Mak Attack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Washington, DC]

I got a special visitor a couple weeks ago.

These are a few things we did:

Caught a foul ball a baseball game (Nats vs Angels)

Ate at Sweetgreen, Good Stuff Eatery, Potbelly's, Shake Shack.

Walked around Eastern Market.

Said hi to Lincoln.

(Adam) took lots of pictures of us.

Saw Captain America.

&

I believe convinced her to move here.

 

 

 

 

Marriage Day for my Lo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man oh man. Where do I even begin?

 Last weekend we got the chance to go out to Utah for my best friend's wedding.

I couldn't believe the day had actually come! My Lo was finally marrying the man of her dreams...

who is actually one of Adam's best friends. Funny how that worked out!

We know who our livelong friends are going to be :)

 (we take the credit for setting them up just because it makes us feel cool)

Michael & Lauren have a unique love story & I am so grateful that we got to lean on

one another as our husbands tried to "figure it out".

(whatever that means, we knew they were perfectly imperfect for us)

I am so anxious, nervous, excited for them & their new lives together.

Looking back on our first year, I can say that marriage is not easy.

It takes commitment, love, forgiveness, patience, selflessness, control

& a whole lot of growing up.

But it is worth every single moment.

 

 

 

"Marriage is wonderful. In time you begin to think alike

 and have the same ideas and impressions. You have times when you are extremely happy,

times of testing, and times of trial,

but The Lord guides you through all those growth experiences together."

Elder Richard G. Scott

 

 

 

 

 

Our First Year

 

 

 

 [March 29th, 2013

Newport Beach, CA]

 

 

Highlights of our first year together as

Mr. & Mrs. Jacobs

 

+Honeymoon in Kona, HI

+Graduated BYU

+Moved to Washington, DC

+Trip to Gettysburg & Philadelphia, PA 

+Trip to Orange County, CA 

+Lumineers concert

+Deep Creek Lake, MD

+Lake Powell

+Moved into new apartment

+BYU vs UVA game

+Capitol Hill shenanigans

+Trip to Santa Barabara, CA

+Pumpkin patch with Emily & McKay

+Macklemore concert

+Thanksgiving with Chris & JJ

+Our first Christmas Tree

+Trip to NYC during Christmas

+Christmas in UT

+25th Birthday celebrations

+Favorite flowers on Valentine's day

+DC Temple trips with the youth

+Anniversary dinner at Farmers Fishers Bakers

 

 

I am so grateful to have Adam by my side.

 He is my strength. He is my other half. He is apart of me.

 He is my world. He is my anchor. He is my rock.

He is my teacher. He is my comfort. He is my pain. He is my joy.

He is my favorite human in the whole wide world.

& is he all mine.

 

Baby Bibs

 

 

[Alexandria, VA]

I have been putting off this dream of mine for awhile now.

This dream of one day sewing itty bitty baby clothes for my little ones.

Thanks to my mother, my mother-in-law, & my lovely friend Bronwyn,

I finally have picked up a few sewing tips to create these bibs.

Now my mind and heart are racing because I just can't wait to make more !!!  

& hopefully (if they turn out) sell them online - along with bows, overalls, dresses, etc.

 

How much would someone pay for bibs?

What type of patterns are people drooling over these days?

Do people prefer Velcro, snap buttons or ribbon?

Should I throw some eyelet ruffles on the sides?   

 

 

CREATE

grow

try & expand

d a r e

jump

&

just see where you land

!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PS: No I am not expecting, but I've got to start somewhere, right?]

 

banana cream pie

[Alexandria, VA]

 

I don't complain too much about the snow out here.

Mainly because it melts the next day, no one is on the road &

it gives my husband the day off of work.

These days typically inspire him to be productive (clean, study, work out, grocery shop) or they inspire him surprise me & buy a brand new TV (true story).

But yesterday's snow day somehow motivated him to make his first ever banana cream pie

(& you better believe I was not complaining!)

To see the excitement in his accomplishment brought so much joy to my heart.

 

There is something inside each of us that triggers this sense of motivation.

Motivation to get out of bed, to call an old friend, to wash the dishes, to eat healthier,

to keep trying even though things get hard, to accomplish goals, & to be your best self.

I like to think that motivation is a domino affect -

because others inspire you to push beyond your limits

& you have the ability to do the same for them.

There is so much joy when we see how our growth has influenced someone else

or how someone else has influenced our growth.

 

 

So keep moving forward

keep motivating

keep inspiring

 

 &

 

the only time you should ever look back

is to see how far you've come.

 

 

 



March Madness

 

[Chinatown, D.C] 



 [Old Town Waterfront, Alexandria]

[outside our little home in Alexandria, VA]

 

 

 

March has been filled with...

 

+trying a Greek spin off Chiptole called Cava Mezze Grill - delicious

+saying goodbye to the Bachelor - Juan Pablo was THE worst

+purchasing tickets for our travel abroad in May - still a surprise to some

+using our imagination with the kiddos we babysat - filming a superman rescue movie of course

+bananagram wars - adam wins every time

+watching gravity  - wish our home was 3D Imax

+bruises, blood blisters, purple toe nails because of soccer games - TMI?

+gold's gym goers - gotta love BodyPump classes

+brainstorming on a new hair style - cut & new color? Melt maybe?

+1/2 way done with two books - the Glass Castle & the Goldfinch

+caught a Jazz vs Wizards basketball game - Adam's idea of date night

+celebrating 4 young women's 16th birthday - dance party

+cooking & trying new recipes a lot lately - attempted to make homemade wheat bread

+researching some genealogy - or baby names? yikes...not even pregnant

+new iPhone 5s - obsessed

+anxiously waiting for our 1 year anniversary celebration on March 29th -

I cannot believe how much we've grown

!!

 

 

 

 

 

in between goals is a thing called life,

that has to be lived & enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v i a g g i a r e

 

[Washington, DC]

As March slowly is creeping up on us, I can only imagine what we are going to do to celebrate our one year anniversary -- which is March 29th.

Holy crap has it really been one year?!

I'll admit, I have & always will have the travel bug.

All day I long for a new adventure & so I am crossing my fingers that somehow

the stars align & we will get to just go.

Debate after debate has lead us to create this list of our top places:

 

Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam

India, Nepal

Machu Picchu, Peru

Greece, Turkey

Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark

Germany, Austria, Switzerland (my mission)

Belgium, the Netherlands (Adam's mission)

Israel, Jordan, Egypt

Indonesia

China, Japan, Korea

 

Okay this list could go on forever...

But let's just say we have decided where we are going to go!

& it is a secret...

 (I'm the worst secret keeper)
But I'm trying to become a better one.

 

 

Where would you go?

 

 

The world is a book

- and those who do not travel -

only read one page .

St. Augustine

 

 

celebrating life.

[Lake Powell, circa 1991]

 

Today I am celebrating life.

 

life : the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects & dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.

 

Even though this may be the worlds definition of life, I know it is much much more than that.

I believe that life is a gift & that when we come to understand who we are & who we are to become,

 the full meaning of life unfolds to us.

Some may believe that there is no God & that the end of all human life is personal annihilation -- a

dark philosophy of despair that eventually leads to the conclusion that life is meaningless.

Such persons think that cruelty & compassion, hatred & love, good & evil are all equally meaningless & that it matters not what one does nor how one treats others.

As the belief in God wanes, so too does the view that life has meaning, purpose or value.

Perceptions about the nature of mankind influence our own knowledge

& understanding of the meaning of life.

But God has a plan for his children.

This plan explains that our soul purposes to come to this earth were to obtain a body, be tested &

tried as we walk by faith,  to come to know & love God & His son Jesus Christ, to establish a family,

 & at the end of our mortal journey to present ourselves worthy before God.

 

 

The end of life is coming near someone dear to my heart.

Someone who has exemplified many characteristics of Christ.

She has taught me how to love ; unconditionally.

She has taught me how to serve others ; no matter what.

She has taught me how to cherish life ; every moment.

 

 

You are in my heart Aunt Christy.

I am celebrating your life today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alpine-German Speaking Mission

 

[Old Town, Alexandria]

To say that I love it here would be an understatement.

The brick buildings remind me so much of my travels abroad & how much I miss adventures.

Being a California girl at heart, I never thought I'd have the chance to live on the east coast, especially DC - this was the last place I thought I'd end up!

But here I am, growing in love with my husband, trying to make new friends,

working full time, exploring new hobbies, learning how to be alone (away from family/friends)

& understanding that this exactly what the Lord had in store for me.

 

February 2014 was the month I was supposed to come home from serving a

mission in the Alpine-German Speaking Mission.

It seems surreal that 18 months ago I postponed/deferred from serving to take a leap

of faith in another direction -- the completely opposite direction -- because

something wouldn't let me say goodbye.

Deep down in the depths of my heart, I knew (without a doubt) that Adam would be the one.

 Even though it wasn't a picture perfect love story,

 it was real & it was worth it.

Looking back, I cannot believe how that tiny ounce of faith has turned into blessing after blessing.
Missions allow growth but so does marriage
- a similar but different kind of growth.
So listen to your heart because I am so grateful I did.

& I relied on my Father in heaven. He was there every step of the way.

He continues to remind me that He knows me, loves me & wants me to turn to Him.

I know He wants the same for you.

 

 

Faith in God

requires faith in His

timing

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



!!

 

 

 

25 balloons for my 25 year old.

+ dinner at founding farmers, a surprise birthday party & a peyton manning jersey

[I guess you could say he was a little spoiled]

I love you my Adam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



t w e n t y f i v e

 

Adam Kay Jacobs

27 January 1989

names : son, brother, uncle, friend, husband

words : passionate, loyal, understanding, honest, ambitious, spiritual

heros : abraham lincoln, indiana jones, peyton manning, tiger woods, brad pitt

dreams : ambassador, teacher, businessman,  NFL player, father

pet peeves : loud chewing, crumbs falling, bad driving

obsessions : the news, golf, football, breaking bad

tastes : mountain dew, gummy candies, seafood, cheese, olives, rice pudding

countries : the middle east, netherlands/belgium, europe

fears : fearless

 

h a p p y  t w e n t y  f i v e

my love

 

 

i am extremely blessed to have you.

 

 

 

 



Do Hard Things.

 

+Sometimes life isn't just sunshine & daisies.

+You have to do hard things.

+You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.

+You have to give more than you get in return.

+You have to make the call you're afraid to make.

+You have to care more about others than they care about you.

+You have to invest yourself even though no one else is.

+You have to keep fighting, even when your already injured.

+You have to tell the truth, even when making up something is easier.

+You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.

+You have to stand up for your beliefs ; even though they aren't popular trends in the world.

+You have to run faster even when you're out of breath.

+You have to try & fail & try again.

+You have to be accountable for your actions, even when things go wrong.

+You have understand there is power in vulnerability.

+You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable.

+You have to be kind to people who are cruel to you.

+You have to make mistakes & look like an idiot.

+You have to forgive ; even when they hurt you.

+You have to feel unsure & insecure ; when playing it safe seems smarter.

+You have to keep moving forward to where you want to be ; no matter what's in front of you.

 

 

 

You have to do hard things.

The things that no one else is doing.

Do the things that scare you.

The things that keep you wondering how much longer you are going to hold.

The things that challenge your heart & your mind.

Those are the things that build you, strengthen you, define you.

 

. . . d  o    h  a  r  d   t  h  i  n  g  s  . . .

  

 

You might be surprised at how amazing you really are.

 

 

 

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Bringing in the New Year ; better late than never

[Alexandria, VA]

Slowly but surely I am posting about our Christmas/New Years festivities which consisted of traveling back to the lovely state of Utah to be with Adam's family. Arriving on Christmas Eve night (one of the benefits of Adam working for the government...not) put us in just in time for the extravagant buffet of cheeses, dips, meatballs & sparkling cider that was prepared by my lovely mother & sister-in-laws. I loved seeing their excitement as they kept pulling out dish after dish & explaining the intricate ingredients used to make them. It sure felt & smelt like home.

 

Now that we are married & live so far away, it is difficult to now how to spilt our time off between both families. I wish I could just hold on to an object & suddenly be along the streets of Trabuco Canyon, CA...but unfortunately I am not Harry Potter...(whom I have currently been admiring by rereading the series/watching all the movies all of the days. Gosh I love them so much!) There were moments of downtime when I just sat & reflected upon how much I truly love each one of my siblings & parents. & how grateful I am for their love, support & understanding. I thought about their courage, strength & grit in raising their little ones. I admire & look up to their commitment to one another after these past few years, which have really rattled our worlds.

 

It stirred my thoughts of my New Years resolutions & how I could better myself this year in order to become like them. Man I didn't realize how many ideas came to mind. 2013 has been a year of just pure growth - marriage, graduated BYU, moved to DC - that I thought about how much more growth there is to come.

 

 

In 2014 I want to

...

1. go somewhere I have never been before

2. read at least 1 book a month

3. learn how to sew

4. be more passionate

5. cut my hair short &/or dye it another color

6. push myself with my camera

7. go sailing on the Potomac

8. smile more

9. cut out the negativity

10. make friends/be a better one

 11. encourage myself that I can do it

12. ride a horse again

13. make my phone an accessory ; not a priority

14. pray for my children

15. grow closer to Adam & the Lord

 

 

 

Growth demands a temporary

s u r r e n d e r

of  security 

.