Update: Our Trip, A new passion, and more!

I used to blog like 3 times a week, but then _______ (Insert any of the following: I fell in love, went to college, got a job on a computer and therefore didn't want to use any computer when I got home, got lazy, instagrammed instead, didn't make time, lost track of where my camera went after I got an iPhone..)

So, here's a little update collage. I learned how to do this one on Picasa, and I don't really love the program. Oh well, when I learn how to make better ones I'll be sure to post them!

Japan Trip

We started talking a few weeks ago what we wanted to do in the next couple years with our savings. A house, a car, etc. etc. 

When I was young, my mom imbued within me a deep and passionate addiction to travelling that I just can't seem to curb! I am blessed to be able to have full and worn passports, seeing many distant lands and peoples. I love seeing the world and experiencing new tastes, smells, languages, cultures, and sites. I just love it, and I've gotten Brett to love it too since we've been together, as I've been able to show him what a REAL vacation is since we've been married. His only experience and interpretation of a vacation was visiting his grandparent's farm in Salina, Utah once a year. Haha. It's like my travelling second-hand smoke that infected him! We have been blessed to travel to a lot of different, amazing places in the last 11 months and do so many fun and incredible things. We got to talking and we knew that if we had kids or some other things were to come to pass in the coming years that the next 2 decades would make our family vacations go as far as Salina (not that that would be the worst thing in the world). So 2 days later, we made a big purchase and booked 2 tickets to Japan! We are thrilled and couldn't be more excited. Brett gets to show me all over his mission area, and we'll be able to visit his 'home' ward for 2 Sundays. I even made a collage of all the amazing things we plan to eat and places to visit with a countdown chain.. I can't wait! One of the best parts-- we get to go to Tokyo Disneyland on our anniversary! Woot! :D

My New Passion: Nutrition

Lately, I've been becoming more and more conscious about the foods we consume and the way we (as in Americans and society in general) really need to educate ourselves more. I'm currently in a class about Nutrition through the Life Cycle. It has been FASCINATING to say the least. It is my favorite class and I am like a sponge, soaking up all the material. Even though the class is early in the morning in the furthest building from our house on campus, I just can't get enough and look forward to it daily. I am learning so much about nutrition for women, pregnancy, infants and children. This has resulted in many discussions between us about what kind of nutrition we agree on and desire for our family. 

I've always been a health-conscious person, and have always tried to eat healthy, and nutrient-dense foods. However, I can tell you that my diet today contains foods I never knew about 6 months ago, and does not include foods that I have eaten my whole life. I have been doing a lot of research on GMOs, HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup), dyes and colorings, MSG, preservatives, added sugars, and whole foods. I can't tell you how much more empowered I feel in this short amount of time I have really been focusing on this. In my cooking, I don't like using ingredients with ingredient labels that take the entire length of the box. If I can't pronounce it, I have a hard time putting it in my body or to give it to anyone. Anytime I can, I make things from scratch if at all possible. I shop around the perimeter of the grocery store and threw away everything in our pantry that was just full of chemicals and harmful foods.

 I have become pretty passionate about it and though I am not crazy-full blown into it, I make changes where I can. I am definitely not perfect but I have been more conscious. I think that this is all I can ask. I just want to share this information with everyone! I truly believe we put too much trust into the food industry, which has resulted in an epidemic of obese families (mothers, fathers, teens, children, and infants) and a rise in diseases, diabetes, and other metabolic and physical issues. I believe it is abusing the beautiful bodies God gave us when we just keep filling it with toxins and excess fat, sugar, and junk!

 I have seen a difference! When I first met Brett, he constantly suffered from bad acne. He always complained about it and he was always fatigued and fell asleep every day during class and other daily activities. After we got married, and he switched off of the "Single-bachelor-21-tuna-macaroni&cheese-spaghettios-oreos-milk-cereal" diet (which is what he ate pretty much daily) to a diet that included foods like FRUITS and VEGETABLES and WATER, he and I noticed that his acne wasn't nearly as bad. He had energy, and overall, just looked and felt better. I myself also feel this way.  Anyways, long story short, I am makin' changes! And I love it! 

Other Stuff:

Last month, we had family pictures with the Childs family. It was the first time in 20+ years that everyone in the family had been all together in once place. It was amazing! I just absolutely LOVE the Childs family and I'm so proud and humbled to be in their ranks. I married into an incredible, loving, righteous family. I am so blessed.

This last General Conference, it was announced that it was revealed that Cedar City is ready to receive a temple! WOW! It was amazing to hear that announcement. Right after the opening prayer, I got this thought in my head that said "Cedar will be getting a temple" it came more as a fact than a question. I got goosebumps that seconds later, my prompting deemed prophetic. Brett and I had heard that the church had acquired a 22-acre plot of land in Cedar City on Cove Lane last November. So, as rumors circulated, we decided that would probably be the only feasible location so we went this week and walked around. Cedar City has become our home- it's the place we met, the place we go to school, and the first home we came back to after we got married. It has been a fun and FAST 2 years here and I'll definitely be sad to leave in the coming months. We will be back for a date at the Pastry Pub and a session at the temple when it is completed though:) 

In other news, life is great! I love my Brett, I love my ward and my girls in my Relief Society. It is sad to see so many of the families in our ward moving on to graduate school, medical school, dental school, and other pursuits, but it is a great time in life where we have so many life-changing changes. Plus, we will be one of the ones moving!