Newport Beach Temple

A few weeks ago Enoch and I went to Orange County for a wedding and we thought we would go to the Newport Beach Temple while we were there since I have never seen it before. It was certainly beautiful and definitely made it on my list of favorites, inside and out the temple was amazing. Here is my latest attempt at photography and editing.

Weekday Afternoons' With My Mother

This year for mothers' day my mom requested that we write about an experience we have had with her. I thought I would share it on my blog so everyone could see how truly amazing my mother is.

When we moved from South Jordan I thought I would never make be able to have another best friend. I was often discouraged as I searched and searched for someone to fill that place. However, during that time I came to realize I had found someone to fill that void. Someone with unconditional love for me, someone who knew me better than anyone- mom you were my best friend.

Everyday the scenario was the same; I would rush in the door from school, throw off my backpack, grab a snack and then begin to recap each and every event that occurred to me that day. With extreme detail, I would unfold dramatic life of a 6th grader as the afternoon quickly passed by. I would rarely go and play with friends, but instead follow you around the house and talk to you as you cooked dinner, folded the laundry, and every other spare moment you had. I cannot imagine the patience it must have taken to listen to all my stories, but during these times a bond formed, trust and honesty flowed freely. You demonstrated that what mattered to me, truly mattered to you.

Years have gone by and although I am not able to follow you around every afternoon, our friendship continues. I am not sure if my stories have improved any, nevertheless after every big event, test, or decision you are where I turn to share this piece of my life. From cooking, good deals, fun activities, and advice I can always turn to you.

Mom your consistent example of love and friendship has had an enormous influence to me. I feel like I have been the luckiest girl in the world to be tutored from you daily. In the past general conference the talk by Elder Foster of the Seventy resonated with my feeling for you as he remarked, “perhaps the reason we respond so universally to our mothers’ love is because it typifies the love of our Savior.”

Thank you for all the wonderful memories you have created for me during the countless afternoons’ we shared together.
I love you,
Marissa

Our Victory Garden

Growing up gardening took on a very bittersweet connotation for me. Gardening meant long hours on Saturday's working as a family to plant everything, weeding assignments before we could go and play in the summer, followed by a loss of interest in the vegetable by the time they were actually ready. (I am quite sure I was not the world's greatest help when it came to the garden) It has not been until the past few years that I have grown to appreciate more fully the power of a garden. Never have I felt so victorious as when I can take a bag outside and fill it up with entirely free produce from my parents.

Anyhow when Enoch expressed a desire to plant a garden around our tiny home this spring the memories of all the hard work flooded back. However, I suppressed the desire to run and I have really begun to love our little garden. Each morning and evening we carefully inspect our row of peas to see if any new little friends have cared to join us and we already have two little tomatoes starting to grow.

I suppose the whole garden thing must run in the family- my Grandpa Bradshaw is the master gardener. Every year without fail he plants rows and rows of goodness, even after a stroke he keeps going- gardening is sacred. My dad and grandpa every year still boast if they planted their peas before the other or if they got the first ripe tomato.

First we had to clear the land, aka take out two terrible trees (easy to remove, but messy)

We pretty much filled the green waste garbage to the maxHere is our well prepared soil after planting the peas. Since we only get so much sun in that area we opted for planting a green pepper and tomato plant in pots
And now for our little pea friends growing up and stuff

P.S. I felt it was only fitting to refer to our garden as our victory garden, referencing the depression/ World War era and the council to plant your own garden- since after all we are seriously poor college students in a economic downturn.

My Little Announcement

After waiting 4 months and 27 days I have finally received the news that I was admitted into California State University Northridge's Master's of Health Administration Program! Such a happy day for me as I have changed my mind 3.7 billion times up to this point in my undergraduate degree, then I moved to California to throw another wrench in the plans. (This post may refresh your memories of some of my educational crisis up to this point) Anyhow I will graduate from BYU in August and then a week later I will begin the master's program.

To be honest I had no intention of pursing a graduate degree when I entered college and when the idea crept into my head I would shoe it out with the worry that I couldn't get accepted. I have since grown up, gained some confidence, and got married (that really was what did the trick) Enoch and I will attend the same school and yes, our programs are even in the same building although my program is mostly in the evening. The Health Administration program is two years, which will make for a very happy day for our little family when we both graduate summer of 2012.

My closing remarks are these: education is so important- gain all you can, sometimes (and for me all-the-time) you have to fight for what is important to you, there is no such thing as Senior-itis when you already know you are going to grad school after, Cal State Graduate Admissions deserves a kick in the face for not processing my application until I inquired about it in March, I am grateful for the Northridge Earthquake which contributes to the more updated campus today, I think this news deserves a trip to Europe, and Go Matadors!

Highlights from my new job

I just started a job here in LA, I am not sold completely on the whole thing yet, but today I really warmed up to the whole thing- to explain I will share a few short stories.

The job is as a "coach" for an after school program of elementary school kids of low income families. Like I mentioned earlier I am not sure I agree with the program- but for the sake of my story I will leave out my commentary on that and move on.

Story #1 Today the group I was over joined with another "coach's" group for an activity. She first set up a large square (half a soccer field) to run around. The boys were being all macho and stuff and said they wanted to run around it four times, so I took the challenge and said I would race them. My pride was absolutely on the line and my heart started to race (I would be so embarrassing to lose to a bunch of 4th grade boys, seriously they are like 10+ years younger than me) calming my heart, I quickly devised a strategy. Take it just a bit faster than my normal jogging place and pick of the boys one by one because they all will sprint the first lap and die after that. Well, I was absolutely right in the strategy and by lap two I was in the lead. The girls were going crazy for me; when I crossed the finish line I had lapped every boy and passed numerous boys convulsing on the ground strewn about like dead bodies trying to recover their manhood. I was a hero.

Story #2 Following our little race we set up to play kickball. I rallied my team around me as we dubbed ourselves the tigers. When we were up to kick I chuckled at myself, they were using a soccer ball- suckers. So I laid into it and most definitely scored a home run. Once again I was the hero of the world. I had numerous kids ask to to teach them to kick like that, to which I happily obliged.

In summary it may sound low to race little fourth graders and then leave them in the dust or nearly decapitate a few others for the sake of a home run, but it felt so glorious. The events today made up for all those times in my sporting career when I just wasn't all that good. In the eyes of these little kids I sure am something- it is good to be reminded of that from time to time.

My last story is a classic and accentuates my experiences here in LA. Today some kids noticed my green eyes and got all excited saying, "You are different than everyone here, you don't have brown eyes." Or yesterday they began practicing for the play Wizard of Oz and the man in charge reassured the kids that they do not need to look like the characters they are playing for the show. For instance Dorothy does not necessarily have to have fair skin. I chuckled to myself after looking around- I think their is a possibility that one kids is white out of the entire 160+. Or when the girls insisted that I have blond hair to which I replied "No it is brown," but when everyone has black hair I guess my hair is lighter?? Or when I was trying to take role, I took a deep breath and began asking the kids their names, but all I heard was jibberish, they would repeat it again with a bit more enthusiasm and include all 12 of their names, "my name is Fernando Juan Sanchez.........." Trying to maintain my composure I ask once again by this time the letter of their last name and the name that appears on the paper I have. Their Latino-ness comes out when they say their names and I am once again reminded how vanilla I am. In the end, my days are very eventful, and you never know I may just pick up on Spanish one of these days.

Lake Piru / The Great Soggy Bottom Adventure

Enoch and I are trying to get used to the whole idea of Spring Break, it was go, go, go at BYU; It has been many a year since we have had this luxury. Anyhow we decided to try our skills at camping. Just so you understand the magnitude of this event, let me preface it by saying this is the first time Enoch and I have gone camping together alone. It is not like we haven't been camping- we have been camping a few times with family together and of course many times before we got married, but it is a whole different world being the responsible people while camping. We raided Enoch's parents home for camping supplies, made many a list's of all the necessary items, searched for a quality location, and packed our car to the gill's- yes just two of us for two nights (we may need to learn to pack lighter next time)

Everything was fine and dandy with the small exception of bad fire wood until we went to bed night #1. The rain soon came and Enoch woke up to a wet bum- yes the rain was pooling under our tent and had soaked through his pad. So after covering the pad with garbage bags and chucking to myself for a second we went back to sleep. Next I woke up to the soggiest bum of the year. Apparently I was not immune from this terrible event and the back of my sweats were totally water logged, it was nearly morning so after changing out of the nasty sweats I shared E's pad. Not to mention the pools of water on the outer edges of the test.

So we learned a few valuable things
1- don't camp when it is going to rain
2- make sure the tarp under your tent is the same size (not bigger) than the tent
3-invest in a water proof tent -I'm guessing the tent was supposed to be waterproof, but let me clear things up once and for all, it was not
4- dig a ditch around your tent, whatever it takes I guess

After spending the morning drying off our belonging (our clothing bag even got wet) and looking like complete losers/ hillbillies / prepared people (take your pick) we were able to continue on with our camping adventure

In case you were wondering the about the puddle, yes- that puddle was from the mat

Here are the clouds finally moving out

Aside from our weather mishap we really did enjoy our time at Lake Piru. The camp sites were seriously close together, but with 5/6 of the spots empty it was not too big of a deal, the grass was green, the flowers in bloom, we got a hike in, played Frisbee golf, and took the maiden voyage of our dutch oven. We got the dutch oven for Christmas and after some coaching from my sister Rachel and her husband Tim - our meal was a complete success (after they all they won a dutch oven cookout and have the dutch oven bolo sp? ties to prove it.)

So without too many battle wounds, many memories, and a few laughs that completes our Spring Break Camping Trip

Easter

This Easter we...

-Dyed Easter eggs at the Jones house (and you better believe no event at the Jones is complete without a ton of food and fun)

-I made Cinnamon rolls for the first time, a favorite conference tradition of my mom's- and don't they look beautiful
-Hid Easter three Easter eggs for each other and then found them at Enoch's parents house

And we finished off our Easter by making dinner for Enoch's parents and watching General conference.

It has been an interesting process trying to come up with our own traditions for each holiday. I hope to come up with some create more of a religious aspect for Easter. This year I decided to read the book of John. We also attended a joint religious celebration in Palm Sunday with the Pilgrim Baptist Church in LA complete with numerous gospel choirs, drums, and you how could I ever forget the keyboardist who played nonstop. However, I feel I definitely could become better versed in the last week of the Savior's life chronologically along with understanding the events better, perhaps it would bring a greater appreciation for the Resurrection/ Easter.