What's in a name?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret - naming a baby is hard. Who knew, right?

When I had my twelve week ultrasound with Taylor, our technician said she was 99% sure I was having a girl. Andrew and I struggled with a name, but eventually came up with a girl name we both loved. Fast forward to my nineteen week appointment and, lo and behold, there was a baby boy on the ultrasound screen. Our girl name came to us relatively easy, but we could not agree on any boy name. Taylor was a name I always liked, but Andrew wasn't too fond of gender neutral names so I never suggested it in all our deliberation. One night as we were once again debating names that neither of us liked, 'Taylor' popped into my head so I suggested it even though I was sure Andrew wouldn't like it. To my surprise, Andrew was on board. And luck for us, his middle name was easy because Andrew's middle name is James and I had already decided I wanted to use that for our first son's middle name.

When I found out that we were expecting a little girl this time around, everyone thought we would use the name we had previously picked out with the last pregnancy (including Andrew). Surprise! I didn't like the name anymore. Well, it wasn't so much that I disliked the name, more that I disliked the popularity it had gained. I didn't want my child to share her name with 10 other girls in her class. Andrew tried to convince me, but I wouldn't hear it. So back to the drawing board it was. Neither of us liked the names the other would suggest - we couldn't agree on anything.

Over the summer, we visited Pine Valley where Andrew's family has a long pioneer heritage. We learned a lot about Andrew's ancestors and heard lots of interesting stories. I started scrolling through the Snow family tree on familysearch.org and I came across Olive Bleak Snow. I had always loved the name Olive, but Andrew wasn't the biggest fan. When I pointed out that his great great grandma was named Olive and after reading some of her life experiences, Andrew was sold. We had finally picked the name! As for her middle name, we went with Blake. I always told my older brother Blake jokingly that I was going to name one of my daughters after him since his name is gender neutral. When I saw that Andrew's great great grandma was named Olive Bleak (pronounced Blake), I knew it was fate. She would be named after her great great great grandma on Andrew's side and after her uncle on my side.

Me and my older brother Blake.

In Olive's baby blessing, she was told that Heavenly Father had picked this name for her so she could embody the wonderful characteristics of the one who had come before her with the same name. I have found many stories about Olive Bleak Snow that are fascinating and I plan on recording all the history I've found to give to my daughter to hold close. Below is just one small sample of her life: 

Olive Bleak Snow with husband Joseph and son Rex.

Olive Thompson Bleak married Joseph Smith Snow on March 22, 1894 in the St.George Temple. Their first babies were twin girls, Pearl and Ruby, who both contracted polio. Little Ruby died at seven months old, and a month later, Pearl also passed away. Olive was heartbroken. Someone by the name of Sister Kemp told Olive, "Take comfort, Olive, you'll have another set of twins who'll be a great comfort to you." Olive never forgot this. She went on to have a son named Rex and a girl named Inez. Five years after the twins died, Olive had her prophesied twins, Glenn and Grant (the former being Andrew's great grandpa). After the twins, she had one more daughter named Rosemond. 

Left: Olive and Joseph 

Right: Olive and Joseph with their children Grant, Rex, Glenn, and Inez in front of a house that Erastus Snow built.

At 62 years old, she died due to an explosion at a well in Saint George, Utah. A special service was held for Olive the following Sunday where many expressed love and appreciation for her and the wonderful life she lived. Her sister Rose wrote, "She was a wonderful sister, mother, wife, and friend; never too tired to go to help anyone in need or in trouble. I never heard her speak ill of anyone and when others did, she would say, 'If we were in their place we might have done the same, or if we knew them better, we would not judge them'."

I'm so glad that Andrew and I were able to find a name that not only we love, but also means so much. It fits our daughter perfectly and I can't wait to see her carry on the legacy. 

B L E S S E D

Dear Olive,

On 2/25/17, your father gave you a name and a blessing. I wanted to record a few things that were mentioned:

+Heavenly Father has picked this name for you so you can embody the wonderful characteristics of the one who has come before you with this same name. (I plan to do a blog post soon on how we picked her name.)

+Your life will not be without challenge, but as you grow older, you'll develop the same capabilities, power, and spirit as your ancestor

+You will have a love of the gospel, a beautiful understanding of the scriptures, and you'll be a powerful advocate for the gospel.

+ You will find a worthy man to accompany you to the temple so you may enjoy an eternal posterity.

+You have already endured a challenge in life (being in the hospital with pneumonia) and you showed great fortitude throughout that experience. You will be a great example to your siblings in the way you handle adversity.

+You will be an excellent teacher, and all of your siblings will look to you on how to behave and treat others. You will be very similar to your mother in the way she cares for others.

My little Olive, never forget how loved and supported you are!

PS - I have to give a shout-out to my Aunt Patti who took my wedding dress and made it into the most beautiful blessing dress. I plan to use it with all my girls. If Olive is my only girl then hopefully she'll use it for her daughters.

Happy Easter

I love Easter. It always makes me reflect on my life and take into account the blessings I have. I guess that makes it a little like New Years and Thanksgiving rolled into one holiday, because it allows me to reflect and be grateful. 

Last Easter, I was leaving the hospital with a two-day old baby Taylor in my arms. That time seems like a world a way. How have I only had my little boy in my life for such a small amount of time? I honestly couldn't imagine being without him, or without his amazing dad Andrew. My little family is so important to me. 

Luckily for me, Christ died for us and lived again. Because of His great sacrifice, I don't have to live a single day without my family. Because of Him, my family will be together for eternity. I couldn't think of a greater blessing.

This video gives me all the feels. If I could make every single person in the whole wide world watch this message, I would. #hallelujah

Photo Credit: Brooke from Silver Lining Photography

As Mothers (+Free Printable)

"What a wonderful thing you have done as mothers. You have given birth and nurtured children. You have entered into a partnership with our Father in Heaven to give mortal experience to His sons and daughters. They are His children and they are your children, flesh of your flesh, for whom He will hold you responsible. You have rejoiced over them, and in many cases you have sorrowed. They have brought you happiness as no one else could. They have brought you pain as none other could."

"You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of your life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children have turned out. It will not be the money you have made. It will not be the cars you have owned. It will not be the large house in which you live. The searing question that will cross your mind again and again will be, How well have my children done?"

"Teach your children when they are very young and small, and never quit. As long as they are in your home, let them be your primary interest."

"Teach them to seek for good friends. Teach them to value education. It will bless their lives now and through all the years to come. Teach them to be honest."

"Teach them to be virtuous. Teach young men to respect young women as daughters of God endowed with something very precious and beautiful. Teach your daughters to have respect for young men, for boys who hold the priesthood, boys who should and do stand above the tawdry evils of the world."

"Teach them to pray. None of us is wise enough to make it on our own. We need the help, the wisdom, the guidance of the Almighty in reaching those decisions that are so tremendously important in our lives. There is no substitute for prayer. There is no greater resource."

"Do not trade your birthright as a mother for some bauble of passing value. Let your first interest be in your home. The baby you hold in your arms will grow quickly as the sunrise and the sunset of the rushing days. I hope that you will have every reason to be proud concerning your children, to have love for them, to have faith in them, to see them grow in righteousness and virtue before the Lord, to see them become useful and productive members of society. If with all you have done there is an occasional failure, you can still say, “At least I did the very best of which I was capable. I tried as hard as I knew how. I let nothing stand in the way of my role as a mother.” Failures will be few under such circumstances."

Excerpts from "Your Greatest Challenge, Mother" given by Gordon B. Hinckley

Click here to download this free 8x10 printable!

General Conference and Free Printables

My weekend was full of uplifting and inspiring messages. Twice a year, our church holds General Conference where our leaders share their thoughts and counsel. It always seems as if the talks are prepared specifically for me. This conference was especially good (I might say that every conference) so I had a hard time picking only a few favorite quotes. But I did it, and now I'm sharing them with you. Scroll to the bottom to download them all!

Click here to download your free printables!

Father's Day

This picture gives me all the feels. Andrew is the absolute best dad. #blessed ;)

Taylor's Baby Blessing

Dear Taylor,

Last Monday, Daddy gave you a name and a blessing. All of your family was there to support you. It was a beautiful blessing and I wanted to record some of the things you were blessed with.

+You were blessed to be a witness of truth, to preach the gospel, and to be an example to your siblings. 

+You were blessed with strength and power as you exercise the priesthood righteously to bless others. 

+You were blessed with joy and happiness, even in hard times. 

+You were blessed to learn the Spirit's voice early on in your life and use it as a tool to lift others. 

+You were blessed to know that your family loves you, those in the pre-mortal life, those who have went before you, and those who are here now, and they look to you to be an example and a beacon of strength.

+And my favorite part, you were blessed to be a comfort and strength to your mother (you've already accomplished this many times).

We love you little man and can't wait to see the person you grow into!

Motherhood

"May I say to mothers collectively, in the name of the Lord, you are magnificent. You are doing terrifically well. The very fact that you have been given such a responsibility is everlasting evidence of the trust your Father in Heaven has in you."

"Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be."

"Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging."

Excerpts taken from "Because She Is A Mother" by Jeffrey R. Holland.

General Conference Highlights: April 2014

Yeah, yeah, I know- I'm only 3 weeks late with this post. But I've been busy getting married and all that jazz so cut me some slack. This session of General Conference was amazing, as usual. I know there are a lot of them, but I wanted to share my favorites. If you click on each name, it will bring you to the full talk where you can either watch or read it.

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This and That

Here is a random post about nothing in particular. It's what happens when your wedding is less than a month away and consumes your life. 

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I may hate how hot it gets in the summer here, but the weather has been perfect lately. Harley and I have been spending the afternoon when I get home from work outside. We have to soak up the little time we have with spring before the hell-spawned summer is upon us.

Gilbert Temple Open House

Oh how I love the temple! On Monday morning, Andrew and I had the opportunity to go through the Gilbert Temple open house. It is absolutely gorgeous! I was in shock as we walked through room after room, each as beautiful and perfect as the one before!

 After the tour, I knew that I wanted to get married there. So we somehow acquired the scheduling line and bam! We have a date and time reserved to get married in the Gilbert Temple! To say that I'm excited would be a understatement.

PS- All are invited to tour the temple before it is dedicated on March 2nd. If you would like to attend the open house (which lasts until February 15th), get your free tickets here. If you aren't able to acquire tickets, there is a stand-by line so that all who want to attend may. No one will be turned away. If you would like to learn more about temples and what they are used for, click here, or email me at aliciareneesnow@gmail.com.

Saint George Trip

This weekend I had the chance to go to Saint George, Utah with Andrew and his family for a wedding. It was my first time seeing the Saint George Temple so that was really neat for me. I was also quite enthralled by all the fall leaves that we don't see here in the Phoenix area. With our time in between the temple and the reception, we went to Mountain Meadows. Andrew's dad very well may be the smartest man I know. He gave us a lesson on the Mountain Meadow's Massacre that was actually very interesting and I'm glad I was able to hear it. Then we stopped by Pine Valley. They showed me the Pine Valley Chapel which is the oldest LDS chapel still in continuous use. I could have stayed there all day looking at the cute little houses.

All in all, it was a great trip. A quick trip, but fun nonetheless. I'm so grateful for the Snow's for allowing me to come and always taking care of me. They really are the best.

General Conference is my favorite.

“Oh, how we need General Conference!”

-Elder Robert D. Hales

 Some of my favorites from General Conference this past weekend. 

(Click on each name to see the full talk.)

"Look ahead and believe."

"Faith is always pointing towards the future."

-Elder Edward Dube

"Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven who loves you more than you can comprehend."

"Though we may feel like a broken vessel, we must remember that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter."

"We are infinitely more than our limitations and our afflictions."

-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"It is only with the companionship of the Holy Ghost that we can hope to be equally yoked in a marriage free from discord."

"The miracle of becoming one requires the help of Heaven and takes time."

"There is joy guaranteed for the faithful."

-President Henry B. Erying

"We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in Heaven are our children and posterity."

"The power to create mortal life is the most exalted power God has given to His children."

-Elder Dallin H. Oaks

"The Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. When the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy."

"Make the spiritual development of your spouse and children a priority."

"Remember repentance is not punishment. It is the hope filled path to a more glorious future."

-Elder Richard G. Scott

"Shall I falter or shall I finish?"

"Difficulties allow us to change for the better. Better than what we were."

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is the penetrating light which shines through the darkness of our lives- may it ever be so."

-President Thomas S. Monson

"Through the ordinances of the priesthood we receive comfort, strength, protection, peace, and eternal promises."

"As men and women, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters of God, we move forward together."

-Elder Neil L. Anderson

"Don’t forget to look up."

-Elder Adrian Ochoa

"You are never too young to learn, never too old to change."

"Decisions determine destiny."

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of change!"

-Elder Russell M. Nelson

Those are only a few of my favorite lines. You should see my notebook though. I received so much inspiration this weekend! I am so thankful for a living prophet and his apostles and the counsel they provide us with in this latter-day. 

A Living Prophet

I am so very excited for this weekend! We have the opportunity to listen to a living prophet and other church leaders as they give counsel and advice. General Conference has always brought me comfort and peace. I know I have received personal revelation through faithfully watching and praying for insight.

I invite anyone who might have questions about my beliefs and would like to learn more to watch this weekend. I also invite anyone that may be going through hard times or simply have questions they'd liked answered to watch as well.

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newport beach and la temple

after we visited disneyland on friday, we decided to swing by both the newport beach temple and the la temple before we hit the beach on saturday. it was my first time seeing either so it was a real treat.

newport beach temple

 

 

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los angeles temple