Christmas 2007 Highlights

Chad and I got back from Atlanta today and I am so sad it's over! We had a blast! To see pictures of the trip, go to my sister Audra's blog. Here are some of my favorite parts of the trip, in no particular order:

Running with Jessi--it was so nice to spend one on one time with Jessi and see the pretty countryside by where she lives.

Holding Audra's little Joshy! I am head over heals in love with that sweetie pie and I am so sad I can't hold him anymore. He is just the cutest, sweetest thing and I miss him so much already. It was also really special to be there for his baby blessing on the 23rd.

Singing Christmas carols with Jessi's girls in their van on the way to Audra's house.

Playing around in a gymnastics gym for Lydia's birthday party--there were so many fun thing to do there! A rope to swing on, balance beam, huge inflated slide, trampolines, mats to do flips on, etc. We also played keep-away frisbee on the gymanstics "floor" for quite some time, and that was so fun!

Watching "Bride and Prejudice" with Audra! I LOVED it! It was so funny and fun--I would totally reccommend it to those who love dancing and light-hearted movies (not to mention the Pride and Prejudice storyline).

Playing "Loaded Questions," "Catch Phrase," and "Cranium" with the fam. We always laugh so much when we're together! Audra gave me "Loaded Questions" for Christmas, which is one of my favorite games, and I look forward to playing it more. Thanks, Audge!

Playing tennis with Chad, Dave, and Audra. When I don't play tennis for a while I forget how much fun it is and how much I really love it. It was such a treat to be able to play outside in nice weather, since it's too snowy and cold to play outside here. After we played, Chad gave a mini lesson to Lydia and Jordan and it was fun to see Chad coach and Lydia and Jordan learn.

Going running on Christmas day with Jessi and Dave, Audra and Mike, and Chad. It was so much fun to support Jessi in the last few miles of her Fitness Challenge, and it was fun to see the responses of people walking by, driving by, and from their yards and homes. We made quite the unusual sight of six people going running together in the rain on Christmas day. :)

Looking through the wedding album Audra made for me. She took all sorts of pictures during the wedding celebrations that totally capture the emotions and feeling of the day, and she put them together in a really nice album for me for Christmas. I love it so much!

Visiting Chad's friends Ezra and Crystal. They had us over for a really nice meal and then we played Settlers of Catan (my first time playing that game). It was fun to hear Ezra and Chad reminisce about their mission. They have a lot of shared memories, since they lived together for three quarters of their missions and were companions for 5 months of their missions. We had so much fun talking and playing the game together. We look forward to visiting them again the next time we're in the area!

Hiking Stone Mountain with the whole fam. Tanner held Chad's and my hand for about half the way up and it was fun to chat with him. He is such a fun kid! He LOVES garbage trucks, garbage cans, and the like, and so for a good chunk of the hike we talked about the wonders of garbage trucks. :) It was fun to see everyone, even the little kids, hike to the top.

And of course, the usual, but still as exciting as ever, Christmas celebrations:
Playing with and tickling the kids.
Watching football. (Way to go to BYU for winning their bowl game!!)
Eating delicious food every meal for eight days. (Thank you Audra and Jessi for buying all the food and preparing all the meals!!)
Giving and receiving presents.
Reading the Christmas story and seeing the kids dressed up for the nativity scene.

I love my family so much!! I just get giddy when I'm around them. The last week was pure bliss to be able to spend time with them and not have to worry about anything else. Again, thank you to Audra and Jessi for hosting us and making the vacation one that we'll be thinking about for months to come!

Christmas Fun

Chad and I have gone out three nights in a row this weekend! On Thursday we went standby to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert. We didn't end up getting in, but I really didn't mind because we got to walk around Temple Square instead. And we even got to listen to some of the concert in the Tabernacle (where it was being broadcast from the Conference Center). But my favorite part was walking around Temple Square with Chad! It was all wintry and snowy and there were beautiful lights everywhere--I loved it! I don't think we've ever gone to Temple Square together before, and with the lights it was just so beautiful. He even got down on his knee and proposed in one corner of the temple grounds! :)

Another really happy part of Thursday night was running into one of my best friends from London who I haven't seen since then (she went on her mission right when we got home from London and I haven't seen her since she's got back in June). It was so good to chat with her--hear about her mission, reminisce about London, and have her and Chad get to know each other better.

On Friday night we went to the work party for Chad's clinic that he goes to once a week. It was fun to meet some of the people he works with there, and there were a few really witty people that made it fun. Plus, there was yummy food, which always makes me happy. :) I think Christmas parties are so fun.

And then yesterday we got to go to the M* family Christmas party in P*. THANK YOU CARRIE for planning and doing all the work for that party! It was a huge success. Even more delicious food than the food we had the night before, and by far better company. :) I love Chad's family so much--it feels so good to be in their big circle of love. The party started with basketball (which Adam and Jessie joined us for, we were so glad!) and then we had a dinner and watched some slideshows Curt and Carrie made. It was fun to watch clips from old family video footage, when all the now-parents were the little kids and the now-grandparents were the busy parents of little ones. Family is the most joyous part of life, and I can't wait to join my immediate family next Thursday!
P.S. Adam and Jessie, everyone was so disappointed that you had to leave--everyone kept asking why you didn't stay for dinner. You'll have to schedule your calendars to join the M* Christmas party next year. :)

Wow

Chad and I teach the Sunbeams in our ward, and I had the best Sunday last week with them. They were so good, and I felt like I taught a really good lesson, and everything went so well. I wanted to tell you something profound one of my Sunbeams said during sharing time:

The lesson was on Samuel the Lamanite and how he stood on a wall and told people that Jesus would be born in five years. The Primary Presidency member told the kids that they could tell others about Jesus just like Samuel the Lamanite did. She put a step ladder in front of a table at the front of the room and had each child get up and stand on the step ladder and tell everyone something they knew about Jesus. She had the CTR 7's go first, and they said things like, "He helps people, He died for us, He loves us, etc." Most of the rest of the kids said similar things, the most common being, "He loves us." It never got old to hear that phrase from those sweet children. It is so important to know that Jesus loves you and everyone else around you.

So when it came time for the Sunbeams to take their turns, I was a little interested to hear what they were going to say. The first Sunbeam to stand on the step ladder was little Isaac, a big-eyed sweetheart with really long eyelashes. He stood there with a somewhat frightened look on his face, and then said in a quiet, timid voice, "He holds my hand, and...walks with me." !!!! Yes, those were his exact words (including the pause). Can you believe that?! Everyone, including the Primary Presidency member standing behind him ready to help him if he needed it, just sat there in silence for a second, so taken aback we were by his testimony. It was a really special moment. I don't know where he got that from, but I sure am glad he shared it with us.

Since then I've thought about that a lot, how Jesus really can hold our hands and walk with us through our daily lives. He can walk with us through our struggles, triumphs, frustrations, joys, and those times when we are so confused as to what to do next. He can sometimes lead us and guide us, and sometimes He just lets us decide where to go and supports us along the way. But either way, life is always better when we walk with Him. I hope that I can be like Isaac and take the Savior's hand and walk with Him.

After that, our bright-eyed and attention-loving Cami stood up and said happily and loudly, "He gives me all my presents!" Haha! Oh, how I love Cami. And she is right--all the good things in our lives come from the Savior! I hope I can remember that like Cami has. :)

And the other Sunbeams said "He loves us." So sweet!

And one more funny story before I let you go:

One week there were three kids in class--Isaac, Nefi, and Mayci. During the middle of the lesson, Isaac has something to tell me--"I am spiderman." I indulged the interruption and said, "And who are you, Nefi?" He said, "Superman." And I said, "And who are you, Mayci?" Her response, without skipping a beat, in a high-pitched, sweet voice: "An angel." :)

I love my Sunbeams and am so grateful for my calling!

'Tis the Season to be Jolly!

We woke up to lots of snow on the ground this morning, and it kept snowing until about 2 in the afternoon! As you can see by this picture, we got about a foot of snow.

I love the snow because it makes everything so pretty, but it was sad today because the snow made the roads really bad and so we weren't able to make it to Preston's baptism! After making a valiant effort to drive to L* where Preston was being baptized, we (Nate, Michelle, Curt, Carrie, their boys, Jon, Grandma C*, and me) turned around and spent the morning and early afternoon at Grandma C*'s. It was another fun Saturday with the fam. But we missed Chad because he had to work. Once I got home and it stopped snowing, I decided I probably should shovel the driveway, sidewalks, and walkway in front of our house. I was so proud of myself, because that was a lot of snow to shovel. It took me about an hour to do it all. Here is the final product:

Another very happy thing I wanted to share with you is that Chad and I have decorated our home for the Christmas season! Chad had the day off yesterday and we spent part of it at Target buying Christmas gifts and some stuff we needed. Well, I wanted to buy some Christmas cards and so I asked Chad to come with me to the Christmas section and help me pick some out. And while we were in that section, Chad suggested we buy a Christmas tree. My initial reaction was that we couldn't because we'd have to spend a lot of money on the tree, lights, and ornaments, but he convinced me that we could spend the money.

I am so glad he did, because I had so much fun picking out ornaments for our tree and then decorating the tree with him. He also bought some lights for the outside of the house and a wreath to go on the door. He did such a good job, don't you think?

(This picture absolutely cracks me up, because it looks like there is a full moon in the background, but there totally wasn't! It's like a little tender mercy from God, because He knows how much I love the moon. :) But really, I do think it's pretty strange that that random light showed up looking like a moon in the picture.)

And here is our tree:

It's funny, because our tree only has a few ornaments on it, but it feels like the prettiest tree I've ever seen. I just love to sit and look at it. Our first Christmas tree together!

We also got to put up the nativity scene Carol gave me for my bridal shower. I love nativity scenes and would like to collect them like my sister Jessi does. And I really like my first one! Thank you so much, Carol!

I am so grateful for this Christmas season. It is a time of such joy for me. I love the gift-giving, the Christmas music, the tromping through the snow, the family get-togethers, the opportunities to participate in charities, and the abundant reminders of Christ's love, miracles, humility, and salvation. And I feel especially happy this Christmas season, as it's my first with my wonderful husband. Merry Christmas everyone!

It's Been a Happy Last Week

I've had a wonderful last week. Here are some of the highlights:

Making pies with my mom on Wednesday.

Going out to eat at the Mandarin with my parents on Wednesday.

Thanksgiving feast with the wonderful C* family in one of my favorite places in the world!

Driving to Cedar and Manti with Nate, Michelle, Colby, Carson, and Grandma C*.

Decorating for Caytee's wedding reception with Michelle.

Caytee and Preston's reception--it was so much fun to chat and laugh with the fam, in the most beautiful setting, happy environment, and with the most delicious food! Bravo, Caytee and Carol for putting on such a wonderful party!

Caytee and Preston's wedding--there's not much that can beat the experience of witnessing the sealing of two amazing people in the house of the Lord. And it was wonderful to be back at the Manti temple where Chad and I got married. We are so thrilled for you Caytee and Preston! And you looked absolutely gorgeous, Caytee! Happy Wedding!

Watching BYU beat Utah in the last few minutes of the game. Woohoo! Go BYU! (I'm not sure if you read this Sue, but if you do, THANK YOU for letting us use your home to wath the game!)

Caytee and Preston's wedding luncheon--again, more laughs and family happiness.

Having the day off Monday to finally get things done that I have been putting off.

It snowed today for the first time and I think it is so pretty outside! While I drove home from work it was snowy and white and I listened to songs on the radio like, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," and "The Christmas Song." Perfect! I am so excited for it to be the Christmas season!


The only bad thing about it all is that I didn't take a single picture! I need to learn my lesson and start taking more pictures.

My Thanksgiving ABCs

This year I am thankful for:

A:
Adam
Audra
Airplanes to fly to visit family
All the places I’ve lived

B:
Brady
Bananas
Blogging
Book Club
the Bountiful temple

C:
Carol
Carson
Carrie
Caytee
Chad
Colby
Crystal
Curt
Cell phones and my Fave-5 Unlimited Calling

D:
Dad
Dale
David
Days off work

E:
Emily
Endless supply of love from Jesus

F:
Fall leaves
Fasting
college Football
Forgiveness

G:
Grandma C*
Grandma H*
Grandpa H*
Grandma M*
a Garage to keep the snow and ice off my car at night
Gordon B. Hinckley

H:
Harry Potter books
Holidays
my Honda Civic with good gas mileage
Hugs

I:
the Innocence of so many kids I work with
the Insight (and advice) I receive from the other women in my life

J:
Jessi
Jon
Jordan
Josh
Julia
the Joy of the Christmas season
Jokes people make at work that make us laugh and relieve some stress

K:
Kyle
a nice Kitchen to cook in

L:
Landon
Logan
Lydia
Laughter

M:
McKenna
Michelle
Mike
Mom
Mail from my Missionary friends

N:
Natalie
Nate
Neal
NPR

O:
Online shopping
Oxy Face Wash

P:
Preston H*
Preston W*
Prayer

Q:
the Quilt my mom made for me

R:
Running with Maegan

S:
Summer
Sundays
Seasons
our Sunbeams

T:
Tanner
Traveling I’ve done and look forward to doing

U:
Utah’s beautiful national parks, forests, and mountains

V:
Visiting teaching

W:
all the Wonderful Wedding gifts we received!
how Warm it has been this fall

X:
Xylophones (just kidding—I couldn’t think of any other X words)

Y:
You!

Z:
butter-Zinger ice cream (it’s the Kroger brand with Butterfinger chunks--yum!)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Book Club (aka Girls' Night Out)

I am learning by first-hand experience how small of a part books play in Book Club. But I'm okay with it, because we have so much fun talking and laughing about everything else! :) It's basically our time to have a girls' night out and talk about anything on our minds. My Book Club has lasted three hours the last two months, because we can't pull ourselves away from chatting and laughing with each other. It's hard to believe that it's lasted the same amount of time that church lasts--it has gone by so much faster! :) I am so grateful for Book Club, it has really helped me make friends in my new neighborhood and ward.

This month's book was Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians, which took me a while to get into, but by the end I was liking it for its amazing creativity, imagination, and humor. If you read it, I would recommend having a really open mind, lack of seriousness, and tolerance for sarcasm.

P.S. Since so many people commented on the flossing thing in my last post, I wanted to tell everyone how it began: When I got my braces on, my orthodontist showed me all these pictures of people's rotting, brown teeth and told me that if I didn't floss, my teeth would become like the teeth in the pictures. He said that a lot of people stop flossing when they get braces, because it's so hard to do with braces on, but I must not be one of them if I didn't want my teeth to rot. He totally freaked me out by those pictures, and I flossed every day for the two years I had braces. Once I got my braces off, flossing seemed like a piece of cake and the habit was set. :) Also, the more I thought about it, I realized I probably miss flossing more than two nights a year, because I don't floss when I camp and I camp more than two nights a year.

Tag by Jessi

Seven things you didn't know you wanted to know about me:

1. I love the moon. Some nights I get really excited about it and can't understand others' apathy towards it. It's even made me cry once, it was just so beautiful (kind of like a pretty piece of music can make you cry).

2. I have a major aversion to spending money. Unless it's a necessity or a gift, I have a hard time feeling like I can justify spending the money. That's one of the reasons I don't like going clothes shopping and avoid it as much as I can.

3. One of the things I do not have such an aversion to spending money on is food, and I would love to someday be a really good cook and be able to spend money on really nice food to make really nice meals.

4. I am an extremely unpicky eater. I like pretty much everything, and am very willing (even excited) to try new foods. But I do have a food allergy to shrimp.

5. I probably miss about two days a year of flossing. I always floss!

6. Ever since I was little I have felt like I was about six years older than I really am. One time when I was 15, I went with my sisters and their husbands to get some Krispie Kream donuts right before they closed. Because they closed, we decided to just eat the donuts in the parking lot by our car. While chatting in the parking lot, I said , "I feel like a teenager hanging out in this parking lot!" To which my brother-in-law David said to me, "Uh, Abbi...you are a teenager." My honest response was, "Oh, yeah." What a rude awakening. :)

7. I love Michael Buble's voice and songs, and I would love to go to one of his concerts.

Warning!!

Warning! If you have not read the Seventh Harry Potter book, do not continue reading this post! I had people spoil it for me and I don't want to do the same for you, so I beg of you, stop reading this, even if you don't think you'll ever read Harry Potter. Okay, on to the post...

Last Tuesday I was a poll worker for my Water District on Election Day. Well, it just so happens that the boundaries for Water Districts and Voting Districts are not the same, and only a fraction of the voters in my Voting District also live in the Water District I was working for. So what that means is that of the 220 voters that came in that day, only 20 of them voted for the Water District. Which meant that I got to sit and read all day, because there was rarely anything for me to do. And when I say all day, I mean ALL day (6:30 am to 8:30 pm). And guess what I read? H.P.!! I finished the Seventh Harry Potter minutes before we needed to wrap up (i.e., sign a hundred documents saying essentially the same thing). If it hadn't of been for H.P., I think I might have gone crazy that day, but with H.P., it was quite an enjoyable day.

Well, sort of.

And I'll tell you why it was just sort of. #1: I was in anxiety all day about what was going to happen in the book, and #2: I had to keep it all inside, because I was in a public place! There were numerous times I wanted to laugh, cry, scream, groan, sigh, exclaim warnings or retributions, etc., and I couldn't! That was hard.

Okay, so if any of you non-Harry-Potter readers disregarded my first warning and are still reading this, I'm telling you, it's your last chance to bail before you will seriously regret it.

The main reason I was in such anxiety all day is that before I started reading the Seventh H.P., I had it from more than one source that the book did not finish well and that Ron died (and I believed them!). Now, I like Harry and all, but I LOVE Ron and Hermione. I just love them! And so when I heard that Ron died in the seventh book, I was so mad at J.K. Rowling and upset that I wasn't going to like how it all ended. So during the whole book, I was so worried that Ron was going to die in the next chapter! Not to mention all the other things J.K. Rowling gives you to worry about throughout the whole book. To tell you the truth, most of the book really stressed me out, and the fact that I couldn't express my stress, worry, and frustration as I sat there in a public voting place made it all the more stressful.

But it was worth it! Because when it ended, I was absolutely ELATED! And the high lasted a good two days. I kept thinking about Harry, Ron, Hermione, the magical world, and my heart just wanted to burst with joy for how happy I was for them. I experienced all this nostalgia from all the previous books, and I just loved them more than ever. I was so HAPPY that Ron didn't die! And the ending couldn't have been better, showing how they all made wonderful families and continued to love, laugh, and grow together.

Usually after I finish a Harry Potter book, I get depressed for how it's over, but it was the exact opposite this time. I was so relieved that Ron didn't die, all the unhappiness of it being over was swallowed up in the joy that their lives continued together. And the happiness still continues. So thank you, ill-wishers, you made my last Harry Potter experience all the better.

P.S. In case you couldn't tell, I really get into the books I read. :)

P.P.S. One good thing about reading H.P. in a voting precinct is that it was a much less scary place to read it than your home at night when you're the only one home (the way I had read the first few chapters.) During those times, I was always so happy when Chad came home, and would tell him, "Chad, save me from Voldemort!" :)

Happy Birthday Audra!

Today is my other wonderful sister Audra's birthday! The other day I found a sticky note in my scripture journal from a Sunday School lesson I had a while back. I was given the sticky note to list the characteristics of one of the people I want to be like. I chose Audra, and here is what was on the list:

Devoted

Supportive

Thoughtful

Creative

Serving

Compassionate

Diligent

Understanding

Humble

Beautiful

Diligent

Clear communicator

Great teacher

Great discipliner

And I know I could add a lot more words to that list! Audra, thanks for being so fabulous, and I hope you've had a lovely day! I love you!

Halloween Report

I had a great Halloween day last week. It was my first Halloween in years to spend with little children, and it is so much more fun that way! The kids at the school were so cute in their costumes, and we had a really fun parade and party at the end of the day. At the school party and parade I dressed up as a green M & M in a costume Elaine made and let me borrow. I also wore it when I gave out candy to trick-or-treaters. Thanks, Elaine, for letting me borrow it, and thanks, Morris, for delivering to me! It made Halloween all the more exciting to have a costume to wear.

Happy Birthday Jessi!

Today is my wonderful sister Jessi's birthday. I sincerely hope that I can become as good of a

wife

sister

and mother

that she is. She is so patient, loving, hard-working, cheerful, understanding, fun, and kind. I love you Jessi! Hope your birthday is wonderful!

Thank You, UEA

I've had Monday and Tuesday off because of UEA, and it has been SO nice!! I have absolutely loved it. I have cleaned, organized, read, watched the neighbors' kids, gone to the temple, gone running, worked with Q* (the little boy with autism I do floortime with), talked to friends on the phone, and been visit taught. I love having all this time to do whatever I want! And it's nice to have energy throughout the day--usually by 3 or 4 I am just exhausted on a work day. Thank you, UEA, it's been a wonderful treat!

Best Bro

I love how Adam can make me laugh like this. He's pretty much the best brother in the whole world. I love you Adam!!

Best Weekend

Last weekend was so wonderful!!! And why? Because Mom and Dad came to visit! I have the best parents ever. They are so fun, kind, understanding, giving, and funny. Here are all the great things we did together:

Thursday night they arrived and we chatted and had a nice dinner at our house (which my mom cooked for us) and then played games and watched the Red Sox/Indians game.

Friday morning my mom gave me a haircut.

Friday night we hung out with the P* crew in Springville. It was so fun to be with them! They are just the funniest people and I love them so much! We had a delicious potluck dinner and my parents hired an amazing balloon-making/magician guy to come and entertain the kids for part of the night. I think I was just as entertained as the kids were! It was a really fun night.

After the P* get-together we (Mom, Dad, Adam, Jessie, Chad, and me) went to Adam's apartment and played Catch Phrase. So fun! That game is always a bunch of laughs.

Saturday morning my parents, Adam, Chad, and I went to the Provo temple together. It was a really special time because: a) the temple is just an amazing place, b) it was the temple my parents went to a lot in their first years of marriage, and c) it has been my temple for the last few years (I did baptisms for the dead there almost every week while at BYU) and I finally was able to do an endowment session in it! All those years of waiting to be endowed were definitely worth it.

After the temple we went to see the new BYU alumni building, ate at the BYU Creamery together, and then we went to the BYU football game!! It was so fun because we were all bundled up to stay warm, because it was really cold and rainy. And then in the fourth quarter it started SNOWING really a lot, and so we left a little early. They beat Eastern Washington 42-7. Go Cougs! It was my first BYU football game in three years, and it was definitely as fun as ever!

After the game we had a H* family get-together at Alan and Koleen's. We ate, talked, and watched football games on their really nice television. Alan and Koleen have such a nice home and it was so good to be together. I love my family so much!!! I cannot say enough good things about them.

I am so glad I was able to have such a wonderful weekend. I love my family and am so grateful for them! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for everything!!

P.S. Thanks, Chad, for dropping out of your tennis tournament so you could be there for all the family functions! And thanks, Jon, for filling in for Chad so he could join us!

This Month's Book Club Book is...

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. I really liked it! It's a fantasy book about a princess's maid. It's just delightful. At first I thought it was just a fun story, but as I got into it and after finishing it, I realized the story and characters have so many wonderful deeper meanings. I finished it two weeks ago, and I am still thinking about it! Shannon Hale also wrote The Goose Girl, which I think some of you may have heard of or read. One of my book club friends said the plot lines of those two books are very similar. But I would really recommend it, even if you have read The Goose Girl!

The Seasons of my Memories

People have asked me a few times if I've missed BYU since graduating. And to be completely honest, I haven't really thought about BYU much. But I can tell you two things I do miss and have thought about a lot: ballroom dancing and Romania. I miss these two things so much!

Recently, I have been thinking about Romania a lot! I'd say I think about Romania at least once a day. I think the reason I think about Romania and not BYU is because of what season it is. It's funny, because some time in August or September, I remember thinking, "I think about Romania a lot, but I only think about the first month or so of Romania, when it was hot. I have to remind myself that it was really cold for a lot of the time that I was there! I wonder why I'm forgetting how cold it was in Romania!" But in the last few weeks as it's cooled down a bit here in Utah, all the memories I think of from Romania are ones where it is cool or cold outside! I remember the leaves falling as we walked to the orphanage, layering up before going to bed so I wouldn't freeze in our unheated apartment, being at the hospital when it was dark outside because it got dark so early, running in the cold in the early morning before going to the orphanage...

I think of the kids I visited at this time of year--Vasile, Ramona, Octavian (the fat Octavian, after his mom visited him for a week or so--not the skinny Octavian we knew the first month of the semester). I think of being with the kids inside the orphanage or being with them for just a few minutes outside as they were totally bundled up in their coats and hats. Oh, how I ache to be able to see those kids again! Paula, Ana, Paul, Niculina, Adina... I pray that the Lord will keep them safe from harm, and help them to feel happiness in their hearts of gold.

And a couple weeks ago while we were on our National Parks trip, I kept thinking, "This trip is like Budapest! It's such a relief to be away from everything for a while! It's so rejuvenating." Oh how I loved Budapest! Every time it rains I think of Budapest, because it rained a lot while we were there. I want to go back to Budapest and Iasi so badly.

Our National Parks trip also made me think about London. All the driving we did reminded me of traveling around in our coaches around England. I love to travel!

So, I apologize for the ramblings, but the point of this post is to remark on how big of an impact the weather has on what I think about and what memories come to my mind. I bet by next spring I won't be thinking of Romania as much, but will think about BYU and how much I loved the campus and Y Mount and such.

Beat Voldemort!

I have to tell you something that I think is so funny. Like I mentioned in my last post, Chad and I read Harry Potter #6 during our roadtrip last week, and then Chad ran the St. George Marathon on Saturday. Well, Friday night I dreamt all night about needing to get to Voldemort and beat him and overcome him. And when Chad woke me up super early on Saturday morning to tell me good-bye before he went off to the marathon, I wanted to say something inspiring, and all I could think of to say was, "Chad, beat Voldemort." And then I went back to sleep. At the time I thought it was a very encouraging and inspiring thing to say, but after I woke up later that morning, I remembered what I had said and laughed at how ridiculous it must have sounded to Chad. And then this morning when Chad woke me up to say good-bye to me before going to work, he said, "Abbi, I'm leaving to go slay Voldemort." Haha. I thought that was so funny.

P.S. We bought the Seventh Harry Potter book and I can't wait to read it! I'll let you know when I finish it.

National Parks Trip

Chad and I just got back from our third honeymoon (first--Hawaii, second--Ruth Lake). We had such a good time! It was just the happiest trip. Over the last week we visited:

Dead Horse Point State Park
Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky and Needles sections)
Arches National Park
Comb Ridge
Natural Bridges National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon
and Zion National Park.

We saw the most beautiful things at all these places. We camped two nights, stayed in a motel three nights, and stayed at family's houses three nights. I read Harry Potter #6 while Chad drove (we finished it right before we got home!). We hit mile 111,111 on the Civic. We went on some really fun hikes, and I was able to improve my hiking and scrambling skills. I also had a chance to "exercise my fear of heights," as our guide for the Balcony House hike at Mesa Verde so rightly said. Everywhere we drove seemed to be so beautiful, either with brilliant yellow fall leaves, majestic rock formations, evergreen trees, red rock cliffs, etc. On Friday we went sight-seeing in St. George, and yesterday Chad ran the St. George Marathon. He ran it with Jon, Caytee, Carrie, and Carrie's brother-in-law Lance. They all did such a good job and I am so proud of all of them. And then last night and today we enjoyed with Chad's family in Parowan--watching great football games and wonderful General Conference.

Oh, it was just too good to be true, and I will treasure the memories from this trip for a long time. I don't have time to post pictures now, but I will later. I love to travel, and it was so great to travel to some pretty spectacular places so close to where we live. I am so grateful that I was able to experience this most heavenly time with my favorite person. Thanks Chad, for all the work you did in preparing for this trip!

In the mail

I received two things in the mail this week that made me very happy:

1. My graduation diploma, and 2. My new passport with my new name.

Hip-hip-hooray!

Sunday Thoghts

1. I just have to say how much I enjoyed visiting with my Aunt Kjirsten and Dane last week when he was in the hospital. It was such a treat for me to be able to go and chat with Kjirsten after work. I'll admit that work can be extremely stressful for me some days, and it was so good to go straight from work to Kjirsten, who made me laugh, made me feel loved, and where I was able to see my life from a different angle--from within a hospital room with a mother and her son. Kjirsten is such a delightful person and I love her so much. It was especially nice because this was during a time that I wasn't able to see Chad a whole lot because of work. It wasn't under the ideal circumstances for Dane and Kjirsten, but I just wanted to let them know how nice that was for me and how much I love them and loved to see them!! And it was so good to see how much better Dane looked every day! I'm so glad he's home and better now.

2. I also wanted to say how much I loved having Carol, Joe, Rachael, and Jordan over last weekend! I know these thoughts are overdue, but I guess they're better late than never. I just love my family so much and it was so good to spend time with them! Thanks for coming over and chilling with us for a while.

3. I am reading the best book right now. I would really recommend it to all of you! It's Let Me Hear Your Voice by Catherine Maurice. I started it on Friday night and I'm already on page 150! I just want to read it all the time. And since I haven't been feeling well this weekend, I have been able to justify just laying around and reading a lot this weekend. The book is nonfiction--it's a mother's story of her child being diagnosed with autism and how she and her family deals with it. There's 300 pages in the book, so I'm only halfway done, but I have loved it so far, and it's gone by really fast. The author deals with so much more than just autism in the book (e.g., motherhood, prayer, interpersonal interaction, emotionally coping through trauma, etc.), so that's why I think you all may like it. Plus, she discusses in some detail the kind of therapy I do with the kids at work, so you would get a better understanding of what I do all day (and with what kind of kids I work with). This book was written about fifteen years ago, so there have been some changes made to the therapy since then, but the basic principles are the same. I bought it, so if you want to borrow it I can lend it to you after I'm done reading it.

4. I am so happy because I have a new baby nephew! He is the sweetest, cutest little thing and he was born last Monday. His name is Joshua Reed and he is one handsome newborn! Congratulations Audra and Mike!!

5. Three months ago today Chad and I got married! I know I say this in practically every blog I post, but I am so grateful and happy to be married to Chad. He is an absolutely amazing husband and person. I am more impressed by how great he is everyday. He finished his emergency department rotation this morning, and I am so proud of him! He is such a hard-worker and so good at what he does. I think I must be in love, because he always looks so good to me when he comes home in the morning after his night shifts, regardless of how tired and sleep-deprived he is.

6. And speaking of the wedding, I am pleased to say that today I finished the last four thank-you cards I needed to write for the wedding! Chad finished his a while ago, and it feels good to have mine done. I have just felt absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support we received, and it feels good to finally have thanked everyone for their thoughtfulness and generosity. I am so grateful for all the support we received. It's helped a lot!

7. And last but not least, Happy Fall Everyone!!!

Overcoming Differences and Becoming Friends

I am so grateful for my study abroad semesters, because they provided a perfect environment for people from very different backgrounds, with different personalities and interests, to find common ground and become great friends. You're in a foreign country and have to do hard things, and so you just cling to each other and support each other and learn to LOVE each other so much. You learn so much from them and realize how amazing they are and you just love them so much!

I love the people I went on study abroads with so much, but if I hadn't experienced the study abroad experience with them, I don't think I would have ever even gotten to know most of them, because our differences would have kept us apart. It's great how certain experiences can override differences and bring people together. Working towards a common goal, working through common resistance and pain, can really bring people together. People you really don't understand or have a great desire to become friends with become the most wonderful, amazing, beautiful, and important people in your life.

I love that idea, that possibility, so much--of overriding differences and learning to love deeply. Because deep down inside, we are all God's children, and we all have so very much in common, so very much to give each other, and to learn from each other.

That's what makes these movies so great to me: Cool Runnings, Remember the Titans, Babe, A League of their Own, The Spitfire Grill, Saints and Soldiers, North and South.

Can you think of any other movies that have this theme that you have enjoyed watching?

Me and some of my wonderful London friends across from Parliament the night before we left London.

Me and some of my wonderful Romanian friends in front of the Children's Hospital we worked in.

Fun Facts about Abbi

I really enjoyed Audra's and Michelle's answers to this survey, so I decided to fill it out, too.

My roommate and I once: got chased by a drunk/crazy man in Caen, France while we were on a morning run together. Probably the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me. But Mom—don’t worry, everything was okay and European traveling is perfectly safe! :)

Never in my live have I: gone snowboarding.

High School was: definitely a learning experience!! I think I was a much more confident, socially skilled, and spiritually in tune person when I graduated than when I started ninth grade.

When I am nervous: I think I might bite my lip or lick my lips, because by the end of the day at work my lips are always sore and I need to put chapstick on!

My hair: has been longer than I have usually had it, because Chad likes it long.

When I was 5: I absolutely loved life! When I think of my childhood, I think of carefree blissful days.

When I turn my head to the left: I see my cute neighborhood, beautiful aspen trees (or are they birches?) behind the houses, and a pretty, light-bluish and pinkish-yellow sunset starting.

I should be: writing thank-you cards for wedding presents.

By this time next year: I will be 23 and Chad will be 32. We’ll form a palindrome!

I have a hard time understanding: why people enjoy viewing violence. I HATE violence.

My ideal breakfast: is spent with family (like I had this morning!), not alone like most mornings.

If you visit my hometown: you will be amazed by how green and beautiful it is.

If you spend the night at my house: you’ll get to sleep on the nice mattress we bought last week for a guest bed! So come visit!

I shouldn't have been: so stressed about grades in high school and college. But the funny thing is, I will probably stress about grades if I go to grad school! It’s hard for me not to.

Last night I: had my Romanian friends, Joe, Rachael, and Carol over. It was lots of fun, despite the fact that BYU didn’t win their football game.

A better name for me would be: I have no idea. Any ideas?

I have been told I look like: Uma Thurman and Anne Frank.

Last But Not Least...

Caytee!

I've also known Caytee for quite some time now, thanks to Crystal for bringing her to the H* family reunions! And I am so excited for her, because she's getting married in two months! Preston is one lucky man. Caytee is super fun, cheerful, gregarious, easy-going, understanding, intelligent, motivated, and outgoing. She has just so much life, light, happiness, and spunk in her, it's so much fun to be around her. She is a great leader and a great friend. She is nice to everyone, and inspires people to be more Christ-like by her example. She is always involved in multiple things so that she can do good in her community. I'm amazed by how much she can do and how gracefully she does it all. I love her so much and am so glad she's my sister and my friend!

Although I don't know Preston as well, I can tell he is such a great guy. It makes me so happy to see how happy Caytee is around him! He seems really trustworthy, dependable, kind, and humble. And I hear from Chad that he is pretty awesome on the basketball court. They are such a beautiful couple and I am so excited he will be a part of our family! I'm sure he will love being a part of this family as I do.

Jonner

Jon is such a classy guy. He is really smart and accomplished but doesn't flaunt it or act arrogantly about it. I always like to talk with Jon because I feel like I have a lot to learn from him. Plus it's easy to talk with him because he doesn't talk down to people. He's really good at tennis, and he beats me mercilessly every time we've played, but he doesn't seem to have a big head about it at all. He is such a good brother to Chad. Jon is an extremely loyal person to his friends and family, and that means the world to Chad. Chad loves to spend time with Jon and has so many great memories of traveling, running marathons and triathlons, hiking, and just hanging out with him. Jon is super funny and always makes us laugh. We're always so happy when we he visits us or we get to see him in Payson or at the cabin.

Nate and Michelle and Fam

Nate:
Nate is such a good brother-in-law, brother, husband, father, and son. He is really good with people--at being a friend, listening, playing with kids, and making people laugh. He is funny, nice, and adventurous. He is so nice to take me and Chad out on his snowmobiles and four-wheelers, and be willing to spend lots of time on the easy trails for me. We've also had a lot of fun on his kayak! I think he even used to own a sailboat and rapelling gear--he's a real outdoorsman and is always good to plan fun outings. He is really ambitious and works hard to achieve his goals. I think one of the things that makes Nate so great is that he isn't judgmental at all, so you feel like he is a real friend to you. Thanks, Nate, for being such a great brother to Chad and me!

Michelle:
Michelle is such a beautiful person. One of the talents Michelle has is being really happy for other people's happiness. I love how excited Michelle will get for me or others when we have good news to share. You can tell she really cares about you and wants you to be happy. This also shows how confident and comfortable she is with herself, which is a trait I really admire in her. She has a quiet confidence about herself, which isn't showy or arrogant, but inviting and uplifting. Another thing I admire in Michelle is how she has been the Primary President for the last nine months! That is so much work (especially for how big her Primary is), and she hadn't even worked in the Primary before she was called to that, and she also has two little ones to look after. I am just amazed by that. But it doesn't surprise me, because Michelle is so talented and wonderful. I hope I can someday be as good of a homemaker and mother as she and the other C* mothers are!

Colby:
Everybody loves Colby. He is really social and loves to be around other people. He has an amazing ability to love other people, and he also has an incredible knack for remembering names. He gets so excited to see you and will always give you a hug and kiss and wave good-bye when you have to leave. He makes you feel really special. So many things are endearing about Colby--the way he runs, his love for chocolate cake, the way he laughs when everyone else is laughing, his love for spelling out names, etc. We're so lucky to have Colby in our family!

Carson:

I ADORE Carson. I just love him to pieces! He is so cute and sweet! I always get so excited to be able to see him when we visit Nate and Michelle. Chad always teases me for how much I like Carson and how excited I get over seeing him. Carson lets me cuddle him and that just makes me so happy. Just look at this face, isn't it so sweet and innocent? But he's grown up a lot since this picture was taken at our wedding and looks older now. He also seems to have a stronger will now than he used to (he has been the most easy-going baby!), which I think is great. I'm excited to see him and all the other C* nieces and nephews grow up!

Curt and Carrie and Fam

Curtis:
One of my favorite things about Curtis is that he refuses to run a marathon like me, so I’m not the only one not participating in the marathon this October! J/K. But really, I love how easy-going and funny Curtis is. He is so good at seeing the humor things and not taking things too seriously. It has always made me so happy that he and Nate will poke fun at me a little from time to time, because it puts me at ease around them. Both he and Carrie are refreshingly real, and I love that. It really makes you feel like you can be yourself around them. Also, Curtis is so patient with his kids and good at playing with them. And he has been such a good big brother to Chad. I can tell Chad really trusts Curtis and feels that he is a resource and strength to him during rough times, which means a lot to him and me.

Carrie:
Carrie (and Curtis) has been the most gracious host to Chad and I on countless occasions. We have shown up to their house on short notice so many times, and she has always made us feel like we weren’t a burden, when I’m sure we made more work for her! We really appreciate her graciousness and selflessness. Carrie is someone that is so easy to talk to. She is a great conversationalist and is very good at asking you questions about your life. She can always get Chad talking about his work—sometimes I think I learn the most about Chad’s work during conversations with Carrie! Carrie is an extremely hard-working, motivated, and intelligent person. Get this—she’s training for a marathon, working part-time, and raising two energetic boys all at the same time. Not to mention all the canning and reading she’s done, either. I admire Carrie so much for her tireless giving of herself to others.

Brady:
I love this kid! He is so much fun. He has the best belly laugh—I can never help but smile when I hear it. I feel like this laugh captures the essence of sheer, undefiled delight. I absolutely love it. Brady seems to experience life really intensely, and so it’s fun to experience his intense enjoyment over the things he loves. But he actually seems to have mellowed out a little over the last six months or so, and it’s been fun to see him become more of a big kid and less of a toddler. It makes me feel so good about myself when he talks about me and gives me hugs!

Landon:
This little guy is a talker! He will just talk and talk, and most of it Chad and I can’t understand. Chad calls it Landon’s “chirping.” It is so cute to see how much he is growing up. He seems to just soak everything in. He used to be our sweet little mellow baby, and now he has turned into a super active almost-two-year-old. It is really fun to see his wide-eyed and fast-paced excitement over life. I wish I had as much energy as he has!

The Wonderful H* Family

Dale and Crystal and Fam

Dale:

I've known Dale for a lot longer than I've known most of the C* family. I've always thought of him as one of the most compassionate, patient, and considerate people I know. As I've gotten older I've come to appreciate more how good of a listener and friend he is. He asks you questions and listens to your answers as though your life was really important to him and should be to everyone else. Dale is good at putting people to ease and making them feel comfortable about themselves, including their weaknesses and faults. I appreciate that he is honest and doesn't try to put on any pretenses to impress anybody. I love you, Dale!

Crystal:

Crystal is the genius behind Chad and my meeting, so we owe her big time! She was SO good to be really supportive of our relationship without pressuring us into marriage. I have always really admired how out-going and proactive Crystal is. She is always up and doing, "anxiously engaged" in good causes. She is really productive and seems to have a lot of energy to do a lot of fun things! I have also been so impressed with how she teaches her children and disciplines them in love and wisdom. She is so smart and thinks carefully about things. One more thing--I love how Crystal is confident in sharing her talents to benefit others. This Mother's Day we went to her ward with her, and she sang in sacrament meeting with her children. I think that's so great she would be willing to share her talent of singing with others! A lot of people would be too shy to do that, and I love that Crystal isn't. Crystal, you are awesome!

Natalie:
Natalie is a pure joy. She is so affectionate and social and loves to be around people. I've noticed that during play with big groups of kids, she is very inviting and kind and patient with children who are younger than her. She is also such a jokster! She loves to share jokes with others and play practical jokes on them. One time while Chad and I were dating and were visiting Nate and Michelle, she was there and suggested that Chad and I stay the night and sleep in the guest bed together--knowing full well that was not allowed. She loves to tease us, and I think that's so great. We love Natalie!

Preston:
Preston is so much fun to talk with! He is witty, intelligent, genuine, and frank. I always look forward to chatting with Preston, because he is just such a delight. (You can really tell how smart Dale and Crystal are by talking with their kids--they are all so smart!) He loves to read and play the wii. In fact, when they were visiting us once, he showed what a champion wii bowler he is. I think he even beat Chad, who isn't bad at wii bowling!

Logan:
Logan is so full of life! He is definitely a character! He is enthusiastic, astute, perceptive, emotional, active, imaginative, stubborn, and totally sweet!! He loves attention and it is so fun to see his huge smile when you give it to him. He loves tickles and has the best laugh when you tickle him. Logan is one of those kids that you can have so much fun with, but can also wear you out. Props to you, Crystal, for having enough energy to keep up with this one! But his energy makes him all the more lovable.




Julia: Julia is so CUTE!! She is such a doll and has a mind of her own. She is such a sweetie. I absolutely loved it when she fell asleep in my arms the same night that Preston beat us all in wii bowling. We are so happy she is in our family!


We love you, H* family!

P.S. Sorry, Dale and Preston, that I don't have a close-up picture of you guys!

The Wonderful C* Fam

This summer Chad and I have been so blessed to be able to spend great quality time with the C* family. They are so great, and we have had so much fun with them. I keep thinking how lucky I am to be a part of such an awesome family, and how I should highlight them in my blog. So I'm finally getting around to it!

Neal and Carol

Neal:
Before I ever met Neal, Chad told me how much he admired his father and wanted to be like him. I was impressed with how much Chad seemed to revere his father, and I looked forward to meeting him. Neal was so kind to me from the very beginning. He'd always give me a hug and made me feel so welcome in their family get-togethers. He has a quiet way of going about and making people feel important. One of the first things I discovered about Neal at the M* family reunion was that he admires his ancestors and wants to keep their legacy alive, which I think is so admirable. Since that time, I have also learned how hard-working Neal is. He is always about doing things to help others. He has even driven hours and hours to help us fix our a.c. He is a great handy-man and uses those skills to serve others. I am so grateful that I have such a kind, personable father-in-law!

Carol:
Carol is one of the most tender-hearted, loving people I have ever met. She has a great capacity to love freely, even people she doesn't know all that well. She is so good at talking to people she hasn't met before and expressing her love for them in casual, everyday terms. She is also so devoted to the gospel and to doing what is right! I really admire and appreciate how she taught and continues to teach her children from the scriptures, and has instilled in them a desire to do good. She also was very good at teaching her children how to work. All her children are such hard workers, and that is something I really appreciate! :) I also really love how Carol has a great sense of humor, and a great sense of humor about herself as well. She is always laughing and helping others around her laugh. I am so lucky to have such a loving, good-natured, and exemplary mother-in-law!

For mothers

This poem goes out to all you mothers who sacrifice so much for your children. I think it speaks volumes of a mother's love and the worth of a child.

You are the trip I did not take;
You are the pearls I cannot buy;
You are my blue Italian lake;
You are my piece of foreign sky.
(“To My Child,” quoted in Charles L. Wallis, ed., The Treasure Chest [1965], 54)

Thank you, moms, for all you do! And thank you, Mom, for all you do for me! You do so much for me and I hope you know how much I love and admire and appreciate you!!!

Help!

I am trying to find a poem in which a mother is speaking to her child about how even though she wasn't able to travel, she was able to travel through her child--she was able to see the world through the life of her child. If I remember right, it sounds something like, "You are my Spanish sky, you are my..." etc. Does this sound familiar to any of you? And if it does, do you know the title of it, the author, or where I could find it? It's driving me crazy that I can't find it. Thanks! (Once I find it, I will post it all for you, because it's a great poem.)

Meant to Be

I am so glad Chad and I got married. We were made for each other. We even make the same facial expressions.

Good News Minute

Here are my three good news for the day:

1. I don't have to order my wedding pictures by tomorrow! I was thinking I had until October, but I got an email telling me my 'online photo event' closes in two days. And the task of deciding what to order so fast was a little overwhelming to me. But I called my photographer today (who I would totally recommend--his name is Matt Christensen and this is his website: mattchristensenphotography.com) and he said to disregard that email because he extends the time for his clients. He also told me they edit our pictures for free! Hooray!

2. At school the teacher I work under, who is super awesome, brought in "staff reinforcers." We have reinforcers at the school to reward the kids for their positive behaviors, and so Jaimee brought in some staff reinforcers in the form of a bucket of chocolates. So if we are having a really bad day and need some reinforcement, we can have chocolate! Isn't that great? I love my job. Plus, school starts tomorrow! Hooray!

3. I found out yesterday that Chad and I are going to switch off every week with another couple who are also going to teach the Sunbeams, which means every other week I get to go to Sunday School and Relief Society! Hooray!

Life is good.

Ruth Lake

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our trip to the Uintas!

Look at me with my cool pack frame! Thanks to Dave and Betsy for such a nice and generous wedding gift!!

Although Chad's pack frame is a bit larger than mine, it was about twice as heavy. He carried so much stuff in to our camping spot for us! (Including a blow-up mattress, so my first hiking/camping experience would be more positive and I'd want to go again. :) ) My husband is so strong and tough!

The view from the lake we stayed on. Wow!

Our lovely tent right on Ruth Lake. It really couldn't have been better.

Both nights we were there, the sunsets were absolutely breathtaking. This is the sunset on the first night.

The second day we were there we hiked around the area and fished in six different little lakes. We fished all day! By 4:00, I was getting a little frustrated that I hadn't caught anything all day, and so I had to just put my pole down and stop or else I was going to get mad. But Chad talked me into trying for just ten more minutes, and I finally caught one during that time! This is my first fish, and still my last. Even though we've gone fishing a few times since then, I still haven't caught anything else! Maybe next time. :) I still like to go fishing with Chad, though, because it's always peaceful and beautiful and I can't let go of the hope that I just might catch something. :) Plus, it's fun to see how much Chad loves to fish.

I think about this trip and Hawaii a lot, about how amazing it is that I have experienced so much beauty this summer. Chad and I are so grateful to live in such a pretty area.

Happy Birthday Chad!

Last Friday was Chad's birthday! We had some fun birthday celebrations. On Thursday we went out to eat with a lot of his family, and that was a ton of fun. Chad has the best, most supportive and fun family. We had a nice breakfast together on his birthday morning and then went on a ward campout that afternoon. We went fishing on a river by Causey Dam, and even though we didn't catch anything, it was really pretty. We also saw the prettiest view of Causey Reservoir, with some people kayaking in it. It was nice to be up in the cool mountains again, although it got REALLY cold at night and we were grateful we had brought extra blankets just in case! And today I made him some Thai food for his birthday dinner from me. It wasn't bad for my first try, but hopefully I'll get better at making Thai food since he likes it so much.

I am so grateful to be married to Chad. He is a saint to put up with me. I love him so much and am so grateful for the things he's taught me about friendship, love, work, learning, trying new things, forgiveness, humility, selflessness, and focusing on what's important in life. I couldn't have dreamed for a better husband. Here are some things I love about Chad:

I love how he is eager to learn about new things and how he reads a lot.
I love how he puts family as such a high priority in his life.
I love how he is so good at socializing and making conversation when we have people over at our house.
I love how he is a cookie monster and brings me home the most delicious cookies from the hospital sometimes!
I love how he makes jokes at times when I least suspect them.
I love how he is so gentle with the Sunbeams, even when they are being difficult.
I love how he stands in front of our house after a friend leaves, to wave good-bye to them as they drive away.
I love how he is so thoughtful to compliment people in front of other people to make them feel good about themselves and bring them positive attention.
I love how he laughs heartily at things he thinks are funny.
I love how he is honest with me and tells me what he likes and doesn’t like.

I love how he woke up at dawn to go fishing on our camping trip to the Uintas.

And here's Chad fishing at sunset on the night before he woke up at dawn on that same trip. Our tent was set up just behind where I'm standing taking this picture, and we had the whole lake to ourselves both nights we were there! It was the most beautiful, peaceful trip.

"Every Life is a Story"

I'm not sure if there still is, but there used to be a series of biographies on A & E, and their slogan was, "Because every life has a story." I want to tweak that a little bit to make it, "Every life is a story." I've found that when I am feeling discouraged about the negative things in my life, I like to sit back and dramatize it, and it makes it much easier to bear.

For instance, when I was in Romania, the first month or so was super hard for me. I did not like Romania at first and I missed Chad SO badly. And one thing that helped me cope was to think of someone making a movie of Chad and my romance, how we were separated and both in strange lands, walking along the foreign streets, etc, etc. Even though I hated being apart, it was kind of fun to think of how it could make a good movie clip.

Another thing I like to do is make up lines in my future biography about how this time of my life helped me learn this or that, to make my challenges seem important in shaping my wonderful character. :) Or about how I was a force for good in this area or that, to make me feel like I have power to do good in my present situation.

Another thing I'll do is pretend I'm older and looking back onto this time, reminiscing on how good this time of my life was. For instance, when I was sick of studying at BYU, I'd think of myself as a future mother, longing to have some peace and quiet to study for hours on end. :)

And the examples could go on and on, of ways I've tried to make my life seem really cool and great. I don't know if this blog is making me seem very dramatic and self-centered, but that's not my intent! What I'm trying to say is, I think every stage of life is important, because it helps mold people into what they become. And I think if we could see that on a day-to-day basis, we would feel more positive about our lives.

I think that if we could just sit back and see our own stories, we would see how cool our lives were! And I bet our grandkids or someone from a different country would, too. I think we could benefit from stepping back once in a while and trying to see our lives in the big picture. It would help us keep our problems in perspective, focus on the good, and see the humor in our thinking. We would enjoy life more, feel more grateful, and be motivated to make the most of our opportunities.

What do you all think? Am I the only one that does this? When you try to make your life into a dramatic movie or story, what parts of your life do you see differently?

NPR continued

NPR is "National Public Radio" and is talk radio, covering world and national news, the arts, politics, finance, weather, etc. For those of you who live near me, NPR is on 90.1 FM radio. For those of you who live outside of Utah, try googling "npr [location where you live]" and see if you can find what radio station it's on. :)

My new favorite radio station is

NPR! It is so great. I listen to it all the time, in the car, at home, and I even listened to it at work a few times when I was there alone working on some stuff. It is so interesting and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Plus, it makes the time go by faster while I do tedious jobs. If you haven't tried it out, give it a try and see what you think! I never used to listen to it, but now that I do, I love it.

I love the Relief Society Club!

That title's for you, John. :) But really, I do! Tonight I had my first Relief Society activity in my new ward and absolutely loved it. I love women. Especially the women in our ward, they are so friendly and funny and genuine and accepting. It was so good to chat with the older women in the ward. I think young women need older women in their lives. I know I do. And I loved to laugh at everyone's jokes all through the get-to-know-you activity we did. I am so happy I have the Relief Society in my life and I'm excited to get to know the women in my Relief Society better.

Paradise

Chad and I got back from visiting my parents in Oregon today. I am so sad it's over. It was so perfect. They took us to the Sea Lion caves, the coast, Florence, my dad's hospitals, the Saturday market, the U of O Campus, to my old elementary school and home, and the Wilammette river. We went out to eat to two really nice restaurants and they also fed us such delicious food. We watched "Gandhi," an exceptional old film, in their media room. We went to church and had a nice Sunday meal with my friends Laura and Ben. We went on a fun walk in their neighborhood and also saw a lot of wildlife in their backyard. We played Catch Phrase one night and Speed Scrabble another--my two favorite games. We also just stayed up late last night chatting. My mom and I looked at quilt magazines and decided on what quilt I'd like her to make for our wedding quilt on Friday. She also gave me my quilt that she hand quilted for me! My mom also gave me a much needed haircut this morning.

Everything was just so relaxing and perfect. I am so sad it's over. I am definitely in the withdrawal-mourning stage. I love my parents so much and it was so good to be with them in their beautiful, peaceful, loving home. My parents are some of my very best friends!

And also, it was so good to be back in Eugene. I love that city so much. It holds so many happy memories and feelings for me. I also think it is so beautiful! I love the hills and fir trees so much! I kept thinking, "I am coming back to my roots. Everything about this place is so inviting and homey to me. These trees are so beautiful!! I love how green everything is!" The whole vacation was so beautiful and perfect. I hope we can visit again very soon! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a weekend of paradise!

Updates

I haven't blogged for a long time because I've been so focused on blogging about the honeymoon and the camping trip we took, but my computer hasn't been letting me upload pictures, and so I just haven't blogged! But I finally said forget it, I'll just blog about random stuff, without pictures, and the honeymoon and camping pictures will have to wait. Here are some of the things I've wanted to share with you:

I am so happy because I feel like I'm finally starting to feel settled in to my new life as a married woman. I really am a new woman! I have a new last name, home, husband, driver's license, social security card, street address, email address, bank account, credit card, job, ward, calling, visiting teachers and visiting teachees, etc.! And I am almost done applying for a new passport. Hooray!

Chad and I went to opening night of Bourne Ultimatum and absolutely loved it. It was thrilling, and I would really recommend that you go to the theaters to watch it! I had only seen the first two of the series on video, and as exciting as they were at home, this one is even way more exciting on the big screen! So much fun. (We also went to the Deer Valley Resort to see the 1812 overture and that was super fun also!) Does Chad treat me well or what?

A little piece of revelation I received today was: I shouldn't expect easiness and perfection--I should expect work and progression.

This week has been such a good week for us! On Saturday Caytee and Preston visited us, on Sunday we had Chad's friends Chad and Connie over for some dinner and games, on Monday we played tennis with Chad's friends Dan and Christy Sue, on Tuesday we had Chad's friends Justin and Alise and their four kids and Crystal's kids over for some fun, today I went to the Salt Lake temple with my friend Kari, tomorrow we are having two families in our ward over for some fun, and on Friday we are going to visit my parents!!! I have decided it is very good for me to plan time to get together with friends, because although I'm not a terribly outgoing person, I do love people and it's good for my soul to spend time with friends. And it's wonderful, because now that I'm married to Chad, I have so many more wonderful friends!

And last but not least, Chad is so good at making the home look good. So many people have asked me if I have beautified the home since moving in with him, but to be honest, Chad has done a lot more beautifying than I have since we got married. He is so good at organizing and cleaning and arranging our things so they look good. I love living with him (but for a lot more reasons than just that)!

Honeymoon, Sunday - Tuesday

So I'm finally blogging about the honeymoon! We had such a good time. Chad is a really good planner, and so the honeymoon was planned very well and everything went smoothly. I was consistently amazed and continue to be amazed by how wonderful it was. We got over a week of what I had been wanting for months and months--time to spend together, just Chad and me. And then on top of that, we were in a breathtakingly beautiful place and we did a lot of really fun things.

At the time I thought I did a pretty good job of recording where we went and what we saw, but as I look through the pictures now, there seems to be a lot of pictures of US and not quite as many pictures of HAWAII. :) But I figure that's okay, because it shows what we were focused on: each other! :) Which I figure isn't such a bad thing. I know I am very, very spoiled to be able to have gone to Maui and Oahu for my honeymoon--but even more than that, I am spoiled to have such a selfless husband as Chad.

Okay, so after our luncheon on Saturday Chad took me to a beautiful bed and breakfast in Midway. Our room was the "Mount Timpanogos" room and had an awesome view of the back of Mt. Timpanogos. It was super, super nice. Here's a picture of us in the back yard of the bed and breakfast:

And here's a picture of me on the deck attached to our room, with the view of the mountain in the back. We weren't talented enough to take a picture of ourselves with the mountain also in the background, so that's why Chad's not in the picture.

We had to leave earlier than when breakfast was served, so we could catch our flight to Maui, and so we asked them if we could eat our breakfast early. After we asked them they acted as though nothing would be cooked by then and it would just be granola bars and yogurt or something, but it turned out to be a super good breakfast with toast, eggs, ham, fruit, etc.! I wonder what the normal breakfast is like then!

After our delicious breakfast we drove home, where Karen met us to pick us up and drive us to the airport. We are so grateful for Karen, she always drives everyone to the airport. The flight to Maui went well. We read and watched the shows and just chatted, and it went by pretty fast. When we were walking through the airport to baggage claim, a lady walking by us asked us if we were on our honeymoon, and we said yes, and she said, "You can tell!" After we laughed a little sheepishly, she said, "Oh, but it's a good thing. It gives the world hope." :)

When we were walking toward the baggage claim, there was a Hawaiin lady there to call our names and give us our leis of real flowers (see below, I'm not sure what they are called). They were so pretty! I felt so special and important.

And then Chad surprised me with a convertible at the rent-a-car place! It was a Chrysler Sebring. It was so fun to have the top down and be able to look all around at the beautiful surroundings. And we were blessed with such great weather! The weather forecasts said it was going to rain all week, but it only rained once, and so we almost always had the top down whenever we drove anywhere. Needless to say, I never straightened my hair! It went really curly there--more pictures to come. Also, we got the same kind of car in Oahu, but it was dark blue instead of light blue. We didn't take a picture of either of them with their tops down, but here is our first convertible with its top on:

We then drove back to the hotel, which was right on the beach, walked on the beach by our hotel, went to dinner at a really yummy Thai restaurant, and then went to Wal Mart to get some groceries for our trip. By that evening we were really tired and went to bed very early. We went to bed early and woke up early all week!

I didn't take any pictures on Monday, but here's what we did: We got up early and drove to a hike at the southern tip of the island. The drive was really pretty, by all these super ritzy resorts which we later walked to several times. The hike was on this newly formed lava on the rim of La Parouse Bay. The views there were amazing, with the white water crashing against the black lava at several places, and the green green hills of the volcano in the background were such a pretty contrast to the black lava. When I realized I forgot my camera, I said, "Audra's going to kill me for not bringing my camera here!" :)

We snorkeled in a few places off the trail, and we got to see some really cool fish. My first snorkeling! It was so fun, Chad is such an awesome teacher. The last place we snorkeled on this hike is known as "The Acquarium," and that's what it felt like! We saw all sorts of different kinds of fish there.

Later that day we also went to one of those places that sells tickets and we scheduled a helicopter ride for Wednesday and a boat ride for Friday, which we got for a lot less money because we agreed to go to one of those timeshare pitches.

On Tuesday we went on a walk on the beach in the morning and then drove up to western Maui where the timeshare pitch was. It was in a SUPER nice resort on a SUPER nice beach and it was really fun to be there and get a tour, even though it was a little awkward to go there as uninterested as we were and yet try to seem somewhat interested. Luckily the person assigned to sell us the timeshare was quite eager to get off work and told us right away that we probably don't have enough money in our budget to invest in a timeshare like this, and so why don't we walk quickly through the hotel so we can both go home. Haha! It was perfect. Plus, we got a free lunch out of it!

After that we went to Lahaina, an old whaling town that is now super touristy with a boardwalk and shops everywhere and people walking along the streets. Very fun. In the middle of the town there is this old banyan tree that is HUGE--its branches go down into the earth as root-looking-things. You can see how wide it is, because the branches I am standing next to come from the trunk behind me. Super cool.

And of course when we got home we went on a walk along the beach, because that's what we did almost every night. So, so pretty. I'll post pictures of the beach and of our resort in my next blog on the honeymoon. I'll probably do two more blogs on the honeymoon--one covering Wednesday and Thursday, and one covering Friday through Sunday. I hope I won't bore you all to tears, but if I do, just stop reading! :) Love you all!