Exactly what I needed!

 Besides summer... this is the best time of the year. The few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas where everyone is joyful, grateful and just full of charity and christlike love. Its the best right? plus you have family traditions, sweet treats, shopping and christmas music! What's not to love?! I started off this week with getting back on the homework grind. When I tell you I was craving studying during thanksgiving break... I mean it. I purposefully didnt bring any school supplies down to st george so I could take a real break, but dang I was excited to hit the books again. This week Provo was blessed with great weather (especially for being the first week of December). So I took full advantage and headed to the mountains. 

Im grateful for times like this to enjoy nature, good weather and clear my head. Mom wasnt too happy that I went alone, but I was safe. I brought my pepper spray just in case even though I didnt see a single other soul - or a cougar. The only thing mom needed to worry about was when I decided to full send climbing one of these slippery waterfalls. I got about halfway up when I realized I could probably manage my way up, but I would not be able to get back down, so I found a safer way around the back side. Wednesday night we hit up Beto's with the gals and had a little movie night. Ive been eating out way too much the last couple weeks up here - I blame Jesse lol. Thursday was a BUSY day. Started out with a temple appointment at 9am - Oquirrh Mountain - a new one for me and I loved it. Ok, but time to get serious... Life aint always pretty hikes and smiles. Recently life has been one big struggle bus. Luckily, I do know someone who I can always turn to for help. So I prayed. Wednesday on my hike. I prayed for A LOT of things. Help, Hope, Strength and lots more. I knew I was going to the temple the next day so I specifically prayed for a spiritual experience to feel Gods love for me and to see his hand in my life. So back to my temple appointment... they ask me if I have family names. I said no and that I was just planning on doing temple names. They had me get confirmed first and then I headed into the font. I walk into the font and close my eyes as the baptizer starts to say the prayer. He says my name.. sister Wells and then the name of the person I was being baptized for... Blanche Wells. I immediately open my eyes in shock to make sure I had heard the name correctly. yep... Her last name was Wells too. I shut my eyes again with a smile on my face thinking about who I had just been baptized for. He then goes on to baptize me for three other Wells girls. I was in shock. Im sure everyone else in the font room just figured I was doing family names. NOPE. Random temple names... Kind of insane. So I go to shower and get dressed just still kind of thinking how cool that was. Well as I was walking out of the baptistry... the little old lady temple worker who I had talked to earlier stops me. She grabs my arm, looks me dead in the eyes with a smile and says "Did you notice who you were baptized for?" I expressed my shock and was grateful someone else had noticed and was prompted to come and talk to me about it. She hugs me with tears in her eyes and says "There are no coincidences in the temple!" She then tells me how I was supposed to be there doing that work right then. She let me look at the names in more detail. The four girls were sisters from Georgia who lived in the early 1900s. It was such a special spiritual moment I had with this sweet temple worker. She mentioned she had goosebumps and it just made me think of how many miracles temple workers get to experience day in and day out. So cool. I held in the heavy tears till I walked outside. Then I sobbed. I have never felt such warmth and love and just validation that I was doing the right thing and in the right place. It gave me the motivation to keep going, and to continue to put my faith in the Lord, because dang. He really doesn't disappoint. I learned, for myself, a very important lesson that morning - Our prayers are not always answered in the ways we think they should be or want them to be, but He knows exactly what we need. Of course I would love to have all my problems solved and my life just figured out and easy going, but what would I learn from that?  What I really needed in that moment was a reminder that Im not alone, EVER. I needed to remember that if I continue to live a Christ-centered life I will be blessed and taken care of by my loving Heavenly Father and my Savior.  I needed to realize that I can turn to Him whenever and receive peace and joy in return. Being baptized for those Wells sisters was his way of showing me He is with me. He is aware of me, proud of me, and loves me! And that was the exact answer to my prayers that I needed. 

I love this picture. Everything about it. My last name next to these sisters' names that Im so excited to meet one day. Oh and the sweet temple worker's hands. Im grateful for her and the part she played in my morning at the temple. 

I loved this temple!! looking out over the Salt Lake valley. ooo and that smog... so pretty haha. 

Traditional temple selfie. What a morning. Im still in awe with the love our all-knowing and powerful God is so willing to give us. Next stop was school... in the parking lot of a near by park. One more week left of classes and then finals week - eek! Im excited!! Next Next stop was Mason's office! First time since 2018 that Ive been to the dentist. Happy to report - NO cavities!! Then I headed home, for more school and then institute! And another addition to my morning... our lesson was on prayer. We learned about the first 10 verses in Luke chapter 11. A lot of cool connections were made, but one in particular that I loved. We talked about "daily bread" and how this relates to us relying on our Heavenly Father. The children of Israel were given bread every day, but they could only take just enough for that day so that they would have to continue to trust in the Lord and turn to Him in all that they do. Same with us. Of course we want the next ten years of our lives to be perfectly planned out and handed to us on a silver plater, but then we wouldn't need to rely on the Lord. So instead we need to have faith in him and turn to him daily for help! I love institute so dang much. After class, we hit up Cane's. 

Like I said - eating out too much, but full send. It was delicious. I love it when friends are literally just down for anything. Last minute invite to Cane's... Sure! Last minute notice of going to the gym at 8pm... Sure! Last minute climbing the next morning... why the heck not?! So that is what happened. After Cane's me and Tayler hit up the gym. Felt good to work out before bed, but did not feel good to work out right after I just pounded chicken and fries. The next morning Serra, Andrew and I went climbing. Fun morning. It's crazy how I went from hating climbing to doing it because everyone else was to kind of liking it to now actually wanting to get good. After climbing I studied with Tayler for a little bit, packed up and hit the road home. I dipped out a little earlier than planned, but Im excited. And I got home just in time for an early morning in Zion!

0430 wake up call, 5am on the road, hiking by 6 and to the top by 7. Windy morning, but dang I was happy to be there. 

I will never, ever get over this view. ever. Especially at sunrise.

 Thanks dad for instilling a love and great appreciation of Zion in me. Truly my happy place. 

Dad preparing for his next hobby - base jumping

And what is a morning in Zion with out stopping in at Oscar's?? We joke that it might be off season for the rest of the world but the Zion on season is just beginning for the Wells fam. Also can we appreciate that seth was with us!! He hates hiking, but angels is an exception and he is actually all for the early morning hours because then its over with faster ahah. We'll take what we can get from him! Rest of the day was filled with shopping. Funny story... mom and I went to the mall to pick up a tie for drew. We walk in and see a shoe store. Mom says "I think we need to go look at those boots" I agree obviously. We walk out about 30 minutes later with four new pairs of shoes. haha. Shopping never goes as planned when it comes to us. Then a fun little get together with Erin and her roommates. Ended the night with a DSU basketball game. Feels like a different lifetime that I went to school there. But Im pumped to be a trailblazer again soon!! Well. There's that folks. Hope you enjoyed it and for those that don't actually read the blog... at least there are some super pretty pictures to look at. Much love and happy December!