#34: My New Year's Wookieelutions.

Happy New Year! I think 2012 is going to be a wonderful year (despite all the fuss about the Mayan calendar). One of my favorite traditions each New Year's Day is setting resolutions for the upcoming year. I usually fall short on most of my resolutions, but sometimes one or two of them stick and I feel really good at the end of the year. In order to keep me accountable this year, I decided to share some of my 2012 "Wookieelutions" with you.

Physical Goals:

1) Exercise six days a week:
I know exercising is the most common (and most commonly broken) resolution, but I've actually got some good momentum with this goal right now. Since October 24th, 2011 Diane and I have been in an exercise competition with some of my friends at work. Our goal has been a simple one: do some form of designated exercise six days a week. The exercise doesn't have to be strenuous; rather, we are simply trying to achieve consistency. Our minimum exercise requirements are as follows:
a) a one-mile walk/run (however, it must be a truly designated exercise walk--you can't just count your steps around the office during the day).
b) a three-mile bike ride (this has been my "cop-out" exercise of choice when I am tired and don't want to do anything more difficult or time-consuming).
c) weight-lifting/strength training for half-an-hour.
d) work-out with an exercise video that is at least 25-minutes long (Jilian Michaels kicks my butt).
e) play a sport for at least half-an-hour (even golf counts!).
f) attend an exercise class (although I refuse to do Zumba in public).

Someday...

2) Eat healthy five days a week:
This is going to be a struggle. As my coworker Tonya knows, I vow to give up chocolate every Monday morning, and I usually give in every Monday afternoon. Well, I am going to try to redouble my efforts to only eat "healthy" foods on the weekdays (except for Friday night). On Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, I give myself permission to eat as much chocolate, cheddar cheese, Lays Potato Chips, Marshmallow Mateys, and Sour Patch Kids as I can get my hands on. Otherwise, it's spinach, turkey, tomatoes, nuts, and pears.

Lays Potato Chips, I love you!

Spiritual/Service Goals:

1) Memorize one scripture a day:
I enjoy memorizing scriptures. They provide peace and comfort in moments of difficulty. I have made some good progress on this goal already thanks to the iPhone app "Memorize Now!" (I talk about the app in Post #8 "My Favorite Mormon iPhone Apps Part #2" at http://www.mormonwookiee.com/2011/10/8-part-2-my-favorite-mormon-related.html).

2) Attend the temple twice a month to perform proxy ordinance work for those who have passed away:

One of my favorite acts of service is performing proxy baptisms and other ordinances in the temple for those who have passed away. Paul the Apostle asked the Church in Christ's day about baptisms for the dead: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29). Paul is asking the Church to think about the importance of baptism for those who will one day be resurrected, but who did not have the chance to be baptized during their mortal lives. Essentially he asks, "Are people going to be dead forever? If so, then there is no point to baptism. But if they are going to be resurrected and live again, then they need to be baptized." Because members of the Church believe in the resurrection of all mankind, temple work is a sacred opportunity for us to serve people who were unable to be baptized during their own lives. Since I live within 30 minutes of six temples (Salt Lake, Jordan River, Draper, Oquirrh Mountain, Mount Timpanogos, and Provo), I have plenty of opportunities to serve in the temple. I just need to take advantage of them more often.

Mount Timpanogos Temple: Where Diane and I got hitched.

3) Visit my "home teaching" families at least once a month every month (also known as 100% home teaching):
Tom Cruise may not think 100% home teaching is possible, but I gotta try! (http://www.mormonwookiee.com/2011/11/17-tom-cruise-on-home-teaching-spoof.html).

4) Perform one "out-of-my-way" act of service a day:
It is easy to serve others when we are supposed to serve and it is expected of us, but it's not as easy when no one is watching and the service isn't expected.

5) Write in my journal three nights a week:I love writing in my journal. It helps me to find perspective, to feel gratitude, and gives me a chance to write funny jokes for my posterity. I talked about my love of journal writing in Post #18 "Writing in your journal (the joys of being an 8-year old)" at http://www.mormonwookiee.com/2011/11/18-writing-in-your-journal-joys-of.html.

Personally, I prefer gel pens.

Other Goals: 

1) Work on my listening skills:

I admit it. I'm a bad listener. BUT I'm working on it. One thing that I have made great progress on this year is not interrupting people and not finishing their sentences. Here's hoping that I can keep improving in 2012.

What did you say?

2) Help Diane cook dinner at least once a week:
I'm a terrible cook. In fact, a couple of months ago I tried to be an adult and make spaghetti without any supervision. The noodles cooked just fine, but when I put on the bottled tomato sauce I ran into a little trouble. I asked Diane, "Why does the spaghetti smell so funny?" She came over to check it out and said, "Um, you just put on Pace Picante Salsa on instead of Prego."

This is NOT spaghetti sauce. 

Blogging on Mormon Wookiee these last few months has been a very satisfying experience for me, and hopefully I have been able to make a difference in somebody's life. I'm looking forward to many more years to come. Happy New Year and may the force be with you!

Thanks for reading!

#33: Temple wedding of Rose and Ryan.

My sweet baby sister-in-law Roseann got married in the Idaho Falls Temple today! Rose and Ryan met a couple of years ago in their Single's Ward (just like me and Diane!). In my humble opinion, Rose is one of the most wonderful people you will ever meet (and Ryan isn't too bad either ;)). I am so happy for them and wish them the best in their new marriage.

One of Rose and Ryan's engagement photos.

Rose was the last of Diane's siblings to get married (7 for 7!), and it was a wonderful wedding. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with an LDS temple wedding, in the temple a husband and wife are sealed together for eternity.  You can think of being sealed as the same as links in a chain being welded together.  This chain will stay connected even after death. During the sealing ceremony, the couple kneels across an alter and promises to be faithful to one another (and then they have a newlywed smooch, of course!). If we live up to the promises we make in the marriage sealing, we will have the chance to live together as a family after we die.  I think it is one of the most beautiful parts of the gospel.

A temple Sealing room.

Only people who have been baptized as members of the Church are able to obtain a temple recommend and enter the temple to view a marriage sealing ceremony. This requirement can be hard news for family members and friends who are not Mormons because they are unable to see the marriage ceremony of their loved ones. We never want these family members and friends to feel like they are excluded or not loved just because they cannot enter the temple. Rather, we want them to understand that entering into the temple is sacred to us and is a result of the promises we make as members of the Church. We would never try to make our family and friends feel bad, especially when they have taken the time and expense to come to our weddings to celebrate with us. As a result, despite not being able to enter the temple, there are many wonderful parts of the wedding day that take place AFTER the ceremony which everyone can attend and participate in. Here are some of the highlights from Rose and Ryan's wedding day (Oh, and please accept my apology in advance for the quality of the pictures--that's what you get when you have an amateur photographer using his iPhone to record the events of a wedding day!):

First newlywed kiss after coming out of the temple!
"That's what I'm talking about!" - Kipp Dynamite

Super baby!

"Sisters, sisters. There were never such devoted sisters!" - Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye

The kids watched "Attack of the Clones" (also an appropriate title for all the movie sequels that came out this year) while we finished taking wedding pictures.

This is the ONLY time you will ever see my brother-in-law Jed caught dancing on camera.

Feeding each other some wedding cake (without a single cake-face-smash).

Rose dancing with her dad (and one of my best friends).

Grabbing the garter. Ryan, you sly dog.

Baby cousins rockin' out to some swing music.

"All the single ladies!" (Kayne West's favorite music video of all time).

Last but not least, here is a tribute video to Rose and Ryan from Rose and Diane's brother Ben.

Congratulations on your wonderful wedding, Rose! I sure do love ya. And may the force be with you....always.

#32: Church magazines.

Each month, the Church distributes four magazines to anyone who is interested in subscribing (OR you can get them entirely free online at http://lds.org/magazine?lang=eng). I recommend them with two lightsabers up.

1) The "Ensign" is an English-only magazine for adult members. It features uplifting gospel messages from both the leaders of the Church (President Monson and the apostles) and from regular members like my mom (see her awesome article about entertainment standards, written in June 2001 at http://lds.org/ensign/2001/06/setting-family-standards-for-entertainment?lang=eng). My mom is rad!

If you are looking for a good-looking temple, San Diego's can't be beat!

2) The "New Era" is similar to the "Ensign", but geared to teenagers instead of adults.  I LOVED the "New Era" when I was a teenager. As a matter of fact, I still love it. It contains great messages and uplifting stories about youth around the world. In addition, it also has a feature known as "MormonAds".  MormonAds are posters that contain a catchy slogan and a humorous (most of the time) picture. For example, one of my favorite MormonAds of all-time is shown below. You can see every single MormonAd from the past 30 years at http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=0ca9835e2cd78110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD.

Insert whatever BYU football joke you would like.

3) The "Friend" is also similar to the "Ensign" and "New Era", but focused specifically on young kids. I like to use articles and ideas from the "Friend" when I teach my primary class. 

She's gonna be waiting a looooooong time for those butterflies still in their cocoons.

4) The "Liahona" takes articles from the "Ensign", "New Era", and "Friend" and combines them into one magazine for international distribution. Impressively, the "Liahona" is translated and printed in 51 different languages each month (Unfortunately, Wookieesh is not one of those 51 languages).

Lehi. Not Santa Claus.

Go check 'em out! I guarantee that you will feel better after reading these magazines than you ever would after reading "People" or "Cosmopolitan". 

#31: Christmas lights at Temple Square.

This afternoon, Diane's brother Andrew and his wife Liz flew into town for Christmas. Since they don't get to come to Utah very often at this time of year, they suggested that we go see the Christmas lights downtown at Temple Square. Diane and I haven't gone to see the lights for a few years now, so we were excited to go.  We bundled up and headed downtown (after stopping by at Cafe Rio for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner, of course. Feliz Navidad!).

"Free Meal!"

We had a wonderful time at Temple Square. The lights were beautiful, the Spirit was peaceful, and the company was great.

Visiting the Salt Lake Temple never gets old.

Andrew and Liz with two adorable kids.

Go Utes!

A wookiee and an ewok.

My favorite part of Temple Square is the Christus statue. Every time I see it, I feel incredible peace and gratitude. With his outstretched arms, Christ's invitation is open to all: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).  Amongst all the shining lights at Temple Square, His light truly shines the brightest.  God bless you and merry Christmas!

Christus statue at the Temple Square visitor's center.

Nice video about the lights at Temple Square, as found at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUazCvOrEHY

#30: Chewbacca sings "Silent Night".

My friend Chris McConnehey recently sent me an awesome audio remix of Chewbacca singing "Silent Night". Merry Christmas, Wookiee style! Grwaaaaaar!

Original video uploaded by Platinumhand31 to youtube 

at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cPXEo6gqBI

If this album were real, you can guarantee I would wait in line for it.