happy birthday to marci

happy birthday marci! wanted to tell you that we love you so much. it has been so much fun being back and having you close by. i (michelle) love being around you. love that you appreciate awkwardness and roll with it. you are so beautiful. you are hilarious. you are so smart, creative, delicious baker, incredible puzzle partner, amazing aunt, and the best sister/aunt a girl/boy/elephant can have.

hope that you had the best couple of days of celebrating the big 2-5. we love you so much. glad you were born 25 years ago.

seriously. you are the best.

I had some time before church and sat down to watch tv and i chose to watch some talks of the most recent general conference (a biannual church meeting where the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints will address the Church and give messages of guidance, hope, and doctrine). I realized that I haven't shared spiritual thoughts to anyone lately and thought I should write something in my journal/blog.

There have been a lot of thoughts and things in my life the past couple years that have me questioning what I truly believe and if I am missing something—this is good to always be growing and learning and searching—and the great thing that I have found is the small yet powerful feeling I feel—a feeling i feel when I kneel to pray, listen/read the words of our modern day prophets, listen in church, read the scriptures, listen to uplifting music, do some act of service, participate in an uplifting community event, look at some inspiring piece of art, go on a stroll with nick holding hands, hugging zuri...this feeling reminds me of the truth that I know and I know that I am loved by my Father in Heaven and that He gave me this experience to come to earth and gain this opportunity to seek out truth and feel the feelings I feel of, what I can only describe as an ultimate love feeling and positive energy—I know these feelings come from the Holy Ghost and are for me to teach me and testify of truth. I know that my Savior gave His life for me—allowing me to learn in this life and repent and strive to be better. I know that Joseph Smith restored lost truths to this world and reestablished the Church of Jesus Christ. I learn of my Savior, Heavenly Father and their guidance for me through reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I know that I am here on earth to learn of my Heavenly Father and of my Savior, to love and serve others, to learn and grow from mistakes, have faith, be baptized, participate in church, go to the Temple and participate in the ordinances there, and then to continue to learn, love, and serve. I realize how blessed I am to have these feelings and that it is so important to remember why and when I have these feelings and continue to do the things that bring me the feelings of love and peace.

I am grateful for these feelings that remind me of truth and give me peace in this crazy life.
michelle

michelle lately

Just returned home from the Utah Jazz sponsor trip to Kauai with my dad. It was so much fun to hang out with my dad and have not a worry or concern in the world. zuri stayed home with my mom and sisters (thank you for watching her and taking good care of her) and nick was left to do terrible hours at work (sorry babe). i gained 5 lbs due to the amazing fish dinners, fish tacos, virgin fruit drinks, amazing breakfasts, desserts, desserts and more desserts...nothing like enjoying a free trip with free food. i had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who are very successful. i was surprised to find how kind and funny they were. There are a few couples that i wish were close and could become my besties...one couple i am determined to go and visit in seattle. hope they were sincere on their offer! ha ha ha.

where was I when the world heard the devastating news of the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami in japan? i was getting ready for bed at the grand hyatt in kauai hawaii. i am so sad for those people. how horrifying to be able to watch the devastation take place—yes technology saved a lot of people, and yes it is amazing that they were somewhat warned and got the helicopters off the ground, but i hated every minute (couldn't take my eyes off) of watching the news and watching the monstrous wave taking out lives. why does their have to be tragedy? all those helpless children and animals that don't even know what was going on and the men and women not knowing it was coming to protect them and themselves. i feel sick inside that life goes on for all of us so far away and that we can laugh when such pain is occurring. kauai is the closest hawaii island to japan and we were under tsunami warning all night. luckily my dad and i were on the top level and we didn't have to move to another room like most of the others in our hotel (we later found out that those staying in the marriot (close by) were allowed to grab a pillow and then they had to leave the hotel and stay in the walmart parking lot in cars and the store. the tsunami was to arrive just before 3am. at first i was nervous and sick inside—i left my baby and nick and put myself at risk, but we soon found out the wave was to be only 6ft. we were totally safe and i wanted to stay up and watch, so dad and i put a movie on (we attempted to watch this movie 3 times throughout the trip and were never successful) but we fell asleep within 10 minutes. woke up at around 6am to hear the "captain" on the intercom announce that we were now under tsunami advisory. i woke up thinking i was on a cruise. some of the sponsors stayed up and they talked about how the news made the arrival of the tsunami like new years eve and they all stayed up and drank and waited for the arrival—which ended up being hardly anything. we were blessed. i am sorry japan that you aren't able to laugh off the warning. i am sorry for laughing. i am sorry.

back to fun parts of the trip (which i felt guilty for). the next morning we thought our zip line excursion would be canceled, but it was postponed a half hour and soon we were sleepily off to zip line. it was fun. i was able to meet some more people on the trip as well as the employees. it made me miss living in hawaii. i love the layed-back people of hawaii. the zip line was like a miniature golf course compared to the real golf course i had experienced in costa rica. still fun. went on a over 6 mile run along beach and a sunny dirt road, layed by pool, couple of hikes and suddenly the trip was over.

i was so excited to see my little zuri. i walked in to the house and zuri gave a huge smile—it was adorable. i couldn't believe how much she changed in 6 days. she is so beautiful and adorable.

miranda has been running for student body vice president for the past 2 weeks and i have been helping her with her campaign by screen printing tshirts, making posters and banners and giving her really bad ideas. she came up with a great slogan, "whoopee vote miranda for vp". she wore our halloween whoopie cushion costume during lunch, passed out whoopie cushions and other random stuff and it was hilarious. nice job mandas. Last friday from 3pm to 5pm she was to find out if she made it by either getting visited by them (which meant she made it) or a phone call of devastation. it was intense. all the girls sat in mandas room from 4:15 on to await the news and it was killing us. every phone call our hearts sunk. soon heather and i went to the window and we saw 3 random cars parked and some balloons exit one of the cars...hurray!!! jackie, heather, mom and myself ran downstairs and put on our past officer sweaters and cheered miranda on. hilarious. looks like viewmonters are smart people and know a cool girl when they see her. i do feel really bad that there have to be losers in life. miranda said that she met some really neat people on her campaign that were running as well.

that's the update. house is coming along. before my kauai trip, my sweet mom spent 8.5 hours working on a kitchen wall with me. i wanted to have an industrial cement wall in my kitchen and we attempted to create one ourselves. 8.5 grueling hours—after the first hour we were ready to scrape it off and not do it, but we persevered and it is staying there—whether i like it or not. i haven't seen it in person but nick sent me pictures. tomorrow is going to be a big work day on the house. really want to move in soon. ridiculous that we have owned the house for 8 months and still not living in it. yargh.

happy anniversary love

look how sexy you are! man i married the hottest guy in the world. look at those lips! just got into bed and noticed the clock and it is official—happy anniversary! i've been thinking about you and thought about our song and how relevant the first verse is for me right now:

Hurry, hurry
Come quickly
And leave all logic aside
Don't say a word
Just listen carefully to me...

"The world is ours if we could only let it be"

Every move we make
Will trigger another
And every small mistake
Will be a messenger...

"The world is ours if we could only let it be
The world is ours if we would only let it be."

Our lives are weaving like a thread
Within each other, faithfully
Sharing in our joys and miseries
And all that the world can give

Always, always

In the depths of our souls
flickers of hope will show so clear
like a pearl in the sea
a pearl in the sea

(the smiles on faces born in farmilliar places
we'll build ourselves islands upon the deepest oceans)

For the last time
This could be the last time
To pull it from the water
To wear around our necks

"The world is ours if we could only let it be
The world is ours if we would only let it be"

hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry

("hurry" by sleeping at last)

i am the luckiest girl to have you weaving into my life. you have made me a better person, happier about life, appreciative of who you are and all the hard work you have put in the last five years for us. we have built something incredible! this past year has been really crazy—we have created the most beautiful baby girl that adores her daddy, but we have had some chaos with a new baby, living situation and schedules and i worry that you don't realize how passionate i am about you. you are my number 1, hands down. i think about you all the time—giddily. wish you were here in hawaii with me! i have the scenery but i am missing the most important part—you. i love you so much and miss you.

my little model