Millenial Day Temple Weekend

Twice a year our Stake has a specific day that everyone is encouraged to go and do work in the Temple. They call it Stake Millenial Day and it takes place on a Friday every 6 months. Omar and I both got off work so we could go. My mom and Naomi were able to meet us for the session. It was so nice to be in the temple.

After the temple my dad and Naomi's mom, Jeanne, met us for lunch at 4 Rivers. Now that is some amazing bbq. I think Omar ordered a little of everything because we had SO much bbq!

After lunch we all (except Jeanne) went to Winter Garden and walked around. We had a nice time. They have a free museum and let me tell you the guy that ran the museum was SO excited about all the history he had to share.

We had a great day!

Drive that Tractor Na

LOVE all the florida orange crate labels - it is amazing how the Orange industry is not like it used to be

Dad doing what he does best - reading the paper

Corporate 5k 2012

Each year there are over 1500 employees of different companies from around Jacksonville that come together at Metropolitan Park in Downtown Jacksonville. Tents were set up everywhere with each of the  companies and it is set up to be the largest networking party in Jax. The funny thing is that people really didn't talk to others outside their company. I thought it would be a good chance for me to even get to know some other people from Corporate. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but I still enjoyed it. A live band performed throughout and after the run there was water, free beer, and pizza. Obviously, beer had no appeal to me.

I left work at 5pm and didn't get there and parked until 5:50pm. It is crazy downtown after work driving. It probably didn't help that I am not familiar with downtown. The run itself was throughout downtown Jacksonville. I was very happy with my time, it was my best so far 39:38 with basically 12:45/mile.

I took this picture of myself

General Conference April 2012

Omar and I were fortunate to be able to watch all the sessions of conference in real time. I love conference and how it motivates me to improve my life. 

The themes that I kept hearing over and over was regarding Forgiveness, and Preparing for/Partaking of the Sacrament. There are over 40 talks during General Conference each year. I can't possibly change everything at one time. Here are the main talks that meant something to me. 

Jeffrey R. Holland
*I heard his his parable in a different way it reminded me of the Gospel and how I am one of the early ones who was given the blessing of the Gospel for my whole life and there are people that come into the Gospel maybe at the 11th eleventh hour but they can have the same blessings that I have had. They can have mercy, justice, forgiveness and the possibility of eternal life. This parable was about God's goodness and that every person will have the chance to come.
*Why should you be jealous, when I choose to be kind? There will be times
*Envy is a mistake that keeps on ungiving.
*formula of faith is to hold on and the stress along the way will fall away.

Robert D. Hales
*I need to work on my sacrament preparation - let go of the worldly thoughts so that there is room for the Holy Ghost to speak to me. I can be more prayerful and make more "specific, personal commitments" for the following week.

Dieter F Uchtdorf
*"Don't judge me because I sin differently than you." (from a bumper sticker)
"*Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?  Do you gossip even though what you say might be true? Do you exclude, push away or even punish others for something they have done? Do you secretly simply envy another? Do you wish to cause harm to someone?"
*"In the end it is the merciful that obtain mercy."

Russell M Nelson
*I should be more grateful toward my Creator. The degree of my gratitude is my measure of my love for Him.
*Regarding the Big Bang Theory: "If there is an explosion in a print shop, is a dictionary formed as a result? The possibility is most remote, but even so, it would never have the ability to heal it's torn pages."


L Tom Perry
*Like Abraham faced his tent toward the Altar he build to the Lord, and King Benjamin instructed his people to have their tent openings face the Temple, I should have my direction in life facing the Ordinances and Covenants of the Temple.


Russell M Ballard
*All become lost at some point in time. The Holy Ghost can turn us back to the Savior's Atonement


Larry L Wilson
*Job as parent is to help their children establish the pathway to heaven
*They that are wise and take the Holy Spirit as their guide are not deceived

*If you are a controlling parent then it can cause a child to have a hard time connecting to and feeling the Love of God.

*Best thing you can do is show people you have their confidence that they are on the pathway back to the Father 

Dark of the Moon: Haunted Lighthouse Tour

About 2 months ago, Ashley and Jeron Warner came with us on the Dark of the Moon: Haunted Lighthouse Tour in St. Augustine. I had never been to the St. Augustine Lighthouse, but it was neat being there at night and hearing all the different ghost stories related to it. We didn't have the opportunity of running into any ghosts on our trip but we had a good time exploring all the rooms in the dark with our EMF Ghost Meter. We also got to climb the 219 steps to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and see the view at night. Something that is neat about this lighthouse is it is a working lighthouse!

History, Mystery, Murder & Mayhem

I bought a Groupon to go on another walking tour in St. Augustine. This one was not a ghost tour, it was "History, Mystery, Murder & Mayhem" through Old City Tours. Omar decided he wasn't super interested in going this time and so I invited Lise Long to come with me. It was probably one of my favorite tours that I have been on so far. Our guide, I think his name was Alan, made it interesting and Lise and I had a great time together. We are now talking about going on a foody or chocolate eating tour with our husbands. Yummy! I really like living in St. Augustine and need to make more time to explore the downtown Historic District.

4th Wedding Anniversary

Omar and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary on March 8. I had my first ever facial from a Groupon that I had, then I got a pedicure. Omar and I went to the Home & Patio Show to look at a potential new Master Closet for our next house project. Following the Show, we went to dinner at Omar's choice this year, Ruth's Chris Steak House. It was our first time ever going there. It was pretty good. I especially loved that they gave us that yummy desert. We had a great time together. I can't believe we have been married that long.

Camping Trip

I got a Groupon to go camping for 2 nights. I happened to have a 3 day weekend about a month ago and figured that would be our best bet for a time to be able to redeem it since I didn't know what the next few months would bring at work. We tried to get some people to go with us, but no one could. It was at Otter Springs Park and Campground. It is about a 2 hour drive from our house in Western Florida. There are a bunch of other local springs too. The plan was to drive there, set up camp, spend the day at that Spring and then the next day go to one or 2 of the other springs. It was a pretty nice, hot day when we got there. 

The campground actually has some springs located at it, but it was not what we expected for Florida Springs. I think due to the lack of rain they had received it was more like a marsh than a spring. We also had some canoe rentals as part of the Groupon. We didn't realize that due to the lack of rain we would have to carry the canoe about 1/2 a mile through the marshy water to a place where we could get into the canoe - I don't think so!

Of course our first meal was hobo dinners - Omar's was potatos and stew meat. Mine was all vegetables! it was so good! I had some really great meals planned for us.

The campground actually had an enclosed heated pool and nice bathroom facilities. It would really be a pretty good place for a girls camp I think. When we got out of the pool and dressed the rain began and so we spent the rest of the night and the next morning in the tent working to stay dry. We woke up, made breakfast and then the rain started a little again. the problem was that it suddenly was SUPER cold! We decided that we should just head back because with how cold it had become we would just be sitting in the tent keeping warm. As we drove back we stopped by some Antique Shops. Omar loved it and found a few things that he wanted. I never knew that he was really into Antiquing.

Since our trip was terminated a little early, I realized it would be a perfect opportunity for me to finally go and visit my old Alaskan roommate Tiffiny who lives in St. Mary's Georgia. She only had a few weeks left before she was to give birth to her first child. I went there and we talked, walked around her neighborhood, watched a movie at her place and even went to downtown St. Mary's Welcome Center and learned all the other stuff we could do there. I am looking forward to another time to go up there.

Weekend with the Spilsburys

Last week, Eddie and Megan Spilsbury came in town. Eddie my brother-in-law was one of the top Branch Managers in the country for Chase bank and came to Orlando with his wife Megan for a few days as a result. We were able to see them for most of Saturday and Sunday. We watched Hunger Games which was really good, and go to this ice cream shop in Downtown Kissimmee called Abracadabra that makes ice cream from liquid nitrogen. My favorite flavor is honey cinnamon almond....so delicious!

We were fortunate to be able to spend a whole day at Aquatica! Aquatica is SeaWorld's Waterpark in Orlando. and for all 4 of us it was our first time. We all thought it was the best water park we had ever been to. There was no lines either for the rides.

Look how empty it was - SO AWESOME!

The water was spraying us like crazy!

Megan, Me, Teya, Bryleigh (teya's daughter)

Brothers Eddie and Omar

We had a great time with them and wish they would move closer to us!