Lovin' On February

Obviously February ended a couple of months ago. And more happened then I have pictures of (as usual).

My ward had an activity for FHE where we went to Jack and Jills in Lehi for bowling, lazer tag and arcade games. We felt pretty special as we got the private bowling suite. It was kind of fun because I got to meet some new people. 

One of my kindergartners brought some nail polish to school one day and wanted to paint mine for me. I was pretty impressed with how focused she was to detail, and I think that they didn't come out too bad.   

I bought a new car! Just kidding, Lucy was looking at getting a new car and I worked hard at getting her into a Mazda :) She did really like them but ended up with something that was a little cheaper.  

 Lucy invited me to go to church with her one time. I've always been open to trying other churches so that I can understand someone else's beliefs and how can I expect them to want to hear about mine if I'm not willing to listen to theirs? It was an interesting experience, much of the time was spent singing and then this guy gave a sermon. It was actually a really good sermon but it was so weird to have a gospel discussion without using the Book of Mormon. 

That same Sunday I went to Ben and Sonia's ward because Katrina was the youth speaker in Sacrament...how did my niece get old enough to give a talk!

I love love love that it's bonfire time of year. There's nothing quite like sitting in front of the fire!

Apparently February was the bowling month. I went again with Kayla, Derek, and Brittany one weekend. We tried a new bowling alley in Sandy I believe it was.  

February I was lucky enough to get to attend my Stake Relief Society Conference (I wrote a little bit about it HERE).

 I got a new toy for Christmas from Mom, that helped pull out the core of a cupcake so that I can put in a filling. I experimented with a new cupcake recipe and filled it with my yummy raspberry cream cheese frosting. 

Light and Dark

On Sunday in Sunday School we were discussing what light and dark meant to us and to offer an example if we felt like doing so. This guy gave an analogy and I really liked it...he mentioned that light and dark is discussed many times in the scriptures and then he said that we need to the light to show us the obstacles. He said I like to think about if you wake up in the middle of the night and try to go somewhere you will probably stumble to your destination unless you turn on a light to show you what is ahead. He said the same is for our life, if we try to go without the light we will stumble. 

I really liked that analogy and then I wanted to take it a little further, I thought about when you first turn the light off-the light struggles to stay as long as it can and when you do turn the light back on your eyes can't see for a moment they have to re-adjust. I think the same can be said for life also, when you start making choices that take you away from the light (and Lord) the Holy Ghost tries to stay with you as long as it can but if you keep going towards the dark there is only so long it can stay with you. When you come back towards the light you must make some changes (repentance, choices, etc.) before you can clearly see again. 

I really liked both of these analogies and they have been on my mind a lot since then- do I chose to use the light or do I sit in a room of darkness, struggling to find my way around?

Oh Christmas Day, Oh Christmas Day!

Christmas Day was a day filled with family, fun, and food. We started out the day a little early (especially considering how it was rather late for us to go to bed the night before--Mom's church began at 9:30). We opted to go to church and then come home and do "Christmasy things." After church the first thing we did was open our stockings! (Growing up that was the first thing we did, then everyone had to shower and get ready- as soon as everyone was ready we would eat breakfast and then do presents). After stockings was breakfast and then presents! My big present from Mom was an ipod/cd dock that I have been wanting for along time. Kyle took me out on a "date," to lunch and to see Sherlock Holmes at the movie theater. 

Next on our schedule was to take naps, most of us slept right up until people arrived at he door. Again this year everyone came to our house for dinner. Growing up our tradition for Christmas Eve was sub sandwiches and then for Christmas day we would do the fancy full turkey dinner. We decided last year that we would much rather have time to gather as a family and not be cooking all day and that we loved the tradition of the sub sandwiches, so that is what we do now for our Christmas dinner. 

Miss C was a big fan of the chips. 

Smiley, frowny, half-asleep, we still love them and find them adorable :)

Katrina has been taking piano lessons for close to a year and Mom asked her if she would be wiling to play a song for everyone, so Katrina practiced and practiced and was ready to share with all of us. She did wonderfully!

Claire has figured out that she is no longer a "baby" and likes to hold the "babies" in her lap. 

The last several years we have been rotating which family you give gifts to. The Chuy's had Ben/Sonia family and their gift to them was a fire pit---they were super surprised and excited. (I had Joel and Becky this year and got them tickets to Disney on Ice--they went earlier last week). 

Lexie wasn't so sure about switching and having Claire sit in her lap :)

I was the official recorder of all gifts. Katrina was also really sweet and bought me these beautiful earrings with her own money and black friday, I've already worn them a couple of times :) Ben and Sonia also had me for Christmas and their big present for me was the game Ticket to Ride (which I love--it has already been played twice since I've gotten it). 

Sonia gave the two littlest nieces these beautiful Beatrix Potter books. 

Where is Claire? 

There she is!

The evening ended with a bubble bath in Grandma's jacuzzi tub for the grandkids and the adults all sat around talking about the upcoming CRUISE!

I love getting together as a family, the only thing missing was Joel, Becky, Aubrey, Parker. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas as well. 

Broadway Ill Humor

I heard about the new Broadway show titled "The Book of Mormon" a couple of weeks ago and hoped that it was not true. I'm not sure why the creators of South Park and The Book of Mormon feel the need to make continual jabs at the LDS Church and the things that we believe.

A friend posted this article yesterday on facebook from Huffington Post, it made me happy to hear him say that he doesn't agree with people supporting this show. I really loved hearing what the Church had to say in response...

"The production may attempt to entertain audiences for an evening, but the Book of Mormon as a volume of scripture will change people's lives forever by bringing them closer to Christ."

...what a beautiful response, not rude but still able to share what we believe to be the truth. I hope that others can find what I and many more have found to be true, the Book of Mormon does change lives forever, a change that I am so grateful to have had.

Baptism Covenants

Last week my roommate gave a talk at Church about Baptism. She had an idea of what she wanted to say but was still looking for a little more to help share her thoughts. She explained to me what she wanted and I started Google searching. I found this sermon given by a man of another faith entitled Remembering Our Baptism. This part really stood out to me...

"Every baptism...ought to be an occasion to remember our own baptism...whether we have a memory of the actual event or not, the fact of our baptism ought to have continuing significance and impact upon our lives. It ought to be for us a source of continual strength and comfort. Baptism isn’t just a onetime past event but an ongoing reality. We have a new identity in Christ. Every day we are to live out the meaning of our baptism. When we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, God says to you and me: “You are mine. I have called you my name. You are my beloved child. Follow me."To remember our baptism is to realize afresh that we belong not to ourselves but to God; Knowing that makes all the difference in the way we live:

To remember our baptism is to find new courage in the scary situations of life. If we truly

belong to God, if we are God's own, we can be sure that no matter what frightening thing may

come our way, God will not allow us to perish."

Crying

On Sunday during Sunday School the teacher asked everyone who had cried, everyone waved their hands of course.

He then asked "what are some reasons you cry?" immediately there was the response "Girls"

The next question was "what do you do when someone you love is crying?".....

"When someone I know is crying I try to wear a black shirt so that when their mascara runs it doesn't stain." (of course both responses came from a guy)

Flag Cheers

It's 11:38 and night and instead of getting ready for bed I'm going through stuff I brought from my Mom's house in Lehi. In between things I found these two funny pieces of papers. One of the papers had flag cheers...

At girls camp we would have opening flag and closing flag every day and for roll call it was your groups responsibility to come up with a cute little cheer. My year was quite well known for coming up with really good years, I generally tried to write every single one down but wasn't always good about it. Anyway these are from my 2nd year of camp :D

(Sung to Take Me Out to a Ball Game)

Take me out to Camp Alpine.

Take me out with my friends.

Buy me capris and a 1 piece suit.

For my heart sister I've got great loot.

For it's root, root, for the tent Moms.

If they don't sleep it's a shame.

For it's hiking, swimming, and certification

at Camp Alpine!

(Sung to I Hope They Call Me on a Mission)

I hope I find a missionary.

When I have grown a foot or two.

I hope by then I will be ready.

To live, and serve, and work as happy couples do.

I hope that he will be really handsome.

And always know to choose the right.

I want to be his perfect wife.

And serve through out his life.

My Mom she's hoping for grandchildren.

My Dad just hopes that he's employed.

I hope that he will be really dreamy.

And be my strong, and happy, every loving guy.

(Sung to Book of Mormon Stories---I apologize, this one doesn't really make that much sense anymore, I'm sure it did at the time)

Book of Girls camp stories

Came from far across the land.

(CLAP)

All about the YL's and their ozzy, oy, oy plans.

(CLAP)

They didn't expect that the 2nd years would rule.

(CLAP)

We are cool

And we Rule

#2

Weight of Words

Andrea and I attended the Sacrament meeting of an English ward today while we were in Taipei. When the first song was announced I went to pick up the hymnal, I was so surprised at how much it weighed. I had not realized until now how many songs are not available in Chinese, but yet at the same time how many have been made available and that there is the demand for them. I will miss carrying around my hymnal in pinyin and singing in the Choir with the beloved Ji-An Branch.

Copy Cat

Yesterday I was playing copy cat with Daniel, it took him a bit to realize what I was doing but then he loved it and would do many silly things to see if I would copy him.

Today at church Andrea and I sat in front of Yuling so that she could translate for us. At one point during the meeting Daniel went to the pew in front of us and was "talking" to Andrea and I, I started to copy him again. He played along and then he got a very mischievous look in his eyes-- he pulled his shirt up! Sometimes that little two year old is too smart for his own good (and he thought that he was hilarious when Yuling and I said something at the same time :D)

Child Photography

Oh, did you think that this was going to be pictures of kids? How silly of you, no these pictures taken by the up-and-coming photographer Daniel. He's 2, you know, they're starting them earlier and earlier these days :D

Daniel was having a bit of a hard time during the Relief Society activity last week, so I introduced the digital camera to him. He LOVED it! With the help of Yuling he took over 100 pictures in a time period of 30 or so minutes :D Good thing for digital!

Tie-Dye Fun

Last Friday we had a Relief Society activity, we were tie-dying...with onions as our coloring! Crazy! When they told me that I didn't really know how it was going to work, still not quite sure how but it did and I have some really awesome silk material to make into a skirt with the help of my Mom when I get home.

It was a super fun relaxed night, I didn't even do that bad considering that there wasn't really anyone around that spoke English, Sis. Goa was in charge of babysitting, Stephanie was at the other end of the room we working hard on her project and Yuling didn't come later and had Daniel to take care of.

One of the Sister's helped me tie chopsticks and other knots in my material to make cool stars and circle designs in my material.

Oops! I almost forgot to add my finished product, but for some reason Google Chrome won't let you move the pictures around, so they get to stay at the top :D

The Relief Society presidency (at least for the week--Sis Goa left to return to the states this week and so wont be in the presidency any longer)

This is going to sound really weird but I think that I really have my Dad's side of the family nose in this picture, I haven't ever really noticed before, but it's really obvious here.

I asked one of the Sister's daughters to take some pictures for me, I hardly ever get pictures of myself and I wanted some of me doing my tie dye (to prove that I actually did it this time :D)

Someone's completed project (well the tying part anyway)

Working, working, working, and don't forget talking :D

In this project we needed two or even three hands sometimes, some of us resorted to using our teeth (it worked quite well if I do say myself)

The beginning stages of the dying, we soaked it in the onion dye from Friday night to Sunday afternoon after church.

Part of the group that was there, not bad for a branch on Friday night.

Stephanie working until the very last minute (and she had been working all week on her's), her's came out really cool with butterflies and flowers--beautiful!

After everyone got their material in the dye we had a lesson about dressing modestly, no one was there to translate it for me, so I got distracted by these two (they are chasing each others fingers)

What the pot looked like right before I went home.