Bringing the spirit with music!

I love conference weekend, not only for the fact that I do not have to go to church and I get watch conference from the comfort of my own home in my pj's, but because I love to hear our prophet and apostles give us, as members, counsel and guidance. This conference weekend was especially exciting because our ward was given the opportunity to sing at conference! Yep, we were on TV...ok not exactly but we did sing at conference, just outside in the freezing cold! We sang on the streets in front of the conference center trying to keep the spirit on the grounds, distracting those away from the protesters and towards our beautiful voices as we sang hymns. It was a wonderful experience that we were able to share with our good friends Marc and Katherine. From the moment we started to sing, the spirit hit us all so strong! We felt it the entire time we sang, and sometimes I didn't even think about the cold. We sang for about 2 hours. Most people can just request conference tickets, but we worked for ours, but the hard work paid off.

Gordon and I singing

Marc singing (posing really) & Gordon trying not to look at me taking the picture! Thanks honey!

Although we didn't have the best seats in the house, we were still able to be in the same room as our prophet, President Thomas Monson, and his apostles. We felt the spirit all day long, and were drained by the time we arrived home. Gordon had a particularly long spiritual day because he went from one meeting to the next (priesthood session). I love being able to discuss with him what was said in priesthood session. I am so blessed to have a husband that honors his priesthood.

I'm outstanding...well at least that's what my award says!

My nephew, Skyler, & Me

On April 1 I attended the 2008 WSU Swenson Awards Banquet. I was awarded with an Outstanding Nutrition Minor award. I was so excited when I received a letter in the mail a week prior to the awards ceremony saying that the faculty of the nutrition department had chosen me to receive that award! I just kept thinking about my professors that I admire and look up to chose me out of all the other nutrition minors to have this award. It means a lot to be recognized by your university but to me it means more to have that recognition come from my professors. They have seen me in action, and know how much effort I have put into my nutrition courses, and I am just so blessed to have received that award! It also gives me that extra push to go on to grad school to do what I love...nutrition.
The awards banquet was a bit long, but I really enjoyed myself. I felt bad for my family that came that had to sit through all 3 hours of the banquet, but I was just happy to have them there for support. Especially Gordon. He encourages me to go that extra mile, even when I don't think I can do it. He is my rock. He should have received an award for putting up with me my entire school career! I am very dramatic and like to blow things way out of portion, and he is always right there to calm me down and give me words of affirmation to do my best. I love him so much!

From the beginning...

I've decided it would be a good idea to tell about our marriage and the experiences we have had in our first year of marriage. Of course it's only appropriate to start at day one: our wedding day. I always wanted to get married in May. There is no significant reason why. For me, it is the beginning of summer and fun, so it seemed like a perfect match for my wedding day. We chose to get married in the Salt Lake Temple. I specifically wanted to get married in that temple because that's the temple I have always wanted to get married in, from the time I was a little girl that is the placed I dreamed about getting married. It's because it looks like a castle, and I was always a little princess and that was my castle. My prince would take me there, and he did.

Our day was beautiful! It did rain when we came out of the temple to greet our family and friends, but I know that was my grandpa in heaven crying because he was so proud of me making the choice to get married in the temple. I know that sounds cheesy, but my grandpa and I were very close and I know he is with me all the time especially those special occasions that I experience in my life. The rain made for some great pictures. And it really cleared everyone off the temple grounds so it ended up to be our photographer, Gordon, and me at the temple.
That also made for some great pictures; no one is in the background! (Awesome side note: Elder David Bednar was at our wedding too! He happened to be there for another wedding, but we say he was there for ours)

Our temple experience was amazing! We were able to sit in the celestial room for about a 1/2 hour before we were sealed together. We got a glimpse of what eternity will be like while we sat together in that room and it felt so right! Before we began our sealing, our sealer sat and talked with us. That really helped him get to know us as a couple and prepare for our sealing. He prompted us to do many things to keep our marriage strong, and we have a list of those and make sure we do them. I am so grateful that Gordon and I made the decision to get married in the temple. We have been so blessed ever since.


Our reception went well too. So many people came to give their support to us. We were surprised! We didn't know we knew so many people, and technically we didn't but our parents did. My mom did such an amazing job decorating the garden area and tables. I couldn't have asked for more. Everything was perfect.

When Gordon and I arrived from the temple to our reception I started to cry because it turned out much better than I ever pictured it! And my cake was awesome! That was my favorite part of the wedding. And our treats too (rootbeer floats and raspberry sherbet floats). That evening was the longest evening of our lives, and Gordon will agree with me completely. As soon as 8 o'clock hit, he was like "Let's go!" So we did the whole cake cutting thing, and threw the bouquet and guarder and we were out of there. And off to Mexico we went...

This time it will stick.

So days later I can actually make a post on this dang blog! This whole blogging thing is not as easy as y'all make it look. So much work goes into just putting a dang picture on the thing! But now that it looks somewhat presentable I can post a little something so I can officially tell everyone I have blogged! As you can see from my past posts that I have had this blog for over a year, but I have had no desire to do one thing with it since I started it. It was strictly for an assignment in a class. And then I saw my sister-in-law Jodi putting together a book of her blogs from last year and thought to myself "I want a book!" So in order to get a book I have to blog. So Gordon and I are doing it...a blog that is. And this time it will stick.

I guess I could start off by telling a little bit about Gordon and I...where to begin...well we've known each other over 3 years, and will be married for one year this May (May 17th to be exact). We were married in the Salt Lake Temple and have truly loved being married. We are both attending Weber State University. Gordon is in the technical sales program and will graduate this Fall with his bachelor's degree. I am in the health promotion/human performance program and I graduate with my bachelor's degree this May! I am so excited to finish. I am graduating with honors and hope I can continue that honor streak into grad school (which I am still debating, dietetics at Colorado State). Everyone says I will never start my career, I will just be a professional student for the rest of my life. I really don't think I would mind that. I love school, and I love learning, especially when it comes to nutrition and the human body! It is definitely my passion.

We are both excited to start blogging (me more than Gordon I'm sure). So now you will all know what is going on in our lives, possibly before we even tell you personally (which seems to be the case most of the time I've noticed).