"Doorknobs n' HobNobs"

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing." -Helen Keller

We had an adventure yesterday.

Corbin, Jeanie and I were cleaning out their car trunk (they're moving into the condo I moved out of) and Corbin accidentally locked the condo door behind us. Our purses, keys, and phones were inside.

...Wanna guess what we did?

Wow, what a split! Once we'd hammered/wedged off the outer doorknob, Corbin kicked us in with his manly boot.

We finally got the broken doorknob out of the hole!

The hammer we used had come from our neighbor. It broke into 3 pieces in about 3 minutes. (Don't worry, we replaced it!)

*low whistle* Look at that mashed-in knob!

We went to IKEA and Home Depot afterwards. That's Jeanelle's hand; she poured wood glue into the cracks and was holding it closed with these clamps.

Oh yeah, and we hoisted their king-sized mattress to the top floor (of the condo) with yellow rope. :) All in a day's work!

(Image copyright Anna Helm; "London Foodie in New York")

One last thing: I ate a "HobNob" for the first time. England has incredible desserts!

What an incredibly adventurous day!

"Soulmate Reprise"

(Image copyright Peter Sjoberg)

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." -Genesis 2:24 (KJV Holy Bible)

After consulting with one of my most cherished sources for spiritual wisdom (Carolyn J. Rasmus,) it was shown to me that there is no doctrine presented by the Church that supports pre-chosen families.

As Grandma Rasmus put it, it defeats the whole purpose of agency to say our families were selected before we came here. To quote Moses 7:32: "The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency." <--Agency. Ba-bing!

It is very understandable how this myth could have started. When children are born, it is completely natural (and expected) for parents to grow attached to their little ones, thinking they're meant completely for each other--and they are. The twist to that thinking is developing the idea of pre-planned families in Heaven.

There are examples in the media that may have popularized such a belief. Saturday's Warrior and other "destiny-related" films depict it rather blatantly. (As a side note, I truly doubt Lex de Azevedo had any intention to instill his audience with a message of pre-determination as what he thought to be factual.)

I wrote this follow-up of my previous post, "Soulmates", to correct my statement about pre-chosen families. My belief that there are people who are better for you to marry, but that there is no "One-and-Only" for you is still in tact. :)

And I simply cannot SIT STILL and wait for Bryn to come home so I can practice my new understanding of relationships with him. *dopey grin*

"Goodbye, Victoria Place II"

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings." -Dave Weinbaum

This has been my home since the beginning of my college career (almost 2 years now!)

I'll miss it, the ward, and the area very much. But a new adventure will begin with my move!

Ah, boxes, boxes, boxes. And loads of dust bunnies.

...And I found my swords. :D Samurai-ette reborn.

"Japanese Hymn Reel"

"Choose your love, love your choice." -President Thomas S. Monson

Just trying new things.

...I know my accent and pitch stink. I'll work on 'em.

Culture is so fun! :)