Young Women In Excellence 2011

Oh my. Where to begin. This project has been amazing for me.  My testimony has grown in leaps and bounds through the planning of this program.  Since we were brand new Young Women's Presidencies, we decided to do St Robert 1st and 2nd ward together and I am so glad we did. It almost could not have gone more perfectly. I was searching the Internet one day for some gospel art and came across a photographer......Mark Mabry. First of all.......his talent is unrivaled. The way he captures the realness and beauty of the Savior is amazing.  I watched a slide show that he had (see it here: Come See the Light) and instantly knew what our YWIE theme needed to be. 3 Nephi 11-17. We needed to focus on Christ's appearance and ministry to the Nephites.  I knew we should use the scriptures and that we needed to tie in personal progress as well.  After talking with Tiffany (SR 2nd ward YW Pres) about the idea and getting her go ahead I prayerfully thought about how to do this and with the help of Sammy (my 2nd counselor) came up with a program.  We focused on Christ and the gospel principals he was teaching and had the girls talk about how personal progress has helped them learn more about and gain a testimony of those gospel principals. It turned out amazing. The girls were so prepared and bore such beautiful testimonies of the Savior. Sammy said it best on her blog here: restored faith.  Our decorations were simple and we used pictures of Christ to decorate the tables and it was beautiful. We gave each of the girls this picture of Christ by Mark Mabry.

I love this picture and wish I could fill my home with his photography. You should really check out his stuff.  2nd ward did the best refreshments I have ever had at a church program!! Everything about the night was amazing and perfect.  I have learned so much through the process and had my moments of doubt.......I had a few times where I needed comfort and reassurance that it would all turn out fine. I had a moment the day before where the Lord's tender mercies put me at peace. I had a little crying session at the church while testing out the projector with Amanda Housel (she was my audio/video lady and ROCKED!) and felt a wave of comfort in knowing that I had done all I could do provide a place for the spirit to dwell and I needed to trust that the spirit would be there. It was an amazing evening. I am so grateful for the young women. They truly are a light to the nations and were NO DOUBT saved for this day. Their strength and conviction and love for our Savior is evident and I am so blessed to be able to serve them.  They have no idea what an example they are to me. How they lift my spirits and soften my heart. How because of them I can no longer say "I'm not a crier."  

So glad my favorite time of year is finally here

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Today was such a success!!!!  I had never cooked a turkey before and usually we are at someone else's house for Thanksgiving. This year, our buddy Derek, my Dad and sister, Kristin, came to our house. It was a really fun day!!  I had spent all day yesterday cooking and prepping for the big day, thank goodness!!!  Everything turned out great. I am so thankful for the abundance of blessings that I'm given everyday.  I'm a lucky lucky girl. I have a great family, fantastic friends, a roof over my head and food in my belly.  I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, His infinite Atonement and the season in which we get to celebrate His miraculous birth.

Thankful: Day 22

I am thankful I've become a pretty good cook.  :)

Thankful: Day 21

I am thankful for a lazy day after a hard week.

Thankful: Day 20

I am thankful for the Pioneer Woman.  She is amazing!!!  Check her out here.  http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Thankful: Day 19

I am thankful for the moment when you realize that your prayer has been answered.  He truly does know who we are, what we need and the precise moment we need it.  I have been stressing so much about young women in excellence. Today while at the church making sure the sound and video were going to work tomorrow, I had that moment......when it was clear to me that I had done all I could do....that I had provided an atmosphere for the spirit to dwell and it was all going to be ok.

Thankful: Day 18

I am so very thankful for my amazing Aileen. She is so full of love and enthusiasm for life. Her smile and laugh are infectious. She is caring and funny and sweet and I just adore her. I am so lucky.

Thankful: Day 17

 I am thankful That when I need to hear something....the Lord finds a way to make it happen.


"In our diligent efforts to fulfill all of the duties and obligations we take on as members of the Church, we sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, as a block of time that we must somehow fit into our busy schedules. We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes forget why.


Let us not walk the path of discipleship with our eyes on the ground, thinking only of the tasks and obligations before us.....seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ."


-President Dieter F Uchtdorf  "Forget Me Not"

Thankful: Day 16

I am thankful for my sweet and funny little Parker. He truly is the most precious little boy alive. He is so fun and funny and sweet and loving and goofy and energetic and I just absolutely can not imagine my life without him.

Thankful: Day 15

I am so thankful for friends who pull me down from the ledge and reassure me in my neurotic state.  I have been so blessed with AMAZING friends. :)

Thankful: Day 14

I am thankful for Dad's home cooking. He is the best cook I know and I've learned a lot about cooking from him. 

Thankful: Day 13

I am thankful for a truly great family. 

Thankful: Day 12

I'm thankful Boise State doesn't have  kicker either.

Thankful: Day 11

I am so grateful for the many men and women in my life who have served and are serving now.  Especially Sam. :)

Thankful: Day 10

I am thankful to be going "home" for a weekend!  After living in Phoenix, the 4 hour drive seems like nothing!!   I am grateful to live closer to home again, even if it's just for a few years. Who knows where the Air Force will send us next.

Thankful: Day 9

I am so thankful for my YW.  I am such a lucky girl. When I was first called to be the Young Women's president I kinda thought, "Oh, this won't be much different than being the 1st counselor. "  WRONG!!!  It's so different. After being set apart, it's like my tunnel vision was expanded and my eyes were opened. I thought I loved them before. I thought I knew them before. I thought I was doing all I could for them before. These girls are amazing. These girls soften my heart more than anything ever has before and I LOVE THEM!!!

Thankful: Day 8

I am thankful for "I feel like I've know you for eternity" kind of friends. Now, I have had some wonderful friends throughout my life, and I know there are many more still to come. But every once in awhile you come across a friend where you just feel like soul sisters. Where you click instantly and feel like you are just continuing a conversation you started years ago. It's funny how life's circumstances bring you together, and I have to tell you, I never thought my time in small town Missouri would provide me with a couple of these kinds of friends.  I am SOOOO grateful to my Heavenly Father for putting these people in my life at a time when I REALLY needed them.  Friends truly are a gift.

Thankful: Day 7

Today I am thankful I am not in Oklahoma.  An earthquake and tornado all in one day?  This is craziness!!!  Never in all my years living in Oklahoma have I felt an earthquake and now they've had 3 since early Saturday morning!!!!  AND they have severe weather on the way, with a history of already producing a tornado near Oklahoma City earlier this evening.  If I didn't know any better, I'd be wondering if the Myans had it right!!  We are going home to OK this weekend for a wedding and I am a little nervous about it! Should we sleep in our clothes......should we bring our 72 hour kits....should I make my kids wear helmets??????  :)  Another thing that freaks me out is the Stake meeting we had not too long ago about earthquake preparedness and how there is a MAJOR fault right here under beautiful Southeast/South central Missouri. If these quakes are happening 300 miles away......will it trigger something here closer to us? I know tornados........I know enough to be terrified of them, but at least I know what to do and what to expect. Earthquakes are a whole other ballgame.

Thankful: Day 6

I love how music can change your mood, your thoughts, bring the spirit, sing to your soul and bring you joy. I am a musical person.  I don't know how different my life would be without music. It has helped shape who I am and afforded me so many opportunities. I truly believe music will be with us in the eternities and can't even begin imagine how beautiful it will be. Today, and always, I am thankful for good music.

You heard it too???

Early this morning I was enjoying my extra hour of sleep all snuggled in my bed when I was startled awake by a loud whisper "Mom!".  Not wanting to to face the reality that one of my kids was awake, early, I sat there for a second, then hesitantly opened my eyes to what I thought was going to be Parker standing right in front of my face. But there was no one there. I turned around and saw Sam halfway sitting up so I asked him what was wrong. He said he heard someone whispering. But no one was there!! He got up and went to check on the kids and they were both sleeping soundly snuggled in their beds.  Now, I know I'm not loosing it and I wasn't dreaming because Sam heard it too. Honestly, this has freaked me out a little all day. There is no doubt in my mind I heard someone say, "Mom". I've tried thinking it was Parker talking in his sleep, or maybe Aileen was sleep walking, but deep down I really don't think that was it. Maybe this was a not so quiet whisper........maybe there is one more waiting...........

Thankful: Day 5

I am thankful for college football. Now, I realize that I am a little on the crazy obsessive side when it comes to college football, but I just can't help it. I was born with it! I must have been. I am thankful that Heavenly Father has given us such fun things to love and enjoy.  Today was a great day to be a college football fan. Some really awesome games.  They may not have all ended like I hoped, but they were still SUPER fun to watch. At least my Sooners won. :)

There is just something about a piece of paper........

I've been trying to become more tech savvy, and I'm getting pretty good at it. There are many things I like to do electronically, but sometimes, I just need that piece of paper in my hands.  I'm a big time note taker and list maker. I like sticky notes. If you look in my scriptures or on my bedside table you will find sticky notes everywhere. I have sticky notes on pieces of paper. I have sticky notes on other notes. I love them. They are just so useful. I've tried making lists and taking notes on my iphone or laptop, but it's just not the same.  I like the physical piece of paper in my hand.  Tonight I was wanting to do some reading for my Young Women In Excellence Program coming up. (this will be a big post one day when it's over and done with.)  I wanted to read a couple sections out of the Book of Mormon student manual. I found it electronically, so I tried to read it on my laptop. It wasn't going to happen. Even though you can take notes and highlight on digital copies these days, it just wasn't the same. I found myself printing off the 30 pages I wanted to read so I could have them in my hand with my highlighter and pencil.  It's strange, I know.  The words are the same, yet they spoke so much clearer to me from that piece of paper.

Thankful: Day 4

I am thankful that I get to be a friend.

Thankful: Day 3

You know when you are pregnant you can totally blame everything on pregnant brain? Well, today, I'm calling sinus brain. It's gotta be a real thing, right?  When you are stuffed up and groggy and just aren't thinking straight?  That was me today. While at gymnastics I left my lights on......yes, we all know what happens when you leave your lights on. Luckily, 5 minutes later my car was running again. Thank you Ultimate Gymnastics owner, Emily, for standing in the sleet with me to jump start my car. You are awesome. So, today, I am thankful for jumper cables.

P.S. I love this blog template!

Thankful: Day 2

Today (and everyday) I am thankful for the peace and quiet of after bedtime. I love to use this time to do what I want. Watch TV, read books, scriptures, catch up on blogging, whatever it is. I need this time to recharge myself.

A Month of Thanks......Day 1

I am thankful for vicks vapor rub.  Parker has been sick.  When he has a cold, or allergies or something that "makes his nose sick" he just doesn't sleep well. If you've ever spent anytime with Parker when he has a cold you know he can not STAND to have a runny nose.  It's hilarious, actually.  He yells "I have a runny nose" and freaks out until he gets a tissue. So today, I am thankful for vicks vapor rub. It seems to help him out a lot (did you know you can rub it on feet and put socks on and this will help a cough???!!!)  I LOVE the smell of vapor rub.  I may just go open it and take a whiff right now. :)