Another great quote.

I love good quotes that make you think and can say just how you feel better than you are ever able to. :)

This is a quote about a man just after he died, and was meeting up with those in the afterlife...

"But when he saw them he knew that he had always known them and realised what part each one of them had played at many an hour in his life when he had supposed himself alone, so that now he could say to them, one by one, not 'Who are you?' but 'So it was you all the time.'" -- C.S. Lewis

Help On a Hard Day

I have been having a hard time lately, and today my sweet mom sent me this quote. I love it! I just have to remember to have hope for the future, knowing that someday it will all be worth it. :) Even though I do not understand why things are the way that they are, he does, and someday I will too.

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
— C.S. Lewis

Is it ever really gonna happen?...

Everyone keeps saying that it is, that someday it will be my turn to be happy (and somewhere deep down I know they are right), but sometimes it just doesn't feel like it will ever be real, joyfulness will always just be something that I dream of...

But sometimes dreams come true right? :)

Trip to Iowa! :)

I had a great time in Iowa this last weekend! I was able to spend time with my parents, meet the triplets, and see my sister, brother-in-law and my 3 year old niece Hannah. It was so good to see all of them! It was great just to be with my parents and see where they live and what they do.

I arrived there on Thursday night (after a couple of pretty rough flights, yuck!) and my parents took me to dinner and then to meet the babies. They are so so cute! It was great to see them and just get to hold and cuddle them. :)

Friday we spent the day taking care of the babies, and playing with them. As well as a fun photo shoot! I got some very cute photos of Max, Luke, and Emma. (I will post some when I get a chance) It was just great to be with them, I am such a baby person! (It even made me a little baby hungry, but not for 3 at once! haha)

Saturday we were able to go to Nauvoo for the day! It is something that I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure that I we would have time. I am so glad that we did, we went there about 10 years ago, but I didn't remember it that much, so it was great to go! Last time we were there the temple was just a foundation, so it was amazing to see that beautiful place rebuilt in all of it's glory. It was wonderful! I wish that we would have had a couple more days there so that we could stop and see everything, but I am so glad that I got to see some of the really good parts.

Sunday I attended the singles branch there, it was fun to go, but kind of odd as well. This was a singles branch for all of The University of Iowa, and there were only about 30 people there. It made me very grateful to have many members around here with whom I share my faith. It was fun to see what it was like there :)

Monday was my last day there, I flew out at about 5:00, so during the day we went to Kalona! This is an Amish community near where my parents live, and it was so fun to go and see that. I love to see the simple way these people live. They are such kind happy people, who work so hard. For some reason the Amish have always kind of fascinated me (and my family too) so it is enjoyable for me to go to there stores and see their cute little farms. Plus you get to see them driving down the road in their little buggies, it is so cute! We also got to go to a couple of woodworking shops, it was so fun! I love woodwork, and it was great to see the amazing work these people do. My parents even surprised me with a beautiful rolling pin that they had made for me. I know that might sound like a strange gift, but I really love cooking and woodworking, so it was perfect for me. I have always wanted a really beautiful wooden rolling pin, I love it! Sadly I couldn't bring it back on the plane, so I will have to wait for it until my parents drive home and bring it to me.

It was a really good trip, and I was sad to go, it is hard to go back to the loneliness when you have been with people that love you. But I was also glad to get home, I really do enjoy living on my own it is very nice.

I love my family so much, and I am so grateful to my aunt and uncle who gave me the plane tickets to go on this trip, I couldn't have done it otherwise. Thanks so much! And thanks to my parents for making it great while I was there, they were so sweet and kind to me, I love them! I had an amazing time!