{unwrapped}

{draper temple dedication}

This past Sunday, I had the humbling opportunity to sit in the Celestial Room for the 10th Session of the Draper Utah Temple Dedication. I have thought over and over this week about how to adequately express my feelings about this experience…but fear that despite my efforts, it will be impossible to describe the magnitude of what I felt. So please bear with me as I at least attempt to share, in some way, my feelings about what was, without question, the most spiritual experience of my life to date.

 

Before we even entered the Celestial Room on Sunday, I was already touched by the Spirit as I looked around and saw every single member of my family, their spouses, my grandma (Dad’s mom) and 5 of my nephews and nieces that were over the age of 8 and able to attend the Dedication with us. All of us were together – in the House of the Lord. Such a blessing. Since Dad spoke in this session, he and Mom went ahead of us into the Celestial Room and Dad ended up coming for all us shortly before the session began. As we walked into the Celestial Room, Mom greeted all of us at the door, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged each one of us…we were all there. No empty chairs at our table that day.

Inside of the Celestial Room, there were only handfuls already seated, no more than 100 total, including us. It was a full room, so we had to fill in the seats that were vacant, leaving me to sit by a nice gentleman and Chas to sit next to all of the members of the Temple Presidency, dressed in beautiful white. We only had a short time to wait until President Monson & President Eyring entered the Celestial Room and sat mere footsteps from where I sat. I am at a loss…I don’t know how to express to you what I am even feeling right now just recalling that moment. But the closest I can come, is to say that at that very instant, my heart very literally burned and tears flowed down my cheeks. My love and respect for these wonderful men is so great, that I naturally assumed that my emotions were a direct result of being so close to them. And without a doubt, I know that was a large part of it. However, at that moment, for whatever reason, the thought came to me, “It’s okay Heather, your Heavenly Father knows you and loves you…” And that was it…such a simple thought as our dear Prophet and his Counselor entered the room. With their presence, they brought a Spirit and a message just for me. Whether that message was directly from the Spirit or a reminder from myself of something that I knew to be true, I don’t know. But either way, it was a blessing to me at that time.

 

Lately, I have felt a complete happiness that I have never felt before. However, there are still things that I wrestle with every now and again. In the midst of the journey I have taken the past year to rediscover who I am and improve my overall health and well-being, there are brief moments of confusion, not knowing truly who I am and who I want to be. That has been so frustrating for me, even though I know that it is all part of the process of finding the “old me” that I loved so much and mingling it with the parts of an older and wiser “me” to be someone that I am truly happy to be. And I am on my way…it’s just those few moments that I feel slightly overwhelmed. So to hear those few simple words that may seem so generic to anyone else, really struck me. “It’s okay Heather, your Heavenly Father knows you and loves you…” Sometimes I am not completely sure WHO I am entirely….but on Sunday, I was reminded that my HEAVENLY FATHER knows who I am. And not only does He know me, but He loves me - as I was, as I am now and as I will be.

To hear the voice of the Prophet at arms length is something that I will not soon forget….if ever. The last time that I met President Monson was when I was 13, when Dad was set apart as a Mission President to serve over the Hamburg, Germany Mission. But that was different. I was young and still learning who I was and trying to find my own testimony of the Gospel. It was, without a doubt, a wonderful experience to meet President Monson 17 years ago. But now, my testimony, MY very own testimony, burns so deep inside of me that I cannot for a moment deny the truthfulness of the Gospel. I have witnessed too much and see the Lord’s hand in my life too many times to deny it. And so on Sunday, as I sat in the presence of our Prophet, my chest tightened and my heart burned to such a degree that it felt like I would explode. And I gained a witness right then and there, confirming my own testimony, that this IS the Lord’s true Church and this man IS a true Prophet of God.

And now for a moment, a few words about the choir. Visibly, it was a choir of 30. But there were NOT 30 singing on Sunday. From the first note of the first song, I knew that there were more than just 30 voices. If you were to close your eyes, you would have thought that there were at LEAST hundreds singing. And the voices were perfection…heavenly perfection. Music has always spoken to me…often more so than listening to speakers sometimes. This music was like none I have ever heard before. It literally took my breath away. And I know I wasn’t the only one, since at the end of each song, you could hear the soft sound of everyone letting out a breath as if it had suddenly been restored to them. I joked afterwards with Chas that it must have been “Heavenly acoustics,” but looking back, I’m not so sure that is so far off from the truth. Words cannot adequately describe the power of the music and the Spirit that was there in that room, as I am convinced that a Heavenly chorus joined in with that Temple Dedication Choir.

What a blessing to be sitting together as a family in the Celestial Room of the Temple, in the very near presence of the Prophet, feeling the Spirit more powerful that I have ever experienced, and to be able to hear Dad speak there – and share a talk that was, without a doubt, prepared with the Spirit. I asked my Dad if he would be okay with me sharing his talk from the 10th Session of the Draper Utah Temple Dedication with you here on my blog, because I loved it so much…

    “What a blessing to be here today for this dedicatory session. We have watched this temple on the hill as it has been built – and, because we live in Sandy, are now grateful that it will be “our” temple. Actually, Sister Dahlquist and I are blessed to have a number of “our” temples: The Idaho Falls Temple, because that is where we went when we were teenagers to do baptisms for the dead; the Salt Lake Temple, because that is where we were married; the Washington, D.C. temple, because we were involved in the open house for that beautiful temple; the Jordan River Temple for the last 25+ years -- and the list goes on and on ... because as we have visited many temples, a part of them becomes a part of us.
     When Sister Dahlquist and I first visited this temple some weeks ago, we were impressed, as we are today, with the number of children and young men and young women who are here. This morning I would like to speak directly to you.
     First, thank you for being here today. I can promise you that, as you listen to a prophet and participate in this dedicatory session, it will be an experience that will be with you for the rest of your life. And, paraphrasing the words of Elder Neal A. Maxwell, it is our prayer that as you participate in this holy dedication, you will not only briefly pass through the temple today, but will allow these dedicatory services to “pass through” or become part of  you – for you have a great work to perform and need every opportunity to strengthen your testimony and knowledge of the Gospel; and every opportunity to promise to your Heavenly Father that you will keep His commandments – no matter what!  Because, you see, what we become is the result of a series of experiences that shape us.  It is much like our testimonies.  For my testimony is not the result of one large, grandiose experience – but a series of little ones that have had a profound effect on my life – one meeting at a time, one assignment fulfilled at a time, one whispering followed, one prayer, one hymn sung, one home teaching visit made, one home teaching visit received, one scripture memorized, one good choice, one visit to the temple at a time – and the list goes on and on.  And I would venture to say that it might be the same with you – all these small experiences gathered together to help prepare us for the great work that is ahead.
     I can promise each of you young men and young women that the Lord has sent you here to perform a wonderful mission – and has given you the talents and opportunities to do just that – including your attendance here today.  Now is the time to prepare – and to serve while you are preparing.  Sometimes, as youth, we forget that the small things we do can have a profound impact in the lives of those around us. Let me give you just one example.
     Early in the Savior’s ministry, he crossed the Sea of Galilee and went over into a city called Tiberius. There he climbed a hill and sat with his apostles. It was not long before he saw a large crowd of people who had come a long distance to hear him. Knowing that they must be hungry, he suggested that the disciples buy food for the people – more than 5,000 of them.  One of them replied that he did not have enough money to even buy bread for that many people. At that point Peter suggested: “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” --And you know the rest of the story. Jesus had the men sit down on a grassy place and took the bread and the fishes. He blessed them and then gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people that they might eat. When they were finished eating and were filled, Jesus said, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” The record tells us that they gathered the bread that was left over and it filled twelve baskets. And, having just witnessed this miracle, the men that were there, without even hearing from Jesus, said, “This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.”
Just think what came out of the small, seemingly insignificant act of one young lad who was prepared: 5,000 were fed that they might not faint; and, more importantly, it was done by the miraculous actions of the Savior – through which those in attendance witnessed of His divine mission. As I have pondered this simple story, I have a feeling that that young lad came to hear Jesus and brought the food, without even knowing of the significance the 5 loaves and 2 small fishes would have in the lives of those in attendance. And yet, because he was prepared, 5,000 were fed – both physically and spiritually.
     And it is the same with you and me. As we move through mortality, trying each day to do our best, if we are diligent in desiring to do what our Heavenly Father wants us to do, our actions will have profound effects on those around us and we will become tools in the hands of a kind Heavenly Father.
Today you will hear messages and experience feelings in your hearts that will have a profound effect in your lives in the years to come. I pray that as you listen, the messages and spirit of this day, and this dedication, will pass through your minds, and your hearts and your souls and prepare you for the great work the Lord has sent you here to perform. Part of that includes, for each of you the promise that you will return to the temple often to do baptisms for the dead; that you will one day marry a worthy companion for time and all eternity – the right person, in the right place, by the right authority; and for you young men, that you will promise TODAY, if you haven’t already, that you will serve a full time mission for the Lord – and that you will prepare every day of your life for that service.  As you strive, know of our prayers for you and our faith in you.
     God lives.  Jesus is the Christ and this is His house.  May we, each of us, be a little more prepared for the great challenges and opportunities that await us as a result of our presence in this holy temple today.  For if we are prepared, we shall not fear and we shall be able to accomplish, like Nephi of old, all that God expects of us.  May such be our lot, I pray.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

I love my Dad so much. He is one of the most Christ-like men I have ever met and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to “share” him with so many so that they can feel of His Spirit and learn from his experience, wisdom and unfailing testimony. I have always enjoyed listening to Dad speak, but to hear him speak in the Celestial Room in the Temple, in the presence of the Prophet and before such an intimate group was unlike anything….speechless.

Following Dad’s talk and a few other speakers, we had the opportunity to hear from our Prophet and listen to the Dedicatory Prayer. It was beautiful. Before the prayer, President Monson asked us to look around the beautiful room..it is truly breathtaking – nothing short of heavenly.

At the end of the Dedication, we sang “The Spirit of God.” I will be truthful when I say that I never cared much for this song….until now. The choir and our very small congregation sang together..and at the very first note, I felt like I couldn’t breathe at all. I have a pretty strong voice…and I couldn’t even hear myself. At that moment, during that song, all I could think was… “This is true!” The Spirit was so strong and WAS burning “like a fire” inside of me while we sang, and by the last verse, I was so overcome with emotion, that I couldn’t continue until the very last line. Later, I told Chas that I wished that those who didn’t know about the Gospel or those whose testimonies were weak, could have been there in that room with us for even just a moment. No matter what the situation, there is NO WAY that you could have sat in that room and not felt the truthfulness of this Gospel.  I have never felt closer to Heaven than during that hour. I have never felt my heart pound with that MUCH conviction. I know - I know with every fiber of my being that this Church is true. I cannot and never will deny it. Our Prophet IS a true Prophet of God. Temples ARE sacred and beautiful and the closest we can come here on earth to being in the presence of the Lord. And I will never forget a small and simple message, just for me – a reminder that has given me such comfort this week…the simple thought, “It’s okay Heather, your Heavenly Father knows you and loves you…” He knows who I am and He loves me. And right now, that’s all I need to know.

If you would like to know more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, please feel free to contact me or visit www.mormon.org to get in contact with LDS Missionaries in your area.

{first bbq of the season}

The only thing that gets to me about Utah weather is what a tease it is. Last week, we had three days that were almost HOT. It got up to 74 degrees and our kids actually got slightly sunburned playing outside. It was a beautiful thing. People were wearing shorts, t-shirts, flip flops (well, I wear flip flops all year round...so that didn't change for me) and working in the yard. Annnnnnnd today....as I sit here blogging about these three beautiful days, we are currently being blessed with a snowstorm. Fiddlesticks. I hate that. Strike that...hate is a strong word....I really dislike that a LOT. It's not really the snow that bothers me. If it would STAY like this and then POOF!, be spring, then that would be fab! But this whole...."74 degrees one day, 32 degrees the next" thing is enough to drive anyone insane. It's just sad. When I look out the window at the snow, I just want to cry. But I don't...cuz that would be a dumb thing to cry about and there are way too many things to be happy about anyway. LOL! Soooo anyway....back to last week when we had three fabulous days of 74 degree weather....

As soon as it warms up even SLIGHTLY here in the cul-de-sac, we are chomping at the bit to get our weekly BBQs going. So, last Saturday, my neighbor Jed, "Master Griller," fired up the grill and we celebrated the temporary warmness with our first BBQ of the season. Life in the cul-de-sac is a funny thing. We are together just about EVERY SINGLE DAY during the spring and summer...and then come winter, EVERYONE HIBERNATES...literally. So on Saturday, we were all out "getting reacquainted" and catching up with everything that had gone on while we were shut ins for the winter......one neighbor is pregnant and due in 2 months (which we didn't even know about at the end of the fall BBQ months), a new little one is finally walking and has grown so much, so-and-so lost 30 lbs, I lost 19 pounds and have a crazy fun new hair color, one neighbor grew out his hair really long and so did his wife and the kids have all grown a few inches... It's hilarious.....so many things change in the space of a few months where we LITERALLY don't even have contact with each other (other than the few that are members of the LDS Church that we see briefly on Sundays). It's good times. :-) And in this little "getting reacqainted session," I learned that one of my neighbors actually graduated FROM MY HIGH SCHOOl the SAME YEAR I DID and that we know all of the same people. What the crud? Not sure how we never figured that out until not. Oh yay...good times! (Pics below are Saunie & Neil and Jed {Master BBQer} & Angela. Pic in this paragraph is of me and Dania...her hubby was 4-wheelin' this weekend.)

   

Not only do we all get excited about the BBQs because of the time we get to spend with each other (we seriously have a ROCKIN' group of neighbors!!!), but we are MASTERS at creating the best BBQ food spreads EVER!!! I look forward to every BBQ every week, because I almost always try a brand new recipe that I've never tried before.  And this past Saturday, on our very first bbq of the season, I picked a WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!! I decided to try out a recipe for Ultimate Scalloped Potatoes..and good gracious...they are HEAVENLY! While everyone ate the other delicious dishes, I was a good girl and had my turkey burger (without a bun) and orange slices....but I did have to at least try my potatoes to make sure that they were good. And "good" doesn't even do them justice. WOWSAH....delish! LIkely some of the best potatoes I've ever had!!! So of COURSE, I have GOT to pass along the recipe to you. So with this new recipe, we now start a new season of DELICIOUS new recipes here on {unwrapped}. YAY!!!! (Although with the snow this week, I'm not seeing another BBQ in the near future.....but when we do, I will most definitely have another tasty dish to share with you!!)

 

ULTIMATE SCALLOPED POTATOES 

1 tsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or I used a few dashes of minced garlic)
6 medium potatoes
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 C. shredded Parmesan cheese

Grease a shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish with the butter; set aside.  In a saucepan, combine cream, milk, salt, pepper & garlic. Cook just until bubbles begin to form around sides of pan.  Remove from the heat; cool for 10 minutes.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes; pat dry with paper towels. Layer half of the potatoes in prepared baking dish; top with half of the cream mixture and half of the cheeses.  Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. ENJOY!!!

I think I've mentioned this before, but when our cute neighbor Dania moved in, I could NOT believe how much she looked like Marisa Tomei!!! It's uncanny. I mentioned it to her and she said that she hears that quite often actually. Crazy. So today I decided to do a side by side for ya.

 

Crazy huh! Dania is so gorgeous..but the funny thing is, she will NOT look at the camera!!! It's so funny...in every picture, she looks somewhere different, but NEVER at the camera. We tried to take some pics with the girls at the BBQ...LOVE how these cute pics turned out and had to laugh at Dania moving her head around or just being silly... :-)

    
  

BUT....oooh oooh OOOOOH...after like 60 bazillion pics, we ACTUALLY managed to FINALLY get her to look at the camera for a BRIEF second...and Chas caught it! HAPPY DAAAAAAAY! Love this pic and love these girls....Angela, Dania & Saunie. GOOD TIMES in our circle! YAY! 

Hoping that once it warms up a little more, more of our friends from the cul-de-sac will join us for the BBQs, but the four of us are really the diehard BBQers in the circle....we BBQ until it's so freezing that we are FORCED to stop and start up again as soon as the slightest HINT of warm weather comes around. LOL! Unfortunately, it looks like we may have to skip this week due to snow, but you can bet that as soon as the sun comes out and it warms up JUST ENOUGH for our fingers and toes to not turn blue, that we will be out there gettin' our GRILL ON! :-)

{st. paddy's day}

 

I swore up and down before I had kids that I would never buy into the whole "$5 holiday t-shirt" craze. It seemed completely silly and impractical to me. And guess who has bought them EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY since Kaden was in preschool?! Ha ha ha! It is one of Kaden's absolute FAVORITE parts of these "little" holidays....to have a special t-shirt JUST for that day. And $5 is a small price to pay for an excited little kid. And besides....they are pretty good quality t-shirts and make great summer play shirts. And if you're Kaden, you get a LOT more than just one day out of it anyway (he BEGGED me to let him wear it AGAIN today..LOL!).

   
  

Anyway...needless to say, they looked so cute in their matchies, that we absolutely HAD to do a little photo shoot. They are seriously the cutest kids ever. Usually, they are so bugged by having to get their pics taken...but when they are in matching shirts, they get all cute and excited about the whole thing. ANOTHER reason I spend $5 for these "impractical" shirts. LOL! Worth every cent. I barely have to coach them...they are so cute and lovey and silly together. It makes for really cute and fun pics....and I took a bazillion. Bless their cute hearts! LOL!

  
    

Oh, even in the midst of this very difficult an crazy phase they are both going through right now, I SERIOUSLY LOVE MY BABIES!!!!! And that's no BLARNEY!!!

Other than being excited about St. Patrick's Day for my kiddies, I don't really get into it myself. However, my friend Sean (on the far right holding the Lucky Charms..LOL) who owns the Jazzercise franchise I go to every morning LOVES St. Patrick's Day. It is literally her FAVORITE holiday of the year. She goes ALL OUT. All of our workout sets were either Irish songs, Irish singers, Irish routines or somehow focused around St. Patrick's Day. It was a blast!! Love this fun pic of all of us that were wearing green for our fun St. Patrick's Day workout. The gals were all so thrilled (slightly sarcastic) to have their picture taken AFTER our workout...but I figure, who cares? Everyone knows we were WORKING OUT. If this was how we looked before a nice night out, I'd be concerned. But considering this is AFTER a crazy awesome 5:30 AM workout, we look pretty dang fabulous, if I do say so myself. LOL! GOOD TIMES!!!

   

In addition, Sean encouraged ALL OF US for WEEKS beforehand to wear GREEN (which most of us did). I just about died when I saw my friend Kelli walk in dressed like this.......

 

So funny. And get this, even Miss "I won't ever buy into the holiday t-shirts craze" (ME) actually invested in a ST.PATRICK'S DAY TANK TOP......JUST for St. Patrick's Day! It said "I'm not Irish, kiss me anyway!" LOL! I've come a long way! Funny stuff. After our class, Sean did drawings for Lucky Charms and all of us got a bar of "IRISH SPRING!" ;-) She told us to poke a few holes in it and keep it in our workout bags to keep everything smelling fresh! Love that idea! Such a fun fun way to start the day!!!

   

What a fun fun day!!!! And completely unrelated to St. Patrick's Day, but still having to do with green stuff (LOL!), is Seneca's newest obsession with Edamame. I absolutely LOVE Edamame and was thrilled when my friend Marisa told me that Costco sells big frozen bags of it. She picked up a bag of it for me this week and Seneca tried it for the first time...and was HOOKED!!! Yum-o-RAMA!!!!! And a healthy healthy snack for her too, which is fab!!!! She is such a junk food junkie that I am thrilled to find something healthy that she really loves!!! YAY!

   

And now, to end this recap of our fun St. Paddy's Day, one of my favorite Irish Blessings...from me to you.....

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer. 

**HEATHER'S WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE: Just a quick update. Weighed in today and I lost 3 lbs. and 1.5% body fat THIS WEEK after continuing with my healthy eating plan, TONS of water, TAISLIM!!!!! & instead of doing my daily workouts, I have been doing "2-A-DAY" WORKOUTS for the past 2 weeks just to kick my system into gear....and it worked!!!!! I......FEEL......AWESOME!!!!!

SO..that brings me to a total of......

***18 POUNDS LOST since February 2nd!!!***

{true friendship}

In the midst of the overwhelming, but incredibly rewarding, workload that I have had this week with the Youth Temple Celebration, and suffering from a pretty annoying sinus infection :-), I have spent quite a bit of time with personal reflection on a topic that has been on my mind lately - true friendship. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what true friendship means to me. I don't think it's necessary to go into my entire thought process about this, since many are personal feelings and I also don't want to inadvertently hurt any feelings, especially when that is not my intention. One evening this week, while I was taking a brief break from my church work, I started to do a little "research" on friendship. I didn't realize that the very first link that would pop up would be one that was meant for me - and very literally and answer to a prayer. What are the chances that of ALL of the millions and millions of links about friendship, that this particular one would be at the very top RIGHT when I needed it?! The answer is...I am pretty convinced that it was NOT by chance at all. As I read through this article by David Leonhardt, tears streamed down my cheeks as everything he wrote spoke directly to what I had been feeling. I've read it a few times since then and have been so inspired by what he wrote. It had such an impact on me, that I would love to share that with you today....

TRUE FRIENDSHIP
By David Leonhardt

“Choose friends wisely, for the portrait they paint
Is who you are and who you ain't.
Friendship is life's great support
When the friendships you have are of the right sort.
For all your dreams, do they make room,
Or bring you down with doom and gloom?
You will know a friendship is true…
When it brings out the best in you.”

It's true. You can tell a person by the company she keeps. Our friendships not only tell a lot about who we are -- they make us who we are. The friendship poem above says it all. You will know a friendship is true when it brings out the best in you.

Take a look at your friendships. Do they bring out the best in you? That might seem like a silly question. We all tend to think, "Of course they bring out the best in me. I wouldn't be friends with them otherwise." But stop and think why you are friends. Here are a few common reasons why people become friends:

• Common background, sharing a comfort level in company from "the same side of the tracks"
• Common current situation, being able to discuss parenting, home renovations, or some other major life circumstance.
• Common interest, such as cards, bowling, hunting, etc.
• For shy people, a person who actually approached you is a candidate for friendship.
• For leaders, somebody who seems content to follow is a likely candidate.
• Somebody you spend time with anyway, such as a colleague, sibling, etc, often becomes a friend.
• Somebody you see frequently anyway, such as a neighbor, store clerk, etc, could become a friend.

These are just a few reasons people choose friends. It is the easy, natural way, but it is not always in our best interest. Sure, we should always want to get along with colleagues, neighbors, siblings, and anybody else.

But we should choose our friends, the people we open up to, very carefully. For instance, even a sibling can bring you down, pooh-pooh your dreams and load you up with negativity. "Ha! You think you can teach? What do you know about teaching?"  Even well-meaning friends can be dream-slashers. "Oh, do you really think you should go into business for yourself? I mean, what about security?"

On the other hand, some friends have a way of building up your dreams. "Go for it! You could really do well. And at worst, you'll at least have given it your best shot!"
Friends will often lend a hand. "Gee, I don't know much about fitness, but is there any way I can help you reach your goal?" Dream-slashers usually don't. "Hey, if you insist on pursuing this crazy scheme, leave me out of it."

A true friendship should:

• Encourage you to live your dream.
• Support you toward your goals.
• Sympathize for your losses and help you find a silver lining.
• Build your self-esteem.

If happiness and life-satisfaction are your goals, your friends should be chosen on the basis of how well they can accomplish those four goals.

Happiness is a personal choice that comes from within. But it sure doesn't hurt to have supportive friendships that help us achieve our goals.

Coincidentally, or perhaps NOT so coincidentally, Chas and I were able to meet up with my dear friend Kate and her friend Brent yesterday for lunch. There are choice people in my life that fit the above description of true friends..and I'm pretty sure you know who you are. Sweet "Katika" is, without question, one of my truest dearest friends...and very literally my angel. I love her so much. After a week of so much reflection on this specific topic, seeing her at the end of the week felt like divine revelation to me. The Lord knew we needed each other...and always seems to bring us back together. And we recognize that and have been making more of an effort to schedule regular time together to make sure that we see each other on a regular basis.

 

 

There is just something about Kate. And there's just something about ME when I am WITH Kate. There just something about our friendship that is nothing short of heavenly. Seeing her yesterday was a reminder of the "true friendship standard" that David Leonhardt refers to and a testament to me of the love that my Savior has for me.

How blessed I am to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends every day of my life (whether it is in person or those wonderful friends I have met through my blog)...and a choice few that know me better than anyone, who know my heart, my fears, my flaws....and still love me unconditionally. They are not only "true friends" to the very detail of the "definition" above, but true examples of Christlike love.

{you can choose}

It has been so long since my last blog post and I am hoping to be able to blog sometime soon. There is SO much to blog about and so little time lately. The great opportunity I have to be a part of the Youth Temple Celebration has very quickly turned into a 40hr/week commitment. But things are good. I am so happy lately....genuinely happy and feel a peace that I haven't felt in a long time. It's a good thing. I am blessed to have a very close friend that has not only been an extreme source of strength and support for me, but is also always sending me quotes and thoughts to lift and inspire me. I love that. I am so blessed with friendships that uplift, encourage, strengthen, inspire and bring out the very best of who I am and who I want to be. I want to share one of these great quotes with you today....

YOUR CHOICES ARE UNLIMITED

You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.

You steer the course you choose in the direction
of where you want to be today, tomorrow,
or in a distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.

You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.

Until next time....CHOOSE to make today a great one!

{february craft night}

After a brief hiatus while I got my life organized again, I am finally back on track with the monthly craft nights that I host here in my neighborhood. And last week, we had yet another fabulous craft night for the month of February. This month, I offered 3 different projects to choose from. The first was a set of "FAMILY" blocks (shown in the picture above). These turned out so great. Took me a bit to get the fonts together for all of the letters so that it looked just right to me...but it was worth the time. These are fun for wall shelves, armoires, bookshelves, etc. So fun! (The blocks range from 3" x 6" - 3" x 4")

 

The second project was a organizer box for mail..and this was my fave! A while back, our mail organizer box that we had hanging inside our garage door broke and Chas has been getting on me to come up with something else that would work. When I saw this box with a fun beadboard backing, I couldn't wait to make one for us. After making it and seeing how seriously cute it was with the heavy flower and "Mail" stencil on it, I decided that it would be a fun craft for craft night. It turned out so great and not only is it functional, but it looks FABULOUS on my kitchen counter!!! ;-)

   

The last projects, and by request, were the picture frames that I made for bunco prizes last month. And we made a TON of frames. The best part about these frames, is that every single one turns out different. Love that. They are so fun and unique In the past, I have always leaned towards MATTE FINISH for just about everything I design. However, these frames are FA-BU-LOUS with a GLOSS FINISH. SO awesome!!!

 
    
  

My friend Amber actually decided to paint her frames solid colors (brown and green) to match her baby nursery. She also ordered the FAMILY Blocks to say JAXON instead, so that they also could be used in her nursery....they turned out SO CUTE! Love this cute picture of Amber's cute belly with the fun crafts for baby's room!!

 

As with every other month, the ladies had SUCH a great time! After each craft night, Chas will ask if it was fun. Interesting question. To be honest, for ME, the actual craft nights are not necessarily "fun" in the same way that they are for the ladies that attend. I am generally bustling around helping everyone get their crafts done and making sure everyone is good to go. I am usually pretty exhausted by the end of the night.....but it absolutely "happy exhaustion!" ;-)

   
    

Although they are a lot of work, I will tell you what DOES make it FUN for me. I love being on the outside and seeing all of the ladies having fun. Every month when I hear them chatting and laughing so hard together and making crafts that they enjoy so much, it makes me heart do the happy dance. ;-) And I love it. That was the reason I started craft night....to provide a creative and social outlet for the women in our neighborhood, an environment where everyone would feel welcome and involved, and a place where friendships could grow and eventually unite the women in our community. And so far, it has done just that. That makes me happy...that is the great "profit" that I take home every month. And it's an awesome one. Love it!
   
  
    

We ended up having about 15 people there this past week, which is AWESOME! (A little SHOUT OUT to my friend Beth Anne (B.A.) who joined us this month and is wearing the blue shirt in the photo below. I work out with B.A. every morning and this was the first time we had seen each other with MAKE-UP on! LOL! Good times!!) Someday, I am hoping that that number will grow. The more gals we can involve, the more friendships that will be made and the more friendships, the stronger the ties to this area which would hopefully result in everyone wanting to put down deeper roots and stick around for a while. :-)

When Chas and I decided a few years back that moving was not the right decision for us, and that this was where we would be for a while, I realized that I had to DO something to be happy here and help others be happy here so that hopefully others would want to stay and we could build the unity of our community here and decrease the amount of turnover in our area. That's when I felt strongly that I should start a monthly craft night. I was so outrageously busy already, but just had the feeling that it was something that I needed to MAKE time for and that it would bring happiness to so many lives...including my own. And without a doubt...it has done exactly that. With my original decision to make this particular craft night non-profit for the ladies of my neighborhood, it is a tremendous amount of work without financial profit. But I am completely sincere when I say that the happiness, fulfillment and sense of purpose that I receive from hosting this for the women of our area every month is far more of a blessing in my life than any financial profit would be. It is a good thing and I am already looking forward to our craft night in March! ;-)

{an opportunity for growth}

It seems that each time I start to try and de-stress my life, to start limiting the number of commitments I have, projects I have going on, etc. etc., I am unknowingly just making room for something new to fill that gap. Let me give you an example to illustrate what I mean exactly. As a result of exceeding my own personal limits the last half of last year, I spent the first part of this year "cleaning house" and limiting the amount of directions that I was being pulled. And for the first time in a long time, and with the help of my newly discovered natural miracle, I could breathe and relax and very literally start feeling peace in my life. It was quiet and I was comfortable.

If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is that although enjoyable for a moment, there is not a wealth of growth when we are comfortable. There are not many opportunities for change and development when things are easy. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who doesn't allow us to get comfortable...for long. He doesn't want us to simply be content and satisfied with who we are today and so He allows for trials, tests and challenging opportunities to help us grow and become closer to Him. He wants us to have every opportunity to reach our great and heavenly potential. And true to character, after just moments of this quiet, my Heavenly Father provided an opportunity for me that would soon prove to be one of the most challenging, time-consuming and most rewarding once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I may ever have. I thought I was simply cleaning house of projects and "worldy responsibilities" for my own personal sanity. But little did I know that perhaps this "house cleaning" was inspired to help me make room for more "heavenly responsilities" that would help me serve others, serve the Lord, grow as an individual, strengthen my testimony and become closer to my Savior.

Before I share what my new assignment is, I will give you a little background. The beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Temple is currently being built less than a 5 minute drive from my home. With the Jordan River Temple already only 15 minutes away and the Draper Temple also 15-20 minutes away (and MORE within a very reasonable driving distance), we are so extremely blessed to be surrounded by so many of these beautiful temples here in Utah. With the Draper Temple being dedicated this month and the Oquirrh Mountain Temple being dedicated in August, there will be a Youth Temple Celebration in the Conference Center in honor of the dedication of EACH temple. There are 25 stakes in our temple district. There are 10,000 youth in those 25 stakes that will be performing at the Conference Center on May 30th for the Youth Temple Celebration for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple - OUR temple. The performance will consist of 15 themed dance numbers and a variety of choral numbers involving all 10,000 youth in our temple district. Our 25 stakes are broken down into 5-stake groups. A couple has been assigned as "Multi-Stake Coordinators" to be over each of those 5-stake groups. Then, there is a Stake Event Coordinator (SEC) called for each stake. 

Less than a month ago, I was asked to be the Stake Event Coordinator (SEC) over the 400+ youth in our stake. I was slightly overwhelmed (since this is an assignment in addition to the 3 other callings I have) but also filled with SO much joy, that I could only say, through tears, "How can I say no?" This is, without a doubt, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I am honored to be able to exhaust myself in the service of the Lord and alongside some of the most incredible people I have ever met. And I am humbled that the Lord chose me for this life-changing assignment. So, needless to say, the past 3 1/2 weeks have been CRAZY trying to reach all of our youth and get everything organized for rehearsals that will start next Saturday. I have also, throughout the process, designed a blog as a resource for our leaders and all of our youth to follow throughout the next few months.... http://www.heatherdwhite.typepad.com/fortherriman. Fortunately, I was given 5 of the most wonderful and dependable people to work with on this project...our Stake Young Men's President and Stake Young Women's President who are both TOP NOTCH and so GREAT to work with and a Dance Coordinator, Music Coordinator and Wardrobe Coordinator that would knock your socks off. This is such a huge undertaking, but we are going to pull it off. At one of our first meetings a few weeks ago, our Multi-stake Coordinators, who I simply LOVE already, said "There are few organizations that could pull off a production of this magnitude with so little time. But when the Lord is involved, not only will it come together, but it will be MAGNIFICENT!!!" And it will...I know that without a doubt!

The most intriguing and meaningful thing about this so far, is how this new calling has made me feel. When I am overwhelmed with "worldly responsibilities," I am often completely stressed and exhausted. The interesting thing is, I am just as busy...and sometimes even more so with this new assignment and also trying to balance with the many other things that still need to have my attention. But I don't FEEL any of that same stress or anxiety. I feel complete happiness and peace. Granted, without as many "worldy projects," I also don't have as much money coming in. But I have so much more...something greater. In addition to the fact that I have been taking much better care of myself and focusing on my health in every aspect, I know that because I am busy in the Lord's work, that I am being blessed with that peace in the midst of what would normally be a very high stress project with all that needs to be done in a VERY short time. Even in the most crazy of moments (and believe me, we have already had many), I am able to still be upbeat and cheerful and encouraging....and I am able to get things done without any problems. And I know that the good people I am working with have felt that as well..and have also been a GREAT SUPPORT and reason for everything working out and running so smoothly. The Lord definitely hand-picked these men and women for this production. I love them so much already and can't wait to be able to work with them even more the next few months. What an awesome, character and testimony building opportunity for ALL OF US involved!

The Oquirrh Mountain Temple Youth Celebration theme is "Come Up to the Mountain of the Lord."

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it....And many people shall go and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:2-3)

I want you to know how excited and humbled I am to be involved in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the Stake Event Coordinator (SEC) for the Fort Herriman Stake.  To have the chance to be a part of this great celebration is something so great and overwhelming to me. I want you to know that I have a strong testimony of the temple. More than once, I have very literally seen miracles in my own life, through temple attendance. My heart starts to race with excitement when I think of what a wonderful blessing it is to have yet another temple so close to us...."Our Temple"...."MY Temple." I am thrilled to be able to work with our wonderful youth - to help them feel the Spirit and gain a personal testimony of the great blessing that this temple will be in THEIR lives. I am looking forward to working with these great men and women and our awesome youth and know that this opportunity, although likely to be very hectic and crazy at times, will be one of the most spiritually uplifting and unforgettable experiences of our lives. And with that, it's onward, upward...and OFF WE GO!!!

{4 week powerhouse}

 

This has been an INCREDIBLE 4 weeks for me...as you can see! I have worked so hard to stick to a strict healthy eating plan, have worked out 5-6 days a week and have experienced the MAGIC of GoChi and TAIslim as a companion on my way to better health. I....feel.....INCREDIBLE!!!!! I can't even remember the last time I felt this kind of "Overall Health & Well-Being" in my life. I feel at peace in my life for the first time in a long time, I feel spiritually strong and have so much gratitude in my heart for the many incredible blessings in my life. I am so genuinely happy and content and calm and enjoying better quality of sleep than I have in over 8 years. I have so much natural energy that I have evergy to SPARE at the end of the day. I am losing weight, inches (4 1/2 inches of my inches lost are from my waist!!!) and body fat and starting to really feel my clothes fitting differently. And I am strong. I have never had as much muscle as I have seen developing the past few months. My legs are solid as rock and I can feel muscles throughout my body strengthening and can even FEEL them tighten when I walk....it's an awesome and empowering feeling to have that kind of strength. That sounds so funny to be so excited about muscle....but for someone who has never really focused on strength training and hasn't ever really had much muscle definition, to be toning to this extent feels CRAZY AWESOME!!!! I am constantly having Chas feel this or that muscle or "hit my leg" just to feel how hard the muscle is. LOL!

I can't even describe to you how I feel lately. I have never experienced this level of health in my life....in every aspect. Interesting thing is, as far as physical health, I am still quite a bit heavier than I was when I was single, but I am 10 times healthier and more fit....and on my way to becoming even MORE so. I have quite a ways to go...but what an incredible start!! It gives me goosebumps to even imagine that if I am feeling like such a powerhouse after only 4 weeks...what 4 MORE weeks will do! ;-) Can't wait to find out!!!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GOCHI & TAISLIM, visit www.heatherdwhite.freelife.com, or feel free to drop me an e-mail anytime!!!

{personal energy}

I have never been one to put a lot of weight on horoscopes. Not only have I always just thought they are kind of a load of bologna (I have to admit, that even as a former English major, the word "bologna" drives me insane. Why ever would the word-making-up people decide to spell a word SO COMPLETELY different than it sounds? It just doesn't make sense. I seriously should consider boycotting and spelling it "baloney" from now on. But for now, I will stick with the original, though completely ridiculous spelling), but as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have always put my faith in the Lord instead of the fortune teller astrologist horoscope people, and so far, that has worked out really well for me. LOL! However, every now and again (and actually quite often lately....oddly enough), despite how I feel about them, there will be a horoscope that is so close to home and so completely right on....that for a brief second I think, "WOW...how did they know?" Of course, with 356 days in the year, the horoscope people have pretty good odds that at least a FEW days out of the year, they will hit something close to home for everyone within each sign....so still, it's not all that impressive. That being said though...after reading my horoscope today and having that "WOW....this is SO COMPLETELY me right now! How did they know??" moment, I thought I would share it on my blog....just for kicks. ;-)

Sunday, March 1
"Your personal energy is transforming as a result of some special people in your life. You are not only changing emotionally and mentally, but physically as well. There could be health benefits to boot...."