12.26.2012

MERRY EVERYTHING, HAPPY ALWAYS



christmas eve was spent with some of my favorite people at my grandparents' house.  there was the usual delicious food, loud laughter, teasing, playing, talking, dressing up and haphazardly acting out the nativity, watching our parents act out the nativity {which was crazier than when the kids did it!}, and gangnam style with an 9-year-old and a 2-year-old.  

christmas day was spent sleeping later than usual, giving presents, receiving presents, pajamas all day, both sets of grandparents, more delicious food, tiny cousins, catch phrase, and a movie.  

and in spite of all this fun -- good, clean, wonderful fun! -- my favorite part of this christmas was, in actuality, not in these events that happened christmas eve or christmas day. 

my favorite part of this christmas was the feelings that were in our home.  my family is seriously the greatest.  and although we're not perfect, we try.  there is frustration, and anger, and bitterness, and jealousy, but mostly in my home, i feel that we abide by this christmas adage:

merry everything, happy always.  

and how grateful i am for that.
God bless you all during this beautiful holiday season.  
and may every day be merry everything, happy always. 

12.12.2012

CONGRATS HALEY!


“Today many sisters are being called to serve. Many more are preparing to serve. Not because they aren't married or don't have anything else to do, but they have the desire to serve.
              -President Gordon B. Hinckley

Haley Furstenau: 
Called to Serve in the Nevada Las Vegas Mission, Spanish speaking, Reporting February 6, 2013! 

morg and i, soooo excited for her! :) 

we all wanted a good look at her mission packet :) rob, me, haley's forehead, and morgie

so excited for you Haley! i love you so so so so much best friend! :)

12.10.2012

TODAY



i see trees of green, red roses too
i see em bloom for me and for you
and i think to myself... what a wonderful world

i see skies of blue, clouds of white
bright blessed days, dark sacred nights
and i think to myself... what a wonderful world

the colors of a rainbow, so pretty in the sky
are also on the faces of people going by
i see friends shakin' hands, saying how do you do?
they're really saying i love you

i hear babies cry, i watch them grow
they'll learn much more than i'll ever know
and i think to myself... what a wonderful world

yes, i think to myself... what a wonderful world

that basically sums up how i feel today.  we are so blessed!

12.06.2012

BYE MORGAN!


i know morgan still has 13 days before she enters the MTC... but with finals next week and christmas and her leaving and everything i wanted to make sure to write a blog post so she could read it. {also, prepare for a photo dump.}

morgie poo, this one's for you.

roommates.  when i first met morgan, she was quiet and reserved.  she was super easy to talk to, but spent a lot of time at the library and a lot of time in her own room.  i remember the first night of college, we went back to our apartment and she sat on my bed while i unpacked and we talked allllll about boys. {sorry, you probably thought i was crazy! hehe}  i remember thinking that she was soo nice and the easiest person to talk to of my life! i was glad we were roommates :) but i didn't know how this girl would change my life and become one of my best friends!




time went on, and i didn't feel as close to morgan as i did my other roommates.  i loved her, but she was at school a LOT and i didn't feel like i knew her very well.  but time fixed that! soon, morgie was staying up late chatting with us.  she opened up and told us more about her life, her boys, her fears, her family, her dreams, her past, and her future.  and morgan is probably one of the funniest people i know. we laughed... a lot!! 











best friends. roommates quickly turned best friends.  all our time together, laughing, crying, snuggling, wrestling, eating, dancing, shopping, running, sleeping, and much much more bonded us.  we've become sisters.  morgan has taught me so much about how to live life right.





this is morgan -- herself no matter who is around. herself no matter the circumstance.  and she is a beautiful, funny, fun-loving, smart, hard working, spiritual, wonderful person that i look up to SO much.  i have learned so much from morgan and someday hope to be a little bit more like her.
























morgan, thanks for always being there for me.  for always having my back and listening to whatever i want to talk about -- honestly, you're probably the best listener i know.  thank you for being understanding, for pushing me to be better in ways you probably won't ever know.  thank you for being in the temple with me and sharing my most special day -- it meant sooo much that you were there.  you're such a good friend.  a tighter, better group of friends than us 4 is absolutely impossible.  you, me, haley, and melina will always be friends.  i know it.  i miss you so much already that my heart is breaking, but you'll be the best sister missionary in chile.  you are such an example to so many!

now get out there and shine! 

i love you!! xoxo

12.03.2012

BEST DAY



Being able to go through the Bountiful temple yesterday was the most beautiful, sacred, wonderful day of my entire life.  The temple is such a marvelous place.  Walking into the Celestial Room, seeing my family and friends there, was the BEST feeling I've ever had in the world.  I have never felt so beautiful.  I feel so humbled that the Lord would see me worthy to enter His holy house.

"Come to the temple.  If not now, come soon. Pray fervently, set your lives in order, save whatever you can in hopes that that day may come. Start now that sometimes very difficult and discouraging journey of repentance. The temple transforms the individual and makes abundantly worthwhile any efforts made to get there. Keep your faith and your hope and determine that you will come -- that you will be worthy and that you will come to the temple."

-- President Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple