Come Come Ye Saints

So Saturday was July 24th, a big holiday of sorts in my church-its a celebration of the day our pioneer ancestors reached the Salt Lake Utah Valley after traveling through the American Frontier in search of releif from Persecution they faced in the Eastern US.  They were driven first from their homes in Kirtland, Ohio- to Missouri, then persecution grew there and they were driven out to the neighboring clay county and settled into a barren swamp land on the edge of the Mississippi.  In this nook of the river, they tamed the swamps and defeated the Mosquitoes and suffered Malaria but succesfully turned the town into a thriving city where they build the 2nd Temple of the Latterdays.  Before it was finnished the prophet Joseph Smith was martyrd in Carthage Jail, and soon after the persecution grew and again the saints were driven out-in the dead of Winter.  The made a temporary home in Farr West-and then in the spring commenced the Journey westward into the unknown and unsettled wilderness.  They forged rivers, climbed mountains, blazed trails-and on July 24th 1847 Brigham Young made it to the Salt Lake valley and declared "This is the place."  There pioneers again succesfully tamed formerly uninhabitable climate and beat all the odds with guidance and faith in their Father in Heaven and Saviour Jesus Christ.



I've mentioned before that this legacy of faith is part of my history-I am blessed to have a long list of pioneer ancestors who's example continues to strengthen me in my trials.  One such ancestor, is William Clayton.  On Sunday, in honor of our pioneers, we sang (about 3 times between different meetings) the Hymn "Come Come Ye saints"  William Clayton, the author of that song.



Theres a verse in the song that goes "Why should we mourn, or think our lot is hard?  Tis not so, All is right.  Why should we think to earn a great reward, if we now shun the fight?  Gird up your loins; fresh courage take; Our god will never us forsake, and soon we'll have this tale to tell, all is well, all is well."   And I had always admired his faith, but yesterday I was struggling-I had just finnished speaking with my branch president in private about some trials I'm facing at the moment, and one of the last things I said to him before I went to the next meeting where this hymn was the opening hymn was "Its just hard"  And so when we sang "Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard" I just thought "Because it is hard-what was Greatgreatgreatgreat uncle Bill thinking?"  But then he beautifully penned the inspiring words-"why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight?"  And it hit me at home-how do I expect to enjoy the blessings God has promised me if I don't do the hard things he has asked me to do.  If I just give up and succumb to my trials, I'm not going to make it-so I must gird up-or suck it up, be courageous and face hard things-because God will not forsake me, he has not and he will not.  If I can just do that, and draw closer to my father-make sure that I'm doing right by him, then all is right, and though it may seem to me that not all is well, it will be.  Because Heavenly Father will strengthen me, my saviour will pilot me-and it will work for my good-because I've made covenants with him, and he doesn't abandon his children, he keeps his promises.



This life is scary and this life is hard, but in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, "I know in whom I trust. I stand upon the Rock, The floods cannot, no, they shall not overthrow me."

Loves #6

I love Hot Sunny weather and Pool Parties

I love Playing in the Rain

I love hiking

I love that I'm starting the Medical Assisting Program in just about a month

I love getting my textbooks in the mail

I love good speakers at Church

I love waking up to Liam on my feet cuz he climbed out of the crib

I love being Penniless-Its made life simpler

I love when Skype works-cuz then I can talk to Travis

I love Travis

I love Banana Bread

I love fresh fruit

I love good salads

I love kind and inspired leaders

I love my mommy

I love excersizing

I love that in 3 yrs I should have much fewer allergies because I've started taking allergy shots

I love learning to play hymns on the piano

I love wedding announcements

I love the anticipation of new babies!

I love having my nails done

I love scooby-doo bandaids

I love trying on my old prom dresses and finding that they still fit me-better now than they did then!  :D

I love being home

I love musicals

I love 24 hr daylight

I love playing on the beach

I love scavenger hunts

I love playing with Elyse and Liam

Loves #1-#5

An Explanation-I started doing this on Facebook before I did it here, I wanted to move them over so I can keep them all in one easy to get to place.  When I'm feeling particuarly down or frustrated, or blessed, I'll stop and count things that I love.  Enjoy!  (Ariel was my inspiration)



Loves #1-Jan 29, 2009



1. I love to Dance, and to share dance with others

2. I love Lysie peices-my 2 year old sista! And giggling with her at bed time when neither of us are ready to go to bed

3. I love that my mom is having another baby next month and that I'm gonna have a little brother-brand new baby to hold and cuddle ALL SUMMER!!

4. I love when the trees get all covered in frost and look beautiful and crytalized

5. I love freshly fallen snow

6. I love going on road trips

7. I love the temple

8. I love Travis

9. I love hiking, and camping

10. I love flowers

11. I love the feeling of accomplishment

12. I love it when it rains while the sun is shining

13. I love Rexburg!

14. I love Alaska!

15. I love bubble baths

16. I love motorcylces

17. I love teddybears

18. I love to have people play with my hair

19. I love roommates! (previous and current)

20. I love late night girl pow-wows

21. I love my calling-I get to teach on the teachings of our time week!

22. I love reconnecting with old friends

23. I love Family history!

24. I love little people, aka children :)

25. I love packages in the mail, letters in the mail, mail!

26. I love sisters!

27. I love rice pudding (havn't had it in a while and I want some..)

28. I love my grama's quilts

29. I love my gramas cinnamin rolls

30. I love my gramas and grampa!

31. I love hymns

32. I love naps on the rare occasion I get one

33. I love laughing

34. I love singing

35. I love ice scultures/the ice park

36. I love chocolate

37. I love the feeling of doing everything on my to do list (wish that happened more often)

28. I love movies-feel good movies

29. I love love songs

30. I love how Emilia fills the micro-fridge with inspirational sticky notes



I love alot of things...thats why this is Loves #1. I'll be posting more of these. :)













Loves #2-February 28, 2009





1. I love my mommy

2. I love Sundays

3. I love uncles

4. I love vocal point

5. I love BYU-Idaho

6. I love Olive Garden

7. I love religion classes

8. I love stadium singing

9. I love singing!

10. I love dancing

11. I love Sunny days

12. I love dressing up and going on a photo shoot with roommates on sunny days!

13. I love quesedillas at the MC

14. I love strawberries

15. I love calling home and listening to Elyse sing "I am a Child of God"

16. I love sisters

17. I love looong weekends

18. I love road trips!

19. I love chocolate

20. I love clean rooms

21. I love flowers

22. I love quilts

23. I love clear sidewalks (the slushy snow is really getting on my nerves)

24. I love Apples w/peanut butter

25. I love devotionals

26. I love pajama pants

27. I love technology which enables us to talk to loved ones far away

28. I love getting new dance shoes!

29. I love mashed potatoes

30. I love the excitement of counting down till Liam is born!



Loves #3-March 31,2009

1. Travis

2. Ariel is engaged!

3. Relief Society!

4. Easter decor!

5. Easter!

6. 11 days till I go home!

7. GREAT april fools day jokes/laughs!

8. Writing messages in the snow

9. Dance preformances!

10. Adventures to Grama's house!

11. Gramas and Grampa

12. Ice cream and other treats at Grama and Grampa's house!

13. upcoming Trips-or having trips to look forward to!

14. General Conference!

15. BYU-I 61st WARD!

16. Gullible people

17. Reminicing

18. Concerts with cellos!

19. Roommates!

20. Notes from roommates! (thanks Erin!)

21. Men's choirs ;)

22. Cuddly Baby brothers (so I've been told...)

23. Dance shows!

24. My dance team here at school :)

25. Family History

26. Family History Homework!

27. Texts from my Laura about "love letters" aka senior announcements

28. Temples!

29. My friends!

30. my family



Loves #4-November 26, 2009



So, I decided since I havn't done one of these since before I got home in April, it was time to do it again. :)



I love....(in no particular order)



Sun streaming through frost covered trees

Travis, and ya know being where Travis is, hugging Travis, talking to Travis, kissing Travis all that stuff :)

Robin going on a mission...even though I wish it weren't happening quite so soon!

Elyse (on her good days...and even some of the bad ones haha)

Liam-he's so stinking cuddly!

Amanda and Jordan. They make me happy

Phone calls with Ariel (I really hate the phone, except with her....I like Ariel phone calls)(nothing personal to everyone else)

Mommy

Rulon

Family History

Black leather boots that keep my legs warm on Sundays

Pearls

Having my nails done

Stefani Borrego-she's awesome!

Getting good grades back on my labs/tests in my science classes! 

My birthday-being in a week

Thanksgiving so we can kick the Christmas season into gear!

Board Games

Gym time with Mommy(even thought we can't wake up for it)

Telling people I go to the gym with my mommy

Turning up the radio and dancing around the office after Chris leaves...haha...

SG1. 

Pumpkin Pie

Clean house/room

Kitty cats

Friends

Seeing elementry school buddies on campus

Releif Society-and how we hear the elders quarom singing opening and closing hymns. :D its great!

Choir on Sundays

Munch'n'mingle





:) Happy Thanksgiving!



Loves #5-March7, 2010

Travis :D

Strawberry scented car fresheners

Weekly Paychecks

Helping my cousin!

Ice Sculptures

SPRING BREAKS!

getting an A on my first Human A/P lab PRacticle of the Semester

Lysie telling me "MELANIE I MISSED YOU TODAY!"

Letters from Sister Robin Johnson

Baptisms

Liam walking

Seeing all my family In Utah/Idaho last month

Dennis and Beth and their girls going through the temple last month

Seeing Roommates in Idaho Last month

Dancing

Baking

Conference Talks

Having a plan at school!

Breathing-its a big deal for me

Talking to Ariel. I just love her!

Did I mentions spring break? :P

Warmer weather

New Dresses

Family near and far!

Proximity to summer. :) 

I always need a reminder

When challenges arise-my favorite source of comfort is President Joseph B Wirthlins talk from October Conference 2008, "Come What May and Love it."  Things over the weekend kinda spiraled downhill, so keep my family in your prayers please.  But in the meantime, here's my favorite quotes and my thoughts on them from Elder Wirthlins Talk, cuz I need a reminder-

"Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others."

"Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome."

"The third thing we can do is understand the principle of compensation. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

"He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong."

 "The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”

Photo At Top By my Cousin, Anna Elmer

The painting of Christ is by Artist Del Parson

Home again Home again

I've been home for a grand total of 4 days, so I figured its time to write



Coming home always has this odd feeling about it, because it always changes....yet somehow maintains this sense of home.



Somethings never change-like the clutter, or the never ceasing jokes from Rulon, or mom's exhaustion, or my desire to get stuff done and my total lack of motivation to get stuff done upon arrival back home...



And other things change, like gaining a roommate(at home I haven't had to share a room since we moved into the remodeled house when I was in 5th grade!) and that roommate being tall enough to climb out of the crib



Its always amazing to me to discover things such as Elyse's nonstop chatter flourishing into big kid conversations-or how pathetic the cats look when we have to shave their fur off due to Liam's and my allergies...



And hard to adjust to things such as Robin stealing my bathroom shelf and space in the medicine cabinet-or being roommates with a 1 yr old who can climb out of the crib....  (Have you caught on to how blown away I am that he can do that!  That little guy is so strong!)



But then there is always still that sense of home, and that special way that we come closer after returning and reuniting.  Today Robin, Elyse, Liam, and I went out side and danced in the rain.  This morning I woke up and took Elyse walking around the block so she could splash in every puddle she could find.  I was soaking wet, and muddy, but its those simple things that bring us close.  I don't know if Elyse will remember that 10 years from now, but I will.  Last time I came home from a trip, Elyse was splashing in puddles (to my dismay) and she feel and ripped a hole in her pants.  I picked her up and told her she'd be okay, and forgot about it, till 2 months later Elyse reminded me "Melanie do you remember I fell and you picked me up?"  Now I'll remember that always.  Those little things are what make our lives with our families special.  That we know we can count on them and that they can come to us is what its about.  And that trust and love is built in the little moments that bring us a ray of sunshine each day, no matter how wet or how heavy the downpour.



I just want to echo the words of John Bowring who said "A happy family is but an earlier heaven."  And add that I know its the truth.  I love my family and I love being home.  I wish Amanda and Jordan were here with us more often, but look forward to their big adventures-including the family expansion this October!  





With that, I'm off-to mingle with mother!  :)

Independance Day Party!

So, for the 4th of July Weekend, I went to San Fran again.  Saturday, Travis and I went to His Work Party.  For those who might still be in the dark (I don't know how you would be, I just want to brag again), Travis' work This summer is an internship at Lucas Film.  As in the company owned ad crated by George Lucas-the man who created Star Wars, Indiana Jones-His company included Industrial Lights and Magic-which is the place that does the special effects for ummmm....Practically EVERY awesome movies you've seen in the last 32 years (it was the 32 annual picnic).



Anyways, with that as an Intro-now lets talk about the picnic.



The Company has rules about taking photos, and that we can't post photos....but I can tell you about them! I can tell you about picture we took with a bright red shiney Skywalker Ranch Firetruck-I just can't show you on the internet.  I can tell you about the picture of us in front of Ewok Lake, where we had raft races, but you'll have to ask me sometime to see it. And no, I didn't win the raft races, but our team did get first place in a relay race.  The one where you have to hurry put the clothes on run around the cone then take the goofy clothes off so the next person in your team can do the same.  We did it the fastest out of about 8 or more teams-we were pretty happy with ourselves.  We got fancy blue ribbons and everything.



After the relay races, we got to kick back by the pool, and we ate more food.  They had this field set up like you would picture a county fair-with the big tents and rows and rows of picnic tables, and a tent for getting the food, a tent for getting the drinks.  There was an Ice cream truck-with really yummy ice cream, and the weather was soo hot I was having a hard time eating the ice cream before it melted.  That was a new expirience.



Other things there were to do that we didn't get around to, they had horseback/pony rides, lots of relays we didn't make time for, they had little hiking trails, they had wagon rides around the ranch (we tried to do that, but when we were waiting the horses must have been taking a break or getting switched out-and we went to go swimming in the pool) they had a volley ball court, a field people were playing soccer in-all sorts of stuff.  It was awesome!

Here's one picture I can show-after the day at the ranch, Travis and his roommates all crashed.  I tried to take a nap, but it just didn't happen.  I don't think trying to take a nap works very well.  Anyways, poor guys just had too much fun, and came home and crashed.  Look closely, theres 3 of them!





Other than that, here's what I've been doing:



Scavenger Hunts

Pool parties

Playing on Beaches

Exploring San Fran

Movie dates with Travis

Thursday Night Salsa/Bolero series classes @ Arthur Murray

BART and your there

Softball games

Walks with Travis-one was a 6 mile round trip walk to/From Church!



Here's a few pics:

After the Beasts Lost again-we celebrated the season at a sports place that has awesome sized apetizers half off on Tuesdays

After Touring Lucas FilmOffices where Travis works daily, we explored the area, and saw this place!

Sid and Alex with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background

Me and Alex went on a Scavenger Hunt-and looked for 10 different flowers (we found like 50 different types) but this Rose was SO pretty!

Part of the scavenger Hunt was find 4 vinyards, I like the vinyards!

My mercury is whack!

I have always prided myself on my ability to withstand the cold.

When I was 12, one time my family gathered at this lodge in the hills near Manti Utah for my uncles wedding.  This Lodge had a big wrap around porch-one side entertaining us with a hot tub.  Me and my cousins decided it would be fun to run from one side of the lodge (the hot tub side) to the other in our barefeet-and back.  It was april, but it snowed for us during out hot tub party which is why the run from one side of the lodge to the other was a fun idea.  After soaking in the hot tub, the snow was so cold it burned!  As we ran around, my feet went numb, but I was so "Alaskan tough" that I put on a face and sucked it up for sake of my state pride/ego.  A few of the younger cousins couldn't handle it, so then I carried them part of the way piggy back style-which was also cold, but I was just proving how "tough" I was...and what wussie's they were in the snow. 

When I went to school in Idaho-I refused to pull out my big winter down coat.  It was windy so I figured it was more logical to just wrap up in several layers of polar fleece anyways.  There were two days, only two that winter, that I will admit, to it actually being Cold.  I still say the rest of the winter was only chilly.  However, from the windy city of Rexdburg I did decide that Leg warmers aren't weird, but actually quite practical, and therefore, worth buying and cordinating with an outfit.  

I share these stories, to give you a picture of where my personal thermometor stood before.  I used to prefer cold to heat, I thought, "Theres only so much you can pull off when its hot out, but when its cold you can always pile more on."  My personal thermometer read 70 degrees as HOT.  And About 68 was ideal comfort level.  at 80 degrees, I thought I would fry.

That thermometer worked great for living in alaska.  However, I have a problem.  I'm in California this summer.  When I got here, they were having my ideal weather.  It felt great, but everyone else was complaining about the cool weather.  Then, it started warming up, gradually over the last 6 and a half weeks.  On monday, this pattern Climaxed at 100 degrees, at 3 pm.  And I enjoyed it.  I was outside in the sun, and I remembered my sunscreen, and to reapply it, so I didn't burn.  It was awesome!  Then, Tuesday night, at Sids softball game, it was 70 degrees outside, and I was chilly!  AAAAAH!   Help me!

California screwed up my thermometer! 

I'm gonna die this winter....