Actually, it was the summer of '11, but '69 is a much cooler title.
I figured I would snag this moment to write since my worn out husband is sleeping and I literally have nothing to do except for the big list of things to do on the fridge! (ha!)
Yes, I haven't written since April. It's been a crazy summer!
My first summer married!
It's been really nice actually. Jeff and I have spent tons of time together because we both worked full time at the same time during the day so we had all afternoons, nights, and weekends available to do wonderful things!
I've learned a lot this summer it seems like. I've learned about myself and Jeff and others.....I don't think I'll ever stop observing people....they fascinate me too much.
Through all of this observing I've concluded that I don't understand people. Ha ha ha ha ha! Like flat out....Jeff and I have had many conversations trying to figure people out and flat out, man, I got nothin'.
It's just interesting that you (yes, you) live your life in your little sphere called 'yourself' and you think your thoughts....you dream your dreams....you judge the judged....and YOU think it's totally cool.
Then you look at how other people are judging, dreaming, thinking....and it's like..."say what?" How could those judgements, dreams, and thoughts possibly be normal? How could they possibly be what another human being would be doing?
(I don't feel this way about ALL people.....just some specific people who have boggled my mind... :) )
My best guess answer to these questions is....agency.
I had a friend ask me about agency one time. He's not LDS and wanted to know how we could be free agents and still be lead by God or still have God's influence in our lives. I think agency is such a beautiful thing and you can really only understand it when you are close to the spirit. The beauty and simplicity of it is explained through the Holy Ghost.
I've learned a lot about agency this summer. I've learned that you can't make people think what you think no matter how hard you believe it. It's kind of like Heavenly Father's plan for us. He gave us agency because He loves us so much and didn't want to say...'here, this is what you should believe because I think it's the best'. It's like I said with the dreaming, thinking, and judging thing....God does all those things in His perfect way and then you look at His children (all of us) and we are TOTALLY not the normal ones when it comes to dreaming, thinking, and judging.
But that's how it's supposed to be isn't it? We are all supposed to be different. If we weren't there wouldn't be a need for forgiveness....there wouldn't need to be a Savior....or the Atonement.
I'm grateful that Heavenly Father made us different just so I could learn to be patient with other people.
Another thing I have learned this summer is that I'm extremely grateful for my family.
My family: Jeff.
I KNOW Heavenly Father wanted me to marry Jeff, because in this world of people who are SO different from me....he is the least different of any guy that I could have ever dreamed of meeting. He and I think so much alike that it makes making decisions easy, it makes living together easy, it makes so many things easy.
Anyways, enough of my babbling....
(I love Jeff)
This summer has had lots of fun things going on!
We were previously living in the basement of this 4-plex, but now we live in the upstairs which has a lot more space and will be good so we can stay here till we both graduate from Weber. (which, since Jeff is getting a Masters won't be for like....4 years, probably!)
I played my harp at my first wedding this summer! I had played for lots of smaller events/parties before, but never a wedding so that was fun. I also played at church and everyone was all impressed (psh...little do they know...ha ha :) )
Jeff and I both got callings this summer. Jeff is the Gospel Doctrine instructor. There are actually two Gospel Doctrine classes in our ward (it's a big ward). Mostly newlyweds go to one....and mostly nearly deads go to the one that Jeff teaches! Ha ha ha! Bless him.....
There is this blind family in our ward that are really cool. Actually, only the dad and one daughter are blind, but they are neat. The dad is one of the stake patriarchs and as one of the bishopbric members said to us "it's neat, because it's like he has a different kind of vision!" Ha ha ha! We love our bishopbric....they are kind of corny, and it's hilarious.
I was called as one of the primary choristers! I trade off with this young married guy every other week. It's been really fun so far....there are tons of kids in our ward. We have about 15 four year olds and 10 three year olds, so it's kind of crazy! I always tell them to sing LOUD, but not SCREAM...and they still have a hard time with that one....
It's amazing though how kids can learn hard songs like Praise to the Man. Those little 4 year olds belt that song out like they are in Motab or something.
Jeff's sister got married last week and her and Alex are moving into the basement apartment where we lived! It'll be fun having them live here, especially since they are family and we don't have to deal with strangers (our old upstairs neighbors were not very friendly, ha ha).
We've had some weird drama with the apartment situation in the past month or so, ha ha ha. It's mostly just funny. Jeff and I have been the only ones living in the 4-plex for the past month and a half, so we were given the job by our landlord (who says "Jeff is the boss of the 4-plex now") to find new people to live here.
So one day we had a couple coming over to look at the two apartments that were empty and about an hour before they came over the lady that used to live in the other upstairs apartment was over there cleaning. Jeff went over and asked if we could show the apartment to some friends of ours and she kind of freaked out, ha ha. I guess the apartment that they moved to had black mold and was making her deathly ill and when our friends came over to see the apartment she met them before we could and told them that they were moving back in and they couldn't see the apartment, ha ha!
Jeff and I were like.....whoa...?
So even though her husband works in Provo now, and their new apartment does NOT have black mold, they are moving back in because they love this place so much. Good luck on that commute!
It's kind of awkward though cause we haven't really been watering their garden that they gave to us.......and after that whole "you can't see our apartment" episode....it's just gonna be a little weird. Ha ha ha!
Jeff took me to Bear Lake as a surprise one weekend this summer! It was super fun! We just went up and stayed overnight and got yummy raspberry shakes! (that's like the only reason to go to Bear Lake...) It was a fun little trip!
Jeff's family shares a cabin with his extended family and we have gone up to it twice this summer....once in May and once at the end of July. We love going up to the cabin! It's up in Midway which is right by Heber City. It's beautiful up there! This last time we took four wheelers and drove around the mountains a bunch.
Other than working and having fun little trips we've mostly just been hanging out with family a bunch this summer. Jeff's family constantly has things going on it seems.....softball games every week, birthday parties, bridal showers, our new nephew being born, Jeff's brother, wife, and three kids from Virginia visited, my sister-in-law's wedding....etc. It's been a pretty full summer!
School starts on Monday and I'm actually really excited! It's exciting because this semester I'm taking almost all education classes.
I start a new job on Wednesday! I'm working at the special ed. preschool for Ogden School District. I'm going to be in a class of mostly autistic kids. The instructor said there is usually about 15 kids per class. It's going to be the teacher, me, and two other staff assistants....and when you look at it that way it's going to be a pretty hectic class! I'm super excited though. I've never really worked with kids this age before (3-5 year olds). And I've definitely never worked with autistic kids this age either. I was a special ed. tutor at an elementary school and high school...and I love kids with disabilities, but these little preschoolers are going to basically be babies still! It'll be a cool experience, I think.
Well, that's really all I have to say for now. I guess I'll probably write again by Christmas, ha ha! Life is good. Life is excellent.
"Face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility."
-President Thomas S. Monson
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
The Past Month!
k, yeah, it's been FOREVER since I've blogged.....but I have a good excuses! Getting married, organizing an apartment, getting settled into this new life, and not really having internet are all good excuses, right? Ha ha :)
Plus, since I'm a broken record, I'll just say again that this blog is technically for my kids and grandkids, so really....I'm not behind at all!
I've been married for a little over a month now! A month and a couple of days, actually. It's wonderful! You always hear people say how great it is to be married and when you're NOT married you're like....'seriously....shut up, people, you're not helping my self esteem at all'...so...sorry unmarried people...but really...it is very wonderful!
We got married on March 26th, the day was beautiful and it only started raining during our reception which was inside anyways. We got married in the Ogden Temple which was great! I love the temple workers there. All of the people that we love the most came to our sealing (minus our unendowed siblings of course...). We had our luncheon at Maddox, which was amazing! Mmmm! Our reception was at the Weber Alumni Center. It was so cute! I loved it. I loved all of the decorations. I loved greeting all of the people who came. It makes you realize how loved you are when you experience things like that.
Jeff and I just kept saying over and over that the day really couldn't have been more perfect. Everything went exactly how it was supposed to and it was all precisely what we wanted. Everything from the harpist, to the video, to the ice cream we catered, even where we ended up standing in line....it was just all perfect.
We went on our honeymoon to San Diego which was WAY fun! Jeff is so good to me. It was the best! St. George is one of my favorite temples (I'm sure you know that if you stalk my blog), so we went to that temple on the way down. We also went to the San Diego temple which is breath takingly beautiful. We went to the beach almost every night for the sunset, we went to Sea World, Old Town San Diego, etc. So much fun!
I'm EXTREMELY grateful for eternal families. Since my parents are divorced my view on eternal families is kind of.....skewed? Or at least it was, I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW I'm going to be with both of my parents and siblings for eternity, but still with the divorced part it's just different.
Since Jeff and I got married my testimony on eternal marriage has strengthened ten fold. I'm SO grateful that we were able to be married in the temple.
Jeff and I go to the temple every week and obviously I'm not going to go crazy talking about the endowment part of the temple on this blog because it's much too sacred for that, but it really has changed my life.
We went and did sealings last Saturday and it was really cool! It's cool being a proxy for someone that's getting sealed to their parents or being a proxy for a wife in a couple. I don't think people realize the incredible blessings that come with being sealed. It definitely is really sad that all of the non-members in the world don't understand it and might never have that opportunity.
I really can't imagine not being with Jeff for forever.
I've also been thinking a lot about the Family: A Proclaimation to the World lately. There is SOOO much confusion in the world with people concerning marriage. Whether it's gay marriage or no marriage at all....I just wish people understood the proclaimation better...or even at all since I'm sure non-members don't even know about it.
I'm really grateful that the First Presidency has asked every family to have it hanging in their home in a prominent place where everyone can see it, because it's so essential and good!
I just feel like if everyone understood that better the world would be better!
I loved Elder Scott's talk this last Conference on marriage. He talked about his wife and how when she was alive she ALWAYS exemplified and magnified the grace and splendor of her womanhood. I'm sure he said it a lot more eloquent than that....but it was something along those lines.
I'm truly grateful that I am a woman and everything that comes with that. I'm grateful that I am a wife, that I will be a mother, and that I have all of the responsibilities that come with those two roles.
Anyways, those are just things that have been on my mind lately!
I'm allll registered for classes in the fall. Weber is kind of.......(*cough*) lame....and I'm way behind right now. I still have three more years till I graduate. I could probably, maybe explain why that is, but it's a really boring explanation, so I won't, ha ha!
I'm really excited for all of my classes though! They are all education type classes so it'll be wonderful!
Other than that Jeff and I are just working all the live long summer. We both work 40hours a week...at the exact same time during the day so that's definitely a blessing!
I know that Heavenly Father has blessed me with jobs lately, because before we were married I was working three jobs! They all kind of just happened and served their purpose while I had them, and it was really nice because all three of my bosses were way nice to me when I quit.
It's really amazing to see how God blesses us in small ways like that. To most people that would be a small thing, but to me it was a huge blessing.
So now I'm down to one job, I get a ton more sleep which is great, Jeff and I are boring now since we're married, and I want to buy a bike this summer and go on many many rides!
I'm kind of scared for school to start cause it's going to be crazy with Jeff and I both going to school full time (15-18 credits) and both of us working 20 to 30 hours a week. We definitely won't see each other as much, but I guess that's why it has worked out that we have the exact same schedules right now.
Well, I can't really promise that I'll blog in the near future because A. I'm boring and married now. Seriously the most exciting thing that happens is our parents invite us over for dinner or we watch a funny episode of Psych. And B. Because our internet is severely lacking in awesomeness so.....eh?
If something really cool happens, I will surely write though! :)
Plus, since I'm a broken record, I'll just say again that this blog is technically for my kids and grandkids, so really....I'm not behind at all!
I've been married for a little over a month now! A month and a couple of days, actually. It's wonderful! You always hear people say how great it is to be married and when you're NOT married you're like....'seriously....shut up, people, you're not helping my self esteem at all'...so...sorry unmarried people...but really...it is very wonderful!
We got married on March 26th, the day was beautiful and it only started raining during our reception which was inside anyways. We got married in the Ogden Temple which was great! I love the temple workers there. All of the people that we love the most came to our sealing (minus our unendowed siblings of course...). We had our luncheon at Maddox, which was amazing! Mmmm! Our reception was at the Weber Alumni Center. It was so cute! I loved it. I loved all of the decorations. I loved greeting all of the people who came. It makes you realize how loved you are when you experience things like that.
Jeff and I just kept saying over and over that the day really couldn't have been more perfect. Everything went exactly how it was supposed to and it was all precisely what we wanted. Everything from the harpist, to the video, to the ice cream we catered, even where we ended up standing in line....it was just all perfect.
We went on our honeymoon to San Diego which was WAY fun! Jeff is so good to me. It was the best! St. George is one of my favorite temples (I'm sure you know that if you stalk my blog), so we went to that temple on the way down. We also went to the San Diego temple which is breath takingly beautiful. We went to the beach almost every night for the sunset, we went to Sea World, Old Town San Diego, etc. So much fun!
I'm EXTREMELY grateful for eternal families. Since my parents are divorced my view on eternal families is kind of.....skewed? Or at least it was, I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I KNOW I'm going to be with both of my parents and siblings for eternity, but still with the divorced part it's just different.
Since Jeff and I got married my testimony on eternal marriage has strengthened ten fold. I'm SO grateful that we were able to be married in the temple.
Jeff and I go to the temple every week and obviously I'm not going to go crazy talking about the endowment part of the temple on this blog because it's much too sacred for that, but it really has changed my life.
We went and did sealings last Saturday and it was really cool! It's cool being a proxy for someone that's getting sealed to their parents or being a proxy for a wife in a couple. I don't think people realize the incredible blessings that come with being sealed. It definitely is really sad that all of the non-members in the world don't understand it and might never have that opportunity.
I really can't imagine not being with Jeff for forever.
I've also been thinking a lot about the Family: A Proclaimation to the World lately. There is SOOO much confusion in the world with people concerning marriage. Whether it's gay marriage or no marriage at all....I just wish people understood the proclaimation better...or even at all since I'm sure non-members don't even know about it.
I'm really grateful that the First Presidency has asked every family to have it hanging in their home in a prominent place where everyone can see it, because it's so essential and good!
I just feel like if everyone understood that better the world would be better!
I loved Elder Scott's talk this last Conference on marriage. He talked about his wife and how when she was alive she ALWAYS exemplified and magnified the grace and splendor of her womanhood. I'm sure he said it a lot more eloquent than that....but it was something along those lines.
I'm truly grateful that I am a woman and everything that comes with that. I'm grateful that I am a wife, that I will be a mother, and that I have all of the responsibilities that come with those two roles.
Anyways, those are just things that have been on my mind lately!
I'm allll registered for classes in the fall. Weber is kind of.......(*cough*) lame....and I'm way behind right now. I still have three more years till I graduate. I could probably, maybe explain why that is, but it's a really boring explanation, so I won't, ha ha!
I'm really excited for all of my classes though! They are all education type classes so it'll be wonderful!
Other than that Jeff and I are just working all the live long summer. We both work 40hours a week...at the exact same time during the day so that's definitely a blessing!
I know that Heavenly Father has blessed me with jobs lately, because before we were married I was working three jobs! They all kind of just happened and served their purpose while I had them, and it was really nice because all three of my bosses were way nice to me when I quit.
It's really amazing to see how God blesses us in small ways like that. To most people that would be a small thing, but to me it was a huge blessing.
So now I'm down to one job, I get a ton more sleep which is great, Jeff and I are boring now since we're married, and I want to buy a bike this summer and go on many many rides!
I'm kind of scared for school to start cause it's going to be crazy with Jeff and I both going to school full time (15-18 credits) and both of us working 20 to 30 hours a week. We definitely won't see each other as much, but I guess that's why it has worked out that we have the exact same schedules right now.
Well, I can't really promise that I'll blog in the near future because A. I'm boring and married now. Seriously the most exciting thing that happens is our parents invite us over for dinner or we watch a funny episode of Psych. And B. Because our internet is severely lacking in awesomeness so.....eh?
If something really cool happens, I will surely write though! :)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Proposal!
Wow, weird, two posts from me in the same month?? This is abnormal! Ha ha!
I figured I should blog because.... I'm engaged!!!!! :) And I should probably document this story for my future posterity and/or whoever wants to read it!
Sigh....well, first off I have to say that I'm really pathetic. Here is why...
Jeff and I have been dating for 6 months and for the past...oh I don't know...2 months of that I've been going CrrrrAAAAzy wanting to be engaged! Our friends Clint and Tina got engaged about 2 months ago and just....well....yeah. Jealousy started to rage!
That really shouldn't come as news to any of my close friends because I'm pretty sure I made them aware of it everyday for the past... to them what probably seems forever. :) You girls know who you are....and I thank you for being patient with me!
The problem was, Jeff and I wanted to get married in March or April and we really didn't want to have a long engagement, hence, why we had to wait. Amongst all of the waiting I got most of the wedding planned already... yes...pathetic...and Jeff has been so patient with me to have never ending conversations about our wedding before we were even engaged! That's one of the reasons I love him...he's always very supportive of my maddness.
Alright, on to the actual story. I hardly ever get surprised about things and because I constantly had been asking Jeff day to day if he had the ring yet (and his face can't lie to me) I was almost certain that the proposal would not be a surprise. I really wanted it to be though and so did Jeff.
I kind of think he worked up the momentum to lie to me because on Friday (the night that he went and picked up the ring before he came to my house) he said..."the ring place is being dumb and I won't get it for another week and a half probably". I was pretty bummed, but at this point didn't really care because it was coming so what else mattered?
Then on Saturday we had planned on going to Provo to do baptisms at the Provo Temple because that was the only temple I hadn't done baptisms in in Utah. Now...you kind of have to understand this...I LOVE temples. The people that read my blog regularly know how often I go to the temple, and really, anything that has to do with temples gets me excited! So just the fact that I hadn't been to this one and it was the LAST one I needed to go to....I was pretty excited!!
The whole day I couldn't stop smiling because I was so excited to go!
So Jeff came and picked me up and said that he wanted to go to Tucanos for lunch. Tucanos is this really REALLY excellent expensive steak...meat...good food/mostly meat restaurant. (I'm really good at explaining things, huh? Ha ha) I had only been there one other time with his family so I was like....wooo yeah! (my day was getting more and more excellent if you can't tell)
We went and had a wonderful romantic lunch (can lunch be romantic?) and ate more meat than I even want to think of right now....then we were off to Provo!
We drove down and when we got there we ended up staying for about 2 1/2 hours. There were SO many people! For some reason I like being in temples for that long though. The temple is the one place that I feel like I can be the most patient. "Without patience we can not please God." -President Uchtdorf
After we got out and I took 12 million (more or less) pictures on my phone of the temple (even though it pretty much looks the same as Ogden) we hurried back to his truck because it was freezing and started on our way.
We had planned that we were going to read each others patriarchal blessings, but it was way too cold outside and we didn't have many options for places to go so we took a drive up Provo Canyon and found a little hill that we could sit on and read them.
Tangent: While I was in the temple I was thinking to myself.....man, this would have been the PERFECT day to get engaged. Since I love the temple, we were reading our blessings, being together all day and having a fabulous lunch...I kept telling myself it was the perfect day. I was even mentally planning on complaining to Jeff about it when he dropped me off that night...obviously not blaming him, but blaming the dang ring place! Ha ha!
Back to the story....warning....most, if not all of the juicy details may be taken out because this part is rather personal! Ha ha!
We read his blessing and I cried through most of it...even though he doesn't want to admit it...he cried too.
After we were done reading it, Jeff said a whole bunch of cute stuff about the future (and I cried more) and then he said "wait though...I have to do this right". He smiled at me and I INSTANTLY started freaking out...."what?? What are you doing?!?"
He got out of the car and came around to my door...opened it and got down on one knee...he said a whole bunch of more cute stuff and I think I probably said "yes!!!" a couple of times before he was even done talking, ha ha ha!
In the end, I got my perfect proposal.
I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father for how this has all worked out. I truly do believe that we are meant to be with the people that come into our lives and even though we ourselves aren't perfect...I feel like Jeff is perfect for ME and he keeps telling me that I'm perfect for him.
I can't imagine spending my life without him or really with anyone else. I love him.
In the year that I was going to SUU I met this really cute couple that was getting married and our other friend asked them if they believe in "soul mates". They answered that they didn't really believe in everyone elses definition of soul mate, but in a sense we can become each others soul mates once we find someone that we love enough to marry. I agree with that!
I know that Heavenly Father has positioned my life to meet Jeff and to fall in love with him. The past couple of months have all fallen into place just like they should have and I'm hoping I can say the same about the upcoming months (2 1/2 months) till the wedding!
I also know that Heavenly Father has had a hand in our relationship because of how the temple part of our wedding is working out. As was mentioned before....I love temples. I contemplated getting sealed in the Bountiful Temple because it's more photogenic in MOST peoples opinions, or even the Salt Lake Temple because really it's probably the most photogenic of all the temples......but for some reason I kept coming back to the Ogden Temple and I knew that was the one.
Even since high school I've loved the Ogden Temple. It's the place where I truly grew to love temple work and to love my Savior. I've been to that one the most and it just feels like home to me.
I was really nervous because there were TONS of rumors that they were closing it at the beginning of January.
The Church announced about a year ago that they are doing a 2 year remodel on the Ogden Temple...pretty much redoing the outside completely. I wasn't ready to get married in January and I obviously wanted to be married before the new one would have been open, so I was quite nervous.
Jeff and I decided on March 26th and about a week or so later the Church announced that the Ogden Temple would close for renovation on April 1st. It seemed like a miracle to me.....and I know that I'm meant to get married in that temple. :)
73 days away!
I figured I should blog because.... I'm engaged!!!!! :) And I should probably document this story for my future posterity and/or whoever wants to read it!
Sigh....well, first off I have to say that I'm really pathetic. Here is why...
Jeff and I have been dating for 6 months and for the past...oh I don't know...2 months of that I've been going CrrrrAAAAzy wanting to be engaged! Our friends Clint and Tina got engaged about 2 months ago and just....well....yeah. Jealousy started to rage!
That really shouldn't come as news to any of my close friends because I'm pretty sure I made them aware of it everyday for the past... to them what probably seems forever. :) You girls know who you are....and I thank you for being patient with me!
The problem was, Jeff and I wanted to get married in March or April and we really didn't want to have a long engagement, hence, why we had to wait. Amongst all of the waiting I got most of the wedding planned already... yes...pathetic...and Jeff has been so patient with me to have never ending conversations about our wedding before we were even engaged! That's one of the reasons I love him...he's always very supportive of my maddness.
Alright, on to the actual story. I hardly ever get surprised about things and because I constantly had been asking Jeff day to day if he had the ring yet (and his face can't lie to me) I was almost certain that the proposal would not be a surprise. I really wanted it to be though and so did Jeff.
I kind of think he worked up the momentum to lie to me because on Friday (the night that he went and picked up the ring before he came to my house) he said..."the ring place is being dumb and I won't get it for another week and a half probably". I was pretty bummed, but at this point didn't really care because it was coming so what else mattered?
Then on Saturday we had planned on going to Provo to do baptisms at the Provo Temple because that was the only temple I hadn't done baptisms in in Utah. Now...you kind of have to understand this...I LOVE temples. The people that read my blog regularly know how often I go to the temple, and really, anything that has to do with temples gets me excited! So just the fact that I hadn't been to this one and it was the LAST one I needed to go to....I was pretty excited!!
The whole day I couldn't stop smiling because I was so excited to go!
So Jeff came and picked me up and said that he wanted to go to Tucanos for lunch. Tucanos is this really REALLY excellent expensive steak...meat...good food/mostly meat restaurant. (I'm really good at explaining things, huh? Ha ha) I had only been there one other time with his family so I was like....wooo yeah! (my day was getting more and more excellent if you can't tell)
We went and had a wonderful romantic lunch (can lunch be romantic?) and ate more meat than I even want to think of right now....then we were off to Provo!
We drove down and when we got there we ended up staying for about 2 1/2 hours. There were SO many people! For some reason I like being in temples for that long though. The temple is the one place that I feel like I can be the most patient. "Without patience we can not please God." -President Uchtdorf
After we got out and I took 12 million (more or less) pictures on my phone of the temple (even though it pretty much looks the same as Ogden) we hurried back to his truck because it was freezing and started on our way.
We had planned that we were going to read each others patriarchal blessings, but it was way too cold outside and we didn't have many options for places to go so we took a drive up Provo Canyon and found a little hill that we could sit on and read them.
Tangent: While I was in the temple I was thinking to myself.....man, this would have been the PERFECT day to get engaged. Since I love the temple, we were reading our blessings, being together all day and having a fabulous lunch...I kept telling myself it was the perfect day. I was even mentally planning on complaining to Jeff about it when he dropped me off that night...obviously not blaming him, but blaming the dang ring place! Ha ha!
Back to the story....warning....most, if not all of the juicy details may be taken out because this part is rather personal! Ha ha!
We read his blessing and I cried through most of it...even though he doesn't want to admit it...he cried too.
After we were done reading it, Jeff said a whole bunch of cute stuff about the future (and I cried more) and then he said "wait though...I have to do this right". He smiled at me and I INSTANTLY started freaking out...."what?? What are you doing?!?"
He got out of the car and came around to my door...opened it and got down on one knee...he said a whole bunch of more cute stuff and I think I probably said "yes!!!" a couple of times before he was even done talking, ha ha ha!
In the end, I got my perfect proposal.
I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father for how this has all worked out. I truly do believe that we are meant to be with the people that come into our lives and even though we ourselves aren't perfect...I feel like Jeff is perfect for ME and he keeps telling me that I'm perfect for him.
I can't imagine spending my life without him or really with anyone else. I love him.
In the year that I was going to SUU I met this really cute couple that was getting married and our other friend asked them if they believe in "soul mates". They answered that they didn't really believe in everyone elses definition of soul mate, but in a sense we can become each others soul mates once we find someone that we love enough to marry. I agree with that!
I know that Heavenly Father has positioned my life to meet Jeff and to fall in love with him. The past couple of months have all fallen into place just like they should have and I'm hoping I can say the same about the upcoming months (2 1/2 months) till the wedding!
I also know that Heavenly Father has had a hand in our relationship because of how the temple part of our wedding is working out. As was mentioned before....I love temples. I contemplated getting sealed in the Bountiful Temple because it's more photogenic in MOST peoples opinions, or even the Salt Lake Temple because really it's probably the most photogenic of all the temples......but for some reason I kept coming back to the Ogden Temple and I knew that was the one.
Even since high school I've loved the Ogden Temple. It's the place where I truly grew to love temple work and to love my Savior. I've been to that one the most and it just feels like home to me.
I was really nervous because there were TONS of rumors that they were closing it at the beginning of January.
The Church announced about a year ago that they are doing a 2 year remodel on the Ogden Temple...pretty much redoing the outside completely. I wasn't ready to get married in January and I obviously wanted to be married before the new one would have been open, so I was quite nervous.
Jeff and I decided on March 26th and about a week or so later the Church announced that the Ogden Temple would close for renovation on April 1st. It seemed like a miracle to me.....and I know that I'm meant to get married in that temple. :)
73 days away!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
3 Years
A couple of months ago when Jeff's family was trying to figure me out and get to know me one of his brother's read my blog! Ha ha! This was back when Facebook looked a little different and the link to my blog was a lot more readily available! His brother told him that he thought I wrote my blog like it was my journal and well....the truth is (besides the fact that this blog doesn't nearly go as deep as what I would write in an actual journal) that's true! This blog wasn't ever really meant for people to read. I mostly just write it for myself, but when I started writing it I had enough friends that wanted to read it too so I kept it open!
That being said...a journal is a journal and therefore this blog may contain secrets that the outside world shouldn't know. (that's mostly an exaggeration, ha ha)
I've officially gone to the temple every week for three years now.
Whoa.
:) Ha ha!
Do I feel accomplished?? Yeeees. However, in a sense I feel like I have so much more to learn now, rather than thinking I'm all knowing of the Gospel since I did that.
I truly have learned that no matter how many times you go to the temple there is always more and more to learn. Because of the temple I can really see that I have so much to improve on.
I've learned so much about myself and I'm grateful for that. Heavenly Father knows our weaknesses and recently I've learned that it's good to recognize those weaknesses, but then you just need to let them go. You're never going to get away from something if you don't loosen your grasp.
I've been dating Jeff for about 5 1/2 months now and I've learned many things, but one thing I've learned is that you can't hold on to the past. Jeff is so sweet and has accepted me despite all of my weirdness. I feel like second to my Savior he really does understand me better than anyone I've ever known.
Jeff and I are going to get married in a couple of months and in all honesty, I'm kind of worried about my temple attendance once that happens. Trust me....it's not that he'll pull me away from the temple....if anything he'll bring me closer to it, but I've just noticed while he and I have been dating that life is so much more busy when you are scheduling around two lives.
I know that once we are married, our lives week to week we might run out of time to do stuff and we'll justify that going to the temple can wait till next week. Endowments take longer to do than baptisms so I can see that being a justification too.
People might think....well, you've gone every week for three years so shouldn't it be easier by now??
I guess you'd think that, but just because I've gone so much for that amount of time doesn't mean I'm perfect, ya know?
You think about King David and how incredibly righteous he was. He was such an amazing guy and he just let one moment in his tiny bit of existence completely turn him around.
I obviously don't plan on being like King David, because that's a pretty dramatic example, but as long as we're on this earth we are going to be tempted by Satan.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm really excited to get endowed! I've been waiting for it for so long, it seems. These past, I dunno, 8 years that I've been doing baptisms have been great and in a lot of ways have been the thing that has shaped my testimony the most (especially the past 3 years), but I can't help but feel that it's time to move on in a sense.
Doing baptisms is a huge blessing for the people that you're doing the work for. That's really all the temple is, is one huge blessing, but when you get your endowments taken out and get sealed to your eternal companion....that's totally all for YOU.
The main thing I love about doing baptisms is thinking of the twenty or so sisters that I'm performing the ordinance for and thinking about how they can progress after I am their proxy. With my endowment and sealing....it's all for me! And that's exciting to me! I feel like it's going to bring me closer to God and closer to the plan that He has for me.
I know that Heavenly Father put Jeff in my life for a reason. I don't really believe in destiny....or soul mates....or things like that....but I do believe that God knew Jeff and I needed each other. I know that He knew he was perfect for me. I wish every person could feel that way about another person.....love someone so much you can't imagine not being with them for eternity.
I think for most of the world "eternity" is a really scary concept. That's why so many people resort to things that make them instantly happy or bring immediate gratification because they are afraid of thinking about things long term and thinking about "eternity". Since so many people don't even believe in God I'm sure eternity doesn't cross their minds that much anyways.
I've come to realize though that an eternal relationship like the one Jeff and I are going to have takes a lot of patience and time to grow. That's why I'm really glad that he made sure we were friends first before we started dating.
"The real life we're preparing for is eternal life. Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does. All we can learn that is true while we are in this life will rise with us in the Resurrection. And all that we can learn will enhance our capacity to serve."
-President Henry B. Eyring
I'm really looking forward to getting my endowments and being sealed! I truly am so blessed. The thought of being with Jeff for eternity brings me so much peace. I love him. Truly.
I feel like this transition of moving from baptisms to endowments will be a good change. For the longest time I was dreading it because I LOVE doing baptisms, but I've finally gotten to the point where I'm just so excited to move forward that it's good now!
I still have about 3 more months doing baptisms and then hopefully Jeff will take me to the temple every week after that! I'm crossing my fingers.... :)
That being said...a journal is a journal and therefore this blog may contain secrets that the outside world shouldn't know. (that's mostly an exaggeration, ha ha)
I've officially gone to the temple every week for three years now.
Whoa.
:) Ha ha!
Do I feel accomplished?? Yeeees. However, in a sense I feel like I have so much more to learn now, rather than thinking I'm all knowing of the Gospel since I did that.
I truly have learned that no matter how many times you go to the temple there is always more and more to learn. Because of the temple I can really see that I have so much to improve on.
I've learned so much about myself and I'm grateful for that. Heavenly Father knows our weaknesses and recently I've learned that it's good to recognize those weaknesses, but then you just need to let them go. You're never going to get away from something if you don't loosen your grasp.
I've been dating Jeff for about 5 1/2 months now and I've learned many things, but one thing I've learned is that you can't hold on to the past. Jeff is so sweet and has accepted me despite all of my weirdness. I feel like second to my Savior he really does understand me better than anyone I've ever known.
Jeff and I are going to get married in a couple of months and in all honesty, I'm kind of worried about my temple attendance once that happens. Trust me....it's not that he'll pull me away from the temple....if anything he'll bring me closer to it, but I've just noticed while he and I have been dating that life is so much more busy when you are scheduling around two lives.
I know that once we are married, our lives week to week we might run out of time to do stuff and we'll justify that going to the temple can wait till next week. Endowments take longer to do than baptisms so I can see that being a justification too.
People might think....well, you've gone every week for three years so shouldn't it be easier by now??
I guess you'd think that, but just because I've gone so much for that amount of time doesn't mean I'm perfect, ya know?
You think about King David and how incredibly righteous he was. He was such an amazing guy and he just let one moment in his tiny bit of existence completely turn him around.
I obviously don't plan on being like King David, because that's a pretty dramatic example, but as long as we're on this earth we are going to be tempted by Satan.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm really excited to get endowed! I've been waiting for it for so long, it seems. These past, I dunno, 8 years that I've been doing baptisms have been great and in a lot of ways have been the thing that has shaped my testimony the most (especially the past 3 years), but I can't help but feel that it's time to move on in a sense.
Doing baptisms is a huge blessing for the people that you're doing the work for. That's really all the temple is, is one huge blessing, but when you get your endowments taken out and get sealed to your eternal companion....that's totally all for YOU.
The main thing I love about doing baptisms is thinking of the twenty or so sisters that I'm performing the ordinance for and thinking about how they can progress after I am their proxy. With my endowment and sealing....it's all for me! And that's exciting to me! I feel like it's going to bring me closer to God and closer to the plan that He has for me.
I know that Heavenly Father put Jeff in my life for a reason. I don't really believe in destiny....or soul mates....or things like that....but I do believe that God knew Jeff and I needed each other. I know that He knew he was perfect for me. I wish every person could feel that way about another person.....love someone so much you can't imagine not being with them for eternity.
I think for most of the world "eternity" is a really scary concept. That's why so many people resort to things that make them instantly happy or bring immediate gratification because they are afraid of thinking about things long term and thinking about "eternity". Since so many people don't even believe in God I'm sure eternity doesn't cross their minds that much anyways.
I've come to realize though that an eternal relationship like the one Jeff and I are going to have takes a lot of patience and time to grow. That's why I'm really glad that he made sure we were friends first before we started dating.
"The real life we're preparing for is eternal life. Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does. All we can learn that is true while we are in this life will rise with us in the Resurrection. And all that we can learn will enhance our capacity to serve."
-President Henry B. Eyring
I'm really looking forward to getting my endowments and being sealed! I truly am so blessed. The thought of being with Jeff for eternity brings me so much peace. I love him. Truly.
I feel like this transition of moving from baptisms to endowments will be a good change. For the longest time I was dreading it because I LOVE doing baptisms, but I've finally gotten to the point where I'm just so excited to move forward that it's good now!
I still have about 3 more months doing baptisms and then hopefully Jeff will take me to the temple every week after that! I'm crossing my fingers.... :)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Blessings
Hi Blog,
Sorry we haven't talked for awhile! I think the main reason for that is because I feel like most of the things I would say are too personal. The majority of what happens in my life is what happens with my boyfriend and my blog was never intended to be all mushy and what not. Ha ha!
Isn't it amazing how God blesses us, though? I feel like my whole life I've gone in and out of friendships and relationships that have molded me to be what I am today (in a good way). Heavenly Father really does put the people we need in our lives in it at the right time.
I think Heavenly Father realizes that our lives are an ongoing cycle of ups and downs....spiritually, mentally, physically, socially....and for that He gives us what we need when we need it. The idea of Him giving us whatever is "expedient" for us at a certain time or another is very true.
If I wouldn't have gone to SUU I wouldn't have gained the independence that I needed for this stage of life. If I wouldn't have moved home and gone to Weber I wouldn't be so close to my family. If I wouldn't have gone to institute choir I wouldn't have met my friend Spencer. If I wouldn't have met Spencer I wouldn't have met his cousin. If I wouldn't have met his cousin I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am now. If I wasn't this happy I wouldn't have the hope that I have for the near future and for all of eternity.
I know that the cycles of our lives happen for a reason and that Heavenly Father truly does love us.
One thing that I think is interesting is no matter what stage of life we are in or what is happening our patriarchal blessings always fit in. I've read and read and read my blessing and it seems like the same lines stick out in different ways at different times of my life.
“Your patriarchal blessing is your passport to peace in this life. It is a Lianhona of light to guide you unerringly to your heavenly home.”
–President Thomas S. Monson
I love the imagery that President Monson always uses when he speaks. He's a very inspired man of God. I know he's a true prophet and I'm so grateful that I live now while he can be my leader!
It's just barely beginning to be the Christmas season and I'm so excited for it! :) It should be great! Minus the figuring out what to get everyone thing....I love getting people presents, but I never know what to get?
I know that Christ lives and I'm grateful that I can celebrate His birth this month! (and hopefully remember it all year)
I'm so blessed to have such a sweet and caring boyfriend. I only wish that all of my friends could find someone that fits them like Jeff and I fit each other. I have so many dang single friends! I just wish they could be as happy as I am.
Sorry I don't usually type actual stories that happen in my life. Nothing ever too dramatic happens. I just go to school.....go to work.....go on dates.....hang out.....go to choir/institute.....that's about it! Maybe if a cool story happens I'll write about it!
Sorry we haven't talked for awhile! I think the main reason for that is because I feel like most of the things I would say are too personal. The majority of what happens in my life is what happens with my boyfriend and my blog was never intended to be all mushy and what not. Ha ha!
Isn't it amazing how God blesses us, though? I feel like my whole life I've gone in and out of friendships and relationships that have molded me to be what I am today (in a good way). Heavenly Father really does put the people we need in our lives in it at the right time.
I think Heavenly Father realizes that our lives are an ongoing cycle of ups and downs....spiritually, mentally, physically, socially....and for that He gives us what we need when we need it. The idea of Him giving us whatever is "expedient" for us at a certain time or another is very true.
If I wouldn't have gone to SUU I wouldn't have gained the independence that I needed for this stage of life. If I wouldn't have moved home and gone to Weber I wouldn't be so close to my family. If I wouldn't have gone to institute choir I wouldn't have met my friend Spencer. If I wouldn't have met Spencer I wouldn't have met his cousin. If I wouldn't have met his cousin I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am now. If I wasn't this happy I wouldn't have the hope that I have for the near future and for all of eternity.
I know that the cycles of our lives happen for a reason and that Heavenly Father truly does love us.
One thing that I think is interesting is no matter what stage of life we are in or what is happening our patriarchal blessings always fit in. I've read and read and read my blessing and it seems like the same lines stick out in different ways at different times of my life.
“Your patriarchal blessing is your passport to peace in this life. It is a Lianhona of light to guide you unerringly to your heavenly home.”
–President Thomas S. Monson
I love the imagery that President Monson always uses when he speaks. He's a very inspired man of God. I know he's a true prophet and I'm so grateful that I live now while he can be my leader!
It's just barely beginning to be the Christmas season and I'm so excited for it! :) It should be great! Minus the figuring out what to get everyone thing....I love getting people presents, but I never know what to get?
I know that Christ lives and I'm grateful that I can celebrate His birth this month! (and hopefully remember it all year)
I'm so blessed to have such a sweet and caring boyfriend. I only wish that all of my friends could find someone that fits them like Jeff and I fit each other. I have so many dang single friends! I just wish they could be as happy as I am.
Sorry I don't usually type actual stories that happen in my life. Nothing ever too dramatic happens. I just go to school.....go to work.....go on dates.....hang out.....go to choir/institute.....that's about it! Maybe if a cool story happens I'll write about it!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Unnamed Post...... :) Oh wait....
Myyyyy brain!
Is overwhelmed right now. Ha ha. I'm really good at fragment sentences on this blog.
It's nearing the end of the semester and I'm starting to feel weird pressure. Ha! I'm thinking about taking a semester off and working to save up money for my future life.
My future life. :)
It seems as though everybody wants to know about that! I think I'm in the rebellious teenager stage where I'm just like.....please leave me aloooone!
Although you have no idea who they are, blog, my friends Tina and Clint are engaged! I love them. Truly. Even though boys aren't mushy and what not, so Jeff probably wouldn't ever say this, I think Clint and Tina are our best friends and will be for awhile! We are just in the same stage of life and we can all relate to each other really well. I love them! So I don't mind talking to them about my future life. For some reason they understand completely!
I mean, really, I have lots of best friends....and for some reason that seems to be the problem. The whole rebellious teenager part of me is saying......why do SO many people care about what's happening to me!?!? (when truly the only reason I'm asking that is because I don't know what's going to happen to me in the next couple of months)
(Answer: Duh, because you have too many best friends, Amber.)
Sigh.
How did I let this happen to me? I'm not popular, that's the thing. Shrugs. Maybe people find solace in knowing that they are best friends with someone that they can feel better about themselves being around??? Ha ha...I'm a service. Ha ha, jk. Jk.
I filled out two more job applications today. Growing up is hard. I've just been playing it safe with going to school the past 2 1/2 years. Working a little bit and not studying a lot a bit.
I have a solid full time job in the summer, but uh, if I'm not going to school NEXT semester then that's January which equals no job for me!
I was talking to Jeff last night and I had the idea that maybe I could just get a part time job and then practice my harp a lot and try to make that my second part time job. I can make just as much money doing that 2 or 3 nights a month as I can having a regular part time job.
Pretty much what this post comes down to is:
I'm slowly just getting tired of not having things in order.
It's interesting though because this kind of happened to me last year when I didn't have my art job yet. It seems as though the severity of THIS time around is much graver though. If I'm not going to school next semester I better have a good reason why...meaning a good job.
Last year before I got my art job I got turned down like......a million and a half times. (exaggeration...:) ) I wasn't getting anywhere until suddenly my art job popped out of literally no where and was exactly what I needed.
I think Heavenly Father does that to our lives all the time. He waits until we decide to be patient or till He decides we need to be humble and then gives us what we need.
"....Without patience we can not please God." -President Uchtdorf
In exactly a month and a half I will have gone to the temple every week for three years in a row.
Crazy, huh? In so many ways it feels like the February after I started doing that.
I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father that He's allowed me to do that. Agency is obviously the main factor in me being able to accomplish that visit to the temple weekly, however, I give a lot of credit to my Father in Heaven too. There have been countless weeks that I haven't had time to go and He has cleared up my life so I'm able to.
Temple work is so important. I wish people understood that.
"I promise you that all who faithfully attend to temple work will be blessed beyond measure. Your families will draw closer to the Lord, unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when satanic forces tempt them, the veil will be thin and great spiritual experiences will distill upon this people."
-Vaughan J. Fetherstone
Is overwhelmed right now. Ha ha. I'm really good at fragment sentences on this blog.
It's nearing the end of the semester and I'm starting to feel weird pressure. Ha! I'm thinking about taking a semester off and working to save up money for my future life.
My future life. :)
It seems as though everybody wants to know about that! I think I'm in the rebellious teenager stage where I'm just like.....please leave me aloooone!
Although you have no idea who they are, blog, my friends Tina and Clint are engaged! I love them. Truly. Even though boys aren't mushy and what not, so Jeff probably wouldn't ever say this, I think Clint and Tina are our best friends and will be for awhile! We are just in the same stage of life and we can all relate to each other really well. I love them! So I don't mind talking to them about my future life. For some reason they understand completely!
I mean, really, I have lots of best friends....and for some reason that seems to be the problem. The whole rebellious teenager part of me is saying......why do SO many people care about what's happening to me!?!? (when truly the only reason I'm asking that is because I don't know what's going to happen to me in the next couple of months)
(Answer: Duh, because you have too many best friends, Amber.)
Sigh.
How did I let this happen to me? I'm not popular, that's the thing. Shrugs. Maybe people find solace in knowing that they are best friends with someone that they can feel better about themselves being around??? Ha ha...I'm a service. Ha ha, jk. Jk.
I filled out two more job applications today. Growing up is hard. I've just been playing it safe with going to school the past 2 1/2 years. Working a little bit and not studying a lot a bit.
I have a solid full time job in the summer, but uh, if I'm not going to school NEXT semester then that's January which equals no job for me!
I was talking to Jeff last night and I had the idea that maybe I could just get a part time job and then practice my harp a lot and try to make that my second part time job. I can make just as much money doing that 2 or 3 nights a month as I can having a regular part time job.
Pretty much what this post comes down to is:
I'm slowly just getting tired of not having things in order.
It's interesting though because this kind of happened to me last year when I didn't have my art job yet. It seems as though the severity of THIS time around is much graver though. If I'm not going to school next semester I better have a good reason why...meaning a good job.
Last year before I got my art job I got turned down like......a million and a half times. (exaggeration...:) ) I wasn't getting anywhere until suddenly my art job popped out of literally no where and was exactly what I needed.
I think Heavenly Father does that to our lives all the time. He waits until we decide to be patient or till He decides we need to be humble and then gives us what we need.
"....Without patience we can not please God." -President Uchtdorf
In exactly a month and a half I will have gone to the temple every week for three years in a row.
Crazy, huh? In so many ways it feels like the February after I started doing that.
I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father that He's allowed me to do that. Agency is obviously the main factor in me being able to accomplish that visit to the temple weekly, however, I give a lot of credit to my Father in Heaven too. There have been countless weeks that I haven't had time to go and He has cleared up my life so I'm able to.
Temple work is so important. I wish people understood that.
"I promise you that all who faithfully attend to temple work will be blessed beyond measure. Your families will draw closer to the Lord, unseen angels will watch over your loved ones when satanic forces tempt them, the veil will be thin and great spiritual experiences will distill upon this people."
-Vaughan J. Fetherstone
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thoughts that probably only make sense to me :)
Apparently I'm really good at this whole two posts a month thing....ha ha ha. :)
Sigh.
Sorry, blog.
Something that has been ringing true in my life lately is the notion that everybody is different from....everybody else. :)
Well, duh.
Honestly though, I think people forget that and they expect that other people are going to appease them when in all reality everyone is so different it's hard to be appeased!
Appeased is a weird word.
I'm one of my only friends in all of my groups of friends that has a boyfriend. Jeff and I have two friends that are seriously dating, but preeeeetty much other than them....we are it.
Therefore, I have lots of girls and guys alike that come and talk to me about their problems! Ha ha. Even back in high school is seemed like I was the psychologist of my group of friends, and well, that hasn't really changed.
It's weird though, because I feel like since I'm dating Jeff people think I have more knowledge to share. I guess that's part of dating is trying to cultivate the relationship you have and if you're constantly doing that, then you'll understand things better.
At church today we had a 2 hour discussion with everyone in the ward about dating. Ha ha ha ha ha! It was really funny, but really really good at the same time. I commented a lot.....
I think the main reason I spoke up so much was because I knew that I didn't want to date any of the guys that were there cause....I'm dating Jeff....and so I just spoke honestly and openly about what I thought. I think that's harder for girls that are "on the market", as it were, because they are afraid they will appear un-marketable (?) if they say anything wrong? I actually had some guys come up to me after and thank me for all of the "mature" comments that I had made.
Let me just say this though....I don't think I'm mature. I honestly don't! Actually having a relationship is hard work and I mess up a lot! Granted, Jeff and I are really honest with each other so we are still together and in love, but really...it's hard work and most of the time it's hard being mature.
I think that's one of the fundamental things that single people don't understand - that having a relationship is hard. Everybody wants to be dating and everybody wants to be in love....which is awesome! But lots of young single adults don't realize that it takes effort and sacrifice.
I'm pretty sure that's why so many of my friends come to me and toil over their dating lives or their lack of dating lives, because they want it so bad that they don't realize all of the deeper meaning behind it all. (that maybe if they had said boyfriend or girlfriend they would have to face bigger challenges! :) )
There was a girl in my ward that was talking today about the different stages....the "good, better, best" parts of a relationship and she said you can equate "good, better, best" with "interest, attention, sacrifice". I think that's so true! So so so true.
Jeff sacrifices and does a lot for me and that's how I know that we have a good relationship. I guess I do stuff for him sometimes too, but he's much better than me! This is the part of my blog that I'll probably leave a lot out and hopefully write later for a much more private journal (ha ha ha ha), but really sacrifice is a huge part of a healthy relationship.
So yeah, that's just been on my mind lately because I've had lots of friends who are struggling with that, I suppose.
Everybody is different, but I guess in the end a lot of things about relationships has to be the same. People have to be willing to sacrifice to make things work....they have to be willing to be open and communicate! It's just interesting to think about. We had all of the people in our singles ward today discussing lots of different things and we are all SO different personality wise, but when we really started discussing the fundamental things about dating it was like we were all the same person/people.
I'm grateful for the Gospel and the people in it. It's truly a blessing to have so many people that believe in the same values as yourself.
I'm a very lucky girl. I have a wonderful boyfriend! I have lots of friends that go to far away universities that have been getting engaged recently and I often wonder how they can be so happy when they aren't with my boyfriend....? Is that selfish? No.....it's a reality! I really do wonder that!
The whole ranting about open communication and sacrifice thing that I just did is true, but for some reason it comes easily for Jeff and I. Ha ha ha! I probably just jinxed us. Yay....
Jeff really does make my life easier, though. He makes things happier and better and all around great! And that's kind of hard to do considering the fact that I'm a really optimistic person in the first place!
I really love life right now. Sometimes it's hard to be patient about the future, but all together life is moving along beautifully.
Well, my whole going to the temple twice a week thing has slowly been dying lately. It's kind of hit and miss. Hmmmm... yeah! I've been trying to go with Jeff as much as I can and then I'll try to go alone once a week still, but it's been a tad difficult! I truly do know that Satan doesn't want us at the temple because it seems like sometimes ridiculous things get in the way of me going.
I did go yesterday though and had a good experience. I really don't know where I would be without the temple. I wouldn't be as happy as I am. Truly. I definitely wouldn't have the testimony that I do without it!
My friends and I went to Vernal the other week and it was way fun! There were 9 of us that went and my sweet boyfriend drove the whole time! Geez....he must really like me or something. It was about 3 hours each way! It was fun just being with all of the people that came! It's comforting to know that I have friends that love the temple like I do and that want to go and participate in the wonderfulness! I really am grateful for good friends.
There was a sweet spirit at the Vernal Temple. I guess there is always a good spirit at all temples, but I guess just the way that we set up the day and had fun together and we were all there for the same purpose, it just left me with a wonderful spirit.
Now I just need to go to the Provo Temple and I'll have done baptisms in all the Utah temples. Crrrrrazy! Hopefully I'll do that before the end of the year.
I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of His children and He wants us to be happy. I know that He makes us be patient, because in the end the virtue of patience that we learn really does make us happier.
I'm grateful that I'm in the family that I'm in, that I was sent to be with them and be blessed by them. I'm grateful that my Father in Heaven has sent me people to be with now, like Jeff, that I can grow with and find true happiness with. This life is all about timing and I know that God times our lives in such a way that is perfect for us. We have our agency and we choose what path we are going to be on, but Heavenly Father throws in the blessings and trials needed for whatever path we choose to take.
"We all face dangers and hardships, but there will be angels round about you, to bear you up. They will sustain us as we carry our earthly burdens. Often in our lives, those angels are the people around us, the people who love us, those who allow themselves to be instruments in the Lord's hands."
-Susan W. Tanner
Sigh.
Sorry, blog.
Something that has been ringing true in my life lately is the notion that everybody is different from....everybody else. :)
Well, duh.
Honestly though, I think people forget that and they expect that other people are going to appease them when in all reality everyone is so different it's hard to be appeased!
Appeased is a weird word.
I'm one of my only friends in all of my groups of friends that has a boyfriend. Jeff and I have two friends that are seriously dating, but preeeeetty much other than them....we are it.
Therefore, I have lots of girls and guys alike that come and talk to me about their problems! Ha ha. Even back in high school is seemed like I was the psychologist of my group of friends, and well, that hasn't really changed.
It's weird though, because I feel like since I'm dating Jeff people think I have more knowledge to share. I guess that's part of dating is trying to cultivate the relationship you have and if you're constantly doing that, then you'll understand things better.
At church today we had a 2 hour discussion with everyone in the ward about dating. Ha ha ha ha ha! It was really funny, but really really good at the same time. I commented a lot.....
I think the main reason I spoke up so much was because I knew that I didn't want to date any of the guys that were there cause....I'm dating Jeff....and so I just spoke honestly and openly about what I thought. I think that's harder for girls that are "on the market", as it were, because they are afraid they will appear un-marketable (?) if they say anything wrong? I actually had some guys come up to me after and thank me for all of the "mature" comments that I had made.
Let me just say this though....I don't think I'm mature. I honestly don't! Actually having a relationship is hard work and I mess up a lot! Granted, Jeff and I are really honest with each other so we are still together and in love, but really...it's hard work and most of the time it's hard being mature.
I think that's one of the fundamental things that single people don't understand - that having a relationship is hard. Everybody wants to be dating and everybody wants to be in love....which is awesome! But lots of young single adults don't realize that it takes effort and sacrifice.
I'm pretty sure that's why so many of my friends come to me and toil over their dating lives or their lack of dating lives, because they want it so bad that they don't realize all of the deeper meaning behind it all. (that maybe if they had said boyfriend or girlfriend they would have to face bigger challenges! :) )
There was a girl in my ward that was talking today about the different stages....the "good, better, best" parts of a relationship and she said you can equate "good, better, best" with "interest, attention, sacrifice". I think that's so true! So so so true.
Jeff sacrifices and does a lot for me and that's how I know that we have a good relationship. I guess I do stuff for him sometimes too, but he's much better than me! This is the part of my blog that I'll probably leave a lot out and hopefully write later for a much more private journal (ha ha ha ha), but really sacrifice is a huge part of a healthy relationship.
So yeah, that's just been on my mind lately because I've had lots of friends who are struggling with that, I suppose.
Everybody is different, but I guess in the end a lot of things about relationships has to be the same. People have to be willing to sacrifice to make things work....they have to be willing to be open and communicate! It's just interesting to think about. We had all of the people in our singles ward today discussing lots of different things and we are all SO different personality wise, but when we really started discussing the fundamental things about dating it was like we were all the same person/people.
I'm grateful for the Gospel and the people in it. It's truly a blessing to have so many people that believe in the same values as yourself.
I'm a very lucky girl. I have a wonderful boyfriend! I have lots of friends that go to far away universities that have been getting engaged recently and I often wonder how they can be so happy when they aren't with my boyfriend....? Is that selfish? No.....it's a reality! I really do wonder that!
The whole ranting about open communication and sacrifice thing that I just did is true, but for some reason it comes easily for Jeff and I. Ha ha ha! I probably just jinxed us. Yay....
Jeff really does make my life easier, though. He makes things happier and better and all around great! And that's kind of hard to do considering the fact that I'm a really optimistic person in the first place!
I really love life right now. Sometimes it's hard to be patient about the future, but all together life is moving along beautifully.
Well, my whole going to the temple twice a week thing has slowly been dying lately. It's kind of hit and miss. Hmmmm... yeah! I've been trying to go with Jeff as much as I can and then I'll try to go alone once a week still, but it's been a tad difficult! I truly do know that Satan doesn't want us at the temple because it seems like sometimes ridiculous things get in the way of me going.
I did go yesterday though and had a good experience. I really don't know where I would be without the temple. I wouldn't be as happy as I am. Truly. I definitely wouldn't have the testimony that I do without it!
My friends and I went to Vernal the other week and it was way fun! There were 9 of us that went and my sweet boyfriend drove the whole time! Geez....he must really like me or something. It was about 3 hours each way! It was fun just being with all of the people that came! It's comforting to know that I have friends that love the temple like I do and that want to go and participate in the wonderfulness! I really am grateful for good friends.
There was a sweet spirit at the Vernal Temple. I guess there is always a good spirit at all temples, but I guess just the way that we set up the day and had fun together and we were all there for the same purpose, it just left me with a wonderful spirit.
Now I just need to go to the Provo Temple and I'll have done baptisms in all the Utah temples. Crrrrrazy! Hopefully I'll do that before the end of the year.
I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for all of His children and He wants us to be happy. I know that He makes us be patient, because in the end the virtue of patience that we learn really does make us happier.
I'm grateful that I'm in the family that I'm in, that I was sent to be with them and be blessed by them. I'm grateful that my Father in Heaven has sent me people to be with now, like Jeff, that I can grow with and find true happiness with. This life is all about timing and I know that God times our lives in such a way that is perfect for us. We have our agency and we choose what path we are going to be on, but Heavenly Father throws in the blessings and trials needed for whatever path we choose to take.
"We all face dangers and hardships, but there will be angels round about you, to bear you up. They will sustain us as we carry our earthly burdens. Often in our lives, those angels are the people around us, the people who love us, those who allow themselves to be instruments in the Lord's hands."
-Susan W. Tanner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)