For good.

"there's no place like home, there's no place like home"


Like so many others, those four words were a big part of my childhood! And although I will always love the original "Wizard of Oz" About 2 years ago, I learned to look at that same lovely story in a completely different way when I saw "Wicked" for the first time.
In case you didn't know, wicked is easily the best thing ever to hit a stage:) and because my auntie spoils me absolutely rotten, last night, I had the glorious opportunity to go and see it again with some of my favorite people on planet earth:)
Although, I could comment forever on just how much I love those crazy ozians, that is not the point of this post:), the point is to talk about about just one song ..my favorite song in wicked, and quite possibly of all time. ....The song is "For Good" (as I'm sure the title didn't give away at all:). It's sung at the end when the time comes for 2 former best friends, to say goodbye, and close the part of their lives that the other person was a part of.
I was incredibly thankful today, to have the amazing lyrics of that song stuck in my head, as I had to say a pretty difficult final goodbye to someone who is a huge part of my past.
Although I know that I will see this person again in this life time, and my situation is not half as extreme as those magic ladies, it's still a chapter of my life that's closed now...or maybe, one that has been closed for a very long time, and I'm just now accepting it.
In any event, it was a tough blow, and while I was priding myself entirely on not bursting into tears, trust me, I wanted too! Somewhere in between the wondering why and the painful trips down memory lane, I thought again and again of these words:


"let me say before we part, so much of me, is made of what I learned from you....you'll be with me, like a hand print on my heart, and now whatever ways our stories end, just know you have re -written mine by being my friend."

No matter what happens, the lord knows when we need people and why we need them, and even if they arent in our lives forever, The people who touch our lives, touch them forever and FOR GOOD:)

A State of optimism

         It's a constant battle in my life. And honestly, I think it's a constant battle for all of us. At every point in time.  there is Something that's not going quite right. Hence, every day we are making a choice. A choice to find the sweet silver lining, or to let the darkness in our lives be more important than the light, personally, I think the first is the best option.

        If you want to be happy, you will be. And that happy will shine through you, to the point that those around you, have no choice but to be happy too! So love yourself, love those you are around! Love the good in your life, and even, love the bad. After all, all of it, is what makes you, "you" and all of you are amazing! 

     Be happy now, because happy is a choice, not a destination:)

Pranking in the third degree.

Once upon a time, there were 6 incredibly mischievous teenage girls. They were loud, they were obnoxious, and they were cray cray, but they were also complete geniuses! You see these 6 girls, were the BR1/PP4 YCL's and this year at girly camp they pulled off what is possibly the greatest prank in the history of Mormonism!
The mission began at approximately 11:30 on Thursday night after our eyes were all out of tears from a fab testimony meeting and all the leaders were safely in their tents. We did our best not too laugh as we picked up our own tent and began moving it about a half of a mile south. In the morning time we heard screams and frantic chatter from our dear sweet presidency...they probably thought we were abducted by roughens and thugs! But dont worry, we were eventually discovered asleep on the ampatheatre stage...and indeed forced to help clean up!
Ok...probably we aren't as cool or funny as we think we are, but one thing is for absolute certain Drea, Mattie, McKenna,Mindy, ryan and I had the absolute time of our lives in that YCL tent! We felt a profound spirit, laughed ourselves to tears and indeed, created true and lasting friendships!
So thank you my dear sweet YMCA's and thank you to my entire BRUNO ward family for making this yet another incredible year at girls camp! And for helping me know Christ better, just like you always do:) I love my young women, I love girls camp, and I love peanut m&ms, but mostly I love my savior and the incredible changes he's instilled in my heart this summer! He lives, he is real, and he loves us, I promise:)

Things that make me happy:)

This show!:

This place:

This ward:

this girl!:

THESE GIRLS!!:

This BOYYYYYYY:):

But more than anything.........

THIS PLACE! And the amazing feeling I get from being in it:)

happy summer <3

Hope you know, we had a hard time...

So sometimes...I'm extremely controlling. I like to do things MY way, on MY terms in MY right time. Im kind of a diva that way:)..But you see, there's someone who's way is always better than mine, someone who knows the pain I feel, and the fear in my heart better than I ever will. His name, is Jesus Christ. And there isn't a doubt in my mind that he DOES know I'm having a hard time..and his plans for getting me through it, are much better than mine could ever be. So for now, all I can do, is turn over the control to him, all the while, remembering to thank him for all that he has given me and even, for these hard times, after all, they force me to seek his comfort, and then, this awesome little thing happens where his love encircles me and i can't imagine anything sweeter than feeling love from the very man who proved that love is real:)


"be still my soul, when years and trials are past, all blessed there in we shall meet at last:)"

EFY OVERLOAD!!

A Picture says a thousand words?...well these pictures don't even begin to describe how absolutely incredible EFY was! I had the incredible opportunity to get to know these wonderful people, and I got to know Christ...through them:) Here are some of the millions of adventures I had last week! (Thanks a lot to my dear Timber Shay for letting me steal these:):) 

WHAT ROCKED?: EFY ROCKED:) love you guys so much! 

And now, my son, remember.

Sometimes, I sit at home on Saturday nights and watch "the price is right" it's a crazy little show on which people are simply asked to guess how much an item costs. Some people are crazy off in their guesses, people will Value a $400 TV for only $200, a $60000 car at only $2000 or even a $5 loaf of brad at $15!
But you see, technically, all of those people are right! In case you wanted an economics lesson today, I'll have you know that the value Of an item is "whatever someone is willing to pay for it." So i ask you, what, then, is the value of a soul?
That Is the question that every price right contestant should dread! Because there is no number, no amount and no possible way to comprehend the price Christ paid for our souls. He suffered more than any human heart will ever understand, he went like a lamb to the slaughter, he bled, and he cried and he died, to pay the awful price for our sins, and he did it because HE values our souls, more than we will ever know.

In return, he only asks 2 things of us!
1) that we try to live like him.
2) when we fall short, we use the incredible gift of his atonement to come back.

Personally, I think we owe him that and so much more! now is the time to arise, to repent and to become the people he wants us to be! It is the only way to show him that we are grateful for his incredible gift!

I have had an amazing week at EFY, I have grown in grace and wisdom, I have felt God's love for me, and come to LOVE 30 people who a week ago, were complete strangers. I felt a light growing in my heart,that no doubt, is the light of Christ and I have seen my testimony grow in countless ways!

However, none of it matters at all if I don't stick to the goals I set for myself at BYU campus! If I forget what the lord has let me feel, or if I return to old, Nasty habits! So I just wanted to share with you all, that I'm commiting to being a better me, to being the me our redeemer needs me to be. I want to be a better sister,daughter, neighbor and friend! And most of all, I want to never forget to put the lord very first! He deserves that so much!

I'm so grateful for this week! I'm so grateful to be one of so few people in the world who have this light and knowledge. I love the prophet Joseph smith, without him, I would be walking blindly with no knowlege of the truth, And most of all, I love Jesus Christ. He is my brother, my best friend, my advocate with the father,my redeemer, my protector, my EVERYTHING! I always want to remember that, and to live my life like I do!

Thank you so much my heroes in Zion company, for actually being my "heroes" and showing me what it means to remember!! I love you my brothers and sisters:)


PS: prepare to be bombarded with crazy stories and pictures from this crazy, wonderful week, very VERY soon:)