Stand steady and see it through

That's what to do when adversity strikes.

I read this this morning and it was a helper. I'm trying to understand faith more, and this broke it down simply for me. It's all simple, really...I just need to make it more simple a task in each day.

have a wonderful friday. It's going to be 62 degrees today! bring it on.

machu picchu, Peru

may 2008

pretty darn good picture, wouldn't ya say?

a day off in the life of yours truly

slept in (it's so cozy wrapped in my quilt). read some stuff. thought of my projects for the day. sang in the shower. listened to talks as i did my hair. texted perris. talked to myself in a lisp and bounced around the house, thinking how wonderful and blessed my life is (true). wrote a check for some big monies and sent it in the mail--one less debt taken care of! went to the store. talked to sister tara. went to another store. framed a picture. ate soup bowls for lunch with the husband. made a nice new fall candle decor thingie. sister jami and children came over. watercolored lightening mcqueen with niece. other sister came over (lyndsey). went to store and bought a medium sized orange pot. came home. ate chili with fritos. ate donuts. took niece with perris to tumbling gym. jumped really high on trampolines. came home. saw that only 2 donuts remained. mother arrived with paternal grandparents. mother stayed for the night. painted 2 frames black. watched 'david goes to dentist' on youtube and laughed really hard with family members. thought about going to work tomorrow. boo. pictured my husband doing something silly and laughed out loud. realized i saw a stinkin' lot of family members today. felt good. bedtime, 9:20pm.

Pulled from the archives: Punta Tombo, Argentina.

My penguin friend.

i am a rough stone

Oh how Sabbath days are needed. I feel happier, more light and free, and full of energy after a beautiful block of Sunday meetings. I taught my last lesson for Marriage prep...on the healing power of forgiveness. P and I went to the temple last night and as I was waiting for him I got some great inspiration from Isaiah. Forgiveness is a big deal and I don't think it's as utilized today as it should be. Pride is so ugly. I loved all of it, (especially Isaiah chapter 1. So wonderful) like this quote:

"when we feel that we have been wronged by others, we should ask ourselves how the Savior would want us to respond. President Howard W Hunter, "We must think more of holy things and act more like the Savior would expect his disciples to act. We should at every opportunity ask ourselves, 'What would Jesus do?' and then act more courageously upon the answer."

I talked about my experience with P before we got married talking about working out anything that may come our way. I believe those who forgive spouses for serious wrongs are very strong people who understand the plan. They really get it. That it's about the eternal family and really believe that the Savior can heal and cleanse...it was a great lesson for me.

Anyone ever heard of Mindy Gledhill? LDS Singer. Favorite song? River God. It talks about being a stone in a river and how the stones only get smooth when the water passes through. God is the river. We are the rough and grainy stone, and time brings change and the change takes time...and she sings her prayer that God will pick her up and notice that she is just a little smoother. It is really beautiful. "The deepest part of you is where i want to stay and feel the sharpest edges wash away."

AND we read this from Joseph Smith today:

I am a rough stone. The sound of the hammer and chisel was never heard on me until the Lord took me in hand. I desire the learning and wisdom of heaven alone.

That's it. A bit different metaphor, but same meaning. Bring on the river and the chisel!!

________________________________________________________________

And now for your viewing pleasure............

pictures

As my camera has lost its battery power lately, I took these just now

finally figuring out how to take pictures with my laptop's webcam.

hooorahh, bring on more random pictures.

this is me trying to figure out how to take a picture, while taking a picture unbeknownst to myself.

I was a lookin a little bit like a gypsy today.

I haven't curled my hair since I have cut it short

and I put on gold hoopy earrings.

thus the gypsy thinking.

i even have red nail polish on the dedos

P just got home. I started applauding(literally) as he walked up for the happiness I felt.

love to you all and

happy sabbath,

mrs. K

Se fue

She is gone.

And I couldn't be happier for her.

as of late

...there have been many an adventure. last weekend we drove down to Zion, arriving at 8:30pm or so to "camp" with the Whickers. This was not camping, however, as we immediately realized. Shacked up in a very cozy, very nice cabin (which reminded me of the place Mom, Dad, and I stayed at in El Bolsón, Argentina) with the new pop-up camper the padres bought outside...we were living in luxury. Really. It was a good time.

Saturday morning we got up early and drove to the NORTH RIM of the GRAND CANYON. Enjoy this aesthetic pleasure:

my hip is abnormally cocked in this moment. I have big hips, what can i say?

high cliffs=hesitant Ali.

it just keeps going down......down....down....

Kate and her friend.

The Fords, minus one sleeping boy...he stayed with Grandpa

yes that's a boy scout VENTURE SCOUT shirt. yes that's a hunting vest. yes, that's my man.

Shane doing something cool

Pe and shane, kings of the rock.

I stole the Ford's camera and went crazy. We forgot ours!

Ma 'n Pa. they done good, i'll say.

love this picture.

ooh, AND this picture. Isn't it pretty? there were these bright yellow aspen tress among the green pines, I said we should be like that among the world.

ZION NATIONAL PARK:

Upon arriving in Orderville, UT to attend church, we found that the website is wrong and we in fact showed up just in time for the ward to get out of their meetings. We decided to go into Zion and have a family scripture study among the divine creations. Fabulous.

Temple of Sinawava. Shown above.

Here is the Riverwalk right in the Temple of Sinawava...right on the way to the narrows.

Here's our family scripture time. beautiful scenery! I loved it.

On our way out of the park...

We went home the back way to catch all the beautiful little towns and change up the scenery from the regular I-15 route. We talked about the movie Cars and really how everything changes when you have a big highway instead of the old roads. We had fun talking and observing...no one even slept because we were watching all the new sights! Not even music on. Fabulous.

We loved this little squatter of a rock with the tree coming out the side. Very extraordinary.

Not the best depiction, but the bright yellow leaves against the red rock was awesome!

"Are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes?

Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?"

Mormon 9:16

again we kiss

After almost an ENTIRE week, we can kiss on the lippers.

You see, whilst in the Zion area, I woke up to two blister-like friends on my upper lip. These soon turned to many many tiny blisters all over my lip and big sores on the sides of my mouth, and little blisters spreading down the side of my lip.

No pictures were taken to document this.

it was not pretty.

but after antibiotics, loads of lanolin, and some calmoseptine (haha),

I AM

HEALED.

and can take some time to give some kisses! Yahooooo!

so all you wifeys out there, no taking for granted your healthy lips when you can kiss the hubber at any time.

because kissing is good.

amen.

the jay

of all the birds i learned about in Hal Black's Appreciation of nature class in 2004

at least i definitely remember one of them

Stellar's jay

seen this weekend in the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

(Yeah remember how we were going to zion?

More about that later)

spy with your little eye

how many snails do you spot?

How about here?

And even here?

(see answer below)

These pumpkins aren't even ours. Well, now they are! P was playing basketball at a chapel the other night and the youth who carved them didn't want them. So he brought them home and since then everynight there have been snails awaiting us when we come home. They like the smooth slimey surface, I suppose! Tonight was the most I'd ever seen...and before I took this they were all actually ON the pumpkins. Jami saw it, she can vouch for me.

Fun! I love the fall

and it's getting close to the holidays, and I love the holidays even MORE than the fall.

have a great weekend, dear friends! tomorrow we head HERE with the fambam:

Zion National Park

Never been! I can't wait. Fall camping...love it!

incredibly difficult and suspenseful answer to the snail mystery:

6!

Addie was fascinated tonight and even wanted to touch one. When she did, it started to retract back into it's shell and the endless load of questions began...

"whiiiiiiiiyyyyyyyyy?"

she has the most unique way of saying it. it is quite hilarious to me, P, and Maddy. We mimic her all the time.

love to you all!

randoms

Meet Mr Llama, of the Spanish Fork Hare Krishna temple.

Went there last week to do service and to top it off as a reward for working hard, the girls all grabbed a llama and raced them up the hill. hilarious, I do say.

I did, however, meet my first llamas in Peru. Who were much cleaner and pretty-for the tourists, no doubt...we did have to pay 1 sol (which is less than $1 if i do remember correctly)...

(see 2nd foto for Peruvian llamas)

I do realize now, looking at this picture that those were extremely small llamas. I already realized the women were extremely small, but having seen some american llamas...those things were past my head! And these were up to my elbow! Wowza!

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago at a sister gathering (with the family of the eldest sister in attendance). We watched the Music Man and found my favorite part was when the mayor says, turning to his wife, "not another poop outta you!"

To which she glances at her daughter with a giggle and says, "I think he means 'peep'!" It was quite humorous.

Then there was 2 fridays ago. October 2 to be exact. I am blocks away from home and receive a call from dearest Madeline, laughing that she pulled her car too close to the gutter and BOTH right side tires fell in. Now, all of you Utah people or previous Utah people may remember the deathly trap of the curb parking. Don't pull to close and don't pull up too fast! Jill, you did that at my house one time, remember? I'm sure you appreciate me bringing that up.

But here's a play by play. And do notice the number of people gathering to help. I found this all very entertaining.

Maddy's worried face. She really was rather embarrassed.

See all them peoples? Good Samaritans, thank you all.

See? it really was bad.