Our 2nd Anniversary and Conference Weekend!

On Monday September 30th Weston and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary! I just don't know where the time went, but I do know that I love Weston more and more everyday. I am so grateful for every minute we have to be together. In the beginning of August, Weston and I were down in Lake Powell with my family and some amazing family friends that I've known for as long as I can remember. All 12 of us were in a terrible accident when our ski boat hit a submerged island. We so quickly lost my sweetest friend's husband. It was something none of us were prepared for and completely turned our worlds upside down, especially my friends. Please keep her in your prayers. In that moment, my life was forever changed....for the good. My testimony was strengthened more than I can put into words because of the life David led and because of the enormous love and tender mercies the Lord provided for us. I realized how precious life is and how blessed we are to have another day to serve the Lord, become better, and show our love. I do not believe is coincidences. Everything that happens is part of Heavenly Father's plan! I am so unbelievably grateful that we chose to be sealed in the temple. It means more to me now than it ever has before.

This last weekend was General Conference. It is one of my favorite times of the year. Especially this year. For almost every Conference we spend the weekend at my cabin up in Eden. There's just something wonderful about fall time up there. I love being cozy and warm, seeing the lake and fall leaves, and spending time with my friends and family. Nothing beats it! I am so grateful to live so close to living prophets and apostles. Isn't it incredible? I loved hearing their inspiring words and leaving with a newfound sense of enthusiasm and motivation to be a better person.

My Thoughts As A Woman In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I recently read the blog post of a girl I went to high school with. I was left feeling so sad and upset.

The post was about how she believes men and women in the LDS church are not equal. As I read down the page, I grew more and more mad inside. I wanted so badly to write a response and tell her how I felt. Deep down, I knew I wouldn't be able to argue with her. It would not help anything. She is entitled to her own opinion. When I finished reading, a few tears ran down my face. This time out of sadness. I sincerely felt sorry for her. At the same time, my testimony was strengthened. I knew the things she said were not true and I was even more proud to be a woman in the church.

To vent my frustrations, I decided to write this blog post about my thoughts as a woman in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

This girl starts out by mocking girls who get married young. Well...that is me. To get married young was never my plan. I graduated high school, was open to meeting a lot of new people, and had big plans to go to nursing school and possibly beyond. I never thought I would be "one of those girls". I had been taught my whole life to establish myself first, then settle down once I was a little older. Then one day, when I least expected it, Weston walked into my life. We started hanging out as friends at first, went on a few dates, and before I knew it, I was completely drawn to him. I just knew that I never wanted to be without him. That is when I started to get scared. I would often think things like: I'm only 19 years old, I'm not ready for this, what will everybody think? I prayed, fasted, studied, and pondered harder than I ever had before. One night, I had the most incredible spiritual experience of my life. I just knew that it was time for me to marry Weston. Heavenly Father had a plan for me, and that plan was to get married at 19 years old. After that moment, I moved forward and didn't look back. I wasn't afraid anymore. Our marriage has been so sweet and such a blessing. Of course we have our ups and downs, but not once have I thought to myself, "I wish I would have waited until I was a little older". Weston is the greatest blessing of my life, and I'm grateful for the extra time I get to be with him because we got married at a younger age.

In another part of the blog post she questioned why men and women had to split up to go to priesthood and relief society. She mockingly said that men go to learn how to use their priesthood and women go to learn how to raise children, support our men, be nurturing, and how not  to have the priesthood. She was upset because our given power that is equal to the priesthood is childbearing. She proceeded to question why our special gift is our uterus...just a body part. This is the part that bothered me the most. There is nothing more I want in life than to be a mother. I believe that our ability to give bodies to those sweet spirits in heaven, bring them into this world, and be their mother, is one of the greatest blessings we can be given. The fact that a woman can carry a baby and give birth is such a complex, incredible blessing. Our bodies are amazing. So many things have to happen just perfectly to bring a child into the world. All of the right hormones need to be released at the right time, the baby needs to be in a certain position, our body needs to be able to stretch as the baby grows and develops etc. etc. In my opinion, it is not just a body part, it is an incredible body part. I absolutely love my job.  I get to see the joy a baby brings as they join their family here on Earth. There is nothing like it, and it often brings tears to my eyes.

I am so grateful that my husband is a worthy priesthood holder. He brings such a sense of peace and protection into our little home. He is the greatest blessing of my life. I have never felt inferior to him. I feel that we have very different, yet equal responsibilities and blessings.

I am so grateful to be a woman in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.