Hey friends! This is the second to last batch of pictures. The last bunch might be some repeats but they are the edited versions so they look better even if at first glance they may seem the same.
And can I just say, I am ridiculously excited for Halloween! I love dressing up and for years I have had glorious ideas of couples costumes floating around in my head with no one to execute them with--but no more. I now have a husband who is practically required to couples costume with me on Halloween! Yay! I think I have the next 10 years or so already planned out! Here are some of my hopes and dreams of couples costumes yet to be:
It got cold today. It has been so hot recently, and then all the sudden this afternoon (it wasn't all that cold when I biked to school this morning) it got really really cold. It was cold enough that my sports class kids were complaining about it. Despite the cold, we managed to have a good time anyways. The kids played capture the flag and for the most part they all loved it. I certainly hope there is a chance I get to spend a couple more years teaching . . . with my own classroom and everything. It would be a nice change of pace to actually have a classroom that is mine and not have teachers chewing me out for "misusing" their classrooms. Anyways, I digress...wedding pictures:
I love that the 5-year old caught the garter.
Wewe with the bouquet.
We got over $100 in the money dance...I have wonderful family and friends!
For a 16 minute overview of what my Church believes just check out this really well put together video.
These men are all inspired, and anyone (Mormon or not) can learn something useful and uplifting from listening to their messages. The truths taught during our General Conferences are applicable to everyone . . . not just the members of my church.
Or to read and watch some of my favorites either click on the names or read the highlights here:
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: "The Lord uses a scale very different from the world’s to weigh the worth of a soul."
This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.
The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.
God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good.
The purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences.
Tests and trials are given to all of us.
These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.”13
Waiting upon the Lord gives us a priceless opportunity to discover that there are many who wait upon us. Our children wait upon us to show patience, love, and understanding toward them. Our parents wait upon us to show gratitude and compassion. Our brothers and sisters wait upon us to be tolerant, merciful, and forgiving. Our spouses wait upon us to love them as the Savior has loved each one of us.
As we endure physical suffering, we are increasingly aware of how many wait upon each of us. To all the Marys and Marthas, to all of the good Samaritans who minister to the sick, succor the weak, and care for the mentally and physically infirm, I feel the gratitude of a loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. In your daily Christlike ministry, you are waiting upon the Lord and doing your Heavenly Father’s will. His assurance to you is clear: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”35 He knows your sacrifices and your sorrows. He hears your prayers. His peace and rest will be yours as you continue to wait upon Him in faith.
On this Sabbath morning, I express gratitude that “in my Gethsemane”43 and yours, we are not alone. He that watches over us “shall neither slumber nor sleep.”44 His angels here and beyond the veil are “round about [us], to bear [us] up.”45 I bear my special witness that our Savior’s promise is true, for He says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles
Although the world has changed, the laws of God remain constant. They have not changed; they will not change. The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments. They are not suggestions. They are every bit as requisite today as they were when God gave them to the children of Israel. If we but listen, we hear the echo of God’s voice
Our code of conduct is definitive; it is not negotiable. It is found not only in the Ten Commandments but also in the Sermon on the Mount, given to us by the Savior when He walked upon the earth. It is found throughout His teachings. It is found in the words of modern revelation.
It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God. The storms will still beat at our doors from time to time, for they are an inescapable part of our existence in mortality. We, however, will be far better equipped to deal with them, to learn from them, and to overcome them if we have the gospel at our core and the love of the Savior in our hearts. The prophet Isaiah declared, “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.”5
As the winds of change swirl around us and the moral fiber of society continues to disintegrate before our very eyes, may we remember the Lord’s precious promise to those who trust in Him: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”9
Among the most frequently asked questions of Church leaders are, Why does a just God allow bad things to happen, especially to good people? Why are those who are righteous and in the Lord’s service not immune from such tragedies?
While we do not know all the answers, we do know important principles that allow us to face tragedies with faith and confidence that there is a bright future planned for each of us. Some of the most important principles are:
First, we have a Father in Heaven, who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly.
Second, His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement not only provides for salvation and exaltation but also will compensate for all the unfairness of life.
Third, the Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding.
From the limited perspective of those who do not have knowledge, understanding, or faith in the Father’s plan—who look at the world only through the lens of mortality with its wars, violence, disease, and evil—this life can seem depressing, chaotic, unfair, and meaningless. Church leaders have compared this perspective with someone walking into the middle of a three-act play.3 Those without knowledge of the Father’s plan do not understand what happened in the first act, or the premortal existence, and the purposes established there; nor do they understand the clarification and resolution that come in the third act, which is the glorious fulfillment of the Father’s plan.
There are many kinds of challenges. Some give us necessary experiences. Adverse results in this mortal life are not evidence of lack of faith or of an imperfection in our Father in Heaven’s overall plan. The refiner’s fire is real, and qualities of character and righteousness that are forged in the furnace of affliction perfect and purify us and prepare us to meet God.
Once again sorry for the lapse in posting and my failed resolution to blog more. A few updates:
I had a final interview for a job I very much want. I'll find out on Nov. 8 . . . more details to come when I know one way or the other.
I am a nursery worker at my church. Basically instead of going to Sunday School and Relief Society now I get to play with 18 mo. old children for two hours every Sunday. There is lots of singing . . . LOTS. It is fun even though it is not very much like church.
I am trying my very best to convince Tony to dress up as Han Solo for Halloween, and I will be his Princess Leia . . . not the gold bikini version of course.
50/50 is a great movie.
El Gallo Giro is yummy.
Bamboo Hut is gross.
I should never, ever keep chocolate in my house because I have come to realize I have very little self control when it comes to chocolate that is in my possession.
I am more than halfway done with my second to last semester or school! Yahoo! I am so burnt out already
I actually got a scholarship for next semester! And I won an internship award too.
I have been married for two whole months now. It's been an awesome, crazy, busy, happy two months for sure. Life is good! Two weeks ago Tony took me to Vegas for my late birthday present and we saw Conor Obert (i.e. BRIGHT EYES) in concert, stayed at a resort, and ate at a deviously awesome buffet called Wicked Spoon . . . hands down the best brunch I have ever had. So to give you all a break from the inundation of wedding pictures, here are some pictures from my weekend in Vegas!
Today was a rainy day in Provo--and I loved it. I am sick of the miserable dry heat and I loved the coolness in the air. Fall is really setting in now, and I'm not too terribly sad to see winter go. As promised here are some more wedding pictures that I particularly enjoyed and hope you will enjoy too!
