How Could My Temple Experience Be Any Better?

Temple and family history work go hand-in-hand together. Click here to learn more about the doctrine of these principles and how to start.

Therefore, what?

How can I find in general conference the answers to my questions?

Image courtesy of lds.org

Click here to find answers to some of the questions you may have.

Church Responds to Supreme Court Marriage Rulings

Photo courtesy of lds.org

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the a statement today regarding the decisions announced by the United States Supreme Court on cases involving marriage. 

Click here to read the statement.

Getting to Know: Katie B.

My name is: Katie B.

 My favorite dinner is: Crock Pot Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes

My favorite dessert is: Pretzel Salad

My favorite flower is: Poppy or Peony

My favorite hobby is: Crafting

My favorite restaurant is: Bombay House

A game I like to play is: Catch Phrase

The music I listen to most is: Indie/Electronic stuff-- my favorite bands are Mates of State and Hot Chip. But I love anything jazzy or with a funky beat as well.

My favorite thing to buy is: New Clothes

A book I highly recommend is: Memoirs of a Geisha

A movie I watch over and over is: Sense and Sensibility

A smell that makes me pause is: Clean Laundry

The city I would most like to visit is: Seattle (in the summer, of course)

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Admire nature/ new surroundings

The best vacation I ever had was: Going to France for a month and a half

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Anne Shirley (From Anne of Green Gables)

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Become a master seamstress

mymymymetWhat chore do you absolutely hate doing? LAUNDRY

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Check on my houseplants

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? Creative problem solving

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? My husbands never ending patience

 What is your dream vacation? Tour of Japan

 What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Watched Rafael Nadal play tennis at the French Open in Paris

 How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? We met in our singles ward when we lived at The Colony Apts. While visiting my family in Delaware he took me to a tower in a park in the city, the same place where my dad proposed to my mom, and asked me to marry him!

 The best thing about being married is: My best friend is always with me!

What do you and your husband like to do together? Play video games, watch movies, cook/eat delicious food, explore new places, enjoy the outdoors, and pretty much anything else that is considered relatively fun.

What would be your perfect day? A day at the beach with all my closest friends and family

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Marriage is wonderful, but that doesn't mean it's easy. Just like a couple works hard to please their significant other while dating, you must be willing to continue to work hard to please your spouse.

What story does your family always tell about you? When I was 7 years old my family brought my oldest sister out to BYU for her first year of college. On the last day we were out here we went to University Mall where I tripped and split my knee open on the uneven flagstone. We rushed to the hospital where I had to get 5 stitches in my right knee. Later that day we were at Helaman Halls saying goodbye to my oldest sister, and I tripped again and re-split my knee open in the exact same spot. My entire family was off to the hospital again for stitches for the second time in one day. I'd like to believe I'm not so clumsy anymore, but I'm not positive!

Hastening the Work of Salvation

Did you watch "The Work of Salvation" broadcast on Sunday? What a monumental meeting on member missionary work! The Church has created a website for us to learn more about our role in this work of salvation. Click here to go to the site to watch training videos and to re-watch that historic meeting.

Image courtesy of lds.org

In the words of President Thomas S. Monson,

"Wishing will not make it so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion."

Fabulous Friday Video: Enduring Love

We're switching it up with a video on marriage and service.

Happy Friday!

2013 Worldwide Leadership Training

Did you ever get to watch the entire 2013 Worldwide Leadership Training on "Strengthening the Family and the Church through the Priesthood"? 

In this past April General Conference, Elder Ballard invited us each to watch when he said, 

"...The content will inspire and motivate members in priesthood quorums, Relief Society, Sunday School, Young Women, Young Men (especially those preparing for missions), and in Primary meetings or combined fifth-Sunday gatherings. Council members will then be able to encourage individuals and parents to use this presentation with their families. Brothers and sisters, this leadership training is for every member of the Church. Parents, review, share, and discuss what you learn and feel with your children, and let them watch and do the same with you, that your families may be strengthened through the priesthood."

Watch here.

Getting to Know: Emily B.

My name is: Emily B.

 My favorite dinner is: Creamy Baked Taquitos from Our Best Bites. Mmmm.....

My favorite dessert is: Anything that includes a warm, fudgy brownie

My favorite flower is: The shabby chic looking roses

My favorite hobby is: .....I LOVE thrift store hunting for children's books.  It gives me a weird high.  I always wanted a rockin' library for bedtime stories.  I also like sewing (mostly quilting).

My favorite restaurant is: Cheesecake Factory, isn't that everyone's?

A game I like to play is: Monopoly Deal and Set

The music I listen to most is: Country

My favorite thing to buy is: clothes and BOOKS for my daughter.  It's way more fun to buy a mini outfit.

A book I highly recommend is: Rent Collector

A movie I watch over and over is: Tangled

A smell that makes me pause is: fresh bread or cookies baking

The city I would most like to visit is: any city in Tahiti

My favorite thing to do on a date is:   Eat

The best vacation I ever had was:  a backpacking trip in a remote town in China called Fenghuang.  I got to eat some exciting things and hike along the edge of a mountain on a crickety bridge.  It was such a beautiful place and its special to me because it was totally spontaneous.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?  I think Hermoine

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?  Chop and onion really good. Actually, learn to chop all veggies perfectly.  It would make cooking significantly easier.

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Scrubbing  the shower

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? read or sew

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic?  I love my role as a wife and a mother

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for?  Kitchenaid

 What is your dream vacation? backpacking Europe

 What's the coolest thing you've ever done?  It was definitely teaching English in China for half a year and then in Mexico for the other half of the year.  There were a lot of other cool experiences wrapped up in those experiences...like eating scorpions or bungee jumping on the beach.

 How did you meet your husband? How did he propose?  We were 13 playing capture the flag.  He gave me his school picture and taught me how to throw up the BLOOD gang sign.  I was smitten.  He proposed with a ukelele on a beach in Seattle.

 The best thing about being married is: the perma-friend factor

What do you and your husband like to do together?  we love watching movies with  good treats, taking walks or just talking

What would be your perfect day? A day with my family exploring a new city

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage?  Marry someone who is as crazy about you as you are about them

What story does your family always tell about you? When I was little I loved singing my favorite primary song, "Jesus wants me for a God".  Wise beyond my years.

Getting to Know: Sidney Z.

My Name is:  Sidney Z.

My favorite dinner is: Potato and corn chowder

My favorite dessert is: Brownies

My favorite flower is: White rose

My favorite hobby is: Organizing!

My favorite restaurant is: Maddox chicken in Brigham City

A game I like to play is: Any card game

The music I listen to most is: Country all the way!

My favorite thing to buy is: Clothes for my husband and I (I've made him fashionable)

A book I highly recommend is: Edenbrooke (READ IT!)

A movie I watch over and over is: Jurassic Park

A smell that makes me pause is: Vanilla

The city I would most like to visit is: Barcelona, Spain

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Go out to eat and then do something active (dancing, hiking, etc)

The best vacation I ever had was: Cruise to Mexico

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? A girl batman

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? A backflip on a wakeboard. (I can only jump but I can't do any tricks)

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Dishes, cliche I know

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Organize, or take a much-needed nap

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? My smile

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? My husband, I'm thankful for him everyday

What is your dream vacation? A cruise around Europe

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? I went to Africa to do service one summer

How did you meet your husband? ...In a hot tub! OwOW!

How did he propose? He blind-folded me and brought me to a beautiful gazebo (which he decorated with lights) and had a slide-show playing of pictures and quotes of the many things we have done with music. He then got down on one knee and proposed. And then all my friends came yelling and running out of the bushes screaming "Congrats!" with cameras in their hands.

The best thing about being married is: I LOVE coming home after a hard day and having someone hold me and tell me that everything will be okay.

What do you and your husband like to do together? Cook

What would be your perfect day? Sleep in, go boating/4-wheeling and then have a BBQ

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Fight naked! ;)

What story does your family always tell about you? How dramatic I was in  high school

Getting to Know: Kaitlin G.

My name is: Kaitlin G

 My favorite dinner is: Anything someone else makes.  I'm a terrible cook!

My favorite dessert is: strawberries with some sugar

My favorite flower is: calla lily

My favorite hobby is: anything outdoors (in Utah, it's hiking)

My favorite restaurant is: We don't eat out

A game I like to play is: Tennis, Bocce ball

The music I listen to most is: country

My favorite thing to buy is: dog toys... haha

A book I highly recommend is: The Richest Man in Babylon  by George S Clason

A movie I watch over and over is: A Walk to Remember

A smell that makes me pause is: orange blossoms

The city I would most like to visit is: New York, NY of course

My favorite thing to do on a date is: pranks

The best vacation I ever had was: going to Mexico with my dad to do some dental work for those who couldn't afford it

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Superman

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Krav Maga

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? It used to be the bathtub until I found out an awesome way of cleaning it (Dawn and vinegar in a scrub brush. I love it and just keep it in my shower).

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? sleep or clean

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? I'm really intuitive, and I love taking care of people and animals.

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? I don't know about "most" but I sure am grateful for my mammary glands

 What is your dream vacation? Galapagos Islands

 What's the coolest thing you've ever done? I think I've done a lot of cool things but one I'll always remember is competing in the Miss Teen America Pageant as Miss Teen California. I didn't get in the top 10 but I learned a ton and had a blast.

 How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? He and my brother both served in Atlanta, Georgia. They became great friends and after the mission my brother asked him to sell alarms with him in California. That's where he met me, and we got married 1 year and 3 months later. :) The proposal is a way long story but to shorten it up it included 2 hikes, a bunch of surprises, an awesome dinner, a ring, and a whole lot of excitement. :)

 The best thing about being married is: enjoying our little creations (children) together and knowing that he appreciates all the little things they do, that others would find insignificant, as much as I do. And I always have a best friend who really and truly loves me. We can plan our whole lives together. And we can make major decisions together. And if something crazy happens and our time on earth together is shorter than we expected, we know it will be one awesome reunion someday.

What do you and your husband like to do together? go hiking

What would be your perfect day? A recent vision I've had is that I would love to see my boys working really hard for an old man on a farm, I bring them an awesome lunch, and the old man and I sit on rocking chairs on his porch and drink lemonade and talk about old war stories.

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Go to bed angry. No, seriously. You're not going to solve any problems at 2 am. Try it in the morning when you can think clearly and have enough energy to have a great make up. :)

What story does your family always tell about you? I wanted a puppy so bad that I went on a hunger strike until I got it. I will never tell my children that story, and I hope my family won't either.

Fabulous Friday Recipe: Spicy Hawaii Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowl

This may look like a complicated recipe, but it really is easy! You can even take the basic concept and flavors and make your own rendition. It is fun and tasty.

Photo & Recipe from Dessert Now, Dinner Later

Getting to Know: Kelly E.

My name is: Kelly E.

My favorite dinner is: Fettuccine Alfredo

My favorite dessert is: Pazookie

My favorite flower is: Any that are bright and colorful

My favorite hobby is: Crafts

My favorite restaurant is: Oregano's (its only in Arizona)

A game I like to play is: Phase 10

The music I listen to most is: Country

My favorite thing to buy is: Nothing I'm a saver

A book I highly recommend is: Harry Potter

A movie I watch over and over is: Something Borrowed

A smell that makes me pause is: Vanilla

The city I would most like to visit is: D.C.

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Talk!

The best vacation I ever had was: All of them were pretty good!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Herminy Granger

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Sing and play the piano

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? All of them

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? I love Netflix!!

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic?

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? Family

What is your dream vacation? Stay at the Atlantis hotel

What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Got married

How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? We me at BYU Idaho same ward.  He proposed on the top of Grand Targhee when we were skiing and snowboarding

The best thing about being married is: Experiencing new things togther

What do you and your husband like to do together? Recently just relax we have been busy!

What would be your perfect day? One with beautiful weather and no stress

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Don't go running to your parents your spouse is now your first and sometimes only one that thing need to be discussed with.  Also don't talk bad about your husband to other EVER.

What story does your family always tell about you? Just how I used to but my brother and sister I am the youngest so I drove them crazy

Remember Father!

Father's Day is this Sunday (June 16th). What are you doing for the special Fathers in your life? Here's a video reminding us of how wonderful and important these men are in our lives:

Getting to Know: The Relief Society General Presidents

Photo credit: lds.org

Learn more about the amazing women and spiritual giants who have served as our Relief Society General Presidents over the years. Click here to read a short biography of each president and hear the testimonies of the last 6 presidents!

-------------------------

"The history of Relief Society teaches the divine identity and infinite worth of daughters of God. It is a Spirit-filled story of strong, faithful, purposeful women who have served with little public recognition. Through a study of this history, Latter-day Saints can see that our Heavenly Father knows His daughters, that He loves them, that He trusts them with sacred responsibilities, and that He guides them as they fufill those responsibilities. In their efforts, the women of the Church have united with men who hold the priesthood to build God’s kingdom on the earth and strengthen the homes of Zion." 

-Daughters In My Kingdom

Enduring in Faith

Needing a spiritual boost? Watch a video clip on enduring in faith.

Photo and video courtesy of lds.org

 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." D&C 123:17

Fabulous Friday Recipe: Ham and Cheese Sliders

Happy Friday Sister Friends! You've probably seen these sliders all over Pinterest, but I've actually tried them and they are amazing! If you are going to a summer BBQ or just want a light dinner, this is the recipe for you :) 

Ingredients:

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham

24 small slices Swiss cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce:

1 Tablespoon poppyseeds

1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tablespoon minced onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Photo and recipe source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Getting to Know Lizzy S.

My name is: Lizzy S.

My favorite dinner is: BYU Chicken & Funeral Potatoes

My favorite dessert is: Raspberry Pretzel Salad

My favorite flower is: I love flowers!!! As of now...I love football mums & peonies the most?!

My favorite hobby is: Cuddling & watching a show/movie with Aaron!

My favorite restaurant is: Empire--Chinese

A game I like to play is: Soccer :) And....Lucky Duck (Card game)

The music I listen to most is: Country

My favorite thing to buy is: Lately...baby clothes. For sure!

A book I highly recommend is: The Work & the Glory Series!

A movie I watch over and over is: Saturday's Warriors of course!

A smell that makes me pause is: Cookies in the oven?

The city I would most like to visit is: Boston

My favorite thing to do on a date is: Just be out with Aaron exploring new things

The best vacation I ever had was: When I went to Hawaii with my family during my sophomore year

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose? Not even close to knowing!

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Heal people physically (i.e. know what a Doctor & Nurse know!)

What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Picking raspberries! I'd much rather just eat them.

When you have 30 minutes of free-time, how do you pass the time? Plan things for the baby

What do you think is your very best feature or characteristic? Smiling/Laughing

What is the "thing" you are most grateful for? Indoor plumbing & AC

 What is your dream vacation? Go to Europe

 What's the coolest thing you've ever done? Marry Aaron

 How did you meet your husband? How did he propose? We met through mutual friends--over Skype. He proposed by taking me to the spot where we had our first date and first kiss.

 The best thing about being married is: Having my best friend by my side for forever!

What do you and your husband like to do together? Everything.

What would be your perfect day? Being with ALL of my friends and family

What was the best advice you got/would give on marriage? Pray everyday for your spouse for their needs--and pray that you can love them more completely.

What story does your family always tell about you? Um...they always talk about I learned to scoot before I could crawl. They thought/think I'm just the cutest thing ever! Haha ;)

The Work of Salvation

Photo courtesy of lds.org

It's a new month and that means new opportunities to serve and watch over those sisters who we visit teach! Here's a great video on the importance of visiting teachers :)