Humble Gratitude to my Savior for all that I have

It's Christmas time and this year I decided I would enjoy every minute of it. Yes, it can get stressful if we let it. But I had a thought... "if we let it" we get so concerned with getting a billion things to show our love and affection, but this year it's more than just giving gifts to me. It's realizing what I already have... this year I'm trying to give and do things I wouldn't normally do. Like give cookies to a random friend at church! :) I am so grateful to everyone in my life that has taught me this... First on that list is my mother: I know she struggles every day to handle so much and I admire her for it. Next is my father: throughout my life he has always tried to provide for our family and even though he and mom don't think it's enough my entire life I have had a roof over my head and been able to eat a well balanced meal. Now onto my siblings: Kathleen (Katie) first... she is me, but 8 years older... or should I say I am her. I look up to her and I always have. At the age of 17 she went off to college and struggled to provide for herself, but I have always seen her as an amazing sister and now woman and mother! I love her dearly! Next, John: My big brother who was always there for me when I needed someone to beat up the stupid boys at school who would tease me or try to "hit on me" yeah, will never forget when I was in 6th grade and these 8th grade boys were trying to make cat calls at me and John asked mom if he could beat them with his drumsticks! :) Now Jeane, growing up she and I didn't always get along, but now as we are older I am finding out how much I absolutely love spending time with her and just being around her! I am so glad she is moving here because it means that if neither of us are going out that night we can stay in and watch a way good movie! LOVE IT! Finally is David, the best friend I've had since birth! The best friend that I will always have! Yeah, we would fight in front of family and play together at school or in my room growing up! So many memories with him! If it weren't for him I'm not sure if I would know many of the amazing people I know here in Utah! :) Now, to my in laws... Ryan first... he is such a wonderful husband and father and I am so glad that he captured my sister and didn't let her go on a mission! He is a shining priesthood example along with my dad and brothers! :) Adria, she is wonderful! I love having another sister and being able to talk to her and laugh with her! It's awesome! Now, my soon to be sister in law, Stephanie, I am soo happy that my oldest brother met her! She is amazing and perfect for him in every way and I am more than excited for their wedding this Saturday! :) Now, the nephews and niece: Michael, my buddy... he is such a wonderful and shining example to me. He has taught me in many ways how to love unconditionally. I know he works hard to help his mother and his family and I am ecstatic to go see him soon... Christi, the greatest young girl I will ever know! She puts up with three brothers and does it mostly with such love and compassion. She is a wonderful example as she glows every day! James, the little red headed indian! I know it's hard being young, but he doesn't mind and is the sportiest of them all! And William (Peanut) what a perfect angel in my eyes (yes, I know he isn't always perfect). Over the summer while those kids were here though I would just love to snuggle with him and have little talks with him. He is my angel! As you can see I am beyond grateful for my amazing family. 

That being said I want to also say that I am grateful to my amazing friends throughout my life from birth to now! I have met so many wonderful people throughout my life and each has blessed me in some special way! THANK YOU!

All because he lassoed her!

The Magnificent 7

Ryan and Kathleen

John and Stephanie

My beautiful sister Jeane! :)

David and Adria

The youngest examples in my life! 

My nerdy buddy, The beautiful girl, The Red Headed Chief, and my little angel the nut! :)

ME:  loving life with the greatest hair in the world! :) Oh, and loving it all over the world! :)

For God So Loved the World

with this post I need to say something... As Christmas draws closer I notice that many people become so concerned with the gifts we give to each other, or the presents we get from each other that we end up forgetting about the best gift in the world that each of us already have... That gift is each other... today I learned a powerful lesson. As many of you know or are beginning to find out I am a distributor for RevvNRG (a healthy alternative to energy drinks), and today we had the most amazing women's leadership meeting. I must say that the lessons I have learned about myself and about my choices in the past 4 months have opened my eyes beyond belief! I have learned that no matter how much I want to give something to others that the most amazing gift I can give is myself. This video reminds me that Christ too had a choice to be born, to care about others, to take upon every sin in the entire world, to die for each of us, and to live again so that we might all live again! He didn't have to take upon our sins... he could have given into Satan time and time again, but yet HE CHOSE TO LOVE! HE CHOSE TO BE VULNERABLE! HE CHOSE for that one night TO BE AFRAID! and he knew that when HE ACCEPTED DEATH that HE WOULD LIVE AGAIN! Today, I learned so much about myself, and the beauty behind who I AM & who I WILL BECOME! I love the LORD with all my HEART! I love my family unconditionally & I am forever grateful to a couple of friends who helped me see so much more to life than just making money and trying to survive! I thank God every day for those prayers in my past that are definitely unanswered! :)

A REMARKABLE WOMAN!

This post is a day late, but I still feel like I should write it...
 Yesterday was my mom's birthday! We started it off right by going to the temple... we had a full breakfast there, and then did a session. During the session the power went off, but the Lord's work went on! I love that! The backup generators kicked in and the it all kept going smoothly and when the power came back on it was as though the light of Heaven shown brightly! My parents to this day hold hands! My dad worked hard to make mom's day special! Love that! As I watched my mom yesterday I realized what a spiritual giant she is! She doesn't always see it, but I see it in all that she does! As we were sitting in the celestial room she picked up scriptures and sat down to read as I looked around or fell asleep, and as I watched her read I realized how remarkable she is... she takes all that we are taught in the temple to an entirely new level. What a remarkable woman... after the temple we went to Smith's and walked around the store and getting a few things she needed... then it was time for home... I began to make dinner and dessert. I made a wonderful apple & sage pork chop dinner and for dessert I made mom a pumpkin caramel cake. Why did I do it? Because I wanted to show my mother how much she means to me and how much I love her... she works so hard to provide for me... she has been a stay at home mom for nearly 33 years and has always been there to fight our battles, make our dinners, clean our clothes, help us when we are sick, and many more things... twice a year if I can I want nothing more than to give back to her! Especially since I feel a huge bond to her being born on mother's day and her half birthday!  She means the absolute world to me! I hope that when I become a mother I can be at least half the woman, and mother that she is to me! Her spirituality, her strength to overcome so many trials, and so much more makes me see who I am and what I have the potential to one day become! I love her with all of my heart! Thanks MAMA!

me and mama

mom's birthday dinner

mom's dinner! :D

pumpkin caramel cake

blowing out her candles! :D

My Life is a Gift

All I can say is that The Lord has a plan for each and every one of us, and as we do is His will He will guide us through our lives. As many know I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I rarely don't talk about my religion on my blog and today is no exception to that. I absolutely love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings it has bestowed upon me throughout my life. There is a primary song that I am reminded of and it goes like this:
"I Will Follow God's Plan for Me"
My life is a gift; my life has a plan.
My life has a purpose in heaven it began.
My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth
And seek for God's light to direct me from birth.
I will follow God's plan for me,
Holding fast to His word and His love.
I will work and I will pray; and I will always walk in His way.
Then I will be happy on earth
And in my home above.

A year ago I made the decision to go back to the singles ward from going to the family ward for the entire year before that... One of my callings in the family ward was Primary chorister and I think that calling strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ loads. I have always known the power that music can have for each of us, but I never fully understood. I have been doing musical things almost my entire life... I started singing in an apprentice choir when I was 6 years old, and always sang in nursery or primary before that. I started playing trumpet in the 6th grade and still play that today. Music is an important part of my life. So, being able to be with kids that I had taught in school and now teaching them in a gospel setting was humbling... as I left to return to the singles ward cause I knew it was time I knew how much I would miss singing these amazing primary hymns daily... however, because I think musically I have never truly stopped singing them. Another song comes to my mind that I love:
"I Often Go Walking"
I often go walking in meadows of clover,
And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.
I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over;
Dear mother all flowers remind me of you.  (you could change the mother to be father too)

I only put the first verse to that song... Anyway, in talking with a good friend tonight I realized why I love the gospel of Jesus Christ so much, and it has to do with the fact that He has truly made everything for us... He built the earth for us under the direction of our Father and then He sacrificed Himself by first taking upon each of our sins and then He hung on the cross to die as a significance to each of us that even as we all must die we may be resurrected and we can indeed live again! The Lord is truly magnificent in my eyes and I love Him with every fiber of my being! I shall leave you with two more songs:
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
For the Beauty of the Earth,
For the Beauty of the Skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

For the joy of human love,
Brother, Sister, Parent, Child
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild
Lord of All to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise

"I Feel My Savior's Love"
I feel my Savior's love
In all the world around me.
His spirit warms my soul
Through Everything I see
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me

I feel my Savior's love;
Its gentleness enfolds me,
And when I kneel to pray,
My heart is filled with peace.
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The love He freely gives me

I feel my Savior's love
And know that he will bless me
I offer him my heart
My shepherd He will be
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me.

I'll share my Savior's love
By serving others freely
In serving I am blessed
In giving I receive
He knows I will follow Him
Give all my life to Him
I feel my Savior's love
The Love He freely gives me.

I hope by reading this you have felt our Savior's love and that you may embrace your God and tell Him that you know HE is there for you and He does answer prayers!

Messages from on High!

  Twice a year I get the amazing privilege of being able to listen to servants of My Heavenly Father give us the most amazing counsel and guidance! This year has truly been a remarkable experience for me! So, here's a look into how conference was for me this most amazing first weekend in October! :-D

October 6, 2012 

 It all started when I decided to wake up early, but my alarm didn't go off thus my mom had to wake me up... it was at that second I knew the events of the day were meant to happen. My ward had been asked to sing on the sidewalk prior to conference for the Saturday Morning Session. We had to meet at the north visitor's center by 7:30 am which means we had to meet at our ward building by about 6:50 am! Talk about tired and cold! However, as we were briefed on everything we would enjoy and have to endure throughout the period of time we would be singing joy began to fill my heart! I was standing just outside the north gates as you walk toward the conference center... when we started there were protesters on the opposite corner yelling at members, and we decided quickly to start by singing Praise To The Man. It was interesting to listen to the protester trying to sing along with us. As gained order and each went around picking songs I noticed the voices of the protesters were no longer able to be heard and I looked over and they were still yelling... it was in that very moment I realized that Angels were singing with us and God was extremely proud of each of us there. Tears began to fill my eyes as I realized the power behind the gospel of Jesus Christ especially through His music! We sang until 9:50 am and we were immediately escorted into the conference center ( I have never gone so fast while singing in my entire life... I LOVED IT!) As I sat there and listened to the opening hymn and prayer I couldn't help but think that this conference would be one to go down in history for an extremely long time! President Monson was the first to speak and I knew there would probably be a temple or two to be announced which there was, but then he announced about full time missionaries and telling us that young men can now serve at 18 & young women at 19! How amazing for all the young people! If I were young I would totally go!!!!! I remember when I was 19 and all of my friends were leaving on missions and I wanted to know if I'd be able to serve and that was my first conformation that my mission would be to help others prepare for their missions. The talks and sessions just got better after that... with the entire theme being happiness, service, and missionary work there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I Belong to My Heavenly Father's true gospel of Jesus Christ! 

October 7,2012 did not disappoint either and there were even a few talks that made me tear up! You should all go and listen even if you aren't members of my faith... www.lds.org

I AM A MORMON! I KNOW IT! I LIVE IT! I LOVE IT! :-D