Mawwaige is what bwings us togever today

Hey everyone! I know it has been a long time since I have written in my blog. There has been a lot of things that have happened in the last few months; namely meeting a great man, dating him, him proposing to me, and marrying the man of my dreams. I find I should let you all know our cute little story. It is short, for now, but it doesn't end with this post. This relationship is meant to be for eternity.  Here is our little story:

I downloaded Tinder back in March when I was in a low spot. It was an impulse and I wasn't sure why I did it at first. I swiped right on a few people, and went on a few, awkward and terrible dates. I was about to give up, when on July 29, 2016, I found Giles. He was cute and I decided to swipe right. It was a match! I, being the bold and daring woman that I am, messaged him first. This started a great conversation that was easy to continue. It was nice to meet someone that was easy to talk to that didn't want to get into my pants. We set up a date and kept talking until then.

August 18, 2016-Our first date. We had decided to go to a play, but I couldn't make it, so we changed to a movie. About 10 minutes before the time we were supposed to meet for the movie, I get a message from Giles saying he has been rear ended and will be a while. Fast forward to an hour an a half later, and he finally arrived. We went to whatever movie was playing (not our first choice), and watched. As soon as we were in there, the ice was broken by a silly joke and it just went uphill from there. We talked throughout the entire movie and credits, and as we went to the parking lot to leave, we stayed for another 2 hours talking. We exchanged phone numbers, hugged goodbye 4 times and finally left the theater. It was a good date and he texted me when he got home. He proceeded to text me everyday and it was great. We talked on the phone for a while and set up a couple more dates.

August 30,2016-Becoming a couple. This was our 3rd date. We went to my apartment and made breakfast burritos then watched Frozen. He kept putting his arm around my waist and being very kind and amorous. We cuddled while watching Frozen. After the movie he kissed me. After kissing me, I asked him what it meant to him that we kissed. I had had previous experiences where this was not as clear and caused many tearful nights. He told me it meant he was very happy and didn't want to date anyone at this time. He then asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course I said yes. He then had to leave for home.

Since that night, we have seen each other every day. He surprised me when I was sad and he took me to a play. I met his family and watched the BYU game at his home. I met his friends and he told me he loved me that Sunday. It may have been too soon to other people, but when you meet someone who fits you so perfectly, and helps you feel very comfortable, you can't help but say "I love you."

September 8, 2016-the initial proposal. We decided to go to the Provo City Center Temple and go to an endowment session. We had talked a little bit about the idea of getting married in the future. We had decided that this is going to be an eventuality that we wanted to look forward to, but was still up in the air. At the end of the session, we sat in the celetial room next to each other and talked about our future. It felt so right to be in there with him. We realized that we wanted to get married and that Heavenly Father approved of our decision. We decided to get married in December and went to pick out a ring. We found the perfect ring!

October 2, 2016-the real proposal. I had no idea that he was going to propose. My parents came into town for General Conference and to meet Giles. We went to the Sunday sessions and in between sessions, Giles wanted to take pictures at the pedastal with the temple in the background. He kept joking that he was going to fake propose by tying his shoe. When we took pictures, he actually did propose and had the ring in his pocket! It was beautiful and simple and so much fun. I love him with all my heart.



This whole experience has been a whirlwind. We have planned the wedding and gotten everything ready. We have gotten closer and enjoyed every moment we have together. We took beautiful engagement pictures, courtesy of my cousin Melissa.






December 30, 2016-the big day! It was perfect.  The day before the wedding, we went to the Utah State Capitol building to take pictures with Tania Hatch.  They turned out BEAUTIFULLY! I haven't seen them all yet, but we used many of them on the tables at the reception. We went to the temple early to take more wedding pictures. Then we went into the temple and were sealed for time and all eternity. It is amazing to think that Giles and I will not only be married in this life, but in the life to come. Death does not end our marriage. We will be together forever.

Our reception was absolutely beautiful. My mother in law, Linda, had a gorgeous design and my entire family and Giles's family helped decorate and get everything together. We had Leatherby's ice cream come and cater. It was great. There were so many people who came and celebrated with us.

I have been married for 2 1/2 weeks so far and every day has gotten better and better. I get to wake up in the arms of my best friend every morning. I get to say good night to the love of my life every night. I no longer have to say goodbye to him for an entire night. I am so glad that I have become Mrs. Kayla Sims. Giles Sims is the love of my life and makes me so happy. I recommend marriage to those who have a great relationship.

Love will out!



Here is us coming out of the gorgeous Oquirrh Mountain Temple after being sealed. We were so happy!



Here are some of our reception. I got to sing to my new husband with my sister playing the guitar. Our gorgeous cake, and the beautiful picture that was in the entrance. Both of these picctures are courtesy of my cousin, Melissa's Instagram :)

Boring. What is it?

Why do we think that people are boring?

I was talking with a friend once, and he said “I’m sorry I can be boring.  Thanks for putting up with me.”  I was heartbroken.  Boring? Him? Never! Boring people don’t exist, just like normal doesn’t exist.  Here’s why:

Boring is based on perspective.  What I find boring, someone else finds fascinating.  Take an experience with my brother, Joshua.  One time, while we were driving, we saw those giant wind mills, you know, the ones that create electricity and are supposed to save the world, and he decided to just figure out the conversion between energy produced by coal, and energy produced by wind.  Using MATH!  I don’t like math.  I think it is one of the most “boring” things on the planet.  However, I LOVE reading.  I love getting lost into a book, or lost writing a book.  I love that aspect of life that some people find “boring.”  Many people that I talk to hate getting lost in a book.

Another example: I LOVE musical theater and symphony concerts. Many people don't like them. I LOVE watching football, but I can't sit through a baseball game.  I think they are one of the most beautiful experiences in life.  I don’t love longboarding (for obvious reasons).  I find it "boring" and terrifying.  But others love it and don’t love musical theater.  Perspective.

Even another example:  I love Monet.  I think his paintings are soothing and interesting.  I don’t love Jackson Polluck.  I find his stuff "boring".  There are others who feel the exact opposite.  

We can’t compare others.  We can’t decide that a singer is boring, because he is only boring to US.  “Boring” and “Fascinating” are based on our personal interests, our personal taste, our personal likes and dislikes.  The spice of life is that we are different.  It is nice that not everyone loves gingers (there just aren’t enough of us to go around!).  It is nice that not everyone loves History or Math or English or Dance.  We are meant to love different things and embrace our diversity.  

So, when you think that someone is boring, even if that someone is yourself, remember that there is someone out there that thinks you are FASCINATING!  And if you don’t know if anyone would think you are fascinating, remember there are at least a few people who always think that.  I do, your mom does, and God does.  Keep your chin up, darling.  You are FANTASTIC!

Fog, and the path to happiness

Hey all:) 

Today I decided to go to the temple. I wanted to go to the Draper temple, but I didn't quite know how to get there. I used maps on my phone to get there. For those of you who don't live in the Utah valley, today there was very heavy fog. Now, living in the desert of Gallup, New Mexico, I haven't seen many days with fog.  In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I have seen fog.  It's just not something you normally see. So this was a new experience, especially fog this thick. 

I digress.  While driving to the Draper temple, faithfully following my GPS, it said I had arrived at my destination. Dubious, I looked around. "This doesn't look like its around the temple," I thought.  And then the thought came, "look up!" The temple was right in front of me! I had made it. Unfortunately, I didn't think my trip through and didn't look up the temple hours before I got there. The temple is closed for cleaning. So, I got in my car and drove to the Oquirrh mountain temple. I had been to this one w couple times, and drove by it a lot when I lived with my grandparents the week before I moved into my apartment back in August. I knew where to go, but, once again, the fog was shrouding the temple from my view. I had to trust my previous knowledge that it was there. Once again, it didn't show itself to me until I was just about to turn into the parking lot. 

These two experiences spurned thoughts about eternal happiness, God, the road to happiness, etc. Here are some of my thoughts from today (not exactly in the bathtub, but still good thoughts😊). 

Oftentimes on the path to eternal happiness, we can't see where we are going, but we trust our GPS (Gospel Positioning System) to guide us where we need to go. There are obstacles blocking the end from our view. There are mountains we may need to climb or go around. The night might be upon us. There may be fog clouding our vision up to the point that we are at our destination. 

Sometimes we have been there before and must trust our knowledge of where it should be. Sometimes we have never been there, and must rely on another's directions to guide us through. We trust that our GPS will not lead us astray, so we follow its guidance and direction. Often we make a wrong turn, but the great thing about GPS is that it can redirect from anywhere and get us to our final destination safely, even if it is a different road than others take. 

God knows the path to our eternal happiness. He's the one that showed it to us, or the prophets whose voice we follow (our GPS). He knows how to direct us through and around the obstacles. If we but have faith in His GPS, we will receive to happiness promised to us, and may even enjoy the journey and the view along the way. Nothing Satan puts in our path (detours, construction, speed bumps), our Heavenly Father will help us navigate beyond them. If we but follow His path, whether it be one we have travelled before, or one we have never seen, we can trust that he will "lead [us], guide [us], walk beside [us]." He will not fail us nor forsake us. All we need to do is have faith in his plan, his direction, his commandments, and his GPS. 

Music: The lifeblood of Everything

What do you do when you have friends over?  You play music.  What do you do when someone you love dies?  You play music.  What do you do when you find the love of your life?  You play music.  What do you do when you want to worship God, but your words seem to fail you?  You play music.  You can literally play music for every single mood that you can think of.  Music changes your life.  It is always around you, and most of the time we don't pay attention to the message of the songs that are in our lives, but when you let it sink into your soul (unless you're a ginger, sorry), it changes you.  It speaks to you on a level so deep that it hits your core and resonates in a place that you didn't know existed.  Music can help us to remember who we are to God and realize our eternal worth.  Music can tell someone just how much we love them.  Music can make us miss someone so deeply that we ache.

I think the reason that we surround ourselves with music is because we have had it with us forever. I truly believe that music is an eternal principle.  When the Baby Jesus was born, his birth was heralded to the shepherds by "a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14)  The best way to share the birth of the Savior of the world was with singing.  The best sermons are in the hymns we sing.  Music is where I learned that "I Am a Child of God", that "I Need Thee Every Hour," that "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go."  (These can be found in the LDS Hymnbook)  

Some people are concerned when I tell them that I sing all the time, that I love singing in front of people.  I think it's because I'm not exactly a terrible speaker, but because other people's words are normally better than mine.  When connected to a tune and a beat, those words can speak so much more powerfully and deeper than I ever could.  It has been proven that music actually completely bypasses the conscious mind and taps into the subconscious.  That's why lyrics can stay in our mind for years after any schooling we ever had.  It is something that connects itself to memories, and, so vivid are those memories, that they stick with us and can even bring us to tears.  For years, I couldn't get through "I Stand All Amazed" (LDS Hymns 193) without thinking of my Grandma Haws and crying.  It still happens sometimes.  

Remember, when you listen to music, how deep the impact is.  If songs can last for years, it can be those songs that have negative connotations that stick with us.  Do we really want to think about all the words to those degrading songs when we are trying to stay pure and virtuous?  Do we want to worry about angry songs coming up when we are fighting with those we love?  Do we want to think about these things while trying to raise our children to be upstanding people?  I'm not saying we are perfect.  Heaven knows I'm not. And I'm not trying to push my opinions on you either.  Just think about these things.  Music can make or break anything.  It can make an experience memorable, or horrifying.  

Be Happy, and listen to music!

Friendship-a journey to happiness and fun

"A true friend knows your weaknesses, but shows you your strengths." Unknown

This week, and month really, has shown me the importance of good friends. I have many good friends, and a few great friends, but I have 2 truly best friends who always have my back. One of them has been my friend for years, the other one since October. This post is about these 2 women who have shaped my life forever. 

The first one is Katie Daugherty. When I can home from my mission, I found out the greatest news a best friend can find out: she is getting married! She has asked me to be her maid of honor! I could not have been more thrilled to share this experience with her. My first day back, she immediately skyped me and we began catching up after not seeing each other for a year, and only corresponding through letters. It's amazing to me how easy it is to pick up where you and your friend left off, no matter how long it has been, if both of them still have respect and love for each other. I love her and I am so thankful for her support in my decisions, in my mission, and in my life. She always knew when I needed a picture or a letter of encouragement. She has changed my life for good. 

The next friend is someone that I didn't expect. Before my mission, I knew that  would meet many people that would influence my life and my testimony in Jesus Christ. And I made so many friends in the California Irvine Mission. There was one friend, however, that completely changed my life and left a mark too big to ever forget. Her name was sister Megan Gillins. She was my companion from October 28 until the end of my mission on March 4. We were together for 18 weeks, and in those weeks, we laughed, we cried, we sang, we taught, we testified, and we grew closer as sisters in the work of the Lord. The funny thing about the beginning of our friendship is that we had preconceived notions about each other that were not in the best light. We were worried at the beginning of our companionship that we would even get along, let alone work well together. But after the first day, we broke the ice over something stupid and instantly became friends. That something was Star Wars. She said she loved Star Wars, but no one ever expected it from her. The conversation that ensued, went like this:

Megan: "I want people to look at me and say,'there's someone who loves Star Wars!"

Kayla: "Then you should probably have more acne, less color in your skin, and a crazier look in your eye."

At that moment, we both realized that we had the same sense of humor, and the rest is history. 

Today marks 1 month since leaving my best friend, and only talking to her through email. It's hard, but it makes our time to talk that much sweeter. I cannot wait till I can see her again. 

Sometimes, people come into your life that you don't know will impact your life. If you are open to all people and allow them to get to know at least a little part of you, you may just find that your best friend is amongst those you meet. I heard a saying once that friends are the family you choose, but I believe that God puts you in the path of each other because he knows what you need to learn and what they need to learn. His plan is better, and so much sweeter than  we could ever hope it would be. 

So, hold dearly to the friends you have, who love and respect you the same way that you love and respect them. And allow friends into your life that you may not expect to come in. They can surprise you and change you "for good." (Name that song reference). 

With love,

The friend

Dear Beloved Reader,

This is an uplifting blog about thoughts.  Thoughts in the bathtub, in the car, doing dishes, folding laundry, and any other mundane task.  I don't know about you, but I seem to do more thinking when my hands are busy and when I have time by myself.

These blogs will be my ideas and my thoughts.  Some of them might be religious.  That is because I am religious and it is a part of me.  Some of them might be funny.  I am a funny person.  Some of them might just be random.  This is because there is not just one side to me.  I hope that you can see this through these blog posts, and in part, see a part of me.

So, dear reader, feel free to read along.  Feel free to laugh, to cry, and most importantly, to think.  Heaven knows that's what I've done writing these blogs.

Love,
The girl with the Thoughts