The Perfect Stranger

Yesterday after Grant's occupational 

therapy appointment,  

we stopped by Carl's Jr. for lunch. 

I hardly ever go in and sit down 

inside a fast food restaurant to eat

.... why? 

Do you really need to ask why? Ick.

BUT, today for some odd reason

I felt like I should take the time

to go in and sit down. 

I was sitting down enjoying my

Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich

when it happened....

A man, almost 90 years old,

came over to our table and handed

me and Grant a card with a prayer on it...

talking about how it changed his life

I initially was thinking...

THIS is why I don't eat inside

fast food restaurants... 

What the dilly?

He was sweet though, so I listened. 

But the prayer card was only the beginning.....

He then handed me another card with

information about the book

"The Blood Sugar Solution"

and proceeded to tell me that this is

the way he eats and it has changed his life

and wanted to share it with anyone who would listen

Now, normally it is every overweight

persons nightmare for someone to talk

to them about their weight....

ESPECIALLY, when they are strangers

and ESPECIALLY when there are people all 

around you listening to the conversation....

If this had happened a few months ago

I would have been mortified! 

But, like we've discussed previously...

I've discovered how friggin' awesome I

am and didn't take offense.... 

In fact, what this little old man

didn't realize is I had borrowed this book

from my parents a few short months ago 

because Royce is diabetic and because

of my weight I am pre-diabetic

The last time I had skimmed through the 

book I had absolutely no confidence

that eating THAT healthy was

something that I could do...

so....

the book has been on my shelf 

collecting dust ever since. 

I had been praying for the right answer

for me, something that was going to help

bring me to the best version of myself, 

and instead of being freaked out....

I was so grateful. 

This perfect stranger cared enough about me,

someone he had never met before, 

to come talk to me about getting healthy.

I was grateful to him. 

When I got home I dusted off the book he 

suggested and looked through it more carefully. 

For the first six weeks on the advanced plan

Dr. Hyman eliminates.... 

wheat, sugar, starchy vegetables, dairy and grains

so basically you eat meats, vegetables, legumes

and healthy fats

With my new found confidence and 

love for myself I know that this is

something I can accomplish 

After the six weeks you 

introduce things in a specific

way to see how they effect 

your blood sugar, weight etc. 

It's all about using food as medicine to

cure yourself of disease

This is exactly what Royce and I need

I'm a religious person and I know

that me wanting to go sit in Carl's Jr's 

uncomfortable dinning room

was not an accident.

It was a prompting

As crazy as it seems...

I'm grateful to Ted and

his wife Alice for the love

the showed me yesterday

at Carl's Jr. 

How I Become a Willis Pt. 5

We talked about dating for awhile
before we actually got hitched...

But, on our one month anniversary of
meeting, Royce officially purposed to me
on Temple Square where we had 
our first date!

I decided I really wanted
a fall wedding so two months later...
 we were married!

 

It was a crazy and 
fast journey. 
There are days 
that I wish we would
have waited a little 
bit longer so my
day could have 
been perfect, but
then I realize that 
it was perfect
because we were 
married for time 
and all eternity....
and nothing else truly matters!

We got married in the
 Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple
on October 8, 2005... 
This is How I became a Willis. 

How I Became a Willis Pt. 4

Note: I totally did this post forever ago and thought I had scheduled it to post with part 5 but it never did. My apologizes!!!

I only had bought a one way ticket
to Utah because I didn't know when
I would return. So when Royce and
I decided we wanted to date and
most likely get married we made a 
crazy decision....

I called my mom and she said..
"Are you having a good time?"
"Yes, mom. I am! Soooo.... I decided to
MOVE HERE! Could you pack up
my stuff in my car and meet me in Boise?"
*Silence*

Without getting into the crazy details, 
my mom agreed. I think she is nuts but
I'm glad it worked out. 

I found a room
to share with a girl in Royce's singles ward. 
The house was around the block from Royce, 
so I pretty much just slept there. 

We went to Boise and Royce met my mom, 
sister Brooke and brother Jared and their
families all in one weekend. What a trooper!

This is a picture of us in Boise, ID when 

Royce first met my beautiful mommy! 

We thought we would date for awhile and then
get married, but things went a little differently...

Find out the last post in How I Became a Willis Pt.5 

Just a Little Further

Many of you know I've been on a life long journey towards health. There have been many ups and downs, but every single struggle I've had was something I needed to go through to learn what I needed to learn to become the person I'm meant to be. The struggles have also made the accomplishments that much sweeter!

A few weeks ago we bought a treadmill (we got a stinkin' good deal on Craigslist!). The first workout I did, I couldn't even do 15 minutes. I did 12 minutes 34 seconds at a 2.5 to be exact and it took me about the same amount of time to recover. I decided I'd just start doing a little more everyday.

I got to the point that I was able to do about 25-30 minutes at a 2.2-2.3. Many of you fitness fanatics may think this wasn't much, but to me I felt it was all I had inside me.

I always watch a TV show called Extreme Weight Loss because it keeps me interested and motivated. I told myself I was only allowed to watch that show while I workout so if I'm finished working out the rest of the show has to wait until later.

Today I got on with the goal of going 30 minutes at a 2.5. It was faster than I had ever gone. At 28 minutes the internet stopped working and I was unable to watch my show. I immedeitly thought :"Okay, thats good enough... I can stop now!" But the little girl inside me told me I could keep going. I decided to go to 45 minutes and I got my iPod and blasted my music. I was so empowered by my decision that I turned up the treadmill to a 2.8. When I got to 45 minutes I started to cool down and then at 48 minutes I decided I only had 12 more minutes. I CAN DO IT!

At 60:02 the treadmill stopped and I got down on the ground and starred at the ceiling feeling like the best version of me. I've never felt more accomplished. I look forward to the day when I can look back at this moment and see how far I've come but for now this is my moment. This is me at my best.

I could have gave up at 28 minutes but I didn't. I could have stopped at 45 minutes because it was the longest I'd ever gone, but I didn't. That little girl inside me that I've come to love so much in the last few weeks kept telling me "A little bit further, Ashley!" I trusted her and she trusted me. Having trust, respect and love for myself is new.

When you think you can't go any further, just push yourself to go a little further. The decision to keep going will give you so much power that it will no longer be hard. All of us have greatness inside of us and I'm only beginning to realize how much I have inside myself.

How I Became a Willis Pt.3

I was about to regret everything until...

We went to lunch at Olive Garden!

... I know, you had no idea 

what Soup & Salad can do for love, huh?!

Okay, it wasn't the Soup & Salad...

but that didn't hurt!

At Olive Garden, Royce turned to me and said...

"You don't need to be nervous... 

I'm really glad you came!"

I loosened up and was finally 

able to have a good time. 

At lunch he did the cutest thing

that we still do today when we are on dates... 

He would open and shut one of his eyes, 

alternating each eye saying

"Camera one, Camera Two, 

Camera One, Camera Two" 

I was a silly fool in love and that it was hilarious..

and I still do!  

The next day we were off to Puerto Rico

We had a blast together. 

We had talked so much we pretty much

knew everything about each other... 

so once we met and found out we were 

both telling the truth... and we had chemistry....

it was easy to fall head over heals 

IN LOVE! 

The picture above is the first picture we ever took together!

When we got back from Puerto Rico

I was supposed to go home...

But the decision we made changed

the course of my life forever!

Find out what happened in Pt. 4

How I Became a Willis Pt.2

I still remember the night before I met Royce...

I stayed over at my friend Jill's house until super late

and by the time I got home I was too nervous to sleep....

so I didn't! 

My mom drove me to the airport

and I flew into Utah. 

Royce told me he was going to 

pick me up on the curb....

I hated the idea of him driving up

and being able to get a glimpse of me

before I got a glimpse of him!

I was waiting awhile....

honestly, I thought he might have drove away! 

Then I got a phone call...

He said he decided to park and 

walk to come get me! 

So we chatted for a little bit... 

then it happened! 

He  said... "I can see you!"

I instantly hid behind a wall....

It freaked me out that he could see

me and I couldn't see him!

Then we gave each other a hug 

and walked to the car. 

He was taking me to visit

Temple Square....

The next hour would be the most awkward

hour of my entire life!

I thought I had made a HUGE mistake!

All I wanted to do was CRY!

Until....

Come back for Pt. 3

How I Became a Willis Pt. 1

8 Years Ago in March of 2005 my 

crazy husband found me online. 

Most of my friends know that we met online, 

but in this blog post 

I'm going to officially come out.....

We didn't meet on a mutually 

interested religious website 

called LDS LinkUp... 

We met on.... 

Are you ready for this?

Hot or Not

YUP!!!

... Dreams do come true! 

So he thought I was hot, I thought he was hot and 

the rest is history, right?? 

Not exactly. So, we started chatting online... all the time!

Then we started chatting on the phone... all the time!

He was 27. I was 19!

He was in a business that traveled around 

doing personal development seminars so he 

invited me to come to one with him....

to Puerto Rico!!!

You can imagine my surprise when I 

realized that this man I had been chatting with

for four months was asking me to come with him 

on a trip to Puerto Rico that was happening in 

about 2 weeks time....

I look back at our situation and 

I feel insane! 

The person I am NOW would have never 

jetted off with a "stranger" to a "foreign land"....

But, luckily for me I was a different person back then... 

full of adventure! 

Somehow I talked my parents into to letting me go....

My mom agreed only after she called and 

talked to Royce's bishop

and he assured her he was a stand up guy. 

Then I had to tell my friends how I had

been chatting with a guy on the internet

and begged them all for money 

so I could meet him...

I'm sure they all thought I was INSANE

and gave me money only so I'd leave!

Then I was on my way!

What happened next? 

Come back for Part 2 to find out....

Utter Failure.

So, is it March already?!?!? Yikes!

I'm so sorry!

I know I left you all hanging on the Elf on the Shelf. I promise I finished it- here is the story:

We went to the beach for a week and I didn't bring my camera chord so I couldn't update the blog for a week. When I got home it was a few days before Christmas and crazy. Then Christmas past and I kept promising to do it. Then it was January and I figured no one cared about the elf anymore..... then I just felt shameful. But.... I'M BACK! And, I promise to update you in a blog post about what happened with our crazy elf. Why? I know it's not Christmas but everyone enjoys learning about the craziness that is the Elf on the Shelf and some of his best work came after the blog curtains were shut! So, I will do it! But this will take a little bit as I am in the middle of my finals with school, but in the next two weeks before a new term starts up I promise to update you on the Elf on the Shelf!

Other topics on my agenda will be to tell you the story of our family... because it is one big great story and Everybody Loves Willis so of course you want to hear about it! Topics will include: Why the internet is a great place to meet your love, why 8 year age gap is not a big deal (even at 19 and 27), why getting married 5 months after you meet is insane and not recommended unless you are sick-in-love, how our Tiny Willis was days away from being thrown out into the street when Mommy Willis heard about her and saved her, why infertility sucks, why adoption is amazing, why adoption is horrible, why it takes so friggin' long, and how you can get a child placed in your home within two weeks of learning of him without being in the adoption process (hint: be the Willis family), and what the adoption process is like when you do it backwards! These topics as well as others explain the Willis bunch so much and I hope you enjoy getting to know us! If not, then I will have a really great journal for my kids one day- either way, I get to have fun!

XOXO
-Mommy Willis