I am grateful for...

After reading my sweet sister-in-law, Kristin's blog and reading what she was grateful for, I started thinking what my list would consist of. So here it is:

I am grateful for my health and my body. I've always been blessed with good health and I really hope it lasts... (for the rest of my life? :) )

I am grateful for my parents and siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and my Grandma. For their love and undying support. Especially my Mom, she is the most beautiful person I know. She is the most unselfish, most patient, most caring woman. Growing up, my Dad would always say, "If you end up half as good as your Mom is, your husband will be one very lucky man." I hope I can be just half as great as my Mom.

I am grateful for Wayne, for his love, support, concern and unselfishness. He puts my wants before his always and that means the world to me. I am grateful for our time together and how we are learning together, like responsibilites and how to combine our finances...

I am grateful for Wayne's family, for his parents who from the very beginning, showed me they really cared and let me know they loved me. That is more than I could ask for in in-laws. For his brothers and their beautiful wives who showed me immediate likeness and care, wanting to really get to know me and making me feel apart of the family. I am grateful for his grandparents who treat me like I am one of their grandchildren, which is so dear, especially since I just have my Grandma left :)

I am grateful for my ancestry. I am grateful my parents decided to give me my Mom's maiden name as my middle name, so I would always remember I am a Young. I am grateful to know stories of my Dad's grandparents. They seemed to be the most loving and wise people. I very much look forward to meeting them someday. I am grateful to have lineage of three American Presidents and one Prophet and believe I have a tad of their diplomacy in my blood :) I am grateful for the knowledge that I should feel welcome in Tustin and Santa Ana (does that sound vain? :) )

I am grateful for the courageous lives of my Grandma and my Granny. My Grandma (Young) had 7 children and dealt with a lot she didn't have to deal with and she continues to do so at 90 years young :) My Granny (Elliott) was the first person in her family to graduate from high school. Not only did she graduate, she made a life for herself... moving to Southern California (by herself from Arkansas in the 40s) and marrying a handsome man who had one of those family names.

I am grateful for my four years I lived in St. George, Utah. Even though when I moved there, I was heartbroken, lonely and confused, I realized years later, there was a reason I needed to be there. I grew up very fast, learned real responsibility real fast and I made life-long friends with some of the best girls ever... I also was able to gain education and knowledge in the field where I would work for the rest of my life... I am grateful I could live with and close to other college students, people from all over, mostly who shared my same beliefs and were good friends. I am grateful for my dating experiences (sounds silly, right?), because from those experiences, I can truly appreciate Wayne for his sweetness :) I am grateful I could live 20 minutes from my Grandma and hear stories of her life and spend time with her since we didn't live in CA anymore.

I am grateful for my childhood. As silly as that sounds too, I have a lot of memories of events and places. Places like my Granny's house with her weird cat statue, her metal zebra on the wall, her collection of matchboxes, her yummy tangerines. My Grandma's house in Westminster and having my cousins down the street and the beach only 15 minutes away. I remember my very first memory... my Mom bringing my little brother to my Grandma's house after undergoing surgeries at UCLA right after his birth. I remember random things like this and grateful I can remember so much.

I am grateful for my work and that I can stay busy in a field where some people are struggling for business. I am grateful for appreciative clients that make my job easier and less stressful :) I am grateful for a boss that gives me opportunities that I could only hope for and for my fun conversations and gossip time with Carolina (we're the only girls in the office :) ).

I am grateful for temples. They are THE MOST beautiful places on earth, especially the Los Angeles temple :) I am grateful Wayne and I were able to be sealed together forever in this beautiful building where my parents, his parents and most of his family was married as well. I am grateful I lived less than 2 blocks from the St. George temple for four years. When my Dad bought that house, he told me it was right by the temple. Only when I saw it for myself, I couldn't fathom living that close to one of those magnificent structures.

I am grateful for my testimony in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the love I feel for and from my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I am grateful to know that I am a daughter of God. I am grateful I can pray and know that my prayers will be heard. I am grateful for my patriarchal blessing and the knowledge of my lineage and where I am to be and who I am to be.

I am grateful and hopeful for my future- with Wayne, with our future family, for my career and for happiness that comes with growing old with the ones I love.

My 23rd!

I was looking forward to my 23rd for quite sometime... I'm a big birthday person... or at least when it comes to mine! My best friends, Ana and Jami came down from St. George to celebrate with us! We went to Disneyland (typical tourist and birthday thing to do!)... there were a million people there! Probably since it was a Saturday! Thanks again Ana and Jami for making my day so special- loooooove you girls! xoxo

Jami and me in the LONG, HOT line for Space Mountain... it was so worth the 1 hr. 15 min. wait!


Us girls cruisin' in Mickey's car


And Shawn (my little brother who hates Disneyland) came too! Wayne was there too of course but there weren't photos to document.


We went to dinner in Huntington that night and we were taking dumb photos on Main St. I had to get one here. Long story short- my Dad's Dad grew up next to the Owner/Founder of the OC Register and my Dad's Dad dated his daughter all through childhood/high school and planned to be married but then he left for the war and she found someone else. But it was fine because then he married my Granny, the lovely Lillie Lucille :)

"I knew you were a Young!"

Ok, so last Sunday, my Mom had come to our church building after church to see me get set apart for my new calling. While we were waiting in the hall, she almost screamed (yes, she's dramatic too), "Katy, that's Pat Donald! She's in your ward?!" And I said, "No Mom, that's Pat Chambers." She then proceeded to run up to Pat and they were surprised to see each other, hugged a couple times and then Pat had to follow her husband and the Bishop into another room.

A little preface, Pat Donald, (now Pat Chambers- her new married name) is my Grandma's best and oldest friend. I had never met Pat before, but remember all the stories my Grandma had told about her best friend, Pat. We've been in this ward 3 months now and I would have never known this sweet old lady was THE PAT DONALD my Grandma always talked about! (So glad my Mom visited our ward and made that discovery!)

I went up to Pat today and told her who I was, she was so happy and gave me a hug. She said, "I knew you were a YOUNG when I saw you!!!" She then told me about her friendship with my Grandma and how she always loved my Mom. She was even at my parent's sealing! She even knew recent stories about my parents (heard from my Grandma of course) and told me a sweet story from my parent's sealing. She even made me cry!

I'm so happy that this sweet lady is in our ward and lives so close! Its very nice to have a piece of my Grandma here with me (even though my Grandma lives in Utah, I miss her oh so much!)

PS...

Thanks for the comments and help on my last post. I also wanted to mention MY MOM was just called as the Y.W. Secretary (same stake!) in her ward too! And for those that don't know, my Mother-in-law, Robin is the Y.W. Stake President... could this be any more fun?! :)

New Ward, New Calling!

I have been called as the Young Women's Secretary for our ward and I am so excited! (and nervous, anxious, etc...) I loved the Young Women's program when I was that age- I loved my leaders and gained my testimony of the gospel in those years of my life.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "When you save a girl, you save generations." SO TRUE! I read that and thought of girls that I knew growing up in our stake and how some of them started to slip and slip and slip after high school and now they don't live the standards we were taught. I mentioned I loved my leaders, I really really did/do! They were more than just leaders, they were friends, (most were my Mom's friends too) and they did so much for us girls! At one of my Bridal Showers, I noticed I had 2 of my former Young Women's presidents there and 2 former advisors there too.

I hope I can be the type of leader that they were. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and for the other sisters I can serve with- they are so kind! Also, I've been looking online for some cutesy Y.W. stuff- so far I've found sugardoodle.net. Does anyone know of any othe sites for ideas, clip art, etc?

Doug & Rosanna's Wedding!

Doug and Rosanna were married for time and all eternity 8/22/2009 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple! The entire day was full of flowers, smiles, well-wishes, candles, gardens and love.

The Beautiful Mt. Timpanogas Temple!


Rosanna and Doug :)

Greeted by her new nieces and nephews...

Xavier, Doug, Jason and Wayne- these guys have been friends for YEARS!

Tess, me and Makaila- Tess and I have been friends since we were 3 and she's now expecting her first! And Makaila married our friend Drew 2 weeks before Wayne and I were married!

Thanksgiving Point

Us with the happy couple!

Congratulations you two! We couldn't be more happy! :) xoxo

Brainstorming, creativity, time, work all pays off because...

...our wedding was featured on Zenadia Design!!! Thanks so much Tonya for sharing! I LOVE that blog and followed it through our engagement and could only wish ours would grab their attention!