Thankful thankful

Halfway to 50!!

My husband is halfway to 50 and hotter than ever!! I'd say Ethan had a pretty good birthday weekend, filled with family, friends, food, and SURPRISES!! One of my favorite things about him is that he tries to act like his birthday is not a big deal...but I can always tell he's so excited! He LOVES surprises!! Birthday's are the perfect excuse to get work off early and just go play all weekend, so that's exactly what we did. 

We left early Thursday afternoon, with plans to get up to Logan to stay with family. Little did Ethan know, I had other plans. Usually when traveling, we only make quick dinner stops, but that night I somehow talked him into stopping at Cafe Rio in Orem. Shortly after sitting down to eat, Ethan noticed an old mission friend walk in and join us, and then another friend from high school, and then before you know it we had a whole group of wonderful friends who came to surprise Ethan for an early birthday dinner!! We love each and everyone of them that came! You know who you are!! Some of my best friends are some of Ethan's Mission companion's wives. They are so great and because I already like their husbands I can't help but love them!! 

The weekend started out in Logan, with our siblings Keean, Tami, and McCoy, and friends Zak, Jacquie, Chris and Shannon. We went to the corn maze, a beautiful hike up Logan Canyon to the wind caves, and then spent all Saturday in Lagoon! It was such a fun weekend and a great way to ring in Fall. Happy birthday babe, you mean the world to me!! 

FALL has begun!

Hello! Can it really be fall already!? My favorite season of the year, no competition. It's been wwaaayyyy too long since I last posted. A lot has happened in the last couple months but these are just a few of my favorite moments! 

>>>>> GENERAL CONFERENCE<<<<<

October 2016

Janson women attended the Saturday morning session after which the Janson men went to the Priesthood session that night. There's something special about actually being in the building during General Conference. Witnessing the complete stillness of thousands of members as our dear prophet Thomas S. Monson enters the room, is remarkable. The spirit is just overflowing at conference and I'm so grateful I had the chance to attend.

Ethan's old mission companion and wife came to town for the weekend and lucky us, we got to spend it with them! Having company crash at our house is always something I look forward too! I love meeting new people, entertaining by helping them to fall in love with beautiful Southern Utah, and hopefully doing my best to make our house feel like a home away from home for our guests. Spending our day hiking Hidden Canyon, in Zion National Park, with the perfect weather made for the perfect day with the best of company! Come anytime Raymond Family! 

 I work for the best office imaginable! We have set aside funds for, get this...FUN! We even have a fun coordinator, who's job is to specifically make sure we take a break and have fun! Our latest activity started with Dinner (Pizza/Pasta Factory) at Lori's beautiful house where we enjoyed the amazing weather and just visited around the table outback. Then ended the night at Tuacahn's Tarzan!!
Work is so much more enjoyable and rewarding when you've got that friendship with your co-workers outside of work. Some day when I am a stay at home mom like I've always dreamed, I think I'll actually miss these crazy, hectic days with these lovely ladies!!
(Missing a few girls and two awesome doctors who wanted us to just have a girls night)

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS!! Just some fun pictures with these gorgeous girls. I'm grateful for all the girlfriends in my life. No matter how far away or how little I see them, they mean something to me!! Love you ladies!! What;s next fall!? I'm loving it!!

To the mountains

Labor Day weekend marks the turn of summer to fall, and the first big weekend of the school year. Mixing two of my favorite things, the mountains +  my family was all I needed for the perfect four day weekend! It's one thing I really look forward to every year...the Oliphant family Reunion! Just like every year, we camp up on Kolob at the perfect campsite. I say perfect because it's got 8 bathrooms, showers, and a zip-line! Yeah, that's right, I can't even decided which is best! Seriously though, I have the best family in the world!! And the best husband who's cuter than Heck!

HES HOME!!!!

Look who's back where he belongs! The only thing that makes these long weeks apart worth it, is the anticipation and excitement of picking my husband up from the airport!! Seeing his attractive self and knowing he's safe and healthy and HOME always gives me a huge rush of emotions! We have some great family and an overly excited little girl who came to the airport to welcome our soldier home! She almost beat me to him!! ;)

Ethan flew in on the perfect day. Thursday night right after I finished work for the week and was ready to party for 4 days before we were both back to real life. I planned a few activities for the weekend as if just being together doing nothing wasn't good enough ;) We had a little lake time riding the jet ski Friday and then dinner with his parents that night. Basically just a few days devoted to whatever he wanted to do! After 30 long days & nights of being told what to do constantly I felt it was the least he deserved.

I also surprised my babe with tickets to the demolition derby Saturday night! He's a sucker for surprises ad I really need to start doing them for him more often! We weren't really sure if we were derby-lovin kind of people but after last night, we are!! It's a good thing Ethan drove us home because I was feeling a real need to ram somebody!! :)

 How adorable are these two!! My heart can't wait to make this man a daddy!! I'm in absolute heaven over here having my favorite person back home where he belongs!! Now back to real life with us both back to work on Monday and school starting in the next week. I love real life with Ethan and I' so glad to have him home (:

Give me back by Husband!!

Ok Army, it's time to give my husband back. Sharing is caring!! #lessthanaweek #dontbeselfish

As many of you may already know, Ethan has been gone for the past month in Kentucky for CLC. (His second half of basic, sort of) We survived the first half of this training last summer but that did not mean I was ready or excited about this one. I have been dreading it since January!! Ethan has been such a trouper. He never once complained about having to go again. Actually rarely do I ever hear him complain. Hes's such a a good example to me. Anyways, I cannot believe how fast this past month has gone. The days are long, but man oh man those weeks were fast!! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was gone on vacation for a little over a week of this month. I think I also have to admit I am just getting stronger when it comes to being away from my husband. Doesn't mean I like it anymore though.

I am so grateful for him. He has gone through so much over this past month. Sleeping outside in just a sleeping bag under the stars or rain, the gas chambers, heavily humid weather EVERYDAY, more than half of this training without AC, heat rashes, showering once every couple of days, and just being away from his everyday comforts and convenience of being home, yet he still finds things to be happy about.
Its hard to explain life without him. I have had a good month, a happy month. But just nothing at all compared to the happiness and completeness of sharing it all with him. It just makes me realize again why I chose him. Why I choose him again and again. He's my whole life and my partner. My best friend and I am sooo ready to have him home in just THREE days!!!! I have a fun weekend planned that I can't wait to share with him!! Good job babe, I'm so proud of you!!!

WEST COAST (part 4)

Wednesday July 19th
Redwoods, CA

Thursday July 21st

(OUR 24th BIRTHDAY!!)

Glass Beach, CA

San Francisco, CA

I am the only one in my family who has been here so it was a lot of fun to show them around the town, especially on our b-day!! We only had so many hours before our flight but we fit in as much as we could! We mostly saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. What an amazing week we had and I wouldn't have wanted to share it with anyone else!! :)

Choosing my pearl and getting it set into a ring for my birthday!!

WEST COAST (part three)

Monday July 18th
Seaside, Oregon

Iredale Shipwreck

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Tom's Fish and Chips, Dad's absolute favorite place we ate. He even had to buy a t-shirt from them and get a picture!

 Tillamook Oregon

Tuesday July 18th

Sea Lion Caves, Florence, Or

WEST COAST (part two)

Sunday July 17th
Astoria, Oregon

Long Beach, WA

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was not disappointing!