Category Archives: Happenings

Church History Tour

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To celebrate our anniversary, we went on a road trip to church history sites.

We started in Winter Quarters in Florence, Nebraska (outside of Omaha). I have never been there before. Because it was the first stop and we hadn’t yet talked to dozens of missionaries, I enjoyed it the most, I think. I was very impressed with the sacrifices the early Saints made AFTER all the struggle in Missouri and then leaving Nauvoo. They were driven out of their homes time and again. Now they were so grateful to have a roof over their heads. 10-15 people spent a year in a tiny cabin smaller than my storage unit. They had gone through so much. And then they would have the ordeal of crossing the plains. So many people died, and yet they were grateful to the Lord for the gospel in their lives.

And should we die before our journey’s through,
Happy day! All is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell–
All is well! All is well!

My husband and I attended a session in the Winter Quarters temple. It was a special experience. I felt close to the early pioneers who gave so much. I wondered what Heavenly Father will ask me to sacrifice. Has he already asked me? Have I willingly given of my time and talents? Will I be ready and willing to do what is asked of me in the future? I don’t yet know what “plains” I’ll have to cross.

We then drove to Missouri. We visited the Independence Vistors Center, Liberty Jail, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Far West, and a few other locations where various sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were received.
Then we headed to Nauvoo. We’ve both been there a number of times. By this time, we’d be driving a lot over the past few days. So we were pretty tired. We went on a tour of the Joseph Smith Mansion House and Red Brick Store, and we enjoyed walking the streets of old Nauvoo. Tuesday morning we enjoyed the sunrise over the Mississippi River (though we were a little too late for good pictures) and we went to a session in the Nauvoo temple. Another good experience.

After a stop for Nauvoo fudge, we headed on home.

When (if) we have time again, we’ll have to go to Kirtland and Palmyra. For now, I sincerely hope our next trip will be to Australia!

Women’s Conference

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I left my husband to organize boxes while I went with Mom, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Jessica to visit Jenny, Leah, and Chris in Utah. Mom, Jenny, and I went to Women’s Conference Thursday and Friday while Elizabeth babysat and visited some friends. It was a great time. We stayed up late and played games. And Mom, Elizabeth, and Jenny all shared good advice about preparing for baby.

It was a great time, but it was good to come home to my husband. I told him about our weekend. He says it sounds like a long sleep over. Yep, that’s what it was.

Awaiting Elder Holland

Mom, Jenny, and I heard Elder and Sister Holland speak at Women’s Conference.

Daniel and Leah chasing each other

Daniel and Leah enjoyed chasing each other around.

A giggly video.

Daniel and Jessica BYU fans

Siblings Daniel and Jessica are BYU Cougar fans!

Cousins

Cousins

Cousins Daniel, Jessica, and Leah

My unborn baby with his cousins

Me (and unborn baby) and my nieces and nephew (note my growing bulge!)

Grandma with her grandkids

Grandma and her grandkids (except for the one on the way)

Moving

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We are well in the middle of packing. The apartment is littered with boxes, and random things are on the floor. Last night, we mourned the fact that we won’t have a clean home again for a long time. Now we must be in a state of chaos for a while. First, we’ll be living somewhat temporarily in my parent’s house. Then we’ll finally get Visas and head to Australia. We’ll living in temporary corporate housing for a few weeks. Then finally we’ll move to a more permanent home. Hopefully, we’ll then get all the goods that we’ll ship over there.

In the mean time, I’m packing up things we won’t be using for two years. It didn’t take long to pack up our books. They fit in about eight small U-Haul boxes. I’ll miss them, but most of them can be gotten from the library. And some are on the Web. But I cried as I put my crystal glasses in a box (with lots of cushioning). I didn’t feel like doing all the china last night, too. It’s so hard to say “good-bye,” even though I know we’ll see this stuff again.

I do not have much experience with packing. When I went to college, I took my suitcase out in a two-door Nissan. Then I supplemented what I forgot with my frequent trips home, every six months. I had to move my apartment a few times. When I needed too, I just waited until moving day and took frequent trips in the car I was borrowing. I don’t think I ever got boxes to move things.

When it was time to return home from college, I waited until the day after graduation when my parents showed up with the huge conversion van. It took a while to fill it up with my stuff. It was packed to the gills. But again, I don’t think I did fill boxes. Most things were loose in plastic bags. I was more concerned with finishing cleaning the apartment to pass my cleaning check.

When I got married, I again did multiple trips by small car to move my things in to my husband-to-be’s apartment over the course of a few weeks. It took a while. But it got moved in.

This time, it’s different. We’ve already taken down one four-door car full of stuff. It’s amazing at how little fit in the car. Then yesterday we took down a van load. Maybe another car or van on Friday, and then next Saturday, we’ll take 17 foot moving van. Most things will go in to storage. But, as my husband points out, maybe it will be very nice to not be tied down to material goods.

I guess we’ll see.

My Aussie Baby

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I told one woman in my ward that not only are we moving to Australia, but we’re also having our first child. Her question surprised me.

“Are you coming back to the States to have the baby?”

“No. Australia has excellent medical care.”

“But then your baby will be an Australian citizen….”

She told me of a number of people, cousins and friends of cousins and neighbors, who had babies in a foreign country and then the baby had dual citizenship.

I know I had read it somewhere, so I found it again.

This is from an Australian citizenship website.

I am about to give birth in Australia. Will my child be an Australian citizen?

A child is an Australian citizen by birth if, and only if, at least one parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of the child’s birth in Australia.

So never fear, my child will not be an Australian citizen. I am sure you were all quite worried. I’m just glad the answer was so easy to find.

FYI, one of the ways to become a U.S. citizen is

By birth, either within the territory of the United States or to U.S. citizen parents

Visit source.

In Australia

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We don’t have anything packed, and I’m not telling the people I work with yet. But I sure am reading up on what life will be like in Australia. I’ve read some guide books and some “Moving to Australia” books. Here are some things I’ve read. I’m not sure how true these things are….Some are probably more true than others.

Most definitely true

  • Cars have the steering wheel on the right side. Australians drive on the left side of the street. (Oh, dear!)
  • Australia is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world.
  • Australia is the size of the continental U.S.
  • Australia uses the metric system. (Any help, Carl?!)

Maybe true

  • Soft drink cans open up differently. (Not sure yet how.) [Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing.]
  • Kangaroos are in every state of Australia. They may even be near major metropolitan areas. (How many near Melbourne?)
  • There is a big hole in the Ozone over Australia, so people wear body suits to the beach and always cover up and wear sunglasses.

Am I missing something about Australia that you have heard? Send me an e-mail or comment.