Saturday, December 5, 2009

For Thanksgiving, I got the opportunity to play some tackle football. I haven't suitted up in pads since 2002, so strapping on the protective gear was reminesent for me and scary for Katie. I loved it.






After we put away the football and shortly after the turkey was nestled comfortably in our tummies, Katie and I packed up our first apartment and headed back to good ole' Spanish Fork. It was a bitter/sweet move. Here are some preliminary pictures of our new place:


Spare Room (soon to be baby room!)


Kitchen (yep that's carpet)


Living Room


Bedroom


Den


Jake-Happy :)


Katie-Sad :(

As you can see, me and Katie experienced different emotions with moving. Katie was sad to leave the comfort of having the Brysons so near. It was great to live near them and Katie still misses Amber. I'm getting tired of watching our own movies, but excited to save a little money (and the extra space is great!).

The first night in the mortuary was a tough one, but we're getting used to it and we've even decorated for Christmas. Everytime we walk in our door, we're welcomed with the warming smell of pine and the glimmering lights from three different Christmas trees. We just need snow now.

We're on day 4 of our 15 day emprisonment in our own apartment. We had to get all our Christmas shopping done today because we didn't know if we would able to get it done with finals coming up and our commitment to be home from 5 pm to 9 am everyday through the 18th. The upside is that we'll be free from the 18th through the holidays up to our anniversary on the 3rd.


Life is great.


(This bowl of Rocky Road is amazing!)

Monday, November 23, 2009

We're having a baby { and it's a ... }


If you didn't already know, we're having a baby and it's a girl.


April 29, 2010



Monday, November 9, 2009

Our happy relationship :)

                So I thought I should take a turn and do some blogging for the second time in my life, haha :) I just wanted to talk a little about what has made our marriage so happy and enjoyable so far...First off my husband is so affectionate and I absolutally love it!!! It really shows me how much he loves and cares about me. So give your spouse some love and attention today if you have not already! Secondly, we have found how much each of us likes surprises, it could be a special breakfast, a sweet note, a little present, flowers, just any act of service will do. So go do an act of service and see how much more your spouse will love you. Thirdly,  doing things together is the best!!! We love going to movies, playing games, going to the temple, hiking and doing other athletic things or just sitting around and talking to each other. So, go and do something together, it makes you that much stronger as a couple.
                  Those are just a few of the ways that we have found helps build our marriage stronger and makes us so much happier and in love as a couple. I am so blessed to have Jake in my life and I am excited to go through life together side by side :)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

2009 Turkey Bowl


I think I'm in over my head. I started planning turkey Bowls three years ago. Last year we had a good turn out of about 100 people. This year looks to be bigger. Maybe.

I'm secretly very excited.

We're thinking of two divisions. Possibly 3 if there are enough girls that wanna play. So far I've heard from 2 that want to. That would make for a small game.

If you wanna play in the Turkey Bowl let me know.

Peace.

If you're interested in check out The Father Factor.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

NEWS!!!

Check it Out!!

www.thefatherfactors.blogspot.com

Monday, October 12, 2009

I'm a New Uncle...of a Snake!




We all went to my parents house this Saturday to celebrate my mom's birthday. As it turns out, my little brother Josh, bought a 6-foot Boa Constrictor. Why? Ask him. I don't know. The life expectancy of a snake (according to Josh) is 20 years. Therefore, unless he gets bored of the snake and decides to sell it, we've got a snake in the family.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Awful Monsters


My class has been working on 2 Nephi 9 this week. I've always read verse 10 thinking that the awful monsters spoken of are physical death and hell. Through my class discussions, I've come to realize that this death is not physical death because the real sting of death comes from sin. The death that Jacob is talking about (and it's apparent to me now) is spiritual death or alienation from God. Jacob mentions in this chapter that temporal death is just another step in the plan of salvation (v. 6). Just thought I'd share!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Seminary Starts in a Week!!

It’s crazy how fast the summer has flown

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Stretching Hurts

I recently taught a class based out of 1 Nephi 20-22 to a bunch of seminary teachers and I was surprised at the amount of love the Lord demonstrates in these few Isaiah chapters. I'd like to share a few of the main points.

1 Nephi 20:10 "For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."

Cross reference

Doctrine & Covenants 95:1 "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you--"


Flip over to 1 Nephi 21:14. Israel was going through many afflictions and felt like they had been forgotten. "But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me--but he will show that he hath not."

v. 15 "For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion o nthe son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel."

v. 16 "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands..."

After the Nephites were required to abruptly leave their home, friends, and everything that was ever familiar to them, wandered in the dessert for 8 years, beaten, and endured many unspeakable hardships only to arrive in a land where they now had to live out the rest of their days alone, the Lord tells them that He is shaping them. He is leading them. Most importantly, He loves them. The same is true for us. The Lord loves us. I know He does.

In the latter verses of 1 Nephi 22 Isaiah compares the punishments of the wicked to the promises to the righteous and says, "If ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day."

Boyd K. Packer said,"Happily Ever After is never written into the second act." We are in that second act here in mortality. Endure. Your salvation awaits. The Lord loves you. He is refining you throught the furnace of affliction. He invites, "Come ye near unto me." (1 Nephi 20:16) The Lord's message through to words of Isaiah to the Nephites and to us in the latter days is: I love you.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Having a Hard Time?

This touched me. We all have hard times. If we could all just help each other out... "...Lift where you stand..."

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Maple Mountain High School

I just found out that I have been transferred to the new high school in Spanish Fork. Maple Mountain High School. The seminary building won't be finished until August, so Katie and I will have to have an all-day room decorating party! We're both really excited.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Recent Events

It takes a lot to get out the camera and download the pictures onto the computer. It only happens every so often. Here's a sample from the latest events.

Camping. Cooking Breakfast.
Our wonderful tent and campsite. Men doing manly things.

Katie's got a gun.
Watch out!
Our normal faces.
Silly Faces.
Two Beautiful Girls. Katie. Olive.
Pigeon Toes Prom. Real Pretty.
(Sigh) Young and Innocent. Good Looking.
Y hike? (Get it? We hiked the Y!!) hahah. lame.

We're on top of the mountain looking down on the valley.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Things I am thankful for...

I realized today how much I have to be thankful for. And so I wanted to write it down...here I go...I am thankful for my loving husband, for the blessings of the gosple in my life, for an amazing family (on both sides), for the beautiful world that we live in, for the opportunity to get an education(even if it is expensive!), for a job, for a strong, healthy body, for friends near and far, for our little apartment, for good food to eat, for holy temples, for a free country, for missionaries, for a television, for good books to read, for the beauty of nature, for music, I am thankful for my Savior, for the scriptures, for the blessing of having a living prophet to lead us, for a car that works :), for the internet, for my two little fish, for my wonderful parents, for movies, for sugar (even though its bad for me, ha ha), for the patience that Jake has for me, for my trials cause it makes me stronger, for the ability to cry, for the opportunity and ability to play sports, for the plan of salvation, for the mountains that surround this valley, for joy that comes from knowing who I am, I am thankful for the different seasons of the year, for games (yeah for Ticket to Ride!), for people that make me a better person, for the Institute program, for having enough money, for the way Jake makes me feel, for little kids, for people that have happy, positive attitudes, for the bright yellow dishes in my cupboard :), for the blessing of having the priesthood in my life, for my grandparents and extended family, for beautiful flowers, for having the most wonderful man in the world as my husband, for Sundays, for artwork, for having a loving Heavenly Father, for the promise of children to come someday, for living here in Utah, for being raised in the church, I am thankful for inspirational individuals, for the men and women in the armed forces, for the past and for the lessons I have learned, for the Holy Ghost to guide me, for my senses, for the memories that I have, for the blessings the Lord has given me, for hard times, for the happiness I feel when I am with the ones I love, for a beautiful ring on my finger, for technology, for all the examples in my life, for planes that can go to far away places, for yummy desserts, for sleep, for all the things in my life that make it good, I am thankful MOST of all for the Lord blessing me with a companion that I can be with forever-I love you Jake.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

*. I'm Teaching Seminary!!! .*

I found out yesterday (April 22) that I am going to teach seminary next year. This comes after taking the REL 370 class where a handful of students were asked to come back and take the next class REL 471. Everybody in the REL 471 class was an amazing teacher who was trained and prepared to teach the gospel to the youth. We were informed that only 4 out of the 20 students (in REL 471) would be invited and given a spot to student teach next year. The statistics were against me. In fact, we were also told the because of the churches hiring freeze, very few teachers would actually be hired to teach full time. There's not a lot of turn-over in seminary teaching, so the only reasons why spots would open up are if a teacher retired (fat chance in this economy), if a teacher got sick and wasn't able to teach, or with the opening of new schools. I had prepared myself to accept the Lord's will whatever it may be and was very surprised when I got the call inviting me to accept a position at UCAS - Utah County Academy of Sciences. This is not a full time position, mind you, and I only have a job for the fall semester. After that (and from my understanding), I will be either invited to teach for another semester or thanked for my participation and asked to move on with my life. After two semesters of teaching, I will be offered a full-time teaching position or again, thanked and asked to move on. The statistics are still against me but I've come to the realization (or the faith) that if the Lord wants me to be a seminary teacher then I will be. If not, then He has something for me to learn in the next few months. All I know for sure is that the Lord is opening a door for me and I am going to walk through it. I'm excited for this new adventure. I would love to spend the rest of my life teaching the youth the gospel. It would be a dream come true.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

*. The Maughan Shack .*


"No other success can compensate for failure in the home. ...The poorest shack... in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles. ... Pure hearts in a pure home are always in whispering distance of Heaven."
--David O. McKay

Friday, April 10, 2009

*. What does "Easter" mean? .*

Last night I couldn't sleep. I had some things on my mind and so I pulled out my journal and began to free write. My mind went a million miles an hour and my pen struggled to keep up, so I began to draw instead of writing. I drew a whip, a crown of thorns, and a wooden cross. I was thinking of today - 1,976 years ago. The day that Christ would be judged by an earthly tribune and sentenced to a most brutal and trialing death. My pen wrote the word "Easter" next to the cross, then I drew a slash and wrote Atonement. I began to think of the betrayal of God's Only Begotten Son and the pain that he must have felt from loosing a friend.
My mind reverted back to the Atonement and I wondered what Christ felt as my image or my name passed through his mind. I remembered these words from the song, "This is the Christ":

I read his words, the words he prayed while bearing sorrow in Gethsemane. I feel his love, the price he paid. How many drops of blood were spilled for me? With saints of old in joyful cry, I, too, can testify, “This is the Christ!”

Then I wrote the word "Easter" on my page and wondered where the name came from. I understood the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but I had no idea where the name "Easter" came from. So I googled it and got this response (ironically from ChaCha.com):

The name "easter" comes from the ancient German goddess Ostara "The Teutonic Goddess of Spring" (called Eostre in Anglo-Saxon).

After more online research, this answer was confirmed. So there it is. The day of Christ's resurrection got it's name from a German goddess and the world has turned the day into a celebration of the death of winter and the beginning of spring and summer. We know better. We know that we are not celebrating the death of anything. Yes, we are grateful and ever indebted to the Messiah for "suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind" ( Alma 7:11) and we know that "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:5) But we do not celebrate the Saviors death. We celebrate the Saviors life and ressurrection. That is why we don't have the cross as a religious symbol. We celebrate the emtpy tomb because it means that "He is not here, but is risen!" (Luke 24:3-6). Christ triumphed over death making it possible for us to do the same. Our atoning brother bridged the gap between life and death and gives all the free gift of immortality and offers eternal life as a conditional gift. What a glorious and exciting week! I would encourage everyone to take some time and remember what happend on this weekend 1,976 years ago. I love the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon:

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him.” (D&C 76: 22-23)

Ezra Taft Benson gave said:

As one of His latter-day witnesses, I testify that He lives today. He is a resurrected Being. He is our Savior, our Lord, the very Son of God. I testify that He will come again as our glorified, resurrected Lord. That day is not far distant. To all who accept Him as Savior and Lord, His literal resurrection means that life does not end at death, for He promised: “Because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19)

Christ lives again. That is what we celebrate. That is what Easter is all about.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

*. A Tribute to Thomas S. Monson .*

For most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thomas S. Monson has been a role model, a hero and (undoubtedly) a prophet, seer and revelator. I came across these photos today and wanted to share. This is a photo tribute to the Prophet of the Lord.