The Newbie Blog

I am BEYOND honored that people are still looking at my sweet little blog. However, now I that I have tied the knot, I post here! So stay and look around if you'd like!! Otherwise, you can catch up on my new life over there at the new blog!! 

And of course, thank you all so much for all the love and support. And for still showin this little guy some attention. :)

Hidden Blessings

It's days like this where you just want to go on a nice long walk and listen to some Norah Jones and maybe even have a good cry.

FINALS. ARE. AWFUL.

Pretty sure I am just preaching to the choir. But what you may not know is that as a comm major, you have about 4 tests and 15 projects to complete the semester. As a result, my computer usually looks like this. No lie.

But as I was walking to class to take a final (which was moved by the way so now I get to go back and take it later), snow was falling all over my frozen wet hair and eyes, and I was so cold and all I could think about was how I am sooo close to being done and then I get to have the BEST break in the world! I get to FINALLY see my sisters, hang out with my awesome parents, play with my cute nephews, take care of my pregnant sister, and best of all, I get to marry the best person I've ever met in my whole life and start our life together!! And then it hit me: I whine way too much!! Things could be so much worse! I could have slipped on the snow or gotten hit by a car or have no idea or no way to get home. It's never as bad as it seems in the moment. Now, I get extra time to study and take my other (LAST) final and then I can go home and pack and clean and get ready to go home! Plus, it is so nice outside right now, I have great music to keep me busy, and it's nice and warm in the buildings. So. There you go. Blessings are hidden even in what seems like the WORST of days!

On another note, James and I got our very first wedding gift yesterday from the Buckleys! We were so excited! They gave us this gorgeous picture of Christ in such a nice frame! It was beautiful and their card was so sweet. We are so thankful to have such loving, caring people around us who send us all these good wishes. We couldn't ask for a better support group of friends and family and it just becomes so obvious how lucky we are every single day. I am so excited to marry James sooo soon!!! It's going to be a fun, great life and I'm so excited to be right by his side every step of the way.

One more test! Come on people! You've got this! Whoooo!!

Rexburg Showers

My sweet little friends decided to throw me a bridal shower while we were here in Rexburg! My hilarious friend Katie had it at her apartment and her & Ashlynn made dinner and dessert! It was really awesome to just get to relax and I had SO much fun just hanging out with girls!! We just talked and talked. I also got some really awesome gifts! It doesn't get much better than that! SUCH a great night, best I have had in a while and I love my girls so much! Thank you guys for an awesome bridal shower!

Abby and Carina came! I was sucking the cookies out of my teeth. Please excuse me.

We had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and then decorated bridal-ly sugar cookies!

Alexsa, Katie, and Ashylnn. So cute. Thank you Andrea Olson who took the picture.

I can't wait until we are all reunited one day after Alexsa is back from her mission, Katie will have had her little baby, and I will be a married woman! It's going to be awesome!

Off-roading

I am pretty happy to be alive today. 

James decided that he wanted to go off-roading and I decided to tag along. So we all piled into two Jeeps and took on the terrain. I have to admit, I was cracking up like a maniac and it was going so well! We were going up and around things, bouncing up and down, having such a fun time. Until.

Stephen decided to go up a hillside that was pretty steep. After watching him, and hearing all the girls screaming, we were a little freaked out, but Nathan decided that his car could definitely handle it too.

Wrong.

We started up and made it a pretty good amount up there, but it wasn't enough and we started to fall BACKWARDS back towards the ground. We ended up (literally) at an angle and the back of the Jeep was pushed into the snow. But! I didn't even scream! I just figured I was going to die and started to think about what I would tell my relatives up in heaven when they asked why we did such a dumb thing. Ps-The feeling of falling backwards while you are looking up at the sky is actually terrifying and NOT fun contrary to the boys' beliefs. But Stephen came back after us and after like 20 minutes, we were able to be pulled back up and took another route up. Then we went back to swerving and mudding and crawling up big rocks. It was an adventure, that's for sure. And I made it home safe and sound to tell you all about it.

Early Mornings in Edit Bay #23

In my multimedia video journalism class, we were asked to take a picture of our favorite spot on campus. I thought it was going to be a LOT harder. I thought about all the different spots I have grown to love over my four years here. There's a lot. But I guess there is one place that has always been pretty special to me, especially since now I live in the Spori.

This is edit bay #23.

It may seem strange, but this is my most favorite spot on campus. Countless times, I have come to the Spori basement early in the morning and closed the door and turned on only the spotlights to edit footage, work, or do homework, while I listen to my favorite music. In a strange way, I feel like I am the only one in the whole basement (maybe even the whole Spori) and it makes me feel like I can really get things accomplished. I've always loved getting up early and starting on my day and so with the dim light and the super quiet environment around me, I just feel at peace.

It also has to be #23 because it is furthest from where all the action and busyness is. It was the one I finished my very first package in and where I have had really great conversations with a lot of friends I made down there. This edit bay was the one where James first came down to hang out with me when we were just becoming friends. He met my friends, brought me some dinner, and we talked in this room for such a long time. It was also the one that would not open my first semester and it always seemed like it was so mysterious. So when I finally was able to get in, I felt like it was a secret hideout for me to lock myself away and do the things that I love the most. You could say it's my happy place.

That's why edit bay #23 is my favorite place on campus. Even with all those other amazing spots that I have so many memories with (like the couches in the common area of the Ricks or the library computers) I think some of the best days have started right here in this spot. I'm sure going to miss it once I graduate.

So Blessed

You want to know something that may sound completely crazy? There is someone I love so incredibly much, more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my whole life...and I have never even seen or met Him.

I can't explain except to say that it is something so powerful that I feel every single day. It comes from inside and I can feel it everywhere. It is so comforting that any time I am feeling upset about myself or feeling like I am all alone or even feeling like everything in my life is going perfect, my Savior is there every single step of the way. I have never once felt deserted or like He wasn't listening. I am so thankful for a testimony of my Redeemer because in today's world, so many different influences try to shake it. But He has stood by me and made me more happy than anything else ever has. I can't imagine how it feels for Him when someone turns their back or does not believe in His power to cange everything. I am so so blessed to know that His hand is always stretched out to me. I am so grateful to have parents that made sure I went to church and went to seminary and prayed and counted my blessings. I have been so blessed to know without a doubt that my Redeemer lives. I see it and feel it every single day of my life and I am so indebted to Him. I can only imagine how much He loves me if I feel this way here in my little moment of existence with my limited brain. He died for me, and yet I know that he is helping me and standing by me all the time. How blessed am I?!

My teacher was talking about the Election of Grace, which is basically the concept that you get to have the gospel in this life because of your righteous faith and works in the previous life. I don't know how I got to be so lucky, but I am so excited to see Jesus Christ in the next life and meet the Holy Ghost and just throw my arms around them and thank them for everything they have done for me. And then get to meet my Heavenly Father and get everything I have ever wanted...the blessing of living with them FOREVER. I am so overwhelmed with love for my Savior. I am so happy with the choices I have made both in the pre-mortal life and in this one. I am so blessed. Read the scriptures. Pray about it. You'll know too.

Being Engaged Is Still Awesome

I am having sooo much fun being engaged!!! I honestly do not know why people get so stressed out planning a wedding! I am having so so much fun!

I'm sure it's because I have an AMAZING mom and set of sisters who literally have helped me with anything I needed and helped me get things done, and really, I've done a whole lot on my own too. The only part of the wedding I am not very good at is making some of the smaller decisions. Luckily, I have the best, most amazing fiance (I still super love saying that!) in the entire world who has been SO helpful and supportive and is there ANY time I need him. I cannot wait to see it all come together so I can marry the best person I've ever met in my whole life.

Also, yes. This may be a little getting ahead of myself. And I haven't written a thing on it, but I started another blog for when James and I [finally] get married...I did it now mostly for claim-of-the-name sake. I don't know if I should switch over to that one yet or not. Maybe I will write the proposal one over there for the first post? Anyway. Here is the link. Follow us!!

James and Ashley Anderson

*squeal* So excited!!!

In other (non-embarrassing) news, I get to go back to school in just a few short days and I could not be more excited!...and a little nervous. But when you are on the right path with priorities in order, Heavenly Father makes everything fall into place. So here's hoping I don't let anyone down! Should be a fun semester being engaaaged. :) Ok, I'm done. You can stop throwing up now.