LAURA'S A BABE SAY WHAT.

Here's an instax that I took of Laura the other day.

You can see more pictures I took of her at my photography blog!

JOSHUA RADIN & A FINE FRENZY

a super cool parking garage. the best named restaurant in all of portland. a waitress with an adorable accent. crazy men holding fake babies on the side of the street. attractive men that look just like james dean. trying to take a picture of that man without getting caught and failing miserably. getting front row seats. the lady that threatened to sue rockelle for talking to her. waiting and waiting and waiting. taking obnoxious and unattractive pictures to past the time. the weird girls behind us that kept trying to take pictures of my shoes. making new friends. namely, the guy standing next to us that said, "okay girls, you gotta hold your ground. because this sexy (points at his face) can only hold back so many people from trying to take our spots." also, emerald! the adorable girl standing right next to us. it was her first concert and joshua dedicated a song to her. she was bawling and kept looking at us saying, "DID YOU JUST SEE THAT?" alison sudol, the lead singer of a fine frenzy. newest girl crush, no questions asked. she's stinking adorable. and when she sang almost lover? AMAZING. i have no words. it was beautiful and emotional and you could've heard a pen drop in there. gave me chills. listen to it here, would ya? (i didn't take the video, but i was standing really close to the person that did.) the amount of times joshua looked right at me. all of us buying the same t-shirt. meeting him!!! how he remembered us from last year, and told us that we looked so cute and beautiful and all grown up. (!!!) telling him that i play guitar and then getting his picks. and he signed them, too!

basically, best concert of my life. 

On to the pictures!  

funny story: the lady that took pictures before us was really crazy. she put her hand on joshua radin's stomach for the picture and it was kind of... weird. cassidy, laura and cerena were appalled. "disgusting! who would ever do that?" they said. "are you guys kidding me?" i asked. "it's joshua radin! i would do it!" they didn't believe me. they told me i would never do something like that. and being myself, i had to prove them wrong.

by the way, rock. solid. you're welcome. (i know you were all wondering.) 

also, this is now my facebook profile picture (but my mom is cropped out of it.) (sorry mom) and we totally look like couple. isn't that just the greatest thing you've ever heard?



listen to some of my favorite joshua radin songs here here here and here.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM CONFERENCE

All young men and young women should serve a mission, if able. Missionaries are representatives of Christ. They are heroes and heaven sent angels. Have a question? Need help with something? Ask the missionaries, they can help you. They are here for you. Sister missionaries make a very large contribution and are wonderful to have. It is clear that missionary work is very, very important right now. Put aside the many trivial things of life to serve.

The youth of today are constantly affecting those around them whether they know it or not. They have never been stronger. Remember that the lord often answers other people’s prayers through you. So be a good example, even when you think no one is watching.

 Immersion in the scriptures is necessary for spiritual growth. Don’t just read them, but live them. Deeply study them. Memorize them. Make them your new best friends.

Ask yourself, “Am I prepared to meet God? Am I keeping myself blameless?” If not, remember that it is never too late to use the atonement. Repentance will always be there for us. 

The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty.

When we joined the church, we enlisted to serve God. When we got baptized, we promised to take on the name of Jesus Christ. Because of these choices, we now have a big responsibility. We must not only emulate Christ’s example, but also take on the Christ-like qualities that Jesus taught. Be gentle, long suffering, kind without guile, give charity to all men, and have virtuous thoughts. With practice, we can become more like the Savior. Whether you are 8 or 80, never forget your baptism and the promises you made to your Heavenly Father.

Separate yourself from unrighteousness and worldly conduct. Leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands and a pure heart. Your mindset should be, “I will give away all my sins to know Thee"

Take action to feel the spirit now. Be patient with yourself, perfection is not for this life. Don’t demand of yourself things that are unreasonable, but demand of yourself improvement. Do not feel guilty for things you cannot change. Do not punish yourself.

Never be afraid to say, “I’m a Mormon. I know it, I live it, and I love it.” In fact, confidently declare that statement. Live the gospel more than you live anything else. Share your beliefs, your testimony, and your joy for the gospel to anyone and everyone. Do not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Remain focused on what matters most in life. Spend more time with those you love, and allow yourself to be happier. You do not want to look back on your life with regrets and what-ifs.

The family is our foundation for love, peace, and spirituality. Never forget that or take it for granted.

We must become the person Heavenly Father intends for us to become. Follow His plan for you, He knows best. We need to open our eyes to our unknown and unimagined talents and future opportunities. Our futures are bright as long as we stick with Heavenly Father.  

When you are sick, you listen to the doctor. When you're spiritually sick, listen to Christ and His word.

The pavilion that seems to intersect of divine aid doesn't cover God, but occasionally covers us. God is close to us, and aware of us, and never hides from His faithful children. He loves us, and is mindful of us. He will always be on our side, as long as we do what is right. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed."

You cannot just dip your toe in the water and claim you went swimming; you are capable of so much more.

We are in charge of our own happiness. Life is not a race, it is a journey. Enjoy it, and find joy in the journey. Our years on earth are precious, so do not wait for a certain point in life to be happy. Happiness is already available. We cannot take for granted one single day; we must truly learn to live now.

We must always listen to prompting of the spirit, regardless of our fear of embarrassment.

First observe, then serve! In your morning prayer each new day, ask Heavenly Father to guide you to recognize an opportunity to serve one of his precious children. With faith, this can be accomplished. You will be able to discern specific needs of those around you. “Not my will, but thine be done"

Be doers of the word, not just livers of the word. 

Take the next step in your conversion. Conversion unto the lord requires both persistence and patience. It takes all of our heart, all of our might, all of our mind, and all of our strength. We must act, and not sit in thoughtless stupor. When doubt comes, we will not turn back.

Are there walls within us that need replacement? Windows of our soul that need fixed? If so, replace and fix them. We deserve the best, because we are children of a king and our bodies are temples.

If we properly prepare for the sacrament, it will change our lives. Have a feeling of gratitude during sacrament meeting. Come to sacrament with your questions and concerns, because you will receive answers. Memorize the sacrament prayers.  
At the end of each day ask yourself, “Have I done any good today?” The answer should always be, “Yes!”

We are to go to the rescue of the lost, the last, and the least. Our mission is to warn people, as kindly as possible, that repentance is the only way.

The Lord knows the level of your efforts and whether or not you have done your very best. When your efforts are less than best, move quickly towards improvement.

Do not let your faith falter. Treasure your faith. Protect it and defend it.

Trials of faith are designed to make you stronger. When faced in a trial, put your trust in Jesus Christ. With faith come trials of faith, bringing increased faith. Every person is eventually backed up to the wall of faith and there must take his stand. Don’t be surprised when it happens to you.

We are under the savior's command to care for each other. Teach by example. Reach out to protect the little children of the world.

CANT STOP WATCHING.

Montana from Jedediah Thunell on Vimeo.

I seriously cannot get over this video.
I've watched it at least 20 times. At least.
So beautiful and so inspiring.