Just Click your Heels Three Time...

....and hop on a plane at the crack of dawn and say "There is no place like home."

Tomorrow I get to head off to Utah for a fabulous week with my family. Russell and Jessica are getting married on Thursday and Sean is going to the temple on Friday and then Conference is on Saturday and Sunday so it'll be an amazingly uplifting and spiritual week.

I'm so excited just to see my family! I'm so so excited to hang out with my mom and her sisters for lunch on Wednesday, I'm SO excited to have a daddy daughter hang out on Wednesday, I'm excited to see the almost Elder Marsden and yes even to go shopping *yuck* with Meggie. That's yuck to shopping, not to Megs.

I haven't been home since May and I CAN'T WAIT!

Shocked

So Baby Brother Addison got home from his mission in March and we were all very excited for him to come home. We were all surprised to find that Addison had found a girl to marry named Ashli at EFY three years earlier and she was coming to visit. Addison. After an extremely awkward weekend, of poor little returned missionary and girl he was clearly not meant to be with.

He continued to date her however, until he ran into his old pre missionary girlfriend and realized their was more to a relationship than what he was currently in so...he dumped Ashli and for about a second considered dating Michelle.

After that he decided to take it easy for a while and dated a girl we'll call whats her face, cause frankly, I don't know her name. I never met her/had any contact with her. They dated the beginning of the summer.

Sometime after that, he decided to go on a date with a girl that lived six hours away. Being vehicle-less she came to pick him up in Visalia and drove him to her home town and then ditched him (hee hee hee) that was a pretty good story...

Anyway he is now dating Priscilla Arzate, apparently everyone loves her. Adam woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me they are engaged...

So that is the road map to the love life of Addison Turney...They are getting married December 27th! Congrats Addison and Priscilla! Priscilla, I can't wait to have a new sister in law, the old ones are wearing on me...lol JUST KIDDING! I love my sister in laws!

I Know God LOVES Me!!!

Author: Adam Turney

This morning was a typical morning for me. I stayed up too late once again and did not want to get out of bed...but it is habit for me so I didn't fight much. After removing my retainer and feeding the turtle I sat down at my computer to check some mail. As is common for Thursday mornings I had an email from Ticketmaster in my Inbox. It is always fun to see who is coming to perform in Las Vegas and see who I won't get to see since they are performing at MGM Grand and not the venues I work at. Well, this morning was very different because there was tour information about a band I have been dying to see...and since we actually have some money this year we are definitely going.

Finally, I get to see my favorite band THE KILLERS!!!! I have been anxiously waiting for them to return to their hometown of Las Vegas and perform for me (and whoever else attends I guess). So on Monday, October 20, Melissa and I will be driving to the Hard Rock venue and enjoying an evening with my favorite band ever. Oh, and that is just a couple days after my birthday...I am sure they wanted to come on October 17 (my actual birthday) but they realized I was working the Justin Timberlake show and wanted to let me earn some money that night. Needless to say, I am one excited little boy...it's like waiting for Christmas or going to see family after being away for so long (Melissa can relate more to that last one). I have never been so excited to go and see something...perhaps the excitement of my wedding day compares...and it is little things like this that tell me that God loves me.

Uplifting

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Stephanie Nielson was in a plane crash with her husband, Christian Nielson, and his flight instructor, Doug Kinneard, near St. Johns, Arizona. Doug Kinneard passed away soon after arriving at the Maricopa County Hospital.
Christian & Stephanie remain in critical condition at Maricopa Burn Center. Christian has sustained burns on over 30% of his body. His wife Stephanie’s body was burned over 80%.
This blog was obtained from her sister Courney's Blog. I thought it was brilliant. As of Monday, September 22nd their condition is as follows: "Christian continues to power-up. We are still waiting word on how Steph's body is accepting the skin grafts. Things continue to look positive." Because of Stephanies contribution to the blogging world(http://www.nierecovery.com/) many people have pulled together and have raised over 100,000 to benifit the family and aid in the recovery. Talk about strength in numbers! Here is their story as told by Courney:

Do you want to hear a love story?

(Ok, but I must warn you, the ending is still in the works.)

When Stephanie was a teenager she fell in love. With a boy. A boy who I will call Grant. This was a remarkable occasion because Stephanie was terribly shy when it came to boys. And therefore notoriously picky. She couldn't even look at one without her cheeks turning to scarlet. But Grant was an easy going kid (who reminded me of a less-goofy shade of Shaggy from Scooby-Do) (where are you?).Stephanie and Grant were essentially the same person on either sides of the gender spectrum. They were young teenage artists and nothing in high school was cool enough. They were cool. Then one day high school was over and Grant was preparing--as any good Mormon boy should--for his mission. This was very cool.Then at his appointed time and place Grant was shipped to his two year mission leaving Stephanie devastated. She wouldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. And as I remember, she rolled around on the family room floor a lot, as though she were in actual physical pain. I think my mother went so far as to call the whole missionary mourning pathetic.

And it went on-and-on for months.

On-and-on, I tell you.

This was bad news for those of us still living in the house. Two years of this? No hope in sight either, we all agreed, because our delicate sister would never resort to dating anyone else ever. Her love and loyalty would never allow it. So she spent her days working at our father's business answering calls and filing away files. Counting dragging days . . .But one day the phone rang at our home.I picked it up and the caller asked for my father. I notified the caller that he wasn't around and asked if I should take a message.The caller said yes.So I wrote this message:Dad, call Christian.Then I hung up.Next to me, on a dizzy bar stool stooped Stephanie. Shoulders slouched. Head down. Gloom. Despair. Doom. Pointless doom."Make sure Dad gets this message." I bossed, passing the paper to her as I was headed out.Steph looked at the paper and BOOM! Her being startled to life."Did Christian really call here?""Yes." I said, looking curiously at my sister who suddenly had a bit of light in her soul."He is hot." She said back to me. "Like, really hot.""How do you know?" I asked."He comes to the office to sell Dad cell phones."And then the flush of red in her cheeks as she sat staring at my scribbled message."Christian." She repeated in a trance-like monotone.And suddenly: Grant who?

In the weeks to follow Stephanie did her best to look transparently cute every day at work. One day Christian, The Charming Cell Phone Salesman, asked my little sister out. Turned out that Christian (Christian, well-named man) was not only hot, but intensely passionate, intriguing with a head full of ideas. In a month's time they were talking marriage. Young, young and why not?But before they could meet at the altar, Christian was off to Africa to help film a documentary for a month. The night he left felt sickeningly familiar. It was Steph, rolling around on the carpet again groaning. We braced ourselves and hunkered down for a month more of her dramatics. Up until now, it may have been the longest month of my mother's life.

Then a December marriage, an October baby, moves, jobs, baby, baby, baby.Then today.

Christian was able to visit with his young bride for the first time since their airplane crash. You'll want to know that he was strong. He told her to fight. He thanked. He prayed. Hearing this gives me the feeling Steph won't be long in recovery.

After all, Christian woke her up before . . . he can do it again.

State of the Union

Last week on the Today Show, Matt Lauer interviewed a man who was commenting on the current economic crisis. The theory of the man (whose name escapes me) was that the whole situation is due to GREED. Interesting... He talked about how about 20 years ago most people were living humble lives and then ideas started to form: you can own a house too, get into a bigger house YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL, Live the AMERICAN DREAM...He said people had become PRIDEFUL, people lived beyond their means...

Sounds like the pride cycle here in America! We are living in Book of Mormon times :)

What I want

Sometimes I get into these crazy moods, like wanting to buy this or that, wanting to do this or that. I have to smack myself sometimes and realize that some things are just not worth it.

I am the kind of girl that loves to be comfortable. I dress modestly meaning, someday those people on what not to wear are going to come and laugh at my closet. I have about four pairs of shoes. Two for work/church (brown and black professional looking) and I have running shoes and comfortable shoes. I own three pairs of Jeans, different shades. Several tee shirts, none of them new for about a year. Adam is a great dresser, very snappy. He has about twenty beautiful dress shirts and about a hundred ties. He's been collecting.

I sit on two old couches that have a hole in the middle from where Austin sat for 18 years (exageration lol) We have one car ONE! lol. Which makes for interesting adventures. The point is we don't have a lot of STUFF. Sometimes I think, man I wish I had a pile of STUFF, or hey you know what I want to buy? STUFF. But then I think, what is the point. Will a new pair of shoes make me happier? No. Will a new car make my life better? No. Easier perhaps but not better.

What do I spend my money on...School. Yep loads of school. I guess thats where our priorities are right now. When we are out of school, we will hopefully spend that money on a cute little house, or a vacation...

thats what I want...a vacation.

Tonight I missed my family

and I was thinking about my dad. I have the best dad in the world. I truly do. Anyway, how do I cope with my longing?

I watch Starwars. The Empire Strikes Back to be more specific.

I was sharing a story with my friend LaVon and told him of the Christmas of 1995 when we got our special released VHS of the Trilogy. During Christmas break we watched the movies, one every Saturday. I wasn't that into watching it...then I saw the first one. I loved it! I couldn't wait for week two. Then week two came and I was shocked. I begged to watch the third the next night, I had to find out what happened to my Han. My dad in his infinite wisdom explained to me that he had to wait two years to find out what happened because he had to see it in theaters. So. That was like a million years ago to me. Come on. We HAVE the movie lets put it in! Nope we had to wait a week.

So in honor of my Dad I popped in Empire Strikes Back...and I'll probably watch Return of the Jedi tonight as well.

Love you Mim.

First Grade is a ZOO :)

I've had so much fun today! I came to work with Adam at Tanaka and substituted in first grade. What a crazy grade. I have to keep reminding the students not to tattle tell. They are so so funny though, I am trying to not laugh at the things they say. The class is made up of mostly 6 year old but their are a few five year olds and a few seven year olds. What hilarious little people. I try to think back to first grade. I remember I was supposed to pick up my name card and take it to a desk I wanted to chose. I stood alone and confused because it said Mellisa Marsden. I thought perhaps their was someone else with a similar name to me. I stood staring at the table wondering if my name tag would suddenly appear. Mellisa's name tag stood alone waiting for her and I stood their waiting for Melissa's name. Finally my teacher came and told me that I needed to take my name tag and sit down. I told her that I couldn't find it and she asked me what my name was "Melissa," I said. "Well that's your name tag then," she replied. "No my name is M-e-l-i-s-s-a."

Heaven bless teachers.

I didn't have lesson plans so I had to quickly make stuff up. The teacher left without making them up but I found worksheets and books and I've kept them busy all day. I think it would be best if I had the plans, I'm pretty worn out though...I think I need different shoes.

Not a Sub

Yay for me.

Adam

I'M A (substitute) TEACHER

So I finally quite Wells Fargo leaving with a smile and a cartwheel! Seriously I did a cartwheel in the parking lot while former co workers Richelle and Emanuel held my stuff. I haven't talked very much about this job that has been a huge part of my life and livleyhood for the past two years but thats because my blog is my happy place :).

So now I'm a sub and I really enjoyed my first day. The way you are assigned jobs is through the Internet so I was up at 5:30 trying to find a job. I was worried that I wouldn't get one so I picked Cimmaron Memorial High School (Baptism by Fire-HIGH SCHOOL). I had to be their at 6:30 AFREAKENM! As soon as I saw the school I was nervous! The people were really nice and really helpful which was great cause I didn't want to ask a student!

I got to the classroom and there were NO LESSON PLANS!!! So what was I supposed to do with 130 high school kids? Babysit? Luckily I went to the department chair and asked him for help. He and another lady were so wonderful it was fantastic. They got me a DVD player and Planet Earth DVDs and set it up for the kids and told them they had to write 20 facts about the movie.
By the middle of first period a lady from the office came in with the lesson plans from the teacher. They were vague and confusing. I didn't bother with the first period because I believed that their wasn't enough time to do them all. First period their were 18 kids, second period their were over 40! Their was a lot going on. I warned them about confiscating cell phones and all that stuff but they were still crazy as a bed bug. We were all having a hard time with her instructions. Third Period was the WORST lol. One girl kept begging to watch Finding Nemo. We didn't even have it in the class. They were passing notes which were inappropriate and confiscated by yours truly and stapled to the note I gave the teacher. I was very thorough in my report :). I thought I had a prep period but I didn't because one of the other teacher had too many students in her class and sent them off to me. Their were only twelve in that class.

All in all it was a great day! I was happy to have done it and happy to be at home. Because we only have one car our friend LaVon came to our rescue!!! He came all the way clear across town to pick me up! What an awesome friend. Otherwise I would have been stuck in 107 degree weather for almost three hours waiting on Adam.

WEDNESDAY IS FIRST GRADE AT ADAM'S SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't be happier!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!

On September 15th 1991 I was blessed to have a SISTER.

I remember standing on the top stair at my Grandparents house when the phone rang. My grandma answered it and then anounced that I had a new baby sister. I lept from the stairs onto the landing with a joyful: "YES."Megan has always been an awesome sister as I'm sure Sean will agree. She has such a sweet giving heart. I was always pretty bossy (sorry Megs) ordering her around to get me this or that. She never complained and served me well :)


Sean and I would always bug each other but we never had the heart to bug Meggie. She was just too sweet and had such a tender heart. Dispite her good heart, she was also pretty spunky- very self sacrificing and dramatic :) When ever she would get in trouble she would punish herself by bonking her head against a wall, table, or whatever. My favorite was when she would fall over and pretend to be dead. We'd call it Falkners Disease. When she would get angry at you she would either swing at you with full force and then stop short before hitting you and barly tap you which would cause us to laugh and her to become more angry. She would also yell "THATS NOT A REQUEST" a line from her favorite movie Beauty and the Beast.


Megan was always very observant and would pass on my big sister secrets to her friends. I would always find clothes and CDs in her room that belonged to me. We often owned the same sort of products, like our first make up caboodles. She got to grow up a lot faster than I did because I didn't have a big sister to teach me the ways of womanhood lol. I had to borrow big sisters from my friends.


Megan is HILLARIOUS! Ask her about the Las Vegas ocean or Tony Braxton (who's he?) or any variety of topics she's sure to entertain. She is also GORGEOUS! She puts me to shame. I found out that she ran a 5k on Saturday which put me to SHAME! I'm so jealous of her beautiful smile. Megan may have borrowed my clothes but I love going home and wearing her stuff! Of course I streach it out but then she just washes it and alls well that ends well right ;)


Megan remembers EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING. She'll tell me things I said about ex boyfriends, or advice I gave her, or my friends favorite colors. She'll say things like "remember when you told me about how Drew did this" or "Didn't Jessica say this first day of ninth grade." Its incredible. She's also been dying to be an AUNT since I walked out of the Temple with Adam on August 5th. She called on our anniversary to remind me that I told her before we got married that we'd "probably wait a couple of years before having a baby" she wanted me to pay up!
I think the thing I love most about Megan is that I can talk to her about anything. She's really perceptive and wise beyond her years. She's so smart and such a hard worker. I have been blessed with a very talented, very focused, very personable and sincere sister. Happy Birthday Megan I love you so much!

Rant

I am amazed at how often the question "So are you originally from Vegas," make me cringe. I know my answer and I know their response. If they are not LDS their response is "oh you are one of those Mormons, " I of course respond with a proud yes I am which either opens the door to questions or just opens the door for them to walk away, either way it doesn't matter.

What DOES bother me, is when people who ARE LDS ask me this question. It usually comes in the form of a statement "Oh so you are a UTAH Mormon" which almost invariably results in snide, unfriendly comments. This last June I was involved with a Dinner Party which one of the topics of living as a Mormon in Utah. "Utah Mormons are so judgmental," or "Utah is just one big bubble of people who don't know what is going on in the outside world." Well that may be true. Perhaps I grew up in the Utah bubble. I always tried to educate myself and care about the world around me. I felt I always knew about world affairs and the craziness that had become norm in society. I honestly don't feel any different having lived outside of Utah the last four years than I did before I left.

A comments I heard recently: "California Mormons (or any outside of Utah for that matter) tend to be a little more liberal and less arrogant than the rabid Born In the Covenant variety who live within the vacuum of the Zion Curtain."

This bothers me greatly. Although I've never lived in Provo or Salt Lake which is where I am told the complaints lie, I don't like being generalized as a drone. I think their is a great divide when it comes to the people who believe that Utah Mormons are arrogant and self righteous, and reality. The description they give happen to fit some people I know and am close to and from what I can see, these people are probably feeling guilty for their decisions.

I don't know if any of this makes sense. I don't even know if I'm coherent right now, I just know that I want to go HOME. From what I see their is no problem with living in a place that doesn't have astronomical pregnancy, gang, drug, etc problems. If that is living in ignorance than perhaps that is what I want. Are we not taught that we should live "In the world, not of the world." What is the problem with living in Black and White sometimes. Right and Wrong. Is that not the way the gospel is set up? I'm confused. I probably shouldn't even post this but I am anyway.

This was originally going to be about how much I love Utah, how I love the clean Utah air which is not swimming in smoke, the friendly people that you can feel you can trust, the safe feeling when you walk out the door that you didn't have to worry about unintelligible expletives escaping 90 percent of the people you are surrounded by. I just don't want to be in Vegas anymore.

I'm done.

Elder Sean Timothy Marsden

You are hereby CALLED TO SERVE as a missionary for the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints you are assigned to labor in the:

AUSTRALIA ADELAIDE Mission

I am so excited for my baby brother and so so proud of him! His call was submitted Saturday September 5th and he recieved it September 12th. SIX DAY TURN AROUND!

Good luck baby bird!

He'll be taking flight January 21st 2009

Photo Tag!- From Beautiful Bree!

What the kiddos are doing right now…

Probably pretty bored thinking OK MOM AND DAD GET GOING ITS TIME FOR US TO COME DOWN NOW!

My dream vacation

Someday I'll visit Ireland and go back to my roots! Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!

Something that makes me happy

My SIBLINGS!!! I miss them a lot and this is a cute picture I had of them!

Favorite room: I don't feel like doing pictures that arent already on my computer so sorry...

Something I'm into right now

Lots and Lots and LOTS of READING!!!!


My favorite pair of shoes: This needs no explanation, I already wrote a whole blog about them!








I tag: All my Family!

September 11th

Today is the Anniversary of September 11th, 2001. We all know what happened on that infamous day seven years ago and I’d just like to share my thoughts and feelings.
I was fifteen years old and like every other morning, my mom had the Today Show on. I was brushing my teeth in her room when I heard my brother say “hey look, that’s New York!” We’d just returned from their a few weeks earlier so it caught all our interest as we watched the first smoky tower.

I remember the sudden chaos felt as Matt and Katie tried to get information and they kept showing footage. They didn’t really know what was going on and they were trying to get information when suddenly as I sat on the edge of my mom’s bed a second plane flew into the towers. I’d never been more afraid in my life. I had to leave for school after that. The buses were already shipped out and I started telling many of my friends. I remember in particular Kory Wood DID NOT believe me. He thought I had made a mistake or it was some kind of sick joke. I tried to tell him it wasn’t and he still didn’t believe me.

School was eerie. We spent most of the day talking about what was going on, our principal wanted us all to have the T.V.s on in the classrooms to listen to our new President tell us what was going on. As we were at school we heard the Pentagon was hit, and that another plane went down and we were all afraid. What if someone was going to attack Hill Air? Who would be next? I remember crying. I was one of the only ones. I felt stupid so I lied and said I had family near New York and I was worried about them…the truth: I was scared and shocked. Seven years later the shock and fear has become numb I fear. Luckily my Humanities teacher had us write letters to our children to capture the moment and to remember how it felt.
So what can we do seven years later to honor those who lost their lives that day? I’m not sure. I suppose the best way to honor them is to hang together as brothers and sisters like the first few weeks after the attacks. To appreciate what we have and recognize where our blessings came from. The most comforting part of 9/11/01 was when President Hinckley spoke to us. I don’t know what he said or how long he spoke. I just remember thinking: President Hinckley knows what happened, which means God knows what is happening and we will be protected and blessed.

I’m proud to be an American and I am grateful for that opportunity. I hope that years from now when we are read about in history books our actions following that tragic day will be honorable and good.

Ode to my Shoes

I should have posted this long ago...It is an ode to my favorite pair of shoes.

Four years ago before graduating, before leaving to England, my mom purchased a pair of shoes that I would need for walking around England. I've never been a shoe person, heaven only knows what I was walking around in for the previous 18 years, I usually only wear about three pairs each year. Well whatever I was wearing had worn out their welcome and it was time for a new pair of shoes. My mom instructed me to wear them everywhere so I would have a comfortable pair for England. I did.

I wore these shoes the last mile run I did at Weber High. I wore them out when my sometimes boyfriend came to pick me up for a last hurrah before graduating. I was wearing them at the all night graduation party where I said goodbye to my friends. I wore them on a plane and they stepped off to meet the soil foreign to my body but familiar to my soul in England. I wore them when I walked up the steps of St. Paul's cathedral.

They walked me away from the home and family I loved in Pleasant view Ut and into a new home in Rexburg. They were on my feet when I experienced a first kiss under my first shooting star. I wore them to go dam sliding. I wore them to my first college classes, to the library and down a street filled with fallen leaves as the season changed. They walked in snow and over ice as Rexburg turned to a winter wonderland. I wore them to two jobs as I struggled to pay my way through school and survive at home, restricted for the first time in months.

I was wearing them the day I walked into Adam's life and many days of walking hand in hand falling in love. I was wearing them when he told me that he wanted to marry me. I wore them to Disneyland when he surprised me for my birthday. I was wearing them when I walked away from him. I bent over to tie my shoe and looked over from across the security checkpoint and saw him for the last time for several months. I took a deep breath and they walked me to my seat. My shoes walked in New York and Prague before they walked right into a snowy day in Moscow. My toes could feel the snow creep in through holes from two years of wear.

They walked all over Moscow, Estonia, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France. In France they climbed the Eiffel Tower, in Denmark they snuck off the pavement to walk down to the waters edge and touch "The Little Mermaid" for luck. I was wearing them when I came home and found my family, I ran to them as fast as they could take me. I was in them all summer long as I prepared for my wedding, I wore them at my wedding (hahaha just kidding).

Once again they took me away from my family when I said goodbye and with my new husband stepped into a Uhaul and drove to Vegas. I wore them to jump in a dumpster and search for .5 hour for a gift card I'd thrown away. I wore them Camping with my new in-laws.

It was camping. I looked down at my shoes during that camping trip. Worn to the very last bit of rubber, barely hanging on to decency I decided it was time for these shoes to retire. Looking back I could have let them make a grand exist by tying them together and throwing them skyward to be tangled among the branches of Sequoia National Park. I just laid them on a rock, though about the adventures that we'd been on together. Took some pictures (seriously, I have attachment problems) and left them for good.

This summer while roaming the outlets at Barstow I came upon a pair of shoes. It was difficult at first to recognize them. They were so shiny and blue and perfect. A fresh pair of shoes identical to my own beloved pair who perished in the Mountains of California.

I bought them.

He BaRkEd at me...and other Fall Semester 08 Adventures

Alright now that school is officially underway I can sit back and relax and go into panic mode! No I'm just kidding, things are actually going really well. I love my Children's lit class! I'm having so much fun reading enjoyable books for homework!

My art teacher is as gay as the day is long, very entertaining...last week when my phone went off ten minutes after class began (embarrassing, I always get teased for having it on silent when it should be loud and loud when it should be silent) anyway as the phone rang out in class my teacher began to BARK at me like a dog. Seriously he did. He's very eccentric and interesting but I can get through this semester...

I went through all my orientating and licencing and now I am a substitute teacher! I can start next week when I am officially done at Wells Fargo! I can't wait to be rid of that mess, but I'm grateful for the opportunity (said through gritted teeth) but seriously it was a blessing and I'm glad I had that experience, no matter how crazy my boss was. Michael Scott would have been a treat next to her.

Adam is in charge of several things this year, he must get 150 hours of administration experience by May which will be difficult but he is already in the process of doing that.

Sean should be getting his mission call in the next week, pretty crazy I know. He's now up at BYU-I leaving her highness, our sister, to rule the house as she was born to do.

I didn't forget my mom and her birthday, I just didn't post about it. I talked about her a lot for mothers day, and I called to talk to her several times on September 4th but I guess I should mention it was her birthday...

I am excited to announce my presence in Utah October 1-5; November 21st-23 (for Megan's Play "Peter Pan;" and December 20th- Whenever. (plans subject to change depending on Sean's mission)

So lots of exciting things happening to those surrounding me.

THE END

The Things We Take for Granted

Today Adam and I got up about 8:10 and got ready for 9:00 church. Because we got up a little later than we should we arrived to Sacrament Meeting in the middle of the Sacrament Hymn. We took our seats and luckily were in time to partake of the Sacrament and then the meeting started. A few people bore their testimonies, then Brother Jackson and Brother Dye Jr. (I don't know his name) wheeled up Brother and Sister Dye. Sister Dye had a stroke a few years ago. She is in a wheelchair and was being cared for by her loving husband until several weeks ago when he too suffered a stroke.

The first time I met brother Dye was at enrichment night. He tenderly stayed by his wife's side who to my knowledge never missed a church activity with his assistance. He frequently bore his testimony of the Savior and the Gospel in his life. He never failed to mention how dearly he loved his sweet wife, even though she couldn't really speak and often didn't know what was going on. In June at the ward party, they won a prize for being the longest married couple of 59 years (He came to me later and amended that they had been married 69 years but had forgotten that little detail!) Since Brother Dye suffered his stroke we've all been praying for them and worried about what is going to happen to Sister Dye.

Today after a few people bore their testimony, Sister Dye and Brother Dye were wheeled to the front. Sister Dye bore her testimony first. The words were hard to hear and understand. The thing I understood was she said she loved her husband who had worked hard all his life because she kept repeating it over and over "he worked so hard all his life" until she began to sob. Brother Dye took the microphone and begged his son to take him to the pulpit but he was too weak. He bore his testimony slowly and deliberately, stopping many times to gather his emotions. After one particular long silence his son took the mic and proceeded to share his fathers testimony and how his dad woke up through the night asking if it was time to go to church. Finally at 4 in the morning he woke up for good, excited to get ready for church. He told his son that he wanted to bare his testimony. Brother Dye took back the mic and proceeded to bare a firm testimony in a small voice. I couldn't help but think of the song I mentioned last week "Their is Sunshine in my Soul Today." Verse two says: Their is music in my soul today a carol to my King, and Jesus listening can hear the song I cannot sing. I wondered if Brother Dye had at some point taken his small son to bare his testimony or to say a prayer and had whispered the words he believed in his ear as now his grown son was whispering prompts in his ear that we could all hear "Its ok Dad, go ahead and share your testimony." Silence filled the entire chapel as we waited for the words to come to Brother Dye. The only other noise in the room was the quiet sniffs of all the ward members experiencing Brother Dye's testimony: A life full of faithful service to the Lord and to his Family. His wife sat beside him, holding his hand and she sobbed to see his struggle. His presence alone bore quite witness of the truth of the gospel and this man's faithfulness. Finally after a full half hour, filled of mostly silence and struggle, the Son whispered something to his Father and Brother Dye said: "My Son said it's time to bare my testimony and hang up." Which he did. The spirit was so intensely strong in that room it was like angels were attending us.

I felt ashamed sitting their, having gotten up 50 minutes before church began. It gave a whole new meaning of church attendance for me. Brother Dye encouraged us all to stand when we can and bare my testimony and so I do that now.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true gospel of Christ on this earth. Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God as sure as Abraham was and Thomas S. Monson is today. I am grateful for Goodly Parents and Grandparents who have taught me to turn always to God. I am grateful for a righteous priesthood holder in my home. I'm grateful for a temple in my city full of sin, a light amid the darkness and the truth among the lies. I know that God knows me, I know Jesus Christ is my Brother. I know I can be with my family forever. I know that I will have Adam forever. I'm grateful to be in this promised land of opportunity where I can gain knowledge and an education and I know that the most important things in my life will I be able to take with me into the next.

This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ.

Adam's Turn...

He's still sexy!

1972

1974
1976
1980
1982 (looks just like his dad)
1990
1994




1998

Yearbook Day!

This awesome website I found will give you all a huge laugh! Try this with your own photos!

Me ROCKEN 1958

Looking HOT in 1966

Feeling Great in 68!

1972

I could have been born in
76!

Don't tell me you don't love 1978

Only five more years till I'm Born

Thank Goodness I missed this phase!

1982

My Personal Fave 1984

I love Adam

Tonight I realized I fell in love with my Adam again today- I love when that happens.

I started off the morning late- waking up at 10am. Adam had woken up earlier but got back in bed to snuggle with me. We made breakfast then went-a-car-shopping. Saturday night our blessed 12 year old car came to the end of it's life. It wasn't a long life but it had many miles and memories on it- making several trips from California to Rexburg, from Vegas to Utah, many times..It also held many dating memories which isn't important...we had some good luck but decided not to buy anything right now and we have figured out a schedule for the semester. No rush to spend that much money. I wanted to hold out until I got pregnant but that's a long ways away and good old car didn't make it (RIP).

Anyway we went to Walmart and Office Depot...nothing exciting. Then came home and worked on Homework.

Today was Adam's turn on Family Night. He gave a great lesson on the Refiners Fire. I love hearing him speak on spiritual matters. He is a great teacher. I thought about D & C Section 122 which has become my favorite section. "All these things will give thee experience and shall be for thy good." I think that is a better phrase to live by than "This too shall pass."

After Adam left to go to work at a concert, I started to think about what a great guy he is. I'm really lucky because he is absolutly perfect for me although he's far from perfect :) I'm grateful for him and he is my favorite blessing. I'm gonna go before I sound too "Seriously So Blessed" over here. (If you haven't read that blog- you must)

Autumn is my Favorite Season...

...and I'm missing it.

I love the change from Summer to Fall. The colors change and the mood changes. It's a time for school and a time for celebration (hellooo my birthday). I love September because of the new school year, the new possibilities. I love October because we get to celebrate my birthday along with Adam's and I love November because it is a time for giving thanks. Honorable mentions for Fall Birthdays include Mom (9/4) Austin (9/5) Megan (9/15) Allie (10/3) and Sean (11/16).

So that's why I changed my background. In honor of the season that is upon you all for I am stuck in an endless summer from April to November.

Everyone can begin to look forward to my Utah visit October 1-5 wohoo!