"Coincidence? I think NOT!"

Friday night at work I happened to pick up a children's picture book entitled, "Seven Miracles that Saved America."I got the chapter book for Christmas a few years ago so i was curious to how it was as a picture book. There are SO so many little miracles that took place in order to bring about religious freedoms and the climate necessary to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this Earth. Two days later, in Sunday school, we brainstormed a list of all the events throughout history that made the Restoration of the Gospel possible. In High School, I remember reading about those events and having a strong impression that all of those events took place miraculously for the purpose of preparing our nation to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel so strongly about this point: It was not a coincidence. This land was discovered and founded for the sole purpose of creating a place that would have religious freedom; as well as many other freedoms, but the pilgrims came first purely to have a place to practice their religion freely.

I'm not saying these things in response to any political things going on. I just felt I needed to write down the feelings I've had. I know this nation, it's constitution, and government are not just a coincidence or man-made but founded and created by God and it continues to be so and will continue to be so as long as we uphold what is right and good.  

I know the things that take place in our lives everyday aren't just coincidences either but that our lives have meaning and purpose and our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, if we choose to look for it. 

P.s. Kudos to you if you can guess the movie this blog title comes from! 

Christmas 2012

We had a wonderful Christmas! Lots of family and lots of snow! The week before Christmas and our trip to Arizona, our mechanic told us we needed a new car. Luckily he had one for sale. So! We had a bit of an early Christmas and we love our new car!

Here is Jason Christmas morning!

Jason designed this awesome mirror! It's amazing!

This wasn't Christmas day but we had tons of snow this Christmas. TONS!

Jason's mom was able to spend the week before Christmas here in Utah and we loved having her here! What is Christmas without your family?! 

Two days after Christmas the three of us drove to Arizona to enjoy much warmer weather...oh and to see the rest of our family. One night we had a family dinner and my two wonderful mothers helped me finish stitching my quilt! I was so happy to get it done! I love how it's turning out! 

We had such a great trip! There's always so much we want to do while we're there and there are always things that we just can't seem to fit in and always leaves us wishing we had more time to spend with family and friends! 

The Big 2-5

Yep! As of November 27th, I've been alive for a quarter of a century. 

That is crazy to me. I still feel like i'm only 16. 

How can I already be this old? 

I had a wonderful birthday though! I took the day off of work and pretty much did my own thing for the day. 

I got to have lunch with Jason at his work at their BlendTec Bistro, which was quite delicious. 

After Jason got home from work, we opened presents. 

He spoiled me pretty darn good.  

I got the new Spidey movie! I am not huge into superhero movies but i LOVED this one. 

This one cracked me up. I have major issues with idioms. I can never say them right or I'll combine two or three...or four to make up my own and end up sounding like a crazy. So Jason got me my own dictionary of idioms to help me out. 

Do you know where the phrase 'to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' comes from? I do. 

I think we about doubled our DVD collection in one night. It was awesome!

And I ordered this guy from Deseret Book for Christmas and he came on my birthday so he's included too. I think he is so cool. He is Father Frost or дедушка мароз. Haha. I've been trying to practice Russian and I'm pretty sure it's not spelled like that but phonetically it's probably...closer.

Check out his Santa's Around the World Collection! Jim Shore also has an amazing Disney collection. I just think his style is so unique and fun. 

After being spoiled with presents Jason took me to my favorite place to eat: India Palace!

Oh man, it's SO yummy! Do you see that little bowl of orange colored goodness, right there in the middle of the table? Well inside that bowl is probably the most delicious food I've ever partaken of. 

....and I may or may not have just spent about a minute just staring at it, wishing it was in my mouth... 

It was a great day. 

I'm so grateful for wonderful family and friends that I got to hear from and talk to throughout the week. You truly made my birthday such a great day. 

Thanksgiving!

We stayed in Utah this year for Thanksgiving. It was our first Thanksgiving away from our families but we are lucky to have grandparents near by who we were so happy to share it with! 

It was a perfect Thanksgiving day. 

We started the morning off right with "OH" so much to be thankful for. I for one was especially grateful for this cereal! It has been years since I had it and there are a few who know just why this cereal is so awesome! 

We were in charge of making the pies and mashed potatoes. I tried a pink lemonade pie this year and it was a hit! And it isn't a true Thanksgiving in my opinion without an apple pie! 

 

My Practice apple pie...which in all honesty is just another excuse to make an extra pie. 

The feast!

Hmm...looks like someone was hogging the Martinellies....JASON! 

What I am most grateful for...

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions or things you look forward to? What are they? 

A Conference Talk a Day till Christmas

It's pretty cold outside and snow is piled high on the ground. I realized it had been a while since I decided to venture out into the snow to pick up the mail so this morning I decided to make the trek out there. Inside was my General Conference ensign. Have you gotten yours yet?! I was so excited to get mine! There are always talks I reread right away and then there are always some I probably didn't listen to very well and never go back and read. This time I wanted a way to make sure I had read them all. I looked at my calendar and realized that from today, November 12th, there are only 50 days till Christmas!!! 50 Days! What a perfect time to start. There are 39 talks in the ensign and 6 weeks to read them. So, I figured if I read a conference talk 6 days of the week, with a few extra left over, i'd get it read by Christmas! I got really excited when I realized this and I wanted to extend the challenge to YOU! A conference talk a day till Christmas! 

So today I started with President Monson's welcome address. The one where he announces the Tuscon temple and the lowered missionary age. Every time I read this I get goose-bumps! It's so cool. At the end of his talk he asks us to go through conference "listen[ing] attentively to the messages which will be presented...that we may feel the spirit of the Lord and gain the knowledge He would desire for us." I decided to make that my focus with every talk: Did I feel the spirit as I read? What thoughts came into my mind and what does the Lord want me to learn from this message? Above each talks title I'm going to write down my answers to those questions. 

You don't have to do it the same way I plan to but I'd love to hear how you decide to do it and how it goes for you!! 

For a link to all the talks from Conference go here. For more information about General Conference go here.

Halloween

We didn't have much of a Halloween this year. I worked late Halloween night and Jason stayed home to pass out candy to the 1 group that came by. 

I carved a pumpkin for a competition at work and I loved how it turned out! 

I won the most GGgrrrrrRRRrrr award...or however you'd spell it in wookie words. 

We had a ward Halloween party the weekend before and I made an apple pie. It was SCRUMPSH! My first time making a lattice top crust. 

We dressed up as Dr. Watson and Detective Holmes. Jason looked awesome in his costume! I love that vest of his. We printed pictures of 'homes' and taped them all over my jacket to solidify the Detective 'Homes' look. 

Oh yeah, and Jason found me an awesome pipe.

Books We Read Summer 2012

  

    

 

  

 

           
    

 I love that I get to read so much during the summer! Most of these books Jason and I read together, some I read on my own. Of this list, my top three favorites have been Mockingjay (of course), The Rent Collector and the Sherlock Holmes short stories and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and sweet are tied for 3rd. I finished the Rent Collector not too long ago so my love for it is still fresh and new. But really. I loved this book! Cameron Wright is a beautiful writer.

You can read the first chapter here. 

Check out the book trailer...oh and uh, excuse the naked baby and the mothers back side...It really isn't the most flattering image to use to sell a book but hey! It's a wonderful story nonetheless.