True. Honest. Love.

I heard this song while watching the Bachelorette the other night and I fell in love. Completely, and hopelessly in love with it. Like I kind of wish I would have found it before Dan and I got married so we could have danced to it. Oh well, I'm coming up with a whole new list of songs to be our songs. (Don't barf at that...sorry I'm sentimental today).

Anyway, so last night...actually the last couple of weeks...have been killer stressful on both Dan and I. Let's just say that between me working 50+ hours a week and Dan working at least 70, we don't really have a lot of...alone time per say. We just don't have time to sit and talk to each other and just enjoy each others company. It's quite sad actually. So the point of that was all this frustration reared an ugly head last night. And I took that frustration out on Dan. Horrible. Completely awful actually.

I hate fighting, but at the same time, I feel like after we get over it, we get so much closer. We grow closer. We fight for what we want, and we fight to stay together, to work it out, and to grow closer, and move towards forever.

I think at the end of it, fighting makes me want this to work more. It forces me to realize how much I want him in my life, by my side, forever. Bottom line, I love Dan. I love having him by my side through everything. He's my best friend and I can't imagine my life without him.

"I could hold out my arms, say 'I love you this much.' I could tell you how long I will long for your touch. How much and how far would I go to prove the depth and the breadth of my love for you?
From here to the moon and back: Who else in the world will love you like that?
Love everlasting, I promise you that, from here to the moon and back."

Food. YUMM!!

I've been dying to post about this delicious recipe I tried last week. Dan and I both LOVED it!!!
I got this awesome cookbook from my mother in law and I've just been giddy about it all! There's so many tasty recipes inside. If you're curious, it's called Taste of Home: Simple and Delicious.

This is the page in the book. Seriously, easiest recipe to make. It's so easy to as far as serving sizes too because you figure one roll per person. Anyway, it was super simple and easy and they were amazing!! It was actually kind of fun to make: to roll up the lasagna noodles then just bake them.

The ingredients: ricotta cheese, basil, parsley, pepperoni slices, and spaghetti sauce.
You bake the lasagna noodles per the package instructions. Mix up the cheese, basil and parsley flakes. I think it was a quarter of a cup of the cheese mix and spread it out on the noodle (but leave some space at the end so you can roll the noodle). Then you put the pepperoni slices on over the cheese, and then ROLL the noodle. (My favorite part!).

All rolled up!

After you have them rolled up and in the greased baking dish, you pour the spaghetti sauce on top.

 Then bake!!

Because of this amazing book...I am definitely looking forward to the rest of my week of delicious and amazing dinners!!

To say the least...

Happy Birthday to my amazing sister!!!!

This is Princess Caitlin. And she makes faces in pictures quite frequently. In fact, it's dang near impossible to get her to smile normally.

I love you Caitlin and I'm so so grateful that you're my sister. You're one of my best friends and I'm so so glad we're in Provo together!! Much love and Happy 19th Birthday!!!

Friday the 13th.

I'm not a superstitious person. Never have been. It's something I pride myself on a little bit.
In fact, I'm so not superstitious that I chose to get married on May 13th...which happened to be a Friday. My dad even asked me when I was planning the wedding if I didn't want to move it up a day and get married on the 12th. I said nope!! (of course!)

Looking back...I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite pictures from that day.

Walking out of the temple. I distinctly remember after the sealing and everyone had walked out of the room, it was just Dan and I, we were smiling uncontrollably, and I could finally breathe. Like all of this pressure and stress to make sure we were in the right place at the right time was lifted. We had made it. And we're together for time and ALL eternity. The best feeling in the entire world.

Some of the friends and family that were able to be there and share our day.

I miss these two girls more than words can say. I love love love our skype times more than anything, and it's so good to catch up and realize how great my best friends are. We're crazy, we're silly, and we definitely still have not changed. I can't wait till we're all in the same state again!!!

Over the last year and a half, I've come to realize how truly great and wonderful my sisters are. Really. I lucked out with my in laws, and I couldn't ask for better sisters. I love talking to them! I love feeling comfortable around them too, like I really belong to this family. I couldn't ask for better sisters than Jami and Rhianna.

I love love love these girls. And I'd do anything for them. Being married, and moving away has been so good for our relationships because I really want to talk to them and hear about their lives, where before I really took it for granted how much I saw them and got to spend time with them. I really think you grow closer as a family when you have to branch out and grow.

This picture always makes me laugh because Dan and I were both so so tired. Running on no sleep and no food for the last 2 days. So graciously, Wendy Terry offered to run down to the Circle K and get us some drinks. Naturally, I chose the dew...of course. And Dan did too. It was amazing, and I'm so glad that BrieAnna got a picture with the drinks in it!

Love my girlfriends! Even though we've all gone separate ways, I love seeing little news feeds pop up on FB about how their doing. And one of these lovely ladies is getting married tomorrow!! Congrats Jacq!

Dan and I had the best friends at EA! Seriously, the BEST group of friends. And 3 of the people in this picture are getting married this year...so far. I'm sure there will be more. I love looking at pictures of us and remembering all the good times we had in Thatcher, all the trouble we got into, and the many many nights of exciting games/pranks/bonfires/river expeditions.

Cutting the cake. Love this picture. One of my all time faves.

Dancing with my daddy.
"I loved her first" by Heartland

So much in love...you're alone in this place, like there's nobody else in the world.

"Give In to Me" Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester

Happy Friday the 13th. I think it's my favorite day ever.
Love my husband. And I'm so so grateful to have him forever :]

Some days I really hate myself

One of those days is today. Seriously.

I have been such a mess the last couple of days, and to be completely honest I have no idea why. I'd like to blame Mother Nature, but let's be real...it's a crap excuse. A couple of nights ago, I came home from work and could not stop crying and it's just going downhill from there. Last night, I was just pissed at the world and I completely took it out on Dan. Just to cry some more and fall into his arms. Then this morning, I got mad about something else. Something in retrospect (and I think I knew it at the time too) that was so so stupid. So stupid. We were just yelling (okay let's be real...Dan doesn't yell...I do) and it just sucked. Period.

And I cried...more.

Honestly I hated myself this morning.
I still hate myself a little bit now for the way I acted this morning.

And it was in that frustration of this morning that I realized how incredibly lucky I am. I have the most amazing and understanding and wonderful husband in the entire world. Because he loves me through it all, and he just held me for a good part of the morning.

I'm so so lucky to have him and I don't know what I'd ever do without him. Ever.

I love him...so so much. So much so that it hurts sometimes. I've never met someone who makes me so frustrated and so mad sometimes, but he's seriously the only person I've ever wanted to talk to when I'm mad.

Anyway. I love my husband. And I take him for granted far too often.

That needs to change. Right now.

So here's my resolution: I am going to show my husband how much I really do cherish and appreciate him.

Die like a hero going home

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.     -Chief Tecumseh

A few things I don't want to forget

December 2011: Kason asked me to go on a date to Temple Square and get some hot chocolate.
We went to Church with Jami and Kason on Christmas and of course the choir sang. I came to realize that there's always that one soprano in every choir that you just wanna smack upside the head. Stop trying to outshine everyone else and sing in harmony with the other sopranos!
Later that same Sunday, we were having dinner and the conversation went as follows:
Dan: Oh shiz.
Kason: What did you just say?
Jami and I were dying we were laughing so hard!

August 2011: My momma was up helping Caitlin and I get settled in for school and we were at my Gramma's house. We'd been helping my Gramma clean the house (it's huge so when she has help she can get it all cleaned top to bottom in one day instead of 2 or 3 by herself). There was a rag I'd used to clean the toilet and I happened to leave said rag on the counter. Later, my mom was washing her face off and she grabbed a rag and wiped her face with it. It was the toilet rag. I think I spit out my toothpaste from laughing so hard. She didn't find it nearly as funny...I don't know why.

July 2012: I have a friend who posts about the funny things you say when you're married that come out completely wrong and they're just hilarious. You can read some of her's and her husband's funny things here. We had a funny moment the other day...read below
Dan: You're so cute sometimes...
*contemplating pause*
Arielle: *stare of disbelief/surprise/deciding whether to laugh or not*
Dan: *recovering quickly, realizing what he said* ALL THE TIME!!!!

Haha we were laughing and I just said so I'm only cute sometimes huh? Guilt tripped him a little bit, then we laughed some more.

Quotes: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, quoting Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "The Lord doesn't ask about our inabilities or abilities. He only asks about our availabilities. If we show our dependability, He will help us in our capability."

Henry Ford, "Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals."

Kason: He has said some pretty funny things in the time that we watched him. This part I'm sure will be continually added too as Dan and I remember things he's said. I love 4/5 year olds because they're just starting to really understand conversation and some of the things adults say. It's hilarious (sometimes) to hear them repeat it back. Kason especially because he's so stinkin smart!! Love him!

(Jami's leaving for her institute class): Bye mom! Be good!!

Kason calls me ting ting...and does it while giggling ridiculously. It's pretty funny.

Vacation

 

Last Thursday, we jumped on a plane at 9:40 pm going from Denver to Salt Lake City. We landed around 11:10 pm, got picked up by my gramma and great gramma, and hit the sheets pretty hard. We

were both pretty tired
Friday, we met up with Dan's family at the Draper temple to see them! We haven't seen them since February! We also got to see little Camden!! Oh my goodness I'm in love! As soon as Matt and Rhianna got out of the car with him, I ran over and just snatched him up. He was so smiley and happy and chubby! So seriously adorable. We met up with them before they headed up to Salt Lake to go to Temple Square and we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for my sister in law's wedding.

The sealing was at 3 and you're supposed to be there 30 minutes early. We got there and headed upstairs to wait to be take to the sealing room. Not going to lie, as soon as we got up there, everyone knew exactly who we were. I mean there's no denying it. Kason looks exactly like Dan. It honestly made it kind of awkward, but we brushed it off. I guess if people are going to stare you should hold yourself together a  bit right?

Well anyway, we walk into the sealing room and I was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of peace and security, only the kind the temple can bring, except it was stronger, more reassuring. Through this entire experience, I've been calm, level headed, and honestly super excited for Jami! I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose Dan, and then she found Brad, and I still couldn't be happier for her! But about 2 hours before the wedding, I started to worry. Not about Jami, because I knew she was sure, but about Dan. I didn't know how he would handle it. I knew he was happy for her, and he wanted to be there, but it was his brother.

Anyway, back to the peace. It was amazing. I started tearing up right then and there...not a good sign when you still have to make it through the actual sealing! I enjoyed that peace so so much. I can't even begin to describe it. I didn't ever have the privilege to know Kam, but I've heard plenty of stories about him. And from what I heard, I knew he was there in that sealing room that day, if only for Dan and I to be reassured, but it was exactly what I needed.

Jami and Brad walked in, they were sealed, and I couldn't keep the tears back. I was so incredibly happy for her, and Brad. We walked by to congratulate them, I gave Brad a hug (awkward for the first meeting?) and just told him to take care of her, because we love her and Kason. Still crying. All it took was one look and Jami and I were both crying again. I just gave her a big hug, told her I loved her, and that I'd see her that night at the reception. I really don't think I could've said anymore...I was crying too much.

We walked out of the temple and immediately started looking for Kason. I just wanted to see him. We found him running around in front of the temple. I called out his name, he looked, and with a huge grin on his face started running towards us. He jumped (literally) into my arms and gave me the biggest hug in the entire world! He hugged me, looked at me and smiled, and hugged me again. It was the best feeling ever! That little boy has my heart wrapped around his finger, and he probably knows it too. I guess that's what I get for watching him every week for the last year.

We walked around for a bit waiting for Brad and Jami to come out. Finally they did!! Haha. They looked so so so happy!! It made me a little nostalgic for my own wedding. I remember that feeling. Vividly. It's one of the best feelings in the world. I love the look on Brad's face because you could just tell how much he loves Jami, and Kason.

 Just walking out the doors!!

 

This was so precious! They walked out and Kason came running up to give Jami and big hug!

Love this new little family so so much!!

So funny story...after they took a couple pictures, the photographer asked everyone to go up and congratulate them. Well...everyone kind of stared at each other wondering who would go first. Awkward. Jami's dad, Jeff, decided to break the ice and gave her a big hug. Then Dan and I went over and congratulated both of them (minus the tears this time) and then we left.


Her shoes were awesome! Toms!! And Brad had on Chucks!! So legit!!

We went down to Lehi to meet back up with Dan's mom and dad. We stopped at their hotel, hung out for about an hour or so, and then got ready...again...to go to the reception (which I didn't take pictures of...DUMB!!!). I love it though! She had so many cute decorations. I got nostalgic...again! I think I really just love weddings...especially the pictures. She had lights strung across the backyard and had red, yellow, and white Chinese lanterns covering some of them, and some of the lights just bare. It looked so cute! She also had a chalk board with their love story written on it. It had all the different times they would fly to see each other, when they said I love you, when he proposed, all of it. Precious! They also had (and this was my personal fav) a jar for a "Honeymoon Fund." Genius idea!! I wish I would have thought about that! Pretty much I just loved it all. She had antique doors, a big J with a little B and J on the sides, it was just awesome. Major props on the decor!!

It was fun just to be there and see her so happy. We took pictures with Camden and Kason, and we also took a big family picture with Jami and Brad, but that one will have to wait till her photographer gets her pictures back.

Everyone at the reception was loving on Camden though! I mean he is pretty much the cutest little baby ever, but the photographer was in love with him! It was hilarious to watch because we'd look over every so often and there she was snapping pictures of him!

Matt, Rhianna, Kason, and Camden.

After the reception, we went and grabbed some food at Texas Roadhouse before we went back to pick up Kason for the night. It was so yummy and so fun to be there together with my family. Camden was being fussy, and I felt so bad that Rhianna couldn't eat her food, so I grabbed him from her and just rocked him in the booth. He fell right to sleep too. It was so adorable, and it was right then that I just felt like one day I'll be a good mommy...hopefully :].

Dan and I drove back to Lehi to pick up Kason and go back to the hotel and swim. Well by the time we got back to the hotel it was 11, and unfortunately the pool closes then, so we just planned on going that next morning. I wasn't worried about Kason sleeping with Dan and I because Ethan has slept in my bed so many times that I didn't think it was a big deal. Well I severely underestimated his ability to roll from one side to the other in the middle of the night. He would roll from being right next to Dan to being right next to me. Back and forth. But it was okay. The next morning though, Dan and I were pretty exhausted. Dan however, did NOT want to get up. It was kind of cute. It reminded me of the time we were supposed to go to Six Flags and he wasn't out of bed until 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave! We skipped breakfast, went to the pool and swam for a few hours. I have a million and a half pictures from there, but I'll spare you. One day I'll upload a good one to fit right in here.

This is Kason trying to push Dan off the bed so that he would get dressed so we could go swimming! Haha. After swimming, we went to IHOP for breakfast, and then drove back to Lehi to drop Kason off with his Grandpa Jeff so he could spend time with him before he left too.

We took a bunch of pictures back at Jami's house with Kason, and then we left and drove up to my Gramma and Grampa's cabin for the rest of the weekend. We got a little lost on the way there, but once we figured it out, we arrived just fine! We finally met Caitlin's boyfriend David and had a really fun time on Saturday talking and enjoying each other's company.

We saw some deer, well quite a few deer actually, while we were there. It was super cool!! I haven't seen that many deer up there in a long long time! Princess Caitlin was actually down under the balcony and tossing carrots at the deer and they kept coming closer and closer. They had to have been at most 5 feet away. It was pretty cool! And I had to get a picture in with Dan and the deers. Him, Matt and his Dad were just dying that the deer were so close and they couldn't be hunting ;].

My Grampa made mountain trash the next morning (tradition of course!) and everyone loved it!! The Haban's left that morning and headed back to Az. We decided to skip out on Church that day...terrible, don't judge...and we just hung out some more. I really don't know what we did on Sunday to be honest. Dan and I left for the airport at 4 so we could make it for our flight. We actually ran into Jeff at the airport and sat next to him on the flight home. It was nice to talk with him and enjoy the company. We got back to Denver safe a sound, and as soon as we stepped off the plane, I wanted to go back.


I don't think so much that I want to be back in Utah, but I just want to come back to school...to our friends...to our family. I think the vacation was exactly what we needed, and to be reminded that we do actually like it there. It was so great to see our families, to be able to see Brad and Jami get sealed in the temple, to see Kason, and to just be together again.

Not going to lie...I'm looking forward to summer vacations next summer. It will be grand.

Oh and this picture was too cute not to share.

And just because we need a new picture update...
I think we're pretty cute if I do say so myself.

Down

The browser at my work has been down...for 3 hours. Three.

I haven't been able to do anything besides scan the contracts since 7:30 pm.

I'm bored.

Seriously.
Freaking.
BORED.