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Friday Randy and I got home from work and hurried to make some curry for our friends! Caleb, Nannette, Alexon, Wesley, and Danny all joined us for dinner, cookies, and lots of laughs. We chatted about the future and where our lives are headed, joked about the good ol’ days, and spent 45 minutes trying to snap a Polaroid photo without a self timer. It wasn’t overly successful.

Saturday we slept in, Randy headed out on a run, and then it was off to Kaysville (I feel like we are CONSTANTLY there!) I went to a baby shower while Randy played his electric guitar and hung out with his family! We also had dinner with his family which is always delicious and super fun!

Sunday was church, hanging out with each other, and then off to Provo for a fun dinner with my sister, and her brothers and sisters in law! We are all close to the same age so it was super fun!

This weekend was full of so much fun!

Friday Randy and I went to Kaysville to watch my sister perform in Davis High’s “Night of Shakespeare” she KILLED IT. I seriously was blown away by how spectacular she was! She did a monologue, a scene, and then the entire ensemble performed a scene. It was all incredible, I couldn’t be more proud!

We stayed up watching the BYU game on Friday night, hanging out and chatting. It was a really great game!

Saturday we went to breakfast with my family, watched a session of General Conference with Randy’s family, then went off to take some pictures for a client. I’m not a professional yet by any means, but I think they turned out pretty good! We grabbed lunch with friends, and then went back to watch more conference, make yummy treats, and hang out with my family. Randy then went to watch the Priesthood Session with his family, and I went shopping with my mom and sister, then back to the high school to see Bethany perform again. It was awesome again, who would’ve thunk!

Sunday was very relaxed as we spent time listening to Conference, playing games, eating delicious food, going up to the trail to take even more pictures, and just having a great time.

It was a pretty wonderful weekend, and the messages we heard at Conference were just wonderful – I feel so lucky to be a member of the LDS Church.

I have wanted to write this post for a very long time. I’ve started it and pressed backspace, I’ve shut my computer in frustration and left this draft sitting here, unnamed, un-typed, for some time.

But I have a few things I need to say. Some people won’t like them. But I can’t ignore it any more.

Lately I feel like I scroll through my social media and see post after post explaining why the LDS church didn’t work out for people. Other posts are quoting sources and then explaining how horrible it is. They are calling what they see as manipulation and hate, unfairness and injustice. All about the most important thing in my life.

So here are a few words I need to get off my heart, about choosing to stay.

1. I don’t judge your journey. So many people feel that heavy judgment about leaving the church. I’m sure there are people who are judgmental about it. They may be the same people who are judgmental about me not serving a mission, or not yet having children. People aren’t perfect. In the LDS faith, or outside of it. I have no place to judge your decisions, and I don’t. There are lots of us who don’t judge your journey. I’m not always perfect at this, but please believe I do not strive to condemn you. I don’t think I’m better than you, and I love you!

2. I have questions too. My understanding isn’t perfect. Some things don’t make sense to me. For me, that’s ok. The things I don’t KNOW for certain, I believe. I hope. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” For me, that faith is something I’m working toward. So I may not have all the answers when we talk, but that doesn’t mean that the Gospel isn’t true.

3. I love you. Many people find the advances of others, invitations back, desires to discuss, rude and unnecessary. And sometimes they are. Please understand that for me, I approach you about it not because I’m worried you’ll go to Hell, but because the church brings me so much happiness. When you read your favorite book or see your favorite movie, you want to share it with others. You may find out it’s not to their liking at all, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting to share it with them, to make them understand why you love it so much. That’s where I’m coming from, and where many members are coming from. We love the Gospel, and want to share that happiness it brings us. If it doesn’t bring you happiness, forgive us for continuing to talk about it. We’re doing the best we can.

4. I have had tests of faith too. I have had things that have rocked my testimony, have made me question and even doubt. For me, turning to the Lord and handing it over to him, continually doing the things that He asks, brought me peace and brought me back to happiness in the church. There were days and weeks that going to church seemed horrible. When I didn’t know if anyone would listen if I prayed. But He did, and He does.

5. There is room for everyone. The LDS Church culture can sometimes be difficult. The people are flawed, we make mistakes. We’re human. But the Gospel at its core, the doctrine and the scriptures and the reality of God, is perfect. And it’s personally perfect for every single person. That I can promise.

Most of the time I don’t feel super adventurous in the kitchen, but there are a few times when I take what we have a try making something! A while ago we had a peach that was going to go bad, and I needed to use it in our dinner. I whipped something up, and Randy and I love it! So here’s my recipe for Peach Chicken.

Peach Chicken
Serves two people
Ingredients:
1 peach
2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken tenderloins
1 Tbs – 2 Tbs of brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon of soy
Creole seasoning to taste

Directions:
Slice the peach and put it in a bowl with brown sugar. Mix it around so the brown sugar and peach juice form a sort of glaze. Cut chicken (if desired) and cover with creole seasoning, to the spiciness you prefer. Cook in frying pan over medium heat until brown. Then add soy sauce and continue cooking. When chicken is almost completely cooked through, add peaches. Cook until chicken is done, and peaches are hot and cooking.

I just decided tonight that I should make a fall wreath! I normally buy things like this, because I don’t consider myself very crafty. But I have to say, I’m super excited with how it turned out!

I bought a twig wreath, two sets of plain leaves, a more elaborate set of leaves that had a small pumpkin and acorns and such, and a plain letter L. All of these materials cost me exactly $9.46! I had a 40% off coupon for one of the items. but all in all it was SUCH an affordable project!

Check out the video to see how I put it all together!

This weekend was pretty jam packed!

Friday Randy and I went straight from work to the State Fair with our friends. It was SO much fun! We ate a host of delicious things (corn dog, Cup Bop, poutine, and DEEP FRIED COOKIE DOUGH. which was amazing and don’t judge.) We saw animals, heard some crazy music, walked through some of the art submissions, and saw a sculpture made of butter. All of it was quite impressive! Our friend Alexon also won two GIANT Smurfs for winning some fair games, so we dragged them around during the whole night which was way fun!

Saturday we woke up and headed downtown to go to the Salt Lake Farmer’s Market. It was my beautiful bestie Courtney’s birthday, so we wandered around the market with them, ate some amazing Mediterranean food, had the best limeade I have EVER had, and chatted the afternoon away! After lunch, we went back to Kaysville to see my youngest sister off to homecoming! It was her first dance, and it was so awesome to help her get ready and see her off. It’s crazy to think that my baby sister is old enough to go to dances! She went with Jarem who our family loves, and it was fun to spend time with her getting all dolled up! Liv had just gotten her wisdom teeth out, and she joined the married CHOP OFF YOUR HAIR club, which was such a fun surprise!

Then we headed back to Salt Lake for a small birthday party for Courtney, then it was back home for some late night ramen and movies.

Sunday we went to church, then it was back to Kaysville again for a drive/walk in the beautiful mountains with my family, and dinner/frisbee with Randy’s family. We love living so close to family and getting to spend so much time with them! I wouldn’t trade it for anything.