Public Service Announcement!!

Yesterday I was to have lunch with these girls.

We used to have lunch every Tuesday, lovingly referred to as...

We combined it with our work, in the Stake Young Women's and our weekly presidency meetings.  Those were a GOOD TIME ... so good that often Hummer and DWill would join us.

There were moments full of oohing about our Cafe Rio tacos and shocked reactions that they forgot our extra dressing, AGAIN ... and laughing!

There were moments planning and talking of our Young Women, usually all those plans included the color PINK!  Because we had all sons, this was our only opportunity to use PINK and we really took advantage of it!!

There were moments of sharing deep and personal trials we were having in our lives ... accompanied with tears and lots of tissue!

Those were precious days ... that came to an abrupt halt when we were released from our callings.  They didn't halt because we didn't love and need each other anymore. It was simply that life took over and well, life took over!!

However, we miss each other so we still get together as often as we can.  One of those times was yesterday and we were SUPER excited!!

Carolynn was picking us up lunch as our famous local joint ... Casa.  She had taken orders from us all morning, via a GROUP TEXT ... in which I, she and Elise were on!

Ang couldn't sneak away from work on our late notice (super bummer!) so there were only THREE of us.  Let me repeat ... THREE!

1 ... 2 ... 3

That fact will prove to be significant!

 I was taking drink orders, through the same group text of THREE people.  Carolynn was in SLC and passing by Kneaders.  Quickly she returned to our group text (of THREE) asking for our "dessert orders".

HERE IS THE DEAL WITH THE

My beautiful sister-in-law, Jeri, suddenly replied, now mind you this group text had been going on for more than an hour ... back to Jeri who replied,

"Carolynn... I am sure this text was just for Krista!  LOL!  Kneaders in the BEST!"

Hmmm.  Interesting.
How did Jeri get on the group text, between just THREE people?  And more interesting, how did she get on in the middle of it!  I believe Jeri was wondering this as well.

Right after, another text came through from my other sister-in-law,Tamee.  She is equally as beautiful, by the way.  She said,

"I'm not sure I understand, this must be a mistake, but anything from Kneaders is a treat!"

WHAT??

What is going on here?!

I am so confused!!
EVERYONE is so confused!!

Then another text from my niece in Arizona ...

"Waffles for me please!"

Followed by my other niece ...

"Their french toast is heaven!"

I agree, the french toast is HEAVEN but again,

I quickly look to the top of my screen and still only 3 names there ... and my sisters and my nieces are NOT any of the 3!!!

I love them but seriously, how did they enter the MIDDLE of this conversation?!  This question is being asked by, the now 7 people, on it!

        HOW??!!!     

I'm a tad bit freaked out at this point wondering how many people are also getting these messages and how did everyone get here?!

Then six hours later ... SIX HOURS ... I get this from my dear friend,

"Mint Chocolate Brownie!! Yeah baby!!"

Okay, so now it's not only family!
WHAT?!

        HOW??!!!     

Finally (not six hours later), Carolynn actually calls me and in a sea of laughter, tries to get my order for kneaders.

TRIES

being the key word!

WHY?

Because after we talked for a bit, she suddenly cannot hear me ... but I can hear her ... loud and clear ... through the speaker in my house!!!

SERIOUSLY??

SERIOUSLY??

This is MADDENING!!!!

So, here is my 

Don't assume your cell phone is a "secure line"  ... I am here to assure you

  IT IS NOT!!!!

I love my sisters, nieces and friends!! But their voices ordering up french toast and brownies today was ... well, a reality check for us all!

Warning #1...

French Toast ... and everything else ... from Kneaders is addictive (and all you can eat french toast ... although I've never known anyone who can eat more than one serving)!

Warning #2...

Beware of the "secure line thing" as already mentioned in ALL CAPS above!!  This deserves more than one warning!!

But don't despair!
There is ONE absolute, "secure line" available to all of us ...

You'll never get hacked!!
You'll never experience static, a dropped call or a return to sender!

All calls, from every user, go through 

CRYSTAL CLEAR!!

It's AWESOME!!!

If you've ever experiences Kneaders ... oh!  It's amazing!!  Especially the french toast my niece ordered!!  However,

I PROMISE YOU...

this video is better and will change your outlook on today!

Please watch it

and if your phone won't let you,

CLICK HERE!

And just for the record ...
We will be having a "Kneaders Day" with the sisters and nieces (and mom) because, oh my heck ... I love those girls and I'm thankful for the laughs they provided by entering my group text today!!  I'll be ordering the FRENCH TOAST!



And also for the record ...
Kneaders should be GIVING me french toast for this free commercial I've just provided for them!  They're not.  I'm certain they do not read this blog!  Happy day everyone!



What is Young Women's?  CLICK HERE

The Woman In The Towel

Yesterday was a DREAM ... in more ways than one!!

I was at Stake Conference when all of the sudden I looked down and realized I was wearing ONLY a towel. 

I can't really explain at what point I got into the towel, for I had entered the building fully clothed!! But somehow I transformed from the woman wearing a dress to the woman who was wearing ONLY a towel!

Not only was I in a towel but it was a very TINY one. No matter how much I tugged and pulled, it stayed the same ... TINY!!

Somehow I managed to make it through the meeting.

  Surprised? 

  SHOCKED? 

 Yeah me too!!! 

You'd think someone wearing ONLY a towel would beeline it out of there!!! For some reason, I opted to stay.  Hmmmm.

You might also suspect someone would "invite" me to leave, while promising to save my seat until I returned

WITH SOME CLOTHES ON!!! 

But no one did.

In fact, no one really seemed to mind ... well except ME!!!  

I was HORRIFIED as I pulled and tugged, begging the tiny towel to get bigger!!

When the conference was over I stood in the parking lot, in my tiny towel, and waved to the speaker ... an APOSTLE ... as he drove away.

After we smiled and waved ... and as I continue to pull at the tiny towel ... the Lifeguard and I strolled through the parking lot looking for our children. Yes, I realize our children are grown ... my EMPTY NEST reminds me every day.  So it's odd we would be looking for little tots.  However, we were.

As we walked,

and I tugged, 

I turned to the Lifeguard and said, 

"Jeff!!!  This has got to be a dream!!!"

He looked me over and replied, 

"Krista, this is not a dream!! You are wearing ONLY a towel at Stake Conference!!"

I insisted it HAD to be a dream!! 

So he offered to pinch me. 

I watched him do it as he repeated, 

"You really are at Stake Conference in a towel!!"

     HOW?     

Who does that?

Who goes to Stake Conference in a towel?

I didn't even ARRIVE that way ... I just ended up that way.

   SOMEHOW!!!  

That was the last thing I remember before my eyes popped open and darted around my room.   I rose to my feet and must have had fear in my eyes because the Lifeguard said, "Honey are you okay?"

I repeated the story.  He smiled and shook his head, making me wonder if I was REALLY awake or if this was also a dream!  Let me tell you, I was totally FREAKED OUT!!

Isn't it funny how dreams can seem so real and how sometimes we are SOOO thankful they are not?!!

Aside from this NIGHTMARE, this weekend I had the opportunity to experience a real-life, wonderful

I really did attend Stake Conference ... in a dress, thank goodness!!

And I really did to wave to an apostle of the Lord as I stood in the parking lot.

Pres. Russell M. Nelson presided in our little village this past weekend.  He is indeed, the new President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

If you're wondering what this means, CLICK HERE.

There were some AMAZING words spoken as the spirit FLOODED the hearts of those in attendance.

Let me ask you if you've ever been in a church meeting where the little children were invited to stand on their chairs and wave!

After this weekend,
   I have!!   

Pres. Nelson asked all the Primary children to stand.  You know how little they are?  Even when they stood up he could not see them.  He then asked them to wave to him with both hands. Still, those little hands were buried in the mass of people.  So he asked them to stand on their chairs.

Now picture that!!  
A hundred or more Primary children, standing on their chairs, waving, with both hands to Pres. Nelson as he waved back to them!  

I'll tell you what ... it was a sight to behold!!  Every single one of those little children were grinning

Then he asked them to do him a favor.  He asked them if they would sing a song for his wife, Sis. Nelson.  He asked them to sing ...

They sang and I cried.

They sang and the Lifeguard cried.

They sang and everyone on our row cried.

They sang and I believe EVERYONE cried!

It was a very powerful moment to hear these little children share their testimonies with an Apostle of the Lord as their little voices rang out ...

These little children, some only 3 years old...

KNOW WHO THEY ARE!!

and not only that, they 

KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM

and not only that, they

KNOW WHERE THEY WANT TO GO

I sang those very words when I was 3 years old.

I still sing them even now and yet, I sometimes forget and find myself frustrated because I am not...

Then I'm not happy ... then no one around me is happy!!

Pres. Nelson preached something I loved ... and he didn't only preach it once, so I'm taking it as being pretty

He encouraged us to

He told us no one wants to be around someone who is crabby all the time ... and if no one wants to be around us, how can we be an influence for good?

An influence for good ... isn't that kind of a big GOAL most of us have?

My little village is full of almost perfect people.  I say almost because aren't we all trying our best to BECOME that way

As my missionary son put it today,

"With the Church, it isn't about going as much as it is about BECOMING!  BECOMING a disciple of Christ is a lot more important than just going to church!"

I hope everyday I am BECOMING closer to being like the Savior, for that is my ultimate goal.  I pray while I am in the process of BECOMING, that I can also be very, very

 and while I am at it, make others around me happy too!

Krista, what is a Stake Conference?  CLICK HERE or ask me!



January 16, 2018
Pres. Russell M. Nelson
was named the 17th PROPHET of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints making me extra thankful for the above experience!
CLICK HERE to see the press conference.

Lost In Action

Yesterday was interesting...

frustrating ...

it could have been scary if we'd let it.

As you know our son is serving a mission for our church in the Dominican Republic.

Is it a dangerous country?

You could ask the opinion our friends who were held up at gun point while on vacation there!  But let's be real ... that could happy ANYWHERE!!

Our Elder Hutchins has the opinion that it's the best place on earth (aside from home).

He LOVES it there, as he should!

But in light of our friends and their friendly experience, yesterday COULD have been frightening when Elder Hutchins was online and then gone in an instant, without sending an email.

I could have let my mind wander and focus on the fact that "perhaps" he lives in a dangerous place.

Instead I chose to assume the Taco Man had stopped by and he just couldn't resist buying ANOTHER empanada.  He does love those!!

I had the option to go the Taco Man route because, deep down in my soul, I know Dillon's name tag keeps him safe!! So I wasn't really worried about him. 

However, I was a little SAD to not hear the antics of his week.

I was a little SAD to not hear how he loves his new companion ... Elder Beard from Beaver, UT ... his FIRST companion from Utah and only his second from America!

I was a little SAD to not see "haha!" written a thousands times, like he does in every letter.  He leaves you literally being able to hear him laugh.  How does someone even accomplish that?  Only Hummer!!

I was a little SAD to not hear, "Thanks for all you do for me!"

I was a little SAD to not hear, "I love you!"

I went to bed feeling...

a little SAD.

But this morning the sadness was shattered as his voice came tumbling into our email boxes ... complete with laughs, thanks and love.

We also learned there was no gun point or taco man keeping him from us yesterday, just a down internet connection.

His voice had never sounded so good!!

While reading and re-reading Hummer's email this morning, someone came to my mind.

I found myself reflecting and asking...

How often is my Heavenly Father a little sad not to hear 

my doings ...

my love for others ...

my "haha" moments ...

my thanks ...

my love?

Sometimes my prayers get so repetitious that I forget He is interested in all of those things!  Even if they seem very small and unimportant to us ... they are ALL important to Him, because WE are important to Him!

You know, we've heard from Dillon EVERY week for the past 50 weeks, WITHOUT FAIL and yet, this ONE missed week was so sad for us .. it brought tears just because we love that son of ours so much!!

I sometimes forget Heavenly Father loves me just as much ... probably more, even though I can't comprehend that!  When I forget to pray or heaven forbid am TOO TIRED to kneel, He misses me ... He misses you!

Perhaps you can join me in making this day one where Heavenly Father hears from all of us!

Perhaps today He can hear from me and also hear from

Tell Him what your doing.

Tell Him how you love others.

Tell Him what makes you happy.

Tell Him thank you.

Tell Him you love Him.

There are no sweeter words a parent can hear!

Trust me ...

And also,

if you haven't told your parents

or your kiddos

how much you love them today ...

and quick text, email or phone call

would make them smile!

Trust me...

Are you not sure how to pray?

You're not alone!

CLICK HERE for a little help.