Johnson Family Photos!

    My cute sister-in-law Sarah and her sweet family were so fun to take pictures of! They are such a good looking little family! It was cold for the little ones and they were so brave and great for the pictures!

Walking on ICE

    This winter has been very dry. We haven't had much snowfall at all! It has been cold though, and cold enough that the lake behind my house is frozen about 4 inches to 6 inches thick! From my house on the shore, we can hear this deep moan. It sounds like a whale or an Alien ship from movies. It is the sound of the ice expanding and cracking from the lake. Since there is no snow, the ice is clear and smooth. My family has taken a few walks out on the ice. It is a spectacular experience! Especially when the ice cracks and moans right next to us!

Here we all are out laying on the ice!

It looks like pure glass..

The ice is so clear that along the shores you can see the plants, rocks, and fish swimming underneath! It is like looking through a window to the water!

 That plant is UNDERNEATH the ice!

    Our dog Gus, was terrified of walking across the ice. He would hear it crack and wouldn't follow after us but turn around and go farther out on the ice. Eventually we had to carry him back to the shore. Since then he won't step his paw on the ice anymore. Poor Pooch! Ha
    This is just another example of God's incredible creations. What a neat opportunity to encounter in our own backyard. I love when I drive down the free way and I see the billboard signs of a little boy holding a xbox controller and then in the picture on the side holding a turtle. The sign reads one word, "Unplug." I love that! I find it so important to unplug from all the technology around us and find moments like these to enjoy God's wonders and creations.

Jacqueline Lee Photos

     I got the awesome opportunity to take some pictures of Jacqueline Lee for the Miss Cache Valley Pageant she is doing in January. Isn't she just gorgeous?!

Thanks Jac for the awesome shoot! Good Luck at the pageant!

Chrysti & William

     What a beautiful day for the Huntsmans and Burtons! Chrysti and Will were sealed for time and all eternity in the Bountiful LDS Temple! It was such a special sealing performed by a close family friend of the Burtons, Brother Briggs. Every single person felt the spirit in the room so strongly as these two were united and sealed. I am so excited for these two and their new life together! They looked so beautiful, peaceful and full of happiness. 

 Waiting for the cute couple to arrive!

Yep... They are perfect for each other! ツ

ACCEPTANCE!

Brian received an early Christmas gift today!

 

"Dear Mr. Larson;

Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you of your acceptance to the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science."

We've been accepted!

Brian received the news just this morning! We feel so blessed and are so grateful for the many prayers that have been sent our way! We now have the security that we are accepted somewhere! We are still waiting to hear back from a few other schools, but are SO VERY grateful for this news now! YAY! Merry Christmas!

Mail TIME

   One of the most exciting things for me about getting married was the mail. Okay, so call me old fashioned but who doesn't love receiving a letter in the mail? As a child it was the best thing ever. If you received mail, it meant you were SO special! So birthday letters were the awesomest thing ever!
    But who doesn’t like getting that occasional piece of mail that is not like the others.  One where the envelope is handwritten maybe with a cute stamp on it?  When you get one of these in the mail don't you find yourself dropping everything else to dive in and find out who it’s from, or what it’s about? We live in a society where everything is fast pace.  Need to tell someone something?  Easy, just text them, email them, call them.  But when someone takes the time to go the extra step of doing something a little more personal like sending something snail mail, how do you feel?
    Having your own mailbox does NOT mean that mail is now fun to receive however. The mailbox now-days is so predictable about what is inside. With facebook and email, it's easy to just drop a line on someone's wall or shoot them an email. Letters are SO old-school! But not for me!
    Since it's Christmas time I found another love of this season: MAIL! People actually use mail now! I opened the letter box today and found 5 letters---FIVE LETTERS--- addressed to Brian and I that wasn't a bill, catalog, or advertising flyer! I could almost hear the 12 days of Christmas song echoing in my head, "5 golden letters!"

DO you see that below? Yep! That is my name written NEXT to Brian. That is me! Anna Larson! 

I'm still getting used to my name though. In class the teacher will call out "Anna Larson" to get an assignment, or people at church will refer to me as "Sister Larson" and I always find myself looking over my shoulder-"Now who is that and why does everyone keep calling me that?!"

Just kidding, I love my new name. And you'd think after 9 months of marriage that I'd remember it and get used to it. But 9 months of Anna Larson vs 19 years of Anna Kendell? The latter totally wins.

Need a Laugh?

    Are you in need of a little bit of Christmas cheer? Or how about a good laugh? Maybe this will help! Ha, Brian and I could probably quote this word for word!

TRUE Aggie

 Yes! It finally officially HAPPENED! Brian and I are officially TRUE Aggies together! I say officially because last year at Homecoming we were going to be True Aggies so we waited in line and the ASUSU person had everyone kiss at midnight regardless of whether you were on the A or not! So technically we were True Aggies.. but in my mind not officially until we STOOD on the A on Saturday night!

We even received LEGIT cards to make it all the more OFFICIAL!

When he offered me a ring...

 .. he gave me ETERNITY

    Brian and I had an incredible day today. A year ago today he asked me to be his wife and so to celebrate we decided to recreate the engagement. (Well, part of it) In the morning we went to his cousin Greg's wedding in the Salt Lake Temple. This was such a beautiful experience since it was our first time at a sealing in the Salt Lake Temple since our own.
    Later that night Brian took me to see the lights at temple square and made reservations at Biaggis Italian Restaurant where we ate a year before. It was pretty exciting.

    It was a special night for us all over again! Gotta love that boy! We felt all giddy again as we literally danced around the temple and looked at the lights. It is incredible to me how the lights attract so many people from all over! I loved eavesdropping behind people and listening to their accents and stories. (I'm a creeper, no need to remind me)
    Just for fun, Brian re-proposed to me while we were there. He got down on one knee in the visitor's center and once again asked me to be his wife. It's a good thing I already made that choice because I have loved every minute together in the last year! You can check out the REAL proposal story by clicking HERE! It certainly has been quite the fairy tale! "And they have been living happily EVER AFTER!"

Never to be Forgotten: Jared Johansen

    Today was the last Fast Sunday of the year of 2011. As I was sitting through sacrament I began to reflect on all my blessings of this past year. I was blessed to enter into the temple 9 months ago tomorrow with my best friend and be sealed for Time & All Eternity. I am so grateful for the blessings of the temple. "The Temple is the Lord's University where we receive our PHD. Peace, Hope, and Direction." This has become very real to me, especially in this past week. Brian and I had the opportunity to go to The Forgotten Carols on Tuesday night. What an extremely beautiful message that this wonderful show has to offer! The spirit was so strong throughout the entire performance.
     Brian and I watched it a year ago when we were dating, and the year before that I was able to sing in it with my high school choir. One of the closing songs that is sung is one where the audience links arms with the people on either side of them and joins in singing the words, "We can be together, forever someday." So here we were a year ago, dating, and Michael Mclean has Brian and I linked together saying "we can be together, forever someday." We got the hint and were married 3 months later.
    This year was different for us though. This time when I was linked up singing this song with Brian, I was just reminded of the temple and the wonders and beauty that I am now able to partake fully of. Michale Mclean spoke of the people on the other side of the veil and how we can be together with them. I started thinking about my family and how blessed I am to have everyone alive and well. I come from a very large family full of many cousins, aunts, uncles, etc on both sides. The only death I have ever experienced in my family was with a great uncle or great grandfather. Deaths that were bittersweet because we knew we'd miss them, but that it was their time to go and that they had lived a full and wonderful life. Nothing had prepared me for the news I would receive the next morning.
    My mom called me Wednesday morning with the news that my cousin Jared had passed away in his sleep the night before.  Jared is a few years older than myself and has a year old daughter and another that is due in 6 weeks. I can't even begin to describe how I felt as my mom and I cried on the phone together. Losing Jared has been hard on my entire family and all those who knew him. As I have gone throughout the rest of this week the words of Michael McLean's song "We can be together, forever someday" has echoed through my head and brought me so much peace. My testimony of Heavenly Father's plan has helped me so much this week. The plan is so beautiful. Knowing that I can be together with Jared again someday and that it is made possible through the blessings of the temple and through our Savior's atonement has helped me receive my PHD of the temple. This peace, hope, and direction will help me and my family, and all others who have been touched by the loss of such a wonderful man, find the strength to move on through faith in this gospel.
I find these two videos very comforting:

    The words of this song by MercyMe is so comforting to me. It just puts into better words how I feel and how many of us feel after losing a loved one.

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

 We love you Jared!

http://www.jaredjohansenlegacy.com/

Chrysti's Shower!

     On November 26, 2011 Rebecca Tanner, Jessica Jenkins and I threw a shower for Chrysti Huntsman! We were very excited to share this special occasion with Chrysti! We had lots of goodies and all got to know a little more about Chrysti's fiance Will Burton. Congrats again Chrysti and Will! We are all VERY excited for your new life together!

Here's the gang, minus Candice Mackley and Heather Hogge (Who were also there, but not pictured!)

And I do have to mention that our sweet Emily Johnson on the far right got engaged two days before this picture! Congrats Emily and Joe!

Here is all of our DELICIOUS food!

It really was a party! Thanks to all the girls that came! We missed those that couldn't!