I LOVE the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!

Here is an AMAZING talk on the principles of Justification and Sanctification. It is explained so clearly, and renewed my appreciation and awe at the Savior's Atonement. It truly is incredible.

Justification and Sanctification -Elder D. Todd Christofferson

*Note- it's a little on the long side, but definitely worth the read.

Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus- Elder McConkie

"Divine Redeemer"

“What does it mean to be valiant in the testimony of Jesus?

“It is to be courageous and bold; to use all our strength, energy, and ability in the warfare with the world; to fight the good fight of faith. … The great cornerstone of valiance in the cause of righteousness is obedience to the whole law of the whole gospel.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘come unto Christ, and be perfected in him’; it is to deny ourselves ‘of all ungodliness,’ and ‘love God’ with all our ‘might, mind and strength.’ (Moro. 10:32.)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to believe in Christ and his gospel with unshakable conviction. It is to know of the verity and divinity of the Lord’s work on earth.

“But this is not all. It is more than believing and knowing. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. It is more than lip service; it is not simply confessing with the mouth the divine Sonship of the Savior. It is obedience and conformity and personal righteousness. …

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.’ It is to ‘endure to the end.’ (2 Ne. 31:20) It is to live our religion, to practice what we preach, to keep the commandments. It is the manifestation of ‘pure religion’ in the lives of men; it is visiting ‘the fatherless and widows in their affliction’ and keeping ourselves ‘unspotted from the world.’ (James 1:27)

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to bridle our passions, control our appetites, and rise above carnal and evil things. It is to overcome the world as did he who is our prototype and who himself was the most valiant of all our Father’s children. It is to be morally clean, to pay our tithes and offerings, to honor the Sabbath day, to pray with full purpose of heart, to lay our all upon the altar if called upon to do so.

“To be valiant in the testimony of Jesus is to take the Lord’s side on every issue. It is to vote as he would vote. It is to think what he thinks, to believe what he believes, to say what he would say and do what he would do in the same situation. It is to have the mind of Christ and be one with him as he is one with his Father” 

-Elder Bruce R. McConkie

Finding Plan B

I'm a girl that likes to have a life plan. I'm sure Heavenly Father just laughs hysterically at that little fact. And I'm starting to laugh right along with Him... because I have yet to live out my "Plan A" even once. I've come to the conclusion that I need to get in better tune with what the Lord's Will is for my life- then maybe I can skip over all the "plans" I create for myself and just get straight to the actual plan that He wants for my life!! (I don't think anyone lives out "Plan A" actually. If that person does exist- I'd love to meet him/her.)

I'm starting to ask myself- "Why do I even keep trying to make life plans?" (The answer to that is: a) it's just inherently in my nature; b) we're taught that "Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness"- D&C 58:27; and finally, c) as my wise sister told me, to really get anywhere in life- you must "be proactive, not just reactive". And if it's the Lord's Will... it will work out. If not- good luck. ;) )

So where is all this "life plans" talk coming from? Well... recently I've decided that I'm no longer going to adhere to the life plan I've had for myself ever since I graduated high school. 

I'm not going to Grad School to become a therapist. 

And the terrifying thing about that fact is... there is absolutely no back up plan. No "Plan B". At least- not right now. I'm in the process of finding/creating "Plan B". But I know that this is the right thing for me to do because despite the terrifying "unknown" and overwhelming task of figuring out what to do with my life now... there is just so much peace. So much evidence that Heavenly Father has been guiding me for a while to reach this point and come to this conclusion. 

So how/why exactly did I come to this decision you may ask? Since I've been working at LDS Family Services, there have been times where people on the phone or at the window will start to tell me more information about their problems than I ever needed to know. I told them to tell that to their therapist. But in telling them that I always thought, "But if I where their therapist... I would have no idea what to say to them and how to help them!" And maybe I'd learn some techniques in Grad School about how to respond to clients in sessions. But deep down- I just feel that that is a skill that you can't really teach. Develop- yes. Teach- no. And I don't inherently have that gift of knowing how best to respond in those type of situations. Which is pretty key in therapy- don't you agree? 

Also I am a very sheltered girl. I readily admit to that fact. However- I don't really want to change that. But I can't possibly keep that while listening to people tell me about their problems (deriving from some very serious and horrible experiences in some cases... a lot of cases I'm willing to bet) all day, every day. In discussing with my brother (who is a therapist), he mentioned that if he were to rate his therapy sessions, he'd rate most of them R... for both language and content. Frankly- I just don't want to deal with that on a daily basis. There's a lot of pain out in the world... and hearing about that all the time would be extremely emotionally and mentally challenging. There's a good reason why counseling has a high burn-out rate.

Finally, my mom. She knows me better than anyone on the planet- and she has always had her reservations about me being a counselor (while always being supportive of whatever I wanted to do). And it just seems to me that if the person who knows you best isn't overwhelmingly convinced that the path you're heading on is the best one for you... maybe there's something in that. And maybe it's worth taking a minute to stop and re-evaluate. I'm not not becoming a therapist because of my mom. I promise. But she is one more piece of evidence that this is the right thing for me to do. 

It's amazing how I can look back and know how divinely designed me ending up at LDS Family Services really was. And one purpose (among others) was to help me realize that being a therapist just isn't right for me. It's also amazing to see how the Lord won't let you go too far down the wrong path without letting you know first. I'm beyond grateful and relieved I came to this conclusion now and not after Grad School. After I'd already put in all that time, effort, stress, and money into it! 

Hindsight is truly 20/20, and I can see so clearly how the Lord has guided me throughout my entire life. He has been right there beside me in everything I've done and experienced. I know with everything in my soul that He will continue to guide me through life. I can't wait to see where this path will take me... and I'm so grateful for the family, friends, and especially the Lord who are loving and supporting me along the way. 

Commemorating Calvin

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Tuesday, the 23rd, marked a year since Calvin passed away. To commemorate, Spencer and Tiffany came up from Arizona to be here for the 1 Year Anniversary. To start the day off, Spencer & Tiffany, my mom & dad, Tiffany's parents, and I all went to the Jordan River Temple to do a session. I love the temple. The Spirit is always so strong and being there helps keep an eternal perspective on life. 

Tiff and I after the temple. We have matching diamond necklaces!!
(And diamond's just happen to be the birthstone of April...)
I love her so much, and am so blessed to have her as my sister-in-law.

I can't believe I'm one year closer to seeing & holding my perfect nephew again!
I love & miss you so much Calvin!! 

That evening our family and Tiffany's family met at the gravesite where we each wrote messages to Calvin on a balloon before releasing them up into the sky.

After the gravesite- we all went out to dinner at the classic Pace's Dairy Ann. And then back at my parent's house we just visited and looked at the scrapbooks Tiffany made of Calvin- from the pregnancy to the funeral. It was great day spent with family and in remembrance of Calvin. 

While it's still sad to not have him here with us, I am so grateful for my testimony in the reality that families can be eternal. There is life after death. We will see and be with him again in the next life. I can't wait. I'm so excited to hold and get to know him. So grateful for the Plan of Happiness.

Thanks Spence & Tiff for letting me share in this day with you guys!!

Home Alone

So my parents were out of town to Florida visiting my sister and nieces for the past 2 1/2 weeks leaving the house all to myself (besides the week my uncle and aunt and their 5 kids from California stayed at the house... but that's besides the point of this post.). I've had the house to myself for stretches of time many times in the past, and each time I rediscover why I love/hate it. Those reasons are as follows...

Hate:

• Coming home to a dark house at night- for some reason that can be really depressing to me
• Not having anyone waiting at home to hear how my day has gone and just to talk to about whatever random thoughts come to my head
• And when I say "anyone" I mainly mean my mom. She's my absolute best friend and I miss her greatly when she's not around- even though I call and talk to her every single day...
• Having to figure out what I'm doing for meals each day
• Interesting observation- the most common concern from people is- "What do you do for meals?" (Lots of Lean Cuisine's & Hot Pocket's!!)
• Getting the mail/newspapers everyday
• Actually this isn't too bad and I even enjoy it sometimes when it's nice weather outside. However when it's freezing cold & windy outside then I'm not too much of a fan. Crazy of me I know.
• There's no one else around to kill a spider should there be one. And unfortunately- this last time there was. (It was traumatic... but in the end I won!!)

Love:

• Full control of Volume- whether that be the TV, Stereo, Computer, etc.
• Full control of when the TV/Stereo is on or off
• Not being accountable to anyone but myself. 
• I can come and go as I please without having to keep someone else informed of my plans. And I can go to bed as late as I want without having to report the time the next morning.
• Sometimes I just need some time and space away from others
• The feeling of independence
• Seeing and feeling the love and concern from family, friends, & neighbors all around me when they know I'm home alone. While my parents may be gone- I know I have countless people surrounding me who would be there for me in an instant if I ever needed anything. I am truly blessed by the people I have in my life.

So all in all- it's a bittersweet experience having the house all to myself. And by the end- I'm just so glad to finally have a home-cooked meal and my mom home again! But I'm also glad that my parents had the opportunity to go visit my sister and nieces. It was good for both my parents and my sister. From what I hear- they had a really fun trip!

Oh and P.S. No- I'm not scared while being home alone. I don't know why- I guess I just have peace and faith that I'm being watched over and protected by my Heavenly Father. And I know that if anything were to happen- I have so many people I could call on to help me out (as mentioned above).

Articles for Safe Keeping

So I've come across these articles and I absolutely love them! So I wanted to post them here to share with others and have them for future references.

So without further ado...

So You're Feeling Too Fat to be Photographed 

and 

Confessions of a Mormon Bishop

National Sibling Day

So apparently it was recently "National Sibling Day". To celebrate I just wanted to do a quick shout out to my awesome siblings (including my in-laws)! I respect and admire each and every one of them for so many different reasons. I'm so blessed to have them in my life.  They're honestly my best friends and there's not a group of people I'd rather hang out with than them. I love each of them so much!!!

For this Easter Weekend...

"LDS Family Services, how may I help you?"

... The phrase I probably say the most while at work. I'm just waiting for the day when I answer my home/cell phone this way.

Me at work. Interestingly enough- it's not even in the LDS Family Services office. It's at the Front Reception Desk. I had to cover someone's shift (well- I volunteered) for coverage one night. The security guard who normally comes and talks with me wasn't there that night. So I was bored and resorted to taking pictures of myself. Doesn't Christ in the background add a nice touch? ;)

I get asked a lot how I'm liking my work. So here you go: I love it!

I honestly do.  Are there stressful and frustrating moments? Of course. But that's going to be true of every job in existence.

It's been more of an adjustment than I thought it would be going from a service missionary to an employee. There's more details I need to know and understand. I feel an overall greater sense of responsibility/pressure than I did as a service missionary. It also took some time getting used to a different schedule. (Didn't help that they kept changing my schedule. But thankfully they figured out a schedule that's been consistent for a few weeks now. Better yet- I don't think it's changing anytime soon... yay!!)

However, I still absolutely adore all the people I work with (including the security guard mentioned above). During the weekend I look forward to seeing them again on Monday.

I still love knowing I'm part of an organization that is striving to help people overcome their problems through the gospel.

I love how much I've learned and grown from being there. I know this is where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing with my life at this time. This is exactly what I needed in my break between undergraduate and graduate school.

I love that when I go home at the end of the day, I'm done. There's not another few hours of work still waiting for me when I get home. I don't miss having homework from school. Not in the slightest.

I love how short my commute to work is. Couldn't pick a better location if I tried.

In short I consider myself incredibly blessed by the fact that I actually look forward to going to work each day.

Dry Spell

Welp- seems like I've been stuck in a dry spell when it comes to blogging lately. Just haven't had anything exciting and "blog-worthy" happen in my life. Guess I should get a more exciting life, eh? I'll work on that.

Because honestly this is what my life mainly consists of:

• Work
• Institute (Taking the "Pearl of Great Price" class)
• Keeping up with my TV Shows (Once Upon A Time, Psych, Person of Interest, The Mentalist... and I'm re-watching Gilmore Girls)
• Talking with my sister about Once Upon A Time. See? Family bonding is also involved.
• Going to the Temple with my Mom (We're slowly, but surely, continuing on the "Temple Tour")
• Preparing Sunday School Lessons (I'm a Gospel Doctrine Teacher)

However- there have been some other things mixed in here and there. Such as...

My parents went out of town for almost a week a little while ago (and they leave again in a week...)- and during that time I was able to see my best friend, McKinzi, and her adorable little girl for a day. So so excited that her and her husband are going to be moving up here from St. George this summer. Then hopefully I'll get to see their kid more often! (Oh- and I guess McKinzi and Tom too. ;))

Could she be cuter?? I don't think so!!!

Then I went out to my aunt & uncle's to stay the night. That was a lot of fun to spend some time with them. It was also very spiritually uplifting since it was their Stake Conference. During the adult session on Saturday night, I ran into my 7th grade Math teacher. Crazy random right? It was great to see him again. Also during their Stake Conference I heard this amazing definition of meekness:

Meek: to be injured without taking offense or becoming resentful

I seriously love that. And I need to be so much better at it.

I've also visited my Grandma in the new nursing home she's at now. (Which is conveniently only 5 minutes (or less) away from my house.) I must admit though- it is so hard to see her like she is now. That's not the person I knew growing up. It's sad to know that in reality, although her body is still here with us, we've already lost her. She sure was an amazing lady though. Oh how I love her.

My Grandma & Grandpa before they left on one of their missions. 

I've also spent some time with this girl:

No day can be bad when you see this cute face.

Can't believe she turned TWO!! She's such a doll.

**Also celebrated my sister's birthday, who happens to be this girl's mom. But no pictures to document.**

Made Banana Bread for people at work:

Mmmm!!

And before you think, "Oh that's so nice of you to do that for them!", I have to admit- that really this is just my lame attempt to repay them for all the goodies they bring me at work. I'm spoiled, what can I say?

Of course there's always the consumption of chocolate in my life. That's just a given and vital to my basic functionality... I dare say even my survival:

Both delicious & festive for St. Patrick's Day!!

Oh, and finally, I continued the "Mother-Daughter Choke Hold" Tradition:

See? Totally normal.

There you have it. That's my life these past few weeks in a nutshell! I'll try really hard to lead a more exciting life--and therefore be better at blogging--in the future. 

Cosmetic Surgery

I've been thinking a lot about cosmetic surgery lately because one of my Facebook friends asked for people's opinions of whether they thought cosmetic surgery was okay or not. So here's my stance on the issue- because surprisingly, I feel pretty strongly about the subject.

• I am in FULL support for cosmetic surgery to repair damage or impairment, such as in the case of burn victims, cleft lip, reconstructive surgery after cancer removal surgery etc., extreme weight loss, or any other similar situations.
• However- for any other reasons I am COMPLETELY against it. Here's why:
• I feel that it's vain and materialistic. 
• I know a major reason in support of cosmetic surgery to improve self-image and confidence. But I just can't swallow the idea that permanently altering your body through a surgical procedure is the answer to improved self-esteem and body perception.
• It's disturbing and sad that we live in a society so focused on a fabricated "beauty ideal" that is insanely unrealistic and superficial. Especially when this "beauty ideal" causes people to lack positive body-image and self-confidence.
• It doesn't look natural if it's done wrong or too much.
• The cost.

**And on a side note that's not relevant to a lot of people- but I've had more than my fair share of surgeries in my lifetime already. I can't understand the mentality of voluntarily going under the knife and subjecting yourself to unnecessary risks, medical bills, PAIN, etc. Not to mention voluntarily spending time in a hospital with doctors, nurses,etc.

What's interesting- is that I seem to be in the minority with this stance. While discussing all my aforementioned reasons with my mom (and her arguing the opposite points), I realized that all those points stem from 2 major ideologies within me. These are:

• I'm jealous that people have the option to change what they don't like about their bodies and I don't. That someone can look in the mirror, pick out an aspect they don't like about their body, walk into a doctor's office, and then have it taken care of. Whereas when I look in the mirror (something I really don't like doing by the way) and see all the many things I don't like about my body--there's not a single thing I can do about it. I just simply have to accept and move on. 
• Finally, and most importantly, I would do anything to simply have a "normal" body. So it kills me that people who DO have a "normal" body aren't satisfied with what they have. That they take for granted something that I wish for every single day. 

However while discussing this issue with my mom, I realized I need to maybe be a little less judgmental of those who do choose to have cosmetic surgery done. It is their body and everyone does deserve to feel good about and confident in their body. If cosmetic surgery is the answer to that- then so be it for them. Meanwhile... I'll continue doing the best I can with the body I was given and waiting for my perfect body. I'm so excited. :)

Thoughts to Ponder

And lastly for this post....

"Oh God of second chances and new beginnings, here I am again."

The Best Woman in My Life- My Mother

Isn't she beautiful?! She makes 57 look good!

Today is a special day. It's my mom's 57th birthday!! So I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you- and her- 57 reasons why I think she's so incredible and therefore love her so much:

1. She KNOWS the Gospel is true. She has always known, and has never wavered or doubted.
2. She's my temple "partner". (She also faithfully attends the temple 4 times a week.)
3. She continuously puts me (and other loved ones) on the Temple Prayer Roll.
4. She reads her scriptures and prays-- every single day.
5. She actively strives to be more Christ-like every day.
6. The simple, pure faith and trust she places in the Lord. She knows the Lord is going to help her through whatever trial she is asked to go through. 
7. She forgives me quickly and repeatedly.
8. She is incredibly patient with me- way more than I ever deserve.
9. She loves her kids more than anything in the world.
10. She also loves her grandkids and adores her role as a grandma.
11. How close she was with her parents (particularly her dad), and how close she is with each of her siblings.
12. She drives out to Bountiful every week to visit her mom in a nursing home.
13. She thinks newborn babies (whether human or animal) are the cutest things on this planet. If a newborn baby (human) is present- she must hold it.
14. She's young at heart and still gets so excited about life.
15. She never complains about her back hurting and doesn't let the pain stop her from doing what she wants to do in life.
16. Her love for Lake Powell. She'd go there over any other place in the entire world.
17. She can water-ski for longer than anyone I know. (She once skied for 26 miles straight.)
18. She passed her love for the beauties of nature onto me (and the rest of her kids).
19. Her passion for sports... even though it can drive me a little nuts sometimes. (She's a die-hard Ute & Steelers fan --> wanted to be a football coach when she grew up. She also loves watching basketball- particularly March Madness; tennis; and loved lacrosse when my brother played in high school.)
20. How excited she gets about the holidays- particularly Christmas.
21. If something breaks- she'll spend hours trying to figure out how to fix it. And she's pretty successful most of the time.
22. Something is not truly lost in our house unless she can't find it.
23. She's the designated "nurse" of the family. (I gave her lots of good practice to earn that role.)
24. How obsessed she becomes over a song she really likes- and listens to the song over and over and over again. (I do the exact same thing. :))
25. If you happen to say a sentence, when talking with her, that also happens to be part of a song she knows- she'll interrupt and start singing whatever song you've reminded her of. (And then she often gets that song stuck in her head, which annoys her and that can be pretty funny.)
26. She'll change lyrics to songs to fit the particular situation she's singing about.
27. She can be crazy and goofy. She'll start dancing, make funny faces- and just overall be weird.
28. She makes me laugh... and is often laughing right along with me. 
29. Our "I love you more" arguments.
30. The weird, old sayings she'll say sometimes. 
31. We can have an entire conversation with each other without saying a single word.
32. How much common sense she has towards life and people- she has a lot of wisdom.
33. She taught me that the only person you can change is yourself.
34. How much effort she puts in to make her marriage work.
35. She always counsels me to turn to the Lord when I have a problem and am struggling.
36. She reminds me how loved I am by the Lord when I lose sight of that fact.
37. She watches Gilmore Girls, Psych, Bewitched, and a lot of other TV shows/movies with me.
38. The special things she does just for me- if I've had a bad day, for special occasions/celebrations, and sometimes just for fun.
39. All the acts of service she does for me- every single day.
40. That she eats fruit despite being allergic to it just because she loves it so much.
41. How much she loves getting her hair brushed.
42. She must have popcorn while watching a movie. She can't resist eating popcorn after smelling it.
43. The notes she wrote on the napkins she put in my lunches she would make for me during college... especially if she included a drawing. ;)
44. That at the age of 22- I still have to check in with her... otherwise she calls me to check in. ;)
45. Her nicknames for me (that in reality make no sense): pumpkin poosh canoosh canoodle, little blueberry muffin, apple strudel, gumba- gumba, doll face, and finally- babe.
46. She always wears socks and slippers at home because she gets cold so easily.
47. How much she loves the game RIPPLE (and how excited she gets when she actually ripples- or gets the very card she needed). 
48. She's emotional and cries easily. Especially when it concerns the Gospel and her family.
49. She taught me that I'm stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for.
50. She taught me that when I'm overwhelmed to take it one day and one challenge at a time.
51. That through everything I've had to go through in my life, she has been right by my side every single step of the way- helping me figure out how to overcome the challenges/obstacles.
52. She supports me in everything that I do.
53. She genuinely believes in me and in my potential.
54. She's my best friend. She knows and understands me better than anyone else- even better than I know myself sometimes.
55. I can tell her anything; and I tell her everything... and she LISTENS.
56. Her "mama bear" side that comes out if you mess with one of her kids.
57. She's MY mother and there's not a single woman on Earth who would do a better job than she does. She's the perfect mother... for me.

This list doesn't even begin to do justice to how amazing my mom really is. If I end up being half the woman she is in my lifetime- I'll have it made! So- HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom!!! I'm infinitely blessed to be able to call you "Mom". Hope you know how much I truly do appreciate and love you!!!

God's Love

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

According to NASA- there is an estimated 10,000 galaxies in the above picture. And this is only a fraction of space pictured.

I'm taking a "Pearl of Great Price" Institute class this semester. In class we talked about God's creations and discussed the following scriptures:

"And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purposes; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. ... But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them." --Moses 1: 33, 35

We then discussed how amazing (and it undoubtedly is incredible) it is that with the trillions+ of creations God has- that He not only knows and loves each of us individually, but that He takes time to individually care for us. We talked about how Christ, the creator of "worlds without number", took the Nephite children one by one and blessed them (found in 3 Nephi 17). He didn't just give a group prayer/blessing on everyone present and call it good. He devoted time, energy, and love to each child individually. And He does the exact same for each one of us. Patriarchal blessings are a very real evidence of that.

I know that for me, it can be easy to feel small, ignored, and insignificant in the craziness of this world. (I especially feel this way when gazing up at the stars.) It can be easy to get caught up in the thought that with all of God's creations- how does He have time to care about you and your problems? But we must remember the last part in the scripture above: "but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them." Pretty incredible huh?!

He does know me individually. He does know what's going on in my life- my trials and triumphs. He does hear and answers my prayers. He does love me.

How eternally grateful I am for my testimony of these truths. I truly am one blessed Daughter of God.

Strength

I've been told a lot throughout my life that I've been an inspiration to others. I always thought that was strange. Don't get me wrong, that's flattering and I'm glad I've had a positive influence in others' lives. However, I'm just going about living my life to the best of my abilities. Isn't that what everyone's trying to do? Everyone has trials they've had to overcome in their lives... mine just happen to be visible to others. But that doesn't make my trials any grander, more difficult, or more inspirational than the trials  the person next to me has fought to overcome. 

I firmly believe that people are a lot stronger and capable than what they give themselves credit for. You'll be amazed at what you can endure and do when you have no other choice but to do it.

I remember an experience I had a few years ago. I had gone to my brother's work to speak. He worked at an resident facility for delinquent boys ages 12-18. I did my little spiel and then opened it up for questions. One of the boys there made the comment along the lines of... 'I don't know how you do it. If I like got one of my arms cut off I just couldn't do it.' I firmly responded... 'Yes you could. Because if you really got your arm cut off- you'd have no other choice but to do it! You'd either have to deal and figure out how to overcome that- or just give up.' 

I love the following sentiment. I know it's 100% true. And that truth has given me greater peace and strength as I've strived to overcome the challenges in my life. 

And finally, one last thought that I love:

One of the Reasons Why I Stay on Facebook...

... is because of all the awesome quotes I find on there!! Here's some recent ones:

Appropriate reminder just after finishing the Christmas season.

I desperately need this reminder as I continue to learn all there is to know at LDS Family Services. Even 4 months later it can still be overwhelming sometimes.

This is the continuation of the quote above:
"One day God will, in great victory, 'wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.' One day our calamities will be overpast." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

This was accompanied with this thought that I love:
"Self-realization is one of the most important aspects in this journey of life. It's hard to believe in God when you don't believe in yourself. By understanding who we really are, we better understand who God is and in turn, understand His plan for us." -LDS S.M.I.L.E

This picture was accompanied with the following quote:
"Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

This may or may not actually be from C.S. Lewis (the Internet is in disagreement over that one). Either way I love it and believe this to be so true! I am without a doubt so much more than just my physical body. I am a child of God, with unbelievable worth in His eyes that has nothing to do with my physical appearance. And while I'm extremely grateful to have my body which allows me to have this mortal experience- I'm also grateful to know this physical body isn't mine forever. At least not in its current imperfect state. (Can't wait for the perfected version though!!! It's going to be more amazing then I could ever imagine, I just know it.)

And for some humor:

Holiday Hoopla

Matt & I (& Mom- who's taking the picture) decorating the Christmas Tree!

Christmas Tree all lit up!

Wow the last 3 weeks have been filled with all kinds of fun craziness!!! So much so I didn't stop to take any pictures, which means all picture credits from this post belong to either my mom or sisters.

Anyways- back to the excitement. It all started with my sister, Stacy, and her 4 girls coming into town. From there on we went non-stop from one fun activity to another... despite over half the family being sick at one time or another. We seriously were quite the group with all of us coughing and blowing our noses every 5 minutes. But we didn't let that stop us from having fun and enjoy being together as family!

Since pictures are more exciting than writing- let's just get straight to it shall we? We'll go by event okay? ;)

Playing in the Snow:

P.S. I was so SO happy that we had a white Christmas this year!! If it's not a white Christmas- any snow we receive after that I'm just bitter towards. Dead serious. 

Lot's of fun cousin/sibling bonding time:

Isn't this picture filled with so much awesomeness?!

From left to right: Kylie (2), Makai (21 mo), Kate (5), Aly (11), Lise (8), Jaden (10), Camren (8)

Swimming:
          (Thanks to Matt's friend, Shae, and her awesome pool with a bubble over it- they were able to take the kids swimming. Who says you can't go swimming in the middle of winter?! I unfortunately had to miss out on that fun due to my responsibilities at LDS Family Services.)

I don't know if Kate is cold or what...

Look at that form!!!

Playing Games:
       I think that's how we spent the majority of our time- playing one game or another. We played No Thanks, Word on the Street, Over/Under, Quelf, Wits & Wagers, Clue, Ripple, Mad Gab, Rack-O, Skip Bo and I'm sure some others I've forgotten.

Here's a picture of the girls playing "The Matt Game". They LOVED it!! Who needs expensive gadgets when you have some books, imagination, & people to entertain you?!

Christmas Morning:

Yes I know I'm very spoiled with that massive pile of presents in front of me.

Ice-Skating:
      (Try not to mind the blurry pictures. I also had to miss out on this fun- again due to being at LDS Family Services.)

Haha!!! Her facial expression is hilarious in this picture!

Sibling Dinner- California Pizza Kitchen:
            My siblings (and that includes my in-laws) are my best friends. There's honestly not a group of people I'd rather spend time with than my family. They all have helped shape me into a better person than I otherwise would've been without them in my life. I couldn't ask for better examples to look up to than these people. I love them all so much.
            

Spencer's 26th Birthday (Dec. 29th):

Haha! I love this picture!!

I have an amazing brother! He can always make me laugh, is one of the smartest people I know, and has such a strong testimony of the gospel.
Love you so much Spence!! 

New Year's Eve:

Nice face Laura.

I have no idea why she looks so traumatized in this picture. She was all smiles when we were outside banging on the pie pans to ring in the New Year.

Laura planned all these fun activities for the kids to do during the night so they wouldn't be bored on New Year's Eve. One of the activities was to decorate their "noise maker". Cute huh? They absolutely loved it!! Major aunt/mom points to Laura!! (I need to step it up in the aunt department apparently...)

Not Pictured:

• Family Parties (both the Webb Ebelskiver party & the Jackman Christmas party--> where all the girls got a "bra purse". I'm dead serious- and so was my Grandma in giving the gift.)
• Christmas Eve tradition of the formal dinner in the "nice" dining room by candlelight, followed by stating why we love each other by the fireplace. After that we do our "Gift to Christ". It's a great night filled with the Spirit. 
• Watching The Cosby Show (Spencer got all 8 seasons for Christmas) --> I'd forgotten how hilarious The Cosby Show truly is! And you gotta love how clean it is, which is hard to find today! 
• Watching movies (October Baby, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Knight & Day, Men in Black 3, Les Miserables, The Hobbit, and of course lots of Christmas movies!)
• Going to the Jordan River Temple as a family and doing sealings (the first time for me)
• My entire family going to church together (loved being in Relief Society with my mom & all of my sisters)
• Me finally meeting my best friend's baby girl, Lila, for the first time. Oh my heck she is absolutely ADORABLE!!!

All in all- it was 3 weeks where lots of great memories were made!! I'm so grateful that my entire family was able to spend so much time together over the holiday season. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that.