Happiness is wherever you find it!

LIFE!

2010-01-02T03:16:00.004-07:00

Well life has seemed to get away from me. I haven't written on here since August... that is when Fall semester started and here we go with Spring. Wow i am so sorry to those of you who acutally sit down and read this, i am sure everyone has given up on me writing! Life has been going pretty darn good though. I cannot complain.

School treated me well this semester. The countless hours of studying helped in the end! I came out on top with all A's YAY! This next se

mester is going to take even more out of me with Human Anatomy in the schedule. Just the two words kind of scare me to be honest. BUT it will all work out... at least i hope so.

Work is going well. I am still working at Macdonald Orthodontics. It is keeping me super busy but i go to work every morning loving it and every night exhausted which i guess is a good thing, it means that i work hard.

The family is doing good. B is now 16 and T is 12 as of today. Insane that they are growing up so fast. I feel like such an OLD older sister lol.

Jordan is pushing his 5th month in the field. I got a letter from him this last week and he is doing super well and is loving it. The work there in Canada has a difficult time progressing due to the fact that people are "scared" of the gospel and listen to what others may say about it. He is doing super well though. For those of you who know elder hoffman Jord saw him a few weeks ago and he is doing fantastic as well!

Christmas this year was super fun. We traveled up to Idaho as a family and hung out with my dads side of the family. It was a blast to see everyone and catch up on life seeing as when you are home it seems as if life gets away from you so easily. I am so grateful that i have family i am close to and can talk to about anything. They are amazing people.

I still am here!

2009-09-13T14:57:00.007-07:00

I promise that i am still here!

Although at times i feel as if i have fallen off the planet

Just trying to figure out how to balance my life.

Such as:

1. Working 40 hour weeks

2. Going to class Monday - Thursday till 10pm.

3. Being an active member of my ward

4. Getting my homework done

5. Studying for exams

6. Going to institute

7. Sleeping when i can

8. Staying in contact with friends

9. Reading the scriptures

10. Fulfilling my calling

11. Keeping up with my family

YES life is busy

YES i almost never have a dull moment

YES by the end of the week i am ready to be done

YES i am getting a lot accomplished and learning even more

& YES i am actually enjoying being busy!

JORDAN IS IN CANADA!

Yep! He arrived this last Wednesday! I cannot believe he has already been gone 3 1/2 weeks! As much as i miss my best friend, it has gone by so fast already. He is doing great though!

*Some friends from high school were in town this last week.... it was so fun to all go out to Applebees like we did back in the day! Crazy how lives change... GOOD though.

*MY HAIR IS BLONDER THAN EVER BEFORE. haha.

This last week i got a letter from my friend Travis Cook who is serving a mission in California. At the end of his letter he asked if i could maybe send him the Reflections of Christ soundtrack because he could not find it anywhere. So i went to the church bookstore... could not find it... so i got on Itunes...FOUND IT! And it is amazing. The artists that sing and play the piano truly are talented people. I am thankful that Trav asked me to get this for him because listening to this has already been a blessing in my life. It is the simple things in life that bring great joy i have come to find. If you have not listened to this then i encourage you to!

(i am not sure how to put the video on here of it so if you wanna watch it go to... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oteno81QzzQ )

Life

2009-08-13T21:35:00.003-07:00

The life of me... Ashley... has been well, different lately!

How you might ask?

1. Working full time is keeping me super busy! I am enjoying working at Macdonald Orthodontics very much though. It is nice going to work every day learning something that will help in your future career.

2. My family. I love them. Lately i have

been going to T's practices and watching him. Yeah i will admit

sometimes practice is not too exciting

but i love being there and able to support him.

He is a good little player and is playing super hard for his

position this year.

3. Bubba is a SOPHOMORE! The first day of school i dropped him off and i will admit it was difficult for me to. I cannot believe he is already at Mountain View. I feel like he is still little. T is a 6th grader this year too. It amazes me how fast time goes by! They are two of my best friends. I love spending time with them.

4. I have been reading. YES! I know... ME reading? What am i thinking! I found a really

amazing LDS writer that i absolutely love. More towards the younger crowd, well like my age, but she does have a talent for writing. So my lunch breaks and time when i get

home from work has been dedicated to my book. It is amazing to be able to escape to anot

her world. I LOVE it!

5. The call has finally come. The Lord wants him to go. The people of Halifax, Canada need him. Jordan received the call and he is reporting to the Provo, Utah MTC this Wednesday... yes August 19! It has been hard to have so many mixed emotions. I know it is where he needs to be and that he will grow so much it is just difficult. Life was not meant to be easy. I just have to remember it is only 2 years, 24 months, 104 weeks, 730 days. THATS IT! Then my best friend is home. I am so excited for him. We hung out for the last time, just us two, today. We were able to go to the Temple. What a great last time to spend together. I adore spending all the time i can with him. He is an amazing boy.

Good Luck!

Behind all of this there are so many things that i am looking forward to... LIKE...

having the day off work tomorrow

melissa coming to town tomorrow morning

being able to go to a movie with my parents tomorrow afternoon

Jordan leaving on his mission on wednesday

having Jordans farewell on sunday

&& so much more

Thankful Heart

2009-07-12T00:03:00.011-07:00

I have not written on my blog for quite some time. I realize that. Sorry that i have not been updating to often, life has just been super busy with working going to school and keeping up with the basic things of life. Hopefully you can all forgive me for that one. For one reason or another tonight is going to be a thankful blog. My heart is over flowing with thanks and love for so many things and so i felt the desire to do YET another thankful blog entry. So here it goes.

1. Friends- The Lord knows who we need in our lives and when we need them. I can show this in my life.

Jon, words cannot describe the friendship that has been created. I am so thankful for Kenzie and Nate introducing us.

Kenzie and Nate! The wedding date is almost here. Two of my best friends. Answered prayers is all i can say.

2. My AMAZING family- Yes at times the little boys do get on my nerves, but i love them to death. Life changes and you realize what is important. Family is something that i have realized means so much to me. I learn from each and every member of mine every day. I love t

he family i belong to.

3. A stable job. I am so lucky to have a job i enjoy and that is stable.

4. The opportunity i have to gain an education, yes summer school is quite aggravating at times but i am so thankful i am able to pay my way through school and gain the education that i have always wanted to receive.

5. A girl that has helped me through so much

she cannot even comprehend. Kenzie... she's my best friend. Through the good and the bad, and even in high school when we did not talk very much she has always been there for me. I am so excited for her that she found the boy she wants to spend all eternity with. She is a huge part of my life and i would not be involved with many of the things i am today without her. I love you girl.

6. The gospel. Morning mid day and night it plays such a huge role in my life.

7. Quotes that get you through the day. Simply amazing.

Yes, life is not perfect but it is what we make it. There will be the ups and downs but in the end it will be okay.

I am still here. Alive, smiling and loving life. School gets out on the 23 so hopefully i will be able to write more after that.

Sunday Insight

2009-06-07T17:33:00.002-07:00

well...

Today was kinda a different sunday it seemed. Why you might ask?

1. It was fast sunday, so i had the opportunity to fast with a purpose. Our lesson today in Relief society was on fasting and how it brings blessings to our lives.

2. I decided that i wanted to attend my old ward as well as my new ward, so i was able to attend two Sacrament meetings and hear double the testimonies:)

3. I have not been feeling very well, so i was not in the frame of mind to go speak to new people or talk to my friends. I just wanted to think quietly to myself. This was nice because i got so much time just to ponder life.

4. Bryce is out of town, and the house is just not the same with out him. Sunday i notice this a lot more because everyone is home.

Now that i work full time, and am a full time student, i do not have much time during the week to just sit down and relax. Sunday has become a day for me to reflect on the past week and think of the upcoming but also think about what the gospel means to me in my life. I have given myself the goal to try not to do homework or studying on sunday. Yes at times this is challenging i mean it is a WHOLE day that i could do these things, but i have seen academic things happen in my life that i never thought would happen. I know not studying or doing these things on sunday has helped me get to this point. Sunday is a time i hang with my brothers. Catch up on my families lives. Write a few friends that are on missions. Or communicate with my family that lives in various parts of the country. I am thankful for the many things i have in my life and especially this month my family. They mean the world to me.

**OH a little recipe too!!

My mom for dinner tonight made chicken in the oven (350 degrees for about 40 minutes just in a glass pan). But this was not any NORMAL chicken. She put cream of chicken soup, salt, pepper, and potato chips! YUM! Don't but the chips on until the last ten minutes though! And when you put them on leave the pan uncovered for those ten minutes. It was fantabulous.

update!

2009-05-26T17:55:00.006-07:00

I am still...

alive

still laughing

& working hard

I am enjoying life

& spending time with the family

Always sleeping when i can

& laying in the sun

oh so happy it is summer

Summer is here and the business is already kicking in! The family and i went to California this last weekend and had a blast! We were able to go to six flags for one e.n.t.i.r.e day and man was it heaven on earth!

UPCOMING EVENTS...

THAT I AM THRILLED FOR:)

1. Seeing my best friend EVER this weekend

I never thought it would be so hard to live 14 hours away from

someone you love to death....it is not any fun.

2. Spending many hours with two of my best friends...

my mom and grandma

3. Brad's, my cousin, high school graduation.

I am so proud of you brad!

4. Starting summer school

5. My car to be paid OFF!!

6. Getting tan and looking like a beach bum:)

2009-04-23T17:57:00.001-07:00

SLEEP?? Man who needs it? Not me evidentially. I have been .p.u.s.h.i.n.g. on this week with maybe a few hours a night. But it has been a fantastic week! I was able to start a new job that I absolutely love. I was hired on at MacDonald Orthodontics on Brown and Alta Mesa. It is so fun to go to work every day and I work with some of the sweetest ladies of all time, and of coarse the doc himself Keith. Fun group of people! This week I started, my first day, on _Monday. It was a full training day and it went by so FAST! I really cannot explain how much I adore it. I am so thankful that I was able to receive this job and that I am able to have the skills necessary to keep it.

LIFE IS GREAT, BUSY BUT GREAT!

Play ball!

2009-04-14T23:00:00.003-07:00

LETS PLAY BALL!

well mid afternoon i got a random text from Jord asking if i wanted to go to a baseball game with Grandpa and him. I replied saying it would be super fun. He ended up having an extra ticket so T was able to come along to. We had a lot of fun, although the outcome of the game was not what we desired. Thanks Jord for sharing your tickets!

TWO BOYS THAT MEAN THE WORLD TO ME

Easter Cooking!

2009-04-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

Sundays seem to always bring the desire for cooking... so today being Easter I wanted to make something cute and "springy". I decided to make cup cakes and they tuned out super cute! I made the frosting and everything:) it was a blast and the colors turned out super super cute!

GREAT cream cheese frosting!

3oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 Teaspoon butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 Teaspoon lemon juice

3-4 Tablespoons milk (I used 3)

3-4 Cups powered sugar (I used 3)

Combine cream cheese, butter and lemon juice in medium mixing bowl.

Add the milk and powered sugar to make the frosting the right consistency.

Spread on cake or cookies and ENJOY!

Egg Time!

2009-04-11T22:00:00.001-07:00

Well, each year the family dies eggs so that the Easter Bunny can come at night and hide them. Oh the traditions around holidays. They are the BEST and sometimes thinking about leaving and not having those traditions with family is sad. But none the less dying eggs this year was a blast with the boys and Jeremy, he is like a brother to me and i love that kid to death.

PREP!

gotta create all the dye

BEFORE

the super white eggs

AFTER

the multi-colored eggs!

Dying eggs this year was a blast to see what decorations and drawings the boys would come up with. It is always an adventure when you live with two little rascals!

EXCITING THINGS:)

2009-04-09T20:29:00.010-07:00

I cannot wait! There is so much going on,

and so much to look forward to!

I love it all.

1. 4 Year old birthday party

Mack, the adorable girl i worked as a habilitation therapist for, just turned 4 on March 1st. I got a message from her mom this last week about a cute little park birthday they are having for her this coming Saturday. I was so excited to be invited! This little girl, man she is a doll and i am so sad that i have not been able to work with her any longer. But i am so excited to see her. Tomorrow i am going to go shopping for something super cute for her for her special day:) i am so excited i cant even hold it in!

2. Easter Sunday!

I absolutely love holidays and they are so much fun when you are able to spend them with family. Easter Sunday we have all of the traditions of the kids waking up and then waking mom and dad up, going out into the back yard running back and forth searching from the ground to the sky for multi colored eggs. It is so much fun and when you are a little kid brings a huge smile to your face. But the older i get the more i realize the real meaning of Easter and how much it truly means to me in my life. I am so thankful for my Savior and all He did for ME and all he did for YOU. I know we couldn't make it without him.

3. SUMMER TIME!

The joys of summer in Arizona. At times, yes, the heat is too much but the simple joys of the summer are so amazing. Sitting outside tanning, swimming in the pool, the late nights with friends, every night being a weekend, the trips on the weekends or even week long trips. Flip flops and shorts. Oh i am so excited. I cannot wait, yet i am so sad that winter is leaving! I love the coldness of Mesa. It is the perfect temperature and man it left so fast. But bring on the sun!

4. California Trip

The family, Jord & myself planned the perfect trip for this May. I am so excited i can hardly wait! We are driving as a family up to Laguna Beach, California to spend time with Grandma and Fred. I am so excited to see them it has been such a long time! Jord and i have been

wanting to go on a little trip for a really long time, and finally have the opportunity too with some of our favorite people, my family. We decided that, because we have wanted to forever, we would go to Six Flags one of the days we are there. The family will not be attending, mixed emotions about that, but it will be so fun to go with just my best friend. YAY!

5. Utah

It is amazing how fast people grow up and how life changes. My cousin, Brad, and i growing up were super close because we lived right around the corner from each other. Well life changed as it tends to do and his family moved away. We still talked but not as much. He is a year younger than me, so a senior in high school this year. This May he is GRADUATING i am so proud of him. It is crazy to think that he is already old enough to be at this point in life! MAN OH MAN where has the time gone!?

6. December

Last but FOR SURE not least I cannot wait for December to come already! Two of my best friends get home in December and it is going to be such an amazing thing to have them finally home! I have been so happy to see them out on their missions and growing so much but i am ready to see their faces around Mesa again! At least maybe for awhile.

Friends & Family

2009-04-08T16:02:00.005-07:00

Last night we had the opportunity to go to the Easter Pageant at the Temple. At first Jord and I were just going to go, but then after talking to my mom the whole family decided to attend. Jord and i went down a few hours before it started and just laid on the blankets we had out to make sure no one took them:) we had some time to talk about things that are going on in life, which we have not had lately because of the business of life. Later the family came with dinner and such and we got to spend quality time with them. It is C R A Z Y how at times you really do think that your best friend is meant to be in your life. He fits hand-n-hand with the family. I am so thankful for him in my life, he is my best friend. I tell him everything, and i never get sick of talking to him. The Pageant was amazing, just like it is every year. I just wanted to say a little thank you to Jord for all you do for me. The friendship we have i know will never leave.

The Joys Of Life

2009-04-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

This past week i was blessed to be able to go up to Utah and spend some time with family, friends and also attend conference. Utah was amazing! Seeing Melissa, my best friend, was amazing. Visiting my aunt and her cute family was amazing... but most of all sunday when i was able to go to conference was astonishing. You always hear things about conference but i have never been able to go before this year and i would not change that experience for anything. I am so thankful i could go and so grateful that i was able to find tickets. I was able to go to the Salt Lake City Temple on Thursday right when i arrived in utah and walk up the walk way to the statue of Christ and listen to the sweet words that the sisters had to say. Is this gospel not amazing? I am so glad i have it in my life!

This week

2009-03-30T08:36:00.002-07:00

WOW! Take a deep breath. This week is going to be a super busy, yet super fun one..

I have work all week, Monday through Wednesday that is... then nannying my cute little family on Wednesday THEN the fun begins! I am leaving Wednesday at 6:30pm on my adventure! YAY! It has been long awaited and it is finally almost here. I will be driving to Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday night...followed by close to no sleep and then continuing the journey to Provo, Utah Thursday morning:).

Thursday: date with amazing boy and hanging out with my SUPER cute family!

Friday: driving to Logan to see my all time BEST BEST friend. I am so excited to see her. Saturday: we get to watch conference together and just hang out like we did in the good old days.

Sunday: We are going to attempt to get in the AM session of conference, if not then we are gonna just go watch it somewhere. But we have tickets for the PM session so i am so excited!! Then just going to be spending time with family and Melissa. YAY!

I am so excited and so grateful for the opportunity that i am going to have to go to conference. It is something i have always wanted to do and now, finally, have the chance. I know that it will be one amazing experience. :)

Sunday insight

2009-03-01T14:02:00.004-07:00

Wow, my heart is so full. Today i was able to go to my home ward as well as my singles ward, and it was a great decision. I haven't ever felt the power that was in those meetings today. It was simply amazing. Today was fast sunday, where members of the ward are able to get up and express their love and testimony of this gospel. In my home ward the main topic was the love that the Savior has for each and everyone of us. This is so true! In my singles ward the topic seemed to be the same, which is strange to have that happen. Then in sunday school, in my singles ward, it was on the Priesthood. This last week i have been in great amounts of pain and the thought that it may be from something harmful was on my mind constantly. My dad, who normally gives me blessings, was on duty and so he was spending the night in Casa Grande. I just had gotten home from the doctor and found out that i was going to go in for an EKG on my heart the following morning. I was able to receive a blessing from my sweet Bishop and home teacher. I went and got my EKG and everything came back normal. I am so thankful for the Priesthood and the Savior in my life. I love these pictures and decided that i would put them on my page. Everyone, remember how blessed we are. Do not take one day for granted. Love you all.

Update!

2009-02-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Well, i am going to just update this with the health stuff cause it is too hard to explain to everyone haha! I have been having pains on the left side of my chest and also my upper back. They are not sure what it is. I got a chest x-ray, it came back clean. I got blood work, everything came back fine. I got an EKG today and should have the results this afternoon. I am POSITIVE it is nothing serious!! Mom and i were talking last night and we were thinking maybe it is my back and something is being pinched and the pain is just carrying to my chest. Who knows. But no worries. :) The doctors will figure it out, that is why they have the degrees they have is it not? So there is the update! I was not going to say anything about it but man am i tired of explaining it many times a day! Haha. Hope everyone is doing super! Love you all.

Life

2009-02-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, i have not written anything for awhile and i really am going to try to start back up again. Life has been going well. This last week for my humanities class, we were asked to write a paper on a famous hero. The person that came to mind was Lance Armstrong for some reason. The thing that i did not realize was something that his mother told him all throughout his life that really has stuck with me "finish the race even if you have to walk to the finish line". I have been trying to figure out if i want to go to Utah for a dental assisting program this summer or stay here work and go to school. It has been a challenge but i have finally made my decision. I will be here this summer! I am still alive, I am still happy, I am surviving:) I will post some more things soon hopefully! Hope everyone is doing well!

Does it TRULY matter?

2008-12-11T10:27:00.002-07:00

Does it truly matter?

Sitting on the bunk bed, we are at the ripe age of 6 and 3
Playing with our army men having a battle
You take mine and I take yours
We have a fight and mom teaches us now kids does it truly matter?

We have now grown a little older, supposedly wiser too
I am 8, you are 5 and we are watching cartoons
We fight over if we should watch dragon tails or rolley polly olie
Mom teaches us now kids does it truly matter?

The ages of accountability has reached both of us now
I am 12 and you are 9 and we are watching a movie
Something inappropriate comes on in the movie and we both are in SHOCK
Mom sits down and teaches us now kids, this truly does matter!

As we grow up and move schools
I am now 14, you are 11 and we are doing homework
You tell me a story of a boy you know copying someone else’s work
You then state you do not want to do homework and will do this tomorrow and put your homework away
I pull your homework back out and say, wait, this truly does matter!

We both have seen how crazy the world is now
Now being 18 and 15 years into our lives
We talk about things that are going on in our lives and you ask me what to do
You begin to cry and say you are so confused
I look at you with tears in my eyes, give you a hug, say I have been there before and this truly does matter!

We all have people in our lives that have taught us things that truly do matter and things that do not matter. Lets thank them for all that they have done for us!

Weekend Madness

2008-12-08T14:14:00.005-07:00

Well this weekend was one in a million! So many fun things happened and so many new friendships were transformed. I am so thankful that i changed wards from my home ward to the mesa college ward. Verity and i this weekend had so much fun! We attended our ward christmas party and then went to a dance party afterwords with some fun boys from our ward:) For the christmas party we all dressed up in Pj's and had breakfast followed by SANTA CLAUSE! YES HE CAME! :) it was so much fun and i am so glad that i ended up going. yayyy for best friends! Sunday night we went to a broad cast followed by pizookies at my house:) after that spencer, one of the boys, asked if i would help him with his essay... hummm never thought it would take so long! I didn't end up leaving his house till five! Yes it was crazyness but we got it done so that is a good thing! lol. This weekend was great and i wouldn't change it for anything. YAYYY back to school tonight!

Sunday Thought

2008-12-07T13:55:00.002-07:00

Last night i was able to go and watch my favorite little kids. 4 children under the age of 12... yes i love them and the sweetness that each one of them holds. While i was watching them last night and today at church something kept coming to my mind...it has made me have a new outlook on so many things in life. We all in this life are given challenges, obstacles if you wish to call them, that we must over come. It is not a matter of if we will over come them because we all have this power but it is a matter of when we will over come them. At points, when we feel that we have been given way to much, or "our plate is full" we start to feel down and start asking why this, why me, why now? These questions have such an impact on our outlook of a situation that is occurring in our life and most of the time in a negative way. We all have things going on in our life that we may not be... happy... with at the moment, i have them too, but i have thought of a new way to look upon these challenges that we are dealt. Challenges are given to us for a reason. We all are here on this earth to learn and grow and to strive to reach our potential. Each of us as human beings has a different potential to reach, none are the same and therefore we are all given different challenges in our lives, different strengths and weaknesses that we may help those we love when they are going through things. These kids last night, while i was watching them, taught me something huge. We were outside playing with the dog throwing toys and just laughing and having fun, no big deal when the little boy came up to me and tried to spit the words out, puppy happy. Simple words but it made me think yeah things are going on in life but we have the choice to be happy! LETS ALL BE HAPPY! SMILE! IT HELPS! haha! Love you guys!

Take a step back

2008-12-02T08:18:00.003-07:00

Wow best day of my life! Have you ever had the burden of something on you and then all of a sudden it is gone? Yep that happened to me today! I have been stressing out so badly on how i am going to pay for spring semester this year... it has been a huge damper the past little bit and it finally left! I was so excited to go to MCC yesterday and pay it down right off! YAY! I cannot believe that this semester is almost over though it is amazing to me how fast time goes by. Recently i was thinking about how fast time goes and how quickly things change in this life and decided that i missed the good old days when we worried about where our bouncy ball went not our calculator for math class, where the letter from the school that said who our teacher was at the beginning of the year and not where our packets of homework to do over the summer went. Being 10 min early for school so you could play on the playground, now if i had a extra 10 min it is packed with either homework or sleeping. I miss waking up on Christmas morning excited because Santa came, or on Easter because we could go find the eggs. It is good to grow up, don't get me wrong, but what about all the good times when we were kids. Being in college is so much fun but at the same time you have so much to think about. what your degree is going to be, where are you going to go, how are you going to pay for school, what are you gonna wear, what are you going to do on the weekends, who are you going to be friends with and everything else. One thing that also hit me while thinking about this is the sweet spirit of a young child. The kind and loving to everyone person that they are, if only this traveled throughout our lives with us. I learned this past week to just take a step back and let life take its coarse! Sometimes you need to direct it other times just let the wheel turn where it may.

New Ashley

2008-11-28T17:35:00.002-07:00

Well for the past little while I have wanted to dye my hair... well Nic is in town and guess what I decided to dye it! I am not too sure what I think about it yet haha! But here is a picture of it! We liking it or not so much? Never done it before... ahhh! I was so scared.

Thanksgiving Movie!

2008-11-27T22:01:00.002-07:00

Wow! That is all I can say about this movie. My family and I today, it being Thanksgiving and all went and saw a movie. We looked and looked through the titles but none caught our eye. I was looking through and watched this trailer and I could not turn it down. For some reason I felt like this is the movie that I needed to see! This movie was about when Hitler was in reign and all of the Jews and the camps that they were put into. Yes you learn about this in "history" in school, Yes all of us have heard about how miserable this was for the Jews but this movie really opened my eyes to life. I am not one to be secluded to my own world and not want to look at the world around me but I NEVER have realized that this is what they were treated like. Throughout the movie there is a little boy who is in the camp and a little boy who is outside of the camp and they become friends, it is amazing to me how much culture okays the acceptability of being friends. The non-jew child was not aloud to see this Jewish boy but went around his parents backs to see him. Can we all not just accept each other for who we are and what we believe? Can we all not raise our children to be accepting of other races and other people that may not LOOK or ACT or TALK like us? This Thanksgiving, yes I am so thankful for all the things that most people are thankful for but I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have to live in the country that I do. I am so grateful for the freedom that I have to BELIEVE what i want, to SAY what i want, to ACT like i want and to BE WHO I WANT TO BE! Do not take what we are given for granted! Live every day to the fullest because you never know what tomorrow will bring! Love you all!

To you i will always be thankful

2008-11-27T01:22:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for the person I can call at any hour when I am in need of uplifting

I am thankful for the teacher who puts well done on a paper that I worked so hard on

I am thankful for the person that makes me feel like there is a reason I am living

I am thankful for grandparents who call just to see how their grand daughter is doing

I am thankful for parents who ARE a part of my life

I am thankful for the friend who reminds me of how the Lord loves us no matter what

I am thankful for the power of forgiveness

I am thankful for the seminary teacher that showed me at a young age how much the Lord loves me

I am thankful for the girl who always can put a smile on my face

I am thankful for random phone calls just to say hi

I am thankful for phone calls that happen just so you can hear each other’s voice

I am thankful for an Aunt that helps me through SO much

I am thankful for an older “sister” that is always right by my side through everything

I am thankful for the person on the street that showed me how to be humble

I am thankful for the person that taught me to be true chaste virtuous and to always do good

I am thankful for the reading teacher that did not give up on me

I am thankful for a fifth grade teacher that saw a writing talent and made me reach it

I am thankful for the boy who taught me how girls should be treated

I am thankful for the girl who always listens to my sob stories

I am thankful for the best friend that always texts me even two words andmakes my day

I am thankful for the child that taught me not to judge

I am thankful for the teacher that taught me to go to college

I am thankful for the boy that I share my life stories with

I am thankful for the gospel in my life

I am thankful for the power of families and friends

I am thankful for those who befriended me when I moved schools

I am so thankful for those who are inspired to share something and it helps you

I am thankful for the boy that taught me that I am worth more than that

I am thankful for the physically and mentally challenged people in this world that have taught me to be thankful for the body and mind I have been given

I am thankful for my cute little mackduck and what she teaches me every single day

I am thankful for my grandmother and even on her deathbed she was telling stories to make us all not worry but to laugh

I am thankful for the experiences that I have been given

I am thankful for the tears I have cried so I have had the chance to learn laughter

I am thankful for the storms that have come my way so I can look forward to a rainbow

I am thankful for the relationships that have crossed my path

I am thankful for the pain I have gone through so that I have a compassion for suffering

I am thankful for each and every person that has made a difference in my life

So all of you that are in my life. Thank you for everything that you have taught and shown me. I love you all and would not be who I am today without you!

Temple trip

2008-11-26T17:25:00.004-07:00

Well I was able to go to the Temple a few days ago and it was an amazing experience. I went to do Baptisms for the Dead and usually I go on Tuesdays just by myself and then go about my day. I was talking to one of my friends, Jordan, who is a return missionary. He expressed the desire to attend the Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead and he ended up coming with me! It was an amazing experience to have him confirm and baptize me! It was the best Temple trip! I am so thankful for him and the way he lives his life! Thanks Jordan:)

Minnesota Trip

2008-11-26T11:07:00.008-07:00

Well this summer while working with my cute little girl i met her cousin Arielle. Since July we have been talking and communicating that we needed to get a trip together to see eachother! Well the time finally came! This last month i went to minnesota to visit. YES it was cold! YES it was so fun! I had the time of my life & am so glad that i went! I met so many fun people! I was able to be there for first snow fall and it was so fun to go out around the town and play in the little snow that fell, an experience you would never get here in AZ thats for sure! This trip really showed me how amazing and lucky we are to have this Gospel in our lives though. Going up to a complete and total college town and having none of the people be LDS brings across some different challenges, but it was an amazing experience! I miss the cold weather haha. And i cannot wait to get back up there! Thanks Arielle for having me girl! It was so much fun and i am so glad that i could go!

Jess Wedding

2008-11-26T11:04:00.008-07:00

YAY CONGRATS JESS & JOE!

It was so fun this past weekend to see such a close friend get married! Man i cannot wait to plan a wedding, not get married just plan one haha! It was fun to see them come out of the temple so happy and how they could not stop smiling! Then to the lunch in where there was way good food and all us friends got to sit around and catch up on life because we have not in the longest time! Then the CUTE reception! Pretty sure the desert table was a hit! Carebear Shalaylay and i sat there for HOURS just eating, okay maybe not quite hours but for a long time! It was so fun to see so many faces that we have not seen in such a long time! Tal & Mel also got to come in for the wedding which was so much fun! It was nice to have the friendship not even change and just start where it ended a few months ago:)

PICTURES TO COME:)