Juxtaposition

Juxtapose: put side by side: to place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize the contrast between them

Day #4 - Write about a time when you were so happy and a time when you were so sad. Did you learn anything from those experiences?

Irreputably, the happiest day of my life was when I finally married the love of my life. Despite everything that went wrong that day (my car broke down, two of my sister's went off the road in the snow, etc) we had made it to the temple to start our little family. I felt so much relief knowing that if anything happened we were now sealed and could be together again. I married my best friend and I'm still so thankful to have him in my life every day.

I learned that there is a reason why God gave men and women each other. We need each other and when both partners are working together in love and faith with mutual respect they help each other to grow and mature in ways that are impossible to learn alone. I learned that God loves us and wants us to be happy and to have lives filled with joy and has allowed us a way to continue that joy long after we have left this earth.

My Best Friend:

Sad Experience... The hardest day of my life was Aug 17, 2010, the day we packed the Uhaul and drove away from my family, friends and cute little home toward Missouri. I was miserable and would have done anything to change our plans and stay. I honestly don't think I would have finished packing had my family not been there dumping things into boxes. I didn't want to leave and I would have stretched it out as long as possible. I cried for hours on end that day. I knew it was the ending to a near perfect life. I was comfortable, happy and successful and I was being ripped away from all that. I was homesick before I had even left.

I learned a lot of things about myself when I forced myself to leave my comfort zone and start over somewhere new. I learned that I can do hard things and that I am never truely alone. I was the beneficiary of dozens, if not hundreds, of little miracles that allowed me to know that the Lord loves me and was watching out for me and my family.

This is my sister, Melanie, showing off the moving truck on moving day:


 I am grateful for both of these experiences in my life and the way they have influenced the person I have become. Though different, these experiences both represent the Lord's hand in my life and His watchful care over my happiness and growth. I know that the Lord sees a picture much bigger than the portion I can see and when I trust in Him, He will make my life even greater.

My Family in KC!

I was so blessed to be able to have  my parents and McKay in town for a week last month. It was better than Christmas! I found out just a few weeks beforehand and I was so excited! They drove long and hard to get here and I was impressed with how quickly they made it.

We had such a blast with them here, hopefully they enjoyed it too. They arrived on Thursday June 7 around 5:00pm. I made them a chicken enchilada dinner that was ready for them when they arrived. We spent that evening just relaxing and catching up. I was still in shock that they were here.

Friday morning I went into work for an hour while they caught up on the sleep they had lost during the drive. We then decided to spend the day seeing the church history sites. We took them to Independence first to see the Visitor's Center and the temple site. We then traveled a few miles over to Liberty Jail.

At the temple site in front of the Community of Christ "temple"

After that my dad said he would really like to go to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman. We stopped for a quick pick-me-up snack and then headed up across the farmland of Missouri. We had a great time chatting and remarking about the peculiar things along the way. After an hour's drive, we made it to Far West which is just a lovely garden in the middle of nowhere now. There is a tall metal gate surrounding the temple site where the four cornerstones of the temple still sit in each corner with gorgeous flower gardens in between. We had the place to ourselves which was nice for some quiet contemplation. As we were getting ready to leave, an old rickety bus pulled up with Idaho plates and out piled about 20 kids and 5 adult men. The girls were outfitted in pioneer style dresses which made us think they were LDS kids on some kind of trek. We then heard the kids yelling each other's names (Moroni, Helaman, etc) and quickly realized that they were in fact polygamous FLDS which was an interesting inclusion to our day.

We left Far West and headed north to Adam-ondi-Ahman on some country back roads. It had been 11 years since I had last been and I didn't actually remember much about it. I didn't realize that it was a huge valley with multiple rims around it. We drove around to the two accessible sites. Once again we had the place mostly to ourselves and we had fun seeing deer and pondering the history and future of the place. We were there close to sunset, which I swear the the perfect time of day to go. Absolutely gorgeous!



Adam-ondi-Ahman - over looking the valley



Adam-ondi-Ahman - over looking the valley



McKay is so GQ!

We then headed back home stopping on our way at the new Kansas City temple to take pictures.

Can you believe these two love-birds have been married for 30 years?

Two of my favorite guys :)

He's my favorite youngest brother!

Saturday was more of a lazy day. We slept in and ran some errands. We went up to Crown City but there wasn't much to see there. We did take a few pictures by the fountains.

Sunday we went to church and I cooked a turkey dinner. We rested, talked and just overall enjoyed each other's company. On Monday went over to the Federal Reserve to the Money Museum. It's a free museum that shows every coin of the United States since 1777. There are also lots of videos, facts and statistics, as well as fun things for kids to do. We aren't kids, but we had fun playing anyway. There was a place for us to take pictures of our faces in money so we took full advantage of that.



Alexander's face is priceless here

We now have fair warning to not vote McKay in as president but Dad looks respectable ;)

Trying to redeem himself with a "Vote for Me" smile

That's some good lookin' money right there

We also created our own dollar bills on a computer. We could choose our pictures, motto and it even took our pictures.

We played with rubbing stencils to create bills as well. As a souvenir they gave us a bag of shredded money that looks like expensive confetti. We had a blast :).

Our monies

We then went across the street to the Liberty Memorial. It's the National World War 1 Monument. Dad was upset that they didn't have the names of the soldiers there like they do at the other monuments. He was looking forward to seeing the name of his grandfather listed, but alas it wasn't there. We did see a great view of the city and looking down Dad decided he would like to go to Union Station. 



Liberty Memorial looking at the city

The exhibits are usually closed on Mondays but while we were looking at the architecture, on of the employees mentioned to my Dad that for some reason the Titanic exhibit was open and it was half off today only. I thought my Dad would die of excitement. We had been talking about the exhibit on Saturday but that it was too expensive to go. He has loved the Titanic story since he was a kid, so this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had one hour before it closed and it was exactly enough time. Half price seemed fair for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Mom wasn't thrilled, she thought it would be morbid, but it turned out to be really well done and a really neat experience. I thought that maybe this was a tender mercy for my Dad as he had wanted to see it so badly.

Doesn't his face just show his excitement? lol...

Solemn faces in respect of the dead

Tuesday morning came way too soon. My family had to leave to drive back and I was heartbroken to see them go. Godiva was also heartbroken as she adores my Dad and McKay. She moped for two days after they left. It just didn't seem fair that we have to be so far apart and not see each other very often. I know that they made some heavy sacrifices to come out and visit us and I am so thankful they did. I have amazing parents and siblings and I love them all so much! Now I hope to see all my other siblings out here soon too! :)

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Day #3 - Imagine that it's exactly ten years from today, and describe what you'd like to be doing and what you'd like your life to be like.

Hmm, well, ten years from now I will be 39! That seems so old!! As a kid I always assumed my life would be just like my mom's. I'd get married younger, have about 5 kids, and then they'd all be grown-up by the time I was 40 or so at which time I could be free to do whatever I want. However, it now seems like my life will be quite different. Here I am sitting at 29, no kids in sight. However, I've been married 5 1/2 years to a wonderful guy and I've had some awesome experiences so that's gotta count for something.

I really do anticipate having kids in the near future so in ten years I would expect them to still be involved in my life ;).  I think 3 kids is a nice goal to shoot for at this point in my life. I want to be learning new things with my kids like playing the piano and learning German (they will be German citizens afterall). They will also be exploring who they are and what they like. This could mean I end up as a soccer mom shuffling kids to practices or enduring the headaches of a first year violin player and their squeaky attempts at songs (Melanie, I still harbor a little hostility over that year of violin you took while I was trying to do my high school homework!)

I want my husband to have a great, fulfilling career in history that he enjoys and will allow me to stay home with the kids. I also want to be running the wedding business again on the side, possibly owning a reception center with my best buds helping me out and creating beautiful events. Additionally, I'd like to have done some more world traveling and giving my kids neat learning experiences. I want to be healthy, happy and productive and looking forward to 40 more years of happiness.

Us Today:

Free Time?

Day #2 - What do you like to do in your free time (Don't just list, explain why, too)

When I have free time, I usually come to a crossroads and have to make a decision: do I do something semi-productive like a craft or a project or do I totally relax with a book or a nap?

Generally it breaks down to a 70% projects, 30% relaxing ratio. This means I get lots done but I totally wear myself out to the point where I have to take a nap or make myself relax. Lately I have been working on planning my brother's wedding so my crafts are things that have to get done in the next few weeks and include making table runners, painting glass, researching decor ideas, rummaging through thrift stores, etc. My relaxing has come in the form of a great book, #2 in the Beyonders series. It's kind of young adult but I love it. :)

When I have no important projects and absolutely nothing going on, in my free time I: paint canvases, read fantasy books, cook new foods, try new kinds of crafts (sewing, jewelry, etc), play with my dog, and cuddle with my husband (I acutally try to do this every day ;) ).

This is a Coconut Cake I once made in my free time:

This is a baby quilt I made for a Personal Progress project:

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!