Acronyms....our new language and lingo....!

Members of my faith are use to certain acronyms that are part of our everyday speech. These acronyms, such as FHE, VT, HT can seem foreign to those not of my faith.

Steve comes home from work and starts talking about his CF test for some C-scan with PPAP he is doing ( I don't even think I am using the right acronyms in the right context. I have heard CF a million times though) . It is totally insane to me, and I pretend I have a clue what he is talking about.

Acronyms are everywhere !! A place that uses acronyms more than any place I know is in the Military. Steve and I, through much prayer, and research and discussing, have decided to go the military route (Go AIRFORCE!) to pay for medical school ( so great coming out of medical school and not having to worry about paying a million dollars in debt (and yes it will be a million or more- after interest and such) and being taken care of). Why, just while we were talking to our rep, he used more acronyms like BAH and DOD , not to mention military ranks like Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain (still don't get the ranks ) , I realized we had to learn a whole new lingo. That is the joke with us newbies! They tell us we will get the lingo down pretty soon and "learn the language"!

I have had to look up military acronyms---It is literally a whole book!

Steve and I have laughed at this new lingo that feels like it will take FOREVER to learn. So, we have decided to just embrace it and be acronym people. We are developing our very own new language that is pretty much just abbreviated words and acronyms of words we use alot...like NOLA, FAF, O1, and plenty more. We think we are so brilliant (ha ha ha) and will fool everyone (as if it is so hard to figure out). But hey, why not, if everything else feels like an acronym, why not just make it every aspect of how we speak. So, if that's how we start speaking to you and we forget you don't know...I apologize. We invite you to embrace it yourself and speak in acronyms!

Things to miss...and look forward to...

As I contemplate our big move this year, it is hard not to think of the things I will miss about living in my dear UTAH... Some things you don't realize you will miss until you have the prospect of NOT having it. Here are a few things that come to mind...These things I hope to take plenty advantage of in the next few months

THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT MY UTAH

1. TEMPLES- I will miss having a temple five minutes away...It is different when you have to plan on driving at least an hour to it.

2. DI- I really love making purchases from the DI. It is nice having it so close and available for just about anything I need. I always count on it for things I can't afford, I am really not sure what I am going to do without it!

3. DESERET BOOK/DISTRIBUTION CENTER- I clump these together cause they are both shopping places. It is nice having church stores where I can buy any of my church needs very conveniently...

4. THE GLORIOUS MOUNTAINS- There is nothing that you can quite compare to the mountains of Utah. I remember when I moved to Arizona and people said there were taking a trip to the "mountains". I laughed at what there hills were referred to!

5. THE SNOW- I have a hard time with this one cause most of the time I am cursing it, but lately my little gal has been loving playing in it....Again, when the prospect of not having it is there, you suddenly miss it very much!

6. A MILLION KID PROGRAMS- Yes they have pre school, music, dance classes, everywhere in the world...but not like in UTAH. There are so many kids in UTAH, it is like it is tailor made for children's programs!

7. BYU- This is so sad for me! I will be missing going to all my games live! Visiting my PROVO and seeing my brother at BYU (only did that his freshman year then he went on a mission, but he is coming back, so I will be MISSING IT). I don't even know if we will be able to watch our games! SO SO SO SAD!

8. LOTS OF FAMILY AROUND- It is nice having family so close. It seems like people visit UTAH all the time anyway (they either have the church or other fam), so you see lots of people while in UTAH. Not going to have anyone in LA. Going to miss family so much! Even those in St. George we won't be seeing anymore!

THINGS I WON'T MISS ABOUT UTAH

1. SNOW- I know I put this in the "miss" pile, but the truth is it goes more in the NOT miss pile! I really despise the snow and ALMOST everything about it. I hate the cold, the accidents, and everything that makes it dirty.

2. CABIN FEVER- I will not being stuck inside due to the snow! Yes, I will definitely NOT miss that!

3. THE U- People asked me how I would react to the U if we ended up going to school there....Well, now we will never know and I can keep on despising them like I always did!

4. UTAH DRIVERS- I have no idea how the drivers in Louisiana are, but I am done with UTAH drivers. I am one, granted....and I hate when people NOT from UTAH say they hate UTAH drivers ( I think half of the drivers in UTAH aren't from Utah actually)...but I am sick of people being rude on the road.

5. CONSTRUCTION- Enough said! Even people not from Utah can attest to this one!

6. ANTI-MORMONS- realize these people are everywhere....But it is really funny here in Utah. Take conference time for example---do you think people would protest like that NOT in Utah---nope! In our little neighborhood here, the smokers "mock" us mormons, whereas other places I have lived they appreciate others values.

Things I am Looking Forward TO

1. SUNSHINE- I do realize there is heat, I get it. But I am so excited to be able to be outside 9 months out of 12 instead of the opposite, 3 months out of 12!

2. New Ward- While I have enjoyed some things in our current ward...I am ready for some new faces, new callings, and new attitude. We haven't made too many friends in our ward---long story!

3. CHANGE- I am excited for a new adventure and all the things it will bring. I am excited to be able to embark upon a whole new world and for the growth that will come with that!
4. THE FOOD- While I have yet to experience this...I am told Louisiana has its own rep for food and culture. Excited to experience all of this! Please --who doesn't love food!

5. MEDICAL SCHOOL- Even before we were rejected by the U...We were LOVING Tulane and all the New things they have ( it has to be new with the hurricane that destroyed everything). They have better stats of their grads and everything, it is going to be wonderful!


Overall, it is going to be a hard, yet wonderful move for the family! I want to enjoy MY UTAH ( yes I say my Utah cause it is where I grew up and I am proud to call myself UTAHAN) while I can... IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS OF LOCAL UTAH EVENTS / ACTIVITIES/ SITES THAT WE NEED TO SEE BEFORE WE MOVE PLEASE LEAVE IT IN COMMENTS. I don't want to miss anything while we are here these next few months as I am sure it will be a LONG while before returning. That's why we will be going to the temple, the zoo , and other things as much as possible while we can and visiting as many of you family and friends as possible while you will have us! We Love you UTAH and can't wait for you LOUISIANA ---other suggestions for our visit to LA in May would be helpful as well!

PS....This is the cheesiest, greatest sillliest ever@!

Jake,and Megs Blue and Yellow wedding!!

Dear brother Jake married the cutest and greatest gal Megan Mahoney in the St. George Temple on March 13th! It was a wonderful reunion with lots of family and friends. We were glad that Steve was able to make it as he, of course, was working non-stop and just barely arrived via shuttle right before the temple ceremony.

I drove me and the gals up a few days earlier to be with the fam and show off our newest addition! What a wonderful time. Two nights before the wedding, we all went through the temple with Megan and that was so beautiful.

The night before, we ended up having an impromptu bbq with both families that was an absolute blast! We sang and performed with each other and just got to know the families. I wish we could have done that at my wedding cause it was like we were all best friends by the time we got to the wedding!

Megan claims she is a devote Utah fan ( that is where her parents met), yet her wedding colors were blue and yellow...hmmm... I think we have converted her already! We were all born to wear blue, including Megan who, coincidentally has been to more BYu games than Utah!

I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take some awesome family pics. We all look so good in blue. Andy was worn out by this point, but was still smiling. Long day a wedding is!

She was so happy when her daddy showed up she couldn't let him go. We were grateful Autn Sara helped to do her hair!

Good times all around. SO fun to see all my family whom I haven't seen and all the extended family.

Our beautiful Rodda J gets a blessing....

After my brother Jake got married, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give our dear little Rodda Judy her baby blessing. With my whole fam in town ( they weren't able to make it to Andy's) , including her great grandparents, it was such a blessing to have them be a part of it. This dress that she is in, I was blessed in, my two sisters, her two daughers, and now my two daughters. You can't tell from the pick ( thank heavens) but it was yellowing a bit.

That did not make a difference to us. We thought it was very special that her grandma Bev gave me this dress. It would be beautiful if it lasted long enough to have everyone get blessed in it!

It was a beautiful blessing, and Steve, as usual arose to the occassion. We both get very emotional about it and think it is such a wonderful thing to recieve a blessing. I will leave out all the details of the blessing, but say that she was blessed to live up to her namesakes, those two wonderful people she was named after...to follow in their examples and have a testimony like them!

We were very happy to have the support that we did! What a blessing it is to have Rodda J in our lives...! We love her so much!