This morning, my heart ached for dear friends as I learned that their mother had been killed in a car accident last night.
Of course, there are no words that I could offer to them, but I do know that Heavenly Father has a plan for them. Two of her children are serving missions, one in the Philippines and one in Utah. The other three of her children are married and have families of their own.
Jesus Christ understands exactly how we feel, in our lowest moments and in our highest. He has experienced the pain and suffering that we feel in this life. We can take comfort in that.
Don't forget to take an extra minute to express gratitude and love for those around you. Make sure they know just how much they mean to you.
So this weekend, we spent lots of time just being together. It was much needed.
We went shopping Friday night and got some great new pants for the hubs. Then we went over to Juan's house to play games. Lots of fun.
Skim over some details.....
Saturday night we wanted some shakes, so we went to Walmart to get the supplies. My stud of a husband went to the store looking like this:
And I went looking like this:
Embarrassing... Anyway, Sunday I got to teach in Relief Society for the first time in my new (ish) ward. It was great! We talked about the importance of attending Church.
And Ian wanted me to share this gem of a photo with you all.
He told me he loved me "1,000,000,000,000,000 snails worth... In France"!! What a nice guy.
In all honesty, I don't know if he realizes just how much these small gestures mean to me. I am so glad I have a husband who can brighten my day and put a smile on my face.
I am addicted to DIY blogs and Pinterest posts.
Seriously though, I can't get enough of this stuff. Today was especially bad. My job doesn't require too much effort on my part (I mostly wait for the phone to ring), so I get to look at these things all. day. long.
I'm on the hunt for a good old dresser to redo and turn into a TV stand. But no luck so far.
On the bright side, I found this amazing blog that I spent way too much time reading through/fantasizing over.
You are now reading the blog of a JUNIOR! Boom! Done with sophomore year, finally!
Okay, okay... Now for the good stuff.
My weekend was awesome. We spent Friday night and Saturday in Logan with Sammi and John. We had a blast!
Friday night
We got off work and rushed over to the Front Runner (train) so we could ride up to Logan. My hubby snapped this flattering picture of me and sent it to all our friends.
What can I say? I was tired!
Once we met up with Sam and John, we went to THE most amazing shaved ice/slushie/ice cream place in the world. I cannot explain my (new found) love for this place.
Seriously... THE BOMB.
Anyway, we spent the rest of Friday night playing euchre! John and I dominated in the first round, but then Sam and Ian beat us in two more games.
Saturday: We went FISHING!
(And by "we," I mean Ian, John, and Sammi... I worked on my tan)
It was such a perfect day!
And I got TONS of pictures of everyone fishing. Here are my favorites!
Since this was the first time Ian got to use the new fishing pole I got him (and mom and my brother picked out), I had to get pictures! Check out his model poses... So handsome!
Then we stopped my TJ Maxx to see Katie!
Then we dyed eggs!
Ian even got a couple pictures of him and our new "babies"! What a proud new father.
Then we got to ride the train back to Provo!
Once we got back, one of our friends got us in to see Captain America for free! It started out pretty great, but I ended up falling asleep for most of the movie. My bad!
Sunday
Unfortunately, I completely spaced about taking pictures... But we went to church and I got a new calling! Looks like I'll be teaching Relief Society, starting next week (gulp)! We invited our friend Angus over and we had some baked barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, corn, and my momma's amazing potato salad. (Thanks, mom! It turned out great!)
All in all, we had an awesome weekend! Great first Easter with my hubs.
It's an early morning post for me today! But what else are you supposed to do when you need to focus on your take-home English final and you really, really don't want to?
I really don't want to.
But the bright side is that finals are over next week! And this weekend is Easter!!
While you're dyeing eggs and spending time with family, make sure to remember the true meaning of Easter.
I am grateful for my Savior and for all that he did for me. It is so comforting to know that Christ truly does understand exactly how we feel... Because he has experienced it first! The Atonement is such a wonderful gift for all of us, and I am so grateful for the blessings that come from his sacrifice.
So grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me and knows when I need a beautiful message (or two). So, I'll go ahead and share.
My heart was touched as I listened to the song called "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United. The words are so poetic, but their meaning is simple and true. Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us. He will help us if we ask. Our feet may fail, but we can rest in His embrace.
You call me out upon the waters--
The great unknown, where feet may fail.
And there I find You in the mystery,
In oceans deep
My faith will stand.
And I will call upon Your name,
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters,
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me--
You've never failed and You won't start now.
So I will call upon Your name,
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours, and You are mine.
Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders,
Let me walk upon the waters;
Wherever You would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior.
And I will call upon Your name ,
Keep my eyes above the waves.
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours, and You are mine.
Just in case you want the video, you can find the acoustic version (my favorite) here.
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How about I overload you with videos?
(It's worth it, I promise!)
I saw this commercial and it touched my heart. At first, you might think I am crazy, but watch it all the way through. You won't regret it.
Beauty is a state of mind. Be confident in your skin, and do not give in to the pressure of society.
It has been a good day. So grateful for the little things that make a regular day wonderful. Plus, tomorrow is Friday, this Sunday is Easter, and me and the hubs get a mini-vacation this weekend (to see Sammi and John)!!! Pictures on Monday.
My hubby and I have been searching and searching and searching for new apartments to move into...
No luck so far.
We're not really sure where we are supposed to be right now, but we know that Heavenly Father has a plan and that things will end up just the way they are supposed to-- as long as we keep asking for help. I am so grateful for the guidance of Heavenly Father.
This video is AWESOME. Definitely worth the watch.
Mother's Day is in less than a month! Think of all the things your mom (mother-in-law, mother-figure, grandma, etc.) does for you, and do something nice for her this year. Make sure she knows just how grateful you are for her.
Mother-in-Law (Jeani), thank you for your support and love. It means more than you know.
Ma, thank you for everything. You are truly amazing, and the greatest role model I could have asked for.
"Never speak a cross word-- not one. There are many who teach that it is normal and expected for contention, bickering, and strife to be a part of marriage. But that is false doctrine."
-Boyd K. Packer
There are times when the only words that come out of my mouth are words of criticism or complaint. Sometimes, the thoughts that run through my mind are unkind. I think it is the nature of man (or woman) to think or say these things.
But it is not worth it.
While sitting in my LDS Marriage and Family class this afternoon, I (re) learned the most beautiful and necessary message I could have heard.
Contention in the home is detrimental.
Everyone fights, though... Right?
True. We all have our arguments, our weak spots, our pet peeves. BUT we should do our very best to avoid contention in the home. It is not conducive to the Spirit, and it leaves the couple feeling distant and drained.
Plus, what exactly are we fighting about anyway? To be honest, most of the time I can't even remember. So let's focus on preference vs. principle. A preference is "I like to squeeze the toothpaste tube from the bottom and I cannot stand when you squeeze it from the top." I know that many of the arguments that I have been a part of involve some sort of disagreement on preference. Does that really matter? In the end, no. Choose to see past the imperfections of your spouse and don't let your preferences become the cause of an argument.
What matters are issues like Church attendance, matters of fidelity, honesty, child-rearing, etc. Those are things to seriously consider with your spouse (but don't fight over these either!).
What about all the fights we've already had?
My professor said the most eloquent thing about this question, and I could never say it better than him. "There's nothing we can do about our past, but we can choose, from this day forward, to follow that doctrine [of avoiding contention]. And if we slip up, we can choose to apologize quickly. If we are on the receiving end, we can forgive quickly."
In fact, it even tells us in the scriptures that God "freely forgives" us (see the reference here). So as we strive to become more like Him, we should freely forgive our brothers and sisters here on earth.
Why is this even important?
Contention means, "I'm right and you're wrong."
But we need to have the "win-win" mentality. We want our spouse to succeed just as badly as we want ourselves to succeed. So rather than one person being right ("winning") and the other being wrong ("losing"), we should get rid of the contention, and simply compromise. This way, both parties feel like their opinions, concerns, etc. were heard by the other, and both feel a sense of contentment with the resolution.
"Anything we do to strengthen our spouse strengthens us as well. Likewise, anything we do to tear our spouse down also tears us down."
-Dr. Brooks (BYU professor)
Let us focus on lifting up those around us. Let us avoid contention in the home. It will bring strength and happiness into our lives.
Also... Today has been awesome! Got to wear a cute dress to school for no good reason, it's like 70 something degrees outside right now (YAY!), and even my most boring class today was interesting.
We had the best weekend. We got to go to the temple on Friday night.
Then we got to babysit for some Church friends on Saturday morning (sorry, no pictures of that). And then we got to watch General Conference. On Sunday morning, we even got to go to Salt Lake and watch the Conference in person! It was such an amazing experience.
The last picture is the view from our seats! It was so great. On our way back to the car, we saw sister missionaries sharing the gospel in all sorts of languages. It was amazing!
Conference is such a wonderful time. The Spirit was strong, and I learned a lot. So grateful for the gospel and for the chance we had to go to General Conference.
But the good news is that the Lord is mindful of each of us. He blesses us with tender mercies that make all the bigger problems seem insignificant.
(And I am so grateful for that.)
So no matter what the struggle, our burdens can be lightened if we choose to focus on the small blessings in our lives. And when we do focus on the small blessings, we will realize that those are actually some of the biggest blessings we can receive.
I am grateful for a Father in Heaven who knows when I need help. I am grateful for a Savior who completely understands me. And I am so grateful for tender mercies.
Too often, thoughts enter my mind about how I don't measure up to the standards that society has set (and sometimes, the standards that I have set). Too often, I feel my insecurities dominating my thoughts. Too often, I find myself desiring to be just like (whoever).
But the truth is, I am exactly where I am supposed to be; exactly how I am supposed to be. Of course there is always room for improvement, and we all need to grow and change into a better version of ourselves. There's a catch though. The standard of "better" is not set by the world, society, culture, people, etc. "Better" means "more like Christ."
So rather than comparing myself to other people, I choose to listen to the Lord's standards.
Am I kind? Am I humble? Am I willing to listen to my Heavenly Father?
I think we would all benefit from focusing on what the Lord has in mind for us. He knows us best, and He will take care of us, if we are willing to listen.
Sometimes "thank you" is just impossible to say. Not because you don't want to, and not even because you haven't spoken the words. Sometimes "thank you" is impossible to say, simply because you can't say "thank you" enough.
There are so many people in my life that I wish I could fully thank.
My mom... For teaching me. For guiding me when I lost my way. For saving me more times than I can count. For being the listening ear all those times. For being my example.
My dad... For giving me everything he possibly could. For sacrificing so much for our family. For loving me, even when I made mistakes. For being the strongest man I know.
My sister... For all those lessons that only an older sibling can teach. For being the one I could talk to. For always standing by my side.
My brother... For being my friend. For making me laugh when I was sad. For supporting me when I felt alone.
My mother-in-law... For helping me when I was scared. For all the advice she gave. For the prayers and love.
My Heavenly Father... For knowing me, and loving me. For letting me learn those lessons. For guiding me, and never leaving my side.
My Savior... For understanding me. For being my example. For the Atonement, and the chance I have to live with my family forever.
My husband... For working so hard to be the best he can. For never giving up on me. For helping me to grow and learn. For being my best friend. For everything.
(Of course, there are so many others that have done so much for me, and I am grateful for them too!)
I am so glad I have such amazing people in my life! Even though I don't say "thank you" enough, I hope you all know how much I love you.
PS: My wonderful husband got a research internship this summer! I am so proud of him. Congrats, babe!
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