THE FIRST OF MANY GOODBYES

Missions are way cool, but also pretty bittersweet, ya know? I've been using the word bittersweet way too much lately-but it just perfectly describes how I feel about everything!

It's so exciting to see all of my guy friends getting their mission calls and preparing to leave. I am so, so proud of each and every one of them.

Trevor is the first out of our graduating class to leave, which is weird because his leaving kind of signifies the beginning of many more goodbyes. He left yesterday and I already miss the heck out of him.

Bolivia is lucky to have ya, Trev. Go kick some spiritual booty.

CHT//DAY ONE

Redeye from PDX to JFK, 4 hour delay (& I'm sure NSA just looooved us), then another short plane ride and we were there, in Palmya, New York; the place where it all started. We quickly changed into our church clothes in the airport bathroom (easily one of the most uncomfortable things I've done), hopped on the big green tour bus, & went straight to the Palmyra temple.  

 

{Wet hair & no makeup=temple swag}. 

 //The Palmyra temple is such a gorgeous temple. It's really small too, so we had to split up the boys from the girls & do separate baptism sessions. Having the whole baptismal font room full of girls was such a great experience that brought an amazing spirit.

//The Hill Cumorah.

 

 

 

//The Whitmore Farm. I loved looking at all the different art that were on the walls at these different places.



 

 

//The Book of Mormon publishing site.

 

 

Day one was great. It was tiring, I mean reeeeally tiring. When you're going on almost two straight days with absolutely no sleep (trying to sleep on planes is just the worst, you know?) it can make it kind of hard to focus on things & feel the spirit, however the difference between our physical bodies & our spiritual bodies became really clear to me that day. Even though all of our physical bodies were tired, our spiritual bodies were wide awake and ready to go! 

 

///Many, many more pictures from the church history tour, plus a few words, coming soon.

 

 



Was I disappointed? Yes. Was I defeated? Absolutely not!

{via.}

//I recently stumbled upon an older talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and absolutly fell in love with it. Every word rang true to me and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Read some of my favorite parts below, or read the whole thing here.//
 
In most languages there exists a phrase as magical and full of promise as perhaps any in the world. That phrase is “Once upon a time.”

Aren’t those wonderful words to begin a story? “Once upon a time” promises something: a story of adventure and romance, a story of princesses and princes. It may include tales of courage, hope, and everlasting love. In many of these stories, nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil. But perhaps most of all, I love it when we turn to the last page and our eyes reach the final lines and we see the enchanting words “And they lived happily ever after.”

 

Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?

 

In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid, a ruler or a servant. You will find one thing all have in common: they must overcome adversity.

 

In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy.

 

It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.

 

We all search for happiness, and we all try to find our own “happily ever after.” The truth is, God knows how to get there! And He has created a map for you; He knows the way...All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.

 

“Happily ever after” is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map.

 

Learn to love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, might, and mind. Fill your souls with virtue, and love goodness. Always strive to bring out the best in yourself and others.

 

You are princesses, destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now.

 

And the day will come when you turn the final pages of your own glorious story; there you will read and experience the fulfillment of those blessed and wonderful words: “And they lived happily ever after.”

WE COULDN'T TAKE A GOOD PICTURE IF OUR LIVES DEPENDED ON IT.

Well, it's official:

I am getting old.

All of my friends are leaving on missions. This kid left 3 months ago. He got out of the MTC Tuesday and is now in Ukraine! Speaking Russian! In Ukraine! This is so crazy.

And now with the new age change, many of my friends will be leaving within this next year.

Sometimes I can't help but think how fast my life is going.

I leave for college in one year. I leave for my mission in two. This is so crazy.

Good luck to you, Elder Knighton! Ukraine wont know what hit 'em. ;)



YOU DONT KNOW YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL

The other day I got to help out my friend Whitney make this video.
You guys, Whitney is honestly the best. She's so creative and cute.
I mean, this video! It is awesome, am I right?
I was basically just there to yell at the boys and get them to pay attention.
I also interviewed them, obnoxiously ate a cookie, and provided comic relief (which you can see in the bloopers.)
There's no need to congratulate me. I did it out of the kindness of my heart. Really.
Okay, onward.
Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you...
the priests and laurels of the council creek ward! At their finest!
(ps, you should really watch this in HD. So much better.)

 

 

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.

TREK

I was sitting in church, only somewhat listening to the announcements, when something that was said caught my attention.

            “We have decided to do a pioneer trek! Summer of 2012!! It’s going to be so much fun!!!” Said the overly enthusiastic young women as she handed out the packet of information. I read it over and laughed. It explained how the youth ages 12-18 would dress up as pioneers and pull handcarts through the desert for a week. It was to help us learn of our Mormon ancestors, or something like that. You really think I am going to go on this? I thought in my head.  Are you kidding me?

            Fast forward to Monday, July 9^th at 5:00 in the morning. I was wearing a big cowgirl hat, a long sleeved button up tied at my waist, and the ugliest pink floral floor-length polyester skirt Goodwill had to offer. This was real. I boarded the bus with my best friend Whitney and off we went.
           Everyone was put into a “family”. Mine consisted of a “Ma and Pa” (older couples that volunteered), two “aunties,” (twenty-something girls that volunteered) and eight other “brothers and sisters.” (All youth that I had not previously known.)  Each day we got up early and walked anywhere from 3-8 miles, pulling a 500 pound handcart that carried all of our stuff, in 100+ degree weather without any shade. Around noon we would stop and set up camp. We attended classes where we learned how to do things like throw machetes, lasso cows, and how to play a few old pioneer hymns on the harmonica. Then as a family we would cook our lunch, which most days was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  After lunch we had free time. I would usually get together with friends and hang out. We’d get out our harmonicas and the few guitars that were there and have a little “pioneer jam sesh,” or just sit around spraying each other with water and complain about how hot we were. At night we would sit around the camp fire, telling stories about the pioneers that we were trekking in honor of. This was my favorite time of the day, because we would always become closer as a family.

          The last day was by far the hardest. Everyone was excited, knowing we would be to Zion (our home base and the last stop of our trip) soon. We were told that it would be our easiest day, 3 miles tops. There were even rumors going around that there was ice cream waiting for us. We were ecstatic.

            About a mile or two in, we started going down this huge hill. We took a little brake to drink some water and take a look over it. Zion was there, just down the hill! I could see it! I could practically taste it! Everyone laughed and cried and hugged one another. We were so excited to finally be there. We decided to start going again, as long as we kept going down this hill we would be there in no time. At least, that’s what we thought. Someone walked down the hill a little bit to scope things out only to find there was a HUGE drop off that we didn’t see. If we would have kept going, who knows what would have happened.  Our carts started getting stuck, and everyone was struggling. Out of nowhere, we looked up and saw this whole stampede of boys from the other group come running down the hill to help us. It was the coolest thing, having them come to our rescue like that. But it was only the beginning.

         We ended up having to go all the way around the hill, taking us about 6 hours. We lost one of our family members due to a really bad asthma attack about an hour in. An hour after that we ran out of water. People were fainting left and right and everyone was panicking. We lost every boy in our group, our strongest girl, and our ma and pa due to heat exhaustion. All that were left was me, a younger girl, and our aunties. We tried to pull but really couldn’t do much. To our amazement, some of the boys that had already made it to Zion came back and joined our group to help us the rest of the way. I felt such strong gratitude for both the young men that saved us, and our pioneers that went through this every single day for years for our church.

         As we finally arrived in Zion, all of the kids that had gotten sick, along with all of the adults, welcomed us in. They clapped and yelled and waved their little handkerchiefs. We parked our carts and ran through the sprinklers! In the green grass!! Once we were all soaking wet, we went to a table full of cookies and cupcakes and homemade root beer and every other fattening treat you could think of. It was absolutely amazing and perfect.

           As much as I didn’t want to go on this Trek at first, I ended up having a blast. It was by far the hardest, grossest, and smelliest week of my life. But it was also the most rewarding. And I’m so glad I did it.

a fire still burning

Sorry for the absence. I'll be back soon. In the meantime, enjoy this!

Did you freak out? Because I freaked out.

He may be the most adorable man I have ever laid eyes on.

"my money is on brother flowers any day."

general conference {saturday session.}

 {laura and erik and i. we're babes, don't deny it. also, please note that i am wearing a bowtie. bahaha.}

oh boy, where do i begin? today was conference. it's a time set aside twice a year where our prophet and church leaders speak to us worldwide. i love conference weekends. i always hear the things i needed to hear, and i find a whole lot of comfort in their inspired guidance and love.

things that i learned at conference today:




when you read the scriptures, it makes it easier to obey the commandments. scriptures are tools to help us. use these tools. they are pure truth. read your scriptures every day. studying & memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet full of friends and truths that can be called upon at any time. great power comes from memorizing scriptures. ponder what you read.


when you pray, believe you will get an answer. god will answer in his own way and in his own time. never give up. always pray. make prayer a daily habit. trust in the lord with all your heart. listen for the voice of the spirit that is felt rather than heard. as you seek revelation, you will walk in the light of the lord.


whom the lord love, he corrects. learn of the church before you go around preaching it. trust in the lord with all your heart. testimonies come little by little. our testimony + faith in the lord + knowledge of the plan of happiness is what we need to get us through hard times.


dreams we have now can be fulfilled later in life. do not give up on your hopes and dreams.


no building is more important than the temple. go to the temple often, as often as you can.


learn of christ and follow his example. christ is the perfect example. when we serve others, we are serving christ. those who are lost rarely even realize they are lost. we need to help and love them.


we are being raised in enemy land. we are the strongest of the strong, the bravest of the brave, the best of the best. we were saved for this day and time to fight for our beliefs and help others do the same.


do not believe that you are not good enough, not smart enough, not pretty enough, etc. those thoughts are from satan, and they are not true. the worth of souls is great in the sight of god. we are everything to god. the lord uses the scale very different from that of the world to measure self worth. he loves each and every one of us. we are all special and we all have a reason to be here. do not let satan discourage you.


i am a daughter of god. i am a daughter of a king.


the book of mormon will help us with our problems and give us guidance.


some of the greatest souls that have ever lived are not in history books.


do not worry. live your life to the fullest. go on a mission, get married, have a family, watch your children and grandchildren grow up. you will not run out of time. everything will work out.


the church is pressing forward--press forward with it.


do the best you can, and the lord will do the rest. all will be well. do not stress.


be humble. do not complain. be a good influence to those around you. let your light shine to the world.


no matter what, you are not invisible to your father in heaven. what is going on now will not be forever. love your heavenly father in word and in deed. he sees you as his child. he sees you as the being you can and will become. he wants you to know that he loves you.


there is always time to serve others. service can be small. let us be as quick to kneel in prayer as we are to text. get rid of the time wasting things in your life. make sure being busy means you are being productive. continue to prepare to meet god. use the internet for good.


it is better to look up.


always remember christ. pour out your heart in prayer. have a hearing ear and a seeing eyes both directed upward.

a few of my favorite things

in honor of president's uchtdorf's message about turning the mundane into the majestic,

 i would like to list off a few little things that have made me very happy this week.

being the oldest kids at skate world.

making brownies in a mug.

cute handouts from young womens.

 the weirdos i see walking down the street. :)

my handsome little brother.

my friend Tristin, who wears bow ties to school.

"ode to CasiDee" {written by the wonderful Whitney.},

 a pola of me from efy,

a letter from my favorite missionary,

 the most awkward photo booth strip of Laura and i from OMSI,

 and my favorite poem called "In Life."   

 this hunky man.

and this beautiful quote from Gordon B. Hinckley.

girls camp reunion

remember when i went to girls camp?
well, last night i went to the girls camp reunion.

it was so great to see all of the girls again!
this was my last year as a camper. i'm sad that i wont be going back to camp again!

this is how laura and i spend a saturday night.

{we have the gift of song, no big deal.}

Proof

Remember this post? Well here you go. The pictures! Woo Hoo!

My young women's leader came up to me and said: "CasiDee, I know your a fashionista and all, but even you couldn't make a harness stylish!" :)

I'm going all vertigo just looking at this picture. Look! I'm on the very edge of the cliff!

The End! :)

You may not believe this, but...

(this picture has nothing to do with the story...)

On Wednesday, I went Repelling AKA: rock climbing but backwards AKA: the scariest thing I have ever done in my life.

You see, I am deathly afraid of heights. Always have been, always will be. So last week at church, when they announced that the youth were going repelling, I said: "hahahaha. no."


But I kept getting asked about it! All throughout church that day, people were asking me if I was going. I told them all maybe, but in my mind I was set. There was no way I was going to jump off the back of a cliff. Do I look stupid?
But somehow, I got suckered into going. Maybe it’s because I'm a softy, and can’t stand saying no to people. Or maybe it’s because I knew that the cute new boy was going to be there. Or maybe it’s because I didn't want to seem like a wimp. Or maybe it’s because the new boy wears glasses and somewhat resembles Buddy Holly.


But whatever. The point is, I said I would go. So I went.


The ride there was about and hour long, but it seemed soooo much longer than that. And to make things even better, some boy sitting behind me touched my hair like a hundred times. Not cool.


I asked our driver how high the drop was.


"Oh, it’s only about 60 feet," he said. "Why? Are you scared of heights?"


I just about had a heart attack.


"Only a little bit." I lied.


When we got there, they asked who wanted to go first.


"CasiDee does!!" said the boy next to me. I hate boys.


"noooooooooooo I don't." I said.


"Come on CasiDee! It's not that bad!" said a different boy. Did I mention that I hate boys?


I refused to go first. But somehow, I got suckered (do you see a theme happening here?) into going second.


So, basically, long story short: It was my turn, I went, about half way through I thought to myself: "Hey! This isn't that bad!" and then I became boss at repelling down walls. I was basically as awesome as Spiderman.


And then I felt like a nerd, because I could have sworn I was going to die that day, and it turned out to be kinda…fun.
But then one of the other boys cried when it was his turn. So I felt a lot better.


After the repelling, we went to some Chinese food place and watched So You Think You Can Dance as we ate our orange chicken.


The End.
Moral of the Story: I conquered my fear of heights on the first day of summer. If that’s not a sign of an awesome summer, I don’t know what is.


(Pictures coming soon!!)

What I've been working on...

I've been working on a project where I interview the youth of my ward. This is what I've done so far.

(yep. I interviewed myself.)

(his answers and picture made me laugh soooo hard.)

(haha, Sam cracks me up.)

(I love Whitney, she is such a cutie! She's in Hong Kong with her family right now, and I miss her!)