Sunday Struggles

found here. I HIGHLY recommend this hilarious comic to anyone with a toddler.

Can I just share what church was like yesterday? Just imagine the above comic but in what is supposed to be a reverent, spiritual setting. It was hilariously horrible.
First off, we currently have the worst possible church time. 1:00 - 4:00. I know some of you LDS moms know what I'm talking about. And you moms who aren't LDS can probably guess. But for those of you who aren't moms, let me fill you in. 1PM church almost always conflicts with nap-time. With a tiny baby, it's not such a big deal because they'll sleep anywhere. But for little toddlers, it can be hell. Well, as close to hell as you can get in a dedicated church building.
So yesterday, Annie went down for a nap at 11:30. She's in a weird transition phase right now between 3 short naps or 2 longer naps or 1 über long nap. So I was hoping 11:30 would give her a good hour and a half of sleep to get her through church.
12:50 came. Tucker and I were ready. And Annie was still zonked.
I debated for a second if I should just stay home and miss sacrament meeting, but I tip-toed in her room where she promptly sat up and reached for me. Decision made. I quickly got her dressed in her fancy, pink satin dress with the ribbons and tulle, combed her silky hair and snapped a pink headband around it, and pulled a pink diaper cover on before we rushed out the door and down the street to our church building.
I should have taken a picture...
Sacrament meeting was not too bad. She likes to stand on the chairs and play with the people behind us and sometimes bother the people in front of us, but she did pretty well for the most part. She pulled off her headband pretty quick, but we looked at pictures of Jesus and ate quiet snacks and whispered "This little piggy..." She lasted almost 45 minutes until the last speaker stood up, and I took her out into the hallway where we played for the last 20 minutes.
For the second hour, Tucker and I teach the 8-9 yr olds. One of the reasons we love it is because Annie can just come with us, and we don't have to worry about keeping her still and quiet like we would in the adult meetings. Except yesterday, she got a little excited about the toddler-sized chair in the room, and she fell. Twice. Both times screaming and sad and mad that the little chair would betray her so I had to take her out to wander the halls some more while Tucker taught the lesson. 
When we came back, she was content to quietly play with her toys on the floor. Until she discovered the tulle on her dress. She started grabbing fist-fulls of it and yanking as hard as she could until it started to rip. 2 big tears, right in the outer layer. Um. No, child. I immediately unzipped her dress and pulled it off of her before she could do any more damage, leaving her in her pink diaper-cover for the last hour where we gather the children, ages 8-12, in the primary room for "sharing time" and "singing time."
There was a moment right then that I looked at Tucker and said, "I think I might just take her home right now....but then part of me would feel guilty and like I should just try to power through the last hour." Tucker told me to do whatever I felt like. 
Annie usually does really well in the last hour of church so I decided to stay. She loves all the kids, and she loves the songs. The other adult teachers love her and help accommodate her (until she's 18 months and can go to Nursery with the other toddlers).
Except she wasn't having any of it yesterday. She spent the first 20 minutes out in the hall with Tucker. Eventually, he brought her back in, and she sat on a small. toddler-sized chair next to me, playing with the water bottle. A minute later, I looked down, and a little puddle was spreading across her chair.
Um. WHAT.
I wished and hoped that it was just the water bottle leaking. But no. It was pee. Somehow escaping her diaper, soaking her diaper cover, and puddling in the chair. 
I quickly scooped her up, scrubbed the chair with a wipe before anyone besides Tucker could notice, and dried it off with her blanket. And off to the mother's lounge we went, where Annie ran around naked on the counter before plopping herself down in the sink and taking a miniature bath.
With 15 minutes left of church, I got a new diaper on her, and wandered back into the hall. Of course, she wanted to walk by herself, and tried climbing on a low shelf and fell, which reduced her to wailing tears again. We listened at the chapel door to the choir practicing and eventually wandered back to the Primary room for the last few songs of Singing Time. Luckily, I was able to steal her a cup of Fruit Loops from the Primary cupboard, and she sat quietly on my lap until the end.
I made Tucker snap a quick picture before we walked out the door.

Until next Sunday....

Poetry in the Midst of Finals

I'm in the midst of writing papers and studying for finals, so I've had little time to upload pictures and post about my adventures. That will come later this week, I promise. But for now, I leave you with this poem I found. Appropriate for a Sunday post.

Peter and John, Shortly After Dawn

But they had seen him lose, like everyone else;

Seen the wisdom and courage drain out of him in the end onto spikes

and wood, just like the ones beside him.

Others he saved. Himself?

It was what they had expected.

So why does she intrude upon their proper grief with indecent stories?

Has she no respect for the dead?

And the town is dangerous for them now.

Still.      Still.

The panting run through the watchful streets,

The stooping and entering (one hesitating for fear of ghosts)

In, into the borrowed tomb,

suddenly cool and echoing and twilit after the flat morning heat;

The catching of breath,

The groping for the winding sheet, bodiless;

The reeling from the pungency of myrrh and aloes scattered

violently, joyfully, a cockcrow ago.

Then the realization: He was here.

The heat of him lingers in the charged and burdened air.

But he is gone, and this is now a useless place, a foolish place,

A place for laughing.

What did they do then, these new believers,

his burial clothes dropping forgotten from their astonished hands?

Did they fall to their knees groaning,

souls suddenly awash with the enormity of their belief?

Did they shuffle their feet and look away,

reluctant to gloat at Death's defeat, abrupt and all unlooked for?

Or did they throw back their heads

And laugh aloud at their friend's victory

And boom hosannas at the impotent walls

until the vacant tomb trembled with embarrassment?

~Tim Slover

"I'm thankful for..."

In the past few weeks, my wonderful roommates and I have started a tradition of praying together each night and then taking turns talking about one thing we were grateful for during the day. We're not perfect and miss a few nights, but I love the fact that we are willing to bear each others' burdens and help each other to improve daily. It's been such a blessing in my life since we started it.


Sometimes our prayers and thankimonies are simple like, "I'm thankful for my family or for children or for education or for letters or for phone-calls, etc." Other times, we've sat and embraced each other in tears until the Holy Ghost can bring peace to the one we're holding. But every night is special and reminds me of all the things there are to be thankful for in my life.


Tonight I was thankful for tender mercies, specifically this one that happened to be floating around on Facebook right when I needed it most.

I am trying. And I am ok. And I am doing a good job.


Heavenly Father is proud of me. I can keep doing what I'm doing. And I'm ok because He makes it ok. I don't know everything, and sometimes things are really confusing, but I don't need to worry about it.


Words can't even express how much I love and miss President Gordon B. Hinckley. Hearing his voice again...I miss him. I can't believe he's already been gone for 3 years. What an incredible giant of a man he was.


So yes, I'm thankful for Prophets and the little occurrences that help me remember that the Lord is aware of me.

Blessings

Has it ever happened to you where you're on one friend's blog and you click link to someone else's and so on until suddenly you're reading these stories of amazingly strong families who have children battling heart disease or cancer, and the next thing you know, you've got tears streaming down your face, and your vision is so cloudy you can hardly read the computer screen?

Yeah. Just happened to me.

How in the world do they do it? Lots of prayers and faith and heaven-sent angels I suppose. And time. Little smiling, earthly angels who should be sitting in a crib, not a hospital bed. 4 year olds wearing flowery headbands over their bald heads like an infant. Little sisters having to say goodbye to their big brother who should have been in Louisiana on a mission, but instead got his mission call to serve on the other side of the veil.

And here I sit worrying about what direction my life is going.

Just know that I really do love my life. In church a few weeks ago, we had a lesson on enduring trials, and one of the quotes was, "My trials are hard for me, and they hurt." Amen. We are all called to bear different burdens, and just because one person can handle something better than someone else, it doesn't mean one is weaker or stronger than the other. The things we go through are hard for us individually. I am so thankful for those people in my life who help me through them, and I'm glad that I have not been called to go through the same trials as those children and their families. I hope I'll never have to, but if I do, I pray I could have the same strength that they have. What amazing people.

Life is wonderful. Confusing and frustrating at times, but oh so wonderful. 

Swoon fest, anyone?

You may wanna pause the playlist at the bottom cuz I just gotta say I'm lovin' me some tenors right now. 

Pavarotti is on my list of people to meet in heaven. 

You just can't not love it.

Also, that is a real standing ovation. If I'd been there, I would have stood. And I don't give standing ovations.

That's all. I'll just be sitting here watching it over and over again.

Hobbies and Hives

About two weeks ago, a friend of mine asked if I could please make her a sign that said, "Life is Beautiful" to hang up in her room. She had the pink paper; I had free creative reign.

Honestly, I kinda impressed myself.... Too bad I forgot to take a picture.

But it sparked an idea.
I have a bunch of my favorite quotes on sticky notes on the wall above my desk. Pretty tacky. So on Saturday, I pulled out my acrylic and watercolor paints, my favorite calligraphy pen, and some thick paint paper and went to work.

my "studio"

 

I used watercolors for any of the background stuff
so it wouldn't detract from the quote.

"Music describes that which cannot be put into words,
 but cannot remain Silent." ~Victor Hugo

my "collection"....that's not even half of it....

"The future is as bright as your faith." ~Thomas S. Monson

               

                     Ta-Da! I've even taken time to hang pictures up, in the kitchen too. Go me.

Not too shabby, eh? I guess I've just gotten into one of my artsy vibes this week. That and cleaning. I like when things smell good and look pretty....well, as much as it can in a college freshman dorm that is...

Moving on to our next H-word of the day. Hives. I hate hives. I got them when I was little and would have to take oatmeal baths. Nasty. I've spent time in the emergency room with huge itchy spots the size of dinner plates all over me. I got sent home from school in second grade with big puffy red eyes, so swollen and itchy I couldn't even see out of them.
I'm allergic to pollen, pretty much all grass (no rolling down hills for me unless I'm willing to pay big time for it), mulberry trees, cats, and apparently....

H-2-O.

My shoulder last night...yuck.

Yup, water. I can drink it; just not have it on my skin...? Not sure why. But for the past 4 or 5 years or so, I've gotten hives every single time I take a shower, get out of the pool, or sweat. Don't worry, that doesn't mean I've given up on showering. I figure it's important enough to suffer. But honestly, does anyone else go through this and is just too embarrassed to say anything? Cuz I for sure hate it and want some answers. I've tried switching shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower cleaner, hard v. soft water, water temperature...It happens without fail no matter what. It's one of the reasons I try avoid showering in the mornings because itchy, red splotches all over my face, neck, chest, shoulders, stomach, and back are just no fun to go into public with.
Maybe I could be on that one medical mystery show where they figure out what's wrong with you when no one else can. Between my hives and my joint problems (apparently the MRIs show nothing's wrong), I should be able to keep them busy.

Happy President's Day!

PARTY ANIMAL/CRY BABY

2 names that RARELY if ever   apply to me.

Why? 

Party Animal because I'm usually the one rolling my eyes at all the Freshman antics.

and Cry Baby because those who know me know I don't cry. Because I'm insensitive and cold-hearted and it gives me the most debillitating migraines the next morning....

But the world must be coming to an end or something, because this week, I've been both. Ridiculous, I know.

It all started last Friday when my bishop forced us all to go to the big dance. It was fun, but we were only there for an hour (yes, I went with a big group of guys because I'm bad at making friends, and guys are so much easier to hang out with...). 

Then on Saturday, I was hanging out with more guys when we decided to make cookies, so we did by "borrowing" ingredients from other people and played Super Smash Bros Brawl while we ate the cookie dough. That same night, we also went to Walmart after midnight and played with the Hula-Hoops. Plus, I needed a couple things, so I had an excuse to go.

Sunday was insane. Woke up and ran around like a crazy person getting stuff and making copies before church. We had Elder Sybrowsky of the 70 there and Bishop had asked for A Child's Prayer as our rest hymn. Well, turns out, Bishop Johnson was getting released, and he had specifically requested I lead the music. Basically, I was just up there bawling the whole entire time. Weird. But I guess it was pay back for all the times I made him cry. I had people checking on me all day to make sure I was ok since I was widely known as "his favorite." Whatever. :) That night, a group of us (me and 9 guys) went to the Marriot Center for Elder Christofferson's CES fireside. Very good. And later, I got to meet with our new Bishop Sybrowsky (the Elder's son). He's an incredible man. I already hold the record for most interviews....3 times in the last week, not counting the phone call.... Later that night, I was talking to my friend, the girl the ROTC dude had kissed, and found out that things were not going well with that. Basically, some phone calls had to be made to people who could handle the situation better, and hopefully neither of us will hear from him again.

Next couple days, I spent way too much time staying up late talking in the lobby. I cried again somewhere in there...I forget why. Maybe a song or something. Wednesday was ridiculous. It got time to kick the boys out (midnight) but they were hungry, so we went to IHop. At midnight. And it was delicious. And just for kicks, we made another Walmart run after that. Crazy college kids.

Thursday night we jammed on the piano downstairs til we got kicked off, and I had another talk with the Bishop for Ecclesiastical Endorsement stuff.

Friday night was epic. I came home from a voice lesson only to walk in on a game of Killer Bunnies (a really random card game). I joined. And then we all walked down to the Cannon Center cuz we were too lazy to make dinner and acted like we were back in 4th grade. And then we were in the mood for a movie, so we set up 4 couches (movie theatre style) and a mattress in the boys dorm, hooked up a projector, threw popcorn EVERYWHERE, and watched Inception (great movie, but WAY overrated). But wait! There's more! We (me and a girl) walked back to our dorm to hear our friend's date story, ended up watching a chick flick, and pulled 4 mattresses into the hallway for a sleepover. Yeah, I'm even scaring myself...

Saturday consisted of yet another Walmart run (for actual groceries this time) and driving around for no reason in particular. Also there was a "Stoplight Dance" (wear red = taken, yellow = it's complicated, green = single), and I wore white. It was SO much fun though. And my friend, Stewart, is a freakin good dancer. I actually waltzed and swing danced legitly, which also rarely happens. And then 9 of us squeezed into a 5 person car and took a scenic drive. Yeah, I'm crazy. And I cried again, being a typical teenage girl. Something I really try not to let myself succumb to.

Today was fantastic. I cried in the middle of sacrament meeting again when a girl played a special musical number on the piano. and I had another interview with Bishop for choir stuff, and I love him more and more. He's really an incredible man. and then at midnight, since it was Monday then, we went and collected hundreds of Krispy Kreme's reject doughnuts. And then gave some to some nice girls in the parking lot. And then I got to "chaperone" while 2 friends went on a midnight stroll. and I serenaded them with Latin sacred songs, an Italian patriotic song, and an Italian song where the girl singing is trying to seduce her ex-lover. Appropriate, no? :) 

And now it's 4 AM, and I'm going to bed. Crossing my fingers this week will be back to normal. Less partying, and preferably no crying. Geez, Louise. 

RAWR

For the most part, I am strong. I am Happy with who I am, and I am confident (sometimes maybe a little too confident...). I am extremely grounded in my beliefs. I will stick by them no matter what (stubborn? you could say that). I like to think I'm open minded as well, but I know it's an area I have to improve.

For the most part, I'm not afraid to say what I think or do what I want.

A few years back, one of my friends called it being assertive.

But sometimes, I'm not so sure.

This past week in choir, we began exploring the different aspects of the "Singers' Psyche," attributes each of us should work to improve in our daily lives. Number 2 particularly struck me.

Be fierce.

Fierce. Not ferocious.

And sometimes, especially lately, I think maybe I fall off the ferocious side more often than not.

I would say I'm fiercely loyal to my friends, so much so to the point that maybe I'm a bit ferocious to those who mess with them.

I'm fiercely dedicated to my beliefs, but maybe sometimes I'm ferocious to those who don't understand them.

I'm fierce when it comes to going after things or achieving my goals, the effect being I become ferocious and may bite off the head of anyone who gets in my way and forget to stop what I'm doing and look for ways to serve others.

I'm fierce when it comes to boys going on missions, so much so that I lose hold of the reigns and get ferocious trying to get them there.

I'm fiercely Happy with my life and the people in it that I'm ferocious in forgetting to open my mind to ways of making it better and letting others in.

So this is my new mantra for now, thanks to Dr. Staheli.

Be fierce, not ferocious.

One incorporates the Spirit and implies living with intention. The other does neither.

Fierce.

I'll do my best not to bite anyone's head off. :)

Goodbye, 2010!

2010...pretty much the most eventful year of my life yet. I think that's how it must be for most people at this age in life... I definitely grew in areas I wasn't expecting, and I realize over and over again how blessed I really am.

Here's the highlights in chronological order:

January
-I made the decision to go to BYU, despite all the pressure and promises and money from NAU. It was a hard decision. I prayed and prayed and prayed and still felt nothing. Well, Heavenly Father gives us best friends for a lot of reasons, and my best friend told me to pray one more time. So I did, semi-reluctantly, and got the answer I needed. I decided to take a leap of faith and go with BYU. Thank heavens I did.
-This month, I also hosted 2 Australians. One of them is coming back to visit in a few weeks. Hopefully, my parents can bring her up to Utah.

February (one of the most hectic months of my life)
-I was blessed to be able to meet and sing for a lot of the deans of the school of music up here.
-Encore, the small mixed jazz group at MVT went up to Flagstaff for a festival. Super duper fun, and I got closer with a lot of talented people.
-I was part of the Regional choir for my 4th and final year.
-Against all Karli-ness, I participated in the Arizona Junior Miss Scholarship Program (or pageant...). The girliness, the pink, the frills, the bling, the dance routines....totally not me. But it was all stuff I'm at least competent at, and I needed money for college, so I did it. Besides meeting some amazing people and having more fun than I'd expected, I ended up being the 2nd runner up overall, and got some scholarship money. woot!

March
-14th = one of the best days of my entire existence. That morning, I found out I had not only made All-State again, but that I got 1st Chair!!! I was sorta in shock for awhile. Later that afternoon (in the midst of a lot of drama that was unknown to me at the time), one of my long-time friends asked me to Prom. It was unexpected, but nice. However, later that night, my best friend also asked me to Prom. To make the story short, he used all these pictures of us from when we were like 13. After hearing the full story of the day's drama, he'd technically asked first, so I got to tell him yes. Good day? Um....just a bit ;)
-At the end of that month, Chorale traveled to SanFrancisco to tour and record in Skywalker Sound Studios on George Lucas's private ranch. Yeah, we're cool. :) and it was such a fun fun trip.

April
-went to General Conference for the first time.
-Prom = also one of the best days of my life. The day activity was ridiculously awesome, and of course we won cuz that's how we roll. The actual night of the dance was...indescribable. I got ready with some friends, I got to wear my dream dress (thanks to Papa), and I got to spend the whole night with my best friend. Good memories.

May
-AP tests...not really a highlight, I guess.
-being in charge of legit Lion King Broadway makeup for 80+ people. I almost died. But I loved doing the makeup :)
-Graduation!!!!! I don't think that needs any explanation.

June
-cabin trip with some of my best friends. It was probably one of the best trips I've ever been on. Thank you, Dones!
-started online college classes and institute while a lot of my good friends went up to BYU early.
-turned 18!

July
-Family Reunions galore.
-babysitting some of my favorite kids while their parents were out of town for 5 days.
-Junior Staff at Girls Camp- oh, my fun. :)

August
- moved up to BYU much earlier than expected to get a job. 2 blissful and fun weeks, and then it was time for college and hardships.
-Through some miraculous meetings and such, I made it into BYU Singers, the top touring choir here. The last time a Soprano made it in as a Freshman was 7 years ago, and she's still here, being amazing. I love her dearly, as I do all the other sopranos. I've learned so much from them and will continue to hopefully over the years.

September
- became Ward Choir Director...boy, has that been a learning experience...
-started my 5th journal (200 pages later, I'm almost done)
-I started to find my niche.....as a college student, as a Singer, as a roommate, as a friend...
-lots and lots of General Authority firesides and devotionals and such...
-went to the Provo temple for the first time

October
-got to go to General Conference again and see family!
-midterms...and papers...
-first time being really sick away from home. No fun.
-first "chastity" lesson I've ever been in where the bishop encouraged kissing and said nothing's wrong with making out...ummm.....
-attended the opera, La Boheme, in Salt Lake
-SNOW!

November
-I got a call from one of my old friends in the middle of the night, telling me he'd decided to make some changes and get his life in order to go on a mission in a year. I love those phone calls! and I'm so excited for him. and so far, he's stuck by his goals.
-I made 8 dozen banana bread muffins. oh. my. delicious.
-I pulled way too many all-nighters. talk about unhealthy.
-Some of my wonderful friends were able to pull off a visit. It was a much needed break for me as well.
-My ward decided to have a musical sacrament meeting. It was one of the most memorable, spiritual meetings I've ever been in.
-The apartment complex got flooded, and I got to spend the weekend at my Bishop's house. Oh, and I got to meet Donny Osmond ;)
-I recorded and submitted a dvd for the vocal program. I should find out in the next couple days....

December
-my family came for my Christmas concerts!
-My apartment almost burned.
-Finals... ended the semester with 2 As, 2 A-s, and 2 B+s....eh, it's enough for my scholarship.
-The ROTC dude got dramatic...oh well. He leaves on his mission in a couple weeks, and I'm not planning on writing him, even though I am his "truest friend" (yes that's a direct quote....after he yelled at me....over texting...whatever.)
-HOME!!!!! I loved it, even though I got really sick. It was wonderful.Saying goodbye to dear friends leaving on missions, seeing family, finding out I will be the oldest cousin to 3 more in June, July, and August (#41, 42, and 43....first cousins...on just my mom's side....love it!), all of it.

And now I'm back in Provo. for more school. Is it bad that I just want the next few years to hurry up and get over with already? This past year was great. So many lessons. Wonderful friends. Amazing memories. Faith-trying experiences. Miraculous tender mercies. My goals for this new year? Be consistent in writing my missionary friends and be nice, especially to boys. Here, we go, 2011. You've got a lot to live up to, but you will.

End of Semester Adventures...

So my posts are really long. Like really really long. So this one's gonna be short...er, with mostly pictures. In fact, I don't even know why I'm writing other than I haven't in a while. College is crazy and I get to go home in less than a week. Hooray!

Highlights of the last little while (in no particular order):

#1. My family came to see my Christmas concert. Kids! Food! Free Laundry! Restocked kitchen! Bath tub! New phone charger! Music and the Spoken Word! Father's blessing! It was a nice to take a break from everything before gearing up for finals. Oh, and the Christmas concerts went well, too.

I miss these kids....

Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen???

I thought not. :)

 #2. My apartment almost burning down. The gist of it is, apparently my roommate left a dish rag in a pot on the stove and forgot about it when she left???? I have no clue. But I came home to rather upset RAs. If you want the full story, ask me. Flood. Fire. What's next? a hurricane or an earthquake?

This is what I came home to find....

 #3. I was asked to sing at an Italian Club event. Except for the fact that I couldn't here the music and the mic was shorting, it was fine. Whatever.

#4. Christmas Program: As ward choir director, I was in charge of writing it. Oh. Boy. I only did 3 choir numbers, 2 of which had congregation because I didn't want to make things any more complicated than they would be. The rest was special musical numbers. Well, it was rocky from the start when the narrator started with the wrong part of the script that had nothing to do with what we were about to sing. Oh well. I'd prayed and prayed that no matter what happened, the Spirit would be there. And it worked. Everyone else loved it and thought the whole thing went smoothly and was beautiful. Thank goodness cuz I sure was not confident. Hooray for the Spirit taking over things.

#5. Studying for finals! uh....we'll see the effects of that this week... :)

#6. Trying with all my might to shake off this ROTC dude in my ward who's leaving on a mission in 1 month and who's just desperate to get some action before he leaves. NO! He does NOT get it, and I'm waving the "NOT INTERESTED" flag right in front of his face! I've resorted to ignoring texts. Especially the 1AM ones asking if I want to "go for a walk." Gag. Maybe he'll read this. He admitted to not reading blogs, but I wouldn't put it past him. Maybe he just heard me ranting to my roommate about him. I sure hope so. I HATE drama more than just about anything.

#7. Ward trip to Temple Square! It was fun, but it made me really late to my choir Christmas party. We got a little camera crazy, but it was a blast. and the Joseph Smith movie is incredible. I'd forgotten that me and a friend took my Australians to go see it last January at the Mesa temple.

this shot took some laying upside down on the steep stairs...and then took some with my friend legit camera that can actually get the whole door...

General Conference worthy, no? :)

#8. BYU Singers Christmas Party. It started at 7. I did not get home from Salt Lake til 7:20, and it was way out in the boonies as my friend Rachel would say. Rachel and I drove for a very long time, getting rather lost on a pitch black, winding road, in the middle of nowhere on the mountain. We found it, finally. Dinner was a delicious Christmas feast. The White Elephant gift exchange was by far, the most successful one I've ever participated in. I ended up with a bagel barge. a plastic half-cylindar that can hold 6 bagels with a slit in the middle space to help you cut straight. We decided it could also be a CD holder, a hand guillotine, and most useful of all, a DOUBLE ROLL TOILET PAPER HOLDER! Camille obviously really had a hard time parting with this wedding gift. After that, we gave Dr. Staheli our gift- a beautiful marble statue of the First Vision on a wooden base- and then gathered around to sing Angels We Have Heard On High and Silent Night. As we sang, the Spirit's presence was SO strong and I had a sudden flash of us circling round the Holy Infant, singing as he slept. It was truly incredible. We ended the night kneeling in a sort of "family" prayer. This choir does more for me than I could ever explain.

P.S. Mark your calendars for March 27th! We're doing Music and the Spoken Word!

Edification, Happiness, Wish Fulfillment, and Reality Checks...

Here's my 2 cents on General Conference this past weekend, as promised...

This past year, my grandparents started a tradition of taking the grandkids who've recently turned twelve up to General Conference. This weekend, it was my brother, Jace, and my cousin, Parker's, turn. Lucky for me, they came down from Salt Lake to pick up a refugee for the weekend from Provo.

Me and Jace being "G"...p.s. That's Jace's hat. I own no such thing :)

Jace, Karli, Parker

on the tram to Temple Square Sunday morning

"The Morning Breaks..."

An Ensign to the Nations

Holiness to the Lord

They even had an extra conference ticket, so I got to go to the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions. Needless to say, I spent the weekend stuffing myself on delicious food and spiritual edification.

This is what I got out of it, personally:

• I need to continue to build my testimony of the living prophets
• Ponder on my eternal roles. ex: ...great-granddaughter, granddaughter, daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother...
• Optimism!
• Be an influence for good in others' lives. Be assertive and intentional in being a part of other people's lives
• Don't spend too much time thinking about the things I don't need to know yet. Be content with just knowing I'm doing a good job.
• I can be doing better!
• Trust the Lord through everything so He can use me for His purposes at a moment's notice.

Of course there are countless lessons to be gleaned from that huge tidal wave of spiritual strength we received, but those were my immediate afterthoughts. Can't wait for the Ensign!

Moving on...I always feel like I start writing, and then I can't stop, so my posts are always huge. Oh well. Here goes!

Happiness...

Weather tonight, accompanied by hail!

Need I say words? The running joke here is that you can always tell who the AZ kids are because it starts raining, and they all go outside. But seriously? Sitting outside the HFAC on a bench with my best friend in the rain? Life doesn't get much better, folks. The weather this week has been glorious! 50's with random rainstorms. And there's officially snow on Mr. Timpanogos! I walked out of work into the rain this afternoon and literally started giggling like a mad person. I was so happy! I flew down the hill on my bike with my hair down, getting soaked in the process, while all the silly people with umbrellas looked at me funny. I'm just sad I missed all the crazy AZ storms...

And of course BYU football provides some occasional fun... Honestly, I could care less about football, and I know we've been playing like crap. Good news: the defensive coordinator was fired after our last game, so hopefully this week will be a bit better. Nevertheless, it's still so much fun to go to the games with my group of old MVT friends.

Aaron and Emily

Me, Nathan, and Markie walking down to the game.

so my best friend eats melted fruit snack goo....so what?

Let's go, Cougars!

It being Homecoming Week, BYU is full of crazy traditions right now... Some schools celebrate Homecoming with crazy parties and getting drunk...Today, Cougars celebrated despite the rain, by sliding down giant slip-n'-slides of BLUE FOAM! At the bottom of the hill, the foam literally came up to your knees. People were laying down in it and disappearing. It was freezing, but so worth it! And everyone came out stained blue.

 

 It was almost as good as I imagine swimming in Jell-O would be. My friend summed it up best when he said we'd fulfilled a childhood dream we never knew we had!

So much for BYU being a bubble....Reality Check.

I was under the impression that I understood people. That my first impressions are relatively accurate. I know I had a sheltered life, growing up in the East Mesa bubble (which really is a bubble), but I was aware of the world and the evils in it. Guess what. It all happens at BYU, just a little more hidden. Funny, though, no one seems to be making any sort of effort to hide it. Couples making out in the parking lots, despite the lack of tinted windows. Smoking behind buildings?! Dude, you're gonna get caught! People can smell it!!! Outbursts of profanity in casual conversation. The worst was the other night, I walked into the hall lobby to make a phone call, and my RA, an FHE sister, and one of the ward Relief Society Presidents were sitting there in hushed, giggly conversation. I finished my call and sat down to join them. They were swapping kissing stories. Ok, no big deal. I had nothing to add to the conversation due to my complete and utter lack of experience in said topic so I was just listening in mild amusement, but soon they moved on to the make-out stories. 12 guys last year?! seriously? and these were the parents-out-of-town make-out stories. Then they started swapping hickey-hiding and removal tricks and the most embarrassing spots where they've had to try and hide them...or not try to hide them because normal modest clothing should have covered just fine... I'm not even going to mention what they went into after that... What am I missing here?! Or what are they missing?! I'm not trying to judge. Just understand. These guys they're talking about are pre-missionaries! Don't they get that we're supposed to be helping them be ready to leave to serve the Lord for 2 years??? Don't they understand how much potential harm they're causing? That boys are programmed differently and that it's dangerous? The attitude with which they talked was just casual and silly and fun. They have no clue. I wanted to say something! To stand up and defend those boys! But mostly I was just in shock. Sometimes, girls are shallow. Myself included, but honestly, I'm so glad was the only sister for so long with 4 little brothers, have only boy cousins my age, and a dad who drilled into me the way boys work. So, just know pre-missionaries, I've got your back, and there are those of us who can't wait for you to save the world by serving the Lord.