New Site!

Hey there friends! Guess what?! I have a brand spankin' new site!

This new site is full food and fitness and lots of life:) I will no longer be using this blog so head on over to jessieannjames.com

Lots of love

xoxo

Jessie Ann

"Lets hear it for the boys!"...well fathers:)

Its a day to celebrate our dads! Fathers Day only comes once a year but I think fathers deserve more celebrating than that. Fatherhood is an around the clock job juggling babies, work, teenagers, and everything in between. My father has been there for every big moment of my life and continues to send light and love with all that comes. Happy Fathers Day Dad! I love you and can't thank you enough for the years of love and patience!

xoxo

Jessie Ann

Eat to Live...Step one of a life change

Started this gem yesterday! The first step to a change is learning all about it! So here goes:)

Honeymoon

Hey Friends...

I know it has been a little while so I thought that I should catch you up with a few of our favorite pictures from the Cruise! We had a blast and I did not want to come home! Im working on a new blog/website with a friend and I am really excited about it! There are a lot of changes happening in my life and I am looking forward to sharing them! stay posted:)

This was our first day aboard the Carnival Splendor!

Played some mini golf...

Lovers Beach In Cabo San Lucas

we love the towel animals

Parasailing in Cabo!

Puerta Vallarta

The Crazy jeep ride before our Extreme Canopy Adventure

Nightly Towel picture

Our Favorite elevator to ride with "Edwardo"

I was sad to come back to normal life but excited for more adventures to come!

xoxo Jessie Ann

The best 2 weeks yet!

A little homemade Fro Yo (thanks to a fun wedding gift!)

Carson's fav...Homemade mac n cheese

Its been 2 weeks of marriage bliss...

cheesy...

but what can I say? I'm a newlywed! I'd say that we have done well in our little place in Viva Las Vegas! We are basically settled and leave for our cruise a week from today...Were a little excited!

In Love

We survived the crazy stress of the week before the wedding...

Surprisingly, that day came and I was calm, excited, and ready.

May 7th was the perfect day. The sun was shinning, family and friends surrounded us, and I finally married my best friend. Sealed for Time and all Eternity. Many more memories to be made and adventures to come!

xoxo Mrs Jessie Ann James

The Single Digits

I...CANT...WAIT

I think that the next 9 days are going to creep by... Its crazy to me that the entire day will be over in a snap but we've been planning it for months! Everything is all set in place and just waiting for me to approve it when I get back to Utah. Bridals turned out to be a success and chase is working his magic on decor! Luckily I have Carson, Scott, and some girlfriends to help me pass this last weekend before the wedding in Vegas. S0 grateful that I wont have to spend another day in Las Vegas alone:)

His Sacred Name - An Easter Declaration

A beautiful message to think about this Easter Weekend

Down to the Nitty Gritty

28 days folks....

28 days till I am Mrs Jessie Ann James

28 days till I say I Do

and 28 days till all of this hard work pays off

...sounds perfect right?

It will be perfect, but until then I am the definition of Bridezilla. From mini breakdowns everyday to spending countless hours and dollars on the random wedding details, I cannot wait for that day to come. Poor Carson has dealt with more tears and stress than he ever should and is well prepared for the stresses to come. I cannot wait to hand it over to someone else and participate in my day. Take in all of the beauty and soak in the happiness that I will feel. I keep hearing that I should enjoy the stress because it only happens once, but I'm not a fan of this stressed out me. Cross your fingers this next week in Utah goes well!

The "I want to list"

There are so many things that I want to do in life! How many times do I find myself thinking of the places I want to go and the things I want to accomplish? Well...why can't I do all of them? Isnt that what life is all about? It's time to let go of the fear that is holding me back and start making those wants a reality!

Here are just a few...

1. Pilates Certification on the Reformer
2. Attend Culinary School
3. Visit Bali (I just watched Eat, Pray, Love) It looks AMAZING!...do you think carson will go for that??
4. Learn the art of eating/making RAW foods
5. Take a trip with Carson to Italy and do Temple work in the new LDS Temple being built in Rome!

(Thats just to name a few!)

Well...wish me luck!

Retraining my Thoughts

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." ~ E.E. Cummings

I recently read an article that got me thinking...I spend way too much time selfishly comparing myself and waisting my energy on negative thoughts. Nothing too dramatic but we can always improve right? I sent this article to a friend and we came to the conclusion that it is easy to read an article like this one and block it out. I find myself saying "I really should do this...be better"but IT NEVER HAPPENS! It's so hard to change the way I think but it is something that needs to be done! I've decided to turn over a new chapter and really focus on this self change. I'm beginning to see, thanks to the wise words of Carson, that this change is going to take real work...real patience...and time. I'm ready for this change. Thoughts are and interesting task to tackle. Our heads are like a stage and only one idea can occupy it at a time. The trick is to fill that stage with positive, real thoughts. Easier said than done right? I'm still working on a plan to achieve this goal but hopefully I can incorporate the 3 steps.

1. Embrace your individuality

2. Flip your focus

3. Celebrate

Check out the article below!

3 Steps to Stop Making Comparisons and Start Valuing Yourself

Meet Baby Myer!

It has been a crazy week for the Thacker Family...

First little Navy made her way here and now we have another new addition to the family!

Congrats to Bryton and Jake as they welcome their sweet baby boy into the world! Cant wait to meet him!

I ache to be this inspiring...Sharing Spaces: Episode 3 - In good company (Behind the scenes of Shared...

I dont have to say much...This is beauty...and this is what life needs to be:)

~Jessie Ann

Meet navy mae taylor

Look at her...already the cutest thing with smiling eyes!

I'm very sad that she is 10 hours away in New Mexico and I dont get to see her till probably may...ugh she's not going to know her aunt...but...

Im just going to have to make up for a little lost time and give her all the loving I have!

One of the most inspiring things i have ever seen...

Mac'N Cheese

I can thank Carson James for this new little tradition we have.

When I first met him, his favorite meal was Velveeta Mac and Cheese and I couldn't stand the taste or look of it. I tried my very hardest to shove vegetables down his throat but I was unsuccessful.

Instead...

Carson introduced me to the wonderful world of noodles and cheese! A friend recommended a great local spot in NYC that was dedicated to Mac N Cheese and I decided to win some brownie points and take Carson there. I fully expected to not enjoy that dinner but I was completely wrong. This place was small, about the size of a large walk in closet and served the best Mac and Cheese around. Mac Bar is now our favorite NYC spot and we'll def be back to visit it the next time we find ourselves in NYC

Carsons Mac even came in a plastic noodle shaped dish that he got to take home! Kinda cool huh? I was kinda hooked...It tasted soo great!

We heard of one other NYC spot that stricklty served Mac and Cheese so we had to try it! Saritas Mac and Cheese! Better know as S'Mac!

Carson ordered the sampler platter and tried every type imaginable. He wouldn't eat the Mac made with Brie so I ate that one and almost fell over in my chair. It was to die for! It may have been a toss up between the two places but one thing I knew for sure....I was a new Mac and Cheese lover!

So...

we heard from a friend that Las Vegas had some Mac and Cheese to offer at a little place called Mac Shack. We got excited and decided we had to try it...

Sadly my little dish was terrible and Carsons Pepper jack Mac was pretty good but nothing compared to what we ate in NYC. I'm beginning to think I need to learn how to make a slammin Mac and Cheese dish if we are going to survive here without our NYC Mac! Never made a gourmet Mac and Cheese before and I'm thinking this could be a fun adventure!!

Happy Cooking!

Valentines Day will have to wait...

So here I am in Las Vegas, engaged and alone on Valentines...

This will be my first Valentines Day with someone that loves me and I can't even spend it with him!

Slightly annoying...

but...

Carson James fly's in to town on Friday at 6:45 am! (I think he was really anxious to get here) and we decided to celebrate Valentines Day on friday and pretend that today is just any other day. Not so sure how romantic i'll feel at 6:45 am, but we gotta work with what we can get! So...im really looking forward to Friday for my day of Valentiens candy and celebrations! I cant stop eating the Cinnamon JuJu hearts and I recently discovered the Rasperry Hugs! Trouble... Those are trouble...

So here is a little love for the day and the good stuff will have to wait!

~Jessie Ann

I'm A Big Kid Now...

The past three weeks have been full of adult decisions that had to be made. I returned from NYC and immediately begun to look for my own apartment. I had anticipated it only taking a day or two but I was way off...After failing at finding something that wasn't a retirement home or in a dump, I gave up and called a Realtor. Thank goodness I did! She was a friend of a cast member and took care of me like I was her own. We found the perfect place and spent some long hours nailing down all the adult stuff. I had no idea most of the questions I should be asking before I signed on the dotted line, but thankfully she guided me right through the whole process. By 2 p.m. on a Friday afternoon I got the keys to my new apartment and drove straight home to Utah.

My excuse to drive to Utah was that I needed to get the rest of my things (which is mostly true) but...I really just wanted to see my fiance! I'm beginning to see that the long distance relationship that I thought would fly by, seems to be a lot harder...But we do our best:) It was great to be home to plan a wedding, see friends and family, and spend time with Carson.

...sadly, I had to go back to sin city and take care of my new place....For the first week I only had an air mattress and boxes to fill the empty space! Not much of a home to come home to... Although I still have a long way to go, my cute place is coming along. Carson flew down about 3 weeks after I left Utah and we spent his whole trip painting my place! ugh who knew it would take so long! Thankfully I had him here to help me or it would have never gotten done! My walls would look like splatter paint had he not been here...What a trooper to fly down, paint and assemble furniture all weekend, and fly home to go straight back to work and school. I sure love him.

Whirlwind of a Holiday Season

I'm not even sure where to start this blog post...

Too many crazy/incredible things have happened...

Each event deserves an entire post to itself, but who has time for that?

Maybe i'll just start where I left off...

I had been in New York City for about two and half weeks and I was expecting Carson to come join me sunday Dec 19 at midnight! I went to church that morning with the crew and they didn't stop teasing me about finally meeting Carson. They knew he was flying in that night so it was the topic of most of our subway ride. Donny even wanted to give Carson a personal interview to make sure he was a good guy:) We had to do a show that afternoon and I planned on wasting time in the city till I had to meet Carson. Little did I know that Carson was a sneaky little thing that had flown into the city a day earlier than I had expected and surprised me outside my stage door after my sunday matinee!

Too bad I was sweaty and covered in stage makeup the first time he saw me...

oh well...

anyway, this little sneaky thing grabbed my hand and lead me straight into the heart of time square. I was giddy and giggly because my boyfriend had flown out early to surprise me! It kinda felt like a chick flick! We stopped walking and I stopped yacking about the city and everything I'd done when I realized he was shaking and really squeezing my hand.

then it kinda clicked...

Before I knew it, he was on one knee, in the middle of times square, with a ring in his hand...

I blurted a yes and some darling lady caught this picture of us!

I'm engaged! eeeekkkk that was the most exciting, adrenaline filled moment of life so far! Love is such an crazy thing? I never thought It would find me so young but what a perfect chance to spend my adventures with someone I love?He's quite the catch and I'm going to hold on real tight to this one! Here are some of our favorites moments!...

Marveled at WTC

Statue Of Liberty in the Palm of his hand

Too much Times Square

new kicks

best local spots...MACBAR, S'mac, Criff Dogs!

Secret Phone booth restaurants

$50 fish the size of my arm

Peanut Butter snickers

Handled It fro yo

blizzards and slushy streets

the subway... always a treat

Path train

Vitamin Water Zero and snapples...always

unsuccessful onesies

South Street Sea Port

and So many amazing memories!

~Jessie Ann