July...

    I have been so busy this month... I finally have like ten min to blog about my adventures this month.  

    As you've already read or know, I spend 4 days in Liberty Missouri visiting my great friend Whitney and her family there.  I could not have picked a better place to vacation!  Missouri is BEAUTIFUL.  Everywhere is lush and open.  It is much different from Utah in that the communities in Utah are close together and don't usually sit on large achers of land.  In Missouri the houses are pointed up like triangles, (because of tornadoes?  We couldn't decide)... where as in Utah the roofs are more like a trapizoid.  They have rain storms that are so cool looking and kinda scary ha ha, but way more intense then anything we see in Utah. Anyway, those are some fun facts about Missouri!  

    I landed saturday afternoon around 2 (1 in utah) p.m. and Whitney was waiting right outside the gate for me!  The airport in KC is way easy to check into and get out of and it's just like it used to be in the old days... (for more info on that just hala and I can explain better... ha) Anyways, we went on a nice drive to see the different places in KC and stopped at a sonic to get hamburgers in a place called Smithfield.  It was the biggest burger I'd ever eaten... as in 2 the size of the ones that are normally served.  It was awesome.  Then we went boating in Smithfield lake and it was warm and wavy and so much fun!  We took the seedoos everywhere and tubed behind them and it was just great fun, and a good way to be welcomed into the place that Whitney calls home. 

    Sunday was bomb-tastic.  We woke up fairly early and drove to Adam Ondi Omen.  Don't worry, there was a crazy storm going on outside, and we drove through it and stuff.  Adam Ondi Omen was the most amazing sight I had ever seen. I was overcome with feelings of peace and tranquility.  It was only slightly raining when we got there and it was just me and whitney there... no one was around.  I can't express in words the beauty of the place, and the peace that it brought to my soul.  I needed the comfort of the holy ghost and a stronger belief in Gods plan for me. After this we went through jamestown (or port?) and it was a little omish town and we saw horse and buggies and the whole deal... it was weird to me to not see any driveways and outhouses in the back of yards etc.  Neat stuff.   Then we went to Far West on our way back to church, and saw the grounds that were laid out for a temple there.  It was beautiful, and I found out that my great great great (I think that many greats) grandpa was born in far west.  We then had dinner with some friends of the neilsens and went to see liberty jail (pictured here.)  After that we played with Ryan, Whitney's boyfriend,'s parents house and played games with them and his grandparents for like 3 hours!  It was so much fun, and definitely I got a good insight from Heavenly Father as to what I need in the family I marry into... they were so great. 

    Monday we got to sleep in a little and went shopping and saw the best of downtown KC.  We went to this place called the Plaza which is like this cute shopping center in downtown KC.  There were fountains places and we went shopping in anthropology and it was just fun.  then after that we went to arthur bryants barbeque which is this world famous bbq place!  It was delish!  Then we went to a real live authentic jazz club called the blue room.  The history of that place is faciating and we had a good time listening the the jazz music in there.  

    Tuesday we went to this cute bakery for breakfast and I kinda got sick to my stomach but after a nap and some drugs I felt better... so then we went swimming with some of Whitney's friends from highschool and ate lunch with these girls.  It was so fun for me to get to know her friends cuz it was like getting to know her life a little better and understand all the stories that she had told me.  After this we took showers and went to linner at Panara bread then I came home to SLC.  So it was a really busy really fantastic weekend with my great friend.  We had some good talks and got to know each other better and I think we helped each other through our trials to face them head on and understand life... a little better... :) 

    This last week we had our family stay-cation vacation.  We went and got pedicures on monday, then went to the days of 47 rodeo with my friends lindley and matt and the handy family.  It was fun! (pictures here...) 

 

    Tuesday was KK's birthday and we went and got french toast at haggermens then went to raging waters for the day (which is still fun btw) and then got dinner and watched psych after opening presents.  She had one special day. :) 

    Wednesday we slept in and then went to the Garff Ranch and rode horses and drove around atv's and stuff it was a thrill.  

    Thursday was our boating day!  We went boating from like 11 till 6... long time, and it totally wore everyone out but it was so fun to see everyone do something behind the boat and to play with the little kids.  They're so great.  After boating we went to this place called Dairy Keen which is a nice little burger joint with trains everywhere.  Then we went home and cleaned the boat etc. 

    Friday was my dad's birthday and the days of 47 parade, so we stayed home and my mom and him enjoyed the parade together.  We then went shooting by utah lake and blew our eardrums to pieces.  It was fun though.  We had a barbeque and presents and swimming at the Zimmermans house to celebrate then presents afterwards with just the single kids.  Good times. 

    That was our crazy week and who knew Utah could be so much fun eh? I'm so grateful to be in a family that is this wonderful.  I love them all so much!  It was a great excuse to spend every minute together and I miss them already.  

    The other excitement sort of thing is that I'm building up important relationships and saying goodbye to some of my best guy friends on their missions and sadly all of them will be gone in no time at all.  I'm proud of all my guy friends but it's hard to say goodbye and face life without them there... you know?  

Wish us all luck on this long and exciting journey called life!! 

Harry Potter and Life

So... another insight.  You ready?? 

So I'm reading harry potter 7 for the second time because I completely forgot about the contents of the book.  It has been really fun for me to have something to read after my long days at work and during my workouts at the gym.  So I'm reading tonight and I get this incredible insight.  Harry is always debating with himself about what to do on each incredible instance that he is faced with.  He either has to choose between what is good, and what is easy.  Now, naturally Harry sees instant gratification and 'answers' within the easy choice (the enticings of Voldemort).  Then we look at Dumbledor who always knows what harry must do, and guides him even while he is no longer physically present with him.  Hum... is this familiar? Interesting??? Harry therefore is the character everyone can relate to. He is us, and the characters surrounding him are (in my mind) like Heavenly Father and Satan and the people that Heavenly Father placed around us to help us, guide us, and protect us.  Like president Kimball used to say, "God sends angels to people on earth through others"... like our friends.  People who save us when we feel like all hope is lost.  Here in Harry Potter 7 is an example of this... 

   "The chain of the horcrux had tightened and was slowly constricting his windpipe. (aka, Satan and how he slowly gets at you... then 'snap' you're choking in sin.)... He was going to drown, there was nothing left, nothing he could do, and the arms that closed around his chest were surely death's... choking and retching, soaking and colder than he had ever been in his life, he came to face down in the snow.  Somewhere close by, another person was panting and coughing and staggering around.  Hermione had come again, as she had come when the snake attacked... yet it did not sound like her... the place where the locket had cut tightly into his flesh was gone.  someone had cut him free... there before him stood Ron, fully dressed and drenched to the skin, his hair plastered to his face, the sword of gryffindor in one hand and the horcrux dangling from its broken chain in the other." 

O how much this simple paragraph from Harry Potter reminds me of my good friends and family.  They seem to know when I need them and they pull me out of a dilapidated state and into a better one.  Being there for me just to vent, or to hug, or to text, or to go to the gym with or whatever.  Each one of you has saved me.  As it says in D&C 121:9 'thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands'.  My friends... I do stand by you in whatever you do and will love you no matter what challenges and trials you face.  Feelings of loneliness and despair are feelings I'm very familiar with, and that Jesus Christ's atonement can help you overcome.  

I take for granted all the amazing things I am privy to in my life. I tend to focus mostly on my flaws, and concentrate on how to better myself, thinking that if I can just do this or that, maybe more happiness will come to me.  But this is not how we become happy.  We need to submerge ourselves in the work, and surround ourselves with good people.  We can not let our individual Satan lockets hobble and hang around our necks until eventually they grab hold of us and take over our lives. 

I guess the main theme of this is that I LOVE the strength and steadiness and always loving hands of my father in heaven, Jesus Christ, my good friends and my beautiful family.  I am so so lucky.  :) 

  

P.S. Please don't get offended by the comparisons I made.  I don't think this was J.K. Rowling's intention, but just an insight I gained tonight as i was pondering (yet again) my life. :)