Memorial Day

I spent the holiday weekend here in Rexburg and made a new friend- my neighbor. She loves photography as well and we went on a little photo taking excursion this afternoon. Here are some pictures I took. Enjoy!

The Precious Gift of Life

My bishop's wife passed away today. It was totally unexpected. The bishop returned home from work to find his wife dead. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that would be.

Also, last Friday a BYU-Idaho student passed away as a result from an auto accident. She was traveling home to Spanish Fork, UT on I-15 when her car rolled near Inkom, ID. The cause of the accident is not known, but she was wearing a seat belt. Sadly, as students we occasionally get e-mails informing us of a student or employee death. For some reason this has really stuck with me. Perhaps it is because the girl was 25 and an RM. Also, I travel home on I-15 frequently and go through Inkom. In fact, I rode on that same stretch of freeway just the day before. This could have been me. It's just so crazy to think about. One day this girl is busy with life at BYU-Idaho- doing homework, etc and the next day she's gone. Apparently the Lord needed her on the other side. It's another witness to me that God is in control and He has a plan for each of our lives.

Would we be ready if the Lord called us home today? That is kind of a scary thought to me. I know I have so much to work on and improve. I'm thankful the Lord doesn't expect us to be perfect now, or even when we die. I'm reminded of Alma 34:32, which states: "For behold this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

Each day, each moment of our lives is so very precious. I hope we'll all ponder this and strive to make our lives more meaningful.

Sleepy Time

The other night while I was home Christi and I gave Mr. Indy a bath. Surprisingly, he really loves baths. After the bath I wrapped him up in a towel to dry him off. He loved that too. He loved it so much that he fell asleep in my arms. He was really fighting it. His little eyes kept opening and closing. It was quite precious.

We Love to See the Temple

I came home this weekend to attend the temple with Christi for her first time. This now makes 5 out of 5 of us kids who've gone through the temple. Pretty awesome. It was nice to be together. We missed those who couldn't be there. Christi enters the MTC a week from next Wednesday! I must say, it feels strange that we are all growing up. It's definitely a good thing, though.

Proud

I haven't watched American Idol this season, but I just have to let y'all know how very proud I am of Lee Dewyze. He's putting Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, Illinois ON THE MAP! Arlington Heights was my first area on the mission. Mount Prospect is right next to AH. Lee is from MP. He returned to Illinois for a homecoming party last week, which apparently was aired on American Idol tonight. I didn't get to watch it, as I was stuck in the lab at school doing homework. But, I have been watching some of the youtube videos of it. It is so awesome to see some places that look so familiar. It makes my heart happy. The places I served in Illinois are still near and dear to me.

Stop and Smell The Roses

I feel like I've had numerous experiences this week where the Spirit has, in a sense, knocked me on the head and shouted, "Stop being in such a hurry! Smell the roses!" It is so easy to get caught up in everyday life and all the things we need to accomplish, but it's important to occasionally slow down. I'm grateful for this simple, powerful lesson. There are things we are missing out on. I'm going to try to slow down a little and enjoy everyday life a little more.

Yellowstone

Trying to stay warm while waiting for Old Faithful to erupt.




There were two times when we were driving that we had to stop because the Buffalo were in the road. I was able to catch some pictures of them- up close and personal.

Thursday evening Mom, Dad, and Christi drove up to Rexburg and picked me up. We headed to Island Park, ID where we stayed over the weekend. We stayed at the same place Mom and her family stayed over 50 years ago! The building was located on the riverfront of Henry's Fork. It was a pretty view. The motel itself was interesting, it could use a little facelift inside and out. But, all in all it wasn't too bad. There was no TV or internet access, which I actually did not mind at all. It was so nice to get away from life.

Friday morning we woke up to two flat tires! Dad was able to get them fixed at the only repair shop in the town. After the delay we were able to go see the park. I had never been to Yellowstone, so it was neat to finally see what it was all about. Going to Yellowstone had been on my unofficial "Things to do in Idaho" list. I'm glad I got to go. It was really cold and windy in the park. In fact, a lot of things in the park don't officially open until the end of the month. There was still a lot of snow on the ground.

Saturday we woke up to another flat tire! It was one of the same ones that had been "repaired." Unfortunately, the place that repaired the tires the previous day was closed. There really weren't any options, everything in the small town was closed. So, Dad kept an eye on it the whole day, filling it with air as necessary. What had happened was he ran over a board full of nails the night we drove into town. It was dark and the board was in a random place by the motel we stayed at.

While at Yellowstone we were able to see Old Faithful, the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone, many geysers and hotspots, and cool pools of color (ironic that I use the word "cool," because the pools were actually VERY hot). We also saw an IMAX movie just outside of the park in West Yellowstone, MT. Speaking of that, it's cool to now say I've been to Wyoming and Montana, since the park is in those two states.

Despite a few mishaps and the cold weather, it was a nice little trip, especially after a long week of school. I'm so amazed at this beautiful earth. How could one not believe in God? I hope I get the opportunity to see more of God's creations throughout my life.

My Mother

This is my Mother. She is an example of strength, love, and sacrifice. Life has been no piece of cake for her, but she some how holds it together and keeps moving. Thanks for being who you are, Mom! Happy Mother's Day!