{missionary work}

Last night an amazing meeting was held here at the Marriott Center {watch here}. My sister Alison was in the missionary choir and they zoomed right in on here at the end of the first song {minute 3:32}!

Before it started, Travis and I got there pretty early and the choir was practicing. Travis got out his binoculars {yes he brought them to find Ali} and we spotted her right away near the bottom right across from us. Then at 3:00pm they told the missionaries they had a 30 minute break to use the bathroom etc., and to be in their seats at 3:30pm. So, without even thinking I blurted out I was going to the bathroom on the other side of the Marriott Center, right by portal V, the portal Ali was sitting in across from us.

But she never walked up the steps to go out of the portal, she was just talking to everyone around her. I kept just wanting her bladder to explode so she would leave. Finally at 3:20pm I decided I needed to just use the bathroom before the meeting started at 4:00pm. So, I went, then right after I finished Trav called me to say that Ali had walked up the stairs and out of portal V. So I sped walked around the length of the Marriott Center to get from our portal H, to where she would have to go back in at V. I stood there and waited, and then 3 minutes before she was supposed to be in her seat, she popped around the corner and I called out to her and she was shocked! I called Makell who was still outside getting her ticket and the next thing you know she comes running towards us with her high heels in hand---she sprinted the whole way since Ali only had a couple seconds at that point until she had to be in her seat. It was so fun to see Hermana Garlick! Then afterwards we went outside and, poof, she walked past us, so Travis got to say hi to her too.

The meeting itself was so powerful and inspiring. The church we belong to is really a way of life that brings hope, happiness, and peace. Sharing that with others just seems to be common sense, and we can't wait to move to North Carolina and get the chance to be better member missionaries.

{travis' 25th birthday}

We had such a fun day celebrating Travis' birthday! My mom and sister Makell were here from Texas this week---Makell is all moved into her dorm at BYU now! We had a fun few days with them, and then yesterday on Travis' birthday we drove my mom to the airport {after Travis' favorite breakfast: french toast and bacon!} and then Trav and I headed to Tucanos {wahoo for the birthday buy one get one free club}. We got so full and it was delicious. We went and saw 42 with Makell later that night {which we loved} then had Travis' favorite---cherry cheesecake! I am so grateful Travis was born and that I get to celebrate his life with him. Love him!

{our hearts are full}

Our hearts have been overflowing with gratitude lately; Elaine Raquel is sending us her sibling this December!! I am now finished with the first trimester and definitely starting to show so we can't hide it much longer. My body has handled things extremely well for having just been through labor and delivery at the start of this year. And I know that's no coincidence; there have been so many tender mercies along the way!

We have already had an ultrasound and heard this little one's heartbeat multiple times. There are so many emotions which are all hard to adequately explain, but most of all it is gratitude that we are filled with. We are excited, we are peaceful, and we know that Elaine Raquel would want us to bring her siblings here, so that we can all learn and grow, become better, and learn about her and honor her memory in how we live as a family. We know for a fact this is how our family is supposed to be and we wouldn't have it any other way---even though it has been hard. I know that it is exactly right---it's exactly how it should be. What a year 2013 has been and will turn out to be!

{salt lake city}

We had a fun weekend with my cousin Andrew and his wife Caitlyn! After Travis got back from a young men campout Saturday morning, the four of us headed to Salt Lake for the day. We had so much at Hogle Zoo, seeing the bird show, the elephant show, the giraffes---everything! We then went by the This is The Place Monument, looked around inside the Capitol Building, then stopped at the Lion House for dinner. We ended the day by watching a movie and playing some intense speed UNO when we got back to Provo. We are grateful for cousins who are our good friends!

{locked out}

Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least! It began like a pretty normal Sunday. Travis and I woke up, ate breakfast, he got ready, and then I took him to the church for a meeting. After I dropped him off, I drove home and started to unlock the door. I've unlocked our front door hundreds, probably thousands of times, but this time the key hole decided to flip all the way around upside down and consequently, the whole lock was jammed. The door is around 90 plus years old, so it was bound to break sometime. We had our keys in hand and still were locked out! That just never happens. I went and picked up Travis who tried to get inside but he couldn't either. So, he called the landlord.

The landlord said he would come down to fix it, except he lives in Park City so it would be about a 1.5 hour wait. I took Travis back to his meetings at the church, and camped out in my car for a bit. Thank goodness for a smart phone to keep me entertained. And at least I had semi-okay looking pajamas on! Minus almost peeing my pants and not having a bathroom, it wasn't too bad of a wait. Our landlord showed up and eventually broke in through another door from the upstairs house. He had to remove the lock completely and buy and install a new one with new keys. He was here for a good part of the day and we are thankful he came down here as soon as he could! We even made it to church in the afternoon.

I couldn't help but laugh---this was the best finale to living in this old house after all the other crazy issues that have come up with it! This definitely ranks among the most memorable.

Later that night we went to Utah Lake for me to shoot some pictures for my second photography class that just started. Provo really is so beautiful!

{Hermana Garlick}

Today Travis and I picked Ali up from the airport and then took her to the MTC. She will be serving in Peru. So bitter-sweet! She will do so well and I'm jealous she will know Spanish fluently. We are grateful to have another sibling on a misson---and grateful for all the blessings that come with that!