March Madness!

I can't believe we are starting the second week of March. Jake and I are counting down the days until Spring Break, because we definitely are feeling the need for a break from school. There are 6 days. Yahoo! We've had some pretty cool events the last few weeks. Stake Conference with Elder M. Russell Ballard, going flying with Jake, Jake's first speech presentation in his speech class, moving our neighbor Darla, sitting through a LONG Homeowner's Workshop for school, and getting a new bishop. 


Our stake conference was the 27th and 28th of February and it was announced Elder Ballard would be coming to speak to us. Jake and I were super excited! As you all know, stake conference is on Sunday, but is also on Saturday night. Well it turns out there was also an Aggie basketball game going on at the same time and Jake really wanted to go because he hadn't been to a game since the season started. I hate to admit I didn't feel up to sitting through a 2 hour meeting on a Saturday night either, so Jake and I opted to do our other activities instead of go to stake conference Saturday night. Boy was that a learning experience for us. The next morning Jake went to a leadership meeting and came home quite humbled. I went visiting teaching and came home with the same attitude. Apparently Elder Ballard and Elder Kaiz from the seventy gave some excellent talks just for the married students of our stake that Jake and I really needed to hear, but we didn't because we opted not to go to the Saturday night session. We both decided we are going to stake conference next time, even if we don't want to.


The Sunday session was very good and Elder Ballard and Elder Kaiz gave us some great advice. Elder Kaiz spoke about the war in heaven and how 1/3rd of God's children refused to accept Christ as our Savior. He also spoke about the atonement and that taking the sacrament means we are accepting Christ as our Savior and we must prepare to take the sacrament every week. 


Elder Ballard spoke about learning to hear the voice of the Lord so you can act on the promptings you receive. Don't put off promptings. He said do what you are prompted to do, even if you think it is just you thinking. It's better to act on a thought and have it turn out not to be a prompting, then to not act on a thought and have it turn out to be something important the Lord needed you to do. Elder Ballard also talked about defending the church to the rest of the world and told us to blog about our beliefs. (I thought that was pretty funny.) The last topic he spoke on was preserving your time and not wasting away your day in idle activities, especially video gaming and facebooking. He said if you will preserve your time and use it to help others in need or accomplish those good things in life, you will have promptings and thoughts flow to you. The blessing he left for us was for God to bless us to overcome our transgressions of wasting our time and help us to find those who need our help. It was a great stake conference.


Jake has been working on getting his multi-engine certification and had been asking me to go flying with him. The last time I went flying with him was when he flew me home to propose. It's not that I don't like flying, I just get motion sick really easily, but I decided to buck up and go. The view was beautiful and it was fun to see Jake control the plane with such ease. I was actually enjoying myself and only felt a hint of motion sickness. Then the tricky flying started. Before I knew what was happening we were dipping and flying in tight circles and actually stopping the propellers. WOA! I think if I could have looked in a mirror I would have been as white as a sheet. I almost lost my lunch a couple of times. Overall I enjoyed flying, but will probably have to work up to going again anytime soon. :-)


Jake is enrolled in a speech class and had to give his first speech a few weeks ago. The funny thing is we were both enrolled in it last semester but he dropped out about 4 weeks in because he thought he didn't have to take it. I took the class and got it over with and now Jake has to take it in order to graduate. Ha ha! He was so cute with preparing his speech. He decided to do it on a very famous pilot who fought in World War II. Didn't see that one coming did you. (Jake's two favorite topics to discuss are pilots and WWII.) It took him forever to decide which pictures to print out of the guy and frame. He also took a flag for the background decoration and dressed up in his formal military wear! He was so handsome! I wished I could have heard his speech, but I'm sure he did a great job. 


After weeks of stressing and planning, our neighbor, Darla, moved this last Thursday. Darla was so worried and anxious about the move and packing (hardly anything was packed) that she had a little break down the day before the move. She was overwhelmed with all that had to be done and moved because she has A LOT of antique furniture and collectibles. Frankly so was I. We asked the Elder's Quorum in our ward for help, but were nervous no one would show up because it was on a school day. Jake and I were absolutely astounded at how many guys came to help. They just kept coming and were so willing to help. We had been praying for help, and for Darla, to make this go smoothly, and it was such a testimony to Jake and I how God answers prayers through other people. What could easily have been a 10-12 hour day of moving only took 4 1/2 hours, and I can't even express how grateful Darla and her husband Rod were for the help and support. To me this shows there still are good, hardworking people in this world willing to give a helping hand to those in need.

 Jake had drill this weekend and I usually go down south with him as well to visit family, but this weekend I had to stay. All alone. My major is Family Finance and it is required for us to go to a Home Ownership Workshop put on by the Family Life Center here in Logan. It wouldn't have been so bad except it was 8 HOURS LONG! I've been learning the stuff taught in this workshop for several years now, so it was hard to sit through a workshop that repeated everything I've heard about a hundred times. I did get to know a few girls in my class a little better, which was fun. We went to lunch over our lunch break and talked about our lives and plans for the future. I didn't realize how much I missed having girlfriends to talk to. Husbands are great, but it's nice to talk to someone who thinks like I do. It was sad to go home to an empty house for two nights. I really missed Jake and think a deployment or required training will be hard.

Today was a special day in our ward. We got a new bishop. The only time I remember a bishop being released and a new one called was my dad's calling several years ago, so it was interesting to witness this today. Jake and I have really loved Bishop Hastings and the great man he is. He made us feel so welcome and loved that we couldn't leave the ward when we moved. He truly is a man of God. The new bishop is Bishop McMann. When he got up to bear his testimony, I liked him immediately. It probably helped that he is from Australia and has a way cool accent. His wife is adorable, and I know they will be great new additions to our ward. 


Well, the night is young and I am starving since it's fast Sunday. Enjoy our March Madness update!