Color Me Jenny

things i love thursday

2012-01-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

*red umbrellas

*crock-pot chicken

*Ingrid's new album Human Again

*Watching Beauty and the Beast in 3D with the fam :)
I didn't miss an opportunity to remind Maggie of when we would sing this song as little girls. She would play Belle and I would play the Beast, though I secretly wanted to sing the part of Belle. I asked one day so sweetly that Maggie agreed to switch parts. Then I messed up the lyrics. I never had the privilege to sing Belle after that. Melanie and Carrie love this story so much that they remind me of it often. Maggie still claims to not remember it ever happening...

*Beginning to be able to "Name Drop" from my little spot here at Deseret Book... I met Ardeth Kapp today, although I have served her in the past as a Banquet Server. I don't think she remembers that.

* Sadly, tomorrow is the series finale of Chuck. Let's all wipe a tear. I suggest that you watch it! I have all four seasons if you want to make it a party!

*I am attempting to be a good little girl and not spend money outside of paying for bills. With that said, I have been drooling over this website for weeks. If I were able to spend all the money in the world, almost all their merchandise would be mine.

awkward and awesome

2012-01-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

It is time for another installment of Awkward and Awesome! Aren't you so excited?

awkward
- The elevator on the right keeps stopping on the first floor and opening for no reason. I didn't hit the button. Still, it opens and closes on its own. I think it is just trying to keep me on my toes.

- While sitting in sacrament meeting late in the afternoon and after not eating for six hours, my stomach audibly grumbles.

- Trying to downplay my grumbling stomach failed as the guy I was sitting next to whispers, "Was that your stomach?" ...no...

- Same sacrament meeting, I was sitting on one of the back rows. In the middle of the speakers, the couple in front of me began to get strangely affectionate. The girl pinched the guy's cheeks, stuck her finger in his ear, and I am quite certain she tried to pick his nose! I wouldn't have noticed except for the fact that this was going on right in my view of the speaker. I couldn't help myself. I laughed, though not out loud, thank heavens! The guy sitting next to me had an even better view! It got to the point where we couldn't look up or at each other

- After the meeting ended, a girlfriend of mine walked up behind me while I was still there with my friends. She touched my face and swept the hair out of my eyes and remarked, "You're so beautiful." Um, thanks...

- During a frustrating phone call, a friend walks through the lobby making me chuckle. The lady on the line asks, "Are you laughing at me?!" No!!! Oh shoot. Way to make a bad situation worse.

- Ward FHE: playing Glow in the Dark volleyball with a ball that no one can see...ends with poor Jenn (not me) getting a blow right to the chest from Jake. Whoops!

awesome
- There is an AWESOME view of the temple from my desk! You should all be jealous.

- I handed Alex Boye parking validations today. He is such a nice guy.

- Kinda awesome: Sheri (She is too cool to have a last name around these parts) walked through the lobby today. I've been here just over a week and this is the first time I've seen her. She didn't really see me, though. I think she has a one track mind.

- Did I mention the laughing uncontrollably in sacrament meeting? We really tried to focus on the speakers! Promise!

- I've been listening to Jenny Oaks Baker's Wish Upon a Star cd for two days straight now and it is simply fantastic! You need this album.

- Brighton has officially begun and I couldn't be more excited! Spending a few days with the ladies in the presidency started my week out right. It doesn't matter what age you are, you can still giggle late into the night with the right people.

- I love working downtown! I love being a part of Joseph Smith Memorial Building and knowing my way around. I love walking past Temple Square every day and seeing the temple illuminated by the sunset. I have yet to eat at Blue Lemon with my employee discount, but I'm sure that is just a matter of time.

-Whoever is reading this- You're awesome!

tender mercies

2012-01-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

(Allow me to preface: I meant to publish this yesterday. Monday was a surprisingly great day for me. Reality hit again this morning with money worries and everything else under the sun. Still, the euphoria of yesterday hasn't completely diminished...)

Isn't life grand???

(If you were to ask my mother and my sisters after our conversation yesterday, my previous question would surprise them. Let's just say, I was venting about a boy or two at the dinner table. A day later, I'm still confused, but they can do what they like...)

I simply can't get over how miraculous my life is. Everywhere I turn, I experience another tender mercy. For example, this morning I woke up with a nagging pain in my head. I wouldn't classify it as a migraine, but it was enough to make me want to stay in bed an extra hour, or three. It is gone and I feel just fine! No medication needed....

Rushing to catch trax, I was able to pull in right after someone pulled out of a prime parking spot.

I haven't had to refill my gas tank for a full week and can probably stretch it into two. Happy Day!

I work at Deseret Book! This is such an answer to prayer, you have no idea! The people are wonderful and a member of the Publishing Department already mentioned helping them in the future!!!

I am realizing that I know more about cooking than I thought. Last night, I cooked the majority of Sunday dinner alone. Mom still had to make the cheese sauce because that is still a little too much for me. Thinking about it gives me a twitch. In the past four days, I made a casserole and Sunday dinner and both were a success! (With a shout out to my mom! Thanks for helping me!) The casserole was for an LDS Living competition. On my first or second day, members of LDS Living came down to the front desk looking for people to participate and make the recipes that were submitted. I always love a challenge. On Friday, many people from the building met on the 8th floor and submitted their top three favorites. Mine won fourth place!!! *I know, right?!

Brighton 2012 has a theme!!! People are asking about applications! We had our Director Retreat and I can't wait for more. Things are starting to come together and I can stop losing sleep...

I am afraid of the moment when things start to look bleak again... I know it is coming. I hope that it remains at bay for a little while longer. I will not be brought down by some boy who chooses to be what my mother refers to as a "Duh-head."

what the?

2012-01-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Do you remember a little bit ago in my time machine when I told you about Margaret Owens? Well, I have an update. And it's something else! In the next week or two, depending on certain circumstances, I will begin working at Deseret Book's Corporate Office as the afternoon receptionist! Yes, it isn't all the way to a grown-up job, but it's close!

I spoke with Ms. Owens earlier today and was so excited about it. Then I remembered all the change that would follow and the excitement has calmed a bit for the following reasons. First, I feel like I'm bailing on my Dad but he said that this is what he expected to happen. If it were any other circumstance, I don't think I would feel quite as blue. I love my dad an awful lot and I don't want to disappoint him. I don't want to leave him in the lurch and there is a part of me that thinks that is what I am about to do.....

And second - as much as I complain about working at the Joe, I still love the other servers that I have the privilege to know and call my friends. I'm afraid that leaving and moving to something else will hurt that friendship. But other people have left and moved on and things worked out just fine. Dad always says that I worry too much. *sigh*

I have to keep remembering that change is good......right?

Dang! Why must dreams coming true be so complicated???

awkward and awesome

2012-01-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

awkward
- Yesterday at work, I overheard a complete conversation about a coworker's problems with his intestine. No joke! That was five minutes I will never get back.
- running into things: walls, doors, other people
- Story: I was asked by Miranda, along with the rest of the members of the presidency, to teach a quick section of the Relief Society Declaration. My small part was towards the end of class and I was fully realizing how little time was left and how much I wanted to say. So I went for it. Going for it, while I teach, involves me singing. Loudly. Without realizing that that was what I was going to do... The sisters laughed and I just kept going. At least I am entertaining, I guess. I told my mom and sisters about it and they are still laughing.

awesome
- Any time the family is gathered around the dinner table, awesome things come out of people's mouths. Today happened to belong to my dad. Out of context, it may not have the same effect, but image MY FATHER speaking while plugging his nose. I know, right? Then, tonight we were talking about temple recommends and Dad was sure he knew what he was talking about, then suddenly exclaims, "Wait, who are we talking about?!"
- Sharing falling stories after Presidency meeting last night! I'm sure it involved my ugly laughing face.
- a day off to watch movies and sleep (while still playing nurse the the younger sister)
- reminders that friends are never too far away to care about me---thanks guys! You know who you are, and I think you're awesome!

pick me up

2012-01-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

I thought we could both use a good pick me up after that last post.

So here you are:

It doesn't get much better than two of my favorite singers:

Jennifer Nettles teamed up with Sara Bareilles!

And YAH, you better believe I saw this live when they came to Salt Lake!

:) :) :)

reality

2012-01-04T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not your biggest fan.

Here I am again, sitting in my cubicle, scanning files into cyberspace, listening to my iPod to break up the silence. It is another one of those days where the only way I make it through is by thinking about my future paycheck. Don't get me wrong, I really do like hanging out with my dad every day here at work, but he is currently away at the doctor's office and I am here scanning and struggling to make an Excel spreadsheet work. Computers are not my best friends.

The green monster of jealousy is on my heels today. I keep thinking of the "What if"s and the "If Only"s and it isn't getting me anywhere. One day... One day, my job will be a career. One day, a man will think I'm pretty great. One day, I will feel completely independent. One day, I will have spending money. One day, I will travel back across the pond. One day, I'll be the cool kid on the block. I just hope that that "one day" decides to appear sooner rather than later.

Then I start thinking, "Who wants to know all of this?" With the new format of Blogspot, I can see the Viewing Traffic on my blog, and I would like to personally thank the few of you that choose to read my murmurings. These people with hundreds of followers help me realize how meager my little blog is. Maybe one day I will be a famous blogger and people will be inspired by me... Right now, I suppose I will have to be content to broadcast my randomness out into this cosmic void.

P.S. Apologies for the downer....

time machine

2012-01-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

I know that it is no longer the wonderful Christmas season. Oh, how I know it. But I never fully finished describing my blissful holiday to my five readers. So, jump in my imaginary time machine and we will take care of that in short order.

Oh, December! Hello, again!

On December 6, I experienced one of the greatest moments of my life. As I mentioned in previous posts, a few months ago I received an email from higher up the Deseret Management Corporation totem pole recruiting employees to sing. Since I work for Temple Square Hospitality and they are under the large umbrella of DMC, I decided to add my voice to this choir that would be part of the program for the DMC Christmas dinner. Friends participated in the choir last year and told me how completely wonderful it was. They weren't kidding. I am still experiencing mind-boggling repercussions of this magnificent event.

The dinner was served by JSMB banquets in the Sharon/Manchester room. Therefore, I was very much at home. Still, being involved as a "guest" and not having the stress of serving the function always makes me feel strangely like a "fish out of water." I left the office with Christmas dress in tow, and eventually took my place on the risers for a final rehearsal. There I stood, quite enjoying myself, while I watched Laurel, Amy, Dianne, and some fellow servers prepare the room, straighten silverware a thousand times, correct the lighting, set out name cards, take pictures, and almost have a conniption considering that the prophet would be in attendance.

While Laurel walked around the tables with her fancy camera, she ran into Brent Shingleton, my boss's boss's boss, and began talking. I noticed the two in the room but she caught my eye in the middle of their conversation and I know that she was talking about me. She pointed me out, waved and said something along the lines of "She belongs to me..." I could only think, "Smile and wave, Jen. Just smile and wave."
We finished dress rehearsal with enough time to choose our seats and for me to rush and change my clothes. My friend, Dallin, and I went to the far edge of the room where choir assigned tables hid and found seats that would give us a perfect view of President Uchtdorf when he stood up to speak and then I rushed down to my car to grab my dress and change. We met up again in the lobby to critic a highschool choir, smile at the elaborate gestures of their conductor, and ride the elevator with high profile guests as we were all going to the same place. I kept thinking, "So this is how the other half lives... I like it!"

We entered the Sharon/Manchester room and Dallin started hobnobbing with important people. I would have joined in but without an introduction, I suffered as to what to say. My friend, Char, was captaining this giant event and I ran to talk to her. Crazily, she told me that she had all the new servers! I was shocked and completely grateful that I didn't have to work but could simply enjoy. I told her that I would pray for her. She smiled and told me to have a good time. Check!

I moved on to sit at my table and found out that I would be sitting to the same woman I sang next to. I introduced myself, officially, and we began to exchange small talk as very prominent people began to arrive. Elder and Sister Bednar were seated at a table a few feet away from me. Seven other members of the Quorum of the Twelve arrived and were stationed at various tables in the middle of the room. I turned to my new friend, Margaret Owens, and mentioned that I have learned to keep the excitement of meeting these heroes of mine on the inside. I serve them every now and again, and the only way that is possible is if I keep some manner of professionalism and decorum. I slipped and told her I learned it while serving Sister Sheri Dew, when I actually meant to say Sister Elaine Dalton...She smiled and said that she works with Sheri, and would I mind if she related the story. I didn't correct her, just nodded and smiled, realizing that Ms. Owens worked at Deseret Book!

Further into our conversation, the man next to her said something to the fact that she works in the Human Resources Department at Deseret Book!!! I almost jumped out of my skin! Luckily, I have mastered, as I said, the art of keeping that excitement on the inside, and I didn't accost her right then and there, demanding that I would LOVE to work for Deseret Book and could she please find me a position....!!! No, I decided that perhaps it would be better to wait and email later, saying how nice it was to meet her and would she help me out, etc. I was almost positive I could figure out her email address. Still, that didn't keep me from mentioning certain things as we continued to talk. For example, I turned to Dallin, who had entered the conversation at some point, and made a small quip about being an English major. The man sitting to Ms. Owens left asked where I worked in the past and I told him about working at the Joe, working for my dad, and how I previously worked for George as a personal assistant while I was in college. The conversation went that direction with little help from me and I didn't miss the opportunity.

The food was delicious, even more so when it is fresh from the hot box than when the servers eat, an hour later.We dined on Christmas salad (an apple/cranberry/pomegranate seed mess on a leaf of lettuce), a new salmon dish I didn't know existed and the Joe version of filet mignon on a plate with a twice baked potato (another dish that I have never had before while working there for 18 months), and what is called "Orange Bomb" cake which tastes like orange sticks, but better. I think after all the fancy food we had at the 100 Year Celebration, the prophet decided to okay the menu. As a choir, we feasted as quickly as we could while still trying to maintain our voices. It didn't work very well as when we went to warm up and run through a few things, everyone sounded like toads. The adrenaline was pumping pretty hard by that point.

Finally, we lined up outside in the hall and waited for the okay. I was standing on the back row so I was among the first in place. I walked, focusing on NOT tripping up the risers, then stood facing forward and there sat President Thomas S. Monson, no more than fifteen feet away from me! Could have knocked me over with a feather! My breath caught for a few moments, and then Cary Ripplinger was standing there, ready for us to begin. Time to focus! We started by singing a well-known arrangement of "Jingle Bells" that the Tab Choir has sung before. In the first few notes, President Monson distracted me as he held both his arms up and pretended to lead us with a giant smile on his face. It was awesome! The second song was "A Shepherd's Carol," arranged by Dan Forrest. (He is a new favorite of mine.) At the conclusion, President Monson, himself, stood up and gave us a standing ovation! What better compliment could there be?!

Then, Cary listed off the different companies within DMC and had each of us raise our hands to claim our spots. I almost think there were a few moments when the prophet looked right at me. Even away from the pulpit, without verbally bearing testimony, I saw the mantle on his shoulders. President Monson is the prophet today. He speaks truth and leads us back to our Heavenly Father. Standing there, I realized that this was my personal opportunity to bear my own testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't know if I, personally, made a difference that night to President Monson, but he made all the difference to me. Standing there, singing to my heroes (President Uchtdorf, President Eyring, Elder Holland, and Elder Scott were all sitting within my view) I knew I would never be the same.

The final two songs were a French version of Silent Night (It's been long enough that I can't remember the title) and "The First Noel," also arranged by Dan Forrest. Listen. I dare you. (Thanks to the University Singers of 2009- strangely, I know a few faces in the video...) It was AMAZING!!! When the dinner started, CEO Mark Willis made some crack about the DMC choir keeping Mack Wilberg on his toes because we were just that good. We finished our four numbers and President Uchtdorf, loud enough so that I could hear, said, "Mark, you weren't kidding." I always knew I loved that man. We walked back through and out the hallway while guests on either side of us complimented our talents. I think we could give the University Singers a run for their money, and none of us auditioned.

The night concluded with a few speakers, but the only one I really cared about was President Uchtdorf. It was wonderful and the entire three rooms we used could feel both the peace of the Spirit and the magnitude of his words. I wish I would have thought to bring my notebook to make notes. The dinner ended with a prayer and, after a few moments, I was surrounded again by important people. I attempted to meet Elder Holland and shake his hand, but I was a bit too nervous. Dallin and I walked out at the same time as he and his wife, so that will have to be enough. At the elevators, all guests received a GIANT gift bag, myself included! At no charge to me, I received the 5 Best Sellers from Deseret Book, the KSL 2012 calendar, a glass beehive container thing, and 6 or 7 Utah Truffle bars. It was hefty!!!!

The night was one I will never forget. I was so lucky to sing, to hang with my friend, Dallin, and to be among many of the noble and great ones. I still can't believe it happened to me.

P.S. I am still in contact with Margaret Owens. I emailed her a day or two after this event and she mentioned a job position. It isn't official and I don't want to jinx it, but she emailed me back and said that she felt impressed to mention the job to me. Talk about Divine intervention! I'll keep you posted if it actually turns into anything.

happy 2012!

2012-01-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012! I have a good feeling about you.

(How I wish I could see this in person...)

I have learned the best way to accomplish goals is to write them down and share them. This is my list for a year that will rock my socks- I can already tell.

Goals for 2012

Try not to be so hard on myself

Use my gym membership

Stay organized

Read The Book of Mormon completely before Brighton starts, and then again and again and again...

Attend the temple once a week.

Practice my guitar

Learn to budget my money

Bear testimony more often

Exercise at least 3 times a week

Be more out-going

Be a better friend

Make Ward FHE a bigger priority

Accomplish my goals for being 24

And remember the entire time:

"Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it."

-Anne Shirley

things i love thursday

2011-12-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

red tights

hot chocolate

new mugs

the large number of movies I want to see

driving my Kia

losing a pound or two

constant Christmas music

Words with Friends

my bed

Goodnight!

awkward and awesome

2011-12-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

I found this on a blog and thought it was completely entertaining. Here is my first post as an Awkward and Awesome follower:

awkward

- Celebrating after receiving a substantial tip today right before the guest walked in the back and heard the whole thing....whoops.

- Quote from work today: "Jenny, you just need to flip over!" (symbolic of course)

- (Story from a few days ago, but still awkward. And at the Joe. Interesting.) Last week, I was working as captain to a 50th Wedding Anniversary on the 9th floor with my friends surrounding me. I was responsible for making up a buffet table and the pressure was getting to me. I ran into the room next door to me to get an opinion on where to put rolls in an already uber-crowded table when I saw my friend, Tiffanee. She worked at the Joe awhile but quit at the start of the summer to be part of an internship. She came by to visit and just happened to be in the room when I walked in. She hugged me and asked how I was, to which I answered, "I'm a little stressed." Of course, I forgot why I walked into the room and started to back out, backwards. The other thing you need to know is that the 9th floor has rooms separated by columns out in the hallway. There I was, backing out without paying attention to where I was going, when I turned to head back to my room and ran, head on, into said pillar! Yes, yours truly ran into the wall. And not only that, my friends saw the whole thing.

- having to turn away to gain control of myself while laughing. Trust me, that could have been VERY awkward.

- trading shifts. That is never anything but awkward...

awesome

- learning my fortune according to utensils and a candlestick. Thanks Meish!

- Meish's "Gypsy Dance" that included falling off his chair. "It's all part of the dance!"

- happy guests that decide to leave a hefty tip

- peppermint tootsie roll pops

- Straight No Chaser! Where have these guys been all my life?

- after the previous awkward story, Jordan coming into the room and asking, "Did that just happen???"

- visiting sisters with Miranda and Whitney

- laughing so hard that both my face and my stomach hurt

- the Christmas lights covering the houses in a nearby neighborhood

- "sprinkles!"

- some boys I know

dreaming of a white christmas...

2011-12-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

Love this!

Nobody sings it quite like Bing.

on the second week of Christmas...

2011-12-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

The week started off with preparation to celebrate Sinterklaas. Every year since before I can remember, we place one of our shoes outside our door with a carrot inside. Sinterklaas arrives on horseback to deliver small gifts to children who have been very good. Those who haven't been good little girls and boys are thrown into Swarte Pete's sack and taken back to Holland to work for a year. We place a carrot in our shoes for his horse. The next morning, we awake to a candy strewn floor and an ornament by each shoe. Some years, books and movies have been involved. It is never a large gift but it is a beloved tradition just the same. My mother always says, "The best gifts come in small packages."

Since the Hortins are unbelievably booked this season, we asked the old man to come a few days early. He was kind enough to oblige. The only problem we encountered was that the delicious candy was scattered on the morning of Fast Sunday; meaning: we had to gather it all up in a bowl and leave it for later that day. Some days we have stronger willpower than others. Luckily, Sunday was one of those days.

Sunday continued with the usual three hour block but for some reason I have the hardest time getting ready on time the first Sunday of every month. That and I have the hardest time focusing. Kiera gave a wonderful lesson on how we can rely on the Gospel and the Lord when we are working through hard times so I tried harder in Relief Society to be supportive. Finally, it was time for Break the Fast! Cleaning up the room always takes longer than we expect, so as a presidency we weren't able to feast upon the Hawaiian haystacks we had been smelling for hours until all the chicken was gone. Surprisingly, pineapple cubes and pineapple juice taste pretty good on rice. But then, pineapple tastes pretty good on anything. (except pizza, but that's another story for another day.) The Sunday was lovely, especially when a certain someone made an effort to come and talk to me. *Sigh (I may have just completely embarrassed myself if he happens to ever read this blog. For the time being, I think I'm okay.)

Monday brought with it the celebration of my dear mother's birthday. Her birthday is actually on the sixth of December, but remember that the Hortins are popular people in December? That being so, we celebrated with presents, dinner and cake a day early. Mom chose to go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner but we were under strict directions not to mention her birthday to anyone that worked there. The last thing Mom wanted was to have to sit on a saddle while the entire restaurant yells, "Yeehaw!" We ate ourselves silly, and then went home for cake. The cake was my birthday gift. I had a choir rehearsal (details still coming) and stopped by the catering office at the Joe to order a Chocolate Mint Torte. Believe me, it is even better than it sounds. To finish our celebrating, Dad put up the tree, we started to decorate, and then went downstairs to watch Castle together.

Tuesday was a day I will not soon forget. It was officially my mother's birthday, and it was the performance for the choir I have been mentioning the last few posts. It deserves its own post because it was just that fantastic! Still, here is a teaser: I sang for the prophet! Told you it was something special...

Wednesday brought with it a visit to the Forgotten Carols! I love the Forgotten Carols! I sang in the choir my junior and senior years of high school, but this year, it was my little sisters' turns. Melanie sang last year or the year before but this year was the first for Carrie. They did a wonderful job and they had a wonderful time. I still prefer the story when it was mostly narrated by Michael McLean, but it's still good. We stayed after the performance to stand in line for the cast's autographs to document this special year. I love the music, but I wish Connie Lou was still played by Katie Thompson. She is a power house! One day, I would love to be able to sing like her. (I know, right?!)

Thursday started very early in the morning as I drove down to Provo to go to the temple with Ao. It was early and dark and a long, lonely drive, but I wouldn't trade any minute I spent there with her for anything. I have much to learn from this wonderful girl. I hope that I can be as great an example to anyone as she has already been to me. Sadly, I'm getting old. I doubt another girl that walked in after us was over twenty. But then again, we were in Provo...

The day wasn't complete without a trip up to Carden Memorial and a visit to my dearest friend, Pixel. We shared thirty minutes that flew by way too fast. Still, I had the grandest time. I love that girl!!!!!!!!

Strangely enough, that night the Church of Scientology came for their Awards Dinner to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I was working with my friends, Bryan and Christian, and Nicolee, who was experiencing her first day. The entire time, we kept asking ourselves, "Do they know where they are? Don't they know they are in the JOSEPH SMITH Memorial Building???" They chose the Wasatch Room with no view of the temple, so I suppose they may have forgotten. It was something. The room smelled thickly of cigarette smoke, incense, and something I couldn't really put my finger on. I was almost positive that Tom Cruise was going to come waltzing through the front door, but to no avail.

The best part of the night was after the smelly scientologists left the building. Bryan, Christian, Nicolee, and I grabbed cups, gathered around the alcove and drank some hot apple cider with caramel sauce and whipped cream. The fun escalated into a small food fight where the guys got the better of me. By the end, I had whipped cream covering my back and chocolate mousse covering my face. Sometimes we go a little a crazy to maintain our sanity. I really am mature. Promise. The weekend was another bunch of serving functions with good friends and a certain young man that kept me smiling. I was lucky enough to not work a double but life remained as busy as ever.

I never knew I could fit so many things into 24 hours until we entered into December. I surprised even myself.

beginning to look a lot like christmas

2011-12-13T14:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas boxes of decorations sit in the front room. Santa's workshop has arrived in the basement. The cd player in my car constantly plays a mixture of Karen Carpenter, Bing Crosby, Donny Osmond, The Forgotten Carols, and Eclipse. The illuminated milk jugs line my front walk and the advent calendars have made a surprisingly early appearance. Christmas season is underway!

I am among the few that stubbornly wait until the day after Thanksgiving to welcome in the holiday. Kozy 106.5 can play "Feliz Navidad" until the cows come home. Christmas begins for me on what others refer to as Black Friday. And oh, what a time I've had since then!

The holiday arrived with a trip to Gardner Village to celebrate Maggie's birthday. As previously stated, I'm so glad that my family rediscovered this little gem in the valley. After a delicious dinner at Archibald's, we wandered through a few of the cozy shops and found an extension of Santa's workshop around every corner. The little elves were adorable. My favorites were the roller-skating elf delivering cookies and the ice skater that lost his footing and ended up sliding on his back pockets.

Later in the week, I began to experience the holiday through the eyes of a banquet server. If you thought that August is crazy, try and schedule an event in December. Good luck! Thursday was an Inspirational Art Show in the Bonneville Room. By the end of the night, I was wishing I had thousands of dollars to purchase the magnificent artwork on the walls. As my shift was ending, I saw a portrait of the Savior that was selling for $98,000! I gasped...and walked away. If every shift could provide walls upon walls of images of the Savior, I think I wouldn't have as much of a pickle on my hands.

Friday was a trial unto itself. I started the day with a choir practice for the DMC Christmas party (I'll explain later), and while I was catching up with my good friend, Dallin, my eyes started to go funny. I don't know how else to describe the sensation, but suddenly I saw lines of moving lights somewhere in my line of sight. As time progressed, my hands went numb and a migraine hit with full force. Sadly, I was scheduled to work and it was too late to call in sick. I drove carefully over to the Joe, praying and pleading for strength. He answered my prayers as I met up with Laurel. She kindly suggested that I go to the Catering Office and request a Bride's Room key so that I could go where it was quiet and attempt to sleep it off. The next time I use a Bride's Room, a wedding dress better be involved. I spent about half an hour away from the world on a fancy, though surprisingly comfortable couch. After, it was mind over matter as I worked through the pain. As long as I kept myself distracted, I was fine. Still, there were a few moments were I had to sit or put my head down. It has been a long time since I have felt so completely useless. Hopefully, I can take better care of myself.

Saturday, thankfully, I was back to myself. Thanks to it being the weekend, the entire day was planned, minute by minute. It began with my first Brighton meeting (Hooray!) with Ao and the Presidency. Meadow made the most divine butterscotch pull-aparts and hot chocolate. I have already begun a quote book for Brighton Staff 2012:

Ao: "I'm not opposed to goo."

Duke: "If everything in this world were fried, there would be no war!"

The next 8-9 months are going to rock my socks! After presidency meeting, I brought Ao over to my house with the intent to figure out the theme for the summer. We didn't quite figure that out yet, but it is coming along. More than anything, we just sat and talked. She is wonderful! I am so lucky to have a friend in Ao!

Next, it was off to the South Towne Expo Center for the Festival of Trees! I love the Festival of Trees and have done since I was a little girl. I met up with my family and saw some of the most amazing trees. It is true that after a few aisles the trees begin to look exactly the same, but luckily, I wasn't there that long. We found Melanie's friend Kenzie's tree and I stood watching and attempting to be supportive as my little sister mourned the loss of a dear friend. Sweet Melanie has such a tender heart and makes friends everywhere. In the short time we stood in front of it, every member of my family in attendance was in tears. It was a beautiful tree and a wonderful tribute to a wonderful girl. To end our little excursion, Dad treated us to scones and honeybutter from the stand that is located in the back. It was delicious! I don't think I have ever eaten so much breaded goodness in one day before.

Then it was off to work again for me. I, alone, was scheduled to work in the Ambassador Room with Elder Koelliker and his family with ten guests in attendance. It was a quiet night for me, but completely enjoyable. His family was so sweet and generous. I would love to serve them again and again, and I rarely say that about people.

Before the night was over, I made an attempt to catch up with family at Oma's annual visit from Sinterklaas. The night is complete with singing dutch songs, eating until your buttons pop, the gift of a chocolate letter, and sitting on the man's knee. Sadly, I missed the majority of the festivities as I didn't arrive until just after 10 pm, but I was able to see my Oma and McLelland cousins while feasting on a delicious nanaimo bar.

This was just the first few days of the season. I started this post days ago but had to leave it. Just you wait readers, the month continues to bring joy and gladness to my heart and I would be happy to share it all with you.

(Apologies for the lack of pictures. I have basically given up on this camera of mine.)

happy birthday to my mommy

2011-12-06T22:35:00.000-08:00

Life's Lessons I've Learned from my Mother:

laugh

when you don't know what else to do, sing and dance

put others first

the remedy for a rough day is a hug

family is first in everything

life is a lot easier to deal with if you don't take yourself too seriously and have fun

never leave the house without earrings or lipstick

never let family leave without waving at the doorstep until they are safely around the corner

practice makes perfect

music makes tedious tasks bearable

music makes anything more bearable

it is always a good time for chocolate

wearing heels is good for you

go after your dreams

saying, "be careful" is another form of "i love you"

talking things through with her solves every problem

falling is funny

the harder the fall, the funnier it is

celebrate anything and everything

a spoonful of chocolate frosting is good for the soul

read the scriptures

pray always

serve where you are placed

work hard

leave people better than you found them

everyday can be a holiday, if you want

iron your pillowcase

sour cream in mashed potatoes is delicious

fold slacks according to the seams

it isn't where you are, it's who you're with

collect what you love

be genuine

she is never too far away when I need her

the hardest trial can be handled if you are able to find joy in the little things

love!

My mother is the best woman I know. She is the best cook, even though she hates it. She is the best teacher, the best listener, and the best mother I could have ever asked for. She faces the world with a smile and a song and never lets a day go by without letting me know, repeatedly, that she loves me. The world is a better place because she is in it.

I love you, Moeder, more than words can say.

Love, your Jenny

happy sunday!

2011-12-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

and Merry Christmas!

december!!!

2011-12-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

I hope you are as excited for this Christmas season as I am.

I've already been listening to Christmas music for a week now.

I know Christmas usually means craziness for most of us, but the craziness makes me excited. I love being able to celebrate the Savior's birth with friends and family in as many ways as possible.

Here's hoping that working at the Joe doesn't consume my month...

Happy December 1st to YOU!

giving thanks

2011-12-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays. I love the entire month of November because it helps me stay in the "Attitude of Gratitude." If only I could remain more constant the rest of the year. Since today marks the end of such a wonderful month, I need to take a moment and truly express my gratitude for the many blessings in my life. There are far too many to count!

my Father in Heaven and His constant care

my Savior, Jesus Christ

my mother and father

their constant love and devotion

my crazy, goony, wonderful sisters and how they make me smile

a brother in heaven that pushes me to be my best

grandparents

extended family

my heritage

forever friends - you know who you are

scriptures

Thomas S. Monson

semi-annual general conference

temples

wednesday institute and forum

tender mercies

BRIGHTON

sources of income

a roof over my head

food to eat

my new source of transportation

the RS Presidency and fellow sisters of the Crescent Park Ward

lessons in the form of trials

my testimony

life

(Those are the BIG ones. Now a little more informal and in no particular order.)

laughing

the smell of a new car

Utah football

the new H&M

boy stories

Oma sandwiches

love notes

my iPhone!

snazzy music

mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies

books, books and more books

piano

guitar

my voice and the ability to sing

exercise

my pillow

freshly starched pillowcases

covergirl foundation

falsies mascara

mom's cooking

thick blankets

on demand

left overs for lunch

good hair days

the toaster

redbox

Wendy's drive thru

my iPod and earphones

ice machine

clear Solo cups

heels

dressing up

orange and robin's egg blue

dates: good, bad, and in-between

Bo Willy

television

girls' nights

parking lot dancing

hiking

hang out sessions

catch up phonecalls

ridiculous messages

snuggling

moments at work that ends doubled up in laughter

kids' cups

4 hour shifts

Joe friends

frozen yogurt

purple striped gloves

scarves

AFV app

crackle nail polish

my watch

and everything else that I might have missed

just because

2011-11-30T14:58:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain is 176 today! Couldn't let it pass by without an honorable mention

and be a true English Major :)

(Hey thanks, Google, for the heads up.)

Quotes:

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read.

Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.

When in doubt tell the truth.

26 on nov. 26

2011-11-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

Another birthday celebrated in the Hortin home and this time it belongs to my big sister.

Happy Birthday, Mags!

To help celebrate this blessed event, Dad ltreated us girls with manicures! I've never had a manicure before. I had a pedicure once down in St. George with friends while we were on Spring Break, but that had been my only experience until a few days ago. Needless to say, I don't know much about the whole situation. Still, I loved it!

Maggie was originally planning on going with some of her EFY friends, but we added to the party. When we walked into US Nails (South Towne Center/ It is fabulous. You should go. End of plug.), the owner appeared to be in seventh heaven. I now understand what people are talking about when they say that the Asians speak to each other in their native tongue and you automatically suppose they are talking about how you. Totally understand!

(I apologize for the dark photographs. My camera and I are not getting along at the moment.)

So pampered on her birthday! Why be anything else?

That's me, soaking my fingers.

I don't know who had the better time...

Then, on Monday, we celebrated again by going out to dinner at Archibald's in Gardner Village. We rediscovered Gardner Village this summer at a lunch date with Grandma and Patti. We've become addicted since. The food at Archibald's is delicious and the shops around the village are so much fun!

(Again, I don't understand why the flash wouldn't work. My camera turned all my pictures orange! We are not on speaking terms at the moment.... or whatever.)

Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf- eat your heart out JSMB

I love my sister! I love how she wants to know about my life even though she moved away. I love the way she squeals when she thinks something is really funny. I think she looks like Snow White. I love her sense of style. I love when we talk about boys. I love to watch her teach. I love hearing her testimony. I love how she pushes me to be better.

I love you, Margaret Anne!

a few snapshots

2011-11-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

Maggie gave me this idea a little while ago, and since I have been using my iphone camera so much lately to document things, it seemed a perfect idea. I give you:

Life According to My Iphone

I helped Melanie ask her friend Cameron to the Halloween Dance. That's pretty original, if you ask me. We got the scariest faced blue pumpkin in the store. The plan was to go and ask him that same night but his porch is the most difficult to doorbell ditch. The house is up on a hill with a large flight of stairs leading up. There is no place to hide! Melanie came home during lunch the next day and we walked up and laid it out on the porch. Mel did the work. I was just there for moral support.

A few weeks ago, the Hortin fam went on an awesome road trip. (I promise pictures are coming. I have been having trouble with my camera not wanting to work....But I'm working on it!) We went down to Zion's National Park. It was beeeeautiful! I found this little Park Ranger uniform in the Gift Shop and had to take a picture for the only Park Ranger I know... How cute is that?! Seriously. It even came with the huge hat.

The same day I went to talk to Laurel at the Joe about my situation, the building was hosting a Christmas Show. It is like the Wedding Show we did last January, but everything is Christmas. The businesses who come every year for their Christmas parties are invited to come and sample some new dishes and get a sense of what their party could be. I hung around and helped a bit, but had to take a few pictures of some of my favorite centerpieces. The floral shop is amazing! I just wish they weren't so expensive!

This one was my favorite! I love the asymmetry!

I had a sample of the Chocolate Mint on the far left.

AMAZING!!!

The show was in the middle of October so if you looked out the windows of the Empire Room, you didn't really feel the Christmas Spirit. Ergo: the curtains were closed, Christmas music was blaring through the sound system, and Dianne even found some Christmas Air Freshener to make the room smell like a Christmas tree! I laughed. And had to take a picture.

Melanie's answer:

Melanie received a text from Cameron to look outside and found a giant trifold painted black and plastered with stars. We sat there for awhile trying to make out the word YES as a constellation when Mom thought maybe, just maybe, we should take off the stars and see if the answer was on the back. I have a smart Mother.

Taken from the Gold Room on the Mezzanine floor. I love the colors of autumn, especially the bright oranges and reds! And the fact that the temple is there in the background makes it all the better. I could be a professional.......iPhone picture taker.

Do those exist?

You already know this little bit of news, but I took a picture of the front of my binder because it is such a sweet story to me.

The morning that I learned I was to be next summer's Director (Whoa, gosh! It still gives me chills.), Zim brought my binder in her car. It was snowing pretty hard when we got there and some snow had fallen into a basket Zim brought with her. The basket held pinecones. I think she used it as a centerpiece or something. The snow melted and somehow got into the front pocket of my binder. When Zim handed it to me, she told me over and over again how sorry she was that it was smeared, that she would print me another and mail it to me, and that she felt simply sick about it. In all honesty, I don't want anyone to touch it. That morning will always hold a special place in my heart and I will keep this sodden sheet of paper to remember it by.

Sometimes, at work, we work buffets. And sometimes, those buffets are long and boring. So, we find something to entertain ourselves. This experienced involved my good friend, Bryan, and thirty-five cherry tomatoes.

After, he spit them all out in the garbage can with just enough noise that Elizabeth and I turned around and both almost gagged.

Another adventure at the Joe: a reception in the Wasatch Room. The bride and groom's first date involved watching Tangled. So they attempted to recreate the "Floating Lights" scene in their reception. It was perfect! I might want to do something just like that whenever I have a reception, but the colors may be tweaked a bit....

(Oh, that's my friend, Michelle.)

Today, I went with the younger sisters to H&M. Don't worry- it is only my third time since it opened. We were waiting to get on the elevator over in the men's clothing, and Melanie found this pacifier stuck in a mannequin's hand. I don't know who put it there or why, but it was just too perfect to pass by without taking a picture.

You can't really see it because the plastic is see-through, but it is that pink thing in his hand.

Then, on the drive home, we found this little guy working out like mad on the side of the street.

He has a face and tied up sneakers.

And he was going at it!

Another picture too great to pass up.

My life, ladies and gentlemen. Don't you wish you were me? :)

JK!

sweet sixteen

2011-11-23T15:31:00.000-08:00

(I need to ask a favor. Pretend that the date is actually November 20, 2011 instead of today...Can you do that for me? Thanks a bunch!)

TODAY IS MY BABY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY!

We have hit another milestone in her young life, and every single day I am grateful to be a part of it.

What I love about this girl:

She is such a goon!

The fact that every time I call her a goon, the conversation goes as follows:

me: Carrie, you're a goon.

Carrie: I'm not a goon. You're a goon, Goon!

*This has been going on for a good while. It was a happy day in my life when she said it while we were in the hospital. The memory still brings tears to my eyes.

"Rootbeer" eyes

Her irritation with people's feet

The mornings when the first thing I see is her sweet face as she wakes me up for breakfast.

She has the ability to reach out to people and let them know they are special.

The times when she decides to straighten or scrunch her hair and she needs my help.

Whenever I am feeling low, she puts up a hand and hollers, "GIVE ME FIVE!" (Which means that you now must list five things you love about yourself, and often they can't be the same things that you said last time)

Her hugs

Her testimony

The determination of this girl continues to move mountains.

I wish I was more like her :)

happy 27!

2011-11-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

This post is in honor of my wonderful parents who are celebrating 27 years of marriage today. I hope that I have the privilege in my future life to be able to say that.

My mom and dad are my heroes! They are always there for each other, no matter what happens in our crazy life. They have seen much of life, a good portion of it that neither of them planned on, but they keep each other laughing.

How grateful I am for the decision my parents made to be sealed in the temple and the gift it is to be sealed to them for all eternity. Happy, happy, happy day in the Hortin home today!

Mom and Daddio:

I love you! I love how you show your daughters how much you love each other. It gives me hope for my future life. Thank you for being exactly who you are and teaching me to be who I am. Everything I am comes from you. I am the luckiest girl in the world!

Love, me

remember how...

2011-11-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

I love TV?

I know that you have probably gotten sick of me talking about Castle and Chuck, my two favorite shows, but I have another one to add to the ever growing list.

Have you ever heard of Pan Am?

If the answer is no, then let me help get you up to speed.

Sundays at 9 pm on abc! Watch it!

As you may expect, the show is based on the Pan American Airlines during the 60s. My favorite story lines are that of Dean and Collette (oh my gosh!) and Laura and Ted. Each episode, I can't decide which pilot I love more.

Here's just a nibble. I hope you enjoy!

(This is Dean and Collette, btw)

This is up there with Castle and Chuck for sure!

happy day!

2011-11-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

Another announcement from the life of Jenny Hortin!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

is now open

at FASHION PLACE MALL!!!!!!!

Remember the excitement when I went shopping there in Las Vegas???

Now up that to the thousandth degree and you might get close to my excitement level that there is finally one in UTAH! And fifteen minutes from my house!

Somebody better hide my wallet from me. I could be in trouble.

Holy Smokes! I am so excited!!!

Take a gander:

http://www.hm.com/us/subdepartment/LADIES?Nr=90001

and if you have a free afternoon, call me up and we'll go!

growing up

2011-11-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

I have another announcement! As you can see, these past few weeks have been rather exciting in the life of Jenny Hortin.

My announcement?

I bought a car!

A 2010 Kia Optima

That's right. This has been a long time coming and it finally worked out so that I could take the plunge and have my own wheels. I have been researching cars for months and tried to get a loan through the bank to get things underway. They said I didn't have enough credit history but that my score was fine. So, I started looking at dealerships that advertised that they would sell to those with little to no credit. That's how I ended up at Larry H. Miller Used Car Supermarket.

Dad and I headed out after putting in a few hours at the office. I was so excited but had no idea that I would be driving the car home that night.

Jenny Hortin has a car! It only took six years, but it finally happened. I'm finally growing up!

i know what you're doing next summer!

2011-11-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

*This picture was taken during move-out of 2009. It was raining/snowing in the middle of August! Sorry the flash is in the way but the window says, " I <3 Brighton" (and oh how I do)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. Harmony, aka Jenny Hortin, is headed back up to Brighton LDS Girls' Camp next summer and working as none other than DIRECTOR!

Yes, you read correctly. Director 2012! Me! Working as Director! I am so excited!

Story time: The last week of camp is Christmas week and Tuesday night the staff has a big Christmas Party where they eat lots of yummy food and exchange presents. To make this possible, past staff members are invited to come and patrol the cabins as the girls go to sleep. Last summer, Gloria called me and asked me to come help. I jumped at the chance!

I went up with my friends Pixel and Jibber. We had a wonderful time hiking and talking and patrolling, but I was struggling with a feeling that I couldn't name and really can't explain. I tried talking it out with Pixel but we kept running into friends and never really finished the conversation.

At some point during the night, I met up with my wonderful friend, Granola, as she was helping a staff member that had injured her foot. We started to talking and, one way or another, she told me they were changing the process of hiring a director and firmly stated, a number of times, that she thought I should apply. This all happened months ago but it really got me thinking.

Camp ended and I went about living life and trying to figure things out. In the middle of September, my sister Carrie forgot something at home that she was supposed to take to school. I attempted to text her and ask if she needed it but I hit the wrong contact on my phone without realizing it. A few minutes later, Carebear (a member of the Brighton Presidency and a good friend of mine) texted me back saying that I had mistakenly texted her but that she was happy to hear from me. I apologized and felt terribly sheepish when she returned my text with the question: Is my Brighton door shut?

That really got the ball rolling. I mentioned that I had been thinking about applying. Throughout the course of the next month or so, I received emails and text messages from Carebear as reminders that the deadline was coming up. I had an issue with getting a letter from my Bishop because as I was going in to talk to him and get my application in the mail, I learned he had left for Hawaii for two weeks! (Lucky man...) I called Carebear on the phone to ask how I should go about handing in an application, if it was okay to turn it in without my Bishop letter, and if he could mail it in later. Talking to her on the phone, I could sense her excitement and that made my excitement increase, although I don't know how that was possible. Application turned in, I received a phone call from Duke, another counselor in the presidency, to set up an interview for October 29th. I made a note on the calendar for JSMB and kept my fingers crossed.

I don't think my interview could have gone better. I tried not to count my chickens, so to speak, but I knew that I had done everything possible. I had done everything that I knew how to do. Standing up to leave, I realized that I didn't want to. Still, I didn't want to overstay my welcome, but looking back, I felt something. And maybe, even a part of me knew what was going to happen.

The next Monday, Zim, the president, called me and asked if I would be able to come in that Saturday for a second interview. A second interview? Okay...... She said that it would be for a few hours so keep my morning open and I could come in jeans. She had me thinking, "What are they going to make me do???"

Last Saturday, I woke up early, got ready, and headed out. It was funny to me because I didn't feel nervous. At all. I drove slowly through the snow and got there a few minutes late, but eventually found where I needed to be. Walking to the room, I noticed Ao sitting outside the room. I figured that I was first and she was waiting for me to be done. Carebear came out and asked both of us to come in. I said hi to the presidency and they all came over to hug me. Carebear pointed to one of the two hot seats and said,"Harmony, you sit here." Okay.

Zim started the interview by asking Meadow to pray. Meadow prayed like this was a normal interview. Then, Zim said that they wanted to know how we would problem solve with another person. In front of each of us were baskets with small envelopes--- (Still have them for my scrapbook)

We were to grab one, read the question, and figure it out together. In my head, I'm thinking, "This is interesting. I don't think they've ever done this before." Then I started to read:

All I remember thinking then was "Where's the question?" I couldn't even believe it! It was such an out of body experience. I came back to myself when I heard Ao make a squeaking noise. We were totally played! Meadow jumped up and started taking pictures. Zim was so excited! She looked like a three year old on Christmas morning. Carebear was smiling so wide! Oh the shock! It still doesn't quite seem real.

I'm official. I have my binder and everything. The Presidency took us out to breakfast at Mimi's (swanky, holy smokes, delicious!) and we started talking about changes that are going to be made and things that we are going to be doing. There is so much! But I am ready.

I realize the trust that Heavenly Father has placed in me. I know that He expects great things, and together, we can do them. I am so excited to be working with Ao! We met a few times during the summers that she worked but I have so much to learn from this wonderful girl!!! I wish it were January/ February already so that we could get started and run with this whole thing. My puzzle came together a little bit more on Saturday and I couldn't be more grateful!

Program Director Harmony...

Just you wait, friends.

Director Harmony is here!

(Oh gosh, that sounds crazy)

life student

2011-11-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Today I learned:

-silence drives me crazy.

-wearing high heels, even when you sit behind a desk all day, may not be the best idea.

-I don't like the grapefruit lotion I used from the office bathroom.

-Bob Harper kicks my trash while making me smile.

-using earphones for longer than an hour is painful.

-I really like the sound and feel of my keyboard. Nerd Alert!

- sitting in a cubicle makes you invisible to the rest of the world.

- it is easier to have a good attitude when I exercise in the morning (shocker! ;) )

Yup, that is where I work now and learned most of these mind-blowing statements...

you are mine

2011-11-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've posted a video of this song before, but as I was at work (read previous post) it played twice in one day on my iPod. Coincidence? I think not! So, in a sense of gratitude for a needed reminder, I am posting the lyrics again. It is just that good!

Ninety and Nine

Michael McLean

I am one of the ninety and nine
I’m not perfect but basically I’m doing fine
I have not lost my way, I have not gone astray
I’m just one of the ninety and nine
I am here in the heart of the fold
I’m not mindless but I try to do as I’m told
I’m not tempted to run and become the lost one
I am here in the heart of the fold

So why is my shepherd coming this way toward me
He’s holding his arms out and he’s calling my name
Yes he’s calling my name! But how, how can this be?

I’m just one of the ninety and nine
I have stumbled and fallen, but I’ve kept in line
I’m not one he must seek; I’m not all that unique
I’m just one of the ninety and nine

So why is my shepherd treating me like a lost lamb?
He’s searching to find me
And he’s holding me now, yes, he’s holding me now
And teaching me who I am

So why am I feeling like I’m the only one here
It’s like I’m his favorite
And he takes me aside, and he sweetly confides
These remarkable words in my ear

You are one of the ninety and nine
Have you any idea how brightly you shine?
You are safe in this fold, and it’s time you are told
That I know where you’ve been so I know where you’ll be
Because all of your life you’ve been following me
You are more than just one of the sands of the sea
Or just one of the ninety and nine
You are mine, you are mine, you are mine
You are mine

I am one of the ninety and nine.

changing winds

2011-11-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

If you read my blog, you know that I work at Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I have shared many a wonderous story about my experience there. Yet, I reached a turning point a few weeks ago and lots of things are changing in my neck of the woods.

I still work there on weekends. At least, that is where it stands at the moment. Talking to a friend last night, I was reminded that things happen for a reason and maybe I needed that sudden experience that shook everything to evaluate where I am and where I want to be. More change may be coming my direction, but I have taken the first step.

What is that first step? I work for my dad now! I work behind a desk in an office and am on the road to having a "Big Girl Job!" My name is even on a cubicle. I'm still working out some kinks and fine tuning everything, which means that I have no idea what I'm doing, just that I am doing it.

I love the saying "Go Big or Go Home," and trust me, that's what I did. I went from a loud job that is constantly keeping me on my feet to sitting behind a desk where you can hear crickets chirping. (Almost.) I've hit the two extremes. A middle ground of the two would be delightful, but I guess that will come with time. I miss all the customer service and being surrounded by people. Here, they do better without the noise so I keep my iPod going all day long. I'm learning that I don't know half the stuff that I loaded on it. Crazy...

Anyways, I'll keep my head down and keep running. One of these days, everything will work itself out.

just rolling...

2011-11-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

I love Lenka.

Always have.

Always will.

And this is why:

"hallow's eve" eve

2011-10-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, I relived a piece of my childhood.

Who doesn't love a reminder of the 90s?

The commentary supplied by good friends was the best part!

(Sorry if you missed it...)

Confession: When I was 8, I thought Casper was so dreamy.....

Now he makes me giggle inside.

imperfections

2011-10-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Hortin family recently returned home from a trip around southern Utah- stories and pictures to come.

Before you are delighted by our adventures, I thought you might enjoy a small teaser....

I have been trying to get back into exercising every day. It continues to be slow. Being stubborn, I decided that I was going to run on the treadmill in the fitness room of our hotel yesterday morning. No suprise that with my luck, the fitness room wasn't open until 8 am and this was 6:45 am. Maggie suggested we go running down Main Street instead.

Confession: I have never run outside as a source of exercise. I may run if I'm late for something. Heaven only knows the number of times I have run to catch a Trax train, but the distance is significantly small. I run on a treadmill. As such, I run alone with the option of slowing down and doing my own thing for however long I want.

I had high hopes for something like this: wind in my hair, music beating in my ears, being amazed at what my body can do....

Saturday wasn't like that. Maggie likes to run. Turns out, I don't. The combination of the two of us didn't help my mood that morning.
We headed out and started to run but were up before the sun and running in the cold. I forgot my good sneakers so I was running in my Old Navy blue shoes that have as much support as running barefoot. I started out really excited and truly enjoying myself. Sadly, that only lasted for a few blocks. I made it back with a headache, pain in my right ear (what?), sore feet, sore muscles, and a defeated attitude. This is a better depiction of my experience that morning:

The best parts:

1) I was running alone to catch up to Maggie and passed a few people on the street. The man closest to me smiled as I passed and said, "Slow down. Nobody's chasing you!" Thanks to Mr. Stranger that made me smile through the pain!

2) The sun came up while we were running. Watching the colors change on the beautiful red bluffs of Kanab was breathtaking. Too bad I needed all the air I could get.... ;)

sing it

2011-10-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was able to go to my little sisters' choir concert. It was the first concert of the year so it was the first time I saw little Carrie up on stage, singing her little heart out.

Don't they look so grown up?

I was at presidency meeting and had to run across the street. I was a bit behind and ended up running like lunatic through the Alta parking lot. I got some strange looks from my "awkward purse and binder run" but I just kept going. Out of breath, I walked into the school, got my ticket, sat with the parentals, and heard Carrie's choir sing. She is a member of Women's Chorus. We didn't know if Carrie was going to really enjoy singing. She has never really been as gung-ho about it as the rest of us girls. Watching her sing up on stage made me cry. Course, I've been a little bit of an emotional wreck the past few weeks, but thinking about where Carrie was just over a year ago and then to watch her stand up on stage for 10+ minutes with no support, side step and get her groove on, put me me over the moon! I witnessed a miracle last night!

The choirs were very good. I am biased towards Women's Chorus and A' Cappella, but it was a great concert. Watching Melanie sing was so fun. She looked completely comfortable on stage and in her ability to sing. I have to keep remembering that Melanie is a senior in highschool. When I just see them at home, it is easy to think that my sisters are still my little, little sisters. They are so grown up and doing so much! Oh, I love them!

Oh man, oh man. I'm a proud sister!

surprise day!

2011-10-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

There is an on-going joke at the Hortin house that buying "treats" makes any day a "SURPRISE DAY!!!"

[Monday was a mess. I was scheduled for work at 6 am, therefore I was awake at 4:50 that morning so that I could get ready and ride like the wind with my dad to catch the train. Then, work was a disaster. Not my event, but the situations surrounding it. You don't need to know all the gorey details, just the fact that if you saw a freak on the train riding home at 4 pm that was crying the entire way- it was me.]

Back story only to demonstrate the need for a surprise day....

Melanie picked me up from the train and needed to head to Claire's for clip-on backs for her new choir jewelry. There I was in my "ninja suit" in a room full of fancy and fashionable do-dads. I found a pair of really pretty earrings:

and some crackle nailpolish. Dang, this stuff is weird but super cool! Nothing like a tiny dose of retail therapy to chase the blues away.

in a nutshell

2011-10-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

This week has been much better than the last two. What a relief! Still, I haven't gotten to the weekend yet, and those tend to be the hardest. Ironic, isn't it?

Sunday: I finally taught my temple lesson in Relief Society. I haven't taught for years and I had never taught in Relief Society before. Still, I think it went pretty well. I love the feeling when you know you are teaching by the Spirit. I love bearing testimony, even if it isn't as eloquent in execution as it is in my head. The funny part is that I get to teach Fast Sunday next month too. After the block was over, some of the sisters in my ward came up and complimented me on my lesson. It is never the purpose of teaching to be praised, I know. The Spirit did all the heavy lifting. My new friend, Michelle, came up and said that I was "tender-hearted" and my fellow sisters in the presidency said they would rather I teach every Fast Sunday. Well, shucks.....

The biggest thing I took away from that lesson was the feeling of teaching with the Spirit and the reminder that I have learned much from my father and our family conversations over the dinner table about teaching.

Monday: I was lazy for the first part of the day because Monday is currently my only day off. Sheesh, there are a lot of things going on downtown at the Joe. The day ended with a disappointing trip to Kmart. Disappointing because we couldn't find what we were looking for. Never because of the company of my mother and younger sisters.

Then, I went with my ward to the Crazy Cornmaze out in West Jordan for FHE with my ward. I don't go to FHE very often, or never actually, but it just worked out that I tagged along with Whitney. It was a blast! I was afraid that it was going to be haunted. I hate being scared. Absolutely hate it! Well, I made the mistake of mentioning that when some of the guys were near. They took it upon themselves, since the cornmaze isn't haunted on Mondays, to be my personal poltergeists. Still, we had a great time!

This cutout was at the exit. Shaye and I couldn't pass up this awesome kodak moment.

L to R: Shaye, Whitney, Miranda, Marissa and Jennifer is hidden in the back

Tuesday: I worked a VERY VIP function! Holy Smokes! Enjoy as I name drop: Elder Quentin L. Cook, Elder Rasband, Elder Clayton, Elder Whitney, Bishop Burton, and Governor Mike Leavitt. They were there as a round table discussion. I only get bits and pieces of the conversations but they said something about George Washington and making a larger community committee combining the Catholic and LDS Church organizations. More than that, I have no idea what they were doing. I was just trying not to spill.

(It only took 8 months, but I am finally official! Doesn't that tag look swell?)

Later that night was Presidency meeting and Miranda thought it would be a good idea to go out and visit at least one sister every week. This week we headed out to see a girl named Alisha. She hasn't come more than once or twice because she works on Sundays, but she really is darling. She invited us in, warning us that she has pets so if we are allergic, it might be better to stand outside. Of course we all walked in and proceeded to pet one of her cats and her two dogs. It was great fun to talk to her, but as soon as we were back in the car, my allergy to cat hair came back. I don't go places with cats for so long and then I forget that I have a problem until I become a snot-producing machine. I sneezed and sniffed all the way back to the church. Guess what?! I'm allergic to cats.

The night ended with frozen yogurt with my long-time friend, Missy, because she is going to Boston tomorrow to live for a year! She is so brave! I don't know if I could do that but I am super excited for her! I can't wait to hear all her stories. We went out to the place in the gravel pit, Planet....something. I can never remember what it is called. They had gingerbread yogurt for the season! Oh. My. Holy. Fudge. You need to try this stuff. I was worried that it would be too strong but it was perfect. I had a bowl of gingerbread and pumpkin with a little cake batter or something white, loaded with fruit, cashews, and graham cracker crust. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Go. You'll love it!

Wednesday: Today was another crazy day at work. I served Elder Richard G. Scott! He was so excited when I handed him his ice cream :) Thinking about his reaction still makes me smile. And I was able to work with Elaina, Bryan, Sophie, and Michelle. They are the reason I haven't marched into Laurel's office and quit on the spot. (multiple times)

Tonight was dinner from Wendy's with the rest of the girls at home and then Institute! Brother Anderson talked about finances, which is definitely something I need to work on. He made me rethink my payments for student loans and working out payment for a car. Maybe I need to look into some options.

I heart Forum! The speaker could be mediocre and I would still love it because of "the Sandy Crew." Those are wonderful people and I am so happy that they consider me a friend.

All in all, this week so far has been much better than last. It is as different as night and day. I hope it continues that way as we go into the weekend........................... (fingers crossed)

what the...?

2011-10-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

52 weddings at the Salt Lake Temple today.

Seriously?

Seriously.

Congratulations to Chris Blackham as he and his wife were one of the 52.

(P.S. Isn't that a great picture from my phone? This was the view as I headed towards the trax stop and home.)

margaritas

2011-10-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Thursday and should have supplied a "things i love thursday" post, but let me be honest: yesterday pretty much stunk. Hardcore style. Today hasn't had much to lift the spirits either. So, in lieu of my usual post I wanted to thank friends for thinking of going out for margaritas.

I would try and explain but I hate being overly dramatic. Truly, I hate drama of any kind. All you need to know is that once again, I feel like I got the short end of the stick. I didn't know that sticks could have so many short ends, but thus, tis true. The best part of all of it is that you can drown away your sorrows in a delicious strawberry margarita. (Virgin, just in case you were concerned and thinking, "Jenny, margaritas contain alcohol.")

self-explanatory

2011-10-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

(Just in case you need a little explanation: This is Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. The guys at work have been telling me about it for months. I found it by chance at Barnes and Noble and OMG, I get it. This is just a part of the wonderfulness that is a new favorite of mine. The music is great. The dialogue is hilarious. Neil Patrick Harris is the perfect love sick nerd. I didn't know that Nathan Fillion could sing. He does have a crude line or two, but the similarities of Captain Hammer and Castle make me laugh. The thing I don't like about it is the ending... but, I guess it works. Maybe I'll be Penny for Halloween. Then again, maybe not.)

whopper ice cream

2011-10-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't know it existed either. And let me tell you, I think it tastes better than actual whoppers.

Story: I was feeling homesick for my good friend, Pixel. It worked out last week that our schedules could mesh for a night in with yummy dinner and a movie. Doug didn't have to work so it was a great night of me hanging out at their place. You would think I would feel like the third wheel in this situation, but I don't. That factt makes me like Doug even that much more. I'm so grateful for their friendship!

The night was super chill. Pixel and I caught up about life.... And by that I mean that I talked while she cooked and Doug chimed in every now and again from the living room. I may be turning again to Mr. and Mrs. Hendriksen for dating advice. We ate dinner and headed into the family room to use their new projector for a movie when Pixel said that she felt in the mood for ice cream. Not even a block away, they have a small convenience store. At the moment, I can't remember what it is called.... The three of us walked over and got some delicious Whopper Ice Cream! You need to try this stuff. I'm serious!

When deciding what movie to watch, we found Some Like It Hot on Netflix. Pixel hadn't seen it yet so we preceded to laugh and giggle at Jack Lemmon as he and Tony Curtis play girls.

The night was simply delightful. It is unanimous that we will have to repeat it again in the near future!

back tracking

2011-10-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

So much going on in the life of Jenny Hortin! I have missed my little blog here. Ergo: here's a little of the goings on.

As a Presidency, we decided that we would plan a little retreat for the sisters in our ward. The idea came from a stake get-together where we were talking to other Relief Societies about success stories. We headed up to Midway to the Davis cabin. It turned into another activity where I plan for a large number and we barely break 15. BUT, I still had a blast!

Our retreat was the 16th and the 17th. How perfect that the Holy War transferred over to the retreat since it was the night before the game. Watch out ladies....we know how this ends.

The weather was crazy the night that we drove up. Whitney and I had a moment or two were we stared, open-mouthed, at all the water on the road. Obviously we got there and back safely. Still, it rained all night long. We planned to have a fire with smores outside at the fire pit. Lucky for us, the cabin had a fireplace. Thanks to our resourcefulness, we still made it work.

Miranda and me...

Now that's what I call a s'more! "First you take the mallow..."

Kara and Rachel

Nicole, Kiera and Sister Wells

We had an awesome time singing and playing with the player piano in the front room. It is a little more tiring than I thought it would be. But still great fun!

Sister Davis knew so many old time musicals and old songs. She is so sweet! I'm so glad that we get to work together!

My great friend, Whitney, is an awesome photographer! Look how cool that is-

(No mocking of my pajamas....or my socks. You're all just jealous.)

Oh, hello Whitney. That is priceless!

We had so much fun playing games and watching How to Train Your Dragon late at night. The next morning, just sitting around the table, I learned more than ever about the wonderful sisters in my ward. My favorite: Whitney asked everyone the weirdest thing they ever ran over while driving.... And what have you run over Miss Whitney?

On the way out of the cabin, I had too much fun taking pictures. I love the fall and the bright colors! Especially the fire orange leaves.

Before we headed out of Heber Valley, Whitney and I made a trip into Heber for lunch at Dairy Keen and shortbread cookies from Days Market. If you haven't eaten at the Dairy Keen, you need to! It is in the middle of Main Street. You can't miss it. And you shouldn't!

It had been awhile since I had been to eat there. When we walked in, they had these drink dispensers that are computerized. I didn't know that there were so many options for Diet Coke or Lemonade. I had way too much fun with mixed drinks.

Thank you, Brother and Sister Davis for letting us use your cabin. Thanks especially, sisters, for an awesome night!

a story or two

2011-10-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this moment a lot in the past few days, but never more than yesterday during General Conference with so many references to The Book of Mormon. I love Conference!

Story: Last week, I was scheduled to work on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Laurel told me I wasn't, twenty seconds later, she said that I was and someone else wasn't. By the end of the day, I was thoroughly confused. Am I working? Am I not? When am I supposed to come in? Before I left, it was decided that I would come into work at 11. That was more than fine with me since that meant I could go to the temple with time enough for baptisms before. Hooray!

I woke up, had breakfast, threw on a skirt, and jumped in the car to be dropped off at the train before Dad headed to work. A few stops in, my phone buzzes with a new voicemail. (side note: I hate when someone calls me and my phone doesn't register the fact until I have a phone message. It is so irritating. I am not attempting to screen phonecalls, I promise. Oh, except for that one guy.) The message was from Laurel, saying that I no longer needed to come in at 11 but could I please come in at 3? This is one of the many things I hate about my job. It is like they think I don't have a life outside of work and because of that, I really can't have a life. When I think of all the friends with whom I have had to cancel plans, or all the things I would love to do but can't, I would be completely content to quit right away.

So there I sit, trying to get a hold of Laurel because I cannot work. There are many things that I have to cancel, but I will not bail on Institute unless I am sick and cannot move. Missing Institute throws my entire week into a downward spiral. There went my temple plans because if she called back while I was in the temple, I won't get it and that would cause a whole number of problems. I decided that I would walk the few blocks to the Gateway and wander, just in case my phone rang. I needed a pair of brown heels, anyway.

To say I was irritated would be an understatement. I walked with my head down, mumbling internally about my situation. Suddenly, I heard a foreign voice calling to me through my disgruntled haze. I looked up and saw a young Asian couple walking towards me. She wanted to know where they could find a place to shop. Funny, I thought, since they were walking away from The Gateway. I pointed them in the right direction and tried to describe how to get there but different cultures were an obvious hindrance. Since I was heading that way too, I mentioned that I could walk with them to make sure that we all ended up at the right place.

Off we went while she translated our conversation to her boyfriend. After she finished, I tried to start friendly conversation to make walking a few blocks a little less awkward. I asked if they were from the area or if they were here on vacation. She told me that they had a long layover. She mentioned that they had seen the temple. I asked if they had been around Temple Square and she said that they had been to the house on the corner. It made me smile that she didn't know the name of it. I asked if they got a lemon drop at the end of the tour. I love those lemon drops but I had forgotten that they might have stopped doing that. Shame.... Still, she looked at me with a puzzled expression and then said that the ladies at the end of the tour had given them something. She looked to her boyfriend and asked, "A Bible?"

I was so excited inside. To clarify, I asked, "They gave you a Bible?" She answered with enough clues that I knew she meant The Book of Mormon. Then, in the next 30 seconds, I bore my testimony and told her that reading it had changed my life. I further encouraged her to read it, but she just smiled and nodded, in a way that I figure she was blowing me off. Maybe not. Maybe she read it when they were back on the plane. Maybe she will decide to change her life. Just maybe.

My mess of a day was completely turned around in those 30 seconds. If Heavenly Father's purpose was to place me walking towards The Gateway at that very moment to meet those very people, I'm okay with that. Thinking about that experience, all I remember is the joy I felt in sharing the Gospel with strangers.

things i love thursday

2011-09-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

late night movie parties with the sisters

new high heels (and two pairs for $20!)

wandering around Forever 21

Barnes and Noble

watching The Lion King in 3D with my family

Brother Anderson's institute class

the friends I refer to as "the Sandy Crew"

President Uchtdorf's RS address! oh my...

GENERAL CONFERENCE in two days and I don't have to work!

Step Up 3!

(I wonder where this movie has been all my life. Luke/ Rick Malambri? Hello!)

shout it to the sky

2011-09-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

It is a well-known fact that I am a Ute Football fan. A big one. I have been looking forward to the game on the 17th for weeks! The day before, my work schedule went all over the place. For the first time in six years, I was unable to watch the football game that, in the past, I wait all year to see. Trust me. I was peeved. But such is life. It doesn't always go the way that you plan.

Still, this year's experience proved to be one of a kind. I was in the kitchen by 4:30 pm and would be there until 11:15 pm. I worked a function with Michelle, Alicia, Shelby, Cheryl, and Phil. Phil, crazy man, was the only cheering for BYU. I learned through the night that he is as intense of a fan of his team as I am of mine, but he is a bit more vocally aggressive towards the opposing team when his is losing. I have my moments, but I try not to be as vocal in public. We turned on the radio at kick off and heard bits and pieces as we went in and out of the kitchen. Whenever something big happened, we passed it around the room so that we felt somewhat attached to the game.

When BYU made a touchdown and the score moved up to 10 to 7, Phil really let us know it. I was really depressed and nervous for my team. My tables were crazy and the night was moving extremely slowly. I was afraid that the game was further along than it was. Dad texted me and let me know it was only the middle of the 2nd quarter. Sigh of relief :)

I don't know how the timing worked out so well, but the group of us were all standing in the kitchen, hanging onto the radio announcer's every word, praying that Utah could make a come back. I felt like we went back in time, before television existed, and we were all huddled around a radio. We heard the touchdown that led Utah to take back the lead and hold it for the rest of the game. We made such a racket, I'm sure the people in the room heard us. I jumped up and down, like I do. Michelle went and tried to give everyone a high five. When she got to me, I even surprised myself at my excitement. I hit her hand and completed the high five, but the motion got the better of me and I proceeded to smack her in the face! She was shocked. I was shocked. I apologized and we laughed. I don't think that I hit her terribly hard, just enough to surprise us both.

Morgan was helping us and witnessed the whole thing. She completed the moment by asking, "If that is how Jenny reacts to Utah scoring, look out if BYU scores again!" It is true. I resemble the Hulk. The girls were hoping for BYU to score again, just to see what would happen.

So, I would have loved to watch the game. Listening to it on the radio is so hard because every play seems to be a surprise. I don't like being a step behind. I want to watch every step of a 62 yard run by Jon White. Next year, I'll take care to have a ticket. I guess I better start saving today!

GO UTES!

Way to Represent!

P.S. I asked Dad to keep me updated on the status of the game because I didn't know until I arrived at work that I would be on the 9th floor. After we had a significant lead, Dad became quite creative with his nicknames for the team down south. "BY Boo Hoo..." was his favorite and it kept me laughing.

*The photos copied from The Deseret News

Stories about the "Pepper Lady" to come later...

things i love thursday

2011-09-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since I have had my weekly Thursday post. "Weekly" is now a loose term. Anyway, I still love life!

Sandy Institute and Wednesday nights

friends in the Crescent Park Relief Society

serving a Deli Buffet

Castle marathon on TNT

date stories

miniature golf

Amazon.com

in remembrance

2011-09-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

This post is in honor of the memories that flooded my mind yesterday. I know everyone was thinking about where they were when they first heard of the 9/11 attacks. As for me, I was in Mr. Hinz's Pre-Algebra class working as his TA. I sat in the back corner at his desk, drinking a Raspberry Creme Shasta and watching the television. The sound wasn't very loud but the pictures on the screen were more than enough. I understood the devastation, though maybe not as completely as I do now.

At the time, my favorite television show, The West Wing, was about to begin its third season. Before they began their dramatic storyline, they made this tribute entitled, "Isaac and Ishmael." It is still one of my favorite episodes of all time, and that, my friends, is saying something.

Watch it!

I am thankful everyday that I was born in a place where more than one idea is accepted,

that I am able to practice my religion,

get my college degree,

shout whatever I want at a football game,

and go out in the world to make something of myself.

I am thankful everyday for the people that choose to put their lives in danger so that I can continue to practice my freedoms.

It is especially poignant that I know the husbands of friends of mine are those men that have chosen to protect and defend.

May God continue to watch over us and that we may prove worthy of His blessings.

oh hey!

2011-09-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

I am slightly ashamed at my lack of blog posts this past week. Where did all the time go? Oh. Right. My laptop is suffering so there will not be pictures of my recent exploits. I am working on the situation and will have it fixed it short order. Until then, I hope you have a vivid imagination to fill the void.

Recent Exploits:

UTAH FOOTBALL! Dad bought me tickets to the season opener at Rice Eccles for my birthday! No joke, when I opened the envelope, I cried. This is the first year that I don't have tickets for the MUSS. Believe me, I am having serious withdrawals. The game was awesome, but I wish my guys would have played better.

Saw "The Help" and you should too. That and read the book. It is one of the best books I have ever read.

Hortin Family Reunion. For all the fun that I had with the cousins, I'm glad that that huge responsibility is now over. The entire Bret Hortin family is suffering from what can only be described as a hangover.

Found out what it feels like to drive with a flat tire. It is really as much fun as I thought it would be. And by that, I mean zero. Good thing that my dad is an active superhero and comes to my rescue!

Dentist appointment. And my teeth are hurting a bit. Sadly, I have two cavities and have to return in three weeks from yesterday. Great.

Work has slowed down again. Too many people have other committments and aren't available to get married this month. I made bank in August, but am now thinking that I need to start looking for full-time employment once again.

And now I am off again to Presidency Meeting.

happy birthday to me

2011-09-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am officially 24 years old.

Hooray for getting older... Don't know if I'm getting any wiser.

Here we go for another year.

Hopefully, I can make it a good one.

How?

I have no idea.

I knew a girl that made a Bucket List for every year of her life, the number in accordance to the age she was about to become. I thought I might do the same. Here are my goals for the upcoming year:
(some may change with time, but this is what I'm thinking)

24 Goals

Lose pounds

Begin to practice the piano again

Be able to jam on my guitar

Become employed in a full-time job

Buy a car! (I'm really going to do it! Soonish)

Pay off a substantial amount on my student loans

Go on a date at least once a month (might be ambitious, but....meh)

Read the four Gospels

Travel outside the state at least twice

Graduate from Institute

Try out a "30 for 30" Challenge

Run a 5K

fall in love

Read all of Shakespeare's plays

Write a song

Donate blood

Take singing lessons

Ride in a hot air balloon

Learn to play the harmonica

Hike after dark

watch the sunrise

Go stargazing

Break 100 while bowling

Volunteer at Make a Wish

Ride a major roller-coaster

what's in my bag

2011-08-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Due to inspiration from a fellow blogger, I decided to take this IFB challenge and discover what is in my bag and what is says about me... Truly, I was intrigued because my whatever bag I decide to use for the moment becomes a gigantic pit and I have no idea the total amount of stuff I cram into it. At times, I feel like Mary Poppins! Anything you need, I probably have it tucked away.

So, here is my bag:

(Confession- I did not include all the thrown in crap that I figure doesn't interest you. Just know that it exists.)

Contents:

my day planner
wallet
cash from tips
iPod
phone
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
camera
Band-Aids
Aleve
Lemon Pomegranate hand sanitizer
JSMB ID card
ticket from Sugarland concert
number of the guy in Target that sold me my phone
Midnight Pomegranate lotion
sunglasses
four JSMB pens
Institute pen
scripture marker

All contained in my fashionable Aldo original from San Diego

Now you know all about me: I love pomegranates. I constantly carry a book. I have reason to carry band-aids and pain killers. I swear JSMB pens have decided to multiply and replenish the earth within the confines of my bag. I love bright colors. I carry my camera with me to document my adventures. And yes, I do own and use an iPod and an iPhone, what about it?

me in a nutshell

(kinda)

back to missouri

2011-08-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

I promise this is my last post of this trip. It was an intense trip. I'm so glad that I went!

We woke up early Tuesday morning and hit the road. Don't get me wrong, the ride into Nauvoo was great fun. But the ride back out, after I felt like a part of the group without Tamra by my side, was awesome! I loaded into Fluffy Bunny with Laura, Whitney, and Justin and we headed out of Keokuk.

What is any road trip without a bunch of food? Not to mention that we ended up with all the snacks from the whole trip. Poor Black Diamond. I hope they had as much fun as we did. Notice our matching shirts...

Along the way, Laura decided to play a game next time we stopped. Everyone was to choose a word that the person to their right would have to say in conversation with the other car. Laura's word was peacocks. Mine was something like "Sweet cheeks" or something....I can't remember. Thanks again for that one Justin. When we stopped at a gas station, we were racing to see who could say it best or be the most awkward about it. Laura won. We were on our way out and Laura starts to say," You know what I love?" and we all thought she was going to say some candy bar or driving with friends or something cheesy like that. Everyone is waiting patiently and she comes up with "Peacocks!" Whitney and I lost it! The other girls had no idea what was going on. But Laura definitely won that round! The rest of the day, and even some times currently, we turn to Laura and say, "Hey Laura, you know what I love? Peacocks!"

Our stops along the way consisted on Monk's Mound and the St. Louis Arch. As we were driving into St. Louis, Laura noticed that the car was almost completely out of gas. We figured we could make it into town, but then took a wrong turn and ended up driving down a freeway to who knows where. I'll admit, we started to panic a little bit. Black Diamond behind us had no idea what we were doing. We started following Whitney's GPS on her iPhone, but it got us even more lost. With answer to prayer and the help of a random local sitting in his truck, we found a gas station right before the car ran out. Laura told us that the car wasn't kicking into gear like it was supposed to because we were running that low. Needless to say, we were all nervous but had the chance to exercise the faith that we had built up so high in Nauvoo. It was an awesome experience.

When we calmed down enough to catch our breath, it turned out that we had driven right by Monk's Mound. Just a little change in plans, but everything worked out for the better.

This is Monk's Mound:

Laura told us about how it could be argued that the mound used to be part of a Lamanite city. I don't know an awful lot about the history and whether it is or it isn't, but it was cool just the same.

Well, it was interesting. Cool it was not. We got out of the cars to sweltering heat! If I thought it was hot and humid before during any point in our trip, I was wrong. This takes the cake for being the hottest moment ever in the history of hot moments! (Possibly extreme, but hey. It's my blog.) The plan was to climb up to the top. Justin and I stood waiting for the rest of the crew to come, but decided it would be better if we kept moving instead of melting in the sun so we got a head start. The way up is stairs: stairs and stairs and more stairs.

Matt suggested we race up. They raced. I played the role of radio announcer.

The First Annual Monk's Mound Marathon.

(Shorter than an actual marathon, yes. But it has good alliteration.

And it might as well have been a marathon because of the heat.)

No surprise- Matt won!

Tamra's hardcore pose. I can't count how many pictures I have of her looking something like this. Some are candid, some are not. It's just her.

SO. MANY. STAIRS!

No worries- we all made it to the top. Each and everyone was completely drenched in sweat. We stood around for a few minutes, saw the view, took a picture or two, and then headed back down.

The view...

so hot...

We're twinners!

(And notice the double duty photograph of friends posing in the background)

After we got back in the cars, everyone felt gross. But it was on to the arch! The drive was between a half hour and forty five minutes, give or take, so we blasted the ac and tried to think of something besides our sweaty selves. The closer we got to the arch, the darker the sky became. Laura kept apologizing, saying that she had prayed for rain. I didn't have a problem with it. Seriously, go big or go home. I wanted a huge rainstorm as much as the next person! We pulled into a parking place along the river, right next to the arch just as the down pour began! The river was in chaos and the rain came down in heavy sheets. It was one of THE coolest rainstorms I have ever been in. And when I say, "been in," I mean literally. We jumped out of the car and ran to the closest shelter- which really sounds dumb now that I write that but this was our thinking. We were running out of time before we had to be at the airport and we still wanted to see as much of the arch as possible. You can't see something through a car window. That's not the way. AND- we were hungry. We jumped out and ran to a little diner thing about 20 yards from where we parked. So really, it might have been crazy, but there was a little method to our madness.

I was still with Laura, Justin, and Whitney. The four of us thought the rain had slowed a bit. We were wrong. I don't know how we could have been more wrong. As soon as we got out and started running, I realized that we were running into the rain, therefore, I couldn't see a darn thing. Therefore, I was looking down and following the sidewalk. THEREFORE, I almost ran face first into a light pole, Whitney, and then Laura. All I remember is thinking "Follow Justin," and "just keep going!" We finally made it under shelter and then proceeded to take inventory on mascara streaks and soggy clothes. We Were A Sight!

Still, it was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip!

We cheered when we saw the rest of our friends make a run for it. They had the good fortune of running with the rain instead of against it. They got plenty wet, but not even close to our degree of wetness. That was something special.

Woo Hoo!

We ate lunch and waited out the storm. Laura, who served her mission in the Mid West, said that the storm shouldn't last more than twenty minutes or so. She was right. But oh, what a storm it was! We sat and ate, completely in awe of such a wonderful thunderstorm.

Can you see how wet we still are?

Then finally, we were on our way to the arch! Maggie and Laura were opposed to the height, and no matter how we tried to convince them that it would be okay, that they wouldn't be able to tell the difference, that they ride rollercoasters all the time and this wouldn't even come close to that experience, they decided to stay on the ground. So, then the six of us bought our tickets and headed in.

Isn't that amazing?! Check this off my bucket list.

Whitney and Tamra wanted to see the arch from the ground looking up. In the middle of a hundred people, they just laid down like it was no big deal. I thought it too good an opportunity that I had to document it.

Justin, Jon and I were Team 5. Matt, Whitney and Tamra were Team 6. The numbers refer to which tram we would ride in. Only five people fit in each one. Each tram is just a little white bubble that looks like it should be in a Star Wars movie. It was okay, though, that we had to split. We always like to make new friends!

This is a small picture demonstrating how you travel up the arch and arrive at the very top. Those bubbles are pictures of the trams.

It was like getting on a ride at Disneyland. We had to line up according to our car and then watch a little video about the history and the experience we were about to embark upon.

THE VIEW!

We like to pose....or rather, I like it when I tell Tamra to pose and we get a cool picture.

The Cardinal's Baseball Stadium!

The view looking straight down.

That's where we ate lunch. You might be able to see our white Fluffy Bunny if you turn your head and squint. It is somewhere between the middle and far ramp to the right. The furthest ramp to the left is the entrance to the diner. That's how far we had to run in the pouring rain!

I love rivers! I wish there was one this impressive in Utah.

Whitney and me, hanging out before heading back down.

Back in Tram 5! We really were almost sitting on top of each other. Thanks to the sweet lady that rode with us for taking this picture.

And then, the trip was over. We got back in our cars and headed to the rental car dealership to turn in our beloved Fluffy Bunny and Black Diamond. It took a minute or two to clean them out. It seems that we had really lived it up in those two vehicles. We said goodbye and got on the bus back to the airport, laughing and reminiscing the whole way. Nobody wanted to get on the plane. We were just having too much fun!

We got into the airport and checked in without a hitch. My clothes were still damp but it was now bearable. I watered one of the plants by the check in with my not yet empty water bottle. The wait to board the plane wasn't very long since we cut it that close to see the arch. As we stood in line to board the plane, Justin looked outside and found this rainbow. I feel it was a good omen.

Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better trip. I love the people I was with, I love the places we saw, I love the impact Nauvoo had on my life, and most of all, I love the Spirit I felt. Heavenly Father loves me. I am so blessed to live in the pioneer's final destination. I am grateful for my pioneer heritage and how they never gave up in the face of so much adversity. I still learn so much from them every day and hope that some day, someone will be able to say the same of me.

(Phew...That took awhile! Thanks friends for sticking with me to the end. Now, back to normal life.)

happy birthday joe boy

2011-08-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday was my brother's birthday. We weren't able to celebrate as much as we usually do because I had to work in the morning until 3 pm and that is when Melanie starts at the Bead Fairy. We did have spaghetti and noodles with salad to honor the birth of my little brother that I look up to in a million ways. He would be 22. Time flies. I wonder what he would look like. I wonder if he would be protective or if he would be a rough-houser. I wonder if he would go to church with me. I wonder how my life would be different now if he were still here instead of watching from the other side of the veil.

Yesterday was the day we chose for cake and balloons. Funny story with the balloons- Mom bought them on Saturday and we put them in the garage to hang out for a day. We kept reminding everyone to NOT open the garage so that they wouldn't fly away too soon. Sunday morning comes around and all the balloons are floating just above the ground. So, going with the punches as we always do, we weren't able to let balloons go this year.

Instead, we tied them to the flower vase. At least he knows we remembered.

Happy Joe's Birthday to everyone!

I hope it was a beautiful August 13.

saying goodbye to nauvoo

2011-08-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

Monday was our last day in Nauvoo. After we finished Sunset, we headed back up to the temple. Matt said that he wanted to take some shots of the temple as the sun was going down so that he would have the best lighting. None of us complained since the temple was our central point of the whole vacation. Matt had the really awesome camera. These are the ones that I took with my poe-dunk little camera:

through the temple gates

the water tower is just a bit behind the temple to the east

the statues are that of Joseph and Hyrum riding to Carthage

This one's my favorite from my camera!

We all went our separate ways. I wandered off by myself down the hill in front of the temple watching the sunset. I love sunsets! SO much! I feel like they are a special gift just for me from Heavenly Father. I haven't met a sunset that I didn't like. The sunset on the Mississippi was magical. And really, leaving such a place that had changed my life and been such a course correction for me, I needed some time to think. I love that spot so much. It is dear to my heart, just like the Dew bathroom up at Brighton. The circumstances and the stories are different, but the love I felt is the same.

I had no idea that Matt was taking pictures of anything other than the temple, but when I walked back up to the group after saying my own goodbye, Matt comes up to me and says, "Jenny, are you ready for amazingness?" pulls out his camera, searches for a minute, and shows me this:

Oh. My. Gosh! Matt is wonderful! This is me, contemplating my life and falling a little bit more in love with Nauvoo. Didn't think it was possible, but I was wrong.

nauvoo: day 4 (shows)

2011-08-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

A reminder of where we left off- yummy Ziggy's pizza through a recommendation from Elder Fairbourne and Matt locking the keys to Black Diamond in the trunk. Good, good times!

The first show that we saw was "Just Plain Anna Amanda." It is a show made for children, but you better believe that I had a blast and the moral behind the story hit me hard. Fermata (Sister Paulsen) played the role of Anna Amanda's mother and she did a fantabulous job! I could listen to her sing all day long. She makes me want to write a song on my guitar. Haven't yet, but she'll be my inspiration whenever I do.

The Crazy Eight waiting for the show to start. If you turn your head and squint, you can see Justin in the back. And don't mind Tamra. She's special.

Story- we were waiting for five to ten minutes because we heard that Nauvoo time is fifteen minutes ahead, but then we had little to do. So, I grabbed my camera for the group photo. After the photo, Laura wanted to see the pictures that I had taken so far. Hours later, I was going back through them and came across this little gem:

and laughed my head off. Thanks, Laura, for being so awesome!

Back to business- Since the story is meant for children, the actors ask that all the children sit in the front. They were all bubbling with excitement and made me feel like a youngster myself. Before the show began, Sister Aramaki came out and asked if the children wanted to meet her special friends. They hollered "Yes" and suddenly there was Fermata, Sister Aramaki, and Elder Fairbourne with puppets. They started telling jokes and singing songs. We stood up to sing "Popcorn Popping." I was sitting next to Matt, who never had the pleasure of experiencing Primary. The entire time we sang, he had a look on his face that you could tell he was thinking, "What the...." Tamra leaned over and said, "Now you can say you know what Primary is like." And he just smiled. Here's a little bit that I recorded- they decided to play "Name that tune (or Disney Song)" Kids vs. Adults. See for yourself. My friend Fermata is on the far left:

Elder Fairbourne is pretty cute. I wonder..... ;)

The show was fantastic. The simple story is: Everyone calls Anna Amanda "Just Plain Anna Amanda" making her feel that she isn't special. Her mother leaves and tells her to stay in the house and take care of things. While her mother is out, neighbors stop by to visit and with each visitor, Anna Amanda tricks them into trading one of their belongings so that she can feel special. She ends up with large work boots, fancy bags, a cloak, a fancy hat, and maybe some other things. When everyone figures out that they need their belongings back, they can't find Anna Amanda because she is covered in all sorts of things. Then, through the help of her mother she realizes that it is special to be Anna Amanda because there is no one else like her. It was great! How can you ever get tired of such a sweet reminder? I feel like I need one at least once a day.

After the production, the cast was waiting for a meet and greet just outside the doors. We saw all our Elder friends that had serenaded us a few days before, and then I made straight for Fermata. That girl- One day I will be as cool as she is. Not only was the show fantastic, but Fermata has a way of making you feel important. I love her!

In the time between "Just Plain Anna Amanda" and "High Hopes and Riverboats," we wandered through some more of the sites of Historic Nauvoo. It felt like a million degrees outside plus humidity. I don't think I can ever live in the Midwest. The point of going to so many places was partly for the experience and partly for the air conditioning. We visited the Blacksmith who has always been one of my favorites. Once when I was with Tamra at a school field trip to This Is The Place, she mentioned to compare the Blacksmith to Heavenly Father and the metal to me. I haven't thought of it in the same way since.

After the Blacksmith, we walked down the same street a little ways to visit the Seventies Hall. During our wagon ride, the tour guide said that it was kinda the MTC of Nauvoo.

Upstairs, they had a lot of old "relics" from Nauvoo, like a piece of the rain gutter from both Joseph Smith's and Brigham Young's homes. That was pretty cool to see. My favorite part of this building was in a separate room on the second floor. Inside, there were records of all the members of the Seventy. I knew that my Great Great Great Grandfather William Wallace Casper lived in Nauvoo. I've heard stories about his wife Sarah Ann Bean and their trek west. William Wallace was also a member of the Mormon Battalion. But I never heard anything from my grandma about him being a Seventy. On a whim, I took a gander through the record books. And....

There He Was!

When I came home, I asked my Dad and my Grandma if they knew about it and both said no. How cool?! I'm related to a member of the Seventy! It makes me wonder how well he really knew Brother Joseph. This was a definite highlight of my trip.

We carried on through the sites, including the house of Brigham Young. I was surprised at some of the similarities of his house in Nauvoo and The Beehive House in Salt Lake. He was very smart and truly resourceful. I can't wait to meet him too.

One of the best sites we visited in our break between shows was the Family Living Center. In one room, you can learn how pioneers made everything: candles, rope, rugs, etc. There was a small area where a sister missionary showed how the pioneers would make bread in a "Bustle Oven." Then, of course, we had to try some. :) We had the most fun making rope. It took half of us to get it done, and then we were able to take the piece home. Its new home is the Tulip.

Twisting the pieces together. Matt did a really good job of turning the thing. The Elder was pretty impressed.

Laura was on a foot pedal or something.... She worked up a sweat! :)

(My job was to help cut it)

AND THEN... It was time for High Hopes and Riverboats! We had to get back in our cars and head over to the Visitor's Center. We walked the distance once on one of the first days and decided we wouldn't be doing that again. High Hopes and Riverboats is great! There's humor and romance and tragedy and music! Always music! Fermata played the role of Sarah Ann, the older sister of the lead. She and Elder Fairbourne are married and responsible for her younger siblings after their parents died. It is slightly a complicated story, which is surprising for an hour long performance. Still, it was fantastic! I loved every minute of it. The best part was watching the actors fall in love while all they could do was gaze into each other's eyes and hold hands since they are still missionaries. When the hero proposes, they hug. I understand why there isn't more to the romance and it must resemble a Disney Channel flick, but that doesn't stop me from smirking. Come on guys. Aren't you in love? Ah, well, way to be strong in the faith.

The Captain of the River boat with a little introduction. He had an awesome voice. Just sayin'

A good portion of the cast. Elder Fairbourne is sitting, Fermata is right behind him, and my friend Tyler Elwood is the guy in the straw hat. The heroine is to the right of Fermata, Sister Aramaki. Too guys fall for her. Tough life.

Sorry, the picture is rough. The hero, Chance, just won a stick pull. Later in the show, he sings a solo. I can't remember what the title of the song is, but good golly, I went to mush. The missionary's name is Elder Black. Another one of our barbershop quartet, serenading friends.

We had another break between HHARB and Sunset on the Mississippi, so we decided to head up to Main Street where we found the cute little shop earlier. The goal was to buy t-shirts that all matched. It was fun to wander through all the shops. We ran into this little find:

a shot glass with a picture of the temple on it. Really? That's a little ironic.

I bought a book about the life of Joseph Smith. It doesn't matter how well I think I know his story, there are always new pieces that add to the puzzle. The more I really learn about him, the more I want to meet him. I was reminded that he was still a man. He made mistakes. He started business ventures that didn't really work. He started down one road, only to be given the proper detours; everything happening to shape him into the man, and the prophet, the Lord wanted him to be. The fact that my life has taken detours and I'm still working to end up where I want to be is okay. I'm still moving forward and I will continue until the Lord has created the woman I am meant to be.

Temperatures were running a little high with so many chiefs and fewer Indians, but I think the walk did us all some good. We found a little awning where two men were selling a bunch of t-shirts. We saw a young boy wearing the exact one that we wanted earlier in the week, and we were elated to see the same shirt there. Not only did we find the shirt, but there were three color choices! I don't do so well with choices- I couldn't decide between blue or maroon. Turned out I picked the same color as Tamra. "We're the same person." Laura was the only one who got a bright blue, but she was okay with that. It makes the pictures fun. Three brown, three maroon, and one bright blue. Jon didn't want to be a part of the group... party pooper.

Another great find was Norbert's. We came across this little stand by chance. The man who owned it came out and started talking to us. He is Dutch! The stand was selling Pineapple Whips like those you can buy in Disneyland. These were pretty special because he threw some cherry something on the top of the whip. Oh, man, my mouth is watering just thinking of it. We all grabbed one and ate it on our way back to the show. Mmmm...mmmm...mmmm....

I think Sunset on the Mississippi was our favorite show. JPAA had a great moral to the story, and HHARB was an all-around great drama, but SOTM was just plain fun. The YPMs and the missionary couples combined for a huge party on stage. Just a few pictures and you will see:

Our marching band friends gave a little intro. They really are awesome.

She was an awesome fiddler. I don't remember the name of what she played, buy my feet couldn't hold still. They were tapping of their own accord.

Barbershop mosquitoes! They buzzed in harmony. Haha!

Battle of the Bands: drums vs. piccolo

I think this is the song about kissing a frog.... Maybe?

They honored us with an Armed Forces Medley and asked those members of each to stand up. Way to go, Matt! Elder Black also stood up for the Navy. Impressive.

Some crazy song about moustaches...hahahahahahaha

Devil Went Down To Georgia. Rock it, Fermata!

The sappy drama

Auditions for next year's YPMs (kinda) This is Kung Fu style. The whole time, Tamra, Whitney and I were thinking about when we would do this at Brighton. You have a story line, actors, and a director. You play out the story once, then the director comes in and plays around with how you do it. Slower, faster, different languages, Kung Fu, whatever. Their story was something about eggs... And that is my friend, Tyler. I've never seen him quite this animated.

Story: I walked into the auditorium after everyone else. The missionaries were lined up right outside the door in a long single file line. I tried to be polite and sneak past a few of the older Elders but there laughing and all in a clump right in my way. As gentleman, most of them moved aside with a smile, but one of them had his back to me. As I'm walking past, all the sudden he starts doing this crazy dance move and completely smacked into me. The other Elders grabbed him and pulled him over to where they were standing. I just laughed. As I passed, he said, "Sorry, just practicing..." I knew I was in for a treat right then if the missionary couples were going to dance around like that! I'm still laughing about it!

Waiting until Monday for all the shows was totally worth it. How fun!

things i love (whatever day this is...)

2011-08-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

*My life is insane. It has gotten to the point where I don't know what day it is until Sunday rolls around again. So here's to today...what is it? Friday?

painted shoes

cut bangs (thanks Pix, just in case I forgot :) )

laughing through presidency meeting

Mellie's new blog

meeting the Secretary of Labor from Washington- no joke

sharing work shoes with Morgan

ruffles and stripes in my wardrobe

wavy hair that "looked hot" yesterday

this camera (just dreamin')

and Brighton flowers like these:

nauvoo: day 4 (pre-shows)

2011-08-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

(Sorry it has taken me so long to get these days posted. It is serving as my own journal entry of the trip, which always involves an unusual amount of writing. I either run out of time, or I get distracted by, oh, SOMETHING SHINY! Eventually, you will know each and every lovely detail of this summer's trip!)

Monday was our last day spent completely in Nauvoo. We dedicated most of the day to watching the performances of the Young Performing Missionaries. I gotta say- watching them sing and dance made me want to learn how to dance so that I could possibly do this next summer. I think I have the singing part down, but I can always improve. One day, I will be as cool as my friend Fermata.

Still, we started our day early with a trip to the temple! The Nauvoo Temple is one of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen!

(This picture was taken by my friend Matt. He is an amazing photographer. One day, I will be as cool as he is too.)

Since half of the group is endowed and half has yet to be, we left the hotel in two groups. Tamra, Laura, Whitney, and Justin left around 7 am or something while the rest of us, Maggie, Matt, Jon, and me, all left a little after 8 or so. I don't remember really when they left. I was still asleep. Maggie and I got up and got dressed but filled my big bag with everything we could, including a straightener, perhaps a hair dryer, make-up, and a few more things. The bag was bulging but we couldn't have baptism hair for a day full of pictures!

We met the boys downstairs and grabbed a quick (and I mean quick) breakfast from the poor continental breakfast selection. Then, finally, we were off. I can't explain the excitement in the car. We had been walking around the temple a little bit every day since we arrived in Nauvoo. It is such a central point to everything, and now we finally had our reservation to go inside! I felt close to my ancestors as we traveled where the pioneers sacrificed so much. Driving along, Maggie suggested that we sing hymns. Actually, she suggested that I sing hymns. Early in the morning and a'cappella. I sang some as a solo but finally convinced Maggie to sing with me. Probably because I needed the help. At one point during "Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," I ran out of air, gasped, and started back in all the same note. I wasn't trying to be funny, but we laughed. As we pulled into the parking lot, Maggie and I were singing "The Spirit of God" and I got chills. The parking lot was across the street and down aways from the temple, so we had an awesome view as we walked in.

L to R: Jon, me, Maggie, and Matt

We walked around the back, thinking that it would be like the Draper Temple and have its own entrance off to the side. Nope. We started up the stairs and the baptistry was separated by a door on the left, but the door is still in the front. We walked in and then turn over to the right. The recommend desk is the same for the baptistry and the rest of the building but the baptistry is escorted over to the left and down a staircase while the others are escorted to the right. Even with modern conveniences, the temple has the look and feel of the pioneers. It is beautiful! The font is separated from the rest of the area by a massive window with individually blown panes of glass. On the wall was a large painting of the saints leaving Nauvoo and traveling across the frozen Mississippi with Brigham Young in the front, looking back towards the temple, his face the picture of hope and despair. To get to the girls locker room, we had to walk through the chapel where a group of youth were having a meeting. I felt out of place as they were all in white and I was still in my skirt but it made sense that the largest part of the baptistry would be the font. All the confirmation rooms are off of the large room for the font.

The font itself is the biggest I have ever seen, and quite possibly the biggest ever if I remember right. After we finished, one of the temple matrons gave us a quick tour and said that the font has the same dimensions as the first did back in the 1840s. Its grandeur allowed for three baptisms to be performed at one time. The other thing distinction between the Nauvoo temple and others is the status of the oxen around the font. When the first font was erected, it was made out of wood. The wood would expand and contract due to the amount of water and as such, the font would leak, making the ground underneath it soft. As time went on, the oxen supporting the font began to sink into the ground. President Hinckley wanted the restored temple to be as accurate to the first temple as possible, therefore the oxen are built sunken into the floor. The brick floor around meets them just below the knee.

Another interesting fact that we learned during our "tour" was that Temple Square in Salt Lake is not officially the first. As the temple was being built, the pioneers built a smaller, temporary roof around the baptistry so that they could continue the work while still finishing the temple. The small roof provided a square building around the font, so saints would say, "I'm off to Temple Square!"

Since Justin was the only endowed priesthood holder in our group and he was in a session, the four of us tagged along with a small family that came from the east coast. While we sat waiting with the two young girls, the Temple President walked through and asked, "Are you ladies waiting to do baptisms, or is this a beauty contest?" haha.... funny President.

I was the first of our small group in the font. The place to wait is separated into two different benches, one for boys and one for girls, located almost even with the oxen. To enter the font, you walk up a small staircase similar to the format of the Salt Lake Temple's font. It was incredible to walk into the font for three reasons. First- I realized truly how HUGE the font is. Just me and the ordinance worker in a space that triples the size of other fonts. Second- The only thing that I could see as I was walking in was the stained glass window on the opposite wall that depicts the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. Third- It was one of those moments when I realized completely what I was doing, why, and for whom. It was another moment that left me breathless, beaming, and covered with goosebumps.

We finished and started the process of becoming presentable after wet hair. Turned out that the locker room was filled to the brim of hair dryers and straighteners so we really didn't need to load the bag up with an entire bathroom. Maggie even used the dryer attached to the wall that resembled a vacuum hose. It was a little odd, and kept us laughing. Even with the straighteners, the humidity was no help to the hair, so I french braided her hair. Funny story- I grew up with no idea how to french braid. Then I became a counselor at Brighton and every girl wanted their hair braided after they showered. So in 2007, I took what little I knew from watching my mother and started braiding campers' hair. They had no idea that I had no clue what I was doing. With practice from those three summers of my life, I now can braid hair in record speed! (Another thing I learned after having units of 13+ girls and each one of them wanting a braid.)

When we finally finished, it turned out we had been in the locker room for awhile. Poor guys had been waiting long enough to hear the "tour" three times. Whoops... It all worked out okay though because Jon and Matt were very excited to share the tour with us. In our self-tour, we walked over to look up the spiral staircase. Maggie was told that we couldn't leave without seeing it. It was amazing how high we could see. The entire staircase was white with a dark stained wood railing. If I didn't think that the temple was beautiful already, this staircase really took my breath away. Then, amazingly, as we started to look up, we saw familiar faces! Our friends had finished their session and were on their way down this magnificent staircase to see the baptistry. And there we were at the same time! Coincidence? I think not! Friends came down and we had an official tour by one of the sisters. When she was done, she guided us back up the staircase to exit while the others went back to their locker rooms to change.

The three of us had about fifteen minutes to spare walking around the temple grounds. Of course, I pulled out my camera.

Standing here made me think of the part in Legacy when she accepts the proposal :)

The temple is on Well's Street. This is the intersection to turn into the parking lot. I tried not to get the stop sign... Darn these modern conveniences

When everyone was reunited, we took group shots on Tamra and Matt's camera and then headed out to change clothes and grab lunch before our first show of the day. Fluffy Bunny parked in the small parking lot right next to the temple so they got a head start. As we walked back to Black Diamond, we passed by a General Store on Main Street in modern Nauvoo and had to step in. It was an awesome store, but we were in and out since we had places to go and people to see. But I loved this on the doorstep as you walk in:

I love country stuff like that! And what is more country than a milk pail?

We caught up to the rest of the group at the Visitor's Center. We went there a lot! For the first time in my life, the girls were changed faster than the guys. Shock of my life. Although, they did have full on suits from the temple. I'm so proud of them that they went the extra mile to wear a suit at the temple. It is like my rule of never wearing a denim skirt to the temple. Sunday best doesn't include denim in my opinion....(rambling)

Then we went to Ziggy's Pizza Place, a reference given to us by one of our new Elder friends. I think that more people from Utah visit the place than people from anywhere else. My proof?

Go UTES!

Each table at the restaurant had napkins under a large table cloth of clear plastic. Don't worry, we added two or three ourselves.

We love pizza! We ordered a pepperoni and a hawaiian but just in case you will be traveling to this wonderful place anytime soon, you should know they also have gluten free pizzas. It would have been a great thing to know before we ordered, since Laura was then forced to eat a simple green salad while we chowed down our weight in carbs. Don't worry, it was totally worth it!

While we were eating, Matt realized that he had dropped the keys in the trunk. We were locked out of Black Diamond. As stressful as the situation could have been, we laughed. Laura kept joking that it would be something she would do, and Matt is so responsible. And really, it wasn't that stressful because there was a locksmith just up the street. Matt and Laura drove in Fluffy Bunny up to his house while we were eating. He came and fixed everything and was only going to charge Matt $5! How crazy! Matt gave him a hefty tip and we didn't even lose any time or sleep over it.

This was one of my favorite napkin artworks. So I took a picture...

I love this! In the middle of lunch, the Nauvoo Bagpipe Band starting playing up the street and walked right past our window. They didn't play "Praise to the Man" but it was still unbelievable cool! The guy at the end with the really big drum just loved his life. I don't think his smile could have been any bigger. I used to hate bagpipes. Now I can't remember why.

We couldn't eat all the pizza even with seven of us all eating multiple slices, so we got a box. I don't know how Black Diamond lucked out, but the pizza came with us. For the rest of the day, every time we got in the car, someone cried out, "PIZZA!" It was truly delightful! (The pizza and the fun times that followed)

things i love thursday

2011-07-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

SUMMER!

This dress- of course I would use a tee instead of a tank, or cardigan it out

the color green

a sudden desire to cook- I think it came from this idea for raspberry s'mores.

(not a lot of cooking required, but the whole site is awesome! I spent way too much time drooling over all her recipes. I think I may add the site to my favs)

soap aisle in the grocery store

The idea of a photo workshop- and this blog!

wearing jeans at work

exercise

UTAH FOOTBALL starting in just over a month

this dress from Downeast- it's my color and my style! Anybody want ideas for my birthday in a month?

(wink, wink)

doesn't seem real...

2011-07-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Hortins are well known at Primary Children's Hospital. We added another hospital stay to our continuous count yesterday as Carrie needed to have her pacemaker replaced. She first received the pacemaker at the end of some complications when she was eight and its battery lasted a few years. This trip was inevitable, but that doesn't make it any easier. Walking through the rotating doors throws my nerves in all sorts of directions. Not that all my memories of that hospital are bad. There are quite a few that make me smile. But the overall reaction inside me can only be compared to elephant-sized butterflies. (Maybe that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but I think you get my point.)

I was trying hard not to think about it during the days preceding the surgery. Therein lies the reason that many of my friends didn't know about it. On Tuesday night, Brother and Elder Kent came over to give Carrie a blessing; something that we do every time. Carrie was as calm as I have ever seen her and it surprised me. I wished that I could have that same relief.

All I can say is that Heavenly Father knows me. He knows Carrie. He knows the Hortins and our fear of complications. He listened when I pleaded. He granted my wish of a simple surgery. I thought it would be hours. All that the surgeon needed to do took a simple fifteen minutes. Of course there was prep and all that other stuff that doctors do that I don't need to know, but fifteen minutes? And everything is fine?

I Love the Lord. In Him, my soul delights.

Carrie is coming home today! We are breaking our own records of short hospital stays! As we were leaving last night, Melanie says to me, "We haven't been here long enough for the nurses to know us." I am grateful for our friends there. I'm grateful for Tagouhi and her sweet visit last night. But I'm okay with not adding any more nurses to our little club.

P.S.The Ghost Lady is still haunting the cafeteria. And her hair is bigger. I didn't think that was possible.
P.P.S. Please don't judge me by calling her The Ghost Lady. If I had pictures, I think you would understand.
P.P.P.S. Her name is Helen.

nauvoo: day 3

2011-07-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sunday in Nauvoo started super early as we had planned to go to sacrament meeting with the missionaries at 8 am. Sister Paulsen/Fermata said that Nauvoo Standard Time was fifteen minutes ahead instead of Mormon Standard Time that is fifteen or so minutes behind. The fact that the all eight of us (nicknamed The Crazy Eight) had to shower led to me waking up before six. I was so proud that the guys went to the effort to pack along a suit. They looked pretty sharp. We arrived about half an hour early to be sure to get a seat closer to the front. I sat between Whitney and Jon, talking most of the time with Whitney about her special day coming up in September. She and Matt are getting married on the 10th, with their wedding luncheon at JSMB. Here's hoping that I get to work it! :)

Church was amazing! Elder Marlin K. Jensen and his wife attended the meeting as well and were the primary speakers. It was a wonderful feeling to partake of the sacrament surrounded by missionaries. We sang hymns related to the pioneers and the YPMs (Young Performing Missionaries meaning my friend Fermata) performed the Mack Wilberg's arrangement of "Praise to the Man". It required a different dynamic since there were only about fifteen of them instead of the more than 100 in the Tab choir, but the impact was the same. It was beautiful and what better place to hear that song than in the midst of Nauvoo? Sister Jensen spoke about the ability to thrive. Are you thriving? What needs to be changed in your life to allow for you to thrive? Everything she said struck a chord with me. She is an amazing lady. Elder Jensen has been one of my favorites for years. His talk was a bit more informal and bounced to different topics, but I felt the spirit and I'm sure it is not coincidence that we shared the same location for our weekend plans. After the meeting was over, we walked to the front and said hi to Fermata. She was introduced to the rest of the group before the YPMs had to run to their next activity.

L to R: me, Whitney, and Maggie

With the church meeting over, it was time to get back to vacation. We headed to our castle to clean and eat lunch before we headed out to Keokuk, Iowa and our hotel for the next two nights. Cleaning proved to be faster than preparations for lunch, so Maggie and Whitney decided to step outside. Wanting to get out of the way, I followed. Our castle stands on 100 acres filled with beautiful landscape. When we drove in, we talked about wandering through it, but never really got the chance until the three of us decided to go for a walk before eating. Imagine- I'm still in a skirt and Whitney is in flip flops. We might thought this whole thing through better. We headed up a bit of a steep hill and found a pathway that appeared to be far away from anything. It was secluded and one of the most beautiful spots I have ever seen. I wish I would have brought my camera along. Darn. We didn't walk very far. Every step we took, it felt that we were walking straight through spiderwebs. Laughing and stumbling all the way, we decided it would be a good idea to head back for some food. That is when the true adventure began.

We had walked far enough that the path we took to get up the hill was now lost to us. Maggie led us the first part of the way, but became irritated by the amount of spiderwebs she was forced to charge through. It then became my duty to get us back "home" safely. Let me tell you, the further we traveled, the more nature we encountered, the more spider friends we made, the harder we laughed! Whitney was slipping in the dirt and might as well have walked in bare feet. We finally made it to the last bit of the hill which proved to be the steepest area possible. The other girls went ahead of me because I got stuck trying to find a better way. Turning around and following them, I continued to slip all the way down to the paved road, and somehow ended up straddling a small tree. Whoops! The girls turned around when they heard that I made it, and both almost fell in the middle of the street because they were laughing so hard. Never had a tree sticking out from my skirt before.... Don't plan on doing that again.

We walked back into the kitchen for lunch a little worse for the wear, relating the story to the rest of the crew. They didn't think it was quite as funny, but I think that is more because they wished they had come along. I'm glad they didn't. Turns out, all three of us had hands filled with slivers from our little adventure that required a little surgery later in the day.

On our way to Keokuk, we made a little detour to the Stone bridge that is in the Joseph Smith movie. No joke. The moment when there is snow all around and Emma and Joseph kiss- we stood right there! Sorry, can't provide the picture from the movie. Chris told us about it during our amazing tour and suggested that we make sure we see it. This is the picture I took of the river while standing under the bridge. Add a couple feet of snow and I could be in the movie.

This is the view out the other side of the bridge. It is beautiful! I loved it! My Toms did not.

Next stop on the way was Carthage. I really don't know how to put that experience into words.

Other than going to the temple, visiting Carthage Jail was the place I was most excited to see. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot and I caught sight of the building that I have learned about for years, I got a different feeling. One that I wasn't expecting. Joseph Smith has always been one of my heroes, much more now after seeing the world of Nauvoo. Seeing the place of his martyrdom made me sick to my stomach while feeling the spirit. It was an out of body experience that I will not soon forget.

If you are thinking of making a trip to Nauvoo, Carthage is a must. Then you will understand what I can't quite describe.

After Carthage, we finally hit Keokuk and checked into the Super 8. Still, we don't rest, so it was drop off bags and back on the road. We headed back into Nauvoo and had a picnic in the Groves. There was a small section set up as an ampitheather. It reminded me of Brighton. Surrounded the small grove were small plaques that told stories of the Prophet Joseph teaching the congregation in the area. It was beautiful and a wonderful place to take a break. We ate dinner that we had packed earlier that morning. After, a few walked around, some went to a small area of grass to lay out and rest, and others took out cameras for more photos. It was ridiculously hot and humid. The plan was to go to the fireside with the missionaries that happens every Sunday night but we didn't realize that it was located in Keokuk. Bad luck for us that turned out okay because we, instead, experienced the Trail of Hope.

The Trail of Hope is located on Parley Street. As the pioneers were leaving Nauvoo to cross the Mississippi and start their long trek to the West, each walked down Parley Street. We walked down, alternating who would read the stories and memories of the trail along the side. Looking back and seeing the temple poking out above the trees gave me goosebumps. To think that my ancestors walked that road, leaving their world behind to suffer through intense weather, walk over a thousand miles, and force themselves to keep going toward Zion, makes me thankful for their gift to me and that I am able to live in Zion.

The night ended with a few more pictures and a walk by the river. With it being Sunday, Nauvoo sites were closed and we had already missed the Sunday fireside. We turned in and spent the last few hours laughing and talking in the hotel room. This Sunday was so special and will definitely be one that I will not soon forget.

things i love thursday

2011-07-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

the fact that Gloria and Granola thought of me before hiking A&B!!!

intrigued by this dress

wearing stripes

strawberry shortcake

my friends at JSMB

exercising with Jennifer Galardi

Pirates of the Caribbean #4! (surprise!)

fulfilling my To Do list

my new favorite song Ferris Wheel

nauvoo: day 2

2011-07-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

*Long post! Stay with me folks :)

Saturday started bright and early. The view from the front porch of our house was incredible. I wished I could take a piece of the river home with me.

We started our journey in Nauvoo by stopping by the Visitors' Center. I met some lovely sister missionaries that are serving in that area. From that point on, we were constantly bombarded by people asking for references so that we could share the Gospel. I wish I knew some names that I could share. Every time they ask, I feel shanghaied and I never know what to say because I can't think of anyone that would really be into it. It isn't that I am against sharing. I just spend a lot of my time around people that are dedicated members. I'll keep thinking... But, while talking to the sisters, they suggested that we stay and watch the Joseph Smith movie. Matt and Jon had never seen it, and really, what better place to watch it then in the setting of part of the story. Turns out that the movie has been tweaked a bit since I last saw it. The story is told now by Lucy Mack Smith instead of the immigrant arriving in Nauvoo and it takes on more of the concept of eternal families. Some of the stories have been taken out and replaced with others. Still, it is a wonderful movie. You should see it! Here is a link, though I would also suggest you go to Temple Square and have the whole experience.

From the movie, we just started walking down the street, headed into the busier part of Old Nauvoo. While walking, I could see the temple in full daylight. I had a moment where I couldn't believe that I was actually there, walking through such a beautiful and historic place. So, I said something like, "Am I dreaming? Somebody pinch me." And the guys did. Hard. No, I wasn't dreaming.

While we walked, a group of YPMs (Young Performing Missionaries) met up with us and began to sing! You should know that I am a sucker for men that can sing, especially those that can sing well but simply use their talents to praise the Lord. Major sucker! Meeting these young men, we instantly became friends. Every time later in the week that they saw us, they made a big deal to come and ask us how our trip was going, had we seen such-and-such place yet, etc. It was awesome!

I can't remember all their names, but the green shirt is Elder Fairbourne
and the one on the far right is Elder Black. All have great voices :)

Our first stop was the Bakery where we got a small gingerbread cookie. Then we continued further and found a place full of pioneer play things. There were pioneer clothes for dressing up, a game that looked like a miniature version of bowling, stilts, a rope game that imitated milking a cow, and all sorts of other things. We were surrounded by children, but we were having a wonderful time!

While we were playing, suddenly we were surrounded by the Nauvoo Marching Band! They circled around the pavilion and asked us to join in with them as they marched. It was so cool! I am a music nerd and completely okay with that fact. How awesome is it that the marching band got all dressed up to wander through Old Nauvoo and just play?! I loved it! And they were really good, too!

Another moment where I couldn't believe where I was and how good life can get was repeated over and over again. We would be walking somewhere in Nauvoo between all the historic sites and all the sudden, you could hear bagpipes playing the tune to "Praise to the Man." Every single time, it gave me chills.

We wandered through some of the sites for awhile until it was time for our Wagon ride. We walked back to the Visitors' Center through a large field and really started to feel the humidity. I like to have my hair down when I know that my picture will be taken, and then the humidity hit. Thanks for the fro Illinois! Thanks but no thanks. We walked back through the Women's Garden and saw the statues located there. Beautiful! The Wagon ride was awesome! We went through a bunch of streets that we hadn't seen yet. We traveled down Parley Street, the street where the pioneers walked to cross the Mississippi as they left Nauvoo. We went through the Smith historic property and saw the Red Brick Store, the Homestead, and the Mansion House. Then finished with a beautiful view of the temple. I think I can pinpoint my falling in love with this place to driving in and seeing the temple for the first time and the overview of the city on this wagon.

Love. Love, Love, Love!

After the wagon ride, we walked over to tour the Smith property that is currently owned by the Community of Christ. The tour begins at their visitors' center. This was the moment I was introduced to the Red Brick Store rootbeer and Sassafras. Laura wanted to buy Sassafras- this hard candy that tastes a little like a mix of rootbeer and licorice. She said that she became addicted during her mission to Minnesota and wanted us all to try it. Justin went a little crazy and bought every single flavor of the candy- Lemon, Watermelon, Rootbeer, Sassafras, and Cinnamon. My favorites were the lemon and watermelon and Justin was a dear and shared. We had enough for the rest of the trip :) Laura, Matt, and Justin all bought a bottle of Rootbeer, but Laura let the rest of us all have a sip. Good thing none of us were germ-o-phobes. AND- it was completely worth it! It was like drinking A&W from the tap in a bottle.

Our tour guide was named Chris and he did an amazing job on our tour. My favorite part was walking through the Mansion house and seeing one of Joseph Smith's secret hiding places. In Joseph and Emma's bedroom, in the closet on the right, there is a fake wall that opens up to a ladder going up to the attic. Without knowing what it was, you would have no idea. Chris said he wanted to show us but not everyone gets to see it so we had to move quickly. Standing in the Mansion house made Joseph and Emma feel even more real. The coolest part was that we started the tour thinking that Chris was a member of the Community of Christ. He said that he was in college to study the history of Nauvoo. As we continued through the tour, there were moments where the things that he said correlated more with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then we were a little confused. We ended in the top of the Red Brick Store where the Relief Society was organized, and some of the first sealings took place (another time when I pinched myself). Chris ended the tour but said that if we had any questions to stay later. Then it was just Chris and our group and we asked him in the nicest way possible and it turned out he was a member. Then we were able to enrich our whole experience because we were able to talk only in the context of the church. Oh man, oh man. I loved it! The Church is true! Joseph Smith is an amazing man and I really can't wait until I can meet him and challenge him to a stick pull. I know I'll lose, but it will be more than worth it!

After our tour, we made a quick stop at the Red Brick Store where I purchased a copy of Times and Seasons and Joseph Smith's view on politics that was published when he declared his candidacy for President. I was fighting with myself whether I should buy a harmonica because I have always wanted one. Just when I thought I shouldn't, Matt told me he was buying one, so Maggie said I should buy one too. I'm big on following the crowd so I bit the bullet and am now the owner of a brand new harmonica. I can even play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and When the Saints Go Marching In. While Matt and I made our purchases, the others locked the door. I have trouble with doors (ask my friend, Dallin. I've broken his front door multiple times in our friendship.). Matt and I bonded over harmonicas and falling out the entrance. Great times.

Then a quick run back to our castle for dinner of baked potatoes and salad, and we were off again to the fair before the big Nauvoo pageant! The fair was great! We played at stick pull where it was no surprise that Jon won. We pulled handcarts and had a competition at sawing a log (I wasn't very good). I learned how to do a craft of ribbon tying that when done right, turns into a rug or a hotpad. The girls were jealous of my skill! One thing that I am good at! I can tie ribbon into a circle. I'll put that on my resume. Towards the end of the fair, who would show up on a little golf cart but Elder Marvin K. Jensen of the Seventy! I love that man and I love when he speaks in General Conference. I told Justin the story of a few weeks ago when I served him on a PA function and he was my contact. He really was so sweet. I asked Justin if he thought Elder Jensen would remember me, but he just laughed. What a small world that we would be visiting Nauvoo the same weekend.

We ran into a few of our YPM friends and asked if Abby Paulsen, my friend Fermata, was out and about. Tamra/Jibber and I started looking everywhere for her. I hope people didn't get freaked out by us. I don't think that we were that obvious, but we really were walking up to sisters with brown hair and walking away when we saw that they weren't her. It was getting closer and closer to the start of the pageant, so we started walking in the direction of the stage and our seats. At the same time, Tamra and I saw the back of a sister with brown hair. Tamra was a little ways ahead of me. Suddenly Sister Paulsen turned and Tamra attacked her in a huge bearhug. I followed quickly after and I don't think she fully understood what was happening until I let her go. She knew Tamra was coming but I was a surprise. Cute girl started crying and saying that she couldn't believe that we were there. It was so fun to see her! In the middle of talking to her, I saw Tyler Elwood, a friend of mine from Institute Singers. I had forgotten that he was serving there too. Fermata caught his attention and his eyes grew wide when he saw me. I thought it was funny that he shook my hand but he is a missionary... So the two of us got to talking while Fermata and Tamra were talking just a little bit away and the pageant starts. They have everyone say the Pledge of Allegiance but we didn't realize it until towards the end. Tyler left and I said see ya later to Fermata and then turned to realize I was just talking through the opening prayer. To further humiliate myself, I said, "OH!" pretty loudly and then folded my arms and bowed my head, while Tamra fought not to laugh out loud during the rest of it. Oh gosh. Good thing that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor!

Then the pageant! It was wonderful! I heard great things about the music but the majority of it was orchestral. That surprised me. The cast sang some excerpts of hymns but the music was more mellow than I expected. There were a few big dance numbers that I saw both Fermata and Tyler in. Tyler told me that he isn't a great dancer but since he is serving the Lord, it all figures itself out. In the middle of one of the dances, I saw him make a misstep and I had to laugh. It is so great how when you are serving and working as an instrument in the hands of the Lord, stuff like that isn't so important. I was proud of my friends and the other YPM friends that I had made. They did a wonderful job. You could definitely feel the Spirit. The brother who played the role of Joseph Smith was great. The moment where Joseph and Hyrum are martyred is very poignant and well done. The two characters stand in silence for a moment longer than expected and then walk off stage through the audience. It took Tamra pointing it out that they were standing in the similar position as the statue in front of Carthage.

The pageant ended and we called it a day. It was quite the busy day at that! No time to rest for us, but then you can rest when you're dead. It was a great first day in Nauvoo. I loved talking with all the people on the street. I love people! I love Nauvoo! The Church is true!

i'd like to interrupt this programming...

2011-07-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today is the anniversary of life being turned upside down.

17 years ago

my brother returned home
to our Father in Heaven.

I can't help but reminisce

and think about his toy soldiers

and the memories I have of his swagger.

I remember how much fun we had together

and how much I love him.

This afternoon, I cannot get "Circle of Life" out of my head.

Reason being that every time I hear anything that has to do with The Lion King, it makes me think of Joe.

So here's to you, Joseph Bret Hortin.

Hakuna Matata!

until we meet again

*The first time my family saw The Lion King, we were sitting on the front row of the Villa Theater.

I remember hearing the crickets, and feeling my chair shake as the elephants walked on screen.

Whenever we watch this movie, my dad turns the volume way up

as a way to recreate the moment.

And I love it.

nauvoo: day 1

2011-07-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

This wonderful trip of mine began early in the morning on July 8. I met friends at the Tulip (aka Tamra/ Jibber's house) at 6:15 am so that we could make it to the airport with enough time for the guys to check bags and still be on time for the flight. We slid through security pretty easily except that Matt and Whitney were chosen randomly to have their bags searched. Bummer. We got to the gate with time to spare so I went with the guys and Whitney to find some breakfast. I forgot for a quick second that airport food is gross. There went five dollars out the drain on a breakfast burrito.

R to L: Whitney, Maggie, and me

L to R: Whitney, Laura and Matt's feet, Jon, and Tamra

We started boarding the plane right on time. I sat next to Tamra, Matt, and Maggie, with Laura and Whitney in the row ahead, Justin by himself in the back and Jon somewhere.... I can't remember. We sat on the plane for two hours before we even started moving towards take off. Thanks for nothin' Delta. The plane was too heavy so they had to get rid of fuel and ask for people to take a later flight while they took all the checked luggage and put it on the later plane. Jon was the only one with a checked bag. Darn..... I brought along my new Kindle and it kept us entertained for most of the time. I found this free game called Pixel Perfect Puzzles and Tamra went crazy over it. You make pictures on a grid. It uses a lot of brain power. All the friends around us played and by the time we were actually in the air, we were all hooked.

Tamra and me, after we landed, with smiling faces

After four and a half hours in a tiny little space, we finally made it to St. Louis. We were already a little peeved at the airline and then we had trouble with Jon's checked bag. We sat there in the airport for an additional hour as he tried to explain where we were headed and where they should send his suitcase. The problem began because few people in the airport had actually heard of any place called Nauvoo. One of the flight attendants thought that we were flying overseas! No friends, just three hours away from this very spot.

Justin doesn't like to pack light ;)

Most of our troubles behind us, we headed out in our two rental cars (nicknamed by Laura "Black Diamond" and "Fluffy Bunny") and hit the road. We were lost for the first few minutes because without mountains, we couldn't figure out which way we were supposed to go. Then, randomly, we ended up at Chevy's for some food. I like Mexican food but I am not a huge fan of rice and beans. The chips and salsa were amazing though! And my fried ice cream. Oh man, order me another one of those.

L to R: Maggie, Justin, Whitney, Tamra, Matt, and Laura

With full stomachs, we were back on the road. I was riding in Fluffy Bunny with Laura, Tamra, and Justin. Laura and Tamra wrote a Nauvoo song that we sang to the other car via cell phones. A full ride of three and a half hours let us watch the sun go down over the river. We pulled into Nauvoo when it was dark but the initial realization of where I was was amazing. We drove along the river right by the river and across the way, I caught my first glimpse of the Nauvoo temple. They were practicing the pageant so the stage was fully lit up but the temple was in shadow. Still, I could see enough. It took my breath away.

I was so excited that I hollered out and tried to point out the temple, but trying to get the rest of the car to see it proved a little harder than expected. I swear it was a full five minutes of me pointing and telling them where it was. Justin found it quickly but Tamra and Laura were a different story. Five minutes later, Tamra says, "Oh, it's there in the shadow." Don't worry- that was exactly what I was telling them. Justin just laughed.

Then we were off to find the house we were staying in. We followed the same road for awhile and didn't see anything. We found what we thought was the right street and started looking for #4544. Well, the numbers went 4542 to 4546. Uh....what? Some of the group went on an adventure around the two houses while Laura and I found an older gentleman walking his dog. Laura drove over and asked about the number. When I mentioned the words Gate House, he let us know we were on the wrong street and that the house we wanted was up above us with its lights on. We stayed in the bottom level of a castle! It was beautiful!

I felt like we belonged in the movie Tangled.

The bunks where us girls slept. I was in the bottom over to the left that you can't see.

Dining room was in the bottom of the turret. I love the rocks on the wall.

Living Room where the boys slept, even though there wasn't a door to separate the two spaces.

I have never seen such a huge shower!

We even had castle doors!

After we checked out the whole big room where we were staying, all the luggage was inside and beds were assigned, we headed out for a walk to look at the Mississippi River. I had my first experience with fireflies! Matt caught one in only a matter of minutes. I wish we had them in Utah. At times, I couldn't tell which were stars and which were fireflies. I really wanted to bottle one up and take it home with me, but I figured that would be more disgusting than enjoyable, so I didn't.

We ended the night with scripture study. I've never done that on a friend trip before, that we get together before bed and have scripture study. I was reminded how awesome these people are! Everybody in their pajamas surrounded the pull-out bed that Justin later nicknamed "Death" (it was really that bad of a mattress. I felt bad for him.), and we started to read. That first night we read Joseph Smith's recounting of the First Vision. It was the perfect way to start this vacation of ours and was the perfect foundation for the rest of our activities.

Just wanted to show you what "Death" looks like. And I mean the mattress, not Justin.

happy sunday

2011-07-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yay for the best day of the week!

With the busyness and the confusion of every day life,

I am grateful for one day a week

where I am able to simply concentrate on what matters most in my life.

I am grateful for this trip to Nauvoo

and how stories I have heard forever became tangible reality.

I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet.

He was the chosen seer to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I can't wait until I am able to meet him

and thank him.

Parley P. Pratt, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 to 1857: “President Joseph Smith was in person tall and well built, strong and active; of a light complexion, light hair, blue eyes, very little beard, and of an expression peculiar to himself. … His countenance was ever mild, affable, beaming with intelligence and benevolence; mingled with a look of interest and an unconscious smile, or cheerfulness, and entirely free from all restraint or affectation of gravity; and there was something connected with the serene and steady penetrating glance of his eye, as if he would penetrate the deepest abyss of the human heart, gaze into eternity, penetrate the heavens, and comprehend all worlds. He possessed a noble boldness and independence of character; his manner was easy and familiar; his rebuke terrible as the lion; his benevolence unbounded as the ocean; his intelligence universal.”

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things i love thursday

2011-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

EVERYTHING about my trip to Nauvoo

happy flowers

talking with friends without saying a word

being lazy

The Joy Luck Club

Pixel Perfect game on my Kindle

new friends that stick

moments when people get to know the real me

my reaffirmed love of my guitar

The Book of Mormon

being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

thinkin' bout...

2011-07-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days have gotten me thinking. Sometimes, I don't know if that is a good thing. I just got back from Nauvoo last night. Let me tell you, that was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I received new perspectives on a lot of things and thought about ancestors that lived years ago and what I am doing with their legacy. Don't know if I have a complete handle on the whole situation yet, but standing on the hill in front of the Nauvoo temple, I got the familiar feeling that something is coming. I don't know what it is. I don't know what I will learn from it but I know that God has big plans for me. I know that I am being prepared for something bigger than myself. What, exactly, only He knows.

I started thinking about preparation because I realized that I was spiritually prepared for my trip to Nauvoo. Prepared enough to become more spiritually aware. I had to work the night before I left on a plane, the only night that I had to work last week. I was feeling fine. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And then I got to work and started helping out and chaos followed.

I was working with Elaina that night and asked her if she had heard anything about the previous Saturday. It was a cursed reception in the Sharon/Manchester of which I was made captain. It was a weird one and we did what we could, but the contact had a list of complaints at the end of the night. So I asked Elaina if any of our superiors made any mention of it to her. She said not, but that the experience gave her a migraine the next day. I get migraines every know and then and they like to ruin my day. I know that is common for everyone, but for some reason I seem to get them more often than most.

Work continued after this particular conversation. I wasn't captain which was lovely, but there were only three of us, Elaina, Morgan Guison, and myself, which required a larger amount of work from me. The dinner began and we started moving really quickly and suddenly, my eyes started going funny. Through experience, that is my first sign of a migraine. I see a type of flashing lights that go in a semi-circle and grow in size until I can barely see anything but the lights. The pain doesn't really start until later. I kept working because we had gotten to a point where I don't really have to think hard. Just deliver food, re-juice and water, and clear plates. Then the pain started. Bad News. Seriously bad news.

I went until the last minute and then mentioned it to Elaina by asking her if she had advil in her purse. She said no but that there was some in the office. My brain had slowed through the pain so I'm so glad that she took over taking care of me. I was able to sit between courses which is a definite no-no. She called down to the Empire room that is on the same floor as the office to see if they could run some meds up to me. Lizzy came a few minutes later and I loaded up to be able to finish the shift. It worked for about ten minutes, just long enough to get another round done through the room, and then the pain hit harder.

By that time, everyone out in the room was eating desserts, which is the time that servers go back into the kitchen and count up meals, start to box extra food, and have a few minutes to share in the food ourselves. (FYI- the kitchen makes extra meals for the servers, so whatever you eat, we do too. It's a great perk.) I sat down while Morgan and Elaina served me- they grabbed food, drink, utensils, everything for me but a chair because I was already sitting. We talked about something. I really can't remember what the conversation was about. I tried to contribute but the pain was taking complete control. When the girls started getting up to start working again, I had a fleeting thought and a definite impression. All I remember is thinking: Tom and Andrew are downstairs. Priesthood. Blessing. Help.

I asked Elaina if the group downstairs were still around. All I had to say was "Priesthood blessing" and both my friends jumped into gear. Morgan took over both her job and mine while Elaina got on the phone. Once again, I don't remember anything about the next few minutes until I saw Andrew holding up his travel size container of oil, calling out,"Look what I have!" It was one of those moments where I felt pain and overwhelming happiness and gratitude and the desire to weep all at the same time. God loves me.

The guys led me down the hallway to the empty suites. It is down a private hall only open to employees and special guests. Tom had sincere concern etched on his face. We walked into the room and I found the closest chair I could find. Andrew came up behind me and asked for my full name. I answered with a small thought of "please." He performed the anointing and Tom came forward to give me a blessing. It was simple. It was perfect. He blessed me with additional faith and the strength to be able to continue what was needed of me. He didn't promise the world, but it was more than enough for me. The moment Tom said "Amen" I felt such relief that I don't even know how to describe. The heavy burden lifted. I could think. I could concentrate. I almost felt back to normal. All in an instant. Miracles happen in my life - EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I stood up and felt myself again. With such concern on their faces, they asked the million dollar question- Is there anything we can do for you? I asked for a hug. They had already done so much. I then heard about the girl down in the Youth Conference that asked for Tom's number. It made me laugh and I think they noticed the difference in me too. Walking back into the kitchen to go back to work, Morgan mentioned that I looked much better. She could see the pain in my eyes before and was happy that it was gone. After getting back to work, I was able to keep going like nothing had happened at all. Complete turn around.

This experience and the next morning I'm on a plane to Nauvoo. The Spirit is amazing. I know the Gospel is true. I know that it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith to be used fully at moments like these. I know that the priesthood is the power of God on earth and that I feel closest to heaven when I am witness to the priesthood in practice. I am so thankful for friends that are able to be called at a moment's notice to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. God loves me and I love Him.

*Nauvoo stories will take a good amount of time. Don't worry- they will start tomorrow :)

things i love thursday

2011-07-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

FIREWORKS!

library trip with the sisters

kiwi banana starbursts

baseball

days off and chilling in my pajamas

visiting sisters with Miranda

leaving on vacation in less than 24 hours! to here

new sheets

a Utah watchband :)

hanging with the fam

happy fourth!

2011-07-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.
Abraham Lincoln

May we always work to maintain our freedoms and make the world a better place! Happy Fourth of July to you!