Women's Conference: Music and the Spoken Word

On Saturday night we went and had dinner with our old mission president and his wife, Blake and Julie Murdock.  We got to know them well here in Denver when Krista was investigating the church and a new convert.  They had recently come home and living in Bountiful.  

We went to dinner Saturday night at the Cheesecake Factory.  During dinner we told them we were going to Music and  the Spoken Word the next morning.  They wanted to come with us.  I am so glad they did - it provided a wonderful spiritual experience to be at temple square with them.  They are such good people and I am so glad we have become good friends.

My mom and dad came with us also.

I loved being home with my mom and dad and being able to share such a great week with them.

Women's Conference: Provo City Temple

On Thursday night of Women's Conference we went to the new Provo City Center temple.  It was so beautiful.  It was a special moment to go there.  I loved the Provo Tabernacle.  It had been there several times for meetings and performances.  I will always remember watching my little boys climb up and down the seats up in the balcony during stake conference or playing on the spiral stair cases in the towers.  This building held a very special place in my heart and I cried when it burned down.  I loved being able to go back and see the beauty that can be created from ashes.  

We went in during the day and came out and it was night.  It was breathtaking to walk out of the temple to this beautiful fountain and see the temple all lit up.

Women's Conference: Temple Square

As soon as Krista was baptized I have been longing to take her to Utah.  My heart is definitely in Utah and more specifically temple square.  I love temple square.  If I could be anywhere in the world, doing anything, I would be at temple square with my husband and children.  I feel complete when I am there.  It took us 2 years - but we finally found a time the we could both go (the week of BYU's Women's Conference).  HUGE shout outs to our husbands who also found a WHOLE week to let us go on a girls trip.  

We drove to Utah all day Tuesday.  We stopped in Price to visit my grandparents, then when we got to Sandy we went and spoke to my mom's youth for mutual night and gave our missionary story.  Then Wednesday morning we headed down to temple square bright and early.  We had a LOT we wanted to do.  We got there at 9:15 and left at 6:30 and still didn't get to everything! 

Even though I love temple square with my family - Krista was an amazing back up.  Our friendship is just so sweet and special.  I loved being there with her.  One of my favorite things about Krista is her enthusiasm for the gospel.  I often feel like I have to sensor my gospel love and enthusiasm - in fact that is why I married Jason he was the first and only person that I met who felt the same way about the gospel that I did and I could just be myself.  Krista is the second.  I can't think of anyone (other than Jason) who would LOVE the thought of being at temple square for 9 hours and love it.

We also got to do a session in the Salt Lake temple.  It had been years since I had done a session there.  It was so beautiful and wonderful - a great start to our trip.

My Aunt Leslie came to the temple with us - which was so fun for me.  I miss my mom, aunts, and grandma the most while living away so it was so nice to get to spend some extra time with her and to be in the temple with her. 

Afterwards we went and had lunch at the Lion House pantry.  I had never actually done that before and it is now my new favorite thing.  I can't wait to take my kids back and share a piece a pie!

Then we went to all the visitor centers and museums.  They rocked!

The flowers were amazing!  I was afraid we were going to miss the tulips - but they stayed in bloom just for us!

Ha - I included this becasue we took a picture one day to remind us where we parked becasue we could never find our car - even with the picture we still couldn't.  It always seemed that what ever door we came out of at the conference center was locked when we went back (we ended up being at temple square 3 different days over the course of the week)

On top of the conference center.

Madison's First Year of Soccer

This was Madison's first year playing soccer.  She LOVED it.  She is so sad it is not year round and is already counting down to fall season.  She is also very good.  We had no idea - and neither did she.  She scored about 5 goals each game.  

Go Lady Panthers!

Brock's Soccer

Brock had to play on a new soccer team this year because of the whole change soccer went through in eligibility years.  He was a trooper about it and found a great new team.  Brock is an incredible athlete.  He excels at any sport he is in.  Every year he does better and better.  He is so fun to watch. 

Sorry for the OVER LOAD of pictures.  They are for grandparents who could never make it out to watch him.

My two soccer players