Life is Beautiful

"'Am I still a mother, as I have no child with me...' My reply is this, 'If you held a child in the womb you are a mother, and I can think of no one who deserves that accolade more, then those who have had to give their child back'."


I am blessed. Sometimes I find it hard for me to say that because of the recent heartaches in my life. But when I stop and look at the whole picture that's when I know it's really true.

I've suffered two losses in the past 6 months. It wasn't a close family member or even someone I knew. They were little beings that blessed my life when I discovered them as they were growing inside of me. Miscarriage, is a term every knows and uses. Yes I miscarried, twice. But to me I really lost two babies.

Sometimes I feel weak and lonely, and like there is no hope. But when I can feel love surrounding me that's when I know I can make it through.
I know I am not weak, because I am here moving forward even after these trials.
I know I am not alone, because there are so many who have gone through the same experience and even worse.
I know there is hope, because every day I am reminded of it by those who love and care about me.

It's painful in every aspect, but I'm a believer that these things happen to us to make us stronger then we were yesterday. To help us grow into what we need to be, what we are planned to be. It's not a punishment, it's a learning experience. And if you know these things to be true, then you can get through anything with the help of your loved ones, and of course your Savior Jesus Christ by your side, for he suffered through it all.

Ultimately though, it's my husband who I seem to have the most gratitude for. Because he has had to go through these losses too, but along the way be the strong for me. My husband is my buoy, who keeps me afloat when I need him through the roughest storms. I am thankful every day for him. How wonderful is it to have someone so special, physically by your side day in and day out.

Life can be unbearable sometimes, but if we take a deeper look, looking past all the troubles and see how blessed we truly are, we will see that Life is Beautiful.

Love, Jessie

p.s. You really know someone is looking out for you when a little girl comes to your undeveloped and hidden neighborhood selling CHOCOLATE. Oh yum.

CLEAN Almond Joys

Hooray for clean treats!
I found a coconut ball recipe a few weeks ago....tried it. Let me tell you it was wonderful!! My husband also agreed! So I made it again but with my own twist of course :) Came up with this....

Almond Joy Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (approx)
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• About 12-15 raw almonds

Almond Joy Instructions:

1. Combine the 2 cups coconut, 6T coconut oil, 5T honey, and 2t vanilla together until well mixed. If you want a different texture, throw the coconut shreddings in a blender or food processor until it becomes like thick flour. 

2. Using your hands, squeeze the mixture and form a flat oval shape. Don't try and roll it because it will just fall apart. You can shape them by squeezing them in your palms a few times. Then place them on a baking sheet with wax paper. (Makes approx 15 ovals)

3. After you put them on the sheet, place one almond on each one. Make sure you press them down a bit so they can harden and set in. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until you can see that the coconut oil solidifies.

4. Melt you chocolate slowly. I put my chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a bowl and put it in the microwave at 30 second intervals, mixing in-between. I add the coconut oil to the chocolate because it makes it easier to spread and form over the coconut ovals.

5. Lastly, one at a time using a fork (two forks might make it easier) coat the coconut ovals in the chocolate! If the almonds fall off in the process no worries, just throw em back on top and they will harden on with the chocolate. Refrigerate if you can wait an extra 10 minutes and then enjoy!!!

Tips: If you are wondering where to find unsweetened coconut I get mine at Winco. If you are feeling adventurous you can sub the vanilla extract for almond extract, or any kind of extract! You can also use dark chocolate or cacao chips instead of the semi-sweet. That would probably make it even cleaner! Also, I measured as approximately as I could. I normally add by taste and texture so feel free to add more or less of things :)

Hope you love these as much as I do!!! 

What a year...

WE DID IT! 

Okay, of course we did. This year has been the most life changing year of my life. 

• Made the biggest and most important decision of my life by getting sealed to my one and only Chase, for time and all Eternity. (whoo what a sentence) 
• Traveled out of the country for my first time to the Dominican Republic. (huge deal I know)
• Moved from Oregon to Idaho to Utah!
• Built a brand new spankin' home . 
• Learned to drive in the snow. And when I say snow I mean SNOW all of you Oregonians.
• Was given the most incredible gift and experience of pregnancy. Sadly it only lasted for a short time.
• Ended up gaining a different kind of family member instead, our sweet Nelly the vizsla.
• Starting school back up again! And soon, my career. Woohoo!

Every single day good and bad was and continues to be filled with joy. Yes, even the bad days! I have everything to be thankful for. I am so blessed...not because of what I have, but who I have to spend my life with. I can't even begin to share in words how happy I am and how wonderful life is when you have a constant companion, a best friend, who is always there for you. Who supports you, loves you, trusts you, forgives you, and makes you the best you can be. I can't wait to make this 1 year to 5 years, then to 10. All the way to 50 and 100!! And then forever after that! Sorry Chase, you're are stuck with me forever ;) 

Through all the happy moments, and sad moments, and upset moments, and all the moments in between....I would never ask for it any other way, than to share those moments with you.

Engaged

Exactly one year after engagement

Settling in

Two lines, just a faint one

Adventurers 

Happy one year to us

Hi. My name is Nelly, and I'm just about 4 months old!

This is what happens when you don't have a human baby. Your dog becomes your hard worked for trophy baby to talk about all the time. ;)

4 MONTHS!! -She sleeps through the night in her kennel without fail. She sits, lays down, stays (most of the time), leaves it (usually) on command. She of course knows her name. She loves attention. She loves people and being social with everyone. She loves to cuddle and hug you, and definitely loves giving kisses...mostly to Chase. She loves the water and is such a good swimmer! She's a bird lover/hunter and has already tried killing our neighbors chicken. Her best friend is Calaya who is the cute boxer puppy next door, Savannah my adorable niece, and Chase of course. She graduated from Puppy School! She's completely potty trained. She likes to shower with us. AND she loves peanut butter, who doesn't?

Just a few of the many things our little Nelly is all about! Chase and I have never had a better dog. Yes of course she annoys me like a fly would sometimes but she has been a great dog and will get even better with age!

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite pictures of her. Some of them are shots that I take when she's sleeping. She tends to sleep in odd positions....

Bath time!

She was so little here

Ooohh Nelly

This is my kizzy face

She loves to play fetch

She loves long walks on the lake...

She loves laying on the cold floor after long walks on the lake...

This is how she likes being held. Like a baby

Always with ALL of her toys, and towel or course

Nap time at my parents house

Oh you know, just long boarding like a champ!

She loves Daddy

I can't get over how cute she is

Oh wait, she's also VERY SASSY

...and dorky

And also sleeps like this every so often. :)

This is what happens when you're so cute. Just wait till I have BABIES!! THEY WILL HATE ME! Hehehe >:)

Until next time <3

                     Helloooooo Blogging World!!

I have finally decided that it is about time for me to start blogging my life away with everyone! I may not be much of a writer, or the craftiest person ever, and I am especially not very openly opinionated about my thoughts and feelings...BUT I do have a pretty awesome life and I want to start sharing it :) I also have a very strong passion for health and fitness and thought it would be fun to share my workouts and recipes and what not. Soon enough I will actually be a certified trainer, but until then, I am still learning!

I am also still learning how to actually blog....who would've thought that this could be so tricky?! There is so much to this I don't even understand yet, so bare with me. I actually don't even know if anyone will be reading this because I don't even know how to get followers. Sad day in the LIFE OF JESSIE. She doesn't even know how to get followers, or write for that matter. BUT, this blog can't sit empty forever so here ya have it! My first blog post.

I am happy. I am loved. I am a wife to my husband. We share a beautiful home. We moved in just this last April and it has been a dream! We love our home on the beautiful Utah Lake, and cannot wait to start our family here. We have an unfinished basement, but including the basement it's a three story home. We currently have 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, mudroom, study room, living area, etc...Our basement will have 2 more rooms, another bathroom, and YES...A THEATER ROOM! Or, "Chase's Man Cave." A cold storage as well, (which I think is exciting) and a living area. We got super lucky to be able to build on the lake on a half acre lot. Basically though...Utah is great. Everyone should come and settle here like the pioneers did once. Haha okay maybe not.

We own a Vizsla. She has been a wonderful addition to our life! Her name is Nelly and she is such a perfect dog. Okay maybe not yet, but she will be! Short hair, doesn't smell (believe me I did not want a dog that is stinky) bird hunter, medium size, very friendly (too friendly) very very loyal, cuddler, swimmer (she has webbed toes and paws) and just an all around beautiful dog! Lots of ups, couple downs...she is very energetic. It's great if you're active, but they NEED to be active. Lots of running in circles  around our table if she's cooped up for too long. She barks a lot. I don't think it's a Vizsla thing, I think it's just a puppy thing, but man is she sassy!! And because they are so energetic and playful with people they aren't the best around little kids that can be knocked over. None-the-less, she is such a good, smart, and very funny dog that we love so much! Highly recommend them to those who love running and the outdoors.

Chase and I are so in love with life and each other. We have grown a lot since this past year of being married. It has been the best thing to ever happen to us! Marriage is such a beautiful thing and such a promising commitment. Yes at age 19 you can fall in love, yes they can even get married! I find it amusing when people are shocked to hear that I married a man at such a young age. What about teen pregnancies people? Or how about just having children out of wedlock? Isn't that something to be shocked over? I personally believe there is a right order in the way we do things, I guess I just didn't know that there is a "right" age to get married? Well what I DO know is that I am happy, I married the man of my dreams, and in the only place I ever dreamed of getting married in. I also know that he is my partner in crime for Eternity and I wouldn't have it any other way. People live their lives in all kinds of different ways which is just fine! But don't gossip about me for doing something I believe is right, and especially something that makes me happy!