One More Hour to Go . . .

I'm sitting here in the Phoenix airport, just counting the minutes until our plane will be arriving. I have already been sitting here for 3.5 hours. I've done Su Doku for an hour, wandered around the azcentral.com news store (tried on some lotion which smells like bug spray, but they were closing so I couldn't try on anything else and of course I don't have any lotion with me due to the liquid restrictions, so basically I'm stuck smelling like I've been camping for the next 5 hours. Sweet!) and have sat staring at people walking by. I'm here with my Aunt, but we've pretty much run out of things to say.

I can't wait to get back to Utah and smell the fresh snow and that frostbitten air. I mean I was really getting tired of all the warm sun and the cool breeze in California. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)

Macadamia . . . Gazebo

Our family's Christmas present:

I've spent many hours relaxing in the tub.

California Deamin'

I used to think that I would never want to live in California, but know I'm reconsidering. I hear there is more snow in Utah. And this is what I have been enjoying this week:

Even if it is only 65 degrees, I think I can handle that.

Tis the Season for Testimonies

Who needs a White Christmas? I know I don't. I'm sitting here in my parent's backyard basking in the warm sunlight. It's 70 degrees and I couldn't be happier. My travels here were pretty uneventful. No one sat next to me on either flight, so I got to lounge out and sleep a bit. I was kind of hoping that someone would sit next to me though, because I had been praying to have some opportunity to share or strengthen my testimony. Though I didn't get to talk to anyone, I did over hear a conversation that strengthened my testimony.

A girl from BYU and a boy about 17 years old were sitting a couple rows back on my flight from Phoenix to San Luis. I could hear their conversation for the first part of the flight and I found it to be quite interseting. They sparked a conversation right away and it was only minutes before the girl started talking about the church. It turns out that the boy is dating a girl that is LDS. He did not have a very postive impression of the Church however, because his girlfriend felt pressured and forced by her parents to go to Church and participate in activities. I listened as the girl from BYU listened to his concerns and then expressed how she felt about the Church and bore her testimony. I wish that I could have been sitting closer so I could have contributed to the conversation myself, but I am still grateful that I was able to over hear the exchange of testimonies. The young man was Baptist and went to Church occasionally. He had a testimony of Christ as our Saviour, and of a Heavenly Father. I couldn't help but to hope that someone else on that plane heard their conversation as well. It reminded me that we are all truly examples at all times and we never know who is listening or watching.

And since I still have your attention, I want to share a small portion of my testimony with you now. I have a strong testimony that I have a Father in Heaven that watches over me at every moment of my life and has a deep concern for my happiness and progression. I know that I am never really alone because my Heavenly Father and Saviour are always there to give me comfort that no one else in this world can give me. This gospel has brought me the greatest happiness and I would not be who I am today without it.

I am grateful to belong to a Church that has a modern day Prophet that receives revelation guides us through this ugly world that we live in. I know that I can communicate with my Father in Heaven by simply getting down on my knees and talking to him. I love that I can have that direct connection to him.

And finally, I have a sincere testimony of the Atonement of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. He suffered so much for each and everyone of us, but he endured it so well and was risen again. I hope that we can all remember the birth, life, and ministry of Jesus Christ at this time and all through out the year. Merry Christmas to all of you! And lots of love!!

I can't help where I am when I get inspired . . .

I have a love for writing, but my writing skills have been dormant for a while. Sure I write something occasionally for work, but believe me, writing about electronic document management is not that exhilarating. I like writing things that are full of emotion and imagery. And I also love to write in really cute notebooks. As I mentioned in my last post, I love to buy things that are really pretty that I don't need. Notebooks is another one of those things. I can't wait to open to the first page of a brand new notebook and start writing. Unfortunately, I rarely get to that second page before I move onto another notebook. Anyway, so I have been trying to write more often, but I am so tired after work that I feel incredibly uninspired and can't seem to write. However, my mind seems to come alive during Sacrament meeting and Sunday school. I like to take notes on some of the things the speakers say, but almost every week I find myself working on a story. I have been working on the same story for weeks now, and I can't seem to add to it except for at church. I feel sort of guilty, but I really can't control it. I also feel bad because I'm sure people see me writing and they probably assume that I am really into what the speakers are saying and taking rigorous notes. But, I guess I don't feel that bad because I continue to do it. And besides, who cares what other people think? :)

Oh, and for those who haven't heard yet, I did get a new calling! Second Counselor in the Relief Society! And yes, as scared as I am, I am very excited. This is an answer to my prayers and I know I am going to learn and grow so much from this opportunity.

What is Beauty?

So I am incredibly OCD about many things. Especially buying things that are pretty that I don't really need. Like shoes, hand bags, scarves, etc. I own more of these things than any one person should. Anyway, so I walked into Bath & Body Works at lunch today for my weekly viewing of the most gorgeous tote on the planet. Seriously, I go in at least once a week to drool over this faux shearling tote with faux croc trim.

Photo from Bath & Body Works Website

As I was delighting over the bag today, I got to thinking . . . why do I get so much enjoyment out looking at this tote? Why am I so attracted to it? Why must I have it? Is it a product of advertising or television? Is it something that I have developed over time? And why do I feel the need to own another bag to carry all of my useless crap around? I don't really understand much about how the human brain works, so maybe I should do some research.

But the moral of the story is . . . This bag will be all mine come December 25!

April Showers, Snow Showers

I finally decided to take the plunge and start a blog again. I really don't feel like I have anything witty or exciting to share with the world, but my thoughts and feelings are best captured in writing, so here it goes.

I heard a comment while I was walking out of the Church building this afternoon that I thought was quite interesting. To preface the comment, it has been snowing like crazy here the past few days so everything is absolutely covered in an abundance of white. I was walking past this couple and I heard the girl say to the guy "This is what Heaven is going to look like, just not as cold." Now, I don't necessarily agree with this statement and I'm not going to go into the details of why, but it did make me think. As much as I hate the snow, it really is beautiful when you look past the havoc it reeks on the roadways. As I was driving home, I began to notice how beautiful the trees actually were all blanketed with the snow. I still don't love snow, but I have to admit . . . it isn't all that bad.