Weekend in Colorado!

Colorado is one of my favorite places of all time! Being born and raised in the same house (thankfully my parents still live in that house) I have a lot of memories there and I love going home. This was a perfect weekend for both me and Grant. We wanted to visit there at the end of the summer as a last vacation before my new job starts and Grant's last year of school starts. Here are some of the highlights.

Thursday: We flew in Thursday night, and before we even got to the house we had to stop at Qdoba! Utah doesn't have Qdoba ANYWHERE, so I can only go there when we go back to Colorado. Utah does have Chipotle, which is an acceptable substitute, but Qdoba is way better. Their tortillas are softer, their chicken is better, they have queso, and their guacamole is the best. Needless to say, I was in heaven. Afterwards we watched the Olympics till 11 pm that night--They really are so addicting!

Friday: After a much needed morning of sleeping in, we went to the Denver temple. This is where Grant and I got married, so it brought back many memories of our special day. The Denver temple is my childhood temple, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. After watching even more Olympics, we decided to go see The Avengers again with my parents since they hadn't seen it yet. The second time was even better! Seriously if you haven't seen it yet you should. My parents even enjoyed it, so it was a win-win!

Saturday: There is a small airport about 20 minutes away from my house that is called Centennial Airport. They have small planes come in and out of the airport, and on the second level they have a restaurant where you can eat and watch planes take off. They have THE BEST breakfast food there! We went with my parents, Reed and April and their children, and my Grandpa. It was fun to catch up with everyone and see how excited Reed and April's kids would get when a plane would land or take off. Later on that day, the boys went to a Bronco's scrimmage to see how Manning was looking while the girls went shopping. We had a very successful trip in finding mom some much needed new dresses and skirts! Later that evening we played games and watched more of the Olympics.

Sunday: We went to my home ward (Ken Caryl Ward) and then had a family dinner with Reed and April and their kids and Grandpa. I love Sunday family dinners--they were a big part of my growing up years. I mention going to the KC Ward because that's the ward I grew up in and I really feel connected to all the people in that ward. They have all had an impact on me in small and different ways. Being raised in that ward was such a blessing to me and I love those people, so it was wonderful to catch up with so many!

I know it didn't sound like we did anything out of the ordinary this weekend, but that was exactly how I wanted it. It's fun to do things that I would normally do if I were still living there. I will admit, I did get a little choked up when we were pulling out of the driveway to go to the airport. I have lived in that house my whole life, so going home always brings back a flood of memories. Thank goodness my parents still live there, and I don't think they are planning on moving any time soon, but I dread the day that they do move. I love this song by Miranda Lambert because I feel the same way. That house built me and made me the person I am today.

I love going home! I can't wait until Christmas!

Warning: Sappy!

Grant and I have been married for 1 year, 7 months, and 5 days, aka 583 days. And every day I tell myself how lucky I am! I just barely got called to work with the young women in our ward and I have been thinking a lot about how I was at that age, especially as a laurel (16-18 years old). I was dating around a lot, preparing myself for college and trying to live life on my own. I've been thinking a lot about the importance of dating and how it helped prepare me for when Grant and I met. I've dated and have been good friends with a few different guys, and there seemed to be always another quality that I found in the guys I got to know that I wanted in my future husband. From one guy, I learned the importance of having a spiritual connection. Another guy taught me that I needed to be completely myself around them (yes, dork and all). Another person taught me to value my education and look on the bright side of things. Another person taught me that I really want someone who can make me laugh non-stop. I also knew (from making all those lists in young women's about my future husband) I wanted someone who was dedicated not only to me, but also to the gospel and living gospel standards. I was explaining this a few years ago to one of my guy-friends, who bluntly told me that my "standards for guys I want to date and eventually marry are unrealistic and if I don't lighten up I'll never marry." Basically all the qualities listed above cannot exist in just one man. Unfortunately, I haven't talked to this kid in a few years, but I wish I could introduce him to Grant and just say "Hey, he does exist, I found him, and now we're together forever." My parents just came to visit this past weekend and my mom gave me all of my journals from my teenage years. I found a few "future husband lists" and I'm proud to say that not only has Grant lived up to each of those qualifications I listed as a 14-year old, but he also exceeds them. I've also often wondered why marriage is truly necessary. Why can't I just do it on my own? I'm independent enough and open enough to change. Why do I need a husband to make me a better person? Well, the truth is, Grant does make me a better person through his example and his encouragement. I know I couldn't make it back to the Celestial kingdom without him because he makes up for what I lack. He is my best friend and knows how to gently guide me in the right direction, and I know I do the same for him as well. That's what being married is all about. So, I guess the moral of the story is, when a person says that your ideal husband doesn't exist, you'll be able to prove them wrong on your wedding day, and if you have to wait a little longer for him it's totally worth the wait. I'd rather wait a few years for the right, ideal person, than be stuck with the wrong person for eternity. PS, I know Grant isn't perfect (meaning without flaw), but he's perfect for me. Heaven only knows I'm not perfect, but I know I'm perfect for Grant. I'm so grateful for the blessing of marriage, and grateful to have this boy by my side!

Just a few thoughts

The other day I was talking to a friend who has a couple of kids, and I told her how busy Grant and I were this past month between graduation, moving, Grant working at his internship and starting his own business, me trying to prepare for my classroom, etc. And her response was "Just wait till you have to do all of that on top of raising a family." As I thought about her response something crossed my mind. Who's to say who is more busy? I feel like that's like me telling a high school student who says that they're busy to "just wait till you get to college." Are college classes harder? Absolutely. But am I doing the 3 extra-curricular activities I was doing during high school? Probably not. I believe that the stresses of life change very often. You go from being a high school kid trying to get into college, to being a college student trying to work and go to school, once graduating, trying to find a job, etc. And in the midst of all of this, you sometimes get married and begin raising a family. Even if this happens after college, who's to say who is more busy? You can't compare apples and oranges. So, in response to those who say "just wait till you have kids" I would say that yes, in the eternal scheme of things, raising a family can be very daunting and quite a challenging task, but that does not diminish the stress of beginning a new job, moving, etc. Grant and I were talking the other night and I told him that I don't know if I could've had kids while we were both going to school. I tip my hat off to those people who have a kid or two but are still both in school. Trying to juggle both schedules around raising a baby would be so hard, and I admire people who can do that. Would having kids make keeping a clean apartment, going to school, having a church calling, etc. be hard? Absolutely! But that doesn't diminish how hard that is without kids either. I know that as the demands on us increase, so does our ability to handle those demands. I know I will have to do all of these things with kids eventually, but with added responsibility comes added ability. I know we're all tempted to one-up others because we also need to feel validated in our responsibilities, but next time the temptation to one-up someone comes, try saying something like "Ya, I remember what that was like." Try sympathy/empathy, and they will sympathize back with you in your situation.
One other thought: I remember talking to a woman who had a few kids and she was telling me how much of a financial burden children are and how taxing it can be to a family's finances. I believe it! I do not discount that at all. But then she pointed out another woman and said "I wish I could be her. She has no idea the types of trials that I'm going through because she doesn't have kids and her and her husband have full-time jobs and have a lot of money." While she might not understand the financial stresses of raising a family, she has trials of her own. That other woman didn't have any kids because she struggled with infertility. Next time temptation to judge someone else's situation arises, maybe pause to think about the blessings you have and how others may not have those blessings.

My Thoughts on Mother's Day

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to go on a cruise with our friends, Rick and Marnae. We ported out of LA, where Grant's grandma lives (aka Oma). We went to Oma's ward that Sunday, and in Relief Society we were talking about raising children and how we can do that righteously. Maybe I misinterpreted what those women in the lesson were trying to say, but from what Marnae and I gathered, the general consensus seemed to be focus on "We aren't exposing our children to enough when their at home, and because of that they go crazy when they leave the house and finally are exposed." Marnae made the very perceptive comment that there is a difference between exposing our children and preparing our children. I strongly feel that as parents, we do not need to expose our children to a little bit of poison for them to know that it will kill them. Likewise, we do not need to expose our children to a little bit of temptation for them to know it will kill them spiritually. The world will expose our children to enough already. They don't need to move out to know the trashiness that is out in the world. Our job is not to expose them, our job is to prepare them spiritually. It is a sacrifice and a struggle, and requires consistent effort and lots of guidance from prayer, but I know that as we pray with our families, read our scriptures together as a family, and show our children that our marriages are important to us, then they will learn how to rely on the spirit, and not their parents. Obviously our children and loved ones still have their free agency, but it is possible to make our homes a safety from the world.
President Hinckley stated "I charge you to stand tall and be strong in defense of those great virtues which have been the backbone of our social progress. When you (meaning women of the church) are united, your power is limitless. You can accomplish anything you wish to accomplish. And oh, how very, very great is the need for you in a world of crumbling values where the adversary seems so very much to be in control." I feel like so often, many of us get discouraged living in such an increasingly wicked world. Sometimes we feel that it is almost impossible to raise a righteous family without our children falling under the influences of the world. However, if we read in 1 Nephi 3:7, we know that the Lord will not command us to do anything save He provides a way for us to accomplish the thing that he has commanded of us. Raising righteous children is possible.
What about those of us who don't have children yet? What if we're never able to have children during this life-time? I submit to you the example of my Aunt Kathy. She never had any children, but she blessed the lives of all those around her. She was an accomplished gospel scholar and wonderful medical doctor, and shared her knowledge and wealth with all those around her. She loved seeing people do good things with their lives, and supported those causes. I know she helped pay for my brothers' missions, she was a wonderful missionary (even when she got home from her mission to Italy), and she blessed the lives of all her family members. Just like her, we can still have an influence for good in the world and still be a mother to our loved ones. I leave you with these 2 quotes about motherhood. I'm grateful for my mom, for my mother-in-law for raising a righteous son of God for me to marry, and to my sister-in-laws, aunts, and grandmas for their examples.


“In the soft and gentle arms of a mother’s love, children can come to know the voice of the Lord.”--Dawn J. Young (Ensign, November 1983)

“No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her.” --David O. McKay

Cruise aka sssshhhhhowtime!

We booked a 4-day cruise to Catilina Island, CA and Ensenada, Mexico with our friends Rick and Marnae about 9 months ago. It didn't seem like this day would EVER come, but if finally did! I'll just give you a day by day re-cap since it all basically felt like one day :)

Saturday: We drove down to LA and later that night went to Gondola's pizza (Grant's family grew up on that restaurant--seriously the best pizza I've ever had!) and also to Marshall's (kind of like Ross, but way better. Grant doesn't clothes shop very much. When he does, most times it's when we visit his grandma (Oma) and we go to Marshall's). 

Sunday: We went to church with Oma, which, I will say was quite the experience. We'll just leave it at that :) We then went down to the beach and walked around for a bit.

Monday: We slept in a little bit, and got ready to board our ship, which left port at 5:30 that night. We boarded the ship about 1 pm, leaving us time to eat lunch (the food was amazing!), unpack, and also meet some of the seagulls that would be mooching off of the passengers this cruise. The seagulls at least waited until the passengers were gone, leaving remainder food on the table, then they went after it! We decided to try and lure the seagulls in by placing food a little far away from us so they knew it was ok it eat. And boy they were not afraid of humans at all!

Tuesday: This was our stop at Catilina Island, CA or Avalon, CA. It was so pretty there! The island is 22 miles long and 8 miles wide, so nothing too big. We loved looking at all of the buildings--the houses are really colorful and it actually reminded me of a couple towns in England (just the layout of the whole thing--the houses are very close together). Since everything there was so expensive we just took a hike around part of the island and then rented some paddle boats. The water was too cold to get in, but it was still a fun adventure.

I love this picture (above) because you can see the main building on the island, and our cruise ship in the background. Really pretty!

Grant getting in touch with his manhood :)

On Wednesday we were in Ensenada, Mexico! We were going to go snorkeling, but alas, the water was too cold again! Oh well! We decided to go on a tour that involved horseback riding along the coast of the beach (very romantic haha) and then go down to something called the blow-hole (a bunch of water comes shooting out of a narrow part of some rock--nothing man-made). Afterwards we looked around at the shops and had fun bartering with some of the shop owners. Grant got a cool backpack and I got some earrings and a dress. Fun day!

This pony was insane! It kept biting my horse in the butt, so finally my horse kicked it haha! That was an adventure, especially when I'm riding the horse!

Grant and I at the blow-hole. So pretty!

Oh ya, down at the blowhole some random guy serenaded us. He had a terrible voice and used the same melody over and over, but at least he has a cool looking guitar!

Those are the shops behind us--it's insane to walk through there! Everyone is trying to get you to buy their stuff and will NOT leave you alone haha.

This flag weights 509 pounds! It's huge! The tour guide said it takes 23 military guys to take it down.

You don't realize how big the cruise ship is until you get off and look at it. HUGE!

Thursday: We were at sea all day--nothing too exciting. It was fun to just relax and play games with Rick and Marnae.

Friday: We were back in LA and de-boarded the ship. 

I totally recommend cruises! Some of my favorite things about the cruise was the food and the entertainment! They had some pretty fun game shows to play, and also some very good family friendly comedians. The food was great! Pretty sure I gained 7-8 pounds...in one week. But don't worry, I'll get it off ASAP! The next big thing on our checklist is the move! Pictures of the new apartment to come!

Graduation

It finally came! After 4 years of college it finally finally came! I just want to recap my college experience.

Freshman Year: I came to BYU June 2008. I came declared as a Math Education major and I'm proud to say I never changed my major. For Summer term and lived in Heleman Halls, Hinckley Hall to be specific. Summer term was probably my favorite term EVER! I met a lot of different people, classes were a breeze, and every night consisted of either ultimate frisbee or ultimate spoons. Fall and Winter semester I lived in Taylor Hall. Those were some hard semesters as I tried to get GE's out of the way (not as easy as it sounds) and also beginning the classes for my major (hello Emily and Cebre!). Some of my favorite memories from Freshman year come from hanging out with my brother, Stephen, and his roommates. After 10 months of living in dorms, I was ready to be done! The summer after Freshman Year I went back home to Colorado to work and be with family. That summer was just my parents and I. They became my best friends and I loved spending so much time with them.

Sophomore Year: I met a few of my very closest friends my Sophomore year (namely Julie and Nikki) because they were my roommates. I lived in The Riviera with my good friend, Andrea, and I continued to take hard math classes while also enjoying my education classes. The second semester of Sophomore year, a ravishingly handsome, intelligent, smart, kind, spiritual boy named Grant Rowe Vanderhorst moved into my ward. We became really close friends, began dating, and the summer after Sophomore year he proposed to me <3 I will love him forever and I'm so lucky to be his wife. He is amazing in every way.

Junior Year: The first semester of Junior year I got married to my best friend, and the second semester we both continued going to school and adjusting to being married, living on our own, attending a non-singles ward, etc. The summer after Junior Year I worked in Provo while Grant worked and went to school.

Senior Year: First semester was my last semester on campus taking classes, and second semester was my student teaching at Lone Peak High School, where I will be working next year. I'm so excited for that opportunity!

A lot of things can change in 4 years, but my life has changed for the better and I'm so grateful for the new opportunities in front of me. I'm grateful for my education at BYU and the doors of opportunities it gives me. Here's to the future! Thank you to my wonderful parents who have encouraged me throughout my education and always been supportive. Thank you to my wonderful peers for letting me learn from you. Thanks to my friends who were always so encouraging, and especially thank you to my wonderful husband, Grant, who has supported me in every way and he helps me reach my full potential. Most importantly, I'm thankful for my Heavenly Father who is always by my side and pushing in the right direction. He truly has a plan for each of us, and how I'm so grateful for it because His vision for me is much greater than my vision for myself.

The Big 22!

April 13th was the big day! For those of you who don't know, I was born on Friday, April 13, 1990. Not only was it Friday the 13th, but it was also Good Friday, so, they kind of cancel each other out :) I was a little nervous for my birthday this year as it was on a Friday. The last time my birthday was on a Friday my brother got in a car accident that day, so I was a little suspicious. But nothing but good things happened this year! Grant had to work and study a bit, but when he was done we went and ate at Red Robin (bottemless fries=WIN!). Grant also surprised me by inviting some friends over for icecream and brownies, and we just played games and talked. It was perfect! I got to relax during the day and spend time with family and friends at night. Grant came home with beautiful deep pink roses, and he also got me

"The Three Muskateers" (classic family movie--love it!)

And the most amazing blow-dryer known to man!

Just a little marketing for this amazing blow-dryer. With my old blow-dryer, it would take me 12-15 minutes to blow dry my hair. Grant and I went down to St. George a couple weeks ago and stayed with his parents. I borrowed my mother-in-law's blow dryer, and my hair was dry in 3.5 minutes! I asked her where she got it and she couldn't remember, but Grant is awesome and found one for me! This will save me so much time getting ready--I've loved it! Also, it makes my hair more straight when I'm drying it, so I don't have to use my straightener as much, thus reducing damage to hair. Amazing! 

Needless to say, it was a wonderful celebration of my birth :)