December is done...

I have been meaning to post for a LONG time! I can't believe how crazy things get! Anyway, our December calendar has wrapped up. Sadly, we didn't take as many pictures as we hoped to or get to post as much as we wanted about all the activities but here are some of the memories we managed to get pictures of:

Temple lights...yeah we're not so good at taking pictures of ourselves. After this, we went and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with Johnny, Melina and Raylin. Melina made us cake and hot chocolate!! Thanks guys!!

The Trist came all the way from Eagar just to come to Sports Night and scored a few goals playing Ultimate Frisbee.

One of our favorite activities last year was the Polar Express in 3D at the IMAX and we're SO glad we got to experience it this year with the Nicolls! We had so much fun! (Sorry Shelbs, I couldn't get a pic w/ your eyes open!)

Shelbi and I demonstrating how it feels to watch the movie.

All the kids were so cute!! Mike held Treton's glasses on for him the whole movie. At one point, Mike didn't really think Trex was too into it or even knew the difference so he took Trex's glasses and gave them to someone else. Apparently Trex did know the difference because he took Mike's glasses and put them on himself. Thanks to everyone who helped out and came to the activities! We had SO much fun! Hopefully we can keep this Christmas calendar activity alive for a long time!

PUPPIES!!

We're going to Round Valley this weekend to try to give away the puppies =(. These aren't too great and they've grown a lot since we got these pictures but it should give you a pretty good idea. IF ANYONE WANTS ONE, LET US KNOW NOW SO WE DON'T GIVE IT AWAY THIS WEEKEND! You can leave a comment on our blog or e-mail one of us at ashleywiltbank@gmail.com or mikewiltbank@gmail.com.

Here they all are...all 12 of 'em!

These are the boys +1. One of the rottweiler looking ones is actually a girl.

Marion & Arthur

Alex & Leandro

Halle & Albino
Zack & Cozy II
Some of the pups hanging out.

Let us know if you want one!! We're leaving on Friday to try to find them some good homes!

Christmas Calendar So Far...

So far for our Christmas Calendar has been going great! We've been kind of slackers though and haven't taken too many pictures. These are the only ones we've gotten so far. Hopefully we'll be able to keep posting more.

The only pic we took from the "Main Street Walk"

Cookies w/ the Nicolls! (Thanks Nate & Jen!!)

Thanks to everyone who's been participating! We've been having a lot of fun! If you want to be on our e-mail list for the activities, let us know!

TAGS!

So I recently realized I was tagged a few times a while back and I still haven't done them yet and I feel like wastin' a little time on here so here they go...

7 Things I can do:
- I can make pictures pretty in photoshop. It's probably one of my favorite things to do too!
- I can talk for like 5 minutes straight and never get out what I mean to say...I can also be pretty repetative sometimes.
- I can waste good sleeping hours making blog layouts or crafts and not feel too bad about it.
- I can explain to you why what we call a couch is actually a sofa.
- I can make Mike smile when I sing him the Winnie the Pooh song.
- I can listen to Tom Petty ALL DAY LONG and never get sick of it!
- I can do a gainer! (Or I could at one point)

7 Things I can't do:
- Skateboard.
- I can't explain myself very well. Especially when I'm angry, which is frustrating...
- I can't go around feeling like I hurt someone's feelings w/o making it more akward by trying to apologize to them.
- I can't seem to go a day w/o calling Mike freaking out about something lame and having to have him make me feel better about it.
- I can't ever get enough sleep!!!
- I can't do anything without Celina making fun of it and then telling everyone about it.
- I can't keep plants alive...or fish come to think of it (Sorry, to everyone who cares, Couch is dead)

7 Things I most often say:
- That is so lame
- Hu?? (or what, they are interchangable)
- Let me know
- Sweet
- Sorry
- Oh dear

7 Celebrity Admirations:
- Tom Petty of course
- Leandro Barbosa
- George Strait
- I love Oprah
- What can I say, I love Martha Stewart too
- Kate Hudson-she makes her own jewelry

7 Favorite Foods:
- French fries!!
- Spaghetti
- Almost any Chinese food
- Gellato
- Crystal Lite on the Go (Although I don't know if that counts as food)
- Chicken & rice
- Tomato & basil soup w/grilled cheese

7 people I tag:

How about anyone who wants to do it?


4 Random things I love about Mike:
-I love how he is never judgemental of people, which I've learned also makes him very forgiving.
-I love that he is always real. He never forms opinions without looking at the facts and really contemplating what he thinks about the situation. He is honest about the person that he is and will stand up for what he believes in.
-He loves to learn and is always willing to try new things. I love how he always encourages me to try new things too. It always makes me excited to live life with him. I always see us growing and learning and trying new things.
-He's so good with kids and they love him. One time we were at my family reunion and I couldn't find him anywhere...I finally found him outside playing a frisbee game w/ all my little cousins that he had organized. That just pretty much explains it in a nutshell. He's going to be a great dad!

4Jobs I've had:
-Lifeguard
-Nurse's Assistant
-Enrollment Counselor
-Lab Tech.

4 Movies I have seen more than once:
-Breakfast at Tiffany's
-Enchanted
-The Dark Knight
-Runnin' Down a Dream

4 Tv Shows I watch:
-Arrested Developmet
-The Office
-Anything on HGTV
-Oprah

4 Places I've Been :
-Wyoming
-Utah
-Mexico
-New Mexico
I know, super interesting...

4 places I've lived :
This year?
-Mesa
-Cedar City
-Eagar
-Mesa again...

4 Favorite foods:
-See above...there I listed 7

4 Places I'd Like to Visit :
This is always hard for me...too broad. I'd like to go anywhere really...but my top places would probably be:
-Paris
-NYC
-I want to visit Gettysburgh
-Nauvoo

People I tag :
-See above...

Sorry this was so long! I just thought I'd kill two birds w/ one stone and make the both in one post.

Another Christmas Calendar

Merry Christmas everyone! We are starting our Christmas calendar again and hope we will see you all at some of these activities. If you're not getting daily emails from us about the different events and you want them, send us a message with your email address and join us for some fun. We'll try to post pictures. Have a happy holiday!

The Ash

This is Mike.
I just wanted to say a couple quick things about The Ash. Life recently hit us pretty hard and I know she felt despair. But she must have decided to fight through it because she has been pushing forward well.
First she found a little job much quicker then I could, and right when I found some work and felt good about contributing, she went and got a new job. A much better and more challenging job. I don't even really know what her new job title is, but she starts this Monday.
Next she was about to drop her blog background making hobby. But then instead completely reorganized and has been making some awesome stuff. It just keeps looking more and more professional to me. You can see her recent Christmas backgrounds by clicking here.
She has been doing this while taking a couple classes at MCC in interior design to see if it's something she wants to pursue more full time.
And most importantly she has been doing this and more when I was worried she was going to start moving backwards. She has been making herself happy and active, and in turn motivating me. Thanks Ash.
Oh and please don't make some stupid post after this about how great you think I am too, because no one wants to hear it.

A Few Things...

Just a few things to say (hence the title...).

First off, I just wanted to say congrats to Heidi and Jacob! Heidi has been a better friend than I could ever ask for and I'm so happy for her! I remember when I got engaged, everyone told us that we wouldn't be friends anymore and I'm SO glad that we can say they were wrong! I'm pretty sure we'll never not be best pals and I'm happy and thankful for that!

Secondly, we've been off the blog for so long, we didn't get to wish Avery and Zack a happy first birthday! I can't believe how big they're getting!! And so fast! They're so much fun though and we love being around them and hope they both had great 1st birthdays!!

Also, anyone who's seen Mike's Facebook knows he's 'thinking he should pick up his camera again'. It seems like it's been a while since we've done some photography so we've been working on updating our photography blog and want to let everyone know that if they or someone they know is looking into getting pictures, let us know!

So after struggling a bit to get my layout page going again, I feel like I'm finally getting control of things. It had been a while and anyone who saw it during that time knows it needed some major updating. Anyway, I've posted a few new layouts for Thanksgiving (such as this one on our blog now) and am working on hopefully a lot for Christmas so I wanted to let everyone know...
. Lastly, (for right now anyway) our dog Cozy had puppies! She had 12 and thankfully, my parents are keeping an eye on them for right now (I'm sure they have their hands FULL) but they'll be needing some good homes pretty soon! They should be ready to give away a little before Christmas time so they would make an excellent present :). The only dad know of for the puppies is my parents' dog Kuli. They are both REALLY good dogs so we're thinking the puppies will be really good and we're excited to see what they look like. Neither of us have been up to see them yet but we'll post pictures as soon as we can so if anyone's interested in a particular one, they can let us know! Sorry, I know it seems we post about Coz a lot...it's not our intention but what can we do? :) This pic is on one of our older posts but we're thinking they'll look something like this:

Hope everyone is doing well and has a nice Holiday since quite honestly, we probably won't post again until after Thanksgiving sometime unless something spectacularly exciting happens but check back after that 'cause we'll be trying to get up pictures of the pups!

P.S. Sorry all these pictures are so old! Any new pictures are either still on my camera or on the other computer but I really hate looking at posts w/o pictures and our last ones haven't had any so...old pics are better than nothing! :)

A Comforting Thought

I was talking to my mom the other day and she told me about this talk by Elder Scott. Here are some of the parts that really effected me:

"...When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11–12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain....To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this, now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys.... Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?...Our Father in Heaven has invited you to express your needs, hopes, and desires unto Him. That should not be done in a spirit of negotiation, but rather as a willingness to obey His will no matter what direction that takes. His invitation, “Ask, and ye shall receive” (3 Ne. 27:29) does not assure that you will get what you want. It does guarantee that, if worthy, you will get what you need, as judged by a Father that loves you perfectly, who wants your eternal happiness even more than do you.
I testify that when the Lord closes one important door in your life, He shows His continuing love and compassion by opening many other compensating doors through your exercise of faith. He will place in your path packets of spiritual sunlight to brighten your way. They often come after the trial has been the greatest, as evidence of the compassion and love of an all-knowing Father. They point the way to greater happiness, more understanding, and strengthen your determination to accept and be obedient to His will....Please learn that as you wrestle with a challenge and feel sadness because of it, you can simultaneously have peace and rejoicing. Yes, pain, disappointment, frustration, and anguish can be temporary scenes played out on the stage of life. Behind them there can be a background of peace and the positive assurance that a loving Father will keep His promises. You can qualify for those promises by a determination to accept His will, by understanding the plan of happiness, by receiving all of the ordinances, and by keeping the covenants made to assure their fulfillment." (To read the full article, click here)

I don't really know what more I can say to emphasize how much it has helped me to read this talk. After some hard things it seems like we've been going through lately, I think it's something I definitely needed to hear and be reminded of right now. Since I'm sure I could benefit from hearing it every day, I decided to post it so I can read it often and hopefully have that type of attitude about my trials. I also want to say that I am so thankful that if there's anyone I have to go through trials with, I've been able to go through mine with Mike. I'm grateful he's always willing to work with me and be so understanding. I can't imagine a better person to have to go through hard times with!
On a lighter note, I just wanted to say that I am IN LOVE with Crystal Light on the Go!! I've never really been a big person for sodas or certain drinks but I love this stuff!! It's so nice and convenient and it only has 5 calories and it's good!! I just can't get over how much of a fan I am! I know it has aspartame in it and I've heard there are some flavors or brands without it so I'm going to look for those next time...until then, I am loving this stuff!!

Changes In Time

Cozy isn't a pup anymore. We've had her with us through the best times.

With all of our things we've been going through lately we've had to be away from her. We've tried to leave her with family and good company. I think being away from the ones you love, and being unable to be there for them, is one of the hardest things to do. Ash and Coz are the best!!!

Livin' the Dream

Mike is the best!!!

Charlie Bit Me

This video kills me!

Getting things done...

This week, we went to Cedar City so Mike could help his parents put a porch on the house there. It turned out to be a pretty productive trip for us too! They worked really hard. Here are a few pics.

I know it's kind of hard to actually see the house but if anyone's interested, it is for sale...

Also, Mike was asked to photograph the fights that happened on the third of July here in Eagar. If anyone was wanting to see them or buy any prints, go to www.americanfightingfederation.blogspot.com. There's also a link on the side of our page. Send it to anyone you think might be interested because from what I understand, it was supposed to be announced to the fighters and audience but never happened.

The Dark Knight

It finally came! This has been my most anticipated movie this summer. I couldn't wait, and then I had to, because it sold out everywhere. I got in on the earliest showing I could, then watched it again the next day, and I'm planning on watching it tomorrow.
First of all I was not disappointed. This movie was awesome and even better the second time. In my opinion it will be the best movie this year!
The reason I was anticipating this movie so much was because of the writer/director. Christopher Nolan is One of my favorite directors. As far as film is concerned he is my hero and I wish I could make movies like him. If you haven't seen all of his films I recommend every one of them. (I also have to say Heath Ledger was amazing in this movie)

Swim Party

This week, we went to Mesa to take a picture of the Temple for my parent's anniversary present. We got to stay w/ Adam and Nicole in their new house in Paradise Valley. It was a blast! We got to hang out and had a swim party n their new pool and Nicole even took me to get my first pedicure! Thanks guys!!

Mike doin' a gainer

The pool happens to be close enough to the house that you can jump off the roof and even the chimney into the pool which isn't THAT high, the real rush comes from trying to decide if you can make it into the pool or if you'll end up a little short. I originally called Adam and Mike stupid and crazy for jumping off the chimney but when it came down to it, I couldn't turn down the dare...

Here's Mike being crazy off the chimney

Just in case anyone was wondering how the finished product came out...

Thanks again Adam and Nicole! We've missed you guys!!

4th of July

This years parade was pretty good. I particularly liked it when helicopters flew down low by the parade. It was also nice to see the ward floats. I have to give Dale Goodman props for an awesome job on his design of the George Washington float.






The rest of the fourth was different from the usual stuff. We missed the Rodeo and instead went and shot guns, played basketball, and watched movies. We still got to have some bar-b-que and made it to the fireworks with Brian and Mel.

Wandering through RV

We've been pretty lost lately. We still don't know where we are headed, but we are trying to enjoy ourselves while we're looking.
Lately we've been hanging out in RV, playing softball, working different jobs, and enjoying the nice summer time here. After Zion's hike we wanted to go back so bad that we kept going on little hikes here, and we had lots of people join us.













Some of the hikes were light, and others got pretty steep. (I kept blaming our many breaks on Trist, what a bunch of crap that was)
I've found that when I'm on a hike and I start focusing on the end, it takes the fun out of it. When I enjoy where I am, and not think about when it's over, I start to appreciate every minute of it.

Sometimes it's just good to go back home