Happy Birthday, Dad!

I've been going around all day saying to myself, "Today is my Dad's 54th birthday." Well, I did the math and he's only 53. Oops. ;) I had fun writing Megan's Birthday post and reading all the happy thoughts people had to say so I decided to do one for my awesome Dad!

Dad's senior picture. Check out that knot in his tie!

Partying with mom and the band.

Grandma (Dad's Mom): It is hard for me to pick one good memory with your Dad. I have so many good memories of his many talents, and his ability to make people laugh and feel good. When he played one of the missionaries in the production we did of Saturday's Warrior he stole the show! I think I have told you that he flunked out of choir in high school because he was funnier than the teacher.....the teacher actually told me that.  He could not stand having Jeff make the whole class "break up" with laughter when he could not get a chuckle. Most of my cherished memories are of his tender spirit and loving "bear hugs". When we sat together many long nights on the kitchen floor by the heater vent together keeping his "bummer" lambs alive, and then the funerals he conducted down by the river before he buried the ones that we lost, I knew he would always be a compassionate man all his life.  So see, it is hard to pick just one.

PS He is and has been my 'God sent son' to help me heal from a gigantic loss.

Mom and Dad's wedding day. October 16, 1986.

Mom and Dad's last anniversary. October 16, 2014

 Mom: Jeff is a great dad and husband.  He adores his kids and loves being with them.  When we were first married, we went to Dan and Robin's apartment in Provo.  I watched Jeff get down on the floor and play with Randi and Tana.  I knew then what a great dad he would be.  He is so proud of all of his kids and he has a unique connection to each one.  Bub had him the moment she was born and now they text back and forth about medical stuff.  Meggie-boo is Jeff's late night date to the movies.  Eeken is his best Bud.  And Jilly-bayba is his exercise and dance move partner.  I know he will miss you all when you move out in a few weeks. 

This is my favorite picture of my dad and me. My baptism day. September 28, 1996

Cori: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I got your best genes. I have your hard-working, care taking, fun personality and I couldn't be more grateful. I'm glad you have been working from home for the last couple years because it has allowed all of us to spend more time with you. I remember during a conversation on a Sunday night one time, mom asked you if you work a 40-hour week. Your response was, "Man, I wish I only worked 40 hours in a week." It made me realize how hard you've worked over the years for our family. Even when I was little and you worked 10 out of 14 nights, you still tried to spend time with your kiddos. Happy Birthday, Daddy-O! xoxo, Bub 

Ian: Mr Sanderson (said like agent smith from the matrix) I first met the man while we were skipping school, he gave us a call and invited us to lunch like it was no big deal. We had Del Taco and had a grand time. And we've been pals ever since. He's always good for a chuckle or two and genuinely cares for the family. Although not a traditional guy in the slightest degree, he manages to pull it off with style. Happy Birthday!  

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Meg: Dad is cooky and crazy and everything a great dad needs to be! I love the dance offs and ridiculously funny texts that blow up our phones. He gives 100% to every new project he takes on, whether it be perfecting the newest work out move or creating the masterpiece that is his potato salad. I'm so grateful for all his love and sacrifices for his family. Have the happiest of birthdays, Daddy-O! Sure love ya!

Just monkeying around with his Monkey Boy.

Ian: I've always loved the bond that I have with Dad as his only son. Going on appraisals with him, going bunny hunting, or even just taking a trip to the store with him was a lot of fun. I'm glad dad always took the time to hang out with me. He has always been my hero and I know I can look to him for help. Love you, Pop!

Jillian's baptism day. January 25, 2003.

Jillian: Oh how I love my Papa. He's weird, loud, crazy, energetic, partially deaf, a little embarrassing, and sometimes a little stinky. :) He's got a huge heart, so huge that there is more than enough room for anyone and everyone he meets. He is very smart and knows a lot of things, like how to cook a mean steak, change the brakes on my car, or how to masterfully pack the family's suitcases into the trunk. But the thing I think he knows the best is how to love those around him and make them feel like a million bucks, one bear hug at a time. :)

Kayaking at Quail Creek

I've been excited all week for Braden and Lexi to come down for the weekend. We saw them last weekend when we were home so we've spent two weekends in a row together! That's never happened! Last night, Lexi and I went out for a much needed girl's night for both of us, while the boys went to the park with Braden and Lexi's little girl. I sort of love that Ian spent the night watching Jenna while we had fun.

We all went to Quail Creek Reservoir and rented kayaks to paddle around in for a couple hours. It was so much fun! I just wish I remembered the sunscreen on my neck. Thank goodness for after sun lotion. Seriously. If you don't use that stuff, you need to. It's the BEST!

Could this family be any cuter? No.

Ian took Jenna to play in the water all by himself. *Swoon!* :)

Let's take a minute to appreciate this almost-two-year-old playing like a pro on the iPad. 

Getting ready to go.

Ian just chillin on the water.

Braden decided to try out paddleboarding. I'm pretty sure he spent more time in the water than
 on the board, but it was a fun adventure.

Ian and me on the 2-man kayak.

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe Ian and I have been married for 4 years today! He tells me all the time, "I don't want anyone else. I understand your kind of crazy." I think that's a good thing... :) It feel like a lot of our marriage has been working and being in school, but we have had quite the highlight reel. I love our great life!

First he came home from his mission.

And we had to hit the slopes together.

We went to the color festival when we were engaged.

4 years ago today, we got married.

And it was a very happy day!

We honeymooned in Vegas (and went to Vegas another time).

We played on the beach at Pineview Resevoir

And went to our first demolition derby in Idaho.

Then we moved to Texas for the summer and enjoyed living by the beach. 

And got a little crazy in the process. I don't know why Ian has an apple sticker on his head.

We went to Disneyland with my family for Christmas 2011.

And of course, made a stop at Newport Beach.

For our 2-year anniversary, we took a Mexican cruise.

And even though I was pretty sure we were going to die, we went ziplining.

Then we went to one of the places I went while Ian was on his mission.

I'm noticing we pose this way a lot. Our big trip in 2013 was to San Diego for Casey's wedding.

See, with the pose? This was from another Vegas trip in January.

Then we went to Central America in March.

We've spent a lot of sunny days on the beach!

 I'm looking forward to many more fun adventures with this love of mine.

On Women in the Priesthood...

I know when I get too much time on my hands, because this blog starts to get a little ranty (is that a word?). However, I feel strongly about this and I've decided to make my sentiments known, mostly for my own benefit and to sort out my feelings in my head. Feel free to peruse on if you wish.

I listened to the broadcast on KUER with Ally Isom, a spokeswoman for the church, in response to the media explosion in the wake of Kate Kelly possibly receiving church punishment for her propagation of "Ordain Women". You can find the interview here. It's lengthy, and gets a bit contentious at times, but I think it's worth the listen if you have questions about excommunication and/or the role of women in the church.

I had some opinions jogging in my head as I was listening, and I figure this is as good a place as any to express them. First off, it raises the question in my mind: What is Kate Kelly still doing as a member of the church? If you're part of an organization that does not support your ideals, don't you find a new one? There are many churches who support women receiving the priesthood; why doesn't she join one of them?

Second, and most importantly, the purpose of this life is to return to Heavenly Father. It's at the center of everything we do in the Church. I would submit that it would be difficult to get through a 3-hour church block without hearing those words, likely verbatim. With that being the purpose and design of our existence, the Lord has determined that women do not need the priesthood in order to gain exaltation. It doesn't have to go any further than that. Start the wrap party, folks! That's it.

It was repeated numerous times in that interview, that the church encourages questions because righteously doing so promotes faith. The entire restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ started with a question. The danger in asking questions, which wasn't said but what I wholeheartedly believe, is that Satan works his way in to the process and tries to steer you away from the truth. That is what has happened in the case of Kate Kelly, and so many others in the church. An honest inquiry has been turned in to a crusade which has put a black mark on the name of the Church. If you have such an inquiry, the place to go is to your Judges in Israel, your bishop and stake president. Don't go pounding on the door of the Church office building and then express outrage when you're not admitted, because those aren't the people the Lord has appointed to help you.

Even if the answer to a righteous inquiry is sought in the right way, the answer may still not be clear. That is when you may have to trust that "My thought are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways" (Isaiah 55:8). The doctrine of the church is not a buffet. You either choose to accept all of it, or none of it. I personally choose to accept all of it, even the parts that my mortal mind cannot make sense of right now.

Number One!

Ian gives me reasons to be proud of him every day, but today he was recognized at work for being the #1 rep in the St. George office and #2 in the company for the month of April (they do the recognition dinner every 2 months). Each of the supervisors of the people in top ten write a little blurb to be read at the dinner. Bobby had nothing but good things to say about Ian:

"Good job and congratulations on your 1st #1 trophy in top ten! Anyone that knows Ian is fully aware that he is capable of being at the very top in the company every single month. Ian is one of my very favorite people and I would not trade him for anyone. I believe every good team has a great foundation and that is what Ian provides for my team is a rock solid foundation. I know exactly what to expect and am never disappointed! Keep rocking it, Ian, and thanks for all you do. I really appreciate you."

I wanted a picture. You'd think that wouldn't be so difficult having grown up in a family of photographers...

We started like this.

This one's a little better, but I kind of wanted to see his face.

Third time's the... nope...

There we go! Look at that handsome devil of mine!

I'm so thrilled to be married to someone who is so skilled and makes the most of his situations at work. (The $200 bonus doesn't hurt either... (: ) I am one proud wife!

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

And, just like that, May is gone. Crazy, isn't it?

Life is busy, but oh so good. Ian's working hard and bringing home the bacon at AllConnect, and I'm working part-time. It's kind of nice to have nothing to do but catch up on Criminal Minds and read books that have nothing to do with Nursing. I'll be ready for the fall when it comes though, I'm sure.

We're lucky to be able to spend a decent amount of time with each other lately. We even managed to escape to Vegas last weekend. Ian found an Argentine restaurant that he was excited to try, and it was delicious! He said it was just like what he used to eat. We stayed at The Golden Nugget, which was surprisingly really nice, and since we had never done downtown, "old Vegas" before, we spent the evening taking in the sights and kitschy-ness of Fremont Street. We have a tradition of playing this stupid penny slot machine called "Planet Moolah" whenever we see it, too. It used to be really fun because we would win when we played, but it hasn't been so kind lately. Oh well. What can you really expect playing penny slots?

Ian wore my sunglasses while we were driving because we had to buy him a new pair
and it took me a while to get the tag off. He's so hipster.

The hotel comped us a goody basket. 

Argentines are not like other South Americans. They eat a lot of red meat.
Typically, they cook a lot of different cuts of meat and cut them in to
small pieces so everyone can have a little bit of everything. 

He went straight up Ron Swanson on the place.

I had Milanesas. It was delicious! You can kind of see the chimichurri in the corner which was SO good!

Fremont street right outside our hotel.

Projections on to the ceiling.

From the outside looking in. On the right was The Heart Attack Grill,
where people have literally had heart attacks eating.

I've been reading The Matt Walsh Blog a lot lately. I don't agree with everything he posts, but it's refreshing to read words from someone who shares similar values and writes about something other than what celebrities are tweeting about. His post on Friday was about marriage and how devastating it is that people don't take it seriously anymore. One part really resonated with me:

"Life is change. People are change. I’m seeing this play out all around me. As I get older I drift further apart from some of the people I used to consider my closest confidants. But I let myself drift, and so do they, because circumstances also change, and what I’m realizing is that so many of my relationships were only ever circumstantial.

"My relationship with my wife, however, transcends the circumstance. If we feel ourselves drift, we reach out our hands and grasp tightly, because I choose to remain at her side, and she at mine. And if I ever look over to find that we’ve somehow lost sight of each other — both now walking alone and lost in that cold night — I will grab a torch and search for her until I find her again. She is my mission, my life’s work, and I’d sooner give up my life than give up on her."

It's sad that we live in a world where this opinion is the vast minority, that "cohabitation" is the norm, and usually leads to broken hearts and families. I'm glad to be part of that minority.

Since It's May and All...

I got a shot today. I would complain, but after the 1000s of injections I've given over the past few years (really) I suppose it's just karma. I also cut the tip of my finger opening the pork roast I made for dinner and am now wondering why I decided to type... Huh...

Ian and I made a spontaneous trip home this weekend. I got to spend one-on-one time with everyone in my family and it was fantastic. I am blessed with the most amazing siblings and parents a girl could ask for. And I even got a shopping trip out of the deal.

We went 4-wheeling on Monday with my in-laws. Well, before I tell you this story, I have to tell you a different one. I don't even remember all the details really. It was while my parents were in Lake Powell, and for some reason or another, my dad told my mom that she was "no fun". So my mom went crying to my uncle (her older brother) and said, "Jeff says I'm no fun." All he had to say was, "Well, yeah." Ok, so I don't know if I told that story even remotely correctly, but the point is that it has been established in my family as a joke that Mom is no fun. Well, I'm my mother's daughter. I am no fun. I like to ride 4-wheelers, but only if the trail is level and we don't go faster than 20 MPH.

So, here we are headed up this trail that gets progressively more rocky and has big divots from where it was likely a 4WD truck had been before us. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we kept having to go over them at a 45-degree angle. Now, it doesn't matter how stable it really is or how far I lean the opposite direction, I always feel like we're going to tip over. I finally had enough and told Ian I was walking the 8 miles back to the car. It didn't matter how irrational that was at that point, I was ruining all the fun and I wanted to leave. Ian and his dad finished the climb to the top of the mountain, and I sat in the dirt and sulked. He turned around after taking in the view from the top, which I learned wasn't that far from where we were, and insisted I get back on. I refused, so he let me walk down to the less scary part, assured me I was not ruining the fun, and we headed to a different trail.

We got back on the easier trail, switched places so that I was driving, and I ended the day on a better note. I thought about that experience as I was touring through the dust, and I made an important connection (it seems like spiritual connections happen a lot when your adrenaline is running high). It's a little cliche as I type it, but I thought about how the trail is like life. Of course we would prefer the easy parts where we can coast along with our hand barely on the throttle, but often we find ourselves climbing a big scary hill. When that happens, we have two choices: we can be Ian in this situation, and make the best of the ride until we can get to the top and enjoy the view, or we can be me and give up, turn back and feel sorry for ourselves. I thought about how tragic it would be if while we're watching our life movie on judgement day, we realize how close we came to the top, only to turn around and walk back. I realized again how essential it is to call on the powers of heaven, and get to the top, even if it scares the living daylights out of you.

Well, except when it comes to 4-wheeling. I'm not doing that nastiness again.