Our Busy Week

Well, the past week has been a busy one. My best friend Ashley and her husband Paul welcomed their new baby girl into the world. Brooklynn Merie Giddings was born on Jan. 23rd, 2008 at 5:24pm. She was 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 18.5 inches long. Mike and I went and visited them in the hospital that night. It was so much fun, Brooklynn is healthy and beautiful. I love the peaceful feeling you get as you hold a brand new baby.

Then the next day I took Mike to the airport for his flight to Texas. Mike went to Dallas for a work convention. It was really last minute but it was well worth it. He met some amazing people and learned a lot about how to be successful in the Insurance business. It is fun for me to watch him learn about this new business. He really is loving it and he is learning a lot about how the industry works. While Mike was gone in Texas I learned to be brave and be home alone for four nights! I ended up dragging the t.v. into our room so I could play a movie while I slept so I didn't have to hear all the erie, creaking noises that our very old apartment makes. I was not really sure what to do with all my free time and boredom with Mike gone so I decided to rearrange our apartment. It was a good idea at first until I got half way up the stairs with out entertainment center and couldn't figure out how I was going to get it up the rest of the stairs by myself. But if there is one thing I have learned being raised by a single mother is that I can do anything that I put my mind to. So I took a moment to laugh at myself for taking on such a huge task and then some how I managed to get it all the way up the stairs. I was a little bummed that no one was there to see how amazing I was for accomplishing this crazy task! So I treated myself to a bowl of ice cream and some Tylenol for that sore muscles I knew I would have shortly. After I finished rearranging the house I rented movies and stayed in bed having a chick flick day and resting my sore muscles on Saturday! On Sunday, I went to my Aunt Traci's house for dinner and to hang out. We had Enchilada Casserole and it was so delicious.

That night we found out about the death of our Beloved Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley. He was such an amazing man and I am so grateful for his dedication and devotion to our Father in Heaven and our wonderful Church. He will truly be missed but on the other hand I am so happy that he can now be reunited with his wonderful wife.

Well, that was our week. Now I am just hoping for no snow tonight because I have to drive to Salt Lake to pick up Mike. And anyone who knows me knows how well I do driving in the snow and how much I love it!!!

We are in Germany & Love it!!!

We are in Germany!!! It is so beautiful and we are so happy to be here. We had a Hero's Welcome at the airport. It was so cool. When we came out there was Mom, Dad, Megan, Rachel & Gilbert there to greet us. It was awesome! They started cheering and snapping pictures. (I think that must be similar to how Missionaries feel when they get off the plane to greet their family!) Anyways, I love it here so far! I never want to leave this beautiful place. The people are so nice and the atmosphere is so wonderful! Well I will add pictures and blog more about our trip when we get home. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas

President Hinckley said in a First Presidency Message in the Ensign of Dec 2000: “My heart is subdued when I think of the great love of my Heavenly Father. How grateful I am to know that God loves us. The incomprehensible depth of that love found expression in the gift of His Only Begotten Son to come into the world to bring hope into our hearts, to bring kindness and courtesy into our relationships, and above all to save us from our sins and guide us on the way that leads to eternal life.
Marvelous is the chronicle that began with the singing of angels at Bethlehem and ended on Golgotha’s cruel cross. There is no other life to compare with His life. He was the one perfect man to walk the earth, the paragon of excellence, the singular example of perfection.”

In that article he told a story that really touched me and made me think of Christmas in a way that I never had before. The story is a parable and the author is unknown. The story goes as follows:

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.
“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’
“‘I will risk it,” he replied.
“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’
“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’
“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.
“ Now,” said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’
“ ‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.
“ ‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’
“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.
“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’
“ ‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’
“ ‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.
“ ‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.
“ ‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’
“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’
“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’
“ ‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’
“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’ ”

President Hinckley went on to say:

"To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken “my licking for me” and yours for you.
The Prophet Isaiah said:
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: …
“… He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:4–5).

That this is the wondrous and true story of Christmas. There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection.
I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Eternal, Living God. None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His Beloved Son who reached out long ago and said to each of us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
For each of you may this be a merry Christmas. But more importantly, I wish for each of you a time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and the majesty of this, the Son of God. Our joy at this season is because He came into the world. The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself—these are of the true essence of Christmas.”

I loved that article and I encourage anyone and everyone to read it. I have never really thought about the atonement as being a part of Christmas time. The focus for me has always been on the Savior’s Humble birth. Which it truly was a “Humble” birth. But like Pres. Hinckley said, with out our Savior’s atoning sacrifice he would have been just another baby. So for Christmas our Heavenly Father truly gave us the best gift of all…His Son that would give us the gift of Eternal Life. There is no greater gift that we could possibly receive than that. Our joy at this wonderful season is because He came into the world and offers us His peace and infinite love. I am grateful for that gift I have been given. I love the encouragement that our beloved Prophet gave us to take time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and the majesty of this, the Son of God. And I challenge each of you to do this. I think it will bring more meaning to this special holiday. I hope that each of you have a wonderful Christmas spent with family and loved ones and that as you do so that you will remember the wonderful gift we have been given. Our Savior Jesus Christ. For He Truely is the Reason for the Season!

If you want to read the article you can go to my links and click on the one that says The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Then in the search box type "The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas".

Merry Christmas!!!

I will Follow Him in Faith

We had our Primary Program on Sunday. The kids did so well. My Sunbeams didn't really want to do it though. It was cute, one little boy in my class kept asking me if he could go watch the program with his grandma and when I told him that he couldn't because he was in the program and his grandma came to watch him. He said no she isn't and pointed her out to me...she was sleeping! It was really cute! Besides that my Sunbeams all said their lines (which was huge because most of them refused when we were practicing) They did so well and they were so cute! All in all the Primary Program was a success. There is a special spirit that is felt when children sing. No matter how off key they are or if they make up their own words! I love the children in our ward. Especially my cute little SUNBEAMS!!!

Our VERY Belated Anniversay

Mike and I never really got a chance to celebrate our Anniversary in August so we thought we were so creative and decided that since our Anniversary is 8/11 we would celebrate on 11/8. It was so much fun. We stayed at the Powderwood Resort in Park City. It is off season so Hotels are really cheap right now.

Anyways, our night started out by going to dinner in town at Red Lobster. It was my first time ever going there but I will definitely go back. The food was so good! Then we rented "Ratatouille" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry". Then we headed out on our adventure to Park City.

When we got to the resort it was more of Condominiums then a Resort so we had to try to find the office. Once we found it...there was a note saying that their office had moved locations and it gave us directions. So we went and found the office. (it was in a totally different complex) They were closed so we called the phone # on the door. The answering machine gave us another phone # to call. We called it and got our key from a lock box that they had set for us. It ended up being a fun adventure. So then we got to our room and it was so fun. It was a one bedroom apartment. It was really nice. Then we decided to roam around the complex and found the spa area but decided against it b/c it was so cold outside.

Then we went to WalMart and got some munchies. When we got back to the room we relaxed and watch our movies and then TV until 5am! Then we finally went to bed. We really liked "Ratatouille". It was really cute. "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" was funny but it just felt weird watching it. Well, the next morning came all too fast considering we went to bed so late but we got up and got ready.

After we were ready we went to Main Street in Park city and walked around and went to breakfast at this cute little diner. After breakfast we were so tired so we drove home and slept most of the day! We had so much fun celebrating our anniversary!

Best Corn Chowder Soup Ever

It tastes just like Mimi's Cafe'!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons red onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, large dice
2 1/2 cups hot water
2 cups raw potato, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes (I used Red Potatoes)
1 quart Half & Half
3 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch white pepper
3 tablespoons flour

(Optional) Bacon cooked really crispy and crumbled in the soup

Method:

On medium heat, melt butter, then simmer onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown.Add water, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender.

Whisk the flour into 1 cup of the Half & Half, and stir into the soup. Add the remaining 3 cups of Half & Half.

Simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency.

Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed and add crispy bacon if wanted. In order to correct the consistency or the soup you may add a little milk to make it thinner. To make the soup thicker, simmer another 5-10 minutes

(Yields 2 1/2 quarts)

Home Teaching Message

Our Home Teacher came over last night and shared with us the message from President Thomas S. Monson that was titled "They Marked the Path to Follow". I was really touched by it. I recomend reading the entire article. I really liked this quote and our Home Teacher gave us this challange:

"My brothers and sisters, in this marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, as we journey through mortality and face the trials and challenges of the future, may we remember the examples of these models to follow. May we have the unfeigned humility of John the Baptist, the unquestioning obedience of Abraham, the unlimited patience of Job, the unwavering faith of Noah, the undeviating loyalty of Ruth, the unflagging determination of Nephi, the undaunted courage of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the unfailing optimism of President Hinckley. Such will be as a fortress of strength to us throughout our lives."

I really took this quote to heart. Those are such amazing qualities that I would love to remember and strive to have. Another quote that hit me hard was this:

"Down through the generations of time, the message from Jesus has been the same. To Peter and Andrew by the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee, He said, “Follow me.”21 To Philip of old came the call, “Follow me.”22 To the Levite who sat at receipt of customs came the instruction, “Follow me.”23 And to you and to me, if we but listen, will come that same beckoning invitation, “Follow me.” May we all do so and reap the eternal rewards reserved for those who follow the path that He marked by His exemplary life."

I want to strive to live each and every day Following the Lord and I know that if I take on the qualities such as unfeigned humility, unquestioning obedience, unlimited patience, unwavering faith, undeviating loyalty, unflagging determination, undaunted courage, and unfailing optimism that I can become more like my Savior and Follow Him each and every day.

I know that my Father in Heaven Love me and everyone else. He give us challanges and trials in our life to help us to become stronger and to learn how to rely on Him. I know that he loves to see us triumph and become a better and stronger person with every trial we go through.

Happy Halloween!!!

Mike and I went to Ryan and Danielle's Halloween Party on Saturday. It was so much fun. We dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Dracula. Mike won the bobbing for apples. He got 3 appple in about 3 seconds. It was amazing. I won the costume contest. Everyone really liked my fake red eyelashes. We had a blast! We hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Playing in the Snow

Our first real snowfall this year! It was about one in the morning but I couldn't help myself. I had to play in it. I love how soft and fluffy Utah snow is! It was melted two days later :(

Making my Snow Angel

Snow Angel completed
Our tree in front of our apartment.

I thought it looked so pretty.

The Hogle Zoo

Our trip the the Hogle Zoo with Aunt Traci, Emmy and Ally. It was a ton of fun. Especially with Aunt Traci. She knows so much about animals. We learned so much and got to spend time with family!!!

The Penguins

(as Mike likes to call them)

The Bird Show

The Famous White Alligator
Some type of Monkey.
I can't remember their name.
The Elaphants

I LOVE the Zoo!!!