I have put off writing this post for quite some time because I didn't know how to do it. I still don't think I do but I feel strongly that it is the right time to share it.
On Tuesday April 8, 2014, Jay and I found out that we were expecting our first child. We were thrilled! Since Jay had cancer when he was younger we were worried about possible infertility issues. We were so excited to begin the process of growing our eternal family. We talked about baby names and day dreamed about all the fun things we would get to do with our sweet little baby. We even joked about me going into labor during student teaching or at our final concert. As we anxiously waited for the first appointment I finished my on campus college classes. I went on tour with my choir and Jay started another semester of school and work. I came home and began working on campus with various musical classes. Everything was perfect.
On Friday May 16, 2014, Jay and I anxiously drove to our first doctor's appointment. There were obviously some mixed feelings of anxiety and exhilaration...we were finally going to see the first images of our sweet baby! As they began the ultrasound process I knew something wasn't right. Instead of a precious living baby there was nothing. The screen was blank. The technician's bubbly attitude quickly became somber as she searched for a sign of life. She tried to remain calm as she asked me if I had been having any weird symptoms. I responded that everything seemed pretty normal according to what I had read. She then turned off the machine and told us that according to the measurements our baby had stopped developing almost 3 weeks previous. We had had a miscarriage.
I was stunned. Absolutely stunned. My body physically couldn't react. Instead of crying I just resorted to a callous sort of humor about the whole situation. I just couldn't face the reality that a life that was there one second could be gone the next.
The following weeks and months were incredibly difficult. Many mornings were spent weeping over the scriptures and pleading with my Heavenly Father for comfort and understanding. I had a testimony that it must be a part of a bigger plan but it was hard to see exactly how this part of the plan was going to help me. I was obeying the commandment to raise a family. I was doing all the right things. Why did this have to happen?
..............................................
December 16. Today is the due date of our first little baby.
A day that used to hold such joy and excitement for our family now causes me to pause and reflect on the Plan of Salvation and the love that the Lord has for my family and I. I still don't understand why this happened and I am not sure I ever will, but I can tell you some things I do know. I know that God loves his children. I know that God lives and I know that I will someday be able to hold my sweet baby again. I anxiously await that day and treasure the small amount of time we had together in this life.
Although each day and question such as "How many children do you have?" or "Aren't you so excited for your first baby?" still causes my heart to ache I have found peace through my Savior Jesus Christ: his birth, ministry, atonement, and resurrection. No matter your trial, I pray that you too can find this peace that penetrates the soul and calms the spirit, especially during this Christmas season.
You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy
when skies are gray.
You'll never know dear
how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.
We love you Baby Valle!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Book Review - Let it Go
Let It Go - Chris Williams
This book, although not book of literary genius, is an incredible story about a father's desire to forgive after a drunk driving accident killed his wife, unborn child, only daughter, and second oldest son. [See an abridged version of the story in the video above.] This book had me crying for at least two chapters and then pondering and teary throughout the rest. This book has an inspiring message of trust in the Lord and will touch your heart. I found myself pondering some incredibly deep questions about life. I highly recommend this fast read for anyone looking for a sense of hope or encouragement during the trials of life.
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Monday, June 16, 2014
Book Reviews
About a week ago our WiFi was out for a week at our apartment. With less access to the internet I found myself with loads of extra time to read books. Here are brief reviews for each of the books I've read in the last two weeks.
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A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis
If you have ever experienced doubts, loss, or heartache this is the book for you. C.S. Lewis has a beautiful way with words. His thoughts are quite candid as he explores his feelings after the death of his beloved wife. Amidst this trial he comments on his feelings, doubts, and sense of faith. These eloquent words bring comfort through their fierce honesty.
How Will You Measure Your Life? - Clayton M. Christensen
This book explores the true meaning of success in business and personal relationships. It is chalked full of real life examples from the business world featuring the theories that lead to lasting success. I found the book to be a little too business-oriented for my taste but I did find some incredible parallels to my life. This book will make you evaluate who you are and how you view success which is a powerful idea in the culture of today.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
I am not sure that I really even need to touch on the brilliance of this book, but I will. I am not sure why I never read the first few in this series but I guess I did not fully realize what I was missing. We all know the book is always better than the movie but reading this book helped me to re-live my childhood. As I had just seen the movie a few weeks previous to reading this it was a fascinating adventure to compare the two. If you haven't read this book, please do.
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The Rent Collector - Camron Wright
This book came as a suggestion from my mom and it combines the elements of the three books above that I enjoyed most. This book has an exciting story line that is engaging throughout the entire read. This book, set in community that lives in the dumps of Cambodia, makes you think about the way you live your life. It makes you evaluate what is truly important in life and how the past can affect your future. This book also offers a beautiful promise of hope and optimism despite trying times. It is an incredibly quick read and it based on real history and communities. I highly recommend this book.
Feel free to leave recommendations for further books I should read in the comments. Next on the docket are: Peace Like a River, The Fault in Our Stars, and Let It Go.
A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis
If you have ever experienced doubts, loss, or heartache this is the book for you. C.S. Lewis has a beautiful way with words. His thoughts are quite candid as he explores his feelings after the death of his beloved wife. Amidst this trial he comments on his feelings, doubts, and sense of faith. These eloquent words bring comfort through their fierce honesty.
How Will You Measure Your Life? - Clayton M. Christensen
This book explores the true meaning of success in business and personal relationships. It is chalked full of real life examples from the business world featuring the theories that lead to lasting success. I found the book to be a little too business-oriented for my taste but I did find some incredible parallels to my life. This book will make you evaluate who you are and how you view success which is a powerful idea in the culture of today.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
I am not sure that I really even need to touch on the brilliance of this book, but I will. I am not sure why I never read the first few in this series but I guess I did not fully realize what I was missing. We all know the book is always better than the movie but reading this book helped me to re-live my childhood. As I had just seen the movie a few weeks previous to reading this it was a fascinating adventure to compare the two. If you haven't read this book, please do.
The Rent Collector - Camron Wright
This book came as a suggestion from my mom and it combines the elements of the three books above that I enjoyed most. This book has an exciting story line that is engaging throughout the entire read. This book, set in community that lives in the dumps of Cambodia, makes you think about the way you live your life. It makes you evaluate what is truly important in life and how the past can affect your future. This book also offers a beautiful promise of hope and optimism despite trying times. It is an incredibly quick read and it based on real history and communities. I highly recommend this book.
Feel free to leave recommendations for further books I should read in the comments. Next on the docket are: Peace Like a River, The Fault in Our Stars, and Let It Go.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
three questions
We often here that there are three essential questions that everyone in the world ponders about at some point in their life.
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I from?
3. Where am I going?
As a Christian I feel that I have a firm testimony of each of these questions in the eternal perspective.
1. I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father.
2. I came from his presence to be tested here on this earth.
3. If I am righteous, I will someday be able to return to my Father's presence.
* Don't worry, I am not going to go all preachy and/or philosophical on you.
Anyways, currently I have been struggling with each of these questions in a more temporal manner. I am at a very transitional stage of my life and for some reason I am struggling with a few of these things.
1. Who am I?
I feel like this question is a constant struggle for many people in my age range. With all the masks we wear around the various people in our lives sometimes it becomes difficult to figure out who we really are and how to be true to that. More specifically in my life I am struggling with a unique facet of this concept...my voice. As a college senior majoring in vocal studies it would seem logical that I would already know about my voice and be able to classify and understand it. It should be signature and I should be able to sing quite well. In the last few weeks I have had some conflicting statements offered by teachers and respected individuals regarding manipulating my voice to be more truly "me." The problem is...I seem to have no idea what "me" is. Everything I try, I'm told, is not "me." This confusion combined with my personal masks and insecurities is definitely creating some confusion in my life.
One individual said something quite interesting though. She noted that I have been with my voice for the last almost 22 years so I know it better than anyone else. I have to stay true to me and not let other's versions of "me" affect my own version of myself.
DUH. Sometimes I feel like a get caught in a vortex of pleasing various sources and I never think about myself and living up to my potential. In my scripture study this morning I read this quote, "If your ultimate goal is to please Him, you will feel a deep inner peace." How inspiring! This is my new goal.
2. Where am I from?
Ok, this seems pretty self explanatory. I am the daughter of David and Donna Fitzen. I was born in Pocatello but claim Nampa, ID as my home. My struggle comes when I try to synthesize who I was, who I have been, who I am, and who I want to be. Wow, that sounds deep. It isn't really. I am trying to combine elements I like about my 12 year old self with characteristics of my 17 year old self, and now my 21 year old self. I guess I am just trying to be the best version of myself possible. Talk about an eternal quest. I just keep going back to the previous quote I shared. Hmmmm.
3. Where am I going?
This one seems to be the source all the other above concerns mentioned above. Although logically it is absurd, I feel that as a college graduate I should have more of my life put together than I do. I don't know where I will be working this summer. I don't know where I will be student teaching in the fall. I have no clue what I will be doing after that. I feel terrified to be a real grown up. Of course I am excited for many of the possibilities that life can afford me but there is so much uncertainty. I'm sure we've all been there, if we aren't continually in that position. I feel like my life for the past 17 years has been defined by school and my hobbies and accomplishments therein. I am interested to see how my life will change without the structure and definition I have had....Perhaps I will truly figure out the answer to question #1 and #2.
I know I want to keep learning. I want to learn how to paint using water-colors. I want to arrange more music. I want to learn to play guitar. I want to plant a garden.
Through it all the previous quote keeps coming to mind....
"When our only desire is to please Him we will find a deep inner peace."
1. Who am I?
2. Where am I from?
3. Where am I going?
As a Christian I feel that I have a firm testimony of each of these questions in the eternal perspective.
1. I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father.
2. I came from his presence to be tested here on this earth.
3. If I am righteous, I will someday be able to return to my Father's presence.
* Don't worry, I am not going to go all preachy and/or philosophical on you.
Anyways, currently I have been struggling with each of these questions in a more temporal manner. I am at a very transitional stage of my life and for some reason I am struggling with a few of these things.
1. Who am I?
I feel like this question is a constant struggle for many people in my age range. With all the masks we wear around the various people in our lives sometimes it becomes difficult to figure out who we really are and how to be true to that. More specifically in my life I am struggling with a unique facet of this concept...my voice. As a college senior majoring in vocal studies it would seem logical that I would already know about my voice and be able to classify and understand it. It should be signature and I should be able to sing quite well. In the last few weeks I have had some conflicting statements offered by teachers and respected individuals regarding manipulating my voice to be more truly "me." The problem is...I seem to have no idea what "me" is. Everything I try, I'm told, is not "me." This confusion combined with my personal masks and insecurities is definitely creating some confusion in my life.
One individual said something quite interesting though. She noted that I have been with my voice for the last almost 22 years so I know it better than anyone else. I have to stay true to me and not let other's versions of "me" affect my own version of myself.
DUH. Sometimes I feel like a get caught in a vortex of pleasing various sources and I never think about myself and living up to my potential. In my scripture study this morning I read this quote, "If your ultimate goal is to please Him, you will feel a deep inner peace." How inspiring! This is my new goal.
2. Where am I from?
Ok, this seems pretty self explanatory. I am the daughter of David and Donna Fitzen. I was born in Pocatello but claim Nampa, ID as my home. My struggle comes when I try to synthesize who I was, who I have been, who I am, and who I want to be. Wow, that sounds deep. It isn't really. I am trying to combine elements I like about my 12 year old self with characteristics of my 17 year old self, and now my 21 year old self. I guess I am just trying to be the best version of myself possible. Talk about an eternal quest. I just keep going back to the previous quote I shared. Hmmmm.
3. Where am I going?
This one seems to be the source all the other above concerns mentioned above. Although logically it is absurd, I feel that as a college graduate I should have more of my life put together than I do. I don't know where I will be working this summer. I don't know where I will be student teaching in the fall. I have no clue what I will be doing after that. I feel terrified to be a real grown up. Of course I am excited for many of the possibilities that life can afford me but there is so much uncertainty. I'm sure we've all been there, if we aren't continually in that position. I feel like my life for the past 17 years has been defined by school and my hobbies and accomplishments therein. I am interested to see how my life will change without the structure and definition I have had....Perhaps I will truly figure out the answer to question #1 and #2.
I know I want to keep learning. I want to learn how to paint using water-colors. I want to arrange more music. I want to learn to play guitar. I want to plant a garden.
Through it all the previous quote keeps coming to mind....
"When our only desire is to please Him we will find a deep inner peace."
Sunday, September 15, 2013
School.
Hello again.
Fall is my favorite season of the entire year: falling leaves, splendid colors, delicious smells, chilly weather, daylight savings, cozy scarves and sweaters, and the start of a new school year.
With a new school year approaching I find myself reflecting on the past and contemplating the future. My husband and I have already created a legitimate bucket list for this semester and I feel completely optimistic about our recreational plans for the coming months. School on the other hand it making me rather anxious. I start my senior year of college tomorrow...Say what? I still feel like a little kiddo. Although I feel completely grounded in my educational choices including my major, I in no way feel prepared to be a college graduate and an official music teacher. Fall semesters tend to be exciting and yet exceedingly challenging for me. There is something about the preceding five month break combined with a unique set of challenges that seems to always occur during this season. Although I welcome the challenge and thrive in the environment of learning here at BYU-Idaho, I can't help but be anxious for tomorrow...
September 16th will be a big day.
Despite my anxiety, I feel optimistic that this could be the best semester yet. There are so many wonderful things to look forward. My mantra for the upcoming week is:
Fall is my favorite season of the entire year: falling leaves, splendid colors, delicious smells, chilly weather, daylight savings, cozy scarves and sweaters, and the start of a new school year.
With a new school year approaching I find myself reflecting on the past and contemplating the future. My husband and I have already created a legitimate bucket list for this semester and I feel completely optimistic about our recreational plans for the coming months. School on the other hand it making me rather anxious. I start my senior year of college tomorrow...Say what? I still feel like a little kiddo. Although I feel completely grounded in my educational choices including my major, I in no way feel prepared to be a college graduate and an official music teacher. Fall semesters tend to be exciting and yet exceedingly challenging for me. There is something about the preceding five month break combined with a unique set of challenges that seems to always occur during this season. Although I welcome the challenge and thrive in the environment of learning here at BYU-Idaho, I can't help but be anxious for tomorrow...
September 16th will be a big day.
Despite my anxiety, I feel optimistic that this could be the best semester yet. There are so many wonderful things to look forward. My mantra for the upcoming week is:
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Valle Family Bucket List.
Jay and I's schedules rarely line up. He works in the early afternoon and I work nights. When our schedules do coincide or we have a day off we often lounge around eating bad food and watching netflix. We blame it on the fact that we can't think of any good ideas of things to do. So...we made this list of things we wanted to do. We still have about 18 days to finish it up but I thought I would write a little re-cap of the fun things we have done this summer!
Climb
R Mountain
Do
Yoga
Host
a Potluck
Have
a Bonfire
Go
Camping
Read
a Book
Rexburg
Rapids
Cook
Pork Perfectly
Make
Homemade Rosemary Bread
Take
a Nap Outside
Take
Pictures!
Make
a Video
Lose
7 Lbs.
Make
Crème Brulee
Stencil
Shirts
A few weeks ago we went into Idaho Falls for the evening. We went to the temple and did Initiatories. It was a tender and sacred experience for me that evening. The spirit in the temple is so strong. Afterwards we used an Olive Garden Gift card to go out to eat [Dress up and go out to eat]. The unlimited pasta bowl was to die for. They have a new sauce, Asiago Garlic Alfredo, that is amazing. Afterwards we went to DI and found some pretty sweet scores. We also went to Walmart. [Service Project] We saw a homeless man as we were entering so we decided to get him a bag of snacks: jerky, gum, water, granola bars, etc. Jay was so excited to do this. He has been wanting to do something like this for a while but just hasn't had the chance. We were grateful for the opportunity.
One morning Jay woke me up super early and made some hot cocoa. He then gathered some blankets and told me to come with him. We drove up on the hill of Rexburg, by the temple. From there we sipped hot cocoa, day dreamed, and watch the sun rise. It was a beautiful morning and we were able to reflect on the beauty of the world our kind Heavenly Father has created for us. We are very lucky.
We found some cheap essential oil at Walmart titled Rosemary Mint. MMM. And then we each took a shower. It was glorious. The oil heats up with the warm water and it smell divine and clears out your sinuses.
INSANITY...well we got through about a week and a half. Then we had to go home to Nampa for a little visit. It is hard to stay on an exercise plan while you are on vacation so we kinda dropped that, but we were progressively getting better and it felt really good. Hopefully we can get back on it once we get started into school and get a more fixed schedule.
Dance in the Moonlight. So romantic. So at the closing of the Madison County Fair they had a large fireworks display. A local told us that the best view would be from the top of the hill. As we began to drive to the top I remembered a hill on campus that we used to go sledding all the time in the winter. We found the hill and climbed to the top with our blankets in hand. We watched the mesmerizing fireworks display and then decided we could kill several birds with one stone. We got to star gaze for a while. Then we ran to the bottom of the hill, turned on some cheesy music on my phone, and danced in the moonlight. It was a blast. So sweet.
Along with helping the homeless man we plan on doing service as we volunteer as team leaders for Get Connected. Get Connected is a program at BYU-Idaho that connects new freshman to other new freshman and introduces them to all aspects of their new college life. I've always wanted to do it and I'm so excited for the opportunity to share all that I love about this campus. It's the best place on earth for me.
Ever since I bought Jay a SWEET recording mic for his birthday we have been trying to record a cover. We are finally making some headway and we recorded a good portion last night. We are not completely done but it's getting pretty legit. We are recording a slow piano version of La Roux's Bulletproof. Look out...it's gonna be good.
Rainbow Cake. What a fun adventure. We've seen millions of pictures of these babies so we thought we would make one of our own. When we completed it had SIX layers, tons of frosting, and loads of sprinkles. We invited some of our dear friends over to help us consume this monstrosity. It was actually pretty amazing and relatively healthy. Quick recipe for you: 1 box cake mix, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 cup water. That's it. You can make it into cake, cupcakes, whatever. It is incredibly most and cuts out a ton of the calories. MMM. After the cake we played Balderdash. If you don't know what it is you need to buy it immediately. It is one of the best games out there. Trust me.
Even though this is not on our bucket list I thought I would share that we went to the fair a couple weeks ago on dollar night. We rode the ferris wheel and some other ride and then shared a Reed's dairy ice cream. It was a blast. We both had to conquer some fears but it was such a simple, fun, beautiful night.
This summer has been blast.
To be continued...
(:
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Forgiveness.
Alright, now that you have watched that incredible video let me ramble for a minute.
Perhaps I am behind everyone else but I definitely just had this epiphany. Bear with me...
Just has the higher Lord forgave his servant our Heavenly Father forgives us. When He must practice justice we plead with him for His mercy. We beg forgiveness. If we ask with a sincere heart and are truly repentant, the Lord freely grants us the peace of forgiveness.
BUT...
Do we do the same? I can continually find things in my life offensive, frustrating, etc. Do I automatically forgive the individuals who, often unknowingly, "commit" these "transgressions"? In my pride I expect Heavenly Father to freely forgive me of all of my shortcomings, faults, and sins and yet I sometimes fail to do the same, especially when it comes to the little, minute details and interactions of life (which we all know don't matter anyways).
My goal for this next little while is to continue to come closer to my Savior and in so doing gain His spirit's constant influence. Through the spirit I hope to gain a glimpse of the love the Savior and our Heavenly Father feel for those I come in contact with, especially the customers at the gas station I work at. I think then I will be able to have a soft enough heart to freely forgive others, so that I deserve the forgiveness of my Heavenly Father that only comes through the sacrifice of my elder brother, Jesus Christ.
_________________________
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Happiness.
I've decided it might be easier (and more uplifting) to blog about more than just what occurs in my life, but to what makes me happy in each day.
Yesterday the things that made me happy include:
getting off work at 5.
slow dancing in the kitchen.
my husband.
whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.
mac and cheese from The Hickory.
visiting neighbors and delivering cookies for FHE.
having FHE in general.
clean house.
warm shower.
free Paradise doughnuts.
Dan in Real Life soundtrack.
new green Addidas running shoes.
my loving choir instructor!
Yesterday the things that made me happy include:
getting off work at 5.
slow dancing in the kitchen.
my husband.
whole wheat chocolate chip cookies.
mac and cheese from The Hickory.
visiting neighbors and delivering cookies for FHE.
having FHE in general.
clean house.
warm shower.
free Paradise doughnuts.
Dan in Real Life soundtrack.
new green Addidas running shoes.
my loving choir instructor!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
4th of July Weekend
Hey friends!
It's been a little while...but I thought I would update you on the excitement of this past week!
On the third of July, Jay's parents came up to visit! Yay! I love having family come visit. Anyways we got to visit and introduce them to our FAVORITE treat: Karie Ann's (gelato and shaved ice). nom nom nom. On the morning of the 4th we watched Jay march and drum in the Independence Day Parade. That was so fun! It was a cute small town parade. From there we got some Subway and headed to the hidden gem of Rexburg: Rexburg Rapids. This water park is sick. We had a blast racing down water slides, floating the lazy river, and doing handstand clapping competitions. Ha. Oh, good times. Then we had a wonderful BBQ. Jay and I made shish-kabobs with steak, potatoes, peppers, and onions. We had corn on the cob, watermelon, and our favorite Crystal Light (Strawberry, Orange, Banana). Then we had strawberry pretzel jello salad for dessert. MMM. We headed to Idaho Falls and after a late start caught part of the fireworks.
The next day I was off to work at Freshens at 6:30 a.m. Jay and his family met me at the end of my shift and we ate bagels and smoothies from my work for brunch.
On Saturday Jay and I and some good friends and neighbors got to participate in The Color Run. We ran our first 5K together in about 35 minutes. Pretty impressive considering we didn't train for more than about 2 days and we were being blasted with color chalk all the way through. It was the most fun I have had in awhile. We got free Kiwi Loco afterwards! Yum. But most of all I was just stoked that we had actually completed it. Completing a 5K has been on my bucket list for over a year. It was so fun and I can't wait to do another one. After showering I headed to work for 6 hours. Let's just say my legs are not happy with me today...oh well!
It's been a little while...but I thought I would update you on the excitement of this past week!
On the third of July, Jay's parents came up to visit! Yay! I love having family come visit. Anyways we got to visit and introduce them to our FAVORITE treat: Karie Ann's (gelato and shaved ice). nom nom nom. On the morning of the 4th we watched Jay march and drum in the Independence Day Parade. That was so fun! It was a cute small town parade. From there we got some Subway and headed to the hidden gem of Rexburg: Rexburg Rapids. This water park is sick. We had a blast racing down water slides, floating the lazy river, and doing handstand clapping competitions. Ha. Oh, good times. Then we had a wonderful BBQ. Jay and I made shish-kabobs with steak, potatoes, peppers, and onions. We had corn on the cob, watermelon, and our favorite Crystal Light (Strawberry, Orange, Banana). Then we had strawberry pretzel jello salad for dessert. MMM. We headed to Idaho Falls and after a late start caught part of the fireworks.
The next day I was off to work at Freshens at 6:30 a.m. Jay and his family met me at the end of my shift and we ate bagels and smoothies from my work for brunch.
On Saturday Jay and I and some good friends and neighbors got to participate in The Color Run. We ran our first 5K together in about 35 minutes. Pretty impressive considering we didn't train for more than about 2 days and we were being blasted with color chalk all the way through. It was the most fun I have had in awhile. We got free Kiwi Loco afterwards! Yum. But most of all I was just stoked that we had actually completed it. Completing a 5K has been on my bucket list for over a year. It was so fun and I can't wait to do another one. After showering I headed to work for 6 hours. Let's just say my legs are not happy with me today...oh well!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Our rockin' restaurant concept.
Imagine with me if you will...your favorite simple comfort foods revamped from normal to gourmet.
Jay and I always think about opening a restaurant even though we probably never will. We came up with a new idea today that we think could go over extremely well.
We are going to make gourmet smores.
We'll start with homemade graham crackers with a hint of cinnamon. Then we will cover that in legit dark chocolate. Then we will make homemade marshmallow creme with a hint of vanilla. On top of that will be a sweet and salty homemade caramel. MMMM.
Then we will serve gourmet cereal.
We will come up with a to-die-for whole grain no artificial sweetener cereal that has a balance of crunchy, salty, and sweet. Then we will cover that with layers of fresh berries, honey, and the finest goat or almond milk we can find. NOM NOM NOM.
And our last idea is gourmet grilled cheese.
We will start off with your choice of homemade artisan sourdough or rosemary bread. We will cover that with a light layer of homemade pesto mayonaise. Then we will combine three fine cheeses: gouda, brie, and provolone (for texture). Then we will toast that and offer a side of sun-dried tomatoes or marinara sauce. HOLY GOODNESS.
Well that's all we've got for now, but yeah. It's gonna be good!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Thank you.
It's been exactly four months and and nine days since one of the best days of my life.
On Decemeber 28, 2012 I married my very best friend, the one and only Jay Valle. We are so so happy. Even when our work shifts overlap or we have dinner at nine o'clock (or not at all) we love being together and figuring out the adventure of life as a couple. It's da bomb!
I'm here to report that we have finally finished our wedding thank you cards. But I can't help but think that these cards don't even serve to express a fraction of the gratitude we feel for all the family and friends that helped with our wedding in one way or another. Every time I finished a card I wanted to re-do it and express more of my gratitude. I just kept realizing how much everyone truly did for us to help with our special day and our life together.
So this is to you. If you helped with our wedding at all or you were there physically or spiritually...
Thank you.
First off, our wedding was beautiful. The decorations, flowers, cake, set up...everything was divine. It was exactly what I wanted...earthy, whimsical, romantic, fresh. I loved it. The refreshments looked incredible and tasted even better. Wow. The reception was filled with the people we loved the most. The dance was a blast! We honestly didn't want to leave because we were having WAY too much fun. The energy was tangible and the smiles and laughter were brilliant. The temple was sweet, touching, and full of true bliss. Honestly, we couldn't have done any of this without you. The photos, videos, and memories captured by all of you are priceless.
Thank you.
I am deeply touched by the love we felt at the temple, reception, and daily as we use the gifts we received. You are way too kind.
Thank you.
One last shout out to my mom specifically, we never could have done this without her. What a blessing she is! She is the real mastermind behind this beautiful event.
Thank you mom.
On Decemeber 28, 2012 I married my very best friend, the one and only Jay Valle. We are so so happy. Even when our work shifts overlap or we have dinner at nine o'clock (or not at all) we love being together and figuring out the adventure of life as a couple. It's da bomb!
I'm here to report that we have finally finished our wedding thank you cards. But I can't help but think that these cards don't even serve to express a fraction of the gratitude we feel for all the family and friends that helped with our wedding in one way or another. Every time I finished a card I wanted to re-do it and express more of my gratitude. I just kept realizing how much everyone truly did for us to help with our special day and our life together.
So this is to you. If you helped with our wedding at all or you were there physically or spiritually...
Thank you.
First off, our wedding was beautiful. The decorations, flowers, cake, set up...everything was divine. It was exactly what I wanted...earthy, whimsical, romantic, fresh. I loved it. The refreshments looked incredible and tasted even better. Wow. The reception was filled with the people we loved the most. The dance was a blast! We honestly didn't want to leave because we were having WAY too much fun. The energy was tangible and the smiles and laughter were brilliant. The temple was sweet, touching, and full of true bliss. Honestly, we couldn't have done any of this without you. The photos, videos, and memories captured by all of you are priceless.
Thank you.
I am deeply touched by the love we felt at the temple, reception, and daily as we use the gifts we received. You are way too kind.
Thank you.
One last shout out to my mom specifically, we never could have done this without her. What a blessing she is! She is the real mastermind behind this beautiful event.
Thank you mom.
Thank you, again. For everything.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
This.
In our world we have a problems. One of these problems is that we are constantly striving to be this. We don't exactly know that this is. We say we want to be this size or have this house/job/article of clothing/etc., but once we finally have obtained this, this is no longer good enough. We cannot quantify this, it is always changing.
On the other hand sometimes we get caught up in the quantifying of a certain this. Many of us, myself included, get hung up on the idea that this type of music, this school, this style of parenting, this religion, etc. is the best version of this and that no other version can compare. We tend to exclude and often criticize any other versions of our specific this.
Lately this obsession of our world's has been a tad bit frustrating. Why is it that we can't accept others? We stand and preach the idea of tolerance from every soap box available but then we find it almost impossible to implement for ourselves. Ug. Why is this so difficult for us as a race?
I took a class this last semester entitled Educational Psychology. It was a brilliant course. One concept I thoroughly enjoyed was the idea of "schema." Each person has grown up a certain way. Certain pathways, routines, and ideas become ingrained in the super highway of our brains. These are termed our "schema" or the way in which we see the world and the things in it. If we only use whole wheat flour to make our pancakes then that becomes ingrained and it is hard for us to understand how anyone would venture to use white flour (this is just a general example, no hidden meanings). One of the biggest challenges of this life is to overcome our schemas or to enlarge their capacities. In political correctness terms we call this being "open-minded" or "tolerant." Our goal should be to stick to our guns on what we firmly believe but not to the point that we exclude any other answers/ways of life/etc. from having any bit of truth.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we often recognize the important role of all Christian faiths in their effort to bring people closer to Christ, encourage service, promote scripture study, etc. We also recognize the efforts of other religions to cultivate Christ-like, although they may not be officially termed so, attributes in their followers. Many religions encourage self-reliance, preparedness, service, brotherly kindness, etc. We affirm the role of these religions in helping to establish peace. We recognize the truth that we do see! We should strive to do this with all areas of life. This may be your personal favorite pancake recipe, but their are thousands of others that could be equally good, or suit someone else's taste better. This type of music may be your favorite, but this one has catchy rhythms, this one has very technical elements, this one has a good dance beat, this one has a special place in someone's heart. Each of these has something unique and special to offer. Also, this school is in a wonderful area, this school has an incredible program, this school is close to home, this school has emotional and spiritual connections, this school offers good connections. Each of these schools has something good to offer. We cannot diminish that. Although something may not be your personal this we have to remember that it could be precious/valuable/good for/etc. someone else, and there is nothing, At All, wrong with that.
Get the point?
My goal is to strive to view others this way. Hopefully that will have a positive influence on those around me. We are all different for a reason. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone was a hipster, gangster, country boy/girl, etc? Yes. I believe so. We need variety and change. There can often be more than one way to be "right." Isn't that the best? We all have different strengths, needs, etc. that can help us to reach our own version of "right." Let's strive to recognize this and use it to bond us together and help us understand and Respect each other.
(:
On the other hand sometimes we get caught up in the quantifying of a certain this. Many of us, myself included, get hung up on the idea that this type of music, this school, this style of parenting, this religion, etc. is the best version of this and that no other version can compare. We tend to exclude and often criticize any other versions of our specific this.
Lately this obsession of our world's has been a tad bit frustrating. Why is it that we can't accept others? We stand and preach the idea of tolerance from every soap box available but then we find it almost impossible to implement for ourselves. Ug. Why is this so difficult for us as a race?
I took a class this last semester entitled Educational Psychology. It was a brilliant course. One concept I thoroughly enjoyed was the idea of "schema." Each person has grown up a certain way. Certain pathways, routines, and ideas become ingrained in the super highway of our brains. These are termed our "schema" or the way in which we see the world and the things in it. If we only use whole wheat flour to make our pancakes then that becomes ingrained and it is hard for us to understand how anyone would venture to use white flour (this is just a general example, no hidden meanings). One of the biggest challenges of this life is to overcome our schemas or to enlarge their capacities. In political correctness terms we call this being "open-minded" or "tolerant." Our goal should be to stick to our guns on what we firmly believe but not to the point that we exclude any other answers/ways of life/etc. from having any bit of truth.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we often recognize the important role of all Christian faiths in their effort to bring people closer to Christ, encourage service, promote scripture study, etc. We also recognize the efforts of other religions to cultivate Christ-like, although they may not be officially termed so, attributes in their followers. Many religions encourage self-reliance, preparedness, service, brotherly kindness, etc. We affirm the role of these religions in helping to establish peace. We recognize the truth that we do see! We should strive to do this with all areas of life. This may be your personal favorite pancake recipe, but their are thousands of others that could be equally good, or suit someone else's taste better. This type of music may be your favorite, but this one has catchy rhythms, this one has very technical elements, this one has a good dance beat, this one has a special place in someone's heart. Each of these has something unique and special to offer. Also, this school is in a wonderful area, this school has an incredible program, this school is close to home, this school has emotional and spiritual connections, this school offers good connections. Each of these schools has something good to offer. We cannot diminish that. Although something may not be your personal this we have to remember that it could be precious/valuable/good for/etc. someone else, and there is nothing, At All, wrong with that.
Get the point?
My goal is to strive to view others this way. Hopefully that will have a positive influence on those around me. We are all different for a reason. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone was a hipster, gangster, country boy/girl, etc? Yes. I believe so. We need variety and change. There can often be more than one way to be "right." Isn't that the best? We all have different strengths, needs, etc. that can help us to reach our own version of "right." Let's strive to recognize this and use it to bond us together and help us understand and Respect each other.
(:
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Stumbling.
"We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud, and we praise because with every small step, the child is becoming more like his parents."
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
It's ok to stumble
And it's fine to fall
If we only remember
To get up after it all.
Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely. My take-away from scripture study this morning was that the Lord still loves us when we stumble, because through stumbling we learn more easily what we need to do in order to become like our loving and dear Heavenly Father. And that is the ultimate goal...to become like and live with Him.
(:
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
It's ok to stumble
And it's fine to fall
If we only remember
To get up after it all.
Our Heavenly Father loves us infinitely. My take-away from scripture study this morning was that the Lord still loves us when we stumble, because through stumbling we learn more easily what we need to do in order to become like our loving and dear Heavenly Father. And that is the ultimate goal...to become like and live with Him.
(:
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Do you have room?
It's Easter time!
Each year I learn more about the real reason for this season. This year I have made it a priority to focus on the Savior and strive to understand his sacrifice more fully. I feel that I usually get sentimental and emotional for one moment and then the next all I'm thinking about it my Cadburry eggs and the ham and funeral potatoes in the oven. As good as those things are the thing that is truly important is the sacrifice of our elder brother and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. I have a few quick thoughts I have come to throughout my study of his life during this last week.
First, if you haven't read this talk by President Monson stop reading this and study it.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/he-is-risen?lang=eng
Now that you have read this talk think with me for a moment. The Savior was born in a stable. He was surrounded by dirty animals. His bed was a manager which google defines as "A long open box or trough for horses or cattle to eat from." He was scourged whipped, betrayed by his friends, doubted, conspired against, and beat. Name something you are struggling with or suffering from and the Lord of Hosts has been there. He knows. He understands. After his death he was even laid in a borrowed tomb. From His birth there was never a place for the Savior to call his own. He was rejected by his own people. Do we do the same?
One of my favorite songs at Christmas time is "Do you have room for the Savior?" At this joyous Easter time where we proudly declare that the "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," "He lives!" and "I know the my Redeemer Lives" can we seek to incorporate these beliefs into our very being. Can we find room in our hearts and daily lives for the Savior. Can we seek to follow his spirit, serve and uplift others, study his words, and be more like him in all that we do? Can we seek to engrave his countenance upon our own? I believe if we do so the Easter season will truly begin to come alive and form a much deeper meaning for us. I know I have been moved as I put the Savior first in my day by studying his words. When I do so I am touched and strengthened. I renew my sense of hope and optimism.
Seek the Savior and learn of him. He is my rock and my salvation. I cannot express my love, reverance, respect, admiration, and gratitude regarding his sacrifice, example, and continual outpouring of love in my behalf. I love my Savior and know that His gospel is restored on this earth today.
Each year I learn more about the real reason for this season. This year I have made it a priority to focus on the Savior and strive to understand his sacrifice more fully. I feel that I usually get sentimental and emotional for one moment and then the next all I'm thinking about it my Cadburry eggs and the ham and funeral potatoes in the oven. As good as those things are the thing that is truly important is the sacrifice of our elder brother and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ. I have a few quick thoughts I have come to throughout my study of his life during this last week.
First, if you haven't read this talk by President Monson stop reading this and study it.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/he-is-risen?lang=eng
Now that you have read this talk think with me for a moment. The Savior was born in a stable. He was surrounded by dirty animals. His bed was a manager which google defines as "A long open box or trough for horses or cattle to eat from." He was scourged whipped, betrayed by his friends, doubted, conspired against, and beat. Name something you are struggling with or suffering from and the Lord of Hosts has been there. He knows. He understands. After his death he was even laid in a borrowed tomb. From His birth there was never a place for the Savior to call his own. He was rejected by his own people. Do we do the same?
One of my favorite songs at Christmas time is "Do you have room for the Savior?" At this joyous Easter time where we proudly declare that the "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," "He lives!" and "I know the my Redeemer Lives" can we seek to incorporate these beliefs into our very being. Can we find room in our hearts and daily lives for the Savior. Can we seek to follow his spirit, serve and uplift others, study his words, and be more like him in all that we do? Can we seek to engrave his countenance upon our own? I believe if we do so the Easter season will truly begin to come alive and form a much deeper meaning for us. I know I have been moved as I put the Savior first in my day by studying his words. When I do so I am touched and strengthened. I renew my sense of hope and optimism.
Seek the Savior and learn of him. He is my rock and my salvation. I cannot express my love, reverance, respect, admiration, and gratitude regarding his sacrifice, example, and continual outpouring of love in my behalf. I love my Savior and know that His gospel is restored on this earth today.
I know that my Redeemer lives.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Why?
My blog used to be so exciting, what happened?
Oh. I got married...and started school.
Too bad I love both of the preceding things and therefore believe they constitute a pretty good reason for the "lameness" of my blog for the past several months.
Let's talk about being married.
I love it. I know that everyone says this but, I have thee best husband in the entire world. Really. He is the best. He is super patient. Not just normal patient, but like he never EVER gets mad kind of patient. He always asks how he can help. He asks about my day. He makes me feel better when I am overwhelmingly stressed. He is incredibly optimistic. He is such an example to me. AND....he is my absolute best friend. Everybody wants to know about married life. I promise there aren't any crazy secrets. We just eat a lot of bad food and watch a lot of stupid, but funny, YouTube clips. It's the life.
Let's talk about school.
Well, its my sixth semester and the end of my junior year. Wait, let's say that again. It is the end of my JUNIOR year. What??? I still feel like a little freshman and the end seems an eternity away. I love school though. This semester has been incredibly challenging. I have been learning so many things. But I love it. Learning is the absolute best thing in the world. Things are finally starting to connect and become more applicable to what I actually want to do in life. I have been stretching my abilities to a new level. But throughout all the stretching the one thing I am beyond impressed with is my improvement. I wish I could take credit for this but I owe it all to my Heavenly Father. I am increasingly impressed and surprised by His infinite mercy and desire to assist me. When I pray diligently He works legitimate miracles in my life. Just last week I was nowhere near prepared for a test and I just pleaded to magnify the abilities that I already possessed. I believe He did much more. Why? I'm still not sure. He knows me better than I know myself but I am continually impressed by the miracles he can bring about in my performance. Again today I took a test that I knew the information for but still felt overwhelming inadequate for. He helped to calm my nerves by sending my best friend Raschelle across my path right before. He helped me to be optimistic. He cleared my mind. He helped me focus. Why? Why does the Lord help me? Why does He help you? I wish I knew the exact reason. What I do know is that He loves us more than we can ever imagine. He desires and yearns to bless us. What a magnificent hope this idea brings me. I know I don't deserve half of what he gives me. He blesses us one hundred fold. Ah! It is just so inspiring. I wish I could do the same. Wouldn't it be great if we could think that way of others? We could see the good in them and then seek to magnify that good, encourage it, inspire it, and uplift it. Wow. Take a second to imagine that. Sounds divine. Perhaps if I say it publicly I will be more diligent in seeing it through. I want to make this my goal. I know I will be happier and perhaps be able to repay Heavenly Father for all He does, and I'm sure will continue to do, for me.
from mckensiesmith.blogspot.com
(:
Monday, October 29, 2012
our love story.
Alright, here's the story of how we met and the proposal (:
Caution: it's adorable.
Jay and I met the second semester of my freshman year of high school. We didn't talk a ton but I thought he was hilarious and nice. We danced with each other at some church dances over the summer but nothing crazy. At the beginning of my sophomore year we ended up being in the same seminary class again. We had some common friends and began to hang out almost every day. We formed a singing group called Quatro with some buddies. We sang in various wards and at church Christmas parties. We became best friends. On Valentine's Day he told me he liked me (which is a whole other hilarious story). I wasn't 16 so I didn't want to tell him I liked him as well. He ended up asking me to prom at the end of the year. It was a week after my birthday. We ended up holding hands and as the awkward kids we were, we slow danced to every song that night (even rap). We had our first kiss about a month later at the Quercus Rober tree on the greenbelt behind his house. It has been history ever since. We are the best of friends and talk to each other about absolutely everything. I love him.
He left for his mission on October 6, 2010. We are so grateful for the mission. We already feel it blessing our lives and we have both grown so much over the past two years. He came home on Wednesday October 10, 2012. I got a call from him in the airport (that cost me $35, I think it was well worth it!) We immediately hit it off again. We had all the same jokes and chemistry. I got to see him the following Saturday night. It was perfect and we both knew it. He came to Rexburg the next weekend and we had a blast! We went ring shopping and found the perfect ring. He kept telling me he didn't have enough money for it yet.
I went home this weekend with some roommates. We went to Flying M on Saturday morning. Flying M is Jay and I's favorite spot to hang out. We went there for our first date (before prom). It has a lot of good memories. We all ordered drinks and sat down. Then an employee came out with a brown box. He said "Melissa, we have a complimentary peanut butter bar for you." I was totally confused. Jay and I always get peanut butter bars. At the time I just thought that my mom bought it for me to be nice because she knows that we like them. I put the box down without even looking in it. I continued taking funny pictures with my friends. Then my mom asked me to open the box. Inside was an adorable note from Jay. It ended with "I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." Then I got a text from Jay. He said "Hey, can you meet me at the popcorn machine." I walked over to the popcorn machine, totally in shock of what was happening. He came down the staircase near the popcorn machine with a dozen beautiful peach roses. Then before I could think he was down on one knee asking to marry me. I said YES! It was amazing. I was definitely surprised and totally in love. It was a wonderful day.
I'm so excited. Jay is my best friend. He is the best guy I've ever met. He is so kind and obedient. He is on fire with the gospel and he makes me laugh. He is gentle and respectful and we have so many similar views. I can't wait to marry him on December 28th of this year.
Hope to see you there!
(:
Caution: it's adorable.
Jay and I met the second semester of my freshman year of high school. We didn't talk a ton but I thought he was hilarious and nice. We danced with each other at some church dances over the summer but nothing crazy. At the beginning of my sophomore year we ended up being in the same seminary class again. We had some common friends and began to hang out almost every day. We formed a singing group called Quatro with some buddies. We sang in various wards and at church Christmas parties. We became best friends. On Valentine's Day he told me he liked me (which is a whole other hilarious story). I wasn't 16 so I didn't want to tell him I liked him as well. He ended up asking me to prom at the end of the year. It was a week after my birthday. We ended up holding hands and as the awkward kids we were, we slow danced to every song that night (even rap). We had our first kiss about a month later at the Quercus Rober tree on the greenbelt behind his house. It has been history ever since. We are the best of friends and talk to each other about absolutely everything. I love him.
He left for his mission on October 6, 2010. We are so grateful for the mission. We already feel it blessing our lives and we have both grown so much over the past two years. He came home on Wednesday October 10, 2012. I got a call from him in the airport (that cost me $35, I think it was well worth it!) We immediately hit it off again. We had all the same jokes and chemistry. I got to see him the following Saturday night. It was perfect and we both knew it. He came to Rexburg the next weekend and we had a blast! We went ring shopping and found the perfect ring. He kept telling me he didn't have enough money for it yet.
I went home this weekend with some roommates. We went to Flying M on Saturday morning. Flying M is Jay and I's favorite spot to hang out. We went there for our first date (before prom). It has a lot of good memories. We all ordered drinks and sat down. Then an employee came out with a brown box. He said "Melissa, we have a complimentary peanut butter bar for you." I was totally confused. Jay and I always get peanut butter bars. At the time I just thought that my mom bought it for me to be nice because she knows that we like them. I put the box down without even looking in it. I continued taking funny pictures with my friends. Then my mom asked me to open the box. Inside was an adorable note from Jay. It ended with "I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." Then I got a text from Jay. He said "Hey, can you meet me at the popcorn machine." I walked over to the popcorn machine, totally in shock of what was happening. He came down the staircase near the popcorn machine with a dozen beautiful peach roses. Then before I could think he was down on one knee asking to marry me. I said YES! It was amazing. I was definitely surprised and totally in love. It was a wonderful day.
I'm so excited. Jay is my best friend. He is the best guy I've ever met. He is so kind and obedient. He is on fire with the gospel and he makes me laugh. He is gentle and respectful and we have so many similar views. I can't wait to marry him on December 28th of this year.
Hope to see you there!
(:
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Conference Weekend
my oh my!
it has been a marvelous weekend thus far (:
on friday night my roommates sat around watched cheesy wedding shows on TLC. always good girl bonding time. then we went to a hot tub near by. we did personality tests which were super super fun! haha. then we made homemade hot chocolate, re-organized our fridge, and cleaned our kitchen.
yesterday morning raschelle and I woke up early and picked up bountiful baskets. we got tons of berries and spinach and potatoes. so much good stuff! oh! and our favorite bread in the world. then we went back to bed. an hour or so later we woke up and got ready to go. with sweats, sweaters, and blankets we headed to "R" mountain. we picked up our FHE brother and some snacks along the way. we hiked up the mountain and found a little piece of ground towards the top that was flat with a beautiful view. we pulled out the snacks and blankets and made ourselves comfortable. we got out my IPOD and some speakers and tuned to BYUI radio to listen to the first session of General Conference. it was freezing cold...like 27 degrees cold, but we loved every minute of it. the whole time we hoped that they would sing "High On the Mountain Top." no such luck! haha.
Conference was inspiring! the mission age being lowered was definitely a highlight! young men can now serve at age 18 and young women at age 19. This is huge. I can feel the blessings of this announcement. Missionary work is going to increase in preparation for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a blessing! This means that my brother will be heading out fairly soon. It is crazy but I am so excited for the blessings this will bring to my family and to those who hear the message of the restored gospel and come to know their Savior. This gospel is brilliant. I'm excited to see the fruit of these labors.
After the session of conference we explored the top of the mountain and then hiked back down. We came home and ate lunch. Then the second session started shortly after! (: Woo hoo! The first talk was great. And then I think the late night, early morning, and long hike caught up to me and I totally fell asleep for the rest of the session. Don't worry! I listened to all the talks this morning! They were great! After conference my roommates and I were not feeling productive enough to do homework so we headed into Idaho Falls. We windowed shopped at the mall for a little while and then headed to Winco. We got our 2 weeks worth of groceries. It was very fun! We were under budget again too! Woohoo! Then we headed back. On the drive home we talked about holiday traditions. I love the holidays! I'm so excited it is finally fall! Mmm. I love it. The smells, the sights, the traditions, the family, the friends, the overall happiness. Good stuff!
Today is another two whole sessions of General Conference. The cinnamon rolls are rising and I am just excited. I love this weekend of relaxation and inspiration. If you don't know what General Conference even is let me know! It is a time for our church leaders to instruct us on how to become more Christlike. Who doesn't want to know how to do that? Tune into BYU TV or search for it on your local channels. You can also find stream it live from lds.org. You won't regret it! I promise. Tune on in! (:
Today is going to be a good day! (:
it has been a marvelous weekend thus far (:
on friday night my roommates sat around watched cheesy wedding shows on TLC. always good girl bonding time. then we went to a hot tub near by. we did personality tests which were super super fun! haha. then we made homemade hot chocolate, re-organized our fridge, and cleaned our kitchen.
yesterday morning raschelle and I woke up early and picked up bountiful baskets. we got tons of berries and spinach and potatoes. so much good stuff! oh! and our favorite bread in the world. then we went back to bed. an hour or so later we woke up and got ready to go. with sweats, sweaters, and blankets we headed to "R" mountain. we picked up our FHE brother and some snacks along the way. we hiked up the mountain and found a little piece of ground towards the top that was flat with a beautiful view. we pulled out the snacks and blankets and made ourselves comfortable. we got out my IPOD and some speakers and tuned to BYUI radio to listen to the first session of General Conference. it was freezing cold...like 27 degrees cold, but we loved every minute of it. the whole time we hoped that they would sing "High On the Mountain Top." no such luck! haha.
Conference was inspiring! the mission age being lowered was definitely a highlight! young men can now serve at age 18 and young women at age 19. This is huge. I can feel the blessings of this announcement. Missionary work is going to increase in preparation for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a blessing! This means that my brother will be heading out fairly soon. It is crazy but I am so excited for the blessings this will bring to my family and to those who hear the message of the restored gospel and come to know their Savior. This gospel is brilliant. I'm excited to see the fruit of these labors.
After the session of conference we explored the top of the mountain and then hiked back down. We came home and ate lunch. Then the second session started shortly after! (: Woo hoo! The first talk was great. And then I think the late night, early morning, and long hike caught up to me and I totally fell asleep for the rest of the session. Don't worry! I listened to all the talks this morning! They were great! After conference my roommates and I were not feeling productive enough to do homework so we headed into Idaho Falls. We windowed shopped at the mall for a little while and then headed to Winco. We got our 2 weeks worth of groceries. It was very fun! We were under budget again too! Woohoo! Then we headed back. On the drive home we talked about holiday traditions. I love the holidays! I'm so excited it is finally fall! Mmm. I love it. The smells, the sights, the traditions, the family, the friends, the overall happiness. Good stuff!
Today is another two whole sessions of General Conference. The cinnamon rolls are rising and I am just excited. I love this weekend of relaxation and inspiration. If you don't know what General Conference even is let me know! It is a time for our church leaders to instruct us on how to become more Christlike. Who doesn't want to know how to do that? Tune into BYU TV or search for it on your local channels. You can also find stream it live from lds.org. You won't regret it! I promise. Tune on in! (:
Today is going to be a good day! (:
Thursday, September 27, 2012
I Was Blind But Now I See.
I know I know, it's been awhile. Yet, here I am to tell you about a life changing experience I had today.
I am currently taking a 7:45 educational philosophy class. So far I have really enjoyed it. Right now the education department of BYU-I is looking to hire a new staff member. My class was chosen to be the audience of the candidates observed lecture. Their topic was "How can we follow the Savior to become master teachers?" Pretty legit right? I think so. Anyways, the second candidate came to our class today. He is a short man with wispy blonde hair. For all you Harry Potter fans, just imgaine Professor Flitwik and Professor Lockheart combined! He was a brilliant teacher and the lecture went well in my opinion. But nothing struck me as life altering until he introduced his lovely wife. His wife is blind and has been since birth. She has a degree in music composition. Let's just stop there for a second. Seriously, music composition?? She is blind. She still had to master all of the concepts of music theory, aural skills, scoring, and arranging that I currently have to, but she can't use her eyes. That's incredible. Anyways, towards the end of the lesson, Mr. Elliot's wife played us a song that she had written. As she accompanied herself on the piano, I struggled to hold back my tears. First off, the music was brilliant. It was simple but emotional. The lyrics were beautiful beyond belief. She sang from the heart. She sang about how she has never seen the photographs of the ones she has loved and lost. She has never seen the smiles on her children's faces. She has never seen the sunrise from a mountain top. And yet...she can see. Through her faith in Christ she testified of how she knows that she is loved and will be able to see again.
I felt so guilty. How often do I, as an insecure girl, sit and criticize my body? I am always dissatisfied. It seems easy to always find something about myself to despise. Why? Satan does not have a body. He wants us to find every reason to hate and defile it that we possibly can.
Today...I found exactly the opposite. I found a new sense of gratitude that I have never experienced. I love my body. I love that I can walk with ease. I have complete control over my emotions and muscles. I can see. I can hear. Why do I take those things for granted so often? I am so blessed. Honestly, I cannot explain how deeply grateful I am for all of my blessings that come from my functioning body. It is a wonder to me. The human body is so incredible. May we all take time to cultivate an innate gratitude for this truly glorious gift we have been given. Hopefully some of you don't have to be struck into humility in order to realize the splendor we have before our eyes.
Today I will take a little extra time to truly look around me. To see the colors, the light, the dark, and all the beauty the world has to offer.
I am currently taking a 7:45 educational philosophy class. So far I have really enjoyed it. Right now the education department of BYU-I is looking to hire a new staff member. My class was chosen to be the audience of the candidates observed lecture. Their topic was "How can we follow the Savior to become master teachers?" Pretty legit right? I think so. Anyways, the second candidate came to our class today. He is a short man with wispy blonde hair. For all you Harry Potter fans, just imgaine Professor Flitwik and Professor Lockheart combined! He was a brilliant teacher and the lecture went well in my opinion. But nothing struck me as life altering until he introduced his lovely wife. His wife is blind and has been since birth. She has a degree in music composition. Let's just stop there for a second. Seriously, music composition?? She is blind. She still had to master all of the concepts of music theory, aural skills, scoring, and arranging that I currently have to, but she can't use her eyes. That's incredible. Anyways, towards the end of the lesson, Mr. Elliot's wife played us a song that she had written. As she accompanied herself on the piano, I struggled to hold back my tears. First off, the music was brilliant. It was simple but emotional. The lyrics were beautiful beyond belief. She sang from the heart. She sang about how she has never seen the photographs of the ones she has loved and lost. She has never seen the smiles on her children's faces. She has never seen the sunrise from a mountain top. And yet...she can see. Through her faith in Christ she testified of how she knows that she is loved and will be able to see again.
I felt so guilty. How often do I, as an insecure girl, sit and criticize my body? I am always dissatisfied. It seems easy to always find something about myself to despise. Why? Satan does not have a body. He wants us to find every reason to hate and defile it that we possibly can.
Today...I found exactly the opposite. I found a new sense of gratitude that I have never experienced. I love my body. I love that I can walk with ease. I have complete control over my emotions and muscles. I can see. I can hear. Why do I take those things for granted so often? I am so blessed. Honestly, I cannot explain how deeply grateful I am for all of my blessings that come from my functioning body. It is a wonder to me. The human body is so incredible. May we all take time to cultivate an innate gratitude for this truly glorious gift we have been given. Hopefully some of you don't have to be struck into humility in order to realize the splendor we have before our eyes.
Today I will take a little extra time to truly look around me. To see the colors, the light, the dark, and all the beauty the world has to offer.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Friends
Happy August 5th!
There are about a million holidays today! Alright...only 6 but that is fairly close to a million right? Anyways, there are two I would like to celebrate.
Friendship Day
I'm gonna give a quick shout out to all my friends. If you are not on here it doesn't mean I don't love you, but I do have to sleep at some point this evening. Ha. In no particular order...
Lexi Balling (Peterson)
My second roommate. What a blessing! She is hilarious and beautiful. She made my life so much happier. We had plenty of adventures and inside jokes. She helped me cook every night and had so many good talks with me. She taught me so much and was such an example of strength. Although she is off and married now I will never forget the friendship she offered me. Love you!
Madi Jeanfreau.
This girl is an inspiration. She is dedicated and supportive. She makes me so happy. She was my roommate for my fourth semester of college and she helped me through many a bad days. She is currently in Oregon and I miss her oh-so-much. Seriously though, she is hilarious, talented, and sensitive. I love her to death. That is not a death threat fyi.
Courtney Lyn Cook
Gorgeous. Seriously, this girl is a catch. She just tried out for American Idol and I am honestly surprised that she did not make it. She has the voice of an angel. Truly. It's brilliant. I'm jealous. She is funny and super caring. I'm so glad I met her this past semester.
Tyler Carlisle
My workout buddy until I sprained my ankle. He is incredibly talented and he says it like it is. He is hilarious and always up for an adventure. Thanks for being such a good friend.
Jake Fowkes
Funny. He and I can find things to laugh about. He is also very honest and supportive. He has an incredible voice and I'm so grateful we became friends this past semester. Thanks Buddy!
Raschelle Goodman
There is no end to the good things I can say about this girl. She is smart, kind, sensitive, spiritual, healthy, talented, BEAUTIFUL, and a wonderful friend. She always makes me smile and laugh. She plays piano so passionately. She is social. She is a brilliant cook. She can tell when you are not ok and helps to make it better. She has a rock solid testimony and she inspires me everyday. Honestly, there is going to be a very lucky man out there someday.
Marisol Cisneros
We've been friends since who knows when. She is the strongest person I have ever met. She is constantly setting an example for me. She is honest and adventurous. She is so patient. She is funny and spunky. I love her style and confidence. She helps me stay sane and listens to my rambling on car rides to church. She is one of my biggest supporters and I can't wait to see her come Thanksgiving.
Jay Valle
Last but certainly not least. This guy is the funniest person I think I have ever met. He is incredibly talented and truly enjoys the simple things in life. He is adventurous and caring. He is also super respectful and obedient but loves to have a good time. He is a wonderful example to me. I get to see him in 2 months and I am terribly excited. What a reunion it shall be! Also...it's his birthday in T minus 4 days. Happy Birthday Best Friend!
Wow. I have been blessed with some wonderful friends. Truly. I can't express the gratitude for the friends that probably use every last drop of patience they have with me. I am so blessed to be surrounded by supportive and loving friends. Thanks. You are all huge blessings in my life and I only hope I can live to be the same for you.
It is also Sister's Day!
Here is a shout out to my little sister Kimberly!
Kim is beautiful. She is petite and has flaming red hair. She has a fiery personality and she is so curious. She makes me laugh and is so tender and kind. She is very musical and a really good big sister to our brother Logan. I love to watch her grow and I am eternally grateful that she came in my life and I wasn't stuck with a house full of crazy brothers.
(:
Tomorrow's Holidays are:
Wiggle Your Toes Day
National Fresh Breath Day
There are about a million holidays today! Alright...only 6 but that is fairly close to a million right? Anyways, there are two I would like to celebrate.
Friendship Day
I'm gonna give a quick shout out to all my friends. If you are not on here it doesn't mean I don't love you, but I do have to sleep at some point this evening. Ha. In no particular order...
Lexi Balling (Peterson)
My second roommate. What a blessing! She is hilarious and beautiful. She made my life so much happier. We had plenty of adventures and inside jokes. She helped me cook every night and had so many good talks with me. She taught me so much and was such an example of strength. Although she is off and married now I will never forget the friendship she offered me. Love you!
Madi Jeanfreau.
This girl is an inspiration. She is dedicated and supportive. She makes me so happy. She was my roommate for my fourth semester of college and she helped me through many a bad days. She is currently in Oregon and I miss her oh-so-much. Seriously though, she is hilarious, talented, and sensitive. I love her to death. That is not a death threat fyi.
Courtney Lyn Cook
Gorgeous. Seriously, this girl is a catch. She just tried out for American Idol and I am honestly surprised that she did not make it. She has the voice of an angel. Truly. It's brilliant. I'm jealous. She is funny and super caring. I'm so glad I met her this past semester.
Tyler Carlisle
My workout buddy until I sprained my ankle. He is incredibly talented and he says it like it is. He is hilarious and always up for an adventure. Thanks for being such a good friend.
Jake Fowkes
Funny. He and I can find things to laugh about. He is also very honest and supportive. He has an incredible voice and I'm so grateful we became friends this past semester. Thanks Buddy!
Raschelle Goodman
There is no end to the good things I can say about this girl. She is smart, kind, sensitive, spiritual, healthy, talented, BEAUTIFUL, and a wonderful friend. She always makes me smile and laugh. She plays piano so passionately. She is social. She is a brilliant cook. She can tell when you are not ok and helps to make it better. She has a rock solid testimony and she inspires me everyday. Honestly, there is going to be a very lucky man out there someday.
Marisol Cisneros
We've been friends since who knows when. She is the strongest person I have ever met. She is constantly setting an example for me. She is honest and adventurous. She is so patient. She is funny and spunky. I love her style and confidence. She helps me stay sane and listens to my rambling on car rides to church. She is one of my biggest supporters and I can't wait to see her come Thanksgiving.
Jay Valle
Last but certainly not least. This guy is the funniest person I think I have ever met. He is incredibly talented and truly enjoys the simple things in life. He is adventurous and caring. He is also super respectful and obedient but loves to have a good time. He is a wonderful example to me. I get to see him in 2 months and I am terribly excited. What a reunion it shall be! Also...it's his birthday in T minus 4 days. Happy Birthday Best Friend!
Wow. I have been blessed with some wonderful friends. Truly. I can't express the gratitude for the friends that probably use every last drop of patience they have with me. I am so blessed to be surrounded by supportive and loving friends. Thanks. You are all huge blessings in my life and I only hope I can live to be the same for you.
It is also Sister's Day!
Here is a shout out to my little sister Kimberly!
Kim is beautiful. She is petite and has flaming red hair. She has a fiery personality and she is so curious. She makes me laugh and is so tender and kind. She is very musical and a really good big sister to our brother Logan. I love to watch her grow and I am eternally grateful that she came in my life and I wasn't stuck with a house full of crazy brothers.
(:
Tomorrow's Holidays are:
Wiggle Your Toes Day
National Fresh Breath Day
National Mustard Day
I'm not really sure what day National Mustard Day is...either today or yesterday. But either way I celebrated it early. I made a wonderful dinner that you all NEED to try. Seriously, before you die you need to eat this. I have made it four times: twice for friends and twice for family and both times it has been devoured. It is incredible. Honestly. So we'll get right to it.
Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Mustard Sauce
mmm. Even the name makes my mouth water!
You can find the recipe here on the famous Rachel Ray's website.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/pretzel-crusted-chicken-breasts-with-cheddar-mustard-sauce/
Seriously, it is brilliant, amazing, spectacular, wonderful, delicious, etc.
Try it. You won't be sorry!
Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Mustard Sauce
mmm. Even the name makes my mouth water!
You can find the recipe here on the famous Rachel Ray's website.
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/pretzel-crusted-chicken-breasts-with-cheddar-mustard-sauce/
Seriously, it is brilliant, amazing, spectacular, wonderful, delicious, etc.
Try it. You won't be sorry!
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