March 3, 2024
Gwinna went to the temple for the first time yesterday. My heart. Felt like her first day at kindergarten. Broke my heart but also made it whole, completely & totally full of joy & pride for who she is becoming in this life. I am so overwhelmingly happy that she is choosing & actually excited about going to young women’s and activities & everything that is related. She was so happy to see a girl with a BYU sweatshirt on at GCYA. Love this young woman. She is going to absolutely do great things.
We met with our (hopefully) future architect on this last minute spa day that the girls created when they learned Tia Sophia was going to come hang out with them for an hour:) It is an exciting moment to actually have some plans written out and looked at and talked about like it will really be a home someday!
I cannot remember how many braids…over 40 she said!
Hard little worker and gwinna did some for her too.
Dangerous to have such awesome antique shops in our downtown Turlock…
This jacket I got at the new common hippie place (pre loved clothes) & Halloween loves sitting on it for some reason.
Taking Gwinna to voice
Decorating for Easter in the midst of decorating for MJ.
I was NOT motivated to do St. Patricks day decor since it was all so close together this year. 2 weeks!
MJ turns 93…39…:) Noelle’s idea to switch the numbers to tease.
BLOG Provo
Plane - Hangman with Noelle
Gwinna living it up in her own first class seat… taking deep breaths during takeoff … being brave
Sia laughing at dad gripping and closing his eyes
MJ forgets to renew license - I’ll be driving ..”you did this on purpose” I tease
Ha. Wagoneer! Such a BOAT. Can’t breathe when I start driving. Grateful for this because now I know I would have hated to own that vehicle.
Creamery on Ninth- mj parked for me.
Gwinna “it never disappoints” and takes a bite of her burger
Mom kills 2 spiders within minutes of being in hotel
Swimming for an hour smaller pool- 5ft, Indoor. I like it..heated
Day 1
Girls have class in the morning. I have grow with Jo
dad works out -Ubers to a massive gym.
Swimming session
Timpananogos temple - Bridget (Friend/roommate at byui 17 years ago! quick conversation in btwn ordinances- she’s married with 4 kids, husband works at BYU. I thank her that she is still strong in the church)
Bean Museum - a better visit because Gwinna is less terrified.
J dawgs lunch
happy sumo dinner
2nd day
School for gals in morning
Nutella waffles for Noelle for breakfast (she regretted not adding whipped cream )
Lunch- ordered açaí bowls
BYU campus/ bookstore - new BYU gear for all & stickers, of course
Riverwoods
“Let’s go to blinkensteins first!” Michael Joe
Moons, heirloom art co - fave
Sad to see cozy nook treasures closed!
Ordered ahi bowls from savage fish poke- soo good
Girls wanted to swim again:) I joined them for about 13 minutes until another family came in. Small pool for another family to join.
They ended up playing with 2 boys the color game during which one of the boys picked silver, plum purple and then violet! Ha.
Flight home
Hip & humble store & giftology in the airport
Bought our new buddy Bell a toy
Me & Noelle play sticker tic tac toe
About 3/4 of the way through flight I notice Elder Renlund is sitting right behind us in first class! Too dumb & nervous to ask for a handshake
He was writing on his notepad most of the time. So tempted to try to get a selfie that he can’t see. Nope. Can’t be that person. Twas very cool just to be inches from him. Noelle noticed before I even did, when I told her she was like “I know! I can’t think of his name but I saw him:)”
Plane - Hangman with Noelle
Gwinna living it up in her own first class seat… taking deep breaths during takeoff … being brave
Sia laughing at dad gripping and closing his eyes
MJ forgets to renew license - I’ll be driving ..”you did this on purpose” I tease
Ha. Wagoneer! Such a BOAT. Can’t breathe when I start driving. Grateful for this because now I know I would have hated to own that vehicle.
Creamery on Ninth- mj parked for me.
Gwinna “it never disappoints” and takes a bite of her burger
Mom kills 2 spiders within minutes of being in hotel
Swimming for an hour smaller pool- 5ft, Indoor. I like it..heated
Day 1
Girls have class in the morning. I have grow with Jo
dad works out -Ubers to a massive gym. Swimming session
Timpananogos temple - Bridget (Friend/roommate at byui 17 years ago! quick conversation in btwn ordinances- she’s married with 4 kids, husband works at BYU. I thank her that she is still strong in the church)
Bean Museum - a better visit because Gwinna is less terrified.
J dawgs lunch
happy sumo dinner
2nd day
School for gals in morning
Nutella waffles for Noelle for breakfast (she regretted not adding whipped cream )
Lunch- ordered açaí bowls
BYU campus/ bookstore - new BYU gear for all & stickers, of course
Riverwoods
“Let’s go to blinkensteins first!” Michael Joe
Moons, heirloom art co - fave
Sad to see cozy nook treasures closed!
Ordered ahi bowls from savage fish poke- soo good
Girls wanted to swim again:) I joined them for about 13 minutes until another family came in. Small pool for another family to join.
They ended up playing with 2 boys the color game during which one of the boys picked silver, plum purple and then violet! Ha.
Flight home
Hip & humble store & giftology in the airport
Bought our new buddy Bell a toy
Me & Noelle play sticker tic tac toe
About 3/4 of the way through flight I notice Elder Renlund is sitting right behind us in first class! Too dumb & nervous to ask for a handshake
He was writing on his notepad most of the time. So tempted to try to get a selfie that he can’t see. Nope. Can’t be that person. Twas very cool just to be inches from him. Noelle noticed before I even did, when I told her she was like “I know! I can’t think of his name but I saw him:)”
BLOG- women’s devotional notes
Elder Renlund March 22 (Modesto women’s devotional - after sitting in front of him on plane from SLC to Fresno)
“He loves to mend even shattered hearts permanently”
That’s our savior.
Force doesn’t work
Guilt doesn’t work
Change permanently is to have an invitation to experience the saviors love
Ephesians 2:14
For HE is our peace
Making one new man
The thing that unifies us as children is Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice
Shel Silverstein poem
Black with white stripes ?
Good with bad habits?
Sad with some happy days?
On and on and on and on he went
A favorite in children’s song book- if you don’t walk as most people do…
Fathers love is perfect
Receptor problem if we aren’t feeling his love-
Anxious, busy, depressed- harder to feel
Tired, fatigued, hungry, stressed
Noisy world- harder to feel it!
If we don’t show people the Savior through us we need to make some changes!
We need to show ourselves, first and foremost, to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Did not want to be seen as an American first by South African “eccentric” guy that had a wildebeest head in living room.
Look at your Fist- doesn’t change the problems (fist) but your perspective your focus does- beyond your problems to the Savior, an eternal perspective.
An R rated chapter in BOM
Moroni 9-
Tracy browning
“A God of more…more than we understand”
Garments-“ I think of what I want to be covering my life!”
Convert- gospel was the light bulb for me.
Our children that are born in convenant exist in light ALL the time. At times they go searching for contrast
Be stable, consistent places of light for those who are leaving
Be warm & inviting … be the light, the source that helps them return
BE a place of light
3 Nephi 18:32
continue to minister
Our job is to love. The Saviors job is to heal.
Children who have wandered- James e Faust April 2003- quoting Orson f Whitney quoting Joseph smith -“prophet to the third power”
Feel the tentacles of divine providence reaching after them…they will return
Pray for them
Not either/ or love lgbtq or support proclamation to family
False dichotomy - savior expects us to do both
Personal mantra- because I love lgbtq- “youre safe with me “
But I’m NOT neutral - doctrine teaches marriage btwn man & woman- only path- revealed truth
Unapologetically support church doctrine while loving.
Ice cream & Dr Pepper - 16 month old when wife got ovarian cancer
Seduced by the dark side of the force and went to law school
elder renlund about his wife
Elder Renlund March 22 (Modesto women’s devotional - after sitting in front of him on plane from SLC to Fresno)
“He loves to mend even shattered hearts permanently”
That’s our savior.
Force doesn’t work
Guilt doesn’t work
Change permanently is to have an invitation to experience the saviors love
Ephesians 2:14
For HE is our peace
Making one new man
The thing that unifies us as children is Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice
Shel Silverstein poem
Black with white stripes ?
Good with bad habits?
Sad with some happy days?
On and on and on and on he went
A favorite in children’s song book- if you don’t walk as most people do…
Fathers love is perfect
Receptor problem if we aren’t feeling his love-
Anxious, busy, depressed- harder to feel
Tired, fatigued, hungry, stressed
Noisy world- harder to feel it!
If we don’t show people the Savior through us we need to make some changes!
We need to show ourselves, first and foremost, to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Did not want to be seen as an American first by South African “eccentric” guy that had a wildebeest head in living room.
Look at your Fist- doesn’t change the problems (fist) but your perspective your focus does- beyond your problems to the Savior, an eternal perspective.
An R rated chapter in BOM
Moroni 9-
Tracy browning
“A God of more…more than we understand”
Garments-“ I think of what I want to be covering my life!”
Convert- gospel was the light bulb for me.
Our children that are born in convenant exist in light ALL the time. At times they go searching for contrast
Be stable, consistent places of light for those who are leaving
Be warm & inviting … be the light, the source that helps them return
BE a place of light
3 Nephi 18:32
continue to minister
Our job is to love. The Saviors job is to heal.
Children who have wandered- James e Faust April 2003- quoting Orson f Whitney quoting Joseph smith -“prophet to the third power”
Feel the tentacles of divine providence reaching after them…they will return
Pray for them
Not either/ or love lgbtq or support proclamation to family
False dichotomy - savior expects us to do both
Personal mantra- because I love lgbtq- “youre safe with me “
But I’m NOT neutral - doctrine teaches marriage btwn man & woman- only path- revealed truth
Unapologetically support church doctrine while loving.
Ice cream & Dr Pepper - 16 month old when wife got ovarian cancer
Seduced by the dark side of the force and went to law school
elder renlund about his wife 
St. Patty’s with Great Grandma.
Gwinna. “I am still drinking it don’t lose your marbles”
Michael had given her a hard time the night before about getting out too many cups😂
Got one!
Charlotte came to play & set up fun stuff for “babysitting” the boys for a minute;)
Meeting Bell 😄
Sugar cookies…from The Sweet Life 😍
Easter haul 💙
