Surprise!!

Goodbye, Utah. Hello Mom! (And Dad and Brigham!)

Leaving Salt Lake

Sometimes flying is kind of magical.

About a month ago Spencer and I were looking into doing a big 3 or 4 day camping trip down to southern Utah or the Grand Canyon during our little summer break, and as I started crunching numbers I realized that camping is expensive! So, we decided that for not too much more we could go to Grand Haven to visit his family instead. We talked to his Dad about it to give him a chance to get off of work or something if he could, but we wanted to surprise Mom. Dad offered to buy one of our plane tickets if we flew, so we took him up on that instead of driving like we had been planning. We flew out at 6:00 am on Friday morning, so Dad got us a hotel room with his points in Salt Lake the night before. That worked out really nicely for us because we didn't have to have Josh or Katy drive us to the airport at 4 am, and we got to park our car at the hotel for free. We spent Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City checking out the beautiful City Creek Mall. We got dinner at a greek (I think) place in the food court and then we went to Johnny Rockets for a shake and fries. Yum. :) 

Our ketchup bowls at Johnny Rockets.

Me and my strawberry-oreo shake. 

Brigham was supposed to leave for a scout canoeing trip on Friday morning, but he knew we were coming so he and Dad did a good amount of scheming to keep Mom in the dark. Dad was "bringing him to the scout thing" and Brigham "threw up in the car," so Brigham went home and had to go back to bed. haha. Anyway, we got into Grand Rapids at 2:30 in the afternoon and Dad picked us up. Dad also had to tell several other small lies to keep it a surprise, but here is our video coming home, and surprising Mom. :) Dad went in to tell her to come out and see what he just bought. 

(Sorry the video is a little crooked. My camera was sitting on the top of the car. Also, can you hear all that nature? haha) 

So we're here until Saturday and we are having a great time! 

Friday night we just hung out, chatted, and went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse. :) We haven't been hungry since! We also went to walk the pier, which is so lovely as the sun starts going down. We love being home, and the more time I spend in Grand Haven, the more I love this area. It would be really fun to end up close to here for Medical school. 

P.S. Our exams were about a week and a half ago, and I never mentioned that we finished them on the blog. We both did just fine on them, and then we just worked for a week before our trip out here. School starts in another week, so we've gotta get on ordering textbooks and stuff, but we'll have a day or two back in Provo before classes start to get organized. 

Babysitting

Last weekend Spencer and I did some babysitting! On Friday night we babysat the Albrechtsen's kiddos so they could have a little date night. Carlene texted me to ask if we were available, and we were. When aren't we? Really, we don't lead very interesting lives most times. Though we did go out to get sushi for dinner before babysitting. She had already put her kids down for bed before we got there, so we just studied and did homework. Their little boy woke up a couple times though, so I did get some baby snuggles in. Easiest babysitting ever.

On Saturday we offered to babysit for Josh and Katy so they could have a date night. Okay, I mostly wanted to see Carrina and I figured we'd give them a night out together at the same time. They went out for dinner and a movie and we had fun with that little girl. She was feeling a little under the weather because she's teething, so Spencer worked his magic and she just fell asleep in his arms, playing. It was so cute. They were playing with a little dolly (poking her in the mouth... which Carrina though was quite funny) and she just snuggled into him and fell asleep. When she woke up I fed her some baby food and grapes, and we walked her around outside for a bit. She's fun, and it was also a totally easy babysitting night. I hope she was that easy for Josh and Katy that night because it sounds like Carrina's been having a tough week or so.

What did I not get done during all that babysitting? My paper. So I finished it this morning at 5:30 while eating some delicious raspberry chocolate muffins that I made yesterday. Mmmm. Now I want to go home and eat another one. Also, today was the last day of summer classes! Hooray for no more statistics lectures!

Just Another Week

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that's just because I haven't done much that is blog worthy. Summer term is wrapping up. Next Monday is our last day of class, Tuesday is a reading day, and our finals will be on Wednesday and Thursday. The last week has been fine. Nothing much has happened. We've just been working, going to class, and doing homework. Last weekend was taken up by a statistics exam and grocery shopping, and other than church, we didn't really do anything at all. I did make cinnamon rolls Monday night though. Finished them off this morning for breakfast.

I'm really looking forward to this term being over. All I've got left is a 2,000 word paper to finish this weekend, one more statistics quiz, some supplemental reading for New Testament and my finals. My finals should be pretty easy, but Spencer has his organic chemistry lab final, which will probably be pretty tough. So, that's it. We'll have more fun things to blog about after the term is over. :)

Thoughts on our Savior's Sacrifice

Part of the general education requirements at BYU is taking a number of religion classes and this term I've been taking a class on the second half of the New Testament. It covers Acts through Revelation. It's been a really great class, and it's been very insightful. Part of our homework is to spend 20 minutes a day reading in the second half of the New Testament. I can't say I understand everything Paul writes, but there are some amazing passages in there. Anyway, we had to write a paper on any passage of scripture from the second half. I don't really like writing papers, but I'm grateful for the chance that writing this paper has given me to reflect on the Atonement. I wrote on Hebrews 10:9-14, which stood out to me when I was reading one night. It says:

 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
 10 By the which will we are ^asanctified through the ^boffering ^cof the ^dbody of Jesus Christ ^eonce for all. 11 And every priest standeth ^adaily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away ^bsins:
 12 But this man, after he had offered one ^asacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
 13 ^aFrom henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

This passage is referring to the Law of Sacrifices, as part of the Law of Moses, being fulfilled in Christ. His sacrifice, the Atonement, is our hope and salvation. 

So, I was thinking about the different ways that we can use the Atonement in our lives. I say use because we need to make an active effort to reach out for it. Some aspects of the Atonement are granted to us, regardless of our works, but other aspects have to be actively employed in our lives. Christ is always there, willing to help us, but he allows us to choose, to use our agency to come to Him and let Him carry us. 

Sometimes we think of the Atonement only as Christ suffering and dying for our sins, so we can be forgiven and be clean. That, of course, is huge and essential, but there's more. He didn't just suffer for our sins, he suffered every one of our pains and sorrows. He suffered what we feel when someone else hurts us and when life hurts us. Sometimes we have trials and challenges that come because mortality is hard. Christ willingly suffered all of those things so he would really, truly understand us and know how to succor us. 

Think of it. He satisfied your debts, enabling you to return to your Heavenly Father. He felt your pains, sorrows, and sicknesses of every kind so he could understand you and know how to help you. He has done everything, and all you need to do is follow Him. Why would he do that for you? Because He loves you so much. Sometimes we talk about the Atonement like it's something we can divide up into pieces and say, this much was for me. This many drops of blood were shed for me. I don't really think that's the way it works. Every single drop was for you. Every single drop was for me. If you were the only person who needed the Atonement, He would have done it all for you. You are worth it to Him. That thought is both humbling and encouraging.

I love my Savior. He has carried me through hard times, guided me through impossible decisions, and blessed me in unimaginable ways. Someday I will kneel at His feet and perhaps then I will be able to express my gratitude to Him.