The Day That Changed My Life Forever

On May 31st 2014 

I woke up in the morning unbelieving that today was the day my life would change forever.

Slowly the hours went by,

Slowly the minutes went by,

Every second felt like 1000 seconds.

I stepped into my car,
I could feel the butterflies flapping in my stomach.

I watched as each building past us by,
there it was...

The place I would walk in as Savanna Westberg and walk out completely changed.

As I entered those doors I became extremely nervous.
"Am I ready for this?"
Of course I am.
This is everything I have ever been preparing for.

In Eric walked, looking just as nervous as I did.
"Is it normal to feel this way?"

Of course it is!
After-all we were about to make an eternal decision.

Heavenly Father had guided us right to each other and we were exactly where he wanted us.

Hand in hand we walked the hallways of the temple, door through door we entered.

We finally made it into the room where all our family and friends were waiting for us.
As soon as I looked around the room and saw all the chairs filled and people standing in this crowded room I knew that what I was doing was absolutely what I needed to be doing and my nerves were calmed.

After what seemed like an eternity we knelt across the alter, hand in hand, looked into each others eye and with so much love said yes to being an Eternal Family as Mr. and Mrs. 

There we stood outside those lovely temple doors ready to take on the world as Eric and Savanna Mckay.

This was just the beginning of our Happily Ever After

Dreams Do Come True.

It was nothing short of beautiful. 

Holy Crap I'm Getting Married

It has been way to long since I have written on here. 

I have been so busy since I got engaged.

Anyone who has been here, knows how it goes. 

A week after we got engaged we took our engagement pictures, then a week after that, we ordered our announcements, sent them out a week later, finished our college semester a week after that, and have been working like mad dogs, and finishing up all the details for our special day. I can hardly believe there are only 13 days left. 

This is so surreal. 

Last Friday, I was able to enter into the house of the Lord and receive my endowments. After my interview with the Stake President and Bishop, I cried when my recommend was handed to me because I had just been given the greatest accomplishment and the thing I have been preparing for my whole life. 

The temple was absolutely beautiful and everything I have ever dreamed of it being. 

If there is one thing that you do in your life, ALWAYS be worthy of having a temple recommend. I promise you will not regret it. 

Being worthy to enter into the Holy House of the Lord means the world to me and I can't wait to continue attending the temple frequently, individually and with my soon to be husband as we continue to prepare on a daily basis to be blessed with a Happily Ever After and an Eternity with one another. 

Here are some long over due posted engagement pictures: 

A Conference Weekend to Remember

What a beautiful weekend it was in the Arizona Mountains. 

We have a family tradition of going up to the mountains during General Conference weekend where we get to sit and relax and enjoy the company of each other and listen to the beautiful words of the prophets. 

Not only were the words spoken during the conference inspiring and motivating but something life changing happened.

It was a lovely Sabbath day at Bison Ranch. The Weather was beautiful and I had a handsome man by my side. What more could I have asked for? 

Eric and I took a walk with my little sister down to a pond they have. The whole time we hadn't taken any pictures so I mentioned out loud that we needed at least one picture to capture the moment of the weekend. My sister without hesitation shouted "Can I take a picture of you guys?" We accepted, and what we thought was going to be one picture turned into a whole photo-shoot of her telling us what to do and how to pose. 

After a while Eric goes "I have an idea for a pose." So he positions Ginger, tells her where to stand and asks her to just keep taking pictures. Eric comes and stands behind me with his hands on my hips for a minute and then steps back and tells me to keep looking out on the pond. 

A minute later he grabs me by the hand turns me around and there he is on one knee. 

My Heart Stops. 

Music rings in my ears as I hear the sweet melodious "Savanna Brook Westberg, will you marry me?"  

Of course, I said "Yes!" 

We were both so caught up in the moment. 

As we were walking back Eric stops and goes "Wait! Did you even say yes?" 

We laughed, and enjoyed every minute of that very moment. 

Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of the day when the man I love would get down on one knee and ask me to be his forever. 

That dream of little Savanna has come true.

  

Let the fun and excitement of wedding planning begin!!

The Tides Have Turned

A lot has happened in the last little while. 

In Fact, things change daily. 

It seems to be that when you think you have your life planned out, something always gets thrown in the way. 

When something gets thrown in your way, change has to happen. 

But... Change is good, because change means you are learning and growing. 

Oh how the tides have turned. 

The only explanation I have to give can't be simply done in words...

Gilbert Temple

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go through the Gilbert temple open house. It is such a beautiful building from the inside out. The spirit I felt there was so strong. I love the temples. I love what they symbolize and I love the things that are done inside of them. Families are Forever. Now is the time to PREPARE to enter those doors with the person I am meant to spend forever with. 

Discipleship and Dating

"Do you want capability, safety, and security in dating and romance, in married life and eternity? Be a true disciple of Jesus. Be a genuine, committed, word-and-deed Later-day Saint. Believe that your faith has everything to do with your romance, because it does. You separate dating from discipleship at your peril. Jesus Christ, the light of the world, is the only lamp by which you can successfully see the path of love and happiness. How should I love thee? As he does, for that way 'never failtheth' (1 Corinthians 13:8, Moroni 7:46)" -Jeffery R. Holland 

Dating isn't always as fun as it is cracked up to be, but it's through these experiences that we come to know what our heart truly desires. 

Recent Discovery: Someone can have all the qualities you could possibly want in an Eternal Companion and still not be right for you. Sometimes you just don't feel it. AND THAT IS OKAY. Last night I went on a date with a guy who seems to have everything going for him and has all these qualities that are great, but I just wasn't feeling it and all is well. 

Dating is so important for the reason of experiencing all the different kinds of people that are out there so that you can discover the perfect person FOR you.  

In the February 2014 Ensign is an article titled Discipleship and Dating. 

The article gives four ways to ensure a positive dating experience. If you haven't already read it, I suggest that you do. 

The four suggestions they give are:

*Honesty

*Humility

*Forgiveness

*Uplifting Speech 

To read the article just click the link above. 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!

"If we are ever tempted to be less than our best selves with those we date, let us remember that righteous behavior in dating forms the foundation for successful relationships and marriage, both in this work and in the eternities."  -Jared Whitley

"It's never too late to become who you might have been"

How do we become who we were meant to be?

How do we create a Christ-Centered life?

The answer is truly simple: Make the right choice, at the right time, in the right place.

We aren't perfect people but we can strive to be. 

How else might we strive to have a Christ-Centered life?

Regular temple attendance perhaps? Although that might be simple, there are even simpler things we can do. 

Daily Prayer and Daily Scripture Study.

What if you slip up and miss a night?

 What caused you to skip your study and go straight to bed?

Maybe it's time to re-prioritize and make commitments. 

We can show Christ that our lives are centered around him by committing to ALWAYS read our scriptures and say our prayers no matter how late you get home from a date, no matter how late we stay out with friends, no matter how much homework we have. NO MATTER WHAT make scriptures study and personal prayer a priority and commit to never missing a day. 

It's the little things that help us become who we are meant to be. 

Through Jesus Christ we can become who we want to be. The lord has time to help each and every person. If the Lord has time for all of God's children shouldn't we have time for him?

We can't be perfect, but as long as we are trying, that is enough! 

The Lord see's past our imperfections and see's the GREATEST good  with in us. 

How can we learn to see the good in ourselves?

How can we forgive our shortcomings?

How do we see ourselves as the Lord see's us?

Believe that Christ see's nothing but the good in us. 

Believe that he loves you more then imaginable.

Believe you can be who he wants you to be and eventually you will be just that. 

The first step in becoming who we are meant to be is to change and in changing we will begin to recognize the lord and understand our worth in his eyes and we will turn our lives over to him. 

It's easy to feel the changes when we first make them but as life goes on and we become caught up in the moment,  and sometimes we forget what prompted us to change.

"The answer from making the change and then for keeping it, is to testify of the Lord's hand concerning the change all the rest of our days.(Freeman)"

"If ye have experienced a change of heart, and felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so NOW? (Alma 5:26)" 

When our Journey includes the lord and we recognize our worth within his eyes, we begin to realize it is never too late to become the person the lord wants us to be. 

It's never too late to make Christ the center of our lives!!! 

Preparing for Eternity, not waiting for it. 

Preparing not Waiting: what it's all about

What is this blog all about?

     Preparing not waiting; when I first came up with the title it referred more to my missionary and how I'm waiting with out you know, waiting. 

As the months have gone by I've realized that it was inspired. 

It's not about waiting for a missionary.

It's about preparing for my future spouse, whoever he may be.

It's not about waiting for opportunities of service to come my way.

It's about seeking and preparing myself to recognize when and where service is needed.

It's not about waiting for an answer.

It's about preparing myself to be spiritually ready to receive the right answer.

It's not about waiting for someone to make the choice for me,

It's about preparing to make the right decision on my own.

It's not about waiting for my troubles and trials to pass by.

It's about preparing for trials to come my way so I may endure them well.

It's not about waiting to be picked for the right team. 

It's about preparing myself to always play on the right team even if the other team looks quite enticing.

It's not about waiting for the bridegroom to come.

I'ts about being prepared for the bridegroom to come. (The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

It's not about waiting for Christ to knock on the door. 

It's about preparing to let Christ in before he even has to knock. 

It's not about waiting till the day your forever starts to begin preparation.

It's about being prepared before,

being prepared now,

and being prepared after.

Enduring Well. 

Always Preparing never Waiting!