Thank you, Baby!

Thank you, Jeffree, for making me laugh. Every day.

Till we meet at Jesus' feet

Jeffree and I got tickets to General Conference this year. Jeff had never been, so I was extra excited for him to be there. We went to the Sunday morning session. We got to enjoy Music and the Spoken Word, the words of the prophets, and the Spirit. It was AMAZING!!!

My favorite is the overwhelming Spirit I always feel when the prophet walks into the room. You don’t even have to see him to know that he is entering.

I am thankful for the opportunity to listen to a prophet’s voice!

Some of my favorites from conference:

*Favorite joke: “At this point some of you may be thinking, “That’s all very fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane?” “ – Dieter F Uchtdorf

*Favorite accent – Claudio R M Costa

*Favorite word – murmur, said by the aforementioned Costa. The way he said it was way cool.

*Favorite quote – “I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot. “ –President Thomas S Monson

What a blessing it is to be led by these great men and women, to hear their words every 6 months, and to be enriched and inspired by the lives they live. Heavenly Father has placed us in such good hands.

And wait for the dawn

I know what you’re thinking. “Wow! 20 days of thanks. She only posts every week (or less). It’s gonna take months before we’re done with this blogging theme.”

That’s what I’ve thought, too.

Today I am grateful to just be with Jeffree. Like, physically in his presence. I watched parts of the Chile miner rescue today. I won’t lie and say I didn’t cry when I saw couples embrace each other and cry. They clung to each other so tightly, so gratefully. I made sure to hold extra tight to my Jeffree today.

Can you imagine? 69 days trapped underground with limited oxygen, food, and water. Not to mention the pure confinement. Not knowing if you’ll see your family again. Not knowing if you’ll get to see your children or even meet your newborn child.

I’m so grateful to have Jeffree in my arms. I’m also grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who strengthened those trapped men and their families. I’m grateful for everyone involved in the rescue process. It was inspiring to watch. I’m grateful for a political leader who openly expressed thanks to God for preserving those men. What a touching thing to witness.

I’m going there someday

There’s such a beautiful feeling when you walk in. The feeling of coming home. The feeling of being where you’re supposed to be. The feeling of being worthy. The feeling of loving God and feeling His love for you. I love the feelings I have when I go to the Temple.

When Jeffree and I were engaged, we set the goal of attending the Temple weekly as a married couple. Enormous blessings have come from that simple sacrifice of our time. We missed a week because I was sick, and going back the next week reminded me of how my soul yearns to be in the Lord’s house.

One of our friends was a Temple worker and suggested that we volunteer as well. Some of our plans for the immediate future weren't quite coming to fruition. I thought just maybe that was because Heavenly Father wanted us to have the opportunity to serve in His house.

In June we began our service as ordinance workers and a tremendous outpouring of blessings has come. Our marriage, which was already amazing, became infinitely better. My understanding of the Temple ordinances increased drastically as I worked to memorize the ordinances. I found myself pondering on the Temple and things of eternity more throughout the week, not just when we were in the Temple.

Today I feel so grateful for the opportunity to serve God in His holy House. I am grateful for the restored gospel on the earth, in it’s fullness. I am grateful for the saving ordinances I have received, and for the privilege in helping so many others partake of those sacred covenants. I am grateful for the people I've met and the beautiful smiles I see from others who come to serve. I am thankful for the order, beauty, peace, and hope found in the Temple.

I love to see the Temple.

It's all around the town

It’s autumn time and I know almost everyone on earth has blogged about how much they either love or hate fall. I am about to join the ranks.

Today I’m grateful for the perfect fall day. Which was yesterday, though I’m sure many more are to come.

Jeffree and I went for a jog in the morning. The air was cool and crisp and the weather was perfect. A little disc in the park and we were all set to go. We both ended up with soaking wet shoes covered in grass, but who could complain? Especially when Jeffree washed them off for us while I took a nice shower.

Lunch was delicious pasta, a refreshing fall salad, and some cute little garlic toasts. Then on to crafting!

I went to bed the night before with determination to create some fun fall decorations. I dragged Jeffree into the scheme with me, figuring his creative genius, along with his DI shopping skills, would become most beneficial. They did indeed. We estimated that we saved about $25-30 with the items we got on sale/created ourselves. Fall décor can be pretty pricey.

I crafted away a few glorious hours while Jeffree made homemade bread. I don’t think Jeffree has ever really understood the extent to which I enjoy doing crafty things. But yesterday he got a small glimpse. When he said the blessing on dinner, he said, “and thanks that loRi had so much fun today.”

*We haven't figured out what to do with the big frame...

The perfect thunderstorm kept us from gathering pinecones at the park, but it was too beautiful to get mad at. I love the rain.

After soup and bagel melts, we topped the night off with friends, homemade bread, and hot cocoa. It was a simply lovely fall day.

And German pancakes this morning didn’t necessarily put me in a foul mood, either. Aaahhh, Fall!

I could get used to this

For those days when nothing else is quite as soothing...

Also for those moments when a hug from my man does help me feel better, but a little treat to top things off doesn't hurt either.

Mixing it with some of the world's other most divine treats only increases it's power. Some of the best:

1. Chocolate and peanut butter.

2. Chocolate and cinnamon bears.

3. Milk and white chocolate.

4. Chocolate and toffee.

5. Brownies and cake batter ice cream.

Oh, so yummy!

Am I sinning if I'm grateful for chocolate? I'm just trying to appreciate the finer things of life.

It's so creamy. and delicious. and inviting. and satisfying.

If I could make a livin' out of lovin' you

Inspired by a friend's blog, I've decided to dedicate my blog to "20 days of thanks." For the next 20 posts, Jeffree and I will be focusing on what we are grateful for. Here it goes...

6 days down, 169 to go! That's right, Jeffree and I started teaching last week. (and no, we are not actually counting down) We love our jobs. Some moments are more trying than others, but the fun moments definitely outweigh the bad.

*We had to wear matching (boy) shirts the first day. Not my best look :)

We're not quite used to the schedule yet. I miss sleeping in, and doing my hair seems to take longer when I'm tired. But we are so GRATEFUL to have full time jobs. We are so blessed. We both work with great teachers and have awesome classes. We couldn't ask for more than the same weekends off, a buddy at district inservice meetings, and someone who can relate to the [joys] of teaching.

The best moment of the school year was the first day (when it was finally over). It was about 5:45 when I got home. I walked in to a delicious dinner on the stove, the table was set, and romantic music was playing. He's the best, let me tell ya. I can't imagine what I'd do without him.