Feeling happy and blessed

We've had a fun and simple week off duty.  RA duty, that is.  We alternate weeks with another couple and whenever we are off we try to cram a lot into that week.  We started out by going bowling...for free!!  Every year each BYU student gets one free game at the bowling alley inside the school so we have carefully chosen when to use Andrew's.  I obviously don't have one...but I think I should because I'm still a BYU student...it's just a BYU in a different state!  Anyways, we decided to go one day after Andrew was done with work and school.  I met him there and we made a date out of it.  Bowling followed by a good pasta dinner a the Cougar Eat where we ran into our friends Marcos and Kellee and ate with them.  That was unexpected as we have never really hung out with them just as couples before, but it ended up being really fun.  We even have Thanksgiving plans with them now.  Andrew and Marcos have become ping pong buddies- or rivals, I'm not really sure which.  They enjoy playing together but then complain about their battle wounds to Kellee and I the next day.  Andrew once swore he had pulled a muscle in his leg and according to Kellee, Marcos was in such critical condition that he went in to work late.  Men.

Us at the bowling alley.  Didn't get pictures with Marcos and Kellee but hopefully we will next time.

Our lovely bowling shoes...with all the crazy colors in styles these days, these shoes don't seem as weird looking as they used to.

Friday night was another fun evening because we had our two little freshmen buddies, Melody and Hyrum, over for dinner, movies, and football.  No, we were not setting them up on a date, it just kind of happened because Melody heard we were making spam musubi for dinner and had been craving some Singing in the Rain.  Hyrum was visiting from Salt Lake for food and football.  Andrew loved having his brother over to get into the BYU game with him.

The next day we all four headed up to Salt Lake for General Conference!!  Andrew and I had tickets for one session.  Visiting Salt Lake has become one of my favoritest things to do ever.  So many memories there and so many beautiful scenic walks to go on.  We like to go any chance we get.  Conference, of course, was amazing as usual.  There were many talks that I felt were speaking to me specifically about different aspects of my life right now.  I came out of it feeling encouraged and more committed.  And just plain happy.  I love those General Authority men and our wonderful prophet.  The session we went to was Saturday afternoon and the Conference Center was completely full.  It is always such an indescribably powerful experience to be in there when the intermediate hymn is sung.  The voices overwhelm my emotions every time.  I love seeing President Monson and all of those amazing men and women on the stand up and singing with us. 

Ahhh!  So huge!

And amazing!!

Young Men and Women choir :)  Good for them!

(I was wearing Andrew's sweater out of coldness...so don't worry I was dressed better inside!)

People usually stand out in front of the Conference Center trying to get tickets by holding signs and such.  This is one of the best ones I've seen in all my Conference going years!

Ah we love Conference and Salt Lake so much.  I feel so much strength and support as the thousands of people flood out and fill the city when it's over.  We are happy people, us Mormons.

After Conference and seeing my sister Mariah and some old SLC BC friends, we took the Front Runner train to Layton with Hyrum to visit Andrew's sister.  Wish we had gotten pictures with Mariah, but I guess we took enough in the last post to last awhile.  The rest of the weekend we spent with Brittney and her family at their house.  When we got home we watched the last session of Conference with some of my cousins and ended the day going to a little birthday celebration for one of our ward friends.  

On the train with that Hyrum

We played some games and tried to make sure I didn't get sick.  I have a weak stomach...

In between the cousins and the birthday though we were able to have some time to ourselves for a nice walk.  I am LOVING the weather lately.  It's finally cold.  I can finally wear jackets.  And we can finally go for longer walks because of all this.  We walked to a nearby park talked and played on the playground.  This might've been my favorite part of the weekend.  Andrew was being so goofy and making me laugh so much as we talked.  It was such a nice release from life's stresses right now.  Even the stresses of having a good fun weekend.  This unstructured time was something we needed and I'm glad we got it.

Andrew gave me a leaf and insisted that I wear it till we got home.  It is my favorite leaf I've ever had.

So, life is going great and we feel very happy and blessed.