Four Days

My sister posted the following on her blog today. I thought it was a really nice tribute to my parents and wanted to share it:

"In just four days my parents will return home from serving as Mission Presidents in Brazil. Three years have flown by and yet it seems so long since the day they left. My father has seven new grandbabies to meet and a son-in-law he has only talked to on the phone. They left the house with a field behind it and only a few houses. Now there is a fence and houses staring into their backyard. Two of their children and Bob were all still attending college. Now they are all done and happy to be through. In the time they have been gone all six of their children have had ups and downs, shed tears of joy, and tears of sadness, frustration, or pain. But the one thing we can all agree on is that we have all been blessed and we all feel closer. Over the last three years my parents have given my siblings and myself the greatest gift they could have. They blessed us by serving a mission. They taught our children the gospel is more important than anything else on this earth. They have taught love and sacrifice to me and my children in a way nothing else on this earth can. My parents chose to serve God, they chose to serve the people of Brazil, and they chose to do what they knew was right. I am so proud of them and am proud to call myself their daughter. Thank you Mom and Dad for the legacy you have started by choosing to serve! See you in four days!!!"

I am also so grateful for the sacrifices my parents have made to serve the Lord. Their dedicated service has shown me that service to the Lord comes before anything else. Even though I missed having my parents with me during some of the events that occurred in my life while they were gone, their absence taught me lessons I never could have learned in any other way. Love you mom and dad!

Happy First Anniversary!

David, thanks for still making me laugh everyday! I love you!

I can't move back to Utah...

...because Utah doesn't offer DOUBLE COUPONS!!!

So, I've become an obsessive couponer. I stalk coupon blogs and get giddy when someone nabs next weeks grocery ad a day before it comes out and posts it online. However, my obsessive compulsive behavior sometimes pays off.

For instance, this week our local grocery store, Harris Teeter, offered SUPER DOUBLE COUPONS! This means that all coupons up to $1.98 will be doubled (i.e. a coupon for $1.50 would give you $3 off). I had so much fun figuring out how to get items for super cheap or even free. Here's what I got:

Glade Gel Warmer and Refill $0.19
Kraft Caesar Italian Dressing $0.50
Colgate Advanced Whitening Toothpaste Free
Colgate Whitening Toothpaste $0.49
Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs Free
4 Boxes of Mini Wheats $0.33/box
Lysol Toilet Cleaner $0.59
Lysol Kitchen Cleaner $0.47
2 Seventh Generation Jumbo Paper Towels Free
12 Pack of Eskimo Pie Ice Cream Sticks $0.50
5 Mars Brand Candy Bars $0.18/bar
Kraft Mayo w/ Olive Oil $2.50
2 Packages of Sparklers $1.00

In total I only spent $9.34 and I saved.............drumroll please!.............................$47.19

Allyson's Wedding

This weekend my friend Allyson got married. David and I went to the wedding and luncheon and had such a great time. It was a beautiful wedding. They were married outside of a small church that I had to take a picture of because it was so picturesque.





Allyson has been a great friend throughout my time in the history program at UNCG. I wish her and Alan the very best in their marriage!

Hey There Delilah--Mormon Style

Go here to watch a hilarious take on the Plain White T's song, "Hey There Delilah."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xi4OsIdmn8

Baptism

This past Saturday David and I had the opportunity to participate in a baptism for a wonderful young woman, Amanda Lacy. David baptized her and I spoke at her baptism. We were both so excited for her. She is amazing and has already read the entire Book of Mormon and has started reading the "Our Heritage" booklet. She will be a wonderful member and has become a good friend. Ironically, my cousin baptized his wife and stepson on the same day, making it a great day for miracles!

David, Amanda, Elder Quinn, and Elder Sorensen

Outdoor Fun, Cookout/BBQ?, and a Birthday!

The past few weeks have been loaded with fun activities including such things as planting our first garden, BBQ-ing, and my twenty-fourth birthday. I've included some pictures to update everyone on what we've been doing!

First, as the summer progressed I realized how much I miss gardening. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss tilling, planting, weeding, and especially eating all the fruits and vegetables I had while growing up. I took it for granted while I was young that I could walk outside my home and eat a handful of fresh raspberries, blackberries, grapes, or any other number of things we grew. So, David and I decided to plant our own garden. Because we live in an apartment complex and we can't dig into the ground, David went and bought some large planting pots. We now have two pepper plants, a zucchini plant, and a tomato plant growing in our own little garden.


It's amazing how much our plants have already grown...and we haven't done ANYTHING!!! It rains every other day here and when it's not raining the humidity keeps the moisture in the plants so we never have to water. I've come to the conclusion that having a garden in North Carolina is the way to go...if you plant it, the vegetables will come!

Oh, and one more thing, while I love having a garden and miss my huge garden in Utah...sorry, dad, I'll never miss picking the beans!


We also recently celebrated my birthday. David's mom was so sweet to take us out to dinner and Courtney, David's sister, surprised me with a cake and a gift!



My neighbor Sarah also made a yummy chocolate cake for me. Notice her candle color choice--green, pink, and white. This is not surprising since Sarah's entire apartment is decorated in these colors!

My wish? Well, I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you....

Finally, David and I bought ourselves an early anniversary gift--a grill!!! Walmart had all of their grills on sale for a great price so we decided to splurge a little and buy one. We love it!

HOWEVER, the grill has created tension in our home because I call it a barbeque and David calls it a grill. Additionally, I call what we do with the grill a barbeque and David calls it a cookout (it's a Southern thing). Anyway, you can all weigh in on what you think the correct terminology for the outdoor appliance and its uses are. If you are having trouble deciding or if you just want to have a good laugh, watch this short video which pays tribute to true Southern BBQ.

While in Utah...

I was able to visit some of my close friends while I was in Utah. I had such a wonderful time being with Kasia, Jeanette, Angie, and Kasia's adorable new baby Miriam.


As we talked about friends, good times, and the gospel, I was reminded how much I love these girls for the wonderful women that they have become. For six years they have been my lifeline and have made me the person I am today. They are such great examples of kindness, sacrifice, love, and faith. I'm so lucky to have friends who all have similar life goals and who, above all, aren't afraid to follow the Lord in their lives. I love you girls!!!