GOODBYE, 2012.

 

2012 brought me lots of ups and downs.

It brought me my first date, and many more after that. It brought me laughter and inside jokes and awkward moments that I'm sure will make for good stories in the future.

It brought me my license and a car, and therefore much more freedom than I had ever previously experienced.

In 2012 I learned how to play the guitar and I faced one of my biggest fears- singing in public (and not just any singing, but 4 solos thank-you-very-much. my guitar teacher was crazy).

This year brought me notebooks full of my terrible half cursive/half little-boy-esque handwriting and a new found love for writing. 

In 2012 I embraced new experiences; joined clubs, served in my community, and became laurel class president.

2012 brought travel- Amsterdam, Utrecht, Berlin, Disney World, Arizona, & the longest road trip of my life.

It also brought the death of my grandpa, someone who I have always loved and admired.

In 2012 I cried in a movie for the first time ever, and then it happened again. (this time in public. so embarrassing.)

This year I embraced my wild and messy hair, colored in my eyebrows, and became a red lipstick addict.  

2012 brought me light and knowledge. It brought answered prayers and a stronger testimony in my Heavenly Father. 

It brought a huge announcement that changed my life. I started teaching with the missionaries and realized that I have a bright and important future in front of me.

 

At the begining of 2012 I wrote down a quote in my journal that I had come across. I decided to make it my motto for that year. I think it'll be my motto for this year, too. It went like this:

 

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”



 

Here's to 2013. Let's rock it.  

 

 

ROADTRIP PART THREE: A BIRTHDAY HE WILL NEVER FORGET.

            On August 8th we decided to go canoeing for Canden's (my little brother) 12th birthday. He was now an official boy scout, and he desperately wanted to get his canoeing badge.
          When we arrived at the river all 20 of us got situated, organized, and into our separate canoes. I went with Canden and Jack, our 10 year old cousin. We didn’t get very far down the river when we decided to stop and wait for the rest of our family. Another one of the canoes (caring two of our younger cousins and a foreign exchange student from Japan) paddled up to us to also wait. They lost control, and ran into the side of our canoe.
            Out of nowhere, I hear Canden yell, “My finger! It fell off!” Yeah right. I thought to myself. Canden was notorious for being overdramatic about things and besides, the other canoe barely hit ours. I looked over at Canden just in case, and to my dismay saw blood everywhere. I stood up and leaned over him to get a better look at his finger. You know when you cut a hotdog in half long ways, and both sides just kind of flop over? Yeah, that’s what his finger looked like.
            My instincts (and multiple years of first aid training) kicked in. I quickly took off the T-shirt I was wearing over my swimsuit and wrapped his finger up with it to try to stop the bleeding. Fearing he was going into shock, I hugged him and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. Everything will be fine.” An ambulance then came and rushed him to the nearest hospital, 2 ½ hours away.
           The doctor said the canoe must have hit his finger just right, because it literally exploded. He fractured the bone and had a partial amputation, but his tendons, muscles, and arteries were in perfect shape. Long story short, it was a miracle.
           While he was at the hospital with my mom and dad, my cousins and I threw him a little surprise birthday party. We decorated the whole house with balloons and streamers, the whole getup. All of our younger cousins drew him pictures and made him cards, while us older cousins wrapped presents and made food. When he came home a few hours later, we turned on the lights, jumped out at him and yelled "surprise!" Even though his finger was all wrapped up and he was clearly still pretty out of it from the drugs, he was so happy! He couldn't stop smiling and laughing and telling us all about the new chuck norris jokes he made up. Oh, that little boy.

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.