March Update

This month has been more nuts than usual but here’s the recap! Better late than never haha

Adam: spent most of March doing all the physical work of packing and unpacking. We closed on our new house the 14th and officially moved in the 24th. He was a total super husband especially because he did move in day with Eli and without me (not that I would’ve been able to help much). His wonderful parents were great enough to come and help for move in day then stayed for about a week after. I seriously don’t know how we would’ve done it without them.

Ashley: I tried to help in other ways since I couldn’t do a lot of the physical parts of moving. So I was in charge of keeping track of all paperwork and utilities transfers. Unexpectedly early in the month, my dear great aunt Susie passed away from a sudden heart attack. My sisters and I were especially close to her and although she wasn’t exactly young, she didn’t have prior medical issues to make her death less of a shock. The funeral happened to be set on the same day as our move day so we made plans for me to go without Adam and Eli to Washington for the weekend. I drove with my aunt who lives near us and then stayed with my sister Jessica and her new husband. I missed Adam and Eli and definitely felt weird about not being apart of the big move but it was so nice to be with family. The memorial itself was not as sad as I thought as everyone shared their favorite memories of Susie. She was definitely an amazing lady. We didn’t stay long so I was back in Idaho by Monday. The rest of the week was spent unpacking and setting up cleaning of our old place. We were so blessed with the service of ladies in our old ward (church congregation) who basically did all the cleaning with minimal help from me. So by the close of March, we were no longer renters!

Eli: He actually did pretty good with all of the transition of this month. He got a little confused as pictures disappeared off of our walls and things started looking sparser. He loved the new house and enjoyed trying to test boundaries of what he could get into as we tried to settle in. He only had one instance the first night where he woke up in the middle of the night asking for his old room. He has loved having more room to roam and spreading his toys across every square foot we have haha. As for development, he is still super chatty and loves to learn new things. He now knows how to count to ten and can identify some of the numbers on sight. He finally understands bargaining which has been super nice for us as parents haha. He also is obsessed with friends. He constantly asks to have friends over or to go out and see friends. He’s definitely a little social butterfly 😊

at the aquarium with cousins; for some reason, he kept wanting me to do this to his face haha; leading me around the house with his little cart; playing with toys I brought home from WA

My Sister's Wedding

Earlier in July, we got to take a trip to Washington!!
We decided to have Adam work a half day so we drove part of the way on Monday the 3rd, stayed overnight in La Grande.

Sleeping at the Fort

We drove the rest of the way on Tuesday the 4th. Eli did "relatively" well with the drive. We were able to get in early enough so that we went to lunch at Burgerville and then we went down to the Fort Vancouver fireworks show which has been something I grew up going to so I was excited to show Adam. Eli took a nap on daddy's back and enjoyed playing with Grandma and Grandpa Tanner. We were a little worried about the fireworks because we had gone to a smaller thing with Adam's family and he didn't like it. But I think that was just because it was too close and too loud. He LOVED the big fireworks show and so did we :)
Then Wednesday, we got to see Jessica go through the temple for the first time! Its always so nice to go back to the Portland temple since that is where we were married and I went through the first time :)

Getting our nails did :D

Thursday, Adam sweetly took care of Eli for the majority of the day so that I could go with my sister, mom, and some of Brad's side of the family to go and get our nails done! They turned out really well and it was nice to pamper Jessica. Then, that evening we had a little bachelorette party at Beaches restaurant and then hanging out at her sister-in-law's parents' house. 

Hanging with Chelsea!

Friday, we had a family party with all of my mom's side to celebrate my grandpa's birthday and we had a little baby shower for my aunt. It was so fun to hang out with everyone and Eli enjoyed playing with his second cousin and his first cousins once removed (when your youngest aunt is only a few years older than your oldest sister, cousin lines get confusing haha).  

Cute ring bearer!

Beautiful day :)

Saturday of course was the big day!! We got to see my sister get married for time and all eternity to an amazing man in the same place that we got married as well as my sister Stephanie <3 I totally cried haha. It was a beautiful day and after pictures we went out to my favorite Thai place. Then that evening, we had the reception at Green Meadows club which was gorgeous! The catered appetizers and the cake were delicious and the decorations were super cute. I didn't get a ton of pictures because most of the time I was video chatting with Stephanie who is in Peru for her husband's internship. I am so grateful for modern technology which allowed her to see all of the big things at the reception like the ring ceremony, first dances, cake cutting, shoe game, speeches, etc. They exited in a decorated golf cart to get to their decorated car that was taking them to their honeymoon!

sleeping at the reception

Gorgeous cake!

Then Sunday, we made the long trek home! During the day while we were there was often spent visiting with old friends of mine and just driving around Vancouver (sometimes just so Eli could get a nap haha). So now all of Adam's siblings and all of mine are married!

Heading off!

Trip to Seattle

We just got back from a very fun trip to Seattle! Adam was presenting on a panel at the Association for Asian Studies international conference and we decided to make it a family trip. So we all flew down on the 30th and came back today. We decided to get City Passes which I'm SO glad we did! We were able to do all the fun things we wanted to do for way cheaper! I highly recommend them :) So here is what we did!

Day 1: Wednesday started kinda rough with me forgetting Eli's birth certificate 10 minutes into our drive to the airport. That plus a really long line at security made us miss our flight. Luckily they just rebooked us on the next flight a couple hours later no extra charge! We were very grateful. Eli did great on the plane ride getting hiccups when going up and down, falling asleep for half of it, and making friends with everyone around us.
Once we landed, we got our rental car and headed to our hotel. We were a bit early for check in but luckily they had a room available for us. It was nice and big with a really awesome view. We took it easy that day and just ate at the Whole Foods around the block for dinner so Eli could take a solid nap.

Day 2: Thursday we walked down to the pier to go to the aquarium. Eli really liked all of the fish and the otters. There was a worker in a scuba suit feeding the fish in the big tank and Eli got super excited when he waved at him. He flapped his arms, laughed, and said "hi!" 

Then we walked along the pier for a bit and then went up through Pike Place Market. We ate lunch at a little Indian booth and had delicious lamb kebab wraps and samosas. After that, we walked back to our hotel room so that Eli could get a nap in and Adam could go to class remotely. The class didn't work out sadly but once Eli woke up we went back to the pier to go on a harbor cruise. We got to sit on top of this nice boat and have a guided tour of everything around the harbor. It was a gorgeous day and it was so fun to learn interesting facts that we wouldn't have otherwise known. Eli had lots of fun looking out on the boat. We even saw some sea lions hanging out on a buoy! After the cruise, we had dinner at Ivar's fish bar on the pier and then called it a day.

Day 3: On Friday, we began the day by going to the Woodland Park Zoo. Eli was really tired so he didn't enjoy too much of it and he fell asleep part way through. He did like to see the big cats like the jaguar and the ocelot. Mostly he enjoyed watching all of the older kids around him get excited haha. For lunch, we decided to go to Redmond to a British shop we had been to before called The British Pantry. We had yummy Lancashire pasties and some of our favorite candies. After that, we drove back to our hotel for a quick rest and nap for Eli then we walked to the Space Needle. Adam wasn't a huge fan of the elevator ride up because it was made of glass but once we got to the top, the view was great :) Once we got down, we took the monorail to the retail district so we could get some more formula at the Target there and then we walked the long way back. We did tons of walking while we were in Seattle which was exhausting but a fun way to see the city. However, there were TONS of smokers. Yes we came from Utah so any is a big difference but we counted 8 along 1 1/2 city blocks! I grew up around Portland so smokers and even the smell of pot isn't too new to me but I think having a baby makes me extra aware now. Anyways, we knew we had a big day the next day so we went back so Adam could practice more on his presentation.

Day 4: On Saturday, we started the morning with a walk to the Convention Center where the Asian Studies conference was being held so Adam could check in and get a feel of where the room was he was going to be presenting in. Once we got back to the hotel, my parents, sister Jessica, and her boyfriend Brad came! My parents were especially excited to see Eli and give him the toys they brought. We then walked to the Chihuly Garden and Glass over by the Space Needle. My mom had been looking forward to go to that for awhile since seeing a special about it on TV. The museum was AMAZING! The artist blows glass to make the most incredible sculptures.
After finishing that, Jessica and Brad went back to their car to feed the meter and my parents, Adam, and I took the monorail to the retail district. Then I wished Adam luck and he split off to go to the Convention Center for his presentation. Other than a video clip not working, it went really well! He was grateful for this experience to teach him what to expect at other international conferences. Anyways, the rest of us met up with Jessica and Brad at Pike Place and we went down to the pier to have dinner at The Crab Pot. Most of everyone had the crab cakes and I had a delicious salmon burger. Eli thoroughly enjoyed a piece of honeydew that Brad fed him haha.
It was very funny to watch him eat that melon so ferociously haha. We walked back up to Pike Place after that and looked at some of the booths. Adam met up with us and we all walked back to the hotel. Then we drove over to the Columbia Tower (the tallest building in Seattle) and went to the observation deck on top. The view was even better than the Space Needle (which looked very small from up there). We even could see the Seattle Sounders soccer game haha. We then went back to hang out at the hotel for a little bit, get dessert at Whole Foods, and then say goodbye.

Day 5: On Sunday we checked out of our hotel to go to a different cheaper one closer to the airport since we had a very early flight. We checked in and then dropped off the rental car and took a shuttle back to the hotel. The rest of the day was low key which was good because Eli was extremely tired and sick of being away from home.

Day 6: Early Monday morning we flew home!

I was so glad Eli and I got to join Adam for his conference so we could have a bit of a family vacation. It was also a great opportunity to see my family again! We are happy to be home and get back to normal although things will get crazy again in two weeks because then we're going to Texas!

January Update

Here are the big things that happened last month:

Adam: started a new semester! He is taking 10 credits (3 classes), which is a lot of work. 9 credits is usually full-time for graduate students. He is taking a class on assessments, one on product development (lots of programming), and one on project management. He keeps busy with those as well as continuing his job for BYU Online. After talking with his advisor, it looks like he may aim to graduate in December of this year rather than August. This will allow him plenty of time to finish his master's project and do a good job on it.

Ashley: is enjoying being a stay-at-home mom! Our lives are a lot simpler with me being able to take charge of Eli and the house during the day. I know Adam is a lot less stressed which makes me feel better. I'm finding little projects to work on, like making cloth wipes and organizing and labeling all of the digitized home videos that my dad just sent me :) It's been so fun to see me and my sisters when we were little and compare them to how Eli acts. I am loving being able to watch Eli grow and develop daily!

Eli: will be 6 months old in a couple weeks! He is growing so fast! He is a very happy, smiley baby and loves peek-a-boo and sucking on everything. He rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back constantly which is how he gets around mostly haha. He tries to scoot as well but hasn't gotten close to crawling yet. We are working on him learning to sit up on his own which he can do for only about 10 seconds. He is such a joy to us :)

Major Events of January
The only big event this month was our sudden trip to Washington. Sadly, my maternal grandmother passed away on New Year's Eve. We traveled with my sister and her family for the funeral the first week of January. I was very grateful that we could be with my family at this time because this was such an upsetting loss. I was very close to her all my life and I was devastated that I couldn't say goodbye. We knew what was coming towards the end but she deteriorated very quickly in only about 4 months. So much of my family were able to make it to the funeral and many I hadn't seen in awhile. I know that my grandma loved watching our sort of family reunion. Also, my parents got to finally meet Eli! They enjoyed getting to know him and he charmed everyone :) I'll miss my grandma but I am so grateful to know that I will see her again.

My mom's side of the family minus a few

Back to WA

This last week Adam and I took another trip to my hometown of Vancouver, Washington! We went back in March for my friend's wedding but we knew we wanted to go again before the baby came so we could see the things we weren't able to see in March. So here is how our trip went:

Day 1:
We drove to WA on Wednesday with my sister, Stephanie and my nearly 3 year old nephew. I was pretty nervous about how the drive would go with a toddler and me being much more pregnant than the last drive. Luckily my nephew did awesome so that turned out great :) I was really uncomfortable but we took lots of stops so that I could walk around. Unfortunately, the trip did not treat my feet very well. Starting with our drive there and through the whole week, my feet swelled up a ton. But we all got to town safe and sound :) We stopped by my parents' house before we went to my friend Chelsea's (the one who got married in March) place where we were staying. We were very excited to see everyone :)

Day 2:
Our first full day started out pretty low key with us going to meet my parents, Steph, and my grandma for lunch at the mall. Then we went to Lewisville, a big park north of Vancouver which lies along the Lewis river. I grew up going to this park and my mom went there as a teenager before that. I was really excited to show Adam because it has the essence of what I love about the NW, lots of tall evergreens and fresh air :) It was a warm day so we played in the grass and dipped our feet in the river. My other sister, Jessica met us up there after she got off work and then we all went to eat at Sweet Tomatoes.

Day 3:
Beach day! On Friday, Adam got to go to the beach for the fourth time in his life. We met my family at my parents' house and then caravan-ed to our first stop, the Tillamook factory! The last time I had been there was when I was super little and Adam had never been there. We got to see them make the most delicious cheese on Earth (in my opinion), taste the different kinds of cheese, and attempt to not buy everything in the little grocery area. We were able to leave with just a chocolate bar and a couple small blocks of cheese (smoked medium cheddar and garlic white cheddar, yum!).

Then we headed north on the 101 to Cannon Beach, OR. I was starving (as I usually am currently) so we started off by eating at my favorite pizza place, Pizza a Fetta. Delicious and one of the top 20 pizza places in the country! Then we went off to explore the shops. Adam and I particularly enjoyed the kite shop, the toy store, and the candy shop :) Then we all went out to the beach!

We had lots of fun looking at anemones, walking in the sand, and tossing the frisbee. I must say that walking in the sand when you're off balance by a pregnant belly is a very difficult (and funny looking) feat. We ended the evening by eating dinner at Seaside at a restaurant my family would often go to called Pig n' Pancake.

Day 4:
On Saturday, my friends Chelsea and Kendyl threw an adorable baby shower for me! It was so cute and I was amazed at how creative they were. The decorations and food were so amazing :)

I was so grateful for the family and friends that were able to come. We had fun playing silly games and everyone was so generous to our little boy. I was stunned by how crafty people's gifts were, like the blanket Chelsea crocheted and the crib bedding set my aunt Tanya made!

Both Adam and I felt so blessed :) Later that day, we went down to the Rose Garden in Portland! Adam had never seen it and coming during the Rose Festival is the perfect time to see them all in bloom.

So many different varieties in all colors, scents, shapes, and sizes! It was a very pretty day to go too :) Then we headed back to Vancouver to eat dinner at my favorite Thai place, Dok Koon (a mandatory stop whenever we visit).

Day 5:
On Sunday, we went to my home ward which is always a great experience. I love seeing all of the families that I knew growing up! The rest of the day we spent at my parents' house. I promptly fell asleep on the couch while everyone played in the backyard and dinner was made haha. Then, in the evening we had a campfire with roasting marshmallows :) we made s'mores with those fudge striped cookies and it was SO yummy! My uncle and his family came over for a visit as well, which was also fun. Its so crazy how my cousins are growing up, but then again I've grown up too haha!

Day 6:
The weather for the rest of the trip was overcast and rainy so we didn't do too much exploring. On Monday, I took Adam to visit the Pearson Air Museum. The museum has old planes and shows the history of the air base right next to Fort Vancouver and how it was used during all the different wars.

Adam, being a U.S. history buff, loved it and found it very fascinating. It was also fun for me to be back there because that was where I went to an LDS prom my senior year of high school :) After that, Chelsea, our friend Brittany, and I all went to get pedicures. It was fun to have some girl time with them :) The rest of the evening, we hung out with Chelsea and her husband Alex eating pizza and ice cream, playing games, and watching TV.

Day 7:
Tuesday, we went with Chelsea and Alex to one of our favorite stops in Portland, Powell's bookstore! I could spend hours in that place looking at everything. One of my favorite parts is the Rare Book Room where they have SUPER old books as well as first editions and autographed copies of books. I had fun trying to find the most expensive book they have. This time I found one for $24,000! We also went to eat at Henry's Tavern where they have delicious gorgonzola fries and HUGE burgers. I had a tasty macaroni and cheese burger! We ended our time in Portland by going to the ice cream shop, Salt and Straw. We had never been there but we have heard lots about their crazy flavors. We settled with relatively normal but very tasty kinds :) After that, we went back to Vancouver and I visited my friend Sarah! I'm always grateful that we've stayed in touch and we always make an effort to meet up when I come to visit. Then, that evening we went over to Chelsea's parents' house to watch the season premiere of one of our favorite shows. Her family all watches it so it is fun to watch with a big group and discuss it afterwards :) Afterwards, we went over to my parents' house to say goodbye and make plans for the next day.

Day 8:
The drive home! It was very long and I can definitely say that my nephew handled it better than I did haha. About 2/3 through I started feeling super hormonal and sick. I took some medicine and that helped. There was no helping my balloon feet though xP. Luckily, I don't have to work until Monday so I get lots of time to recuperate and put my feet up :)

In other updates, we are doing great! Adam is enjoying working on his Master's project and is actually sending a proposal in with his professor to present at a conference next year!! Presenting at a conference is a big deal in the academic field and it would be a great opportunity. We just finished our Hypnobirthing class, which was absolutely amazing! If anyone in Utah Valley is looking for a great birth class, I would definitely recommend Fiona's class (www.ihypnobirth.com). Baby is healthy and kicking up a storm and we just had another appointment today (along with my last blood test THANK GOODNESS!) :) I can't believe we have only three months until we meet our little boy!

<3 Ashley

Trip to the NW

This last week we got to go back to my home town of Vancouver, WA! We had so much fun and did so many things but we wish we could've stayed longer...like forever haha :)

Day 1:

We woke up really early on Thursday to head out for the long drive. I was hoping to make it there in time to go to a girls' night for my friend who was getting married that weekend. The trip was uneventful but very uncomfortable sitting that long while being pregnant. I had never had trouble before with car rides but this time we made lots of stops so I could walk around. We made it in time to go to dinner with my mom and sister at my favorite Thai food place :) however, I was so exhausted from the trip plus hormones weren't being very nice so I didn't end up going to the girls' night :( we ended the night a little earlier by heading back to where we were staying for the trip. We stayed with our old coworker Rachelle and her husband Michael in Tigard, OR :) they were so sweet and welcoming to us and we loved staying with them!

Day 2:

After an AMAZING night's sleep, we started off the day with going up to Multnomah Falls. Adam had only been once when he was 10 and it was raining then. He also had never driven up the old historic Columbia Gorge Highway which is absolutely beautiful! It was clear and sunny every day we were in the NW :) We enjoyed seeing all of the waterfalls along the way and looking out at the viewpoint by the Vista House. 

We didn't have time to hike all the way to the top of Multnomah but we walked up to the bridge to take a few pictures. 

Afterwards, we went to lunch at a yummy German restaurant called Gustav's. We had cheese fondue and chicken schnitzel :) We then hurried back to change clothes before my friends' endowment. Traffic delayed us a little bit so Adam just had time to drop me off for the temple session but since he had to park the car, he went and did initiatories while he waited. I'm so glad I was able to make it in time to be there :) That evening, we went back to Rachelle's to eat dinner with them and the sister missionaries which was fun. Then, we went to Powell's and got Burgerville shakes! So tasty!

Day 3:
This day started off with one of my best friends, Chelsea, getting married to another wonderful friend of mine, Alex. 

We were blessed to see them sealed for eternity in the Portland LDS temple. I totally cried haha :) As I was a bridesmaid, we hung around as they took some pictures at the temple. Then we went back up to Vancouver and ate lunch at Burgerville (we wanted it eat more than just their shakes). I had yummy halibut fish and chips and Adam had a gigantic burger and we shared DELICIOUS rosemary fries. 

We had some time before the reception so we went down to the old Fort Vancouver and Officer's Row in downtown Vancouver. Adam loves history and so I knew he would love it :) 

There are lots of old houses on the Row that housed the major officers stationed in that area especially during the Civil War, like Ulysses S. Grant. They even had reenactors dressed in Union uniforms riding horses and shooting guns! The fort was also cool to see and they were even doing some demonstrations in the blacksmith cabin :) After that we met up with my best friend from high school, Sarah, and got to chat with her for a bit. It was so great to catch up :) We then left to change and went to the reception which was so much fun because I saw lots of old friends from my home stake :)

Day 4:
That Sunday, we spent the morning just driving around Vancouver as I showed Adam some places from my childhood. Then, we went to church in my home ward which I hadn't done since we got married! Everyone was super excited to see us and it was great to see so many people I've known since I was a baby. I was in that ward from the time I was born until I left for college so it was fun to see my old leaders, especially with me being pregnant right now :) That evening we spent having dinner with my aunt and uncle and their family, as well as my grandma. My cousin just recently had a baby so it was fun to be able to hold her little girl and think about what's coming in about 6 months :)

Day 5:
We had this whole day to do what we wanted, so it took a long time for us to decide what to do. We started off by eating brunch at Carol's Corner in Vancouver which is famous for its huge and delicious breakfast foods :) Then we went up to north of Vancouver to visit some of the pretty waterfalls along the Lewis River. 

We drove back into town and hung around a bit before dinner going to some other places that were nostalgic for me. We also went to the Columbia River waterfront which Adam had never been to :) Then we ate dinner with my parents at a mexican place in Vancouver called Muchas Gracias. Its a stupid name but the food is like what you'd get from a yummy taco food truck haha :)

Day 6:

We got up early yesterday and drove home. It was long but we made it safe and sound :)

We had a a great time on our trip and can't wait to go again :) in other news, I have felt the baby a few times! I have been feeling unexplainable tickling and fluttering in my abdomen a few times starting last week :) I'm excited for this to continue as the baby grows :) We'll update everyone more later especially when we find out the gender next month!

We love you all!

<3 Ashley

Fall semester and Thanksgiving break

Hey everyone!

Sorry its been soooo long since we did a blog but this semester has been incredibly busy. Adam has enjoyed his job working as a TA for independent study which he will be doing next semester as well. I've continued working as a secretary and a lab assistant in the testing lab, which I will also be doing next semester. We just got past finals week and it is glorious!! Its so nice to be done and have a 3 week break (although we'll have about a week that we'll be here and just working). 

I've thoroughly enjoyed my classes this semester and I actually did better than I've ever done at BYU! It was tough but I got through it. I did really well in my Writing within Psychology class and I might submit my literature review to the undergrad psychology journal. I volunteered in the Children's Unit at the state mental hospital and it was been so great to get that experience. I will be needing to volunteer for one of my classes next semester so I am thinking of continuing at USH (Utah State Hospital). The kids are great and I got to be involved in their Christmas program :) I got to teach a group of kids to sing Last Christmas which they did great at :) the kids did songs and dances and at the end all of the psych techs did an awesome dance. After this experience, I am thinking of trying to get an internship or a job at USH. This will give me good experience for applying to grad school. I am now considering the possibility of me waiting a year after undergrad to get experience for a Master's in Social Work program. We'll see :)

Adam's also done very well in his classes (as always) :) He applied for an ORCA grant and is now waiting to hear back, which will happen probably in February. He officially has only two semesters left of college, although he is thinking of doing spring term to finish off his Spanish classes. It has been a hard semester but he has held up great. Not to mention his professors love him :)

We've also LOVED working at the temple this semester :) We've got to know so many great people and its been a great experience :) Its wonderful to have a space of time each week to be in such a spiritual place :) we are so glad we decided to become temple workers.

Also, we got to spend Thanksgiving with my family which was great! We decided to fly there which was so nice because we got more time with my family and I hate long car rides. We had fun spending time with my parents, and with my aunt and uncle who we stayed with part of the time. Then my sister Stephanie, her husband, and baby came on Thanksgiving day which was AWESOME :) My nephew is getting so big! Almost 6 months old now :)

He's such a smiley chubby cute baby :) my sister and her husband are planning on moving down to Utah next year so I'm SUPER excited :) Anyways, we had a great Thanksgiving and Adam enjoyed seeing my family's traditions for the first time including my dad barbecuing the turkey and my mom's gravy and stuffing :) My sister's and I even got time together to see the new Twilight movie and get some photobooth pictures done :)

So fun :) Also when Adam and I got home we got to put up our first tree as a married couple :)

Merry Christmas to you all!!
           <3 Ashley

Trip to Washington: Day 5-8

So after we came back to Vancouver, we got to do more stuff :) On Monday, we got lunch at Gustav's, a German restaurant in the Vancouver/Portland area. We had delicious fondue! After that we hung out with a couple of friends of mine, Chelsea and Alex. We all went up to a waterfall that my family discovered north of Vancouver. Its a beautiful drive and the waterfall is kind of hidden from the road so we've always called it Hidden Falls. haha not sure how we found it. Anyways, it was fun to go there and cool down. We put our feet in the water but it was of course freezing (it's basically snow melt). We did get to take some fun pictures!

 There's also a little trail that leads to an old railroad which I discovered one time from going to the falls with my family. Chelsea and Alex had fun playing chicken :)

 Then Chelsea and I went to the mall and got pedicures. Yay for girl time! Then the next day was temple day!! We got some great pictures from our wedding but I wish that it hadn't rained at the temple and I hadn't had bronchitis xP So Adam and I attempted to take more pictures in our wedding clothes at the temple but when it was sunny. Alex and Chelsea helped us and we used one of my dad's cameras which sadly we couldn't figure out how to turn on the flash but we did get some good ones. It was very hot as well haha it made us appreciate the coolness on our wedding day. We tried not to get in the way of a bridal party that was doing stuff but it was interesting to see people stare at us haha. Since I got married in December, the grounds weren't exactly crawling with people. A family with two little girls (about 5 or 3 was my guess) came up to me and asked me my name and wanted to look at my dress and my ring. So cute!! I kinda felt like a princess at Disneyland haha. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My dad will help edit them but here's one of them :)

We then got to go through a session which was absolutely wonderful!! It was great being back in the place we got married and feeling the spirit there. I love Adam so much more now than I did when we got married and I know it will continually be growing with time. We also got to go into the new visitors' center briefly :) Then we traveled back to have an early dinner with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend. We went to Dok Koon Thai food and it was very yummy as always :) It was great seeing Sarah again however briefly since she's been my friend since we were 13 :) After that we went over to my aunt and uncle's house with my mom and my sister. Haha that morning we got a surprise by finding out that my aunt Amber had come to visit from Idaho and brought her kids!! She got to meet Adam when we went to Idaho Falls last year but I hadn't seen her since. She also had a baby boy in that time! My other aunt Sarah (the house we went to) had a baby girl too. So I got to meet my two new cousins who were completely adorable. Naomi was a very content little one and I got to hold her a lot and watch her make funny faces haha. Benjamin was cute as well in all his attempts to crawl but getting thoroughly frustrated.

I am so glad I got to see them all and Adam got to enjoy being around a bunch of little cousins who like to kick him and hit him with their toys haha ;)

The next day (Wednesday) Adam and I went to the coast (Cannon Beach, OR to be exact)! It was so fun to be there with him because he's only been to the beach twice in his life. Once when he was ten but it was cold and rainy and in March, and another on his mission but of course he didn't get to do anything. It was fun to show him all of the places my family would go. It was a gorgeous day at the beach and relatively warm for the Oregon coast. We walked along the surf collecting sea shells, getting our feet wet, and running from the waves. We also got to go to the tidepools and see a starfish and little fish that change color to their surroundings. We then ate at a seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean. A wonderful time :) 

 Then the next day we drove all the way back to Utah which was very long and very tiring. I'm so glad that we got to make this trip and Adam could experience a little bit of WA summertime :) So glad I got to see so many friends and family :) Now for relaxing and preparing for the coming semester of school!!

Love,

Ashley <3