A Perfect Day

So, how much does Ryan love me you might wonder? So much. For Christmas he got me a gift certificate to the Serenity Day Spa and Salon in Orem for some pampering. Last Saturday I had a perfect day--it started out by attending our Stake Relief Society Women's Conference. Mariama Kallon, a sister from Sierra Leone spoke about her harrowing experience running from rebels and escaping with all of her limbs intact and her life. Along this journey, she found refuge in the gospel and was given a hygiene kit. At one point, she and many others hid out in the forest for 3 weeks with only her hygiene kit and Book of Mormon. Through a series of events, she ended up serving a mission at Temple Square and was able to stay in Salt Lake where she now resides and studies at LDS Business College. Her talk was inspiring and helped remind me of the need for humanitarian aid throughout the world. It was so wonderful to see such a touching example of how a small thing like a hygiene kit blessed her life. I admit, I felt a tiny bit guilty because I had to skip out on the second portion of the conference (assembling hygiene and school kits). Mostly I felt guilty because I was leaving early for my own self-indulgence. My kind girlfriend told me she'd put some together for me, and by the time I was on the table getting my facial, I was mostly over it :). I can look forward to other opportunities to put kits together.

The spa was amazing. I started out with a parrafin (yes, wax!) hand dip. You dip it in hot wax twice and then they put a plastic bag over it and tied it up for the hour that I got my European facial. Heaven. So many creams and scrubs (one was a "strong exfolliant" that I thought was surely eating through my skin) and massaging that felt so good. Then I got my massage which made me feel like I could lay on the table forever--not a care in the world. I ended with a wonderful pedicure which included a parrafin foot dip and got my toes painted bright pinky orange. Very fun. I want to go to a warm beach to show them off!

Ryan took care of things at home while I was gone, and he even bought some really cool flowers (a macro shot of one of them is shown above) for me. That night our babysitter came to take care of the kiddoes and we ate at El Azteca (a great taco shop in Orem and Provo) then caught the second showing of Forever Strong (did I mention that my brother is a movie star?). I finished the day off by working on my lesson for Young Women's (just got a new assignment at church to work with them with Personal Progress and I got to substitute for the Mia Maid class). Ryan and I shared a homemade Oreo cookie from Dippidee that he had picked up for us, and it was the end of my perfect day. Ryan does many things to show me he loves me, and a trip to the spa and flowers and treats aren't necessary, but so appreciated!! How did I get so lucky?