New Blog

Since I am an old married lady now... I felt like it was time for a married lady blog.

http://aubreybporter.blogspot.com/

That One Time $ethboi Proposed....

Okay for starters I am the biggest romantic cheese ball EVER! I have/own every chick-flick that has ever been made and I love love! For my whole life.. okay since I was 13 ... I was very certain of how my life/love story would pan out... so much so that when it didn't I thought I'd never fall in love or find someone who I actually didn't want to punch in the face after being around me for 5 hours... but life is awesome and has proved me wrong, because now I am engaged to the most perfect person (for me) my dearest Seth Bradley Porter or as I like to call him, my $ethboi! 

So on Saturday August 9th (the 5 month mark of when we became official) my $ethbio suggested we go to the Salt Lake Temple which had just re-opened after being closed for 6 weeks. I said, why not? So I met my $ethboi at 4:30.

we look super engaged here.. l have totally nailed that hand placement 

 It was great being at the temple with my $ethboi because I felt such a peace and love there for him, my Father in Heaven, and for life and the lessons I have learned thus far. After the temple it was about 7:30 and we went back to my $ethboi's apartment so that we could ditch my car. So we start driving and usually it takes us like 45 minutes to decide where we want to scarf our faces but he just started driving and I didnt care one bit because all I had that day was a bear-claw. So we are driving for about 15 minutes and I thought at first we were going to his Aunt and Uncle Jeff and Stacey's house but we weren't and instead he pulls up this long brick one way drive way. I knew instantly we were at La Caille. 

Seriously I cannot describe how awesome this place was, it is a mixture of Beauty and the Beast, the Bachelor Mansion, and some french place. Sups Classy! So we got his car valet and then we says, "You wanna walk around the garden?" Now I bet you are thinking, "did you know he was going to propose?" Honestly I was driving up to Salt Lake and hoping he would do it just because I am so over calling $ethboi my boyfriend I wanted him to be my Fiance! But when  we started walking around the gardens I thought if my $ethboi doesn't propose here I might kill him because there is no way he can top this! Well after walking around for a bit, we got to this bridge and he got down on one knee and I literally dont remember a thing he said other then "I love you" and "Will you marry me?" I had a legit out of body experience and gained my composure and said "YES!" So then my $ethboi put the freaking most amazing ring on my finger! I was shaking, he was shaking and we were pretty smitten and blown away. 

La Caille is just classy and lights your dessert on fire to congratulate you 

Then as a newly engaged couple we went and had the most amazing dinner of my life and I couldn't stop smiling as I looked at my ring and my Fiance! So there you have it... that is how my dream boy, $ethboi proposed to me.. we are gonna have really tall babies and rule the universe! I'm excited! Come fast December! 

Luckster Duckster

I am a total luckster duckster, becuase I have the coolest man around. $ethboi makes me heart do the thump - thumps! He's FAN-tastic, I'm kind of okay but a legit luckster duckster! 

The Best Things In Life

"Happiness does not consist of a glut of luxury, the world’s idea of a “good time” Nor must we search for it in faraway places with strange sounding names. Happiness is found at home."

Thomas S. Monson

The older I get the more sentimental I become. I have been thinking a lot about life, love and the future. I have come to realize that way that I most feel the manifestation of God's love for me are through the relationships in life he has created for me, those specially in my family. I have the best boy, amazing friends, but no one is quite like my family. I am forever in love and grateful for those crazy people who I get to have forever. 

"Being one in a family carries a great responsibility of caring, loving, lifting an strengthening each member of the family so that all can righteously endure to the end in mortality and dwell together throughout eternity. It is not enough just to save ourselves. It is equally important that parents, brothers, and sisters are saved in our families."

Robert D. Hales

It would't be Heaven without these 9 and counting there....

My Favorite Weekend of the Year

So Sethboi and I headed down south, to my parents for a good ol' fashion Fourth of July weekend. I have not been home for the Fourth since I was in high school so it was a blast. Also my brother brought his significant other, Morgan, so the whole fam was their minus the Bartons :( 

On our way to California we stopped at Sethboi's favorite burger place. I HATE Vegas with all my soul but this place was out of this world. Check out Bachi Burger next time you are going through Sin City 

My man knows that I can't go on a roadtrip without some Swig

 Well for the Fourth we had the annual Brennan family water fight! All is fair in love and water war in the Brennan family. 

But my favorite part of the weekend was when Seth and I went up to L.A. to visit his mission! It was honestly one of the coolest things I have experienced! These people LOVED him! It was fun to speak spanish and feel like we were both missionaries again! I'm so grateful for what a wonderful missionary Seth was and how close his mission is to my parents. I already can't wait to go back and visit these amazing people again! 

I no trip would be complete to California without taking a 1,000 pictures of Cove

HAHA I love this picture of the ALWAYS happy Covie.. he didnt like that Grandpa was having him swim without his Mom nearby. 

These two became fast friends and Cove likes to call him "Sefff" 

 Yeah we are babes! 

4th of july from aubrey brennan on Vimeo.

A Sense of the Sacred

I have a problem.... well maybe its not a problem but it is a definite obsession. Conference talks! It all started during the hardest part of my when I felt 3,000 % alone a new missionary and one P-day the Office Elders were ready to dump 100 Ensigns in the trash. I told them I'd take them, and I hauled 100 Ensigns on a 45 minute bus ride to my area and to every area after that. I couldn't put them down as they helped me to understand Gods love for me, give me perspective as well as motivation to be better. So today I found a gospel gem. 

A Sense of the Sacred 

given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson

CES Fireside at BYU November 2004

here's the link to the talk

I love this talk because I feel like as members of the Church we should never feel self-righteous or pompous but we should also never settle for mediocrity. We are a chosen people and there is nothing conceited about that. We shouldn't live an ordinary life. We should be always engaged in good cause and look to always represent ourselves and our Savior in the best light possible.

He highlights four important points
1. Prophets and Scripture

2. The Body—a Temple of God

3. Sacred Places and Occasions

4. Speech

5. Godly Fear

These are some of my favorite points 

"If we ignore the Lord and His servants, we may just as well be atheists—the end result is practically the same. "

"You might ask yourself, “Do I see the calling of the prophets and apostles as sacred? Do I treat their counsel seriously, or is it a light thing with me?...Do your actions show that you want to know and do what he teaches? Do you actively study his words and the statements of the Brethren? Is this something you hunger and thirst for? If so, you have a sense of the sacredness of the calling of prophets as the witnesses and messengers of the Son of God."

"Some say dress and hair don’t matter—it’s what’s inside that counts. I believe that truly it is what’s inside a person that counts, but that’s what worries me. Casual dress at holy places and events is a message about what is inside a person. It may be pride or rebellion or something else, but at a minimum it says, “I don’t get it. I don’t understand the difference between the sacred and the profane.” In that condition they are easily drawn away from the Lord. They do not appreciate the value of what they have. I worry about them. Unless they can gain some understanding and capture some feeling for sacred things, they are at risk of eventually losing all that matters most. You are Saints of the great latter-day dispensation—look the part."

"Rather than drifting into carelessness, may your life be one of increasing exactness in obedience. I hope you will think and feel and dress and act in ways that show reverence and respect for sacred things, sacred places, sacred occasions."

There is a level of dignity, sophistication and honor we must uphold as members of the Church. I loved that Elder Christofferson highlights that when we take the sacrament each week and promise to be representatives of Christ that implies we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy to be called ones who follow Christ. 

Moçambique

6 years ago I left for a country I couldn't pronounce, heard a language I didn't understand and had my life change in a way I could have never imagined. Of all the things I have ever experienced in my life there are few as life changing as my time in Mozambique. 

Mozambique from aubrey brennan on Vimeo.

Arches

So I was suppose to go camping on Friday, but it was too wet and rainy so we had to cancel. I was a little sad, so Seth decided to make me feel better by taking me to Arches! I have never been there but it was magical and a wonderful 18 hour day with the Mr. in an land of enchantment and lots and lots of sand. 

 That is Seth on top of a giant ledge that he climbed and I told him I got vertigo just looking at, so I stayed at sea level and documented his crazy climb