Rebecca's Blog

Last Wednesday night Clark arrived back home from a week long vacation to go to Utah & Canada. He drove up with his Mom to visit Grandma who is on her last legs. She isn’t doing so well.

All the while, each day Clark had a surprise for me – help me feel not so alone while he’s away. Some of you may recall back to when I went away on vacation last year to UT by myself I created a scavenger hunt for Clark. He told me I set the bar pretty high for a “love” scavenger hunt, but he had no problem meeting it, here is how it went:

Day 1 - After I took Clark to the Airport, I was told to go to UPS. I went, and there was a yellow sticky note on the bottom of our box. It said “go to …clarkcooper.cc . The hunt begins “:)

Each day I would receive a ‘Kiss Code’ that I would need to input in order to receive my reward. The first Kiss code was underneath his desk monitor. I inputted it and was told that he left his Credit Card hidden under the desk, use it to go on a shopping spree at Trader Joe’s. I LOVED it!

Day 2 – This was our Wards Halloween Party. I drove to and back from it with my friend Emily. After the party was over, there was a piece of paper with a “kiss code” on her windshield. I was BLOWN AWAY with shock! How in the world was he able to pull that stunt? I was very impressed. Later I found out that Clark had called our friend Eric, who had to do some heavy duty investigating to ’secretly’ find out which car was Emily’s, stuck the code there and RAN! haha!!! Thanks Eric!

When I got home, I put the Kiss Code in and $5 shopping spree at Target, to get some goodies for a “Bachelorette Night” watching Gilmore Girls & Dr. Quinn.

Day 3 – Today’s clue was given to me from a friend of ours who came into town and had to rent some equipment from us. He brought it back and before he left handed me a piece of paper and told me that I couldn’t read it until he was gone. haha! CREATIVE Clark! That was VERY creative! He called him to write down the clue and give it to me .

I inputted the Kiss Code and it was to spend the entire day painting, and to send him a picture of my progress after I was done. awwwww!!! ♥♥♥

This night I was telling Clark about how I haven’t been able to get to sleep at night until 4am. It’s just different falling asleep peacefully, knowing your Man is there to protect you. Now that it’s just up to me to protect myself – I am like, grabbing my Police Pepper spray, having it on hand. My extra sharp pocket knife (both given to me by my Dad ever since I was nearly kidnapped by a creepy old man down by Salt Lake Community College… it later made the local TV news, the same guy who was Wanted for several kidnaps and rapes. The dude followed me everywhere – trying to get me to get in his car RIGHT NOW! …. eeee!!! scary!!!) both I slept with right next to me and carried with me everywhere I went. Clark let me use the credit card to buy a $10 Apartment Alarm from Amazon. It’s SO COOL! It’s a door-stop, that when placed pressure upon it has a 120db (I didn’t know what that meant, other than it’s REALLY loud) alarm. I was able to get it, based upon the commitment that I’d go to bed earlier, because if anyone tried to break in, the whole Apartment complex would know. I liked that.

Day 4 – Was Sunday so I wasn’t expecting a ‘go out’ and do something. This was a creative hidden clue. Clark had hacked into my blog site and cleverly put the kiss code in my banner, up next to my title. … my husband is so smart. ♥

I placed the code in and there was a picture of 2 oven mits and 2 oven pads, brand new from Canada (extra special, eh!). They are so pretty!

Day 5 – Today’s Kiss Code wasn’t hidden, but given to me by Clark himself.

I inputted the clue and it was a a Border’s Coupon for 40% off. To go and find a $10 book, and use the credit card for the $6 book. He’s been taking me to all our favorite shopping spots! LOVE HIM!!! ♥ He’s also cleverly motivating me to get out of the Apartment, because he knows otherwise I’d just stay in the whole time he’s gone

Day 6 - Today’s clue I had a riddle I had to search out on Google for the answer. It was really hard at first, but once I got it – it was a fun surprise. The result was to “use the credit card to go and get yourself a Whole Foods Deli sandwich” (one of our FAVORITES!). Yummy!

This morning there was 3 LOUD bangs on our Apartment door, it shot me RIGHT OUT of bed! With my heart pounding at a rapid speed, I was (thankfully) pleasantly surprised. At the door-step was an Amazon Box with our Alarm I purchased on Saturday I tested it out…. yes, let’s just say that I had to use the ladies room real bad before I tested it – and even MORE so after I tested it. … *ahem*… It works

Day 7 – The riddle today was SHOCKING! When I put it in, it said that Clark was in the air on his way back home!!! He wasn’t supposed to get home until tomorrow! I was SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED! I was to go and pick him up in 3 hours and we’d party it up tonight with one of our favorite shows, Ghost Whisperer

Hurray!

So since then, Clark and I have been off and on sick. Mostly him, with me slowly getting worse. He came home with a head cold which has now transformed into both of us having Swine Flu. Clark said up in Canada it was all over the news, more so than on the news in UT. Who knows where he picked it up – I blame the airplane. He literally dunked his head in water in the kitchen sink when he got home (after he rubbed soap all over his head, I’ve never seen him do this). He said people were sick all over.

I don’t mind being sick, I’m just happy he’s back home. ♥

Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, carved 1,000 figures out of ice and placed them on the steps of the concert hall in Berlin’s gendarmenmarkt square. with temperatures of 73 degrees fahreneheit, (23 degress celsius), the ice figures began melting within half an hour. the project entitled ‘melting men’ was meant to bring awareness to the world wildlife fund’s warning, that melting ice could cause sea-levels to rise more than 3.3 ft by 2100. [1]

nele azevedo's 'melting men' on the steps of the concert hall in berlin's gendarmenmarkt square image © reuters

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1. ‘melting men’ by nele azevedo

They’re just words… wrong. There’s a reason why we’re told time and time again to watch what we say, don’t judge, speak with Charity. Even those who you are close to – you don’t know everything about and one single phrase can cut right through them, and you may not even know/realize it.

What inspired this post was a post by Nie Nie she recently wrote, “Do you still see me?” It broke my heart because I know this feeling all too well. The words spoken to her weren’t from a loved one, but from a total stranger. What I’m referring to in how I can relate, happens to be unintentional cutting words from someone related to me. I’m sure the stranger wasn’t out to hurt Nie Nie, as I’m sure the relative wasn’t out to hurt my feelings.What happened to me, wasn’t a comment directed towards me, but towards a total stranger. My relative had an observation, it was criticism towards the stranger – and I thought in my mind, “You have no idea that I’m struggling with the same thing, and here you are judging them. “

I have a friend who feels she can’t speak to her own Mom because all the time her Mom judges other people for their faults. Just not understanding why ‘they’ would do ‘that’. Seeing the ‘dirt’ before the beauty of the flower so to speak. Instead of seeing how much they’ve grown to be someone better, she can’t believe where they came from. My friend would love to seek help and guidance from her Mom, but she’s SO afraid of her Mom judging her and not understanding because of everything she hears from her Mom all the time about other people. How sad…

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.

“For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” (Matt. 7:1–2.)

We all have our flaws, trials we are all working on. Weaknesses. Whether it be a physical weakness, or a mental weakness. We all have a challenge that most likely will effect us our entire lives. We all have consistent work to do. That is why it is so vital that we continue to be missionaries unto others, and doing so – it means watching our words carefully. So we can be approachable. So important to work on that, because we could have someone who we love SO MUCH, a friend or a family member – who needs help – but is so afraid to ask for it – for fear of judgment. What example are we portraying to them all? Someone who finds flaws, or someone who loves unconditionally ? Their weakness could be your strength, you could be the key to their happiness … are you portraying love or judgment?

The best advice I can think of, is to stop yourself as you go to tell an “interesting” story, or an “interesting” observation about someone else, and think in your mind, “Is what I am about to say, something that Jesus would say in the same way?” Whether you be around friends, family or a complete stranger (who could, later down the road – become a friend) – all eyes are on us ALL the time, young & old.

I’m guilty of gossip, and I know this is something I can refine in my speech as well. Let’s all press forward with an effort to speak with more love and compassion, and most importantly with effort and zeal to be a friend /or a family member who radiates an unconditional love – just as Jesus would.

After years of research, artist Jon McNaughton has created a painting that depicts Jesus Christ at the center of a gathering of many of America’s pivotal historical figures….

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” [1]

The United States of America was founded on the fundamental principle of freedom of religion. America’s Founding Fathers believed that religious freedom and a strong democratic system were inseparable. Our first president, George Washington, said that “of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” The founder of the state of Pennsylvania, William Penn declared, “if we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.” The French writer, Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote in the early part of the nineteenth century that, “Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to conceive of one without the other.” The founders saw the idea of religious freedom as coming from God, Himself. As the Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty stated, “its authors were well aware that Almighty God had created the mind free, that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burdens or by civil incapacitation’s are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion.” [2]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. [3]

God will always be part of this Country…

1. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Religious Freedom and Democracy

3. First Ammendment to the United States of America

Arriving as soon as 2012, available for your reservation if you have $4.4 million!

A Barcelona-based architect company has begun production on the The Galactic Suite Space Resort, a multi-billion dollar hotel that will orbit the Earth. Included in the hefty $4.4 million price tag is a three-night stay at the hotel and an eight-week training course on a tropical island.

Astronaut camp for adults!

After a day and a half of travel to the hotel, guests will enjoy watching the sunrise 15 times a day, orbiting the full length of the Earth every 80 minutes, and wearing velcro suits “so they can crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman.”

It has been reported that 43 people have already placed reservations in for the journey. I’m debating if whether fulfilling my fantasy and love for Sci Fi is worth the … I’m scared of heights! Is it safe? What’s the risk factor?

If you could afford it, would you go?

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This song never fails to make me cry For the amount of Love I have for Clark, I can’t imagine the anguish her heart went through being without Joseph so often – then living through him being murdered… oh my face is soaked. I think we all should count ourselves so lucky to not have to go through what she went through, she will be – if not already so blessed to be so strong. She is such an example to me…

Scenes in video from movie: Emma Smith: My Story