Stir Crazy!

So today I have been sick... really sick. Therefore I have been laying in bed working on my thesis and trying to get rest. It's. The. Worst. So I am feeling a little bit stir crazy and decided instead of moaning about it I'm going to document some of the fun stuff that Clark and I did this summer together. We have really done a lot of fun things and that was our goal this summer. We are lucky people.

Our summer began with us moving to North Salt Lake. Clark is an intern for Chevron in the public health and safety/industrial hygiene department. I am an extern (don't ask me what the difference is) for Wasatch Speech and Language Center. Our internships didn't start until the week after we moved so we decided we were going to take a trip to Disneyland. And that is where our fun began this summer. Here's my list of the adventures we have been able to do!

1- DISNEYLAND- This trip was so much fun. We began the trip by visiting my Aunt Kathy and her family in Overton, Nevada. We went to a May Fest where my cousins Ally, Sam and Gary performed. Then we left for Disneyland. We got to our hotel and went to the beach and Ruby's Diner. Day 2 we went to Disneyland. Day 3 was California Adventure. Day 4 was a mix of both and our favorite rides. Day 5 was the beach and the drive back home. We really worked the Fastpasses at the parks and got to go on everything we wanted to multiple times. It was a blast! Clark is so fun to hang out with so of course we had a great time.

We went to the beach when we got to Cali. We ate out on the pier at Ruby's Diner. Best Shakes Ever!

I had an epic fail with my traditional jumping picture and my hair-do.

We told everyone we were on our honeymoon!

Tower of Terror

We LOVED Cars Land! It is a real-life replica of the movie!

We were awesome at getting Fastpasses and working the system!

We were fans of the Monsters, Inc. Ride.

The detail of all the architecture and landscape is amazing!

Toy Story Midway Mania got pretty competitive. 

Clark loved the landscaping of Cars Land. It's like you are in a different world.

Everyone stared at Clark's GIANT ice cream cone that was as big as his head.

My ice cream cone was COVERED in sprinkles. It was a party in my mouth.

I REALLY loved the Ariel ride. Took me back to being 5 and watching Little Mermaid.

We saw an awesome Aladdin show on this stage. It was really fun. Here is an elephant from the show.

Clark's face on Splash Mountain is PRICELESS. We went 4 times. It was so much fun.

Paradise Pier at California Adventure is very magical.

This was the closest we got to a character sighting. We love Minnie.

We book-ended our trip with the beach and went and lounged right before we headed home.

2- An over-nighter in Park City- We used some of our hotel points and stayed in Park City. It consisted of a 10 mile run and eating fish at The Eating Establishment. Loved it.

3- State Track!- I got to go to state track and see my little sis Addie compete and her team take state! Addie did awesome. She got 7th in the long jump and 3rd in the 4x100. It was very fun to hang out with my family and Gran. We went to Krispy Kreme twice... both times it was Gran's idea and it was hilarious. I also gave Addie a garden gnome for a good luck present (long story) but it ended up being in all the pics and the team mascot for the trip. 

4- Bees Game- We got to go watch the Bees play. It was my first baseball game I've watched since I watched JD play. We ate sunflower seeds and the Bees lost they were dominated in the 7th inning. We didn't let the loss get to us. (You know I'm being sarcastic right? I would never care if the Bees lost really.)

5- Horseback Ride- I got Clark a groupon for Christmas and we finally redeemed it. We had an hour horseback ride. It was so beautiful and made us both want to own horses. Well... Clark has always wanted to own horses. 

6- Utah Valley Half Marathon- We ran the half in Provo with our cousins... Robbie and Grant. Clark came in about a minute before me. It is crazy how natural he is at running without having done it much previously. This is my 3rd half and Clark's 2nd.  The pictures are at the start line. We were absolutely freezing. After the marathon we hung out with Robbie, Katie and their sweet baby Lucy. We love hanging with the Jones'. 

The boys.

Rob being tall.

7- REAL game!- We went to our first Real game with Celeste, Brielle and Abbey. They were so much fun to go with. Celeste got way into it and it was very entertaining. It went into overtime (if that is what you call it in soccer?) and REAL won! Clark's favorite was the official REAL song that everyone sings. He sang it the rest of the night.

8- Tim McGraw- My Aunt Patti bought Clark and I tickets to the Tim concert and it was the best! I got to sing "Something Like That" with Tim and the rest of the concert attendees at the top of my lungs. I loved every minute. We watched the concert with McKayla, her friend Sam, Aunt Patti and Kat. Thanks Aunt Patti! We loved it!

9- Downatta with the Cooks- We went to Downatta Hot Springs with my family and enjoyed the slides and pool. We took books and a picnic and just relaxed. We had a great time especially when Brigham had to call me "Princess of Life Diva" (long story again). My family always shows us a fun time.

10- Houston- Clark went to a convention for all the interns for Chevron in Houston, Texas. He really enjoyed it and even had a driver that picked him up and took him everywhere. He is a working man and I really love that he takes advantage of all the opportunities that he can. He's the best. I was happy when he got back and wish I could have joined him.

11- 4th of July- On the 3rd we enjoyed the Logan fireworks with my family. Then on the 4th we went to the Lewiston Parade (which is one of my favorite things) and then we all napped all day and then went back to Lewiston to the dollar theater to watch EPIC. After Epic, Addie, Brig, Clark and I shot off the fireworks that Clark and I got. The 4th is my FAVORITE holiday. 

12- The Backpack- We went on a backpack trip with the Evans' (Scott, Matt, Brielle, Abbey, Cade and Ryan, Dave, Aspen, Bart and Rubie), Jones' (Mike, Rob and Grant) and Humphreys (Ray and Elliott) It was my first time ever doing something like this. We went to Hidden Lake in the Uintah Mountains. It was stunning up there. We hike about 4 miles in and then we fished and had fun at the campfire and enjoying the mountains. We loved it. It was a fun first. 

I caught my first fish! Grandpa Joe would be proud.

Clark is so manly in the mountains... and always. We had matching bandanas. 

13- Red Iguana + Lone Ranger + Rainbows- We got to go on a date with Dave and Aspen while they are home visiting from Oklahoma. Lone Ranger was such a fun movie and we always love us some Mexican food from Red Iguana and a Rainbow (slushie with ice cream mixed in) from Paces. 

14- Pineview Reservoir- Dave and Aspen invited us to go boating with them and their friends at Pineview. The water was extremely pleasant and we got to wakeboard and wake surf. I LOVE BOATING!!! Then we stayed at Aspen's parents and enjoyed their beautiful home in Mountain Green.

15- Raging Waters- We have a Pass of All Passes and have been able to go to Raging Waters multiple times and take Addie and Brig there too! We love the water slides. 

Can you see why I'm just a little stir crazy on this sick day. This will definitely be a summer to remember!!

Importance...

There is something about waking up in your childhood home on a summer morning. I was lucky enough to spend Father's Day in Clifton with my family. Monday morning I woke up and had some work to do for my thesis and I sat there in bed with my laptop, the windows open and the manure lilac air flowing in the window. Manure lilac air does not sound delightful but oh it is. I love the air in Clifton. People complain about the cow smell but that is home to me and I will always love it. So back to the story... I was sitting there in two different worlds. One world where I was the focused graduate student trying to figure out my data for my thesis; and the other where I was a child again waking up early to enjoy the summer morning and be part of my family. They are two completely different worlds and I found myself longing for/reminiscing about my childhood.

The longer I have lived out of my home the more I cherish it and the more I realize what the important things in life are. I realize these important things because I am striving everyday to create home that is like my parents, centered around the important things.

The following is a LIST of what my parents taught me to be of utmost importance:

1- The Savior: Jesus Christ is the center of my childhood home. When you pull up to this home you can see in the front window a picture of the Savior. I've always loved this about my house. I love it because you don't see a TV with the game playing, you see the Savior. I love that so much. I think of my house as a safe haven and who wouldn't feel safe when they pull up to the house and see a picture of the Savior. I hope that my future home can have a window in the front so I can send the message to my children and those coming in that this is a home where we love each other and we love the Savior and we are striving to be like Him. My family fights and quarrels and bickers and murmurs and has contention but at the end of the day when we kneel in prayer no matter what has transpired we (as children) do not doubt who our parents want our home to be centered around. The Savior and the gospel (with all that it entails) are extremely important.

2- Family Time: Cliche as it may sound, family is important. I don't remember a time in my life that I felt like my parents didn't have time for me or weren't there to support me. My parents wanted to be and were involved in EVERY detail of my life from what I needed to eat for breakfast to what extra curricular activity I was involved in, they care and they were there. I have seen my father rush from meetings and work to a basketball game for by sibling because he WANTS to be there. I have seen my mother stay up really really late ironing a dress so it will be ready for Jr. Miss. My dad tucked me throughout most of high school because I WANTED to be tucked in. It made me feel safe and loved. He probably thought I was a little ridiculous at times but he still did it for me. My mom talked to me at 6 am as I walked to the gym every morning my freshman year of college because I WANTED to talk to her. She didn't necessarily have time for that but she did it for me. Being there for your family and caring about their interests and needs is important.

3- Work: My parents insisted that I milk cows in middle school and my brother, I think, started in 5th or 6th grade. They wanted us to be able to know how important work was. They both had to help us get up at 4 o'clock on the mornings we milked. That wouldn't be an easy job as a parent but it was worth it to them because it taught us a valuable lesson. I remember my mom telling me that life is mostly work. It is. I am so glad that my parents taught me when I was young (even though I thought it was a little cruel) how to work. We never had an allowance. We never were given money for doing jobs for our parents because work is part of life. We had to pull our weight in our family and we had to earn money if we wanted extra money. Work teaches discipline and discipline is necessary to achieve goals and earn greater rewards. I'm so happy my parents taught me work is important.

4- Physical and Spiritual Health: I'm glad my parents taught me to be healthy. They never went on any crazy diets or were obsessed with working out but they taught me how to take care of my body and spirit. They taught me how to nourish my body, get enough sleep and create habits of exercise in my life. They also taught me that service, reading my scriptures, prayer, going to church/temple and loving others nourished my spirit. I learned that it is unhealthy to be addicted to ANYTHING and that being healthy is a lifestyle not a fad diet or crazy workout schedule. It is important to take care of the body and spirit our Heavenly Father gave us.

5- Education: My dad is going to be retired military soon and he has gotten a second degree in education and will teach math at Harold B. Lee Middle School. He got this degree while working full-time, being the Bishop of our ward and being a dad. It must have been important to him. He and my mom have always shown and stressed the importance of education and the merit it has in life. A persons quality of life increases when they are educated about the world around them and can contribute knowledge to it. Education is important.

6- Wholesome Recreation: My parents made sure that my life was filled with wholesome recreation. This included: playing a game together, watching March Madness or BYU football, jumping on the trampoline, going on walks, going swimming, creating traditions, going to Bear Lake with extended family, having dance parties while we washed the dishes etc. There was a whole lot of wholesome recreation happening in the home. It is important.

7- Nice: It is nice to be important but it is more important to be nice. I was raised by kind parents. They helped me forgive and be forgiven. It is so important to be nice because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. Enough said!

I could write more and more but for starters this is what I want to be of utmost importance in my home. I will be forever grateful I was raised by two loving parents who created a home where I always felt comfortable and could strive to become better everyday. Thanks M and D. Love you!

Sorrow

My heart has been hurting lately… hurting because I don’t know how to make sense of tragedy. I probably will never be able to make sense of it. In my human eyes, I cannot understand some of the trials people have to face and some of the decisions people choose to make.

Last Friday, I got a phone call from my Aunt sharing the awful news that an eight-year-old boy in my gran’s community died because of a tragic accident. When she called I immediately thought someone had died in my family. I won’t describe the details of this awful tragedy but I will say that my cousins and aunts and uncles and my grandma and other members of the community in Ashton banded together to save this little boy and he passed away. He was eight-years old and my cousin Hank’s best friend.

My heart breaks for the family who lost this precious eight-year-old boy. I can’t stand thinking about his parents who have to face a closet full of clothes and toys that belonged to their precious son. I cry when I think about the siblings of this little guy that won’t share the laughs and love that I get to experience with my sibling. I hurt when I think of the cousins that won’t find a best friend in him. I simply ache for this family and don’t understand why this had to happen.

Then on Monday as I sat in the materials room on campus preparing for a session my friend and fellow graduate student Katie came in with a somber look on her face and I could tell something was wrong. She told me the news about the Boston Marathon bombings. Immediately, my heart broke. She shared how she knew multiple people running and watching the race that were on her triathlon team at Boston University and then I felt very close to the situation. Someone who I have grown to respect and love was hurting because of the act of a person to create a bomb to hurt other people.

As the reports came in of the deaths that had occurred at the marathon, one of them hit close to home. There was a Boston University graduate student who had died. This could have been our athletic Katie. This graduate student will miss out walking at graduation and celebrating her accomplishment. A family who loves her will miss her desperately. Her journey has been cut short. I do not understand why this had to happen.

So like I said…

My heart hurts.

I know that the families affected will find comfort. I know that they will see their children again. I know that these individuals whose lives got cut short will someday soon feel the joy that they missed out on. I know this because I know we have a Savior and a Heavenly Father who love us and are merciful. Although, I know this it doesn’t help the hurt sometimes. My brother stated so eloquently in a letter sent home that “sorrow is a Christ-like quality”. To be able to feel sorrow for and with others is Christ-like. 

The Mold

I've been told sometimes that I fit the mold. I live in Utah. I got married when I was 19 to a man I knew for a little under a year. I want to be a mom (like really really want to be). I go to church.

I'm just a Utah Mormon Girl.

I've also heard that others think I follow blindly. I never question anything in my church, religion or faith and I just do whatever I'm told whenever I'm told to by church leaders. Well this isn't true.

I hate that anyone would ever judge me in that way. I am not one that cares what people think of me... but this really bothers me. I don't like to be considered part of "a mold" and I never will. I like to be considered a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I always will.

No matter how much people want to think it... there is not "a mold" in our church or even in the world. There simply isn't. The only way this could happen is if we were all identical and did the same things and made the same choices and behaved in the same ways. Wow... what a boring world would that be. I am part of a family of four kids. We have all been raised by the same parents, who love us, and taught us the same way. You could "assume" we all came from the same cook mold but when it comes to what we CHOOSE to believe. It is exactly that... it is a choice.

My siblings and I are all different. We have different challenges, different hair-do's, different talents and different testimonies. We have all made different mistakes, handled these mistakes differently and repented differently.  We came from the same parents but we all broke "the mold". We have CHOSEN our path, it wasn't decided for us. We were given knowledge and we choose what to believe and what not to believe. We weren't forced, we were taught.

I am not part of "the mold".

In our church, there is a general conference held every April and October where church leaders and the prophet address the members through talks. They pray and study and fast and pray some more for revelation from our Heavenly Father on what they should say that will: help us be better members of the church, help us be better people in general and most importantly be better servants of God. Many talks inspired me but one gave me utmost clarity about "the mold".

Sister Elaine S. Dalton, the now released president of the young women in our church, gave a talk on being a daughter of our Heavenly Father. This one line has stuck with me and will be something I say to my children.

"She understood who she was, and WHOSE she was."

It is as simple as that. I understand who I am because I know who God is and what he expects of me. I know I am a daughter of God.

I am not part of the Utah Mormon mold... because there isn't one. I don't follow blindly. I have had to question things and find my own answer. I have had to have faith and believe that what I am doing is the right thing. I have had to build my own testimony and I am still working on building my testimony and knowledge every day.

What I am is.. a Member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter Day Saints who lives in Utah currently but is from Clifton, Idaho. I am a graduate student who loves the field of speech-language pathology and the people I get to help. I am the oldest of four. I am a wife to a loving husband who is trying to be the best man he can be and is devoted to our happiness as a couple. I married him quickly because he made me happy and I made him happy and I knew forever together wasn't enough. I am a girl that is striving to be a mother because I can't wait to have children I get to nurture and care for that I helped bring into this world. I can't wait to be a the center of a child's life and make someone feel absolutely loved and confident in who they are every. single. day. I go to church because it helps me become a better person and build my testimony and belief in Jesus Christ, my Savior and the way He has set for me to live with my family forever. I have had trials. I have weaknesses. I am not perfect.

I am Brynne. I know who I am and I know whose I am. I am a daughter of God. I am not part of "the mold." I am trying to be part of His mold.