Summer Vacation :)

Since we had a week after moving out of our old place and before moving into our new place (which we hope to be doing tonight!), we decided just to go on a trip somewhere! So, we visited Portland and Seattle and saw some sites in between. All in all, we had a good trip. It was my idea to go to Seattle since it is only a few hours from Portland, but I think if I could do it over, I would have just spent the whole time in Oregon. It was cool to see Seattle, but we didn't do much there because we only had one day and because by that time we were kind of sick of site seeing, plus there were some things in Oregon that we wanted to do but didn't because we didn't have enough time. Anyway, here are some pictures:

Me in front of the Twin Falls, ID temple:



Peter in front of the Temple (we have double of most of our pictures, and I don't think we have any pictures together. I guess we could have asked somebody to take one....)


Me in front of the Boise, ID temple:


Driving alongside the Columbia River:


Oregon's Multnomah Falls:




Cheese tasting at the Tillamook cheese/ice cream factory. Peter was so excited when Winco stores finally came to Utah because that meant he could finally buy Tillamook Ice Cream. He served his mission in Oregon and got addicted to it there:



Feeding some ducks with a family from Peter's mission. We went to this pond in the hopes of viewing a nutria (it's real-google it). A nutria is a cross between a beaver and a rat and it only lives in oregon. It was introduced into Oregon from South America in the fur trading era. Also notice the adorable baby ducklings:



The beach at Seaside, OR (cold pacific waters + windy day= barely put my feet in):


The Column in Astoria, OR. It has 180 steps inside that you can climb up for a view of the surrounding area. The outside of the column is covered in murals depicting the history of Oregon:


Here is a view from the top of the column. Also, a picture of a little restaurant near the beach that we ate at. It is old fishing boat that now sells fish n chips-and they were good! I have never liked fish and people have always told me that if I tried fresh fish I would like it. This stuff was super fresh and really good!




And this is Beaver Falls. It's a hidden waterfall near Rainier, OR. One of Peter's mission friends took us there; you can hike down behind the waterfall. It was cool :)


In Seattle, we did the underground city tour. It was fun to learn the history of Seattle, but not worth the money the tour costs. We also saw the space needle, of course. We were going to go up it, but like I said earlier by this point in the trip we were pretty much done sight seeing and so we just took a picture of it instead:

(I don't know why the space needle picture didn't rotate and I don't really care either. Sorry.)

We did get to see the Seattle temple, but it is being renovated so we didn't get to go inside:


And then we drove for 14 hours to get home....

I have a favorite scripture.

Well, I have many favorite scriptures, but today it is this one. Actually, this scripture became a favorite on my mission. We would show the short restoration DVD to people and I loved the scene where little Joseph saw a toy wooden horse that he wanted in the store, but they were too poor to buy it. Then, his dad carved one for him. Cute dad. Like my dad.  So, the movie quotes the last part of this scripture when his dad is giving him the toy.

3 Nephi 14:8-11

"For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. 

Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone?

Or is he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

It's beautiful, isn't it? I think this scripture refers to our trust in God. When I was a child, my parents took great care of me. I trust them and know that I can count on them for anything at any time of day or night and at any stage in my life. But they aren't perfect; they aren't God. Why is it sometimes hard to trust God and to trust that the things he allows to happen in our lives are for our good? Perhaps because his isn't tangibly here every day like my mom and dad are. And perhaps there are things that have happened in my life that I have yet to understand how they were for my good. But the scriptures contain countless examples of the workings of God in the lives of men that I can rely on. 

And if the Savior himself tells me in the Book of Mormon that the Father gives good things to them that ask him, I can trust that. I can trust that everything in my life will work together for my good. 

Even when I have to leave the ward and the primary class and the neighbors that I love.

Even when I have to pack up my entire house and store it all in my in-laws basement for four months.

Even when I have to be homeless for two weeks. Ok, not homeless really, just I won't be living in my home. And one of those weeks will hopefully involve a road trip to Oregon. And that I'm excited for!