For those of you who are feeling under the weather...

Today at Church

I was thinking about Autumn.

How sad Autumn can be-

when the flowers are pulled and the trees become bare.

How beautiful Autumn can be if we let it;

The vibrant, magical leaves and the promise of

rebirth after a harsh winter.

Heavenly Father knows who we are. 

He has a plan for each of us-

Even in the depths of our personal winters;

Spring will always, always come again.

Have a very happy Monday, October 31st, 2011.

(Did you notice I wore my wedding-dress-like, Jane Austen gown to church today? And perhaps some halloween false eyelashes).

It's official. Meredith and I have become old ladies.

Delirious, old ladies.

First we made this delicious October-ish soup. 
(Use 1 cream cheese package rather than 2)

Then we got ready for the Jane Austen Ball.

Turns out, we had the wrong date and arrived at the ball to see people meeting for homework groups. We covered up our diamonds and gems and tried not to look too...out of place.

(Did I mention that I slept through an entire class this week, too? I have never, ever done that before, either).

Anything to dress up on a Thursday night, right?

P.S. My dress was too pretty to put away so!...an evening of homework...
in an evening gown. 




Yes, please.

In celebration 
of Clarabelle's birthday 
and the fact that is was officially 2 months
till Christmas-eve on Monday...

I dressed up for school as a present. And just so you know, Christmas cheer is most definitely in the air-Yesterday I was buying lunch and also a few things for my sister and my total was $9 whole dollars. I couldn't find my card anywhere, so I told the boy behind to go ahead. 
He, most likely being an actual Christmas elf, offered several times to buy this expensive lunchtime purchase! Bless his heart! I, of course, couldn't bare to have him actually pay, but I thanked him graciously. Perhaps, there were Christmas bells ringing in his ears? Or perhaps he was just pleased by my 'present' outfit? 
Who knows. 
Happy Christmas! Get out your Christmas music and recipes!
And Happy Birthday to my dear sister. 
Oh, how I love & adore her.
AND am inspired by her.

I'm thinking a countdown hair-bow is in order most every day until I fly on that jet-plane 

home, home, home.

Hair: The Infamous Christmas Hair-bow

Boots: Target, $35

Blouse: Hand-Me-Down

Cords: Zellers, $10

Belt: H&M, attached to a skirt

Lovely Box: Meredith

Photos: Kira Kennedy

One year ago this month....

I was a world traveler.

There is something so free and wonderful about packing my favourite dresses (accompanied by many, many tightly rolled up scarves) and adventuring. Last October's gems:

Salzburg and the Sound of Music, Sunday afternoon biking (and singing), Apple Strudels, Flower markets, Feeling more than ever at Mauthausen Concentration camp, Children's Holocaust Art, Stained glassed St. Vitas Cathedral, The Potato House, Red climbing vines, Acoustic guitars, The Maple Leaf Pub, Degas at Musée d'Orsay, Fairies lighting the Eiffel Tower, The Metro, Sacré Cœur at night, The River Ribble, Bow ties, Lily pads at the Preston Temple, King's Cross, Les Miserables, The crown jewels, "Forget yourself and go to work", Tucking flowers in my journal, Peter Pan statue-"I'm never growing old", Going to church in Paris, Little children with accents, Postcard collecting, getting lost down

 the beautifully-colourful streets.

Not to mention....

I even got to go 

home to Canada 

super early for 

Christmas. 

Blessed, blessed, blessed.

Miss you, Bethy.

The Story of Men and Midterms. 

In my girls complex, I live across from approximately 400 men. The view from my window, ladies and gentlemen, is about 9 windows of boys bedrooms and my desk faces them exactly. What does this mean? Sometimes this is really, really awkward. Like two nights ago.

 It was very late and there was a young men sitting directly across from me. We were both studying. We had seen each other  a couple times...I'd immediately smile slightly and look back at my books. So weird. Eventually, I got a drink and came back in my room, I noticed the boy was gone (his room is DIRECTLY across from me) and right then, before I could even look away...

he whipped off his shirt! 

And being the lady that I am, I was shocked! I shut my blinds!...only to maybe look for one quick second to see if he was watching my dramatic reaction. I may have seen he was 

sleeping like a baby.

Is that creepy? 

Yes.

Am I a Peeping Tom?

 Yes.

But so is that man over there. 

Goodness gracious!

 On that note, I was studying again this afternoon. If you ever have wondered what I look like while I'm studying for a sweet, little midterm, here I am! There I was studying away when I heard my computer take a photo of me! I looked and there were quite a few from my studying session. Who knew I could have so many expressions in one afternoon!

What a nice scene for that young lad across the way, yes? 

Happy Midterm-ing!

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Let's give thanks.

Even when it's a little bit tricky to feel happy about everything...

there is always something to be happy about.

Happiness is Gratitude.

 Gratitude is Happiness.

I am thankful for the bravery to think of others before one's self.

The cozy home of my dear friends.

Being united with friends after two whole years.

Orange pumpkins and green ones too.

           My sister. And my other sister, too. I am thankful for my pink guitar.I am thankful for mashed potatoes. Especially in Idaho.

I am thankful for finishing a week 

well done. I am thankful for a young lady from the North who blissfully remembers home.

For the temple.I am thankful for 
bright-red maple trees
And I am 
thankful for prayer.bjkj

When I was a little girl, I loved to travel to Salt Lake City with my family. Sometimes we would drive overnight. I thought it was so magical to wake up in the 
morning and be in one of my favourite places many, many miles away. Then, I loved going to temple square to see the castle-like temple my parents were married in. I dreamed of being married in a temple such as this someday. I gained a testimony that families can be together forever...each time my sisters and I would sing "I Love to See the Temple" as we drove by in our red van. I also loved to pick flowers and tuck them in the pages of my scriptures, in my pockets and maybe a few in hidden places to be found even years later.
This weekend, Carly and I got to travel to Salt Lake City for the semi-annual worldwide conference our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, holds. There were thousands of people there on site, as it is one of the most busy weekends for temple square. The conference is broadcasted across the world. I was very excited and so blessed to be there. I realized I love it there just as much as when I was a little girl-and even more. I still love to see the flowers and gaze at the temple. I also love the feeling that is there, the feeling of exquisite peace by even walking near the square. I am so grateful to have heard the messages of such a wonderful conference in this special place with some of the people I love. I feel so rejuvenated from the weekend!
I am overwhelmed by the messages I have heard this weekend and the way I felt in my heart. I know that I am a Daughter of God who  knows me, loves me and wants the best for me. I have found, through prayer, study and faith, that I can be happy, eternally happy because of the plan Heavenly Father has for me and all of His children. It is a simple, glorious plan that answers: Who am I? Why am I here? And where am I going?

Click here to learn about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

or Click here to hear this weekend's conference