Happy Thoughts Wall

When I was younger I made a "Happy Thoughts Wall," which was some butcher paper or something that we pinned on the wall, and wrote down all of the funny things that happened, people said, or things that just made us happy!  For one Christmas I wrapped one of them up and gave them to my sister, and I think we did three or four of them total.  For some reason we eventually stopped... why haven't I done that lately?   I need to find the joy in life again.  Here are the favorite quotes from my single blog:

• ~ Note to self, be rich one day- Shawn Spencer. ... "When a man asks you to bite his toe, you bite his toe!" Lassie to Gus
• ~‎"There are those whose primary ambition in life is to leave their names chiseled on some small corner of this globe. But this is folly. The greatest tragedy is not to die unknown by strangers, but unloved by our companions." - Richard Paul Evans (The Locket)
• ~Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Unknown, but posted by Hera on FB.
• How is it that governments spend so much on warfare and bypass the needs of their children, their greatest capital, their only hope for peace? ... there is no deficit in human resources-- the deficit is in human will. ~ Audrey Hepburn while working as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. (Audrey Hepburn, an Elegant Spirit, by Sean Hepburn Ferrer, pg 193 & 197.)
• ~What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me." and, " I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."~Helen Keller
• ~ "Life is either a great adventure or nothing." and "So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." and yet another, "Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world. " ~Helen Keller
• She keeps telling me, "Mom, I lost my brain!" (a mom talking about her daughter and her squeeze toy brain)
• ~"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences." ~Audre Lorde
• ~ Look at this move: Sha-bam! Kathy put one rail road car on the Ticket To Ride board.
• ~The Importance of Quiet Time: “Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice, it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to ‘be still, and know that I am God.’ If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us.” “Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 11
• ~ They have Caramel Crunch and Chewy Gobstoppers? This gas station is amazing! ~ Me.
• ~ I wish I knew some incredibly awesome single guy that I could get to follow your blog because he'd be sure to fall in love :-) ~ Cuz, Brittney
• ~Annie and Heather: Carrie's bridesmaids (btw, I'm not having brides maids if I ever get married) will wear things like a brown sweater over a red shirt up to their necks... ha ha!
• ~Seth: How do you like your steak? Me: left at the supermarket!
• ~Why am I the bad guy, I'm advocating adventure!! ~ Mark H.
• ~ “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”- Maria Robinson
• ~We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success; we often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.” — Samuel Smiles (My life in a nutshell)
• ~ The future is as bright as your faith, Pres. Monson. May 2009 Ensign.
• ~ Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 70th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either. ~the song, "Wear Sunscreen"
• ~ Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. John Muir
• ~ Me: They don't understand that it takes more than saying, "You're pretty, I want to be your boyfriend." ... Tyler: So you're saying that it won't work if I say you're pretty? Me: Do you want a green card too?
• ~Most of us don’t mind doing what we ought to do when it doesn’t interfere with what we want to do, but it takes discipline and maturity to do what we ought to do whether we want to or not. Joseph B. Wirthlin
• ~"Take a Break, Stay awake, for Safety's Sake (City of Enoch)." I hope we all take that message to heart :)
• ~ "Carrie and I keep arguing, what should we do?" "Move away from Carrie, she's just like that!" (Thanks Sheri)
• ~ NOT PERSONAL, You're dumping me and you say it's not personal??? (from Expiration Date)
• ~Our family shouldn't attend sporting events (after I said it's too bad that Darren's soccer team beat the other team 5-0. It's sad to be whipped that badly) !
• ~Apparently we don't gossip enough in this family. I didn't even know that.
• ~You're so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don't you don't you don't ou! Wait, the game started?
• ~Grandma R. burned her high school journal!!!!
• --Annie = We're the ugly ones that like to pick up the ducks instead of kill them! (After talking about cousins who make sure their makeup is done before hunting.)
• --“The Lord is in the everyday things, not just the eternal, glorious things. It’s like the comparison between the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and quiet background music. He is in both, and knowing that provides a continuous awareness of happily-ever-after times in all of life.” Ardeth G. Kapp, Liahona, April 1983

Single No More: Wedding Picture Video

The End and THE BEGINNING!

Dearest Readers of mine,
I have now moved to a new blog location, because for obvious reasons I can't keep typing posts as a single Mormon! My new blog is http://thisdayofbliss.blogspot.com/ See you there.
Carrie

New name

All right, I need a new name for this blog! I'm thinking "A day in the life of a blissfully, exstatically happily married Mormon" might work :D Ay other ideas?

Besides that, here are my observations on adjusting back to Mormonville i.e. Small Town Utah life:

I miss my branch in South Dakota. Who knows if I'll even be asked to give a prayer in my family ward, while I'm used to leading the music, giving prayers, talks, or lessons almost every week! Utah wards just can't compare to branches.

I like living in a city with a temple... now if only I'd get more time so I could go... next week fo sho!

I'm still not used to all the UT license plates! We saw plates from all over the country at Sylvan.

It still weirds me out to hear people talk about church while at work. I've heard people talk about their stake president, the secretary told one of the boys he needs to be in church, and one of the first questions asked me on my first day was if I were LDS. Strange strange strange!!!

I like living closer to my family- though it seems kind of far away still, closer is always better.

Everything I totally missed is so close right now! Maverik with their frozen yogurt, RED BOXES are all over the place, even though Vernal is about 1/2 the size of Rapid, there are more than 2x's the redboxes here :D :D :D, Panda Express and Fazolis are in the State, though not specifically in Vernal.

All in all it's strange, but good to be here. Life is good, but stressful, nice but hard at the same time.

Yes I am insane, Thank you for being the millionth person to observe this.

All right, I've been needing to post for quite awhile, but I've been a "little" busy. Since I woke up at 4:30 am and can't go back to sleep, I figure I might as well take this time to say... I'm engaged!

THE STORY:
Ok, here's the long drawn out story. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, so sit back, get some popcorn, stretch your eye muscles, and enjoy :)

First of all, if you haven't heard of Seth Austin, here's the beginning of the story...

October 16: Airport day. I drove to the airport to pick up Seth Austin. This was the first time I would be seeing him, and thought that the Rapid City Airport was tiny, so it would easy to find him... It was a little bigger than I thought, and when I saw a guy with dark hair, I thought it might be him, except that he was smoking!  We finally found each other, he grabbed my hand, and we walked out to my car. We went shopping at Target for road trip snacks, then we went to visit Tina from the branch for a minute, and we were on our way. Neither of us had slept well the night before, so the tourist's tour wasn't too spectacular. I pointed out the window saying "There's Mount Rushmore, do you want to go walk around it?" He didn't, so we just took a couple of pictures on the side of the road! We did go to my favorite taffy store in Keystone, then I took him to Sylvan Lake, the lodge for lunch, and down Needles Highway. Hera was probably the only one who was interested in meeting Seth, while the other employees just said, "Oh, hi." or something like that.

From October, Conference and SNOW

We decided to head for Wyoming and our middle stop on the road trip home. The most "adventurous" part of the trip was Douglas WY. The adventure included the Plains Motel, which is a complex of recycled buildings/doors. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, but I'll try to describe it... First of all our rooms were about a block apart, then his was a room, which smelled a lot worse than just smoke. His heater had two settings, off and full blast! He said it was a, "smoking hot room." After he opened some soap and set it by the heater, it smelled more like soap, so that was a little better. Then his lights above his sink didn't work, so he came over to use mine to shave. lol. Mine? It was non-smoking, and fairly live-able, except for the fact that the walls were very thin, and the hunters in the next room woke me up at 5:30 am or so! Seriously, do you really need to laugh that loud that early??? My favorite part of the room was the five gallon buckets that served as garbage cans. Then we went to eat at a Chinese Restaurant- it was the greasiest, runniest food we'd ever had, though again, mine was better than his. What's the significance there? Don't know. Note to self: Douglas WY isn't the place for fine... anything.

I know that the mind reels at finding something more exiting than the above, but there's more. The rest of the trip was pretty nice. We stopped at Independence Rock, and it was fairly early and cold, so we didn't climb to the top. I thought the names would be along the bottom, and was pretty disappointed to find that there were only graffiti names from the 70's. My sisters told me that the names are all on the top of the rock- a little too late though :( Then we drove the next few miles to Martin's Cove. This was such a fun day! I love Martin's Cove, and we were able to take a handcart around the trail this time. It was only about a two mile loop, but it was hard to walk that much pulling/pushing, holding the thing up. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for the early saints. One cool thing was that we were there just a few days before the anniversary of the actual snowstorm. It was a beautiful day for us, and I even got a sunburn, though it was a bit windy. How did they do it? I don't know, but I'm ever so grateful for my ancestors' sacrifices. As we were pulling the handcart, I made about it being like a relationship because you both have to pull together, etc. and Seth says, "What does it mean if I jump inside and leave you to pull me?" ha ha. Long road trips, then pulling a hand cart didn't do our hips any good, but oh well, what's a little stiffness compared to starvation/freezing/dying family and friends?

From October, Conference and SNOW

We ended our trip together in Vernal, UT. We went to church with his son Collin, who is probably the perfect child- this I of course know after two days :D Then I was off to travel the rest of UT, vising friends and family for about a week.

My trip: I was able to go to two temples in one week! Las Vegas [I went to drop off Annie at the airport- she's going to New Jersey to be a Nanny!!!! I can't believe I missed a turn and made her late, but she made it. No pics :'( ], and the St. George Temple with my friend Katie. Good times, but I realized that there just isn't enough time to visit all of my UT friends, because there's some in pretty much every city along I-15. But at least I did get to see Katie, Hyrum and Sarah Grandy's new baby, and Paola's baby and s again. Then of course there were the Caines to see and haircuts to do. It was a great week, though I would rather have been hanging out with Seth the whole time...

Annie's Goodbye Party


Vegas Temple

"Engagement":
When Annie left at the airport, she yelled, "By the way, if you get married, you can only do it in December or June, because that's when I'm coming home!" Ha ha. If she only knew. We had spoken with his bishop on Sunday, and he said that it might be awhile (could be years) before some paperwork would go through, making it so we could get married in the temple... I was upset about the whole idea of getting married outside the temple, and didn't even want to think about it... BUT in the temple I felt really peaceful about moving forward. That was a little unexpected, first of all in feeling peace about that, then moving forward. I was excited :D That night during our usual conversation, Seth asked me how my day went, and I gave him Annie's line about December or June. lol. He says, "December works for me!" This was a little faster than expected, but by the end of the conversation we were engaged. My dad happened to be there, so I gave him the phone so Seth could ask him. I didn't realize how much he didn't know... he asked Seth what he did for work! Poor guys, but I guess it went ok.

I finally got back to Vernal, and poor Seth gave up an entire Saturday of working on the house to just be with me. Poor guy, boo hoo tear for him ;) In just a few days, we got pictures taken, his mom gave him his great grandmother's ring for me (there is a really old family portrait, and you can see the ring in it, VERY cool), He got down on one knee, as we were sitting in the new addition and officially asked me if I'd marrye him, and I, being my usual self, said, "No, you have to tell me all the things you like about me!" So he did, and I said, "Of course."


... THEN WE MOVED UP THE DATE.

This is the insane part (to some, it's not to me). We're getting married on November 7, 2009.  The hardest part for both of us is that it most likely won't be in the temple, but it's not because of our desires, and NOT because we've been unchaste (I know what you're thinking, j/k)! Reasons for moving it up? 1. The sooner we're married, the sooner we'll be able to be sealed when the paperwork does go through. 2: The word Fabric. I just want a simple wedding, and got a dress from Paola, thinking it would be easy to fix. Then Pam, Seth's mom looked at it and said that she'd need to make an entire new top for it. We'd have to go to Provo to get fabric, then try different things... This point is where I started to feel sick to my stomach. I don't want everyone to go to all of this trouble, and I don't want to do anything with fabric (issues with that stuff, don't ask). 3. I can't stand engagements to start with, and to add to that: 4. His brother that lives with him dislikes me intruding into his life, and is pretty hostile. So, I don't want to do this for two months!!!

First of all, about the hating engagements thing: I've gotten to different levels of engagements 6
times, SIX TIMES previously, and honestly I don't think there are words to describe the livid hatred of wedding planning I have come to feel.  I've told my family for years that if I ever get married they'll have two weeks notice.  Soooo, I was talking to Seth, and he said he'd be fine if we got married the next day. I figured that my family might not be up for the idea of eloping, since I was pretty close once and they flipped out- so I thought two weeks sounded perfect.  We'll just have a simple family wedding, then have a party/open house in Cedar City near Thanksgiving.  It's pretty much everything I've ever wanted, except for the temple part of course- small wedding, simple and not too much planning needed, but a party later for those who want to come. I figure that we'll just count this as our first step toward the temple, so you're all invited to a temple sealing next year (hopefully it won't take years and years like I've heard it could)!!!

?

Do you ever feel like you're sick of everyone and everything about a situation? Honestly, I all things that have to do with weddings. Why can't it just be simple? Why do you have to have family members that want to go to a school dance instead of their own sister's wedding? Why can't things just work out with paperwork? Why do I feel so bummed right now? Sometimes I just wish I weren't close to my family, because then I wouldn't care. Ughh.

"THE TRIP"

Ok, I have been sitting here at my mom's computer for the past hour or so, trying to download Picasa so I could upload pictures, but alas it has all been for naught. No pictures to speak of :P I'll just have to write a real post with pictures later, when I can get to a "normal" computer. Basically, the trip was really fun, better than expected relationship wise (you never know if someone will be different in person, but Seth is pretty much the same as on the phone. In this instance, it was much more fun being with him than just talking from far away.) I'm planning on moving to Vernal, UT soon, and I'll let you know if anything else happens. I thought I'd be starting my job soon, but it's actually just filling out paperwork next Monday, so I might be a little bored for the few weeks it takes to get the background check done :( . That means plenty of time to upload these stubborn pictures!!! I really will write more later, with full details ;), but now I'm aggravated at all things involving computers. Good night!

random pics and video to upload before I give back Greg's laptop.

Cooking and Me

pic from http://dinnersforayear.blogspot.com/

In case you haven't noticed other comments of the sort, cooking and me aren't exactly friends. I figured I'd take a second to explain, and maybe vent about it ;)

What is the big deal?

• I grew up with a mother who is a great cook, but who didn't cook all the time. With a family of 11 that all had different schedules, we didn't get many sit-down-all-together- dinners. We just ate whatever was around, and had big family dinners a few times a week. I'd tell my mom to show me how to cook, but when she tried, I got annoyed with the way she went about it. Point number ONE- it's my own fault that I can't cook, because I was too prideful to listen to my mother!
• For awhile I was anti-guy, and had pro-feminist ideals. I couldn't see why any woman would want to get married, because once you do, it was like you become a servant in the household. Cooking represented being stuck in a hot kitchen, slaving away at something that is consumed in seconds, and then having to clean up the dishes etc. afterwards- while the rest of the family enjoyed each other's company, playing games and what-not. Who would want to do that for the rest of their lives? I purposely didn't want to learn the "joys" of cooking because of that paradigm. Point number TWO Why is it that the woman has to cook?
• Because of the above, I never really learned much, and now I'm VERY INSECURE about my cooking skills. I'm nervous that everything I try will turn out bad and I'll be made fun of, or the eaters will suffer in silence- which could be worse. Just ask me about the scrambled ( I DO know how to make them, just not that day :S ) egg disaster last year! The idea of cooking for a group of people still freaks me out- yet past boyfriends, after I had just barely explained this, said things like, "If I invite some guys over for the game or something, can you make up some food?" Seriously, this did not help matters. It might not be a big deal to them, but it it is to me! Point number THREE, insecurities and other people's comments don't make me any more excited about the idea.
• The smell of meat cooking, cutting off the heads/tails of fish, and the IDEA of plucking feathers off of a chicken make me want to throw up! Point number FOUR, how do you cook for others what you hate?
• Point number FIVE it takes forever to make a "real" meal!!!!!

That's all I have. Now, how do I get over it?

• Well, this tourist season I've eaten food that I never thought I would, in unimaginable quantities- and I'm beginning to get to the point where it will be nice to make my own food again.
• I taste other people's food and want to know what spices they use- a good sign that I might be moving toward learning how to make things more tasty :)
• My sisters, who didn't cook at home, are now cooking for their families- and passing me by on the knowledge train! I always did like a good competition. Maybe if they had purple ribbons for dinner meals at the next reunion...
• I read a little of the book, "My life in France" by Julia Child. Just reading her book makes my mouth water, and I realized that cooking was enjoyable for her, and might possibly, someday be for me!
• Maybe the time consuming part of cooking will give me time to ponder on the vicissitudes of life. I could always use more ponder time.
• My friend Kelly is a fantastic cook, and she has a blog dedicated to that and other projects. I found a link on her blog for "Meals for a year" (See side bar link, "Cool Sites."). It seems pretty exciting actually, to make those things.
• Then I went to the mall yesterday, found the books, "My life in France, "Julie and Julia" and, "The Art of French Cooking." On the same shelf was Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals." Yipee, it doesn't need to take 10 hours :D I just might like this.
• last of all, people shouldn't make un-needed comments about cooking! That would make it easier to get over my issues with it.

hu? and More Pics

Ok, I looked at my sitemeter and there were "millions" of people logging onto my blog from Blogger.com. Hu? Did they just push the "Next Blog" button? Am I featured somewhere? Why are there no comments made so I know why the sudden influx of people??? Anyway, just a question.


Now for some more pictures of my gallivanting ways through the Black Hills:

Last week, the snow was pretty bad, and the roads were worse, so everyone was feeling a little shut in. As soon as the roads were passable, I got out of here! I hadn't seen Spearfish Canyon, though I heard it was pretty (pretty big let down because the snow froze the pretty leaves, so it was like any other canyon. If you travel here, see it in the spring when the waterfalls are at full capacity), or Historic Deadwood (it turned out to be exactly what I tell guests- gambling, and historical. If you aren't into either, I wouldn't suggest going.). Though it wasn't all I had imagined, it was still great to get away from the snowy mountain, going on a drive (longer than I expected too!), and getting to the last thing on my to-see-before-I-leave-list. Then, as I was eating cheesecake at Denny's, I overheard some Native Americans talking about the Pow Wow. I had forgotten all about it, and was supposed to go with my former roommate (I tried texting her to go with me, but no answer) Stacey, so I decided to go! There was about 1/2 hour before it started, so I asked the people where it was and what time, and I was gone. I was SO impressed with the Pow Wow, but more on that later... The entire day turned out to be exactly what I needed.










SOO Cold! I need a parka and ski mask.


Bridal Veil Falls, the one cool thing in Spearfish Canyon.

Pow Wow in Rapid City- I wish the pictures had turned out better, but maybe you can get an idea of what it was like.

From October, Conference and SNOW

I don't know what your opinion is of Native Americans, but I've heard way too much that's negative, and every time I hear it I get offended. Yes, there is a lot of alcoholism, poverty, etc. BUT I was amazed at the power and spirit I felt just observing this Pow Wow. At the beginning of the event, hundreds of people made a grand entrance, walking and dancing in a large circle to the drummers/singers. Instead of the stereotypical blandness, I saw these Lakota/Dakota/Nakota people as strong, powerful, respectful, and courageous; with a great community spirit that I wish I had. I found myself wishing that I could join their tribe, just to have that sense of unity. They were there to celebrate their heritage, and to compete in competitions for dancing/singing/drumming. My favorite was the Tiny Tot dance, because they were so cute :D Warriors were celebrated and honored, and the last person to speak was a woman who spoke of domestic violence. They acknowledged that there are some bad things going on in the reservations (just like anywhere), but I was really impressed when she called to all the men "who don't cuss, don't drink, and don't resort to violence" to stand up! It would have been better if the sound weren't so muffled, because we could barely hear her, but it was good to see and hear. Basically All that I observed was impressive. I saw one, ONE person that was dressed immodestly!!! Teenage boys would offer a hand to help an elder down the stairs, and one guy walked past some older women and men sitting on the sidelines, shaking each of their hands in respect. Speaking of respect- is it disrespectful to take pictures at a Pow Wow? I hope it was ok.

Honestly, I wish I could join them... I can dye my hair! What does our culture have to compare? Green Jello and funeral potatoes don't really hold a candle to what I felt there. I hope that things get better for those on reservations, because from what I hear, it's like a third world country in places :'( I hope those there can take the strength of unity and purpose to their homes to make a difference. WOW. Amazing. Really.

Conference and The Seth Story

I just got back from a conference trip to UT!!!!! It was actually really hard to be with my family, knowing that I'd be leaving soon. That and being in UT, but not able to see Seth just about drove me crazy :S But besides that, the trip was wonderful. The babies are getting big, my family is as fun as they've always been, and the drive back and forth was fantastic because of the branch members who came!

In case you haven't heard the "Seth Story," I'll include that as well. I think everyone knows stuff, but a guy friend told me that I owed him a date the other day- even though I don't remember a single time that he mentioned asking me on one. Note to all men. "We should do something sometime." doesn't count as asking a girl out! ... but now it's too late for him anyway :)

Here's the official story:
Phase 1. BEGINNING: I'm driving through Wyoming on my way to Sylvan lake for a seasonal job in Custer State park. My phone rings and my friend Melissa says that this guy, who she has been trying to set me up with for the past two years or so, wants to go on a date! I tell her that I'm a little unavailable at the moment, but say, "Give him my blog address, and email address. If he doesn't get freaked out by the blog, tell him he can email me."

Phase 2. NOTHING. No email comes for ... I'll actually have to check to see when he actually did email me... Ok, on June 7, 2009, after a horrid day involving guys, Seth Austin decided to email me. Bad timing, but oh well. The emails at first were usual for people who don't know each other. Basics like, "I have blond hair," and "I like to hike." were told. Nothing too exciting. We'd write every few weeks, again nothing too exciting. Phase

3. CRAZY? I got an email, after a few of the normal ones, saying (in response to me not knowing what to do next) that what I should do with my life is to move to Vernal! He asked me if it was too far away from my family?!? it's a good thing he put in an "LOL" at the end, because I would have really thought he was insane ;) I laughed, and answered his questions... but didn't hear from him again for about three weeks! Guys, go figure. He finally did answer, and the emails were much more interesting, BUT I was confused by it all. I called Melissa on August 23 (I know this from a phone message, I'm not that good at dates), asked if he really was crazy, but she said he just liked me or something. Then she said that he had shown my blog to his whole family (actually it was a few posts to his parents and one sister, as far as I know). That was a little nerve wracking, but again, I was the one who suggested it, so oh well. I told Melissa that if he really was normal, and not insane, that he should call me the next day.

Phase 4. FUN. He called, we talked, and he seemed nice. We've talked on the phone or chatted most every day since then. I find myself liking Seth more and more, and sometime within the last month and 1/2 I came up with the idea of him flying out here and then driving back to UT with me. What better way to get to know someone, than on a 10-12 hour drive? At first we were nervous that it wouldn't be a smooth trip, but now that we know each other better, I'm looking forward to it. It has been nice getting to know someone in the phone/email/chatty way, but still it was awful to be so close, and yet so far away when I was there! I told my friends to just drop me off in Heber and I'd walk to Vernal, not coming back... BUT the plane tickets have been purchased, and I also left my stuff here at the dorms. What could I do? My co-workers joked with me today that they too didn't think I would return. Good thing for those tickets :D Now we can spend a blissful 2 days or so on a long journey, hopefully not kicking the other person out of the car because we're sick of them.

Phase 5. AFTER. After that, who knows? I've gotten as far as, "We'll see how the trip goes." Because of the whole long distance relationship thing (which I've already done 3 times, and it's horrid when you've met the person and one of you moves away), I'll most likely move to Vernal. I don't count this as completely giving up my plans, because I still have two years before I can get into school in UT, and I can start any semester if I need to come back here. I assume that the trip will be so astoundingly amazing, that we'll never want to part ways again... one can only hope! There Seth, aren't you proud that I finally wrote about you? What can I say, you read this stuff. It's different than just writing to the abyss that is called the Internet, letting my thoughts float to to the unknown.

What would we do without a sense of humor???

So, my Filipino friend made me realize something the other day. People in other countries, (or is it just the Philippines?) don't mind saying whatever comes to their mind! Greg says, "I've noticed that your stomach (I hope it's because I was wearing a bigger shirt under my jacket) is getting bigger than it was." Then he said that he wouldn't tell anyone if I was pregnant! Needless to say, I went home and did a few sit ups :) In case you see me soon, and I seem fatter, don't worry, I'M NOT PREGNANT!!!! I just haven't hiked in a week or two. lol.

Spiritual Side of things

So, after a couple of weeks, it's about time I post about the exciting church meetings I've been to recently.


LEADERSHIP TRAINING
On Sept. 26th I was able to attend a leadership meeting for my stake for Relief Society (Women's Organization). It was exciting to hear about the way things run from the stake level, because I've really only thought of it from a smaller perspective. We spoke of being prepared and what all of the wards are doing to help one another be prepared for anything to loosing a job, or natural disasters. One president has an entire binder dedicated to preparedness, and they have activities regularly, dedicated to different topics with preparedness. I'd like to get that binder :)


The Stake President spoke of the relationship between the priesthood and the sisters. I loved that he spent a lot of time showing that following blindly isn't what it's about. If we have concerns, it is our responsibility to bring them up! We are not to do whatever the priesthood says, just because they are our leaders. We are to serve and lead with them. We also need to be charitable and kind, not overrunning anyone, but working together for the common good.


The most exciting part of the meeting, for me at least, was when the Stake Young Women's 1st councilor got up. She said that Sister Elaine S. Dalton came to visit a Young Women's Event in South Dakota, and she had some exciting news. Women of all ages can get the new young women's medallion! I want so badly to do this program again, because it's been awhile since I've made goals like I did then, and I can see great potential for spiritual progress. I'm trying to get the booklets etc. to give to my sisters in Relief Society, as my last act as RS Pres, before I leave. Sis. Dalton said that women do 10 hour service projects EVERY DAY and that should be celebrated. You are not supposed to mark off your own goals, but you are to have someone (roommate, husband, RS pres. etc. ) sign each goal that you've accomplished. Again, it's supposed to be celebrated. Apparently they are getting a new medallion, and we are going to want it :D What a great time to be alive.


The Relief Society Broadcast
This year the broadcast was amazing- but I think I was overloaded by that time, because I'd been at the church since 3pm :) It was great to be with the entire stake watching the meeting, and feeling of every body's spirit. I loved Sister Thompson's talk. 1. Because she is single, and 2, she spoke of her plans when she was younger. She planned on getting married early, having four perfect children, not going to school or having to work etc. But in reality, she never married, went to get at least a Master's degree, and worked in her field for many years. She said that nothing really had turned out as planned, except her plan to be a life long, contributing member of the church. I really needed to hear that, because I was struggling with the idea of changing plans, and the fact no matter how many times I try to plan something, it never seems to turn out. I realized that life isn't about OUR plans turning out, but it's about OUR WILLINGNESS TO FOLLOW THE LORD'S PLAN for us. It was a good message in a needed moment. I'm so grateful for the wonderful women of the church ,and their examples of service and dedication. I too want to be able to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." Job 13: 15

Also, she spoke of a sign, "Mind the Gap." between the truth, and our ideas of the truth, i.e. our identities as daughters of God, who loves us, instead of feeling like we're horrible people. I'll now look over the talks from General Conference, and the General Relief Society Broadcast-I made a goal for personal progress in relation to it :D :D- and fill you in on more talks to come.

All things Mormon, or Mormon-ese

Mormons are a Peculiar People- different in happy ways from the world, or just plain weird :D Here are some basic phrases/acronyms that Mormons use that others might not understand:

LDS- Latter Day Saints, we prefer to call ourselves this, instead of Mormons. The official name of the church is "The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints." We don't worship Mormon, though he was a great prophet who compiled much of the Book of Mormon. Hence the name.

Book of Mormon. It's a book made up of writings from prophets on the American Continent. They were written on gold plates, and found by revelation by Joseph Smith in the 1800's. The Book of Mormon assists the Bible in teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

WE ARE CHRISTIANS! We rejoice, worship, and talk of Christ. One thing that is different from other Christian churches is that we believe that God and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bones, while the Holy Ghost is a spirit. These three make up the Godhead, but are separate beings with different responsibilities. They are one in purpose, might, and power; perfectly united as one.

MTC- Missionary Training Center, not Empty Sea :) Missionaries go there to study the gospel and learn ways to teach before leaving for 2 or 1 1/2 years to bring people to Christ.

YSA- Young Single Adults- I am one for now, until I turn 31. Then I'll be a MSA? I'm not quite sure.

Ward or Branch: A congregation, typically ranging from 100 people to 600. We are assigned a ward depending on where we live. Single adults have a branch or ward all their own, if there are enough of them around. We once called Nantucket, MA the "twig" because there were only 2 LDS people there.

Stake or District: a bigger area consisting of a group of wards.

Baptisms for the Dead: We believe that people's spirits return to God in the afterlife, and that essential ordinances need to be done while on earth for those who weren't able to be baptized etc. in this life. We are baptized BY PROXY for those ancestors and others who have gone before us. We do not dig up dead people from cemeteries! Everyone has a chance to accept or reject the option of baptism, on the other side of the veil. We just want everyone to have that opportunity.

Prophets/Apostles: The gospel was restored through Joseph Smith, the first prophet of this dispensation -and we have a living prophet, and apostles who guide us today!

General Conference- a meeting with the entire church, in Salt Lake City, UT. (also broadcast to the world). We sustain (vote, and acknowledge that we will follow their counsel) new people who are called to serve, being responsible for the entire church. This includes prophets, apostles, 70's, and other general authorities.

Callings- everything in the church is done by volunteers- though some positions are paid, if the responsibilities are such that there is not time for a full time job (General Authorities, Seminary teachers, etc.). When you are asked by your priesthood leader to a certain position, that is called a calling. You can accept it or reject it, but blessings come as you stretch yourself, or let God stretch you, to be able to do the hard callings. A calling for a woman could be working with children in the Primary, Young Women's program, Relief Society (women's organization), Scouting, Ward Activities Committee, etc.

Green Jello- We have a lot of ward activities, and a lot of potlucks. Jello is easy and a tasty "salad" so LDS people tend to eat it a lot. People get very creative with jello, sometimes adding awful ingredients, but mostly it's another treat. Green? I'm not sure why it's so popular, but it's one of the things UT is known for.

See Mormon.org or LDS.org for more great things: Priesthood authority, temples, forever families, Plan of Salvation, Grace, Ensign/Liahona, Relief Society, Humanitarian Services, food storage, and the list goes on. I love the gospel!

Elder Holland does it again.

This is actually from a devotional earlier this year (Thanks Chani), but I was also blown away by his conference talk on the Book of Mormon!

"So, as a new year starts and we try
to benefit from a proper view of what has
gone before, I plead with you not to dwell
on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for
yesterday however good those yesterdays
may have been. The past is to be learned
from but not lived in. We look back to
claim the embers from glowing
experiences but not the ashes. And when
we have learned what we need to learn
and have brought with us the best that we
experienced, then we look ahead,
we remember that faith is always pointed
toward the future ‐‐ faith always has to do
with blessings and truths and events that
will yet be efficacious in our lives."
Devotional address, BYU Provo, Jan. 2009

Conference or Bust!

I made it, I made it, I made it! I'm so glad that I worked out my schedule so that I could take four days and travel to UT with my single's branch. Being with my family, seeing the Prophet, and hanging out with friends, what could be better? My favorite talk by far was the first one, or one of the first ones, about burdens. I also remember a talk while I was in the conference center on Sunday Afternoon, where I had tears streaming down my face, but I can't remember which talk! Just the feeling. I had lots of small answers to prayer, and just enjoyed the whole experience like never before.
Pictures

From October, Conference Trip!!

Trip there

Babies! Hair today gone tomorrow? We're going to General Conference :D I feel like a missionary. I don't know if I've ever worn the likes of this outfit. Friends This place is HUGE! I love Darren's face. Free Hug People- have you seen the Youtube video? A typical day at the Harrison Hotel Thankfully we were going the other way! Guess what was waiting for me when I got home... SNOW! Why the face? Yes, I still hate socks... And yes, I still pay for it!

I've noticed:

• Guests in October are much more calm when it comes to bad weather. For some reason fog and rain on the 4th of July makes people a little upset. Now everyone seems to take the SNOW in stride. That is nice, as well as the fact that we have some open rooms to move people to when they're upset! A full lodge is good and bad.


• Time is relative. I think the minute the clock turned to 12am this morning, I got excited. Suddenly, though yesterday it was only one day more, October is here, and there are only two tiny weeks until I am done with my job! I leave for conference after work tonight, spend a few days with my babies :D :D :D , get back and spend about 10 days working, and planning the trip home. Then it's off to UT, and where see where my life leads from there. I'm feeling the excitement rise as it gets closer to 2pm and I can be off.

Pictures!

It's been awhile, or at least it seems that way, so here are some pictures from the last week or so.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From a solo drive through the park.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

A good bye party in the Rec Room

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

From September, chuckwagon, Jewel Cave, etc.

Eating Filipino/Indonesian food. The party and this meal = My first time eating trout with the head/tail still attached!