So much blogging to do and catch up on! Randy and I had a much needed weekend getaway for our anniversary, and it was so wonderful. So here’s a lil update on it all!

Friday we went and saw my cute niece and sister in law who are in town from Boston! It was so awesome to get to spend time with them!

Saturday, after a fun morning, we had the opportunity to head to the #clbloggerbash downtown. It was SO wonderful to meet some fellow bloggers, take lots of cute pictures, eat yummy snacks and more! Charissa Thatcher was our lovely host along with a ton of other vendors! (Don’t worry I’ll do a whole post on this bash once I get some more photos! Until then, take a sneak peek!) I was so lucky to have Randy come along, for those of you who don’t know Randy and I are working towards building the blog and our brand together! Some very exciting things ahead.

Charissa is magic behind a camera folks. I mean, come on! Look at the photo she snagged of us!

It was fun to go to this event with Maddy. It was a little awkward having me there, but you could tell Maddy was very much in her element. It was a blast.

We got some beautiful flower crowns courtesy of White Lily Lane, and Randy was just so jealous he had to try it on.

Randy and I decided to spend our anniversary weekend at the Little America hotel, where we spent a day of our honeymoon. So after the blogger bash we ran and got some sushi dinner, then back to the hotel for swimming and movies – and a fireworks show right from our window! (The Bees were playing and there were fireworks for Memorial Day, but it kind of felt like it was also just for us!)

Sunday Randy and I went to Temple Square and spent most of the day there, sitting by the Christus and watching some of the videos in the visitor centers that we normally don’t take the time to see. It was really wonderful!

We spent a bit of time this weekend walking around temple square in the visitor centers. I’ve been so many times, but I’m always so amazed at everything that went into that incredible building. It took 40 years to finish the temple and the saints sacrificed everything to build it. As I hear all the stories about the Salt Lake City Temple, my appreciation for the building grows. 

While I was a missionary in Japan, I often saw the Salt Lake City Temple in videos and pictures. It became a symbol of home to me. I’ve always lived in Utah and I’ve gone to the temple many times of my life. I’m so happy that Maddy and I decided to get married in this temple, because now the temple represents much more than my home. It’s always become a representation of my marriage. I want my marriage to be like this temple. I’ll sacrifice all that I have to build it up because I know what the end result will be.

Also there were peonies so it was wonderful.

Breakfast at the Little America is PRIME.

We also took some artsy shots because, why not!

       

One of Randy’s anniversary gifts was a new suit, and doesn’t he look absolutely AMAZING?? I was sa-wooning.

Randy spoiled me absolutely rotten with a Tiffany bracelet. We’ve been day-dream shopping at Tiffany’s since high school, so this gift was really meaningful and so beautiful. 

I got Randy a polaroid camera and we are already having so much fun with it! I also got him a little something else…but that’s just going to have to wait to be posted about! 

I don’t know why, but I’ve always wanted a polaroid camera. I think polaroids are so cool! There is no filters. You never really know how they will turn out. They are really just raw images. Maddy knows me really well and surprised me with this camera. I never really told her that it’s what I wanted, but it was a perfect gift.



Today was spent at the zoo, one of our favorite dates from high school and an activity we did in San Diego on our honeymoon. It was so much fun to hang out with the animals and with each other all day. Randy and I have both been crazy busy lately so this getaway couldn’t have come at a better time! We have some other vacations this summer, but this is one of the only ones we have planned where we will get to be just alone together. We were so lucky to be able to spend the long weekend just with each other, doing things that we love, unplugging from social media and the stress of everyday life for a bit, etc. 

We were so excited to go into the zoo. She looks really good in sunglasses. 

Today we took a bite of our year-old wedding cake that the reception venue saved only a chunk of. Let’s just say we should’ve had them serve it that night! But Randy did make a delicious drink for us! We grabbed sparkling strawberry daiquiri (no alcohol don’t worry!) and Randy rimmed the glass with strawberry juice and sugar, and we floated some strawberries inside. It was so yummy!

Just a little more sappiness and then I’ll be done, promise.

This first year of marriage has tested me in ways I didn’t expect. It has been hard work in ways I didn’t see coming, and things I was worried about have come easily. I have never been more vulnerable, raw, and open in my life. And I wouldn’t trust my heart and soul with anyone else. Randy is truly my everything, my best friend, my love and my life. Without him I don’t think I’m really me anymore. He gets me in ways that nobody else does, or ever will. He let’s me be myself while also pushing me to be the best version of myself. We’ve had a year of fighting and laughing, sad tears and happy tears, temple dates, cooking dinner in our kitchen, showing each other pointless videos and memes, serious discussions, lots of prayers, shopping, reading, writing, making music, traveling near and far, reminiscing over old times and making lots of new memories. I could go on and on. The point is that marrying Randy one year ago today was the best decision I have, or ever will, make.

I love you Randy Low! Happy Anniversary!

I waited a really long time to finally marry Maddy, and it was hard waiting all that time. I always thought that once we were married things would get easier. In some ways I was right. Marriage is easy. You are with your best friend all the time and you laugh and smile every time you wake up and go to sleep. It’s a great happy cycle. However, marriage can be hard. We’ve really experienced a lot of difficulties and trials, but being married has made all those things better. Everything I’ve experienced in the last year has made me grow. We’ve grown together. I intend for us to keep growing. I’m learning so much about Maddy and myself and It blows me away that I keep falling more and more in love with her. She’s the most thoughtful person I know and I’m so lucky to be her husband.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.

Forever and Always yours. 

Guys! Shop Sevan sent me their new Jen Ruffle Blouse and it is seriously ADORABLE! It’s perfect for a work day, or a rainy Sunday! I’m super obsessed with their shirts, skirts, and dresses. They are high quality material, they ship super fast, and they actually fit a normal sized person! It’s kind of amazing.

So because I’m so obsessed, they’re giving you 20% off! Just type in the code TWENTY at checkout.

Let me know what you all end up ordering!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Randy and I then got to go see the Rocket Summer in concert! We did the meet and greet before the show and Randy got to meet his music idol! Bryce is SO nice and did an acoustic set at the meet and greet which was amazing. Then the show was absolutely killer! The concert was one of the best concerts I have ever been to! Bryce had so much energy, played every single instrument, did a loop, jumped into the crowd with confetti and then crowd surfed. Basically it was amazing.

And now a moment for my mom. My mom is my best friend. She is my confidant, my teacher, the person I bounce ideas off of, my go to, and so much more. I didn’t know that I could be as close to my mom as I am, and I’m so very lucky. She is everything that I hope one day to be. Mom, thank you for being the person that I look up to. Thank you for loving me every second, even when I was hard to like. You are truly an inspiration to me in so many ways, and I am so lucky to be your daughter.

Happy Monday all!

Friday: Listened to my gorgeous sister sing the National Anthem at the last LAX game of the season, went to the wedding of some good friends, had movie night with some other good friends. A very spectacular evening all together.

Saturday: Randy studied, Maddy worked and cleaned. We went to the store to pick up a few things and then to another wedding, then to dinner with some awesome friends. Then Matt and Liv stopped by for a fun night.

Sunday: Church, teaching, and then some great friends over for dinner.

Monday: Randy KILLS his first final and then does all the studying, then we have movie night for FHE.

And this is the only picture I took. But how cute is he?!?

I’ve been going back and listening to conference talks, and today I listened to Elder Hallstrom’s talk. There was a part of it that stuck out to me and made my heart ponder and ask myself some serious questions. Here’s what he said:

When difficult things occur in our lives, what is our immediate response? Is it confusion or doubt or spiritual withdrawal? Is it a blow to our faith? Do we blame God or others for our circumstances? Or is our first response to remember who we are—that we are children of a loving God? Is that coupled with an absolute trust that He allows some earthly suffering because He knows it will bless us, like a refiner’s fire, to become like Him and to gain our eternal inheritance?

I have had hard things happen to me. I have had things happen in my life and in the world around me that I don’t understand. Some things I have a hard time agreeing with. Some things I have a hard time understanding. Some things I question and doubt.

I am now recognizing that these hard things don’t need to be an utter blow to my faith. That if I understand WHO I am, and who my Heavenly Father is, I don’t need to doubt.

I am a child of God.

There are some things we tell children to do or not do that they don’t, and can’t understand. There are rules we enforce that may not make sense to them. There are hard things that they have to go through so they can be stronger. It may include making their bed, doing their own homework, having a curfew, not being allowed to touch a hot stove, and other things.

God is our father and His rules are the same for us, as the rules we give to little children. We don’t understand them all now, but as we learn and grow we will understand them. We trust our parents to help us make good decisions. We can absolutely trust our Heavenly Father as well.

I am a child of God.

And so are you.