Weekend in Vegas

Stephen's company has had him working down in Vegas the past 3 weeks, which is way too long to be away from home, but I was lucky enough to go and visit him one weekend this month! We had a great time. I really had never been to Las Vegas. (Strange I know---living so close here in Utah) I think we pretty much saw it all in the 3 days I was there. It was so warm down there too! It was around 65 degrees which felt so good coming from all the snow storms and cold weather we've been having. One of the fun things we were able to go do was to have lunch at "Top of the World" in the Stratosphere. It was on the 108th floor of the hotel and the entire restaurant rotated which, through your entire meal, gave you a view of the entire city. It was a beautiful view and we had some exotic food. We decided to be daring and try what they called Kobe Beef. I was glad it was only an appetizer, because I didn't have the stomach to each much. It was a thinly sliced special cut of beef they served raw. We also got tickets and went to one of the many famed 'shows' of Las Vegas. We went to see 'O' Cirque du Soleil. It was incredible!!!! We sat in the back at the very top, but it was really awesome. It was a mix of trapeeze artists, sincronized swimming, diving and contortionist. The stage would change back and forth into a swimming pool. My favorite part was when they got on to these little swings. They would get going really high and shoot off and fly about 30 feet into the air. They weren't done...then they would bend, twist and turn and then land into the water with a perfect dive. I've never seen anything like it!

One of the best parts of the trip would have to be how we randomly ran into Stephen's little brother James who is serving in the Las Vegas West Mission. We thought it would be great to see him, but after talking with the mission home realized it probably wouldn't happen. We decided to choose a church where we new he probably wouldn't be at and one that we didn't have to get up too early for. Just a few minutes before the sacrament mtg started in walked James..aka Elder Holden and his companion and they sat on the front row. It turns out, it wasn't his ward, but a man they had just bapitzed the night before was apart of the ward and they were confirming him in sacrament mtg. It was so neat to be apart of that and to see and talk with him. He looks so good and you can tell he is very missionary minded and immersed in the work. He didn't quite recognize Stephen when he shook his hand. We had a wonderful time down in Vegas with the palm trees and sunshine!

Keys??? Who needs them?

As of late, I think Stephen would agree that I've been pretty absent-minded about loosing my keys. I look back now and just have to laugh, but at the time I have to admit I was pretty stressed and had to do some thinking to figure out how to break in. If this had only happened once I wouldn't think much of it, but the fact that it happened twice in less then a week caused me reason to ponder.
The 1st time: With school being crazy the past few weeks, I needed to run in on a Saturday(Mistake #1) to get a few things done. I had only been there an hour and just needed to make a few copies before heading home. I grabbed some things and went to the workroom which was locked. (Mistake #2) When I came back, my classroom door had shut locked with all of my things inside, keys, phone, purse, everything. I didn't know what to do and was the only one there. Steve had left his phone charger in Las Vegas, where he was working, and his phone was dead. Without having my cell phone, I didn't know anyone's phone number. I went through the school and found an classroom that had been left open and got on the teacher's computer and emailed him and then used the phone to call my parents. They helped me by calling my uncle who lives about 10 minutes away to get ahold of Stephen. After being stranded for 2 hours out of my classroom. Stephen came to the rescue and picked me up.
The 2nd time: This last weekend I planned to fly down to Las Vegas where Stephen's been working to spend the weekend with him. He decided to pull off the car key and leave it home since he wouldn't be needing it. Without thinking, I grabbed his set (without a house key) and walked right out and locked the door. As soon as the door shut I new what I had done. I headed into work. That afternoon, I got off work early so I could break in and get to the airport on time. I was lucky to find an old ladder our manager had behind the shed and uncovered it from the foot of snow. I climbed in our 2nd story bedroom window which was thankfully unlocked. I'm glad it was the middle of the day and most everyone in the complex was gone. I put on quite the show.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

This past week has been a time for reflection with the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley. I am so grateful to have blessed to be born in the fulness of times, with living prophets, temples and eternal families. President Hinckley was an amazing man. As I look back in my life, he was the prophet of my testimony. I recieved my own witness of the truthfulness of the gospel during his call as a prophet. He will stand as a legacy of Temples. There are millions who now can recieve the blessings of the temple. I have been eternally blessed by the temple when I married my best friend and eternal companion. He was a prophet of God and I have a tender spot in my heart for this great man who has worked so hard to fulfill this calling. He was a man of Christ-like love, strength and humility. I am greateful that he is now able to be with his charished wife, Marjorie and can kneel at the feet of our savior. I am grateful for his example, testimony and faith.