We FINALLY sold our housing contract on Saturday. Talk about relief. We are so blessed. Not only did we sell it, but the people that bought it decided to be fair. They are paying half of April's rent as well as half of the deposit which is nice because I was so desperate I almost would have just given it away. The bad news-- we have to be out by Saturday! This Saturday! They gave us one week to move out, but hey, I'm not complaining. This week will be a fun one...
Where will we stay starting this Saturday after we move out and during all of finals week? That's a great question my friends. We have a few options, but still haven't made a final decision. It won't be fun to be homeless, but we are fortunate to have some dear friends who are willing to let us crash on their couch for a week. People have been so nice and willing to help us move. Someone in our ward dropped by with several very nice boxes Saturday and the packing has begun. (Our apartment is a wreck!) Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to plan ahead. Andrew always makes fun of me because I like to pack quite early. Last time we moved, the apartment was in boxes with three weeks to spare. I'm feeling a little frantic about the fact that Saturday is merely 5 short days away. It will all workout!
There was even a storage unit left at the cheap price that we wanted which was surprising because they are filling up fast at this time of year. Through this process I have learned to be more patient. God did provide a way, but not in the timing I would of liked.It all worked out though. He sees everything and knows what is best. We are blessed more than we deserve and I am so grateful. (As of now, there are still 13 apartments that haven't sold in our ward!)
Now, back to packing... the never-ending process...
Monday, March 31, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Bittersweet
April 11th is approaching quickly. I have been in denial about the whole thing probably because we have yet to sell our apartment contract... Regardless, we are moving to Utah on the 11th. We will grace Utah with our presence for one night before flying to L.A. I can't wait to see my little nephew who is now crawling. He may or may not be the background on my phone. I frequently get asked if he is my little boy. I wouldn't mind taking credit for his cuteness.
A week of relaxation couldn't come at a better time. We plan on spending lots of time sleeping in, lounging around the condo, hanging out at the swimming pool, taking long walks on the beach, going to the L.A temple, eating famous Chicken and Waffles, and of, course spending a day or two at the happiest place on earth. My little nephew (Simon) will only be there the first night. We will make the most of our time together.
Anyone who knows me knows that living in Rexburg isn't my dream. (understatement of the century) In fact, if I hadn't met Andrew, I would have transferred to a different school. Having said that, I find myself a little sad at the fact that we are leaving. Here is how I have broken things down:
Things I'm looking forward to:
Am I ready for April 11? Yes and no, but mostly yes. Ready or not Utah, here we come!
A week of relaxation couldn't come at a better time. We plan on spending lots of time sleeping in, lounging around the condo, hanging out at the swimming pool, taking long walks on the beach, going to the L.A temple, eating famous Chicken and Waffles, and of, course spending a day or two at the happiest place on earth. My little nephew (Simon) will only be there the first night. We will make the most of our time together.
Anyone who knows me knows that living in Rexburg isn't my dream. (understatement of the century) In fact, if I hadn't met Andrew, I would have transferred to a different school. Having said that, I find myself a little sad at the fact that we are leaving. Here is how I have broken things down:
Things I'm looking forward to:
- Cafe Rio being 2 minutes away from me. (notice this is listed first)
- Spending time with my family!
- Getting paid more than minimum wage which is nearly impossible in Rexburg.
- Having shopping nearby! (Something besides Cal Ranch)
- Getting to hangout with old friends.
- Attending my home ward/family ward.
- Having free time!
- Friends. Our best friends are moving back to Rexburg after being gone for 2 semesters and we will not be here.
- Our ward. I don't know a bishop that spends more time in my behalf.
- Our apartment. Of the 3 we have lived in, this one is by far the nicest. (Hopefully it will sell or I guess we won't really be leaving it...)
- Leaving during the BEST and only warm season in Rexburg. Why couldn't we plan these internships during the winter??
- Our noisy neighbors. (Apartments have the thinnest walls!)
- The wind. The wind here is ALWAYS bad and no matter how modest my dress is, it becomes very problematic on a daily basis.
- Wearing a dress everyday for work. I have been doing it for a year now and don't know that I can come up with one more cute outfit.
- The grocery store. No matter when you go, it is always crowded because there are only 2 in the entire city.
- School. A break will be nice. I have been going to school year-round for 5 semesters now and am very burnt out.
Am I ready for April 11? Yes and no, but mostly yes. Ready or not Utah, here we come!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Elizabeth Smart
Instead of studying for finals this weekend which would have been the smart thing to do, I purchased Elizabeth Smart's book, "My Story." Andrew had to talk me into purchasing it because it was kind of pricey, and I didn't have the patience to wait for this book on hold at the library. I have been wanting to read it for quite some time. The book was definitely worth every penny. I could hardly put it down until I finished.
I have vivid memories of hearing about Elizabeth Smart being kidnapped growing up. She was taken in 2002 and I was 9 years old at the time. I was terrified that I might be taken too. In fact, one night I woke up because I heard noises. I thought for sure someone was there to take me and I was beyond scared. It took me over an hour to get up the courage to even get out of bed and go to my parents room. What if the kidnapper heard me? My parents were very anti letting us kids come into their room/bed at night (can you blame them?) and I was afraid they would be mad at me. They ended up giving me a pillow and I slept on their floor that night.
Ironically enough, Elizabeth Smart happened to be found at the Wal-Mart right near my house, so this story was very close to home for me. I had no idea how much Elizabeth Smart went through until reading this book. It is so sad to hear what she had to experience, but it was also amazing to see that miracles she still found in her through in the midst of it all. Her positivity through it all is inspiring. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book: "As of this writing, I am twenty-five years old. I have been alive for 307 months. Nine of those months were pretty terrible. But 298 of those months have been very good. I have been happy. I have been very blessed. Who knows how many more months I have to live? But even if I die tomorrow, nine out of 307 seems like pretty good odds." (pg. 302)
Read it, you won't regret it.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Dessert
Dessert is what I'm all about. I think I inherited this lovely trait from my mother who claims she works out just so she can eat. (I do too!) It's hard for me not to make something sweet on a nightly basis. I think a recent experience illustrates what I am trying to say perfectly.
Andrew and I were playing the game "Telestrations" with some friends. As you know and have seen my artwork, (previous blog post) art isn't my thing. When I got the next booklet to draw in, I saw the word, "desert." I immediately thought, "how embarrassing, that person can't spell. Don't they know dessert has 2 ss's because you always want 2 helpings?" I drew a nice dessert. At the end of the game, I realized that there was not a spelling error. I was supposed to draw a desert, not dessert. All of the previous pictures before mine were deserts, but because of me and my love of dessert, the whole game changed. Everyone thought it was pretty funny.
I'm always up for trying a new dessert, in fact, we rarely have the same dessert twice. (Unless it involves peanut butter.) This past weekend, some friends invited us over for dinner. When Andrew asked what we could bring, they said, "Have Jenna make one of her famous desserts." I have had so much practice making dessert, maybe I'm finally becoming good at it.
I tried a new recipe which is never a good idea when you are giving it to someone else, but this recipe was a success! You can find it here: www.thecountrycook.net/2013/05/old-fashioned-oatmeal-cake-with-broiled.html
The best part of the cake is probably the broiled frosting. (or the cake batter. Licking the bowl is always the best part.) It adds a crunchiness that is to die for. I was a bit extreme and took the advice given in the recipe saying if you want to be mean, double the frosting. The mixture of brown sugar, coconut, butter, evaporated milk, and pecans is out of this world. That being said, I couldn't eat as much as I wanted because it is very rich, but worth every bite. Here is a picture:
I left lots of the cake with our friends which is good for my belly and which also means I have an excuse to make dessert again tonight...
Andrew and I were playing the game "Telestrations" with some friends. As you know and have seen my artwork, (previous blog post) art isn't my thing. When I got the next booklet to draw in, I saw the word, "desert." I immediately thought, "how embarrassing, that person can't spell. Don't they know dessert has 2 ss's because you always want 2 helpings?" I drew a nice dessert. At the end of the game, I realized that there was not a spelling error. I was supposed to draw a desert, not dessert. All of the previous pictures before mine were deserts, but because of me and my love of dessert, the whole game changed. Everyone thought it was pretty funny.
I'm always up for trying a new dessert, in fact, we rarely have the same dessert twice. (Unless it involves peanut butter.) This past weekend, some friends invited us over for dinner. When Andrew asked what we could bring, they said, "Have Jenna make one of her famous desserts." I have had so much practice making dessert, maybe I'm finally becoming good at it.
I tried a new recipe which is never a good idea when you are giving it to someone else, but this recipe was a success! You can find it here: www.thecountrycook.net/2013/05/old-fashioned-oatmeal-cake-with-broiled.html
The best part of the cake is probably the broiled frosting. (or the cake batter. Licking the bowl is always the best part.) It adds a crunchiness that is to die for. I was a bit extreme and took the advice given in the recipe saying if you want to be mean, double the frosting. The mixture of brown sugar, coconut, butter, evaporated milk, and pecans is out of this world. That being said, I couldn't eat as much as I wanted because it is very rich, but worth every bite. Here is a picture:
Be jealous!
I left lots of the cake with our friends which is good for my belly and which also means I have an excuse to make dessert again tonight...
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Spread the Word to End the Word
In High School, I was a peer tutor and had the chance to work with handicap teenagers. While involved in this program, I was pushed to join a club that I had never heard of. When I found out more about the club, I immediately joined. (and got a free t-shirt)
The club was called "Spread the Word to End the Word." The "word" refers to the "r" word aka retarded. I have always disliked when others use this word and don't use it myself. I pledged not to use this word and you can too here:
http://www.r-word.org
Fast forward to my college years and I am enrolled in a special education course. I was assigned to teach the class (with 2 other people) one of the chapters from the book. My group happened to get the chapter that talks about the use of the "r" word and how offensive it is. I immediately told my group about my High-School experience and the club I joined. Ironically, a girl in my group owns a t-shirt company and we decided to make the entire class matching t-shirts. (We used my High-School shirt as a template)We only let the class take a shirt if they pledged to not use the "r" word. The whole class took a shirt. Maybe we started a revolution...
In my special education class we have had to experience a lot of challenges that others face. For instance, we were assigned to ride in a wheel-chair for 4 hours. This might sound easy, but trust me, it isn't. There were certain things we had to do while in the wheelchair, so unfortunately I couldn't just take a 4 hour nap and be done.
The hardest thing for me to do in the wheelchair was go to the bathroom. How can I be expected to hold the door open while wheeling myself in and making it over a huge bump on the ground? I struggled to even get in the bathroom for nearly 5 minutes. (Luckily nobody was nearby to see me.) Once I finally made it into the bathroom, I immediately had to make a sharp turn. This didn't go well. I may or may not have left my mark on the wall corner in the bathroom.
After washing my hands,I realized that I was in trouble. How could I possibly keep my dripping-wet hands clean while wheeling to the paper towels? After this wheelchair experience, I woke up the next day EXTRAORDINARILY sore.
Another assignment I completed was wearing various masks over a 4-hour period to experience what it is like to be visually impaired. This was NOT fun. I had a headache for the entire 4 hours and when I was walking back after the 4 hours to return my face-masks, I nearly fell down the stairs because I couldn't see. I might add that my eyes were in so much pain that they were watering.
The assignment I probably struggled with the most was talking with a speech impediment. There were very specific instructions for this assignment and as I approached the Wal-Mart worker, I was nervous. I could not use the letters l or n when talking. I asked the worker if they have the movie, "Wegawy Bwonde." (Legally Blonde) He gave me a very funny look, but did look it up for me. In the meantime, Andrew was watching from nearby and could not contain himself. I then laughed as well because I felt silly, but only when the worker had his back turned to me. I went all the way to Wal-Mart for this experience, so I would never have to see the person I talked to again. It was humiliating.
There are so many things to be grateful for. Speech, working legs, eye-sight, etc. What if these things were taken away?
My challenge to you: think twice before using the "r" word next time you're tempted.
The club was called "Spread the Word to End the Word." The "word" refers to the "r" word aka retarded. I have always disliked when others use this word and don't use it myself. I pledged not to use this word and you can too here:
http://www.r-word.org
Fast forward to my college years and I am enrolled in a special education course. I was assigned to teach the class (with 2 other people) one of the chapters from the book. My group happened to get the chapter that talks about the use of the "r" word and how offensive it is. I immediately told my group about my High-School experience and the club I joined. Ironically, a girl in my group owns a t-shirt company and we decided to make the entire class matching t-shirts. (We used my High-School shirt as a template)We only let the class take a shirt if they pledged to not use the "r" word. The whole class took a shirt. Maybe we started a revolution...
In my special education class we have had to experience a lot of challenges that others face. For instance, we were assigned to ride in a wheel-chair for 4 hours. This might sound easy, but trust me, it isn't. There were certain things we had to do while in the wheelchair, so unfortunately I couldn't just take a 4 hour nap and be done.
The hardest thing for me to do in the wheelchair was go to the bathroom. How can I be expected to hold the door open while wheeling myself in and making it over a huge bump on the ground? I struggled to even get in the bathroom for nearly 5 minutes. (Luckily nobody was nearby to see me.) Once I finally made it into the bathroom, I immediately had to make a sharp turn. This didn't go well. I may or may not have left my mark on the wall corner in the bathroom.
After washing my hands,I realized that I was in trouble. How could I possibly keep my dripping-wet hands clean while wheeling to the paper towels? After this wheelchair experience, I woke up the next day EXTRAORDINARILY sore.
Another assignment I completed was wearing various masks over a 4-hour period to experience what it is like to be visually impaired. This was NOT fun. I had a headache for the entire 4 hours and when I was walking back after the 4 hours to return my face-masks, I nearly fell down the stairs because I couldn't see. I might add that my eyes were in so much pain that they were watering.
The assignment I probably struggled with the most was talking with a speech impediment. There were very specific instructions for this assignment and as I approached the Wal-Mart worker, I was nervous. I could not use the letters l or n when talking. I asked the worker if they have the movie, "Wegawy Bwonde." (Legally Blonde) He gave me a very funny look, but did look it up for me. In the meantime, Andrew was watching from nearby and could not contain himself. I then laughed as well because I felt silly, but only when the worker had his back turned to me. I went all the way to Wal-Mart for this experience, so I would never have to see the person I talked to again. It was humiliating.
There are so many things to be grateful for. Speech, working legs, eye-sight, etc. What if these things were taken away?
My challenge to you: think twice before using the "r" word next time you're tempted.
Monday, March 10, 2014
My Hero
I was introduced to Stephanie Nielson several years ago. My bishop at the time was a news-reporter and did a story about Stephanie Nielson and her family. He told us about the tragedy of the plane crash which resulted in 80% of Stephanie's body being burned. I was astonished by what Stephanie must have gone through.
In the last general conference, Elder Holland referenced Stephanie Nielson and I was once again touched by her story.
I recently heard she wrote a book and could not put off buying it for very long. Her book titled, "Heaven is Here" is possibly the most inspiring book I have ever read. I could hardly put the book down and found myself in tears on and off throughout the entire book. I highly suggest this book and loved it because of Stephanie's positive outlook on life after facing so much. If you want, you can borrow my copy of the book, but be warned that there is a long list of people waiting to read it. It's only $13.99 and worth every penny if you aren't willing to wait.
One part of the book that I really enjoyed was something Elder Holland personally told Stephanie after her accident. He said, "We look for Christ's scars because they are evidence of what He did for us. They'll be the first things He shows us when we see Him again. Your scars tell a story, too. Although they may not make you feel attractive, they are a witness of a miracle, that God blessed you to live, and that you have accomplished very difficult things." (pg. 293)
Stephanie has a blog and the picture above is from there. You can start following her here: http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com
I look forward to reading Stephanie's blog daily and am so inspired by her story and what she has made of her new life. I hope to someday be like her. (Not necessarily the plane crash part though.)
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Confession Time
So a few months ago I got an email about an internship opportunity in Utah. The internship was well paying and full-time. Being my curious self, I read all the details and it sounded interesting to me, so I applied. (I was hopeful that Andrew would get an internship in Utah this summer) I didn't really think that it would go anywhere and was surprised when I heard back from the company shortly after applying. They set up an interview with me via skype. (Weirdest interview ever) I decided to interview, even though I was planning on doing the spring semester at school.
After talking with a friend who interviewed with the same company, I lost hope that I would be hired. My friend was actually interviewed by the head of the company, and I was interviewed by some random guy filling in. I felt like the interview wasn't personal at all and I wasn't asked one thing about myself. The interview was very brief (15 minutes tops) and I mostly just had to respond to hypothetical situations. The guy who interviewed me didn't even know for sure when I would hear back.
Just this past week, I got an email that said they enjoyed interviewing me. I was for sure expecting a rejection email, but was pleasantly surprised that they offered me the internship and gave me a week to respond with my answer. Now comes the hard part.
I am terrible at making decisions and dread making them. This decision has been a really tough one for me. First of all, I don't even need an internship to graduate, Andrew does, so why would I take it? Secondly, Spring semester starts in April and I was planning on enrolling in my last official semester before student teaching. I'm so close and why would I put off school for something I don't even need?
Meanwhile, throughout these past few months, Andrew has been applying to various internships all over the country. It has been a discouraging process and he hasn't hear back from any of the places he applied to. He is the one that needs the internship and in order to graduate next April really needs an internship this Spring/Summer.
The day I was offered the internship in Utah, my Mom told me she spoke with someone in our ward about the fact that Andrew was searching for an internship. Her husband happens to work in the same field and within minutes, Andrew emailed his resume to him. Andrew is interviewing for an internship tomorrow in Utah with this guy from my ward! What a blessing.
This is where the tough part comes. I had to respond back about my internship without knowing if Andrew for sure has the internship. I responded this morning with a yes, relying on faith. (We have fasted and prayed a lot about the situation) Whatever is supposed to happen will.
There are lots of decisions to be made and lots of stress that needs to be resolved, but I am learning to be patient. We need to sell our housing contract, but I don't want to try to until we know for sure that Andrew has the internship. I don't think selling it will be easy either because 30 other couples in our ward are moving in April and trying to sell their contracts as well. I also need to defer from school. Registration for spring semester happened to be this week and I didn't know whether or not to register. I ended up not registering.
I'm looking forward to this weekend and am excited for Andrew. It would be so fun to live in Utah this summer and to be so close to family. My brother is moving to Seattle in June and I want to spend as much time with him as possible. I have never been one that ever planned on moving back in with the parentals after being married, but because it's only for a few months it is the best option. We will be able to save a lot of money this summer. Also, even though I won't be going to school in the Spring, I will still graduate at the same time as Andrew, so we won't be waiting around in Rexburg for me to finish school.
It's hard not knowing what the future holds, but I"m confident that a Heavenly being is watching out for Andrew and I. We are so blessed.
After talking with a friend who interviewed with the same company, I lost hope that I would be hired. My friend was actually interviewed by the head of the company, and I was interviewed by some random guy filling in. I felt like the interview wasn't personal at all and I wasn't asked one thing about myself. The interview was very brief (15 minutes tops) and I mostly just had to respond to hypothetical situations. The guy who interviewed me didn't even know for sure when I would hear back.
Just this past week, I got an email that said they enjoyed interviewing me. I was for sure expecting a rejection email, but was pleasantly surprised that they offered me the internship and gave me a week to respond with my answer. Now comes the hard part.
I am terrible at making decisions and dread making them. This decision has been a really tough one for me. First of all, I don't even need an internship to graduate, Andrew does, so why would I take it? Secondly, Spring semester starts in April and I was planning on enrolling in my last official semester before student teaching. I'm so close and why would I put off school for something I don't even need?
Meanwhile, throughout these past few months, Andrew has been applying to various internships all over the country. It has been a discouraging process and he hasn't hear back from any of the places he applied to. He is the one that needs the internship and in order to graduate next April really needs an internship this Spring/Summer.
The day I was offered the internship in Utah, my Mom told me she spoke with someone in our ward about the fact that Andrew was searching for an internship. Her husband happens to work in the same field and within minutes, Andrew emailed his resume to him. Andrew is interviewing for an internship tomorrow in Utah with this guy from my ward! What a blessing.
This is where the tough part comes. I had to respond back about my internship without knowing if Andrew for sure has the internship. I responded this morning with a yes, relying on faith. (We have fasted and prayed a lot about the situation) Whatever is supposed to happen will.
There are lots of decisions to be made and lots of stress that needs to be resolved, but I am learning to be patient. We need to sell our housing contract, but I don't want to try to until we know for sure that Andrew has the internship. I don't think selling it will be easy either because 30 other couples in our ward are moving in April and trying to sell their contracts as well. I also need to defer from school. Registration for spring semester happened to be this week and I didn't know whether or not to register. I ended up not registering.
I'm looking forward to this weekend and am excited for Andrew. It would be so fun to live in Utah this summer and to be so close to family. My brother is moving to Seattle in June and I want to spend as much time with him as possible. I have never been one that ever planned on moving back in with the parentals after being married, but because it's only for a few months it is the best option. We will be able to save a lot of money this summer. Also, even though I won't be going to school in the Spring, I will still graduate at the same time as Andrew, so we won't be waiting around in Rexburg for me to finish school.
It's hard not knowing what the future holds, but I"m confident that a Heavenly being is watching out for Andrew and I. We are so blessed.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
My Favorite Class
I never thought I would say this, but... my favorite class is my Teachings of the Living Prophets class. I know this sounds horrible, but religion classes at BYU-Idaho are known to be a lot of work. This semester, I have learned more than I have ever learned in a religion class. We are studying each apostle individually and I have enjoyed getting to know them a little bit more on a personal level. As I have studied each of them individually, I have learned that they are human, just like the rest of us. For each class, we read the biography of an apostle, their most recent conference talk, as well as another talk given by them. I want to share one thing I've learned about each of the apostles.
I'll start from the bottom up.
Elder Neil L. Andersen
Elder Andersen owned a thriving business in Florida and was serving in the stake presidency, but soon got called as a mission president in France. He accepted the call without hesitation, even though he didn't know what would happen to his business. Shortly after accepting the calling, he received several offers and ended up selling his business. In Elder Andersen's words, "It was clearly the Lord's hand in a miraculous way."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
This semester I had the privilege of hearing from Elder Christofferson in person at a fireside. It was a more casual setting, and I feel like I got to know his personality. His talk consisted of answers to questions that had been given him. The first question he answered was a question that I had asked Andrew that very week. I was touched that he not only answered that question (I didn't even write it down to be addressed in the meeting), but it was the first question he answered.
One thing that struck me about Elder Christofferson from his biography was the fact that when his mother became pretty ill, Elder Christofferson learned how to make homemade bread even though he was a young boy, so he could continue to make it for their family.
Quentin L. Cook
Something my teacher pointed out about Elder Cook is that everyone pronounces his name incorrectly. It is not pronounced "Quintin." I was impressed by the following story: Elder Cook was uneasy about his son, Joe, driving back to San Francisco after finishing finals at BYU. The roads could potentially be really bad, and he would be alone and tired after a long week of finals. At the end of finals, Joe heard a knock at the door and opened it to find his father standing there. Elder Cook flew in just to accompany his son on the long drive home.
**One of Elder Cook's mission companions was Elder Holland.
David A. Bednar
When Elder Bednar was a Bishop, he often went into Primary. One Sunday, he wore red suspenders and wanted to use them for an object lesson somehow. He asked the children how the scriptures are like his red suspenders. One boy responded by saying, "The scriptures hold up our faith in Jesus the same way your suspenders hold up your pants." Elder Bednar speaks very powerfully about church doctrine.
Jeffrey R. Holland
One time Elder Holland was out hiking with his son Matt. On their way back to the car, they came to an unexpected fork and did not know which path to take. It was later in the day, so time was important because it would not be light much longer. Elder Holland asked his son to say a prayer. After the prayer, Matt said he felt they should go left, so they took that path. 10 minutes later, they came to a dead end. Matt soon asked his father why he got that answer to his prayer. In response, Elder Holland said, "With the sun going down, that was undoubtedly the quickest way for the Lord to give them information-- in this case, which one was the wrong road. Now, though the other road might not be familiar and could be difficult in places, they could proceed confidently, knowing it was the right one."
Robert D. Hales
My favorite story about Elder Hales involved baseball. In High School, he was the starting pitcher for his team. He hit a rough patch in his career and the team lost three games in a row. Elder Hales was so frustrated that he took his uniform and headed to the coach's office ready to quit. He was surprised to hear his coach tell him that he was doing so poorly because his pitching arm was so tired by the time the game started. Apparently, Elder Hales did a good job impressing people with his fast and curveballs when warming up. After heeding his coaches advice and not throwing out his arm before the game, Elder Hales pitched a shutout the very next game.
Richard G. Scott
Elder Scott was very hardworking. One summer he applied to work for the Utah Parks Service, but was denied. He hid the rejection letter, packed his bags, and headed to Utah. When he showed up he was asked, "Didn't you receive our letter?" "Yes," Richard replied, "but I would like to work anyway. Is there a position as desk clerk?" Elder Scott would not give up, even when laughed at. He finally ended up volunteering to wash dishes with the promise that if they didn't like his work, he did not need to be paid. By the end of the summer, Elder Scott was the number 2 cook.
M. Russell Ballard
Elder Ballard received a call as he was just about to leave for general conference. It was President Hinckley who requested that his wife and him join him in the office. Elder Ballard thought he was going to be asked to speak in conference because one of the speakers was ill. On the drive to President Hinckley's office, he was contemplating what he would speak on and discussing it with his wife. Elder Ballard was shocked when he was asked to be an apostle.
Dallin H. Oaks
This semester Elder Oaks came and spoke at devotional. (On my birthday!) Elder Oaks went through a big trial with the passing of his wife, June, due to cancer. In his words, "I did not know why I received a 'no' answer to my prayers for the recovery of my wife of many years, but the Lord gave me a witness that this was His will, and He gave me the strength to accept it." Not too long after the passing of his wife, Elder Oaks met and married Kristen Meredith McMain.
Russell M. Nelson
I am impressed by Elder Nelson and his boldness. Several years ago, he had some colleagues show some interest in the church. He ended up giving them a Book of Mormon. A week later, his friends returned it, thanking him. Elder Nelson responded this way, "What do you mean, 'Thanks a lot'? That is a totally inappropriate response for one who has read the book. You didn't read it. Please take it back and read it, and then return it to me with a much more appropriate reply." 3 weeks later, they came back and said they knew the book was true. Elder Nelson later baptized them.
L. Tom Perry
I have always loved children and loved what I learned about Elder Perry. While on an airplane one day, he noticed that the lady sitting across the aisle from him was struggling. She had 3 children all under the age of 4. When the plane took off, all 3 of the children were crying. Elder Perry politely asked if he could hold the baby. He took good care of the baby and when the mother was finally able to calm the other 2 children, she reached to take her baby back, but Elder Perry held the baby for the remainder of the flight.
Boyd K. Packer
I can learn a lot from Elder Packer. He is so humble. He said, "There are many qualifications that I lack. There is so much in my effort to serve that is wanting. There is only one single thing, one qualification that can explain it. Like Peter and all of those that have since been ordained, I have that witness."
It was hard to choose just one thing about each apostle to share because each of them have done numerous noteworthy things. We can learn a lot from them and I look forward to hearing from them all very soon. (Conference is right around the corner!)
***All of this information came from my Teachings of the Living Prophets book called FDREL 333 Biographies.
I'll start from the bottom up.
Elder Neil L. Andersen
Elder Andersen owned a thriving business in Florida and was serving in the stake presidency, but soon got called as a mission president in France. He accepted the call without hesitation, even though he didn't know what would happen to his business. Shortly after accepting the calling, he received several offers and ended up selling his business. In Elder Andersen's words, "It was clearly the Lord's hand in a miraculous way."
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
This semester I had the privilege of hearing from Elder Christofferson in person at a fireside. It was a more casual setting, and I feel like I got to know his personality. His talk consisted of answers to questions that had been given him. The first question he answered was a question that I had asked Andrew that very week. I was touched that he not only answered that question (I didn't even write it down to be addressed in the meeting), but it was the first question he answered.
One thing that struck me about Elder Christofferson from his biography was the fact that when his mother became pretty ill, Elder Christofferson learned how to make homemade bread even though he was a young boy, so he could continue to make it for their family.
Quentin L. Cook
Something my teacher pointed out about Elder Cook is that everyone pronounces his name incorrectly. It is not pronounced "Quintin." I was impressed by the following story: Elder Cook was uneasy about his son, Joe, driving back to San Francisco after finishing finals at BYU. The roads could potentially be really bad, and he would be alone and tired after a long week of finals. At the end of finals, Joe heard a knock at the door and opened it to find his father standing there. Elder Cook flew in just to accompany his son on the long drive home.
**One of Elder Cook's mission companions was Elder Holland.
David A. Bednar
When Elder Bednar was a Bishop, he often went into Primary. One Sunday, he wore red suspenders and wanted to use them for an object lesson somehow. He asked the children how the scriptures are like his red suspenders. One boy responded by saying, "The scriptures hold up our faith in Jesus the same way your suspenders hold up your pants." Elder Bednar speaks very powerfully about church doctrine.
Jeffrey R. Holland
One time Elder Holland was out hiking with his son Matt. On their way back to the car, they came to an unexpected fork and did not know which path to take. It was later in the day, so time was important because it would not be light much longer. Elder Holland asked his son to say a prayer. After the prayer, Matt said he felt they should go left, so they took that path. 10 minutes later, they came to a dead end. Matt soon asked his father why he got that answer to his prayer. In response, Elder Holland said, "With the sun going down, that was undoubtedly the quickest way for the Lord to give them information-- in this case, which one was the wrong road. Now, though the other road might not be familiar and could be difficult in places, they could proceed confidently, knowing it was the right one."
Robert D. Hales
My favorite story about Elder Hales involved baseball. In High School, he was the starting pitcher for his team. He hit a rough patch in his career and the team lost three games in a row. Elder Hales was so frustrated that he took his uniform and headed to the coach's office ready to quit. He was surprised to hear his coach tell him that he was doing so poorly because his pitching arm was so tired by the time the game started. Apparently, Elder Hales did a good job impressing people with his fast and curveballs when warming up. After heeding his coaches advice and not throwing out his arm before the game, Elder Hales pitched a shutout the very next game.
Richard G. Scott
Elder Scott was very hardworking. One summer he applied to work for the Utah Parks Service, but was denied. He hid the rejection letter, packed his bags, and headed to Utah. When he showed up he was asked, "Didn't you receive our letter?" "Yes," Richard replied, "but I would like to work anyway. Is there a position as desk clerk?" Elder Scott would not give up, even when laughed at. He finally ended up volunteering to wash dishes with the promise that if they didn't like his work, he did not need to be paid. By the end of the summer, Elder Scott was the number 2 cook.
M. Russell Ballard
Elder Ballard received a call as he was just about to leave for general conference. It was President Hinckley who requested that his wife and him join him in the office. Elder Ballard thought he was going to be asked to speak in conference because one of the speakers was ill. On the drive to President Hinckley's office, he was contemplating what he would speak on and discussing it with his wife. Elder Ballard was shocked when he was asked to be an apostle.
Dallin H. Oaks
This semester Elder Oaks came and spoke at devotional. (On my birthday!) Elder Oaks went through a big trial with the passing of his wife, June, due to cancer. In his words, "I did not know why I received a 'no' answer to my prayers for the recovery of my wife of many years, but the Lord gave me a witness that this was His will, and He gave me the strength to accept it." Not too long after the passing of his wife, Elder Oaks met and married Kristen Meredith McMain.
Russell M. Nelson
I am impressed by Elder Nelson and his boldness. Several years ago, he had some colleagues show some interest in the church. He ended up giving them a Book of Mormon. A week later, his friends returned it, thanking him. Elder Nelson responded this way, "What do you mean, 'Thanks a lot'? That is a totally inappropriate response for one who has read the book. You didn't read it. Please take it back and read it, and then return it to me with a much more appropriate reply." 3 weeks later, they came back and said they knew the book was true. Elder Nelson later baptized them.
L. Tom Perry
I have always loved children and loved what I learned about Elder Perry. While on an airplane one day, he noticed that the lady sitting across the aisle from him was struggling. She had 3 children all under the age of 4. When the plane took off, all 3 of the children were crying. Elder Perry politely asked if he could hold the baby. He took good care of the baby and when the mother was finally able to calm the other 2 children, she reached to take her baby back, but Elder Perry held the baby for the remainder of the flight.
Boyd K. Packer
I can learn a lot from Elder Packer. He is so humble. He said, "There are many qualifications that I lack. There is so much in my effort to serve that is wanting. There is only one single thing, one qualification that can explain it. Like Peter and all of those that have since been ordained, I have that witness."
It was hard to choose just one thing about each apostle to share because each of them have done numerous noteworthy things. We can learn a lot from them and I look forward to hearing from them all very soon. (Conference is right around the corner!)
***All of this information came from my Teachings of the Living Prophets book called FDREL 333 Biographies.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
There's a First for Everything
My mother-n-law gave me a Wal-Mart gift-card for my birthday. I thought it would be very practical to use this gift-card to buy hair clippers, so I can cut Andrew's hair and save lots of money. Andrew has very thick hair that grows extraordinarily fast. I like to call him Harry Potter. Last night, I decided to put the clippers to use.
Let me give you a little background here... I am not a professionally trained hair-cutter and have NEVER cut anyone's hair before. To make myself feel a little more confident about the situation, I watched a 10 minute youtube clip on how to cut men's hair.
I made Andrew take a "before" picture. He was thrilled.
Notice the professional looking apron.
Things seemed to be going ok in the beginning. The problem was that his head wouldn't fit over our sink, so I ended up having to use a kitchen cup to dump water on his hair. (It didn't work so well) Half of his hair ended up being wet and half was completely dry. I just decided to go with it.
Andrew taught me a few things in the process. I had no idea how to make the bottom of his hair even. Luckily he knew and told me what to do. Once I thought I was finished, I let him turn around and look at his hair. It didn't look bad at all. In fact, I was surprised by the positive results. After seeing it, he pointed out that one part was longer than the rest.
This is where things got sticky... I should have just left his hair alone because it was hardly noticeable. Instead, I tried to fix it and made things much worse. His hair looked horrible. When he looked at his hair, he didn't even say anything.That's how bad it looked. I went a little too short in some areas, and he eventually told me it looked like he had several bald spots.
I was heartbroken and felt terrible. (Notice that no after picture was taken) Also, it was 9pm on a Saturday night, and not a single hair-cutting place in Rexburg was open, so he couldn't go get it fixed. The hair-cut may or may not have ended in tears. (On my end.) Note to self: never, cut Andrew's hair on a Saturday night again. (That is, if this will ever be happening again.)
I woke up this morning and panic struck me. Andrew is teaching Sunday school and his hair looks pretty bad. I was hoping that the whole "hair-cut" thing had just been a dream, but I quickly realized it wasn't after looking at his hair.
I finally convinced him to let me attempt to fix it again. I promised I wouldn't use the clippers this time and would just make a few cuts with scissors. This helped substantially. His hair looks leagues better. (Still not perfect) I even got a picture out of him.
(Don't look too closely)
I made Andrew promise that if anyone asked about his hair and who gave him such a terrible cut at church that he could not say it was me. I would be so embarrassed. Good thing that Andrew likely has an interview for an internship this week... If that does occur, it will definitely need to be re-cut by a professional.
This experience was an adventure that I never want to re-live. I'm lucky to have such an easy-going, patient husband.
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