Thank you.

With Pinterest, FaceBook,
Instagram, Twitter, 

and alLlLlL of the other
cyber realities out there, how do we manage to

 focus on 
anything else?

 Half of the time we I don't, that is a for sure. 

There are 

so many distractions, 

so much noise. 

As the Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, I can't help but feel
entirely overwhelmed. As I separated myself from the 
*technologies* of the world 
and let my mind wonder... 

I really realized, I have SO much to be grateful for.

This weekend was different. 

No family to visit with, 

no homemade turkey dinner magically appearing
on our table, nothing was familiar. 

Just Joe and I. 

Two good intentions, mixed with multiple trips to the grocery store, hours of preparation, one awesome couple (the Malmberg's) and one fully cooked *just in case chicken* awaiting us in the fridge later

...............

THIS WAS BORN.

We realized this morning (that's right... a good 12 hours later), we may have left the oven on all night... but no one died so WHO CARES! Dinner will still be counted as a success!

We made our own traditions this year and luckily

burning our house down, wasn't one of them. 
It was a great weekend, Just the two of us. How lucky we are. 
I'm so grateful for oh so many things this year. Just to name a few, I'm thankful for:

• the obvious, my Joe (said with authority, it just doesn't seem right any other way)
• owning him {twice} in Monopoly this weekend - he thought he had it in the bag
• my Mom, who answered every frantic, "How do I cook this naked bird for dinner" phone call, this weekend
• my Dad who comes up to Edmonton more often than he's in Lethbridge (or so it seems), it's nice to see him
• my sister and her family, they have seen me through it all
•  the mornings when I wake up next to my nieces
• my favorite song coming on the radio just as I start the tracker
• clean bathrooms, yep.
• finally getting that eyelash out of my eye, when it's been stuck there all day {they.are.everywhere... 24.7.} 
• fresh socks
• my dad's face when he finds out how many long distance calls I make, on my cell phone, with no long distance plan
• seeing Robyn come on Skypiiiiiiiiiiiiie
• seeing old friends and knowing I love them just as much now, as I ever did 
• finding those, "OH SiiiiiiiiCK!" highschool pictures of myself
• moving to Edmonton and meeting some of the best people this world has to offer
• the LDS Gospel
• when the chorus finally comes during the hymns at church - nailed it! 
• dancing until I look like that sweaty guy from Footloose
• My sister's stamp business {she was 12}
• realizing I showered yesterday so today the shower gets  the day off
• new Taylor Swift songs
• Q-tips, Joe tells me, "They don't belong in your ears". To that I say,
  "Mind your business".
• the sweet taste that comes from bitter moments

• people's kindness, they will be there for you when you least expect it and need it the most
• marrying up

• My life. looking at what I've made out of  what I have been given to work with

When did life get so good? When did I have so much to
be thankful for? I guess the answer is, always. I know how hard
life can be, I'm thankful mine has decided to 
go easy on me for a little while. 

As a thank you, I feel it's only fair to make better use of my time - I wake up and check my facebook like it's the morning news.

I will admit... I have that need to be *constantly connected*. How annoying. No one wants to be with that girl... you know the one, she is s always on her phone, always checking her "mail", or  constantly updating her status(es).
Well I AM THAT GIRL OKAY. That is me. 
I love myself and I hate myself.

I know my time is worth more than
 that and SO IS YOURS. I'm going to put down
that phone, pick up that new ensign, new recipe, shampoo,
and vacuum and take care of what's been neglected.
Who's with me?! 
No one? NO PROBLEM.
I'm doing it anyway! 

 So here's to being thankful, 

 Here's to me hoping we can all take a minute 

and see what's important...and what's not.

Here's to the good life.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)

My 24th.

Just when I thought being married to Joseph couldn't get any better, my 24th birthday happened. I am trying so hard, SO HARD, not to be one of those mushy, annoying, staRRy eyed girls... And then Joe goes and does this...

He made a book of all our text messages... 

from the friends stage, 

to the move up to Edmonton, 

to the awkward 1st, 2nd, and 3rd date... 

to the night right before 
we got married. 

Thank you for making my birthday amazing. How wonderful you are.

Amy Sherwin + Joseph MacDonald = Amy MacDonald

Okay so I guess we should back up a bit before we start talking about
my new last name.How did this all of this even happen? Seriously. 
I am actually asking you. I still can't seem to wrap my mind around it. Perhaps we should go back to the very beginning...

The year was 2008 (that's right, I said VERY beginning). A friend from school invited me over to play games. I had just arrived at my friend's house, we'll call him Trevor Thomas, and in the corner of Trevor's living room, I see a boy rocking back and forth on a chair. Very quiet and very suspicious of me, he stares. He says, "Hello" as he tries to figure me out. We had a great time playing games that night and getting to know each other. I wondered,

"Who is this boy?"

Oh...him? 
That's just your future husband said no one ever. 
Like ever, no one told. Not even once. If only I knew then what I know now ;) 

That night led to a friendship. 

A great one. 

A friendship built

upon becoming

 "Facebook official", texting, phone calls, 

ysa parties, late night raNdoMness, garage saleing, trying to 

get into the finer things club 

{fail}, long talks and frequent bank stops on 

Joe's part. Three years

and one big hiccup (my bad)

 later

...........

We.finally.went.on.our.first.date. 

Joseph, 

A.K.A.

Joe Joe Babe, Joe Joe Bean, Joe Gee, Honey B, Joe Gee Baby

{I'm awaiting the day he puts an end to my madness}, 

moved up to Edmonton last summer.

I started to go up to Edmonton to visit him 
and the other love of my life, Shawni. 
The more I went, the more I loved Joe.  Edmonton. 
The more I loved Edmonton. 

I was in Edmonton for September's 

WOW week and that's where our real 

story began. I was at the dance trying to find Shawni and Kelsey. I didn't want to go outside, alone to look for them {I am a baby like that}, so I grabbed Joe and said,  "COME WITH ME PLEASE".  Pretty sure he was trying to put the moves on someone else that night,

 but like all good friends, he obliged. We went outside and instead of finding the girls, we talked for over 3 hours

 about our lives. Out of nowhere the northern lights

decided to make an appearance. 

Me: "Oh wow, the sky looks really pretty". 

Joe gasps: "It's the Northern Lights!!!"

Me: "Yah, that's what I meant". 

As we sat and watched, something changed. 

Friends turned into more and old memories 

turned into new feelings. 

Our long awaited first date happened the next day. A few months later, after prayerful consideration, and taking my decision to the temple... 
I knew I was supposed to move to Edmonton. I packed up my life, left everything behind, and started over. 

Joseph and I started officially dating a week after I moved. 
And a few months later we said those three words that changed everything.

There is something 

different about 

him. 

There is something 

different about 

us. 

I don't know how to put it into words so bear with me as I try... 

We are two people from very opposite worlds. Our life experiences don't share similarities, and neither do our personalities most of the time. Our courtship was hard, but we both shared the same desire to make this work. 
We came to find the things that we did/do have in common, are the only ones that really matter. We have the essential ingredients for a good and loving marriage. I am 
not the expert ;) 

but there's someone else who is: 

"You are single. You are hoping to catch that perfect man. 

I have yet to see one who is perfect. Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honor you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he 

will give you freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, if he knows how to work and earn a living, if he is honest and full of faith, the chances are that you will not go wrong, that you will be immensely happy".

- Gordon B. Hinckley.

We loved each other from the start. I say this literally. 

After we shared

 our love for one another and 

confessed how we have 

always felt, we 

knew we couldn't live 

without each 

other.   

 How grateful I am for my Joseph. 

How grateful I am for my
life experiences 

that have allowed me to see and appreciate all of his good. 

 How grateful I am for the happiness 
he brings me.

 How grateful I am for his warm and welcoming family. 

how grateful I am for Heavenly Father 

bringing us together.  

And How grateful I am for the life 
ahead of us. 

I love you Joseph, 
thanks for being mine.