DARWIN is on his 12th year of teaching, currently at Springville High School teaching astronomy, geology, environmental science, and physics. He also teaches physics at UVU for a 7 week STEM summer school program for junior high students. He also teaches teenagers in our church ward. He's super busy, but still makes time to be an awesome dad and husband.
KIARA is working on mastering the domestic arts by managing our household, being a stay-at-home-mom to our beautiful children, Aurora, Savannah, and Talmage, AND she also works full time from home for Vivint. She serves as the Young Womens President in our church ward, teaching and advising girls from 11-18 years. We are so truly blessed and we love our crazy life!
On Monday, Dar & I got to celebrate our adopted Australian heritage with our favorite Australian family, the McSweeney's. January 26th is the day Australia was discovered, so they have big festivities (similar to our 4th of July) to celebrate. We love when this time of year rolls around because it means that we get to celebrate with the McSweeney's. We had a blast, but it just wasn't the same without J, T, and R because they are in Aussieland right now. We missed you guys TONS, but we're glad you had fun celebrating too!
First of all, we had lots of yummy food! Thanks, Mom McSweeney & everyone else for all your hard work!
Sausage rolls...Mmm! My favorite!
Meat Pies
The Fairy Bread that Dar & I brought. Doesn't it look pretty?
Lamingtons - another favorite!
Mmm! Ginger Beer! Soo yummy!!
McSweeney sisters getting ready to sing "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Mate"
Dar showing off his Australian pride :)
We also played some fun, traditional Australian games like Tunnel Ball, but since we were playing we didn't get any pictures. Thanks again, McSweeney's for letting us celebrate your heritage with you. We love you all!
+ 15 hours per week internships + Part time job on campus + President of Applied Behavioral Science Club = Nevertheless, I am surviving. Not to mention that...
Coming home at the end of the day + Most amazing husband in the world =
Just announced today... SALT LAKE CITY25 January 2010 A new temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to be built in Payson, Utah, it was announced today by Church President Thomas S. Monson.
The new temple will help meet the needs of a growing Church membership in the area and will ease the heavy use of the Provo temple, which is one of the busiest in the Church. The Payson temple will bring to 15 the number of operating and announced temples in Utah.
The property for the Payson temple is located on gently sloping ground at approximately 930 West and 1550 South on the southwest side of Payson, a mile from the 800 South I-15 interchange. The property offers scenic views of the area as well as easy access to the freeway.
The new temple will serve approximately 22 stakes from Spanish Fork to Nephi comprising approximately 78,000 Church members. Temple-going members have been driving to Provo or Manti for temple services.
Artists’ renderings, the size of the temple, groundbreaking dates and other information will be released as they become available.
“Temples answer those soul-searching questions of the purpose of life, of why we are here and where we are going. They are sanctuaries from the storms of life and bless the lives of members of the Church who worship within their sacred walls,” said President Monson.
Latter-day Saint temples provide a place where Church members make promises and commitments to God and where the highest sacraments of the faith occur such as the marriage of couples for eternity. Temples differ from the tens of thousands of local meetinghouses where members typically meet for Sunday worship services and midweek social activities.
The practice of temple building is rooted in both the Old and New Testaments, and from its historical beginnings to the present day the Church has constructed temples.
The first temple was built by the Church in Kirtland, Ohio. The first Utah temple was completed in St. George in 1877, followed by Logan in 1884, Manti in 1888, and Salt Lake City in 1893.
The Payson temple will bring the total number of temples worldwide already in operation or in the planning and construction phases to 152. A letter was sent to local Church leaders today regarding the new temple.
...all the way from Australia!! Thank you, T! You're the best, and you totally made my week. Thank you for cheering me up. You're seriously the best friend a girl could ask for! Love you!
1. Thou shalt always remember that thy marriage is a partnership between thee and thy spouse and the Lord. For in knowing this, thou wilt have the strength, courage, and determination to conquer all challenges that may come into thy marriage.
2. Thou shalt cleave unto thy spouse and let not thine eyes wander, nor do anything like unto it. For it is through fidelity and commitment that thou shalt find confidence and trust.
3. Thou shalt not be selfish with thy time, nor with thy money, nor with anything else that is thine. For in doing this thou shalt avoid resentment and find harmony.
4. Thou shalt remember that thy parents are good, but need to give thee space in thy marriage. For it is through relying upon each other that communication and unity is formed.
5. Thou shalt always remember to call thy spouse sweetheart, honey, or whatever else that makes them happy and to remember the little things. For it is through little acts of kindness that thou shalt find love and tenderness.
6. Thou shalt remember to always use kind words and cease to find fault with thy spouse. For in doing this thou shalt find peace.
7. Thou shalt enjoy each others company and remember to date often. For it is in spending time together that one truly gets to know their spouse and find intimacy.
8. Thou shalt add the words "I'm sorry" to thy vocabulary and use them often. For in doing this thou shalt melt down the barriers of anger and resentment and find mutual forgiveness.
9. Thou shalt recognize and acknowledge the desires, efforts and accomplishments of thy spouse. For in this thou shalt find appreciation and gratitude for one another.
10. Thou shalt live within thy means and learn the difference between wants and needs. For in doing this thou shalt avoid needless stress and find contentment.
It's really hard for me to say goodbye to Christmas this year. I'm not really sure why, although I think there are several reasons. We have had an extremely wonderful Christmas season this year, and New Years was awesome as well. I always hate it when Dar has to go back to school, and that day comes tomorrow, so goodbye to all of our fun! Ha! Just kidding. We have fun together no matter what we do. Thanks to everyone who came and celebrated the New Year with us and supporting our annual Deming Family New Years party. We seriously had a blast!
Jimmy and Becca--they just moved back up from St. George that afternoon. We're so glad you're back, guys!
Denise and Robert--friends from our ward
Wayne and Court--we love you guys!
Let the noise-maker wars begin!
The crew We kept trying to get a good picture that we didn't look drunk in. I'm not so sure we succeeded, but they were all funny so I had to post all 3 :)
We had delicious food provided by ourselves and our guests. Dar & I had hoped to snack all night long, but the food was so good we stuffed ourselves at the beginning.
New Years day we were invited to go tubing/sledding in the wilderness of Payson canyon with Robert and Denise. We had a great time with them, and although we didn't get any pictures I was able to capture a video. And I promise, it really did go smoothly the first time! ;)
DARWIN is on his 12th year of teaching, currently at Springville High School teaching astronomy, geology, environmental science, and physics. He also teaches physics at UVU for a 7 week STEM summer school program for junior high students. He also teaches teenagers in our church ward. He's super busy, but still makes time to be an awesome dad and husband.
Sausage rolls...Mmm! My favorite!
Meat Pies
The Fairy Bread that Dar & I brought. Doesn't it look pretty?
Lamingtons - another favorite!
Mmm! Ginger Beer! Soo yummy!!
McSweeney sisters getting ready to sing "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Mate"
Dar showing off his Australian pride :)
We also played some fun, traditional Australian games like Tunnel Ball, but since we were playing we didn't get any pictures. Thanks again, McSweeney's for letting us celebrate your heritage with you. We love you all!
