The Lewis Fam!

My MOST Favorite Person....

2012-01-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

.....had a BiRtHdAy!

This Handsome Man turned 28!

I am so lucky to get to celebrate his birthday with him! Unfortunately, he had to work but I brought balloons, cake, ice cream and a Mountain Dew to him at the station... That is what a wife is for right!

Happy Birthday Honey!!

2011 for the Lewis Fam

2012-01-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

I can't believe another year has flown by. This year was very bitter-sweet for me.. But I want to remember the year that I grew so much as a person..

January- Ash starts Paramedic School and is continuing to work Full-Time

We started off the year knowing that the possibility of us conceiving a child on our own was slim and that we should look into advanced medicine or adoption. January was a month of research and pondering.

We also celebrated Ashley's 27th birthday with family and friends! I am so thankful this boy was born and love celebrating his day of birth!

February- Ashley and I enjoyed a nice weekend away with dinner, a movie and a wonderful stay at Grand America!
We celebrated 1 year in our home!
We celebrated Sophie's 1st birthday!!
We choose In-vitro fertilization. We choose a doctor and begin the VERY long process of paper work..

March- We speak with the doctor and find out that we will begin the IVF process in August.

April - Finished up the ski season
Ash continues paramedic school. He went to class every weekday that he did not have to work at the station. There were multiple weeks that he would work Saturday and Sunday then have class Monday - Thursday and then work Friday & Saturday. He continued to pick up extra shifts at the station which kept him very busy.

May - MOAB! We went with the Lewis Family and took our motorcycles to Moab for a very much needed vacation! We stayed in a beautiful 3 bedroom condo and enjoyed riding through Zions, playing games, hiking and enjoying time with family.

Begin working on the back yard!

June- I am anxiously counting down the weeks until we begin IVF.
Work for me starts to pick up again and the Conference/ Wedding Season begins.
Ashley finishes paramedic school

July- Celebrate 4th of July watching Ashley in the Park City Parade.
Lots of time spent in Coalville at the Blonquist Ranch.
Motorcycle Rides
Ash takes the national paramedic exam and PASSES!
All of the medication for IVF arrives.

August - WE BEGIN IVF! All of the medication is overwhelming. Shots, pills, patches, etc.. I feel anxious and am so nervous that I am going to miss something. Lots of ultra-sounds, blood work and doctor visits..

Ashley starts another semester of college. He will graduate this year with a double bachelors!

September - The hardest month of my life. We find out on September 6th that I am not pregnant and our IVF cycle failed. I was at work when the nurse called to give me the results from the blood test I had taken that morning. Looking back those minutes when she told me were all a blur. I've NEVER cried so hard in my entire life. Luckily, I had told my boss that either way, good news or bad, I would need the rest of the day off. (I wasn't productive that day anyways.. I was very anxiously waiting for the phone call) I immediately called Ashley and went straight to the station.. I looked a mess.. I had mascara running down my face and my eyes were already puffy.. And the station is only 5 minutes from my office.. My sweet husband just held me while I cried. He then told me he was leaving the station for the rest of his shift. (That is not like my husband to leave work in the middle of a shift with no one coming in to cover him).

We went home and I cried the rest of the day and night. Ashley is the best man. I know what I was feeling and I can't even imagine what he was going through.

October - My wonderful husband and I celebrate 5 wonderful years of marriage on October 4th!

We celebrated apart unfortunately. The Bachelor was filming at Canyons and it was my event! So I was at a private concert for The Bachelor with Clay Walker!! (It is going to air on January 16th, 2012) - What a fun event to be apart of!!

I turn 25!! I spent the weekend with my mother-in-law shopping, seeing Dracula, having dinner and staying at Grand America! At work my friends and I all went out to lunch and Ash brought me flowers to work! I was spoiled!

November- Ashley and I finally celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a 5 night vacation to San Francisco and Oakland! We went to movies, out to dinner, shopping, site-seeing, and to the Oakland Raider Football Game.. We had 3rd row seats at the 40 yard line right behind the Raiders!

December - Busy! Busy! Decorating our home for Christmas.
New York!
Ash went to Denver for the Denver Broncos football game with a friend
I work on a huge Columbia Event and get LOTS of free Columbia gear!!
Lots of family time and parties

I feel that I spent the most of 2011 counting down the weeks/days/ hours until we began the IVF process. That is one thing that I am not going to do this year. I want to enjoy every minute of life. Don't get me wrong.. I enjoyed everything we did January - July but I feel that I was always checking off events which made us closer to beginning.

I have not talked about our experience very much with IVF - I think it is due to embarrassment and disappointment that it didn't work. We had been told by doctors/ nurses and others that the since we "were so young and healthy" IVF would work.. I never really thought that our IVF cycle would fail.

Overall, 2011 treated Ash and I very well. We grew so much as a couple this past year and learned more about each other every day. I would not have wanted to go through 2011 with anyone other than Ashley. He is an amazing man and I am so lucky to call him mine!

2012 has already started off as a wonderful year and we are very excited for the year ahead!

NeW YoRk CiTy!!!

2011-12-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

I have THE BEST in-laws EVER!
For my Christmas present this year I got the opportunity to go to New York City with my Mother-in-law.. Some people might think this is weird and they could NEVER go on vacation with their mother-in-law..but that is not the case for my family! My mother-in-law is amazing and I love spending time with her!

Day 1 - The TODAY Show!! It was so much fun! We watched part of the today show and stood in the crowd. We saw Charlize Theron!

The NBC Store was right next to the show. The NBC Show had shirts, mugs and games from almost all the NBC Shows (The Office, Friends, Law & Order, Mad Money, Seinfeld, Park and Rec, Minute to Win It and much much more!)

Rockefeller Center had the beautiful Christmas Tree all lit up.. It was beautiful!

We also went to the New York Manhattan Temple. It was amazing! The feeling of this temple was so peaceful! One minute you are standing on a busy road with lots of people, traffic and noise and the next you are inside the temple. It was so beautiful and I am so thankful we took the time to do a session in this temple! It is a memory I will never forget!

We went to New York with Anita's (my MIL) friend from High School and her daughter who is also named Whitney.. :)

Street performers!!

The 9/11 Memorial was very special. I had a really heavy heart when we were there. All of the names of those who were lost due to this tragic incident were placed around the infinity pools. It was very beautiful. The Museum was still under construction while we were there but I definitely will be back to walk through it!
We went to the Financial District, Little Italy, SoHo, China Town!

Day 2:

We went to the Rockettes! WOW! These women have such talent! The performance was amazing and definitely put me in the Christmas Spirit!

Next was the Empire State Building.. It was SUPER busy! The view from the top was breathtaking!

Day 3:

Day 3 was my favorite!! First on the agenda was a Carriage Ride around Central Park! Central Park was breathtaking! It is SO big and was busy even at 9AM on a Sunday in 40 degree weather!

Next was FAO Schwarz.. SO MUCH FUN! They had HUGE stuffed animals that were practically looking me in the eyes.. (Well, I guess that is not hard since I am only 5' tall.. )

The BIG PIANO from the movie BIG was HUGE. It was really cool. It carries a price tag of $250,000.. so unfortunately, I do not think I will ever have the opportunity to have one in my home.. BUMMER!

Times Square was SO FUN! The atmosphere and the energy there was Exciting! And YES.. We did find a 4 story FOREVER 21.. And yes.. I did shop on every level!!

Last but not least was:

WICKED!! Wicked was SPECTACULAR! I loved every minute of it! The talent, the stage props, the costumes, the story, and the company was perfect! I am SO glad we were able to do that!

We were able to stay in this very clean and cute apartment in Brooklyn. It was very easy to hop on the subway and get to any destination.. If we ever were lost or needed to get someone FAST we would just hop in a Taxi. It was an amazing trip. I loved every minute of it.

I am one lucky girl to have a mother-in-law who is fun, sassy, trendy, smart, beautiful and an amazing mother. This was a Christmas Gift that I will never forget!

Dog Show - 2011

2011-09-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

I put my cute little Sophie in a Dog Show this summer!! She did so good!
Here we are getting ready to leave for the Dog Show.. Sophie has been groomed, had a new collar and was ready to show everyone how pretty she is! :)

Here she is after her first event! So proud of her ribbon!

Here is her Costume.. She is a little spoiled and "kind of a BIG deal" in the Lewis House!

Here are some of her ribbons, toy and trophy!

This last picture is probably my favorite! She was SOO done being paraded around and shown off! She actually laid down under some bleachers and would not come out! She had done her part, won some ribbons and she was over it! I guess you can't blame her!

Love my puppy!

MOA*B

2011-05-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to beautiful Moab!!

We put the motorcycles in the toy trailer and hit the road! We stayed in a beautiful 3 bedroom condo with a huge downstairs and upstairs patio! It had a nice kitchen and family room!

Monday we rode to Arches National Park. It was so pretty. The weather was warm but there definitely were some dark clouds hanging around. We rode for about 2 hours or so and then the storm broke.. We were caught in a hail storm.. WOW! It hurt! The hail was like little pellets aiming for my legs..

Brandon flipping the camera off.. He loved me taking pictures of the whole trip!

The storm finally stopped and I was drenched! So we headed back to the condo, got showered and changed and went to do some shopping. When we got home Ashley made the family a delicious shrimp pesto pasta dish.. It was amazing.. He sure is becoming quite the Chef.. We were all very impressed.

After that it was game on for Monopoly.. It started out well.. I had successfully gathered some good property and then it went down hill fast.. It was a constant battle of trading and buying property from each other.. we are all very greedy.. In the end... Kyle won! He put up a good fight..

Tuesday we drove to Monument Valley since the weather was not that great... Monument Valley was beautiful! We ate a great lunch looking out over the area. We visited John Wayne's Cabin since he filmed a lot of movies there.

Wednesday we went back out on the bikes. We rode and followed the Colorado River. It was amazing. The sun was shining and it was so nice. Then it was off to Dead Horse Point. I had never been there before. It was breathtaking.
Wednesday night we grilled hamburgers and chicken.. had delicious grapes and watermelon and enjoyed the evening.. After dinner it was date night for Ash and I.. We went back on the motorcycle, rode around the city of Moab and then went and saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.. I can't tell you how much I love my date nights with my hubby!

On our date night we discussed how glad we were that we made the purchase of the motorcycle. (Even if it was MY idea that we get a motorcycle!) We have really enjoyed it! It is nice to hop on and go for a ride after a long day at work or take it on our date nights! Plus my honey looks so good riding it! :)

Ashley and I had a wonderful time with the Lewis family!! It is always fun to be with those you love..

Up next.. My little sister Lacey's graduation and spending the afternoon with my family!

Love him..

2011-05-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

Love, Love, Love him!
He is the one that I call when I am having a rough day.. and it amazes me how hearing his voice can instantly make me feel so much better!

WOW

2011-04-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Wow.. It has been such a long time since I have updated this old blog.. I love looking at other's blogs because their lives seem so interesting and exciting. From new babies, to toddlers to funny stories... Things in the Lewis Household have been wonderful! Here is a quick update about us: Ashley- is still in paramedic school. He studies, studies, studies.. He is anxious to get into our yard work projects for the summer. :) We have been on 1 motorcycle ride because the weather has decided it wants to stay winter a little while longer.. Me- Work, work, work! The winter season at Canyons is finally coming to an end and life will be more mellow in my small world for the next 6 or 7 weeks. I am very excited for the break and to catch up on my much needed work projects. Sophie (The puppy)- Well.. she is in trouble today.. She ate my shoe! My very cute, gray colored shoe with the cute design on the toe.. Yep.. Chewed a hole right through the toe.. She NEVER chews on shoes and I don't understand why this morning she was suddenly bored out of her mind and decided that my super cute shoes looked like a toy.. For a personal side note: We have made great progress with our infertility struggle.. We now have a plan and a date to begin the next steps.. More to come on that later.. For now that is all..

The "how we met story"

2011-02-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

With it being the "love" month.. I've seen some friends post the "how we met" stories.. I love em! I will always remember mine because it was so fun and I became one of "those" girls who "just knew" the moment I saw Ash... So here it is... I was the Relief Society Secretary in my Young Single Adult Ward and became close friends with the President who was a few years older than I. She would make comments about how I needed to meet her friend who served in the same mission as she did. (She served in Mongolia..) She would tell me how wonderful he was and that we would make such a cute couple.. She would make this comment quite frequently but I always seemed to have another current interest and wasn't convinced about a blind date set up...

Each Wednesday a bunch of friends and I would let out our inner cowgirl.. by going country dancing in Provo after Institute.. Kind of sounds lame now.. but it was really fun! I was pretty consistent with my Institute attendance but this particular one Wednesday night chose to stay home.. I received a text from a very good friend of mine that stated.. "You need to come down here.. There a few very cute boys here tonight.. plus I want you to come country dancing with us." So I decided to get ready and go down to the church and wait for Institute to end.. I walked into the Relief Society room.. Made "my scan" around the room to find these supposedly cute boys and who was there but a tall, blond with blue eyes.. We caught each others gaze.. I gave a quick smile and turned away.. (I know.. kind of mean.. but I all of a sudden was soo nervous).. A group of us then proceeded to leave Institute to go country dancing.. ALL without speaking to this mystery blond..

I filled my car with friends and we made our way to Provo. I sent a quick text to my mom saying that I had located my future husband.. I received a quick response back that simply said, "YEAH RIGHT.." But that night I knew.. Ash told "our mutual friend" that he wanted to go where we were going so she brought him to Provo to come dancing.. (HE HATES DANCING).. So there he was standing by the side watching me dance with those boys who knew how to country dance and he just stood there looking good.. Once the slow 7th grade song came on he made his move.. He is excellent at moving his feet side to side in a slow motion.. We talked and formally introduced ourselves and discussed the basics.. "What do you want to be when you grow up, Where we went to school, where we worked, and grew up." In that conversation I learned that he was from Coalville, served a mission to Mongolia and had been back for 1 year, was single, going to UVSC studying finance and wanted to be a firefighter... WHAT A FIREFIGHTER... Yes please..! Ash was tall and I found myself having a hard time looking into those beautiful blue eyes without blushing.. As the night ended we talked throughout the night and as the group of us left and was splitting into the original cars we came in "our mutual" friend yelled.. "Love you Whit" and Ash yelled, "I love you too." (I KNOW he was soo forward..) Just FYI.. he denies it every time you ask him but it is a true statement.. he did yell it..

After that I was worried because he hadn't asked for my phone number and lo and behold I received a text from "our friend" later that night that simply said, " I gave Ashley your phone number.. :)" This next part just might make you cry.. Ash did not call me for 2 weeks.. WHAT. I was shocked.. I made my sisters text me every so often just to ensure that my phone was working.. Well, when he did call I was SO excited.. I remember, I was at a Miss something Pageant and I tripped over the camera man trying to get out to answer.. He asked me out for that weekend... I will save our "First Date" story for another time because it was so funny but deserves it's own post..

After that Ash and I were inseparable. We spent the summer going to St. George, four-wheeling, boating, making tin-foil dinners, parades, rodeo's, demolition derby's and drives up the canyon watching movies in the back of my dad's truck.. We were engaged the end of July and married October 4th, 2006..

Happy Birthday Baby!

2011-01-10T08:29:00.001-08:00

Today is this handsome man's birthday!
I am the luckiest person in the world to call him my husband. I love you honey!

2010 What a year!

2011-01-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

2010 was a GREAT year for Ash and I. We had a lot of positive blessings and a lot of blessings that we had to work through. Below are some things to remember:

* Ash turned 26!
* Our beautiful home was completed and we were able to move in
* I brought home little Sophie (LOVE HER!)
* VEGAS!
* Doctor Appointments
* Prepared for our fantastic trip
* Visited the beautiful country of China
* Visited the amazing country of Mongolia
* Learned more about my amazing husband through our trip to Mongolia
* 6 rounds of Clomid
* Boating with my family
* Motorcycle rides
* Sawyer Brown Concert
* Wendover!
* Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome
* Rodeos
* Derbys
* I turned the BIG 24
* Celebrated our 4 year anniversary
* School, school and more school
* Hunting Trips
* Four-wheeler rides
* Thanksgiving with family
* Christmas with family
* A very good year blessed with jobs that we love
* Church callings
* Making new friends
* Enjoying friends

I can't believe that 2010 is over. I am so blessed to have the amazing supportive husband that I do. He was by my side this entire year, at concerts, rodeos, doctor appointments and with family. I love him more than anything.

Our family has also been so incredible. They too have been supportive and are excited for the new adventures we are going to embark on in 2011.

Another Post!!

2010-11-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, The Canyon's had a party and it was fun. Decorating was fun, the band was fun and the food was great! My friend Kasey and I decided to save money on costumes this year and dig through our closet for an idea... We came up with- CONTESTANTS from the BACHELOR!!

It really was soo funny! We were dressed with a TON of make-up, curly hair, lots of BLING and cocktail dresses! We carried around red roses and champagne flutes all night and took pictures with "Bachelors"- Kasey smeared her mascara so it looked like she was crying- we laughed all night long! LOVE YA KASEY!
I came home from work one night kind of late and this is what I found... Ash and Sophie sound asleep on the couch! He loves his little puppy!
This handsome husband of mine is going to be the BEST father one day!

It was this BEAUTIFUL Lady's "20th" birthday last week!! My Mom is the greatest! She is one of my very best friends in the WHOLE world.. I can tell this lady anything-

We spent her birthday evening at dinner at Applebee's with all the girls. My Dad and Chad had a campout so it was a girls night. EXACTLY what we needed! My sisters are the best!

My Mom, Cami and Grandma.

Applebee's singing their Happy Birthday Song to Mom!

I love you Mom! I hope you had a GREAT birthday!

Birthdays and Such...

2010-11-13T09:59:00.001-08:00

It seems like my birthday never ends!! (I LOVE IT!)
We went to my parent's house to celebrate my birth about a week after my birthday. It was so much fun. My mom made dinner, a cake and brownies!

Lou was so excited to give me my perfume. It is Ed Hardy.. She told me it is the "hottest thing right now".... She is so cute!

She had to show me how it works-

And then Lou bought me a new church journal. She knows that I write down what I learn each week at church.

I also got SUPER comfy sweat pants from Brooke and a cute card from Chad and Cami.. I love spending time with my family!

Yesterday

2010-10-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

..... WAS MY BIRTHDAY!....

I love my birthday. Poor Ash thinks that I am still 5 because I love my birthday so much! AND.. I love others birthday's too. I think birthdays are important! It is a day to show the birthday person just how thankful you are that they are in your life...

My birthday, 10-20-2010 (cool huh!) was amazing! I have the best family and friends ever! First off, my co-workers covered my groups for the morning so that I could sleep in! I was awaken by my phone and it was my awesome family singing happy birthday! Soo cute! Then Ash and I made breakfast and he gave me the most beautiful necklace and earrings from Sundance Resort! I love them!

Then.. it was time.. OFF TO WORK I WENT!

The drive in was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect and my drive to Park City didn't fail- BEAUTIFUL!

At work, I received a bouquet of flowers inside a pumpkin from my wonderful co-workers.. LOVE THOSE GIRLS! I also recieved cards.. one of them was a sound card that had MR. ROGERS on the front and you pushed different buttons and it sounded just like MR.ROGERS! I loved it.

I also received flowers from my in-laws! And.. A DELICIOUS MADE FROM SCRATCH... fun fetti cake! It was soo good!

I worked throughout the day and into the evening. I got home about 9PM and Ash bought me flowers, a card and a gift certificate! I received lots of texts, calls and facebook messages! My day was perfect! I get to spend Monday with my family and celebrate AGAIN!!! WAHOO!!

Flowers from my in-laws

Flowers from my honey!!

Flowers from my co-workers

Thanks everyone for wishing me a happy birthday! It was a great day!

**This is kind of a side note** But I am thinking of making my blog private.. .GOOD idea or BAD?? ** I don't even know if anyone even looks at it.. HAHA!

What have we been up to??

2010-10-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Once we returned from our trip to Mongolia, we (Ash) were all set and ready to work on the yard. Ash worked so hard. We went on lots of motorcycle rides looking for ideas of what we both liked. Ash even spent time looking online for tips and ideas.
The finished product makes our house look as if it is really lived in. It is amazing what landscape can do to the look of the house. We still need trees and bushes but I think it looks amazing. Thanks honey for working so hard!

Of course, it would not be Ashley's work without horns... :) Gotta love him!

And of course, it wouldn't be fall without the hunt! Ash shot an elk on the 2nd day of his hunt.

And here he is working hard to skin it.

October was homecoming for Pleasant Grove High School. I cannot believe that Lacey is a senior. She is all grown up and beautiful. Her and Braydin are captains of the cheerleading squad and their half time routine was awesome! I love watching her cheer.

And then there is Brooke! Isn't she a beauty as well! She is the assistant coach for the cheer squad!

Ash and my dad were in the stands while Chad and Cami were playing with friends, which is why it is just my mom, Brooke, Lacey and I in the picture below. I love my sisters and mom so much! They are amazing and my best friends. They are always there when I need a friend, or need to tell my funny stories, or cry. I love them!

Cami turned 11 on 10/10/10! She is growing up so fast!

Other than the pictures above, Ash and I have been working a lot! :) Ash is still going to school and I am still loving my jobs! I will have to post some pictures. But I have done hair for a couple of the brides that got married at The Canyons this summer. Including my co-worker Brooke, who looked exquisite!

Up next in the chapter of our lives is MY BIRTHDAY!! YIPEE!! The BIG 2 -4!! WOW! So the countdown begins to 10/20/2010!! (I know, Ash makes fun of me that I make such a big deal about my birthday but.. I don't care because.... IT IS MY BIRTHDAY!) -

October 4th, 2010

2010-10-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, on October 4th was our 4 year anniversary! I cannot believe it has been 4 years! We have done so much together and grown so much as a couple.

I can remember the day as if it was yesterday! It was fun to talk about it with Ash and the different parts that we remember!
In 4 years we have traveled to San Francisco, Hawaii, Mexico, Jackson Hole, Florida, China and Mongolia.
In 4 years we have moved from PG to Coalville, from Coalville to Deer Valley, from Deer Valley to Coalville and finally from Coalville to Heber! (Our new home)
In 4 years we have worked... worked and worked some more!
In 4 years we have gone on countless motorcycle rides and adventures to the ranch.
In 4 years we have grown together through trials and heartache. And learned so much about each other.

The day was wonderful.. we worked (of course) and then made dinner together at home and watched a war movie (Romantic.. i know..) snuggled on the couch! Couldn't have been a better day!

I love you honey!!

MONGOLIA!

2010-07-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

We landed in Mongolia at 6:30AM. Viewing Mongolia by air that morning was breathtaking. The sky was blue with no clouds, the mountains were so green and it was completely peaceful. It was a perfect way to be introduced to Mongolia.

Ashley has kept in contact with some of his mission companions and they were nice enough to come to the airport to pick us up! They were so excited to see Ash and vice versa. The laughs, memories, and language all came back to Ash so quickly. It was wonderful to see him in this element. It was like coming back home for him.

We were able to go to church at 2 different buildings. Even though I didn't understand one word, you could feel the spirit. The members there are wonderful. The members were friendly, kind and inviting. Everyone came to shake our hands and introduce themselves.

The members are asked to come to church in their best outfit. And they do. They wear the nicest clothes they have. Their sacrament meeting is a little rowdy, but they are doing their best with what they have.

The little kids in Mongolia are so sweet. They loved our American candy (Swedish Fish and Laffy Taffy).

We went to a grocery store and Ashley ran into another kid he knew from his mission.

Mongolia does not have the best parks, but they do have small carnival rides in the city. This one was super cute. It was a giant kiddie pool with paddle boats in it. The kids were laughing and screaming and having tons of fun.

More posts will be coming about our trip to Mongolia. I am so thankful that my husband chose to devote 2 years of his life to serving the Lord in the country of Mongolia. Right before we left for our trip, Ash found all of his mission journals and let me read them. He described some of his companions who we met and places that we were able to visit. You could feel his love for the country through his words.
While Ash was on his mission he bought a Mongolian Wedding Band for his future wife. On our first wedding anniversary Ash took me to dinner and gave me this pink, older ring box shaped in a heart. He opened it up and it was a Mongolian Wedding Band. He put it on my finger and it was a PERFECT fit. The ring he picked was just for me. That night was such an incredible spiritual experience. Ash and I wore our Mongolian Wedding Bands on this trip and it made it all the more special!

CHINA!

2010-07-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

The trip started out with our SUPER airplane ride from Seattle to Beijing! I have this weird fear that I am going to get sick from the circulating air in the plane so I came prepared! I had my hand sanitizer, mask and my eye shades! I even had some gloves and sanitizing wipes but everyone convinced me that was going a LITTLE overboard.. :)

We made it to the Great Wall of China! It is amazing! The architecture was beautiful. The stairs were VERY uneven. Some steps were so small you could not consider them a step and some were tall enough that you had to literally climb up it. As I am walking up the stairs, a young Chinese couple stood directly in front of me. I thought I was in their way so I apologized and moved to the other side of the staircase. They pull out their cameras and want to take my picture. So the man stood next to me, made the peace sign and we took a picture! It was so funny!

Isn't he soo handsome! Ash planned our WHOLE trip- It was incredible to spend 2 1/2 weeks with him in 2 foreign countries!
To be honest, I preferred the food in China as opposed to Mongolia. But we did visit some tourist restaurants. There are just random carts on the street selling food on sticks. There were snakes, sea horses, fish and even octopus! It smelled so gross!

China had these "EXERCISE PARKS" filled with hundreds of people in the morning stretching, exercising and working out. It was very interesting to see. They had such confidence in stretching in front of so many other people. I highly doubt that "EXERCISE PARKS" would be a popular item in America... .

This is near Tian Men Square- The building behind us is a government building.

Shopping was probably my favorite part! This market was incredible. There were vendors selling the same thing, grabbing your arm and trying to convince you that their price was lower than the vendor next to them. It so fun to talk the vendors into giving us a lower price. Ash was much better at bargaining than I was.. I got a pair of Puma's for $5 and a Coach Purse for $15. She originally wanted me to buy it for $190. SO MUCH FUN! There was so many different vendors: Watches, purses, shoes, wallets, jewelry, kitchenware, IPODs, and SO MUCH more! One little lady was literally holding on to my mother-in-laws arm and would not let her go until she purchased the bag!

We ended our China adventure in the Chinese airport. Our flight to Mongolia left at 3:30AM Sunday morning. This is Brandon and my bed was next to his. Ash had already started to find some Mongolians and was excited to begin speaking the language!

Almost Time...

2010-05-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

It's almost time for our trip to Mongolia!

I am so excited to be able to spend time in the country that my husband loves. To meet some of the people that he touched and served. To hear him speak the language all the time and guide me around a foreign country with his knowledge of the land. I am excited to have the opportunity to go to church while we are there- Although I will not be able to understand anything I know it is going to be amazing. I am so thankful that my husband chose to serve the Lord for 2 years. I have been putting together his scrapbook from his mission. He was smiling in EVERY picture. The pictures of him baptizing families in the river is so beautiful- I can't wait to go visit those places I have seen in pictures.

I am a little nervous since I have never really been out of the country. (We went on a cruise to Mexico but I don't think that counts.) I am kind of a picky eater.. OKAY I AM TOTALLY A PICKY EATER! I want to bring a 5lb bag of pretzels and boxes of crackers. But I know I am going to have to be polite and try the food when we are invited to eat with some of the people.

I am getting my camera ready, with extra memory sticks. I cannot wait to document this whole adventure.

Wish me luck!

Arizona!!

2010-05-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was so fun! My friend, Bre and I went to Arizona! The sun was amazing. I wish it would visit Utah for a while! Our adventure, once we landed started with a total rip-off called a RENTAL CAR! We were quoted $60 and it ended up being close to triple that amount.. BUMMER!
No worries- we did not let that put a damper on our trip!

Evidence below, that the sun was shining! Even at 6AM it was bright and sunny!
LOVED IT!

The view from where we were laying out for the day! The pool was amazing! We stayed at the Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa.. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!

Our hotel room was so large. The closet was huge, nice kitchen area, large bathroom and lots of space!!

A necessity!
Lastly, a picture of my shining face while enjoying laying out!

The Sun, a good book, an ice water, shopping and girl talk... All elements of a fantastic weekend!!

Lou goes to Prom!

2010-05-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

My little sister Lacey went to Prom this last weekend! Her & Cody started the day out with a four-wheeler ride and lunch from Subway. Then she came home and got ready for the dance! It was so much fun to help her get ready for her date! Lacey is beautiful and is growing up so fast!
Ash came down with me for the day! He is such a trooper! He grew up with one brother so to come hang out at my family's house is sometimes a little overwhelming with all the females! Then Chad had to stick his finger up his nose for a picture.. Typical 12 year old boy I guess.

SNOW... SNOW...

2010-04-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

Hello Snow...

I really wish I was not saying hello to you! I really wish you would go away and not come back! I hate you and I was ready for sunshine and spring... Please go away!
-Whit

This snow storm has been so weird! Leaving my house in Heber this morning it was wet and gloomy but nothing too get antsy about.. As I am driving down the hill just past the Jordanelle I meet Winter ALL OVER AGAIN!!

Route 40 was a MESS!
There were people sliding all over the road!
Accidents just about every 2 miles...
Detours due to those accidents
People driving too slow...
People driving WAY too fast...
Then you get into Park City and the roads were even more horrendous..

Lucky for me I had our truck! 4 wheel drive was my saving grace!

When I got to work I parked in the normal dirt/ snow packed parking lot and proceeded to exit that lot... As I am trying to find an escape route, this big gust of wind came right as my left food was in mid-step... I fell over and landed in a big pile of stupid, cold, white snow.... People trying to get to the mountain took a second to chuckle in my direction.. I was covered in snow!

I am soo ready for snow to go away.. I wonder how you put your order in for spring to come...

Our New Home

2010-03-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This post is pretty long... But I wanted to document everything..

We are finally ALL moved into our new home in Heber!! We love it! I am so glad that the building process is over! We signed all of our papers on February 9th and began moving in on February 10th. It was slick process in moving in... We loaded up a trailer the weekend before and was ready to go the morning of the 10th.

We spent lots and lots and lots of time at RC Willey, Ashley Furniture.. well just about every furniture store in Salt Lake City, looking for furniture we both liked and at a reasonable price! We finally decided on the kitchen table below. It is a tall table with leather seats. The couch is micro fiber and I love it! We also got a new bedroom set! (It was President's Day so the deals were AWESOME!!) We got a 5 piece bedroom set. It included the bed (2 pieces), dresser, mirror and night stand. Then we bought an extra night stand to match.

We have 2 other bedrooms besides the master but one is a guest bedroom (Soon to be Brandon's bedroom room in May..) and then the office! But the office is empty at this moment .. so who wants to see a picture of that...

We definitely need some color and design in our house! It makes me so nervous to paint and put holes in the walls to hang up pictures and paintings.. I just keep thinking "it is brand new and I hate to put a hole in the walls.." I obviously need to get over that! Once the winter ski season officially ends and things slow down we have lots of plans for the house! Yard work tops the list, paint and hanging up pictures comes in a close 2nd and 3rd!! We have so many rocks. It really is out of control. I should not complain though.. I have my own yard to work hard in and can landscape it the way we want to!

Needless to say our Valentine's Day was amazing! We made dinner together and watched a movie cuddled up next to the fire... A few days after Valentine's day I brought home this.....
Meet Sophie! She is a Jack Russel Terrier and is the sweetest thing ever! I love her. Ash always told me I could get another dog but he wasn't thrilled when I told him that I found one that I wanted! I brought her home though and he instantly loved her.. Most of the time I find him like this......Ash is usually cuddled up right next to her. When he is outside hosing off the driveway or walking to get the mail you see Sophie right behind him following! I think the funniest part though is when Ash goes to the grocery store by himself... He comes home with doggie treats, dog food, dog biscuits, and a new toy... Sophie is such a good dog. She loves the fireplace! When it is on she is most likely cuddled next to the fire. Most people made comments about a new home and a puppy but it is so nice to have something to come home to! Ash works at least 2 nights a week when he is on shift and I am home all by myself!

I am really looking forward to SPRING! I cannot wait! Motorcycle rides, walks, yard work and vacations!! It has been a busy winter season for both of us! Ash has been working at Sundance Resort as a member of ski patrol as well as the fire station and I have been extremely busy at The Canyons and cutting hair!

We are going to Mongolia in June! I cannot wait! I am pretty nervous but excited for the foreign adventure. This past weekend I was at the Scrapbook Expo and had the privilege of scrap booking Ash's mission! You can tell by the pictures how much he LOVED the people of Mongolia and his time there! I am thrilled to go back to that place and visit the people and see where he spent the best two years of his life!

Well, I think that is about it for us! I love Ash! He is the best husband and the perfect fit for me! He is always by my side and with me for the journey ahead of us! It is amazing to see the blessings from our hard work!

Countdown Begins

2010-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

After many, many hours of looking at houses, walking through houses, pondering on those houses -We made the decision the end of August to build our first home.. Our home started out like this...

And then like this....
And slowly has become our home!

It still has a few more things that need to be finished both inside and out but in 9 days we will officially be homeowners/ mortgage payers! WOW.. I cannot believe I am old enough to have my own house!! We have our final walk through in a few days and sign the closing papers and receive the keys on the 9th... We are so excited for this next step in our lives!

December

2009-12-21T19:49:00.001-08:00

December (so far) has been filled with Jazz games, visiting the house, Christmas parties, Temple Square, family, sub for Santa shopping and being reminded of the true meaning of Christmas with great opportunities to serve others..

Ash got me a old style Jazz jacket! Sometimes I feel like an old geezer wearing it but then I remember that it was a gift from my honey so who cares! It is WAY to big for me but it keeps me warm and helps me cheer on the Jazz!

Ash and I at Temple Square. We found a Sister Missionary from Mongolia. Ash served his mission in Mongolia. It was so neat to hear him speak to her. It turned out that Ash served with her brother. Small world. I can't wait til we get to go back to see where he served and the people he loves there...
Me & Elise.. This is Brandon's girlfriend. We are at Ash's Grandpa's house for their party!!

Our house has dry wall!! It actually looks like a house that someone can live in.. It is so much fun to visit the house each week and see the progress that has been made..

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was so much fun! It started off with the annual Renslow's vs. Sparks' Turkey Bowl.. The Renslow's took the win this year!! It was awesome! It was then followed by delicious food at my aunt and uncle's home.. Anita (my mother-in-law) & I went to the BYU vs Utah Football game. It is so fun to watch Brooke cheer! The game was cold but was TOTALLY worth it! GOO COUGARS!!

Family Pictures.. I can't believe how old everyone is getting... Cami is no longer a little girl.. I can't believe she is 10! And Chad.. Wow.. 12- I feel really old! :)
We also made a trip to stop by the house Thanksgiving weekend to check on its progress... It seems to be coming... I can't wait!! I have so many things to be grateful for! A fantastic husband who is my very best friend, a great family both mine and Ash's and the gospel in my life.. Life could not get much better...

It's October!!

2009-10-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

I love October! It is probably my favorite month!
October 4th was our 3 year anniversary! I cannot believe it has been 3 years. We have grown so much but I am so glad that I am married to my best friend! Love you Ash!

We celebrated our anniversary with a weekend of FUN! We went to Salt Lake and went shopping for furniture in our new home! Then we went to dinner at my FAVORITE place.. TEXAS ROADHOUSE! (Thanks Brit!) Then spent the night at Anniversary Inn- we woke up the next morning and went to Provo where we went to the BYU game! We had such a great weekend.. We celebrated our anniversary a week early due to another favorite (not necessarily mine..) HUNTING!

The hunt always starts for Ash and his family around the first of October. He shot a deer the very first day! I have lots of pictures and will post those soon!

Next... We are officially building a home! I cannot wait! I was almost positive that we had looked at every house that was listed in Heber, Kamas, Oakley and Coalville. But we finally settled on building our own home in Heber! They should begin digging by Wednesday! Pictures of the process to follow... :)

Demolition Derby

2009-08-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

We went to the Demolition Derby in Coalville the beginning of August. It was sold out and we were crammed into the stadium. This picture was taken by Brooke and we were so close to the camera.. OOPS!

Crashing cars, dirt flying and scones.. what could be better!

Brooke and I waiting for the next heat to start!

Brooke and Sean drove up for the night and hung out with us at the derby. We had spent the day boating and then went to the DERBY! It was a great Saturday! I'm so glad we live close to our families and are able to go hang out with them often!

All Stars vs. Everton

2009-08-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Major League Soccer was at The Canyons in July. The All Stars and the Everton team stayed at The Canyons and had their after party and events there. With my job as a Conference Services Manager I had the opportunity to work with the Everton team. It was so much fun!

Ash and I were able to attend the game with Travis and Caitlin. Team Everton gave me a practice jersey - so I figured I might as well wear my shirt and cheer them on!

The Everton team won!! :)

NEW POST*

2009-07-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

WoW.. Don't you worry that it has been FOREVER since I have posted a thing!!

Work at The Canyons has been extremely busy this summer. Which is a GREAT thing.. it means JOB SECURITY!! As well as house hunting, boating, motorcycle rides, camping trips, fourwheeler rides and family adventures!

Here are pictures from our May Adventures. Pictures are from St. George and Travis & Caitlin's Wedding on May 22nd! Caitlin was a BEAUTIFUL Bride and... Trav didn't look bad himself! Congrats you two!

I just can't believe how grown up Brooke and Lacey are!! They 2 of my favorite sisters!! :)

And Drew... Back from his mission.. All grown up and handsome looking!!

Summer has been so fun.. but I feel like it is going way too quickly!

More pictures to come.. (hopefully!)

It's MAY!!

2009-05-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

So.. I guess I should say that May is almost over..
BUT.. I love the month of May.. The sun, the flowers, some of the rain.. the adventures of summer on the horizon! So this month has been pretty eventful in the Lewis household... Ash went with his dad and some his fellow firefighters down to Loftland, Nevada on their motorcycles.. While he was gone I went to Las Vegas with Ash's mom! We had a blast. Laying out, shopping, laying out, shopping, going to the spa, shopping!! We really had a great time. On the first day we were in Las Vegas, Ash and his dad met us and we cruised the strip on the motorcycles!! It was awesome..

Ash and I have been scouring Summit County and Wasatch County for houses!! We found a few that we like and now we just start putting in offers and waiting to see what happens. It is such an exciting time.. We are actually going to have our own house! I can't believe it.. Ash and I have learned to really compromise when it comes to finding a house - one that we both agree on and that we can make a home! But in the end we know we will end up somewhere we are meant to be.

Ash and I went to St. George this weekend and it was SOO warm. We went down for a friends wedding and to visit Ash's Grandma Luana. We brought the motorcycle down in the back of the truck and headed down last Friday. Ash knows that it can be 115 degrees and I will still be cold.. So the cute husband that he is brought me a blanket to wrap up with in the car.. What a sweetie~ Saturday we got up really early and drove over to Springdale and Zions. The views were amazing.. (MY TAN LINES... NOT SO AMAZING!!) Then we went into St. George and grabbed some lunch and went shopping.. After that we went back to his Grandma's house took a nap and then went to the wedding. Sunday we loaded the motorcycle up in a trailer and headed home! We had a great weekend..

And now we cannot wait for summer!!

The Good & The Bad

2009-04-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

Let's begin this little post about the Bad.. It is always best to end on a good note in my opinion.. Well, we found Tavon a home! So it is bad news in the fact that I cried the whole way to Ogden to give him to his new family but happy in the sense that now he can run around and play with kids. I took him to get his hair cut so that he made a great first impression! (And that he would smell better!!)

Isn't he handsome!!

Here is Tav sitting on Ash's lap for the last time and me crying!! :(

Okay.. Enough of that..

Good news! Brooke is now officially a BYU cheerleader. We are all so happy for her! She is amazing and has followed her dreams.. BYU games.. here we come!!

Another tidbit of good news! My cousin Drew came home from his mission to North Carolina on Wednesday, April 22nd! We all went to the airport to await his arrival! The anticipation while standing at the bottom of the stairs was almost unbearable!! But we made it through! Welcome home Drew!

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was SO much fun! Ash had to work so I went down to spend the day with my family. Brooke, Lacey, Chad and Cami had already found their baskets.. but they left the scavenger hunt clues up around the house so that I had to find my basket.. (which was full of spring colored kitchen towels and chocolate.. THANKS MOM!) Conference weekend I went up to take Tavon on a walk and spend some time with Kyle and Anita.. Well, they TOO had an Easter basket.. So they hid the Easter basket outside and Tav and I had to go find it! Yes.. it was just me visiting them in Coalville so I had to find my basket all by myself! (it actually was really fun!!)

Church was amazing! It was a great time to reflect on all the Savior has done for us and the opportunity we have to be resurrected.. My mom's calling is in the nursery! Lacey and I went into the nursery to help my mom.. They are the cutest little things EVER! One of the nursery leaders was teaching them a lesson and was trying to get them to say resurrected. It is a big word for such little people. All of the little kids received an Easter basket that had a picture of Christ and some candy. This little girl named Gracie wanted to eat her box of Nerds but couldn't get the box open so she came and sat on my lap and I helped her open them. Then she wanted to pour the ENTIRE box into my hand and eat them ONE at a time... It was cute!!

After church we went to my Uncle Brad's house for some good times with the cousins.. And Grandma brought her FAMOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE... MMMMM.. IT was so delicious! We talked about the count down to Trav and Caitlin's wedding... (YIPEEE!! I'm sooo happy for them!) and Drew comes home from his mission in 11 days!! That about sums up Easter!!

Last bit of news.... I think we found Tavon a new home.. We are meeting a family in Ogden tomorrow to have them meet Tav! But who is not going to love him.. He is getting his haircut too tomorrow so he will smell all nice and fresh!! That's all for now!! :)

Broken Heart!!

2009-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

So today is one of the saddest days EVER! I put my darling little pup on the KSL Classified page hoping someone will adopt him! As adorable as he is, he is kind of a trouble maker! He tends to chase the deer.. or anything that moves actually! He will not go alone - he goes with my in-laws rottweiler! But with the cows calving and the sheep having their lambs the farmers are more protective of their land and are afraid the dogs will hurt or kill their baby animals so they threaten to shoot any animal that comes on their land! Well, if it weren't for my juvenile delinquent, Tavon, then the rottweiler wouldn't run away.

As soon as we got a house Tav was going to come live with us.. but for now we can't take the chance of either of the dogs getting shot or hurting a young animal and having someone sue us! So I had to make the tough decision to put him up for adoption.. I've cried HUGE alligator tears ALL weekend but it is for the best! (Secretly, I am hoping that no one will adopt him! :) Selfish I know... but I can hope- right?? )

Some other reasons it is so sad: 1) he is my VERY first puppy EVER, 2) I just posted a great blog about how cute he was and how much I love him 3) we are SOOO close to buying a house... Our goal is to be in a house within 6 months.. So there is my sob story for the week.. I guess we will see if anyone thinks he is a cute as I do...

TAVON

2009-03-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

So I decided it was time to post pictures of my baby.. Tavon!

WARNING: He looks like a mutt! The poor thing needs to get his spring bath and hair cut but the weather has not allowed me to take him... It NEEDS TO STOP SNOWING!! :)

So this is our "before" picture and next week when he gets his Easter present (Bath, hair cut and new toy) then we will post more pictures! Because he is so handsome once he is all shaved!! Tavon is my first dog EVER!! My family is more of a cat family!! But when Ash and I moved to Coalville we decided it was time to get us a puppy! But now we live in a basement apartment in Park City and the owners are more of cat people!! GRR.. So Tav still lives in Coalville with my in-laws!

While we were in Coalville Ash had to make sure his motorcycle was still there! Boy.. he is just itching to start riding it! But the snow is sort of an issue!! :)

So last weekend was the Scrapbook Expo!! It was a blast! I finished my wedding scapbook.. (2 1/2 years later!) We scrapbooked all day Friday until about 11 pm and then got up and did it all again on Saturday! I even stuck my name in a drawing (with about 100 other women) and I actually won! It was great! I won a T-shirt from a shade store! I didn't really care what I won.. I was just happy that my name was chosen!!

Flight 3407

2009-03-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

Time to Update... Today is the 6 week anniversary of Flight 3407 that crashed outside of Buffalo, New York on February 12th, 2009 killing everyone on board and one man on the ground. The pilot was Marvin Renslow, my Dad's older brother. The family was able to gather in Flordia a week after the accident to celebrate his life. He was a great husband and father and had a passion for flying! The celebration was wonderful! Kaley, Marvin's 12 year old daughter was able to sing one last time for her dad as well as tell everyone about the great memories she will always have. Tyler, 18 years old, also spoke of the jokes, and advice his dad would always give.

OBITUARY

Marvin Dean Renslow July 26, 1961, to Feb. 12, 2009.

Marvin Dean Renslow was born in Shenandoah, Iowa, on July 26, 1961, and went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 12, 2009.

Marvin attended Guilford, began flying and earned his private, single engine, instrument and multi-engine ratings. He began attending flight school at Gulf Stream Flight Academy in Fort Lauderdale and began his commercial flight career in 2003 as a pilot for Gulf Stream International Airlines. In 2004, he obtained a position with Colgan Air and shortly after received an air transport pilot rating. He upgraded to captain/pilot in command in 2007. Marvin shared has passion for flying with his uncle, Paul Renslow, and his first cousin, Tim.

Marvin was preceded in death by his father, Donald Dean Renslow, and grandparents, Cecil and Lola Rice. He is survived by his wife, Sandy Renslow; two children, Tyler Renslow and Kaley Renslow; his mother, Shirley Renslow; uncle, Paul Renslow and his wife, Dianne; two aunts, Joan Meek and Dot Kinard; three siblings, Melvin Renslow and his wife, Brenda, Shirlene Thiesfeld, and Shellie Renslow and Phil Lofgren; in-laws Vaughan and Joan Hood; sister-in-law, Julie Armstrong and her husband, Jerry; sister-in-law, Martha Martin and her husband, Tracy. Marvin had 14 nieces and nephews, Jason Peregrine, Jennifer Feltner, Whitney Lewis, Brooke Renslow, Lacy Renslow, Chad Renslow, Cami Renslow, Amber Eitzen, Brandelyn Eitzen, Jessica Armstrong, Katherine Armstrong, Melanie Armstrong, a stepnephew, Colton Thiesfeld, and stepniece, Kara Metz; great-nieces, Isabella Peregrine, Korynn Peregrine and one on the way. A celebration of life service is being held for family and friends of Marvin at First Baptist Church of Lutz in Florida on Feb. 20, 2009, at 6 p.m.

Chad & Cami with Grandma Renslow!

Ash & I getting ready to go to the celebration!

Marvin will truly be missed. We continue to pray for Sandy, Tyler, Kaley and every family that lost a loved one in the tragic accident.

The Bachelor Finale / Bachelorette Party

2009-03-03T13:01:00.000-08:00

Last night was the much anticipated yet mostly spoiled Bachelor Finale. My friend Kasey and I threw a little Bachelor Finale Party last night with some of our co-workers. We have been obsessed with the show this season.. Every Monday without fail we would discuss the outcome and take our picks on the winner! 2 of our co-workers are tying the knot this month so we threw in a Bachelorette party!

This is Marion and Jennifer wearing their Bachelorette sashes!!

I did the honors of baking the Fun fetti cake seen above... But on Sunday Ash decided to cut himself a piece of that cake!!

Needless to say we were all lined on the couch for at least 3 hours (thank goodness for DVR) watching the dumb ending!! It was a very fun excuse to get together outside of work and just relax!

Here we go!

2009-03-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Okay.. So I have officially created a blog! (it was more confusing than I thought!- but I did it!)
I love following my friends blogs but just had not found the time to create my own! Wish me luck! :)