How to Date your Significant Other During COVID-19

Got the quarantine blues? 

The solution's just an arm's reach away. Here's my 14 ways to do it for 14 days!

1.) Make breakfast for dinner: We're talking pulling out all the stops. Chocolate chip banana pancakes with all the fixin's you can scavenge for in your cupboards.

2.) Bob Ross Paint Night: Art isn't just beautiful, fun, and happy: it can be stress relieving and relaxing. Find stuff at home that you could transfer your creative energy towards. You could paint a mural in the background, do adult coloring books, make a water color painting, or do any number of things. Or, get some chalk and write positive messages on the sidewalks in front of your house for passing pedestrians

3.) Get dinner delivered from your favorite small business: Support your favorite small business by putting in an order during this difficult time

4.) Host a 2 person game night: There's tons of great options to choose from. We did Speed, and I am unashamed to admit that I was the reigning champion.

5.) #Throwback Thursday: Pull out all those old, cringy pictures from high school and do some good reminiscing. If anything, the pictures will provide some much needed laughter. Bonus points if you've got embarrassing videos to share too!!!!!

6.) Create a scrapbook together: Did you ever end up finishing that photo book you were making for your last family trip? Have an anniversary or other milestone coming up? This is a great time to actually get those photo books done and spend some quality time together reminiscing about all the good times.

7.) Have a group date night through a video call: Reconnect with friends through a virtual group date. A great thing to do for such an event is play some verbal, how-well-do-you-know-each-other games. If you don't have any ideas, just google games for wedding receptions or bridal showers, which usually have funny prompts and ideas.

8.) Have a cooking competition: Are you breaking out some of your old food storage? Make it a competition to see who can actually make something edible with what's available.

9.) Have a jam session: Does one of you play an instrument? It's a great time to brush up on skills and maybe even teach each other how to play. Or, if you are not musically inclined, make a brand new playlist together that you think describes your relationship.

10.) Send some snail mail: Ah, yes, good ol' snail mail. Write up some notes for people who might need a little pick-me-up during this time.

11.) Document history: This is a crazy time that we're living in right now. Make a time capsule to remember everything that's been happening. (you can make a virtual time capsule too!) You might include crazy anecdotal stories, news articles, or even some of your favorite memes. Or an empty tube of toilet paper...

12.) Talk: What a concept. With all the family time we have, this is a great time to have time dedicated to good conversations. If you're stuck, try googling weird conversation starters. We had a lively discussion about the relative ranking of Disney sequels and the quality of Disney live action films. Quite entertaining.

13.) Have a movie night: This seems to be what everyone's doing, but you can make it fun by choosing a new one that has just been released or choosing a throwback movie that you both loved. I give Marvel's Black Panther and Disney's Emperor's New Groove both a 10/10

14.) Decorate the house: I actually did this with my roommate, but it's a great date night idea too! We had a huge empty wall in our apartment, and we have started to fill it with different colored sticky notes saying things we're grateful for. The list grows every day.

That's it folks! Stay tuned for more ideas of how to take full advantage of this very strange, very unique time.

Funny Things Keep Happening

The other day my fiance and I went and did curb-side pick-up at Olive Garden. It was so funny because as we were driving to the curb, we watched another couple walk up to the doors of Olive Garden. The manager was waiting with a smile and said, "Thank you for joining us during the apocalypse, welcome to Olive Garden!" We got a good laugh out of that. 

The other funny thing that has been happening with all the stuff that's been going on is that a lot of people have taken up walking and running these past few weeks. The Provo running trail has been pretty crowded (relatively speaking, with socially distancing intact).  I didn't see any of these people running with me when it was 19 degree outside a month ago!

The funniest thing, though, is there's this older gentleman who I often see on my runs. Basically every time I see him, he's leisurely walking down the road, but every time he catches sight of me running, he also starts running! And this guy can run pretty fast. But it seems he only runs when he sees me running. I don't know if I'm his inspiration or his competition, but it definitely cracks me up. 

Anyways, with all the crazy stuff that's been going on, I feel like most everyone has been trying to cope with things in the ways that they can, whether that be through humor, distraction, appropriate social connection, or physical exercise. One thing that's given me comfort the past few days is the scriptures. I found this cool verse in the Book of Mormon though that was pretty relevant to the current events happening right now. To give a little context, this scripture is about a prophet, Jacob, and how he responds to someone who challenged his faith in Christ and Christ's sacrifice (aka the atonement): 

Jacob 7: 12 

And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the ^apower of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be ^blost.

What hit me when I was reading this verse was that because of Jesus Christ, the world is not lost. As dismal as things seem to be right now, there is always hope in Christ. He paid the price for our sins so that we may live again. That's pretty cool! The world may become dangerous, the world may become unpredictable, but the world will never become lost. We can trust in that.

Thanks for reading! I wish you all the best of luck in staying safe, happy, and sane!  

Why it's NOT the end of the World and Also my Wedding Dress

On my last day working with on campus food service before everything started shutting down, I greeted everyone with a smile and jokingly asked them how the end of the world was treating them. (It took all of my self-control to not be like, "Good morning, welcome to the end of the world, how may I help you? Would you like a breakfast panini?") Since at the time I was working in the engineering building, most of the students responded to me with, "It's going good. Still got to finish my group project". I guess even a worldwide pandemic does not stop engineers from getting their homework done!

In all seriousness, though, it's been a crazy couple weeks for pretty much everyone. This week, I've been receiving emails basically every couple hours that have drastically changed what my life will look like for the next couple weeks. I've been slightly obsessively checking my email for class and school updates, work updates, and church updates. It's been a real adventure.

Despite all the craziness, though, lots of good stuff has been happening. I love this video by President Nelson that really explains to us why we can still have hope:

What I love most about this video is President Nelson saying "We're living in a remarkable age where we constantly see the hand of the Lord in the lives of His children." What a beautiful statement! When times get rough, it's hard to see the good in anything. Irrational fear encroaches on every other feeling. It can be really, really hard. But God has been blessing us individually, as a Church, and as a world in so many ways.

I've got to share one super cool way I've seen God's hand in my life. Friday was a designated girl's night. My roommate Paige and I were basically like, alright, we're bored and done being cooped up in the house. Let's go to DI (our favorite local thrift shop). I decided to try on wedding dresses just for fun. I didn't actually plan on getting one, but thought it would be a super fun, stress-releasing experience.

Pro tip: for anyone getting married, GO DRESS SHOPPING AT DI FIRST!! There were so many pretty dresses there and like three dresses I could have potentially bought for my wedding. The first one I tried on was super cute, the second one too, but the third one was what really took my breath away. I literally cried when I put it on, it was so pretty. I felt like a princess. I bought it right then and there. It was so cute because all the ladies who were working at DI got in on the action. They were making comments on the different wedding dresses and giving tips as to how I could alter them. One lady came up to us and asked if the dress was for a temple wedding. When I said yes, she gave me a Lifesaver. I seriously love DI!


Photo by Cherisse Kenion on Unsplash 

Anyways, me and Paige finished off our girl's night listening to Ben Rector and Ed Sheeran songs and watching part of the first episode of Disney Fair Tale Wedding. About as perfect of a girl's night as it can get.

So yeah, maybe it feels like the world's ending. I'm unemployed. Wedding plans are a mess. The economy's a mess. Our honeymoon plans are a mess. My room is a mess (although that's not a novel thing, it's always a mess). Through it all, though, I can have hope. I can be grateful for beautiful tender mercies like finding my dream wedding dress at a thrift shop or having super cute Ben Rector music to listen to. And I can thank God for my wonderful family, wonderful friends, and the wonderful man with whom I will someday soon share eternity with.

The future is going to be ridiculously amazing!

Time Travel and Fog

So yesterday, I went to the temple kind of early. Early, meaning college student early, since I woke up at like 7. Anyways, the walk there was a bit chilly since these past few days have been extremely foggy. When I got to the temple, this was the view that awaited me. 

For those of you who have never been to the Provo temple, this sign sits at the front of the temple grounds, less than a football field's distance away from the actual temple. But since the fog was so dense, it was impossible to see the temple even from so close. 

Now. Travel back in time with me...

It is April 5th, 1829. You're a good friend of Joseph Smith, and you're there when this random schoolteacher, Oliver Cowdery, shows up on Joseph's doorstep, shares his story about how he came to know the Smith family, and states his interest in Joseph's work. Two days later, this random man is already acting as a scribe for Joseph in the work of translating the Book of Mormon. 

Wait, what? 

The part that really got me about this story was the TWO DAYS part. Oliver went from never having met the prophet to being his scribe for one of the most important works of the Restoration. I can't imagine how Joseph and Oliver must have felt about the situation. I'm not sure if Joseph would have felt surprised by it all, as I'm sure he was used to God providing miracles in moments of absolute need, but I'm sure he felt incredibly grateful that God had provided help for him. But I really wonder how Oliver felt. He couldn't have possibly guessed how involved he would be in the work of the restoration. Yet, even after only two days, he seemed to have sensed that there was something different about Joseph and something special about the work he was to do. Oliver was ready and willing to do the Lord's will, even after just two days. 

Alright. Back to 2020 people. 

It might seem a little crazy that Oliver was called to serve so quickly, but the reality is, life often happens that way. Like Oliver, we need to not only be ready, but worthy, prepared, and willing to accept the will of the Lord. We can't be complacent about our preparation. We can't metaphorically walk onto the temple grounds, walk past the temple sign, and keep right on walking towards the temple, then act surprised when it appears out of nowhere from the fog. What? The temple? I was not expecting that! It doesn't work that way. 

So what can we do to be prepared? 

That's for each of us to figure out. What I will say, however, is that I'm sure whatever the challenges that appear, we will not be alone. 

Have a great day everyone! 

See Joseph Smith-History 1:66-67 to learn more. It's linked above. 

Photo creds: Me:) 

Ginseng root and the Gospel

In one of my classes, I discovered something super cool that I didn't know about Joseph Smith's family. I got my info off of the Church's website, and you can read more about it here

"Around 1802, Joseph Sr. invested in ginseng root, a promising commodity, but a partner stole the returns, leaving the Smith family virtually bankrupt. Joseph Sr. sold his farm and paid down other debts with Lucy’s dowry. After continuing to struggle as a farmer in Vermont and New Hampshire, he finally moved his family to Palmyra, New York, purchasing a farm in nearby Manchester in 1818."

This is ginseng root. Google tried to tell me that it can prevent everything from stress to fatigue to old to cancer. Pretty cool.

Anyways. Basically Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith had actually been pretty well off financially in the beginning of their marriage. They had the support and love of their financially stable parents, which helped them get settled. Then, due to some unlucky circumstances, they got ripped off by greedy men engaging in shady business practices and became dirt poor. 

I can't imagine how frustrating that would have been for Joseph and Lucy. Like, really? I think suddenly becoming super poor would be a majorly depressing life event for anyone, but especially for two people who came from somewhat stable economic backgrounds, and who would someday raise a family of 11 children. What a bummer.

Imagine, however, the effects that such an economic background would have had on the young Joseph Smith Jr. Such "indigent circumstances", as Joseph called them, would have shaped who he became. Think of all the time a 19th century farm boy would have had to meditate. I don't know much about farming, but I know that it's hard work. It's physically demanding, time-consuming, constant work. Joseph would have had hours every day to think and imagine and dream as he plowed and pulled and pruned. 

We 21st century people have a hard time imagining living such a life. In our fast-paced, ever evolving world, we're lucky if we get ten minutes to meditate every day. Phones, Facebook, friends, even freeway accidents: they all riot for our attention and distract us from what matters most. What would we gain if we, like Joseph, could take time for "serious reflection" and meditation (JS-H 1:8)? We might discover that the heavens will open for us just as they did for a young boy with careful questions and constant faith. 

Joseph and Emma

Hello friends! In preparation for the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, I present some personal musings on the significance of this sacred event.
While reading Joseph Smith-History this week, I thought Of a couple things that I had never considered. First off, Joseph married Emma before he got the plates. They were married about eight months before he obtained the plates. I’d like to think that those eight months put him through a refiner’s fire that helped spiritually prepare him to protect and defend the Book of Mormon. More than that, however, I think about how Emma was present for basically every early event of the restoration minus the First Vision. She was an active participant in the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I believe that Joseph was never meant to engage in such a sacred work alone and that Emma was the perfect companion for him, both in the context of his personal life as well as in the context of his spiritual journey as a prophet called of God.
I wrote this poem reflecting on what Emma had to give up to marry Joseph, but also what she gained. She lost friends, home, family; she lost children, she lived without riches, without fanfare, and without worldly adoration; and she eventually lost even her dear Joseph. But she was privilege to play an important role in the restoration of the gospel, and I’m sure the happiness that that brought her as well as the joy she found in her family outweighed any cost.

Married Life

She stands at the window, waits for him
To ride in from the town
And smiles when she spots his horse afar
Making its way down
She rushes to prepare for him
A hot drink to warm him up
On tiptoes, reaching for some bread
Cheese and soup for him to sup.
The door creaks open, flurries fly
She hears the blizzard’s haunting howls
Joseph’s snowy, head to toe
But his face is free of scowls
She smiles, her dear Joseph never
Seems to have dark days
Even when the the storms are fierce
He reflects the sun’s warm rays
He sits down, talks of the town
She moves to prepare for him his bread
He pauses, reaching for her hand
Preferring she stay with him instead
He is startled when he sees her face
It’s quiet pain that looks back at him
Her eyes, vulnerable and scared
Have tears falling from red rims
He knows without words why she cries
And his heart aches to heal her pain
Family, friends, and home sacrificed
So her dear Joseph she could gain
He sweeps her up and holds her close
Wonders what is left for him to do
He marvels at the price she has paid
To defend what she knows is true
He holds her as her shoulders still
She gently pulls away
She looks at him with such determination in her eyes
He knows she’s here to stay

Gifts for Him

The wise men took Him gold and myrrh,
The drummer boy took him beats,
In Paraguay, it's pakova,
They bring to Him as treats.
I, with empty hands and full heart,
Have little to give a King,
How could I match the gift He gave,
When He took away death's sting,
His birth, marked by a bright new star,
Brought hope to a darkened night,
His death, foretold by prophets of old,
Saved us from our sinner's plight.
I could give Him riches, wealth, or worlds
Could gift Him all I have to give
But I think His Christmas wish for me is that
A life like His I'll live.
After all, His most precious gift,
Is used most when I repent
His mercy makes me Homeward-bound
His love, so heaven sent
Beneath the boughs of my Christmas tree,
Sits no gift that bears His name,
But in my chest, a broken heart reads,
From Jesus:  I took away your blame.
Merry Christmas