Huckle What?

A huckleberry-I had never heard of the thing until I moved up here to Idaho. Before then, I knew about all other berries-strawberry, blue berry, black berry, you name it-but a huckleberry? I thought that was a book...Huckleberry Finn? Well, the word from Dan, they were good. And I was about to find out.

Here in Idaho, things are a bit different. There are mountains in just about every direction that you look. People can hunt, fish, camp, and sleep just about anywhere they would like. To add to this list, I found that you can also go and pick berries. Actually, this is something that is done but many. It is like a tradition. Dan's family has done it for years, and I am now part of the family...so huckleberry pickin' I went!

It was just Dan and I that went on this trip to the mountains. We loaded into our little black VW and took off. Along with us, we brought a big plastic tub to carry the berries. You could say that we were feeling a little hopeful. From our apartment, it was about an hour away. The mountain was not too far, but it took awhile to go down the dirt road. It was honestly in the middle of no-where.You can imagine in a VW, it was quite the ride. I think next time we might need a truck. That poor little car was hitting all of the bumps and it was pretty rough. However, we made it!

When we parked the car, I expected to get out and immediately start picking berries. I soon learned that this was not the case. Dan kinda chuckled to himself and informed me that we needed to hike and find the berries; apparently, we were going to have to work a little for them. We hiked just a little and could not find any, so we hiked some more. Soon, we found a whole bush! Man, were we excited!

They were just little purple berries hiding in some shrubs. If you looked closely, you could tell that there were TONS of berries! Dan quickly squatted down and began eating some of the berries. I followed. I picked one off, plopped it in my mouth, and swallowed. I think that Dan forgot to tell me that they were more tart than sweet. Immediately, I decided that these huckleberries were not too delightful. However, I kept eating them. Maybe it was an acquired taste.

We kept picking (and eating). And while we picked, we laughed and enjoyed our time together. Dan told me that it was good to keep talking because it would scare off any bears in the area. You can imagine that brought me a sense of comfort (please, sense the sarcasm in my writing). But, at one point, Dan hushed me and told me to be real still. Somewhat frightened of a bear (or something), I listened. He told me that he was going to move forward because he heard something move in the woods just in front  of us. As he crept forward, I heard him burst out laughing! "It is a COW!" He hollered at me. I looked to see, and there it was-a big cow staring Dan in the face. We both thought that was pretty amusing.

As we walked past the cow, Dan began to make mooing sounds like a cow. After doing that a few times, we heard the cow begin running at us! We had to hide from that big thing! Eventually, it found us and it was not happy. I think the cow thought that Dan was a cow, too! I think it wanted to mate...So, needless to say, that cow was mooing furiously when it found out that we were just humans. We got a good laugh out of that.

We only stayed a bit longer. At the end of the day, we left with a bucket full of berries, purple stained hands, and happy tummies.

P.S. I started to like the berries after awhile. In fact, I have found that I kinda LOVE them. Yes, they are delicious. Maybe it was an acquired taste after all.

Protect the Family

There once was a time when man and woman came together to be married for unselfish reasons. Here, two would come together to become husband and wife, mother and father. It was then that it was deemed important to have children; families were a central part of society. Unfortunately, time has proved this to be “old-fashioned”. Now, to be married is something done for selfish reasons. Man and woman do not join together as one, but rather seek individual fulfillment at the expense of the other. To make matters worse, children have become nothing but “shadowy characters in the background”. Children and families are not what society wants now. In fact, a new trend exists concerning children: none is enough. I think that there is much to be concerned about. Society’s priorities are out of line.

I fear that this is the mentality of the world that I live in. It is a scary thing to think about. I was married to Dan when I was only 19. Many would argue that I was too young. "You have your whole life ahead of your!" That is what some would say. Others worried about my "freedom" and "independence". They made it seem as if marriage was some sort of imprisonment. Well, I can tell you with confidence that they could not have been more wrong. 

Being married to Dan is the greatest blessing that has yet to happen to me. I feel that our marriage makes me a better person. Without a doubt, he makes me a better person. Throughout our marriage, I have learned crucial values that our world has forgotten. I've learned that everything is not about me. In this companionship with Dan, I have come to find that marriage must be a selfless thing. And I love it. It brings me greta joy to love, care and serve my husband. I have also learned to love unconditionally. Although there are times that we disagree, at the end of the day, I love Dan more than words can express. He has opened my eyes and showed me the important things for life (and believe me...money, status, work, or nice things are not truly important). I understand now that family is the most important unit in the world. Family-that is what truly matters. 

With that, Dan and I gladly look forward to the day that we can have children. We spent way too much time laying down just talking about our future: five kids, a little house, and a ton of land. We think of baby names, and think about what they will look like. We want this. We want a family of our own. And while we understand that this will be no easy task, we accept this role. In fact, we happily accept it! This is how it is suppose to be. Dan will be a father, and I a mother. It is all about family. Family is what truly matters. 

Dan's Birthday

Dan turned 24 today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I guess that you could say that he is growing old on me. But, he is convinced that he is even older than what he is suppose to be. Apparently, the day he was born should have been his first birthday. At least that is what he is claiming. So, we are pretending that he is 25 for the day. It makes me feel younger, and it makes him feel old. We are quite the special couple. 

Thankfully, Dan was able to take the day off to celebrate. He did not have school, and there was no work to be done. You can just imagine his joy! So, being the rich college kids that we are, you can imagine the things we did! (PS I hope that you can sense the sarcasm...) First off, we started the wonderful day by being awakened by the blazing temperature in our bedroom. Our apartment, which came with air conditioning, is not working out too well for us. The air does not turn on and we are HOT! 

So, Dan woke this morning to try to cool off. I rolled over in bed and grumbled "Happy Birthday" to my sweetheart. He grumbled back, "You passed the test." I know, we are just romantic. We then fell back asleep. Unfortunately, I had to wake up Dan a little bit later to take me to work. He did not even get to sleep in. Poor boy. 

Homework followed work, and then other chores. But as the afternoon rolled on, I told Dan that it was time to leave and go out for his BIRTHDAY! We went to Sportsmans (an outdoors store) and shopped around from some sort of knife that Dan wanted for his birthday. Let's just say that everything there was a bit overpriced...but we got a new hat for him! Then we went to the Barnes and Noble. That was fun.

You see, now that we have been married for nearly a year, Dan is showing me his true colors. So, here it is: Dan is kinda a nerd! I love it! At Barnes and Noble, we bought a book for his birthday. It was HALO...like, the video game...but a book. I must admit, I started reading it! It is good! And we got a new game: Bananagrams! 

Dinner completed the end of the night. In case you did not know, Dan is in love with sushi...and he converted me, too! Our favorite place to have sushi is called Blue Hashi. It is kinda this fancy place in Idaho Falls. We had some of the family come to celebrate. It was a good time. 

I know that it may not have been the best birthday ever, but I think it is okay. Right now, in college,  I feel that things do not always go the way I envision. I wish that I could have woken up early to make Dan breakfast in bed. I wish that I could have spent my whole day with him. I wish we did not have homework. And I wish we had more money. I wanted to give Dan a new gun, new boots, and a new camera...but those things are pricy. My whole vision of things is unrealistic, but I am realizing that it is okay. All these things are not of importance; they do not matter. 

I loved today. I loved being with my husband. I am so grateful for our marriage and for the time that we do have together. I need to learn to appreciate the time that we have now. 

So, happy birthday to my wonderful husband! Here is to today, and for many years to come! Although we are young, it looks like we have already began to grow old together. I love you dearly now, and I will love you forever! 

Rexburg Flood

This afternoon a thunderstorm started in Rexburg. Back home, in Texas, this would not call for any special occasion. There we have seen hurricanes and all sort of disaster. With that being said, this was kind of a big deal for the local Rexburg area. The rain was pouring down, and a blanket of gray covered the sky. Excited, Dan and I watched from our living room window. We are the type of people to appreciate a good storm!

Then it started to hail. Within a matter of minutes, we realized that the windows to the car were rolled down. Great. I sacrificed myself, volunteering to run outside and roll up the windows. If I must be honest, I was just excited to go out and play in the rain! However, I immediately regretted this decision when I felt the sting of the hail! Huge pieces of ice were attacking my head, and one even clubbed me in the throat. I may be exaggerating a tad bit, but it was pretty violent.

Times passed by and the rain kept coming. Huge puddles of water gathered on the streets, making it obvious that the this soon would turn into a problem. Looking online, we found that campus was flooding and that students were being evacuated from all facilities. Other pictures showed that homes were flooding. Water was up to doorknobs. Furniture and homes were devastated. Thankfully, our apartment was missing all of the action.

Dan, of course, wanted to drive around Rexburg and see the damage that was done. What we found is something that I did not expect. To start, there were people out in kayaks paddling around the streets. There were many out in their bathing suits. Some were even tubing in the flood water. They would later regret this, after finding out that it was mostly sewage water. Gross! But aside from that, I found that there were many students out helping with the flood damage. Students were coming together to help one another. It was a beautiful thing to see. During this clean-up, hymns were sang and peace fell over Rexburg.

I love this place. I love the environment here. I love the Spirit that is felt here. I love the people. I just love Rexburg.

Fun Times in the Mountains

Today was the first Saturday in FOREVER that Dan had off from work! This seriously is a big deal. Unfortunately, Dan works every Saturday, so we really do not have any time to go off and enjoy some time together. So, do you know what we did today? WE WENT AND HAD FUN! 

Dan's boss, Bruce, is an incredible man. He let us borrow his new truck and a four-wheeler. We went up to a 8 Mile (I think that is what it is called) and explored for hours. I have been around the mountains for awhile now, but it was so different to actually be in the mountains. There are so many things to appreciate up there. Standing in such a big place, I realized how great Heavenly Father's creations are. It is beautiful, and it was a wonderful experience. 

Dan drove the four-wheeler up to the top of the mountain. We then sat and had a nice little picnic (pizza and a sub sandwich...that is what I am talking about!).  After that, I thought it was time to go home. After all, we had made it to the top! Dan just kinda laughed and told me that we had just started. He then told me that it was MY turn to drive. Scary...I cannot believe that he trusted me with that thing.

Let's just say that I am a "natural". I was speeding around parts of the mountains and jumping the four-wheeler off little hills. I had such a great time. There were several times that Dan had to take hold of the handle bars and make sure that I was not going to kill us! I cannot wait to do it again!

On a side note, I peed in the woods today. And while that might be a little too much information, this is crazy. I have not really ever done it before, but it was great! I kinda felt awesome. Just saying! 

Well, I cannot wait until Dan and I go riding again. 

Foster Care

My parents' hearts are HUGE. Within this past year and a half, my parents have gladly accept the role as foster parents. It all began when there was a family in need. With a child needing a home and an empty bedroom in the house, my parents took a baby girl. This was not something that they had planned to do with their life; they just knew they needed to help. This baby's name was Mel, and she sure was precious. Soon, Mel became part of the family and everyone fell in love with her!

A few months later, another surprise came. After receiving a phone call from a state worker, my parents were asked to take another child. This time, it was a 5 year old in need. Her name was Lilly, and she was Mel's older sister. Happy to keep sister together, my parents opened up their hearts and homes to another child. Although this REALLY was not in their life plan, they never complained. Just like Mel, Lilly was swooped up, loved, and welcomed to the family. 

With two children in the home, my parents really seemed to keep busy. On top of raising two foster children, they had three of us kids! And, on top of that, they both had full-time jobs that they had to maintain. Life was challenging for them, or so I believe. But, believe it or not, a few months later my parents received another phone call. This time, a state worker was asking my parents to welcome a teenager into the home. Without hesitation, my parents said yes! We now have Kaela in our family! 

As time has progressed, these three girls have made a special place in my heart. I consider each of them my sisters, and would do anything for them. I love them dearly, and I cannot begin to imagine how much my parents love them. As I said, my parents' hearts are HUGE! Just when I think that they cannot possibly love another kid so much, they go and prove me wrong. They are just so willing to help, love, and care for anyone and everyone. 

Today, my mom told me that they have welcomed another child into their home. I have not met her yet, but I know that her name is Hailey. She is a teenager like Kaela. I have a feeling that they will become good friends. I also have a really good feeling that my parents' hearts are about to grow even bigger! 

A Greater Understanding and Appreciation for the Temple

As the membership within the Church continues to grow throughout the world, so has the need for temples. In 1985, President Hinckley declared:

The sacred and important work that goes on in temples must be accelerated, and for this to happen, it is necessary that temples be taken closer to the people rather than having the people travel so far to temples (in Conference Report, Oct. 1985, 71; or Ensign, Nov. 1985, 54).

These words of President Hinckley were inspired, and he was certainly committed to fulfilling this inspiration (D&C 88:119). When President Hinckley became the Prophet of the Church, 77 temples were built and dedicated to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And even with the passing of our beloved President Hinckley, this work continues to progress; there continues to be a commitment to building new temples. Now, the Church has 143 operating temples, 13 under construction, and 14 announced. Temples now begin to dot the earth, making available sacred ordinances to more saints and their loved ones that have gone before them.

And what a great blessing this is to us all. To reiterate the magnitude of this blessing, President George Q. Cannon said:

Every foundation stone that is laid for a temple, and every temple completed … lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness (Logan Temple cornerstone ceremony, 19 Sept. 1877; quoted in Nolan Porter Olsen, Logan Temple: The First 100 Years [1978], 34).

Undoubtedly, this stands as a witness to the Lord’s plan in bringing the Church forth “out of obscurity and out of darkness” (D&C 1:30). President Hinckley added his testimony to this by stating: “The latter-day work of the Almighty, that of which the ancients spoke, that of which the prophets and apostles prophesied, is come. It is here” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 94–95; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 74).

As temples dot the earth, what does this mean for us as Latter-Day Saints? If the time is now, what is our role in the Lord’s work?

I believe it all begins with being worthy and prepared to enter the House of the Lord. Today, we need to prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to enter the doors of the temple. Within the temple, there are very sacred and beautiful ceremonies performed. In explaining the sacredness of these ceremonies, President Hinckley explains that the ordinances administered in the temple “represent the ultimate in our worship. These ordinances become the most profound expressions of our theology” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 72; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53).

With this being said, members must prepare themselves for such an experience. All too often, curiosity is constituted as ‘preparedness’. With interest and questions in hand, members struggle to understand the doctrine of the temple. Here, answers are sought and confusion may be experienced. While this may be an honest ad true attempt at preparing for the temple, this is not the correct way of going about this. In order to truly prepare for the ordinances of the temple, simple steps must be made. Faith, repentance, baptism, and confirmation are among these steps. In doing these things, we should approach the Lord with a humble heart, willing to put the cares of world aside. I believe these things enable the Spirit to abide with us and our hearts, minds, and souls are better prepared to receive the further light that the temple offers. 

We must also enter the temple worthy and clean, unspotted from the world. At times, this requirement involves members overcoming addictions and turning their hearts over to Christ, our Redeemer. In addition to this, members must strive to maintain the covenants that they have made, and keep their lives in harmony with the commandments of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to have a goal to be worthy, and we should not let anything overcome this target.

Once the time is right and priesthood leaders determines worthiness, a temple recommend will be given. Of this temple recommend, President Hinckley has this to say, “ I urge our people everywhere … to live worthy to hold a temple recommend, to secure one and regard it as a precious asset…” (“Of Missions, Temples, and Stewardship,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53). If we were to regard our temple recommends as a precious asset, I believe our attitude would change. Perhaps then all members would ensure that their temple recommend is current; we would not allow them to expire, and we would always remain worthy of them. Perhaps then, members would come to realize of things of most importance. To value a temple recommend in such a way would mean that members would treasure the temple and hold it most dear above other worldly things. 

With a temple recommend in hand, we must then go to the temple. And we must continue to attend the temple.

I come from an area where I was among a few members of the Church. With that being said, one could imagine that there was not a temple close by. In order to partake of the blessings of the temple, the local members would have to travel two hours to the temple. And while two hours is not much, it was a sacrifice. Nevertheless, it was a sacrifice that members were willing to make. However, this meant that attending the temple was not something done on a regular basis. Personally, this taught me much, for while in the House of the Lord I tried to appreciate every moment. It was a very sacred and special time for me.

Upon coming to college, I remember being delighted to learn Rexburg had a temple. Amazed, I found that the temple could be seen in almost every part of the city, and I soon found that it could even be seen from my living room window. It was as if it were there, standing tall as a constant reminder: look to the temple in all things. Looking at it, I promised myself that I would not take such a blessing for granted.

My first year in college, I was diligent to this promise. Each week I set aside time to serve in the temple. At this time, it did matter the workload or stress, temple attendance was a priority. Unfortunately, since that time, I found that I was breaking the promise that I made. I began to realize that I was taking the blessings of the temple for granted.

Since that first year of college, the temple became a beautiful piece of scenery, rather that a place of worship. I would pass by the temple day after day, appreciating the grandeur of it all, but yet not taking the time to go inside. Since my first year of college, I have gotten married and life has gotten a little more hectic. There seemed to be not enough time to attend the temple.

‘Not enough time’ is the lie that I accepted, but in my heart in knew the truth: in my busy life, I was not finding time for the Lord. The realization of this truth hurt. I could find time to complete my homework, clean my house, all the while maintaining a marriage and friendships, but I could not make time for the thing that mattered most. This was my own personal challenge.

In order to overcome this, I had to turn to the Lord for strength. With devotion, I decided that I would begin to attend the temple regularly. I would like to say that this was an easy thing to do, but it was not. Before going to the temple, I would worry about the homework that was due, along with any other responsibilities that seemed to be demanding my time. I prayed that I would have the time to complete all things that were required of me, and I prayed for faith. I wanted the reassurance that everything was going to work out; I wanted to know that I could make it through my busy schedule. I had to put my trust in the Lord. And as time progressed, I found that He is the very best one to put your trust in. 

It is my belief that each of us has some sort of personal challenge. And attending the temple requires us to work and sacrifice to overcome these personal challenges. For some the challenge may be not having a temple near by. In these instances, extensive time and money must be given in order overcome such challenge. For others, such as us, we encounter other battles. Some among us may be fighting against bad health; for others it may be a busy schedule. There are also those that have families, making it hard to set aside time to attend the temple.

The reality is this: there may be a million reasons to not go to the temple, but there will always be more important reasons to attend the temple. And while sacrifices are difficult, I can promise that these sacrifices are worth it.

While in the House of the Lord, our minds are able to reflect upon eternal matters. It is here that we can escape the world and all of the worries that are encompassed therein. Here, we can reflect upon saving ordinances. Here, we think about our loved ones. We can serve and help bring salvation to those that are dead (D&C138: 48). And it is here that we are blessed.

In regards to these blessings, President Thomas S. Monson beautifully offers us these words:

As we go to the holy house, as we remember the covenants we make therein, we will be able to bear every trial and overcome each temptation. The temple provides purpose for our lives. It brings peace to our souls—not the peace provided by men but the peace promised by the Son of God when He said, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ (“Blessings of the Temple,” Ensign, Oct. 2010)

It is my testimony that temples are truly the House of the Lord (D&C 109:13). While in the temple, I know that we participate in sacred, saving ordinances that enable us to return to the Father’s presence. I am so thankful for the temple that we have here, and I know that it is a great blessing to us all. I pray that we may not take this blessing for granted. It is my witness that temple attendance blesses our lives, as well as others. It is my hopes that we may overcome personal challenges in order to attend the temple. As we do so, our lives will be blessed beyond measure.

It is also my testimony that we can feel closer to the Lord as we attend the temple. Let the temples stand as a constant reminder of Christ and His sacrifice for us. Let us reflect upon the covenants in which we have made. And when we have doubts, concerns, questions, or desires, may we look to the temple and find peace in knowing that Heavenly Father in never far away.

Something Worth Celebrating

Today my parents celebrated their 23rd weddings anniversary! I feel especially blessed to have them in my life to lead and guide me. They are truly wonderful people. Since the time that I could remember, my have been by my side. They have taught me what was right, and steered me away from the things that are wrong. Time after time, they have allowed me to make decisions, supporting me even when I was not making the best choices. They have allowed me to fail, and have picked me up to help me succeed. They have pushed me to be better, and taught me to settle for nothing than my best. They have given countless hugs and words of encouragement. And when I've had bad days, they have shared tears. But we have shared more than that. Together, as a family, we have shared countless laughs, good times, and memories. Without a doubt, they are some of my very best friends.