Happy Father's Day

Let me tell you three things about my Dad that I hope I will be able to emulate as well as him one day:

Unconditional love: I know not everyone gets to experience unconditional love in their lifetimes. I know that whatever I did, my dad would love me. I could kill somebody and he would still love me. That’s very powerful. I wish that everyone could have that kind of support in their lives.

Humility: My dad might be surprised  but I think of him as a humble person. He has been a wonderful influence in a lot of people’s lives and he has given generously to so many but he does it behind the scenes and without expectation in anything in return. Nor do I believe that he sees himself as special in that regard, but I do.

Soft-hearted: I love that my dad is a softie. I love that he cried with us kids when our dog died. I love that he is empathetic and kind. I believe that is why he so often is called in our church to work with widows and other people who are in rough situations. He is not quick to condemn and he is someone I could always confide in if I knew someone needed help.

Thank you Dad for your example. I hope I can be an example of these traits to others as you have done for me.

Happy birthday Mom

Mom’s birthday is February 13 so I will do a birthday post for her because we are leaving for Rwanda and I don’t know if we’ll be able to talk on the phone.

When I think of the three things that are most important to my mom, I think of family, the gospel, and music.

As time passes, I realize how much sacrifice it takes to become a mom as I contemplate the step myself. My mom truly devoted herself to our family. She tried (and succeeded) to cultivate an atmosphere that was fun and uplifting. She instilled in us a desire for education and to work hard in school. She is always just a phone call away if I need anything.

When I am a mom one day, I hope my kids will be able to say the same.

My mom lives a life very much striving to be close to Heavenly Father. I have never doubted her sincerity. I don’t know how many times as a child I walked in to see my mom praying on her knees.

When I am a mom one day, I hope my kids will be able to say the same.

My mom is probably the most talented person that I know. Actually, I think of her as a creative genius. Although I have not chosen to pursue a full time music career, I will always be grateful for the joy in musical expression and for the ability to be instantly useful when entering an LDS Church building. Really music is an amazing gift that brought me the ability to be hard working, independent, and grasp difficult concepts. I know music is a legacy worth sharing.

When I am a mom one day, I hope to share the gift of creating music with my kids.

I think those 3 things are a wonderful legacy to leave. My mom and I are very different in some ways, but I love and respect her and hope she knows I am grateful for her.

This is the day Mom drove the 350Z across the country because I didn’t know how to drive a car with a shift stick!

september

 

Some photos with what we’ve been up to.

 

Cousin Ashley’s bridal shower

 

Best on-the-road recipe yet

 

Uncle Louis’s birthday party with the amazing trombone cake

 

Seeing a mini-Kirsten with a personality all her own was so much fun

So I didn’t get the blue and green memo…

Jessica from Vienna study abroad in downtown Provo

 

With the UBA making a DVD for The Jump Manual in Atlanta

 

Road trip

Last week Jacob and I went on a road trip with my grandparents to see my grandpa’s place of birth and other parts of southern Utah.

I’ve travelled quite a bit with my grandparents. They were the ones who would pick me up when I arrived for college. They helped me on my never-ending moves around campus. They rescued me from isolated Jacob Lake. After our wedding reception in Missouri we went on a road trip with them to Nauvoo.

And now, we did southern Utah.

I’m really glad we get to do the retired couple-style road trips with them, because since I didn’t grow up around family, these are the memories that will probably stick with me the most.

Jacob entertaining himself in front of this old antique store where Grandpa and Grandma always go.

Grandpa’s one room school house…so much more rural than I would have ever guessed
 

Grandma’s picnic—she always has such healthy, yummy food!
 

Grandma’s favorite cemetery in the ghost town Widtsoe

Grandpa and I at his parents’ grave. What’s crazy is great grandpa’s first wife was born on April 19 (our wedding anniversary) and died on August 31 (my birthday).


Grandpa and Grandma are very social travelers.


Bryce Canyon

You shoulda heard Grandpa sweet talking this bird.
 

Hell’s Back Bone (emphasis put on the word bone)

The two buddies

Grandpa’s former house

I actually drove a lot of the trip. I’m finally getting used to driving again, which makes Jacob happy because he likes to work as I drive.

Jacob and I’s wedding site. So beautiful…what’s amazing is I didn’t know both sets of grandparents and so many other relatives had gotten married here in Manti when I chose this to be our temple. I’d always planned on Salt Lake, but I felt a strong draw to this temple and I didn’t know why…maybe my collective ancestors were whispering to me.

A visit with Regan.

Grandpa Campbell doesn’t realize it, but I recognize a lot of my personality coming from his genes.

1. I’m extremely frugal. I’m less than I used to be, but I still know a good bargain when I see one.

2. I love to eat. I love good food, and a meal is often the best part of my day.

3. Grandpa, I have begun to understand, has a thirst for adventure. He loves to travel.

4. We both have strong personalities and a tendency toward high blood pressure.

5. We love our families.

Utah

For the uninitiated, let me explain what Utah is.
By uninitiated, I guess I mean people who aren’t Mormon.
I’ve gone to Utah every year since I was born there. It’s like this great meeting place, where you can see former acquaintances who live all over the world but who come to Utah to find a spouse, to go to school, or to see family. Jacob can see people from Missouri here, and I can see friends from Keller. Missionary reunions happen here. Former coworkers run into each other here. The LDS Church makes it a small world and it’s a smaller one when you’re in Utah. Furthermore my roots and family history go back to the pioneers who first came to Utah, and it’s where Jacob and I got our start.  I think we’ll always love visiting here. It feels like coming home to me.

 

It was great to see Lana and Nicole. We three have taken such different paths and it was fun to see how much was the same and how much had changed. We missed Andrea, who is living in Ohio, and we missed Ashley, who passed away in a car accident right after Jacob and I got engaged. It’s hard for me at these kind of times. Your freshman year roommate is unlike anyone else in the entire world, and we had inside jokes that I long to relive sometimes but no one would understand but her. Yes, Ashley is missed. The picture is too small, but she’s the third from the left below and I’m the second from the left.