Defending Champs!!

For the second year straight, the Thecal Sacker team (members of the UNLV physical therapy department) are intramural champions!! They were undefeated this year in pool play and won the final game 2-1. Don't they just look like a bunch of champions?

The First Snow!!

This past week I have had an itching in my bones for Utah. I knew it was time to take a scenic drive up north and visit the fam. I think however, that I may just be gifted. I was born in Alaska and from time to time I need the snow. I love the snow and I can feel when it is about to come. I guess you could say that I am like a Lorelai Gilmore on the Gilmore Girls.

Lorelai: Wait, close your eyes and breathe. I smell snow. Rory: Ah, it's that time of year. Lorelai: Can't you smell it? Rory: You know, it's like dogs and high-pitched noises. I think it's something only you can smell. Lorelai: I love snow. Rory: Really, I had no idea. Lorelai: Everything's magical when it snows, everything looks pretty. The clothes are great. Coats, scarves, gloves, hats. Rory: Thermal underwear, wool socks, ear flaps.

I feel the same way about snow. I get all excited when it snows!! I love the smell, the air, the chill. Everything looks so clean and peaceful!

I know everyone does not feel the same way as I. That's fine by me. That just means there is more for me to enjoy. :)

Michel: You do know that not everyone finds the idea of being pelted with frozen water appealing. Lorelai: I know, and how sad for them. Michel: The thrilling sensation of getting lost in a blizzard, of freezing to death in the woods and having to eat your friend's buttocks to stay alive: that is lost on many people.

Visitors!!!

Josh and I have been a bit slow in posting some new stuff on our blog. We apologize! We had a slight accident with some really heavy books and the laptop. It was not a good combination and it ended up ugly for the laptop. The books are ok, just in case you wanted to know. The laptop is now somewhat fixed, at least workable. We did lose all of our school work and our pictures! I told Josh that we could always reenact our first year of marriage and take some more pictures. Ha ha! Because of this catastrophe I have gained a new appreciation for blogging. Because we have a blog we have a few pictures saved from our first year and a half of marriage. Also, since I posted about our new place we have had some visitors! I am insanely grateful for all of the visitors we have had! I guess people finally figured out that we are the coolest couple and Vegas is the place to visit!! ;)
First, I had my great friend and one of my first college roommates from BYU-Idaho come down and visit me. We met my first fall semester staying in Nauvoo (the name of the apartments) and were roomies as well the fallowing semester when I came back from Vashon Island, WA. We got to go the Las Vegas temple. I am so grateful for good friends that I have stayed in contact with and also that we can go to the House of the Lord together. Going with a friend from college helped me to realize how important eternal life is and how connected we all are. It helped give me further perspective to why and just how important it is to help all of our friends so that we can all sit in the celestial kingdom together. Thank you, Amy!

Doesn't the temple look beautiful?

Next, the Smith guys came to visit. That would be my brothers and my father. These guys are super crazy and you would just have to meet them to appreciate their random cracks and jokes. We had a quick, yummy, dinner at the Olive Garden and drove out to the condo to get a quick looksie. I loved having them there if only for a couple of hours. They were just driving through but it meant the world to me to have them come visit.

Over conference weekend we had The Mills party of 5 down here to visit us! We got to to the show Ka. Very good! We ate lots, watched the most amazing conference, found the joys in coupon shopping, designed bamboo nails and mostly enjoyed one another company. It was wonderful to have them down here and to show them our new place. I'm sad to say that I only got one picture of them down here. If you want to see more you should go to Andrew & Elise's blog. The one picture I got was of Elise. We went to a Halloween party store for Kayla to help her get some ideas for the upcoming Halloween dance. I think Elise had more fun...

Thanks ya'll for coming down and remember the invites are still extended!!!

Sarah Palin

Here is another You Tube video that my little brother made. He is a baby genius!!
Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qforjC64Hfs

The New Place...

I have had a few very concerned phone calls this weekend. I always enjoy and welcome the phone calls but these phone calls have been more of a demanding nature than a friendly conversation. Ha! Some people have been asking Josh and I for awhile now to post some pictures of our new place. Our response, "Come Visit!" But to hold ya over till you do, yes, everyone is invited, I decided that I would post just a few pictures up. It's more of a sales tactic to get you to come down.

We live in a two bedroom, two bath condo. It is (at least I feel) gigantic and I don't know what to do with all the extra space. However, in just a month Josh and I (but mostly Josh and his school books) are filling it up quite nicely.

This is a picture of our living room. That couch has been in the Smith family for a very long time. Every newly wed couple has had the pleasure of using this couch. It may not be the most attractive couch in the world but it does it's job!!
Next is the guest washroom and for those of you who do not speak Canadian that would be the bathroom. ;) I think this may be the cleanest place in our house. I do love maps, globes, books of the world, etc. It's sort of a sick fascination I have. Now, I have a new love of maps on a shower curtain!! I would definitely shake the hand of the person who came up with that.

So that really is it. I know! I'm sorry. You really should just come visit instead. The couch pulls out into a bed....

Temples Will Dot the Earth

This is a video that my little brother created. He is extremely talented and I am very proud of him. Hope you guys like watching it!!

What's on Jay's mind?

Elder Richard G. Scott recently gave a talk at the graduation ceremony for BYU students this last summer. In his talk (which is very inspirational) he gave very 'simple yet profound' key principles or steps that would help our journey in this life. One key principle he listed was to Trust in the Lord. "Follow His commandments and you will be filled with inspiration and power. You will obtain goals beyond your personal capacity." I love that promise and have found in my life that it is very true. I have thought more recently about this promise and how it may relate to marriage. Rarely, is marriage a joy ride as you think it may be the months before you get married or on your honeymoon. ;) Marriage is a goal that must be chosen and then DILIGENTLY pursued. It is a conscious choice that both husband and wife make and then must constantly work together to uphold. As one works towards this goal, he or she will find more joy and happiness than ever before. Being married is much different then being single...go figure. Since being married I have discovered more of my weaknesses. These weaknesses, I know, in time will only bring me closer to my husband and to the Lord. As I pray, set goals and trust in the Lord I will in time be perfected and reach above my personal capacity. While on my mission my mission president once wrote me a note that I know was guided by the spirit. He told me that the Lord was watching over me, knew of my imperfections, and in time I would be perfect. However, the Lord expects no one to be perfect right now. He only expects you to try. Trying is what makes you perfect. Never stop trying. This note came to me a few weeks before I went to the E.R one night with chest pains. I had a physical weakness at that moment and for months to follow but as I layed there in the hospital bed He made me strong as I talked to a less active member, who we had been trying to find, about church. I guess in a round about way what I am trying to get at is that marriage is hard but worth it. Both partners have weaknesses. Neither is perfect! Isn't that a relief? To know that it's not just you with imperfections. My heart gets sick each time I hear of another divorce, a separation, even to see it on T.V. or in the movies. I pray that each person will make marriage a goal. A goal to be obtained here in this life or the next. There are so many people in this world who are putting their wants and their needs before marriage. How sad. I wish all people could see the beauty of an eternal marriage. An eternal marriage gives purpose to life and fills my soul with so much joy. True joy. For those of you who are already married, I encourage you to continue setting daily goals to strengthen your marriage. Do not take it lightly. Do not place other things, people, duties before him or her. Make your wife or husband your number one priority. After all it is a commandment. (Doc. & Cov. 42:22).

If you were currently taking my ethics class with me I suppose you would be calling me a moralist right about now. One who proclaims repentance or teaches another their morals. Well, then I guess it would fit but this is just what's on Jay's mind right now.