On A Sunday

Monday, February 29, 2016


When Hunter and I were just a family of two, Sundays meant a day for us to snuggle and be lazy all day long. 
We would sleep in, go to church, eat dinner, watch a movie, and snuggle. 
That was about it, but it was exactly what we needed.
We both worked, Hunter went to school, Hunter played football, and life was just busy.
Sundays were a breath of fresh air.


When we became a family of three, Sundays were just a tad different.
I'm sure you have all heard before that when you become a mama, you don't get any days off.
Oh, how true that is!
Sunday included...
While I still love Sundays, they have proven to be a bit challenging with our sweet Oaklyn girl.
Church is a game of chasing her around, finding ways to entertain her, standing in the hall with her, and trading off who gets to listen in class and who gets to take her. Ha, its the truth!
I believe they call this the..."countdown to nursery" age.
Once we have made it through church, we usually go home to eat some lunch.
After we're all fed, Oaklyn still has a couple hours before nap time.
Those can be the hardest hours...
If it were any normal day we would go run errands, but we're LDS, and don't run errands on Sunday.
So, here are a few things we do to keep the Sabbath day holy while also entertaining a baby ;)



1) Go for a walk. 
Yes! Go! Walks are the greatest family activity, I'm convinced. We are loving the sunnier and warmer weather we're getting right now and taking walks together has been so great for all of us. We love sticking oaks in her jogging stroller with some snacks. She loves watching the cars drive by, and Hunter and I love getting uninterrupted conversation in. We'll occasionally stop at the park and go down the slide or swing on the swings also. 

2) Have a family picnic.
This can be indoor or outdoor, near or far. You can even pack it up on your family walk
and just go set up camp at the park while the kids play. It'll get all their energy out too! There's just something about a picnic. I just love the whole feel of it. Fresh fruit, juice pouches, sandwiches, and chips make the perfect picnic lunch.

3) Watch a movie.
I love watching movies. but this usually happens AFTER we put Oaks down. Or else I'll get nothing out of the movie ;) We love watching church movies on Sundays but we also enjoy several others. Before we even had Oaklyn, one of our favorites was Tangled ha. I'm so not ashamed to admit it, it's a pretty cute love story ;)

4) Have a family talent show/fashion show
I can't wait until Oaklyn is a little older so we can have these all the time! It'll encourage your kids to try out new talents and it'll help them have good confidence in themselves. I would recommend not having "judges" but hey, to each his own!

5) Go through old photos, journals, yearbooks, home movies, or anything else sentimental.
I wrote in a journal almost every day in high school about me and Hunter's relationship. We LOVE going through those journals and laughing about our teenage drama. We also love watching videos of Oaklyn in her first year, watching our wedding video and Hunter's homecoming video, as well as looking at our photo books. I'm so glad I've recorded so many memories for Oaklyn to have later on.

6) Call or facetime a friend or family member
Since we have so much extra time on Sunday to just hangout. we like to facetime with family. It's a great way to keep them updated on Oaklyn's life as well as see all the new things she is doing. We love talking and catching up while the camera is facing her. It's like they are right there with us :)


Those are just a few things we love doing as a family on Sunday but there are so many more out there! 
Such as head rubs and foot rubs, family history work, "makeovers" with little girls, baking a treat, or playing a board game.
What are your favorite things to do with your family on Sunday?


This past Sunday I wore one of my all time favorite dresses from Pink Desert.
I LOVE this company and their cute clothes!
No only is this dress adorable, but it is beyond comfortable.
It is the perfect length and gives the perfect stretch to chase Oaklyn all through church ;)
I love the floral and stripe combo. Mixing patterns is just so fun to me.
Make sure to check out Pink Desert to get this dress, but while you're at it, make sure you also check out all their new arrivals! They are to die for!
Use code: JOY at checkout for 15% off your purchase from now until March 4th at midnight!

All my love,
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A Perfectly Spring Day

Thursday, February 25, 2016


Oaklyn and I caught a yucky cold this week.
We both came down with it on Monday.
Runny noses, coughs, sneezing constantly, soar throats, and messing up sleep schedules.
It has put me in a bit of a funk.
Along with Oaklyn's party I've been planning for ages being over and family leaving town, I just feel kind of... blah.
The past few months we have been rushing around like crazy trying to purchase and put together everything for the party.
I made lists upon lists and loved feeling busy, and after 3 hours on a Saturday, the party was over.
Now, I have nothing to do but the normal stuff and that just doesn't feel fun.



Oaks and I woke up a few different times this morning but couldn't seem to get out of bed just yet. 
We kept falling back asleep over and over and since we had nothing to do today, we just kept letting it happen.
Once we got up and got ready for the day we just hung around the house.
Oaklyn destroyed every inch with a granola bar in one hand and a carrot in the other.
Once I caught her in the bathroom ripping the toilet paper to shreds, I decided it was time to head out.
I knew if we found our way at some of my favorite stores, ie Target, Old Navy, Hobby Lobby, and TJ Maxx I would just buy things we don't need and don't have the money for.
So, I packed up the stroller and headed out for a jog/walk.
Oaks was incredibly content and we both were loving the sunshine!
I've been avoiding jogs the past few months because it has been freezing outside.
Today however, was gorgeous!
The birds were singing, there was a light breeze, the bees were buzzing, the sun was shining bright, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
I think it was just what Oaklyn and I needed.
She kept looking up at me and smiling so big and my heart felt so happy.


Often times when the seasons change, I feel a bit of nostalgia and don't feel quite ready.
This time around, I'm feeling every bit ready for warmer weather, blossoms on trees, and picnics at the park.


Oaklyn has the cutest little pair of leggings from Willy Bean Co.
They are such an adorable spring print and I love every bit of the way they fit.
They are so well made and fit just right. 
I love the color of these leggings, they just scream spring to me!
I think Oaklyn is a huge fan of them too, because some of her best naps have been taken while wearing them ;)
Coincidence? I'll leave that up to you... ;)
I love everything about these adorable willybeans and I get so excited to see all the new prints Kambri releases!
Want to get a pair for your little one?
Use code ALEIGH15 for 15% off your purchase until March 1st at midnight!
And make sure to check out her instagram to stay up to date on all the cute leggings!


What is your favorite part of spring?
And more importantly... which pair of willybeans are your favorite?

All my love,
Aleigh Joy




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Valentine's Weekend

Wednesday, February 24, 2016
I have quite a bit of catching up to do on past events.
Planning Oaklyn's birthday party took over every bit of my energy the past few weeks. Or months. I've practically been planning since the day she was born, ha!

So, let's start with Valentine's Weekend, shall we?
As many of you know, if not all, my husband and I are LDS.
On Sundays we don't do much other than go to church and hang around our house.
Often times I'll make a big, yummy dinner and we'll watch a movie.
It's a day of rest where we refrain from doing the things we usually would throughout the week.
We spend time with family and "keep the Sabbath Day holy" by not working, spending money, intensely exercising, etc...
I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, "How boring!" but I'm feeling happy just typing this.
I look forward to Sundays.
I love going to church and I love spending the rest of the day at home with my family. 


That being said, Valentine's Day this year fell on a Sunday.
So, all of Utah celebrated on Saturday haha ;)
We started the day by sleeping in, my favorite!
When I woke up, Hunter had a bouquet of flowers on the counter for me. I love fresh flowers!
We don't really exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and I'm okay with that. Flowers are perfect :)
We then got ready for the day, ate some brunch, and went for a walk with Oaklyn.
We love going for walks because she is so content in the stroller and Hunter and  I get to talk the whole time.
Later, we put Oaks down for a nap and got ready for our date night!
Savannah, Hunter's sister, watched Oaklyn for us while we went out to Olive Garden.
Not only was everyone eating at Olive Garden in Provo, but there was a school dance that weekend too... it was an hour and a half wait!
We made the most of having a baby sitter by going to Provo Beach Resort and playing arcade games together.
It was actually tons of fun and we won lots of tickets that we used all on candy ;)
It was fun to laugh and focus all our attention on each other.
We held hands the whole way back to Olive Garden and then enjoyed a yummy meal.
I think Hunter had like 15 bread sticks haha!
After dinner, we headed home and played with our little Valentine until she went to bed.
After putting her to bed, Hunter and I watched the movie Valentine's Day snuggled on the couch.




On Sunday, we went to church per usual and just spent the day together.
Around 5 our friends Isaac and Kiely came over and we made homemade heart shaped pizzas!
It was so fun! And pretty darn good.
Kiely also brought strawberries and cupcakes and we played with Oaks all night. 
We then played the game Heads Up when Oaks went to sleep.
I really enjoyed this year's Valentine's Weekend.
Next event, our anniversary!


What did you do this Valentine's Day?
I hope it was a great one!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy
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The Twelfth Month

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

If you follow me on instagram, you are probably well aware that baby Oaklyn turned a year old yesterday!
Today we had her 12 month appointment so it is time to end the "Monthly Oaks" posts with her stats by the month and what she is up to.
I really can't believe the first year has come and gone.
We are well on our way to toddlerhood over here and it's just beyond me that this time has come.
I'm currently turning into the mom that constantly has crackers and cheerios in the diaper bag, looks for "bribes" or "trade offs", and has to say "sit down" every 30 seconds while grocery shopping haha. 

At 12 months Oaklyn Joy is up to and in to absolutely everything!

-She loves oatmeal in the morning
-Is obsessed with holes. That may sound weird but she loves sticking her little fingers into any sort of hole. She'll lift Hunter's shirt up just to play with his belly button ha!
-LOVES books! She loves flipping the pages, and eating them... ew
-Her favorite foods are quesadillas, corn, and dill pickles. 
She is a bottle lover. Forever and always.
-Her paci is attached to her at all times and she wouldn't have it any other way.
-She gets into everything and makes pretty big messes haha.
-She throws tantrums if she doesn't get what she wants. Saying no is hard, but we're trying to stay strong.
-Her favorite word is definitely still dada but she's working on other words.
-She's walking all along furniture and goes pretty fast now. She occasionally stands on her own, but is too nervous to take a step on her own.
-She loves music and has some pretty awesome dance moves ha!
-She steals our phones every chance she gets and loves when it lights up.
-She points at everything all day long. She will point to what she wants but usually just points because she likes to.
-She has about 6 teeth and is working on a few more. The pediatrician said her molars will be coming through soon too. Uh oh!
-Ripping paper is a favorite of hers. Eating it is too.. gross
-One of her favorite activities is folding laundry with mama. aka messing up all the piles haha.
-She still isn't a huge fan of the car unless she has a whole bunch of puffs or cheez its
-She sleeps with a pink blankie and snuggles it with her bum in the air and it is the cutest thing I've ever seen.
-She's not a huge TV watcher. She prefers to be moving around.
-She's pretty shy around strangers but warms up pretty quick.
-She interacts so much more now and loves to play games. Peek a boo around furniture, building blocks, and being chased are her favorites.
-She thinks body functions are hilarious and does the motion for stinky every time she burps or toots. It's pretty hilarious!
-She shakes her head "no" constantly. Even if she means yes.
-Prefers sugar over almost everything, but cheese is always her first option.
- She finds other babies and children very intriguing. Especially when they walk.
-And, she finally snuggles a little bit before bed. 

As for me, I'm happy I completed my first year of motherhood!
I'm not ready for a second child any time soon, but I do often miss having a tiny newborn, Which is crazy... I kinda hated the newborn stage ha.
I'm excited to one day give Oaklyn a sibling but it'll be a little while.
Being a mama is so great and even though most days are exhausting, they are also so wonderful. 
I love my little Oaks more and more each day and I'm so thankful for her sweet spirit.
She's sassy, fun, happy, loving, and energetic. I really love her little personality.
I'm working on a little video of her first year and every time I watch it, I cry. 
I'm still in denial the first year has already passed. 

And just like that... the monthly posts have ended!
I really don't know what I'll do now as far as updates go... maybe every doctors appointment?
We shall see, but I'm sure you'll be seeing several more pictures of her :)

Stay tuned for her party post!
I swear the birthday posts will never end ha!

All my love,
Aleigh Joy












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Happy 1st Birthday Oaklyn Joy!

Monday, February 22, 2016


Today is my baby girl's first birthday.
Her monthly stats post will most likely be posted tomorrow because we have her dr. appt. tomorrow, but today I just wanted to write a little about the first year.

At 10:54 am on February 22, 2015 I became a mother.
Labor was hard. Until I got the epidural.
Other than occasionally freaking out that "this was really it" my labor after the epidural was incredibly smooth and actually somewhat peaceful.
I talked to the nurse between pushes and pushing was actually quite easy... other than almost throwing up from heart burn...
I gave one last push using all my might and looked up to see a tiny baby girl with tons of dark brown hair.
Hunter's face lit up and I instantly began to cry out of happiness.
It was such an incredible moment that I'll cherish forever.
If you know me, I have to take a picture of just about everything, and I don't have a single picture from this moment.
Not because it wasn't special... but because my mind was completely focused on her and for the first time ever, I actually overlooked taking pictures and just lived in the moment. 
I often wish I could go back to that moment, and just relive it over and over.

This entire day I've been reliving her birth day or "first day" in my head.
"Oaklyn you were born 15 minutes ago one year ago!" "This time last year I was getting ready to push!" "Hunter, this picture was taken exactly a year ago!" Remember how people kept coming in our room just to look at her because she was such a beautiful newborn?"
It's just so surreal to me that the first year has already come and gone.

I threw Oaklyn quite a big party.
It may seem a bit ridiculous, but it was also somewhat a celebration for me. For completing my first year of motherhood.
This past year was the most trying, amazing, wonderful, exhausting, lovely, spiritual, and rewarding year of my life. 
I remember several nights, getting down on my knees at 2 am pleading with my Father in Heaven to just make her fall asleep. 
I remember staying in the shower longer that I needed to just to get some much needed alone time.
I remember leaving her for the first time with someone other than family and feeling the biggest pit in my stomach.
I also remember the first time she smiled and realizing motherhood is the greatest calling life will offer. 
I remember the first time she giggled so clearly, I had never heard a sweeter sound. 
I remember feeling such pride the first time she rolled over, sat up, stood up, slept through the night, and ate all on her own.

This past year has been a roller coaster of several different emotions.
I dealt with PPD/PPA for the first 6 months of her life. 
I still get anxious more often than I used to, but I now can't picture life without my little girl.
She has filled a place in both me and  Hunter's hearts we didn't know existed. 
I'm still trying to figure out what I did with my time before having her ha. 
I've tried to avoid crying all day long, but in the quiet moments I've spent looking at pictures of her taken throughout her first year of life, I just can't help but get weepy.
It goes too fast. The days seemed long but the weeks were short. 
The months, even shorter.
Being a mommy is the greatest thing that has happened to me.
It is a love that can't be explained until you experience it.
It is selfless and unconditional.
It is forgiving and tender.
It is protective and truly incredible.
I highly recommend it :)

Oaklyn Joy, your life has made my life worth it.
Having you has been my greatest adventure.
I can't wait to experience the years to come.
I love you to the moon and back!

All my love,
mama

ps. we had a wonderful day filled with funfetti pancakes, Costco Samples, Quesadillas, tricycle riding, and riding around the mall on these animal things ha.
I think she loved it :)







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My Two Valentines

Sunday, February 14, 2016


Last year, Hunter and I spent our last Valentine's Day together, just the two of us.
I was convinced Oaklyn would make her debut right in the middle of our date... or maybe hoping?
But, she didn't. Stubborn little thing.
Hunter and I enjoyed that night together. 
We spent the evening going out to eat, walking around the mall, and watching a movie.
It was laid back, and just what my pregnant body needed.
I remember that day clearly, not because it was anything super significant, but because I remember wondering how I could possibly love another human being when I loved Hunter with all my heart already.
I know it sounds silly, but I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to share my love.

I still struggle with this on occasion. It can be difficult dividing up the love.
I constantly feel like I have to give either Hunter or Oaklyn more attention because I've been more focused on the other one.
Obviously, Oaklyn steals most of it, most of the time... and I go to bed wondering how it will even be possible for me to split up my love among the other children we will one day have.
But somehow, I always find more love to give.

So here's to you my two sweet Valentine's :)

Hunter, I hope you know I'll always love you first. When all my attention is on our crying, teething baby, my mind is on you. You were the first man I ever really loved, and you will be the last. I'm sorry I easily get stressed and overwhelmed and most of the time take that out on you. You don't deserve that, but thank you for loving me anyways. Thank you for being there. For always being there. For writing me weekly on your mission and staying awake to text me in high school even though I knew you were tired. Thank you for supporting our family and working so hard to let me stay home with our baby. Thank you for comforting me during the trials and celebrating with me during our triumphs. Most importantly, thank you for promising to love me forever. Hunter, I couldn't ask for a better husband. I may not always express this, but I'm constantly in awe of the man you have become. You're my one true love, my rock, my forever, my eternal Valentine. I love you beyond words, and I always will.

Oaklyn Joy, you have given my life meaning. I know you won't be reading this anytime soon... if ever, but I still need to get it out. Thank you for being so patient with me during my first year of motherhood. I'm sorry you have to be the guinea pig, just know you will also always have a very special place in my heart because of it. I'll always treasure all those moments we spent together in the middle of the night just looking at each other and trying to figure each other out. I used to study your profile in those moments. I was always in awe of your beauty. I couldn't believe Heavenly Father could fit so much perfection in such a tiny body. I am so thankful He trusted me to nurture and raise you. I feel like the luckiest mama. The moment I became a mother, I understood my purpose. You have filled me with so much joy, love, heartache, happiness, fatigue, and empowerment. You have caused me to feel a love I didn't know existed. I love you to the moon and back, my tiny Valentine. 

All my love,
Aleigh Joy
(mama)



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Love What You're Wearing Too!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

I really love Valentine's Day.
I just really love holidays in general.
The time leading up to the holiday is so much fun as plans are made and decor is hung.
I had all sorts of plans to decorate our little home in pink and red this year, but Hunter's books this semester costed more than ever, so I've been trying to cut back where I can.
We're also using a gift card we got for Christmas from my parents to go out to dinner (thanks mom and dad!) because Hunter's birthday is in a week, Oaklyn's birthday party is the next day, her actual birthday is two days later, and our anniversary is a week after that. 
So... we need to pick and choose where we want to put our money haha.
This time is so crazy for us!


I'm so excited to go out to dinner with Hunter!
We rarely get time to go out alone.
And when I say it's rare, I mean RARE!
We don't have much family near us and we really don't want to pay for a babysitter.
Especially since I trust hardly anyone with Oaks...
So whenever we do get to go somewhere just the two of us, I get so excited!
I'm so glad Aro and Company made it easy for me to pick an outfit to wear... scratch that, TWO outfits!
I'm in love with both of these outfits.
I think I'll wear the striped shirt during the day, and the dress when we go out to eat :)


This striped shirt is seriously cute.
I'm a lover of all things striped and the elbow patches just make it that much more adorable.
This shirt is incredibly soft and comfortable, I could wear it to bed!
I don't know what it is about elbow patches, but whenever I see a shirt, sweater, dress, anything with them, I die.
Especially little man outfits! But, that's not what we're talking about here ;)
I paired mine with high waisted jeans because I'm a sucker for high waisted clothes and some booties. 
I put my hair in a messy french braid and curled a few pieces.
I also added a little red lipstick to be that much more festive ;)



Now this dress, again... comfortable!
I used to hate wearing dresses... did I just say that?
Really though, I did!
Why?
Because they were uncomfortable to me.
I felt like I was always pulling them down and adjusting things.
Not this dress!
It's a midi length so you don't have to worry that anything is showing and the material is seriously so comfortable.
It has a cute cutout in the back as well.
The color is a deep maroon and even though it isn't a "traditional" Valentine's color... I still love it!
I'll be wearing this dress plenty more times.




What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Do you have any fun traditions? What are you wearing?
Make sure to head over to Aro and Company for a festive outfit!

Thanks for reading friends!
I always appreciate it :)

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

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2015 Christmas Card... In February!

Monday, February 8, 2016
Yeah, I'm just getting around to posting what our 2015 Christmas card looked like... ha oops.
I'm also just getting around to posting all of our Christmas pictures! 
Even though if you follow me on instagram, you've already seen a majority of them ;)
If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know I have this thing about making our Christmas card myself. 
It is SO much fun for me to design it just the way I want.
This year I hit a bit of a road block in the design category but ended up loving how it turned out.
I owe a huge part of that to the amazing pictures taken by my good friend Kiely
Seriously, if you need pictures of any sort, contact her!

So without further adieu... Here's our Christmas card!


And here are the rest of our family photos.
It was freezing outside and Oaks was not a fan of the cold haha.
But, I still love them :)







her face hahahahaha











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