Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Have Fallen Off the Face of the Earth...

...But fear not, I have arrived once again. I guess this calls for a quick recap of what has been going on. To be completely honest I have no idea how to go about this. Do I add a picture for every major event? Do I just aimlessly spill words on this page about anything and everything?.... I don't know. This is why I never write in this thing, my creativity is about non-existent these days.

How about we go at it by months? deal. Pictures too? Sure, why not.

October was a month of firsts, I somehow managed to fall into the trap of playing lacrosse for UVU. Don't worry, I love it but I completely blame the Border family. Not that I enjoy it, but they have given me one more way to possibly injure myself. So far I've had a blast, we will see what happens once the season starts.

I love this stick. Arrived in November.
Tina started dancing this month too! I also blame the Border family for this.. Jk. Nat has been a great influence on Tina and she has finally had the desire to go after something she loves. Thanks Nat!

November brought quite a few adventures, Thanksgiving was spent at my Aunt's house with her husband's family. My uncle's three sisters are absolutely hilarious, they drool over little Valerie (no wonder she is so spoiled).

Bowling and meeting new friends with Brown and Nat was quite an adventure. I am happy to have met Chloee, she is the queen of lacrosse, her help is always welcome.

 This month also brought an Ikea trip with my beloved friend Amy, she always knows how to make me cry and feel better at the same time-- don't ask how that works-- I don't hang out with her as much as I should... I am grateful for her eventhough she hits me... all the time! I take that as a sign of love though. Tough love. Haha.

After a long, long time of not visiting the temple, a trip with my sister was much needed. The 2 hour wait was definitely worth it.


 Natalie's first dance concert of the year. Soooo much fun. I took Tina down with me to attend the Founder's Day Concert. Tina had her first sleep over down at Snow College. We lowered all the seats in my car, watched a movie, had wayyyy too much junk food, and camped out for the night. It was a blast!


Best camp-out of my life. How all three of us fit is a mystery. 
 December brought finals. And stress, stress, oh and some more stress.. The library became a second home for me. Although I didn't do as well as I hoped on some of my finals, I am happy with the outcome.

The best part about December is spending time with my family. I survived finals week and was out of school by the 14th, nothing like bumming around the house for a whole month before next semester...

I got to go to the Velour for the first time ever! It is such a cute and cozy little venue. It was definitely one of the best concerts I have been to. Nat and I originally went to see Isaac Russell but were surprised to have 25 great local artists play Christmas music along with Isaac. Ah, it was so fun. We stopped by Spark beforehand to grab something to eat.

 I got killed paint balling with Amy, I have never been more afraid in my life.. She got hit in the leg and I got nailed in the wrist but it was so much fun. Thanks for inviting me Amy!



 Finally, Christmas. One of the best years of my life. I love spending time with my family. These pictures should sum it all up.

Tina is getting so old... and my mom is pretty :)

Christmas dinner at Aunt's house

pure happiness. 



Sorry about the overload of information but I am finally caught up!! I hope everyone had a great Christmas, now let's wait for New Year's!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Well hello...

It has been a while... I blame school. And laziness. I haven't had much to blog about these past few days anyway. Conference weekend was a ton of fun. There is nothing better than listening to the talks and making life-changing decisions because of them. I. Love. The. Gospel.

Anyway, this is going to be short because I should be studying. I just thought I'd come and write a line or two just so my "fans" (hahaha...) don't freak out. I'm still here and very much alive...

In other news, I have a new crazy hair cut...

I think I like it. of course it looks better in person but hey, you're just going to have to come see me in order to get the full effect. Both Amy and Nat approve so I guess it's staying. Haha.

In other, other news I am swamped this week with midterms and it kinda sucks... Remind me again why I love school? I hope I do okay, I have been trying to play catch-up for a few days now, am I allowed to blame conference for that? I didn't think so. Darn. 

It's getting colder outside and I have a love/hate relationship with it. On the other hand, it is supposed to warm up next week.. That works for me! Means I might have a shot at a motorcycle ride. I'm totally okay with that.

Have a wonderful week my friends! 






Wednesday, September 28, 2011

I am not a fan of clowns....

You should have seen me on my first birthday... My mother threw the biggest party ever, she even hired 'cute' clowns to come and entertain. I spent the whole night crying, I have about 400 pictures that are witnesses to this. I believe there are a total of 2 pictures where I am not crying..

It's a good thing I like my friends, otherwise I would not put my fears aside and go to the circus (knowing there are about a thousand clowns per performance). I don't know what it was about this circus that captured me so much, I know it wasn't the clowns, but I had a lot of fun. I don't remember the last time I had been to one, but I did know that if I was going to go it had to be one of the best circuses in town. Nat and I had made a summer goal of going to the circus, but since the whole summer came and went and we did not find a single circus we had to settle for one in the middle of this month.

I don't know what was more entertaining, watching the heffalumps dance around and hold each other's tails or Natalie's face. If I remember correctly I think this was her first circus, which I guess explains why her eyes were huuuuge. Like a little kid at a candy store, I swear. Nat keeps me young, reminds me that I don't always have to be serious (a more recent development, in high school I was anything but serious)....

I know these pictures don't do justice to just how much fun we had but here goes anyway.

[Disclaimer: My camera really really sucks..]

What Nat sees when she thinks of an elephant...

This thing was legit. Seriously. 

More elephants. They had stars on their bum. Adorable.

Half zebra horsies, I thought they were awesome.

Those big nasty burly men carrying a light-post swing.
I wish I could have swung on it...

This made me sweat bullets. Just as Nat, I was freaking out.

Happy friends! man, my hair is getting long...

My best friend does this, every day.... How cool is she?!

Can she get any happier? I don't think so. 

Overall, it was a great weekend. I'm always grateful for the time Nat sacrifices to come play for a few days. Thank youuuuu!

So just like any other girl on this continent, I am hooked on Pinterest. Thank you Amy... Anyway, my sister and I decided to experiment a little. Now, I did not inherit the creativity my mother and sister have, so I took a simpler approach. Give me a recipe and I can follow it and end up with a decent result... Well, what else to do on a Sunday night than to bake some cookies.... for your dog. Haha. Good way to see if things on this website actually work. Tina and I were pretty content with the results... Take a look: 

Patiently waiting.....


Ignore the tired look, typical of Sunday nights

One very happy dog. 

Well, they turned out pretty good. And healthy too! All that goes in it are: oats, flour, peanut butter, some apple sauce and milk... Does that look like one spoiled dog to you? Yes, yes she is. 

Happy Wednesday to you all. Find a reason to smile. 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

My Little Miracle

This is the definition of 'Miracle' in a regular dictionary: 

Miracle: miracle |ˈmirikəl|
noun-a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.- a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences

And this is what the Bible Dictionary says: 

"Miracles are and were a response to faith, and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith.

"It is important to notice the different names by which miracles are described. They are called signs, as being visible tokens of an invisible power; they are powers or mighty works, because they are the acts of One who is almighty; they are simply works, or the natural results of the Messiah's presence among men; they are wonders, marvels, because of the effect produced on those who saw them.

"Miracles are a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If miracles cease it is because faith has ceased."

I mentioned in my last post that I have been trying a bit harder than usual when it comes to school... Well, I feel like it is finally starting to pay off. Math has been one of the hardest things for me to study. Senior year in high school my graduation depended on my math grade, last year I had the hardest time. Again. I ended up missing a C by 3 points, resulting in me having to take the class again this year in order to make it to 1050. Those who know me pretty well (and even those who don't) know that I absolutely DETEST math. I hate it with a deep and burning passion....

[rewind a couple months]

While choosing classes I ran across an interesting scenario.

I know that the nursing program requires a very VERY high GPA during generals in order to make it through.... How high? well like 3.8 high. I know I struggled quite a bit last year. I was definitely not dedicated to school like I should have been. Now, now, I didn't get horrible grades but I didn't do as well as I should have. Push comes to shove, turns out that without retaking classes from last year I would need a 3.99 this year to make up the difference.....

After half a heart attack and a bit of hyperventilating I decided there was no way I could do that. I absolutely HAD to retake math. How in the world could I manage a 3.9? Maybe if I busted my tush on all my other subjects I might scrape by, but definitely not with math in the picture...

[aaaand we're back...]

I've had several tests and quizzes this week. All of which I've done relatively well. I have yet to find out about my Anthropology test but besides that I have averaged nothing under 90%....

A couple math tests  and a few quizzes have also been handed back...

Quiz 1: 5/5
Quiz 2: 5/5

TEST 1: 93%..... complete shocker.

and the result for the test I was stressing over this past week....

TEST 2: 99%..... may or may not have almost passed out.

I missed one point. Not even one QUESTION. There is NO way I could take all the credit, at all. I think part of being human is thinking that we succeed on our own. We forget that there is someone above that looks out for us, that places trials in our life for learning and growth and someone that pours out more blessings than we can even begin to imagine.

I am very grateful for the help of Heavenly Father. I know that without Him I would be knee-deep with school by this point. I have made a conscious  decision to let Him help me, I have chosen to do my ABSOLUTE best, then and only then, do I trust in leaving the rest to Him.

Let's not forget to see all the miracles in our lives. Whether little or big, a miracle is a miracle (anyone else think of Dr. Seuss with that one?). If we take the time necessary to see these life-changing experiences we will live a life full of gratitude and eternal perspective. 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

So Are You To Me..

I think we often take our friends and family for granted. I know I definitely do. I am so SO lucky to have people there for me when I need them. Although running away from problems is never the answer, sometimes we have to take a step back and put things into perspective. This life is only a moment compared to the rest of eternity, it is amazing to think that the choices we make now will influence that. Whether it be choosing to do something stupid because we are mad or helping other's see their worth... It is all accounted for in the end.

I am grateful for a lot of reasons. I am thankful for my family for the support and love they give me. I am grateful for my sister, although she is a pain in my "tuckus" some days, I proud of her hard work with school and her caring nature. I hope she doesn't grow up like me :) I hope she sticks to her decisions and pursues her dreams.

I'm grateful for those words of advice. Sometimes there are things we don't want to hear when we are mad or disappointed but that's what our friends are for. They are cool-headed during the times when we are struggling, they see what were can't. I am grateful for those late night talks *hint, hint*. I am grateful for people I can run to.

Something else I take for granted: my calling. These poor girls have to put up with my shenanigans every week, and yet they do it without falling asleep in my class. I love it. They are always so willing to help out. Out of all the young women I definitely have the best group. The most obedient, the funniest and the sweetest. I feel bad that often times I don't prepare my lessons with enough time to make them truly great for my girls, but they are forgiving and patient... It seems like they like them, I haven't had any try to ditch or miss church. I am proud of them.

Although I feel like I have no room to complain about school (some don't have the opportunity to attend or some are taking 18.93483487q273642834034 credits..), it is often a challenge for me. I need to be better at putting in more effort. I have quite a bit of time to do the things I need to do. I just have a slight problem with procrastination. HOWEVER, I am quite proud of myself. I have not missed a single assignment. I make sure everything is turned in on time and that I'm at school when I am supposed to. I did miss one class last week but I will try my best not to let that happen again. A wise soul once told me that attendance influences whether you pass or not. You can do the assignments but if you don't understand the material it's definitely harder. Man, I have wise friends...

I hope we start this week with a prayer in our hearts and the desire to do the things we need to do. Let's not forget that there is a higher power. It is there to guide us, teach us, and bless us more than we can even imagine. Don't take anything for granted.

Until the next time I decide to blog :)

Fare thee well.

Friday, September 9, 2011

I'm feeling a bit awkward today...

You know when you have a song stuck in your head? Well I have this rare condition that makes it so i get both a song and a random word stuck in my head (I haven't officially been clinically diagnosed, it may or may not be contagious...). Yesterday's was James Taylor's song: Carolina On My Mind. The word was "prelude". I'm like a dictionary with a word of the day. Sometimes I have words stuck in my head that I didn't even know existed, until I look them up and realize, wow, this is a word.... Anyway, this all leads to my word of the day, "awkward". This might explain why I think everything is slightly uncomfortable today. 

Ready for some examples? Here goes: 
  • That awkward moment when your leg starts shaking uncontrollably and someone asks if you're alright. (Am I the only one with this problem?)
  • That awkward moment when you get sandwiched between two big guys.... that you don't even know.. (Do guys walk around with blinders? I mean really? I know I'm short, but not THAT short.
  • coming out of the bathroom and completely crashing into someone running in. (I am happy to be blessed with awesome bladder control.)
  • That awkward moment where you decide to go to UVU and you realize that you will see anyone and everyone you wanted to avoid from high school/ junior high. (Oh the joys of living in O-Town.)
  • When I notice that Bill Nye is coming to UVU and I break out in his song.... out loud... 
  • That awkward moment when you think someone is waving at you but really it's the person behind you... (I guess I like to think that I'm cooler than I really am.)
  • That awkward moment when you sit RIGHT NEXT to someone instead of one seat over like every other normal human being. 
  • That really, really awkward moment with yourself when you realize you have no idea what you want to do with your life. So many options, so little time... and so much $$$$ on tuition!!! Gahh. 
True stories. Try them out, guarantee you'll get a couple weird looks. Good news fellers, its only 10 a.m and all of this has happened to me. Now, we can take these moments and put them into the "glass is half empty" mode of thinking... OR we can go with "half full" and laugh at every single one! Except for the last one of course, that just makes me want to cry...

Have a lovely day! Oh and in the words of Ellen: "Be Kind to everyone" 


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Moves Like Jagger...

There are very few things I really, really, really enjoy.

Here are a few:

One: sitting in the library... Don't ask me why cause heavens knows I don't go anywhere near a book or a shelf...or a bookshelf, but I do. Maybe it's because it is so quiet, I can listen to music and be in my own little world.... Oh, and because I can be a creep and watch people with their weird habits while they study/read/waste money on tuition by playing video games (not that I care or anything). I think I've decided that the more you try and hold a sneeze in, the dumber you look (just a random thought). Oh and that guy who is too lazy to tie his shoelace so he kicks it in front of him as he walks, has been walking around FOREVER....It's starting to bug. Maybe that should go into the "Things I really, really, really hate" post... Maybe another day.

Two: I like being at school. Notice I didn't just say I like school. It makes me feel smart, whether or not that's true is a toss-up but I don enjoy being here. I was pretty excited about my classes this year, except for the fact that I tend to have random 2-3 hour long breaks in between.. why did I do that? I don't really know but it has helped me get homework done.... and spend more time doing the above. (I almost said doing number one... but that would have just been awkward between me, myself and I.. Oh, and you.). This semester I am taking: music, humanities, anthropology-Idk how I feel about this class yet.. I'm thinking I might go into cultural anthropology, this monkey business is not really my thing- I'm sorry, apes, not monkeys-, math, health and of course institute.

Three: Making my mommy happy. If you don't know my mom you certainly don' t know that whatever she says, goes. No matter what. She could decide to paint the whole house blue with purple polka dots, and she would. I, fortunately, am lucky to have a mom with impeccable taste so I don't mind the changes she makes. The problem kinda comes in when I have 4 sections of math homework to do, reading, and a test... "Oh, but Kathy, you have an extra day to do homework, no school on Monday..." HA! yeah, that's what I thought too... Instead, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (sorry Big Guy), and Monday were spent remodeling my mom's business (pictures will come, promise). Although it was kind of a pain staying up so late painting, nailing, building, moving, painting, drilling, painting and hanging, I believe it was pretty much worth it. We aren't quite done yet but it looks good and my mom is happy. Which in turn makes the whole house happy.

Four: My best friend. Having her gone makes things kind of hard sometimes, she's the only one who really thinks I'm funny.. Or at least I like to think she does.. So, in order to make up for all the time she's gone at Snow College I save up all my best jokes for when she visits. Yaaaay!!! Glorious weekend this one will be, hopefully my mom doesn't have me trapped helping her finish setting things up at the business and I can go play with my bff. I don't know what we will be doing, but it will be fun. Dan-g it!

Well, seeing as I should probably work on all of that homework I am behind on I will cut things off here. I'm going to go find out where that girl got her watch... I want it.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

I Can't Believe It's August....

Seriously, we are in the second-heading into third week of August. Before we know it school will be starting and I will have no time for anything. Luckily I have been able to do some pretty neat things this past month:

Peaks with the Border family

SeaWorld

Please note that Tina is a chicken... haha. She's gonna kill me.



Ignore my best friend's amazing flexibility, this is supposed to remind me of Softball with the Vikings.

Empanadas in Vegas :) 

My AMAZING invention. "Shhh, I'm brilliant" 


my puppy, Underdog 



And of course, Iceblocking
Not to mention some great times with my dear buddy Amy... If only we had taken pictures... Oh wait, we did. Saran Wrap is an awesome addition to any adventure...


Ope,  lets not forget an amazing season of So You Think You Can Dance. Nat, Tina and I have spent all season catching up on recorded episodes. We closed the season with lots of tears and an ecstatic heart! Yaay Melanie!

Speaking of dance... I don't think I brag about Nat enough, or maybe I do, but there is a good reason why. I have never met anyone who works as hard as she does. Dance is her passion and boy is she good at it. She has been going to some classes at UVU this summer and I have had the privilege of coming along and watching. This last week however, I was caught sitting in.. After quite a bit of prodding I reluctantly joined in and learned this:


I know its dark but the lights were off, sorry.. I have a new appreciation for this form of art, I am also very aware that I am NOT a dancer. Never will be. But I'm okay with that, I had a LOT of fun. I am excited to see Nat progress this school year, she never disappoints.

(p.s. Extra points if you can pick out Nat in the video)

So, here's to an incredible summer! I'm ready to finish it out strong and prepare myself for another school year. Have a lovely weekend!


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Sometimes we forget...

"The more displeased we are with our efforts, the less we feel capable of pleasing the Lord, and the less inclined we are to step toward Him when He calls. As we cling to our failures, we lose faith in His desire to rescue us from the storm. We choose instead to drift further into the night. Focusing on negative past experiences, we put ourselves out of His reach....

"Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not withhold healing light, but sometimes we become too 'Hardened'- especially hard on ourselves- to accept it. When caught in the darkness of disappointment, little do we remember the true nature of so many mortal failings. They can be stepping-stones put in place by a loving God, pointing toward future success. They provide perfecting exercises in faith and patience, and they offer opportunities to repent and become new. Sometimes failure is the blessing itself as we are privileged to make sacrifices. No matter the reason, some failure is necessary. Never slipping, sinking, nor fumbling on earth was Lucifer's plan. WE chose the Lord's...

"Daybreak awaits as we come to observe our failures in a new light- the merciful, instructive light of God. May we draw closer to Him in the process, accepting His extended, rescuing hand."

Sunday, July 24, 2011

50%

I have come to the conclusion of a few things today...

First: Sunday is the blogging day for me.
B: Mom will ALWAYS, without fail keep the house at a solid 80 degrees when you're taking a nap, 
be prepared to wake up with your blanket on the floor cause its so dang hot...
III: Never teach a Young Women's lesson in ways that will make the girls competitive... 
It doesn't end well for the teacher. They will remember the cookies but not your lesson.
I am at 50% with my lessons... half good, half bad. Not good...
Fourth: Never take your mother for granted... Even if she makes the house and oven....


With that said, let me tell you why I forget the great worth of mothers.... It has been a very, very long time since the last time I was asked to babysit anyone but my sister. So long in fact, that I don't remember who it was or if it actually happened. Sister R from the Young Women's called me up to see if I could babysit her 18 month old while she and her husband go see the Harry Potter movie. She informed me that he would be  asleep by the time I got there so it wouldn't be much of a problem. I didn't have to think about it much since it sounded so easy so I agreed... Little Beckett was most certainly not asleep when I got there. I let him babble for half an hour before I decided to give him a bottle to help settle him down...

BAD idea. He had no idea who I was, he started to scream and cry.. "Great," I thought, "What am I supposed to do now?". To make a very long story short I held him most of the night trying to get him to sleep... 45 minutes before his parents got home that little bugger finally fell asleep. I walked away with puke on my shirt and a bruised ego.. but other than that I loved it.

How does this relate to my mother? Well besides the obvious reason of being a mother, I was ten times worse than Beckett as a baby. So bad that my mom held me half the night and my grandma held me the other half... No matter what they did or how many hymns they sung I wouldn't stop crying. 19 years later.... I'm falling asleep EVERYWHERE. Not to mention the uncontrollable yawning that comes when I hear "I am a child of God.." *and yes, I did just yawn while typing that...* My mom and my grandma sang that for the longest time trying to get me to sleep, it apparently left a mark... I am grateful for mothers. I know I should have probably left this for mother's day next year but hey, by the time my mom reads this it probably will be.

-----------------
I feel like this post will not be complete without some kind of picture.... 


There we go, that should do it. I have a slight obsession with owls... get over it. Maybe it'll help me seem more wise. or something like that. 

Sunday, July 17, 2011

New Calling, New Lessons

Well, not that anyone has noticed but I have been quite absent.... This posting thing really went down the drain fast. 

I finally got to cross off "Go on a road trip" from my life goal list this month so that was nice. I spent one glorious saturday in Moab with some of my favorite girls. We left at 4:30 in the morning and started hiking around 8:30 or 9. We got to see Delicate Arch, SandDune Arch, Broken Arch and Balanced Rock. We were too tired to do the Windows but we drove by and saw them for a few minutes before lunch. By the time we had our picnic we were *exhausted*, after an hour nap we were ready to go look at the little shops and head home. 






   











It was fun spending time with the girls. We stopped at a gas station on the way home and had a blast eating dinner, telling jokes and spewing drinks out of our noses. If only we could make this a yearly trip... Maybe we will :) 
________

A few weeks before going to Moab I was informed I would be receiving a new calling. At first I was a little nervous just because I had no idea where they were going to call me but Sister R (from the Young Women's) kind of let it slide that they were the ones that put in my name to be considered for the calling. Sure enough, the next Sunday I had an interview with the bishop and I got called as a Mia Maid teacher. Working with the youth of the church has been a dream of mine since I started in the Young Women organization. I was blessed with the most amazing teachers throughout those critical years, it is because of them that I teach and care the way I do. I can only pray to make the difference they did in my life.


My first lesson was lesson 27: Forgiving Ourselves. I had heard many people talk about how lessons usually hit the teacher most but I had never experienced it. This lesson however, taught me how important it is to not only forgive others but ourselves as well. I think it is something that we struggle with the most. I had a couple demonstrations to help get the idea across to the girls, but it was the quotes and scriptures provided that opened up my eyes. Now, if you don't mind I would like to use a couple of quotes and parts of the lesson that hit me the hardest. 

One of the discussion questions read: 
Why would Satan have us believe that we have sinned beyond hope of forgiveness?
The manual gives the answer of:
Then we will not repent, and we will sin more and more.

Simple, yet very true. Satan has HUGE power over us, BUT only if we allow him to. He likes to creep into our thoughts to influence our actions. Once we believe that our sin is too severe to be forgiven we forget about the power of the repentance process. We forget that we all get second and third chances. The Lord will not leave us alone, so long as we are willing to change, of course. 

President Spencer W. Kimball explained this a little more when he said: "Sometimes a guilty consciousness overpowers a person with such a heaviness that when a repentant one looks back and sees the ugliness, the loathsomeness of the transgression, he is almost overwhelmed and wonders, 'Can the Lord ever forgive me? Can I ever forgive myself?' But when one reaches the depths of despondency and feels the hopelessness of his position, and when he cries out to God for mercy in helplessness but in faith, there comes a still, small, but penetrating voice whispering to his soul, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee'." -The Miracle of Forgiveness

(Side note: I dont know if any of you have read The Miracle of Forgiveness, but I definitely recommend it.)

How glorious it is to know that we will be forgiven. How scary it is to know that it depends on if we have  a pure desire to do so...

President Harold B. Lee Taught:

"If the time comes when you have done all that you can to repent of your sins, whoever you are, wherever you are,.... then you will want that confirming answer as to whether or not the Lord has accepted of you. In your soul-searching, if you seek for and you find that peace of conscience, by that token you may know that the Lord has accepted your repentance. Satan would have you think otherwise and sometimes persuade you that now having made on mistake, you might go on and on with no turning back. That is one of the great falsehoods. The miracle of forgiveness is available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more" (Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, Apr. 1973)

"...available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more." I found this to be the key. True repentance means we turn away COMPLETELY. Not partially, not for a week or so... but "return no more". This has proven to be the hardest part for me. 

The manual provides a story told by Elder Sterling W. Sill that shows us just how important it is to forgive ourselves.

"Sometime ago I talked with a woman 53 years of age who had committed a moral transgression at the age of 18. She understood that her sin was very serious, but because she had repented a thousand times we can depend on the Lord's promise that he had forgiven her. But she had never forgiven herself. Because she felt unclean and inferior, she withdrew from her friends, refused to marry, and became a kind of social and spiritual recluse. For 35 years she downgraded herself with bitter regrets and accusations. her life of looking back upon her sin has turned into something far below the wonderful person that God intended her to be. Her sin at age 18 was very serious. But for 35 years she has been adding to her sin by wasting the most valuable thing in the world, which is a splendid human life"

Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves? Why is it that we focus so much on the things we do wrong instead of the things we do right? Much like this woman, we hold on to things for years and years. We have a promise that if we repent we will be forgiven and our sins will be forgotten. Let us remember this promise and start living a righteous life today. 

This is what I whole heartedly believe. I know I am not perfect, I make mistakes just like everyone else does- and probably ten times worse- but I refuse to give up. My testimony has grown because of my experiences. I cannot regret, I simply learn, repent and move on. I pray we can all do the same. 
_______

Well, now that I am off my soap box, I don't think very many of you made it through this whole thing... I still have one more lesson to catch up on but that will have to wait for another day... Maybe tomorrow. 

(A final [random] side note: The Winnie the Pooh movie was very very cute... that is all. Goodnight) 






Sunday, June 12, 2011

(Insert a catchy title here...)

So... Basically another month went by without a post. Man, I am so good at this. I couldn't even come up with a title for this post. Good heavens.

Anywho, June just started and I have had so much fun. I can say we are on our way to crossing off more life and summer goals before school gets in the way of it all. Amy, Nat and I have planned a trip to Moab! A slight delay but it looks like July will finally work for all of us. Tina has been dying to go and I am sure Maddie has too, this month better fly by, I don't know how much longer we can wait!

I took advantage of the all the wind at the beginning of the month to take Nat, her sisters and Tina on a little kite trip. Abner and I tried last month but we were not sufficiently prepared... This time I came with tape and a lot more faith, haha. We reinforced our kites and they took off! Okay, only for a few seconds at a time but it was still fun. It was great to see these guys running with their kites. So cute! Maddie's kite was the first to break, then Tina's, then mine.... and so on. Nat's was the only kite that survived the "hurricane force Utah winds.."


 




After a while we gave up on our kites and enjoyed the warm weather. Maddie and I Lax-ed it up while Nat, Chloe and Tina worked on their hand stands and cartwheels... 

**Fast forward a week or so...**

Valerie's birthday was on Friday! I love that little rascal. She is now 5 years old and cute as can be! I made a quick stop at the store and picked up some balloons and a giant bubble wand for her. Tina and I delivered it and played with her for a while before going out to lunch at one of her favorite places, BurgerKing!




                            

Saturday was little Angela's birthday, I can't believe it. She is getting so big. I remember when Angelica was pregnant with her, I also remember how much she hated me when she was little, haha. We had a joint birthday party for Angela and Valerie. Angela's theme was Tangled and Valerie had a Hawaiian theme. We played games and ate two cakes! I love these little girls.





 Moral of the story: Adults have more fun on these things than kids do. It's a proven fact. 



 The birthday Girls

Oh, and last but certainly not least: Summerfest!! Another item crossed off Nat's list... However, she added another one: Ride a carousel... We have so many things to get done this summer!

P.s. A little shout-out to Sister Sara Donakey! Welcome home, the Philippines is a lonely place without you!