Christmas in July

Its so unfair that we should only get to celebrate Christmas once a year. I was so excited to pull out my Christmas decorations for Christmas in July.

I decided that I needed to do more for my calling by starting a small dinner group.  While it wasn't well attended I did enjoy creating all of the Christmas themed food and I'm so happy for the few people that did come celebrate with me. We had great conversation and bonding time.  May the Christmas spirit live on and not just in December.

Flag Day

I have been working on one my talents which is throwing parties. I really enjoy the planning and preparation that goes into entertaining guests. It had been a while since I was able to see some of my friends so I decided to host a dinner. It just so happened that that dinner fell on Flag Day. What a perfect theme for a party! Once I have a theme in mind I get so excited finding all kinds of fun decorations and food ideas to go with the theme. 

For Flag Day, I had a blast coming up with red, white and blue decor and food. For the main dish I served white noodles, red sauce and alfredo sauce died blue. For a side I had blue chips and french with a brueshetta dip that I created. Desert was a triffle made of angel food cake, blue jello, pudding, blueberries and strawberries. Since most people like water, I put blueberries and strawberries in a water container that tasted wonderfully refreshing. 

I really had so much fun putting this all together and enjoyed being able to spend time with my friends who came to celebrate flag day with me. Celebrating our nations flag helps to establish a sense of patriotism for ones country. I can't help but thinking of the primary song. 

My flag, my flag, my country's flag, 

I love to see you wave; 

My flag, my flag, my country's flag, 

The banner of the brave. 

Wave on, wave on forever, 

The banner of the free; 

Wave on, wave on forever, 

The flag of liberty.

Jesus Once Was A Little Child

 The Washington DC Temple Visitors Center has a fantastic special exhibit that portrays the younger years of Jesus Christ. The Exhibit is called "Jesus Once Was a Little Child". The images capture the early years of Christs life as they are recorded in the scriptures. I was truly moved by the pictures. I I think it's really important to remember that everyone starts life the same way. We start by learning to crawl, walk, run, talk. We have parents who are there to help train us. They teach us how to work, love, worship. We owe a lot to our parents. They give up so much of their life to help us have our own. I owe a lot to my parents who have been there for me in every aspect of my life. They have helped me grow to be the woman I am today. Parents are the one who help us the most in life. I know that Mary and Joseph were divinely called to raise Christ just as much my parents were designated to help raise me.

Memorial Weekend

 Memorial Weekend this year was going to be time for Kara and Megan to spend together. To start off the weekend, I took Megan to her first concert. Get out your cowboy hats and boots everyone, these girls are heading to Kenny Chesney's No Shoes Nation Tour. I was fairly surprised at how many of the songs I did know. We had a great time line dancing in our seats and singing along.

 The next day we headed to Wolf Trap for one of my favorite Memorial Weekend traditions, the President's Own Marine Corp Band. This year they did a medley of Ragtime which was amazing.

 And what weekend would be complete without Fireworks!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country. You are the real heroes of our nation and deserve to be celebrated.

From Cumorah's Hill

I was so excited to be able to come up to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. I have been meaning to come to this pageant for a couple of years but was never able to make the trip. This year I was so excited to be able to come.

Megan Arnett and I were able to obtain excellent front row lawn seats. It was a perfect view of the magnificent stage that was very reminiscent of my travels to Central America. While sitting on the lawn one of the performers came up to speak to us. He told us that he was playing the role of 3rd Nephi.  Hat was pretty cool to meet him. He came back over and introduced us to his two sons but he introduced them as he great ancestors Nephi the 1st and Alma the Older. These were three of the key players in the pageant.  How fun to meet them and feel their testimonies of the Gospel as they were portraying these amazing prophets of old.

The pageant was great.  I enjoyed seeing how they portrayed iconic Book of Mormon stories.  The staging is quite impressive, almost. Broadway style in nature. 

I was able to reflect on my testimony of the Book of Mormon as I watched the pageant.  I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book and the messages, stories, and doctrine contained in it are true. I was especially moved at the end of the performance where Christ is standing on top of the hill in glory with the words of the second coming playing overhead.  I had chills come through me and I knew that the spirit was bearing witness to me if the truth of this church.