Ft. Worth Symphony!

Tonight my dear friend Carol invited me to attend the Ft. Worth Symphony with her. It was amazing and it has been so very long since I have been able to enjoy something like that! It also reminded me of a earlier life! But that was a different season for me.

They had a 14 yr. old pianist, Conrad Tao, who is a prodigy and not only a proficient on the piano, but the violin, and a composer. He has won all sorts of acclaim and awards and is studying with all the masters! It was fabulous!

Another interesting thing that I have never seen before is the conductor conducted the first piece both movements without any music all from memory! I think if I was a musician in this symphony under his direction that would scare me. But it was impressive.

I could not have had a nicer time!

Influential Women......

Today was our big RS meeting where even if you are in YW's or Primary or wherever that keeps you from getting to attend RS....you get to attend today! The lesson that our Amazing and very influential Relief Society President gave today was on our influence as women. And that what the World thinks is influential and what the Lord thinks is influential is completely different and who's opinion is more important!

I had to hurry and come home and blog my feelings before the everyday hubbub that is life starts to help me forget some of the messages! It was a message that my Relief Society President had given to me personally once that I will be forever grateful for.....but it was also very emotional to me today because my dear friend Rebecca, took Aileen after Sacrament and kept her all through Sunday School and then even in Relief Society when I tried to take her back. She told me that Aileen had conveyed to her that she wanted to be with her this day. And I will say that Aileen was in heaven being with Rebecca and having Rebecca help her participate with the lesson! I love this dear friend!



In the lesson we listed who we thought and who we thought God thought were influential women. Names like Ruth, Esther, Eve, Sister Julie Beck, our RS President Kirsten, Mother Teresa, Emma Smith, Visiting Teachers, etc....

Then we listed qualities or traits we think these people or Influential women in general have. Qualities like faithful, courageous, patient, loving, example, testimony, compassion, integrity, prayerful, charity, diligent, humble, prepared, steadfast, willing, leaders, knowledgeable, service oriented, puts God 1st, virtuous etc.

Then we talked about how it is easy to see these qualities in others but not in ourselves. We were each given a star that we had to write our name in the middle of....then on each of the 5 points of the star we had to write from the list we made the qualities we felt described us! Well, I have to tell you that was hard.....I would have loved to have done it for either of my neighbors sitting next to me or every sister in the room...I could have listed exactly what qualities they possessed! But it was hard for me to put down which ones i felt I had. Our President said that she felt it was because we might think we are being prideful, or puffed up so we don't generally tell ourselves the good things we do. She also said that Satan wants us to think less of ourselves or belittle us as women and mothers and that is his greatest tool! This was what I have had to work on, because as my RS President told me personally once....Satan knows that he can not shake my testimony of the gospel or my faith in other things so he gets me by thinking less of myself or that no one likes me etc....so it has been something I have made a concerted effort to do better at so that Satan does not win!!!!

I also have a great VT partner, Mary Ann, who told me that her husband said to her once "I think your telling yourself the wrong story" and I loved that and have used that as my new mantra when I start putting myself down or thinking that people might be saying negative things about me I say to myself "I'm telling myself the wrong story"

But the real beauty of today and the reason my heart is so full is because of Rebecca and how she helped Aileen. And the qualities she and Aileen decided should go on her star are:

Humble, Patient, loving, courageous, and virtuous. And the joy in Aileen's face as I hung it up on her bulletin board was priceless! Only someone truly intuned to the Holy Ghost would know which words would mean the most to Aileen and would then bring her so much Joy!

I had a hard weekend with feeling bad about myself, because of hurting my daughter and making her cry and then because of something that was said to me by someone that I should feel safe with.....so today was very good for me to remember and remind myself that I might be telling myself the wrong story and to especially remember that I am a woman of influence and that I am a loved daughter of my Heavenly Father!

At the end we were given bags with notes that we had written to each other! For about a month and 1/2 now we have had the challenge to write notes of love and appreciation to every sister in the Ward! I was able to get a lot done, but I did fall short and did not get one to everyone written, and now that I see how much my bag means to me I feel bad that I wasn't able to get everyone done! So maybe my goal will be to personally send notes to the ones I didn't finish.... or maybe that fact that they had notes from others that will be enough!

But I am so grateful for Today, for the spirit that I felt in our Relief Society meeting and the Love I did feel for me and for my precious Aileen from my Heavenly Father through others!

Awesome in-law's!

This is such an amazing note to get as a parent from your daughter's future in-laws! I know now I will not have to worry! Becuase thy do love and appreciate her!

"We are so thrilled that John and Allison have found each other. Even before we met Allison, we knew that she was someone very, very special and that John was very blessed to have found her. When she came here to Seattle to spend the weekend with us, and we personally got to know her and her lovely, vivacious personality, we were so happy for the two of them. Allison is a truly wonderful young woman! She has lived her life so well, with your loving care, support, and teaching through the years, preparing her to become the great young woman that she is. We immediately fell in love with her ourselves. She fit so naturally into our family. Marianne and I have said over and over that we cannot imagine a more perfect woman for John. You are right – they have both “done the right things” over the years and this has prepared them to find one another and be together forever. Thank you to you and Alan for raising such a beautiful daughter. We’re delighted that she and John will be married".


This really meant the world to me!

Bad mom!

So I'm a bad mom! I made Allison cry today! I feel really bad! I'm just trying to get some answers regarding the wedding......but I need to back off! I guess if things are booked before I get answers....it wasn't meant to be! I hear that I am also giving the impression that I am planning everything instead of letting Allison.....so I really need to back off!

We do have a lot decided and the dress already so we are doing good. This is not what I wanted to make her feel like. I am so sorry!

Who is John Rex?

Everyone is asking me about John Rex, Allison's fiance'. I thought the best way for me to let you know who he is, would be to copy a portion of the note I sent to John's parents shortly after Allison and John became engaged.

John Rex is definitely the finest young man I know! Here is an excerpt from my note:

"I am so very impressed with your son and so grateful for all that you did to raise such a worthy, responsible and amazing young man! I do not know how she could have ever found anyone better! We love him already and appreciate the young man that he is! You tell your daughters when they are growing up and in YW's that if they will live the gospel and keep its standards and do all the things they need to do like get their personal progress and graduate seminary, work hard so they can go to the Y etc..... that they will find a young man that honor's his priesthood and has done all the things that he should like going on a mission, graduate seminary, be an eagle scout, duty to God etc... and then you feel so blessed when she does find someone who has done just that! And now John is going to take her to the Temple to be married for time and all eternity! We cannot wait to meet the whole family".

Allison & John

Sorry John, that your head got cut off in one of the pictures!!!! I thought I had checked them all to make sure they were all o.k.! I'll make it up to you!

Allison's engagement story! It's a cute one!

See picture of ring in previous post below! ( still don't know how to do that fancy linking where it's linked to one word on my post and you click on it and it takes you to the post...oh well, you will just have to look the old fashioned way!)

In Allison's words:

So this is the much wanted story... Here it goes... hold onto your seats people!!

So it was Tuesday evening and I arrived home from work/grocery store around 8:15 and John came over to my apartment. I had just eaten two pieces of pizza and two cookies (yes, I'm a pig). John then proceeded to convince me that we needed to go get some ice cream. I denied his request by saying I had just eaten a bunch of junk and did not need it. I offered the ice cream in our freezer, but he would have none of it, it HAD to be Dairy Queen. So he finally convinced me that I needed ice cream. So we commence to begin our journey down Canyon Rd. in Provo and as we are leaving the apartment, I put on my flip flops and John asks me, "It's kind of cold, are you sure you don't want something warmer?" and I, being the stubborn girl I am, ignored the comment and proceeded to get to the car. We arrive at Dairy Queen, get our wonderfully delicious frozen cream and we all of a sudden turn the opposite direction from our apartment complex. I of course didn't think anything of it because I just assumed John wanted to continue the discussion we were having. So we went to our favorite place on the Y-mountain, on a neighborhood circle.

Prior to this occasion, John and I, along with Logan and Abby (our amazing friends that are getting married in May) had gone up there during the day to watch the sunset. One of my favorite songs came on the radio and I asked John to dance with me. He refused, saying he was not a good dancer. I let it go, a little sad... it would have been so cute...

anyway-back to this night - we were up on the mountain and could see all of Provo with the amazing lights. We are talking and all of a sudden John says, “Do you want to know the real reason why I brought you up here?" I of course said yes, and he said "I want to dance with you." I was floored. It was so romantic and cute, I almost cried right there. So we find a song on the radio and he got out of the car, helped me out of the car and we start to dance. We are talking about how excited we were to get married and I reminded him that I didn't have a ring yet so I wasn't too sure if it was going to happen... Then he replied, "Well when do you want it?" and I said "Now would be wonderful" and he said, "Are you sure?" and I said, yes. So he gets down on his knee and I immediately thought it was fake. I was completely shocked and had no idea. He then pulled out the ring and I remember saying "Oh my gosh" a million times with tears streaming down my face. I stand there shocked and John then asked, "Are you going to say yes?" and I shouted YES! And then he gave me a big kiss...

There ya go!!!! Can't wait to start planning!