My Whole Heart

Today, I came across a beautiful message my friend recently discovered that spoke to my heart in a way I cannot adequately articulate. It touched me.  I am so grateful she shared it (thank you Alyse Saarelainen) and I could not resist sharing it with you.  

Escape your responsibilities of the world for one moment.  It is worth it.

Take a deep breath.

Listen to some inspiring music: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23z40lx0Pew

And really read:

"We know that on some level Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It’s our faith that he experienced everything - absolutely everything. Sometimes we don’t think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don’t experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means Jesus knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer - how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children who ever come are visitors, when you hear that your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He’s been there. He’s been lower than all that.

Give him your whole heart, all the pieces, and let him heal you.

...If one great constant in the universe is the unfailing love of the Savior, the other great constant is his unfailing respect for human agency. He will not override your will, even for you own good. He will not compel you to accept his help. He will not force you to accept his companionship. He leaves you free to choose.

He’s not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don’t need a Savior. He came to save us in our imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He’s not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief."

- Chieko M. Okazaki from Lighten Up

I know that my Redeemer lives.  He is the reason I live.

Give him your whole heart and let Him heal you.

I promise, you will not regret it.

Man V. Mud

I am sorry that I have been checked out of life for the last month—Good News: I am back!

My latest adventure: Man V. Mud. 

Labor Day Weekend was a giant family party for me. We caravanned to Logan to participate in one of the largest mud races in the nation.  Surrounded by loved one and pits of warm, slimy mud, we laughed our way across Logan's beautiful terrain.  Needless to say, it was messy!!!!

Splashing, tackling, sliding, trekking, climbing, wrestling, you name it...it happened.

Carson was out of control the entire time. Seriously.  

He had us all laughing, wrestling, and tricking the entire time.  

I love that he fits so perfectly into my family.

No Party without a Dance Party. 

We are literally in our own worlds dancing. Hilarious moments were captured. 

My Momma and Her Girlies

A Beautiful History

I did the neatest thing today; I read and organized (by date) the love letters my Great-Grandparents wrote to each other during their courtship and marriage.  A lot of their letters dated back to 1944, when my Grandfather served in World War II--my Grandpa was in the Navy and my Grandma was a nurse.

My Great-Grandparents were madly and hopelessly in love their entire lives. The love they described in letters and illustrated throughout life is a love most people only dream of having.  

My Great-Grandfather died when I was a baby but my Great-Grandma (G.G. is what we called her) lived until my senior year in high school.  She suffered from Alzheimer's the last few years of her life.  For six years, we went regularly to her unit to watch movies, paint nails, play games, tell stories, and.... even take dates to keep her company--we knew a boy was a keeper if he survived or even enjoyed these visits ;).  Visiting G.G. was one of my favorite activities in High School.  

I grew to deeply love my G.G. 

Alzheimer's is an unforgiving disease that slowly took her mind before taking her life.  At the end of her life, she was unable to remember previous conversations, our names, and  simple memories.  However, one thing she never forgot was her sweet husband.  Above her T.V. was a large picture of her husband.  We would ask her who the man was in the photograph and she would, sometimes with tears in her eyes, say: "Hello Wallace Austin Tuckett, you handsome man, you." 

Her sweetheart was the one person she never forgot her entire life.

Their letters and pictures are simply magical.

               

 

They danced all their years together and, I imagine, are dancing in the heavens together now.

They even regularly shared their glasses when they got older and sang their love song together for anniversaries 

(G.G. had a beautiful soprano voice). 

G.G.'s beauty radiated all the days of her life . 

This is the G.G. that I knew and love.  How grateful I am that she cherished and held onto those letters exchanged throughout her life between her and her sweetheart.  I learned more about a wonderful woman, wife, and mother that I did not have the privilege of knowing until her later years. I learned of a loving and charismatic father, husband, and grandfather that I never knew.  

AND I learned of a beautiful love story that proved to withstand the test of time.  

How am I so lucky to be related to such beautiful people with a beautiful history?

AZ

I went to AZ last week. 

It all started when the Jackson Girls attempted to make a quick break-away from our completely hectic schedules.  We all needed a break.
 At 6:45am, however, that idea quickly came to an abrupt halt. 
(I love the second pic. below: Good Morning Sunshines!)

No problem. Girl Power. (My mom rocks!) Rollin tires.  Handing off tools.

Benefit: I now know how to change a tire. YEAH! 

We met my Dad in Vegas.  

My family is my life, so this was one of the best parts of the week.

Family Bonding. Olympics. Pool. Relaxation. Vitamin D, Baby!

 

 

Cara-vanned to Queen Creek, AZ to stay with my Dad and one of my favorite Aunts.
(Dad has been working there for a few months.)
I LOVE spending time with my Dad.
My Aunt Jeanette is an absolute angel on Earth. 
He and my aunt are HILARIOUS. We kept each other laughing the entire week.

 

Caught up on all the Super-Hero Movies. 

(My parents are my Super-Heroes)

Mesa Temple 

 

 

My cousin, Becky (below), is a phenomenal mother.  
I loved playing with her and her kids every day. 
 We all (my aunt and sisters) would go  to the gym with Becky and her husband (THEY ARE RIPPED) each day.  One day, after two hours of working out, my aunt wanted to try an hour of Zumba.  We danced with all the other little Sexy Mesa Moms. We were laughing SO hard. 


 I really want a perfect little family of my own someday. 

 

I Love my Cousins. 

Growing up, my cousins were my life. Our imaginations ran wild together.

Years, miles, and responsibilities have now separated us, so it is always a joy to reunite when we can.

I was in Arizona last week but to be honest, my mind was also elsewhere...which was one of the main reasons I went.