The glory days of living in a 900 SQ FT basement apartment-haha! We were so lucky to find such an affordable apartment to live in after getting married. We had the nicest land lords, and were lucky enough to live exactly 5 minutes away from each of our jobs. So many memories were made in our first apartment together-however, with rental prices being so high, we thought it would be better to invest in a property of our own instead of paying someone else’s mortgage! Such a small-yet cozy space!
- BAD DAYS ARE ALWAYS TEMPORARY
The pictures say it all! Truly the reception of my DREAMS! Thank you to everyone who came and partied with us! The reception simply went by too fast! What a way to celebrate becoming MRS. GLOVER!
We were sealed for time and eternity in the Brigham City, UT Temple on January Fifteenth, Twenty Twenty One!
Despite all of the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic had brought along, this was truly the best day of my life. It was so surreal. We were lucky enough to be able to invite 16 other family members to attend our sealing ceremony-that’s way more than we had anticipated.
Our Sealer-Brother Garvin was from my hometown church ward. I can’t believe the little girl who once dreamed of bringing a handsome young man to this temple’s dream came true!
I know this happened a year ago, but it definitely deserves a spot on the blog forever! I would relive this moment over and over again if I could! It was absolutely dreamy and perfect.
Before I tell the story of our engagement, it’s important to know exactly how our First Date went down. On our first date, Drew took me to the Willow Park Zoo, and then we had a picnic in the park with the cutest picnic basket ever! I thought it was all adorable, however I was so nervous I barely even ate a single thing. I just kept on dipping the same chip in salsa over and over again. Since then, Willow Park became our spot. We would meet here every day as it was exactly half way between each of our houses. Our first kiss even happened here too!
After dating for 3 months, we knew we both wanted to marry each other. That sounds crazy to think about, but it felt like we had known each other forever. We went ring shopping in September, now all I had to do was wait.
On October 23rd, 2020, Drew surprised me with the most perfect engagement ever! That night he told me to meet him at our place-Willow Park and come hungry because we were going to get Costa Vida. Little did I know he would be popping the question instead-and there would be no Costa Vida involved! Haha!
As soon as I got there, I saw that he had our picnic basket and blanket set up in the middle of the park. It was set up at the exact same spot that we sat at for the picnic on our first date! He pulled out some flowers, a book he had made containing “Our Story” and a box that looked like it had a ring, and got on one knee. He read the book to me, and proposed. The rest was a blur. I remember Drew’s sister Cali was hiding behind a tree to take pictures, and didn’t even noticed our families watching from across the street. Just like that, we were engaged, and it was the engagement of my dreams for sure! I LOVE YOU DREW JENSEN GLOVER!
XOXO//Ally Rianne
Remember back in 2019 when Frozen 2 came out, and everyone was singing “INTO THE UNKNOWN”? Well, I personally think that song was just preparing us all for the craziness that was about to go down during 2020. At the beginning of the year I set the goal to make this year a year of HOPE & HEALING. While this goal definitely didn’t go as planned, I still found a a way to develop a pattern of healing in my own life. The trials that 2020 brought into my life have allowed me to grow and heal in a whole new way that I didn’t know was possible.
Here are some of the most valuable lessons that the year 2020 has taught me:
There are ALWAYS better days ahead. Even when you have a bad day, week, month, (or year), the sickness, pain or frustration you may be feeling WILL cease. Bad days are only temporary & there is always light in front of us. I especially needed this when I was experiencing a bad mental health days. This year brought a lot of anxiety into my life, so it has been super important to realize that these anxious feelings are temporary. With time, they always seem to go away. Be patient, and keep an optimistic perspective for the future.
2. KEEP YOUR FAMILY CLOSE!
Don’t take your loved ones for granted. Before the pandemic, I visited with my grandparents on a daily basis. However, after the pandemic shut down life as we knew it, we had to socially distance ourselves from our loved ones. This became particularly hard when my Grandma passed away unexpectedly. Oh, how I wish that I could call her one more time to tell her I love her. Just because you can’t see someone in person, don’t forget to reach out to them over the phone! We are so blessed to live in a world where we can communicate with our loved ones-even amidst the pandemic.
3. FOOD IS A POWERFUL HEALING TOOL
Food is one of the most healing tools that God has blessed us with. If we take time to nourish our bodies with healthy fruits and vegetables, you will see a huge difference in your life. In July I did Anthony William’s 3:6:9 cleanse and WOW-that cleanse changed my life. During that cleanse, I focused on taking out any processed or added ingredient and ate fruits and vegetables. Since that cleanse, I have tried to continue to drink lemon water and celery juice every single morning. Adding these two things into my morning routine has helped my health so much. I am definitely more aware about what goes into my body-and I love creating healthy whole food meals.
4. PAY ATTENTION TO INGREDIENTS
It is also important to watch what goes on your body. There are so many toxins that are found products that we put on our bodies daily. This year I tried to switch and do my best to use natural products with natural ingredients. Karalyn Call on Instagram runs an account called Just Ingredients. She has become my go to person for recommendations for clean products. Overall, I definitely have started implementing simple habits-like choosing to incorporate healthier products in my life. These habits have led to greater healing and happiness in my own life. I was so surprised when I started reading into all of the unnatural ingredients that were in my deodorants, cleansers, lotions, and beauty products. My skin and health has definitely improved from taking time to stay researched and informed about certain harmful ingredients.
5. BE WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS
At the end of May, I decided to pick up a camera, and invest myself into the world of photography. I signed up for some online courses and fell in love with photography! I used all of the money I had saved up for to purchase a full frame camera and did a TON of free shoots! Soon enough I was able to start makings some extra money on the side, and found a past time that brought me so much joy! This is a reminder to go out and try new things! You NEVER know what amazing talents you can develop and how much it can change your outlook on life.
6. GOD ALWAYS HAS A BIGGER & BETTER PLAN
At the beginning of 2020 I was so confused and lost as to what changes I should make in my life. I was going back and forth between wanting to move away from home, or choosing to stay living at home. I went back and forth in deciding majors and which University would be best for me. I faced a lot of rejection in the dating world, and had my heart broken- a lot. However, I look at where I am now-in December 2020 and realize that God had a plan for me all along. I needed those trials to help me get to where I am now. Now I am working at a job that I love-got a promotion, and a pay raise, am engaged, planning a wedding and happier than I have ever been in my life! God really is SOOOO good!
XOXO// ALLY RIANNE