Mom and Dad

I threw a Bridal Shower today. I gave everyone a chance to write down some marriage advice. Marriage advice from mostly singles you say? Yes! I may know very little about being in a relationship from personal experience, however I sure do have one of the best examples around...Tonia and Orlando Kelm. For almost 31 years these two have been having fun and enjoyed traveling around the world together. Last summer they spent 6 weeks in Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. All the pictures they sent seemed to include ice cream, hammocks, or lounging on the beach. Right now they are in Beijing, China. This is the funnest set of pictures I think they have ever sent to me. Moral of the story- strong loving marriages require spending quality time doing things you love and having fun! Thank you mom and dad for setting the bar high! I know I am better for it!

Mom at Tiananmen Square

Dancing in the Tian Tan Park with dozens of other couples.


Mom taking charge at Jingshan Hill at the Forbidden City


Forbidden City



Two of these things are not like the others...

11:11, make a wish!

If dad is in the room (and automatically now even when I am no where near him) and the clock shows 11:11, one of us yells- "11:11, make a wish!"

I have a wish...but more like a hope and a heart's desire...

Tomorrow I will stress less,
kick worries to the curb,
take time to be still,
give away free hugs,
express gratitude,
and say I love you a lot!

I Love to See the Temple...

Jordan River Temple, West Jordan, Utah

I recently had several opportunities to attend the temple. On Friday we had a Stake Temple Day. The Stake President asked for us to take the chance to do family history work so we could take family names with us and perform proxy work in the temple for those who have passed on and did not have the chance to be taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I found myself sitting in the temple in a sealing room, where families are joined together for eternity, surrounded by dozens of people with handfuls of family cards. There was no time possible for everyone to do all they had brought with them. Some were disappointed. I had a great learning moment. I realized right there that the point of having a Stake Temple day was not so ONE day we could do temple work, but so we might catch the importance of it and have enough work that would require individuals to return again and again. A lifetime of love for temple attendance was a great side effect to having a Stake Temple Day.

Hymn 169 is a sacrament hymn- "As Now We Take the Sacrament". It is my friend Shaleen's favorite hymn and I think of her every time I sing it. Today we sang it at church and a line really popped out to me-

"We contemplate Thy lasting grace, Thy boundless charity..."
I have been blessed with much grace that has left me full of joy and gratitude. I believe a huge part of that is serving the Lord in His House. Here are some of the temples I have been to over the past few years.

If you have any questions about LDS temples, you can go to www.mormon.org or www.lds.org, or ask me!

Draper Temple, Draper, Utah

The Kelm Family, before Michael went off to serve in Australia

Christina Russell and I at the Provo, Utah temple. This is my grandma Hutchison's favorite.

Mt. Timpanogus Temple

Manti Temple...probably the one in Utah I want to go back to the most!

Salt Lake City Temple

"My Temple", San Antonio..here with some of my bestest friends, Shaleen, Chanda, Christina, and Michelle. August 18th, 2007 was a very special day.