Banff Snowboarding!

On Friday James and I went to the temple, he helped with the Youth Baptisms, and since I didn't really have anything to do for them I went and did initiatory's for the first time since my own. It was really neat.

We took off on Saturday with the Elders quorum president and another brother from the ward to Banff to Sunshine Ski Resort! It was AWESOME! To actually get to the resort you have to get on a 25-30min. Gondola ride. That was the first time I had ever ridden on a gondola and it was really neat! Then once we got up there James and I lost our company on accident (This resort was huge!) So we spent the day together. This was the second time ever I had gone snowboarding and I had so much fun! There were literally like 15 different chair lifts and you could literally go to the tops of the mountains!

I can do really well Snowboarding, I don't fall, I just STOP if I get tired. I don't really get all that frightened by steep slopes because I just focus on what's two feet ahead of me instead of what's 100 feet down! It's not all that scary to me. But I am only good at heel edge, James tried to show me toe edge, but THAT scares me ha ha So, I'm going to get a trainer next time we head out so that I can go on the blue level slopes and not just the green.

The guys we went with spent most their day out on the black diamonds and blue level slopes, sometimes the green.

You could even opt to SKI-OUT instead of riding the Gondola back down the mountain. James Rode-out to the parking lots, but I rode down on my own. I wasn't ready to spend 25 straight min. killing my legs down the hill. I'm still a beginner. But he had fun doing it. The Gondola's we rode are actually the Fastest 8 passenger gondola's in the WORLD! (Pictures are of us in the Gondola and on a Lift.)

All in all, it was a great day! We want to go Snowboarding once more before the season is out, so we'll see where our funds are then but we enjoy outdoor activities together. James and I are sort of funny like that. We would rather buy sporting equipment over a nice couch or something I guess more practical? Not that that's All we spend our money on, but it's just the way we think. We don't buy "THINGS" Too often, but we like to make it nice when we do decide to spend our money. We've been trying to budget our money better each month and save. So hopefully we will be experts some day.

Also, on Sunday James and I received callings. He will now be the Gospel Doctrine Teacher, and I will be the "Valiant 12"! Teacher. So in July (When they all turn 12) I will get to teach and then go to Relief Society. So, I'm pretty Satisfied with my call. I just need to figure out how to relate to 12 year olds? How they think and the best way to reach them spiritually. I Don't know...I just hope it goes well. At least I don't have to start until AFTER general Conference! That gives me about two weeks to prepare.

(Me going down the hill)

I also Start work this week on Wednesday. I will be working at D'ARCY RANCH GOLF CLUB for the summer (Until Oct. 31st) So that will be fun. My Dad and James are excited for my Golf benefits, I Am too! Whelp. That is our adventures for this week, until next time.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Fray Fray

Spring is ALMOST Here!

All last week it was heating up and the snow was melting! It was fabulous! I was wearing my summer dresses out and about and James and I even went for a walk (While I was wearing my NEW Dress and flats).
Saturday night However, it Dumped practically a foot of snow on the ground! It was a mess! James and I even had to drive into Calgary to drop something off at about 1 am and it was a terrible drive. Someone even spun out and slid 3 LANES almost hitting us! The road conditions were bad, but we were blessed and traveled safely without harm or incident occurring.

This week, for the snow issue, it melted away much of the new fallen snow yesturday, but there is rumors going around (By the weather man) that it is supposed to dump on us YET AGAIN on Wednesday! I think that the Weather man should take things into his own hands and FORCE the weeks from here on out to be Snowless and Sunny! :) He might make more friends that way.

But, to go back to our walk, James and I went through the park down by the river and in the park is a bridge. It doesn’t have any supports besides the ones on either side of the bank. It’s almost like a suspension bridge, but not. Someone of Average size could just jog across and cause it to shake beneath their feet. It’s crazy! Anyways, James and I took a few little video snippets of our adventure! It was nice to go down to the river, a little date for the two of us. We do random things all the time and call it a date. Such as going to the grocery store and getting little LAVA cakes and going home to watch a movie with our "Romantic" dessert. The entire thing is a date, so he opens the doors for me just so it's "official".

James and I also were awake the Friday night? at Midnight, to get the release of “TWILIGHT” and I must say, at our Wal-Mart Location, they were many a weird people there. There were some normal or average people, but a lot of them were really REALLY weird. I dunno. Maybe that was just where we were at. But anyways, I would Highly recommend reading ALL the Twilight books, if you have not yet. The movie was good, but the books Are 20 times better! I didn’t read the books till after I had watched the first movie and I only read them because my husband wanted me to read them to him, and needless to say WE BOTH LOVED THEM! James would get all excited when I asked if he wanted to read this night or that night. But yeah…They are a terrific series. And for me, I liked the story lines more than the “romance” of the novel. They were just fun! I mean, you get to hear how each one becomes a Vampire! And you don't get that from the movies! Plus watching the movies after reading the books makes things WAY funnier! For example: When the Cullens walk into the Lunch Room when Jessica is talking, you understand thier facial expression more when you know they can hear what she's saying. Or What Edwards thinking when Bella Walks into Biology for the Very First time. (Ya know, When he looks discusted) Ya...He would Love to kill everyone in the room JUST to EAT Her! I HIGHLY reccomend the books is all I'm saying.
Since Sunday was Snow smitten and I was obviously wearing heels to church, when I opened my door to get out James came over and carried me (like a bride over the threshold) to the sidewalk. I LOVED IT! Sigh...Well, that’s about it for now. I shall speak to you again another day :)
Love Always,
Mrs. Fray Fray

(Shortened) LOVE STORY!

One year ago Today, James and I had our first KISS!!! Tehe! We actually got together one year ago today haha, It was our "Official" first date. But I'm really not one to give out my kisses on the first date. If you've heard ANY of my first date horror stories, you would know that. But We had actually started "Hanging out" with the missionary dinners my little sister and two of our friends would host each week. (We needed a Priesthood Holder) So James joked that he would bring Cheese Cake one time and we took him to his word and he just came from then on after that (It wasn't until 3 dinners later that he actually brought cheesecake). We all became Very Tight friends. And James and I had gone about two weeks straight of seeing eachother every single day and finally we decided to let eachother know that we liked eachother.

Over text messaging, I invited him over to watch "I am Legend" and durring the movie I sat Quite close to him. In fact we were on a very large couch and I was pressed up agaisnt him (vertically of course haha). He never did anything the ENTIRE movie! So...I thought I should give him another opportunity. I then put "Shrek" in, and he caught on by that point haha, he FINALLY put his arm around me and then held my hand. And of course we had smooched by the time the movie ended. Haha. I'm so clever.

Then after that we dated and the weird thing was, and part of my indessition to date him at first, was that I was Leaving for school in 3 weeks! So I wasn't sure, because I didn't want to do a long distance thing, and I've dated ALOT of creepers so I wasn't sure if he was just Playing me or not ya know? But after a week of "Official" dating James told me, "I LOVE YOU." I then responded with "THANK YOU." Haha. I didn't want to tell him that I Loved him unless I TRULY meant it. So for about a month and a half of our dating (because we continued dating while I was in the states) he would tell me almost each night before bed, "I Love you." And I would respond thank you. But then one night I finally said, "I LOVE YOU" back. And From there it's history I suppose. He Propsed on Memorial weekend (At 4 AM!) and visted me in the states almost every other week!

We got our engagement photo's done either June 7th or July 7th? It was on the 7th I know for sure, I just can't recall which month. Then the weekend after that I got my wedding dress. We Were then Married on August 7th 2008! And since everyone else was getting married the NEXT day (We could have had 8.8.08) We had the temple ALL to ourselves! And I wanted that! I was the only bride on the grounds tehe! (Our Hike to Banff before I went back to School seen in the left hand photo).

And that is our story of love!

Love Mrs. Fray Fray :)

Spiritual and Temporal...

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

We’ve MOVED! … Into my parents basement. Sorry about the long duration between Blog postings, but our internet stopped working shortly after the last posting and then we moved out in early January into my parent’s basement, and I then became very ill for about three weeks. Then after that we had to get the rest of the things out of our old apartment and then head down to the states for my Best friend Midori’s wedding and FINALLY I now have a moment, AND, the internet to be able to write a post to you all.

(This video clip is RIGHT before Midori's reception, we put the snowman on the car while my dad was sitting inside, he didn't like it, but secretly he did tehe).
I will receive my dual citizenship this coming January (January 2010), and so James and I decided that if we were to stay in Canada for another year before headed down to Boise for school we might as well save that $1,100 a month for rent (that doesn’t include utilities) to be saved for the money it will cost to go to Boise State University. The plan essentially is to live here till I get my dual citizenship, then head down to Boise and live there for a year to get Idaho residency status and then once we have residency status there James will then attend BSU (because if you are a resident of the state of Idaho you receive approx. $10,000 off tuition each semester at BSU) and there he plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. So for now, that’s the plan.

Midori, my Best friend, got married on Feb. 14th 2009 in the Jordan River Temple, and received her endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. I had never been to a live session before and going to her endowment session was very interesting. If you have never participated in a live session before at the temple I would encourage each of you who have not to make time to do so in the near future. (The Photo near the top is the snowman we put on her car before she drove off). James and I made the goal to attend the temple once a month when we got married and I think (I think) we missed just January, but we attended the temple twice in February and are planning to attend the temple twice more this month (we just went this last Sat.) So, it makes up for missing the whole January thing. I’m just glad it’s only about 2 hours away instead of being 3 or more. (The Temples we have visted and gone inside are: Boise, Cardston, Rexburg, Salt Lake and Jordan River)

I was asked to talk in Relief Society this past Sunday, out of the Joseph Smith Manual, and it went EXTEAMLY well! The Spirit was literally poured out upon all of us in that room. And I was SO pleased because out of the many times I have ever taught different classes before; the Lord gave me more confidence than ever! I was truly blessed. It makes me happy that each time I accept to do something the Lord would have me do, I become a little bit better each time I do it. He’s awesome like that. But since the lesson was like super Awesome, because the spirit pretty much wrote it for me, I think I shall put in an excerpt from it.

One thing that really caught my eye was on page: 353, In the second paragraph from the bottom it states, “From henceforth, let truth and righteousness prevail and abound in you; …; abstain from EVERYTHING which is UNrighteous or UNholy;…” Then on page: 354 we read to, “render good for evil.”

These little passages reminded me of Lamoni’s father in Alma 22:15 & 18. “Behold, said he, I will give up all that I posses, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy…O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God ,wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee…”

So Lamoni’s father is willing to forsake his kingdom and to give away ALL his sins to know Christ. To “render good for evil.” To develop Christ like qualities, and become a Lover of the cause. He is willing to give away Even his Favorite sins to become as the savior is. He received the invitation from Aaron and “The invitation to follow Christ is an invitation to follow his example and to become like him.”

Each of us has also received the same invitation to follow Christ and to truly become a Lover of the cause of Christ. So to further our progress to achieve our goal to become as the Savior is and to gain Christ like attributes and qualities, and the board shows us some examples of these qualities, we need to recognize our individual weaknesses. Where do you personally need to improve, and are you willing and anxious to improve? Do you have the desire to please God? Is really what it comes down to.

So when Lamoni’s father said, “I will give away ALL my sins to know thee…” He meant even the sins that were most precious to him. Applying that to ourselves, what sins do we silently refuse to give to Christ? Do we enjoy the occasional “R’ Rated movie, do we think gossiping is O.K. as long as it is kept under some control? Is it alright to listen to music with immoral messages, because we don’t “LISTEN” to the words, we just like the beat? Or is it alright to use profanities only when you deem it necessary? Or even at all? Basically, what’s your favorite sin? And why won’t you give it away? There are two quotes that I think go along with this very well.

QUOTE #1: “No, there is no escape. There is no heaven with a little of Hell in it – no plan to retain this or that of the devil in our hearts or our pockets. Out Satan must go, every hair and feather.” – George Macdonald
QUOTE #2: “Evil can be undone, but it cannot ‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, ‘with backward mutters of dissevering power’ – or else not. It is still ‘either-or’. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.” – C.S. Lewis

So, to reiterate what the quotes said was that, ‘there is no heaven with a little of hell in it’ and that, ‘If we accept heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell.’ The point being that even though we are not perfect quite yet, we can start working on our favorite sins to try to eliminate them from our lives to become more Christ like each day. Preach my Gospel states; “Learn of Him and seek to incorporate His attributes into your life. Through the power of His atonement, you can achieve this goal and lead others to achieve it also.” Let us all seek to gain attributes that a ‘Lover of the Cause of Christ’ would be expected to have.

O.K. SO that was a really big excerpt from it, but I just liked how it all flowed together so well right there, and considering how long the lesson was overall, it really was just a small portion of what was said. But perhaps, reading my long excerpt will give you a little bit of uplift in your day today. Maybe it’s something you needed to hear. O’well. Either way it was written. So you can’t really un-read it now MUHAHAHA!!!
And yes, that IS James and I being Run over by two HUMUNGO Semi's. (This was on our drive down to Idaho for My Aunt's Funeral in Dec. '08) Yes, well. I think I have written enough for one day for you to read. So I must be off now. I love you all, and if I have written anything that you have further questions on, just ask me about it.

Love Always,
Angela M. Fraser