Day 6: A picture of something that makes you happy...

The Sun.
It makes me very happy. I could never live in a place that didn't see the sun often. In fact, this winter was one of the darkest, dreariest winters I have ever encountered and I was dreaming about the day the sun would come back out! I love the heat, I love swimming, laying out, camping, picnics, rock climbing, boating and pretty much anything else that requires a little sun to be fun.

So come on Houston- keep the sun coming!

Day 5- My Siblings...

I only have one sibling- my older sister. We are 2 years and 2 days apart and are very close. We used to fight all the time in highschool over clothes but once we hit college and didn't live together anymore we became super close.

She always has my back and is super protective of me and has always been a huge support to me throughout college and with my career. She is honestly probably the biggest advocate of my education and of my success in my career on the planet and I really appreciate that about her :-)

Having a sister is so great because no matter what you always have a friend and you always have someone on your side. A few years ago I went through a really hard time with a broken friendship and my sister was amazing through it! Loyalty is a big deal to me so it's great knowing that no matter what we will always have each other! We have countless memories of fun times but here are just a few of my favorites...

1. My Little Ponies
2. Barbies
3. Skating in the driveway and our roller skating lessons.
4. Ice Skating
5. Girl Of the Limberlost
6. On Our Own
7. Huntsville
8. Galveston
9. "You Give Love a Bad Name"
10. Marrying Cuddles and ToTo when we realized she was preggo
11. "Vampires"
12. "Pool Time"
13. Your visit to Fort Worth
14. my shoe closet
15. Mississippi
16. Tennessee
17. Florida
18. PARIS!!
19. Our matching pj's on christmas eve
20. The creepy way we pick-out the same cards and clothes without consulting one another.
21. Michelle Branch concert in Dallas
22. Our Vegas Trip
23. Napa!
24. double blow-outs
25. planning both of our weddings together
26. "Oh Lake Tahoe, Oh Lake Tahoe"

I am so lucky to be close to my sister, even though it seems natural to me I know there are a lot of siblings out there that let the rivalry get the most of them. Jess and I are definately different and don't agree on everything but at the end of the day we are besties and nothing will change that. I am so glad to be living so close to her now- we went from being 4 hours to less than 4 minutes so it has been great! Love you sister!

Day 4... My Parents

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have amazing parents. They will be celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary this summer and couldn't be more in love and more happily married. It's not an act- they truly are the cutest, happiest couple I have ever met and I know it is so rare that marriages last as long as their has. 

My parents were highschool sweethearts who did not grow-up in Christian homes but actually led their families to Christ after being saved when they were engaged. They have not only been a great role model of how a healthy marriage works but also taught my sister and I the importance of having a relationship with the Lord.

My mom is a preschool director at a church and my dad has owned a car repair shop since he was 19. They are both such hard workers and instilled this trate in both my sister and I.

I am also very lucky to have equally close relationships with each of my parents. My Dad is amazing- he is so strong, caring and hilarious. He always puts the needs of others before his own and is always there for me no matter what I need. It is because of him that I didn't settle for boys who weren't right for me and ended up with someone who reminds me of him often. I know I speak the truth when I say my Dad is better than everyone else's dad. haha I know I am biased but even though he isn't perfect by any means he is just awesome! No one else can push my buttons like him and make me laugh a few minutes later- we are so much alike it's ridiculous. I love how close we are and all of our inside jokes. One of my favorite memories was our conversation right before I walked down the aisle at our wedding- it is a moment that was caught on camera and one I will always hold dear to my heart. My Dad is just incredible :-)

My Mom is fabulous as well- if you read down a few posts you will see 51 reasons that I love her. She is beautiful and so very Godly. Her advice is always God-breathed and she is truly my Mother which I am so thankful for. Although we are very close and things start to evolve when adulthood sets in she is still my Mom and has never tried to be just a friend. I have seen so many Mother/Daughter relationships go wrong because the roles get smudged and I am thanful that mine has not. She is probably the most positive person on the face of the planet despite the hard childhood that she had. I can't wait for us to have kids just so that I can see her in action as a Grandmother!

I love both of you so very much!

Day 3... Meaning behind my blog name

Well, this one is not a very creative answer but I created this blog around the time that Ryan and I were engaged. I have always been a huge Jane Austen movie fan and Becoming Jane has always been a favorite of mine so I kind of got the idea there and went with "Being Mrs. Jasper."

Day 2... My first love

Wow this post is going to take me down memory lane!

My first love was a boy that I met at summer camp right before my Junior year of highschool. He was in my family group and asked me for my email at the end of the week (like we all did) and I thought nothing of it. He started emailing me and then we started talking on AOL and finally graduated to the phone after a few months.

We were each other's first kiss, first relationship and first heartbreak. We had a lot of good times and thinking back makes me laugh because for the first 6 months we had a blast then the rest of the time we pretty much fought. Constantly. We were long distant- just 45 minutes but that can seem like an eternity when you are 16 and at the time my parents didn't allow me to drive outside of The Woodlands so he always had to come get me. He was hilarious, really sweet and a hopeless romantic. I had a few guy friends that he didn't like too much and our fighting really got worse when he wanted me to ditch them for our relationship. Even back then I somehow knew how important it is to have a balance and to keep your friends and family as part of your life regardless of your relationship status so I didn't give in. In the end the jealousy really ended our relationship and it was for the better because we fought entirely too much!

I wish I could say we just had a normal break-up but we didn't- we kept in touch for years, checking-in when one of us was single, texting randomly and I think just keeping ourselves in the back of each other's mind. For me it was more of a security blanket thing- I just wanted to remind myself that someone loved me at some point but it was super unhealthy. I dated quite a few boys in college before I met Ryan and never really cared about any of them as much as I had once cared for Caleb so it never bothered me to keep in touch with him. Then I met Ryan and everything changed- I have to say that although it was unhealthy I am glad I didn't get a ton of heartbreaks throughout my dating life. Even though it wasn't fair to whomever I was dating because I never really let my guard down I know it was because God was preparing me for Ryan and protecting me from being hurt by others for whatever reason. 

My first love is not one that I will forget but also not one that I ever think about. My love for Ryan is so much bigger, stronger and more real than I could have ever imagined that it makes my history blurry. Is that how all of you feel about your First Loves?

30 days of blogging..

So if you are a regular reader of my blog you know I am not very committed. I try to be but it just seems like weeks and months go by without me posting at times. Well, my friend Jalei did a 30 day blog thing and I thought it would be a great challenge and help me with my committment issues. So, here it goes- each day I will blog about something different off of my list starting with today which is supposed to be the Introduction and 15 random facts about me. Here goes nothing!


1. I used to be in a dancing, singing choir when I was younger. My sister and I have sung with 305 other kids at some pretty cool places.


2. I really love the Twilight series. I know it's teen drama but I really do like it. I recently started reading all of the books and I am now beginning Breaking Dawn. Don't judge me.


3. I eat Ramen noodles and I like them.


4. I have been to Romania and it is one of my favorite spots in the world. I would love to adopt a Romania child someday.


5. I love girl's ministry.


6. I could never live in a place that it wasn't sunny most of the time. I hate the winter, it puts me in a bad mood. Texas may be hot but I just love the sun so it's worth the humidity for me.


7. Even though I might need the perfect outfitt I really love to camp and be outdoors.


8. I almost drowned while in a tubing accident on the Guadalupe river. I had to be given CPR.


9. I love macaroni and cheese.


10. No matter how warm my house might be every night i get into bed I am freezing.


11. When I met Ryan I knew he was the one for me immediately.


12. I love antiques and vintage clothes.


13. I wish I could wear my wedding dress again.


14. Sometimes I draw designs for clothing. I used to really want to be a designer.


15. When I was in high school I flipped my dad's truck over the HOV wall on I-45. The truck was totalled and I walked away with just a few bruises.

I love my Mom!!

Today is a day that is to be celebrated, not because it's Texas independence day but more importantly it is my fabulous Mom's birthday!!


My Mom loves birthdays. She has always made my sister and I and now my husband as well feel special and loved more than it seems possible on our birthdays. She spoils us with our favorite cakes, dinner and a present that she always puts alot of thought into. That being said when her birthday rolls around we always want her to know loved and adored she is!


As part of this blog dedicated to my Mom I want to tell you to top 51 things I love about her- although 51 might seem like a lot believe me there are millions of reasons to love my Mom!


51. Her sneeze. My mom is known for being a loud sneezer and we teese her but it's so endearing when she sneezes 6 times in a row. It's just something that has always made me laugh about her.


50. Her handwriting. She has beautiful handwriting that reminds me of something from the past, always cursive, always perfect. I didn't get great handwriting so I covet hers.


49. Her love for children. She is better with kids than anyone on the planet! They adore her because of how creative and fun she is. I can't wait until we have kids so they can have fun with her.


48. Her singing voice- she sings really well and used to sing to us all the time when we were kids along with at church regularly. She gave my sister and I the gift of music and for that I will be eternally grateful!


47. Her love for birds. This one is funny because she has always loved birds but she has a hard time keeping them alive. She spritzes them too much and they always catch pneumonia so she no longer has them as pets but she always has bird feeders all around the house.


46. Her love for people. There is not a more loving or forgiving person in the world. My mom has seen alot of her in her life and she loves those people unconditionally. I have alot to learn from her in this because I don't know how she does it!


45. The way she read aloud. She has always been a great reader of stories, the Bible and anything else! She used to read aloud to my sister and I which led to my sister reading aloud to me when we go on vacations and I read aloud whenever I can. It's random but I like it!


44. Her chicken soup that will heal any cold or flu you have! She delivers it to me with crackers, kleenex and a sweet note along with a magazine or something fun whenever I am sick. Almost makes me wish I got sick more often.


43. Her skin- my mom has great skin! Always, clear, always tan.


42. Her love for adventure- she's always willing to try something new, visit a new place or try new foods.


41. Her caring nature- she is so nurturing and not just to me but to everyone, I can only hope I care for my children like she cares for us, our friends and anyone else who comes along!


40. Her enchilada casseroles- beef or chicken. If you haven't had it, you are missing out!


39. How excited she gets when opening a present. She is the funest person to give to.


38. How she lies about her shoe size because she wishes her feet were smaller.


37. How she can roller skate better than anyone and used to do tricks that would amaze my sister and I.


36. How hard working she is.


35. The way she prays and the way it seems God hears her more clearly than anyone else.


34. How loyal she is.


33. How she loves Matlock. We used to watch it every afternoon when I was growing up.


32. Her sense of humor.


31. The way she decorates the house with hundreds of pictures of family- I do the same thing.


30. She is beautiful.


29. She is young. I love how young my parents are, they still travel and do fun things.


28. Her love for shoes, her hate for shopping for them.


27. Her love for sweet treats- i definately inherited this one!


26. The way she can get to know someone better in 10 minutes than most people can get to know each other in 10 years.


25. Her patience.


24. Her pantry- it is always stocked with anything you could possibly need, like there is a flood coming.


23. She has really pretty eyes.


22. How she treats Scout, our dog. He gets so excited when she comes over!


21. The way she just listens when things are hard.


20. How involved she is in my life without being controlling. She has always been involved but never invasive- my parents are masters at this and seem to be the only people who understand how to balance that.


19. Her laugh.


18. How girly she is. I am my mother's daughter.


17. The way she always gets my favorite birthday cake made, it looks like a small wedding cake.


16. How resourceful she is. When we were growing up she always had a job whether it was a paper route, making bows or babysitting.


15. How she stayed home with us. I hope I can spend time with my children like she did with us, she never missed anything.


14. How giving she is.


13. How she stuffs our stockings for Christmas- one of my favorite things about the holidays.


12. How she still does an Easter egg hunt for us.


11. How she enforces our family traditions.


10. How she loves my husband and made him feel welcome from the beginning.


9. Her way of making everyone feel comfortable no matter if they are strangers or not.


8. The way she decorates her house- it's so comfy, homey and welcoming.


7. How she likes Bella to always have a bow.


6. How she went with me to EP!


5. How she loves going to the movies and getting a hotdog.


4. How she brings God in on every detail of her life.


3. How she loves my Dad- I have never known a more submissive, caring wife.


2. How she loves me.


1. How she loves the Lord.


I love you so much Mom!!! Thank you for being such an amazing Mom- I wouldnt be me without the impact you have had!