OH CANADA

I was doing so well for a while there, but it's now been almost 3 weeks since my last post. I know I have lots of disappointed readers. Ha. Anyway, reasons why I've been busy: school, church, work (yeah! I have a job! That is not the reason for this post, so I'll write about that later), and wedding festivities!

So, a little more than a year ago I was about to start my sophomore year and knew zero Canadians. A year later and I have Canadians as best friends. So, this post is for my dear friend, Cassie (MacLennan) Tremblay. She got engaged in July and I couldn't wait to be a part of planning and shopping. She threw the most lovely bridal shower for our friend, Jennica, so I wanted to do the same for her.

Two weeks ago, Jennica, Kylie, and I threw a bridal shower for Cassie. The food consisted of cake balls, spinach artichoke dip, fruit and dip, and a beautiful punch.

The rest of the evening consisted of games, prizes, presents, and laughs and smiles with friends. 

It was so much fun to put together and I hope Cassie enjoyed it =). 

The next week, Kylie, Payton, and I started our drive to Alberta, Canada at 4 PM on a Thursday. We arrived at 3 AM and boy, was it good to be out of the car. The next day, Kylie and I spent the morning hunting with our friend Ben.

 I must say I'm extremely bad at hunting because 

1. I can't hit anything and

2. it breaks my heart to see lifeless animals. 

After hunting, I ran some errands with Cassie and Ben and then we went over to Kylie's house for family dinner. 

Then it was time for the girls to spend some time together and do some girly things. I painted a total of 82 nails that night, but it was the least I could do for Cassie. 

I also did her makeup for her big day. I think it turned out well. She is stunning, isn't she?

We made our way to the Cardston temple and waited for Mr. and Mrs. Ben Tremblay to exit. 

We took lots of pictures. 

This is the bridal party.

We went to the family dinner and reception. 

I caught the boquet. 

We danced. 

We said goodbye to the happy couple as they ran through our tunnel of sparklers.  

The festivities were fun and beautiful, but seeing them walk out of the temple was the best part. I can't wait to find that special someone who will take me to the temple so we can be married for time and all eternity. 

Virginia is for Lovers: Take Two

Well, remember how I just raved about Virginia? Well, I missed it so much that I just had to go back. I didn't record my experience nearly as well the second time around, but, I'll try and make up for some lost time and write a good summary of my trip.

I arrived in Baltimore, MD on Wednesday night. Steve was nice enough to stay at his office late and pick me up in Maryland. As we drove, we passed the Washington D.C. temple and it is indeed a beautiful sight to behold. 

Thursday we woke up and got the kids ready to go on some errands. After going to the flooring store, Mei Li had a little tantrum. Ie Li documented it and it's quite funny. You should take a look. 

That night I got a call from my friend Preston Redd informing me that he had returned to Virginia from his adventures in New York. He picked me up and showed me some of his old stomping grounds in Ashburn from his younger years. We then headed to his lovely home in Great Falls and played with his family. We were able to squeeze in a game of pool and a movie. We watched The Ghost Writer with everyone which was somewhat entertaining, but overall, not my favorite movie. 

On Friday we spent some time at the pool with the kiddos. It's sad to think that summer is coming to an end and that I don't have many more pool days left. After a little while Barrett came to pick me up so we could head out to Purcellville for a fun get together. All the Redd boys came over and we enjoyed some burgers, hot dogs, pound cake with strawberries, s'mores and togetherness. 

On Saturday we spent the day in the city. Our first stop was the temple. I watched the three little ones while Ie Li and Steve went inside. We entertained ourselves at the wonderful visitors' center and with snacks.

Ie Li and Steve were out before long and then it was time for lunch. We headed to We, The Pizza and Good Stuff Eatery which are two restaurants owned by a guy named Spike Mendelsohn. He was a contestant on Top Chef at one point in time. I never saw him on that show, but this is what I've read using one of my favorite tools, Google. Anyway, I ate this:

And it was delicious. It could've used a little more BBQ sauce though. If you're ever in D.C., I'd check it out. 

We attempted to get some cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, but 

decided against it. 

Sunday was beautiful and we spent the morning at church. After church I took a little nap while everyone else went on a walk. When they got back, Stephen and I had a little webcam photo shoot. 

 

Monday was my last full day in Virginia, but we made it a good one. 

 

IKEA was an adventure. After we bought the stuff we came for, we realized that there wasn't quite enough room inside the car. So, we managed to tie some string around this box in every way possible and just hoped that it would stay on the car. I never did learn much about knots, but the box made it home in one piece, and that's all that matters. 

So, after our failed attempt at Georgetwon Cupcake on Saturday, I looked it up on Google and found out that there was a store in Bethesda, MD which isn't too far from IKEA. So, we headed over there and were delighted to find a very calm Georgetown Cupcake. We decided to take our cupcakes to go and ended up at Wolf Trap National Park. It really is lovely there.

 

 I'm a sucker for wide, open fields of grass. 

 

It was the perfect ending to my second Virginia adventure.

I said goodbye to Barrett one more time. This really is this last time I'll see him before he's a missionary. I don't think I have time for another trip to Virginia before school starts. So, after this second trip to Virginia, I still love it and hope to visit many more times, if I don't end up permanently. Virginia, I will miss you.

A Place of Love and Beauty

The title of this post comes from a beloved primary song: I Love to See the Temple. This is a very true statement. I had a wonderful opportunity this morning to go to the Los Angeles temple with my dad and brother to perform baptisms for the dead. All temple trips are special, but this trip was unlike any other I've experienced. 

Whenever I go to the temple I just use the names they have on hand--I've never done family names. But today that changed. It was such a special experience. I was able to be baptized for both of my grandmothers and two of my great-grandmothers. As I was baptized I thought of them and how happy they might be. I thought of my mom's mom who had the most beautiful smile and who I spent a lot of time with in high school when she lived with us on occasion. And then I thought of my dad's mom who I've only seen pictures of--she passed away before I was born. It was the most wonderful feeling and I can only imagine them smiling and being so happy because of the events that took place today. I feel just a little bit closer to them, even though they're far away. 

Jonathan was also able to be baptized for my two grandfathers and I know that it was special for him too. I was getting dressed when Jonathan was being baptized and confirmed, but when it was time to go Jonathan said that my dad got quite emotional when he performed the confirmation for his father. My dad has a very soft heart and I know that it was such a special experience for him to be able to do this for his parents. 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to do baptisms for my family members. I'm grateful for this gospel that has been restored on the earth by the prophet Joseph Smith. I'm grateful for temples and the work that is done there. I know this is the true church and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today. I'm so happy that families can be together forever.