Yes it's been about a year, but here is a brief update...

I GOT A JOB IN PRICE AS A 1ST GRADE TEACHER!!!
(...yes that means I've graduated
....that also means that I finished my student-teaching in Kindergarten and 3rd grade
..and I survived "The Block" classes (my last semester at SUU)
...and had great times at family reunions last summer. )

That pretty much covers everything except that I'm super-DUPER excited for my job!!! aahahah!!

I Love to See the Temple, I'm going there someday.

A few weeks ago we had the Bawden Family Reunion up Heber Canyon at the young women camp cabins. It was a nice place, too many rules though. :) It was really fun to see all the aunts and uncles together. It is a riot to hear them talk, banter, and tease back and forth.

I didn't have to go back to Cedar until Tuesday morning so I asked Mom and Dad if it would be possible to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. They went online and got tickets for it and we made plans to go Monday.

The temple is so gorgeous inside, I love it. It is so my temple because the inside has a lot of green in the patterns of the chair fabrics and even some green walls. I really enjoyed it. When we walked into the Celestial room I couldn't believe how tall the ceiling was. I know it reaches Heaven. The chandelier was absolutely magnificent. The whiteness of the walls and its furnishings and brightness of the light coming in through the gigantic windows really gave it a celestial glow. It really does it's job of representing Heaven. When we walked in the ordinance rooms I couldn't fathom the effort it took to paint the beautiful nature murals all over every wall. The beauty of each room was incredible.

Here is Mom, Dad, and I outside the Oquirrh Temple. I wish everyone could have been there. Someday though :)

I had the most amazing experience in the sealing room which is the reason, even after many years of dreaming of getting married in the Salt Lake Temple, I now want to be married in the Oquirrh Mountin Temple--when that day comes. Maybe it is because we were able to actually rest out feet and sit down in beautiful, comfortable white chairs and hear the testimony of a couple who has been sealed in the temple and how their family has been blessed by it. Maybe because I sat there and imagined how my wedding day will be with an unknown someone kneeling across from me and all of my family and close friends there watching us be sealed to each other forever, fufilling my every dream. Maybe because I was thinking how MUCH our Father in Heaven truly loves us that he has made the sealing power available to us to be able to be sealed to our families, the ones we love the most, need the most, and treasure the most. I think it was a combination of all these maybe's.

I'm so glad I was able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple that day and feel of the spirit there. I'm so glad my parents have been willing to teach and still are teaching me of the temple. I thankful that my mom and dad were sealed for all eternity, that I will be with them forever. That I will forever be with them and my wonderful brothers, sisters, and niece. I love them all so much. They are everything to me. I love you all! Thanks for being my joy! I am always so overjoyed when I think of my family, its a great eternal one.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Movie worth the wait at the midnight showing!

So a few of my friends and I decided Sunday night to order tickets online to go see the sixth Harry Potter movie. And yes you know you live in a small town when you can decide to get and buy tickets to a highly anticipated movie just a couple days before. So tuesday night after a full day at work, I got home wanting to take my time getting ready but everyone was ready and waiting for me to go stand in line. This was at 8:30. It was 9:00 by the time we got there in line. We weren't too far back, so we got to pick good seats (we better have though, we waited in line for 3 hrs!) The wait was worth it, the movie was really good! The movie played off the whole teenage love drama quite a bit making it quite funny, I really liked it!

Weekend up Beaver Canyon

This weekend I was able to get work off and escape from Cedar with my roommates Hannah, Jen, Alicia, our neighbor Lindsay, and my Cedar City brother Lane. We went up Beaver canyon to Alicia's family's cabin. Its a pretty big cabin--more like a big home with the cabin look--with two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, a big family room, full kitchen and dining area on the main floor with a bathroom, washer and dryer. Then downstairs there are three bedrooms, one bathroom, and family room with a pool table. They also have a few 4-wheelers and a Polaris Ranger (kind of like a 4-wheeler, but holds more people and gear).

The drive up to the canyon was really pretty. I have never been up Beaver canyon, but it is a gorgeous canyon. We went out Friday evening after we got up there on a drive on one of the 4-wheelers and the ranger up to an old ski resort that is no longer open but it was a pretty drive and fun to see all the wild life come out before dark. It started looking a lttle rainy and tried to rain as we were headed back, thank goodness we got back in time before it did rain.

(These are a few pictures of us as we drove up to the old ski resort Friday night. In the last picture in the back are Alicia, Jen, Lindsay, Me. In the front is Lane and Hannah.)

(Here we are lighting a fire in the fireplace. I built a house out of legos, and next are pictures of me wresting with the bear, and then all of us at the table coloring. haha)

Saturday we spent the afternoon on the 4-wheeler and ranger. It was a pretty scenic ride, pretty bumpy, but worth it, my back was so sore from riding the four wheeler. Most of the trees up there are evergreen trees and aspen trees, the contrasting green colors of the leaves are pretty together, and pretty purple and yellow flowers growing next to the little streams that are cutting through grass meadows. It was beautiful.



(The battery cables to the ranger's battery came detatched, good thing Lane was there to figure it out and always is prepared with electrical tape!)

Saturday for dinner we had the traditional camping meal of roasting hotdogs and marshmallows and making smores. Mmmm. Hannah and I made the fire, we were pretty stoked that we were able to do it by ourselves. After a while we started throwing the marshmallows in to see how black they would get. Lane kept one on a stick cooked it till it was almost completely ash, and then ate it. Later I asked him what it tasted like, he said, "Like ash." Lol. We also got a bunch of big sticks and started putting them in the fire and catching them on fire and waved them around like sparklers. Young adults with fire sticks....Gotta love a camp fire and the crazy things we do around 'em!

Here we all are outside of the cabin as we were heading out. We all look so tired because we're all leaning on the person next to us.

Left to Right: Lane, Hannah, Me, Alicia, Jen, and Lindsay

Locked Out of the Car....on Top of the Mountain...Ooops!

So Sunday, Hannah wanted to go a little ways up the canyon and show me a pretty and peaceful little place that she found on her walk earlier in the day. Thinking that we weren't going to go very far up the canyon, Hannah and I only wore shorts and t-shirts and sneakers. Lane was a little smarter and had on his jeans and a t-shirt, but grabbed a jacket.

As we started up the canyon a sign was up saying that the road to Cedar Breaks was open. So spontaneously we decided to go all the way up. We got up to scenic view point for Cedar Breaks and get out of the car. I grabbed my keys and then threw them back down on the seat thinking 'We're not going very far and we're the only ones up here, no need to lock my car or bring my keys'.....

We took a few pictures then went back to the car. I tried to open my door and it was locked (i'm in such a habbit to lock my door the second I open it) so I look up at Hannah and said, "You didn't lock your door did you?" (knowing full well that she did, I've trained her to lock it every time) She did. My face evidently was pretty funny cause her and Lane both started laughing. I had no other choice but to laugh, but at the same time I was like....oh SNAP!

Hannah and I didn't have service, but Lane did--thank goodness for him and his verizon service!

We started waving down people driving by while he tried getting ahold of "triple A" and figured out a plan. We called our neighbor she was home and Hannah had left her window unlocked, so we had her break in our apt. and grab my spare key. She was so willing to drive up the canyon and bring it to us!

After we called her, a park ranger from the Cedar Breaks visitor center was driving past and stopped for us. She was on her way home from work, she lives in paragonah. She gave us the Brian Head sheriff's department # and then let us warm up in her car. It was so cold and windy up there! She stayed until somebody came from the sheriff's department to break into my car. If it weren't for her we probably would have gotten hypothermia. It's good to know there are still angels out there watching over the dumb college students. ;)

Here we are sitting in the ranger's car warming up

The police officer that came to break in worked on getting in my car for a few minutes and then said, "The good news is, your car is really hard to break into. The bad news is, we're trying to break into it." So he wasn't able to get in, but that's ok, because then Tess showed up with the spare key!

Trying to break into my car

We sure learned, on top of the mountain is NOT where you want to be when your locked out of your car, for sure! Good thing for friends, ranger angels, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes, local law enforcement. ;)

My weekend "Happy as a Tornado in a Trailer Park!"

This weekend brought to mind the hilariously happy quote from the movie "Cars" said by Mater, "I'm as happy as a tornado in a trailer park! Whoo Hoo!" This weekend and it seems every weekend I spend at home with my amazing family just makes me happier and happier!

The first thing I did after I jumped out of my car, barely after it stopped moving, was ran down the driveway that leads to the back yard and gave my dad and mom a hug (They were doing an irrigation turn). Then after I said hi to them, Kim came out with Maddie--she heard and saw me running down the side of the house. I just cannot get over how much Maddie has grown and how adorable she is (adorable doesn't describe it, but I don't think there is a word that does describe it).

Also Kim looks amazing, I could totally tell how happy she is to be able to stay home with her daughter and care for her. The time I was able to spend with her and Maddie and talk with Kim I also realized how much she loves Greg and also what an amazing father and husband he is, such a great brother too. It makes me jealous. My mom and Kim both tell me, "Someday Brenda you'll get it." I know that's true, but being patience is a virtue I still have yet to gain, especially with Maddie growing like she is and me wanting to be there constantly to watch her.

I'm so greatful that Kim and Greg are so willing to share her with me when I am up there. They are so patient with me and open to letting me be so much with Maddie. I honestly think I was with Kim and Maddie the entire time except at night. Thanks Kim it made this tornado happy! ;)

The Beautiful, Sweet, Precious Angel--Madison Mackinley (spelling?)

This is my neice Maddie Mac. I think the world of her because she is such a precious angel and she has been able to win the heart of everyone around her. She's so tiny, with plenty of dark hair, and doll-like features. She is so spoiled with love, but that's the best kind of spoiling.
Most of these pictures were taken a day or two after she was born. I was able to come home for about five days and spoil her and take in her sweet spirit. Those were some of the most memorable days I have ever had in my life.

My Family

This is my wonderful family. I can't explain how important they are to me. I am always filled with so much joy when I think about them or am having a rough time and get to hear their voices on the phone.

This picture was taken the day Thomas entered the MTC this last December (2008). Greg and Kim are on the far left of the picture (Kim was probably 5 months pregnant with their first baby). Thomas (or Tedo as I like to call him) is next, then my dear parents Laura and Merrill, then my self.

Missing that day was my oldest brother Brian and his wife Kate (left). They live in Atlanta, Georgia where Brian served and taught Kate on his mission.

Blog coming soon...

There is not much to my blog right now, I'm working on it bit by bit.