Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go Again....Lacrosse!

Here we go again...lacrosse!  The season hasn't begun, but we did have a preseason jamboree!  I just love watching Ian play, so I was excited.  Of course, we don't have the new uniforms yet.  What's new?  Anyway, I think the team looks really good.  They won their first game and lost their second, but not by much.  It was pretty good.  I am looking forward to this season!

Provo City Center Temple

I remember the day the Provo Tabernacle burnt down.  It was in December of 2010, right before Christmas.  People in Provo were really sad. I really didn't understand what this building meant to the people of Provo until this weekend.  As we went up to Provo we met people who shared their memories of the Provo Tabernacle and what it meant to them.  Fun memories they had.  What a blessing it was when it was announced that this building would be rebuilt and made into a temple.  How exciting.  The people of Provo, Utah are so excited. It is so neat to see and hear their excitement and memories.  I was super excited to go and see this temple.  When this temple was announced, I really didn't think too much about it. It was cool and all, but it was another temple in Utah.  Then of course we know in June of 2012 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Of course when we go through trials we turn to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in a huge way!  I can honestly say, I am grateful that I gained a stronger relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through my trials.  I am not grateful for my trials, but grateful for what I have learned during them.  Hopefully they will make me stronger.  So, when I heard this talk given by Linda S. Reeves in October 2013, it really touched me.  The name of the talk is, "Claim the Blessings of Your Covenants".  This quote really meant something to me. 

"Almost three years ago a devastating fire gutted the interior of the beloved, historic tabernacle in Provo, Utah. Its loss was deemed a great tragedy by both the community and Church members. Many wondered, “Why did the Lord let this happen? Surely He could have prevented the fire or stopped its destruction.”

Ten months later, during the October 2011 general conference, there was an audible gasp when President Thomas S. Monson announced that the nearly destroyed tabernacle was to become a holy temple—a house of the Lord! Suddenly we could see what the Lord had always known! He didn’t cause the fire, but He allowed the fire to strip away the interior. He saw the tabernacle as a magnificent temple—a permanent home for making sacred, eternal covenants.⁴

My dear sisters, the Lord allows us to be tried and tested, sometimes to our maximum capacity. We have seen the lives of loved ones—and maybe our own—figuratively burned to the ground and have wondered why a loving and caring Heavenly Father would allow such things to happen. But He does not leave us in the ashes; He stands with open arms, eagerly inviting us to come to Him. He is building our lives into magnificent temples where His Spirit can dwell eternally."

I remember hearing this and being comforted!  I remember feeling the Spirit and knowing this to be true!  This is why I was so excited to see this temple!  I think it represents to me a hard and trying time and getting through it to become a better person.  I am not there yet, but I keep trying.  I can't wait to go back and just sit and ponder in there.

Young Women Temple Trip

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Utah with my Young Women's organization and go and see the Provo City Center Temple.  Temples are very sacred to us. When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints builds a new temple, the sacred building is opened for public tours. Anyone can attend this open house, which usually lasts a few weeks. After that, the temple is formally dedicated and is open only to Church members who are actively engaged in the faith. So when the Provo City Center Temple started it's open house we decided to do everything possible to get our Young Women up to Utah to go through the temple and see it.  All of it!!!  At first we didn't know if we were going to be able to go, but then it all got approved and fell into place.  We were able to stay with a family that was in our stake, but moved to Payson, Utah.  The first thing we did was go to the Payson temple to perform baptisms.  That temple is so pretty.  The girls really loved that opportunity to be in a temple that was different from the Las Vegas temple.

Out of the fifteen girls I have in the Beehive class, these are the girls that were able to make it on the trip.  It was so wonderful to spend time with these girls.  They were a ton of fun.

These are the leaders in girls in Aubrey's class.  Some girls are missing, but these are some of the Laurel class.  They love their leaders.

Don went on the trip as our priesthood leader.  We loved having him there.  Don and I felt lucky to be with Aubrey.  This is her senior year and we are grateful to spend every minute with her.

At night Don drove us back to the temple to get a good picture of it. 

After the temple, we went sledding. I can't even begin to tell you how perfect this was.  Just enough snow, and it was snowing.  It snowed all night!  It was perfect and these Vegas girls loved playing in the snow.  Two of our girls had never even seen snow!  The girls loved it. 

Of course we had some visitors!

Sunday morning came and it was wonderful.

We went to church in Payson and came home to a wonderful dinner.  The family we stayed at...the Dad had been our girl's camp cook for years, and he can cook good.  The girls loved it!  I think he loved cooking for them!  Then that night, he gave a wonderful fireside to the girls.  It was so good! 

The next day we went to the Provo City Center.  Don and I were lucky enough to have Aubrey and her friends in our car.  It was so fun being around them.  The temple is stunning!  I love how they kept the time period in mind as they restored this building and made it into a temple.

The best part was talking to the girls about the temple as we walked through it.  They had so many questions and a strong desire to see more and do more in the temple.  I love that!  That is what this picture represents.  Plotting and trying to get back into the temple.  Their time will come.  They are so eager and their Spirit calls for more!  They are so strong spiritually and this trip only strengthened them. That was the whole purpose.  I remember after I joined the church, I didn't want to be married in the temple.  How could I get married without my family there to support me.  They were not members of my church.  On a temple trip to the Washington D.C. temple a wise young women's leader said the right words and gave me time to ponder.  Right then, at that temple, I made a goal to be married in a temple and nothing was going to stop me.  I pray that these girls felt the spirit and have the desire to make a goal to go to the temple for their endowments and get married there!  This is why these trips are worth it.  These trips bond the girls together, create fun memories, and spiritually touch them!  It was worth it.

 Two videos that explain more about the temple.

#16

How could I forget to blog about this?  What, am I crazy? The biggest sporting event in our family and I forgot to blog about it.  Actually, I have been super busy and haven't had time.  We treat this game like the Super Bowl.  Good food!!!  Fattening food.  It's crazy.  Ian was super excited.  Alabama playing against Clemson for the National Championship.  I didn't know how it would go.  Let's just say, that game was crazy!  I don't think anyone knew how it would go!  Then it happened, Alabama won!!! Yes, Alabama won their 16th national championship.  After all of the celebrating, a peace settled over our home.  All was well.  Roll Tide!

Competition #1

We had our first competition!  Let me tell you, it was rough!  The competition was intense!  The girls were real nervous!  It was a national qualifier.  Let me tell you!  They killed it!  I am so proud of them and I have a feeling it will only get better!

 

The girls won 1st place for lyrical, 2nd place for jazz, and 5th place for hip hop which is really good for them!

When they won their Lyrical division they had no idea that they were only 1 point away from having the highest scoring dance of the night.  When they found that out, they were not happy!!!  Their lyrical is so pretty!!!  I am so glad it won.