Good Day

We had a great day today.

First, my dear friend had her baby and she is beautiful!

Then we headed up to Twin falls ID to attend the temple with a friend for the first time.

We enjoyed the road trip, and the fun and the tears and all of it. We are so blessed.

Beautiful Sunday

Today I had a wonderful opportunity to hang out at the temple. We had stake conference and we have the opportunity to meet in the Ogden Tabernacle which is right beside the temple. On a beautiful-sunny and crisp spring morning I got to enjoy some time enjoying being on temple grounds.

My life has been kind of hectic lately and I have not had the chance to attend the temple as much as I like to. I have missed the peace and comfort it brings.

Talks this morning focused on the strength you receive from worshiping at the temple. I am just grateful that I have the chance to spend time, even if it is just a few minutes on the temple grounds. It is so beautiful. I am trying to enjoy this current look of the temple and the grounds, because if you haven't heard the Ogden Temple is getting remodeled. It will look much more like the new temples so taking a moment to enjoy this version of the temple, the one I have loved and did my endowments in, is important to me.

It was a great end to a wonderful weekend. I lead the most amazing life and this weekend really just highlighted it for me. I have all I need and so much more!

Catch Up

So I realized that I have some catching up to do. I have vacation pictures to post still, pictures from the wedding, and all kinds of odds and ends to post as well! How did I get so behind! It is crazy.

So the goal this week is to get updated. And to add the new weeks worth of info.

I am hoping to get some sleep in sometime this week, but my weeks always seem to be so busy and then I forget/miss/don't have time for the things I really want or need to do. This week's goals:

1) go to the temple
2) update blog
3) clean kitchen floor (so icky!)
4) finish transferring old data to new computer
5) start on research

Whew. Ok, that is I said it out loud (or at least typed it) so that should help me get it all done, right?

Last Night

Last night I had the chance to head down to South Jordan and attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. How wonderful. It is crazy, you can stand on the lawn in front and see three other temples! What an amazing time we live in guys.

I got to share it with a bunch of great friends. Sana, who is a blast was so fun to have sitting in front of me on the bus. I got to share my bus ride there and back with Peter. Showing off his big chin, this picture makes me laugh. We talked about a ton of stuff on the bus including a good deal of time speaking in spanish to each other. I enjoyed my dreams in spanish last night. Peter makes me laugh so I had a blast.

Excuse my messy hair, there was just enough wind to make it crazy.

One of the most wonderful moments of last night was that one of the adult that came with us last night pulled me aside on the temple grounds. He said that he was chatting with a guy the other day and he told him that he thought I was a wonderful, enthusiastic, loving person and that the person who dated and married me would be the luckiest guy. I was a little shocked but also taken aback. How sweet. To hear that on the temple grounds was such a blessing. It was nice to know that someone out there thought so highly of me.

See, temples bring amazing blessings. I am blessed.

Day-o-Fun!

Well today was as busy as a day off meant to relax could be. I started out heading to the temple first thing. I had some things to ponder and some people to pray for. What a great start to a day!

Then Tricia and I headed to Costco and I picked up some beautiful blackberries, which are my absolute favorite! I was so excited to use on something and I found the perfect thing...homemade vanilla ice cream! It was absolutely divine!

Tricia's sister Camille came up and brought and ice cream maker, I may have to invest in one of those. Mich even came up and enjoyed some as well. Girl talk abounded.

While Tricia and I were out and about we found these gems at Target...it was too funny we had to take pictures. Can you imagine paying $29.99 for these? Neither could we! But it definitely made for some great pictures. There was even a nice lady who laughed and took our picture and said, "I understand, I have sisters!" So nice.

We also built Tricia a bookcase tonight and bought the fabric needed to make the curtains for her room as well as an accent pillow. I will start on that next week.

All in all it was a good day.

Long Good Day

I had a hectic and long day. A good day, but hectic and long.

I went to work and had a crazy day there, full of screamers and kids who were having rough days. At one point I was holding three screaming babies (yeah, I really was holding all of them), and at another I had three boys in time out while holding a screamer. It was rough. Just a long day.

Then I ran to the temple and did a session...it was surprising how much emotion there was today. It felt like home today, which is what I really needed. Logan and I commented on it while we were there, that it felt like home. I am struggling with the concept of "home" and "family" at the moment, so to feel like it was home was a wonderful thing.

I ran home and got changed (the third time today, are you counting?) and grabbed some food before I headed to the gym. I hadn't run yet and I wanted to stretch the muscles. I went and ran a few miles and it feels so good. I am working on my form now and am feeling better about it.

Then I went to work again. (change number four) It wasn't too bad I spent about an hour writing "J+D". One of the girls like a boy and felt the need to write this hundreds of times. Kind of funny.

I ran to the grocery store really quick because I was deserving of a treat...some oatmeal cookie ice cream. YUM! I came home, watched Super Nanny and ate a wonderful dinner of Lemon-Pepper Tilapia, mixed veggies and mashed potatoes. With a bit of ice cream on the side.

What a day! A good day, just long.

Temple 5k

First I am going to start off saying that this was one of the most amazing days of my life. I knew it would be pretty unique and interesting, but I had no idea that it would affect me so much.

We did it, 5 temples, one day. 4 sessions and one set of initiatories...we couldn't get into the last session, it was packed! But can I tell you the peace and joy that fill me even now, the next day? It is amazing.

We are planning another 4k in the spring hitting Draper, Mount Timpanogos, Provo and Manti and I am already excited.

I have a lot to do this morning but I wanted to get this out there as soon as I could. I'll add a picture or two, but will do a more detailed post later. I hope you all had a wonderful day!

Kari, Me and Logan in front of the Salt Lake Temple

Birthday Bowling

Bowling was a blast! I have some great friends who made this a great day for me! Not the best picture of me but remember I hadjust bowled for the last two and a half hours. And Logan even let me win one.

As you read this, I will be somewhere in the Salt Lake Valley enjoying my temple 5k. Pictures to come.

Happy Birthday!

What a great birthday it has been so far and it isn't even over! My birthday extends through the weekend so you will hear all kinds of fun things in the next few days.

The girls at work made me a "better than sex" cake that was super yum and gave me a birthday card that play "She's a Brick House..." when I open it. I laughed when I got it. I work with some pretty amazing girls. It was a great morning at work.

I went and paid a ticket and renewed my Drivers License this afternoon. Yikes.

Then I went to dinner at Applebee's and got my favorite Asian Orange Chicken Bowl...so yum! And a molten lava cake for desert...so good!

Then ran to Old Navy to check out their sales and scored on a new winter coat in a beautiful blue to add to my collection, since we all know I am coat junkie. And got a running jacket too...and all for a whopping $3. Yeah, you heard me. The wool coat that is hard core awesome (pictures soon!) was $11 and the running coat was $6. My cute roommate Courtney have me a $15 gift card so I paid tax and walked out with some great new coats! My birthday rocks!

And now I am off to bowling! So much fun. And tomorrow is our temple 5k...and saturday is spa day....so much to do! I am loving it. See, birthday's are still fun! I hope you all had a good Feb. 19th...the best day of the year!

Day Trip to Logan

So the Ogden Temple is closed for cleaning. Sad. So to keep up with my weekly temple trips Logan and I took a trip to Logan to go to the temple yesterday. A different temple is always entertaining and beautiful. And it is so different from the Ogden!

We made a goal to visit all the temple's in Utah this spring. What a great way to start that off! It really looks like a castle, doesn't it?

Thanks for this great pic Log, so beautiful! It was a nice drive up, we listened to a motivational cd on the way up, well I should say I did, Logan slept. It was good.

Afterward, Logan was hungry. Even though he ate on the way. So we stopped at Firehouse Pizza and ate a delicious Hawaiian pizza, which we both say is our favorite kind of pizza. It was so good and a great way to end a great day.

Oh and who would have thought that my best friend would also have a passion for reality tv? Late night phone calls about what happened on the bachelor make my day. Boy am I a lucky!

So It's Like...

As part of my birthday celebration Logan and I decided to do a Temple 5k. What is that you may ask? Well let me tell you.

Starting at 6:15am, we hit 5 temples doing a session in Ogden, Bountiful, Salt Lake, Jordan River and Mount Timpanogos with the last session at 7pm. Whew! A long day, but I have no doubt that it will be amazing. We have invited 75 of our closest friends, realizing that only a hand full with actually come, but I am still very excited.

And, we are planning another on in march right after the new Draper temple opens. Anyone in the area interested in coming along, you are more than welcome!

Birthday month will be wonderful.

The Mystery Dinner is coming together very nicely, I am so happy with how well it is going. It will be an amazing night. I will be sure to keep you updated.

Oh and Mothers out there, be sure to teach your boys the basics of the monthly cycle of a girl. So in their 20's questions like, "so, is it just like you have to pee a lot?" don't come from them. Geesh.

Sunday Night

So, like I promised, pictures from Sunday Night. Enjoy!

The choir at the devotional, so much fun! Look in the section on the left, and you can see my Tricia friend.




From left to right: Lono, Me, Courtney and Rashago


After the devotional we headed out to check out the lights, how beautiful!

Haha, we are so silly! I love Courtney's face, too funny to me!

Lono and Rashago, two totally great and cute guys that I get to call friends.

Ok, I really love this picture! Aren't we totally cute? I love Courtney, she is so cute.

We had so much fun! It was totally what I needed after a long and tearful day.

Lono held my bag for me, but he looked way too natural! We laughed so hard!

We are so silly, but I really enjoyed myself. I have some great friends and I am just so blessed!


This was the best, Lono jumping off the fountain caught in just the right moment!

Now, this is the money shot. I took this amazing picture, I just love the way the light hit and his expression...I am silly, I know.

A Night on Temple Square

On monday night our ward had our Christmas party, a night in Salt Lake. First dinner at Bucca di Beppo and then walking around temple square. It was a night of fun. Here are a few pictures...enjoy!

My friend Rashago and Courtney is the blur, haha!

You may recognize Logan in the picture, just check out the face on him! Hilarious! His "friend" Emma is on his left and Marlos on his right.

The best picture of me, which is all blurry. I seriously need a new camera. You can't really see my hair, but it is an extreme A-line and I have gotten so many compliments! Guys in particular love it.

Some of the beautiful lights!

Some of my cute friends! I love these girls! haha

And of course, this is the temple. What a beautiful sight! I can feel Christmas in the air...

Blessed

I had the most amazing four days. I wish I could put into words what I really feel, but I know that these words could never express what I have felt lately.

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We all know I have had a rough year all around. I have struggled with so many things and have had moments when I was really low. I have also had miracles of the grandest kinds show up in my life. It has been a year of amazing and heartbreaking moments.

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I had the opportunity to attend the temple 3 times in four days and really enjoyed every moment of it. I had the chance to do a session, a bunch of sealings and some baptisms as well. It was so amazing to see the whole process in a few days. It was such an amazing experience for me. I felt so calm and peaceful and so sure that I am known by my Father in Heaven and that there is plan for me. An amazing, spectacular and perfect plan for me. I don’t pretend to know anything about it or how it will work out; I just know that it will.

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I was so blessed to have shared these amazing experiences with wonderful people. People who, for reasons I sometimes don’t understand, love and want to be with me. I realized just how much some people care for and about me. I am just so blessed to have a realization about how loved and needed I am right here where I am.

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It is no secret that I love my family. It is also no secret that things have not been well between my family and I in the last few months. For reasons I don’t understand and with many tears I have struggled with feeling alone and unwanted by my family. It has been an unreal experience. Through this last weekend I have realized that no matter what, no matter how hard and frustrated we all are at the moment, my family is forever. What a blessing to know that no matter what I am sealed to my parents and siblings. How grateful I am for that.

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I am so grateful for the chance to share this weekend and these experiences with Logan. He has been my family in the last few months and I can not express how grateful I am for having him as a part of my life. He has listened as I cried in pain and anger. He danced with me when I just needed to get out of it all. He taught me to play xbox. He challenged me to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year and checks to make sure I am on my way. He fixes my doors, vacuums my floor and tells me that I am a great cook. He helps pick out guys that are good for me and doesn’t let me settle for anything less than what I deserve. I wish I could express how grateful I am for his encouragement and friendship. Our friendship has grown as we serve together in the temple, on our Mid-Singles committee and each other. I have grown to love him and him me. I know that this is sadly only a limited time thing, one day both of us will get married and I won’t have him around like I do now. I am grateful to have had him at all. He will make some girl very happy one day.

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I know that I am blessed. I know while struggles seem to follow me at the moment that I am blessed and that I would do it all again. I would feel all the fear, dejection, heartache and frustration to be who I am and where I am today. I love who I have become and I am grateful for the roads that led me here.

Call Me

Call me Ms. Optimistic.
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Call me The Hyper Queen.
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Call me whatever you want.
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All I know is I am so excited and happy today that I can hardly contain myself. I am happy from the tips of my toes to the ends of my extra long and unshaped graying hair! I AM HAPPY!
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I had cute little girls at work ask me why I was taking a cough drop and said because I was sick. her response...
"Sick? Ni-tole sad. I give you hugs Ni-tole."
How I adore the sweet innocence of children and their unwavering love.
I love being asked to sing the same six songs a million times a day so tone def 2 year olds can sing at the top of their lungs just excited to know the words. I love them begging me to sit and sing with them, a kid on each knee and others trying to find a way to squeeze in. I love the little arms wrapped around me either in happy hugs or wiping the sad tears away.
I especially love moms who come in and tell me that they love me and so do their kids. Mom's who give me gift cards because they appreciate me. I love them. I love my job.
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I love going to the temple. I love knowing that every Thursday around 2:30 I pick up my temple buddy and we head to temple. I love that we both came out today feeling so proud of ourselves because we almost had it word for word. That it was something we both found to be exciting. I love that my coughing fit was met with understanding and kind words from little old ladies. I love the peace and assurance I feel. I love that I know without thinking about it and analyzing it a million time (like I am prone to do) that I am loved, needed and important. I love that I walk out of the temple every week with my temple buddy knowing that we have both grown and become better people. I love knowing that in 7 short days I will be there again.
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I love phone calls about my car being ready ahead of schedule. I love knowing that suddenly I am going to feel better about the most stressful thing in my life. That this one thing will change so many.
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I love that the most random job fell into my lap today. I love that I was excited by it. I love that it starts Monday.
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I love that I am happy. I love that for the first time this year I feel things finally lining up for me. Not everything is, I still have a few major hurdles I am trying to conquer, but I see the light and that is enough for me to know that the dark days are coming to an end.

And so it Goes

Well, an eventful few days here. I guess I could try to tell all the details, but I don't feel like it.
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First, I have been battling what I thought was a nasty cold but what turned out to be my first case of bronchitis for the year. I was even going to get my flu shot this week and couldn't because I was so sick. I will spare you major details but green goo was coming from all possible holes in my head. I haven't been sleeping well because I hear myself coughing...and so the cycle goes. But I started antibiotics and I am feeling better for the most part, just still coughing. All I know is I am grateful that I am on the mend. As are roommates, friends, employers...
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I went and looked at the car I am going to buy last night. I was going to take pictures, but I was so exhausted and had such a headache that I couldn't. But it is a cute little car and I am excited about the prospect. The whole thing is a miracle in and of it's self.
A friend of a friend has a friend (ok, did you follow that? I barely did) who had a 1999 Mazda protege sitting in his garage for the last year. The clutch had gone out and they hadn't replaced it. And for reasons no one understood, they let it sit. And sit. And sit. So that the when the right time came it would be sitting there waiting for me. They practically giving it to me, hardly charging anything for a car that is in great shape that just needs to have clutch replaced. And through other miracles, I got loan with an insanely low interest rate. When I say insanely low, I mean, around 1%. Can you imagine? I am still in awe and so humbled by how my Heavenly Father has blessed me lately.
I have felt so stressed and confused and unsure of so many things lately and finally just took that leap of faith that things would work out and let go. And to my amazement things have fallen into place even more beautifully than I could have imagined.
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I even got an amazing lead on an amazing job, which I have been lacking lately, today. I am so excited and hopeful. I feel like there is an end to this dark tunnel that I feel like I have been in all year.
I will look back at this last year as being one of the hardest of my life for so many reasons and also one of the growth inspiring times. I have learned more about myself and those around me than I ever thought was possible. I have discovered reservoirs of strength and determination that I didn't know I had. I am so blessed and humbled.
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And let me not forget how blessed I have been to have such wonderful friends. I could go on and on about them but you have heard about them all. I am so grateful for Tricia and her complete devotion to me and her constant desire to help me when I don't always deserve it. To Logan for stick around through the girl stuff (and we all know there has been plenty!) and still bringing me back to where I belong. Liz J. for reminding me of where I have been, where I am, and where she knows I will be. Ash for loving me like a sister when that is what I need the most. Melinda for being honest and forceful and wonderful.
I am so blessed!
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I may not feel all that great this week, but I am so blessed to see how the Lord's hand has been touching my life, even when I didn't realize it. Every moment has the touch of his hands in it and I am humbled to know I am so loved.

Peace

I am at great peace today. I feel comfort and joy and love for family and friends. Especially for my dear friends Karley, MaryAnne and Lindsy who shared with me a special experience. For now all I have is pictures of Karley and I, but I will have and will share ones of MaryAnne and Lindsy soon. How glorious the peace and comfort I feel! I hope your saturday is half as wonderful as mine was.

I'm Going There Someday

I am going through this beautiful place Saturday for the first time. I am excited. I am happy. I am grateful. Think of me on saturday morning as you go through your day. I will think of my friends far away who I wish could be with me.