To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

"I'll go where you want me to go"

I just wanted to share a story that has been such a comfort for Dan and I in the last few weeks, especially the last few days. We have had such wonderful and exciting things happening for us, but they come with uncertainly and even at times, doubt. We heard this story a bit ago at conference but it has popped into our minds recently and it couldn't be more perfect. 

It is a story about Hugh B. Brown that Elder Todd Christofferson shared last year. It is about how the Lord directs our lives, and even at times needs to step in and REdirect our lives. Here is an excerpt from his talk. 

God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’”

Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. 

Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
“I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
“And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask 
 forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …

“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’” 

God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for the holy apostleship.


What a powerful testimony of the love and plans that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

So Daniel...Tell me about yourself...

Lately, I have added a skill to my repertoire...interviewing. 
Seriously, I can conduct a mean interview. 

Dan is in the midst of interview season for summer internships and I have been assigned as his official interview trainer. We came up with a huge list of questions from both personal experience and research, and my job is to grill him every chance we get. 

I even practiced with him on our vacation to Hawaii this summer in preparation for the Treasury interviews...HAWAII...am I an awesome wife or what?

Dan has had some great feedback from his resume lately which has led to some great interviews. As I type, he is in New York about to sit for final round interviews for a major bank. 

It must be nice to be flown to New York City and put up in a nice hotel in Times Square...just saying. 

Anyway, I digress. 

Although Dan is in New York, there is no rest for the official interviewer. We just finished a long, fast pitch practice interview session over the phone. It's crunch time...and he did great. 

He's going to rock his interview...and that's coming from the professional interviewer, not the wife.

In other news, this past weekend we took off to a cabin in Sundance with our friend's Dan, Kelsey, and Jason. It was such a great weekend of relaxation. The boys could be found watching the NFL playoffs, and Kelsey and I could be found reading and cooking some yummy meals! We all made sure to rendezvous in the hot tub daily as well. Thanks Jason for hooking us up!

The family of friends that eats together stays together...if this rings true we will be friends for a REALLY long time...Cooking dinner at the cabin

Our "gourmet" meal we were quite proud of

Our charming little cabin in the woods...

Our view of the Sundance Slopes


Monday, January 9, 2012

Last days in DC, Road Trippin, Christmas, 2012...OH MY!

Well to say that they last month or so has been busy would be an understatement. However, it has been filled with loads of good times with our family and friends and what more can you ask for?

So I'll start the catch up with a few pics of Dan and I's last days in DC...

World War Two Memorial

Lincoln Memorial


Natural History Museum


The White House

Dan in front of where he works everyday, The United States Treasury

This facility was right across the street from where we lived...it had to be documented


On my last night in DC we went to the Festival of Lights at the Temple in DC. As you can see it was absolutely beautiful and was a wonderful way to get in the Chrs



I can't believe our time in DC has come and gone so quickly. We loved being in our Nation's Capital, and Dan LOVED LOVED his internship at the Treasury. He misses it and is not too thrilled to be back in classes at BYU. 

After I left DC I spent some time in SC with my family. We did a little pre-Christmas Christmas dinner and exchanged presents. I love being home with my family and am really going to miss them being just a 8 hour drive away. 

I also got to spend some time with my besties which is always much needed and so much fun. We hit up Los Arcos and had a fun cookie exchange at Kristin's house. I love those girls!



Then it was time to pack up our U-Haul trailor and head west! Dan had to keep working until the day before Christmas so my partners in crime for this move were my Dad and Caroline. I am SO SO grateful for their help, support, and companionship on the LONG trip from SC to AZ. We had fun checking out all the states we drove through, chatted, listened to books on tape, and hit up the Grand Canyon!

















We finally made it to Dan's Parent's house in Chandler AZ. We had a great night with them eating some AZ BBQ, checking out the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple, and eating some famous cazookies!

I spend the next couple of days with Dan's Fam getting ready for Christmas and waiting for Dan to get in town. He got in the day before Christmas Eve and then it really felt like Christmas. We went and saw A Christmas Carol and it was so much fun. On Christmas Eve we spend the day wrapping, baking for our bake off that evening, and went to see Sherlock Holmes. 

That night Dan's family incorporated traditions from Kendall and I's family. Kendall's family eats Spaghetti on Christmas Eve and mine has a bake-off! We did both and had so much fun!




 Not to brag or anything but I totally won the bake-off with my chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. Or as Rob so affectionately dubbed them "Dog Poop Cupcakes". He is right...my icing job left much to be desired.

After our bake-off we kept up the Gould family tradition of watching Luke 2 and Christmas Vacation. It was a nice way to wrap up our evening.

On Christmas morning we had church so we decided to wait until after Church to open presents. I actually loved this because it was a literal interpretation of our priorities on Christmas. It was wonderful to celebrate our Savior first, and then get to the presents.
















Christmas 2011 was a great one. It was my first Christmas away from home, but I am so lucky to have received additional family that I love and enjoy spending time with.

Dan had to go back to DC the day after Christmas and I had to work from their house in AZ. We spend out afternoons shopping and getting pampered so it was a great week. Dan got back on New Years Eve and we spent it with his family eating junk food and playing card games. We rang in 2012 and went STRAIGHT to bed....haha!

The next day Dan and I took off to drive our stuff from AZ to UT and here we are! It is so fun to be back in familiar Provo. Dan is stunned that he still has school left, but hopefully the shock will wear off. We are enjoying spending our time with friends and enjoying the beauty of the Mountains.

2011 was such a busy, crazy year, but it came with more blessings than we can count. Here's to an even better 2012!