To set the Roots or let them Grow

Ugh.. I HATE this discussion...

Jayson and I went up to Logan, Utah to visit his Grandparents/family for Thanksgiving. I was actually super excited to head back up there. I really do miss it there.. (remember this post...?)

As we were driving through Salt Lake, I couldn't help but look out the window and try and find where our old/first apartment was. I miss that stupid little thing (okay..it actually was rather large) and its ridiculous half-shelves, black carpet stain in the bedroom, no-light-fixtures-because-it's-"more-modern", the dent in the wall by the stairs from crushing Jayson's wrist between the couch and the wall as we moved our first couches in. I miss looking out my window at the snow falling. I miss running upstairs to jump into a hot bath on cold winter days. I miss sitting at the park reading books on hot summer days. I miss being close to friends.. I miss being close to family.. I miss seeing at least six temples within a half hour drive of each other. But it's just not California..

~ ~ ~

Jayson and I went on a morning walk on Saturday with his family before we packed up to head home. I think I was carrying our youngest nephew, Daniel? Or maybe it was Skylar... Any way, we walked past a beautiful, stone covered house that was two stories, and had a 3 car garage, a huge backyard, and over looked Millville. Jayson semi-jokingly said that that house was probably only $300,000-$400,000 (a complete guess by the way..). To us, a$3-400,000 home is ridiculously cheap. That same $300,000 home here in California would easily be between the higher end of $800,000- $1.2 million (again, another guess). And as picky as Jayson and I can be about the way we want our house to be, we would easily be buying a multi-million dollar California home if we had all the money in the world to spend on a home.. The housing market in California right now is ridiculous.. Although it is in the lower end of things right now, it's going to pick up again fairly soon and the reality of the situation is, we just don't have the money to afford living here.

We have talked about moving back again.. but I'm still hesitant to do so. I love California.. I'm such a California girl. I live for the 80 degree weather, salt in the air and sand in my hair vibe and stereotype that comes with "Blond hair, blue eyed, California Girl" label. And not like this is the deciding factor or anything, but I like being closer to Disneyland, in case I ever can convince Jayson into going more than once a year. I like being close to the first temple I've ever been inside. I love being close to my family again, even if they can be extremely overwhelming to be around..

Don't get me wrong, I do know that we are exactly where the Lord needs us.. which is here, back home. We know that there is a reason we are here, and for now we are meant to stay here in California. But for how long? Who knows.. We're not planning on leaving anytime soon, but once we're done with the tasks at hand, we'll turn to the Lord and ask where we need to go next..

If we were to move back to Utah..

I would want to live somewhere between Salt Lake and Draper. That's my favorite part of Utah. It's beautiful there. I remember one night when Jayson was working at Cafe Rio in South Jordan and wouldn't be off work until around midnight, so I called my friend Sonia and we drove around for a few hours while I waited. I remember driving through Day Break area and thinking "If I were to own a house, it would be here."

My sister-in-law, Brittny, lives on a mountain in Draper. Her house is gorgeous and she has a great neighborhood and it over looks Saratoga Springs and American Fork. The view there is to die for. The only thing that I don't like about it is that its on a mountain. I would be so beyond scared to drive up or down that mountain in the snow... If we move back, we are not moving on top of a mountain..

It would be nice to live in a house that we can actually afford. It would be nice to be able to either custom build our home, or to remodel a home. (I wouldn't want to stay there forever though... eventually I'd want to live in California forever. ) I think I would actually enjoy a basement.. I would love to have a real white Christmas. I would love to be able to wake up every morning, Monday-Saturday, and spend a different morning at Draper/South Jordan/Oquirrh Mt./ Bountiful/Salt Lake/or Mt. Timpanogos Temple(s) on six different days out of the week. I would love to pick my kids up from school and taking them to play in the snow, or taking them to the temple for a picnic on the grounds. I would love to watch my kids wake up on a snow day and play in the snow all day. I would love to be able to actually rake up real piles of colorful leaves and let my kids jump in them. Dead leaves are stupid and plain...

~ ~ ~

But even as much as I would 'like' to go back to Utah,

I still hope the Lord would rather keep us here in California...

Thanksgiving: Now and Then

Then...

I used to wake up feeling like it was Thanksgiving

Leaves outside would be golden brown..

Duke would be rolling in the leaf piles Erik and I made

Mom would be in the kitchen cooking

She would talk to the Turkey

(And even tricked me into believe that talking to it made it taste better)

Erik and I would play Nintendo 64

Then John and Leslie would come over

The boys would play video games

The girls would play Polly Pockets...

We'd fight over who would get to sit at the "grown up table"

Granny would come over first

She'd hug us all and kiss our cheeks

Saying "hi baby" to each of us..

Her honey baked ham would leave such a delicious smell...

Tara and Kenny would show up next

...bringing some sort of Tara's famous pies

Piper would help my mom and set up the punch bowl

Soon, Farmor and Farfar would be here

Along with Rick

And sometimes Lumina...but not always

Duke would sneak into the house somehow

And say hi to everyone...

But then he,d get in trouble and get kicked out again...

I miss the candles being lit on the table

I miss being the one to dim the lights

I miss the way my family cooked every dish

I miss those stupid pumpkin stickers my mom would put on the windows

I miss that tacky pumpkin tinsel she would wrap around the iron rod gates...

I miss the orange and yellow lights around the dining room window

~ ~ ~

Mom moved out

The holidays were different...

No decoration were put up again..

Thanksgiving was always at Tara's house now

It's fun..but not the same

I miss the way my mom celebrated the holidays

I miss her..

The old her....

I miss playing games with Erik all day

I miss feeling like it was Thanksgiving

I miss the way the light shined through my bedroom window

I miss the smell of turkey and candied yams

I miss coming downstairs to see my mom in the morning...

I miss seeing Erik climbing up the doorway in the kitchen...

I miss... Everything...

~ ~ ~

Now...

(Last year)

I got off of work

It's starting to snow/rain

Kerry is on her way to come pick us up

I race back home to our apartment to pack

Jayson just got home

I straighten up the kitchen and front room before packing

Jayson throws a few last minute things into the suit case

He moves all of our moving boxes away from the hall way so Cody can use the bathroom

Kyle brings Sam up to our apartment for the first time

"Aunt Ashley and Uncle Jayson live closer to Nephew Sam now"

Sam chooses a movie to watch on the drive up

Jayson is excited to see his nephew

I'm making sure Sam remembers to bring his coat with us

Kerry checks out our new apartment

Cody,Kyle,Jayson, and myself are so excited to see Sam

We drive to the airport to meet Curtis

(He was dropping off a rental car)

We drive up to Grandma Shana's and Grandpa Milton's

I realise that Jayson didn't grab the suitcase out of our apartment...

I didn't grab the suitcase out of our apartment...

We're an hour away from grandma's

We stop at Walmart

Sam helped aunt "Ashjery" pick out a Thanksgiving dinner outfit

But every shirt isn't an AuntAshley shirt...

..its a Cool Cody shirt..

We finally drive up to Grandma and Grandpa's

The whole family is there

From Curtis' side anyway

We unfolded 3-4 long tables for dinner

There are a ton of Anderson's.....

It's different from home

But it's good

Everyone gets along

Grandma cooks the best sweet potatoes.

We play games in the basement

Everyone has their own room

Clean up is finished

Black Friday begins

The boys go out

The girls stay home and play cards with grandma

Or supervise babies

Grandma has an entire cubbord of soda

I'm in heaven.

(This year)

Jayson and I have FHE tonight

Pack for Utah

Back to the cold again

Hoping for snow

One more time for that long car ride up to Logan, Utah

It will be different again..,but good

Full of the Spirit

Full of love and Appreciation

Nephews and cousins, young and old

Aunts and uncles,

Sister in laws and their husbands

Brother in laws that drive me nuts...
but I love them

More family that I haven't met yet

Future husbands to my cousins might be there this time?

I'm ready to hear the interrogations begin on that one

First time Black Friday shopping...

...heaven help me....

We won't forget our suitcase

Thanksgiving: Now and Then

It's different

But I still have many things to be thankful for

Amazing Athletes

I'm an Athletics Coach

for

Amazing Athletes

I teach nine different sports

to four+ different preschools

If I'm not at your preschool...tell me

I work with a member of the TO3rd Ward

I love it

I love her

I love helping kids get outside and play

I love teaching them new sports

When was the last time kids played sports for fun?

I love pointing our fingers to Disneyland

I love throwing our footballs all the way to Disneyland

I love the Pirate game

I love when Smee makes us walk the plank

I love singing "Yo ho, Yo ho, A Pirates Life for Me"

I love macaroni hats

I love hot spots

I love starbursts

I love yoga

I love being Coach Ashley

Salt Lake City, Utah

It's been a year
November 4th, 2011
We moved to Salt Lake City, Utah

Not gonna lie...
I miss Salt Lake
(but not nearly as much as I missed California...) 
I miss how thin the air is
I miss how clean the air is
You know how new places have a new or certain smell?
I miss that smell
I miss how it felt to walk up stairs into our own apartment
I miss the snow mountains
I miss learning how to navigate a new city
I miss being close to Jayson's sisters and their sons
I miss seeing at least 6 temples in one drive

I miss Jon and Lexie
I miss Kristi and Michael
I miss Buffalo Wild Wings

I miss that intense girls night

where Emily sat at the snack table and ate over half the snacks

I miss Nina
I miss Ashley
I miss Taelor
I miss Emily
I miss Alix
(and your parentals)
I miss Desiree and Paris

I miss Sonia

and our gigantic Leatherby's Ice Cream that looked so inappropriate


I miss Child Time
I miss my kangaroo class
who are now kindergardeners
I miss my guppy class
who are now panda bears
I miss Melanie
I miss Becky
I miss Barbra
I miss Kris
I miss Kathy
I miss Judy
I miss Kristen
I miss Mallory
I miss Lacy
I miss Hannah

I miss my kids...
Ashtyn, Billy, Chrysostome, Lorelai, Violet
Nate, Keegan, Gwen, Jessie

I miss Ella and Preson,
Sam and Katelyn, Addy and Emmy, Gussy and Anika,
Gavin and Marlee

I miss Temple Square
I miss Sonic
I miss Nitro Freeze
I miss Pie Hole
I miss Deseret Book
I miss Provo
I miss Tocanos
I miss City Creek Mall

Ya, I miss it all
But I'll be back  :)

2012 Election

I voted for the first time this year
I voted for Mitt Romney
love me or hate me..that's who I voted for

This was my first time
and they ran out of stickers...
So I told my home teacher about it
and he gave me his
:)

Thanks Brother Holt!

I don't agree with the way the election went. Not at all. But it doesn't matter. I know with out a doubt that the Lord knows what He's doing. And for some strange reason, Obama is supposed to be our President for another four years. Good luck to him. I hope he guides our country down a better pathway.

Your views may be different than mine, but I will always trust Heavenly Father and His plan, regardless of what my feelings or instincts tell me <3 

I'm proud to be an American

The Sunday Approved Movie List

I can't remember if it was this past Monday or the Monday before, but for FHE we watched a CES Devotional. Bishop Gérald Caussé’ is a bishop from (if I remember correctly...) a YSA ward in Sandy.  who gave a talk called "We are the Architects of Our Own Happiness." Now I will admit, I didn't pay very much attention to the entire talk because I was absolutely exhausted from work that day, but the moment he made a reference to Disney's The Lion King, I tuned in! And even recited the entire scene that he was referring to, word for word. (I should probably go back and listen to his talk again and really pay closer attention....)

Let me back track a bit. When I first started going to church, Jayson was trying to explain to me some things that I should choose to do on a Sunday to keep the sabbath day holy. We often had 'discussions' about how hard that is to find enough stuff to keep me busy because I couldn't watch TV, or play video games, so I tried to just watch movies that had good morals and lessons to teach. I chose to watch Disney movies on Sundays along with reading my scriptures because that was all that I could really do... Since being married, we have had many discussions on if Disney movies really are appropriate for a Sunday.

Well then during that devotional, Bishop Causse made a reference to this scene from The Lion King:

I don't have the exact words from his talk because it isn't available on LDS.org yet...

I had never thought about this scene in the way that Bishop Causse explained it. Like I said, I don't remember what he said word for word, but what I personally gathered from watching that clip was this. Often times we feel like Simba when we make a mistake or choose to walk down a path that may not be in line with what our Father in Heaven has planned for us. Once we make that decision and realize that we should have chosen to do something different, it's often easier to decide "it's too hard/scary to go back and fix it" so we try to fix things on our own and move forward. The fact of the matter is, we can't just expect to fix things by moving forward. You have to back track a bit.

I love that Bishop Causse used this scene in particular because Mufasa decends from the heavens and tells his son, "Simba, you have forgotten me.." Simba denies this and asks "How could I?" Mufasa responds, "You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me.. Look inside yourself, Simba. You must take your place in the Circle of Life."

I love those quotes. So much. When we make decisions, sometimes we forget to confront our Heavenly Father and ask Him if what we are choosing to do is right for us. We may still think about Him, we still Love him and know He is there. We know that He loves us. But I also know that for myself, I often feel like Simba and wonder 'how could I have forgotten Him?' Well, because I didn't make him apart of my decisions. That's how. We can keep ourselves in line with the Spirit and the path that He has chosen for us if we always, no matter what, consult our Heavenly Father in every decision that we make. 

Mufasa continues to say, "Remember who you are. You are my son....."

Remember who you are

You are a Son/Daughter of a Heavenly King

You have a divine role in this life that has been chosen by a loving Father in Heaven

whom you can talk to 

who will always be there for you

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT

because you are so blessed with that knowledge and comfort...

I know I am

and I think we can now come to the conclusion that for the Anderson Family, 

The Lion King has made it to the approved list ;)