Christmas

The approach of Christmas this year left me a bit upset. Over the course of being married I have come to truly appreciate being sealed in the temple. It has been such a blessing in my life and I couldn't imagine marriage any other way. I began dwelling on the fact that my family is not sealed because my parents are not members.

It is difficult being the only member in your family. Especially when you see so many families around you happily enjoying the gospel, sometimes not even being aware of what they have.

A couple of nights before traveling to Yakima I was in tears telling Kyle my only wish was that my family could be sealed together.

It is hard but I think I am beginning to understand why I came into the world at this time, in this family and why I need to be patient and wait.

Truthfully, I am not very patient.

But actually being home gave me a much needed realization.
I love my family
Whether they are members or not I know they love me and I love them and being home is fun. We aren't terribly tidy, we have tons of cats so everything tends to smell like cat pee, we can smash everyone into our suburban (its more fun if someone gets to sit in the trunk), all my little sisters want to do is spend time with me (Margaret snuggles and Caroline seeks for approval), I still can't tell when my brother Robert is being serious or not (it used to make me feel stupid but now I can just laugh)

I can't say it doesn't bother me that they drink (thankfully its not binging in the least bit) or swear, but ultimately I love them.

Which sometimes makes it harder to be patient. Whether it is beyond this life or not, I want to be sealed to my family and I know that someday it will happen.

Christmas was great and I am so happy I have Kyle who seems to understand me more than anyone. He gets my quirkiness which most people find strange and he loves me more for it.

It has been a Merry Christmas!

Excited

There are so many things to be excited about in life!

Autumn Quarter 2009 all done!

Only one quarter of school left!

Christmas is soon!

Big & good life changes coming up!


Could life get any better?


I submit that it cannot!

6 Months

It has been 6th Months since Kyle and I were married.

I remember people asking me if I felt different after being married, if things were different.

At first the only difference was that we slept in the same bed and were able bond more intimately...

Now however, after looking over the course of these sixth months we are both a little different.

I truly think we know each other better now. I know that sometimes Kyle needs a gentle nudge while he is saying his prayers at night so he doesn't fall asleep.

He knows that the best way to get me out of bed in the morning is to kiss me and let me take my time.

I know that he loves to study

He knows that sometimes I need a little special purchase (like a smoothie or a pair of gloves)

Things have been so wonderful.

On Saturday we had our ward christmas party. Kyle and I were part of the program and then afterwards I took him to a surprise....

SWING DANCING!
Kyle and I used to swing dance at Camp and teach it to the kids. We got pretty into it and then he left on his mission. I didn't like dancing with other guys so I stopped...and when Kyle got back I felt like I had lost my grooves. However,we found out that we pretty much rock still : )
We learned a few moves which has left my right shoulder in pain....
We also learned that Kyle has a hard time spinning when dancing.....

I love him SOO much.

'Tis the Season

I love this time of the year. There is so much to be grateful for, to find hope in. I love that Christmas draws you near to your family. It requires family time, something I increasingly love. Before the Christmas season approached I asked Kyle what traditions he would want for Christmas. He wanted to make sure it was a spiritual experience, especially for our future children. That we wouldn't get caught up in the commercialization. I had a few requests...things that I loved as a child.
1. Ice Skating... My family is a huge hockey family. In fact I figure skated competitively as a child. Usually my family will go dozens of times (minus my mother who would help tie our skates and watch from the sideline). Fortunately while in Yakima over Thanksgiving weekend, it was my little sisters birthday. She decided to go skating with her friends, so of course Kyle and I grabbed the opportunity for a free skating session.

2. Getting a REAL Christmas tree. Kyle grew up with a fake one and I told him that I could not possibly go without that pine smell. So while in Yakima I grabbed all of the ornaments I loved growing up that my mother was willing to give away and then Friday, Kyle and I shopped at goodwill for additional decorations. Ultimately we totally scored. I think goodwill is a fabulous place to get ornaments because they are .99 CENTS!
The tree strapped onto our car.

The tree and me.

Our tree stand from the 60s that we found at Goodwill for $3!

When we bought the tree stand Kyle took it out of the box to ensure all parts were there. Well he left the screws that hold the tree in place at Goodwill. This is him after he had to go back to Goodwill (the next day) and get them.

We got these sweet beads in a bag, unfortunately they were tangled to the max. This is how Kyle undoes them.

Decorating the tree.

This is my favorite. Latter-Day Saints will understand. It's the beehive which is kind of a symbol of the church.

Kyle's favorite ornament we found at Goodwill...it is pretty sweet.

This is what is on top of our tree. I made it in 3rd grade out of wet paper towels...

This is my favorite childhood ornament. I'm not sure why exactly...but probably because its sparkly.

Our finished product!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Last Quarter....

Well my status as an college undergraduate will soon be at an end...at the end of March. As a senior I received the privilege of getting to register for my last classes far earlier than the meager freshmen. However, I usually know what I want to take or at least have something I needed to take... which has guided my schedule. This quarter I didn't even wake up at the opening time of 6 am (which I have never fully understood in the first place). I lazily decided the night before that I would register for the history of the holocaust (I love this subject), Dance 102 (I took dance this summer and loved it so I figured lets keep going), and the Hebrew Bible (This was recommended to me and I figured it would help out with my gospel understanding).

Well after a month of having this schedule I looked at it and realized that it would only allow me to work two days a week. The past two quarters I have been averaging 3 days a week (15 hours). This has been perfect. Enough money to save up in the bank and enough freedom for studying and social events.

But because my new schedule only allowed 2 days, I would have had to sacrifice my friday or saturday. I refused. Instead I decided to try to find some other classes that would open up my schedule more.

Really I should have thought of this before I registered and then I would have been able to take some really neat classes before the nasty little freshman got in. Now I would have to pick up the scraps of the freshman.

I finally found something that worked.

I refused to let go of my history of the holocaust and sadly cried when I dropped dance....This left me taking intro to political theory (I figured it would be useful for life) and social deviance (it was the ONLY class that worked).

Today, I researched who my new teachers would be on ratemyprofessors.com (I love this website)

My social deviance teacher had reviews such as:
-HUGE EGO
-WORST TEACHER EVER!!!
-DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS!!!!

Needless to say, I was freaked out. I scrambled to find a different class. Anything but this teacher. I mean the reviews were AWFUL and then I remembered my roommate took him and she HATED him.

Guess what I am taking now?
Oceanography 102-Changing Oceans
I was desperate and its online which means its probably way easy and less time commitment. TAKE THAT SUCKERS!

Thanksgiving....

The spread

Sweet Potatoes....my favorite.....

Texan Jello (cherry-coke jello, pineapple, bing cherries, and cream cheese)It's a big tradition.

Waiting for the feast to start....I make faces...

Me with my first turkey ever... yummy

Gina: Kyle pretend like you are a model carving a turkey!


Thanksgiving was fun. I realized that its not as hard as it sounded. I found I had a lot of spare time. I probably could have made homemade stuffing instead of stoffers and added a vegetable. We had no greens.....oh well.

Thanks

I am thankful for:

-almost being done with school
-cooking my first turkey with zero messing up
-getting to relax for a little while
-having a job that I love
-having a family that supports me even though they dont always understand
-being married to the most amazing man I know and being able to love him and have him love me back.

Love

Kyle is the greatest thing ever.
This weekend reaffirmed how much I love him.
Just being around him makes me happy.
We had some lazy, pillow talks. Those are the best.
When you are just laying together looking into each other eyes...knowing that is this person gets you so completely, more than anyone on this earth.
They like your weird quirkiness and don't mind too much if you are a little messy.
They will just remind you to pick up the pile of clothes....
My favorite thing to do since Kyle wont let us turn on the heat is to torture him.
It usually ends in an extreme wrestling match. He usually wins...

But I have a few tricks, I am very wiggly.
I have low blood pressure, so my hands and feet get cold. Really cold.
I try to get under his shirt and touch his skin with my cold hands or feet.
He hates it.
It makes me laugh so much.

Last night I couldn't get to sleep. Probably because of a 3 hour nap I took.
I lay in bed for an hour thinking. I was so greatful for the window in our room that showed the shadows of the tree right outside on the blinds. I stared at it and thought.

"I love my life. I love the decisions I have made and will be making. I know so deeply that they are right and will increase my happiness."

I have decided not to go to grad school. Telling my parents was heartbreaking. I didn't want to disappoint them. They have always wanted me to succeed.

I want to be a mother. SO BADLY.
I go to work and hold these beautiful babies and the desire grows stronger.
I play with the toddlers and laugh when they try to eat crayons.
The preschoolers, 5 year olds, and up and up. I secretly love them all.

I want my own. I want a life with children that bring me joy.
A masters degree couldn't never bring that much...

Reading MLIA in class is a bad idea.

I am in my womens studies class currently. The topic is violence against women. It is a deep subject, but overall this class is extremely boring. Today I decided to bring my computer.
After reading some articles I have resorted to the website mylifeisaverage.com

Basically its hilarious. The problem is, every now and then I have been snickering or snorting out laughs....

I hope they don't think I am laughing about violence against women...
I keep pretending I am blowing my nose.

New Hobby

This can be hilarious at times....

I can see my breath

That is how cold it is in my apartment. Kyle promises that we will get a space heater this weekend...

I am a pansy.

To endure the cold, we will read scriptures.

Sisters

Had the sisters over this weekend. This is what we did.
Saturday

• kyle attacked us as the blanket monster for a good 30 minutes
• watched sonny with a chance and hannah montana
• ate some free chocolate at theo's and skipped the tour
• went to the space needle
  
• went to pike place (bought a mermaid, hair clip, crepe, and doughnuts)
• went to target to get margaret underwear (she forgot to bring some)
• went home and watched more hannah montana
• went to dinner at Koasamai (thai restaurant that catered our wedding)
• went to the fremont troll (margaret did NOT like it)
• went to WOW bubble tea and played connect four. Margaret legitimately beat me once.
• went home and watched Shirley Temple movies while Kyle watched FlashForward

Sunday we went to Church and then drove to Cle Elum to meet my dad and pass them over.
Overall it was a very fun weekend.

3 years

Today is the anniversary of my baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
It has been three years since that day. That day when I knew my whole world would change. I remember waiting for my mom to drive me to the baptism. I was scared. I knew that this was a choice bigger than I could comprehend, but I walked forward into the baptismal font. Dressed in white a Priesthood holder immersed me into the water representing Christ. He is there to symbolize Christ and the covenant I was making with him. That if I joined this Church, I was making a big promise. A promise to live a clean, faithful life. He immersed me into the water washing away my past self. When I came out of the water I remember feeling so clean. I felt so happy, like I could never do wrong. I timidly said thank you to the missionary who baptized me and went to change into dry clothes. I remember falling to my knees in the dressing room. Dripping wet I muttered a simple prayer of thanks. I have no recollection of what I said, but I remember feeling so grateful.

Three years have past and I have grown. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. I never thought I could be where I am today. Married to a wonderful man, still striving to fulfill my end of my promise to Heavenly Father. Baptism isn't just about my promise though. A covenant has two ends. If I hold up my end, Heavenly Father has to hold up his. My end of the deal is to try my best. To give my greatest effort. Heavenly Father promises me that if I do that, no matter how meek, small, insignificant as it may seem to the world, he will know its my all. He promised a Savior to make up the difference, someone who would wash away the mistakes (which are inevitable) and cleanse me over and over. As long as I was sincere and continued forward Heavenly Father would grant me exaltation. Exaltation is immortality and eternal life with Him and my Savior.

I remember learning this throughout my 3 years. Pieces would click like a puzzle and gradually I gained a remembrance of things that I had learned before, not in this life but before I came to this earth. I was with my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I knew the plan. However, I was not raised in the Church and thus did not gain access to that knowledge until I was 18 years old. Over these three years my knowledge has grown. I thank Heavenly Father for providing me the capability to learn so quickly and understand the bigger picture. I know it has been Him with me, the entire way. Teaching me principles and preparing me little by little.

I am so grateful to be a member of this Church. I cannot deny the testimony I have received of this Church. It makes sense to me that God would continue to send revelation, because He loves us and He wants us to receive every possibility we can to learn. It makes sense not to drink alcohol or smoke or do drugs or even drink coffee. It makes sense that babies are innocent and if they died before they are eight, they are not accountable because they are innocent. Heavenly Father would not condemn them if they can't make choices on their own. It makes sense that I should be sealed to my family, my husband, for eternity. Family is the building block of this world. It is divinely created and I am so grateful for my family and my husband. It makes sense to have the Book of Mormon. It is so engaging and teaches such true principles that I cannot deny its truth. Judge that by its fruit. The Book of Mormon changes lives. Those who read it and abide by its doctrines and follow what it teaches will be better people for it.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and for a Savior who suffered for us. I know that this Church is true and I am proud to call myself Mormon.

Doodlery

I am a doodler. Some might think that I am distracted by it but in reality....I think it helps me listen.

I have always believed that I had slight ADD and in my mind just trying to focus me on one subject or thought makes me go a little bit crazy. But if you can get me to write or participate somehow...its not so bad. Well I basically have three lecture classes....this results in doodling when the professor is going on and on and I have nothing to write down anymore.

I wish I had pictures but I will tell you what I doodle:

hearts
stars
birds
peacocks
my house
the cover of my book
triangles
flowers
rainbows
pumpkins
witches (these last two are seasonal)
random lines

i wierd. i know.

Letting Things Go...

Recently Kyle made a comment to me after I was upset over something. He said, " You have a hard time of letting things go."

This may or may not come as a surprise to you...for me it clarified a lot of feelings I have had all my life. Sometimes you just need someone to point it out for you...

I have an extremely hard time letting parts of my life past. Once they are past, I resent anyone that gets to continue on in my stead. I look at them with extreme jealousy while remember all of the wonderful memories I had and they will continue to have. Need examples?

High School Drama Productions

I came back to a couple of shows after graduating only to feel a sore spot. I wanted to be on the stage. I missed it a lot. UW drama is a lot different and more vulgar than high school so I resisted getting involved....Whenever a song comes on from one of my past high school musicals I sing with gusto and sadness...it kinda sucks...

Camp Dudley

This place has been such a HUGE part of my life. Heck I met my husband here...so of course it has a lot of significance in my life. I have gone every summer since 1999 and this past summer was the first that I didn't go...It was HARD. Not being there I cried at home but it was worse being there for a short amount of time. I was SOOOO jealous of all the new counselors and all the memories and trials they would share

Institute

I am still involved in institute, I still go to classes and feel like I am fairly well known there. But because I am married...it's a little different. I don't feel like I can get AS involved because in reality most of it is mainly for Young Single Adults....I felt a tinge of envy for all of the new people who showed up for the opening social... Kyle and I arrived late because they asked us to help out..well they didn't even need us...so I just got to observe and get mad...HOORAY! NOT.

Italy

I miss EVERYTHING about this place....

Vacation

You know how when you are stuck in a daily routine all you want is something exciting and new to happen. Well Kyle and I had been working and going to school all summer which was necessary but extremely tiring. His family had planned a family vacation around labor day weekend and Kyle had mentioned to his mother a desire to return to St. Louis (where he served his mission) to visit people and show me the sights. Well we worked and worked, went to Kristin and Holland's wedding (which was amazing and beautiful), and then flew away.

Our first stop was Kamas, Utah. Never heard of it? Most people in Utah haven't. Well its a little town of about 1,000 and is where Kyle's grandparents live and where his family had driven down to for our family vacation. Originally, we were supposed to go to Seaside OR but some scheduling mishaps sent us to Kamas instead. We got picked up in Paul's (Kyle's dad) new camero (midnight blue with white racing stripes). It is basically a dream car and was very nice. I wasn't that impressed though...I am just not a car person. A highlight of being in Kamas was beating Kyle at chinese checkers, watching the Time Travelers Wife after getting some much needed ColdStone Icecream, going to Provo to see friends,and having Kyle's grandpa let us ride in his horse buggy. One of the best parts was going to the Salt Lake Temple. It was so beautiful and amazing. So intricate and utterly breathtaking. Some downsides to the trip were the fact that we were stuck in Kamas until we rented a minivan (it was the only thing available) and I had to spend my labor day at a sheepdog festival where I got sunburnt. The only entertaining thing there was dogs jumping as far as they could into water.

After leaving Utah we flew to St. Louis. Our first stop was seeing Lisa (my old roommate and GREAT friend) and Chris her husband. They made us dinner and we caught up for awhile and then we were off.......to where? where were we going to stay? Well we were supposed to stay with a family Kyle knew but that plan fell through and we ended up hotel hopping the trip. We went up the arch, dressed up in old time clothes, ate a lot of food, and had a lot of fun. The highlight of the trip was our mini trip to Nauvoo. Nauvoo is a Church history site in Illinois about 3 hours from St. Louis. This was the last settlement for the Saints before they headed West. In fact a town 20 minutes from Nauvoo is where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred. It was an amazing experience to go to Carthage and Nauvoo. Nauvoo is mainly a historical town now that offers free tours and fun. The best part was getting to go to the Nauvoo temple. Nauvoo was where the Saints had built a temple before they left to Salt Lake. The temple was burned after they left but rebuilt in 2000 back to almost original condition. It was so simple, but so special. It was an amazing experience.

After being on vacation for nearly 2 weeks. Kyle and I were ready to go home though. Vacationing can be fun but it makes you appreciate your home and the day to day freedoms you have.

recently

• Turned 21
• Am legally Virginia Aisling Prescott
• Trying to change my name for everything else...its impossible with a temporary ID though. ODD
• Applying to Graduate school...I hate updating my resume. If anyone likes perfecting them let me know....
• Got the largest binder ever from my cousin of family history names....SO excited....its fun to do family history work when its given to you
• Went to a friends endowment last night...so excited for her wedding on Saturday
• recovered from a random summer cold...still have lots of flem left though
• finished watching seasons 1 and 2 of 30Rock...now what will I do?
• fell in love all over again : ) (this is cheesy and I am sorry)
  

SICK

Today Kyle and I were walking to dinner on Bothell Way and we saw a plastic bag with a dead cat in it. There was no blood or smashed head. In fact the cat was in full form.

Hypthesis: Someone suffocated a cat and then threw them out of the window of their car.

Opinion: there are some disgusting people in this world

Purge

Kyle is making me purge my wardrobe. I hate doing this. I have to do it about twice a year in order to remain decluttered. Often I have to let go to less inspired fashion moments. There was a pair of pants that I found at Value Village that I thought looked cute on me. NOPE. I put them on again and they were much less flattering around the hip area..... What is funny is that Kyle wanted me to keep them. For once, I was arguing to get rid of something. I think he wanted to keep them because we just got them and they were like 14 dollars or something.....but I can just sell them at Buffalo exchange and get most of that back.

Thats the good thing about buying nice clothes, you can always resell them. I like doing that. Most of the time I'm thinking "why in the world would anyone want this" but second hand stores seem to think so. I will trust their judgement and willingness to give me money : )

So I am supposed to apply for graduate school pretty soon.... I feel like I am done with school. I want to be a teacher but I really hate applying for stuff. I wish things were just offered to me....
Plus all the money that graduate schools take and the fact that teachers cant get jobs currently because all of a sudden EVERYONE wants to be a teacher even though they hate kids. It's lovely really. NOT.

Also, I would like everyone to know that it is unacceptable to tell me that your child is an annoying brat. I don't care how bad a child's behavior is, a child itself it not bad. It just makes bad choices. Sometimes working at the YMCA can be really sad when parents treat children so cruelly. Makes me want to punch something.

From Y Camp to YW Camp

My experience with camp has been amazing. Growing up, I attended a YMCA Camp that I continued to go to every summer until this summer. I have been a camper, a CIT (counselor in training), and AC (assistant counselor), head counselor, office manager, and program director. Most people who know me know that I love Camp Dudley. I talk about it every chance that I get. It means a lot to me, I learned a lot there and most of my cherished learning experiences happened there. Plus it is where I met the love of my life so its pretty special in that way too.

Kyle and I had a second reception up at camp for most of our Yakima friends. Prior to the reception, I decided that I wanted to go up to camp two days early just to have a little bit of it in my summer. This was both a good and bad thing. It was good because it really made me realize where I need to be right now, and that is with my husband in Seattle. It was REALLY hard because it was an official close to a MAJOR chapter in my life. As the final BBQ ended, I couldn't help but cry, I wasn't apart of the amazing experiences that happen there anymore. It was a sad thought. I was happy to leave that weekend because being there took an emotional toll out on me.

Fast forward to today, literally.

I just returned from Ensign Ranch which is a piece of land owned by our church in Cle Elum, Washington (about halfway between Seattle and Yakima). Our church provides a camp experience for all the Young Women (girls 12-17). They get to go up and be in the wood and have fun, but not only that, there is a focus on being spiritual. In my new ward, I was called as a mia maid advisor (I help the 14-15 year old girls) and in being this, I got to drive up to this camp and teach an hour long lesson about "the paths of virtue," eat some dinner, and then go home. Being there triggered something within me. It felt like YMCA camp, but it clearly wasn't. The set up was much different and I was talking about the gospel and spiritual things. But it felt so amazing.

Driving home I had an hour and a half to reflect on my feelings. First I thought about my lesson and hoped that the girls got something out of it. Second, I started getting nostalgic for YMCA camp, and then something dawned on me. YMCA was a huge part of my life and taught me so much but I felt that I needed to move on to something bigger. I feel like Young Women Camp is something that I need to be a part of next year. More so than this year, next year I want to be there the whole week with my girls.

Needless to say, I am excited about my life. I feel like I really have purpose and direction in my new calling. I love the Young Women in my ward. They have so much to offer and give to this world, I just hope they can see that and find worth in themselves.

wedding, honeymoon, life

I am not going to make this long. But I just wanted to share the experiences of my wedding day and the days that followed.

It was the most amazing day of my life. Not because the weather was nice, or the the reception looked beautiful, or even that my hair was the right color. It was because of the temple. I was so excited to get sealed for time and all eternity and the calmness and peace that resides in the temple helped to make the sealing so special. To see my family and friends there was wonderful but to look Kyle in the eye as we were sealed for time and all eternity was breathtaking. The spirit was so powerful and strong. I have never felt it like that before. The more I looked at him, the more real it became and the more the Spirit testified to me that I was making the right choice. After the sealing I was able to spend a moment in the sealing room with Kyle. In those moments I remember feeling that Heavenly Father was so happy. He was so proud of me. I reflect on where I came from to reach that point in the temple and it astonishes me. To think of the love our Father in Heaven has for us. He knows us so well. The Spirit whispered to me that as long as I remained faithful and chose righteous choices, that Heavenly Father would never lead me astray. He would strengthen the bond between Kyle and I and our children and although times would be rough, I would have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He showed me how it felt. I was so happy to be sealed. I don't think I have ever been happier before. It was the most amazing feeling and I hope that everyone can feel that someday. Leaving the temple was exciting because I was able to see my family. I was able to share my feelings with my mother and just seeing my family on the temple grounds was so special. I hope that one day we can all be there again.

The reception was wonderful and many close friends and family came. The thai food was great, the cake was beautiful and delicious, and the dancing was hilarious. I had forgotten the hilarity of my family but they really made it a blast. My father and brothers dancing was ridiculous, if you got to see it though I am sure you were rolling on the ground.

Since getting married Kyle and I have traveled to Hawaii which was awesome. It was such a relaxing honeymoon. Even though we were in Hawaii, a lot of the time we just stayed in bed and relaxed. We did go swimming, snorkeling, to the Polynesian Cultural Center, to Pearl Harbor and the Missouri, and to the North Shore (where we were filmed for the travel channel for eating this awesome shrimp!). The North Shore was probably the best part of the trip. We first went to the Dole plantation and had the best ice cream ever and then we went to visit the Lai'e LDS temple which is under construction : ( and then BYU-Hawaii. We had shrimp for lunch, some famous shaved ice, saw sea turtles and then read the scriptures together about the blessings of marriage by the ocean. It was wonderful and so special. I will cherish that moment forever.

Anywho, we are back in Seattle. Almost moved in. We have a couch, desk, table, matress, and most kitchen necessities. We are getting a tv from the Knowles, so we need to get a tv stand. We need a bed frame, nightstands, lamps, a rug, and cleaning stuff. Overall its awesome though. I went to my first family ward yesterday and it was interesting. It is A LOT of old people and some young couples. Very little in-between. I was good to go though. It close to our apartment so we can walk and the sun was out.

I would just like to thank a few people for making the wedding so wonderful. First
Carrie: You ROCK! you were so dedicated and were the perfect maid of honor. I knew I could come to you with something and you would help me.
Jeff Crockett: He was there start to finish with me. So dedicated and wonderful. I am excited to see all the pictures he took.
Uncle Patrick: He was in charge a lot of the time which helped me a lot
Jon and Jacob: You guys made any stress of the day bearable with your wonderful humor and help
Kristin and Brittni: I was so excited for you girls to be part of the day. Thank you for making it special by being there

Read Slowly

One lesson I am slowly learning is the benefit of reading slowly. First off you never miss the minute details. Whether it is a government document, a novel, or scriptures, reading slowly allows for you to truly think about the text before you and what it means. I have had numerous English classes where I rush through the reading, come to class the next day and play catch up because I was not reading slowly enough for me to catch an amazingly insightful detail. I often have to remind myself to read slowly because our natural tendency is to get over and done with all things in life. But as I am learning and growing I am discovering the real importance of find joy DURING the journey, not perpetually waiting for the after. Anywho, try reading slower.

How creepy is this...

I know. I'm a freak. But it is just SO fun!

What I love

I love:

-people who don't tell me that I'm weird, annoying, or to be quiet
-thinking critically about what a novel says beyond the actual text
-singing to Veggie Tales songs
-getting free food at Institute or Work
-being able to cry out of gratitude
-pistachio gelato
-sunshine
-finding out how Nordic folktales relate to the gospel
-drawing links to the gospel in EVERYTHING
-not watching tv....sometimes I miss it, but not really.
-thinking about going through the temple
-Kyle L. Prescott
-having everything fall into place right when I think I can no longer take it

hum de dum

It's so easy to procrastinate when you have so much to do. WHY?

Let freedom ring

I really really really am overwhelmed right now. But really I just keep thinking...isn't this what being a mother will be like? Feeling like you have no time to yourself? Who knows, but I'm trying to keep the perspective that Heavenly Father is molding me to be more efficient and patient with my time. I am kinda waiting for freedom, but an institute class recently reminded me that really there is not final freedom. You are always waiting for something (school to end, to get a job, marriage, kids, retirement) and really life just goes on. It should always be busy.

Okay, confession time. I love the Delilah radio talk show. As sappy as it is, she is just trying to spread love. What's so bad about that? Anyways so she recited this anonymous poem that basically said:

I was dying to graduate public school
I was dying to graduate college
I was dying to get married
I was dying to have kids
I was dying to retire
Now I am dying and I realized...
I forgot to live.

As cheesy as it was, it was kinda profound and went with the Institute class lesson. Right now I am dying to get married, but in the process am I forgetting to live, to love, to laugh.

Anywho even though I want to be free, really I need to find the peace now. The peace the gospel can bring daily, not just Sunday or at institute. Bringing Heavenly Father into every aspect of my life. Gotta work on that.

Cheater

scratch that.

xen is NOT a word. Kyle made it up and got 20 pts out of it. Cheater.

scrabble

good words:

lir
vie
qat
que
nape
gab
lip
ray
nay
xen


scrabble rocks!

Hypocritically

I need to watch my own mouth sometimes.

And by sometimes I mean a lot of times.......

Sorry.

Quite Possibly

Today has been long. I feel like the days are getting longer. I feel like I can't fit EVERYTHING into my schedule. It is kinda freaking me out. Between work, school, institute, volunteering, and the wedding I am going to go insane. Oh. And my dress is too big. I think I am losing weight. Isn't that supposed to be the aspiration for every bride? Not me. I just want my dress to fit : (

I am going to see an alteration lady. I hope she can fix it.

Indeed

The sun is out again today. It makes me so happy.

I always have trouble getting to bed at night. I am obsessed with DIY wedding blogs.

Met with flower lady for wedding. SOOO excited.

I have lots of homework to do this morning because I did NONE this weekend. WHOOPSY......

Dear Nordstrom,

I love you. Ever since I have grown up I have wandered in your space oohing and ahhing at the many beautiful clothes you have to offer. Today you have offered me more than I have ever needed. My fiance came in looking for a suit for our wedding day and you provided. You always do. I know you can be expensive but it is okay when it is for something important, quality and that will be used until it erodes into ashes. The suit is beautiful and makes my fiance look dang good. Thank you Nordstrom's for your wonderful customer service, the knowledge that comes with your workers is invaluable. I would have never know to tell my fiance not to button the last button on the vest. But you did. Wonderful you. I love you Nordstrom. Somewhere in my house is that silly blue stuffed animal I got with my first pair of patent leather sunday shoes, that is why I love you.

Love,
Gina

For those of you who think Nordstrom is too expensive or ridiculous I say to you: don't buy the silly things but dig deep to the core of the store and you will find quality. Something that lacks in many stores today.

(this probably contradicts my previous post about retail work not being rewarding.....)

Jesus the Christ

Turns out it is REALLY good. I wish I knew a little more religious history. Maybe that will be an elective. Either way.....you should read it too.

Gidget goes to work

Let me just say, I love the YMCA. I have found that it is the only place that I have been able to be happy keeping a job at. I try retail stores and consignment and all sorts of things but for some reason its the loving atmosphere of a community that keeps me grounded at a job. You see I know mostly everyone that works in the building. Especially within my program area. But I know that when I enter the building there will be smiling faces and when I get to my room there will be more smiling faces. For me, retail jobs are NOT rewarding. It is rare when someone comes up to you and says "thank you for the work that you do, I really appreciate it." However at the Y this happens often, parents are so greatful that we watch their kids. One time a mom told me God would bless me for what I was doing. The best part about working where I do is that I get to hold babies all day, blow bubbles, color, and chit chat with my coworkers. Anywho, I worked an 8 hour day today and let me just say that it was fun. Even though I had to be there by 8:15am and clean fake food, cars, and legos, it is still the best place to work at. Anywho, I think I will stay at the YMCA for as long as I can. Maybe forever?

Gidget goes to the registry and the deep south

Kyle and I still need to go apartment shopping. I am becoming obsessed with gift registry. It is addictive, its like dream shopping. You can scan ANYTHING. Some of the stuff on our lists is a bit ridiculous because Kyle and I had thought of everything and then we decided to have fun. We registered for tomato seeds. We want to grow a tomato. We registered for gloves, not fun winter ones but cleaning the toilet ones.

On another note.....I met Kyle's sister's boyfriend, Brad. He is from the South. I have met people from the South before but none like him. He was telling n-word jokes and I was NOT laughing. It was shocking to hear that word used so casually. Scary really. That racial hatred still exists scares me, I mean I learned about it this past quarter but Seattle is pretty forward thinking so it wasn't super applicable. But his language was shocking.

Gross. I hate that kind of stuff.

Down with the Sickness

Being sick is gross. My little sister is sick right now. It is disgusting....ly cute. She gets all cuddly and needy for me. Much better than the random phone conversations I have with her that end with, "I don't really feel like talking to you right now..." On a different note I have decided to do a tv/movie fast. So far so good. It was painful for awhile being trapped at home with a sick five year old but we did some puzzles and I read to her. I also went gift registry shopping with mi madre. Yakima Macys sucks. There was NOTHING there. We tried finding linens and placemats to go along with the plates. NOTHING! silly Yakima.

Dreams

I am engaged. That's kind of old news but still, very exciting. I have always dreamed about planning a wedding. I am obsessed with styletv and its show Whose Wedding is it Anyway? I loved watching all the neat tricks. I have come to a realization though. Even those neat tricks cost a lot of money. To me money = time and I don't have any time. So in that aspect I don't have hours to hot glue little bows to random things, nor do I want to do that. So I am trying to keep the budget low and be minimal. I want a beautiful, simple wedding. I keep flip flopping on a lot of stuff, but that much I know. SIMPLICITY is key. To me the simple is beautiful. I want warmth, candles, creams. I want fun. I just want it to be special. Things are slowly coming together and I am VERY happy for that.