Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.

In 2015 Hunter and I binge watched the show Friday Night Lights faster than we had ever watched a show before. Actually, it's probably the only series Hunter has ever actually finished. We were obsessed. If you haven't seen the show, it's on Hulu and is a must! It's about a high school football team in Texas with an incredible coach. It follows the life of the players and the coach and whether or not you like football, I promise you'll like this show. And if you don't... then I have no words! Ha! In the show, the team chants "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't lose" before every game. Hunter and I became obsessed with this saying, along with half of America. We ended up adding it to our family motto because the saying holds so much meaning that we want our girls to embrace. Here's what the saying means to me...

Clear Eyes: Living life with a clear focus. I know that life gets hard. I know that things will always get thrown our way that may distract and deter us from becoming who we were meant to be. However, I think that living your life with clear eyes means having the ability to see clearly during the hard times rather than letting the end goal become blurry.

Full Hearts: I think that going through life with a full heart means living each day with gratitude. It means not taking what you have for granted and appreciating even the smallest things. When you have a heart full of gratitude, you're sure to see the good in each situation. I also think it means keeping your heart full of love, passion, confidence, honesty, humility, and dedication. It means working on yourself to become your best self and the best way to do that is to keep your heart full and your path (eyes) clear. 

Can't Lose: At the end of the day, if you've given it all you've got, you cannot lose. This slogan means so much more than simply winning the game, but also imparts the importance of being the best version of yourself. Because if you win with a hard heart and blurry vision, did you really win at all? By approaching life with honesty, heart, and accountability, the "loss" is not really a loss. Instead, this saying imparts the value of doing one's best and accepting that it doesn't always mean "winning" in the world's eyes. The important element here, is that it does not mean the non-winner is a loser, but rather that by upholding values of perseverance, humility, and dedication, the individual is a winner regardless of what the "scoreboard" says.

As the girls get older and life gets tougher, I hope they always remember to keep their eyes clear, their hearts full, and remember that winning isn't all about a number or a "prize" but rather what's on the inside. 

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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A Thankful Heart '16 Round Four

I can't believe how quickly November flew by!

I feel like I blinked after Halloween and suddenly we were kissing Thanksgiving goodbye!

Speaking of which, I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving!

Mine was surrounded by some of our family, pretty snow flakes falling from the sky, deep fried turkey, dancing in the kitchen, and lots of laughing.

Now, our Christmas tree is up (let's be honest here, it was up weeks ago ha!) and almost all my shopping is already complete!

However, I can't let November slip by without doing my last Thankful Heart post.

I've loved doing this series more than usual this year.

It really was just what I needed to get through a hard holiday season and focus on what I have to be thankful for.

I posted what this link up is all about the first week and why I'm really pushing it this year, but I still thought I'd give a brief description this week for those of you just popping in ;) If you'd like to read the lengthy version, head on over to my first post!

Three years ago I decided to do a series of posts during the month of November about all the simple joys in life that I am genuinely so very thankful for. 

Each week, on Sunday, I would post a few things that made my heart feel that much more full.

It could be something as small as the meal I ate the night before or as big as my faith and family.

Either way, it reminded me of the many blessings I have been given and somehow my days felt brighter and my heart felt happier.

There are far, far too many things that I take for granted and it's about time they get some recognition.

Although I fully realize that I should be giving each of these things recognition no matter what time of year it is, November just seemed fitting :)

So once a week from now on, you will be hearing bits and pieces about the things that are giving me "A Thankful Heart"

1) Our Life in Utah

My husband and I are both from San Diego and I can't count how many people have asked us, "Well what the heck are you doing here then??" It always gives me a good giggle for two reasons. One, the only real reason we are here is because BYU is here and that's where Hunter goes to school. BYU brought us here... but it isn't what's keeping us here. The second reason is that we actually really do like it here! I know everyone talks about the weather being great in San Diego but I am completely loving experiencing seasons. The crisp leaves in the fall, the winter wonderland right in our back yard during winter, the blossoms covering the trees in the spring, and the green that covers the mountains in the summer is just so magical to me. It's so fun to look forward to a new season. I also truly believe that you can be happy no matter where you live if you just give it a chance. We are loving being "tourists" here and experiencing all that the mountains have to offer us. The other reason I love this place though, is the amazing community we have here. We've met some really awesome people and continue to find life long friends. I love that most of these people believe the same as us and our morals and values are also the same. I feel like my schedule is always full of fun events and play dates with moms and I just love it. I don't know what exactly our plan is for the future, but I will always cherish this time in Utah.

2) Family

I've talked about both Hunter and Oaklyn this year but I haven't mentioned family as a whole yet and this year, I am most thankful for so many wonderful people we call family. The day Hunter's dad passed away, I think our family grew ten times stronger. We leaned on each other for comfort and love. Everyone was supportive and helpful and rallied around our mother in law. There were hard moments, but for the most part I was overwhelmed with how much everyone truly cared about each other. I was expecting this last Thanksgiving to be really, really hard. Occasionally someone would shed a tear or two, but for the most part, we just really enjoyed our time spent together. We made memories and laughed and it was just what everyone needed. I'm so excited to see everyone again for Christmas, I know it'll be a hard one, but I am definitely excited to be surrounded by each other. I'm also thankful for the family I grew up in. I love that they love Oaklyn so much. We FaceTime them often and it's always so fun to catch up on each other's lives. My mom was the first person I called after I received the news about Hunter's dad and she immediately got a room ready for us. When I pulled up to my parent's house, they ran out to the car and gave me a giant hug. They watched Oaks when we needed them too and were just there for us when we needed them. I just love being surrounded by so much good family that I love so much. Of course though, I am just so thankful for my little family. The day we became a family of three I knew my life would never be the same. I get to love and be loved by the greatest people ever. Oaklyn's little face fills my heart with joy and Hunter is the best father and husband I could ask for.

3) My Testimony of The Gospel

For those of you that don't know, I'm LDS. My faith makes up who I am and pushes me to always be my best self. Because of it, I know my purpose and this life makes so much more sense. After having my Oaklyn, I would occasionally struggle to feel the spirit in my life. I felt so busy and with how difficult of a baby she was, I never really had a moment of quiet time anymore. My scripture reading became more of a chore and my prayers became less personal. While I still knew the church was true, I was lacking that warm, comforting feeling I usually have. I decided to try better and make more time for the things that really mattered. That meant less scrolling through Facebook during late night feedings and more reading the scriptures. It meant making sure I had a firm foundation so I could teach my daughter correct principles. It also meant realizing nothing is more important than what I will take with me to heaven. I'm so thankful I've been able to focus on my testimony and strengthen it when the world get's even more wicked. I'm so thankful I have the power of prayer in my life to lead and guide me in any decision. I'm thankful we have the power of the priesthood in our home. I'm thankful for the scriptures and the correct principles they teach. I'm also thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ and a loving Heavenly Father. I know not everyone believes the same as me, and that's okay, but that's a little bit about why I love being a Mormon so much.

Link Up Rules:

1) Please subscribe to, follow, or just check out your host/co-hosts. (first 3 links)

 2) Visit and comment on at least 5 other blogs. This link up is meant to create a blog community so don't be shy!

 3) In your post, please either share The"Thankful Heart" image above or link back to this post on your blog post.
4) Make your post more appealing and creative by adding whatever pictures you please and as many reasons to be thankful as you'd like! (remember that the post you link up should be about what you are thankful for!)

(#5 is optional but, very much recommended!)

 5) Share your post on instagram using #thankfulheartseries (with your choice of picture) and go check out other posts! Be a friend and comment on or like other posts :)

An InLinkz Link-up

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