Job Newness

I got a new job!  Ok, I still work at The Living Planet Aquarium, but instead of doing in-house presentations on the animals all day and answering the same questions over and over, I go to elementary schools all around Utah and teach them about animals, wetlands, and the water cycle. It is so much fun so far. It's such a joy to walk in to the classes and see the excitement in the 4th graders' faces to see you. We bring in animals like frogs, toads, salamanders, and snakes, just to name a few. Soon I'll be going to 2nd grade classes as well and teaching them about the rainforest. In that case I'd bring animals like cockroaches, moon crabs, and tarantulas. The job is full-time, and pays more than the last job I had there. I get health benefits and paid time off. The people I work with are really fun too.

 Animal of the month: The Halloween Moon Crab!

Strength of Relief Society

I gave a talk in church the other day, and have been getting people asking me what I talked about, who weren't there. There is no better way to explain what I talked about without giving you the whole talk. It's about how the Relief Society of the church strengthens women. For those of you that are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Relief Society is the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. Relief Society was established in 1842 for women 18 years of age and older. Its purpose is to build faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and help those in need.


(Introduce)

As many of you know, I am a convert; I was investigating the church when I first moved out here, and was baptized February 13th, 2010. 

When I first started going to church I only attended sacrament meetings. I felt the spirit, but I didn’t know what more I was missing. Yes, there is Sunday School, which is awesome, but then there was this whole other thing that I had never heard of: Relief Society. I was taking “baby steps” when  investigating the church (I mean, for an investigator to attend all 3 meetings right off the bat is a little overwhelming, to be honest). But after about a month I decided it was time, and attended all 3 meetings. I then wondered why I waited so long! Relief Society was the last meeting, and although I was usually a little apprehensive in something so new and different with a bunch of people I had barely met, I have never felt so welcomed. So many stories were shared during each lesson that really would pertain to all of our lives. I felt the spirit hard-core when I went, and had a connection there and became very close to everyone in a short time. [If you want to know my conversion story, please ask me sometime; I never get tired of telling it. But I know that half the congregation here has heard it at least once, so I’ll spare them ;).]

When I was asked to be a counselor in the RS Presidency, I was.... terrified. I was still so new in the church that I wondered how in the world I could do it. To be someone that is a spiritual leader over these beautiful women. But I soon realized that I’m not the only one that spiritually leads the women. Every woman in there are leaders and teachers. We all teach each other and work off our own stories and experiences and knowledge, and every week there is a fantastic lesson given. This calling has definitely been something that has been truly amazing and yet not easy. I have a really hard time with names... so it’s been quite a challenge for me learning everyone’s names and a little bit about each girl. But I love that we as a Presidency make the effort to reach out and go meet with each individual girl at their home to really get to know each one. And now that I’m back I see there are a LOT of girls I have yet to meet, so this should be fun. I must say, these ladies behind me are some of the most loving girls you will ever meet, and it has been the biggest pleasure of my LIFE serving with them, and all of the other girls in this room. 

This summer, as I said earlier, I was working out in California, and where I worked, the closest church was 45 minutes away in Mammoth Lakes, and I rarely had a Sunday off. So through the summer I only went to church two times. I went about two months with no meetings, and I was definitely feeling it. Coming to church is like drinking water. You NEED it in your life to help your spiritual body stay healthy, or cleansed, or, in church’s case, more humble and righteous. I felt myself becoming less and less humble, and it really bothered me. I realized how much I missed the Relief Society more than anything. Because going to Relief Society is such a humbling experience, I felt like I was losing that more and more as the summer progressed. When I finally attended church in August, I went to the RS, and we had a whole 5 ladies in attendance (tells you how small this town is!). And although I had never met these women, and although I was wearing JEANS to church because I didn’t have any dresses with me, none of them judged me and they were all so friendly. And I came to find out that only ONE of them was actually someone that went to that ward regularly; everyone else was like me and were only there for either vacation or a summer job. I felt acceptance, the caring warmth, love, and comfort that I missed so much. It’s like a motherliness that you feel when you go to Relief Society, and more than anything, a STRENGTH. I realized that meeting with those 4 ladies I had never met that I was lacking that strength more and more all summer, and it was a real spiritual pick-me-up that day. It’s not just that we all become friends when we attend RS meetings, enrichment, and do our visiting teaching, but we become companions, and grow stronger together, spiritually. We also have the ability of strengthening others by doing our visiting teaching.

Thomas S. Monson once said: “Remember the past; learn from it. Contemplate the future; prepare for it. Live in the present; serve in it. Therein is the mighty strength of the Relief Society of this Church”.

We are always sharing stories about our past in RS and how we’ve learned from those experiences, and we prepare for our future by discussing how we can be good wives, mothers, and sisters of Zion. We also become prepared for the blessings of eternal life. And something that I have come to love, that I didn’t do much at all until I joined the church, is service. The RS does so many things to serve it’s awesome! I mean that is how it got it’s name: to go to the Relief of others... I feel so strengthened when I serve, and it’s really the best feeling.

We are spiritually strengthened every time we go to RS meeting because we are constantly gaining knowledge. Even after 50 years of going to RS, I know I am still going to learn something new, either about the gospel or about myself, every time. We have the opportunity to learn and to grow every Sunday. The RS provides nourishment to our minds and guidance for our lives. As as we become strengthened, we thereby strengthen our families as well.

I am so so grateful to have this organization, let alone this church, in my life. I love the strength it gives us each week and I love each and every girl in the ward (even those I have yet to meet). I’m thankful to serve beside these wonderful ladies behind me, and to be an instrument in the hands of God as a member of the Relief Society. I have a testimony that as we attend Relief Society and fulfill our visiting teaching each month, we will become spiritually strengthened. And I say these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bay Area Road Trip

After our 3 months in the Sierra, Garrett and I decided to take an 8-day road trip to the Bay Area and visit family we both haven't seen in ages. We left Red's, our truck loaded down with all of our luggage and a 400lb log that Garrett is planning on carving into a table, and a heavy table saw he inherited from a coworker at the pack station. So a heavy load! We left Bella with our friend Bryce, who has a farm she can play in for a week with 2 dogs, 3 cats, 5 goats, 6 chickens, 2 horses and 2 mules, and 2 mini-mules.
Our first destination: Fresno to visit Garrett's lovely sister Jocelyn. She has two little boys, one of which was only a couple weeks old when we saw him. Along the way we passed through Yosemite... so quickly I only got a couple pictures...

Next stop: Seaside, CA, where we stayed with Garrett's friend BJ. Seaside is an interesting little town... very out of place considering its location... While we stayed in Seaside, my mom's side of the family decided to have a reunion in Capitola! Well, half of them anyway (which is still a good amount). I hadn't seen most   of them in years, some 9 years, and my cousin Joe I hadn't seen since I was 3! It was so awesome seeing all of them, and having them meet Garrett, even though it was hard to spark up enough conversation to really get to know him since there were so many people.

Cousin Leah and me... Yep, we're practically twinners.

Most everyone

My uncle mike and some of the bubbies (Daisy and Max)

Joe's family and me

Cousins Jen and Rachel and me

Cousin Ofelia and me

I'm so upset because I totally didn't get pictures of Jessica's family and most importantly, who I didn't see until the next day, my grandparents :(. They are the light of my life, and I was so so happy for them to have finally met Garrett. They loved him (of course) and totally approve, as does everyone else in my family. Of course my grandpa (we call him Bumper) gave us advice in how to stay in love for 69 years (that's how long he and my gma have been together), and told us the story in how he and my gma met so many years ago. 

The following day we went to Monterey Bay Aquarium. I had never been, and ever since I started working in the Aquarium in Utah, I wanted to visit Monterey Bay because I heard so much about it. It was incredible!

Large kelp exibit

Tub anemones

27 years and I have never flown a kite. Well Garrett broke me of that, and went out and bought me a kite (Winnie the Pooh kite :)), and we went and flew it! It was so fun, and such a perfect day for it. Oh I just love him. 

 

We ended our time at the Bay and made our way up to Bryce's house in Susanville, CA. As I said earlier, he was taking care of Bella for me, and we stayed at his house 2 nights and played with the animals. We went riding on a dirt road that used to have train tracks over it, so we rode through train tunnels and along a river... it was beautiful. I didn't get any pictures, but we ran the horses a good amount of the way. That really is the best feeling in the world to be on a horse running at excellent speeds ;). He also had 2 mini-mules that we wanted to hitch up to his little wagon, and I got to drive them. It was pretty fun being pulled by those little guys.

This summer is probably my favorite so far. It was a true test for G and I to see if we could spend literally 24/7 together. We had a couple little tiffs, but we worked through them well and it just made us stronger. I never thought I could love someone this much.

End of Summer

Ok now that summer is over, I have no excuse to not be writing in my blog...

Garrett and I had a fantastic time this summer working in the Sierra. So many fun memories were made and we had some great times with great people. I always miss it when I leave for the first couple of days; it's like my second home. This year we had 53 animals, with 27 horses and 26 mules. Bobby Tanner is the new owner, and things are changing quite a bit, a lot of things are still the same. Here are some more pictures of our summer at Red's Meadow, including a 3-day backpacking trip that G and I took together.

Mariah and me, ready for the day

Atop Mammoth Crest

Our camp at Ediza Lake

Backpacking

There will probably never be a summer in my lifetime that I do not go to the Sierra and at least visit. I just love this place.

HELLO from the Sierra!

I have internet!! I have been in the High Sierra all summer, so sorry it's been so long since I talked to you... I have been, what they say, "roughin' it". I've been taking out horseback rides into the backcountry, getting fed 3 meals a day at the resort's cafe, and living in a 10'x12' cabin. I am only indoors to sleep, and any sitting I do is in a saddle. I never have much time to write, so instead I will just post some pictures of my time so far....

Mammoth Mountain

Sotcher Lake, a mile from my cabin

Rainbow Falls, our 2-hour horseback ride

Bear paws on Bryce's truck

Garrett and me at Shadow Lake Lookout

A ride in the woods

Exhausted Bella

Minaret Lake

The John Muir Trail

Shadow Lake

Ediza

Oregon and the Latest

Ok, I suppose it's time for an update... Seems like Garrett and I go on a new adventure every weekend, so I rarely have time to update my blog! So sorry...

In the last month and a half we have been to St. George, UT (southern Utah where it nice and warm compared to the mountainous area I'm living in near Salt Lake), Oregon, and have done a lot of new little adventures around here as well.

A few weeks ago G and I went to Oregon so I could show him around the rainy state and visit my family. He has already met my mom when she came out to Utah a couple months ago (and she LOVES him), but had not meet anyone else in the fam. I was a little nervous about it (because family can be embarrassing!), but he had a great time and they all reeeally liked him. No matter how much embarrassing home videos my mom had to play and stories they had to tell, he came out feeling more love for me than before. We did a lot of sight-seeing--all my favorite places growing up around the area. We hit up Newport, OR, where I lived for 6 months and studied gray whales, climbed the lighthouse and went tide-pooling, ate local clam chowder and watched the sea lions.

The next day we went to Silver Falls State Park and checked out a lot of the big waterfalls (and with snow melt coming down, there was a ton of water! We got soaked!). We attended church on Sunday and took a drive to Portland. What was so great about it (other than spending every second of the 5 days together... haha), was that it was supposed to rain all weekend, but every time we would step outside the house or a car, the sky would open up for us and the sun would come out. Amazing. We had a great trip, great road trip conversation, and next time we'll have to hit up southern Oregon and see Crater Lake, the Oregon Caves, among other things.

Recently here back in Utah, we also attended the Festival of Colors together, which is always a fun experience. We got chalkified and colorful as ever. The weather here is so bipolar we didn't know what that day was going to be like (last year was freezing and a little snowy) but it was about 75 degrees and sunny!
[Let me tell you about this Utah weather... Seriously every time we have an 80-degree day in the spring, we know that we will have SNOW and freezing weather again in just a few days... it's been inevitable. The other day I went running in the sunshine, 80 degrees, and the next day it snowed 4 inches and was a high of 44 degrees. What the heck. I can't wait for summer.]

Speaking of summer... Great news! Garrett is no longer going out to do summer sales in Chicago like he was. Instead he is going to be staying around the Salt Lake area, working with BOTH his window washing company and sell pest control out here. We are both very happy with this decision. We still have not gone a day apart since New Years when he was on his cruise, and we'd like to keep it that way. Things are continuing to progress, and we are happier every day. I had no idea I could be this happy with someone. Seriously.

The Story

Ok, ok. I suppose it's time for me to update you and tell you about Garrett, and how we met, because he's pretty much the best thing ever, (and I'm thinkin' he's a keeper...).

We met at a ward activity corn maze night around Halloween, and it was completely by chance. One of his friends (Gabe) in my ward invited him to come to the corn maze with the whole group, and all of us met at the church. There were two girls I hadn't met, and I was talking to them, and we decided we'd carpool up to Syracuse together. We yelled out to the large group of people left that we could take two more people in our car, and these two boys, Gabe and Garrett, said "ok!" and hopped in our car. (I mean who wouldn't pass up this fine opportunity to take a ride with 3 cute blondes?) The five of us drove up the 25 minutes to Syracuse getting to know each other. I thought the boys were goofy. The girls mainly talked about their teaching backgrounds, so the boys assumed I was a teacher as well, although I wasn't saying anything. Garrett eventually asked "So Holly, are you a teacher too?" and I said no, I work at the Living Planet Aquarium, and he was like "no way". He was impressed and wanted to hear more about it, and when I told him my LAST job was working at Farmington Bay, he freaked out even more and just thought I was the coolest thing ever (because he loves Farmington Bay, thought it was cool I had worked there and know duck species (since he enjoys duck hunting), and he lives in Farmington). I could tell he wanted to know more about me, but we got to the corn maze and started our adventure.

Through the maze he was so goofy. He reminded me a lot of Chandler on Friends actually. (Who just happens to be my favorite character on my favorite show, I'll have you know.) We ran around the maze, took short cuts through the field, and he was getting cuter and funnier to me as the night went on, falling through the corn. He caught up with me a few times and kept asking me more questions about what I like to do, and when I told him I love the outdoors and backpacking and horseback riding he was like "shut up now!" because he's into all the same stuff. We hit it off pretty good. He told me later that he was really interested in me at the time and that I was being very hesitant with him (I'm not a huge flirt). But he liked that.

Afterward the five of us decided to go to Kaity's house for a movie. When the movie was over, he and Gabe left while I was getting Bella (my dog) out of the backyard. I was super bummed I hadn't had a chance to give him my number or something, because I didn't think I'd ever see him again! But later I found out that he had been good friends with my friend Artie, so I asked Artie if he'd give him my number. He did, and Garrett called me within a day. Our first date was a winter hike up a canyon, something we both had been really wanting to do. It's also a perfect time to talk without sitting awkwardly at a dinner table or watching a movie where we don't even get to talk. It was so fun and we got to know more about each other. He's 6 months older than me, loves the outdoors, animals, and is very much into business, building houses, and green energy. He sells pest control in the summer, and in the winter does construction/remodeling jobs here and there, and works with his brother in their business called Insight Window Cleaning, washing windows, cleaning gutters, and debris, etc. for people. He's very much into service for people, and always finds jobs here and there. He'd love to own a pest control company, since they make really good money, and have a ranch in the country, while continuing to do service jobs for people.

We told each other our life stories, and how I ended up in Utah. How I am a convert of the church, and about his mission in Louisiana. We talked about our families and our parents' divorces, and about animals and backpacking trips. Since that first date, we started doing something every week, and eventually we became inseparable, seeing each other every single day. I can't remember the last day we had that we didn't see each other.

Every day we spend together we get closer and closer and we are very happy with how things are going and the pace that we are taking our relationship. He has a big heart, and we have the best communication. We feel exactly the same about each other, which is so nice! I feel like my other relationships were always more one-sided. But not at all with Garrett. He is also so thoughtful. Last night he surprised me with a dozen red roses for Valentine's Day, and took me to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho (a two-hour drive). It was fantastic and we had a lot of fun and great conversation, as always. Our outings are always an adventure. Last week we went backpacking overnight and snow camped on the mountain, and we go hiking frequently in the snow. I'm so happy we have what we have and am excited every day to see what new adventure we have in store for us.