calm after the storm

[Belle Haven Marina, VA] A couple nights ago, I enjoyed one of the many thunderstorms on the east coast. After hearing of all the rumors, it finally clicked in my mind what exactly these people were talking about. Even my mother could hear the thunder through the telephone! It was crazy. Since Friday night was date night, we decided to go out along the Potomac River & look at the incredible sky that was forming all sorts of shapes, designs & colors after the storm. Seeing the beauty in the clouds made me realize how lucky I am to have someone to share these little moments with. As we were being eaten alive by bugs, Adam & I opened up our thoughts about how love is something that cannot be forced. We cannot demand or expect someone to love us a certain way. Inevitably, it is by choice & by nature how people give & receive love. Adam has taught me that the best way to love someone is to be happy no matter what the circumstances may be & I believe in this philosophy  If we are happy then your spouse will have that genuine desire to give you those extra compliments you need, do the dishes without be asked, be the first to initiate cuddling because you have created an environment that is warm, inviting and loving. By communicating & controlling our emotions, it is easier to understand our spouse & be in harmony with one another. There are always going to be storms ; whether it be in marriage or in any other relationship. But those people that last are the ones that can love someone enough & are happy enough to understand that these storms will pass but are essential in our growth. In order to have peace, we believe you must choose first to be happy. 

Those who are 

h a p p y 

will make others 

h a p p y 

too.

Anne Frank 

& Mr. Jacobs. 

Little Miss Ava

[Arlington, VA] Introducing this sweet girl whom I get to spend time with everyday from 8 till 4: Miss Ava Moss. Last week we got the chance to visit a new splash pad in Crystal City which was a real treat for both her & I. Running around in the water & the blazing sun just wore her out & a long nap was followed (thank goodness). I am preparing myself for the humidity which I hear is the worst out here. Ava loves to play in her sandbox, slide down the slide until she can't stand anymore, eat as much cheese as her body will allow, say hi to our neighbor Griff every time we walk out of the house, watch & dance to Elmo, collect coins & keep them in her purse, & blows kisses whenever someone says "I love you". I have enjoyed every second living on the east & being a nanny to her, specifically her, is a blessing. Words would not be able to express the change that has come within me ever since I started taking care of Ava. I feel like I am still Carley, but Carley that is slowly growing into the woman whom she always imagined being. Adjusting to marriage, learning how to communicate, taking on a new city & lifestyle, & being thrown into motherhood have really pushed me to change. I believe that change is one of the most important action words that humans need to embrace. Having the desire to change is what sparks growth & what inevitably transforms you into the person you want to become. When we become too comfortable in life, we tend to fall behind & don't push ourselves to develop the qualities we know are within us. It is when we take that first step forward - out of our comfort zone - where we take off & gain confidence deep inside. I believe that with God, anything is possible. It is possible to run around, chase children, clean up the same mess over & over. It is possible to stop yourself right before you yell because the child has gotten into the cupboards again. It is possible to do the dishes, laundry, make dinner, exercise, spend time with the husband & still have time to ourselves. It is possible to do little acts of service, go to the temple or to go out & teach with the missionaries. It is possible to open up our hearts & minds to the issues that are going on in this world & not let them affect who we are. It is possible because God has given us the ability to accomplish anything we set our minds to but it is our choice, attitude & faith in Him that allow them to actually happen. 

I  b e l i e v e  t h a t . . .

God is making things happen for you

even when you can't see it,

even when you can't feel it,

even if it is not evident,

God is working on your prayers. 

alexandria, virginia

[Alexandria, VA] This is a piece of our first little basement apartment that is slowly but surely coming together. It has taken awhile to get settled but I can finally call this place my home now. As you may or may not know, I nanny a sweet little 2 year old named Ava Moss in exchange for free rent/utilities for a three bedrooms, three bathrooms, washer/dryer & kitchen. Every day except weekends I get to take this ball of energy to parks, libraries, animal shelters, museums, grocery shopping, & basically am a stay-at-home mom. Occasionally on week nights I get to work at the Anthropologie here in Old Town. It takes my mind off of reality & lets me live in my imagination. Becoming a manager or a personal shopper is my ultimate goal. But I honestly can say that I feel like a mother that skipped pregnancy & just had to know everything about motherhood in one day (I wish children had instruction manuals). It has given me the opportunity to grow & prepare for that one day when I have a little munchkin of my own. Mr. Jacobs & I both have to remind ourselves that right now is not the time for us to have kids. We plan to wait a year or two in order to have a foundation below us before jumping into the next chapter in our lives. By watching little Ava, I am learning patience, how to just love someone unconditionally, how to discipline with kindness in my heart & in my tone of voice, & how to understand that she is a child of God who was sent here to find out who she is. & it is our duty as mothers to help them along the way. 

I believe that the choice to become a mother 

is the choice to become one of the 

greatest spiritual teachers there is.

Oprah

from west to east

About a month ago, Mr. Jacobs & I got the chance to travel from Utah to Washington DC & stop in the most peaceful little town called Nauvoo, Illinois, along the way. It was such a beautiful time of year & we were lucky to go before all the crowds flooded in for the summer season. Being in Nauvoo with my husband really made me reflect on the strength that comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ & specifically the strength of the saints that settled there. In order to escape religious persecutions in Missouri, the prophet Joseph Smith led the members to settle this swamp on the border of the Mississippi River in 1839. By 1844 Nauvoo's population had grown into 12,000, rivaling the size of Chicago. After Joseph Smith's death, the violence continued and drove the saints to leave & journey towards the Great Salt Lake Valley. Having to say goodbye to all of my belongings & loved ones seems beyond impossible to me. The members had made Nauvoo their home & it was their faith that kept them moving forward. They had been tried & tested to following God's plan. Touring inside Joseph Smith's log cabin, visiting his grave site, and where he was martyred strengthened my testimony that he truly was a prophet of God. No one would have gone through all the persecution & trials that he faced just to keep a lie alive. God had chosen him to restore His church on the earth. His example is one we should follow & gain our own individual testimony of. What he did changed the world. I thank God every day that Joseph Smith & the saints endured the trials in order to bring about the restored Gospel. 

If you want to know more about Joseph Smith

 & The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 

please click on the tab above labeled "I believe". 

honeymoonin'

Even though our honeymoon was in April, I had to pull out a couple pictures & share some ideas with you. Tips to our engaged friends, get a journal to write down specific memories from your honeymoon because guaranteed you will forget! For example, write down where you went, stayed, dates you were there, favorite places to eat, different foods we tried, favorite activities, favorite moments, funniest thing that happened, & what you want to remember most. I was blessed with an older sister that gave us a "honeymoon journal" that was specifically dedicated to that week spent together. To be honest, it was hard to sit down & journal but I somehow got my thoughts together. Kona, Hawaii was were we decided to take our adventure because it is kind of a tradition in the Wells family. My grandparents handed down their time share to my parents so we got to stay there with no expenses. We were there from March 30-April 9th. It was enough time to distress from all the crazy wedding planning madness but maybe too long because Adam & I were antsy to get back to reality! We spent days enjoying Hapuna beach, Kua Bay, the Kona Farmer's Market, & relaxing by the pool. Most nights we would BBQ shrimp, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions & pineapple (thank goodness I got a man that loves to cook like I do!) Driving around the whole island of Hawaii, which took an entire day, was actually one of our favorite activities because it was an opportunity to get lost in the jungle, make ridiculous videos, find random black sand beaches, take crazy pictures & eat local kailua pork sandwiches. Another activity that we recommend is to go on the night manta ray snorkel dive! It was incredible to have these huge animals swim right in front of your eyes (bring an underwater camera, you won't regret it!) Some of our favorite places to eat were Killer Tacos & the Acai Bowl smoothie shack off Alii Drive. If honeymooning in a condo, I recommend buying food for the week & spending time cooking, cleaning, dancing in the kitchen together. Well I mean, that's what we did :) But what I want to remember most about our honeymoon is that we can be doing absolutely nothing but the presence of one another soothes my heart. It is each other's company that inevitably bring happiness & contentment which words cannot explain. 

SOULS 

 When two souls fall in love, there is nothing else but the yearning to be close to the other. 

The presence that is felt through a hand held, a voice heard, or a smile seen. 

Souls do not have calendars or clocks, nor do they understand the notion of time or distance. 

They only know that it is right to be with one another.

This is the reason why you miss someone so much when they are not there -- 

even if they are only in the very next room.  Your soul only feels their absence -- 

it doesn't realize the separation is only temporary. 

.................................................

Can I ask you something?

Anything.

Why is it every time we say goodnight, it feels like goodbye?

Lang Leav

only the beginning

I don't know where to start. I have been thinking about this moment for the past few months now and it is finally here; my very first blog post on my newly designed blog (special thanks to Miss Hunter Kofford). She did a fantastic job & I couldn't be more grateful. I believe that it is appropriate to start this journey with an overview of that "perfect" day I had on March 29th, 2013. In order to really capture the  thoughts & feelings, I want to share with you my journal entry that I wrote the next morning on the plane ride to Kona, Hawaii. It sums up just about everything. 

"This is real life. Yesterday I married my best friend. I wish I could take my emotions & keep them in a jar because I have never experienced this much joy or love in my entire life! We were sealed for time & all eternity in the Newport Beach California Temple. The covenants, promises & blessings were so unbelievably powerful it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about them. I felt the heavens open & I know that the Lord wasn't only watching down on us but he was specifically talking to me. He reminded me of the promises in my patriarchal blessing--the gift of charity, kindness & forgiveness. I could feel the Savior's love for us & as well his love for everyone in that room. It was one of the most powerful moments in my life to be able to look into Adam's eyes & see the promises we were making to one another. I pray that I always remember that & that I never forget to put his happiness before my own. I will learn how to love with all my heart, mind & strength. There is so much I can & will learn from Adam, only if I let him. He is a leader in this world & I believe we both have the capacity to move mountains. He makes me want to be the best person I can be. I pray that I will never treat him with disrespect or crudeness. I pray that the Spirit of the Lord always abides within my heart & the walls of our home. I pray that I can learn the importance of sacrifice & that I become the mother I want to be. The Lord has really poured upon me blessing after blessing this past year. I know that if we only follow Him, put our trust in Him & try to develop his attributes we will find happiness that is beyond our own. I hope that I can always feel the way I am feeling right now; as I sit on this plane to Hawaii. I can honestly say that yesterday was the happiest day of my life. But I know that I can feel this way every single day of my life, only if I chose to. Love is a choice & an action word. This is how I've always imagined feeling & I owe it to the Lord for giving me that peace, guidance & reassurance to keep me moving forward. I am one lucky girl who is sealed to the man of my dreams forever."