Santa Maybe

Today I devoured my friend Aubrey's new book Santa Maybe. I preordered it on Amazon.com weeks ago and it sat at the office of my apartment complex for a few days and then they left it on my doorstep this morning! I went to church anxiously anticipating coming home. I read it in a couple of hours and then it took me a few more to remember that I was not the main character. I don't know about you guys but I really like a book that makes me have to remember who I am. I love getting lost in fiction! Aubrey told me it's pretty hard to find this book right now, but if you can find it run out and buy it... but beware; you can't put it down and you may be wishing you were the main character in a fiction novel! Happy Reading!!

Girls Night Out

So a few months ago, my sister in law, Nicole, came to us with an idea to do girls night out. Todd finishes at BYU next spring and they will probably be moving so Nicole wanted to get her fill in before they go. We decided to get together with mom and sisters the third Tuesday of every month and just do something fun without kids. The first month we met at my house and ate dinner and talked and played Ticket to Ride. It was really fun just catching up. Last month we went to the Utah State Fair. It was kind of fun just to walk around the fair and see things. (Oh and I ate a footlong corndog that changed my life forever.) This month we decided it would be fun to celebrate Halloween, so we're planning to get together to watch a friendly Halloween movie and eat classic fall food: soup in pumpkin shaped bread bowls, caramel apples, caramel corn, and hot apple cider. It's been a fun tradition and maybe this month I'll remember to take a few pictures so we can have documentation of the photo style!!

A Renewing Strength

Today I struggled with going to church. I was up late last night, opened my fast at 1:00 am and woke up this morning so hungry and feeling a headache coming on. I told myself to have faith instead of breakfast, but gave up at 11:30 and ate. I'm not hugely sorry based on the fact that I didn't get that headache I thought was coming but I wish I had the strength of spirit over body. I need to prepare better and skipping dinner Saturday night is not preparation. Anyway after a morning of ideas to plan for Girls Night Out (more on that later), I hurriedly got dressed and went to church. I sat down and looked around at the people I love so much and noticed the opening and Sacrament hymns were two of my favorites. Then a woman in my ward greeted me and told me that I was so strong for coming to church all alone and that I was an example to people around me. I jokingly said, "what else would I do on a Sunday?" Then I said, "I need this!" It wasn't until I was singing, "I believe in Christ, so come what may, with Him I'll stand at that great day..." that the truth of my words came rushing back to me. I didn't go to church for socializing or because I have nothing better to do (come on I work 60 hours a week, with Sunday as my only day off... I can think of plenty of things to do). I need this. I need the renewal that comes from being in church. I need to bear testimony through song that "No creature is so lowly, no sinner no depraved, but feels his presence holy and through his love is saved." I'm so lowly and so depraved but the Atonement even covers me... I need this.

Thirty One Candles

Today is my birthday... I kind of didn't want to celebrate today. I feel like once you hit a certain age, it's better to just forget, but unfortunately Facebook is sure to tell all your friends that you've successfully made it another year and you would love to be reminded of that fact. Okay that sounds a little harsh and I actually am really happy about all the well wishes. I usually go through the moments of reflection around the first of the year... you know New Year's Resolutions and all that rot, but today I am sitting here and needed to take a moment to reflect and count blessings. Today I got a surprise email from an old friend. It's been a few years since I've heard from him and it was a pretty exciting moment to open the old inbox and see a name I haven't seen in awhile. It was that email that started this whole reflection/remembering thing and I just want to add to what Chantal wrote about friends on her blog. Every once in a while, God puts us in a place that maybe we'd have found without Him or maybe not. Since I don't believe in coincidence, it's hard to say at what point God is directing our lives and at what point we would have gotten there alone, but that said, I really believe we are led to people by a loving Heavenly Father who knows that these people will help us get back to Him. It amazes me how often I come upon a friend who for one reason or another I can't imagine my life without. Also it amazes me how often a person affects me in ways I don't see until many years later. That is the moment I am in now. A few years ago, when we all used to hang out together, I'm not sure we imagined still touching each others lives years later, but even though these are people I see once every few years, if that, my life in enriched daily by knowing them, whether we are communicating with one another or not. I believe that Heavenly Father put us on this earth to be enriched while enriching, but sometimes I feel like I am playing the selfish role of being the enriched, without doing much enriching. All of you who have touched my life in known and unknown ways, Thank You. Someday I hope to return the favor and maybe when my cake has thirty-two candles I can be a little less selfish. Here's to selflessness... that's my birthday resolution.

LDS General Conference

Today I arranged to work later so I could watch Conference. I did that in April too and ended up sleeping most of the day, so today I made sure I had the makings of a stay awake session. I went to bed at a decent time, woke up long before conference started and kept my crocheting close by to keep my hands occupied. It worked so far and what a great session! I was excited to hear President Monson announce five more new temples and though none of the announcements affect me directly, I was pleased to hear that temple building will continue, and that more members will have the blessing of a temple closer to them. The Brigham City one surprised and pleased me. It will be fun to have a temple on both ends of Sardine canyon. The talks given were inspired and inspiring and reminded me how lucky we are to have living apostles and prophets who by the spirit of the Holy Ghost let us know the will of the Lord here in our day and time. How blessed we are to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to have the words of our Prophet so readily available to us even when sitting in our living rooms in pajamas! Can't wait for the next 3 sessions!!

Welcome to Fall!

As a tribute to fall I decided to get some fun decorations. I found this wreath at Walmart for only $8. We hung it outside our apartment to bring cheer to our neighbors.

Inside, I bought some fun stuff to make a new centerpiece. When Mom bought my kitchen table for me, we went to Ikea to find something for a cute centerpiece. We ended up getting candles in five different sizes that matched my kitchen, then some potpourri and a silver plate to put it on. For Christmas I used the silver plate and then found some red and white striped candy cane candles and some small balls that I put on fake snow instead of potpourri. For my fall festivities I bought a leaf plate and put pumpkins, candles, and glass leaves on it. This is the result: This isn't a very good picture because I used flash, but you can see the detail on the plate better. One of my friends asked if I was decorating for Halloween and I told him I didn't like Halloween. Instead I decided I'd decorate a bit for the whole season and then I won't have to change it until Christmas!! Happy October!