Day 174: On the Road Again . . .

For a myriad of reasons - none of them, thankfully, due to any sort of people problems - I have again moved, this time to Dave's and Jessica's basement in Woods Cross, and they and their four kids have received me with open arms. I am very grateful that they are willing to take me in for a brief time and that they have gone out of their way to accommodate me.

At the same time, I am also very grateful to have spent the last five weeks with Mike, Jana, and their four amazing kids (I have a total of eight wonderful nieces and nephews), who have, likewise, made me feel at home and have been a joy to be around.

As I was packing things up yesterday, four-year-old Jackson came in and spent some time jumping on my bed:

It's just one of many reasons I'll miss being around him, Kylee, Dallin, and McKenna on a day-to-day basis.

At the same time, I look forward to getting to know Jenna, Luke, Kira, and Jacob better.

Day 142: Movin' On Up

Tonight, I moved into my digs in Mike's and Jana's basement on the east side of Layton, and a handful of my siblings showed up to lend a hand. Thank goodness for their help.

There to greet me - and to help unpack my Star Wars toys - were the kids, including this shot of Jackson and Kenna horsing around with my double-bladed Darth Maul prop.

I'll never pry it out of his hands.

Day 133: Smashy, Smashy

A number of years ago, my mom gave me a statue of Nephi as I embarked on my mission to Peru. While moving today, this is what became of that statue when it shattered on the kitchen floor after I accidentally knocked it off of the counter:

Twinkle toes (aka yours truly) does it again.

Day 127: Everything Old Is New Again

With my upcoming move to a new location fast approaching, I have be doing a lot of de-cluttering and have cleaned out several old boxes and closets these past few days. When they came over to visit this afternoon, Dallin and Luke were more than happy to lend a hand in this process, offering to take some old Star Wars toys and posters off of my hands.

I'm glad that the next generation has taken to Star Wars so well. It makes me feel much better about the fact that I still haven't completely grown up and that, to boot, I don't necessarily have to be embarrassed of that fact.

Day 105: Sold!

The parental units finally sold the house. It's now official.

"Keep Moving Forward"

As I watched a new favorite, Disney's Meet the Robinsons, last night, something stood out to me that I I hadn't necessarily noticed before: the phrase "Keep Moving Forward."

In the film, "Keep Moving Forward" is the main character Cornelius's/Lewis's personal motto. In real life, however, it was first uttered by Walt Disney himself. He said: "We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

When he said this, Mr. Disney was talking about the creative process. I feel that the "keep moving forward" part can be applied to our personal lives, as well.


We are a people who believe in eternal progression, with the ultimate goal that if we are faithful and strive earnestly to attain it, someday, somewhere down the line - definitely not in this lifetime - we can become like our Creator. Nevertheless, even though that ultimate goal is still a long way off, one of the reasons we're here on Earth is to progress as much as we can and to overcome our challenges.

I bring this up because I know more than a few people who have suffered terrible things such as the death of a loved one; a prolonged illness, be it mental, physical, or spiritual; the end of a romantic relationship; money problems; and other challenges and, as a result, have just stopped living. I can understand having difficulty with these things when it's been a few weeks or months, but when those months turn into years, it can be a real hindrance to our progression. And I honestly believe that one of the tests in this life is how we will respond to those blows and then choosing to move on with our lives, in spite of our sorrow. The Atonement was provided for us, in part, to help us do so.

As a wise person once said, "He who is obsessed with the past will wake up one day and find that he has a thousand yesterdays and no tomorrow."

Lehi also taught that we are here "to act for (ourselves) and not to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:26).

To my friends and acquaintances who are struggling, I say, don't give up! Keep moving forward. If you take two steps forward and one step backward today, you're still moving forward.

Also, I have a big head but small hands.