EFY Withdrawls...

  This weekend was filled with EFY and its only January! Say what? I guess I should explain myself. First, for people who do not know what in the world I am talking about, EFY stands for Especially For Youth. It is a camp organization that is ran by BYU. It a a youth camp for kids 14-18 years old to meet new youth, gain a strong testimony of the Gospel, and to come closer to Christ. Yes it is a camp that is focused on the LDS faith but that does not mean it is only for LDS teens. The kids come for a week, they have classes, activities, a variety show, spiritual moments, meet new friends, and dance! Thats right we have two dances each week! Crazy!! Anyways, that is a little about the program.
  So on Friday I got the opportunity to do an interview to be a counselor for this upcoming summer again. And I got asked the question, why do you want to do this again? You know you get lack of sleep, that some kids are harder than others, and you could get another job, why continue? I sat there for a moment realizing I never asked myself that question before. Than it hit me, because I love seeing the difference the kids make from the beginning to the end of the week. Seeing the shy girls I have ask a boy on a girl choice slow song on friday, or seeing a girl who was confused about the church bare her testimony on that thursday. Seeing those changes made and learning about the Gospel every day for weeks on end. Also, the friends I personally made these past two summers. Seeing how I talk to them and keep in touch with more than some friends I have known for longer. Being able to meet people from all different walks of life, and going to these amazing places. Those are the reasons why I want to do this again. I know that the kids that I have had in the past have made me a better person and I have learned so much from them, and I can see what they learned from each other. It just amazes me.
  Saturday was EFY Express St. George. Wow just getting a taste for what the summer brings, just gets me all excited. The craziness of check in and registration, the classes, the crazy and random talents kids have, and the dances! All of this in one day! Crazy! Even though I did not get my own kids on saturday I still learned from them. I saw the same things I saw last summer. Small changes. It just reassured me that I want to work this summer for EFY. I hope I get to, that Heavenly Father has it in his plan for me to go at least one more summer. I know that this program is amazing. And I love the sleep deprived weeks, the traveling, the new sets of kids every week, and the experiences. It is all worth it. :)

EFY Express St. George 2014

I love to see the temple :)

  I am LDS. I love my religion with all my heart and soul. I believe it is true and I believe the values and lessons I have learned from my church has made me the woman I am today. As some may know, in the LDS church has temples all around the world. These temples are sacred and beautiful places that we as members cherish. You have to admit, if you have ever seen a LDS temple (even if you are not Mormon) that they are beautiful buildings. Well I have said that my goal is to visit all the LDS temples in the world. Now realistically that will be very challenging, due to the fact that more get called each year, and there is already over like 140 (I am not totally sure). That would be super hard. But I am not calling defeat quite yet. I will try my best as I live my life on this earth to go to every temple. And for me I just want to take a picture in front of it. If I get a chance while I am there to go inside, great, if not at least I got to see the outside beauty and take a picture.
   I have actually visited a lot lately, with all of our adventuous traveling, we decided we would stop at any temple on our way... if we remembered. haha It has been fun seeing the different temples. Some are bigger than others, but they are all unique and so special! So I wanted to show you the ones that I have been to and a fun fact about them.

The Temples I Have Visited:

1. Los Angeles California: This was the first temple I ever went to. Now this was before my plan so I do not have a picture of me but I feel like you should still get to see it...So here is one I just found on Google.
   
2. Salt Lake City, Utah: This temple took the Saints 40 years to make. It made with granite, and reminds everyone of a castle. What  do you think? Also, every year around Christmas they have lights everywhere and millions of people visit every year to see. It is so pretty at Christmas time.
   
   
3. Jordan River, Utah: The day this picture was taken, we went together as cousins and when we got out there was a thunder and lightning storm and it looked legit when lightning stuck behind the temple.
   
4. Oquirrh Mountain, Utah: This is the first "smaller" temple I went to. Yeah it still looks huge. haha And actually one night days after the angel Moroni (some of the temples have a golden person with a horn on top, if you want to know more about him and his story check out lds.org or mormon.org I promise you can find out there) was put on the temple, there was a thunder and lightning storm and it got struck by lightning and it had to be replaced.
   
   
5. Draper, Utah: Fun story, came here with a group of friends when it was first open (well it had only been open for a couple of months) and it was already closed for cleaning.. opps. haha
   
6. Brigham City, Utah: This is the newest dedicated temple for Utah. My roommate Kelsey and I got to go just months after it opened. We went early, lack of sleep, so we forgot a picture. Again you still need to see the beauty. Google is seriously AMAZING!
   
7. St. George, Utah: People think that Salt Lake was the first temple in Utah. Well you are mistaken, this temple was actually the first temple in the state and still sits on its original foundation.
   
8. Manti, Utah: I got to see this temple everyday while I was going to school at Snow College. Fun Fact, the roof is designed like a bottom of a boat. I guess that is what you get when you have Scandinavians build a temple.
   
9. Newport Beach, California: This is the temple I want to one day marry in. When I was younger and it was being built, they had all the kids write on a rock their name and favorite scripture, and the put it in the temple. So apart of me is in there and I want my special day to be there. Its my favorite one.
   
10. Reno, Nevada: Seriously the smallest temple I have ever seen. It is on a hill and it makes you wonder if it is a temple or a large house. But again super pretty.
    
11. Oakland, California: It is such a cool and pretty temple. You can see the whole valley from the temple and the whole valley can see the temple. 
    
12. Sacramento, California: There is a park on the temple grounds. Like with picnic tables, park bathrooms (probably the cleanest park bathrooms ever) and everything! I aboslutely loved it there.
    
13. Boise, Idaho: This is a very different temple. The spire or thing, is not connected to the building which weirded me out not going to lie, but I love how different it is. And side note, I was in sweats that day and there was a wedding (not of anyone I knew) and I felt so weird and under dressed. haha Traveling all day what can you expect?

 Some of the pictures are not of the whole temple, I guess if you really want to see, google! haha Seriously though I love how all of them are super different and yet are all for the same purpose. I feel like that is like people. There is seriously no two people that are the exact same. There is something different about each and every one of us, yet we are the same and have the same purpose, to live to the best of our abilities, to do what we strive for, make goals, fall in love, have a family, make a happy life and one day pass on into the next life. :) See what I did there? haha but seriously, I have all these random things to say about each temple, but they all have the same purpose. Same with people. We are all different. Some are different religions, some see things differently, but we all have a lot of the same purposes.
  I really do love visiting new temples. Seeing the different beauty it brings to the surrounding area. From a far I have seen a lot, but I do not count them because I want to step foot on the property. So until than 13 down, somewhere around 120 to go. Maybe more or maybe less. But hey it gives me an excuse to travel right?! :)

Wow... 2013... You Were One for the Books...

  So in the month of January 2013, I decided that I would make resolutions for the year and put them on a poster so that I could see it everyday. This way I could actually work on getting these goals done throughout the year. Also, I put on there what I did know what was going to happen so that it was also like a timeline for the year. So these were some of my goals for 2013:

• Get back into Shape [I would give that a check...in better shape than I was last january]
• Get a passport [Didn't happen... lets make that a 2014 goal]
• Write in my journal everyday [Missed a couple days...]
• EFY Counselor [Best 6 weeks of my summer]
• Learn a new skill [Tiling from daddy]
• Learn how to do the cartwheel into the splits [Didn't happen... new year to try]

  With these goals, I learned so much. To get back into shape, I took a weight training class and that helped me try to get into the habit of working out. Yes it was hard, but I believe that by the end I realized that it was nice to go to the gym and get away for a bit. Also, that it does not matter how heavy a workout you have, just the fact you are going means a lot. Writing in my journal helped me so much this year. Being able to get my feelings out on paper and just reviewing each day has gotten me through a lot. I was not perfect and missed a day or a week here and there but the fact that I wrote more in my journal this year than I ever have means progress. I learned how to tile from my daddy. That was such an amazing experience and now I have a skill that most girls never learn.

   [Putting in the new floor before doing the tile job]

 [My third journal of the year.. finished]

  There are some things that did not happen this year. I didn't get my passport, didn't learn how to do the cartwheel into the splits, and I didn't go to the temple every month. But here is the great thing about the new year... Its a new year... I can make those goals once again and work hard to actually do them this year.

  [Me in front of the St. George LDS temple]

  Review the year, it has been one crazy year. I have had some great times, with being an EFY counselor, making new friends, continuing my education at SUU, and so much more. I have had some hard times, getting worse and worse news about my dad, him passing away, and hearing about more bad news about other people. Now it is time for a new year and new memories.

  [Some of my crazy fun EFY kids]

 [The man that will never leave my heart and will always be my daddy]

  For you, whoever you may be, I have some advice for you. Make a list, and put it somewhere. It does not have to be all goals, it can something you know will happen that year, no matter what add it to the list. Do not get discouraged if your year is not going the way you wanted to. And remember the great thing about a new year, is that you can work on new things and old things. Good luck with this year. I hope it is a better year for everyone. :) Hello 2014

3 trips in 4 months?! Yes we are nuts!

  Its been four months since daddy has passed. In those four months, my brothers, mom and I have traveled to San Fransisco, Oregon, and Southern California. Our car has put on a lot of miles that is for sure. They have been some crazy adventures as well. So since the trips are over for a while, why not tell you about our adventures?!

            San Fransisco

  So dad passed away the weekend before school. Talk about timing right? Everything happens for a reason that is for sure. Well the funeral was that next tuesday, and none of us were ready to enter back into the real world on wednesday...or thursday...or friday... And mom promised dad that she would take us somewhere to get away before having to start our lives without him. As we were contimplating on where to go, my mom's best friend mentioned San Fransisco. None of us kids had ever been and my mom was little the last time she went. So decided what the hey, lets go to San Fransisco. 

   Our first full day we went into San Fransisco and did the usual tourist sights. Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, Cable Cars, China Town, and well we took a picture with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It was fun. It was fun, we mostly went into a lot of shops and did a lot of walking. Austin was obsessed with taking pictures of the seals that were at the pier. 

    [On the world famous Cable Cars]

    [We couldn't visit Alcatraz but I got to squish it]

    [Your typical picture with the Golden Gate]

    [Mom and me in Ghirardelli Square]

  The next day we decided to take a drive down south a bit to Santa Cruz. We are definitely a beach family. What can I say, we love the sand, water and warm sun. When we were looking at a magazine in our hotel room we saw that there was a surfing museum and the boardwalk. So why not?! It was so much fun. The surfing museum is really small...like super small... but oh man was it cool and really interesting! Than we made our way to the world famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It was so cool! We road some rides, did some shopping and of course took more pictures. It was really cool when you were on the ride and you can see the ocean. On our way back we decided to go up the coast and we found an old light house! It was definitely a stop we had to take! 

   [The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum]

      [Us in front of the lighthouse]

      [The only picture of the four of us the whole trip]

     [Austin being a showoff and climbed the statue]

        [Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the background]

  It was definitely a fun trip. It was new and different. It was something we needed. Our last taste of summer and fantasy right before entering a new era to our lives.

           

 Oregon

     Every year its a switch between one side to the other for Thanksgiving. I hear most families do it. Well it was the "others" turn this year. Well all of our other family is not in the state of Utah. Mom did not want to cook and it was the first main/big holiday without daddy. So it was either Southern California or Oregon. Because we couldn't make it to Oklahoma in the small amount of time we have for thanksgiving. Hopefully one year that could happen. We decided that we haven't been to Oregon in years, and my grandma's birthday was on Thanksgiving, and ever since I was born no matter what year, we spend those special Thanksgivings with her. Over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house we go. Legitimately, we went over the Snake river, through mountains, to a sweet little town to Grandmas. It was definitely just a relaxing trip. Got to spend time catching up with my Grandma Kittie and Grandpa Glade. Went sight seeing and saw a beautiful waterfall that my brothers climbed down the edge of a cliff to get a better picture of the waterfall. Grandma taught mom and me about genealogy. That was really fun. [No I am serious I thought it was fun]. We had a nice weekend with my grandparents. It was a perfect break right before the craziness of finals week and the start of the holiday's.

[Over the River]

 [Through the woods]

 [To Grandmother house we go]

 [The Beautiful waterfall]

 [I found bones!! I sure hope its only animal bones]

Southern California

The last trip for us was of course to go home for Christmas. Well the day after Christmas. To help us get through this holiday was knowing we got to go to beautiful, warm Southern California. We got a break from the cold, cold, did I mention cold snow. It was definitely nice and needed. We visited as much as we could for our small time we had there. We got to go to the beach every day. Ahh everyday at the warm beach. It was weird seeing people in shorts and tank tops, in December. Haven't seen that in years.It was fun catching up with everyone we did get to visit with. They all offered us food. Man I guess they heard of our cold winter and wanted to fatten us up to stay nice and warm. Thanks for caring :) I think we will be set. I will have to admit, it was first weird seeing some people for the first time in years. Not only because it had been a long time, but because the last time we saw them, dad was in the picture as  well. But that weirdness went away super fast and it was blast catching up, hearing stories, and just laughing. And oh man the beach. The peacefulness it brings and just how amazing it is. I do miss having it so close. 

[Us at the beach]

 [Seriously the best feeling in the world...even if it is cold]

 [Huntington Beach... Take me back please]

All these trips have been fantastic. Yeah they have been all pretty short trips and a lot of the time in the car but they have all been worth it. As time goes, some things get easier and these trips are what have made it easier. Spending the first week, first thanksgiving, and the first Christmas break somewhere besides home has really helped. The places we have gone and the people we have visited are amazing. It was definitely crazy of us to do three trips in four months but who we do more trips if we could? Oh yeah in a heart beat. Maybe one day we can do more trips. Honestly, the time we have spent together has been the best. Yeah we fight who has to stay up with the driver, but we are all together, smiling and laughing. And to us, that is all that matters.

Life Keeps Going...

   Its hard to realize that you have to continue in this life when you have to realize that one person will no longer be in it physically. But what is life if we do not keep going? What is it if we just stop because something happened? It isn't life. Its nothing. We must keep moving forward. Sometimes life just plain out sucks but guess what...It continues. We can't stay still, we can't always stay the same, or wish for the past to come back. With doing that we wish away the present and how it can help your future. Life needs to keep going, no matter how hard it is.
  It has been a little rough this school year. I never thought missing the first week of school would have been such a big deal, but I was totally wrong! Do not ever do that! You miss the understanding of projects that will be due during the semester, and you miss what the teacher expects from the class. Than you also miss out on the fun things that happen. But guess what. You live and learn. And well I guess I kind of had a good excuse for missing the first week.
  I was terrified to have life continue. Realizing all the things I still have to do, not just in life, but in the next year. As I got to Cedar, that fear slowly died and a lot of that has to do with my roommates. These girls are seriously AMAZING! They definitely know how to keep me on my toes and busy. Honestly, I do not know how I could have gotten through these months without them!

[For Halloween we were characters from Peter Pan :)]
  Speaking of which, I wanted a change. I wanted something different. The world is changing around me, some change I wish that didn't happen and some that I love, but any way you put it, change happens. I guess I wanted to do my own. So it was my hair that got the change. I chopped off a lot. It is definitely something completely different. I like it. Honestly, I think my long hair just kept reminding me of a couple months ago. What my dad saw. Now its time to change. I needed something new. It was like chopping off the horrible things that happened and saying its time for a fresh new start.

Before :)

After :)
  Change is a good thing. It is another thing about life. Sometimes it is the death of a parent, a change of a school, a change of heart, new people in your life, people leaving your life, or even down to a new hair cut. All of these are a part of life. We cannot choose all the changes that happen but no matter what they are going to happen. So embrace it. Embrace the time we have with whatever it is. We live in a world that continually changes and guess what, we change too.

Kill it, Beat it, Prevent it

  Cancer. That word is everywhere. On TV, Billboards, talked about in class, someone talks about it, someone you know has it, or shoot I even heard about it at a parade this morning. The word is seriously everywhere. And what is mostly said, is about the death of cancer. They talk about preventing it but the surviving numbers are hardly mentioned, mostly because it always depends on the patient and what the cancer does. I have even noticed this. I have talked about my dad's battle and how it ended through death. But what I don't talk about as much is my surviving mom. Yep that is right, my mom is a five year survivor of breast cancer.
  I still remember the day she came to me saying she found something. I was about to leave my room with my bag packed because we were going on a mother daughter trip to California for my best friend's graduation, and she told me that she found something and its not good. Than after the trip I remember her coming home baling her eyes out and I knew it.. She had breast cancer. I was 15, my brothers were 12 and 9. One thing about my mom was that she looked at us and knew she had to do everything to make sure she stayed on this Earth as long as possible. She went through a surgery to get the tumor out, Chemo, and Radiation. The Chemo and Radiation was to prevent the cancer to come again. Every treatment made her percentage go down. She is such an amazing example to me. She realized she had to do everything in her power and in the power of treatment to do everything possible to stay.
   People say how sad it is that both of my parents have had cancer. Yeah it sucked and still sucks. But because of it I experienced both sides, which is something a lot of people cannot say. I experienced one who survived and one who passed. Neither were any special than the other. It was up to the cancer. My moms didn't spread at all, and my dads sadly did.
   One thing about cancer is that most of it can be prevented. You hear it all the time on the TV and guess what, they are not wrong. So question how can we prevent it? First off, be healthy. Smoking can be the result of lung cancer, alcohol can be the result of liver cancer ( I think you get the picture). Second, you feel something.. GO TO THE DOCTOR! I do not care if it is the tiniest thing. It could be something or it could be nothing but how are you suppose to know? Third, do your annual check-ups. Physicals sound pointless for "healthy" people but its for everyone and you never know what the doctor may see or find that you didn't notice. Doing these are not going to fully prevent you from getting cancer but it can maybe change your outcome. This month is breast cancer awareness month. So woman get your mammograms. Do it. Yeah I hear they are not the funniest things in the world but guess what neither is cancer. Lets have more survivors. Sometimes the only way to win the battle is leaving this Earth but why not do everything possible to be able to say I am a survivor! I beat cancer in the butt or even better I have always been cancer free. Don't feed cancer by your decisions...kill it, beat it, prevent it.
  I have seen what cancer can do to people, and if I could have one wish it would be that no one would have to see what I saw. Trust me its not pretty no matter if they survive or not. Know about your family history, get check ups, if you question something ask. Please do not just brush it off. You never know what will come of it.

You did so much... You went through so much... You are loved so much...

 You were there to pick me up when I fell, or broke my arm.You were there to take me to my first father daughter dance. You bought me my first corsage. You even taught me how to slow dance. You went to all my church events even though you were not a member. You taught me how to play baseball. You taught me how to love football. You took me to my first cheer competition. You are the one who found a way for me to keep doing jujitsu. You are the one who taught me how to properly punch. You would take your time to help me with my fundraisers. You taught me to do whatever I want and to not listen to what other people say. You hardly missed any of my performances or games. You showed me how important it was to work for what you want. You taught me to do things for myself. You taught me I could make basically anything out of wood. You taught me how to tile. You taught me how there is always a way.You supported me in all my dreams. You knew I could do it even when I didn't. You always watched after me and protected me. You watched out for me and thought what would be best for me.

  You spent 21 years watching over, providing, taking care of, and loving us. This past summer we got to be in your shoes and took care of you. As we did that I starting thinking on how much I took for granted. You were always so willing to do anything and these past couple of months you just couldn't. The cancer took over. Even though you have taken care of me for 21 years, it was nice to repay it even if it wasn't even close to a year. That last week it was hard for me to understand how you couldn't do anything. You couldn't take your pills by yourself, you couldn't sit up by yourself, and you couldn't talk. I couldn't wrap my mind behind it because you have been so strong and so independent my whole life. Not letting anyone do anything for you. You were always there helping others. It was hard to realize that the cancer did get the win over you physically. You hid it so much for so long. Once you couldn't hide it anymore, you finally showed us how bad it was. Thank you for finally letting us repay you for all the times you helped and took care of us. On August 24, 2013 I awoke to auntie april and mom saying that you were gone. The cancer finally took the win. Heavenly Father took you home to heaven. He took you out of the pain the cancer put you in. He embarrassed you and told you the pain was over.

  You spent 46 years on this earth. 21 of those years was being a husband and a father. Now you still get to be there for us. Not really the way we want but you will be there. You will see Riley graduate, Austin and Riley go on their missions, all three of us get married, watch your grandchildren grow, and so much more. You can still warn us of what's on the road ahead. You can still watch over mom and comfort her. Its not the way I wanted or thought would happen but maybe if I remember that you are still watching over me it will get easier... I just miss you. One day I will see you again. Until then I will remember what I learned from you and remember that you are always with me. I love you daddy. Enjoy heaven and playing catch with Lucky.

Families are Forever <3