Reflection

Today marks one year since my cousin JoAnna and her daughter Kayla passed away. Two of the most wonderful people I have had the privilege of knowing.
I'm so grateful I was married when I was. I didn't know it when I picked it, but Russ and JoAnna share the same anniversary as me and Kyle. It was a wonderful day and I'm go grateful we were all able share such a wonderful time in the temple together less then a month before Joey and Kayla left us.

JoAnna, You've always been someone I've looked up to and admired. You have a beautiful family, you are so strong in the gospel, and you cook like a master! Thank you for being you!

Kayla, I've loved you since you were a baby! You couldn't be a happier kid! Your love of stickers and animals are captivating. You were always so smart and mature for your age. Thank you Kayla for you strong spirit!

I found this poem/song last year when I was having a really hard time accepting their deaths. It brought me comfort and hope.

What is this thing called death
This quiet passing in the night?
Tis not the end but genesis
of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch Thou my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change,
With recompense for vict’ry won.
The gift of Him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One.

-President Gordon B. Hinckley-

You can listen to it sung by the Mo Tab here

I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have of the plan of salvation. Glorious and blessed be the day we are reunited with all our loved ones! I thank God for giving me the change to know and love these two beautiful angels.

Thank you JoAnna and Kayla for being part of my life! I love and miss you very much!

Till we meet again...

Updates and Gratitude

Just a few updates as of late.


I got my hair cut :) Do you like? Its good to have a change. My friend Gillian did it, check out her blog, she's amazing!I went to a RS craft night with my wonderful mom-in-law! I made this darling little block thingy. We had a lot of fun! We also worked on a cute birthday board! I can't wait to see how it finally turned out!

My sis, Julie, and I went and got massages last week! I've never had one, they are wonderful! Thanks Ju for inviting me!


So I've never been that great at getting my visiting teaching done, but I just got a new partner who is really diligent. This will be good for me! We went and visited one of our sisters on Tuesday. I was in charge of the lesson so I thought well it's November, lets talk about gratitude. I pulled up one of the talks President Monson gave during conference. The Divine Gift of Gratitude. I'm so glad I went back and read this talk, it was really what I needed to hear right now! I need to show more gratitude in my life. I'm not ungrateful, but I don't express my gratefulness nearly as often as I should.

The sister we visited with on Tuesday said she doesn't like Thanksgiving much. She doesn't like the idea that we need a whole holiday to remind us to be thankful. She is so right! We should be thankful everyday. I'm glad we have Thanksgiving because it reminds us to be thankful. We get so focused on what we are lacking and forget to be grateful for what we have. Here are just a few quotes from his talk that I love!

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

"The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life... Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!” ~Joseph F. Smith

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven"

Just a few things I am thankful for in no particular order:

1. A loving husband who loves me as much as I love him.

2. An apartment to call home.

3. That we both have jobs.

4. The opportunity to go to school.

5. A healthy physical body.

6. Two working cars.

7. A wonderful and loving family.

8. Great in-laws who love me as a daughter and sister.

9. The blessings of the temple.

10. The knowledge that this gospel is true.

There are so many more things I could put on this list. I have been so blessed in this life. I've had trials that suck when you are going through them, but I'm even grateful for those. They have made me a stronger person.