It's a small world

So today after the World of Colors show (which is now my favorite thing I've ever seen), we ran to catch our bus.  The bus drivers made a special emphasis on the bus leaving right at 9 or whatever time that night, which gave us maybe 10 minutes after the show to get through the masses and to the bus.  So we ran, and after waiting a few minutes on the bus we started talking to the two other groups that just got on the bus after us.  Apparently they had sent one person running to make sure the bus driver waited just like we had.  So there was about 16 people on the bus including us when it left.

And EVERYONE was from northern Utah.  How freaking crazy is that?!  The people next to us were from Plain City, and the other group was from West Valley.  The dad from Plain city is a bishop and actually grew up with my uncle Mike!  I think it's so incredible when I meet people far away from home who are either people I know, or know people I do as well.  I get so excited every time!  It makes me look like a huge geek, but I don't even care!  It feels like I'm the only one that gets excited about it too haha.  Like one time in high school I saw a friend in Cancun and I was excited and saying hi and he was just like "oh hi Jesse.  Weird".  Out of the 6 billion people in the world, we just happened to travel to the same place, and be at the exact same spot and see each other?!  Out of everyone else in the world, WE run into each other in a foreign land?!  It's AWESOME!!!!!  So I'm grateful for "it's a small world", because I strongly believe there are no coincidences.  Everything happens for a reason.  Who knows, maybe that dad will be in the same ward as me one day!  Maybe his kids will have my mom as a school counselor at Fremont high.  Maybe it's just to make me realize we are all here together to learn from and grow with each other.  Either way I think I got the point.  I'm grateful for it.

And of course some pictures of today :)

Marissa

JC

Clifton.  Watch out guys.

Me

Man it was so bright haha

Hahaha nice faces.

:D :D :D

THIS IS THE HAPPIEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love :)

DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!!!

I'm grateful for Disneyland.  It's a wonderful, magical, happy place :)

The boys have never gone, and they were so excited they started holding hands...with each other.  Awesome.

There's about 5 other pictures I have of Marissa practically stalking her hahaha it's hilarious.

On the fancy ferry ride :)

Those freaks got "First time" and "I'm celebrating" pins.  Gosh.

Mickey.

Marissa and JC

I am grateful for Marissa and JC.  They have put up with so much crap from me!  Obviously not anymore, but when they first started dating a lot of people got hurt and things were really difficult for awhile.  I made it my goal to hate Marissa and I was so out of line.  It's because her and I are so alike that I freaked out the way I did.  We were sworn enemies until about November when I strongly felt I needed to fix things with her.  So I apologized and her and I are so good now :).  In fact, we are in California right now.  The only reason me and Clifton were able to even come was because of them.  Yay!!!

So on the way here, a certain song came on.  I mentioned that it was mine and Cliftons first song together and Marissa told me to shup up.  Because it was her and JC's first song together as well.  Haha!  It was at that moment I was just so full of gratitude and love for them.  This adventure is going to be awesome.  Anyways, I don't LOVE the music video but they edited it really cool.  Here's the song :)

Arts & crafts

Today JC and Marissa came over and we made our Disneyland shirts for this weeks vacation!!!  I'm grateful for arts and crafts.  It was so much fun.  I think it's wonderful just throwing together a bunch of random things and being creative enough to make something incredible out of it :).  So here's our awesome shirts.

Service

I mentioned already I'm giving a talk tomorrow in church.  The topic is walking in the light of the Lord.  There are three main things to do this and they are the three parables given in Matthew 25.  Prepare yourself spiritually, share your gifts and talents, and service.

Service has always been something I love to do.  It's been a big part of my life thanks to my mom.  When we were young she made sure we knew how important it was to give of ourselves.  We did the 12 days of Christmas to needy families.  Each day in December before Christmas we would leave a bunch of toys and food on the doorsteps of the families my mom chose and we would door-bell ditch them.  It was great fun for us to ring the doorbell then run, and it was great for us to think of other people.  Another thing we did was visit Carla.  I don't even know how my mom met her, but Carla was handicapped.  She was in a wheelchair and was mentally challenged.  But it wasn't too severe, because she was able to live in a community by herself.  Obviously her two daughters stopped by and visited, but we did too.  We helped her move to her new home, and we entertained her.  She was a wonderful artist and my absolute favorite picture of Christ is the one she painted.  I wish I took a picture so I could show you!  It's in my front room right next to a figurine and the picture of me and Clifton.  It is definitely one of my most treasured items.  In fact, it's the 4th thing I'd grab in case our house caught fire (1-journals, 2-file box full of important papers such as ss cards, w2s, warranties, stories I've done, etc, 3-photo albums).  Anyway, she died probably a year after we started visiting her.  A truck hit her while she was crossing the street. It was ridiculous.  I think about her a lot and I love the memories I have of her.

I am grateful for service.  I am grateful there is something bigger than ourselves.  Something more than just surviving and working and worrying about our problems.

“Service to humanity is service to God. Let the love and light of the Kingdom radiate through you until all who look upon you shall be illumined by its reflection. Be as stars, brilliant and sparkling in the loftiness of their heavenly station."

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Ghandi

"Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life." -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Wow Arnold?  I hate you, but I'm impressed!  Haha

Space heaters

Wow.  It's been so freezing.  And my house doesn't really heat up so great, since we don't have covers over our many many windows.  Great.  But never fear.  We have a space heater.  It is heaven.  When we got married we got a fatso gift card to Home Depot and my freak of a husband had his heart set on a space heater.  Since I had spent most of our other gift cards, I decided it was his to decide.  So we got the blasted thing, despite my protests of saying it will never get used.

I was sooooo wrong.  I use it every day.  It's the best.  If we set it on the timer in our room with the door closed, it heats up the whole bedroom quite nicely.  Definitely cuts down on our gas costs as well.  I love it.  I'm super grateful for space heaters.  Yeah baby.

Lost & Found

About 2 months ago me and Clifton went on a date to Olive Garden.  After that we went to Fatcats, and then to Cinemax (or whatever that theater is that used to be the Pointe lol).  A few days later we realized the camera was missing.  I knew for sure I grabbed it after dinner and was fairly certain I put it in the car when leaving Olive Garden.  I was positive I did not take it into the movie, but other than that I had no idea where it had gone.  So, for the past 2 months I have looked all over for it at random times.  Clifton kept telling me to call Olive Garden but I was sure they wouldn't have it because my memory is awesome.  I already called Fatcats and it wasn't there.  Next week we are going to California so I have been desparate to bring a camera!  Desparate enough to call Olive Garden; even though I knew they didn't have it.

While at work today I finally called and they did have a camera, but the lady I was talking to definitely had no idea what she was doing with it.  I was sure it wasn't my camera since it was TWO MONTHS ago, and I knew I had brought it in the car.  I didn't want to drive all the way out to Riverdale just to get my hopes up and find out it was not my camera when I got there.  I was trying to explain to the lady over the phone how to use the camera but I honestly hadn't used it in so long I had trouble remembering.  After understanding how to get to the playback feature, she described the first picture she saw and my heart sank.  I wasn't wearing blue that night :(.  And my husband didn't shove food in my face.  But then I realized the couple we doubled with DID do that! 

That's right.  It was totally my camera.  I almost started crying because I was so happy.  I hate losing permanent memories like those captured through a camera.  I'm so grateful for lost and found.  This kind of goes along with honesty.  I cannot believe someone turned in the camera.  I thought about it and I do know for a fact I brought the camera out to the car with me.  I think I set it on top of the car and forgot to grab it.  It is amazing to me that someone didn't steal it.  If I worked at Olive Garden, I would have taken it after a month of no claims.

Since I'm giving a talk this Sunday in church on walking in the light of the Lord, this story is perfect.  We all lose our way sometimes.  But our Heavenly Father and Savior cannot wait until we find our way again, and they are so incredibly happy when we do.