20-Day Journal Challange

I am issuing a challenge to my Beehives tomorrow to write in their journals every day for 20 days. In fairness, I am also taking up the challenge and am going to post it here on my blog for accountability. Each day has a a pretty simple writing prompt and I will be one day ahead of my girls so that they can read what I’ve written to get ideas for their own journal entries. I would love it if any of you would like to join me. J

“Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder asking the questions: Did god send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him.” – Henry B. Eyring

Day #1: Write about your day (a good thing to include in any journal entry) – What was the best part about it? What was the worst?

Today did not go as planned. It started out really productive. I got up early and got the house cleaned quite quickly. However, halfway through vacuuming the living room, the vacuum broke, I think it needs a new belt. I finished vacuuming with the hose as best I could. I then spent a couple of hours on the phone with my brother’s fiancé and then my mom planning out my brother’s wedding, which was fun. That was the best part of the day.

The rest of my day got sucked up in a commitment that I thought would only be an hour, but turned into five hours. I was trapped by someone who apparently needed to talk, excessively. I’m having a hard time deciphering how I feel about the situation. If I feel upset do I lose any blessings I might have gotten? I’m trying to see the good in it and hopefully it can be considered a service in its own right.

I am seeing some small mercies in the situation though. My YW lesson is already prepared and ready from last week when I accidentally planned the wrong one. My handouts are even already made, which is something of a miracle! So in actuality everything that I really needed to do today did get done. J I guess I can’t actually be upset after-all.

Hosanna!

May 5, 2012, may be a day that 3,000 of the area's best youth will never forget. That night was the product of hours of work, memorization, sweat and tears and it was all worth it. The Cultural Celebration for the dedication of the Kansas City Temple was an amazing opportunity for the youth to grow their testimonies and be part of something far greater than themselves. The youth performed for Pres. Monson who was very generous in his praise, calling it the best he'd seen so far. The theme was "Of One Heart in the Heartland," celebrating the heritage of the Saints here in Missouri and Kansas.

I was unable to be in the auditorium with the youth, but far away in my stake center I felt the spirit so strong, testifying that Pres. Monson was a prophet of God, that God loved the youth of this church, and that he loved all of us. I cried throughout the entire event and cried even more when I saw both young men and young women wiping tears away. The Spirit was undeniable.

Here is a breakdown of the event with great pictures: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/62319/Kansas-City-Missouri-Temple-The-reason-for-this-great-celebration.html

The next day dawned bright and promising of...rain. We had a majestic thunderstorm on the way to the stake center for the temple dedication. The downpour was so thick I could barely see the road.  However, within the walls of the "temple extension" of the stake center, the Spirit was palpable. So thick at times that I could barely breathe. Pres Monson spoke of those early Saints who had suffered so much here in Missouri and who were witnessing this amazing fulfillment of prophecy today. Pres. Holland alluded to the future Independence temple that is yet to come and challenged us to continually be looking forward to a bright future. 

I couldn't help but feel that my Great-Grandma Ellen was there during the dedication. She had served a mission right here in Kansas City in the early 1920's and was part of the force to bring the gospel back to Missouri even though there was a standing extermination order from Governor Boggs that stayed on the books until the 1970's.  I felt that Grandma Ellen would be proud of us here today and that she is encouraging the missionary work on the other side. 

Now that we officially have our temple, the hard work really begins. It is time for Alexander and I to do some digging through the family history and hopefully we can find some names of ancestors waiting for their work to be done. We are so blessed and so excited! :)

I Love to See the Temple

Some amazing things have been happening in Kansas City these past few weeks and we have been blessed to be able to play a part in them.

As you may be aware, the LDS Kansas City Temple was completed at the end of March and the open house was held during the month of April.  We were asked to step up and be active missionaries, inviting everyone to attend the Open House. The church gave us lovely invitations to pass out to our friends, so I passed out a bunch at work and Alexander took them to school. I'm not sure if anyone actually went to see the temple, but it took all my courage just to invite them!

Alexander and I were asked to be hosts for one of the days of the open house. That means we were able to be tour guides and lead the groups through the temple. I was so nervous about it beforehand, not sure what I would say and worried about if I would be able to answer the questions people asked. However, it turned out to be an amazing experience. At one point right before I was to begin a tour I was so nervous about what I would say and if it would be what the people needed to hear. I had a distinct thought come to my mind saying "This is the Lord's work and He will not let it fail." After that the Spirit was so strong and calming that it was almost too easy. :)

The majority of the people that I led were not LDS so it was a neat experience. My favorite question was when we were at the baptistery and a woman asked how we baptized the dead. I explained that we did it by proxy, meaning that if I wanted to do a baptism for my dead grandmother, then I would be baptized for her, in her name, and then she has the choice to accept it or not. The woman was so surprised, her face was hilarious. I came to realize that people think we hold funerals in the temple and we baptize their bodies before they are buried. I never would have thought! Anyway, the temple is so amazing and so gorgeous! The whole temple is decorated with an olive branch theme, symbolizing the church offering an olive branch of peace to the people of Missouri. It was such a special and exciting experience to be part of it all. I only wish I could do it over and over again!

This last Saturday, after the very last temple tour, a special fireside was held for the Young Women in the surrounding stakes. We listened to a fantastic testimony shared by the girl who will be the first bride sealed in this temple. She spoke on preparing for the temple and her words were inspired. After the talks, the girls were given a special tour of the temple which included the Bride's Room, which wasn't part of the regular tours. This room is beyond stunning! The temple matron's assistant had each girl stand in front of the floor-length mirror and visualize herself standing there in her wedding dress and being sealed to her sweetheart. It brought tears to my eyes to see each of my girls stand there and I had a fervent prayer that they would each find themselves getting married in the temple someday.

My beautiful young women

Throughout this entire experience I have felt such a personal connection to this temple and the Spirit that accompanies it. I have gained a strong testimony of temple ordinances and the importance of making and keeping sacred covenants. The opportunity to serve and to be missionaries of a different kind has been an extraordinary experience for us.

To get ready for the temple dedication, our Young Women and Young Men are working on a cultural celebration of singing and dancing for Pres Monson and Elder Holland. The theme of the program is "Of One Heart in the Heartland". It is so fun to watch the kids working so hard. They are doing all sorts of dances, including ragtime swing (called the Kansas City Kitty) and the quickstep. I'm only sad that I'm not 10 years younger and out there with them. That celebration will be held on May 5 and then the temple will be dedicated on May 6 so it's coming up very quickly!

We are so grateful to have the blessing of a temple so close to our home! I think in Utah it was easy for me to take the temple for granted, but out here where we have had to drive over four hours each way to attend the temple, it has become clear what an incredible blessing it was to live practically right next door to the Provo Temple. We are committed to ensuring that the temple is frequently used and many of the members out here want to overfill the temple and exceed all expectations.

I love to see the temple!

On March 17th, Everyone is Irish!

In case you haven't been keeping count, it has been 3 months, almost exactly, since my last big holiday bash. To keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay I organized a great green fest to celebrate the luck o' the Irish.

I was so excited that I planned it weeks in advance and decorated my house way early, ensuring that we were properly prepared to usher in the Celtic celebrations.

Here are some of my decorations:







As you should now know, my parties revolve around great company and good food and I take an immense amount of pleasure in being able to create a relaxing, enjoyable experience for my friends. My first big rule when I host a "formal" party (meaning I printed invitations) is that no one is asked to bring food. Please understand that it's not because I think I'm the best cook (because I know I'm not!) but because I don't want anyone to feel any stress or burden by coming. It also helps that I love cooking for my friends. With all of this in mind, I geared up for a fun Irish and green themed meal to serve.



First on the docket: Irish Country Stew. This is chock-full of yummy veggies and flavor. I wanted it to be authentically Irish, so my ingredient list included: cabbage, leeks, parsnips, carrots, onions and bacon. I was quite pleased with the results :)



I also whipped up a couple of loafs of Irish Soda Bread, using a recipe provided by an Irish grandmother. Holy cow! This was by far the most popular dish of the night with everyone requesting to take some home. :) Here is the link to the recipe on my foodie blog: Gourmet Gossips



I was excited to find this lovely imported Irish Cheddar in our grocery store. I served it with British Melba Toast and it was also gone before the end of the night.

Other green themed foods included:

Green Trifle, made with green angel food cake, white chocolate pudding, blackberries and lime flavored whipped cream

White Chocolate popcorn, dyed green, of course

Spinach Dip (a party mainstay) served with Wheat Thins



To round it all out, I made homemade root beer (our teetotalers' replacement for Guinness). I carbonated it with dry ice and it was a major hit. I sort of felt like we were a bunch of kids when everyone gathered around the kitchen to watch me put the ice in the root beer. :) Luckily, not only did it look fun but it also tasted great!



There was no need of silly games or gimmicks because we had such great company. I turned on some Celtic music in the background and everyone chatted away for hours. I have to admit that I had an absolute blast and was grateful for that so many friends came! Sadly, my brain didn't think to remind me to take pictures of everyone dressed in their green duds, but I assure you that they looked great!

After the festivities had died down, Alexander and I decided that this definitely needs to be an annual tradition, so plan for it now friends; I'm thinking March 16, 2013 sounds like a great day for a party!

The Stuff Memories Are Made Of

Alexander and I were lucky to be able to go out to Utah to say goodbye to Tyler as he leaves for his mission to South Dakota. I'm so proud of you Tyler!! We had an awesome time and it was really hard to go back to Kansas City.

Here are some of my favorite memories from the trip:

Melanie and I singing "You and I" and "Keep Your Head Up" at the top of our lungs as we drive back to Mom and Dad's.

Denise and I getting in the shortest line at Walmart and waiting longer than anyone else around us as the rednecks in front of us argue about who is paying for the iTunes card.

Bryce and Alexander swapping mission stories and discussing the grossest food they've ever eaten.

The narcissistic photo shoot at 10:00 at night with Melanie and Natalie.



Making 38 enchiladas for Sunday dinner.

Tyler to Annalee: You are addicted to caffeine!!
Alexander: It's her headache medicine.
Tyler: She's addicted! Not a day has gone by that I haven't seen her with it!
Alexander: That's 'cause you give her headaches.
(PS, I don't drink it every day, he was just making one of his silly exaggerated comments.)

Staying out till one o'clock in the morning giggling with some of my best friends from high school.

Listening to Tyler hum on the other side of the wall practically the entire night as he wrote and refined his farewell talk.

Visiting Jen and Zac's lovely home and losing track of time as we try to make Hallie giggle.

Singing "I Believe in Christ" with my sisters at Tyler's farewell and trying desperately not to cry.

Mom and I spying on Denise as she cuddled with her new boyfriend.

McKay and Alexander going on a pizza run during "the lady party" (aka Jewelry Party).

Mom asks me, "Are you going to the store? Tomorrow is hundreds day. I need 100 kisses." Dad walks in just in time to hear the last sentence, raises his eyebrows and says, "That will take me all night!"

Tyler and Alexander going out to lunch. Tyler ordered a Zesty BBQ burger with no zest or BBQ, just bacon.

Annalee: I haven't taken a picture with Tyler yet.
Tyler: Sorry you guys. Mom said no sexy pictures tonight.

Melanie tried to teach Hallie to push a certain noise button on her toy but Hallie preferred to push the button that played the music. Melanie tried over and over but Hallie ignored her. Finally, after much bugging, Hallie turned to look Melanie straight in the eyes, picked up the toy, and pushed the noise button repeatedly before then calmly looking away and pushing the music button.



Some photos from the "photo shoot":

Me, Melanie and Natalie


Natalie and Tyler, the twins


Tyler, Alexander, Melanie and Natalie


Tyler, Me, Alexander and Melanie


Tyler, Melanie and Natalie

Christmas 2011

This was the first Christmas I have spent away from my family so I was worried that I would be super homesick, but this Christmas turned out quite lovely and special despite the separation.

We started out our celebrating by hosting our 1st Annual Ugly Sweater Party and boy was it fun! I cooked up quite a spread of food including my first ever attempt at my Grandma's homemade rolls. We also had a white elephant gift exchange which was really fun! We ended up with a black elephant carving from India and a CD of the Messiah.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures at the beginning so most of us had shed our sweaters by the end. I also was unable to get a pic of one of the other couples.


Alexander


Stephanie and Jack


Kelley and John


Kathy and Joe

Christmas Eve Alexander and I were invited to spend the afternoon with our good friends at their family party. We had an enjoyable time and it was a fun diversion, although a tad awkward at times. ;)

I spent the rest of the evening tiding the house and getting everything ready for Christmas. My mother instilled in me the idea that the house must be spotless on Christmas. We were promised Santa would not come until our rooms were clean, like really clean, as in everything out from under the bed clean. So I cleaned away.


The tree Christmas Eve

I loved going to Sacrament meeting on Christmas Day. It was such a beautiful way to celebrate the birth of our Savior and I appreciated the spirit that it brought into the rest of our activities.

We were blessed to be invited to eat Christmas dinner with our dear friends who we also shared Thanksgiving with. I made garlic mashed potatoes, sauerkraut with apples and bacon, homemade rolls and a coconut cream cake. Our hosts provided a succulent ham and other delicious accouterments. We then played a lively game of Lord of the Rings Monopoly which I accidentally won. ;)

Christmas evening I skyped with my family while they did the annual singing at Grandma's house. I admit to getting a bit teary eyed as we sang our favorite Christmas songs. However, I was so grateful for the modern technology that allowed me to be a part of the joyous gathering. I love and miss my family so much that this was an incredible blessing for me.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I am sorry to see it end. Thanks to all of those wonderful people who made this holiday so special for us and kept us from feeling lonely! Love you all!






Godiva Opening her New Ball


Our Annual Christmas Ornament

Christmas Memories of Miracles

Christmas is my season. I think of it all year long and can hardly wait to change out the Thanksgiving decorations for the Christmas ornaments (poor Thanksgiving...). I adore everything about Christmas! The music, the smells (cinnamon and pine), the twinkling lights! There is nothing quite so spectacular as sitting in a dim room next to a glowing Christmas tree. I think it brings back the feelings of childhood, remembering how I would stare in amazement at how beautiful our tree always was.

Along with those feelings come a flood of memories that cannot contain themselves. So many of my Christmases have been filled with wonders and miracles and it would be a shame not to write some of them down.

I will preface these stories with the note that growing up my family was of humble means and thus, many years we found ourselves the recipients of other people's generosity and compassion.

My earliest Christmas memory is still tainted with the childhood joy I felt when I ran into the living room on Christmas morning and saw our couch literally covered with stuffed animals and dolls. I was probably three or four at the time and my eyes went wide. I then looked to the left and saw a little vinyl playhouse. It was essentially a square tent of cheap materials, but oh how I loved it! I still remember that it was decorated with red shutters around the windows and flowers along the bottom. I was so happy that year! As an adult I shared with my mom how much that Christmas had always stayed with me and she told me that was a year when they had had almost no money. She had gone to DI and bought all the stuffed animals for practically nothing. She had been so sad she couldn't buy new things and so worried that we wouldn't like it and she felt that it was a miracle that my sister and I were so happy.

My first memory of Christmas being given to us came when I was five. I had 3 younger siblings and my mother was younger than I am now (!). My father had recently been permanently disabled on the job, making it difficult for him to work. A group of unidentified elves doorbell ditched us leaving a live Christmas tree on our porch along with a box full of presents, including a beautiful pink stroller that I pushed around for years. I can still remember exactly where I was standing when my parents opened the door and I saw that brand new stroller, waiting to be filled with dolls and teddy bears! I was ecstatic!

Years later I remember being 10 or 11 years old. My family was once again fairly destitute and I remember my mother saying that we were not going to have Christmas presents that year. Since Christmas morning wasn't going to be the same, I opted to stay the night at my Great-Grandmother's house. Close to midnight my mom called us on the phone telling us that my dad had received a Christmas miracle. Just minutes earlier, quite late at night, my dad had sold an old car giving my parents money to buy us a little Christmas. Since no stores were open on Christmas day, my parents left early on Boxing day and we had "Christmas morning" on the 26th instead.

When I was a teenager, for several years someone in our ward (we think, they were anonymous) would leave a box on our porch containing two presents for each of us. One of the presents was always a shirt or a sweater and the other was a toy or other gift. I remember one particular year when I was in high school and I was so elated to receive a popular and expensive brand of sweatshirt in my favorite colors and a bottle of Tommy Girl perfume (which was all the rage). My parents would never have been able to afford either of these gifts and it meant so much to me that someone would take the time to choose something that a self-conscious 15 year old would be excited to wear to school.

I am fully aware that Christmas is not about presents and that my family didn't need to be given gifts to be happy. However, the joy comes not from the present itself, but in the giving and the receiving. The simple act of being able to give someone something that they would appreciate brings an inner peace and joy that is indescribable and is the essence of the Christmas spirit. The receiver too feels the love of friends and of our Savior, knowing that they were being thought of and that the Lord cares enough for each of us to give us the little things that may be small and unimportant that we wouldn't normally be able to have. I think this is the true miracle of Christmas: being able to feel and share the love of our Savior with those around us. :)