Families Can Be Together Forever!

So I know it has been a few weeks since I have posted on my Blog, but during this time of Thanksgiving I can't help but post about the greatest thing I am Thankful for. 

As many of you know Brad and I are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On September 10, 2011 Brad and I made promises or covenants with our Heavenly Father. A covenant is a two way promise with God. Brad and I made the promised that if we are faithful to each other and live the commandments of God then in return we are promised His plan of Happiness and to have our family relationships continue after this life.  This was all made possible when we were sealed together as man and wife for eternity in the Spokane, Washington Temple. 

Brad and I strive to keep these promises/covenants we made on our wedding day by praying and reading scriptures together, attending the temple often to be reminded of all the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father, and by keeping the commandments and preparing to bring children into this life so we can teach them about Heavenly Father's plan and about our Savior Jesus Christ. 

Because of temples, and because my parents, Ken and Tracy Assmus were sealed and made the same covenants as Brad and I, our family can be together forever. 

(My parents were sealed/married in the Manti, Utah temple on June 6, 1980.)

This is one of the greatest blessings to me, for many of you know on June 17, 2009 my older brother Jon passed away. As long as my parents and family strive to keep our promises we have made, keep the commandments, and live righteously we will see Jon Again! This blessing is what makes me strive to be a better person and what gives me hope each and everyday. 

Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 141 operating temples, 15 are under construction, and 14 have been announced to be built world wide. This is so members from all around the world can enjoy the blessings of the temple, make covenants with our Heavenly Father, do temple work for deceased family members, and have their families sealed to them from eternity. 

One of the newest temples that has been built is in Gilbert, Arizona. This news report talks about the temple and its purpose, and also shares a Families story, like mine, of why temples are so important to them. Please watch and you can even see pictures of what these beautiful temples look like inside. 

Gilbert, Arizona News Report

You can also take a look at what all of the temples look like worldwide on this site. 

LDS Church Temples

Temples and having a eternal marriage and family is what I am thankful for! I love this church and I know it is true. I couldn't imagine my life without it! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

Love,

The Duffy's

Trip Home to Spokane!

On October 30th I went home to Spokane to visit my family! 

First of all, traveling while pregnant wasn't my favorite! Baby girl wasn't happy with me sitting for so long! And I experienced heartburn for the first time! Luckily I had a stop in Oakland and was able to walk around the plane and stretch a little before the flight to Spokane. My parents picked me up at the airport and it was great to be back. I only wish Brad could have came too!

I was so excited to be home and experience real Fall weather. It has been in the 80's here in Bakersfield and it was great to be home for my favorite season of the year! Gotta love that Fire Bush!

The next morning was Halloween! My mom and I ran errands and enjoyed the day together! 

This was my Halloween Costume!  

We got pedicures! A Mother Daughter tradition! 

And we ran errands for items for my baby shower on Saturday! Everywhere we went I saw someone from High School! While living here in California I never run into anyone I know, because I don't know many people. It was a nice change to see people and visit! 

On Friday while preparing for the shower I had a couple of visitors from my favorite Red Heads! My friend Krista took time from her busy schedule to come over from Cheney to bring a gift for baby Aubrey! (Oh did I mention we have decided on a name? Aubrey Marie Duffy!!) 

Krista and I didn't take a picture together that day but this is the most recent picture of us together. This was in Fall of 2011 when I coached her in Color Guard. We were in Seattle spending the day after a competition in Everett. I have known Krista for years and I am so glad she could come and spend a couple of hours with me! Love you girly! 

Later that evening Sarah Gill came over! Sarah and I were on dance team together when I was a freshman in High School. We then were in Color Guard together and also on Cheer my Junior year. We have kept in touch over the years but it was so great to have her over Friday night! We chatted for hours and caught each other up on our lives! She is doing so well and is now graduated and working at Gonzaga! 

(Again we didn't take a picture, but here is Sarah and I in high school!) 

Late Friday Night the rest of the family arrived! Jeremy, McKensie, Quinn and Morgan drove up from Orem, Utah and Kenny, Jerah, and Zoey flew up from Salt Lake. 

Saturday Morning the girls headed over to the Church for Greenbluff Ward's Super Saturday! We were crafting fools for a few hours and then brought the rest of our projects home since we had to leave early to set up for the shower! 

This was us Sunday Night finishing our projects at home! 

Here are the final results of a few of the projects! 

We had my baby shower at Jane Lahtinen's house. Jane has been a dear friend of our family since we have moved to Spokane. She was so kind to let us to have the shower at her beautiful home! 

Decorations were then put up! I made that banner and the owls. We also made labels to put on the water bottles. Everything turned out super cute! Sadly this is the only picture we have of the shower. We also had delicious food on another table. My mom made chicken salad sandwiches, and we had chips and carrot sticks!

This is a picture of the awesome cake my mom ordered! As you can tell we had an owl theme! The cake was fun fetti inside and it was so delicious!  

Before the guests arrived I was able to get a picture with this cutie!

Quinn was such a great help! She helped me open my gifts and was a great entertainer for everyone who came! I love you Quinn! 

Courtney was also a big help! So glad we got this picture! She just turned 19! I can't believe how grown up she is getting and is now in college at Eastern and on the Pole Vault team!  

I was so spoiled by gifts for Baby Aubrey! She got items from diapers to a pack n play!

Here are a couple of the homemade gifts I received...

This adorable crocheted hat made by Serita!

And this diaper carriage made by Samantha and Andrea

 I had about 35 people there with family, church friends, co-workers, and friends from high school. I realized how blessed I am to have so many people who love and care for me and who could celebrate this exciting time in my life! 

My favorite part of the shower was at the start we had everyone introduce themselves and say something about how long they have known me or a little memory they had with me. I was in tears with some of the comments. It was just such a great experience that I will never forget! 

I wish I could have gotten more pictures, but everything was so busy that it slipped our minds. But a huge thank you to everyone who made it out to my shower! I love you all!

After the shower Tahney and Brynne stopped by! I have known these girls for years and we were great friends our senior year of high school when we were on Cheer together. We chatted for hours and had such a great time! I am so blessed to have such great friends! :) 

Even though my Assmus Relatives couldn't make it up from Denver for my shower, they sent this awesome Car Seat!  Baby Aubrey is definitely going to be set when she comes! 

Sunday we celebrated Zoey's Birthday! She Turned One on October 14th! We had cake and opened presents while she was visiting! She was one Happy Girl! Here are a few of her sweet one year pictures. 

And here is her at her little party! 

She didn't know what to think while we were singing to her! 

She loved all of her gifts from Mimi and Papa! 

Especially these boots! Mainly because she could slide on the table! 

The next morning everyone had to go home! :( Jeremy and his family took off early to drive and Kenny and his family went to the airport at about 1:30 pm. Before they took off I was able to take a picture with Zoey! She didn't want to be held though! lol

A Quick photo shoot before they left for the airport! Notice how all the leaves had now fallen...

Well the next morning, We woke up to SNOW!!!

Crazy how the weather can change in such a short amount of time! 

That evening I was able to make it down to the Spokane Valley and meet up with my wonderful in-laws at Red Robin! It was so great to catch up with them! Love you guys and Don who is taking the photo!

Wednesday Morning I headed to the dentist to have my teeth cleaned, ate lunch with my old co-workers, and headed to Grandma's for her to take me to the Airport! I had such a wonderful trip and saw so many friends and family members! I also saw 3 other dear friends, Claudia Burton, Brianne and Sabrena Schoenburger! The trip was very well needed but it was also very good to get back to California with Brad! I am just so blessed to have so many people in my life who support me! I couldn't thank you all enough! I love you all so much!! 

I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feeling 22!!

Not only am I 22 years old (for 4 more weeks) I am also in my last day of my 22nd week of pregnancy. And Baby Girl just keeps growing! 

I absolutely love feeling her little kicks and wiggles. Pregnancy truly is amazing and is a complete miracle!

This week was eventful because on Thursday I got to go to the LA Temple with some Ladies in our ward. It was so great getting out of Bakersfield for the day and enjoying time at the temple. I really learned a lot this week and it was just what I needed to get through the rest of the week!  

"I looked out the window and I saw a Temple" 

This is kind of an inside joke with my Family. When my brother Jon and I were on road trips we played a game where I said a phrase and Jon would rap with it. We were driving in the Utah valley where there are like 13 temples around and so I said that phrase, and he was so mad because nothing really rhymes with Temple. LOL

(But there is the LA Temple from the street off to the left!)

Before our session began we walked around the temple grounds. I loved this statue of this family. It is crazy for me to think that Brad and I will have our own family very soon!  

On Friday, I got a letter from Japan! My Friend Shalie Fowles is serving an 18 month mission there. She has already been out for 6 months! We used to talk on the phone for hours before she left! I miss those conversations but glad we can write letters and e-mail! She is doing so good and loves Japan! 

Friday night we went to Centennial High School's football game. We have met a lady here named Michelle and she has started coming to church. We have really connected and her son, Andrew is on the football team. Andrew played an awesome game and even scored his first Varsity Touchdown last night! 

Brookelynne, Michelle's daughter came and loved sitting with us! She is such a cute girl and had such a great time!  

It was such a fun and exciting game! I of course loved watching the cheerleaders and the band and color guard!  We had a great night and were happy to cheer on the Golden Hawks with their victory!

We have had a great week this week! It is still in the high 80's here in Bakersfield! I think I will get a rude awakening this week when I fly home to Spokane on Wednesday! We are enjoying California a lot! Brad is very busy with work and has been staying late pretty often! I stay busy at home cleaning, cooking, and crafting! Life is good! Thanks for all of our love and support! We miss everyone so much! Have a great week!

Love, 

The Duffy's

A SUPER SATURDAY!

This last Saturday was the busiest Saturday I have had down here in Bakersfield! It was very eventful and I loved every minute of it! 

On Saturday I went to our ward's Super Saturday. It is a craft day for the ladies at church and we sign up and pay in advance to make certain crafts! Because I love crafts I basically signed up for all of them! I made a thankful sign, wood pumpkins, and I signed up for this ABC gospel children's book but I didn't have enough time to make it so I brought the kit home! (That will be my project these next couple of weeks!)

Once I got home, Brad had surprised me with these beautiful Lilies. Every 19th of the month Brad surprises me with Flowers! On the 19th of November, 2010 we went on our first date so he keeps the tradition alive by getting me flowers once a month! I love it! And these smell so delicious! 

Later that afternoon he surprised me also with going to Murray Family Farms. It is a huge farm about 25 minutes away. They have so much to do and it reminded me of home when I used to go to the Harvest House on Greenbluff on a crisp fall afternoon. But here, the farm was a little different! 

First of all it was in the high 80's and second there were PALM TREES! 

There was so much to do! 

We went to the through the Corn Maze! 

They had little cheats along the way so you wouldn't be in there for too long! I say it still took us 30 minutes or so to complete it! The maze was themed with spider, bat, and dinosaur facts! 

In the middle of the Maze was this huge dinosaur print and painting of a T-Rex! (Our Nephew Brexton would have been in heaven!) 

Once we completed the maze we went to the Butterfly House! It was pretty fun seeing the butterflies fly all around us! 

Next stop was the hay ride! It took us around the farm to see the fruit orchards and then stopped at the Pumpkin Patch.

(can you tell we were a little warm?)

With our admission we were able to pick out a pumpkin for each person! They were all pretty small so we had to find the perfect one! 

One thing I had never seen before was a Grapefruit tree! They obviously weren't ripe yet but it was a new experience! 

After the hay ride we killed some time before the Pig Races. They had this huge jumping pillow! I had to get on to give it a try! I can still be a kid right!?

Farmer Katelyn!!

Then it was the moment we had been waiting for! The Dog and Hog Races!

Before the races begin you get to stop at the booth and do "free" betting! I predicted that the Red Dog or Hog would win and Brad predicted the Green Dog or Hog to win! We got our tickets and sat in the sun.(there wasn't much shade!) 

After the introductions of the Dogs, they were off! My red dog won! 

Next was the Hog Race! These were the ugliest looking hogs I had ever seen! When we first saw the sign for Pig Races we thought that little piglets would be running. Much to our surprise these hogs barely fit in the racing gate! We were cheering for "Green" Eggs and Ham, so Brad could also win! You can't tell by the picture because his green patch fell off, but GREEN Won too! 

After the races we stood in a long line to get our Blue Ribbons. Every person who predicted Red or Green to win got a Blue Ribbon. It was so fun! 

Later that night after a quick nap, Brad and I went to Que Pasa, a Mexican Restaurant down here that we have wanted to try! It wasn't too authentic but it sure was tasty!! I had enchiladas and Brad had tacos! They had very good chips and salsa as well! Our waiter sent us home with some too! 

After Dinner when we were so full, we went over to the middle of the plaza and sat at the fountain. It had finally cooled down a little and we enjoyed ourselves by talking. 

I am so glad that Brad and I can enjoy a fun day together! Even though we don't have little ones to enjoy it with, we can still be kids and have a blast! I am so grateful for a husband who surprises me and makes our weekends together so much fun! Thanks Brad!

I am also grateful that it is October and we can enjoy the harvest! Fall is and always will be my favorite season! I also love our little pumpkin family! Can't believe we are going to be a family of three here soon! Life is just so exciting!  

Love, 

The Duffy's