Thursday, December 31, 2015

2015


You can get engaged! 


You can get married....


Your family size can double,
And sibling count increase dramatically...



You can travel to Alaska on an epic honeymoon....


You can not leave the honeymoon and live in Hawaii together.....


And move into a new apartment home with a man....


You can buy a new car...


You can wish you bought a different car....


Your favorite brother can graduate and get a mission call and move to Australia.


Your little sissy can get engaged, married, and knocked up with a baby boy. 


You can work 6 jobs over the year (combined).....


You can finish 2 1/2 semesters of college...


So yah, a lot can happen in a year.

2015 has been pretty magical. It's crazy to look back on these twelve short months and see how far we have come and different things are now. 

Although most our changes have happened in a gradual way, with us growing more and more aware of what’s going on, there is still a sense of wonder and amazement when I look back on this past year.



I'm exited for another year of adventures to come with Riley! The future is really wide open spaces for us with graduation around the corner.

Together we have been creating dreams and listing places we want to go and things we want to do in this next chapter of life. 


I think it's important to dream and believe in those dreams. However, we must hold on lightly enough to them to allow the unforeseen divine to step in and spin us in all the right ways. Here's to 2016 baby! 


Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Oakland Temple


"You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the 'mist of darkness.'"
—Gary E. Stevenson


I love the temple. I love being married. I love that we can be together forever through eternity. I love that we can do temple work for those that are passed on and didn't get the opportunity. I love the peace that comes inside these sacred walls.
Today was a beautiful day at the Oakland Temple. We did sealings together with Riley's family and my heart was filled as we all came together to do sealings for other families so they too can be sealed together forever. Happy Day!



Friday, December 25, 2015

Christmas Time in The City

We are spending Christmas with Riley's Family in California. There has been lots of great moments and memories in the past couple days and we lots more days and memories to come. I'm just laying in bed now and it's Christmas morning.... We still have the whole day and ahead of us!  I'm looking through pictures and I have some many good ones of the beautiful San Francisco lights. We also saw A Christmas Carol! 















Christmas Came Early


Christmas came early with a massive family "Google hang-out" on Christmas Eve talking to our Caden Moncur. He is serving a mission half-way around the world in Austrilia! He's is the only boy in the family and the hero and protector of his sisters eyes (and our dad too). Talking to him made me get so teary eyed and miss him. Missions are the best though and he is doing so good. Heavenly Father is really molding him into such a good leader and example. He is picking up quite the Aussie accent too and so handsome. I love him. I'm keeping all his letters online for everyone's viewing pleasures: eldermoncur@blogspot.com








Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Facial Matters

Remember, Remember those days of Movember. 
Riley has been growing a mustache since the beginning of this November and now into December.
Its a pretty big deal in our lives.
Its graduated from the "mexi-stash" stage and is visible now and even slightly bushy and has potential to curl.
Except, for one part... right in the middle it doesn't grow hair
(right where people have that dip above the upper lip, yah his is hairless...this is also where he sweats and it puddles).


Anyways.
He named it "Guiseppe."
Yes, that is the mustache's name.

Latley, when we kiss... Riley will ask:
"Do you like kissing Guiseppe?"
and I'm like: "no, i like kissing you."
[weirdo].

The first time "Guiseppe" showed [on] his face was right before we got married.
 Like literally right before.
Riley drove from California two days before the wedding
 and just in time for our "Bridal" pictures with a half-hour to spare before pictures.
Riley asked if I liked the mustache and told me the given name...
Then he proceeded to tease my mom 
and tell her he was keeping it for the wedding and pictures.

It was funny.
I love him.
Riley, not Guiseppe.
He shaved it. 


(I made this video of him fixing 
his stash when he was recoding for something else...)


But now Guiseppe is back and better 
and staying through the Christmas break,
 just in time for the "Stevenson Family Pictures."
It really wouldn't fly on my side.

I might just shave it off in his sleep for these pictures though....
Ba ha ha ha. 
I wouldn't. 

On another facial note...
Riley has serious "Beard Envy."
Yes, it is a real condition.
Every time we pass a thick, full bushy beard... Riley will pause and admire.
Then he will turn to me and say:
"I would pay $500 bucks to grow that beard right now."
(The amount of $$ changes depending on beard status, but can get in the thousands).
He can only grow a patchy beard that is sparse and pretty terrible....
Maybe one day.

This week he told me of a conversation in a class. 
Everyone was to name which "super-power" they would have.
He told the class "flying."
But said to me he thought about it more...
 and if he could choose his super-power would be to "grow a nice thick beard."

I was shocked....
"YOU WOULD PICK A BEARD OVER FLYING?"
 Then he replied:
"I would grow a beard while flying."


I love Riley.
Flying-Beard-Growing-Riley...
Or Mexi-Stash-Riley or Patchy-Beard-Riley. 
He is so funny and handsome.
I personally like Clean-Shavin-Riley, if I got to pick.


I do love these Movember days though,
He plays with his stash subconsciously...
 and it does tickle my face when we are real close. 
Happy Movember! 


Monday, December 7, 2015

Be Inspired in Less than 10 Minutes


One of my favorite messages of ALL TIME is given by: 

Friedrich Enzio Busche 

It is simply some of the very best advice and wisdom in life. Every time I listen to these words I feel more inspired and have a renewed desire to be better and live more like our Savior. 
Trust me, I have watched it time and time again over the past 5+ years.


Ready to feel inspired?! Watch this video and let the Spirit do it's magic. 


                                                   


This is made from a BYU Devotional, given on May 14 1996. 
The speech was entitled "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit" and can be found at http://speeches.byu.edu
It is seriously fantastic and largely unknown, plus his accent is great.
I pinky promise you will feel better after watching and more inspired.