The Brightest Crayon in the Box

For Halloween this year, Matthew and I were feeling uninspired. Earlier in the month Elisa and I had come up with some awesome costume ideas, but as many say, "There aren't enough hours in the day." So about a week before our first party I called up my mom and asked her if she would send us a box of some of the costumes she has made. Well, she sure loves us because she sent us a box filled with 3 or 4 different sets: Life Savers, M&Ms, a Ketchup bottle and Crayons.

These costumes brought up great memories of halloweens past. My parents created the tradition of the whole family dressing up together. We have been bunny rabbits, bumble bees, The Flintstones, and all assortments of candies from Life Saver's to Hershey Kisses. In many cases (with the exception of the Hershey Kisses) each of us kids were dressed up like a piece of the candy while mom and dad dressed up in the candy packages.

After trying on each of the costumes Matthew and I chose to be the crayons! There was one challenge to these costumes, the red crayon (which Matthew wore) was missing its crayon top, so Matthew took on the task of getting some red felt and making his hat. It was all last minute, but it came together well.

On Thursday my school had our Halloween party and as usual it was a big hit, with many of the students dressed to impress. We had everything from the Ninja Turtles and Smurfette to The Goonies, Sean Connery and Senior-itis (a classmate dressed up as a senior citizen with a shirt on that said -itis). Most everyone brought food to share and it was spooktacular!

Thursday night Matthew and I along with a small group of our friends, including Matt Rager, Lauren, Anthony Woolf, Laura, Danny Johnson and Matt Meldrum (a lot of Matts I know!) went to the Haunted Village at This is the Place Heritage Park. It was a really good haunted house. The actors are very good at staying in character and many times jump out at you when you least expect it. I still have to say that my favorite part was when I stood behind Matt Rager and scared the group behind us as we were letting them pass us. Our group wanted to take our time and really get scared whereas others just rushed through it. When we got back to the beginning Matthew and I pick out a couple cool magnets. We have been to This is the Place before, but have never gotten a magnet yet, so we figured it was as good of a time as any.

Friday I spent the day in Layton at the UPTA conference. I went to the Neuro section and thought it was great. The experience helped me to be more appreciative of the education that I am getting at the U of U. I was excited that I understood much of the information that was discussed, especially since some of the PTs that are working didn't know some of the information. It helps to remind me that even though I am sometimes scared to get out there and work, I do know the information that will help me to succeed. It was also great to run into a few old faces. First I ran into Tasha Cunningham, an old suite-mate and friend from Dixie State. She is working for MountainLand, which is a PT company around the area and is working on her applications for PT school. I remember when we first met and how excited we were to share a similar dream and I am glad she is still going for it. I think she will be a great PT one day. I also ran into a couple of old co-workers from when I worked at Performance Rehab as an aide; Brett Bartlett and Jarod. It was great to catch up with them and I was grateful to get a few tips from them about work and what not. In a way it felt like old times, especially when I'd say something silly and they'd tease me.

Friday Night Matthew and I were invited to a party at the Anderson's house. It was good to see them and catch up on how school and work is going for the both of them. Danielle told us about an upcoming trip to Vietnam she is planning to go on with her school. It sounds pretty exciting. I liked that she was a piggy bank and Cory was a hundred dollar bill. We were asked to bring a spooky treat so Matthew and I brought poop brownies. All we did was make brownies and them squish them to look like poop. Even in poop form they were delicious. We also ran into some of Matthew's friends from high school; Trista and her husband Clay.

Saturday I went to the UPTA conference again, but this time I went to the Pediatric section. It was a little different than the Neuro section because they had multiple speakers, but what was really cool was that it was a newly formed section and they had the elections, so I was able to vote and one of my professors was voted in!

Saturday night Matthew and I went to a party at the house of some of my classmates; Caitlin, Jill and Sarah. It was fun for me to see Matthew meet some of my schoolmates that he hasn't meet yet, including Afshin who is a second year that I have been creating the ultimate handshake with. Cyndi, who was Smurfette at our school party busted out another superb costume as Barbie in the Barbie box. along with hers there were many other great costumes including Miss Piggy (Caitlin), The U of U Crazy Lady (Jill) and the Sasquatch from Jack Link's Beef Jerky commercials (Tiffany's husband Jared).

Today Matthew and I went over to Spencer Siady's place for the Disney Edition of Iron Chef SLC. We figured that since today is officially halloween that everyone would be decked out in their costumes, boy were we wrong! We felt a little "dull" when we walked in in our crayon costumes, but everyone complimented us and told us we were awesome, so we felt a little "brighter." It was stupendous food too, there was everything from "Poisoned Carmel Apples" to "Ratatouille Stew." All in all we had a great Halloween with great friends, good food and globs of fun.

New Sleeping Arrangements

So once again a leak has sprung and this time we have taken more drastic action. Our bed is now in our living room!

This all started almost a year ago, after a big storm. We came home late one evening only to find the corner of our bed soaked in rusty rain water. Being in the dead of winter there wasn't much that could be done about it, so our landlord put tarps on the roof and promised to get to it in the summer.

Summer has passed and the roof has had some work, but not quite enough yet. Early this morning Matthew woke up with a wet surprise at the end of his bed. What's worse, a leak has also started on the opposite corner of the room, just over the foot of my side of the bed and we tried to turn the bed, but with the heat on, the leaking water is blown onto our bed anyway. So, for now in the living room our bed goes, and vases and buckets replace the empty space!

My Day in a Wheelchair

For my Neuro class this semester we were assigned to spend 24 hours in a wheelchair and I decided to really try and experience what it would be like. To make it a little easier on my hands I borrowed Matthew's bike gloves.

To start off my adventure I decided to attempt exiting the school building as one in a wheelchair would have to. The trouble with this plan was that in order to get out of the school parking lot from the handicapped accessible door, I had to wheel myself up a really big steep hill. I got about 12 feet up the hill and was exhausted and my backpack fell out of my lap, luckily my friend Danny Johnson was with me and helped push me up the rest of the way.

For part of my experience I decided that I would take the bus and on my way home I had to drop my application for graduation off at the financial aid building. The part of campus that I had to cross looked relatively flat, but even the slightest of inclines made the wheels turn to the path of least resistance and made it that much harder for me to reach my destination. It took me at least 20 minutes longer to get to the financial aid building than it would have if I were walking. Once I got to the building I was exhausted and my arms were on fire, but I was able to go up the elevator and turn in my application. After doing so, I really needed to use the restroom and thought this would be a good opportunity to try out the public facilities. I have never had to think so hard about how I would open a door before. After my bathroom adventure I headed towards home, and I have never been more grateful for a downhill slope. I was so grateful that instead of waiting for the bus I rolled all the way down 200 South. I had to make a few adjustments to my route because the sidewalk on 2nd South has stairs, but I was able to take a small side street (about 200 yards total, if that) around the steps and back to 2nd South in no time. I was again grateful for Matthew's bike gloves.

When I got home there was a man at the bus stop right outside the house and I felt a little silly because there are steps to get to the porch, so I had to get out of the wheelchair. He asked me why I was in the chair if I could walk and I had to tell him that it was an assignment; he just looked at me strange. What made getting up the stairs even harder was the fact that any time I was out of the chair I was only allowed to use my non-dominant hand; just imagine me trying to carry a wheelchair with one hand up a flight of stairs. Getting around the apartment was relatively easy except when it came to getting through a couple of our doorways, past our couches and into our bathroom, all of which were too small of spaces.

Friday evening Matthew and I had the first session of stake conference to go to, so we got dressed up and he wheeled me over. It was kind of fun to see all the looks everyone gave me when I came in in a wheelchair. Most were very concerned about me, but once I explained the assignment they thought it was a wonderful idea. What was funny is that one of the members of the Stake Presidency was helping to put chairs away and I was in the way. He knew that I was in the chair for an assignment and jokingly said, "Get out of the way cripple." Well, some of the people around us didn't know that I wasn't really a "cripple", some were offended that someone in a leadership position would say such a thing. What was a little bothersome was when I overheard someone say, "Well, I guess he can say things like that since he is in the Stake Presidency." I really hope that they were being facetious and that those who were offended were informed of my true nature and have forgiven him for his silliness.

On Saturday Matthew and I had a few errands to run including going to the grocery store. It was very interesting to see how people reacted to me because of being in a wheelchair. I have never had so many people smile or say hello to me in the grocery store before. There was even one gentleman who offered me his hand basket. I was floored by his offer because there was no reason for him to offer; I had nothing in my hands, I was just looking for the bread we buy when he came up and offered it to me. At one point in our shopping spree, Matthew realized that he had left our coupons in the car, so while he ran back to get them I took hold of our cart and continued shopping. This act created even more looks and many people even stepped off to the side to let me pass.

After the store adventure Matthew and I headed off to a 38th Ward Reunion at Bishop Moore's home. As Matthew and I entered to Moore's home many of our old friends looked at us in amazement. Many asked what had happened and were relieved when informed of my class project. Later in the evening when a few new people arrived and before I was able to explain my assignment, one of my friends told the late arrivals that I had been in an accident and they came up to me with questions and concerns. When I informed them that a lie had been told, they gave my other friend a hard time.

All in all the experience was a very good one. It was interesting to see the response that people had just because of my walking ability. There were times that I felt that people thought that my thinking or comprehension was also impaired. I wonder why we has human beings link those together? Another thing I learned was that my arms are pretty weak and if I have any chance at surviving in a wheelchair I need to go pump some iron.

My Lips are Sealed

So last night Matthew was joking around and inadvertently said something to make me think that he thinks I talk too much. Well, I knew he was just teasing and didn't really mean to make me feel that way, but just to tease him back I decided not to utter another word for the rest of the evening. It actually turned out to be quite comical and we learned that Matthew can tell what I am thinking at times and can read my lips relatively well.

We "talked" a bunch of nonsense at first, our typical things like "Well, when you've been married as long as we have!" and Matthew was able to say what I was thinking when I just made a small gesture and he was able to pick up on my sarcasm. We eventually got to our scripture study section and were able to have a good "discussion" on what we were studying. All in all it was a fun evening that I felt brought us a little closer together. Sometimes all you need is a little silliness.

Fall Has Fallen Upon Us

This last week was officially my last fall break in school. The beginning of my week was spent accomplishing some school assignments and relaxing and then Matthew, the Taylors and I headed down to Zion for a long weekend.

On Tuesday I went to a clinic called Neuroworx for an assignment in my Neuro Rehab class. It was cool to see what I have been learning applied in real life. In school I have been learning and practicing gait training on a treadmill. I not only was able to observe this at the clinic, but they let me try with a patient. I was also able to observe the same sort of training with an individual walking on a treadmill in a therapeutic pool. It was amazing to watch the therapist use her feet to cue the patient in the same ways I had been learning to cue with my hands.

Later that evening Matthew and I drove up to Ogden to go to the Ogden Temple with Elisa and Alex. I am very impressed with them for making it a goal to go to the temple each week. We decided to go with them since I was on break and because neither Matthew or I have been to that temple. We were also joined by some of Elisa and Alex's friends from their ward. It was a very enjoyable session and it was nice to be in the temple with more family again. I imagine that heaven will be similar to the times I have experienced family with me in the temple. You can't help but feel joy.


On Wednesday I was able to go to the ALS Clinic for another observation. This setting was unlike any other I have been to before. The therapist I followed explained to me that because of the nature of ALS, this clinic was set up to perform more consultations than typical therapy sessions. It was interesting to see so many patients at one time in so many different stages of a disease. It was also interesting to see how the disease affected each one of them so differently in regards to where it affected them and how fast the disease was progressing.

Early in the week Matthew found out that his boss Scott would let him take an RV for the weekend. Matthew was a little surprised at this because he thought it would be too far to go without paying for miles. So we called Liz and Zac to ask them what they thought of having an RV instead of going in tents and of course they thought it would be fun, especially for the kids. Wednesday night after work, Matthew and I packed up our stuff in an RV and headed to the Taylors for the night. When we go there the kids were already in bed so we took the opportunity to help Liz and Zac finish packing and then we all headed off to bed.


The next morning it was fun to see the kids so excited about the RV. They all came outside and immediately started to explore. Soon we had a yummy waffle breakfast and were off on our adventure. Matthew started off driving and Zac sat up front with him while Liz and I were in back with the kids. Once we hit the freeway the kids wanted to watch a movie on the cool TV screen, so I put in "The Emperor's New Groove." Liz and I thought about playing a game, but I suddenly felt pooped and took a nap instead. After the movie was over Liz and I started lunch for everyone; bagels and cream cheese, oranges and Wheat Thins. We had to peel the oranges so that the peels would still be in one piece with the exception of the top we cut for it so that we could use the peels to make orange muffins later that night. It was a lot of work, but the kids even tried to help soften the peels and eat the fruit.

When we were just outside of Cedar City we stopped for gas and a leg stretch. The kids were excited when Liz gave each of them 25 cents to spend in one of the coin machines. They each chose some type of candy.

When we finally got to Zion, Liz hopped out of the RV to see if there were any "walk-ins" needinga camp ground. Her and a friend had reserved two spots, but at the last minute her friend's children got sick. Liz discovered that it wasn't worth canceling the reservation fee and decided to try her luck at giving it to someone else. I couldn't believe it at first, but the people in the first car Liz walked up to needed a reservation for one night and the people in the second car she walked up to needed the second reservation, so luck was on our side.

After confusing the park rangers silly we headed to our camping spot. Once the RV was hooked up, we all unloaded the bikes and took a ride on the Pa'rus Trail. Now I haven't been biking in a long time, but even I was able to enjoy this ride. It was the perfect temperature outside and the view was beautiful.

When we got back to camp we cleaned up and enjoyed some crock pot chicken that had been cooking while we were driving in the RV all day (just one more perk of the RV this weekend). With the chicken we had some yummy homemade coleslaw, rice and a few fire roasted red peppers with Italian dressing on them. It was one mighty fine meal. We had some left overs, but we needed the bowl that the coleslaw was in to whip up dessert, so Liz came up with the idea to bring our left overs to the two girls who we had given a camp site to. It was fun to do and the girls were grateful for the food, especially since when we walked over it was already getting dark and they were just trying to start their food. After dropping off the food, we made the blueberry muffins in the orange peels and they were goooood. We also gave a couple muffins to our new camp friends and in return they brought over some Japanese candy which everyone enjoyed. The Taylors especially liked the candies that fizzled.

On Friday morning we woke up and had some Mess and our camping friends gave James two mini bananas to add to the yummy fruit selection.The boys also enjoyed having some of the yogurt and granola that Aunt Kara and Uncle Matt brought to share. After breakfast, Matthew, Cole and I headed out to hike Angels Landing while Liz and Zac took the rest of the chillins on a bike ride and then to explore some of the less strenuous hikes in the park.

The beginning of Angels Landing did not start off too rough, but not too long after we started we were huffing and puffing up some hard core switchbacks. I believe there was one point in the hike were I threatened Matthew. It's not that I don't enjoy hiking, it's more of the fact that I haven't been hiking all summer and I am not in very good shape, so there were parts that were less than enjoyable, but soon we got in a rhythm and we were all enjoying the beautiful scenes. During the hike I took many pictures which is pretty typical, but Cole also took some for a "Reflections" project that his school was doing. The theme of the project was something to the effect of "Together We Can" and Cole came up with the idea of helping each other to climb up the mountain. He took a couple of pictures of Matthew helping me climb up some big rocks and had me take pictures of him helping Matthew up and I have to say that I think Cole has quite the eye for pictures. He also took a picture of some hanging Prickly Pears. It was a lot of fun for Matthew and I to spend some time with Cole. It is amazing how fast he has grown since I met him 3 or so years ago. He and his siblings are so smart and I am almost certain that he knows more than I did at his age. I could say this for all my nieces and nephews. I am blown away with their smarts.

There is one part of the hike that we got to called "Walter's Wiggles" and we had been told by another hiker that he was told that there were 21 "wiggles" or mini switchbacks, so all the way up the wiggles we counted and our fellow hiker was right. Right after the wiggles we had to stop for a short break and while enjoying a few snacks we watched a crazy chipmunk and overheard some other hikers talking about a condor hanging around just around the bend. So, we were off to see the condor. We got a picture from far away and I am glad we did because just as we got close to the condor it took flight. Although I didn't catch it on camera, it was an amazing sight to see this huge bird.

After passing the bird we started off towards the chain section of the hike and I didn't think that I was fearful of heights, but I have to say that there were some moments that I was fearful for my life, specifically at the point when there was a 1200 ft drop on one side of me and a 900 ft drop on the other. In the end we made it up safe and it was worth the huffing and puffing and fear of falling.

After our hike we tried to call Liz so that we could meet up with her and the others, but were unsuccessful in our dialing quest, so after resting for awhile we decided to ride the shuttle. While we were on the bus we heard a description about the short hike to Weeping Rock and decided that even if the others weren't there it was one we could handle.

As we were crossing the bridge to the trailhead Cole looked down at some of the people playing in the creek and low and behold the rest of the Taylor clan was there! So, we hiked it together. Come to find out, Liz said that the phone didn't seem to have reception so she turned it off to save the battery.

After Weeping Rock we decided to make one last trip to the the beginning of the Narrows hike to see some of the cool balancing rocks that Spencer and James saw and built by the river earlier in the day. Liz was sad when we got there because many of the formations had been knocked down, but we managed to have a good time building a few ourselves and throwing rocks into the river. When we got back to camp we cleaned up and prepared a good, old fashioned weenie roast. Along with the dogs we also had salads and more roasted red peppers. And of course after dinner we roasted marshmallows and had fudge striped cookies to make s'mores.

Saturday we woke up and had some scrumptious pancakes and started packing up to head home. When everything was almost ready to go Liz and I took the kids for another bike ride while Matthew and Zac dumped the RV and filled it with just enough water to make it home. After our little bike ride we met back up with the boys and decided to do one last hike. On the way to the shuttle station Matthew and I stopped at the visitor's center to look at magnets. Of course everyone else followed and while inside we saw some pretty cool posters of the park, including a few of Angels Landing. Liz and Zac thought about getting one for the boys' room, but decided it wouldn't be fair to the others to get something that was really more for Cole than anyone else.

We decided to hike to Emerald Pools. There are three spots along the trail, but we only went to the first two. The first looked like a natural amphitheater to me. There was just a small, muddy path that ran around where the actual pool was, then a bunch of stairs to the second set of pools which is where we spent most of our time. Spencer even got his little boat our to float along the little creek and in one of the pools. I think it is safe to say that we all had a good time. When we came back, Matthew and I went into the Zion Lodge to make sure there wasn't any better magnets there than at the visitor's center, and boy are we glad we did. We ended up getting a pretty cool rock magnet that was more unique than your typical magnet. After our short shop stop we headed back home. On the way back the kids watched "Silly Symphonies", Cole and Matthew played "Monopoly Junior" and Liz read some bedtime stories to James and Maddy.

After dropping the Taylors at home Matthew and I decided to drop the RV back off at the dealership and take one of the work trucks home, but when we got there, Matthew realized that the key to the room where the keys are stored was not in its correct place and he was unable to locate it. He figured that one of his coworkers had it in a pocket. So tired and a little distraught we headed towards our home with the RV. Lucky for us we found a spot on our street to park, which we weren't expecting to happen and before long we were tucked in bed.

Typing and Searching

This last year I have taken on the challenge of helping a resident in our Branch at church type up a novel that he and his brother have written. It has been a long process and I feel bad that it has been slower than I would have liked, at least on my end, but I am excited to say that this weekend Matthew and I went over to Carl's home and finished the final edits of the book. We were there most of the day and although it was tedious it was enjoyable.

Later Saturday night Matthew and I had plans with our friends Cory and Danielle. The plan was for them to come over after a wedding reception and we would play some games. About an hour before we were expecting them Elisa and Alex called wondering if we would like to attempt to go geocaching again since they had just bought a handheld GPS. We thought it would be fun so we told them to head on down. When they arrived it as already starting to get dark and the Andersons had not arrived, so we watched some TV and chatted while waiting. Once Cory and Danielle arrived it was pretty dark, but we wanted to find a cache anyway, so we picked a few caches close by and were off.

The first cache was only 2 blocks away from our home and it came with a clue that said something to the effect of, the cache is by the post under a big rock. Well, there was a post and rocks indeed, so many rocks in fact that we weren't sure which rock it was under and after digging around in the dark for 10 or 15 minutes we decided to move on.

The second cache was also only a few blocks away and came with a clue. The clue it came with stated that the cache was in the landscaping on the west side of a mirrored building. There were two mirrored buildings in the area so we split up. Alex, Elisa and Matthew picked the right building and called us over a few minutes later to open our very first cache! It had all sorts of random little trinkets inside and we added a couple of batteries to the mix.

Excited by finally finding our first cache we headed to the last one of the night in high spirits. This cache was located right by Trolley Square. We searched and searched, but to no avail, so we headed home a little disappointed.

When we arrived back home we put some yummy treats in the oven and chatted while they baked. Unfortunately, Alex and Elisa had to start back towards home before the treats were complete, but we were glad they could come and help us explore the neighborhood around us. Who knew there were so many hidden treasures around us.

Conference weekend

Conference weekend has come upon us again! And in the fall it always seems to be a much busier time of year. I love conference, the only problem that I encounter with it, is that without fail I have midterms the week after and studying between sessions is a hard thing to pull off, but somehow I always manage to pull through.

About 10 days before conference Matthew and I got a call from a couple of Matthew's mission buddies inquiring about a reunion. There was not one planned, but a few were itching to have one. I thought it would be best to wait until the spring so that more time could be committed to making it nice, but others insisted on having one and so it was thrown together in a hurry.

On Friday night the plan was to go to Justin Jay Kofford's parents' home for the get together and have some Danish desserts. At about 3 that afternoon I received a text message from Matthew stating that he was asked if we could possibly bring some finger food and that we were expecting 15-30 people. My heart began to race. What was I going to do for that many people, at this short of notice, on a limited budget? After counseling with a few participants we decided it would be funny to bring a bunch of chicken nuggets from McDonalds. Now I am not a fan of this dining facility in the least bit, but it was close, they had a rockin' deal and again, it was last minute.

When we arrived at the house, there were only 12 people there and we realized that we got way too many chicken nuggets, but we laughed about it and enjoyed talking and catching up with everyone. I have met a handful of Matthew's old companions and have become good friends with a few, so it was nice to chat for awhile. I was even able to meet a few new faces and it was cool when we made some connections. Elder Whipple lived with Matthew while in Denmark and he has a brother that is a physical therapist at the VA hospital near my school. I asked him his brother's first name and realized that he is the same PT that taught a couple of the labs for my therapeutic exercise class. It was fun to be able to talk with him, and Matthew and I are hoping to go on a double date with him soon.

On Saturday Matthew and I watched the first two sessions of conference at home, both were great and of course one of the most memorable talks was by Elder Holland. For much of his address he expressed gratitude for all the work each of the members does to live and spread the gospel. There was a particularly touching moment when he thanked his mother for all the things that she had done for him; it brought tears to our eyes. After the second session Matthew's dad picked him up and they went up to Ogden to watch the Priesthood session with Pete. Alex was going to join them, but in a last minute mix up with his family ended up watching it at a church closer to his house. I also went up to Ogden and spent some time with Elisa while the men were in the session. Elisa and I walked to the Wendy's right next door to her apartment and enjoyed chicken sandwiches, some fries and a frosty together.

When the men returned, Matthew and I headed towards the Mountain Green area for my friend, Rosie's, After Wedding Party. Rosie looked even more gorgeous than normal and although I didn't get to see her in her wedding dress, she was wearing a cute white cocktail dress. Matthew and I spent time mingling with some of my grad school friends and eating the yummy finger foods provided; the food had a Mexican theme which included chips and salsa, taquitos and quesadillas. At the end of the night we dropped a couple of our friends off at the hotel they were staying at and then headed back to Elisa and Alex's place for the night.

Sunday morning we had waffles and watched the morning session of conference with Alex, Elisa and their friends, Sam and Colette, on our laptops. Elder Packer's talk struck each of us and has since gained a lot of attention. What we heard Elder Packer say was that some individuals feel that they are preset (in terms of sexual inclination) and unable to overcome those inclinations. He continued by saying that this is not the case, the Lord would not allow us to be unable to overcome any of our temptations whether or not they are inborn or not, to say otherwise is saying that the Lord is limited. He then quoted the scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which states, "God..will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Matthew and I have re-listened and reread the talk and understand how some could have confused his words. Many have become upset because they feel that Elder Packer was saying that they Lord would not allow individuals to have an inborn feeling of "unnatural inclinations," and although he may have that opinion (I do not know) I do not believe this is what he was insinuating, but rather he was stating that the Lord has the power and will help us to overcome any and all of our temptations if we will turn to him. In my mind it does not matter whether those feelings are inborn or not, the same could be said of many other temptations, but it does not change the fact that the Lord says that acting on those feelings is wrong and that he can help us to overcome them through him.

After the first session, Matthew and I headed down to his parent's home for the last session of conference. The last session also had many great talks including that of Elder Bednar where he reiterated the idea that in order to have to Holy Ghost working in our lives we must act and not merely wait to be acted upon. After the session, some of the rest of Matthew's family came over for waffles...yes we had waffles for breakfast and dinner...and we played a few games. It was a great weekend.