Happy Halloween!

In light of Halloween, here's a funny Halloween joke I received today:

A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and notices that the VERY handsome cab driver won't stop staring at her. She asks him why he is staring.

He replies, "I have a question to ask you but I don't want to offend you."

She answers, "My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive."

"Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a nun kiss me."

She responds, "Well, let's see what we can do about that. #1, you have to be single and #2, you must be Catholic."

The cab driver gets very excited and says, "Yes, I'm single and Catholic!"

"Okay," the nun says. "Pull into the next alley." The nun fulfills his fantasy, with a kiss that would make a hooker blush.

But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

"My dear child," says the nun, "Why are you crying?"

"Forgive me, but I've sinned. I lied and I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish."

The nun says, "That's okay. My name is Kevin and I'm going to a Halloween party."


Happy Halloween! Here are some fun pictures from the last a few Halloweens during college. (Sadly, I don't have pictures of the year I pretended to be pregnant at BYU-Idaho on my comptuer. OR the year our FHE group dressed up as the Jackson 5. You better believe this girl can get one heck of a 'fro. One word - AWESOME!):

Never too Late to Start

The same man cleans my classroom everyday. Everyday he walks in around 3:45pm with a smile on his face and a cheery “Hello! How are you?” in his throat. He seems to be no older than his late-twenties to early-thirties; glasses, sparse patches of dishwater blond hair, with a medium-sized spare tire around the middle. From my first conversation with him, I could tell that he is kind-hearted. I’m not sure how, but he knows the name of every teacher’s classroom he cleans. He never fails to use my name when I speak to him, yet I fail to recall the name of this man with whom I speak every afternoon.

Today as we had our usual pleasantries, I thought about his position as a custodian in my school. He begins his work day doing his usual rounds emptying every garbage can in the buildings for which he is responsible. Eventually he returns to those same buildings to cleaning the floors of the hallways and classrooms, in addition to tidying up where he can.

And I think, did he envision his life this way? What are his hopes and dreams? I imagine when he was in grade school he wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer; something that he assumed was prestigious and made a lot of money. Middle school hit and he realized those plans were out of reach, so he settled upon something a little less demanding; an engineer or a businessman. When high school stress hit him square in the face, he realized that college would be out of the question for “someone like him.” Thus, abandoning his childhood dreams, he embraced what he felt was the inevitable. He gave up on his dreams. He gave up on himself.

Fifteen years later, here he is. Sweeping classrooms, emptying trash cans, mopping the floors. Life is not what he imagined it to be. He remains kind and positive to those around him, yet longs for a better situation, a better job, a better life.

And I think, how many of my students have already given up their dreams before high school is even finished? How many of them have already settled on something less than they are worth just because it’s easy to fail? It’s easy to say you won’t try, can’t try, have too many struggles to try?

I’m here to tell you that until you’re dead, it’s never too late to try. It’s never too late to follow your dreams and achieve goals that you set for yourself. I’ve been through some hard life situations, some of which involve being an orphan at 10 years old. Becoming who I am today was not easy. It took work as all dreams do. But, I didn’t give up. I pushed through. I still haven’t achieved everything I have hoped. There is still time for me to meet my goals and improve my life. There is still time for you too. You just have to want it, then go out there and make it happen.

Seeking for Understanding Breaks Down Walls

New blog post at Sarah's Scripture Study: Seeking for Understanding Breaks Down Walls

Trusting in Church Leaders

New Blog Post at Sarah's Scripture Study: Trusting in Church Leaders

More Fall Fun

The other day, I took Annie to get her first library card. It's my tradition to take the kids to get their library cards when they turn five, since I spend a lot of time with them reading and at the library. Josh, Annie, and I all went to the library. When we got back, the kids started jumping on the leaf-filled trampoline. It was so much fun! I started snapping pictures (sadly, the light was too low) and actually had the kids throw leafs up in the air. I thought the leaves falling down would look cool. Afterwards, Maria (the oldest) got home from her soccer tournament and Emma woke up from her nap. We brought a bunch of pillows outside and read books on the tramp. Emma got cold and bugged too fast, but we sure had fun. Here are a few fun pictures:

Playing in Leaves Fall '05

As I was playing in the fall leaves yesterday with my nieces and nephew (pictures to come in a future post), I was reminded of a video my close friend, Ashley, and I took a few years ago. For us, it was the dawn of digital cameras and even video cameras. We had begun recording the randomness of our lives from going to a boys' baseball game, to sneaking Taco Bell before a date, to cutting my bangs and cleaning out our bathroom. The videos vary from subject to subject and day to day. The following video was a SUNNY, non-snowy day in November 2005. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to take advantage of some warm weather and live it up videoing random adventures. One of them includes playing in the leaves:



Here's a fun picture of us in October '05 in St. Anthony. Ashley and I LOVED going there every summer. We couldn't believe when the sun Gods smiled on us one fall day and we were able to go there during the fall! Those were good times... thanks for the fun, fall memories, Ashley! :)

Life if Short (Originally Posted on May 29th, 2007)

Yesterday would have been my mother's 62nd birthday. Some days I really miss my mom and other days the pain is dulled significantly. I found this blog I wrote a year and a half ago on the anniversary of her death. I didn't have time to write something new yesterday (it was my niece's first birthday party), so instead I figured I'd repost this until I can write something meaningful. Please forgive any and all grammatical errors. I didn't have time to correct them. The copied post is as follows:

(To be read while listening to "Casimir Pulaski Day" by Sufjan Stevens)

Sixteen years ago today is the anniversary of the start of me becoming who I am today. I am currently a product of the events that happened May 29th, 1991 in Puyallup, Washington 98372.

I had always taken life for granted. Sure you hear about devastating situations happening on television or in rare cases to those around you, but you never actually believe that something like these situations could hit so close to home. But, it does. It does.

I was at my friend's house awaiting my mother's imminent arrival after work to retrieve me. When my mother was uncharacteristically late and I saw instead my sister coming down the driveway, a feeling of fear settled upon me. I knew that something was incredibly wrong. I just sensed it. Unfortunately, my feelings did not betray me. My mother had been involved in a car accident rushing home from work to get me. She was undergoing surgery in the emergency room and they didn't know if she was going to make it.

I waited for what felt like an eternity. I sat by a large bay window waiting, rocking, praying, waiting. I wouldn't allow the tears to come because I wanted SO badly to be strong. I wanted to believe that this all was a dream. It wasn't. It wasn't. Dusk changed to night and finally we went to the chapel as a last resort to pray. It was then my single, lonely tear snuck from the well of pent-up emotion. I wiped it away quickly as we prayed. We prayed... but she died because God knows better than we do. And my life will never be the same.

I can't explain to you what it's like to be missing one parent, let alone both of them. You know you have to be strong. You know you have to push through. You know that there are two ways you can react to this situation: you either become better because of it, or you become worse. Sure, it sucks and is hard, but you do it. You do it because you know that that is what THEY would want of you. It's NOT easy. Life wasn't really meant to be. And everyone has their own trials. Apparently this was allotted to be one of mine. I know that I wouldn't be the same person without the death of my parents. I know it. But sometimes I just wonder how my life would be with them still alive. I think about the topics we'd discuss and the things I could learn from them about my family... and more importantly, about myself.

I missed my mom yesterday. After all these years, I still miss her. I'm sorry for all of the forgotten memories. But, I take comfort that the most important memory remains... she loved me. She loved me and I know that she still does. I know that she's watching out for me, even when I make dumb mistakes, most especially when I make dumb mistakes, she's there. Along with my father, helping me to make good decisions and to make my life a living legacy to their memories and what they would want for me. I hope I'm living so that they can be proud of me. Thanks Mom and Dad for the way you raised me. I won't forget you.

Listening to Spiritual Impressions

New blog post at Sarah's Scripture Study: Listening to Spiritual Impressions

New Prop 8 Video

My friend, Brooke, included a few Propisition 8 videos I hadn't yet seen in her blog. I thought I'd also share a few with you because it answer many questions people may have about Prop 8. Voting "yes" on Prop 8 is NOT at all about intolerance or hate, but about preserving our religious rights. Proposition 8 is about the following things (according to Preserve Marriage done by the LDS church):

*Having tolerance without condoning.
*Unless Proposition 8 passes, California society will soon undergo a profound change in its basic understanding of marriage and family life. That will affect everyone in numerous ways. Over time, greater acceptance of nontraditional marriage will be demanded of all people. This could impact the ability of any religion to teach and practice its beliefs.
*Proposition 8 will not hurt gays and lesbians. In California, the law provides for marriage-related benefits to be given to civil unions and domestic partnerships. Proposition 8 does not diminish these benefits.
*Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt children. If same-sex marriage remains legal, public schools will put it on equal footing with traditional marriage. Children will likely receive “age appropriate” information about sexual relations within heterosexual and homosexual marriages.
*Failure to pass Proposition 8 will hurt churches. The court’s decision will inevitably lead to conflicts with religious liberty and free speech rights. Society will become more and more hostile to traditional beliefs about marriage and family.

Please do your research on Prop 8! Even if you don't live in California, you can still have an impact by sharing your knowledge with others via your blog, email, text messages, phone calls, you name it. Please do what you can so that Prop 8 passes in California! If it doesn't pass in California, it's likely to come to your state as well. Other videos are also available for viewing at Preserving The Divine Institution of Marriage.

Video Response to "I'm sick and tired of the intolerance and bigotry of religious people": (I had an anonymous person comment on this on a past blog.)


LDS Church Broadcast about Proposition 8 to California Church Members:


More information available at: Preserving Marriage OR Protect Marriage

A Belated Caveat

After a few people have commented on the Pacific Science Center post from a few days ago, I realized the need to mention that I was being extrememly sarcastic in said post. Just so you know, Evan is a wonderful guy who MORE OFTEN THAN NOT does what I want to do. Just today, he came over to spend time at my family's house and just sat there listening (and helping) for 2 hours while my nephew tried to finish up his scout book to go to the next level. He does SO many things for me that he doesn't have to do, but does because he loves me.

On the Saturday in question, I WANTED to go rock climbing with Evan. I was not just tagging along for the ride. However, because of inclement weather in Western Washington, we were going to have to drive to Eastern Washington to climb. By the time I got to Evan's, it basically left us little time to drive over and start climbing. We wouldn't have got to Eastern Washington until later in the day leaving us hardly any time to climb before it got dark and we'd have to drive home. THUS, the problem.

Just wanted to clarify, because of so many comments. Evan is great, and I shouldn't be so sarcastic. :)

The Pacific Science Center

(CAVEAT: After a few people have commented on this particular post, I feel the need to mention that I was being extrememly sarcastic in this post. Evan is a wonderful guy who MORE OFTEN THAN NOT does what I want to do. I WANTED to go rock climbing with Evan on Saturday, but because of weather, we were going to have to drive to Eastern Washington. If we would have left later in the morning, we wouldn't have got to Eastern Washington until later in the day leaving us hardly any time to climb before it got dark and we'd have to drive home. THUS, the problem. Read on...)

I am an imperfect person. Yesterday, and in fact EVERYDAY, stands proof of that fact. Thank goodness Evan puts up with me (and I him) even when things don't go as planned.



For the second Saturday in a row, I ruined what could have been a perfectly good Saturday to go climbing. Last week, I planned a hike that didn't work out so well, mostly due to poor planning on my part. This week, we had made plans to go climbing and I took 1 1/2 hours too long to go over to Evan's house. Truth be told, we still could have left to go climbing at 9:30 in the morning, but Evan doesn't like doing things halfway. He said we wouldn't have time to climb today and we needed to make other arrangements. Well, I decided that we would go to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. I hadn't been there in years and thought it would be fun to explore and perhaps even see an IMAX movie there as well.



Evan wasn't quite as stoked on the idea (mostly because climbing season is winding down and we missed ANOTHER perfect day to climb... SORRY EVAN!), but we ended up having fun. I'm pretty sure we were one of the ONLY couples there that didn't have kids with us, though! :) We were able to go through the butterfly house, see huge dinosaur recreations, we got our eyes/hearing checked, we got to play tic-tac-toe with a HUGE (cheating) computer, find out how a differential on a car works, and much, much more. We spent a lot of time laughing and messing around. So, even though I was a lame girlfriend the past two Saturdays, I can still plan alternate, fun activities that make both of us laugh. :)

Divorce and Broken Families

Last week, I gave progress reports to all of my students since it's nearing the end of the 1st quarter. The students were required to bring the progress report back signed by their parents for 10 easy points. All eight students who are failing my German class just happened to not bring the progress report back. I decided that I should call and inform these parents of their child's failing grade. As I looked through school records to track down parent information, a sad realization occurred.

I found that out of those students all but one came from a broken or divorced family. Curiously, I clicked on other students in my classes to see what the rate of divorce was. I couldn't believe how many of my students had two separate families (divorced parents) or a one-parent family! I know that at both schools I taught at in Hawaii these numbers were also fairly high, so I think it's safe to assume that it's not just Washington state or my school that has such high rates of divorce or separation. In fact, I found the following information of a study done in 2005 at the National Center for Health Statistics:
*Number of marriages: 2,230,000
*Marriage rate: 7.5 per 1,000 total population
*Divorce rate: 3.6 per 1,000 population (46 reporting States and D.C.)
That means that in 2005, there were half as many divorces as their were marriages!



This realization saddened me greatly. If you've lived in a broken home, you know that these situations cause so much emotional turmoil. It causes problems for everyone involved. For those people in broken families, my heart goes out to you!
What is the cause for such high rates of broken families in our society? I truly think that Satan is working hard on our society any way he can. He knows that if he rips apart the family (the fundemental unit of society), he can begin ripping apart our societies person by person, family by family. He wants negativity to enter our lives. He wants us to be unhappy, critical of others, and unloving towards our family. He seeks to estrange families and friends. We cannot let him win! We know that families should provide some sort of security to a person. Families should be stable. And when they are not, problems begin to occur in the lives of family members.

As David O. McKay said, "No success can compensate for failure in the
home."



I know that there are many reasons for divorce. I've had many friends and friends' parents get divorced. Among those who got divorced and remarried thinking the grass was greener on the other side, several have admitted that they wished they would have remained with their original spouse. Many of these people realized after the first divorce and second marriage that they should have stuck it out with the first marriage (specifically when kids are involved). These people realized the hard way that every relationship has problems. You just have to take the time and initiative to work on those problems. Marriage is not easy, but it can provide great comfort and blessings to those willing to selflessly work at it.



My hope is that I won't be a negative statistic. I hope that I will be willing to stick it out no matter what comes my way. I know that if I make decisions with Heavenly Father, He will provide me strength to have a positive marriage and a positive family.

"Another Way to Die" Video

For those of you who don't know, I'm a HUGE James Bond fan. Maybe the fascination with Bond, spies, guns, and action started when I was only in diapers, watching James Bond with my older siblings (who probably shouldn't have been watching it with their younger sis around anyway). Who's to say? This topic of my interest in James Bond and the dialectical tension that goes on in my brain in choosing films I love over moral issues has been one I have yet to reconcile.

Yet I digress... This evening, a United Artist email about the upcoming Bond film sparked a realization that I have yet to hear the new James Bond theme song. After a little search, I came up with the following video. I'd like to take this time to mention that Alicia Keys' talent always blows me away. Her voice is amazing and the fact that she went to the Juilliard School of Music for her piano talent shows you what a true musician she is. If you're interested, here's the new song and new video for the upcoming James Bond movie.



If you're interested in the actual movie trailer, you will find it below. Enjoy!

Kingly Selflessness

New blog post at Sarah's Scripture Study: Kingly Selflessness

Prop 8 Video

I saw the following video on a friends' blog today. It highlights a serious implication of prop 8. It's interesting how these school teachers will allow certain morality discussions in school, but not actual religious discussions. I have atheistic friends who wouldn't want God and religion discussed in school. Similarly, I don't think it's appropriate for school teachers to choose how/when a child is taught about homosexuality. It's up to the PARENTS to decide!

Weekend Adventures

The last few days have seemed pretty busy for Evan and I. Yesterday, after finishing with my teacher in-service day, Evan and I went to run a bunch of errands like get dings in our windshields repaired and find out how much it's going to cost me to get two quarter-sized rust spots on my 4 YEAR OLD CAR fixed near my windshield (it's going to be $1,300!!! Yes, I am freaking out), and go to Target to get Halloween candy for my students.

It made me so happy when we were finished with all of our errands that Evan was sweet enough to go to my grandma's with me. We were so close to her house that I thought we should stop by. I LOVE my grandma. She will be 89 years old next month, but she's still sharp as a tack. I love being able to speak German with her and hearing her stories about life in Germany or life in California when she lived in a church. She has so many stories! Evan enjoyed hearing her stories too. We were talking about them all day today.

(Oma and I: This picture was taken in '06 in my favorite place in the world - Schloss Nymphenburg, Munich)


Anyway, it was really fun to go visit. We picked apples out of her two apple trees for her and we helped her make dinner. Evan and I both had a lot of fun. I'm glad that Evan and grandma got to know each other a little bit better! For reasons I don't have time to relate, she now thinks that Evan is a genius. :) Coming from someone as intelligent as Grandma, that means a lot!

After Grandma's, we were able to fit in the episode of "The Office" we missed on Thursday. Too bad it had to be dirty (with Meredith's sleeping around thing). It was funny, but not as good as usual.

Today, Evan and I went on a hike in the North Bend area. Sadly, because I slacked on planning, we didn't get to go on a better hike. But, we still had fun! After the hike, I bought my first pair of mountaineering boots that I hope to use in the future to climb Mt. Rainier. I got such a good deal on them! They were $220 off the regular price. I'm so stoked! Afterwards, we spent some time with Evan's 2nd parents. All in all a good day.

Here are a few pictures from the hike. I had a feeling this morning as I was getting ready to leave that I should charge my battery. Of course I didn't, and of course it died before any pictures could be taken that included me. C'est la vie!

(Evan has a slight beard after not shaving for 2 weeks. I told him that if he doesn't have to shave, then I don't either (my legs, I mean)!)

The Dread of Long Hair

(Exhibit A: Recent picture of my hair... it's longer in person AND stretches out another 6 inches when pulled straight.)

Even as a small child, I remember seeing Crystal Gail on the television with hair down to her ankles. I knew what I wanted. I wanted LONG hair. The kind people would be jealous of (and most likely gauk at). I knew that my hair, too, could be as long and flowing as Crystal's. I wanted it. I yearned for it. But, I was too young to tame my mane of soft, flowing curls. I knew nothing about hair care or treatment. Enter my mother.

One fateful Sunday when I was nine years old, in a fit of frustration, my mother chopped off my long hair. My mother was sick of trying to comb my hair while I cried. (I realize know my mother didn't know how to take care of curly hair more than I did when I was a child). In order to avoid being late to church, she simply stopped combing and started cutting. She chopped off my hair up to my chin thus avoiding the bird's nest that had gathered at the nape of my neck! Up to that point in my life, I had long, luscious locks. They were to be no more. Whether this was a wise or foolish choice on her part is all relative, but the outcome is not. She had shattered my childhood dream, but she had not shattered my hopes of again having long, beautiful hair. I decided for many years thereafter I WOULD always have long hair!

And I did. For 11 more years I did. Until I finally realized that I didn't HAVE to have long hair. I could cut it and enjoy having a new style. That hair cut of Christmas Break of '01 changed how I felt about my hair. With 20 plus inches gone, I felt like a new woman! Although many people had known me as the "long, curly-haired girl," I embraced this new change. I felt sassier, happier, and, boy, was hair maintenance easier!

(Exhibit B: My hair sassy and short... just the way I like it. Fall of '06)


Ever since then, I basically get my hair cut once every 1 1/2 to 2 years. I'll cut it short up to mid-neck length and then let it grow out for a year or so until I get sick of it and cut it again.

Fast forward to today. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'm growing my hair out to donate it to Locks of Love. Ironically enough, after deciding to grow my hair out, I now want to cut it more than I ever have in my life. It's like what Mugatu said in regards to hiring Derek in Zoolander, "It's like before I never really wanted anything from you. And now that I can't have you, I want you. It's funny how it switches like that."

Long hair has suddenly become incredibly hard to manage and to tame. I think my hair is still wrecked from a year of ocean, sun, and surfing in Hawaii. Either way, I'm really just praying I can find the patience to let my hair grow out just a little bit longer before I cut it. Since gray hair has creeped upon my head, I'm realizing that this will probably be the last time I can ever donate my hair. Hopefully I have the patience to do so, because I really would like short hair about now!

(Exhibit C: Visiting Kauai after the last time I cut my hair. AKA- The hair cut I WANT RIGHT NOW.)

Vote "YES" on Proposition 8

A friend emailed the following today. I felt it was important to share. Let me know what you think. If you're interested in finding out more, check out the Protect Marriage website.



What Happens if California's Marriage Protection Amendment (Prop 8) Fails?
By: Glen Greener

With Labor Day behind us and kids back in school, California voters are beginning to ask deeper questions about Proposition 8 and wondering what will happen if same-sex marriage is permanently legalized. The answers are unsettling. Consider these consequences if Prop 8 fails.

1. Children in public schools will have to be taught that same-sex marriage is just as good as traditional marriage . The California Education Code (§51890) already requires that health education classes instruct children about marriage. Therefore, unless Proposition 8 passes, children will be taught that marriage is a relation between any two adults regardless of gender. There will be serious clashes between the secular school system and the right of parents to teach their children their own values and beliefs.

2. It will lead to more government intrusion into private lives . A photographer in Albuquerque refused to photograph a lesbian couple's civil union ceremony. The New Mexico Human Rights Commission fined the photographer $6000 even though there were other photographers willing to accept the business. And this in a state where same-sex marriage is still illegal.

3. It will lead to speech monitors. An employee at the City of Oakland was threatened with termination for using the terms "natural family, marriage and family values" while discussing a public issue with co-workers. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal backed up the district court saying administrative efficiency in a government office is more important than free speech. Today it's municipal employees; tomorrow … who?

4. Anti-discrimination regulations will become more important than religious beliefs. In Vista, California, a lesbian couple sued a doctor who refused to perform a requested artificial insemination because of the doctor's religious beliefs. Although another doctor offered to do the procedure, the California Supreme Court held unanimously that the "1 st Amendment's right to the free exercise of religion does not exempt defendant physicians here from conforming their conduct to the … antidiscrimination requirements." An elective procedure, no emergency involved, another doctor willing to do the procedure. Anti-bias laws will outweigh religion.

5. Churches will be sued over their tax-exempt status if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies in their religious buildings open to the public. While pastors, priests, ministers, bishops, and rabbis may not be forced to conduct such marriages themselves, they will be required to allow such marriages in their chapels and sanctuaries.

6. Religious adoption agencies will be challenged by government to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. Catholic Charities in Boston has already closed its doors because of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.



7. Religions that sponsor private schools with married-student housing will be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if counter to church doctrine, or risk lawsuits over tax exemptions and related benefits.

8. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages will be sued for hate speech and could be fined by the government. It has already happened in Canada, one of six countries that have legalized gay marriage. If a government agency such as the Alberta Human Rights Commission can stop a minister from teaching his church's doctrine about marriage, then it won't be long before everyone's free speech rights will be in jeopardy.

9. It will cost everyone more money. This change in the definition of marriage will bring a cascade of lawsuits, including some already decided adversely. Even if courts eventually find in favor of a defender of traditional marriage (highly improbable given today's activist judges), think of the money – your money, your church contributions – that will be spent on legal battles.
Think of a world where Human Rights Commissions – unelected bureaucrats with unfettered authority – are judge, jury, and executioner of anything they feel is antagonistic speech toward same-sex marriage and its practitioners.
Think of a world where the judicial system relegates long-held religious beliefs to second-class importance behind anti-bias laws and a newly discovered protected class of people.

Think of a world where the public school system is required to teach values and beliefs to your children that may conflict with your own.

Think of the very real threat to your parental rights, your free speech, your freedom of religion.

And think of all the unintended consequences that we cannot even foresee at this time. Where will it end?

It's your children, your grandchildren, your money, and your freedoms.

Lets work together to protect them.

Annie's 5th Birthday!

Wow, there are a million family and friends' birthdays this month. Today was my little smoney noney's (pronounced smah-knee nah-knee) birthday. I can't believe she turned five today! She's been my "favorite" baby for the past five years. I'm SO happy that she was born. When Annie was 1 1/2 years old, she had more personality than anyone I've ever known in my life. You can imagine how much more that personality has grown in recent years! She is so sassy and spunky! She definitely has her own mind about things and how she's going to do them. It can be hard, but it really is a good personality trait. My grandma says that children who can make up their own minds (which she's been doing since day one) and don't follow the crowd are geniuses. :)



I decided this year to start a tradition for my sister's kids' birthdays of giving cards and a gift certificate to a local bookstore. On the kids' birthdays, I take them to the bookstore to pick out a few books with their gift certificate. We play checkers at the bookstore, read books, and get to go get a treat. I think it's fun to have time with the kids one on one like that. It makes them feel special and happy!

Today, Annie picked out Horton Hears A Who. I've actually never read the book before, although I heard it was good. Annie and I had a fun time on our little outing today. I love you smoney noney! Thanks for being so sweet and spunky! (From the pictures you can't quite tell, but we're hair twins, just reverse hair color. When I take her out with me, most people think she's my child based on the curly hair, green eyes, and sparkling personality!)



Below is a picture of my sister and my other baby, Emma. She is SO precious! She's been working on walking the past couple of weeks. By her first birthday (in 13 days), she'll be full on walking!

Writing Blesses Others

New Blog Post at Sarah's Scripture Study: Writing Blesses Others

Thoughts on General Conference

As I was listening to the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints today, I was overwhelmed with the love I feel towards the God who has provided us with His wonderful church. I know that this church is true. I know that those prophets, apostles, and general authority that bore testimony today did so out of love and gratitude for the same gift I have. They are God's leaders He has chosen for His church during this time.

I've waited for weeks to hear their words. I'm so glad for the uplifting messages I've been able to hear. I'm grateful for the answers to prayers that God has provided for me. I know that I will live a better, happier life if I abide by the principles set out in today's conference session. If you didn't get to hear conference today, you can do so here.

I enjoyed all of the talks today. Here are a few that stood out to me. First, President Monson. I know that he is a prophet. I loved the fact that he introduced conference today by speaking first in the morning session. He loves us, he wants the best for us, he is praying for us. He is God's prophet on the earth today. I'm so thankful for that knowledge.



Secondly, I appreciated the openness and candor of the real-life experiences from Elder Joseph Wirthlin's life shared during his talk. I truly want to abide by the principles of when the going gets tough, just laugh! I've been thinking about that concept lately and it was something I really needed to hear.



The next talk that comes to mind is Lawrence Coburn (can't quite remember the last name) whose knowledge and use of the scriptures in his talk astounded me. He obviously studies the scriptures and used them to support his testimony througout his entire talk. I loved his fervor and ZEAL for the gospel and for the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ. His passion for Jesus Christ was evident in every word he spoke. I only hope that I can live my life closer to Jesus Christ as a result of his talk.

And last, but certainly not least, I loved Elder Bednar's talk.



Elder Bednar has meant so much to me over the past eight and a half years. He is the reason I went to BYU-Idaho (long story that involves meeting him and me telling him I was going to BYU not RICKS COLLEGE). I have spoken and met with him in various capacities over the years through leadership at BYU-Idaho, because of my exceptional academic standing, as well as during MANY FHE meetings throughout my time there. I love his testimony. I love when he speaks. I have learned so much from him during devotional talks and meetings over the years. Before he was called to be an apostle, I had a spiritual prompting that he was going to be called and I was fortunate enough to actually be 20 feet away in the conference center when he was announced as an apostle. I feel very fortunate to have had these experiences and this witness that he is an apostle chosen by God to serve us during this time.



His talk today about prayer was presented in a unique way. God prepared the world spiritually before he created it physically. Elder Bednar likened this idea to us, saying that we, too, need to prepare ourselves spiritually before we can go out and create our day. I loved that principle. It shows us that even God prepared and took time to research and think every aspect out! (Boy, am I grateful! If he didn't work out the kinks spiritually before he created us physicaly, some of us could have 3 eyes and 4 noses.) It is important for us to remember this principle and that even God did his homework. How much more must we take time to prepare spiritually for what lies ahead of us!

Additionally, Elder Bednar talked about connecting our prayers from morning to night. Make them meaningful and show our gratitude. These are basic principles, but presented in a new light brought this epiphany to my soul. I know that when I am close to my Heavenly Father through prayer and love, I am happier and kinder towards those around me. I'm so grateful for this knowledge and opportunity I have to improve myself and my life!

Snorkeling in Turtle Bay

(Above picture from a different bay and different time snorkeling... as you can see, we BOTH got our sandals stolen! Sad day.)

A few months ago Evan bought an underwater digital camera (the NICEST out there). We used it to do videos of snorkeling. I FINALLY got them off his computer last night and thought I'd upload a few from a snorkeling adventure in Turtle Bay. Honestly, this was THE best place to go snorkeling (and my favorite surf spot too!). It was the most fun I've ever had snorkeling. I saw so many different kinds of fish and so many sea turtles. It was awesome! We went snorkeling for so long just because we both were having so much fun scouring the bay for sea creatures. These videos were taken in the end of May.