Provo City Center Temple Groundbreaking

love her mother

this is sweet.

"The Laborers in the Vineyard"

this is a good talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland..

it really stuck with me when i heard it in conference.

i have listened to it a couple times since.

his words are strong. his testimony is strong.

this talk helps me a lot to remember the power of the Atonement.

"Which leads me to my third and last point. This parable—like all parables—is not really about laborers or wages any more than the others are about sheep and goats. This is a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace. It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it."

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

"Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. “Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,” and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel. Come and feast “without money and without price” at the table of the Lord."

"When we realize that death is only one of the steps that the children of God shall take throughout eternity, and that it is according to His plan, it robs death of its sting and brings us face to face with the reality of eternal life."

- President George Albert Smith

(Teachings of G.A. Smith Ch. 7 “The Immortality of the Soul”)

"Sacrifice"

"Many years ago this conference heard of a young man who found the restored gospel while he was studying in the United States. As this man was about to return to his native land, President Gordon B. Hinckley asked him what would happen to him when he returned home as a Christian. 

“My family will be disappointed,” the young man answered. “They may cast me out and regard me as dead. As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.”

“Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?” President Hinckley asked.

Tearfully the young man answered, “It’s true, isn’t it?” 

When that was affirmed, he replied, “Then what else matters?”

"Sacrifice" - Elder Dallin H. Oaks, GC, April 2012

[Gordon B. Hinckley, “It’s True, Isn’t It?” Tambuli, Oct. 1993, 3–4;Ensign, July 1993, 2; see also Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Ensign, May 2007, 74.]

Jesus is the Christ

i am so very grateful for the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ.

and today i am especially grateful for His resurrection. 

for all He did so that we could be forgiven, be healed and return to our Heavenly Father.

also this talk is pretty amazing from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

read the whole thing, you'll be happy you did >>> The Laborers in the Vineyard

"Which leads me to my third and last point. This parable—like all parables—is not really about laborers or wages any more than the others are about sheep and goats. This is a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace. It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it.

I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.

Whether you are not yet of our faith or were with us once and have not remained, there is nothing in either case that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized. Even if you feel you are the lost and last laborer of the eleventh hour, the Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning. “Come boldly [to] the throne of grace,” and fall at the feet of the Holy One of Israel. Come and feast “without money and without price” at the table of the Lord."

inspiring poem..

Good Timber

by Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.


The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.


Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.


Where thickest lies the forest growth,
We find the patriarchs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds and much of strife.
This is the common law of life.


i read this poem in a book and i immediately became obsessed with it.
life is hard.
but those hard things make us strong.

oh california, how your sun shines on me

last month i had the wonderful opportunity to go to california to see my marmie, spend a day at disneyland, be there for cats special day, take some engagement photos, eat some legit sushi & visit with my in laws.

it was a wonderful weekend.

mr. barlow you were missed.

and thank you Jet Blue for making it all possible.

[who would pass up a $100 roundtrip ticket?!]

disneyland is a place of magic!

even under construction.

thank you imagineers for finally redoing the matterhorn! 

my pass is officially expired.

i am mourning my loss.

i pray we will be reunited soon.

on saturday, the 11th of february cat entered the Los Angeles Temple to receive her endowment.

the Spirit was strong and her smile so bright.

the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true and full of happiness.

i spent time with my marmie, i just love her.

she is not pictured but she sure is a beautiful lady!

i forced cat and peyton to be models.

jk.jk.jk.

they are pros! hello engagement time!

we went to the Los Angeles Arboretum which is pretty much her backyard.

also these pretty guys own the place!

and yes, they do not mind getting close to you.

peyton & catherine

to be sealed for time and all eternity ..

may 19, 2012

thank you for a wonderful weekend.

thank you for some sunshine.

and a special thank you to ichima sushi.

you are divine.

see you soon LA!

daughters in my kingdom

first off i think my sister heather is awesome and so strong.

just let that be known.

she placed her daughter with this wonderful family about 3.5 years ago.

the Allens are pretty amazing.

lynzie was asked by the LDS church to participate in this video about the Relief Society Organization.

it is beautiful.

not only about our ancestry but about her family.

i love that my family is connected to them. 

the 2 year mark!

oh how i will never get over wisconsin!

seriously!

look at that greatness.

also i was looking through old mission stuff and i found this video of me and b.johnson while i was packing to go home.

oh how i miss those days!

[dont get me wrong though, i love LOVE love mr. barlow.]

but it was 2 years ago today that sweet reunion 2010 happened!

now that was one of the best days in my book.

see?! so much love.

these photos always puts a HUGE smile on my face.

you warner/soon to be wann/hatchs are the greatest.

these have been a fun two years of being home with my family.

lots of things have happened in the past 2 years!

heather and braden were sealed in the San Diego Temple.

i got engaged to mr. barlow.

i went back to platinum blonde. [cat even said this was the best part of 2011!] 

laura got engaged to her alex.

cat and peyton became engaged.

mr. barlow took me to the Los Angeles Temple and we were sealed.

[looks like lots of lovin happened!]

marmie moved into a new house in the monrovia.

mr. barlow and i moved up to the 801.

now we live happily ever after and i tell him WMM stories everyday.

 oh and i am still obsessed with gold & purple.

long live los angeles!

and wisconsin you will ALWAYS be in my mind & heart.

10 years

10 years ago the Warner family was sealed for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles Temple. 

I was almost 17 at the time and I am grateful for a good memory that lets me relive that special day all the time. 

 since my family hasn't always been LDS it was a wonderful experience to be able partake of the gospel blessings through proxy work for my dad. 

that day strengthened my testimony so much.

i felt so much peace, happiness and love.

i felt this closeness to my dad that i had never felt before.

it was all because two young men chose to serve a mission.

they helped me know who God was and that he loved me.

they helped us onto the road to become an eternal family. 

while i was on my mission i emailed the elders who taught my family the restored gospel.

i wanted to know what it was like to teach the crazy 12 & 11 year old warner girls.

i knew what my elders had taught me made the biggest impact on my life and i wanted to help Wisconsinites feel some portion of that. 

this email is from the former Elder Pittard. 

i really like what he wrote because i remember it!

the restored gospel is beautiful and makes me the happiest person.

my life surely is blessed.

 From: Darren Pittard 

To: Sister Warner

Date: Sunday, 8 November 2009

"Sister Warner, 

"It is so wonderful to hear from you. I apologize that I have not contacted you sooner. It has been a blessing to get your emails as you have been on your mission. I am again saddened at losing my missionary journal in Hurricane Katrina. I had looked through it several times and would love to send you quotes from the time we were in your area. I was new to the area with Elder Bills so I don't remember the details regarding how we came to find your family. I know that we knew you were a part member family with children eligible for baptism but I don't remember if your Mom requested we come over or if the Bishopric asked us to go. I remember that your Mom was very welcoming and seemed glad that we were there. We mostly looked forward to seeing you girls. You and your sisters were full of energy and were very excited to learn about the gospel. We were also blessed to have your Mom there to teach and participate as well. We could tell that she yearned to return to the gospel and have those blessings in her life. Again, I wish I had more detail as I know I wrote more in my journal. I do know that you girls were a blessing to me and Elder Bills. I was at a crossroads in my mission, I had always been a "good" missionary but realize now that I was at times selfish and arrogant with my companions. My memories with Elder Bills were times where I was humbled and came to a realization of my faults. We are not only on a mission to bring others to Christ, but to bring ourselves and our companions. I was a much different missionary after that time and I associate you girls with that change in my life. We had so much hope for you and prayed that not only would you be baptized but that your lives would be blessed from having the gospel. Not only has that happened but you are now blessing the lives of so many more. I'm sure your mission has been just as trying yet satisfying as mine. Difficult times do not end when you arrive home, but at least now you have the tools you need to overcome any trial you will face. I think of you often and hope you are well."

Sincerely, 

Darren Pittard

oh hey quadrennial year!

the word of the day is ..

quad·ren·ni·al [kwo-dren-ee-uhl]

occurring every four years: a quadrennial festival.

 clever dictionary.com clever.

having a leap year not only meant those 29ers got to celebrate their actual birthday..

but it also meant WE GOT TO CELEBRATE 4 MONTHS OF MARRIAGE!

go us. 

not that big a deal but still cool.

at least we have made it far past the Kardashian's marriage!

i am pretty much obsessed with this guy.

i love being married to mr. barlow.

and i love our wedding photos .. thank you marcello!

here is one more for your viewing pleasure.

i would also like to dedicate leap year to disneyland!

how cool are they for staying open all day?!

pretty dang legit if you ask me.

and heres to my february craft!

just some little twigs from our yard and ribbon.

easy and almost free!

hope your quadrennial festivities were exciting! 

see you in 4 years february 29th. 

the jastals

right before christmas i took some family photos for the lovely lisa jane and brandon jastal!

lisa and i went to UVU together and we had a lovely time there.

i took lisa and brandons engagements almost 4 years ago!

and so much has happened since then.

little ashlynn was born while i was on my mission.

now she can walk and talk and is oh so funny.

sweet aaron was born last april.

he was born with a heart condition and was on this earth for almost 3 months.

i love that she has his photo & bear in their family pictures!

in honor of CHD week i wanted to post their family photos and send some love their way.

i was grateful i had the opportunity to meet their little buddy shortly before he returned home to our Heavenly Father. 

Lisa has a team doing the heart walk in SLC this year and if anyone wants to donate or be a part of it go here >>> heart walk

proceeds benefit Pediatric Cardiac Research!

now on to their photos!

here you go ..

enjoy!

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

John 13:34

2011 = something REALLY worthwhile!

its the middle of january and i am happy to say i did not make any new years resolutions. 

so i dont feel guilty drinking DC or not going to the gym tomorrow at 7am or being a bad blogger.

i feel no guilt because i know i wouldnt last a day without a DC, tomorrow is a holiday, and work is keeping me busy in front of my monitor anyways.

but i did want to give 2011 some attention and share with you/my future posterity some pretty notable moments.

enjoy!

mr. barlow and i started 2011 off right!

in love.

we continued our long distance romance between idaho and california.

thank goodness allegiant airlines had such awesome deals. 

february brought melcat to a lot of ysa dances.

we grooved to the beat on many occasion one would say.

february also brought valentines and new romances.

oh hey peycat!

AND the start of a disneyland annual pass!

march meant a lot of celebrations!
my year mark home from the WMM.
of course i celebrated with some in n out.

mr. barlow moved home to california in march so we could date everyday.
it was quite exciting.
we celebrated me turning 26 with a sushi party!

mr. barlow turned 26 just 2 weeks later in march and we celebrated that with a Laker party!

we also started dressing alike.
habit from dating everyday maybe?

come april we were all ready for RAGNAR!

maybe not trained all the way but ready nonetheless.

mr. barlow even surprised me by not only coming to support my Ragnar running but he even ran my last 2 miles with me!

true love.

Ragnar was a definite highlight of 2011.

an experience that i would like to happen again and again.

i am kinda hooked still. 

may brought me a really special surprise ..

cody turning into a statue???

not quite ..

a marriage proposal from mr. barlow himself!

one of the best moments of my life.

the LA Temple is one of the most sacred places to me.

and of course cat was in on it.

thank you for your paparazzi skills! 

he asked and i of course said yes.

and the next day brought us another 2011 special ..

Disneyland Club 33

amazing.

see? pure amazing.

june brought me to utah to be with these sweet kids for a little bit.

they love me, culvers and wisconsin.

we started spending every week at the happiest place on earth!

arizona is really hot in june but we still went before this sister popped!

of course july meant what we had all been waiting for ..

HARRY POTTER!

oh and of course my sweet nephew Easton to be born!

august, sweet august.
the former sister pluim and i adventured back to the great wisco for a wedding and much needed time in the midwest!

august brought engagement photos and more dedicated wedding planning.

come september we were back in the AZ, soaking in the sun and Easton!

so grateful to be there for his sweet baby blessing.

also glad the sun cooled off a bit.

he told me i was his favorite aunt then too!

 i upgraded to eating my own pickle in the month of september.
huge accomplishment!

the fun didnt stop when mary jane and cat threw me a bridal shower!

also across the world in florida some love & devotion was going on.

my big sister got a ring on her finger!

soon to be mrs. wann.

the end of september brought a hard goodbye.

i left my job at belle n beau photography so i could finish planning the warner/barlow wedding.

also to pack our lives up for a move to UTAH!

sure do miss you ray!

come october the soon to be mr. and mrs. became more real!

october meant not only birthday surprises for cat but also marriage proposal surprises as well!

what can we say, we love love!

warners and barlows flooded into LA from all over the USA in october!

barlowpalooza began.

best day of my life.

becoming mrs. barlow.

i love october 29, 2011.

honeymoon at disneyland?

yes please!

after our honeymoon we lived with the barlows for a couple weeks while jacob trained his replacement in LA.

i received a huge blessing.

my friend emily, who i went to college with, helped me get a job with a photographer she worked for in LA.

i am now a digital retoucher for Lori Dorman Photography and i love it.

she is based in LA and i work from home for her in utah.

blessings!

the drive to utah seemed to last forever!

but we finally made it, right after thanksgiving and both our cars filled to the brim with our essentials.

december brought us a visit from the hatchs'!

which meant i got to snuggle with my little peanut.

no snow, more cold, a beard, SLC Temple lights and christmas carols is what december was all about!

christmas eve was the last of the beard. 

two months of no shaving had ended.

a pretty amazing and quiet christmas was had by us.

just together and one we will remember.

mostly because of that rhyme there.

and i must say, i am pretty sure we rung in 2012 in style.

100's of floating lanterns in the sky!

thank you 2011.

welcome 2012.

i know you will be as exciting and worthwhile.