Oh, hello again world!

WOW... it's been awhile.  After our trip to Nashville back at the end of May, the business kicked in a time has flown on by.

This post is going to consist of just a bunch of pictures with a little background to what was going on.

Let's see... this was, okay, honestly don't remember exactly it was sometime beginning of June.  I found this little vegetarian vegan cafe right close to Railroad Square called Wild Greens Community Cafe.  It was so so good!  It was a little pricey HOWEVER, for the amount of food you got it was totally worth it.  It made us (well at least me) feel really hipster.  Considering we're an "old" married couple and immediately after this went home and feel asleep watching TV, it still made me feel cool.  haha.

For the summer we have been taking care of our good friend Melissa's two cats.  She is up here for the summer just working before going back down to Naples for her 3rd and final year of Law School.  She was going to pay someone down in Naples to come see them and check in on them but we felt bad and told her we'd watch them.  She is still close by and buys all the supplies.  We just get to have two furry greeters when we get home each day.  It's be fun.  This Eli (on the left) and Darcy (right) looking out the window at a squirrel.  They have been earning their keep, two weeks ago they found a frog in the house!  Eli and Darcy are with us until mid August.

Prior to going to Girls Camp, we headed down to Orlando to the Temple from Friday, June 21st to Saturday, June 22nd.  We were invited to a sealing on Friday so we woke up early and headed out and down to the sealing at 10a.m.  We then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing some much needed family temple files.  Chris was able to get the work totally finished for his grandfather; from baptism to sealing to his wife and parents.  It was such a sweet and peaceful day.  It was wonderful to feel the spirit while sealing Chris's grandparents together for all eternity.  His grandmother passed away on his mission in 2005 and it was great to have them back together again.

 

 On Saturday we woke up early and got to the Temple to do a session in which Chris did the work for his father.  Another great day!  We just have to seal him to his parents now.  The rest of the day we served our shift and even got to leave earlier than usually which was nice.

 

On Friday afternoon we went to the movies, just at that little movie theater close to the turnpike.  We saw Man of Steel.  The theater was quaint and PACKED.  So many people had the same idea.  Also, a storm was going through and the power went out in the theater about three times and so this picture was during the break while they were getting it to start up again.

 From June 24th-27th I was able to attend Girls Camp.  So. Much. Fun.  I loved it.  I enjoyed it as a young woman but LOVED it even more as a leader.  I went as the assistant stake certification leader and helped out Sister Atchley.  It was so great getting to work with her and get to know her better.  Plus I got to hang out with my young women from 1st ward.  Lots of things went down but let's just say there was dancing on the tables.  ANYWAY... about 5 minutes after I pulled in to the house Chris drove up and had these beautiful flowers for me.  I guess he missed me =)

 To celebrate me being home and Chris no longer being lonely, we went to see Monsters University on the Saturday after I got back.  It was a fun movie and really thought it was funny and entertaining.  Plus we had been collecting cereal box codes for a few months and got the tickets for free so it was totally worth it!

 

Back to work I went... except thankfully had TWO three day work weeks in a row.  But still not looking forward to getting back into the five day work week...

 However, I did get this awesome cup at Girls Camp!  This should definitely help we drink more water... I'm really bad at that.

July 3rd-6th we drove down to Naples for Fourth of July with my family.  We left Wednesday right after work.  We saw this super sweet Iron Man paint job SUV outside of Tampa.  I think it's cooler than the Skittles Dodge Charger goin' around Tally.

 We spent the Fourth laying out chilling by the pool in my Sister's and Brother in Law's neighborhood.  The clubhouse and pool is RIGHT across the street from them so it was nice to just relax and do nothing and catch up.  On Friday morning we headed over to the house my dad owns down there and I picked up some of my things.  They were all just keep sake memory things but I knew I would have to get them eventually.  PLUS I took home TONS of mason jars.  They were all my moms and I can't wait to start some canning.  There are still 20 plus more there but I couldn't (or Chris wouldn't let me) take them all.  Next time though.

We arrived back at my sisters and my brother and his family came by to visit awhile.  Elianna showed us her new bike and peddled on down the sidewalk for us.

 We went swimming with baby Ben too.

 That afternoon after Parker and the family left, Chris and I went up to this outdoor mall and parked right in front of this little BIG guy.  Don't see them this big too often.

We headed home on Saturday.  Chris even left me DRIVE!  Doesn't happen too often but I was happy he got a little snooze...

This past week was Youth Conference in Troy, AL at Troy University.  Chris and I headed there with a little under 30 of our Ward's youth and some hard working pretty amazing chaperones.  From Thursday to Saturday it was no stop fun and spiritual uplifting.  I had a great time getting to know my girls better and hanging out with them.  Each one is so unique and beautiful.  We had a blast!  Two dances, great speakers and workshops, providing service to a local food bank, and forming lasting memories.

I absolutely LOVE my calling.  I never thought I would serve in Young Women because my testimony of it is so strong already for going through it myself but man oh man, my testimony is even stronger for it as an adviser.  I love these girls and pray for them so often and each one astonishes me with their faith, courage, love for the Lord, and their righteousness.  At girls camp I was able to meet girls from the stake too so it was great to see some at youth conference too.  These girls are truly daughters of God and have worth beyond rubies. 

I really enjoy how much I am learning each day as a result of this calling.  I feel so much more happy and really feel like I have a purpose right now in my life.  All the activities and events help me to just focus on the hear and now and not worry so much about the future but to just know that I need to take one day at a time and if I prove faithful and do what's right the Lord will bless me with the desires of my heart.

This really has been life for me lately!  It's be busy and a rollercoaster of fun.  I'm excited and looking forward though to some slowing down time.  I have a lot of things to work on around the house and new little projects I need to get done.  Sorry for the long period of time between posts but I have enjoyed keeping up with all of your posts and seeing how your lives have been.  

Nashville, TN

Nashville2 from Kendal Hargrett on Vimeo.


If you haven't seen the video on my facebook featuring our Anniversary Trip to Nashville, here it is again!  Yahoo!!

Some things to add:
1. It's my first video I have ever made so some of the video is sideways because I used our ipod to take the video as well as our camera.

2. Each song represents a different day.  Throughout the whole (or at least the majority of the song) is one day of the stuff we did.

3. In the first few minutes you'll see us at The Pioneer Museum;  well funny thing, literally less than 5 miles down the road from the Pioneer Museum is Pioneer Village.  We laughed and laughed because they were obviously competitors.

4. Day two was horseback riding with Aster and Flash, The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home), Opryland Hotel, and dinner at Wild Cow Cafe which is an awesome vegan/vegetarian restaurant.  We had nachos with vegan cheese that seriously was OUT of this world!

5. Added business about Aster; I road Aster and the guide said that she had been photographed for Nashville Magazine a few times so she was pretty much a model.  She totally was!  When they were lining up the other family on their horses she kept wanting to go over there to get in the picture.  Silly girl.  Chris was on Flash and at one point toward the end the guides had us gallop and Chris said he went for a few seconds and then was done.  haha.  When he first got on Flash the guide gave him a switch because sometimes he doesn't want to go; he did fine and eventually Chris lost the switch and totally doesn't remember when and where.  haha!

6. There is a part that shows this huge murial at Opryland and you can't see it in the video but seriously every single person painted had a sad or mad face on... it was weird.  Cool picture but lots of unhappy people. 

7. Day three was going to the Nashville Temple, tour of Cranton House, a walk in Downtown Franklin, picnic lunch at Centenial Park, and a drive down the TRUE "Tennessee Strip."

8. Interesting thing about Cranton House; during the battle of Franklin of the Civil War it was used as a hospital.  On the second floor you can still see blood stains every where.  It was sad because you really didn't know that much about the family and there aren't any family records.  Most knowledge is from soldiers and officers who were treated there who sent letters home.

9. Day four was early morning breakfast at Pancake Pantry.  It's super popular and there is usually a line out the door so we decided to get there right when it opened at 6a.m.  We were the first ones there.  haha.  We were going to stay in Nashville and watch around downtown some more but after breakfast we decided to go back to the hotel and pack up and leave.  So, we took our time getting home and stopped in Birmingham, AL and saw the Vulcan and Montgomery, AL and went to the Civil Rights Museum.

10. The part where you see our names was at the Civil Rights Museum.  They had three projectors up and then these touch screen computers and you could type your name in for the Wall of Tolerance.  It was cool so we both put our names up there.  The Civil Rights Museum was really small but informative.  Plus it was only $2.00 a person so not too bad.

I can't believe it has been four years already that I have been married to the love of my life.  Everyday I am more astonished at how blessed I am to have him as my eternal companion.  He is so patient, kind, supportive, and treats me with the utmost respect.  He puts up with my craziness and drama.  He understands me and eats my cooking without complaint.  Chris is the man who is better than any of my dreams and I don't know what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband.  We have and are still going through trials together but I'm so grateful he is right beside me to weather the storms.  I love you Chris with every fiber of my being and I am extremely happy to know we're yoked together forever.