September 2nd has recently been dubbed as one of my favorite days ever.
Facebook has this new thing where it tells you what your status was on this exact day in 2010, 2009 etc.Here's what my status' were:
September 2, 2009
Noelle Rust: :)
September 2, 2010
Noelle Rust: All 12 Rusts. Together. IN CALIFORNIA!
And if I were to have had a status on September 2, 2011 it would probably be along the lines of
Noelle Rust: 11 Rusts. Together. In the Las Vegas, Nevada temple!!
So now an explanation for each.
Nine. Two. 2009 marked the day when I was finally released from the hospital after having spent over a week there hearing plenty but only listening to the parts when the Dr's told me that there was no way that I'd be attending my first semester at BYU-ID. Guess what? I most definitely attended that first semester at school, and every semester since then. I don't remember my hospital stay very well, but I do remember that day when I decided that I was getting out of there and going to school whether my doctors liked it or not. I remember my mom helping me out of bed and my dad wheeling me out in a wheel chair. I remember coming home and being so surprised at what I found. I found that even though I had been out for so long, life had indeed gone on with out me. School for the kids had started. Tennis matches had been played. Dinners were eaten. Messes were made. It was nice to kind of just fall right back into things like I had never left.
Nine. Two. 2009 marked the day when I was finally released from the hospital after having spent over a week there hearing plenty but only listening to the parts when the Dr's told me that there was no way that I'd be attending my first semester at BYU-ID. Guess what? I most definitely attended that first semester at school, and every semester since then. I don't remember my hospital stay very well, but I do remember that day when I decided that I was getting out of there and going to school whether my doctors liked it or not. I remember my mom helping me out of bed and my dad wheeling me out in a wheel chair. I remember coming home and being so surprised at what I found. I found that even though I had been out for so long, life had indeed gone on with out me. School for the kids had started. Tennis matches had been played. Dinners were eaten. Messes were made. It was nice to kind of just fall right back into things like I had never left.
So on days like today, I can't help but look back with so much gratitude. Gratitude for miracles, for faith, prayers and fasting. Gratitude for those who brought in meals and drove my siblings where they needed to go while my parents were taking care of me. Gratitude for my siblings for letting me hog my parents so much that week and so much gratitude for my parents who stayed by me the entire time because I was scared to death to be alone. Gratitude for the fragrant flowers, sweet gifts and heartfelt cards and notes. Gratitude for my doctors and nurses.... kind of.. Just kidding :) They were wonderful. Gratitude for my dear Emily who came to help me pack and get ready for school as soon as I was released. Yes indeed, my heart is so full of gratitude for these and much more. September 2, 2009 Such a good day.
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| Me and my new roommates on my very first day of college. Sept 2009 |
The next two years kind of go hand in hand.
They both deal with being with my whole family at two of my favorite places. The beach :) and the temple. In 2010 I thought I was going to die of happiness as we were all gathered together as family enjoying the beautiful California beaches. Ohhhh it was so fun! We camped, we pranked, we swam, we ate, we got fried. We loved it.
However, last night topped it for sure as we all (except for dear, dear Brandon, who is stuck in Provo for the moment) dressed in white as we attended the Las Vegas Nevada temple. Mom stayed in the foyer with little Molly while Brittney, Myself, Natalie, Holly, Hannah, Derrick, Daniel, Travis and Pops went down to the baptistery to perform baptisms and confirmations for the dead. And then Me, Natalie, Holly and Hannah took Molly outside and sang Hymns and Primary songs on the grass while the older adults went and did sealings.
I've done baptisms and confirmations literally hundreds of times. I've been in the Las Vegas temple dozens of times. I've been with my family all weekend. The combination of the three was something remarkable.
Story: We were all at home getting dressed and ready to drive into the Vegas and I could not find my recommend anywhere. I thought I had brought it home in case I'd have the opportunity to attend the temple, but despite my desperate and thorough searching, I could not find it anywhere. We then tried with no avail to get ahold of Bishop Leavitt or a member of my Overton ward bishopric. As I sat in the bedroom digging through my wallet for the tenth time, I felt such a wave of sadness come over me.
In that moment I had given up on finding my recommend and began to think about the consequences of not being able to enter the temple. My family, those that I love more than anything would be in there with out me performing the ordinances that were near and dear to my heart. I'd be sitting in the foyer trying to focus on reading the ensign or my scriptures, but I know my mind would be wandering to the things that were going on in the baptistery with out me. I'm sure my family would have been sad that I wasn't able to attend with them, but they'd be busy and focused on the ordinances that they were performing and I'd be pushed to the back of their minds, as it should be.
If only I had been more prepared. As I sat there in the bedroom, recommendless, I thought of a million different things I could have done to prevent this outcome. I could have been more careful, more thoughtful, prepared earlier. The list goes on and on. But now it was too late.
Oh it was heartbreaking to think about! Now, I know this may sound a bit dramatic, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I never ever wanted to be in a situation like that again. I would do whatever it takes to make sure that I was prepared to be where I needed to be, when I needed to be there. Both in smaller things as well as in the eternal perspective of it. I do NOT want to be left behind.
Lucky for me, there is a happy ending to this story. I called up Bishop Taylor, my bishop up at school and he was able to inform the temple that I was a current recommend holder and voila! I was able to go in with my family. What a blessing!
It was such a wonderful experience. To be confirmed by my dad and Travis and baptized by Daniel (when I walked into the font he said, "You'll be the first girl I've ever baptized". Let's just say that he didn't realize that lots of force was unnecessary when baptizing a girl.) I loved being able to sit on the bench with my little sisters and my wonderful sister-in-law. Oh I just loved it all. Such a good, peaceful feeling.
Yes indeed, September 2nds have been very, very good to me. Can't wait to see what 9-2-12 has in store for me!
Love, Noelle
I've done baptisms and confirmations literally hundreds of times. I've been in the Las Vegas temple dozens of times. I've been with my family all weekend. The combination of the three was something remarkable.
In that moment I had given up on finding my recommend and began to think about the consequences of not being able to enter the temple. My family, those that I love more than anything would be in there with out me performing the ordinances that were near and dear to my heart. I'd be sitting in the foyer trying to focus on reading the ensign or my scriptures, but I know my mind would be wandering to the things that were going on in the baptistery with out me. I'm sure my family would have been sad that I wasn't able to attend with them, but they'd be busy and focused on the ordinances that they were performing and I'd be pushed to the back of their minds, as it should be.
If only I had been more prepared. As I sat there in the bedroom, recommendless, I thought of a million different things I could have done to prevent this outcome. I could have been more careful, more thoughtful, prepared earlier. The list goes on and on. But now it was too late.
Oh it was heartbreaking to think about! Now, I know this may sound a bit dramatic, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I never ever wanted to be in a situation like that again. I would do whatever it takes to make sure that I was prepared to be where I needed to be, when I needed to be there. Both in smaller things as well as in the eternal perspective of it. I do NOT want to be left behind.
Lucky for me, there is a happy ending to this story. I called up Bishop Taylor, my bishop up at school and he was able to inform the temple that I was a current recommend holder and voila! I was able to go in with my family. What a blessing!
It was such a wonderful experience. To be confirmed by my dad and Travis and baptized by Daniel (when I walked into the font he said, "You'll be the first girl I've ever baptized". Let's just say that he didn't realize that lots of force was unnecessary when baptizing a girl.) I loved being able to sit on the bench with my little sisters and my wonderful sister-in-law. Oh I just loved it all. Such a good, peaceful feeling.
Yes indeed, September 2nds have been very, very good to me. Can't wait to see what 9-2-12 has in store for me!
Love, Noelle
I'm glad someone else shares my fascination with the month of September. I don't have a particular, I love the whole month. Good things happen. :)
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