I apologize for the lack of update.  I promise to do better.  eventually.  ELEVEN DAYS until Luke and I go to the temple to sealed together as husband and wife for eternity.  yay (yikes)!!  I really am excited and am glad that it's finally coming.  I was talking to Beth on the phone last week and we talked a little about all the build-up that comes with such a life-changing event... and then the descend after it's all over.  I really look forward to that descend, where there's nothing to focus on... no centerpieces or flowers, etc etc, but just me and Luke, beginning something completely new together.

I'm trying not to be TOO much of a bridezilla, but I'm finding more and more that I DO care about the details concerning some things.

At the beginning of September, Luke and I took a week to go to Idaho (by way of Greeley, Colorado, where we stayed with our dear friend Lori Dawn Depew overnight) for Matt and Ali Baker's sealing in the Idaho Falls Temple.  It was both Luke and my first experience in a sealing, so that was a really wonderful experience.  And Matt is Luke's best friend, so it meant a lot to Luke to be able to be there for it.  After that we went to Logan, visited Luke's mission president (I really enjoyed that even if I was REALLY scared at first) and stayed the night with the Hinton family, who used to live in Lawrence.  If you read mine and Luke's "story" about how we met and knew each other back in high school, Amber Hinton is the mutual friend whose house was the regular hangout.  That was a lot of fun to be at the Hinton house, even if Amber wasn't there.  The next morning, we made our way to Provo and ate lunch with Amber at her work.  She works at this fun center called Boondocks where they have an arcade, laser tag, miniature golf, go karts, etc.  She gave us free passes and some tokens to play on the arcade games, so we did that a bit, then did the go-karts and then some miniature golf (I beat Luke ).  Before we left, Luke took a few swings in the batting cages, then we headed to the apartment of one of Luke's mission companions.  We had dinner with them, then went to a little get-together of mostly EFY people (and Katie (Stewart) Brigman + husband and Jimmy Mitts + wife).  Anyway, that was a lot of fun.  We ended up in Las Vegas (by way of Cedar City, Utah to visit Luke's brother Marty + wife + kid) to visit Luke's mom and sister.  We ate a lot of good food and went to do karaoke, which was way fun.  I was exhausted by the end of the night, but everyone knows how I love to sing.  Luke and I didn't want to kill each other by the end of the trip, so I'd say all in all it was a good one.  I'd never been to Vegas before, so that was cool.

Wedding planning, new job as a paraeducator for Special Ed at Free State High School.  Keeping me plenty busy.  Life is good when you're busy.

yay for eternity.  yay for life.  yay for your mom.

Life is good.  Life is challenging.  I'm trying to have a good attitude about everything and not let things stress me out, but it hasn't been easy.  47 days until the big day (October 5th) and it seems both so far away and so soon all at once.  Mom's making my dress, which at first I really didn't want, but so far it's beautiful and it'll be nice to use the money elsewhere and also to make it fit the first time around instead of using extra money and time to get it altered.  We've gotten most of the announcements sent (though not all), which is a relief.  I spent way too much time designing the announcements, then ended up going back to the simple design I had at the very beginning.  I'm pleased with the result, as well as the pictures that Kelly took.  I've gotten many compliments already.  Now, I'm just trying to keep busy and focused on the future.  I started back with Infoition last week, which I actually enjoy more than I probably should, but it's only part-time and I really need something full-time with benefits if I'm truly looking toward the future.  This is the time, right?  Dad helped me sort through a lot of jobs on Monster.com and find ones that were of actual interest to me.  It's hard with the wedding a month and a half away.  Do I look for something then?  Or now, and just tell them that I'm getting married in a month and a half?  I know it'll all work out, but it will take hours and hours of making it work out before it does.

Today in Relief Society, we talked about keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  I enjoy this topic and think it's a great one that can really refine us if we continually increase our commitment to keeping it.  Unfortunately, it was only a short lesson and turned into a debate as to whether we should study for school on Sundays.  I guess sometimes I just wish that we could teach the principle and everyone would have the same understanding/willingness to understand, but everyone's different.  Everyone focuses on different things in his/her life.  I kind of want to write a book... or a collection of articles perhaps.. on understanding principles.  If we seek to understand true principles, we will begin to live above reproach, just as President Kimball challenged.  If a woman truly understood the principle of modesty, she would not flirt with dancing on/over the line.  If we truly understood the principle of reverence, or keeping the Sabbath Day holy, we would desire constant change and improvement in living those principles.  I truly believe that.  So many times when we are unwilling to be obedient, it is because we are unwilling to take the time to truly understand the principle behind what is being asked of us.  That's why I love 1 Nephi 3:5-7.  Everyone knows verse 7, where Nephi says he will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded of him because he understands that the Lord has provided a way for him to do all that is asked of him, but I love verse 5 and 6, where it says why Nephi is so willing.  Laman and Lemuel have murmured because they do not understand that it the Lord asking them to sacrifice.  They haven't taken time to look past the messenger, who is their father Lehi, to truly understand the principles he is teaching and who they truly come from, so they complain because they do not truly understand what is being asked of them.  I'm sure this has happened over and over again with leaders in the church and throughout the world.  Like Joseph Smith.  The early Saints were asked to sacrifice so much, but it was not Joseph Smith requiring it of them.  It was the Lord qualifying them for the things that were to come.  If I thought it was simply Joseph Smith, an uneducated man, requiring so much of me, I don't think I would've had the strength (or desire) to endure as much as the Saints did.

Anyway, it's been a productive and introspective day.

(this is what I just heard happening downstairs)
Luke: a whole newwwww wooooorlllldd.....
Kelly: Heidi, you can't marry Luke.  He's gay.

oh man.

yay for the gospel.  yay for truth.  yay for principles.  yay for Nauvoo fudge.  yay for your mom.