I'm melting! Melting!

Okay folks (to be honest, I hate the word folk. Say it. It feels like a piece chicken lodged in the back of your throat)Its time for the 2nd installment of,

 

Friends. My dear friends (said in the voice of John McCaine while waving his arms like a moron.). I have been dreaming of day like today for years. You hear me, YEARS! I did a photo shoot today on December 15th, in 75 degree weather. Did you hear me? 75 degree weather. Oh the happiness that filled my soul as I took my sweater off because I was getting sweaty. How joyful I was when I needed to turn the AC on in my car. This is a day that will be talked about for years to come. 

75 degree weather in December! Doesn't get better than this.

God bless Texas.

I took this picture while I was out on my shoot today... yes its true, we still have green grass and leaves on trees.

 

If ornaments could talk...

If this ornament could talk, I wonder what it would say? 

 

Would the first story he would tell be about a young couple 25 years ago who celebrated their first Christmas together snuggled under the glowing lights of their very first Christmas Tree?

 

Would this ornament remember the Christmas when a stupid cat name Shadow couldn't resist knocking down the Christmas tree, and almost setting the house on fire?

 

Im sure this ornament would burst with excitement as it told the story of the countless years a growing family laughed, sung, fought, played, cried, and prayed during the crazy month of December.

Without a doubt this ornament would tell the story of that Christmas 6 years ago when a family of five, who used to be six, snuggled under the glowing lights of the tree, not in joyous laughter but in reverence and heartache as their hearts yearned for the women who was everything to them.

I hope this ornament remembers last year's Christmas when my father solemnly passed this ornament, the last one left of my parents first Christmas together, down to me. Now it will hang atop my tree for Robbie and I to make Christmas memories of our very own.

FREE PHOTO SHOOT

{TRADE FULFILLED. THANK YOU!}

In the words of Fiddler on the Roof... 

Tradition, tradition! Tradition!
Tradition, tradition! Tradition!

ITS TRADITION!

Everyone has traditions in their families, and at Christmas it seems that families have LOTS of Tradition. Well for YEARS I have had a personal Christmas Tradition. Going to The Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Choir Concert!

This tradition of mine is EVERYTHING. Seriously. To me, it is what plants the spirit of Christmas in my heart not just for December, but all year long. I crave this concert 365 days of the year. I listen to each years past cd all year long. FOR REALS.

This year, I didn't get tickets:( SO SAD. With David Archaletta being the guest this year, it seems everyone applied for tickets. I LOVE David Archaletta, but for me this concert is not about him. Its about the choir.

So dear internet, I am here to make a PLEA with you...

I need 2 tickets to the Friday showing of Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert. In exchange, I will give you a FREE PHOTO SHOOT ($280 value) The free shoot can either happen in December or at the very end of February, or April when I will be coming back to Utah. Your choice!

Let me know if you are interested. jessyrae1030@gmail.com

Merry Christmas!

Don't be silly Toto, Scarecrows don't talk.

Hey y'all!!
Well 4 months livin' in the big D. And "y'all" is officially apart of daily talk. Y'all dig me? Sweet.

Being on our own in a new city/state is quite the adventure. And the differences between Dallas and Utah County are quite HI-larious. I am always finding treasures of new discoveries and differences. So in light of my new discoveries, I want to start a new series here on my blog called...

(Whenever this banner appears, it means I have found something completely different in Dallas than what I am used to seeing/experiencing in Utah County.

Got it?  Good.  Lets begin.)

This is what you see on every street corner in the U.C. 

(aka Utah County.  I just made that place so hip by abbreviating the word. I abbrev my words F.Y.)

 

And this is what you see in Dallas...

 

So these stores are not on every corner, but I am sure you can understand my shock when I saw these stores lurking around town. 

God Bless Texas.

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

Today is a day for the history books! After 3 1/2 years of marriage, Robbie and I did it!!! Did what you ask?

WE GOT INTERNET!!!

It's time that we officially enter the 21st century. Someday when we get an Ipod and internet on our phones we will enter the cool club of the 21st century. But till then... I will enjoy internet at all times of the day.

I'm so happy I could cry! This is TRULY the best day of my life.

Grateful.

Thanksgiving. Its the kick off to my holiday season. Every year's kick off is relatively the same. It begins with waking up to the first sweet sounds of Christmas music (it's against my religion to listen to Christmas music any earlier) mixed in with sounds of laughing, and The Thanksgiving Day parade blaring in the background. When its time eat, the smells tickle my body with glorious anticipation. We eat. My dad expresses that this "IS THE BEST MEAL HE HAS EVER HAD." (We all roll our eyes at this declaration.)

After dinner, we sit around all day reading ads, watching football, making fun of whoever is making a fool of themselves at the time, and play games. When the night ends, I curl up in bed, with a smile pressed upon my lips and let the tryptophan take over.


This was NOT my Thanksgiving Day this year...

IT WAS BETTER.

Our Thanksgiving Day started on Wednesday with an experience I will never forget. We joined up with a local Realty Group in Dallas and helped with their annual "Feed the Homeless" project. That night, my life was forever changed. We met nine of Dallas' finest people and created 45 care packages that we were able to deliver that night to the Homeless in Downtown Dallas. When the care package went from my arms to arms of the recipient, a connection was made. A connection that we are all children of God. No matter our circumstances. Poor, wealthy, fat, skinny, black, white...
We are ALL children of God.

The smile that will make you shine

Ya know when you go to dentist to get your teeth clean, and you run your tongue over your newly shined pearly whites, and it they feel so slimy and smooth? OH! I just love it.

Well, you can have that feeling everyday with the Oral B 5000! Robbie and I have had our Oral B (the 4000 model) for a few years now and just LOVE it. We just got an Oral B 5000 as a gift, and since we already have one, we are wanting to sell it. The box has never been opened and includes: 1 handle, 1 smart guide, 1 charger, 1 base station, 2 flossaction brush heads, 1 sensitive brush head, 1 power tip brush head, 1 instructional DVD, and 1 travel case... WOW! That's a TON! It retails at around $115. Depending where you shop.

We are selling ours for $90.(includes shipping and tax)

If you are interested, shoot me an e-mail ASAP. It is a FABULOUS Christmas gift. I bought our tooth brush for Robbie as an anniversary gift, and he hasn't stopped thanking me:)

jessyrae1030@gmail.com!

Being Offended

I've been questioned if I have horns, wear long dresses all day, while having my hair look like a beehive, and people wondering if I am Robbie's only wife.

I have been asked "why" I don't drink alcohol, wait for marriage to have sex, why I choose to dress modestly(especially wondering why I don't wear bikinis), and why I don't drink coffee.

People have inquired of "Jo" Smith, the gold bible, and believing in such things as modern day prophets.

.....................


All these "questions" that people have asked me are issues of controversy. Such questions could take someone out of their comfort zone. It can be difficult sometimes to interpret whether people are asking questions out of mere curiosity, or if they are trying to criticize my religious views.

This video below is a good guide that can help anyone decide whether something should be taken as offensive.

Dennis Prager on being offended from Bobby Earle on Vimeo.

I STRONGLY, PASSIONATELY, believe asking questions and having different views is what makes the world a better place. There is nothing worse than when I have a question regarding someone's views about life but I can't ask them because I fear offending them.

Like the advice this video gives, "only be offended when malice was intended, not when a mistake(or in the case, curiosity) was made.

If anyone out there wonders anything about me or my beliefs, please don't ever hesitate to ask me. If you would like to contact me via e-mail, please know questions are ALWAYS welcomed! jessyrae1030@gmail.com

I Love To Laugh

(okay so i think this song is pretty annoying, but it goes GREAT with my thoughts today!)

Everyone has human needs, and one of mine is to L A U G H! I seriously love to laugh. And I usually laugh at most things... Whether someone just fell down the stairs, and landed hard on their butt, (that's my morbid side) or if your a man who carries a purse (even if they call it a sachel. psshh), or a HILARIOUS joke by my father-in-law. Laughing is 100% a human need of mine.

Since moving to Dallas our circle of friends is quite limited. Robbie has his books, and I have my laptop... Okay so I guess not much has changed. BUT with Bob studying 24/7, laughing at him or laughing while hanging out with friends isn't quite an option at the moment. So I have been getting my laughing drug from Hulu and Netflix (since we are ghetto and don't have T.V.). Here are the most recent T.V. shows that have made me deliriously happy lately, and have tickled my funny bone in the right place!

Number 4:

oh gosh. oh golly! This new show from NBC is cry-yourself-to-sleep-funny. WATCH IT OKAY!

Number 3:

For the last month I have been netflixing seasons of MONK, and watching them while I edit. Monk is not your typical "funny." This show is SUPER DRY and subtle with its humor. Which I LOVE. I am in season 4 right now, and they just keep getting better and better!

Number 2:

I had a REALLY hard time deciding which episode to put in my number 1 spot... But since Modern Family is only in its second season, I decided to make it number 2. Modern Family is quick whited, charming, HILARIOUS, and quite frankly I might have peed my pants watching an episode or two:) Also, I adore this show because Phil Dunphy reminds me of Robbie!

Number 1:

HEAVEN ABOVE this show was made for me! It's clean, it's soooooooo funny, the nicknames they come up with just floor me with their hilarious genius! It has the best theme song on T.V. It makes me dance a crazy jig every time... its quite the little dance I have going:) Everything about Psych makes me happy! And what makes me the most happy? The new season starts up again on Nov. 10th! HOLLA!

pieces.

My whole heart resides only one place. . . wherever Robbie Man is. But pieces of my heart are scattered throughout the world. Whether in Mexico where I was able to do humanitarian work, or in Nordstrom's with those Steve Madden boots my pocket book can't afford, or at my momma's grave. Pieces of my heart can be found all over the United States. . . In Adamondiahman, Disneyland, Vermont, Lake Powell, Kirkland, NYC, Austin, St. George, Port Orchard, my grandma's house, Nauvoo, the ocean... Any where a happy memory resides, is where pieces of my heart are.

A BIG CHUNK of my heart resides in little Orem, UT. In a small corner of this small city, lies the chunk. For three years, Robbie and I were privileged, blessed, and favored to live in the Stonewood ward boundaries. Here in this ward, I was called to be in Young Womens. To say it was the best calling in the world would be an understatement. My heart fell head-over-heals for every single girl in that program. Tonight, I sit here missing them. Terribly. I pray that I will never forget them, never forget their laughs, their faces, and the memories that were made. I love "my girls!"... and miss them.

And whether they know it or not... each of them hold a piece of my heart.