Hallelujah!

Well, after my almost 2 year break from blogging, Easter has inspired me to bring it back to life! (Haha, no pun intended) My mom kept up a blog for me while I was serving as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines. You can check it out if you want! Its sisterkaylalockwood.blogspot.com . But this is my regular life blog of an LDS college student at BYU. 

First off, I have to say a little thank you to those who kept up with my mission blog! It had almost 13,000 views while I was gone! Your prayers and your love truly sustained me on my journey as a missionary. Even though I was literally all the way across the world, I felt your love and your support. I hope that I was able to have a little bit of an impact on those who kept up with my letters and pictures home. My mission changed my life. It was such an amazing experience that strengthened my knowledge that God lives. He sent me to the Philippines and gave me the most wonderful people to love and to teach. I miss them dearly! I am different now because of the experiences I had there. I know God is involved in our every day lives, and He gives us hard things because He knows we can do it if we will rely on Him!

I was inspired to write a blog post because my heart has been just absolutely FULL this week. Full of love, full of joy, full of gratitude, and full of hope. Spring is such a special time of the year. It represents a time of fresh starts and of new beginnings. The warm weather and sunshine bring back green grass and beautiful flowers and make us feel so alive! 

This spring has been especially awesome with the building and dedication of a new temple in Provo, the Provo City Center Temple. As Mormons, we go to the temple for a number of reasons. We go for ourselves, to receive sacred ordinances that will enable us to return to our Father in Heaven after this life. We also participate in these ordinances vicariously for our kindred dead. For me, I love to go to the temple to feel close to my Father in Heaven and to my Savior. It is a place where I can ponder and prayer and receive guidance from above. I have set a goal to go every week this semester, and have been so blessed for it! It is kind of a long walk to the current Provo temple, so I was extra excited for this new temple to be dedicated! And, it is absolutely gorgeous! 

Last Sunday was the dedication of this new House of the Lord. It was wonderful because we participated in the dedication and Hosanna shout! I attended the dedication in the Marriott center at BYU, and I'll never forget the spirit I felt as the meeting started and we listened to the song Families Can be Together Forever. I was touched by the talks and songs that were sung. It was also pointed out to me that we participated in this celebration on Palm Sunday, the day that the people of Jerusalem welcomed the Savior into the city with the shouts of Hosanna's and the waving of Palm leaves. I feel so blessed to have done that in a way with the waving of the white handkerchief. 

Beginning with Palm Sunday, I have pondered a lot this week about the Savior's life and the sacrifice that He made for us. I thought about His suffering and of His perfect example. I am so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who was willing to send his son so that I would be able to keep trying and having second chances. I have thought about what Mary must have felt as she weeped, but then heard the Savior say her name. I have thought about the fact that we choose the Savior before we came to the Earth. We knew that we could make it through this Earth life because we would have Him by our side! I know that He lives. I know that He really did rise the third day. He is my Savior! I feel His love in all I see. As I took a walk on this beautiful Easter day, I just couldn't help but think, Hallelujah!

Rock Climbing with Dad!

So, if you didn't already know from my last Father's Day post, I have the coolest Dad!  He took me rock climbing this weekend in West Virginia and it was a blast!  Probably one of the most terrifying things I've done, but definitely something I want to do again!

This was at the very beginning of our climb.  I was always testing my equipment to remind myself that I was securely attached to that via ferrata.  

This was my "holy crap Dad I'm going to kill you for taking me on this trip look."  We were going smooth until we turned around a corner and there was NOTHING!  I didn't realize just how high we were until that moment.  My palms still get sweaty thinking about it... 

This was the bridge! It was definitely scary, but not unbearable.  You can't tell but the pieces of wood are actually about a foot apart and only a couple inches wide. 

Our tour guide Tony was awesome!! 

After hours of climbing, the view was totally worth it. West Virginia is beautiful! 

Before making the trip home we found a swimming hole.  It was so refreshing and so pretty!

I'm so glad I got to go on another adventure before I leave for the Philippines!! It was such a neat day to be able to really conquer my fears and do things I wasn't sure I could do.  The whole time I kept thinking about my mission.  Even though it's going to be terrifying and I'll be doing things I never knew I could do, it will be such a sweet and rewarding experience.  Just as I was really relying on my equipment, I'll have Jesus Christ to back me up the every step of the way (:

Life is good when I'm rock climbing with Dad!

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy-O!

Here is a great and easy idea for any father's day/mother's day gift!! Pull out a recipe card and make a recipe for the perfect Dad!  Mine was specific to my rockin Dad- hard working, silly, intelligent, athletic, pazazz, and LOVE!  

I then found tons of fun little gifts that fit the recipe at world market! Each ingredient had a matching gift. The silly straw was his favorite (: 

Man do I love my Dad!! When I was younger I used to think that I was exactly like my mom, but as I have gotten older I have realized that I am actually a ton like my dad, and I am so glad!!  He is such a great example to me.  He loves literally everyone around him.  Like the other day we were out playing tennis, and he stopped playing with me and Nathan to help out the people next to us and give them some tips.  Even though he had never met them, he acted like he'd known them for years!  He has worked so hard his whole life to provide so much for me.  I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the extra work he has always put in so that I could have the opportunities that I do.  I really do feel like I am the luckiest girl around! I love you Dad (:

Life is good on Father's Day!

Beautiful North Carolina!

We had a fantastic finish to our trip in North Carolina!  Haley and Sharon Lockwood came to stay with us and we had so much fun!!

 So tennis really is in our blood! Grandpa Lockwood played tennis and so do all of his grandchildren! Go Team Lockwood!!

We went to a fort just south of where we stayed called Fort Macom. 

Ahh, North Carolina is SO BEAUTIFUL!  We went for a little hike through a trail.  I loved it. 

And of course, we did lots of swimming!

I have decided that I want to live either in California or one of the Carolina's when I grow up.  North Carolina was so beautiful and we had so much fun as a family.  It's weird to think that I might not have too many more vacations with my family.  I for sure won't have any for the next 18 months!  I'm so blessed to have such great brothers and parents.  We're always having so much fun together and I don't know what I'd do without them!!

Life is good in North Carolina!

The Lockwoods hit the beach!

The Lockwoods have officially hit Atlantic Beach, North Carolina! We are having tons of fun filled with swimming, junk food, sand, sunburns, and lots of laughing. 

We went deep sea fishing! I must admit, I didn't actually catch this fish.  Lol, I just asked the people if I could have a picture with it.  But I did catch like 10 mid sized fish! And Dad caught a shark! Woo!

My tan lines after the day of fishing in modest clothes were oh so lovely. 

Me and T.J. rockin the goggles night swimming!!

I really wanted to get family pictures as the sun was setting.  It was SO WINDY! And my brothers are not exactly a fan of pictures… But I think we ended up with some really good ones! Me Nathan and TJ are all approximately the same height.  Sometimes I seriously think we look like triplets.  

I just feel so blessed to have such an amazing family!  They really do double as my best friends.  We are always laughing and no matter what you're wanting to do that day, someone is always down for an adventure.

Life is good at the beach!

Zion's Camp!

Little by little, I am starting to see that there is a reason that I had these 3 months in Ohio before my mission! This past week, I had the amazing opportunity to hear from Elder Holland with the rest of the missionaries in the area.  I got to shake his hand and listen to him speak for over an hour!  It was truly such a blessing, and so much of it was exactly what I needed to hear as I am preparing for the Philippines.  

Then, at the end of that week I got to go to Zion's Camp!! It was a weekend in Kirtland with Sister Dalton and other Young Single Adults from all over the Eastern United States.  Sister Dalton was awesome, and gave us such great council.  I hadn't appreciated living near Kirtland until this weekend!  There were groups from Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, D.C., and Illinois!   I actually met a returned missionary from the Philippines, Sam!  She was such a tender mercy and gave me a heads up on so much that I'm going to see over there.  My favorite advice she gave was, "Just become a Filipino!" She made me so excited!! I also had such a blast with Emily.  She is such a sweet heart and I feel like we grew so much closer over the weekend!

Life is good in Kirtland!!

Happy Birthday T.J.!

My baby brother is 13!! Isn't that absolutely nuts?? He's almost taller than I am too. I seriously just want to shrink him up back into the little boy he used to be.  Even though he's my younger brother, I look up to him so much.  He has always been such an example to me of hard work, kindness, thoughtfulness and diligence. 

I remember when he was probably 5 years old I went outside and saw him sprinting down the street and into our yard where he fell, completely out of breath, into our lawn.  When I asked him what he was doing he quickly replied, "exercising!".  He then continued to get back up and sprint down our street a little ways before turning around and coming back to his place on the lawn.  He also reads his scriptures every single night and is always trying to choose the right.  But the best part about him is that even though he's the most righteous 13 year old you'll come across, he's always cracking jokes.  He quotes lines from movies in tense situations, and is always making me smile and laugh.  

I wove my wittle chee chay!  I'm so proud of him and all the he has already become.  Happy Birthday, bro!

Life is good for T.J.!