Oquirrh Mountain Temple Dedication

Today was the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. For those of you not from Utah, the Oquirrh mountains are a mountain range to the west of Salt Lake City, UT. The word Oquirrh (pronounced Oh-ker) is and Indian word for "wooded mountain" or "shining mountain". The first time I heard the word Oquirrh I thought it was Ogre, like the mythical creature in Shrek, and it took me a few times to pick up on what Oquirrh was. This is the 4th temple in the Utah Valley and the 130th temple worldwide. The temple always helps me keep things in proper perspective and see things as they really are. It's a place that has always drawn me to it and a place where I can take time to worship God and remember the promises I have made with Him. One of my favorite quotes is by Bruce C. Hafen "We must put both hands on the temple and hold on for dear life. One hand is not even almost enough." I've found that to be true we can't have one hand or foot dangling away from the temple floundering about in the world holding onto worldly things, it will pull us away from the important things in life like family, truth, God and service, the things that believe it or not bring true joy. That's why we must hold on with both hands to the temple which embraces the fundamental truths of Christ's gospel with both hands for dear life.
TJ and I are enjoying this month we have together before he starts school, marriage really does get better and better!

Friends

On the far left is Natalie, she's one of my favorite people from the mission, she's from Sweeden, but she married a Salt Lake local, so now I get to see her again, JOY!! The apron shot is 2 of my old roommates and a sister-in-law out for a wifes night out, we watched Julia and Julia. The bottom photo is Liz from my mission at her bridal shower. Yea for friends in Utah!

We were going to go tube the Provo River but it was raining off and on so we went to Bridal Veil Falls instead, my camera was on night mode so the pictures close to the falls are a bit blurry and will not be included. Notice my U shirt, I don't like to be in BYU territory without it.

Twilight Hikes and such

Our Twilight hike up Bell's Canyon

So last week I'm dreaming away in my bed, in my dream I'm snuggling this really big super snugly cat when it starts to wiggle around trying to jump out of my arms smacking me. Meanwhile my dear sweet husband is dreaming that he is wrestling an alligator. I wake up and needless to say TJ was the big snugly cat and I was the alligator.

Today was one of my favorite days! It was a super wake up call that sounded like this, "GOD LOVES YOU ELIZABETH CONNOLLY and He's been trying to show you that but you need to raise your sights higher than the 30 degree angle you've been set on for the past few months". So it wasn't quite a 30 degree angle, but it was like God got out his salt shaker of blessings and started shaking it over me like bland potatoes (I like salty potatoes) and then just to make sure they were salty enough shook it a few more times. Daniel and Lori were sealed this morning, it helped me remember that I am bound to my husband, it does not matter if he is at work or school, I'm never separated from him or from my Father in Heaven. It also helped me see that I am a part of something much greater, greater than I can wrap my mind around. I was about to call it my earthly mind but I know that my mind is set on something much higher than earthly things. I was able to see how grateful I am for the family I married into. They have taught my husband and I how to have an excellent marriage, something far to rare. There are so many people without good examples who do not know what it means to learn to love someone. Some I've decided live unhappily while most these day divorce. I know there is a better way than both of these and intend to apply it everyday. I know there is strength in those covenants we made that help us succeed at life and our marriage as we apply faith. I know that families are for us to learn and to learn to have joy in the journey. Joy in the journey requires work, all kinds of different work, but work, not ease.
As I sat with my hubby listening to the guitar teacher of his youth perform beautiful music with other people whose desire is to lift and inspire through their music I watched the dragonflies dance in the perfect summer eve breeze and thought wow this is heaven on earth. I thought of the beauty of those people inside and out, they truly have gifts and missions in life with bringing beauty to other people's life. I was thinking how much I wished I had that gift when my husband looked at me with his big shinning brilliant blue eyes and said "your beauty blows theirs out of the water", I'm grateful it does to him because that all that matters, I know I'm beautiful, but being Greek I will never have small facial features or perfectly straight blond hair, and so I'm my own type of beautiful and that is just fine with me.
We walked to the place my husband first new he wanted to marry me, a place for me that is filled with all the faith, hope, and dreams I think I have ever had or will ever have. He has made all my dreams all the desires of my heart come true and I know that God knew he would and it has made life all the more amazing. As we lay in the grass I thought God is so mindful of every thought and detail of my life, I really am His daughter and He takes care of me like a Queen. I do feel a little spoiled but I think that is a father's job. It makes their daughters want to be worthy of that kind of love and spoiling.

I've been trying to end my other blog and start this one but it's been hard. However I am just going to dive in. Currently I am quarantined for swine flue. I wish I was better prepared with painting supplies and a sewing machine but I have neither and am not aloud to leave.