our weekend

 

this is what my saturday night looks like when the husband works weekends. 

i ran errands. browsed the mall and found some candles on sale at bath and body works. decided on salted carmel and now my apartment smells like yummy pastries. treated myself to my first pedicure in months. read my book and nearly fell asleep during the massage... ahhhh. went to trader joes and i couldn't resist the pretty flowers. they have amazing deals if you want to check them out. listened to taylor swift's new cd (yes, i am a 15 year old girl) while i tidied up the apartment and unloaded groceries. i stopped at 711 to get quarters for laundry so i had to buy something... double gulp it was. slipped on my new pj's and settled in on the sofa.  

all these little things make saturday nights without my sweetheart a bit easier, but it's still a little lonely. being alone on nights when we normally go out together feels so strange. being with the same person everyday for the last 5 years doesn't make separation an easy task, but next week he goes out of town so i better get used to falling asleep by myself. i am sure gonna miss my cuddle partner. but i'll sleep in the middle of the bed and snuggle with his pillow, at least it smells like him! 

luckily i have really comfy pjs and a fully stocked fridge. and i guess there is always trash television. thank you time warner cable. thank you. 

golden polka dots

sometimes new pajamas is just what a girl needs to find on her lunch break shopping trip to make the world feel right again. thank you universe for these oh-so-amy pjs.

you know when you spot that item at target that you just can't say no to? yah, well that happened to me a few times on friday. why must target tempt me so?

mr. rex approves and i am wearing these suckers even if it's 90 degrees out. i'll blast my a/c if i have to. it is going to feel like fall in this house!

changing leaves

 

i am really loving this fall weather over here. it has been in the 60's and 70's as of late and it feels SO good. i especially enjoy driving down the beautiful streets (yes, i have favorite streets) that are filled with changing leaves. it makes me so happy!

over the past couple months there have been some changes in the rex household and sometimes i get a little anxious about it. but then i think about these changing leaves and how they signify a change of seasons. eventually they will fall to the earth, but then in the spring they will return, bright and vibrant. my life is also going through a change of seasons if you will and this season is preparing me for my future. i can see how small things that have been happening lately are helping me prepare for what will eventually come to pass. God is good, he helps me see the beauty in learning little by little.

i know that nothing in this life is certain. anything can change in an instant. i have questions that have yet to be answered, but i will continue to wait and have the faith that He is in control and will guide us. living life unsure is not my cup of tea, but i am trying to be positive. trying to lean on the Lord. trying to be strong. some days i am pretty good at it. other days not so much. luckily i have a really cute man by my side to hold me tight and make me laugh.

so here's to hoping that even though things are a little (or a lot) different, that i too will return bright and vibrant after this season is done.

i know who i am

i just watched this and cried. i felt empowered. i felt inspired. i felt love. i felt happy. i felt safe. i felt the Spirit of the Lord testify of it's truthfulness. i hope you'll watch it too.

things i love: feeling full

last night i went here. last night while mr. rex played basketball i could have sat around and watched television for 2 hours. i could have cleaned my house. i could have filed paperwork that really needs to be filed. i could have browsed pinterest for hours. but i chose differently. 

i chose to go to the temple. to the house of the Lord. 

for those of you not familiar with the mormon faith, the temple is where we go to make sacred covenants and to be married or sealed together as families for time and all eternity. this is the building where i was married to my sweetheart. this is the place where i knelt across an alter in a beautiful room surrounded by our dearest family and friends. this is the place where my forever with tyler started. where i go for peace. where i feel like i belong. where i never feel less than or overlooked. where i never feel scared or worried. where i don't look at my phone. where i sit. where i ponder. where i pray. 

where i feel the love of my Father and his Son. 

where last night, i couldn't hold back the tears. i felt an overwhelming love and a peace flow over my body. that He knows me. that He loves me. that everything i have and will be faced with is for my good, because i am strong enough to handle it. 

it's no secret that life is a tough journey. it's not surprising to me that i have faced challenges over the last year. it's upsetting, but not surprising. what does make me wonder is how anyone could survive without the presence of God in their lives. the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the means by which i survive. it is the reason my heart is so full, even when life seems to be such a mess.

for those of you who do not believe or who have chosen to distance yourselves from God - i don't mean to be offensive, but i do mean to be frank. religion seems to be a topic people avoid these days. like it's bad or unpopular or closed minded to believe in something. but when chaos is everywhere around you, how can you not believe? i'm telling you from my heart, my very full and bruised and happy heart, that 

God loves you and Jesus Christ died that you and i might live. 

because of that, we can live forever! we can be happy amidst the trials in our lives that will surely come to each of us!

 

there is no association, no accomplishment, no job, no certificate of achievement that can bring greater joy and sense of comfort in life than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. i know it because i have lived it. i know it because i have, at times, distanced myself from His presence. i have tried to figure things out on my own. but that just doesn't work. i need Him. i need His light guiding my path. my sometimes windy, rocky, slippery path. 

if you feel lost. if you feel scared. if you feel worried. He can help. He can bring peace. 

how grateful i am that i know that to be true. how grateful i am for His Holy Temples and that i can go there if i but remain worthy to be in His presence. how grateful i am for the quiet wisperings of the spirit that prompted me to go to that wonderfully peaceful and sacred place last night. even now, thinking of my experience there inside those sacred walls, i feel so happy and i feel so full. my words cannot accurately describe the magnitude of my joy.

life is hard for all of us, i hope i can remember the love i felt last night and try a little harder to feel it more often by being where i know i need to be. so that no matter where i am i can have his guidance in my life.

if you want to learn more click here.

something left behind

this last week my parents decided to clean out their storage unit. this meant that all boxes needed to be rummaged through and things marked for keep, donate or sell. luckily i was able to inherit quite a few little gems left behind by my great grandma jones. i never knew her, but as i carefully unwrapped each piece of her vintage china and decided which items to save for myself i couldn't help but think of what she was like. when did she use these things? were they for special occasions or everyday use? what style clothing did she wear? what were the conversations she had while using these items that she left behind?

i had lots of favorites, but only kept a few of my very favorite pieces. now each new piece has a special place in the apartment. it was tough deciding which things to keep, but space is limited so it had to be done. i think my favorite thing has to be the cute syrup dispenser. i remember my grandma pitts using one of those whenever she made us breakfast, i mean cold syrup was just not okay in her house. i can't wait to use it! thanks grandma jones!
 

falling

some highs and lows as of late...

 

on monday i threw out my back. i was laying around for two days straight. going nuts i tell you. 

luckily the doctor gave me some delicious medicine that made me sleepy. ahhh. 

 i am back at work. not very fun. but is it better than not being able to move? that's debatable.

it rained yesterday.

i am finally wearing my boots that i purchased two months ago.

the vice presidential debate was unbelievably frustrating. biden bothered me. a lot.

i slept in pajamas last night and didn't overheat in the middle of the night. love.

i had an emotional break down last night. it only lasted like 10 minutes, promise.

today the high is 70 degrees. oh yes.

it's sweater weather. 

it feels like fall now. and i love it. 

tyler is a sweetheart and took such good care of me while i was hurt.

today is friday. it's time to party.

crock pot chicken taco chili

i had a few people ask me about the recipe for chicken taco chili after i posted a photo on instagram last week, so here it is folks! it was definitely delicious, healthy and very easy. just make sure you don't cut your finger while chopping the onion like yours truly. i sure am clumsy sometimes.

we always like to eat our chili with trader joe's cornbread. it is so so so delicious! i adapted this recipe from here and changed it up a bit according to my taste and what i had on hand. feel free to do the same. i don't think it can go wrong as long as you don't vary too much. i think next time i will add some zuccini!

crock pot chicken taco chili

ingredients:
1 16 oz. can black beans
1 16 oz. can kidney beans
1 medium onion, chopped
16 oz. package frozen corn kernels
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
2 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (with or without green chilies, i did one of each)
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 packet taco seasoning
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, uncooked

directions:
combine ingredients in a slow cooker. stir until combined. place uncooked chicken on top and cover. cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. thirty minutes before serving, pull chicken breasts apart with two forks. stir and continue cooking. top with any other desired toppings... cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

enjoy!

my life in instagram

here are some snapshots from the lovely app we like to call instagram. 

life is full. tough. happy. good. bad. 

sometimes i am super positive. 

sometimes (like at this particular moment) i feel discouraged. 

that's just the way life is. 

i am trying really hard to think about the good things. 

i read this last night. 

i needed to read that. 

a few of my favorite thoughts: 

"None of us is without sin. Every one of us makes mistakes, including you and me. 

We have all been wounded. We all have wounded others."

"God will help us to be more forgiving, to be more willing to walk the second mile, to be first to apologize even if something wasn’t our fault, to lay aside old grudges 

and nurture them no more."

"In the end, happiness does not spring from perfection but from applying divine principles, even in small steps."

so i'll keep on keepin' on. trying to do those little things that seem so easy to forget, but upon which my happens depends. i'll read. i'll pray. i'll try to forgive more easily. i'll go to the temple. i'll keep teaching those crazy primary kids. i'll do my visiting teaching.

i'll do it all. 

and i'll do it because i know that when i do, i'm happier. simple as that.