Favorites

Playing Mom

14 September 2015

I woke the little angels up at 7. Surprisingly they got right up and started getting ready. I just got up about ten minutes before them so I could brush my teeth and put on my favorite leggings and flannel. :) I turned the heater on so they could get dressed in front of it, but shortly after, Katy ran to me and told me there was a daddy long leg by the heater. When I checked, it was already gone, but it’s not super cool that the daddy long legs are thinking they can move in.

Fortunately the girls picked their clothes out last night, so there was no hassle in deciding what to wear this morning.

I made us a smoothie and toast for breakfast. Katy said she didn’t want smoothie but I insisted she have a little. The smallest clean cup I had was a little tiny jar, and she informed me she doesn’t drink out of jars. So I got frustrated and told her to pick a cup then. She never did.

Natalie enjoyed her smoothie as usual and she didn’t want any toast. Katy did eat some applesauce and apples sliced into little triangles, but no smoothie. I made her some toast, and she wanted butter on it, but unfortunately, Katy has gluten and dairy allergies and I didn’t have her dairy free butter. So she said she’d just eat her toast plain. Sad. She didn’t want any jam or honey or anything, so she just ate her toasted bread. She only ate one piece since Natalie told her that Piper licked her toast (which she did) and I guess Katy didn’t want the other piece of kitten toast. :)

I worked on their lunches and that went pretty fine. Natalie wanted a PBJ and Katy had Grandma’s ham fried rice from yesterday. They each got apples and carrots, and then some other random items. Natalie got a few pink starburst but Katy didn’t want any. She doesn’t like candy that much, but I think Natalie would eat it all day if she could. Wonder what I’ll pack them tomorrow. The girls were gone the past week and a half and had some catch up homework to do. Natalie did a good job getting some done this morning too and Katy did all of hers last week. She’ll maybe have some tonight though – her homework is cute. Last night the girls wanted to read a book called You Are Special by Max Lucado. I’ve read it with them before and it’s wonderful. But since we didn’t have time last night, I said we’d read some of it this morning if they were all ready before 8:10. So they got all ready freddie with their backpacks, coats, and shoes, and we read a few pages together. We’ll finish it later today, that’s the plan at least.

Then at 8:10 we went off to school not in a rush! If I had woken them up at 7:15, the morning would not have been the same. It was nice to have plenty of time to do what we needed this morning. And we all were pretty well rested, so that is good.

We forgot to pray together before we left, so we prayed in the car before backing out. Katy prayed, and Natalie got mad at her when she started and said she wanted to buckle her seatbelt first. Then when it was time for Katy to buckle her seatbelt, she and Natalie got mad at each other and Katy was upset. But she got it buckled just before we got on to the highway, so all is well. :)

I dropped Natalie off first, then Katy. Then I came home and crashed on my orange chair. I felt like I had already done a day’s work and was ready for a nap haha. Chris and Edel then went for a run in the rain. The past couple hours I’ve unfortunately wasted plenty of time on my phone and have been laying in front of the heater. I did read the scriptures though! I’m in the end of Mosiah and I just read about Alma and the sons of Mosiah’s big change of heart.

Now it’s time for some work, which is great, because work edifies. I’ll pick the girls up after school and probably take them to my mom’s to play for a while. They love being at Grandma’s house, especially Katy. The girls will probably stay with us a couple days and it will be fun fun fun. I’m glad I don’t have to substitute teach today and that I shouldn’t have many boats tonight either!

Parents do a whoooooole lot and I believe people are generally trying to do their best with what they know at the time.

Alaska, Favorites

Living the Kitten Dream

18 May 2015

Okay. So THIS KITTEN IS MAKING MY DREAMS COME TRUE! Dreams I didn’t even know I had. :)

She’s slept in the bed with us the past three days and I love it so much. And this morning when I woke up, it was all just so perfect and I didn’t want to get out of bed.

Precious Piper alert and awake cuddled right next to my head. And my sweet honey boy snoozing at my side.

Alaska, Favorites

Adventure isn’t far

21 January 2015

Chris and I wanted to go on a little outing. We packed our puppy, camera, sleeping bags, warm clothes, a couple books, PBJ supplies, an excessive amount of fruit snacks, and got on the ro-ad. We headed north and after a couple short hours we arrived at our destination, Hidden Lake. We had no reception, and Chris intentionally left his phone behind, and it got dark. So we ate and then took a nap, at like 7 pm. I tried to keep Chris from sleeping by coercing him to play alphabet car games with me. We did the ABCs of countries, US cities, maybe animals, and at some point Chris was ready to sleep. We just laid our sleeping pads (I mean sleeping pad, since we forgot one) and cuddled in the back of the car with da pooch Edelweiss.

At like 10 pm or so, we were done napping, so we got some granola bars and headed out for an icy walk under the starry skies. Edel was read for adventure and we fortunately have a great glow in the dark ball for her that we launch and chuck and throw and project, and she still has energy to fetch the ball ten hundred more times. Our walk was so nice. So lovely to disconnect and feel the world around you.

After an aokay night’s rest in the car, letting Edel out many times in the middle of the night to prance around, we got up to b-e-a-utiful surroundings. Here in Homer, the weather has been oddly warm and lacking snow. So it was so nice seeing some white around and to have a chance to wear my snowsuit! Awesome.

We went on one of the greatest hikes ever, with nature delighting us with so many wonders, and my cozy snowsuit eventually got waaaaay too warm. So I did the old snowsuit trick of unzipping and letting the top half of my suit dangle behind me. Chris and I took pictures all along the way and it was absolutely splendid.

Cooper Landing called us next, and we saw a bit more snow there, which was exciting. There were definitely some winter wonderland moments. One of our stops was Widman’s, where I got some hot cocoa and burned my tongue, and Chris got his cream soda. Edel had some water, and she was happy with that. She’s pretty much usually always happy.

This little trip made Chris and I happy too. There’s a lot of wonderful wonderment around us, sometimes it pops up right in front of you, and sometimes you have to just look for it.

Here’s a whole bunch of lovely photos.

Alaska, Favorites

Winter Solstice

23 December 2013

I got myself a husband yesterday!

Favorites, Hawai'i

giving thanks for my peach

1 December 2013

I am so so grateful to have my favorite boy around ALL THE TIME. It’s dreamy. It’s so good and happy and full of adventure and fun. I am so glad with how life works itself out eventually.

I’m grateful that this boy is such a good cuddler and that he knows and understands me and is always seeking to help me with whatever I need. I’m grateful I’m a happy girl and that I have this little peach in my life. :) I’m grateful he’s an Alaskan too. And that he has a beard.

I’m grateful that he kills the centipedes and the cane spiders and the cockroaches. I’m grateful that he laughs with me when I crash my bike. I’m grateful he accepts my super nintendo desires. I’m grateful he can work hard and also bum around. I’m grateful he makes a point to always go running, and for his desires to be good and healthy. I’m grateful for the sweet movies we watch together.

This lovely long weekend we watched the Swiss Family Robinson and the Brave Little Toaster. Dreamy I tell you. And there’s lots more great films on the list.

I’m grateful he always makes sure we pray together every night. I’m grateful he stuck around for my year of hot and cold and wishy-washiness. I’m grateful he makes an effort to learn portuguese. I’m grateful he got me a great ring and asked me to marry him, and that he found my great wedding dress too. He’s a peach this Christopher boy is. And I am very grateful for him.

Thanksgiving day started with some pumpkin pie for breakfast. Beaut.
We has some Thanksgiving food later in the afternoon, thanks to some Hawaiian friends. I played some Christmas hymns on the piano and Chris and I talked with our grandparents.
When we came home we hopped on our bikes and went for a cruise.
I love these spontaneous little adventures. How great.

Favorites, Hawai'i

betrothed ♥

11 November 2013

Friday, the 8th of november of 2013.

It began as a normal, lovely, unsuspecting Friday. Chris and I ran on the beach. I went to class and he worked (which on this day meant prepping for proposal). He kept working and I went to the temple, and then made some cookies and quinoa. Yum.

Well… Chris, with help from Alyssa and other lovely people, had been secretly planning and coordinating for a “smothered with love” proposal to get a ring on my fingie.

Chris wrote lovely love notes and hid them throughout campus and Laie. With each love note, there was also a video for me to watch of lots of my favorite people telling me how much they loved me! Yay love love love.

Chris had recorded video clips of some my lovely roommates and neighbors Cherisse, Keryna, Taylor, Victoria, Alyssa, and my favorite twins, Alexis and Elena, and of my Carla girl too of course! They all told me they love me lots and that they’re happy and all of this made me a very happy girl. :)

So Alyssa went around Laie with me on a love note hunt to Peej’s office, to our favorite library study spot, to the peaceful McKay foyer, to our favorite beach nook, to seven brothers for some delicious fries, to the beach glass cave on the point, to the gardens by temple beach, and finally we ended up at the temple, where Alyssa set me free.

On the grass I saw a nice little computer surrounded by lovely Hawaiian flowers, and a box of tissues. So I went and laid down and watched 17 minutes of my family and Chris’s family expressing more love and gratitude. It was so great. I loved that a lot. So happy that that boy got many of my favorite people to be a part of these special moments. :)

Then out popped my macublet Christopher Robin.

And out popped the question and out popped the ring!

(I LOVE this ring a lot. Rose gold and moissanite.)

I met this Christopher boy in my home Homer ward when I got home from my mission over a year and a half ago. We got engaged one year and four months after we first cuddled and sort of kissed haha. I dragged my feet for quite a while with plenty of indecision and doubt, without my mind and heart being fully open. But luckily this boy was good and patient. He’s such a peach. My heart and life are full of love, and love which will continue to grow lots and lots. Happy happy.

So let’s get married!

Favorites, Hawai'i

March 17, St. Patrick’s SUNday

2 April 2013

Sunday morning we spent at church, which as per usual, is quite lovely.

I do enjoy going to church. And I know it’s the place to be on Sunday.

After church, our casa is the place to be.

We had a most delightful GREEN FEAST. :)

Green key lime ice cream. Green salad. Green pesto/feta/tomato quinoa. Green veggie and rice curry. Green sugar snap peas. Green guacamole. Green chips. Green edamame. And Green mac n’ cheese.

Our neighbors and goodies friends came.

I had a little bit of everything on my plate! :) Yum. It was pretty good actually.

Cherisse made herself some special green water.

And the Cabrinha brothers shared their HUMAN BAGPIPE skills. (see video on Facebook)

Also as per usual on this island, there was much beauty to be found.

I made delicious cookies while listening to conference.

And we had some paper snowflake lessons.
These kids were my best students yet!

Then when they came back from a whale watching beach walk, we feasted on the cookies. So good.

Around here cookies go pretty quickly.

But these one’s were so good and were consumed at an accelerated pace. :)

I originally got from sweet treats: dark chocolate coconut oatmeal cookies.

But I modify it a bit.

Mix until creamy:

1/2 c softened butter

1/2 c applesauce

1 c brown sugar

1 c sugar

(or a little less sugar never hurt)

Mix in:

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

In separate bowl combine:

2 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup coconut

Mix dry ingredients into wet and add

2 1/2 c oats

lots of dark chocolate chips

and maybe some white chocolate chips.

Cook at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

That was probably one of my favorite St. Patrick’s Days ever. :)

Especially with those cookies.

Alaska, Brazil, Favorites

a última transferência

30 April 2012

It was sad taking my nametag off.

I’m home now. Adjusting to returned missionary life. Tis great with minha familia.

18 months in Brasil, and I come home to this beauty land.

I said goodbye to my dear Vitoria.

Said see you soon to dear elders.

Had a fun last day with my Brasilian family, as Sorvetes!

Lovely last dinner and festinha with the Araujos and a few elders at the mission home.

Enjoyed an afternoon with minhas Sisteres.

Tchau Quissama. Ate logo. Best farewell party ever.

Ezio and Jeane, two of my most favorite people in this world.

My last trip to Sitio Bom Fim, doing Nilton’s baptism interview, fetching starfruit, pomegranate, and oranges from the trees.

the last almoco, sunday lunch

Jaaaaymeee and trio de poder

We feed the spiritually hungry and the physically hungry.

The Easter Bunny came.

one of the best baptisms and confirmations everrrrr. eleitos!

We had one of Quissama’s best atividades!

fetching fruit from the trees with the elders

We love our dear elders.

uma palavra. SIRIGUELA. best fruit I have ever met.

getting our jamelao on our morning run

We had grrrrreat bicicleta fun!

played on the beach and communed with the sea

my beautiful companions made CHEESE with cow’s milk that Raimundo gave us

ate yummy vegetarian food with gooood people. we help them. they help us.

and another delicious lunch and beach party with our eleitos

I had a happy birthday. I’m 23. :)

Jorge who has 76 years. Jorge is 76 years old and is so lovely.

BICICLETAS! Changed our lives. Obrigada Senhor.

We may or may not have left mission boundaries. Oops. Hello Missao Rio de Janeiro!

And we started it all out moving houses. Twas lovely.

Me and the Cunhazinha took our 7 hour onibus trip to Vitoria, where I renewed my visa, and where we picked up our dear Sista Nicascio! And then it all began…

My last transfer was sweeeeet and I love Quissama and I love Sister Cunha and Sister Nicascio and and I love the gospel and I love everything and everyone. St. Luke 1:37

Brazil, Favorites

Love and Sunshine

30 June 2011

One of my peace calendar quotes this week was
“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” -Mother Theresa
Everything starts with us, with all the small and simple things.

We have transfers tomorrow. And WOO HOO! Sister Dias, Sister Michelotto adn I will stay here in Aracruz! And I’m getting another newbie copmanion and will be with her training her for two transfers. Woo hoo! New missionaries are the best!

And our dear Presidente and Sister Pickett finish on June 28. Tomorrow will be the last time I’ll see them until after the mission. Oh they’re just the best! The best of the best. But our new mission president and his wife will be so fantastico as well ofcourse. It’s just hard to say goodbye to people you love so much.

This week we had zone conference and it was celestial. Oh my goodness being a missionary is thebest and so sacred and good. We learned about patriarchal blessings and also Presidente talkedto us about JOY. And whenwe progress, especially with the spirit and with the atonement, that is what brings joy. I’m learning how completely infinite the atonement is, the thing od most importnace, that cures and heals all problemsand all the wrongs in the world.

There’s always lots of sunshine and my love is growning every day!

Brazil, Favorites

Alegria

25 May 2011

Alegria. The mission is like the best thing since sliced bread. Oh it’s seriously just so so good and I love it more every single day. I can’t imagine my life without this and without all these peeps and my dear companions and everything.

This lovely week was a little on the crazy side. The night before transfers, we had a glorious AÇAÍ fest with a bunch of members and recent converts. Oh it was so good. I could eat açaí every day.

Then transfers… said goodbye to my dear Sister Barbosa who finished her mission, but now I have two lovely companions! Sister Dias (who I lived with this last transfer) and Sister Michelotto (who is brand new in the field)! So now I’m doing some wonderful training of my new dearest companions. It is so so good.
I’ve got a bit more responsibility now, making sure everything with everything is all good, and it is fantastic. And the work here in Aracruz is going so good. We’ll have SEVEN baptisms in this ward for the month of may. Holy success. It’s the sister power that we’ve got going on here. And it’s also helpful that we’re always laughing all day long. Oh it’s so good.

And more good news…It’s getting colder here! Hallelujah!!! I get cold at night and have to use a blanket now. And sometimes during the day I take a sweater with me. It is so heavenly not sweating all day long. Oh blessed cold.

And… casamentos!!! We had a wedding this week of our investigators and now they’re living the law of chastity and then they got baptized. Woo hoo! So good. We’re having another glorious baptism this saturday. Hooray for fruits of your labors!

Well this week we were just like running around like chickens with our heads cut off, so so much to do. But it is so good this way.

Transfers were so good, I got to see my dearest eleita Alderina, and lots of missionaries and Gabi too! So good! And I got a bundle of letters. MUITO orbigada to the dearest Cottams, Sandrinha, Gabi, Lilly, Grandad and Grandma, Sister Friden, Sister Deagostini, and Elder Buttars (who finally got his visa and is now in Brasil)!!!
Love you all!!!

Favorites, Hawai'i

Bye Buddy.

5 May 2010

Hope you find your dad. :)

Dad called me today and told me he had some bad news. Buddy went to sleep last night and didn’t wake up this morning. Sad. So sad. He lived a happy thirteen years and i’s in a better place now. But I’m really quite sad he’s gone. :( Really sad.
Buddy and I were pretty much bestie friends. He slept with me every night and it was the best. He was such a good cuddler. I miss those days.

One of the things I loved most about my dear Buddy boy he was always so happy to see me. He would get so excited and just bark and jump around. It made me so happy.
Buddy was always full of energy. You’d never guess he was thirteen because he would just run and bark all over the place. He chased cars like mad and in the summer he’d go out in the field and dig for mice. Such a crazy boy he was.

The last five years I didn’t really live with him because I was at school and stuff, and when home I didn’t make nearly enough effort to give him all the love he deserved. But he always loved me unconditionally. No matter how I was to him, he was nothing but loyal to me. And I’m so thankful for Dad, Lee, Reanna, and Lauren, and that they’ve taken such good care of him and given him so much love the past few years.
I’m really sad Buddy’s gone. Really sad. And so surprised. I never thought he’d die. And I’ll be home in a month so I could’ve seen him again, but I guess it’s’ easier this way. I’m still so sad though. It won’t be the same when I go home. Crying.

I need to be more like Buddy.
Giving more unconditional love, always being playful young at heart, having so much energy, and being so so happy to see everyone.
Buddy was the greatest to me. I’m so blessed to have had a scruffy little doggy friend like him.

Love you Buttercup. A lot. See you in Heaven.

Favorites, Jerusalem

Petrificus Totalus!

3 March 2009

Day 2 in Jordan was spent in Petra. Your first thoughts for Petra might be Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but my first thought it “Petrificus Totalus,” which is a Harry Potter spell. Cool huh? Petra is an ancient Nabatean city famous for it rock cut architecture. There are such incredible structures that are completely carved out of rock. How would you do that? I don’t know Joe.

This is me and my bus buddy, Stefanie. Are you ready for a funny funny hilarious story?

The whole group of us left the hotel in the morning and we started for Petra. We were just walking on the sidewalk with pretty planted trees on it and things, to the trailhead type thing for Petra. Anyway, this little ol’ bus buddy of mine had a bit or an orange juice mustache, so I was telling her, because that’s always a good things to do, always.

As I was looking to my right, focusing on Stefanie’s beautiful face, a lost focus of what was right in front of me. Then >WHACK

It was the funniest thing of the trip. It was sooooo funny. I can’t even tell you. And it was funnier because one of our professors was walking right next to us when this incident occurred and he was genuinely concerned. He was just like, “Are you okay?!” And I was just bent over in half cracking up. It was so awesome. Oh man that was hilarious.

So heads up, look out for the trees.

After walking through the wadi, or the ravine, we came to THIS! This is the treasury in Petra. This is what’s shown in Indiana Jones. It was so amazing. On the walk in we saw some carvings in the rock walls and I thought those were amazing, because how do you make such good carvings out of rock like that? Then we got to the treasury and it’s this huge cave inside and the outside is the detailed, symmetrical, totally amazing architecture.
You might already know this by my camel sweatshirt I’m wearing and all of my random camel paraphernalia, but I have a strange obsession with the beloved, awkward camel. They’re the coolest.
As we walked further inside, we saw more and more amazing architecture and things. Here’s remains of a Roman theater behind Cate and I. The Romans conquered this for a while and there is a lot of Roman influence in all the architecture.
I also used a wicked cool bathroom here in Petra. The ceiling and walls were the beautiful rock that surrounds Petra. Then there were stalls inside and fortunately for me, there was a squatter! I love those squatter toilets.
This is it. This is what it’s like. There weren’t too many squatters around, but every time there was, you know I took full advantage of the opportunity and used it.
Along with the fascinating squatters, there was also this mountain shaped like a camel. Yay!
Then we hiked up 850 steps or something, and a big ol’ mountain, up to the monastery, which is probably the most amazing part of it all right now. This is Heidi and I in the beautiful rocks.
Then… we made it to the monastery, which is similar to the treasury kinda, but way cooler. Wow. I love being here so much. I have never seen things like this before. This is the most incredibly experience. I am such a lucky ducky.
We were trying to spell J-o-R-d-A-n. We did pretty fabulously.
Hooray for this. Lisa, Elyse, and Chelsea… Petrified in Petra. Check out that monastery behind us, totally just carved right out of the rock. It’s perfect.

Then we kept hiking past the monastery and came this view. I love the beauty of the earth.

On the hike out I discovered another cool little buggie bug. So I put my camera on super macro and took some sweet pictures of little bug.
All in Petra there are Bedouins and little children who are trying to sell you things. This one girl was soooo cute. All of the kids here are just so beautiful and so sweet and are so interested in us. I love them.
As I said goodbye to Petra, I thought I’d throw a goodbye kiss at the camel too. Actually, I didn’t really kiss it, it was scary. It’s creepy putting your face so close, especially with their beastly long tongue. Who knoww what could happen.
Petra was so incredible. I need to think of more adjectives to describe all of these things, but they really are just incredible and you need to see these things for yourself. Petra is 100% awesome though. Loved it muchos.

Favorites, Jerusalem

Mt. Sinai

1 February 2009

What do you do at 2 am? Well, when you’re on the Sinai Peninsula, apparently 2 am is when you wake up, so that you can go hike Mt. Sinai for the sunrise. That’s just what we did.

After 3.5 hours of sleep, we had a little 2 am wake up call and got ready to hike the mountain. We started at about 3 am, when it was so incredibly beautifully starry. I love the stars so so so much. So it was quite magical, except for the fact that I was still sick and coughing up a storm. Needless to say, I was one of the last few people to make it to the top, along with the other sickies and cripples. But I started feeling better the farther we’d go, which is weird. I guess I just needed a goooooood dose of the great, beautiful outdoors. Being sick, I still had a bit of a difficult time hiking up to the top, but then to realize that Moses hiked up that mountain eight times or something, and as an ooooold man, I couldn’t complain much. And there were other people much sicker than me hiking that day. Either way, hiking is the greatest.

A pile of people huddled together at the top of Mt. Sinai, trying to stay warm. It was soooooo cooooooold, mainly because it was so windy, and you can’t escape from that wind.

The sun starting to rise….

Another pile of us people. I was a human blanket for Matt and Lisa. Oh my goodness it was soooooo cold.

The sun has risen!

You know I love a good sunrise here and there, especially on top of Mt. Sinai.

just chillin’ (for real) at the top

YAY FIJI! There were some rocks where people had written their names and stuff, and this person was from Fiji. Gotta love those Fijians, yes you do.

Hiking down… long hike.

Along the way there are all these Bedouins offering camel rides, and Marianne and I decided we’d take their offer. WE RODE CAMELS DOWN MT. SINAI!

beautiful nature

Marianne and Mohammed and an extra camel. By the way, I had no camel guide. My camel was just cruising along down the mountain. He knew the trail fabulously of course, by it was a wee bit scary at times because the camel would get so close to the edge and the cliff and I’d be like, “Whoa, Camel, scoot over.” It wouldn’t. But thankfully I didn’t fall off the cliff.

Do you see the 10 Commandments? Yeah, me neither, but they’ve gotta be here somewhere.

Here’s the 16 year old guy named Mohammed that was helping another guy named Mohammed take Marianne and I down the mountain. He was pretty cool. He told me to take a picture of him.

He took a picture of me too, and my little camel! I love camels so much. They are the crazies animals. As you can maybe tell too, my pants had ridden up excessively to my belly button and were super high. My jeans turned into high waters big time during this amazing camel ride and it was slightly uncomfortable, but so amazing. I LOVE RIDING CAMELS!

Marianne and I paid $15 each, with tip, for our camel rides down Mt. Sinai and it was so worth it. It was definitely my most favorite part of the entire Egypt trip and such. We were just having so so much fun. And it was good to give the Mohammed’s some money, because people here do not have opportunities like we do to make money. It’s so crazy. But Mt. Sinai was amazing and the camel riding was simply marvelous!

We left our hotel near Mt. Sinai at about noon and got back on the bus. We drove a few hours to the border and after we got through the intense border crossing back into blessed Israel, we were just hanging out at the Red Sea waiting for the other people.

This was my second favorite part of the trip: taking my shoes off, rolling up my pants, and stepping into the Red Sea, which was unexpectedly warm. I just miss the ocean so so so much, so my little toesies were so happy playing in the Red Sea. I loved it. I love the ocean. I love the Red Sea. And I love being back in Israel!

Sunset on Mt. Sinai, sunset on the Red Sea. I am living the good life.

Favorites, Jerusalem

The Garden Tomb

25 January 2009

Third Shabbat in Jerusalem… go to the Garden Tomb, but only after having church in the most beautiful building in Jerusalem and after having Sacrament Meeting in a chapel with hug windows that overlook the whole city. This here chapel definitely has the best view ever.

Going to the Tomb!!

So people aren’t 100% positive that this tomb was the one Jesus used, but they’re preeettttttty sure. This tomb and wine press place belonged to Joseph of Arimathia, and he gave his tomb for Jesus to use. From the clues and info we get from the Bible about it, this tomb was could definitely be Jesus’s. In my opinion, it was his tomb, and I got to go inside today.

Moon and Chelsea, waiting to go inside the tomb, and waiting to see where Jesus laid and where he rose.

This is it, the entrance to the tomb. This isn’t quite how it looked way back in the day, because there was like an earthquake or something that knocked down part of the entrance, and some people rebuilt hundreds of years ago, but it is so cool. The inside of the tomb was much smaller than I thought it would be though.

Into the tomb… and as someone else is coming out, which makes the picture a wee bit creepy.

Plaque on the door: “He is not here, for He is risen.”

Some cool peeps chillin’ outside the tomb on the benches.

Beautiful Jessica (who gave an excellent talk in church today), in the beautiful garden.

This place is beautiful. Today we had a little tour guide guy who told us all about everything, and I’m excited to go back when I can just go back and find and nice little secluded spot to write in my journal. You gotta love that journaling, especially on Shabbat, especially at the Garden Tomb.

Cate and Miriam… smiling as we’re about to sit there and sing beautiful hymns. He is Risen, Christ, the Lord, is Risen Today, How Great Thou Art, and I Know that My Redeemer Lives. It was so good sitting in the park at the Garden Tomb, singing beautiful hymns about the Savior and about the Resurrection. Being here in Jerusalem is incredible.