Adios

Well, yesterday was a very sad day.

We woke up at 4:30, hopped in the truck at 5:15 and drove within miles of Texas to take my cousins halfway home. The drive, although I was exhausted from 5 hours of sleep, just felt like a normal Sunday drive, I didnt get "jet lag" or anything. Just felt natural....weird.

Up until 2 weeks ago I didnt even know my cousins existed, now it's going to be so sad not to talk to them! At the beginning they annoyed the heck out of me, now they're like my brothers.

It was worth the 15 hour drive to go down and drop them off but gosh was it hard to not cry as we drove away. Hopefully I can come back in December when they're visiting, otherwise it may be a long time before I ever even talk to them again!

What fun memories that were created this summer!

:)

Kaitlyn, Mike, and Little Jo

15, 15, and just about 14

Ready For IMAGE OVERLOAD?!

What I've been doing this SUMMER!

Climbing up waterfalls....in flip flops

Looking at rivers.
Going on walks on fast roads.



Seeing Ted Pass Out
Looking at funny signs. (Mother Kluckers)
Observing what God created for me
Hanging out with monkeys

Climbing up steep mountain paths

Dealin' with Texans

Having fun in antique shops.

Looking at the beautiful sky.

Taking pictures of water

Looking at old mines

Looking down at home sweet home for the summer

Still with me?!

Why Hello :)

Well, apparently three people want to read my blog, and I'm excited about that. Having people leave comments and comment about me posting away from blogspot got my heart pumping and the love started coming back into me. I'm so excited :).
So thanks to all your comments....and Shai, thanks for your post! ha.

Today we went river rafting, and we're headed off there again tomorrow. So I'll post more later. Just know I'm having tons of fun :).

Youv'e been hacked!! Just kidding!

Oh no! Who could it be!? Oh, no need to worry...its just me, shai! I just wanted to say now you don't have an excuse not to post!!!:)
Love,
Shai!:)

Dusting Off

Well, I'm sure nobody will even read this blog or check it anymore, but here's me apologizing.
I went to Idaho in the beginning of March for three weeks, and that caught me on a spiral of not wanting to write on my blog anymore. Since then it's been a "oh its been too long since I wrote" and I just haven't.
Life has been crazy lately.
I can't promise how often I will post on here, I will try and write though.
I forgot how therapeutic it can be, and I most definitely need that in my life!

I Learned Something New!

When I first read this I was shocked...and felt lied to...but as I got thinking about it, I've never been taught in church about this idea. I think it's something interesting to note, and it's a big "mormon myth" that most people in our church believe. This is quoted from the book "How Do You Know When You're Really In Love?" by Robert K. McIntosh

"Some young people spend their dating years looking for the person they chose in premortality-their so-called "soul mate." They believe that when they meet this person there will be an immediate attraction because the have already selected each other. Such young people believe that marriages were made in heaven. Consider an experience Brother Truman Madsen once had with President and Sister Joseph Fielding Smith.

"I was in the Church offices when I ran into his wife. Since she was going into his office, she took me with her. 'Let's go see Daddy,' she said. I knew who Daddy was. As the great Church scripturalist he overawed me. He looked up with a smile and said, 'Brother Madsen, you can have one question.' So I asked, 'Bother Smith, do you think marriages are made in heaven?' Well, I had him over a barrel-his wife was standing there. And he hesitated, so she kind of punched him. 'Daddy, Daddy, don't you think our marriage was made in heaven?' Now, he had to be honest. So he said, 'Well, it's in heaven now.'"

"Here is what Joseph Fielding Smith taught publicly regarding this myth: "we have no scriptural justification, however, for the belief that we had the privilege of choosing our parents and our life companions in the spirit world. This belief has been advocated by some, and it is possible that in some instances it is true, but it would require too great a stretch of the imagination to believe it to be so in all, or even in the majority of cases. Most likely we came where those in authority decided to send us. Our agency may not have been exercised to the extent of making choice of parents and posterity.'"

This book was so interesting! I wish I could type it all up and let you all read it! Even if you are married I would still recommend you read it because it has some great tips on marriages and improving yourself to be the best companion you can be. I think as I get older this knowledge from this book will really help me be prepared to make good choices and prepare for celestial marriage.

When Life Knocks You Down

Two buckets were sitting on the edge of a well. One turned to the other
with mouth drooping down, "All I do is go down and come up and go down and come
up all day long. No matter how many times I come up full, I always go down
empty."
The other bucket gavea warm smile. "That's funny," she said. "I do
the same thing. All I do is go down and come up and go down and come up all day
long. But no matter how many times I go down empty, I always come up full"
-Bits and Pieces.

I've been thinking about this and I just thought it was a funny coinicidence that I found this story. I hope that everyone will remember this...I know a couple of people that I should share it with. Remember that with every trial there is a learning experience and it will all work out for the better and we will all be made such better people through all of it. God will only give you as much as you can handle and you just have to turn yourself to him and trust that He will know where that line is. I look back at situations where I thought I'd rather die than go through with what He was putting me through, and those situations are where I have had my life changing growing points that have made all my good qualities today. So if you are ever down just remember, every time you go down you must come up. And when you are up be prepared so that next time you go down it wont be so hard, and you can remember that in due time you'll be up again, and have another chance to prepare.