A few weeks ago our local grocery store had a 13 hour sale on cereal and milk. Naturally, we attended and bought 23 boxes of sugary cereals and 2 gallons of milk. Not 5, not 10, but 23boxes. Our supply of cereal is going strong and to celebrate I would like to share my favorite videos about cereal and milk.
I used to love this video back in the day.
And one I think is slightly disturbing, but kind of funny...
Bonus: A picture of Joe eating cereal behind our flowers. :) Silly boy.
Bonus bonus: Because I think it's hilarious and breakfast related. I couldn't resist.
The Friday before Labor Day I realized that all of my immediate family, besides John Michael, would be in Rexburg for the weekend! Joe got home from school and we made the spur of the moment decision to drive the 7ish hours there to see them since we might not see any of them again till Christmas 2013. In our fierce frenzy we threw our clothes in bags, tossed the bags in the car, and drove till 2am to get there. Jameson and Emma graciously allowed us to stay in their apartment for the weekend.
We had a blast with the fam and got to do the following:
Go out to eat at the Yummy Texas Roadhouse
YUM! Thanks parents! I can't ever get enough of their rolls and cinnamon honey butter. Somehow, my leftovers mysteriously disappeared though... Afterwards we went out of our way to look at a bunch of puppies that were for sale. They were so cute and I spent far too much time trying to convince Joe to get me one. Sadly, no puppy yet, but there can be no doubt that we are all dog people.
Go to the East Idaho State Fair
We mosied around the fair looking at everything from an arm wrestling tournament to a quilt show. I loved seeing the cake decorating contest, it's amazing what some people can do with frosting, all the animals, and the photography. We even got to see some of my Uncle Sherwin's ribbon winning photos! About halfway through the day it started pouring rain so we hid in a plethora of buildings looking at animals or shopping. When we realized it wasn't going to lighten up we made a run for the car. All and all, we thought this venture was a success. Joe was very proud that he got to milk a cow, hold a baby pig, and eat some Nacho Libre corn.
Emma and I sitting sheepishly on a bench.
Joe and I at the petting zoo - sheep!
Texas Longhorns - I swear he almost poked my eye out...
Joe got to hold the baby piggy! Awww...
Play lots of Settlers of Catan
Soaked through and freezing, we headed back to Grandma's house for some games, snacks, and movies.
The Sears family doing what they do best - hanging out and playing Settlers.
Go to Nursery and Play with the Kiddos
We all went to church in Rexburg where Jameson and Emma have callings in the nursery. Luckily, they were short handed so we all got to help out aka play with little kids for two hours - my favorite!
Try to Catch a Rabbit and Find a Dog to Play With
After church we went over to my Grandmas to eat dinner. Apparently there's a bunny living in her yard so naturally we tried to catch it! Sadly, it was too quick for us so we proceeded to go on lots of walks in pursuit of a dog to play with somewhere in the neighborhood. None were found. :(
Go to a Great Labor Day Picnic
Aunt Jill had a bunch of the family over for Labor Day where we ate, played games, and chatted. It was so good to see everyone - it had been so long! Plus Aunt Jill looked at some of Jameson and Emma's vinyl to decorate one of her new granddaughter's rooms with - she's going to have them put some cute owls in the baby room. They are really good and can make almost anything, especially if you have a picture! Joe and I have some Mitt Romney vinyl on our car and a little Eiffel Tower in our study room which look great! We love it! If you're interested in getting some vinyl check them out here. Okay, blatant shout out ending now.
More Settlers anyone?
Me and Joe at Aunt Jill's house for the Labor Day Picnic.
After moving to Spokane we discovered the entertainment store, Hastings. We love it! So naturally, we bought four movies and rented the other two. Plus, they always give us these nifty scratch cards to see if we win deals to the store, which we did. Just normal life at the Meservy home - living our lives as winners.
A few weeks ago Joe and I decided we would take cookies to the neighbors so we could introduce ourselves and get to know them. We could already tell that a lot of the neighbors weren't the happiest we moved in because we are a younger couple, but we thought we could win them over. Just to preface, majority of our complex consists of elderly people. Shortly after moving in an older lady told my mom they had been "invaded," to which my mom asked, "By people or by bees?" haha You go Mom. Later an uptight resident paced back and forth in front of our apartment until we took our trash to the dumpster that had been sitting by our door for less than 5 minutes. We understand it isn't nice to look at, but can we get some shoes on before we take it out? We were about to I promise! My Mom promptly told him to take a chill pill. At first I was embarrassed, but I have to admit, he deserved it.
Anyways, we made tons of cookies and we were off to deliver them. We knocked and knocked, but at most doors nobody answered. At first I thought, well, nobody must be home.... but in over half of the entire complex? No way! We finally caught our upstairs neighbors, the Birch family, and gave them a plate. Them and their kids are cute and we are glad to have them as our neighbors and in our ward. We chatted with them a bit and then found a few more people who would open their doors to us. This included one lady who almost looked like she was going to cry, she kept saying how nice we were, and a man on a diet who couldn't have them.
Finally, we arrived at the last door. I was wondering where the weird ponytail man was, the one from the chill pill story, and was a little worried to run into him again. Well, this was his apartment and his door was open. Joe called in, "Hello! We brought you cookies. We are new and wanted to introduce ourselves!" The reply, "Go away! I don't want them!" We stood there for a moment not realizing what he just said so he got up and slammed the door. Ouch.
Anyways, the moral of the story is: Don't bring cookies to the old crotchety man who lives in your apartment complex. You can't win him over. However, one nice guy did bring us peaches in return for the cookies (yum... the fruit of our labors!), so do bring everyone else cookies. Then you will be able to gauge who to avoid - the crazy ones.
• One reason Satan encourages murmuring is to prevent us from following living prophets, inspired leaders, and parents. Elder H. Ross Workman of the Seventy explained that “murmuring consists of three steps, each leading to the next in a descending path to disobedience.” First, when people murmur they begin to question. They question “first in their own minds and then [plant] questions in the minds of others.” Second, those who murmur begin to “rationalize and excuse themselves from doing what they [have] been instructed to do. . . . Thus, they [make] an excuse for disobedience.” Their excuses lead to the third step: “Slothfulness in following the commandment.” “The Lord has spoken against this attitude in our day: ‘But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned’ (D&C 58:29). . . .
“I invite you to focus on the commandment from living prophets that bothers you the most. Do you question whether the commandment is applicable to you? Do you find ready excuses why you cannot now comply with the commandment? Do you feel frustrated or irritated with those who remind you of the commandment? Are you slothful in keeping it? Beware of the deception of the adversary. Beware of murmuring” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 104–6; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 85–86).
I was struck by his invitation to focus on the commandment we have the most trouble with. I want to commit myself to not murmuring, complaining, or gossiping in any way - I believe this is one of the hardest commandments for me to follow. No doubt I will have to start over and over again daily, but I know it will be worth it and I will be so much happier. Let's see if I can go just 24 hours without saying anything negative or complaining about anything. Can you?
After our jaunt through southern France, we were off to Paris, the city of lights! We traveled by train very early in the morning, which took just under 3 hours. Once there we braved the subway (or should I say metro? - my first time ever on a metro/subway, by the way) till we made it to our great hotel for the week. It was so nice to stay in one place for awhile.
Then we were off! There was so much to see! OOO LA LA! PARIS!
"Paris holds the key to your heart!"
Joe got to hold Evie as we walked through the streets of Paris to Notre Dame.
Our first stop was lunch and then Notre Dame! It was huge and there were so many paintings and stained glass to see - most of which were faded, but they were still magnificent. The gargoyles were creepy and all identical - as far as I could tell. Inside we talked to some nice British people who were there to escape the craziness of the Olympics.
Me and Joe outside of Notre Dame - one of my favorite Paris stops! Might be because one of my all time favorite Disney songs is 'Out There' from Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Inside Notre Dame - beautifully gothic.
After Notre Dame we walked through Paris, right past the Louvre and through some gardens, to get to the Arc de Triomphe. We walked right along the Seine river watching the people hustle about and seeing cute little book stands with overpriced French books and mini beaches with bocce ball, beach chairs, and sand castles. It was adorable. We saw a few break dancers on our way as well.
It took a lot longer than expected to reach the Arc de Triomphe which honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It has all of the names of the French victories and generals inscribed on it's surfaces and also includes the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War under the arch. We got to go on top of it the Arc which provides a great view of Paris.
While up there Joe received the answer to a prayer. Earlier, he had messed with Will's camera for a few seconds in order to take a picture and the camera - a very nice camera, I might add - stopped working. Unbeknownst to anyone else, Joe prayed that we would be able to find someone who could fix the problem. On top of the Arc, we ran into a Swiss couple on holiday who had the same camera! Luckily, they spoke English and Mom asked them if they would be able to fix Will's camera! He tinkered with it and told him that it was probably the lens and then told Will how he could fix it!
The view from the Arc de Triomphe. We yelled "TIOMPHE!" off the top of the Arc.
Joe and I on top of the Arc - our first view of the Eiffel Tower!
Kristen next showed us the best spot to take pictures with the Eiffel Tower:
The family in front of the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, Dad was taking the picture.
Mom and Elise looking snazzy and cute.
Baby Evelyn is in Paris!
Victory is ours! We found it!
"A little romance in the spring?" Uh, I mean... summer?
After dinner, Kristen, Will, and baby Evie headed back to the hotel and the rest of us headed to the Eiffel Tower! Elise and I wanted to walk the first part and then take the elevator the rest of the way to the top, but we got in the wrong line so we all ended up taking the elevator up to the first stop and then all the way to the top! In retrospect this was probably a blessing since it took hours. A few of us were a little nervous about being up so high, but the view was unmatched.
Me and Joe on the Eiffel Tower - this was the first level. The bars made me feel a LOT better about being up so high. This level was actually my favorite, but it was cool to go to the tippity-top.
After getting down we had another prayer answered. We were separated from the rest of the family and didn't know whether to look for them or just head home. Apparently, Mom prayed that they would be able to find us and we were reunited for the journey home in the cold rain.
The next day we went to DISNEYLAND - PARIS! Joe and I woke up early because we were so excited and were on our way! Unfortunately, we got on the wrong metro and had to circle back to where we started, but we did get there! I think we went on the most rides and attractions ever done in one day - 16. (This includes Adventure Isle, Indiana Jones, La Cabane des Robinson, le Passage Enchante d'Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Les Mysteres du Nautilus, Space Mountain: Mission 2, Star Tours, It's A Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, Phantom Manor, Crush's Coaster, Tower of Terror (x2), and Rock'n' Roller Coaster). We did so good and it didn't hurt that at Disneyland if a member of your party gets sick or injured during your visit they will let you pick 5 rides in any of the parks that you want to have faster than fast passes to! We were able to have each of us go to the exit of the 5 different rides and get directly on the ride - faster than the people with fast pass tickets! Unfortunately, the reason we got these passes was because one of Mom's legs were swollen and red! But Disneyland was great - they drove her to and from the hospital and gave us the great passes! Luckily, it turned out to just be a bad bug bite. Ouch!
Evie's first ride, "It's A Small World."
Before our last ride we watched some of the parade in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle and then after the ride we watched the awesome water/light show on the castle. It was MAGICAL and AMAZING!
The following day was Louvre day! It was GIGANTIC. I was blown away - I felt like you could spend weeks in this museum and still not see everything. I was totally overwhelmed, but there were many nice pieces to look at, including the original Mona Lisa. Joe's and my favorite parts of the Louvre were the Roman and Greek sculptures. Joe also loved the Egyptian section and looking at the more religious paintings with his dad.
Me with some sculpture heads.
Joe with the Code of Hammurabi - the first written law. How fitting for the new Law School student.
After we had all had our fair share of the Louvre, (I hate to say it, but as much as I want to be, I'm not too much of an art person - but it was still enlightening and fun!) we walked past the bridge with all the love locks on it. I don't believe we did anything else this day because we were all so tired, but the details are a bit fuzzy so if I'm wrong let me know family!
Mom and Dad on the Love Bridge. Awwww...
Me and Joe on the Love Lock Bridge. Love. True love.
Our second to last day was half spent in Versailles seeing the palace where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived. It was remarkably kept and very posh. My favorite was the gardens - beautiful. Joe picked some small flowers from them for me. Shhh... don't tell anyone. Once again, we were separated from everyone, but after much struggle and many misdirections we found the train and made our way back to Paris.
Elise, Dad, and Ned at Versailles.
At this point we went back to the hotel to see if the family was there. They weren't so we made our way to Sacre-Coeur because we knew they were going to go there at some point that day and we found them! But first, as we crossed the street to the church a large man grabbed my wrist and kept asking me where I was from. He was speaking English, but I was in a cross walk and caught off guard so I had no idea what was going on. I tried to get away, but he wouldn't let go of my wrist. Joe noticed what was going on and shouted at the man to let go of me. It turned out that this was one of the many men selling cheap trinkets and string bracelets around Paris and he was trying to tie the bracelet around my wrist so I would pay him for it. Anyways, I got away and Joe was telling him he was going to punch him in the face! The man and his friends, a bunch of them had gathered at this point, started yelling back that they would punch him in the face! At this point I was half way up the stairs and shouted for Joe to come up with me. We darted up the stairs and got away. Whew!
We found the family - they had just finished going through the church and were getting the string bracelets tied on their wrists! haha It was nice to see them, but they were going to head back to the hotel at this point and call it a night so we separated from them again and went in to Sacre-Coeur. I wasn't too impressed with it; partly because all of the peddlers everywhere and partly because of what happened prior to us entering. However, the view of Paris from just outside Sacre-Coeur was gorgeous. On our way out we slipped out the back way... just in case those men were watching for us.
That night we wandered around Paris looking for the Pantheon - no one could tell us where it was! On our way we found the Paris Opera House, Saint Madeleine church, some government building with guards all around it, the Palace of Luxembourg, some yummy gelato, and, finally, the Pantheon! This building is the resting place of Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and many other famous Frenchmen.
Our last day in France we arrived at the entrance to the catacombs, but the line was hours long so Elise, Mom, and I decided to go shopping instead, while Joe, Ned, and Dad went to the catacombs. It was a successful shopping day with many cute pieces of clothing bought! As for the catacombs, Joe told me it took about 45 minutes to get through and there were piles and piles of bones lining the walls. He had to lean over the whole way through and apparently there were a lot of pessimistic comments written on the walls like, "If you've seen a man die a painful death then you know what awaits you." There were also some biblical phrases. He says it was weird, but he's glad he did it. He got to talk in Japanese to two Japanese girls while he went through it about why Ned was in France, so he really enjoyed that!
After our shopping spree and the boys brief dance with death and a quick tour through the Museum D'orsay we met up at Berthillon, an ice cream shop, which supposedly has the best ice cream in France. The hard thing was that there were maybe 10-20 ice cream shops on this island with this same name! We eventually found each other though and met up with Will, Kristen, and Evie and got some yummy ice cream. Joe especially loved the salty caramel flavor while I enjoyed granny apple.
When I think of Paris, especially the Eiffel Tower, I think of this song.
Our trip to Paris was drawing to a close so Joe and I decided to make one last trip to the Eiffel Tower to see it's lights illuminate the sky. We had awhile to wait so we spent as many euros as possible on cheap street food and desserts, headed to the best view of the Eiffel Tower and waited. This was my very favorite moment of the whole trip - we ate, we laughed, and we kissed. We had a wonderful time waiting for the lights. In front of us a little French girl name Madeline danced around, she was so excited to be at the tower. Her family took pictures of her with the tower and we laughed and told her she was cute. She then gave us each kisses on our cheeks and said au revoir.
One of the most beautiful sights - the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night.
It was a truly beautiful night and a beautiful trip. I am so grateful to the Meservys for taking all of us to France. Joe and I had a wonderful time. Au revoir.
I'm proud of my Mom who is planning on renewing her status as a registered registrar and who has consistently stood on firm ground as an American in belief of freedom and securing the blessings of liberty for all men (and women).
After picking up Ned we were off to Lake Annecy, known for being one of the world's most beautiful lakes and Europe's cleanest lake. Here we sunbathed, swam, went for a paddle boat ride, and enjoyed our first taste of French ice cream.
Will, Kristen, Elise, and Ned on the train to Lake Annecy. Lots of catching up to do with the missionary!
Elise, Ned, me, Joe, and Evie on the train to Lake Annecy - my first train ride!
"What are men compared to rocks and mountain?" And water too - the beautiful Lake Annecy.
Joe on the paddle boat rowing away. We both are not fans of lakes so we didn't swim much. It's a beautiful view though.
Me, Mom, and Ned sitting in the sun in the back seats of the boat.
I don't know Ned too terribly well yet, but I feel like this picture sums him up in a way you just can't describe.
The next day we spent most of the day on the train to Nice. Once there we dined at a nice restaurant right off the coast. There happened to be a festival going on so we were able to hear concerts and see lots of people joining in on the fun. I've never been to Mardi Gras, but it reminded me of it.
The entertainment that kept passing in front of our restaurant. They played Pirates and Spiderman songs while the dinosaur approached and an acrobat did flips through a hoop hanging from it's mouth.
The next day we were off to Monte Carlo, Monaco! I have to admit that I was really excited for this because of the movie Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez in it. :) Love it. Here we saw the palace, the church where Grace Kelly was married, a big Oceanographic museum (with an aquarium of course), the Monte Carlo casino, the Hotel de Paris, and lots of HUGE yachts.
A view of Monte Carlo - look at those yachts!
A family picture somewhere around the Monaco palace - there were lots of marching guards, piles of cannonballs, and statues about. Oh and one beautiful view!
The Hotel de Paris where they stay in "Monte Carlo." We weren't allowed inside, but it's regal, no?
Monte Carlo casino reflected in the fountain.
A side view of the Monte Carlo. This was probably the most posh place I've ever been. Tourists everywhere, majestic statues, and the most expensive cars you've ever seen out front. We were able to go inside, but not allowed to take pictures. Fancy!
Joe insisted on taking a picture of me in the back of the Monte Carlo.
The following day we were back in Nice where we did laundry and later Joe and I went swimming at the beach. While doing laundry, the family started talking to a nice German girl who let us borrow some stain remover and was living in France for awhile. She was the first girl I've ever seen who didn't shave her legs, but her dark skin hid it well. I do not think my whiteness would allow me to fair as well.
Once Joe and I started off for the beach we were able to walk through Nice and get a better picture of the whole city. It was very nice and very touristy. We walked through a shopping area and gave a little money to some street performers who were playing Ode to Joy and other classical favorites on stringed instruments. They were good! Then Joe treated me to lunch at the Cafe Opera. Here we had ratatouille - delicious! You've got to eat ratatouille in France!
After lunch we were off to the beach! There was nowhere for us to store our clothes or wallets so we snuck on to some fancy private beach and hid them in a planter (although, we didn't really realize it was a private beach till later). The Mediterranean water was positively gorgeous, but I was a little too worried about my purse getting stolen from the planter to enjoy myself as much as I should have. Joe had a fun time swimming though and I sunbathed for awhile on the beach chairs. I was surprised that these beaches did not have sand - they where all rocks! So strange. Just as a note, I did not see any nudes swimming about, but Joe said he did! He does NOT like to talk about it - apparently it was one big nude lady! After swimming we both tried Ferrero Rocher ice cream at a nearby ice cream shop - amazing!
Ned and Elise looking great at the laundromat. Love this picture!
Joe and I at the laundromat. We are ready to go to the beach!
That night we left for Provence, but as fate would have it we ended up staying the night in Cannes. We got off the train to see if we could look at the ocean there and eat dinner, but by the time we got back to the station there were no more trains to Provence for the night. So, we ended up eating at one of my favorite restaurants in France - The Theater - here all the food was categorized by acts. It was one of my favorites because the food was good, the service was good (something I found a bit lacking in most French restaurants), they always had a full glass of water for us (something the French were also not very good at - giving you water - the glasses were always tiny and they would hardly refill them), and they had a GIANT pepper shaker which he used on our food.
Since we missed the train we went to some internet place in town to look for a hotel nearby - this town seemed a bit shady, at least this part of town. While there, some random guy came up and kissed Mom's hand and told her she was beautiful. We were a little nervous, but he ended up leaving us alone after that. Also, the owner of the internet shop locked half of us inside for about 20 minutes while he went somewhere... the rest of us waited outside! Crazy! Then we proceeded on to the great hotel Mom and Dad booked us for the night.
The following day, Mom and Dad were gracious enough to watch our luggage after we checked out of the hotel so we could do some shopping before we got on the train. This is where I got some sweet plum colored pants, Elise got a killer bridesmaid dress, and Joe got his Swatch! We met back at the train station, picked up our luggage from the parentals and headed off to Avignon, one of my favorite stops on the trip. Avignon was home of the best chocolate, ice cream, and people I found the entire trip.
We were staying on the outskirts of the town, so after arriving we made our way by bus to the city - the entire city is surrounded by very medieval walls which have been there in part since Roman times, they have been rebuilt several times in different places since. Before dinner, we couldn't help ourselves, we got some ice cream! This was the best ice cream, hands down, I got the entire trip. Mom raved about the lavender ice cream which was made from the actual flower, but I loved the raspberry and mango flavors - it tasted very natural. YUM!
Next, we went to the Palace of the Popes which has housed seven Popes, but unfortunately we arrived there just too late and the palace and gardens were closed. However, we were allowed to go into the cathedral. The cathedral was very medieval - it almost scared me because we were there at night and it was so dark inside! There were some pretty paintings though and I always want to light a candle in these cathedrals... but I haven't yet.
Joe and me at Palace of the Popes.
From the Palace of the Popes we walked around Avignon to see the gorgeous river and the Pont Saint Benezet bridge which only goes halfway. This little town was beautiful. After our stroll we went and got MORE ice cream... we had to buy something to use the bathroom so we thought this was a good choice. We also got the BEST chocolates - I don't even know what half of them were called, but they were DELISH and we bought a TON. We consumed them quickly though and man did we have sugar hangovers quick.
The next day we got ready and walked to church. The people in the small branch were so friendly and I felt so welcome even though I couldn't speak a word of French and most of them could not speak a word of English. A deaf French woman kissed me on both cheeks when we got to the church - my first French kisses! (Not that kind of french kiss!) Then through relief society, sunday school, and Sacrament meeting I sat clueless, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Since it was testimony meeting, the family all bore very lovely testimonies.
The two French missionaries - Avignon was the only city both men served in on their missions.
Often when I have seen or heard misconceptions about my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or the mormon church as many refer to it, it has made me angry, sometimes even spiteful. Today I was reading a chapter in "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith" in preparation for church tomorrow (George Albert Smith was a prophet and president of the church) and it hit me that I have not been completely open to sharing my beliefs with others. How can I expect others to feel comfortable enough to ask me questions if I am not willing to share? Mostly it is fear that holds me back - fear of ridicule or that people will think I am trying to force my beliefs upon them, but I am not afraid anymore. How can I be afraid when I can feel the truth of Christ's church in every fiber of my being? How can I not shout it out and share what brings me great joy?
President George Albert Smith said, "Love is the great power to influence this world." I know this is true. This is why we send missionaries out all across the world. We do not wish to force our church on anyone, but we do wish to share our joy with them. We want to rejoice in the truths that others have, but also expand those truths to a broader and fuller picture, if they are willing to listen. We want true happiness.
So, this is my declaration! This is my shout to the world! I know that Jesus Christ, my savior, lives. I have no doubt. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and is a companion to the Bible. I gain great strength when I read the scriptures and I know that there are days when they fulfill a need I did not even recognize I had. I know that God lives and that he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I believe He gives us prophets to guide us, just as he did in times of old, and that President Thomas S. Monson is His prophet on the Earth today. I also feel privileged that I was able to marry my wonderful husband, Joe, in the Lord's temple and that we can be together forever. I look forward to the day when we will get to go on a mission together for Christ's church and share our joy with other souls. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's restored church upon the earth and I hope that if anyone wishes to know more about it that they will ask me or visit mormon.org. Christ's gospel "is for every soul that is born into the world to know."
I do not flatter myself that anyone who is not already a member of this church will read this, but I do want to put it out there anyway so there is no doubt where I stand and what I believe. If by chance this does reach the eyes of someone who is interested to learn more, you can order a Book of Mormon for free here. Or if you do not wish to go through the website I would be happy to answer any of your questions or send you a free Book of Mormon myself!
This afternoon we decided to visit the Spokane Washington Temple. It was beautiful and the angel Moroni statue was also very visible--the temple is shorter than many others and reminded me of the Tokyo Temple but with more flowers and less stained glass.
We strolled the grounds and we made friends with some of the temple workers. As we were leaving we even chatted about a future family...one sister asking me how many children I'd like suggested that I might not even realize how many pieces of bread that would take to make lunch...haha. A worker replied that he was one of five boys in his family and each had a sister...another good one. We felt like fast friends and maybe even brothers and sisters.
Their debut album Night Visions was released on September 4th (day after Labor Day) and went to #1 on US iTunes, #2 on Canada iTunes, and #1 on Amazon.com.
The billboard charts will release their debut ranking next Thursday and in the meantime, they are on tour at a city near you. I will say that a lot of hard work went into this band especially from members of my family and it is very pleasant to hear/see them achieving such great levels of success.
If you haven't gotten the album yet and you feel in the mood for some danceable alternative rock I recommend it. I am especially pleased to note that at least two members of this band are gutsy workers who don't drink alcohol (the sickly vice of the entertainment industry).
My favorite version (including bonus tracks) is available at Best Buy as an exclusive hard copy version. If not, iTunes works too.
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Finally, we arrived at the last door. I was wondering where the weird ponytail man was, the one from the chill pill story, and was a little worried to run into him again. Well, this was his apartment and his door was open. Joe called in, "Hello! We brought you cookies. We are new and wanted to introduce ourselves!" The reply, "Go away! I don't want them!" We stood there for a moment not realizing what he just said so he got up and slammed the door. Ouch. 
• One reason Satan encourages murmuring is to prevent us from following living prophets, inspired leaders, and parents. Elder H. Ross Workman of the Seventy explained that “murmuring consists of three steps, each leading to the next in a descending path to disobedience.” First, when people murmur they begin to question. They question “first in their own minds and then [plant] questions in the minds of others.” Second, those who murmur begin to “rationalize and excuse themselves from doing what they [have] been instructed to do. . . . Thus, they [make] an excuse for disobedience.” Their excuses lead to the third step: “Slothfulness in following the commandment.” “The Lord has spoken against this attitude in our day: ‘But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned’ (D&C 58:29). . . .
