The happiest day....so far!

Stephanie and Theresa

My grandma Harriette

Lilly!

Linda and Jim Thiriot

November, 2008

This was the day I was finally sealed to my Mom and Dad. It was such a long time coming. I was so happy, I felt like I was glowing. I knew that I did my part on this side. I haven't been married yet, but this day prepares me for when someday I will kneel across the altar. Such a wonderful experience, thanks for all that came!

" Families Can Be Together Forever...through Heavenly Father's Plan. I always want to be with my own family. And the Lord has shown me how I can...the Lord has shown me how I can."

My Birthday 2009! Year 31.

My 30th birthday, was just not very happy. And I decided to do something about it. I don't need a party..but I need to be doing something! So I am going to see a show that I have been dying to see. BEATLES LOVE!! :)

First Trip.

For my first trip . I came to Provo for Education Week. August 2008.

Love this temple.

My friend Lilly. :)

I'm happier. And I am discovering the sunshine in my soul.




It seems to me when you go through the grieving process, you experience lots of firsts. When my Dad had passed. Me and my mom went through some firsts...first trips, first car crisis...first home repair crisis..etc. I have done well getting through life. Its been difficult. But you just have to take it day by day. I wanted to go somewhere, and not sure where. And then I discovered Education Week. I knew that this is what I needed. I'm still trying to heal, but I know that this will be good. Education week is a week long seminar of different classes and activities put on by BYU. It was such an uplifting experience. It was here that I was awakened. There was a class that I needed to attend, and it was called Coping with the Death of a Loved One. One of the scriptures that was quoted was in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I fought a good fight, I finished my course, and I kept my faith."

As I go through my notes, I recorded alot. One of the instructors called the period in the first couple of years as finding your new normal. I so understood that. One of the things, that I liked was that "Feeling is Healing". You try to pull yourself together in public, in front of your friends, and then you have or at least I have had quiet little breakdowns. Then I would go through the rest of my day. I just felt numb. But something happened after I attended this class. As the class of 100+ rushed the stage to meet the lecturers, I went with Lilly into the empty ballroom in the Wilk. It was there that I finally let it all out. The Spirit was so strong, it felt like I was being held. And I finally felt an overwhelming sense that I was going to be ok. No matter what. Even though I didn't have my parents with me physically, that I wasn't alone.

It was here that I had my first long, hard ,belly laugh. Complete with tears from laughing so hard. I attended a lecture from Barbara Barrington Jones. I remember seeing her at EFY and a stake conference ages ago. Listening to her was just so much fun. Loved her. She showed a clip from Brian Reagan. Look up Brian on Youtube under Brian Reagan Emergency room. Its hilarious! :)

It was here at Education Week, that I took my first steps into finding the joy in my journey. I also discovered my favorite scripture here.

Its in Mosiah 2:41 " And moreover, I would desire that ye consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual: and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

General Conference 2009

A drizzly, cold day. But we loved it! I love this picture. Although a friend of mine commented we looked like the bars to a cell phone battery. I will nickname us the stair steps! ;)

We had an opportunity to attend the Spring General Conference this year. I LOVE Conference! I didn't know if it would come together, but it did. We got tickets for the Sat am session. It was a grey drizzly day. Andrea and Lilly came on the trip. We rode the plane with Patty's mom Kathy. Oh my gosh, what a bumpy flight! I was on the last row...in the middle. Because its Southwest, you just get on, no assigned seating. So, here I am sitting in the middle of these two strangers just praying I wouldn't throw up. Believe me, there were times that I wanted to. After they left, thats when it happened. But I waited till most everyone was off the plane. And I was handed water in a can, weird concept..but I get it. LOL. We stayed downtown at Marriott. So we were in walking distance. There were some things that were said at Conference that I felt were personally for me. There were was a talk from L. Tom Perry and he talked abt stressful times, and stressing the Best is Yet to come. One of the talks I really enjoyed was Elder David Bednar's talk and President Eyering. Its been quite awile for me to remember all this. But one thing does stand out to me...the hymns that we sang through conference were ones that tugged at my heart strings. In particular, when the tabernacle choir sang"Lillies of the Field" , I hadn't heard it since my mom's funeral, and I blubbered. I tend to do that. But I was ok. We got into the Sat afternoon session by waiting in stand by. We went around temple sqaure, and one other thing I remember. There were protesters everywhere! They were not very nice. And they would yell on the sidewalk. I have a fun memory to share. We were waiting to cross the street. And we came across another belligerent protester, going on and on about we were going to you know where. Anyways, we started to sing I am a Child of God. Very loudly. And as sweet as we could. :) It really irritated that person....and we drowned him out and walked on. We spent Sunday at Patty's apartment...cooked a lasagna in the crockpot for the first time...and it was really good. Then we went home. Such a great time!

Come on Get Happy! :)

I have discovered something. I have rediscovered, I love to laugh. When my mom was ill and after she passed I didn't laugh very much at all. But in the two years since, I have discovered I like laughing. Sometimes, too much. Case in point, this last weekend. So I get invited to a potluck dinner party at a friends house. She mentioned there might be 20 or so people there. So I was excited to meet new people and have fun. When we got there there were 7 of us, my friends made up 3. There was one guy there that a friend of hers brought over. So we come in the door, and right away she tells us to sit on the couch that so and so was going to give a presentation. I hadn't ate all day, I was thinking seriously. Then it got better...he pulls out this huge box, I'm thinking its amway and its sanitary napkins. Seriously, no joke. And I really wasn't upset, but embarrased. It was his first demonstration, and my first time ever seeing something like this. Seriously, do people really buy pads in bulk, like 200 for $90? It took all of me not to laugh. But oh my heck that was funny. Then Saturday I wake up early in the morning to a mexican at my door speaking spanish, and i'm like excuse me? Then he starts dancing around like he has a lawnmower. As I said before....finding joy in the journey!

More of my sharing time!

Here is the other two recipes. I hope they fit. The first is Nacho Dip in a crockpot..can I just say how much I love crockpots?

Nacho Dip

1 lb hamburger mixed a pkg of taco seasoning, cooked and drained.
2lb block of velveeta chese cubed
16 oz jar of salsa, I like herdez, you can pick the hotness
1 tbsp worchestshire, green onions, olives
Corn chips

Combine the above ingredients except for the green onions into crockpot. Add green onions just before serving. Cook on high for 1 hr stirring occasionally. And that's it. Serve immediately or put on low for up to 6 hrs.

Sharing Time

I have got to say, this blogging thing is addictive. I can guarantee I won't do this every day, but this week it sure seems like it. But I didn't know what the rest of my week is like so I'm sharing these with you now. Here are a few recipes that I will be making this weekend for a party, and they are so good..but they are easy to make. I'm all about a shortcut. The first is a peach crisp recipe from Betty Crocker, thanks to Darcy for posting on Facebook!

Peach Crisp

1 pouch Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 c cold butter
5 c frozen sliced peaches thawed and drained or 1 can 20 oz peaches, or be like me and buy peach pie filling and mix in a few fresh peaches cut up!

Heat oven to 375. In lg bowl, combine cookie mix and cut in butter using fork or pastry blender. Mix until crumbly. Next, pour peaches into ungreased 8x8 square dish. Sprinkle crumbs over peach mix. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Really tasty and easy. But, it doesn't travel well. But hey, it all goes to one place anyway right? :)

Farewell, Chocolate!

Haha j/k, you didn't really think I was going to give up chocolate, did you? But I do have to bid adieu to my LG Chocolate cell phone. So very sad. I broke the battery thing last week, then I finally killed it off when I went to Spring Mtn Ranch to see a play on Saturday and got water on it, sigh. If you are not familiar Spring Mtn Ranch is near Red Rock Canyon and they have plays outside, and you can bring your picnics, blankets, chairs, whatever. Its so much fun! My friend Courtney was in the play Working, and it was great! So today, I've been debating Iphone, blackberry or ENV 3? I do have Verizon, I really didn't want to change plans, then I found out how much it was going to cost to operate either the blackberry or the I phone. I finally decided it wasn't worth it for me. Although in January I bought my first Ipod and absolutely love it. If you would have asked me five years ago would I be so attached to my cell phone, I so would have told you no! I first bought pay as you go phones, and they were great. I guess I just started talking more, and forget about the texting stuff, I'm still pretty new to that. Guess I'm crawling out of my hole, LOL. So I can't buy a new phone until oct 4 but I found my mom's old cell phone, and it will work for now. It saves me an extra $70, I'm all about a deal so I will just have to wait for now. By the way, went to the Melting Pot tonight in Summerlin, this only reopened last week. It is one of my new favorites. I never ate fondue before, pretty fun! Beware it is pricey..but very worth it, make sure to get the bananas foster, its amazing and you get quite a show at the end of your dinner! Entertainment Book does have a coupon, so that will come in handy. I give a rating of 5/5spoons! :) That's all for now!

And so it goes....

Wow! Here I am a blogger, imagine that! So this is my first post, and I'm not sure what to say for what I will put on my blog. But I guess... simply is pretty much whatever I want. Isn't that great? Kind of exciting for me...seeing that I've never really kept up a journal, I've attempted a couple of times. Whether I'm having a bad day, fantastic day, loved a certain tv show...or even found something hilarious, I do love to laugh, or share a good recipe..you'll find it here, I hope!