#MeetMyGrandma

The other week I went to the General Woman's meeting session of General Conference at the Conference Center. I've never been in a room with so much female goodness. It was wonderful. We were characteristically running late so Mom asked me to walk inside with Grandma Hanson while she parked the car. Grandmother walks. But it's slow. And so I anticipated a lengthy journey to our seats. I was wrong. An 88 year old darling as cute as Grandma was a fast-pass through all the lines. After the ushers A-lined us to our seats, we sat back, waiting for the prophet to come.

When President Monson walked in I remembered that Grandmother Hanson loves the Prophet. I remembered her story about President Spencer W. Kimball: "President Kimball said, he wouldn't eat a cracker without praying over it," she'd tell me, "and I'm the same way. I'd never eat a cracker before thanking God." I recalled how during her more dangerous stages of Alzheimer's, she walked the 2 miles from her home in Bountiful Utah to Sizzler, without telling anyone. When we finally found her she insisted she was waiting for the Apostles to come. Once during a Kaysville 20th ward's sacrament meeting Grandma leaned over to me and wryly said, "there are a lot of apostles in your ward, huh?"

Sitting there with Grandma in the presence of a living Prophet I said, "Grandma, that's the prophet. That's our prophet. Are you happy to see him?" In response, Grandma managed to rattle out a gorgeous "yes," in her distinct soprano, seldom heard voice; a voice I can still hear when I imagine her singing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," a Christmas tradition, that for most of my life was as sure as the rising sun.

As I sat there I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Grandma lived by faith. She forgave. She advocated kindness. And I am in her debt. Her goodness yields immeasurable blessings, for me and for all of her offspring.

I love her. She taught me to be faithful to God's Prophet under any circumstance. Thanks Grandma.

I also love this video.

Be Still

 I'm taking a fantastic Doctrine and Covenants class this semester and this week we studied section 101. This section has one of my all time FAVORITE verses of scripture. I took a moment to be still today and remember the Savior. That moment helped me remember God's great plan for his children. It also gave me the heart to tackle my Civil Engineering homework. #sharegoodness

Golden

Today was my golden birthday. I'm twenty-one! It feels so great. I love birthdays. Such a good excuse to be joyful about life. Thank you everyone for the phone calls, birthday songs, text messages, visits, and well wishes.

:)

Music

Spencer and I while working together in our little office:

Lizzy: Do you want hear some more Brandon Flowers?
Spencer: No, I do not.
Lizzy: Why?
Spencer: Because I want to show you the most beautiful clarinet melody in the world.

Here it is.

At Last

For the last three months I have been living a life of blurry white boards, road signs and stranger's faces. Today, that which was lost was replaced. And with my newly prescribed glasses I am living in Blu-ray--high-tech, sharp, detailed. So happy!

Seriously?

This morning when I tried to pick up my Bountiful Basket at 7AM my car wouldn't start. Then when my blessed roommate gave me a ride to the "pick up location," I was too early. After driving home, then driving back to pick up the basket, then driving home again it was 8:30. Bad mornings, where your car wont start and where you look like a fool for getting to places early, are hard to recover from. So, I decided to go back to bed. I wanted to give myself a second morning. A second chance.

I had a class at 11AM and as I was falling asleep I thought, "should I set an alarm? Nah. Who sleeps in for something that starts at 11?" I woke up at 11:15.

When I got back from my class, well, the toilet in my apartment overflowed. And when I took the bag of toilet-watered rags to the laundromat across the street I put the rags and detergent in one machine and then accidentally put the quarters in another.

What am I to do?
My roommate Hillary told me to just go to bed now before I cause any real damage. 

or I could LAUGH.

And I have. Lots and lots. Because none of my mishaps really matter, thank goodness. 

Happy Saturday all!

Here's to you

A few weeks ago, driving in my car, listening to the radio, I found out, courtesy of NPR, that the sound of your mother's voice physically lowers your stress level.  Whether you hear her voice in person or over the phone, your stress levels decrease. This is science.

I was reminded of this tidbit today when I overheard the boy wearing skinny jeans and a northwestern sweatshirt, standing outside the Clyde Building, answer his phone and say, "hey Ma....." I waited for a second, and then I knew his stress level had decreased.

Then I remembered my Mom's voice. And I felt the need to express how grateful I am to my Mom. For her voice of wisdom and love which she so willingly shares with me. Thanks Mom. I love you.