Tribute Tuesday: President Hinckley..one year ago

This very day last year, I was playing with my Boise families as we had a family night together at the Knudsen's when my Mom called my cell phone and told me of President Hinckley's passing. At first I was devastated and wanted it not to be true... then I was peaceful knowing that he was back with the woman that he loved more than life his sweet eternal companion Marjorie. Somehow I was asked to tell the kids that he died. (still don't know why Jolyn!) But this sweet spirit came in the room as they all shared thoughts and feeling about him. I was so thankful to be with sweet children to take this news to heart.
Since I wasn't a blogger last year at that time I really wanted to remember his passing a year to the day of his death. I can't even BELIEVE it has been a year! And how fresh it still is in all our hearts. How we love him. I am so thankful to know there is an order to all things and to fully trust his predecessor,President Thomas S. Monson.

Although this is lengthy.. I read this the morning after his death last year and have kept it ever since. I was amazed at how a man his age, did everything that he did in his time as Prophet, seer and revelator. This is the timeline(recorded) of his service.. this is just the BIG thing that he did for the church not even the day to day interactions. I stand amazed at the way the mantle buoyed him up!
1995

12 March - Set apart as 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1 April - Sustained by Church members as 15th president of the Church
8 April - Dedicated the Tuacahn arts center and amphitheater in Ivins, Utah
13 May - Broke ground for Vernal Utah Temple, the 10th temple in Utah
17–23 June - Held meetings with members in Alaska, the first time a president of the Church has done so
23 September - Read "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" at general Relief Society meeting
13 November - Met with president of the United States at White House to discuss importance of families
20 December - Announced new logo design for the name of the Church


1996

6 April - Announced construction of a new meeting hall in Salt Lake City that would hold three to four times more people than Salt Lake Tabernacle
7 April - Interviewed by Mike Wallace of CBS’s 60 Minutes
22 April - Dedicated David O. McKay Events Center at Utah Valley State College in Provo, Utah "
26 May - Dedicated Hong Kong China Temple
11 June - Broke ground for Madrid Spain Temple
29 June - Rededicated refurbished This Is the Place Monument and State Park in Salt Lake City
13 October - Dedicated Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple
10 November - Broke ground for Cochabamba Bolivia Temple


1997

8–17 May - Toured New Zealand and Australia and spoke to a total of more than 55,000 people
28 May - Dedicated new nine-story headquarters building for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City
1 June - Dedicated St. Louis Missouri Temple
5 June - Spoke at graduation ceremonies for 100-year-old Juárez Academy in the Church colonies of Juárez, Mexico
22 July - Addressed 50,000 people at This Is the Place Monument and State Park after commemorative Mormon Trail Wagon Train entered Salt Lake City
24 July - Broke ground for new assembly building in Salt Lake City
24–25 July - Participated in Pioneer Sesquicentennial Spectacular at BYU's Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah, for 130,000 people
9–10 August - Addressed 56,000 people in four nations in South America: Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela and Uruguay
4–5 October - Announced plans to begin building smaller temples around the world
2 November - Dedicated Vernal Utah Temple


1998

14–22 February - Toured five nations in Africa — Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa — speaking to more than 30,000 people; he became first Church president to ever visit West Africa
16 February - Announced plans for temple in Ghana, the first in West Africa
4–5 April - Announced plans to construct an additional 30 smaller temples
25 April - Announced plans in member meeting to build temple in Columbus, Ohio
26 April - Addressed 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City
7–10 June - Dedicated Preston England Temple
31 July–8 August - Addressed more than 50,000 members during eight-day, 12-city tour of Canada; announced plans for two more temples in Canada
8 September - Appeared on CNN's Larry King Live
6 November - Received International Executive of the Year award from BYU’s Marriott School of Business
1 December - Participated with Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Corradini in joint announcement of a proposal for the Church to purchase part of Main Street


1999

9–10 January - Dedicated Anchorage Alaska Temple
20 February - Announced plans to build temple at Palmyra, New York
6–7 March - Dedicated Colonia Juárez Chihuahua Mexico Temple
19–21 March - Dedicated Madrid Spain Temple
1 April - Helped open 50-year-old Sunday School time capsule
4 April - Made surprise announcement to rebuild Nauvoo Temple
24 April - Dedicated Bogotá Colombia Temple
25 April - Addressed 57,500 Church members and friends in soccer stadium in Santiago, Chile
13 May - Addressed Los Angeles World Affairs Council, speaking of the worldwide operations of the Church
24 May - Linked by satellite broadcast between Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., officially launched FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service
1–2 August - Dedicated Guayaquil Ecuador Temple
19 August - Officially announced that new assembly building in Salt Lake City would be called the Conference Center
21 August - Dedicated Spokane Washington Temple
4–5 September - Dedicated Columbus Ohio Temple
11 September - Dedicated monument honoring memory of 120 people killed in Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857 in southern Utah
16–17 October - Dedicated Columbia South Carolina Temple
23–24 October - Dedicated Detroit Michigan Temple
24 October - Broke ground for reconstruction of Nauvoo Illinois Temple
14 November - Dedicated Halifax Nova Scotia Temple the same day the Regina Saskatchewan Temple was dedicated by President Boyd K. Packer, the first time in Church history two temples were dedicated on the same day
20–21 November - Dedicated Billings Montana Temple
8 December - Presided over sealing of time capsule to be opened in 50 years for Sunday School bicentennial
11–12 December - Dedicated Edmonton Alberta Temple
18–19 December - Dedicated Raleigh North Carolina Temple
24 December - Interviewed on Larry King Live


2000

9 January - Dedicated St. Paul Minnesota Temple
22 January - Addressed more than 15,000 members in Laie, Hawaii, to commemorate sesquicentennial year of establishment of the Church on the Hawaiian Islands
23–24 January - Dedicated Kona Hawaii Temple
27 January - Met with Abdurrahman Wahid, president of Indonesia, in Jakarta, Indonesia
1 February - Completed an 11-day tour of Pacific Rim where he traveled 22,670 miles and spoke to over 26,600 people
22 February - His book Standing for Something: Ten Virtues That Will Heal Our Hearts and Homes went on sale
26 February - Dedicated Ciudad Juárez Mexico Temple
27 February - Dedicated Hermosillo Sonora Mexico Temple, the 50th temple he had dedicated or rededicated
5 March - Dedicated Albuquerque New Mexico Temple
8 March - Spoke to National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
1–2 April - Presided over first general conference held in new Conference Center
1–2 April - "Special Witnesses of Christ”, a video production of the testimonies of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was shown between sessions of general conference
6 April - Dedicated Palmyra New York Temple; an estimated 1.3 million members participated in the dedication in stake centers in six time zones
9 April - Dedicated Fresno California Temple
30 April - Dedicated Cochabamba Bolivia Temple
4-Jun - Dedicated Montreal Quebec Temple
11–18 June - Dedicated Fukuoka Japan Temple (June 11), Adelaide Australia Temple (June 15), Melbourne Australia Temple (June 16) and Suva Fiji Temple (June 18), the first time in Church history a president has ever dedicated four overseas temples in one trip
21 June - Announced that the two-year Ricks College will begin phasing into a four-year institution to be known as Brigham Young University–Idaho
23 June - Celebrated 90th birthday at Conference Center with 21,000 guests and many prominent Latter-day Saint musicians, including Gladys Knight
16 July - Dedicated Baton Rouge Louisiana Temple
20 August - Dedicated Caracas Venezuela Temple
26–27 August - Dedicated Houston Texas Temple
3 September - Dedicated Birmingham Alabama Temple
17 September - Dedicated Santo Domingo Dominican Republic Temple
1 October - Dedicated Boston Massachusetts Temple, marking the fulfillment of President Hinckley’s goal to have 100 operating temples by the end of the 20th century
8-Oct - During Sunday morning session of general conference, dedicated 21,000-seat Conference Center as a gathering place for members
5 November - Presided over cornerstone ceremony for Nauvoo Illinois Temple
12 November - Spoke to more than 21,000 young adults at newly dedicated Conference Center and thousands more around the world via satellite -- the first meeting of its kind
15 November - Rededicated BYU's newly expanded Harold B. Lee Library
13 December - Visited San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the first time and spoke to thousands of members who gathered at a fireside
15 December - Dedicated Recife Brazil Temple
17 December - Dedicated Pôrto Alegre Brazil Temple


2001

13 January - Named one of the most admired men in the world for the second consecutive year by an annual survey of Americans -- included on the list were Pope John Paul II, President Bill Clinton, Gen. Colin Powell and President-elect George W. Bush
3-Mar - Honored by the Association for Mormon Letters for his book Standing for Something
18-Mar - Dedicated Montevideo Uruguay Temple
31-Mar - Announced Perpetual Education Fund during priesthood session of general conference
22-Apr - Dedicated Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple
27-Apr - Received honorary doctorate degree from Utah Valley State College
29-Apr - Dedicated Guadalajara Mexico Temple
20-May - Dedicated Perth Australia Temple
1-Jun - Hosted and spoke at Brigham Young's 200th birthday celebration, held in the Tabernacle
14 September - Appeared on CNN's Larry King Live and delivered message of hope and comfort to citizens of the United States in the wake of the September 11 attacks
21-Sep - Along with 27 other religious leaders, attended a private prayer meeting for President George W. Bush at the White House


2002

7-Feb - Participated in Olympic torch relay
7-Feb - Olympic interview with NBC’s Today aired
8-Feb - Met with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush during their visit to Salt Lake City for Olympics
9-Feb - Met with Kofi Annan, secretary-general of the United Nations, during his visit to Salt Lake City for Olympics
13-Feb - Met with Susanne Riess-Passer, vice chancellor of Austria, during her visit to Salt Lake City for Olympics
22-Feb - Olympic interview with Tom Brokaw aired on NBC
22-Feb - Met with German President Johannes Rau during his visit to Salt Lake City for Olympics
8–24 February - Interviewed by NHK, ORF, ARD, NOS and numerous other international and national media organizations
3-Mar - Dedicated Snowflake Arizona Temple
7-Mar - Participated in Paralympic torch relay
21-Apr - Dedicated Lubbock Texas Temple
29-Apr - With Elder Henry B. Eyring, met with Vicente Fox, president of Mexico
17-May - Dedicated Campinas Brazil Temple
19 May - Dedicated Asunción Paraguay Temple
20-May - With President James E. Faust, met with Patrick Manning, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago
12-Jun - Spoke at Los Angeles World Affairs Council for the third time
27-Jun - Dedicated rebuilt Nauvoo Illinois Temple
1-Jul - Dedicated new Hill Cumorah Visitors’ Center
7-Sep - Dedicated Freiberg Germany Temple
8-Sep - Dedicated The Hague Netherlands Temple
9–10 September - Visited Kiev, Ukraine, and Moscow, Russia, becoming the first Church president to visit those nations
17-Nov - Rededicated Monticello Utah Temple


2003

11-Jan - Addressed Church leaders worldwide during historic priesthood leadership training satellite broadcast from the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City
7-Feb - Addressed 40,000 full-time and volunteer Church Educational System instructors worldwide via the Church satellite system from the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City
8-Feb - On the 125th anniversary of the Primary, addressed nearly one million Latter-day Saint children around the world during historic satellite broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
12-Feb - Met with Bulgarian Ambassador Elena Borislava Poptodorova in Salt Lake City, Utah
18 March - Announced a new president for Brigham Young University during a regularly scheduled BYU devotional held in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah
6?? May - Received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Salt Lake Community College
18 May - Dedicated Historic Kirtland
15-Jun - Dedicated Brisbane Australia Temple
9-Sep - Installed Cecil O. Samuelson as the 12th president of Brigham Young University
14-Sep - Dedicated Redlands California Temple


2004

11-Jan - Dedicated Accra Ghana Temple
11-Jan - Met with Ghana president John Agyekum Kufuor following the dedication of the Accra Ghana Temple
22-Feb - Rededicated São Paulo Brazil Temple
6-Apr - President Hinckley's wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, passed away at age 92
23-May - Dedicated Copenhagen Denmark Temple
13-Jun - Dedicated Manhattan New York Temple
23-Jun - Was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in the White House


2005

12-Mar - The First Presidency observes ten years together
2-3 April - President Hinckley delivers a powerful message on gambling during the 175th Annual General Conference
22-May - President Hinckley dedicates the Church's 120th temple in San Antonio, Texas
23-Jun - President Hinckley celebrates his 95th birthday
22 July - Honored on his 95th birthday in a “Celebration of Life” at the Conference Center with guests performers and 21,000 guests
31 July - 9 August - Traveled nearly 25,000 miles on a seven-nation tour to Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, China, India, and Africa
7 August - Dedicated the Aba Nigeria Temple
28 August - Dedicated the Newport Beach California Temple
20 September - Dedicated the Joseph F. Smith Building on the BYU campus. It houses the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences and the College of Humanities.
8 October - The First Presidency broke ground for a state-of-the-art Church History Library across the street from Temple Square
23 December - Conducted and spoke at a Church wide meeting from the Joseph Smith birthplace in Sharon, Vermont. It culminated a year of activities celebrating the prophet’s 100th birthday


2006

11 March - Rededicated the Santiago Chile Temple
29 April - Announced the Cebu Philippines Temple
2 June - Announced the Vancouver British Columbia Temple in Canada
9 June - Announced the Tegucigalpa Honduras Temple
11 June - Spoke at a meeting honoring handcart pioneers of 150 years ago. It originated in Iowa City, Iowa and was broadcast over the Church satellite system
23 June - Broke ground, on his 96th birthday, for the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the BYU campus
5 August - Broke ground for the Draper Utah Temple
31 August - President George W. Bush visited the First Presidency
3 September - Dedicated the Sacramento California Temple
13 September - Dedicated new home for the 120-year-old LDS Business College at the Triad Center in Salt Lake City
22 October - Dedicated the Helsinki Finland Temple, 124th temple
16 December - Broke ground for the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple
16 December - Announced the Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple
31 December - Spoke to the youth in a New Years Eve meeting in the Conference Center


2007

31 March - Salt Lake Tabernacle opened after a two-year renovation and seismic upgrade
31 March - Saturday afternoon session of the 177th Annual General Conference is held in the newly renovated Tabernacle
31 March - Announced new Relief Society presidency, the world’s largest women’s organization
7 June - Announced the Manaus Brazil Temple
23 June - Dedicated the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the Brigham Young University campus on his 97th birthday
26 June - Announced Church membership has surpassed 13-million
26 June - Announced one-millionth missionary since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830
10 August - President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency passed away
12 September - Awarded the Municipal Citizen of the Century by the Utah League of Cities and towns
6 October - Announced Elder Henry B. Eyring as Second Counselor in the First Presidency and Elder Quentin L. Cook as new apostle
6-7 October - Conducted and spoke at the Church’s 177th Semi-Annual World General Conference

His Testimony will always be engraved in my heart... I love him. I love what he stood for. I love that I got to follow his words and take them to heart. I love that he was without a doubt a prophet of the Lord.

The Vacation Nanny back in Business for a bit...

THE VACATION NANNY...OUT OF RETIREMENT!

Most of you know that I lost my job this past Christmas and I am working hard at being independant again... I have decided for many reasons that I need to stay on my health insurance that was offered me by JetBlue and that alone is and additional $400 a month that I had not planned on so I really need to get some job ASAP.

I have decided that I am going to offer my blogging friends or their friends a winter special. I am available for any getaway, any state starting February 15, 2009 through May 15, 2009 (for starters I am only going to book out that far.)

I normally charge $100 a day while the parents are away but I will knock it down to $75.00 a day (plus travel expenses if applicable) for this time period! Do you know someone that REALLY needs a get-away from their kids?! Maritial Magic begin when Meg the nanny takes your kids!

I'm the worry free, Mary Poppins nanny that you need. I make sure the kids are well fed, doing fun activities, loved as much as possible and that not only your kids are taken care of so is your house. You will come home to a tidy house, clean clothes and kids with fun adventures to share with you too!

I have TONS of references and would be happy to talk to any of you about this oportunity! PLEASE pass the word on to all your friends and let them know what a great opportunity it is for them to get away without ANY worries.. I run kids to thier activities, cook, clean, play, help with homework.. whatever Mom and Dad would do when they were home!!

For ONLY $75.00 a day you'll be resting, relaxing and honeymooning all over AGAIN!

This is how I spent my 30th Birthday last year.. with some of the kids I have nannyied in Boise!! You'll kids will BEG you to go on a trip again!! :)

My Best Friends Wedding 1.15.2009

Ry Guy FOUND HER!!

Ryan and Sherri were married yesterday by her Grandfather in the Salt Lake City temple. They looked great! I was able to do the decorating for their luncheon at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It looked good... I was too busy that I didn't get any pictures of it. They ordered the Chicken cordon bleu menu and it was yummy!

It was crazy getting the luncheon all set up! I got there 2 hours before it started and went to find a cart. It took 30 minutes to get my hands on a cart and load everything into the cart and get up to the room took another 30 min. When I got there, all the mirrors and centerpieces were frozen and frosted over! I had to let them thaw all out... I was like.. not good! I didn't even start decorating until 45 min before sitting time. People started arriving early cause they had a quick sealing and it was very hard to finish the final touches because of that! It all got finished before the majority of the guests arrived so.. I think it was a success. Here is a sample picture of the centerpieces that I used.. it isn't the exact table setting .. it is from another wedding! But it is in the same room... and using similar decor..I was too busy to snap a pic.

I think my favorite part of their luncheon was when they gave tributes to each other. Ry talked to Sherri about how he sometimes forgets things now... but there are some things that he will NEVER forget. He said that he would never forget their day, he would try to never forget their kids at a public establishment but he couldn't promise that he wouldn't mix up their names, he wouldn't forget her birthday and most important he wouldn't forget how much he loves her! Sherri's was short and sweet, totally her, she talked about how she finally found HIM and how amazing he is and how lucky she is to have him forever. It was so sweet and touching.

Ryan and Sherri's reception was in Kaysville. There was some of my favorite fun EFY friends there and Sherri looked absolutely beautiful! I loved her choice on her dress! It was a fun night with fun people and good treats!

Ry and Sherri I am SOOO happy for you! What a sweet day that will turn into a sweet eternity! Thanks for being such a great part of my life! I love you both! Happy Wedded bliss!

Master the tempest is raging...

Before saying anything, I want you to know that this is one of my all-time favorite hymns of the church. I have been teased about this in the past that it's kind of a depressing song to have as my favorite. The reasons behind this choice are: It tells a bible story where the Savior calms a terrible torrent and also that it reminds me of the steps it takes to get through our own torrents in life.

The blogging world hasn't seen me for a few weeks because I have been going through that very torrent. I have been swept up in many waves. Waves of discouragement. Waves of Dispair. Waves of Illness. Waves of uncertainty. Waves of anguish. Waves of fear. Waves of pain. Waves of trial.

I am not going to get into too much detail as to what has gone on but I will tell you that the wave started from loosing my full-time job with JetBlue and the storms and the torrents that have come as a result have left some effects in my life that I am trying daily to call out to my Master for his promise of peace be still.

Through these torrents, there is one thing that has remained steady and sure, that is my friends and family. They have touched my heart with the service that they have helped with as I have been physically challenged. My Mother spent her entire holiday weekend taking care of me. My Brother donated a car that was an automatic for me to drive and when someone in my culdesac did a hit and run and left it pretty damaged, He never took it out on me. My sweet friends Jen, Stace, Nat, Ghetto, Kelly, Marisa and my Mom rescued me from excruciating pain by helping me get through a wedding that I was still in the need of catering. My sweet friend Kaela braved bad weather to come sit and visit with me. Phone calls of love and support have come in from so many and I so appreciate it! It's at the times that are the most difficult that your true friends shine through.

I know that these trials are but a small season of my life and that is a few days, months or weeks I can look back and see the experience gained. While I am going through the storms.. it helps daily to keep the words to one of the most pivitol song in my life in mind...

Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.

No shelter or help is nigh.

Carest thou not that we perish?

How canst thou lie asleep

When each moment so madly is threat’ning

A grave in the angry deep?

Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled.

Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o’er my sinking soul,

And I perish! I perish! dear Master.

Oh, hasten and take control!

Master, the terror is over.

The elements sweetly rest.

Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,

And heaven’s within my breast.

Linger, O blessed Redeemer!

Leave me alone no more,

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor

And rest on the blissful shore.

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:

Peace, be still.

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea

Or demons or men or whatever it be,

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, be still; peace, be still.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, peace, be still.

I believe so powerfully in the promises of this song! My favorite part is, "And with joy I should make the blest harbor and rest on the blissful shore." All of us go through these times. All of us know these waves and torrents in different ways. Thanks to each of you who has prayed for me, thought about me and helped me to realize that the blissful shore will come quicker than it presently looks. Today my prayer is that each of us can hear the words of Peace be still.

ONE WOMAN SHOW... MY TALENTED FRIEND BROOKE

Can I just tell you that when I first saw this I nearly lost it. Tears of joy and loud meg laughter consumed me.. I watched it again and again and even though I knew Brooke was brilliant.. I can now show you how brilliant that she is!

Brooke is the wife of one of the EFY Session Directors Brother John McClay.. the two of them are amazing! They keep me laughing that is for sure. Brooke has more energy and more creativity on one hand than I have in my whole body!

Well here is the wonderful scoop! Brooke entered a cooking contest for Solo foods.. I have no idea what that is since they live in Colorado.. but it was to cook something and be creative in doing so.. this is what she came up with!!!

Happy Birthday Jilly Bean!!

Jill is not a stranger to my blog. You have all read about her in my hero's tribute to her and her 2 daughters Jacqueline and Emily.

Jill is a woman of faith and I have looked up to her and watched her grow into the woman that she is since I was 12 years old... she was 4 years older than me.. but I knew how cool she was in the Student Body and all :)

I never understood how deeply I would really look up to her in the years to come and had no idea how deeply I would love the very children that would call her Mom.

One of the most treasured times of my life would be the months that I was able to help them with their children during Emily's first stay in the hospital. There are few times in my life when I felt so guided by the spirit on how to comfort and help those sweet kids. I am forever endebted to Jill for trusting them with me and allowing me to love them with everything I had to give.

All of you that know Jill and have watched how she has handled these years with her famil, will all agree that she is strong, faithful and thankful through the trials that have been placed before her. She takes each obstycle with grace and is so real about the things that are hard but doesn't give up!

I've been so amazed that admist the constantly changing health of her baby she still takes the time to invest in her calling as a Sunday School teacher. Most people would use the hardships as an excuse but not this woman.. she uses her lessons to strengthen her and give her power to overcome fears and have the faith to get through the trials. I wanna be more like that!

I love this quote by Sister Nadauld.. I think it sums up what a Woman of God is and what Jill shows each of us by her actions:

"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough
women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who
are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we
need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need
more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough
vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more
purity."

The Joy of Womanhood
Margaret D. NadauldYoung Women General President

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILLY BEAN!!!

HOPE YOU GET THE CELEBRATION THAT YOU DESERVE!

DISCLAIMER: I know that I have missed some very important Birthdays.. don't think that you aren't loved by me.. you will see yourself here, just wait and see!***

THE BIGGEST LOSER FINALE

Ok.. so for those of you who don't believe in reality shows I am sorry for boring you.. but this is one reality show that I will continue to support. Although working out on a ranch day in and day out for 100 days and then going home for 120 more isn't what most of us would ever experience in reality.. I must say that these contentants win my approval for being hard working.

As many of you know this season has had 3 real hard to love people on and I was over watching this show if one of them won because they were just there to win and not to change their lifestyles!! But integrity prevailed and our sweet MICHELLE won!!!

I actually missed the finale and I am so sad about it but I had a bowing date with me nephews which was more important.. but here is the ending of the show tonight...

Thankful Thursdays: Sealings

The Blackwells
Brandon, Kylie, & Irelyn Est. October 2007

Sealed: Oct 25, 2008

I just wanted to give a shout out to my cousin Kylie, Brandon and baby Irelyn for their sealing in the Manti Temple! They are forever now.

At the Sealing dinner I got Ire to try a lemon... she loved it! She is absolutely ADORABLE!!!The next day they blessed Ire at Jamie and Lukes house. It was an AWESOME weekend!

LOVE YOU BLACKWELL'S! Thank you for letting me be part of your special day

Happy 55th Birthday Dad

I have been blessed in my adult life to be able to re-connect with my Dad and I am so glad that we can spend time together and that I have been able to spend holidays with him and the Gazaway side of the family. Almost two years ago we got to spend a straight week with our Dad in Utah with us and had so much fun together. Here is the evidence!


Happy Birthday Dad!

I love you!

Memory Monday:Sleep Study or Discomfort Study...... I don't know!

For years I have struggled with sleep problems. This year it has just increased and gotten really annoying. I went to see a sleep doctor who diagnosed me with night-time anxiety and also ordered an overnight sleep study at a sleep center her in Provo, Utah by Wills pitstop. I was to check in on Saturday night at 8 pm. Also to have dry hair, a clean face with no lotions or cleansers on it and that is about what I knew about it.

What an experience!! You can't go into this sleep clinic and be prepared for what will take place! It was CRAZY yet pretty humorous!

I checked in at 8pm and buzzed the office door bell. A very nice nurse came and introduced herself to me. ( I wish I could for the life of me remember their names.. they rocked!) I noticed that this office was in the same complex as Dr. Pledgers office so jokingly I said to the nurse.. when I go to sleep tonight do you do a 2 for 1 treatment... tummy tuck and sleep study? She laughed and we were instant friends from there on out.

She took me to a bedroom that was so nicely decorated and welcoming. (minus the hospital equipment there) They advised me to switch into my jammies and prepare myself the way I normally do for bed and when I was done to open my door and they would be in to start the process. I folded down my bed and got myself all comfortable and then opened the door and the process began.

The two nurses came in with a cart of computer looking wires. They had glue, sticker type bandages things, colores pencils you name it. One proceeded to mark up my head and measure it in every sort of way. The other started working on my legs, chest and and such. We had a great conversation and started laughing and carrying on. By the time I was done and looked in the mirror I was astounded at how many wires they had hooked up in 1 hour! I told the nurse that I needed to most definately blog this experience! She was so much fun. I was making faces and we were laughing! Then I layed down in one of the most comfortable beds that I have ever slept in and watched Tommy boy on TV. It was good comedy relief. It was getting later and later and although I was relaxed.. I was NOT tired. At 11:10ish there was a knock at my door and the nurse said time for sleepy! She came and added EVEN MORE wires and contraptions. She put something on my finger, a nose tube on my nose and another contraption over my nose that would gage the temperature. For about an hour and half.. I sat there flipping, flopping, figgiting because I was uncomfortable and not tired enough to fall asleep. I even got tangled up in my cords so much that the nurse had to help me get untangled.. we got a good laugh about that.

I was trying so hard to sleep, hello! That was the whole purpose I was there. The nurse came it at that hour and half mark and said, "Megan, you are breaking my heart watching you struggle so much to sleep!" I said welcome to my life every night! She then had me sit up and said here is an Ambien (sleep pill) this should help you right away. She then turned on the air conditioner unit and that is the last thing I remembered. At 6am she came in to wake me up and told me that she got some good results to tell my doctor that would hopefully help me get some answers to my sleep patterns. She had me get dressed, wash my face and go home. Aparently I went home and went right to bed. I woke up at 12:30pm and was in my own bed and wondered how I got there and was not at the sleep clinic (it took me a few hours to remember being woke up and sent home), sleep medicine is SCARY!

UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY

TIS THE SEASON

My long time EFY friends have Christmas party every year and this year was the first that I was able to attend.. it was themed Ugly Christmas Sweater party! I loved every minute of it and two of my best friends and I took it to a WHOLE new level!

Jen looked SMASHING in the outfit she didn't even have to doctor up!! It was way PRECIOUS!

Stace won the award of the night!! She went over and beyond in he dress up abilities from head to toe.. she jingled ALL the way!I would like to thank KMART for this lovely sweater score! For only 12.99 I was able to pull off this ugly, gotty sweater vest! (I hope no one that reads this has this sweater!)

Kev and Natalie looked great in their sweaters complete with Shoulder pads.

Some fun Dancing went on.. Stace put on her hip hop and Bret went to town!

A close up of my Shirley temple, foam roller hair design!

These next two picture are the white elephant exchange items. This is what I won! And Alissa's was my favorite of the funny ones.. Jen picked this one out... It was complete with a pink poinsetta.

I have the dearest friends!! I am so blessed with friends who like to have GOOD, CLEAN, FUN!

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES MY YPM-ers

(YPM= Young Popular Mormons... we aren't so young anymore!)

Families are Forever... even Elf ones!! :)

My nephews and I had a sleepover tonight... we just had too.. It gave us LOTS of LAUGHS!

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A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR ALICIA LEWIS

This lady is one of my dearest friends. She took such perfect care of me as a missionary in Englewood/Dayton Ohio. Her home was a safe haven for me in the last 6 months of my mission and her family continues to be such a beloved part of my life still today.

On Prep days on my mission countless times we spent them at her house (she wasn't even home) she let us come in and do our laundry and our email or letter writing to our families. I created many newsletters in her basement for my family and friends. When we would come to our house she also would leave us fresh baked bread to take home with us... she was SOOOO loving and accepting and willing to serve us! We knew that she loved us!

Since being home she has welcomed me into her home on several different occasions even with guests to stay at her home. On my second visit back she even gave me use of her car!!

Alicia has so many awesome talents. She is a great communicator. It is rare that you meet someone so talented as to so naturally have great communication with people that they have never met. We would take her on exchanges with us and the people loved her because she so openly honest and loving to all she meets.

Alicia is also a loyal. If you are in her heart she will do anything for you. She loves her family and friends so deeply and worries about them... not based on what people "may think" but based on true principles and love and concern for their spiritual well being.

She is a woman of faith and many miracles have happened in her life because she never ceased to pray or stop believing in the fact that they could happen.

Most importantly she is a great example of love, charity, devotion and compassion. She is one that I have and always will look up to. She is a mother of wonderful, loving children. A wife of a equally wonderful husband and a friend in all times. I love that in life we can have friends from all different ages and backgrounds and that we can all learn from each other. My life is blessed greatly through the talks that I have with Alicia. The encouragement we give each other and the love and wisdom that she can teach me!

Happy Birthday my sweet Alicia!! I DEFINITELY celebrate you birth! YOU ARE LOVED!

A FEW OF MY ROOMIES AND I.....

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA TERRY GAZAWAY

Today is my only sister in laws birthday and I am so glad that I get to tribute her! She definately deserves a shout out! Not only did she marry my brother, but she also is the mother of 3 of the most adorable children EVER!

Andrea married my brother when I was on my mission so I came home to a sister! Andrea is a VERY talented hair stylist and I love getting beautified by her.

I feel bad for people because they don't take the time to get to know her because she is so quiet when she doesn't know you, but when you actually listen to her, she has a lot to add to a conversation. Andrea loves shopping, decorating, spending time with her friends, eating out and date nights with her hubby and bunco.

She is such a great Mom and always has a clean and tidy house with clean and tidy kids. She has patience... this can be shown by her sunbeam calling in primary :)

I am so happy to have Andrea as a 8 yr addition to our family! We love you Andrea thanks for putting up with us!

HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday!