So today was one of those days where I was really bored all day, so I resorted to my old days of spending way too much time on Pinterest. I saw these really cute headbands and since right now most of my clothes are in Idaho and I need new things for my closet I decided to try them. They are amazingly easy and super cute!
Yup! It's that easy!
1) find an old t-shirt or tank top to cut up (make sure it's stretchy)
2) cut off the seam at the bottom
3) cut the shirt in whatever width you want your headband to be - keep in mind that it will bunch up and be thinner than you would think
4) twist it twice in the middle
5) fold it over
6) place on head and look fabulous
I have 6 new head bands now and I am so excited to wear them!
The world we live in is full of drugs and addictions. People look down on addictions but no one does anything about it. Well a group of people have started a new organization to fight the new drug: Pornography. Yes Porn is a drug, it's addictive and it ruins lives. This organization is teaching others how it really is addictive, how it negatively affects users, and how to recover from an addiction. I for one am excited to hear about a group that is doing something about this problem, I can't wait to help support them and do what I can do spread the word. You can help fight the new drug to and spread the word. Click here to see the website!
So as y'all know I'm in Washington visiting my grandparents for a couple weeks. Well, while I was here I got asked out on a date. There are no need for names but just think: tall, dark, and handsome ;)
Well the original plan was hiking, but plans changed last minute, and we went to his family lake house at Lake Cushman. I figured this meant swimming so I was definitely unprepared for everything that we got to do. From 9:30 am to 5 pm we played hard and let me tell you, I am exhausted.
--Listening to Beach Boys and Lord of the Rings: CHECK
--Throwing big rocks off of a REALLY TALL bridge: CHECK
It was sooooo gorgeous. The first picture is of my view from the bridge. Oh and apparently when you throw big rocks off of big bridges into water they make big BOOM noises. It was like fire works! Especially when the rock hit a cliff and exploded before hitting the water.
--Kayaking across a beautiful lake: CHECK
--Climbing down (and up) not one but THREE waterfalls: CHECK
Ok so I was NOT prepared to hike and climb, I brought my bathing suit and the only shoes I had were Toms, and if you don't know they have ZERO tread. So we climbed down these waterfalls with no tread shoes, I thought I was going to die several times. Did I mention that the water was so cold that when I got in I literally couldn't breath for a second. The hike was hard but so worth it. Once we got to the bottom we got to just sit in the sun and relax and enjoy the breathtaking beauty... And then we had to go back up. My legs are quite angry at me right now after all that climbing.
--Learning how to drive a boat: CHECK
--Drank mini Martinelli's: CHECK
--Swam in a beautiful lake: CHECK
--Had an awesome gospel discussion during the hour car drive home: CHECK
--Smiled a lot: CHECK
What a great date, and totally not a normal date that's for sure. I had so much fun and I am really proud of myself for climbing those waterfalls it's definitely something I never thought I would have the guts to do. But let me tell you, I wouldn't have been able to do it if I wasn't praying the whole time down those waterfalls. Another testimony to me that the Lord hears and answers prayers even the small insignificant ones.
Everyone deserves to Smile! Kid President is my happy-make-the-world-a-better-place-inspiration guy. He is always talking about making the world a better place and being nice to people. So today I wanted to share his best videos with you. Watch them! You won't regret it! and then share them to help make someone else's day better. Enjoy :)
Everyone loves cookies and everyone seems to be on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Well, I found it! Maybe it's just the magic that comes with baking at Grandma's house, but today I made the perfect cookies. What makes me think they are perfect? Well, they are delicious soft and fluffy. They aren't the cookies that go flat in the oven.
We found the recipe on pinterest and decided to give it a try, so now I'm sharing it with you because everyone deserves to eat the perfect cookie right?!
3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch (the secret ingredient!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. In a mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract.
3. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
4. Stir in chocolate chips
5. Make cookie dough balls about 1 inch in size. Bake for 8-10 minutes until barely golden around the edges (the tops won't brown, but do not cook longer than 10 minutes).
6. Let cool on sheet for for 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to finish cooling on rack. Makes about 3 dozen.
7. Enjoy and share!
I would upload pictures but I don't have any 3G service here so I can't upload my pictures from my phone. So you will just have to make them and see how beautiful they are yourself!
I love following other blogs, one of my favorites is called "Savor his Goodness"by Caitlin Rose. I don't even know how I found it, but I love it! She is so faithful and profound and I love reading what she has to say. This post was from last week, but I loved it so I decided to share it. Hopefully you get as much out of it as I did!
I have loved working with older adults for the past two months. If there's anything I've really admired about them, it's how bold so many of them are with their faith. The ones who love the Lord are not afraid to share it with anyone who will listen, living out Romans 1:6 ("For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. For it is the power of God unto salvation for all believers, the Jew first, and the Greeks")
These are just some of the things patients have said:
"The Lord promised in his Word that He will never leave us or forsake us. He's always by our side, and there's a reason for everything, even if the only reason is to strengthen our relationship with Him."
"I know I'm going to get better, but it will only be with the help of the Lord."
"I have been improving a little bit every single day, and I owe it all to the Lord."
"Every good thing comes from God."
When asking a 100+ year old the secret to living to 100: "I have put God first throughout my whole life, and in return he has been so good to me. I wake up every morning and thank him for waking me up to see a new day and for helping me with everything I need to do."
There are frequent exclamations of "God is so good," "Praise the Lord," and "Thanks be to God!"
There are also frequent prayers: "Please Lord, just help me do this!" And these prayers are said in a sincere way, not how some people exclaim things like "God help us all!"
I don't know whether it's because of their age and experiences or because of their culture, but these adults have no inhibitions about sharing their faith. There are no worries about whether or not they're talking to people who don't believe in God, and they have no fears of rejection. They share what's on their hearts, and they want everyone to see how good God is.
So why am I so reserved and timid about sharing my faith? I have no problem talking with my husband and close friends about it and sharing it on the Internet (I mean, duh, I have a blog), but why not in day to day conversations, even with people I don't know? Is it an age thing or a personality thing?
I guess part of it comes from worrying about imposing my faith on others who aren't believers and causing offense. But is it really imposing or offensive to share where my joy comes from? Sharing in a way that doesn't come off as you should believe this, but the way my patients go about doing it in showing how God is working in their lives.
While I obviously can't bring up religion on fieldwork unless a patient starts the conversation, I am trying to figure out how I can become more bold and fearless in sharing my faith. I suppose a start could be bringing it up with strangers. If a stranger congratulates me on my pregnancy, I could respond with something like "Thank you so much. God has truly blessed us!" Other than that, I am giving it some thought as to how I can be more open.
After all, we are all called to spread the Word.
"And he said to them 'Go forth to the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature.' "
- Mark 16:15
How do you go about sharing your faith with others? Do you talk about your faith with strangers? Do you wait for someone else to bring it up before you talk about it?
Two years is a long time to leave your family and friends. Missionaries sacrifice so much to do so, and saying goodbye is always so hard. This song describes perfectly how a mother, a missionary girlfriend, and a missionary feel when they leave.
I know I will miss my family so much but I know that I'm spending 2 years without them so that I can help others spend an eternity with their families.
The second verse always brings tears to my eyes. My best friend Dalton Oakey is serving is mission in California right now. He has been gone just over 2 months, and saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
Pay close attention to the last verse for how I feel: "It's only a small thing when you look at eternity".
Her little boy has grown up so fast,
She looks back in awe at the time that has past.
Now, 18 years old and he's ready to go
To share his light and God's love with the world.
She'd always known that this day was ahead,
Now it's finally here and she just stares at his bed.
Where a few white shirts and long black coat
Sit in his suitcase with a letter she wrote, saying:
My best friend :)
Two years is a long time for me,
To be here without you
It's hard to believe
But I know it's the right thing.
And I'll miss you dearly.
Young girl, just 18 years old
Wasn't quite ready to see her best friend go,
For 730 days she tried to hold them back,
But her tears gave way, saying:
Two years is a long time for me,
To be here without you
It's hard to believe
But I know it's the right thing.
And I'll miss you dearly.
Car pulls up, time is now,
To say goodbye for 2 years, they didn't know how
He got his bags, tears rush out.
With a heart full of love, he says:
Two years is the time for me
To give back for I owe each breathe that I breath
It's only a small thing,
When you look at eternity.
Well I have known for five days now that I am going to Peru for my mission. PERU! When I opened my call, I didn't even know exactly where Peru was or anything about it for that matter.
Here is Peru. Right in the center is the city of Huancayo. It is the 5th largest city in Peru. It is located in the Central Andes Mountains. And this is where I am going to be spending the next 18 months of my life. Some things I have learned about Peru:
Guinea Pigs are a big deal. In the city of Huaráz they have a Guinea Pig festival!! They dress them up and have contests and everything. Pretty exciting huh?? They also eat them! I am actually pretty excited about eating Guinea Pigs, it is a common dish there.
The weather in Huancayo is perfect. The average temperature is 57, and the yearly temperatures go from mid 20s to mid 80s. PERFECT! I can't wait.
There are two distinct seasons in Peru. The wet season and the dry season. Their summer months (November- April) are wet and rainy. And their winter (May-October) are really dry. That will be something to adjust to. Especially having Christmas in the summer time...
THERE ARE LLAMAS.
I will be taking a lot of cold showers, so in order to prepare myself for that, I have started taking cold showers. And surprisingly I like them.
There are really freaky bugs there....
The ancient Incas are front there along with their ancient city, Machu Picchu.
I can't wait to learn more, and to submerge myself in the culture and the language. Adios!
Don't ask me why, but for as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with Davy Crockett. I just remember hearing about him one day. And then I found his biography in the school library when I was in 4th grade. I don't even remember how many times I read that thing. I voluntarily wrote a research paper about him in school and I was constantly singing his theme song from the Disney movie (which you can hear in the youtube video I posted). For those of you who don't know who he is, he is a butt-kickin frontier man/ politician from Tennessee. He was one of the few who responded to the call for help at the Alamo, and there he took his last stand, as no one who fought in the Alamo that day survived. Because of this I have always wanted to go visit them Alamo. Well... this past week, I got to see the place of my childhood dreams!
We took a company vacation to San Antonio and I was way to excited to finally see the Alamo. I wandered around in awe, and I bought way too many souvenirs. It was awesome, and I can't wait to go back one day!
Ronnie, Isaac and I in the car on the way there
SO CLOSE!! I was freaking out by this point.
FINALLY fulfilling my childhood dreams at the Alamo! (Don't judge the bad foot tan)
Hey y'all! Sorry that I haven't posted in a LONG time. This past semester was crazy busy, although that isn't a very good excuse. Here is the latest in the life of me: School: I just finished my freshman year at BYU-Idaho! I loved every minute of it. It's such a great place. I made some wonderful friends and had so many amazing experiences. I am really going to miss it since I won't be back for 2 years. Oh and I changed my major... again... now I am an Early Childhood Education major. Texas: I feel like I have lived in so many places. Washington, Michigan, California, North Carolina, and now TEXAS. Weird huh? I have been living in the Houston, Texas area for a month now. I love it! It actually really reminds me of home here. I love being in the south again, and I can't believe how much I missed the humidity. Right now I am working for White Knight Pest Control doing door-to-door sales. It is definitely the most adventurous thing I have ever done. I have met so many wonderful people so far, and I am learning so much! Mission: For those of you who have known me for any great length of time, you already know I want to go on a mission. I have wanted to serve a mission since I was 12 years old. Well, now it's actually happening!! Since the church changed the mission ages I can go on a mission when I am 19, instead of 21. And guess what?! I turn 19 in less than a month. As of now my mission papers are complete and I am just waiting for an interview with my Stake President to turn them in. I am so excited to serve the Lord. I feel like my entire life has been leading up to a mission. I will keep you posted on where I am serving when I know! Here are some pictures of me and my adventures over the last 6 months.
My boys! Dalton on the left and Shane on the right. They were both in
my mission prep class and made my semester amazing.
Dalton is now serving his mission in San Fernando California
and Shane is in the Mexico, Puebla North Mission. I am so proud of them and I miss them!
My best friend Dalton!
My amazing drawing of a Sister Missionary
Mission papers picture!
Project Inspire! I spent all semester planning this 3 day service
project service project.
It was so much fun and an amazing experience.
My new roommate Maddie!
Tucker! My bosses kid, AKA Ronnie's nephew. He is soooo cute.
And he lives next door. Yessssss!
This semester has already been so much fun!
This is my first real winter with snow and coldness and it has definitely been an adventure.
I have fallen in the snow and learned how to layer my clothes so that I stay warm all day.
Lucky for me, I have found myself a cuddle buddy. His name is Adam Jackson and he has been my boyfriend for a whole 2 days now!
How exciting! My first college-big-girl-boyfriend!
My latest adventure was this past Monday. My ward took a trip to a school owned facility called Badger Creek. I had my first real sledding experience AND Adam ended up losing control of the car momentarily and we ended up in a snow filled ditch. Surprisingly it was tons of fun! Luckily we have good enough friends that stopped and helped us pull the car out of the snow.
Next on the agenda was sledding! After getting to the Lodge we put on all of our winter gear, grabbed our sleds, and climbed up the hill. It was so much fun!! I only ended up going down the hill a few times because it was freezing, but it was a great experience.
Shout-outs to Adam Jackson, Cassy Hack, and Taylor Cade for making my day exceptionally awesome!
The scenery was so beautiful as we headed to Badger Creek. I couldn't help but take lots of pictures.
I really wished my family was there to experience the beautiful scenery with me. Especially Preston and Lindsey. They have never seen the beauty of snow covered mountains in the winter. So these pictures are for them: Lindsey-loo and Little Man.
Adam drove us off the road...
Luckily a bunch of our great, manly guy friends stopped to help!
Me and my roommate Cassy!
Stuck in the snow after Adam drove us into a ditch.
Taylor and Me after our first sledding experience.
