Christmas

Sometimes it just hits you, what is really important.  You realize as you are surrounded by torn and crinkled wrapping paper that all that money spent on Christmas presents that even after all the hours spent meticulously wrapping box after box none of this means a thing. Sure, your family and friends love you but receiving and even giving are not the reason for the holiday. Even though major amounts of commercialism have managed to sneak into this most sacred holiday the reason is still the birth of our Savior. I am guilty of being swept casually into the wave of consumerism that ebbs and flows through the world this time of year and that fact I will never deny.  But something special happened this year.  I amongst the many gifts I was ever grateful to receive this year I got two wonderful gifts, or treasures. The first is a simple silver necklace in the shape of a tear drop upon which an artist carefully replicated my fathers handwriting, a simple send off at the end of a letter that is now immortalized for me to wear close to my heart. A treasure, not just a gift. Second was a painting I have been admiring since I returned home from Africa.  I am a lover of art and I find pictures of my Savior to be specifically compelling.  In this painting Christ is holding a small African child. Again, not just a gift but a treasure.

Even though Christmas is over I hope we all remember why we celebrate and we carry that spirit throughout the next year.

Merry Christmas.

3 Down Who Knows How Many More to Go

Meet Hank.

As of today Hank has gotten me through 3 finals weeks. He is covered in mascara stains, has a few holes and even a spot that was melted by a flat iron.
This week not only did Hank get me through all 4 of my tests he also got me through:
3 all nighters
2 nervous break downs
14 hours of crying
8 showers to get warm
32 hours in the library
10 rounds of ibuprofen
6 skipped meals
4 McDonald's runs and
lots of Diet Coke

All I can say is I am so glad this week and this semester is over.

Angels

Did you know that there are Angels everywhere? They are watching out for us, guiding us, and still loving us from the other side of the veil.
Genesis 25:8 says:
 8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good ^aold age, an old man, and full of years; and was ^bgathered to his people.
Abraham was "gathered to his people" or his family. 

"The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work... Enveloped in the flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained there with."

-Joseph Smith

The spirits of our loved ones past, present, and future, are with us, they walk beside us, they know our thoughts, our pains and our emotions.  They guide others to help us, they comfort us, they help direct us in paths of righteousness.

Over the past few years I have watched the hand of the Lord in my life, the life of my friends and family and I have come to the conclusion that our loved ones never really leave us.  They stay with us.  The veil is so so very thin. I have watched random acts of kindness that prove that we can be earthly angles to those around us.  We can be the hand by which our father or the spirits of our ancestors help others.

I am so blessed to have many angles looking out for me. My dad, my grandma, my aunt Jenni, and my friends Paige and Tiffany.

D&C 42

 45 Thou shalt ^alive together in ^blove, insomuch that thou shalt^cweep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not ^dhope of a glorious resurrection.

 46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not^ataste of ^bdeath, for it shall be ^csweet unto them;

We made it 2 whole years

Today marks 2 whole years since my dad passed away.  I honestly cannot believe it. Today, in order to keep myself from crying all day and spending the day in bed under my beautiful down comforter, I decided to do everything I could to celebrate everything my dad was. Eat his favorite foods, do things he loved, and celebrate his life not mourn his passing.  So I chronicled my day (past couple weeks) in pictures.

a few weeks ago Elder Zwick came and spoke at our Stake Conference.  He was a good friend of my dad

This morning I ate oatmeal for breakfast, my dad's favorite breakfast

Last weekend when I went home I visited my dad.  This is my favorite place to think

A day/week in honor of my dad would not be complete without cheesy scrambled eggs

Before

And a not very good after pic

13 inches donated. 2.5 years ago I decided to grow out my hair to make a wig for my dad.  Today 2 years after his passing.  I chopped it all off and donated it to someone else who could really use it

ice cream.... that is pretty self explanatory

Ate dinner at Texas Roadhouse with some awesome friends.  It was so wonderful to know that Leah was looking forward to this as much as I was all day. It was also so wonderful that Yusuf and Nadir decided to come along. A nice steak dinner was in order after a very long emotional day.

(unrelated to my day of celebration, but we had a lot of left overs)

ya know, it is still really hard.  There are days where all I do is cry and cry and cry.  But my dad would want me to be happy. So today was all about being happy and celebrating his life not mourning his death.  It has still been a really hard day but I am getting through it.  My dad is still my best friend and my hero, and he always will be. 

This song is one that means the world to me. It really hits home

thanks for all the love and support

The Big 4

So if you know me you know that I am a huge fan of making lists, goals and bucket lists. Well lately I have been thinking a lot about my future and what I want to do with my life.  I have settled on 4 goals, or the Big 4 as I have come to call them.  These goals have been thought about and prayed about to a point where I feel so so very excited about my future.  Well without further adieu here they are

1. Travel to every continent and do humanitarian work (I will visit Antarctica but I do not know if you can do any humanitarian work there)
2. Start a Non-Profit
3. Work for Huntsman Cancer Foundation/Hospital
4. Become a motivational/inspirational speaker

Maybe since I have put them here some of you who read this will help hold me accountable.  You can be whoever you want to be.  You can do whatever you want to do.  The only thing holding you back is yourself.

Now a bunch of random pinterest quotes if you care to read them

A Right of Passage

Well today I hit a momentous milestone in my life.  I tried, for the first time, the famed Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.   It all started yesterday during my office hours in the Service Center here at USU. Somehow we got talking about them and I foolishly admitted that I had never tried one.  Obviously this came as a shock to my friends since the PB&J is the American kids staple food. So today when I was back in the office Amy decided it was today that I must try this "amazing" sandwich.  On trip to the hub later we had all the makings for my first sandwich.  So here is the picture proof that I did indeed bite into the concoction.  Lets just say, it won't be my go to meal of choice but overall it wasn't too bad.

the why?s and the WHY!!!!s

In my institute class we have been discussing the different ways that we ask why? Well my teacher Bro Fillmore has narrowed it down to 2 main ways to ask.  The first is the tentative, answer seeking, humble way.  The one we use when we sincerely want to know the answer.  The second is filled with anger and contempt with a dash of unwillingness.  So. Today I was thinking about this.  I do not find it to be a coincidence that today marks the 3 year anniversary since my Dad was diagnosed with cancer. This is something that I have been fighting a lot with lately. I find myself on a daily basis asking the WHY!!! and not wanting an answer.  It has been truly humbling to turn around and ask the why? instead. I still do not know the answer to that question, but I am looking.

so what kind of whys are you asking?

100 things to know about me

1. I play piano
2. I am addicted to diet coke
3. I will most likely die of cancer
4. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
5. I love little kids
6. My least favorite part of my body is the backs of my knees
7. I love to sing
8. I've always wanted to be a doctor
9. I love to quilt
10. Popcorn is my favorite vegetable
11. I want to travel the world
12. I love to make cookies
13. I am in love
14. I love my freckles
15. Country music
16. I hate green grapes
17. I love my family
18. I've always wanted a Dalmatian
19. I love shoes
20. Pedicures
21. I'm wretched with money
22. My favorite color is purple
23. I know how to use power tools
24. I love to fish
25. I miss playing soccer
26. My biggest fear is spiders
27. I had to grow up really fast so I feel like I've already been a mom
28. I love snail mail
29. I am writing 18 missionaries consistently
30. My biggest fault is a lack of emotion about serious things
31. I love/am good at public speaking
32. I miss my dad
33. I'm allergic to the sun
34. I am a people person
35. I want to change the world
36. I will start a non-profit before I die
37. I have gorgeous blue eyes
38. My hair is longer now than its ever been
39. Bugs terrify me
40. I am a hopeless romantic
41. I am a social media junkie
42. I don't know what I did before I had my iPad
43. I collect nail polish
44. I miss creating art (calligraphy, sketches, painting, pottery)
45. I love photography
46. My greatest pride is my piano skill
47. I've been to the equator
48. I will love in NYC before I die
49. Mint Cookie dough ice cream is the best
50. I hate beans
51. My sister is my best friend
52. I love glee
53. I consider myself to be domestic
54. I cannot wait to be a mom (but I can wait)
55. I want to go skydiving
56. I am a thrill seeker
57. I love to floss my teeth
58. I'm more attached to people than things
59. I am afraid of loss
60. Peonies are my favorite flower
62. I love to throw things away
63. I can shop for hours
64 I consider myself to be stylish
65. I've always wanted to play guitar but I can't
66. I would rather spend time with little kids then people my age
67. I have a destructive semi-slutty alter ego
68. I've never kissed anyone I was in love with
69. The happiest day of my life was high school graduation
70. I haven't been home on my birthday in 5 years
71. I pick my toenails
72. I tend to be too busy to eat and sleep
73. I hate politics
74. I have a problem with people who gossip but I gossip myself
75. I want to be just like my mom
76. I have both a short attention span and an abnormally long one depending in the situation
77. I can remember the most random obscure facts but frequently lose important things (passport, dl, keys,...)
78. I've never played sports competitively
79. My biggest regret is never asking my dad about his mission
80. I sing and dance but only when I'm alone
81. I can't hear out of my right ear
82. I love being a leader
83. I am actually incredibly shy
84. I hate showering, I don't like looking at my body when it's wet
85. I love to online shop
86. I am super young for my age group
87. I have a strange attachment to clothes
88. I've always wanted to learn how to knit
89. My sister and I look like twins
90. I'm a lot like my dad
91. I hate studying
92. I can play the organ
93. The strongest muscle in my body is my thumb
94. I've broken both my arms
95. I hate sour things
96. I love going on dates but never get asked
97. I need a lot of sleep
98. I wish I could chop off my boobs
99. I have an abnormally large head
100. I love sushi

Summa Summa!

Well it is finally drawing to a close.  Summer is almost officially over. This was an interesting summer to say the least.  I wasn't out parting every night like I have done in the past.  Most nights I just enjoyed some alone time. Most Friday nights consisted of me watching Bride Night on TLC sometimes even while taking a soak in the tub. I went back to work at Canyon View Cleaners and I traveled.  I also learned A LOT this summer. I thought I might as well share some of them with you.
This summer I learned...
a little bit about how to spot your true friends
some more about the need for service all around the world
what it means to grow up
I have rotten luck with airplanes
my mother and my sister are the best friends a girl could ever ask for
I do not know how to save money
I am blessed beyond measure
having a man is a "privilege" that I can live without for a while
sometimes you just need to talk it out
when life gives you lemons, stick them up your shirt and pretend like they are boobs
friends may leave but my piano will always be there to pick me back up
I have patella femoral syndrome (ok so I only just discovered this on Monday)
to accept the fact that despite the constant barrage of questions, The Lord helped me in my decision to not serve a mission at this time, and He is HAPPY with this choice because I turned to him and I will not sway through whatever the world blows at me because of my decision
I am me.

Now I am back at school and I have almost already finished a week of my sophomore year.  Tomorrow I head to Bear Lake to spend time with a friend.  I am so beyond excited for this school year and all the opportunities I will have.  I am excited to learn and grow some more.

19

I celebrated early this year, yesterday I tested into the math class I need to take in the fall. That was my gift to myself.

Celebrate what you might ask?

Well Today I turned 19.

What a wonderful day today has been. I spent a lovely morning with my momma and my sister at Gardener Village then went to lunch with my friend Brandee. It got even better when me and Brandee got to work together.  After my shift at work was over my dear friend Maddie surprised me after work with some beautiful flowers, and some wonderful gifts. 

Honestly every year I get older, and every year I am amazed at the love people show. 

Thank you to all of you for your love on this wonderfully special day

Words Are Not Enough (that is why it took me a month to write this)

OK so it has taken me forever to write this post... I started it a month ago...

It really is true.  No words can describe the experiences I have had over the past month.  I was able to spend just over 3 weeks all around the wonderful African country of Uganda.  I had the opportunity to see, experience and do things that I never thought I would ever have the chance to do.  There are so many experiences that I wish that everyone could have, yet I don't think I could describe them well enough to do them justice. So this post might be a little long because I am completely overwhelmed with emotions and feelings towards this past month.
So we headed out early in the morning on May 14th.  We spent many hours on the plane and in airports.  Our first flight took us to Chicago, then from Chicago to Amsterdam then finally from Amsterdam to Entebbe or Uganda (with a short stop in Kagali). We arrived late in the evening on Wednesday.
Our first full day we spent acclimating to the time zone and getting all our luggage organized.  That day I made the mistake of taking my anti-malaria pill on an empty stomach. Well that made me sick all morning. The next day we visited our very first orphanage/school.  This school was situated on the top of an island in Lake Victoria.  It took a two hour drive on very bumpy dirt roads and then a short 20 minute boat ride through the marshes on a tiny fishing boat.  To say we were warmly welcomed would be an understatement. Before we even stepped foot out of the van little hands were reaching out to grasp ours.  Here is where I saw a young man wearing an american flag t-shirt with the date 1999 on it, you know the ones that places like Old Navy sell, the ones that people buy every year (because it has the year on it) wear once then get rid of it. The design was so worn down that you could hardly tell what it was anymore.  We spent four days on the island and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Next we moved northward in the country to the area known as Gulu.  15 years ago this was the central area where the war was fought and they are still rebuilding.  Here the only words to describe it is HOT HOT HOT! We were sweating from every pore as we traveled around the city visiting villages and schools. This is where I had my second nervous break down.  Upon walking into my small hotel room I found large spiders along my ceiling and all over in the bathroom. Those of you who know me know that I hate spiders with a flaming passion.
Following Gulu we traveled to Murchison Falls National Park along the Nile.  Here we developed a flat tire in the middle of the park.  We also had a run in with many a swarm of Titze flies.  If you don't believe the saying that looks can be deceiving you have obviously never met a large swarm of these vicious flies.  They look harmless and innocent but in all actuality they are biting beasts.  This was the only the beginning of our wildlife adventures along the Nile. Giraffes.  These are literally the most amazing animals in the world.  Not only are they amazing they are also my favorite.  And well our jeep safari proved a fruitful place to witness these majestic creatures. We saw over 100 Giraffes in the wild.  Along with my favorite animal we saw water buffalo, warthogs, lions, elephants, lots of different types of antelope, birds, and an amazingly strange looking animal known as a Heartbeeste.  Following our jeep safari we took a river boat up the Nile river to the base of Murchison Falls.  We saw the airplane crash site of Earnest Hemingway, lots and lots of hippos and birds, more elephants, a few crocodiles and wonderful scenic views.  At the base of the falls we disembarked the boat and hiked the arduous trail to the top of the falls.  There we were greeted with cool mists from the cascading falls.  It was incredible to be in a country where so many do not have any source of water then to stand by the top of the falls where 800 cubic meters of water fall per second.  The following day we left the park and continued on our way to Lira.
In Lira we were greeted by some more hot weather and slow service at restaurants. Here a few of us were lucky enough to attend the Sunday services at the local branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  The people were so welcoming.  Here we worked at an orphanage, a women's center as well as a school for the deaf.  At the Women's Center I did an eye clinic.  Here I met a remarkable 76 year old woman (just so you know the average life expectancy is only about 52) I checked her eyes and gave her a pair of glasses. The first thing she wanted to do was to see if she could read her bible, well she could.  The look of pure joy on her face when she looked up at me cannot be described. She spoke no English and I could not speak her language but I didn't need to, happiness and joy, exultation and gratitude are a universal language. It was then I really grew to appreciate the work we were doing.
Following Lira we traveled south past the equator, it literally felt like we were traveling into heaven.  The weather was wonderfully cooler which was quite welcome after the heat we had experienced in the north.  We spent two days at a school called Byana Mary Hill here we danced for hours with the kids in a classroom we learned some native dance style. Worn out and tired we returned to our hotel. After another day at this school we spent our final day of visits at God's Grace. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing we would not get to experience the welcoming feeling we had been given at all the previous locations.
We returned to the capital Kampala. Me Kami and Kelli went on an excursion to white water raft the Nile river.  We rafted through rain and sunshine as well as some major rapids.  On one of the class 5 rapids our boat flipped. Well we still had quite a ways to go through the rapids.  I imagine that's how it would feel if you were stuck in a washing machine on the heavy cycle.  Here we spent a day shopping for souvenirs. It was amazing to watch people create the wonderful things we were buying.  Sooner than I though possible it was time to return home. 7 PM on June 5th we left the hotel Yovanni where we had been staying and drove to the airport. We took a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam through the night and arrived early in the morning only to find out that our flight to Detroit had been canceled. Soon we had been rerouted through Portland.  This 11 1/2 hour flight was brutal.  Thank heavens for in flight movies. I was stuck in a middle seat. That was terrible. We arrived in Portland and made our way through customs.  Then we discovered that our flight to Salt Lake had been delayed about 2 hours.  While waiting for our flight we heard a loud boom on the tarmac. There a military fighter jet caught on fire. Well the whole airport was shut down, no one coming no one leaving.  Well we had no choice but to wait.  And we waited, and waited, eight hours we waited.  I was supposed to arrive in SLC at 2 in the afternoon on the 6th but did not land until 9 PM. (or early morning on the 7th in Kampala.)
Despite getting sick, almost dying in the Nile river rapids, and having my heart ripped out by a 2 month old baby girl who was an orphan I will never regret this wonderful opportunity.

(here is a link to some pictures from my trip!  )

The Rains in Africa

Never in my life have I ever been gratefull for more things then I have in the past week.  In case you were unaware I am currently in Uganda, Africa doing humanitarian work.  My emotions are running high as I have become more aware of my selfishness.  The past few days I have been working in a school/orphanage on an Island called Bussi. Yesterday a sweet girl taught me how to weave reeds into things such as baskets or rugs, she does this to help support her family, she is 16.  We were talking as we were working and she asked me lots of questions about life in America.  She asked me if we had elephants running around to which I said no and tried to explain the concept of a Zoo.  She then asked me if we cooked with wood and fire. I replied no.  She asked me if we used charchol, to which I also replied no.  Then we tried to explain the concept of a stove, or being able to cook inside with a flame or heat that used no wood.  Then we tried to explain that we go camping and live in tents and cook with fire and charchol for vacation or recreation. How stupid is that? We spend so much time and money focused on our own enjoyment and pleasure yet here are people who are spending their days only focused on surviving.  I have only been here a week yet not a night goes by where my prayers have not turned into prayers of pure gratitude rather than prayers of desires.
Tomorrow we start the second leg of our trip with a very long car ride to an area called Lira. We will be visiting two different schools up there. 
My friends my time is running out here in the internet cafe and I must say goodbye. I love you all and we are so blessed.  So enjoy your iPhones, your highspeed internet, your water heaters, your ice cubes, your family, your vast amounts of instant gratification.  As for me I will stay in Africa for a little longer, with a people who are content and happy with what little they have.

Much love

Rampant.

It's a very weird mix of emotions I am experiencing right now. I love everything bout being an Aggie and I have had an amazing year. I have met some wonderful people, had some amazing experiences and did things I never thought I would or even could.
Now another semester has almost passed. Tomorrow marks the beginning of Dead Week and then it's finals and then goodbyes that could be forever. If you have read any of my past posts you know how much I hate goodbyes.
So why am I in such a conflict of emotions?
I am so beyond excited to move on and I have no idea why I feel this way. All my friends keep talking about how sad they are that this year is almost over, yet I can't help but feel relieved. Now don't get me wrong I am so sad to be saying goodbye, but I know there are only good things to come.

BBQ This!!

I could really use your help my friends.  You see there is this thing called Relay for Life.  What it is is an all night walk-a-thon that symbolizes that Cancer never sleeps.  Me and my sister started a team called BBQ This!! in honor of my dad. This all night event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and all funds raised go to cancer research.  Now is where you come in, the event is this friday 4/12/13 and we still need help fundraising. So if you could follow this link it will take you to an online sight that will walk you through the donation process.

Together we can create more birthdays.

Miss Amazing

Miss Amazing: Celebrating the abilities of girls & women with disabilities.

The Miss Amazing foundation is a wonderful thing.  I was lucky enough to spend about 18 hours volunteering at their Miss Amazing Utah pageant this weekend held at Utah State.  It was so much fun to work with these wonderful little girls and women.  They truly have the most gentle kindhearted spirits. And this was an experience I never want to forget.

These two are twins and truly are just balls of energy

some of the lovely women I volunteered with

This is Elizabeth. She made me a wonderful necklace

This is cute little Macey.  She is 5 years old. Basically she was attached to my hip most of the night.

This is another Elizabeth after crowning.

Jill is a friend to all, she even made a boyfriend list and had all the male volunteers sign it. She also presented me with a friendship bracelet the second day.

Tawnie was a queen last year and is such a sweet heart

And this is Kiya. She sang the song Beautiful and did it so amazingly well that it brought me to tears.

Frantic Flustered Frazeled

I'm sorry I have not posted in a while. Basically the downward spiral known as my life is currently causing me a lot of stress. Last week was spring break and I got to go home and play "mom" for the week. I cleaned, did laundry, drove carpool, took my little brother to the DMV among other things. Now it is Wednesday and here's what's happening: my laptop won't charge and is completely dead, since it is dead I have to redo a massive scholarship application packet because even though I have finished it I have it saved on my laptop, I left my phone charger in sandy, I have tons of homework to do, I have meetings till 7:30 tonight, it rained today and ruined my hair, I also left my scriptures in Sandy, I haven't been able to sleep, and I'm pretty sure the application I turned in to become a director in the service center is lost because I haven't gotten a phone call for an interview. So I am a little stressed.
But seeing as today is a Wednesday I just finished playing piano in the Skyroom. Words cannot describe how grateful I am and how blessed I am to get to play here. It is a set aside hour three days a week where no one can interrupt me and my only job is to play this gorgeous baby grand piano. It helps me gain perspective, relax, and clear my mind. My problems have obviously not gone away but at least they seem a little more manageable.
Oh and a huge shout out and thank you to Chris Glaittli for giving me a spectacular hug when he saw me today. It was definitely needed.

The Bachelor?

So my lovely friends decided to create a Snow Hall Bachelor and the first episode is now up! Literally one of the funniest things you will ever see!  go watch it and sure with your friends :) follow us on twitter @SHBachelor and find us on Facebook at Andrew Kenny, Snow Hall Bachelor 2013

Meant to be friends

There are some people that come into your life and you know from day 1 that you are meant to be really good friends. Well that's how it was between me and this lovely man Chris.

Well meet Chris.
he is...
fun, energetic, funny, kind, friendly, enthusiastic, crazy, loving, loyal and so many other things. He is an amazing young man.

So basically he is the greatest person ever so you should all click on this link and vote for him for AE Project Live your Life.

Happy last day of February!

maybe

so
maybe I am really sick of the snow
maybe I'm going to Africa

maybe I need to go grocery shopping
buy ink
put gas in my car
but maybe I am a little broke right now

maybe I slept in till 11:45 today
maybe I really needed it

maybe I have been neglecting my blog

maybe I've been thinking a lot about my daddy this week
maybe I miss him terribly
maybe I miss a certain elder more than I thought I would
maybe I hate goodbyes

maybe I wish I was still little
maybe I just wish my mom was here to take care of me
maybe I miss being carefree

maybe I need to loose some weight
maybe I am because I am out of food
maybe I should workout

maybe I really need a break
maybe spring break is in 8 days

maybe I am applying to be a director for the Service Center
maybe I'm feeling a little young and inadequate
maybe I have felt that way most of my life

maybe I am confused
maybe I don't know what to think
maybe I need some advice

8/27/2014

Tonight I got to have a lovely chat with my marvelous friend Challie. I have missed her a lot! It was so much fun catching up on the drama of each others lives. Soon, like most of our conversations, the topic turned to boys and marriage. I informed her that since all my "bridesmaids" will be shortly leaving on missions she might be the only one left.  Soon after this comment we set a date for my wedding. August 27, 2014. That's right folks! Here are the plans we set up...

(made modest of course!)

(um I'm in love)

(because I can't do pastels)

(I love a guy in a good fitting gray suit!)

Now I'm off to find the man to fit the plan! Goodnight and happy Valentines day!

Here's to the Scoutmasters

"Not all of us are going to be like Moroni, catching the acclaim of our colleagues all day everyday.  most of us will be quiet, relatively unknown folks who come and go and do our work without fanfare.  To those of you who may find that lonely or frightening or just unspectacular, I say, you are "no less serviceable"  than the most spectacular of your associates.  You, too, are part of God's army.

Consider, for example, the profound service a mother or father gives in the quiet anonymity of a worthy Latter-Day Saint home.  Think of the Gospel Doctrine teachers and Primary choristers and SCOUTMASTERS and Relief Society visiting teachers who serve and bless millions but whose names will never be publicly applauded or featured in the nation's media. "In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve buy how.  In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines.""

-President Howard W. Hunter

Tonight in Institute after reading this quote I kept thinking about my dad.  He was a scoutmaster for 10 years in my Home Ward.  He will most likely never be largely recognized for a lot of what he did.  I received a letter from Nick Crump shortly after his passing in which he said of my dad "Your dad will forever be in my memory as the brave, fearless, burly, but teddy bear-like scoutmaster who I have looked up to and loved.  I am honored to be one of his scouts.  And one of the 40+ kids to receive their Eagles through him!  Your Father will never be forgotten.  His memory, and legend will forever live on." If this is all the recognition my father ever receives is living on in memory and legend in these boys eyes then I know my dad would be happy and content with his life's work. Who are we to look for the gratification of the world? If I can touch on person in my lifetime I will be a very happy woman.  In the words of Ralph Waldo Emmerson "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived- that is to have succeeded." I pray to remember this everyday, to magnify my callings whatever they may be.  To be like my dad.

Sickey Chickie

I am sick.  I have been sick for almost a week and I am not getting any better. Friday after class I climbed into my bed and did not get out for more than a bathroom break till Saturday evening when I showered.  Then back into bed I went and did not get out till church today.  I don't know about you but when I am sick all I do is watch movies.  So my post today is my thoughts on the movies I watched this weekend, and there was a lot of them.
here goes....

Clue: I love classic movies and I loved this one too. It was funny and honestly I laughed the entire time, whether that was from the drugs or humor I don't know.

October Sky: I love this movie.  I have known about this movie for a while and have always loved it.  It has been a while since I watched it and I had forgotten how much I loved it.  SO GOOD!

One for the Money: This was funny.  I enjoyed it.  Nothing too spectacular but it was funny.

Like Crazy: So I was really excited to watch this, I have wanted to for quite some time. I was disappointed. I hated the ending. It was boring.  I probably will no watch this. ever. again.

Not Since You: ok, so this is a random movie I found on Netflix that I thought sounded good. It was, well, it was ok.  I enjoyed it.

Princess Protection Program: I am a sucker for Disney Channel movies.  Lets face it I am still a little child at heart.  I loved this! Good clean humor and it was just good, compared to a lot of crap you see now days...

My Best Friends Wedding: this was another good movie.  Funny, mostly clean, a little older... I enjoyed it quite a bit!

American Horror Story: so this isn't a movie, but I have no idea what I was thinking clicking on this one... I turned it off after about 10 minutes... I guess if you are into scary things then knock yourself out but I will not be watching this again. ever.

High School Musical: like I said I love Disney Channel movies.  And this is an oldie but a goodie. You have probably all seen this so I don't need to reiterate how classic this one is.

I like movies, but honestly I hope I get better really soon!