Remember that time I went to Utah?

Well I have finally decided to blog about it! My time in Utah was brief, but each minute was full of excitement and I loved it! It was a struggle to juggle the time between family and friends, but it was also well worth it. Of course, my main reason for going to Utah was to go through the temple. I posted about this previously, but had a few more pics from my personal camera that I wanted to share.

These two pictures don't look that exciting, but I had to share them because they document some things that I thought were fun. First of all, I felt like a princess that day. I was so excited for my new experience and really took my time getting ready to feel as good outside as I did inside. I was decked out in jewelry, I had my flower in my hair, I curled my hair extra cute...I just felt awesome! I tried to document the excitement of the day, which meant trying to get a picture of my face. Most of the pictures make me look like a seductress, so I included this one to really showcase my excitement. And then the other picture is of my dad and a perfect stranger. My mom and I sat down and my dad sat somewhere else...next to this person. It was funny because my mom and I joked that my dad would rather talk to someone else than to us, but in his defense he replied that there was no way he would fit on the bench with us. Oh dad! You are too much! And then I am including one more picture that I just loved. I think the Salt Lake Temple is breathtaking!

The day after the Temple I got to meet a few of my besties for lunch at the most amazing little restaraunt in Salt Lake called Zinn Bistro. It was so fun to catch up with my girls and the food was to die for. We got a little group shot afterwards:

I am so lucky to have some of the best friends in the world. I am so glad that I got to see each member of the A Team while I was in town, but sad that I didn't get a picture with all of them. Next time...

The afternoon was spent shopping with my mom...one of my favorite things to do! You see, Utah is home to one store called Rod Works that is a dream to walk in! I LOVE THAT PLACE! There is also another store called Tai Pan that is loads of fun, just not as delicious as Rod Works. I, of course, bought things that I don't need. But really, who can resist?

That night some of the girls got together to play games and have dinner, but we just ended up talking the whole time. You know how girls are... Thanks Amos for the mac and cheese!

The next morning I met the fam at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Pointe. I have been there before, but it is still fun to look at all the cool displays and to see the kids play and interact. Here they are putting together a giant dinosaur and also creating a habitat for the dinosaurs to live in:

After the Museum my mother and I had to take another trip to Rod Works and then it was time to meet the rest of my girlies for a frozen yogurt treat at Red Mango...another one of my favorite places to visit. And then that evening I got to see my cute little niece win an award for her Reflections dance performance. The event itself was 2 hours that I will never get back. It was painful to say the least. The sad part is that it was put on by the people who are supposed to be teaching our children. Yikes! Anyway, it was great to see my niece's little face light up as she accepted her award. Here she is proudly holding up her award, and then I took a picture of my nephews because they wanted their picture taken too:

I am so proud to be her aunt! She is a very talented girl.

And finally, no trip post would be complete without a shot of the fun things I got while on the trip. Thanks to Rod Works and Tai Pan, I was barely able to fit my clothes in my suitcase on the way home. What can I say, I really like pink flowers:

it's a new life for me

...and I'm feelin' good!

I know it has been a while since I have posted, and a lot has happened since my last post...so this is my small effort to get caught up and let everyone know how I am doing.

Of course the highlight of the last week has been me going through the temple for the first time. It was a very memorable event. Completely not what I expected, yet I couldn't have asked for anything better! It was AMAZING to see all of my friends and family there to support me. And to think, I stressed so much about which temple to go through... The Salt Lake Temple was definitely the best decision I could have ever made!

The day started with a shopping trip with my mother...to buy the items needed for the day. Then a good chunk of time was just spent staring at everything I (meaning my mother) had bought and trying to take it all in. The mom and I enjoyed some lunch and then it was time to get ready for the main event. We headed to the temple a little early because I had this brilliant idea to take pictures of myself in front of the temple to document my experience. The pictures didn't really go like I had planned and I am too lazy to photoshop them, so here are a few pics from the day:

getting ready to cross the street to the temple

trying to figure out how to include my face and the entire temple in one shot

a beautiful fountain...LOVE the temple grounds!

the reflection pond (and me struggling to carry all of my belongings)

the mother and I

me!

and more me...just chillaxin' before the fun begins

Like I mentioned before, I could not have asked for a better experience. It was great and I loved every minute of it. I actually have more that I want to post...but it will have to wait for another day. Something more important has come up...

quick

Not much time to update right now (mostly because I am exhausted due to my lack of sleep last night and busy day today), but I just wanted to quickly write a note to let you know that all went well today. The best way to describe this day is by simply saying this:

It is a day I won't soon forget...

three

1. Yesterday I felt the Earth move...literally. I am sure you have heard about the earthquake that rocked the US/Mexico border and that was felt by more than 20 million people. Well, I was one of them. I was just sitting at my computer desk, talking to my mother on my cell phone when I felt a little dizzy. It was a strange feeling and I was certain I was moving. I then noticed that my hanging chandelier thing was swaying. I thought to myself, "Now why would that be moving?" After pondering for a second I said to my mother, "I swear we are having an earthquake!" It wasn't until I actually got off the phone with my mom and looked on the internet that I knew we had indeed experienced a wee earthquake. It was exciting! This is officially the second minor earthquake I have felt in my lifetime. The other one was when I was in middle school eating my breakfast and watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That one was quite a bit stronger though. In actuality, I am glad the earthquake experiences I have had are minor. I am not sure that I would love experiencing a big one...

2. General Conference was FAB! Because of my church calling I was forced to pay close attention to Conference this year, and I am glad I did! I don't know that I have actually gotten so much out of Conference before. Usually I am with family and entertaining restless kids or talking, so much of the messages get lost. But this year I was all alone in my home listening to Conference on the internet while cleaning the house. It was awesome! Not only did I accomplish a ton, but I learned a ton! I am so grateful...

3. Three...that is the number of days left until I go through the temple. Can you believe it?! I can hardly contain myself! I am so excited! I think a lot of excitement comes from getting a vacation and being away from AZ for a few days...it is much needed. I am also excited to see my niece and nephews and other family members. It will be nice to see my prego sis-in-law so I can really believe that she is having a baby and it will also be nice to see my friends. But mostly I think I am excited to see all of these people in the temple with me. It is going to be a great experience I just know it!

{Woohoo}