Easter--What a Glorious Day!

from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The First Presidency 2013 Easter Message:

Of all the tests we face, none hurts more than the death of a loved one. Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ all are delivered from death and all will rise in the resurrection. And by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all may gain peace in this life, be washed clean from the sorrows of sin, and have hope of a glorious resurrection with the just.

At this Easter season we give our sure witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of all mankind. Because of His atoning sacrifice, He stands as our Advocate and Savior. Though He was crucified, He rose triumphant from the tomb to our everlasting blessing and benefit.

Thomas S. Monson

Henry B. Eyring

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Sandals and Fortune Cookie

It's finally been warm enough (consistently) to start wearing sandals. Yep, two days in a row--and I'm going to wear them today as well :)  And because it's finally sandal weather, I had to get a pedicure (yes, it's a necessity in my life). So I'm sporting new toenail color, wearing sandals, sneezing a bit--definitely spring. Oh, how spring makes me happy  : D

In a perusal of my sandal collection, I noticed that my favorite black slides (perfect for work or home, super comfortable, and somewhat stylish) that have served me so well the past several seasons have cracked on the bottom. I don't know how long they will last. Oh sad day. However, last night's fortune cookie gave me hope. It said, "A new pair of shoes will do you a world of good!" Now I am definitely on the lookout for a new pair of black sandals!

First day of sandals a couple of weeks ago

This morning's sandals (please ignore the ghostly white skin)
Notice how much greener the grass is?

He is Risen

As I begin this Easter weekend, I wish I had taken more time this past week to review and ponder the life of Christ. All too often I allow the daily-ness of life to get in the way of the big picture, of what's truly important. In an effort to have a meaningful Easter, I started off today, Good Friday, watching this Bible video, "He is Risen." It's only 7 minutes long--take the time to view it and think about what the events portrayed really mean in your life.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend :)

Spring is in the Air--FINALLY!

Yes, I can finally feel spring in the air. We have been having warming temperatures this past week. All the snow is FINALLY melted off my roof  (we have had snow on our roof constantly since Christmas Day, 2+ months, something that has never happened while we've lived in this house). I've heard birds singing the past couple of days, although I'm still on the lookout for my first robin. And yesterday, I actually felt like doing a couple of house cleaning projects. I did them with my back door open to let in the fresh air and sunshine.

Of course this is Utah, so spring is fickle. Today was rainy and there's snow in the forecast for Thursday. That's okay, I know that winter is on it's way out! I can't say it will be a fond farewell, but I will be happy to bid winter GOOD-BYE!

Catch Up--Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2012 was spent with Gary's family. We gathered at a church in South Jordan for a nice meal, some fun games, and good conversation. It was all the more sweet since Carson could share the news of his mission call with everyone there. The only ones missing were David & Melissa's family (South Carolina) and Elder Ian Hatch (Tucson).

Carson had just tasted prune juice for the first time!

Obligatory goofy family picture :}

Beautiful scene outside the church as we were leaving

Catch Up--Halloween

I think I must have put all my fall pictures on facebook, but not here. Since this is where I want to preserve memories, I am playing a bit of catch up (again).

Here are the pictures of our Halloween pumpkins from October 2012.

Maren's Weeping Angel (Dr. Who)

Maren's Joker

My favorite Disney guy!

My tribute to the current social media phenomenon

These are the boys' pumpkins. Carson & Aubrey arranged for a bunch of friends to carve Avengers themed pumpkins.

What time is is? Why it's Adventure Time, of course!

Catch Up--Fall Family Pictures

How did I not get these family pictures here on my blog? Well, I could start to list about a hundred reasons, but I don't think I will. I'll just show off my handsome sons and beautiful daughter :)

These were all taken in September 2012 at the Highland Adventure Park.