One year anniversary cruisin the Caribbean!

Well nothing will ever compare to Spring break 2013 [Marriage!] but I must say our Spring break this year was heavenly!  We went on a cruise to the Western Caribbean.

First we flew to Miami but didn't really see much while we were there other than the ride to our hotel and then to the cruise port.  We did see American Airlines Arena it's really pretty looking over the water and of course Josh loved it just because it was American Airlines!

Saturday morning we boarded the Carnival Liberty bright and early.  Much to our great surprise they gave us a balcony room! Basically a little piece of heaven it was such a fun surprise.  We got to sit on our balcony and watch the ship pull out of Miami to the open sea!

Our ship (:

View of Miami

So in love with having a balcony room!

The first day on the ship we played every game/sport possible: volleyball, mini golf [I won!], shuffle board, basketball, you name it we played it it was a blast.  We read a ton.  Normally Josh won't read with me but believe it or not I couldn't get him to put his book down this cruise it was amazing.

It was so mind blowing I had to capture it on film.

The first day at sea was our first formal dinner.  Once we got on the ship I realized I only had one pair of contacts and was totally paranoid I'd some how lose them the first day on the ship and wouldn't be able to see snorkeling so I took them off and only wore my glasses!

I love the towel animals they make so we documented them
every night!

Dinner- our favorite!

After a full day at sea our first stop was Cozumel, Mexico.  Our plan for Mexico was to snorkel so after we landed on the island we headed to a beach Josh had researched and how did we get there you ask?  Oh Josh just drove us around Mexico again but this time on a moped!

We were very fortunate every port we pulled into our balcony faced
the side with the sunrise.  Absolutely gorgeous every morning (: Here's
our first look at Cozumel. 

Here is Corona Beach we went to to snorkel 

Snorkel buddies!

 After a fun morning/afternoon of driving all over Cozumel Island on our Moped exploring as well as snorkeling we spent the last hour before having to be back on the ship shopping at all the fun Mexican flee markets!  A perfect day!

At least we had helmets I suppose!

Day two we stopped in Belize.  It's a beautiful place.  You have to tender to get off the ship and due to the big waves we almost didn't make it in time to get to our excursion.  Thank heavens we did because it was amazing!  We went cave tubing.  We went with a local company and we are sure glad we did it was much better than the tour provided by carnival.  First they took us on an hour and half bus ride through Belize explaining everything along the way. 

Once we got over to the cliffs we took a 20 minute hike up to the water and caves.  It was absolutely beautiful.  You get to play in the water then they tie all the tubes together and you float through the caves.  The caves are full of waterfalls, beautiful rock formations, stalagmites, and stalactites.  It was dark in the cave that's why we all have headlights and we couldn't get any good pictures but trust me it was incredible.  Once out of the caves instead of having to hike down like the people who toured with carnival we took a 25 minutes float down the river basically surrounded by jungle with rocks to jump off of and beautiful plants and animals.  

Josh is jumping in this picture!

Cave tubing was incredible.  I would highly recommend it to anyone and the company butts up is who you should go with!  Along the way when the water gets shallow they have to yell bottoms up so you don's get scraped by rocks!

Sting Ray.  So cool!

The third stop just so happened to be the most amazing and it was on our anniversary March 12 (: Best day ever.  We pulled up into Mahogany Bay Roatan and got to each breakfast on the balcony while the ship docked and the sun was rising.  Absolute perfect morning. 

Once we were able to get off the ship we joined another local tour to go see monkeys, a bird sanctuary, an iguana farm and snorkeling!  First we went to the monkeys.  There was a sloth there that instead of staying in the trees with the others preferred a chair in the sun.  We got to pick him up and hold him.

Next we got to hold and snuggle a baby spider monkey named Cuna.  Oh my goodness she was the cutest little baby monkey ever!  I was in heaven.

I'm in love!  Such a wonderful experience.  Spider monkeys are really cute and sweet when they are young but when they grow older they bond with only one person and can be very aggressive and mean.  After the spider monkeys we got to go in a cage with a bunch of other little monkeys and feed them.  Turns out they really love sunflower seeds.  They would bounce all over you and cuddle up on your shoulder.  They loved to grab the sunflower seeds out of your hand and crack them in their mouths.  They had a hay day stealing Josh's hat from him.  It was a blast!

This monkey business [HAHA] was most definitely my favorite part of the trip (:  After the monkeys they also put parrots on our heads!

the view from the monkeys!

 After the monkeys we went to the bird observatory and saw tons and tons of beautiful birds.  One who kept shouting hola to get attention!

 After the birds we went on to the iguana farm.. it was so creepy they were huge and everywhere but fun to feed elephant ears to!  We also got to hold a night monkey who loved to lick the sweat off you.  so cute!

After the iguana farm they took us to an amazing beach resort to snorkel and get some sun.  It was an incredible resort and lots of fun to snorkel and explore.

most comfortable cabana!

the view!

tonight's towel animal (:

Our last stop [so sad!] of the trip was to Grand Cayman.  All these islands were so pretty they looked like they were right out of a movie.  Here we went snorkeling.  It was quite the experience.  To get into the water you had to swim pass these huge fish that looked kind of like carp.  They were at least 3 feet long and quite wide around.  They were use to people so they didn't move out of your way when you swam through.  It was terrifying!!! But once we got through them we saw some of the best coral reefs of the whole trip.  amazing multi color schools of fish (:

right behind us is where you jump in with the huge fish!

After snorkeling we took a taxi to 7 mile beach to play in the sand and water.  It was a blast!  Beautiful beach definitely recommend it!

Today's towel animal.  Very impressive!

Our last day at sea was full of delicious dinner, movies on the deck complete with popcorn [which I made Josh come and get with me almost every night ha] and games with friends.  We met some other people from Utah and ended up having fun card game nights with them.  Small world!

Our last day at sea a man's appendix burst and the US coast guard had
to come get him by helicopter to a hospital.  It was super windy and
 the helicopter couldn't land on the ship so they had to propel a guy down and
a basket to get him.  It was crazy!

Last towel animal!

So grateful for our safety and adventure we were blessed with this back week and a half it was so fun to celebrate our one year anniversary it has been the best year yet I am so grateful for my sweet husband and how close we have grown this last year.

Family weekend & Remembering Lot's Wife.

For any of you who know me you know I am a bookworm so in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday and my love of reading I have to share a quote!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” 

Sorry for the late post! Josh & I had a lazy sleepy Sunday before going to family dinner so here is my late sunday thoughts!  This past week I have been reading and rereading one of my favorite talks: "Remembering Lot's wife."  If you haven't read it it is wonderful and here is a link to check it out: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1819

There are many things to be learned from this story but I will focus on a few I really liked.  Elder Holland in this talk brings up the fact that the Lord commanded Lot and his family as they fled from Sodom and Gomorrah to not look back but we learn in Genesis 19:26 "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."

When Lot's wife looked back she wasn't just looking back.  She was looking back longingly, in her heart she wanted to go back.  She did not have the faith that the Lord had better things in store for her than what Sodom had to offer her.  She didn't have faith in the future.  "As elder Maxwell once said: 'such people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon.'" 

I've been quite anxious and nervous about all of Josh and I's coming changes in May.  I'm grateful for this talk because it really spoke to me reminding me not to worry and live in the past but instead to have faith in the future.  Elder Holland puts it best saying: "I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead, we remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had. Apparently she thought—fatally, as it turned out—that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as those moments she was leaving behind."

I think at times [especially during big changes] it is so easy to look back at the past, see it for better than it was and to long for it instead of making the best of your current situation.  I know this is a weakness of mine!  I'm grateful for this talk because I know there will be times [especially this summer!] where I may easily fall into longing for home and for the past.  But I know to remember Lot's wife and to remember that faith is always pointed to the future.  

So ironic story, I shared this message from Elder Holland's talk in fast and testimony meeting and then in our gospel doctrine sunday school class [for the past 5 months we've been going to a marriage and families class but it ended last week] we just happened to be talking about Sodom and Gomorrah and this is where my second favorite lesson of this story was learned.  

From reading in Genesis chapter 13 when Abram returned from egypt there was strife between his herdman and Lot's.  Abram seemed to be a peacemaker: "And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife between me and thee and between my herdman and thy herdman; for we be brethren." [Genesis 13:8]  when they separated Abram let Lot choose which land he wanted even if it meant giving up the better land.  

For me this is a great lesson to be learned.  Abram was very selfless and willing to give up the greater land to make Lot happy [this is just what I got out of it forgive me if I'm wrong].  It is not worth it to quarrel and have strife.  Sometimes you have to be the bigger person even if it feels like you're always the one who does it!

I could go on and on about all the stories to be learned from Sodom and Gomorrah.  But I just wanted to share two lessons that spoke to me and gave me strength to have faith in the future (:

I am so grateful for my family and friends.  Josh and I had a wonderful weekend!  We spent a lot of time with family and friends.

Josh spoiled me and took me to happy hour sushi (: 

Fun times at sunday family dinner.  You'll never meet
a happier little boy than this guy!

And I just have to brag... We have the cutest nephews in the world!  They just melt your heart!!

 

Luke (:

& Roren (:

And always remember...

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” 

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

This week I have been studying a lot about the Holy Ghost, my constant companion.  A gift that I am eternally grateful for from my Heavenly Father.  For those who may not know, the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead.  We learn in D&C 130:22 "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.  Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us."  The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit who dwells within someone after they have gone through confirmation to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I'm always amazed by the qualities of the Holy Ghost as given in the scriptures.  The Holy Ghost is:
Our comforter (John 14:26)
Teaches us things (John 14:26)
Brings things into our remembrance (John 14:26)

The Holy Ghost brings us blessings and helps us make decisions throughout our daily lives.  But we must keep in mind there is a difference between the gift of the Holy Ghost and the power of the Holy Ghost.  Every person is the world is capable of spiritual guidance before being baptized and confirmed.  I strongly believe there are many who have been divinely guided such as the founding father of our country.  Without a doubt in my mind.  But this spiritual guidance is something called the light of christ, something we are all capable of.  As stated in Moroni 7:16 "For behold. the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God."  In my program in school we study a lot about the early years of a child's life.  One major debate that comes up often is whether we are"born good" or not.  They try and do all these studies to see if babies are innately good when first born resulting in nurture being the determining factor of if they are good or evil people.  I'm frateful for the knowledge of knowing this argument is silly, every person is born good.  Every person is born with the Light of Christ and knowing good from evil.

The power of the Holy Ghost is different than the constant companionship of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  The power of the Holy Ghost comes to sincere investigators as a witness to the truthfulness of the gospel.  From the bible dictionary we learn: "The power [of the Holy Ghost] can come upon one before baptism, and is the convincing witness that the gospel is true.  It gives one a testimony of Jesus Christ and of his work and the work of His servants upon the earth."  Whereas once we are confirmed after baptism we receive a constant companionship dependent upon our righteousness.  What a wonderful gift!  I love this quote from President Hinckley:

"There is no greater blessing that can come into our lives than the gift of the Holy Ghost - the companionship of the Holy Spirit to guide us, protect us, and bless us, to go, as it were, as a pillar before us and a flame to lead is in paths of righteousness and truth.  That guiding power of the third member of the Godhead can be ours if we live worthy of it."

Delayed post!

Sorry friends for the late post. Josh and I spent the weekend with my family in St. George. It was a blast! Talk about sunny days! I'm just so ready for spring. We headed out of town Thursday night and then had all day valentines day to enjoy! I woke up to my bed covered in animal valentines (always a kid at heart) with cute messages from my sweetheart with chocolate of course! Josh's till takes care of his valentine whether we're at home or not! 

We spent our days relaxing (lots of reading), shopping, eating and just enjoying our time together and the outdoors! We saw the new movie Monuments men. Really cool story about WWII.  

Habatchi Japanese dinner! So fun! 

Met up with my sweet niece for breakfast. Here's my two valentines (: 

Just a wonderful weekend with my sweetheart. Now things are back to normal with school.  Next Sunday I'll be back to my regular uplifting post (: stay tuned. 

Power of Prayer

This week when thinking about what to study I decided to pick an area I would like to work on.  I realized this when I heard a quote at church today:

"The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries - we place our order and hang up.  We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another." - Gordon B. Hinckley

I don't think this definition matches me, but it certainly gave me a desire to study more about this wonderful gift of prayer to improve communication with my Heavenly Father.  I do have a testimony in the power or prayer.  I have learned so much in these last years of my life where I have also found myself.  There has always been one quote I have loved:

"God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has.  But he can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream.  In short, He can't if you don't believe." -Jeffery R. Holland

Two things have struck me about this quote.  The first is "God anxiously waiting for the chance to answer our prayers," I used to have a hard time with this.  There are people in this world who are praying for relief from disease, oppression, famine, and many other terrible things.  Why would God want to take his precious time to hear from me? I realized this one day while in the car with my wonderful mother.  If you know my mom you know what a wonderful kind heart she has.  She has always had the ability to make me feel like the most wonderful person in the world.  Part of this is because how much she asks me about my life, wants to hear all the details, and truly listens.  When we were in the car that day I was telling her some story where I can't even remember what it was about and when I finished she told me I just had to call her after and let her know what ended up happening!  I remember specifically that it was really not a big deal at all, I wish I could remember exactly what it was, but in the grand scheme of things it was nothing big I know that.  And that's when it hit me.  I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God because that means that He is my Father.  I have learned of His love partially through the love of my mother.  My mom and I have a special relationship.  Throughout my life she truly has remained my best friend.  Even as a teenager we rarely fought.  I have always felt her love for me so strong and her interest in my life.  If my earthly mother can love me that much and desires to hear about my life how much more must my Father in Heaven!

We learn in the Teachings of Joseph F. Smith "..Our Father in Heaven is far more interested in a soul - one of his children - than it is possible for an earthly father to be in one of his children.  His love for us is greater than can be the love of an earthly parent for his offspring." 

Things that are a big deal to me are to my mom  and she wants to hear about them.  As with my Heavenly Father they may not be a big deal in the grand scheme of things [and of course He knows that better than anyone] but they are a big deal to Him because they are a big deal to me.  I can truly testify of that and how special it makes me feel knowing it.  So if you ever worry that what you're telling your Heavenly Father is silly [or perhaps I am the only one who struggled with this] know it is most definitely important to him!

And because our Heavenly Father loves us so very much he desires we pray to him often.  A gift He gives to us that I think we often overlook is the 24/7 opportunity of Him being there for us.  Lloyd D. Newell puts it beautifully: "Yes, we live in a world that offers the technology to quickly communicate information as never before, but the most important line of communication is still between ourselves and God.  And, because of His love for us, He promises that line will never be busy."  

This is a gift I am eternally grateful for.  I know there are times all throughout the day even the middle of the night where I have needed to be comforted and know that I am not alone and am so glad that I could pray to my Father in Heaven no matter the time or place.

The second part I love about the quote from Elder Holland is the word dream.  Our Heavenly Father wants to fulfill our dreams.  I firmly believe that there is a plan for all of us but within that, Heavenly Father wants us to have goals, aspirations and dreams.  Of course He wants these dreams to be worthy ones and I believe if they are, and if they are good for you, He will help you make them come true.  I know that my Heavenly Father wants to hear about my dreams and aspirations and wants to tell me if they are right for me.

So back to my original point, how can I improve my prayers?  I hear in church all the time how people have improved their relationship with Heavenly Father through prayer.  This is my goal!  How can I do this?

From April 2007 General Conference Elder Scott reminds us: "A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it."      I really like this idea.  And taking the time while praying to hear answers.  I haven't done this well in the past.  I am quick to pray because usually I am so busy during the day that I am tired and ready for bed!  But from everything I have read I have learned the importance of taking time in prayer to listening for feelings in return.

Preach my gospel has several wonderful ideas to consider when you pray and I will share a few:

1. Always express gratitude for your blessings.  A conscious effort to be grateful will help you recognize how merciful the Lord has been in your life.
2. Pray specifically for the guidance and help of the Holy Ghost.  Show that you value this blessing by being sensitive to and aware of spiritual promptings.  Then courageously follow those promptings.
3. Pray with love and charity.  Pray for people by name [I love this, by name] Ask for inspiration to help you understand and meet their needs.  Pray to know how to help others and then be willing to sacrifice on their behalf.
4. Recognize that your Heavenly Father knows what you need better than you do [I think one of my favorite country songs is "unanswered prayers" I am so grateful that Heavenly Father knows best].  Rely on the spirit to know what to pray for.
**I really like this one -> 5. In your prayers at night, give the Lord an account of your day's activities.  Then review with Him your plan for the next day.  Listen for the promptings of the spirit.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, 6. Believe that God will answer your prayers.  Recognize that God's thoughts are not your thoughts and trust God to answer your prayers in His own way and in His own time.

Sometimes this last one can be hard but I think it is important to take a little perspective.  When you think that Heavenly Father is not answering your prayers the way you would like think about that past.  It has always worked out hasn't it?  When something you really wanted came along and you didn't get it I know it is because something better is coming right along the way.  Elder Bednar gives a great quote as well: "Pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed." 

I feel like I could go on and on about prayer and I think I may study it even more this week [this post is already getting long!].  It is such a wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father how can we not use it?  I am so grateful for my husband who is a wonderful example of true humble prayer for me to see each day.  I look forward to applying these new ideas into my morning and evening daily prayers and I hope you will too!

Have to add a picture of one boy's faith and
prayers that changed the world.  

Status update & a little message on faith.

Well what a fun weekend it has been! We've been busy spending time with Josh's MBA program being treated all weekend long!

Friday night we went to the Galivan center for a dinner event. They seriously had THE best hot chocolate complete with chocolate covered marshmallows so I was in heave. I definitely lost track of how many cups I had! After our delicious food and chatting we got to go skate! Josh of course was skating circles around everyone! It was a lot less crowded than Christmas time we actually had room to race around. Lots of fun (: 

After skating and a quick walk through city Creek we headed to the jazz game. This was a special one! The tribute to jerry Sloan! The arena was full of old players it was really neat to be a part of and see Jerry's banner raised. 

The MBA program at the U flew in some of their recruits this weekend and that is why we went to the event and Friday and why on Saturday morning bright and early we headed up to Park City to Canyons ski resort for a full day of fun! Id never been there before and was nervous but it's beautiful and we had a blast on the slopes all day! Josh skied and snowboarded. We made quite the team and enjoyed meeting prospective MBA students from around the country. 

We are both so sore now! Come the end of the days my legs felt like they were going to give out half way down the mountain! It was sunny and warm the first half of the day but after lunch the snow started coming down and it was seriously beautiful. 

What a great weekend! We feel so blessed having josh on the admissions team allowing us to be a part of all of these fun events (:

A little message on Faith:

As we're all aware, the United States is in turmoil regarding several moral issues.  The world is trying to substitute man's wisdom for God's. This is the reality of our world, but we can choose how we react to it.  From this, I have been thinking a lot about faith - what it is, what it feels like and what it requires.

As stated in Alma 32:21 : "And now as I said concerning faith— faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."
So faith is having hope in things which are not seen, which are true.  What else is faith? Faith is a verb.  We hear counsel from the Savior in Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you"  We must ask, seek, and knock.  We must do.  We cannot expect faith to grow if we simply stay idle.  Going on in Alma 32 Alma compares faith to seed that must be cared for.  He uses more verbs such as : awake, arouse, experiment, exercise, desire, work, and plant.  We have the choice to choose faith by our actions.  I love this concept.  From the October 2010 conference Elder Edgley counsels us: "When our sacred doctrine and beliefs are challenged, this is our opportunity to become acquainted with God in a most private and intimate manner. This is our opportunity to choose.    I feel this couldn't be more true today.

We are all responsible for our own faith or our lack thereof.  Which will you choose?  I feel in this day and age it's even more important to have your own seed of faith you are nourishing.  It will never be enough to be living off of someone else's.  Our morals and values are being challenged and we must have enough faith to stand for them.  You must make your own choice to stand for what you know to be true.  What can this mean today?

In the book of Moses chapter 5 Adam gives the example of how I believe we must stand today.  In verse 6 it states: "And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me."   This is what faith means.  It means doing what the Lord commands even if we do not understand all of the reasons why.  We know the Lord has a perfect knowledge of all things (2 Nephi 2:24) and that is what we need to have faith in.  Where did Adam turn for further knowledge? He turned to the messengers sent to him from God.  As Latter Day Saints we believe in modern day revelation from our latter day prophet and apostles.  To have true faith we must attune our faith to what they say, what God would have us hear.  Even if we don't understand why it is the way it is.    

The first presidency sent a letter to our stake asking them to go over with us why we believe in the covenants we do and why they are important.  They then asked as I urge all of you to pray for God's truths to be preserved and to illuminate them.

We must be firm in what we stand for.  There is much I do not know but I too know the important things.  And that is what I will focus on.  Elder Edgley says to : choose faith. Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism.  We must have faith as we live in this changing world and in order to have faith we must act.  I testify that as we act, God will turn faith into knowledge.