To Jenny, Christi, and April

Jenny, Christi, & April...

I have finished your Word Of The Year (WOTY) reminder cards and have posted them here. You will also be getting a 4x6 framed version AND a wallet-sized version for... your wallet!

One more thing, here are my thoughts on your WOTY choices:


I think you are a "ROCKIN" group of girls...




...who have more "PATIENCE" than you might realize...

...who do an incredible job of keeping "BALANCE" in your lives...


...and who help me improve my "FITNESS" daily...



Thanks for sharing your 2010 Word of the Year.

Happy Easter

"Without Easter, there would be no Christmas."

I love this quote from Gordon B. Hinckley because it reminds me of ALL the amazing things that the Lord has done for me - for each of us - and for all that He blesses me with each day. We are so loved by our Savior and by our Heavenly Father and the evidence of their love is all around us.

Starting today, I will do a better job of stopping to smell the roses, hearing the birds, appreciating the beauty of the world I live in, giving thanks for the people who bless my life, expressing gratitude for the freedoms I enjoy, and recognizing the eternal love my Savior has for me.

After all, Easter is a time for renewal and rebirth, so it is the perfect time for me to be recommitted to living a life that follows the example set by Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter!

Photo Tag

I love this tag! (I know, I "love" a tag... has the world stopped?).

It wasn't an official tag directly issued to me, but while reading Tammy's blog, I thought it would be fun to go ahead and tag myself (mostly because I figured it would be fun to see which picture ended up following the rules, not really because I "love" a tag!).

So here are the rules:

1. Go to your documents/pictures


2. Go to your 6th file


3. Go to the 6th picture


4. Blog about it


5. Tag 6 other friends


6. Smile!

And here is my 6th picture, from my 6th file...

This was taken of my niece this 4th of July. She was so excited about the fireworks, the flags, and hanging out with the family (well, we choose to believe she was excited to hang out with us!). The face you see above is 100% absolute excitement. Can't you just feel the pure joy!

Revisiting this picture reminds me of how much fun it was to be part of her experience. It also reminds me that we should all try to find that moment of absolute joy and happiness a little more often in our own lives.

Now, I don't pass on tags (D can verify that this is true!) ...but if you want to participate, consider yourself invited! I'd love to see your 6th picture from your 6th file.

Sometimes He Lets It Rain

There is no doubt in my mind that our Father in Heaven loves each of us. As a matter of fact, I know He does.

But sometimes, He lets it rain.

Today is a hard day for my principal and her family. They said good-bye to Jessica - their precious daughter, niece, grandaughter, wife, and young mother of 3 beautiful girls.

Today in that family, He let it rain.

And even though the rain may continue for awhile, there will be a time when the rays of the sun shine through. That is because His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, understands the pain and the sorrow of this rainstorm and He is there for each member of this precious family.

He is there for each of us - even when the rains pour. And for that, I am grateful.

I love you, Sandy! You and your family are in my prayers.
K

Learn more about Jessica's story here at The Kaylor Journey.

Learn more about how you can help eradicate breast cancer at the Susan G. Koman Foundation.

Quilting for Others

I love being part of something that touches the lives of others!

As part of a service project for our church, I was able to learn something new, I was able to laugh with friends, and I was able to provide a service that will help others during a time of need.

What could be better... friends, fun, and being an instrument of the Lord to bless someone else!

Proud to be an American

I am so proud to be an American!

As I look at this picture of my nephew (who wants to be just like his dad, the Air Force pilot), my heart fills with gratitude and love for all those, like my brother, who serve our country.

Today marks the 7th anniversary of 9-11. What a life-changing that day was in all of our lives. And yet, how quickly that day is becoming part of the historic past.

Today at an inservice, it was noted that the freshman in high school this year were 5 years old when the attacks of 9-11 occurred. It makes me feel old to think that an event so deeply etched in my personal memory is already considered "history" to the next generation.

And yet, seven years later, one important thing is the same: those who serve our country still stand at their posts.

The firefighters, police officers, health officials, and those in the military continue to do what they did so willingly that day seven years ago when, as Alan Jackson notes, "the world stopped turning"... they put their lives on the line just...in...case.

Thank you. It's not enough, but thank you.

A Great Evening!

Last night we had an awesome Relief Society enrichment meeting that combined sisters from the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th wards and included Laurels as well. The focus of the evening: "Follow the Yellow Brick Road... but watch out for flying monkeys!" reminded all of us that although there are many distractions in life (aka:"flying monkeys"), we can and must strive to stay focused on our Savior.

Through music and spoken messages, the Spirit was strong and my heart and mind were filled. Not only did I grow in my understanding of how much I have to offer as a daughter of God, but my testimony of the Savior and His amazing love was also strengthened through the evening.

So many wonderful people worked together to make this an amazing evening! I love the members of this church! Through you I am strengthened, I am uplifted, I am blessed.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have been in the company of so many wonderful sisters, learning the gospel and feeling the presence of the Lord's Spirit. I am also grateful for all those who walk beside me and help me dodge those "flying monkeys" as I try to follow the path that will lead me back to my Father in Heaven.

The music selections from the evening......

"Come Unto Christ" by Sally deFord
http://www.defordmusic.com/comeuntochrist.htm


"Live Like You Believe" music by Jenny Phillips, video by Kerrianne Dugan

Uplifting Conversations

One of the things that I love most about General Conference is that each talk focuses on Christ and how we can be like Him and grow closer to Him. It is amazing that the prophet, the apostles, and other Church leaders who prepare these talks do so with much prayer, scripture study, and pondering to know what the Lord would have them share, and then each person listening or reading these inspired words is touched by the Lord's Spirit in whatever way he or she needs most.

Tonight several sisters in the ward met for our Conference Scholars enrichment group. I had the chance to hear and share with these great sisters how several of the talks from the last conference touched our hearts and lives. The evening was certainly filled with the Spirit as we reflected on these inspired words and shared what we have learned and how we might apply these teachings in our lives. My testimony of the Savior is always strengthened as I participate in these uplifting discussions!

I am so grateful for the inspired messages of General Conference, and I am so glad for this enrichment group and the opportunity it gives me to strengthen my testimony. I love my Savior so much and my heart is filled with gratitude for all that He blesses me with each and every day!

- K -

President Hinckley

My heart was sad to learn tonight that President Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for 15 years, passed away earlier in the evening. He was such an amazing leader and the Spirit of Christ that led him was evident in all his interactions.

What an amazing job he did in serving the Lord so diligently and so well! My life has been touched countless times by his inspired counsel and teachings.

He was a prophet of the ages, building temples throughout the world, creating opportunities for members of the Church to improve their educations through the Perpetual Education Fund, standing as a witness of God "at all times, and in places, and in all things" as the Young Women theme declares.

The words of two great hymns come to my mind when thinking of Pres. Hinckley: "We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a prophet" and "Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah."

How amazing it is to be loved by our Savior so much that he has provided us with modern-day prophets, such as Gordon B. Hinckley, to "guide us in these latter days."

Everybody should have cake -
especially on their 97th birthday!

President Hinckley always demonstrated
the importance of temples.
President Hinckley had an amazing sense of humor
as well as incredible spirituality.

December... already?

How can it already be December? Where did time go? How come this happens every year?

However it arrived, December is here! There are so many great and fun things that happen during this time of year that it is easy to lose sight of the meaning of the season: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Although I love all that is related to this season: the lights, the carols, the festivities... I hope to stay focused this month on the things that matter most, which is the topic for my Top 10 list for this month.

K's Top 10 List of What Matters Most

1. Spending time with Brian


2. Staying in touch with family


3. Increasing my own spirituality


4. Growing closer to my Savior


5. Making time for myself


6. Being with friends


7. Serving others


8. Recognizing my blessings


9. Simplifying


10. Enjoying life

So, what matters most to you? Post your response or a link to your response in the comments.

heRe we R!

So you could say I caved to the silent pressure of my competitive side by creating this blog. I have a blog, a professional blog, a blog that focuses on children's books (it's a kingdom, really, and you should check it out at the link in the Blog Roll!).

But after seeing great blog spots created by my familia to keep us informed about their days, I caved. So... heRe we R... B & K... online bloggers! Well, K is today, we'll have to see about B!

Since it is the time of year that we all think about what we're grateful for in our lives, I choose to share my Top 10 list of things I appreciate today. Hum, this could be a meme (but I have no idea how to get it started... a little research may be in order!).

I did my research on a meme and found the definition and explanation at, where else... WIKIPEDIA! Here's what I learned:

A blogger invites other bloggers to list their 'top five songs of all time'. Those bloggers publish their list, incude the memetag that links back to the original invite, then invites more bloggers and asks them to include a link to the original post.The next bloggers list their top five songs of all time, each linking back to the original post using the memetag. Each of them invites more friends. And so on.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memetag"

K's Top 10 List of Gratitude:

1. Brian


2. My testimony that the Lord knows me personally
   
3. My family (I have loved watching Maddy this week)


4. Friends


5. My sister was able to move back here safely


6. Allergy medicine (I have recently spend some time dusting!)


7. Down-time (what a treat!)


8. Good food (a girl's gotta eat!)


9. Clean sheets (aren't they fabulous fresh from the dryer!)
   
   AND....
   
   
10. The chance for a new tomorrow!

A favorite spot of ours: Baker City, Oregon

So, now it's your turn!
What is YOUR Top 10 List of things to be grateful for today?
Post your response or a link to your blog response in the comments area.