A Birthday Weekend

Mom's birthday brought about a delicious lunch date at this fabulous little taco place on the west side of downtown...they have tacos al pastor. YUM.

It was also TS's birthday...which we celebrated, right at midnight, with a scrumptious cheesecake from the cheesecake factory.

We also went to the BYU v. Utah game that night...it was so fun to dress up in blue and go to a game with all the students again! Even though the game was, hmmm....how to put this in words?....even though we were slaughtered, the company was great.

The next day, I took him to a huge family dinner for Papa's 75th birthday party. He added a new strain of harmony to our version of the happy birthday song, chatted with all my uncles and cousins, and charmed my grandma right out of her socks.

And he called me Beautiful, which I'm a total sucker for.
Loving this.

Mama Llama

This is my beautiful mama. Today is her birthday.

We have magical birthdays that are exactly 6 months apart, which makes my half-birthday her birthday and vice versa.

She always made my birthdays extra-special. When I was little, all my friends loved her because she made up games like dropping clothespins into a mason jar while standing on a chair, and there were prizes for everyone.
She snowshoed and sledded my friends down to the snowy cabin for my 14th birthday, so we could build an igloo and then have a fashion show.
When I turned 16, she rolled out butcher paper across the garage and let my friends have a finger painting, crazy dancing, messy paintball fight.
She always made dinner in honor of our birthdays; at my request, she slaved away at homemade chicken fettucine alfredo and then helped the kids find 18th century English costumes for my family party when I was 18.
My first birthday at college, she drove to my dorm and found a way to get in (she can do anything!). I came home to find my tiny bed decorated and a piece of my favorite birthday cheesecake in the fridge with a note from my mama llama.
One year, she and my sister snuck into my apartment, silently decorated, and left without me knowing. I woke up surrounded by giant balloons, from floor to ceiling. I couldn't even get out of my room!

She's basically the best mom, ever--and not just because she knows how to make a birthday special.
She loves us kids so much; I know she'd do anything to make me happy.
Love you, Mama! Happy Birthday!

Tender Mercy

As a missionary in Korea, there was a time when I questioned whether I was actually helping anyone, whether I was truly an instrument in the Lord's hands.
I had a wonderful companion, Sister Ogilvie. We put a big sign up on our wall that read, "MIRACLES HAPPEN!" underneath a picture of Joseph Smith praying in the sacred grove. And then we chose to look at every small act of goodness as a miracle, directed by Heavenly Father to help Him in His Work and His Glory.
I saw so many miracles. A million "small" miracles, some really, huge, amazing miracles, too. And I was so grateful that Heavenly Father would help me realize that we can accomplish His will through small measures.

But the blessings didn't end there! A year and half later, my dear friend Katrina was baptised today.



We met Katrina just after the "MIRACLES HAPPEN" sign was taped up in our apartment; she was lost in the dark streets of Shinjung, looking for the bowling alley. I happened to know where it was, and offered to walk her there.

She had a mile-wide smile and was the brightest, happiest foreigner I had ever met there. Her Alabama pride, sense of adventure, and love of life made her an instant friend.



We never counted her as an "investigator." I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon with my testimony written inside. We taught her a familiy home evening lesson. We invited her to church and the Christmas party.

I didn't even know that she continued to meet with the missionaries! As I kept in contact with her after coming home, I always hoped in the back of my mind that maybe our friendship would one day lead her to accept the gospel.

So imagine how full my joy was when she told me she was ready to be baptised! That she had been meeting with the missionaries since I left! That she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon!



I love this girl so much, and I am so happy for her. She is a beautiful, human sparkler who brightens everything she touches.

The most amazing thing of all, however, is that Heavenly Father let me be a part of her story. That He used me to help her begin her journey, and He let me know how great she is doing. I never expected to be a part of something this truly precious.

Talent vs. Doing Something

Hey, hey.Testament to taking a step of actioninstead of waiting for [fill in the black] before you try something* My adorable cousin James Gaisford offered to introduce me to his talent agency.  They are now my talent agency. One more step in the right direction^^ *read this blog post by Ramit Sethi  

Showcase

Spent Labor day at the cabin with the cousins playing banagrams, BBQing, and making breakfast. It was epic.

Also stopped by dad's new home, featured in the Park City Showcase of Homes. Isn't beautiful?