the pasta shells according to the box directions.
place the noodles on wax paper so they don't stick together while they cool.
Stuff the shells with the chicken mixture.
Fill the bottom of a 13x9 pan with the salsa.
Place the stuffed pasta shells in the dish.
Pour the enchilada sauce on top of all the shells.

Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Uncover and scatter cheese on top of the shells.
Cook for 15 more minutes uncovered.

I like to eat mine with sour cream. Mandy, suggests topping with olives and cloves. Either way.. these things are DELISH and easy to make!

According to Mandy's blog, "I found this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything, but it looks like it isn't her recipe. The original recipe is found on The Way to His Heart. Both great websites, but I wanted to make sure the original got it's fair dues."

Under Contract

Soo exciting news?.... Am and I are under contract for a house!! Whaaaaa?! I know right? Well our plan was always to save up for a few months and try to get in a house as soon as possible. Well... Luckily things have definitely worked out in our favor and we found the perfect house for us! It's out by Desert Hills high school in a brand new little subdivision that reminds me a lot of Daybreak up in the slc valley.

The house is still being built and it has been such a fun little process. Since we bought it before anything had been put in, we got to pick the paint, granite, bathroom stuff, etc. It's kinda scary picking all that stuff but it was soo fun! We went out this week to check up on things and the granite had FINALLY been installed and everything has been painted. We [should] close around Thanksgiving which will give us a week to move all our stuff over!

We are so excited to finally feel settled and at home. We can't wait to have room for visitors and feel soooooo blessed for the ability we have to buy! People! We have plenty of extra room so please come visit! ;)

rock on rockers

While taking this picture Am and I kept saying.. "just keep thinking like you would if you hated your life".. we could not stop laughing!

Am and I had this great idea to be minions for Halloween this year. We had the whole thing planned and thought we were so clever. Until we saw the pictures of the Dixie Halloween party.. Where a good group of 15 people decided to be minions. We decided instantly that we had to figure something else out. Well.. turns out our gothic rockers costume wasnt too original either.. but! whatever! We had fun and I LOVED the fact that Ammon was so excited to get all dressed up.

Thrillerrrrr babayyyy

Am and I were lucky enough to go to Thriller last night at Tuacahn. I had never been to Thriller before.. To say I loved it would be a huge understatement. It was awesome. In a weird way it made me wish that I would have stuck with dance. Oh! And get this.... We sat 3rd row! Can you say incredible? Plus Tuacahn is my most favorite amphitheater in the world. It's so pretty and it totally sets the creepy mood for the concert.

There are times I wish we lived in Salt Lake... Last night was not one of them. The weather was perfect and it's amazing to me that we were able to see the show OUTSIDE! St George is a beautiful place and this time of year is easily my favorite here. :)

I have a problem

Lately I have been thinking. And I realized that part of the reason I sometimes feel 'crappy'..'sad'...blah blah blahhhh... is because i can't let go of two big fat lies. Literally it has almost been a year and I can't get over the fact that i was lied to. Twice. By two different people. Oh! and let me mention that these two people were my two closestttttt friends. As in BF's since like 8th grade type people. It sucks. They had definitely earned the trust i gave them, and returned the privilege to them. These two people were two of the only people in the world that I trusted like that [at the time]. I actually referred to one of them as 'the vault' haha.. how ironic right? They were people I trusted with all my heart and soul.

It's so stupid, because I can easily look back now and say those lies have helped me become a better person, and I am wayyyy better off because of the them.. but still. Why do they bother me sooo badly? I have never really had a problem forgiving people until this happened. And quite frankly, I just plain don't know what to do about it. I feel like such a hypocrite because I know that i am supposed to forgive and forget. And for the most part.. I have forgotten. I don't really remember the little details and stories surrounding the lies, but I feel like I will neverrr forget the way they made me feel. And that is just sooo crappy. Just thinking about them now, i am sobbing in my work chair. Sometimes, I genuinely feel like it might be easier for me to just stay completely pissed off at these two people, than it would be to come to grips and just let it go. It's SO retarded... because I know I need to let it go.. in order to feel better about myself and the situation as a whole, but I just feel like I just can't get there. I want to 'forgive and forget'. I really do. How do i get there when I am still so hurt, mad, and sad, for the friendships lost and the trust broken? My mom used to tell me that in time, it would come. I kept waiting. I keep waiting. Is that true? Will it come? I am beginning to think it might not ever come. And it's weird cuz part of me is ok with that [the devil inside of me :) haha]. But then the other part of me knows that I need to forgive and be done with it.

So my question to you is.. have any of you ever felt like this? How did you deal with it? I really don't know what to do. I feel like someone hit me in the gut every time i think about these lies. I have prayed and prayed that i might be able to 'one day' forgive. That my heart would soften and I would feel better about everything. But I just don't feel like my heart has softened. I don't feel like i have gotten the sense of peace I was hoping for. I still get that gross feeling when I think about it. Do I need to change my prayers? If so, what do I even pray for? It's an awful burden that needs to go away. Does anyone have advice? How do you cope with stuff like this?

I know my Savior knows how i feel. I know he can help me. But I just don't even know what to ask for anymore. Give me your suggestions people. And don't judge me for being a horrible person. :)

award winning [not really]

Guys. I feel so special. Ashlee over at ashnshae nominated me for the Liebster award. So nice right?

The Liebster award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

What is a Liebster?

The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

1. Each person much post 11 things about themselves

2. Answer the question the nominator made for you and also create 11 more questions for the blogs you nominate

3. Choose 11 people and link them to your post

4. Go to their page and tell them.

5. No tag backs!

11 things about Haley

1. I think I am wayyyy funnier than I actually am. Ammon is always pointing out that I am the only one that laughs at my jokes. Its ok. I've come to terms with it.

2. I absolutely LOVE Halloween. October is one of my all time favorite months. I love the eeriness, the crisp air, and getting all dressed up just for fun. Best thing ever.

3. I played soccer in college for one year. I then decided it wasn't for me and decided to spend my time socializing. It's a good thing else I might not have ever met Ammon.

4. I am known in my family as the 'inappropriate-say-whatever-is-on-your-mind' child. I like the title. Not many people get to see that side of me though because I also know when to be appropriate.

5.  I broke up with Ammon 6 times. 6 TIMES people. 7 times is the charm around here. 

6. I hateeeeee cats with a real passion. I see no reason they should even be on the planet.

7. When I was little I carried around a stuffed animal Bunny named 'hoppy'. It never left my side and it stayed that way until i was like 12. (exceptions were made when i went to school).

8. I have a really freaky love for soft things. Seriously. I bought this blanket from target in february.. and haven't slept a night with out it since. Yup it came on the honeymoon. Ammon tries stealing it to make me mad. And guess what? it works. :)

9. I love popping zits.

10. My freshman year of college i was in a commercial. And no, it wasn't like i was just a random 'extra'. I was the main [only] person in a campaign commercial. i am so embarrassed by it, but secretly I think the whole story behind it was cool.

11. I am possibly the worst morning person on the planet.

-My eleven questions from Ashley-
1. What is your favorite dessert? I love all types of dessert! eclairs, cheesecake, ice cream... anything with raspberry.
2. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you'd buy? I would buy a new car. Probably a 2012 camry. Then i would go on a shoe shopping spree. 
3. Do you prefer sun or snow? SUN!!!!! I absolutely hate the cold weather. It is miserable!
4. How did you meet your husband or significant other? We played on the same intramural flag football team. He was the quarterback and threw me the first touchdown pass of the season. In that moment i knew we were going to be together forever. HAHAHAH!!!!! yeahhh right.
5. Do you have any kids? If no how many do you want? We both come from big families.. i want 5 or 6. and i would prefer more boys than girls.
6. Are you more of a dog lover or a cat lover? i believe i already answered this question. one time i accidentally ran over a cat. WHOOPS.
7. If you could re-do anything, what would it be? I would probably only break up with Ammon 5 times. Kidding. obviously i would change the way i treated him during those times. 
8. What is your biggest dream? I want to travel. I want to see the 7 wonders of the world.
9. What is your best memory you have had so far? When Am and I were on our honeymoon, we were out in the ocean chatting. We were in each others arms.. and for some reason I decided to see if i could 'push ammon's buttons'. I dont even remember what i was saying to him, but i was being obnoxious about something and it apparently worked, because ammon started to get really frustrated with me. I continued on.. being annoying and whatnot, And all of a sudden, we looked at each other and just started laughing sooo hard. We were dying. Like seriously crying we were laughing so hard. We had one of those moments that i never wanted to end. It was perfect. Laugh attack and all. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
10. What is your favorite thing to do that is for you? I love taking baths. It is the best thing to do when i am stressed or tired. 
11. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go? That is so hard.. I love traveling. But i would never want to live any of the places i have been. I am thinking i would move to Cali. I love San Diego and Newport. Let's be honest... just anywhere on the coast of So Cal. Or back up to SLC.

My questions are: 
1. Who is your celeb crush and why?
2. What is your biggest pet peeve?
3. Where is your favorite place to go?
4. What is your 'must have' product you use daily?
5. If you were an animal what would you be and why?
6. What is your deepest fear?
7. What is one thing most people don't know about you?
8. What is one thing that helps you relieve stress?
9. What is your favorite Tv show?
10. Do you hate cats like I do? haha :)
11. Have you ever been in love?


I am awarding this to:
Marlies.. this girl is one of my favs. She has the best attitude and best sense of humor.
Mary.. She and her husband.. and their dogs are the cutest little family around.
Carly..we played soccer together at Dixie.. and I think she needs an excuse to update me on her life!
Allie.. we went to High School together. Her blog is always so uplifting and awesome.
Ali.. Three words. Custest Baby Ever.
Ashley.. She has got to be the most genuine and kind person I know. 
Hailey.. She's got the best style, hair, crafts.. ever. Plus we played soccer together and i just love her.
Lexie.. She married a dear friend of mine and I just love staying up to date with their life! They are so creative and perfect for each other!
Brooke.. Let's just say.. she is practically one of my BFF's. LOVE her.
Whitley.. My ex roomie. Get on her to start blogging again.
Nina.. Afria friend. Omega sister. Needs to blog about a certain something.

cool. I am done.

Coming Clean

Alrighty blogger friends. I [we] have a confession to make.

I look at my blog and see a "picture perfect" life. Not to sound too proud. hahah. I read a lot of married people blogs and I find the same thing. "picture perfect" little married lives. Now, I certainly don't want this to come off the wrong way.. but guess what people? Just because you get married doesn't mean your life all of a sudden becomes prefect! GASP right?! OMG. Now...don't get me wrong.. I LOVE being married... But let me finish making my point first before you start assuming things.

Am and I were talking the other day and somehow the blog came up. We talked about how I used to blog a lot more about my feelings. Obviously that was a good thing. It was a good place to talk through my problems and an easy way to see how dumb my stresses and worries were. It was plain to see the Lord's hand in my life, and a good reminder of my growth through hard times. We talked about how in 'cyber world' people try their absolute hardest to make their life seem perfect. How blogs usually represent our best selves, and we don't like to show vulnerability. That's fine cuz lets be honest we all do it. I think married people do it the most. That's fine too because a marriage is something sooo divine and spiritual, that sharing too much detail could cause problems. A blog post can quickly turn from a "here is the problem" to a ..."He's the problem" type post. Which we all know is sooo unhealthy. Right?

Well after much discussion.. I guess Ammon and I both feel like we don't want to be 'fakers?' anymore. We don't necessarily want to use this blog solely as a place to document the things we do. We want to write about our experiences as a couple. Our struggles, our stresses, our happy times, and our accomplishments. We want people to know that married life.. is still life. We are still normal people.. we get in senseless fights, we laugh til we cry, we get ornery, we say things we don't mean, and we love poking each other's bums {too far?...maybe.). And even though sometimes we are not our best selves, we are constantly working to improve our relationship and love for each other.

The upcoming posts might seem a little personal for some readers. I can assure you of two things. This blog will NOT be a place where Ammon or myself come to 'bash' one another. It will not be a place of 'venting' marriage stresses. Duh we are not stupid and we are not dumb. BUT I can assure you it will be place of realness. We will always approve what one another writes before it is posted, and we will ALWAYS be sure to tell you what we are learning along this journey of life together. There will be funny posts, posts about our ridiculous past, and posts that [i believe] many of you can relate to. If you are ready for the change of pace.. then join in. Leave comments and suggestions. Laugh and cry with us. Tell us your stories and we will tell you ours. Just remember.. I have the best husband ever! .. And he even promised to grace you with his presence more often! Hooray!!

Props to my Pops

As my wedding pics slowly come streaming in.. i wanted to give you a little update on one of my previous posts. Remember the struggle I had picking a song to play while I danced with my dad? Well.. Let me tell you.. I found the perfect song for my poppa and I.

Ever since I was little one of my favorite movies has always been Father of the Bride. My family quotes this movie all the timeeee... "The Chipper Chicken.." is a classic line around the Hansen household. Well.. i watched the movie right before the wedding and it hit me... "The Way You Look Tonight".. would be the perfect song. I know it might be cliche, but listen... after watching the movie I totallyyyy understood and could relate with the way my dad might have been feeling during that time.

I have always been close to my Dad and although he might come off as a 'rough' around the edges-hunter, fisher, outdoorsman.. He is the most tender, gentle, and classy man on the planet. This song perfectly represented the way I see my dad as a Father, and the way [i hope] he sees me as a daughter. I love that man!

Jamaica.. We have a bobsled team!

Ok.. so maybe i didn't see any bobsledders while i was in Jamaica.. but I will tell you this: the people there legitimately talk the same way as they do in the movie Cool Runnings. Jamaica was incredible.

When Ammon surprised me with our honeymoon location I could not have been more excited! It was a dream honeymoon and the most perfect vacation ever.

*Ps I promise i didn't only wear one swimsuit.. It just so happened that the days we took pictures were the two days that i wore the same suit. Whoopsies!

The water was seriously UNREAL. and soo warm.

We ate at the most gorgeous restaurant.. Right on the beach.. at sunset.. overlooking an island :) 

so pretty!

The resort.

One day we decided to go on a hike up this big waterfall. It was so cool...way crowded, but sooo cool. It was fun to get out and explore!

Serious falls people.

waterproof cam. heck yeah.

salt water straight up the nose. we were laughing/crying so hard after this picture.

Just feedin som little birdies.

My favorite picture of the trip. 

We are seriously wishing we could go back right now! Unlimited food.. beaches.. and relaxing? Best thing ever. The whole time Ammon and I could not stop talking about how we can totally relate to why honeymoons were invented.. There is nothing better in the world than having a week or so to just relax after months of stressful wedding planning. Plus! Ammon did the best job planning such an awesome trip. All inclusive resorts are the way to go people. Andddd we would recommend Sandals resorts to anyone. :)

a MUST see

Last weekend Ammon and I went and saw the movie Pitch Perfect. I have to admit that from the second i saw the trailer i was reallyyyy excited to see the show. I somehow talked Ammon to taking me and it was great because his sister Andrea, and brother in law Nic, came with us!

Alright.. all you people out there. I know this movie might look slightly stupid. Glee in movie form? No THANK YOU. But ok.. i have to tell you honestly... I LOVED it. It might be the newest addition to my list of favorites. And Ammon?.... well lets just see he felt the same way. It not only has amazing music.. but is also HILARIOUS. Fat Amy? who even comes up with that. She kept me laughing the whole movie.

Check this scene out... But let me give you background first so you don't think it is perverted. Basically all these groups are having a "sing off".. they are given a theme and this theme happened to be "sex".

Enjoy!.. And go see it this weekend!

Married Crazies

Since being married, Ammon and I have had some FUNNY experiences with each other. Adjusting to living together hasn't been too weird, but it has provided us with some pretty dang funny stories.

Like the morning i was home alone, brushing my teeth and realized mid-brush that I was using Ammon's toothbrush. I seriously could not stop laughing.. for some reason it was so funny to me! It took me all day to find the right words to say.."honey I accidentally used your tooth brush this morning." hahahah Ammon's face was so priceless and confused. I still laugh thinking about it.

Like the night I jolted up in my sleep and said "HONEY!! Did you hear that?!!" To which apparently Ammon worriedly replied  "What? Babe are you ok?!" I replied with a "oh never mind" and fell back  SOUND asleep. It freaked Am out so bad that he searched the whole apartment and didn't sleep well for the rest of the night. I, however have absolutely NO recollection of this even happening! No idea where that came from.

Or the night I was saying the prayer and for some reason I couldn't put a sentence together. I think i literally said "Please bless this food that it will nuraidlfnadjnafdiuandd aadfuhisfhadunfjnvlai. Amen." Times that by a 2 minute prayer.. and that's how bad it was. We both opened our eyes only to BURST out laughing. I am so weird.


Like the day i gently tried to wake up Ammon from his nap.. and he literally looked SO PISSED that i had woken him up. He grunted, rolled over and 'ignored' me. When he FINALLY woke up, he had NO recollection that I had ever tried waking him! Meanwhile I was mad because he was so mean to me! hahah it was hilarious. We are the weirdest sleepers.

Or the night i decided to dye my hair in our bathroom. While the dye processed, I came out to the family room where Am was tutoring. (I'll admit my hair was literally slicked back and in a nasty bun thing on my head) And the first words out of his mouth were... "Babe you look like a boy".

Marriage is just so funny. And living with a boy is even funnier.. yet oh so great at the same time. Love my sweet Am.

soooo we are alive...

life has been hectic. We are busy.. and yet.. not SO busy that i dont have time to update my blog. Honestly, i feel like i stare at a computer all day..and the last thing i want to do when i get home is get back on one to blog. BLAH!! But! i have officially decided to take a break from my blogging hiatus..

With that, you get an update via iphone pics.. Just what you wanted i know.

The house.. is finally coming together. We still have plenty of decorations to hang, but no wall space to hang them. So, for now we just call it good. PLUS, our lease is up in November, and we are reallyyyy hoping to buy a house! cross your fingers :)

Probably one of our favorite wedding gifts (is that bad to say? voting was purely based off of number of times used ahahah!) is our popcorn maker! OH MY. Now that is just heaven in a bowl. My favorite pre bedtime snack ever.

promise we dont put thattttt much butter on our popcorn. haha! that looks so disgusting!

Ammon's favorite gift "was" the donut maker. Hahahaha! He was sooo excited to bust it open and give it a try. I couldnt help but laugh as i watched him giddily march around the kitchen making homemade donuts! ...sadly he deciced the ones in the stores are WAY better.

Last week i signed up for Tuacahn texting deals. Random..SMARTEST THING EVER. i got a text on Monday saying we could get any tickets for $15! We ended up sitting 4th row right in the center!!! it was awesome. Aladdin was amazing and we felt like royalty sitting that close.

Last weekend we decided we wanted to head home. We hadnt been home since the wedding, and we missed our families! We landed tickets to the BYU v Utah game through my family's Ute season tickets. Let's just say the game is a sensitive subject around here... on both ends. hahaha! But we both had fun and were so grateful we were able to go. It was such a good weekend home with our families!

one day i will learn to keep my eyes open

We LOVE NP Films

There was one thing i wanted to be sure and have at my wedding.. a great videographer. I know these date videos have become pretty popular, but i seriously wanted to do one so bad. Luckily for us.. we made the fantastic choice to go with Nathan Pickett at NP films. He is such a good guy and made it so easy for us to be ourselves around him. We had SOOO much fun filming this video and i still get soo giddy every time i watch it. Nate captured everything i wanted and more! I cannot wait until we are old and wrinkly and get to show this to our kids and grankids!

Ammon & Haley // The Date from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

The Debate

I have been having the debate that all newly married girls with blogs have: to change the URL, or not change the URL? Well, as you see... I went with the later. Life has changed and my blog has always been meant to document MY life. And so now, may you be introduced to the newest permanent member of MY Life.. Mr Ammon, my dear husby. This will be OUR blog. And yet, you know not much is going to change because, we all know that the husby probably won't write any posts. Actually, I have been begging him for months to write on my blog..and have you seen a post yet? ...exactly. So, instead he pops up in pictures and in the sappy love stories. He is great. Life is great. And hopefully, my blog still stays great.

Stay awhile. look around. There obviously is still work to be done on this new layout. BUT those improvements will come another day. For now.. you can all {watch} instead of {read} a little bit about how our story evolved. I know, i know, i have been promising this story for the last.. year or so.. and finally! it is here to stay. (We can blame Ammon partially for this post's absence, because this was the one HE was promising to write. BUT i guess we'll forgive him and let him off the hook). A HUGE thanks to Mr Nathan Pickett for doing such a wonderful job with all of our wedding videos. We LOVE them!

Ammon & Haley: Their Story from Nathan Pickett on Vimeo.

*also please ignore the number of times i say 'like' and 'heck'... we all know i was on the verge of crying and my mind was doing all it could to hold it together.. thus the complete SLAUGHTER of sounding normal! All you bloggers who don't know me probably think i talk like this all the time! ughhhh!*

Back to real life

Well i am alive and well! you guys havent heard from me in a few weeks.. and well.. i don't feel too bad about it! Life has been absolutely crazy and absolutely amazing. Ammon and I are constantly shocked by the generosity of the people around us, and the incredible blessings our Heavenly Father has given us.

We have picked up and moved to St. George.. Ammon started his job on monday, and i had planned on staying at ULTA until i found something a little more stable and applicable to my degree. And let me just tell you.. the opportunity has come 1000 times quicker than i ever dreamed possible. Monday night i received a job offer from an amazing company called Ydraw. It's an awesome marketing company and I couldn't be more excited. It is a highly innovative video scribing company. I am working very closely with their owner, and have various different responsibilities. Basically.. this job is beyond awesome and beyond what i ever thought i would do.

This is a quick example of the work that ydraw is capable of producing. This video went viral on FB in Utah a few weeks ago, and i would have never guessed that i would end up working for this company!



Beyond that, i need to post some wedding pictures! andddd honeymoon... and bridal shower pics.. and moving pics... andndd well, you see the pattern. hopefully we will have reliable internet in the next few days so i can start posting more often!

going through the temple

Well we are counting down from 3 now! sooo crazyyy. I had the opportunity to go through the temple this past friday. I was nervous and excited all wrapped up into one. Once i was in the temple, everything seemed to fade away. Seeing my sweet Ammon in the house of the lord... wow. Life changing experience. It was a spiritual day that led me to fall in love with my dear fiance more than i could ever imagine. The sweetest spirit was present and i felt a feeling i have never quite experienced in that amount of strength.

To all those who have yet to go through the temp.. be excited. Do not worry. Remember it is the house of the Lord, and the spirit that is there is the best feeling in the world. I am 183489375498879r times more excited to marry Am on THURSDAY! holy smokes. can hardly wait. And i am also veryyy excited to see you all that night! Best day eveerrrr.

ATTENTION MUSIC LOVERS

I NEED YOUR HELP. i have been brainstorming and searching all dayyy for a song i can dance to with my dad. I don't want anything too sappy and sentimental, but i do want it to be special. All the songs i 'have' with my dad, are a little too fast paced and too hard to dance to. Soooo any recommendations would be very much appreciated. I have a special place in my heart for country music because of my dad.. so country is A-OK. But anything will do. PLEASE HELPPPPPP :)

one week emotions

Technically, there is six days until the wedding. But since i havent gone to bed yet, we don't count that. we'll pretend like it's still 7. So many emotions have hit me in the past few days, and i feel like i need to blog them so i remember how it felt to know that i am getting married in a week. so here goes nothing.

Overwhelmed. I go through the temple tomorrow. I'll admit.. i cried a little when i realized that starting tomorrow there will be no more soccer shorts in my wardrobe. [i fully realize the blessings greatly outweigh the sacrifice].

Inadequate. Next thursday is the day that i have literally spent my whole life planning and preparing for. Being sealed for time and all eternity to my best friend, and receiving so many amazing blessings..suddenly i feel a little inadequate and unprepared. Plus, i think of my cute fiance and wonder how in the world i ever snagged him up. he is my everything.

Excited. HOLY CRAP....>>>I am going to be MRS AMMON ZITTING. Whaaaa?

Humbled. So many people have been so gracious with their time, money, and talents, just so my day will be perfect. I am sooo grateful. I wish i could be more like all of you.

Thankful. For my sweet Mother. She is out of town this week...[no cell service] and i feel sort of lost wrapping up last minute details with out her. She has kept me calm, collected, and happy, through this whole process.

Weird. I've been a little sad lately.. I realized that one of my best friends [you know the kind..the kind you can't imagine your wedding with out?] will not be attending because of a failed friendship. I always imagined my friend being there as a bridesmaid, and yet, here i stand heartbroken in a way, and a even a little bit bitter. Someday, hopefully soon, i will be ready for the forgiveness process. It's just a reallyyy weird feeling.. quite indescribable actually. Then throw in the fact that an ex texted me this week.. and man! weirdness alll around!

Relieved. That sweet Tiff Hafen came into my life. She calmed my worries when she agreed to shoot some bridal pics for me. I was notttt happy with my first batch of bridals, and well... she was a lifesaver.

Anxious. Anxious to get this thing done and over with. The 'to-do' list is annoyingly long, and quite frankly, i just do not care anymore!

Happy. Ammon and i took the night for ourselves. No wedding planning. No wedding 'talk'. No running errands. Instead we got snow cones at the best snow shack around.. "Cup o' Sno" and rented This Means War. We cuddled. We talked about life. We ignored everything around us. And for a few hours... i had a glimpse at what life is going to feel like. It is so easy to get wrapped up in wedding plans. I was honestly beginning to worry that Am and I wouldnt be able to hold a conversation after the wedding, because literally our whole life for the past 4 months has revolved around planning everything. I was trying to think of a recent conversation that didnt involve the wedding, and came up empty handed. SAD. haha. Tonight completely reassured me. Life is going to be utter bliss starting a week from today. Sure, there will be hard times. But i just can't wait to have that amazing man permanently by my side.

single digits

after watching the daily countdown start from 119 days.. it feels pretty dang good to wake up to this number:

But for real. I never thought the day would come that i got to see single digits. HOLY MOLY. i am so excited. I woke up this morning with more love for my sweet fiance than ever before. (but lets be honest... that happens every morning).

I also hope all of you got your invites. We found out last weekend that somehow 70 people on our labels list got skipped. Soooo hopefully that was none of you! if so, pleaseeee email me or comment or something. You had better believe that we want you all there!!

Also, this picture makes me giddy.

photography credit: Ian Barkley

How i loveee America!

This year was the first year i have been in America for the 4th! The previous two have been spent in Africa or Italy. And while yes, i am beyond grateful for those amazing our-of-country experiences, there was nothing sweeter than coming home to the good ol U-S of A. We really do live in such a blessed land, and until you have traveled abroad it is easy to overlook the huge blessing. Even though our government may not be the most keen or we might disagree with some laws or regulations, Please just be grateful for the freedoms we do have.

In Kenya, i saw governmental rule and destruction. I saw people oppressed simply because of the pride and selfishness of people in power. In italy, (a little more forgiving) I saw just how real the Mafia is. I saw the power that families and clans had over cities, and the country-for no real reason at all, besides the power of $$$). It is amazingggg. I never thought that in a country that seemed so civilized and 'up to date', things could be so corrupt.

So while yes, we do have things to complain about.. please just remember how blessed we really are to be living in the most amazing country on earth! Am and i celebrated by watching RSL battle Seattle. It was my first RSL game this year, and boy was it fun! I loveeee my country!

The Future Fam..