Over the past few months, a lot has been going on. With big moments and small moments alike, our calendar has been full of events to attend, things to do and decisions to make. I have felt overwhelmed at the possibilities that lie ahead and grateful for the everyday moments that keep me rooted.

What I have learned over the past few months is that no matter how busy life gets, the only sure way to keep it all together is to make time for those people who really add value to your life. When you feel like you are constantly racing against the clock, it's surprising how a few hours spent with those you love can really slow down time and make you feel like you are right on track.

Here is recap of those special, everyday moments where I was reminded to never be too busy for friends and family. At the end of the day, they are what it's all about.

At the end of March, we celebrated Jerrod and Cameron's birthday by having a little get together at my mom's. There is nothing quite like having a family dinner at home. It's the simplest of get togethers, but for some reason, sitting around the table together, telling stories, you feel like you are right where you belong.

Another great memory from last month is when Shannon got married. Shannon has always been more of a sister than a cousin. I remember her spending weeks at a time with us during summer vacation, and as we got older, we only bonded more. She has had her fair share of heartache, so to see her so happy and in love certainly pulled at all of our heart strings.

Shannon and Grandpa

Happily ever after!

My favorite picture of the day. {Almost} all of my mom's siblings with Grandpa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March On

Spring and autumn are by far my most favorite seasons. Neither of them are as extreme as their summer and winter counterparts, and they both welcome a breath of fresh air, a change. After a cold season spent indoors in front of the fireplace {no complaints here, really}, I admit that it is quite refreshing to open the windows and let the brisk air sweep through the house.

Here is what is happening in my life this March, and I have a feeling, things are only going up from here.

• Things I Love About March: It finally feels like spring is around the corner, and my wind chimes are constantly singing!
• People I Need to Thank: An impossible task - so many people have contributed so much good to my life.
• Best Motivational Quote: Stay Gold - Recently discovered from The Outsiders meaning to stay true to yourself, don't let life beat you down.
• Favorite Flowers: Gerber Daisies, Tulips, and a whole bunch that I don't know the names of.
• My Commitments This Month: To drink 70 ounces of water a day
• Favorite Restaurants: Zupas, always, but Station 22 sounds amazing right now.
• Things to Tell My Younger Myself: These mistakes you keep making - it's ok! You are learning a lot about the type of person you want to be.
• Favorite Craft Supplies: Alpha and phrase stickers
• Things I Should Donate: Clothes! {Feeling proud that Wyet and I went through our closet today and came up with two full bags to take to the D.I.}
• Improvements I Need to Make: I need to accept that cardio is not fun and figure out a way to push myself to do it.
• What I Want to Learn This Year: I'd like to give cross-stitching another shot! I used to do it with my Grandma Carter, and I loved it.
• Creative People I Know: Wyet, Sharon and Karen, Morg, Patye & my mom
• Things I Spend Too Much Time On: Scrapbooking and deciding what sounds good for dinner.
• Favorite Books: I just barely finished The Outsiders this afternoon, and I am considering starting it over again. I don't know how I made it this long in life without reading it.
• Things I'm Judgmental About: The way others lead their lives {really, it's none of my business!}
• Things I Love: Dogs, plants, books, naps, tea and cake {preferably lemon flavored}
• Favorite Memories with My Grandparents: There are so many. I loved going to my Grandma and Grandpa Fillmore's house during summer break. My grandma would take me swimming at their country club and to the city library. My Grandpa Carter always took us for walks to Orem High to play on the football field and helped us climb the huge trees in his front yard. My Grandma and Grandpa Carter also never missed a dance recital. They were always there.
• Things I Love About My Friends: I love having people in my life that are so easy to talk to. I am not one for getting together often with friends, but I love that when I do it is as though no time as passed between us.
• A Habit I Need to Break: I probably don't need to have a cocktail every weekend..
• My Netflix Queue: Better Call Saul, Fuller House and anxiously awaiting the next season of Peaky Blinders
• My Best Qualities: I like to think I am a good conversationalist.
• Books I Have Always Wanted to Read {but likely won't}: Moby Dick
• Things I'm Grateful For: Having a good job that allows me to be independent.
• Random Acts of Kindness to Commit: Letting people know how appreciative I am of them. Many times I think these thoughts without ever letting others know.
• Favorite Designs: Floral
• Ways to be My Best Self: Get lots of sleep and spend some time alone {that makes me feel the most refreshed}
• Favorite Things About Easter: Coloring eggs with Wyet and putting together Easter baskets.
• Favorite Produce: Raspberries, green apples and avocados
• Bands I Want to See: It would be fun to see a band I loved as a child, like The Spice Girls!
• Things That Keep Me Up at Night: Scary movies

Enjoying some of my favorite things: reading in the hammock with Wyet and the pups. I needed a blanket because even though the sun is finally shining, let's face it, spring has not officially sprung.

Better Together

My relationship with Wyet constitutes for a huge part of my happiness. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely plenty of bad days mixed in with the good, but overall, our relationship has grown in to something pretty spectacular over the past few years. It is undeniably clear that my life is better when Wyet is a part of it.

Our relationship wasn't always the most balanced. {That's what happens when you meet your soulmate in your teens, you both have no idea what the hell is going on.} It took many years, arguments and breakups to figure out how to make our relationship work. What we found out was, you don't need someone that completes you. You need someone that enhances you. We have both realized that we are fine on our own, but it's so evident that we are better together.

I am the type of person that loves to have a plan. I like organization, structure and routine. With that being said, I can be a little dull. I am easily content with staying at home, eating cereal for dinner and climbing in bed before nine. Wyet is just the opposite. Sharing my life with Wyet gives me more than I would ever search for on my own. Because of him, I have new hobbies and enjoy more things than I ever have before. He encourages me to be more social and spontaneous. He makes life exciting.

While Wyet has a dozen different hobbies and wants to do a every single thing that life has to offer, he really needs someone to ground him. I feel like that's what I'm able to bring to the table. I have shown him that the happiest moments tend to happen during the uneventful, quiet weekends spent at home together. You don't always need to have your calendar full, being boring has it's own type of enjoyment.

My point is, Wyet and I don't need to complete each other. We are already whole. But finding someone that combines their life with yours and compliments you in ways you didn't even realize you were lacking, that's what love is all about.

Valentine's Day 2016

Lovely Lists

Documenting life is of the utmost importance. Which is why The Reset Girl: February List Edition has come in such handy this month. Prompts to help me remember and document the everyday moments make recording memories that much easier. Listed below are the most current details of our life as of late:

1. What I am working on: My wedding album
2. Favorite Memory: Earlier this month, Patye and Todd took us to dinner at The Pie and to see Timber. It was one of the most unique productions I have ever seen.
3. Things that bring me joy: Weekends where I have no plans. I love staying at home and working on projects, reading and the occasional nap.
4. Ways I treat myself: Champagne and treats - as often as possible.
5. Favorite Flowers: I love all flowers, but lately I have been obsessed with tulips.
6. Positive things I say to myself: You're fine.
7. What makes me feel powerful: Saying no! {and not making excuses about why}
8. My love language: I had to take this quiz to find out, but Quality Time won hands down.
9. What makes me unique: I like to think of myself as someone people can be real with. Let's skip the bullshit, please.
10. Ways I pamper myself: Getting my hair done
11. Favorite quotes about love: When Johnny Cash described his perfect moment with June Carter as something as simple as having coffee with his love. Honestly, my happiest moments with Wyet are our quiet weekend mornings over brunch.
12. If I described myself on a conversation heart it would say: Dat ass :]
13. Things that excite me: Future events - I love having something to look forward to
14. Favorite Valentine Candy: Cinnamon Lips 
15. Currently reading, watching, listening to: Reading The Book of Speculation, watching New Girl, listening to Radio from Hell on my daily commute.
16. Things I am most proud of: Finding myself {it took a minute}
17. The nicest gift I ever gave myself: My tattoos 
18. Things I love about myself: My open mind
19. Favorite things to do with friends: Chat!
20. Most beautiful things I have ever seen: Florence, Italy
21. Favorite ways to recharge: Getting lost in a good book, spending a Saturday out with my Mom {which also translates to spending 2 hours at Barnes & Noble}
22. Things only I can do: Understand the ever changing moods of Wyet
23. What makes me feel beautiful: Having my nails painted
24. People who encourage me: Lots thankfully - Mom, Morg, Ash, Sharon, Clarissa & countless others
25. Best choices I have ever made: Finishing college and marrying Wyet
26. What makes me feel fulfilled: Being involved with those who mean the most to me. I genuinely want to know what is going on in your life.
27. Why I am amazing: I challenge myself and can succeed {last month, I accomplished a 30 day alcohol cleanse during my most stressful month of work - no easy task}
28. When I really want to indulge: I get a massage
29. Things I hope to accomplish this February: Asking for a raise {wish me luck}

Happy February, friends!

Me and my favorite little human!

& my favorite big human!

Love & Dogs

If there is one thing I am a firm believer in, it is that love comes in different forms for everyone. In this little house, we share a lot of love and the vast majority of it is directed to our furry friends. To us, they aren't just animals, and they certainly surpass the title of a mere pet. Our pups are part of the family, and we love them like such.

Each of our dogs came in to our lives at different times, and in most cases, at just the right time. Murphy and Cheech were the ones who came in to both mine and Wyet's lives at the precise moment they were needed most {when we each really needed some unconditional love}, and I truly believe they helped pull us through some of our most difficult days. With Rio, it was different. Rio was there for it all.

Wyet has had Rio in his life since he was eight years old. She was the family dog, and the stories he has of her are endless. In her younger days, she was agile as ever; taking laps around the kitchen and up the stairs as fast as she could go. She indulged in tomatoes {straight off the neighbors bushes} and once lost an encounter with a beehive. She was everything a family dog is meant to be: a perfect snuggle partner, the favored child, a best friend.

Even though I have known Rio since I began dating Wyet {in 2004!}, it wasn't until we moved in together that we truly became family. Over the past three years, Rio has had a major presence in my daily routine, and she has played an enormous role in both my and Wyet's lives. While we have spent a good deal of time taking care of Rio over the years, there is no denying the way she took care of us. It takes a great deal of work to implement patience in two people as short fused as us, but she certainly did it. Because of Rio, we have learned how to be more compassionate and understanding, to not get angry about things that are out of our control and to remember that above all else, everyone needs love and attention.

When we realized that Rio's time on earth was coming to a close it was a somber moment, but the memories made and the affect she has had on our family will last a lifetime. As difficult as it has been, we both have taken solace in the knowledge that all dogs go to heaven and that someone was happily waiting for her with arms wide open.

Forever in our hearts Deena!

Brian Head: A Weekend Getaway

As most people would likely agree, moments matter more than things. Which is why over the past few years, Wyet and I have made a conscious effort to give the gift of experience rather than material objects as often as possible. An experience shared will last longer {and mean more} than any mere present. This past Christmas, we celebrated in the way that we know best, running away for a weekend retreat together. Regardless of how far away we go, weekend getaways always leave me completely refreshed with a subtle reminder of how blessed I am to be sharing my life with the one I love the absolute most.

It was a white winter indeed!

Since I have come to the realization that snowboarding isn't for me, I really tag along with Wyet for the excuse to indulge in bar food and hefeweizens :)

Can you blame me?

By far, the best part of the trip was night tubing!

Until next time!

Holiday Cheer

This holiday season has definitely seemed a bit different than the past few. While I am generally in favor of attending every holiday function and volunteering myself for the most demanding of tasks, this year has been just the opposite. I have felt overwhelmed at the thought of "doing it all", and as a result, I feel like I have cut myself loose from some holiday obligations.

Last year, I went above and beyond with my Christmas cheer. I participated in a December Daily photo challenge, and because of that, I felt like I tried even harder to make memorable {photo-worthy} moments. This year, I couldn't bring myself to do it. Plainly put, I felt tired of trying so hard to make a picture perfect life.

As a result, I have significantly less photos this holiday season and, ironically enough, a much more grateful heart. Rather than spending every moment focused on capturing my perfect day, I was able to see things that may have went unnoticed. The simple things, such as Wyet turning on the Christmas lights before I get home from work {because he knows how much I love seeing the house lit up} and the freshly shoveled walkway are daily occurrences that have previously went unnoticed. Now, I see the importance of the everyday moments {the way the dogs sit in the windowsill waiting for us to get home} and how those little things are what I truly want to remember.

Just because I am in a bit of a holiday funk this year doesn't mean that all of our traditions went out the window. We still held true to those traditions that mean the absolute most to us. We still decorated sugar cookies, went to A Christmas Carol and celebrated the birthday of Matye. We focused on the important aspects of the season; family and spending time together.

I am sure that in years to come I will have those holidays seasons where I go overboard and want to do everything just perfectly. But for now, here is to a holiday season where I didn't try so hard, and it turned out fine.

Taking pictures for our Christmas cards turned out to be quite the adventure. The day before these photos were taken, I had every one dressed up nicely and was working so hard on getting the perfect photo. When nothing was turning out right,  I bagged the idea. We tried again the next day, and while the photo is simple, it is real.

The cat refused to be a part of our family photo

I spent a Sunday with some of my closest friends watching A Roman Holiday {a black and white classic} followed by a stroll through the Festival of Lights. I am so grateful for these friends in my life.

Frosting sugar cookies is something Wyet and I started doing together years ago. When Wyet first told me Kev was coming over that night, I was irritated because I wanted it to be just the two of us. However, sometimes it's true that the more the merrier, and we ended up having an awesome night.

While Wyet and I didn't make it to every Christmas party this year, we did make the most of the ones we did attend. Wyet even won the ugly sweater contest {obviously}.

Now that Ash has such a crazy work schedule, we didn't get to spend her entire birthday together like we usually do. Nonetheless, I am happy I got to spend a bit of the morning with her at least. She is truly a great friend, and I am grateful for her presence in my life.

Setting up Matye's Christmas decorations.

After A Christmas Carol, my parents treated us all to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. Having the whole family together is rare, and I treasure these photos and moments together more than anything. These are the moments that holidays should be filled with. These are the real gifts of Christmas.