virginia hugs {and} kisses

i haven't written about settling into virginia life, but it's been wonderful to experience it!
autumn out here in the east has been delightful and there really is nothing i can complain about....

ok, except for the bugs. there are truly so many more bugs and little critters out here than in utah. the humidity attracts all shapes, sizes, and species. it's not enough to make me dislike this environment, but i definitely won't ever get used to looking down after putting my dirty clothes in my closet to see a cricket.... or waking up to a stink bug crawling on my face. that is just not something I even want to be on my "norm" radar.

what to do with a cricket in your room during the night? kill it, of course.

other than those fun creatures, i lead a fairly simple existence.
and that is quite alright with me...
despite my initial response to feel guilty or ashamed.

i always feel like i need to be doing more or helping in other ways -- that i cannot be lazy.
i have to balance those feelings with fears of being annoying and an ever-constant presence in a home where a little over a month ago i was only a niece/cousin mentioned occasionally in conversation and seen maybe two or three times every ten years.

however, these are my perceptions and not how i am treated nor what is expected of me.
i couldn't have asked for a better life at this moment.
i am getting to know, love, and adore family i never knew i was missing.

on our way to the pumpkin patch, {minus} a missing uncle glen who was working

living here has been more than a blessing; i have been liberated and am being empowered.
i'm learning so much about who i am and why i do what i do.
because these wonderful people are related to me by blood, i gain a lot of insight to idiosyncrasies passed down through the generations (i.e. sorting trick-or-treat candy and other o.c.d.-like tendencies)

i get to spend time with an amazing aunt who is the most fabulous mother to her boys
and an incredible relief society president to the women in her ward.
i want to be like her ... "when i grow up." seriously, though. i love learning from her example.
i also have loved being able to go to the washington d.c. temple with her

ok, so we need to get a better pic... for now this selfie will have to do

i dreamed of going into the d.c. temple ever since i was a little child, singing with my family on Christmas eve in the temple visitor center. looking straight through the glass windows to see the majesty of the shining temple while singing songs of the baby Jesus - those are my first recollections of feeling the spirit. i waited for so long to be able to go into my favorite temple --- my temple. and it was glorious. it was wonderful sharing that experience with my wonderful aunt, as well.

i have a wonderful young single adult ward out here. it's small, but it's perfect and everyone gets along. it definitely feels different than some of the wards i had in utah. i like it. i made friends and even have a crush! haha look at me, just assimilating so easily... just kidding. i really have loved how wonderful the people are, though. and friends make everything so much better.

fire alarm decided to go off in the middle of church; we decided it was a good polaroid moment

sometimes i start to miss certain people -- my wonderful siblings and close friends who have been such wonderful examples to me, whom I love and adore. however, i know that my life is here now. whatever is going to happen, it's going to happen here.

i was led to this place and i want to be who Heavenly Father wants me to be.
i continually try to improve myself -- it's hard to be so completely human with countless weaknesses and failures. i'm just grateful for so many wonderful angels in the form of friends - past and present, near and far - that help me along my way.

i just hope i help some people along their way so i can pay it forward.

this song was shown to me by one of my favoritest people ever. now i love it.



wishing you warm hugs and kisses from beautiful virginia!
i promise to write again soon :)

no road too long

have you ever seen a movie called "follow that bird" with big bird?

it's a cheesy film full of singing and feel-good, family-friendly morals. we watched it a lot when i was a kid... i guess you could say it was a favorite.

i had forgotten about it until thanksgiving day when my brother mentioned it.
here's the song we most often sang from the soundtrack:

ain't no road too long

(the song doesn't actually start until the 2:00 marker)




no mountain i can't climb and no road too long ---
keep on trying until you succeed!!! that's what i get out of it.


well, here are two things that i have tried recently:

1) planning and hosting my own thanksgiving!!!

my parents went out to colorado to visit my sister and brother-in-law with their baby-to-be for the holiday. this left my brother and me without plans for the big day. we decided, since we had access to a nice place (our parents' home) that we could still put on a fun party for anyone without a home to go to for thanksgiving.

besides paul, a wonderfully talented homemaker friend who lives upstairs in my apartment building helped me plan and carry out all the details. because of these two - and everyone who came and helped - the event was a brilliant success. in all, we had 9 people there to enjoy the meal. we had tons of delicious, traditional food. and we didn't feel like we missed out!!

here are some pictures:

my first time cooking a turkey -- on my own!!

the exciting part: taking out the "innards"

is it just me, or with these "legs" flying around does this look a bit like a frog??

who else thinks this looks like a pig??

i put a lot of effort into setting the table --- i wanted it to feel  "homey" and festive!

candy cornucopias: my must-have thanksgiving tradition!!

my roommate, liza, getting impatient when the 2/2:30 eating time is now turning into 3:15/3:30...

i forgot to get a picture of all the food and the turkey.... i'll add a pic of the turkey when my friend uploads it. and we had so much food that it didn't all fit on the table!

pies! pumpkin, coconut-chocolate, pumpkin-walnut, and peanut butter! 

another pumpkin on the far left

{ thanksgiving was wonderful and i am so grateful i was able to spend it with people that i love and care about... i am so grateful for amazing people everywhere. these incredible people who share their talents, abilities, and love with others are the centerpiece to society. i am grateful for my amazing roommates, my wonderful brother, my sisters, my sweet brother-in-law, and my parents. i'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. i'm grateful that i was born into a family where i was blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. i'm grateful for my testimony. i'm grateful for all that God has given me - for He provides everything for me and i am nothing without Him. i am grateful i was born on thanksgiving 25 years ago and i keep with me a sense of gratitude because of that. i love thanksgiving. i love the Lord. }



2) having a roommate do a photo shoot of me
this roommate of mine is a fabulous photographer -- i am a huge fan of her work.
soooo..... let's just say .... the pictures of me... well, she worked with what she got :)

i'm including on here both pictures that i like and pictures that i do not like just so you can see why i say this was something difficult for me to do and experience. and what's more: sharing them with you is even more difficult. however, this is the real me.... in all my awkward glory.

stiff
unsure
insecure
confused
scared
scarred (for life... :)
and all the other things my facial expressions betray as they tell my thoughts:

now really.... i feel sorry for any photographer trying to get me looking decent...

other roommates in the distance telling jokes, trying to lighten the mood and get me to loosen up

ha!!! what is this face?? i sure don't know.

after about an hour (other roommates getting pictures and other backgrounds) i started to get more comfortable. i guess i shouldn't be surprised - being surrounded by leaves.... fall is my season. it's my birthright :)

haha the entire photo shoot, the girls were trying to get me to do a certain pose.
well, it proved to be too difficult for an unbalanced girl like me.
finally we gave up and got a quick shot -- right as one of the girls yelled out, "lacey, put your leg down! you look like you're a dog peeing to mark your territory!

it was definitely an adventure!
but i'm glad i was able to have it.


i'm trying new things and moving forward in my life.
i just have to keep that attitude locked in my heart:

there ain't no mountain i can't climb!
i'm hanging on tight and determined to keep moving on toward the future ---
toward bigger and better. "if i just keep going, everything will turn out fine"

there's no road too long.

falling into Him

it's fall.... my most favoritest time of the year.

yes. i said favoritest.
deal.

the air has a crisp chill in the air and the atmosphere of change is liberating rather than constraining. the tastes of pumpkin pie bread i make for roommates and the smells of autumn rains or fallen leaves....
everything about this season brings a joy to my soul, urging the child inside me to leap into song and dance.

the joy of fall brings a balance to the pain that life inevitably brings.
....loneliness that can often be felt in one way or another.


this season's title may be foreboding: many of us may fall as we stumble over the adversity in our lives.
still....when i fall, i now have a sure knowledge that i fall into the arms of the only one who can steady my spirit and my heart.

"faith" by liz lemon swindle

the Lord is the lover of my soul
He is the healer of my scars
He steadies my heart
i will always run to Him

when times get tough......

when loneliness calls
when everything in my life seems a mess
when overwhelming feelings creep in....

 i know where to turn

and He steadies my heart

p.s. if you want to watch an incredible meeting and feel intense spiritual enlightenment, watch this general relief society broadcast. it was amazing.

happier than most

the leaves are starting to change their colors and fall to the earth, at times looking like little hearts falling from the sky.

there is so much sadness in the world. sadness, pain, hatred, sorrow.



i am very aware of it.
sometimes i let it get me down.
and i definitely don't often take things lightly.

yet, more than ever before, i am constantly reminded that there is soooo much good.
life is good.
God is so very good.

with the new semester i got new roommates. Heavenly Father could not have blessed me with people more kind and caring, more perfect for what i need right now. they are extremely intelligent, funny, and a breath of fresh air. all together, they are the perfect mix as we all find a way to complement each others' personalities.

i want to be able to help them in some way, as well. i want to give back in addition to "paying it forward." i want them to always know how grateful i am for their sweet acts of kindness, their humor, their academic and scriptural help, their listening ears, and their loving hearts.

it isn't just roommates i am grateful for, though.
i am blessed with the friendship of many incredible people.
people who are Christlike and charitable. who love, help, and serve others.
these people are such great examples of living joyful journeys through life.

regardless of the bumps in the road that hit, i am truly happy.

....in those moments i forget how good life is, i have one roommate in particular who is the epitome of hope and joy and love and peace and every good thing. this girl has spunk and vivacity mixed with a sincere love for others and the gospel.

when i think of this roommate, i am reminded of the quote by j.m. barrie that states:

"those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

who do you know like this? do they bring sunshine everywhere they go? can you feel it from their smile? what does it do for you? 

this roommate is all about people. she takes the time to talk to people and really get to know them,  listen to them, and finds out what is in their hearts. she devotes the time she spends with a person to making them feel heard, validated, and important. *she brings sunshine to others* and she's the happiest person i know.

it has been wonderful living with this roommate because of the reminder she is to me that life has so many blessed things to be happy about. yes, there are things to be grateful for -- Heavenly Father pours down blessings with unwavering love. there is unending potential for the future if i but choose to put in the effort. there are adventures waiting at every turn.

adventures like horseback riding back in may :)

life is so good.

looking at life in this way, things can seem so funny at times. i had to laugh hysterically in the middle of the night when a loud crash/bang/scrape noise woke me from sleep to announce the demise of the closet hanger rod -- not only had it broken, but with the weight of my clothes my side of the rod had put enough stress on it to cause the rod to bend and twist, almost to snapping point, and bring all my clothes down with its brokenness. .....it almost brought half of the closet shelf down, too.

documented proof of my involvement:

my beautiful roommate and my lazy bum showing off the full extent of the damages:

don't worry, everything worked out fine.
the maintenance men came and fixed our rod and our closet.....
......and then i almost broke it again.

so i thinned out my wardrobe with a trip to the d.i. donation center:

i think i'm safe now :)


life is life, and crazy things happen.
sometimes sad things happen and people you know and love pass away much too early in their lives like someone i know did a week ago.
however, someone else i know who could have died this summer did not die -- for which i am extremely grateful.

through it all ---- no, because of it all, i am happier than you would think me to be.
life is so good.
i am so blessed.

hope you're having a great day, too!

grateful

...to be in portland.

...to be with family.

...to be with my sister and brother-in-law. i love them so dearly.

...that i can be with them through such a difficult time.
....just to be near them.
....to share in their grief and pain.

...for a break from my own stormy, self-centered focus.

...for the almost always present rain that pours outside - as a reminder that when it rains it pours.

....that this statement is true for both the trials and the blessings -- the constant pouring of blessings Heavenly Father sends down when i feel least deserving of them.



today is thanksgiving 2011. it feels like this last year has both flown by and lagged-on forever. so much has happened since my last visit to portland for the thanksgiving holiday. i know i am extremely blessed.

i truly am grateful for all that i have and all that i am.


i know that trials provoke change. change brings growth. growth is vital to becoming a better person.

i'm a different person than i was last year..... in a different place than i was, too. i'm grateful for change. i'm grateful for the ability to adapt. i'm grateful for lessons learned.

p.s. Truman, i love you.

i miss you.

delightful fall feelings

i know there is so much to say.

so much i haven't said lately. and each day starts and ends while i continue to get my bearings on my circumstances. on the new things of my life.



i don't know if i have ever been so grateful and excited for general conference.
i need it.
i need answers.
i need directions.
i need to feel the spirit.
i need to be reminded of eternal truths.

welcome fall.
welcome comfort and happiness.
welcome, the most delightfully uplifting time of the year.

kazakhstan

craziness and excitement never cease at my home, as you may be able to tell from some of my posts. well, the last week of october was no exception when we once again hosted people from a foreign land like we did here {and countless other times that i simply haven't mentioned, the time previous to this being just last march}. the two lovely ladies we were blessed to have stay with us for the open world program this time were judges from kazakhstan - one a federal judge, the other a supreme court judge.

i was more involved with this hosting experience than i have ever been before because my mom was out of town for business the first couple of days of the experience. it was fun and exciting, but horribly exhausting and i will never take for granted everything my mother does. my father is wonderful and i love him, but he is very easy-going and more "tell me what to do and i'll do it" .... so i would have preferred my mother's expertise :)

at least i love to organize things! but seriously, our house feels more like a hotel... and looks that way too. {and don't judge! we provide coffee, black tea, and green tea because we want to make our guests feel comfortable, even though we don't drink it.}

here's a glimpse of the week we had:

one of the ladies got sick with bronchitis in washington d.c. so we officially met our visitors in the hosipital - very glamorous, let me tell you!

once mom got home, the ladies were excited to present us with presents from their home country.

the fall weather brought an exquisite array of homemade soups by mom - pumpkin soup, beefy vegetable, and creamy cauliflower {which was the biggest hit of the night!!!!}. the ladies loved that we had soup because apparently they eat soup at least once a day at home.

for dessert..... we 'beefed-up' a costco cheesecake with delicious peaches. the ladies had never had cheesecake before, so they couldn't come to america without experiencing cheesecake!

on the last full day of their visit, the ladies graduated from their program...

... and insisted on making dinner for us; an authentic kazakhstanian meal.

{cooking for us}

we provided the dessert :)  = pumpkin cheesecake. oh happy day.

and that is when we presented the ladies with our special gift to them.

it was a wonderful week, full of culture and love and understanding. it definitely was not without its ups and downs! haha when you have two different groups speaking two different languages, misunderstandings happen. mistakes are made even when you have the best of intentions.... what am i talking about?

one particular incident was with bedsheets. yes, bedsheets. you see, having hosted many foreign dignitaries i learned early on that cold is not something they like. no ice, no cold fruit, no cold feet, no cold bodies, no chill, ... everything needs to be warm. well, one of the rooms is in the basement {yeah, that was whole different issue}, which can get a bit chilly if we're not careful. taking this into account, i decided to put flannel sheets on the bed because they would be warmer than anything else... right? well, i guess i just wasn't thinking about the way the sheets looked. 

it was like playing telephone, *she complains to another, who tells another, who tells another, who interprets to us ...... *

we are guessing that the problem was the 'childlike' sheets for a supreme court judge?

i just didn't think about it that way when i put the sheets on!

i know, i know.... i have a lot to learn. thank heavens "mommy" came home and took over the 'problem' so i could claim ignorance and escape blame.

everything ended up alright, and the lady with the flannel lamb sheets stuck with them because she decided they were warmer than anything else. both ladies developed a strong attachment to me and i decided not to hold any grudges :)

one final story: one of the last nights the ladies were here, they were up later than anyone else. they knocked on my door and in usual charades language asked me for what i figured out was a lighter. they were going outside to go smoke. their last words to me as they smiled and went outside were, "secret! don't tell mommy!"