Slacking.

I've had this post saved in my drafts forever and never got around to posting it. This is from when a group of friends came to visit in AZ and then when I went up to Utah for a week visit. So fun. Now I'm living in Provo again and things are sooooo good.

Heaven on Earth

This past week was SUCH a good week. I had the opportunity to do a session with Joslyn on Tuesday night and a session with my parents on Thursday night. Its amazing how much better I feel after I leave the temple. The spirit is so strong there, it truly is the house of the Lord.
This was only one of the reasons I had such a good week... of course another one of the reasons is because my mission call came! I'm going to the Philippines, Quezon City Mission, speaking Tagalog and I report April 21st! I am unbelievably excited! I know that's where the Lord wants me to serve and I can't wait to get out and be with the people of the Philippines.
Other than that, I got a few babysitting jobs which was nice because I'm in need of some cash and I also have been exercising everyday with also keeps me happy! So yeah. Life is just good. I don't doubt that I'm where I'm supposed to be right now. I love being with my family and I love the Indigo Bay Ward! People have been so friendly and welcoming and there always seems to be something fun going on. I thought I would be missing Provo a ton if I moved home and of course there are people that I miss but I have been pleasantly surprised by how content I am here for the time being! The Lord's hand is in my life and I love it!

Isn't it Ironic?

OH. MY. GOSH. So my mom asked me to go up in the attic to get some boxes down and as I was climbing up the ladder I was telling her how much I hated ladders and we started talking about how my mom got hurt one time going up into the attic and sure enough (don't ask me WHAT I was thinking) as I got to the top and stepped off the ladder I forgot that I was supposed to step onto the beams and I stepped onto the ply wood and FELL THROUGH THE ATTIC. bahahaha. I am so lucky that there were boxes there to catch my fall and that I didn't break any bones. all I ended up with was a few scrapes and cuts and a little soreness. It was terrifying though. Ha. My mom was a mess but after we came back out to look at the mess I created we ended up laughing our heads off and I said a prayer of gratitude that our garage has so much junk in so I had cushioning on the way down:) What a blessing. Here's the damage:
The hole I fell through:

The broken ceiling:

The boxes that saved me:So blessed that this was the worst of it (I will say though.. its worse than this picture makes it look and it burns pretty bad. I think I'll be sore tomorrow. Ha.)
Oh man. What a morning. Ha.

Getting Impatient....

My mission call is supposed to come this week and I can't WAIT. bah.

Feeling Domestic..

Saw it. Adored It.

I've decided one of my favorite things to do is get all ready, go to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a specific recipe, come home and turn music on LOUD in the kitchen, make the recipe and share it. Last night I made this recipe that I got from my friend Nancy. It's DELICIOUS.. Try it out:)

SANTA ROSA VALLEY SALAD

2 boxes long grain & wild rice (Uncle Ben’s cooked with seasonings)

Juice of one lemon

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

4 green onions, diced

1 red and green pepper, diced

3 oz. fresh Chinese pea pods (remove ends and blanch)

2 med. avocados, diced

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Lettuce leaves for garnish (if serving on individual plates)

DRESSING

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. sugar

1/3 c. rice wine vinegar

1/3 c. vegetable oil

Combine dressing ingredients in blender. Cover and refrigerate.

Mix salad ingredients except avocados and pecans. Combine with dressing and refrigerate.

Before serving, add avocados and pecans and garnish with lettuce leaves.

*Can be made a day in advance


It turned out great! Mmm. (Don't worry, I'm not planning on specializing in food-photography. It tastes a lot better than it looks, I promise.)

Enjoy! :)

Beauty in Creation

I love what President Uchtdorf has to say about the power of creation:

"Creating and being compassionate are two objectives that contribute to our Heavenly Father’s perfect happiness. Creating and being compassionate are two activities that we as His spirit children can and should emulate.

The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty ...Remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.

We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it."

I love the feeling I get when I create something. Anything. I love how Uchtdorf says it can even be creating smiles or laughter. Whether it be trying a new recipe, learning a new skill, or doing something crafty, I love looking at the end result and knowing that I created it.

Lately I have been making headbands with Joslyn. Its a small way I experience joy through creation. Here's a couple of the latest.

I made the black & white one and the red one for Claire for her birthday and the Gold one for me:) They look cuter on.

I made this one last night..

here's the link to Joslyn's blog if you want to buy any headbands:)

{click on picture to check out creations}

Its fun to see different peoples ways of creating and adding beauty to this earth. My mom is always making floral arrangements, beautifying our home, and doing other crafty things. She is really good at taking anything and turning it into something wonderful and useful. My aunts and my grandma's are always creating things as well. They do things like stain glass, tile mosaics, knitting or crocheting, scrapbooking, gardening, etc. Whatever it may be I love it. My aunt just made me this adorable headband:) This is a skill I need to pick up!

I love that we can all use our talents in our own ways to create and find ways to make something out of nothing. I need to work on creating in the cooking department...I think I'll try a new recipe tomorrow:)

Uchtdorf wraps it up by saying:

"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."

Weekend Getaway

We took a road trip to Flagstaff this past weekend and it was just what I needed! We were able to attend a beautiful baptism and I got to make new friends! We drove to Sedona on Saturday and took a little hike to "The Devil's Bridge." It was gorgeous and the weather was perfect. Oh how I love Arizona.

The Whole Gang


I love spending time with this girl.

AND to top it all off, I got to see ABBY! Love her.

I also got the opportunity to talk to a couple sister missionaries that were enthusiastic and excited about the work and it made me really excited to serve! I can't wait... my part is submitted and I'm waiting for the Stake President to schedule an appointment with me. Exciting! Overall, it was a fabulous weekend and I came home feeling so grateful for good friends, and the Lord's hand in my life. I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be right now and I'm excited about the future!

Hong Kong

Quinn and Claire decided to get married in the Hong Kong temple since they both served their missions there and have a history on that side of the world...pretty crazy, but I didn't complain because I got to go to Hong Kong! :) We left the day after Christmas and were there for about a week. It was a very eventful, wonderful week. Here are some of the Pictures.

Sight seeing and shopping with the fam before Quinn became dead to us:) It was fun to spend time with Claire's family as well! We knew them in Singapore when we both lived there about ten years ago or so.

I was able to go through the temple the day before the wedding since my mission papers are almost in. It was so special and I'm so grateful for my testimony and the blessings the gopsel brings into my life. The sealing was beautiful and the couple was as happy as could be. What a wonderful thing it is that they are truly sealed for eternity. They couldn't have found better matches than each other and I'm so excited for them to begin a new and exciting journey, starting their new life together... in Boston!

I'm so grateful that I have a testimony that my family can be together for eternity if we all endure to the end and strive our best to live our lives the way the Savior would have us live. My family is so precious to me and I am so excited for Quinn to have his own family now! What an exciting thing that is. He has been one of my greatest examples and one of my best friends. Even though I will miss him tremendously now that he has entered a new phase of life, I know I can still be with him for eternity and I'm so excited that we have added a new member to our family! Welcome to the Garner family Claire!:)


On New Years day, my mom, dad, gena and I went to Ocean Park, an amuzement park that is a small scaled Sea World. It was a blast! We rode a cable car with an amazing view, rode roller coasters, watched a dolphin show, and got to see panda bears and other fun animals.

On one of our last days in Hong Kong we were able to meet up with an old family friend, Tony Tsang. We met at Time Square and went to lunch. My dad used to work with him and we've been friends throughout the years. He is such a nice guy.

No Sweets!

I've made a goal to go a month without sweets! (As my mother keeps mistaking, this is very different from going a month without sugar.. She keeps saying, "that has a lot of sugar in it" or "you know, that converts to sugar, etc..." I know almost everything has sugar in it- but I'm talking no candy, chocolate, soda, cake, cookies, pies, etc. Its hard enough as it is, trust me.) Anyhow, I'm one week in and feeling great! Three more to go:( Ha.

Christmas Tradition

Every year my family makes and decorates our gingerbread men (and women) family! Even though we were leaving early the next morning for Hong Kong, I insisted that we still do it this Christmas! Last year with single Quinn..