Friday, January 2, 2015

And There Went 2014....

Because I've been so awful at updating, here's a few highlights from good ol' 2014:

The Dating Days: Polar Bear Plunge at Glenwood

Mikesell entered the MTC! She was called to the Indiana, Indianapolis Mission.


Since Austin works at the MTC, he was able to see her often for the next week :)

Some things never change! 

May 17th- Sealed in the Twin Falls Idaho Temple!

We came back from our honeymoon cruise and immediately jumped into our second honeymoon- working at Redfish :)

God's Thumb- can you see it??

One of our favorite days off- we hiked to Imogene Lake with Ana and Carly, then spent half the afternoon fishing with a plastic bottle and fishing line, with a rock and athletic tape for bait. Check out that trophy fish!


Classic trail ride. Get along lil' doggies.

I know we look like all smiles in this picture, but this is the picture that I almost died for! ...Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but I had hit the self timer button on the camera, ran to the open spot in the group, and quickly realized it was the edge of a cliff. Austin caught me while I squatted over the large dropoff, then made sure to tell me how unappreciated that was afterward. :)

Dan and Shawna Parke came to visit!

Hikin' "Around the Block" -17miles


Rafting the Salmon

Camping up Nip 'n' Tuck- breaking in the sweet new tent Trei gave us as a wedding gift



I worked at Redfish's General Store and became a pro at folding clothes



We were excited to have missionaries assigned to the Stanley area for the first time


Austin worked as Assistant Manager at the Front Desk and had a great view of the docks and lake- except the view was a little different on nights when there were concerts on the lawn!




Canoeing across the lake....

Then camping out= the best kind of date night

Reunited and it feels so good!!! Angela came to visit after coming home from her mission


Brennen had a run-in with a chainsaw at the ranch...
and it wasn't too pretty...

Not long after, Alex was lucky to escape unscratched from a car accident, then I had an unfortunate accident with the wood splitter.


It was a great miracle that I was able to keep my fingers, and they've all completely healed and are fully functioning again.

Still, it took a while for me to learn how to eat and do my art classes left handed for a couple of months. Austin was such a great help!


He even did my hair! Once. ;)
We moved into our first apartment together- 714 Wymount Terrace. Austin was a good sport and did pretty much all the moving! We love our apartment- the only downside is our weak-sauce toilet that we have to plunge about every other flush. Fun, fun. :)
(Don't forget to feast your eyes on that adorable 5-yr-old handwriting:)



Once in Provo, we tried to get outdoors as much as possible still.


And we got a brand new car!!! ...Well, new to us. :) Andres de la Cruz joined our little Clegg family not long after we started the semester.

Austin continued to teach young missionaries at the MTC...


And I began teaching the senior missionaries at the MTC :)

Beautiful Sister Clegg continued to dominate the mission, and her emails always make our week!


Grandma and Papa Crouch were asked to "light the Y" before the BYU game, and they invited us to tag along!


Cheesin' and Freezin'. Really, though- SO COLD!!!

Austin and I loved having his cousins Courtney and Jeremy move nearby- between babysitting, monthly cousin parties, and Austin starting to shadow Jeremy at work, we loved having them close!
Halloween at BYU...



Who needs trick-or-treating? Cookouts up the canyon are much better.

Family party at our apartment :)

I quickly discovered Austin's love for fire... I'm not sure if it was the burning kleenexes floating through the kitchen, or the constant need to have at least one candle burning at all times, but somehow I figured it out. ;)

It was bound to happen eventually... but why so soon?? Austin and I parked at the JKB to do some studying on campus, only to come back and find this! Sad day.

Cabela's did a photoshoot with the rest of the Clegg family at Redfish- giving everyone gift cards to their store. As you can see, McCall made sure she got the most bang for her buck by getting a machete. :)

The notebook that just kept coming back! I swear Austin lost and then found this gem on campus again at least three times...

Nerf wars on break

Happy Thanksgiving!


Thanksgiving with the Crouch side of the family- also Arlen's 80th birthday celebration.

Kylie Neslen and I met up for lunch at the MTC- the first time we've been back at the MTC together since we were there as companions preparing to go to Kirtland together!

This may have been the warmest December of my life- I took this picture outside our apartment on December 10th. So much for a White Christmas!

Just a little taste of Christmas in the Clegg apartment :) Our first Christmas together!


Austin's cousin, Ashlynn came home from her mission and got engaged to Dylan! Austin loved playing intramural basketball with Dylan and Austin, while I loved watching and cheering with Ashlynn and Brooke. More than once the refs offered to find new seats for us as we watched...We may have loved it a little too much. :)

The greatest group of teachers I know!! After planning classes for the next semester, I found I wouldn't be able to make my schedule work with the MTC, so I had to give my two week's notice.... I'll miss the great friends I made there and all the wonderful seniors I met!


How to survive finals week: Just forget about it!! :) Angela, Larsen, Amy, Austin, and I hiked Squaw Peak and it just may have to be a new finals week tradition now... 

Winter wonderland! Amy practicing her mad photography skills...

:)


Lewis and Clark over there...







Our second-annual visit to the Festival of Trees :)


Sister Parke is home!!!  Jess served in the Georgia Macon Mission, and boy oh boy am I glad this girl is home! Seeing her at the airport was one of the best Christmas presents I could have asked for. 

The Crouch's Ranch Home- a Christmas Gift from Austin and I

And we're off!! I think we set a new record for most miles driven over Christmas Break...  Austin loves to drive (thank goodness!) and braved 10 hours each way to Arizona, then 4 hours to Jerome... one more to Muldoon each way... and back to Provo... then back to Jerome... then back to Provo... Phew!

Ash and Em:)

"There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead.."

And people wonder why some people are scared of their in-laws... ;) 
Let's just say Austin has a few admirers that just can't get enough of him. Literally.

Austin's first visit to Mesa Temple Lights


Our gift to Mom and Dad- an oil painting that I did this semester emulating the work of Bougueraeu.

Volleyball night with the family!

Em is quickly becoming a pro at silly-selfies...

We loved being able to visit the new Phoenix Temple with the family- Dad was recently set apart as a sealer here, and we were all able to do a sealing session together with him acting as sealer. It was a sweet experience for us all!




Mom and Dad loved showing us their favorite hikes behind their house






McCall and I had matching piggies and pjs for Christmas night 

Our first Christmas together! Loved every minute of it :) 




One of Austin's favorite Christmas traditions is that his family goes out on Christmas Eve to pick out and cut down their own Christmas tree. One of McCall's favorite traditions is throwing all the ornaments and strings on top. :)



Austin, Angela, and I all went to Carey on Sunday to hear Jess's homecoming talk, and also took a minute to stop by our old stomping grounds... it was good to see our old home! We especially loved being back in Carey 2nd Ward and seeing so many wonderful friends. :)