PUMPKIN CARVING

PUMPKIN CARVING…

My last companion Sister Correia was from Hawaii. When we became companions, one of the first things I told her was how excited I was about HALLOWEEN.  She confessed to me that she had never carved a pumpkin. At first I was SHOCKED that she had never had that chance... I know that my reaction would probably be considered an overreaction. However I knew how much FUN it was to carve a pumpkin, I knew it was not easy, but at the same time it was something worthwhile. I told her that I would teach her and we could do it together.  So we planned it out, we bought pumpkins and got down to business carving. We loved it, it took her a little bit to get into it, but she trusted me and she kept going. By the end we both had somewhat good looking pumpkins.

  

As I laid in bed that night, praising my pumpkin, I thought about how happy I was that I got to share one of my favorite traditions with Sister Correia and how she loved it in the end. At the beginning she was very hesitant at what she was getting into, but she trusted me and so she went forward. I thought about how that relates to sharing the BOOK OF MORMON with our friends. I know it is not something that they have usually heard of, or something they are familiar with. However, they might never have that chance if we don’t offer it. I know I could not just let Sister Correia carve her first pumpkin by herself; she might have really used the ice cream scOoP the whole time… I know that when we are willing to share the BOOK OF MORMON with our friends, it is a learning process for both people but both end up learning a lot :0

I mean there is a first time for everything :)

Twins on our last day :)

CLV(2011)

WWW.MORMON.ORG

You jump, I jump Jack!

GO FORWARD WITH FAITH

“Am I living the way the Lord wants me to live?”

WE DID IT! We made it through the whole FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH PAMPHLET I hope that you have been able to read and enjoy these posts. I know that I have learned A LOT! Now that you are prepared to go out into that scary world, you must GO FORWARD WITH FAITH.



My Freshman year of college, I decided I wanted to do something I had never done before and by myself. I wanted to test the "waters" as an adult. So I decided to ask for a plane ticket for my birthday. I picked to go to Seattle to see my sister LauriAnn and her family. I was pretty nervous, it would be my first plane ride by myself and to a pretty big place. I tried to do all my research before I left so that I was ready! I got onto the plane and felt a rush of adrenaline.

My Nehpew and I

As I got off the plane, I could still feel that adrenaline pumping in my veins as I stepped out into this new city for the weekend. As we started to go places, I realized that adults had to pay for themselves, you needed a GPS to get around, a car, and a plan. It was not something I could just walk blindly into...I mean I totaly could, but it would not be easy.Thank Heavens my Sister had a plan. We had a LOT of fun, there were times when the kids would get grouchy and things wouldn't work out, but in the end we had a great time and I went back to college with great memories.

That is how life is, we need to have a plan, when we know what we want there will be tools that help us on the way to greatness. The FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH pamphlet is one of those tools. Read what the First Presidency has said, and then add it to your lives....
Its a principle with promise...



My first Ferry Boat :]



The standards presented in this pamphlet will help you make correct choices. Review them often and ask yourself, “Am I living the way the Lord wants me to live?”

To help you become all that the Lord wants you to become, get on your knees each day and express to Him the desires of your heart. He is the source of all wisdom, and you need His help. He will hear and answer you. Read the scriptures daily. They are a powerful source of personal revelation and a constant strength to your testimony.

Remember and keep the covenants you made when you were baptized and that you renew each week when you partake of the sacrament. You young men should keep the covenants you made when you received the priesthood. Keeping these covenants now will help you prepare for the temple covenants you will make in the future.

Be true to the Lord and to His Church in all circumstances. The authorities of the Church will lead you in paths of happiness. Be grateful for your membership in God’s great kingdom.

Be humble and willing to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit. Place the wisdom of the Lord above your own wisdom.

When you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He will give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel their love for you.

http://www.mormon.org/

 

Playing with fire'

PHYSICAL HEALTH

"The Lord has commanded you to take good care of your body. To do this, observe the Word of Wisdom, found in Doctrine and Covenants 89. Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When you do all these things, you remain free from harmful addictions and have control over your life. You gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost."

-FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH

Something that I find bittersweet are bonfires. Ilove them and I hate them. For some weird reason every time you go to a campfire you come back smelling like smoke. There is just no getting away from it. Even when you try your hardest, and stay 5 feet away from the fire, you still smell like fire. The only way to cure the smoke problem is to not go. Its hard to not go and be part of the party, but in the end it is worth all the "stink."

It is the same thing when it comes down to drugs and alcohol. To my beloved YOUTH, I know how it goes, I was once in High School, believe it or not. Pretty much every party you go to there is going to be things that are harmful.  You have the choice to go to these parties just to hang out and not drink and smoke, but its like the fire. Even if you go to the bonfire and stand 5 feet away, your still going to have smoke on you. The Holy Ghost CANNOT be with you there. It is a hard decision, but it all comes down to do you want the blessing of the Holy Ghost or not.....?

If have had any alcoholic beverage or smoked cigarettes, cigars, hookah, weed, or participated in even worse drugs.....ITS NOT TO LATE. Turn to your parents and your Bishops, they love you and will help you. Know that Heavenly Father has not asked us to stay away from these things because he does not want us to have ANY fun... It is the opposite! He wants us to enjoy life to the fullest, but how can we if our minds are not clear....Think about it, pray about it, then live it.
Its a principle with promise.
www.mormon.org

How to blow fire:

-great date idea :)

First get either corn starch or powdered sugar.
Get some matches, a pitcher of water, and some fun people
Then put a decent amount of either corn startch or powdered sugar in your mouth
Light the Match, and BLOW!!!
You might have to try a few times to perfect, but it is fun and messy!!!

Cherry on Top :]

Sabbath Day Observance

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

"The Lord has given the Sabbath day for your benefit and has commanded you to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath will bring you closer to the Lord and to your family. It will give you needed rest and rejuvenation. Many uplifting activities are appropriate for the Sabbath. Worship the Lord, attend church, spend quiet time with your family, study the gospel, write letters, write in your journal, do family history work, and visit the sick or home bound. Your dress before, during, and after church meetings should show respect for the Sabbath."

-FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH

My Stallion like parents who taught us to take family walks on the Sabbath

 Sundays are the perfect days to have that "quality family time." Growing up my parents were very good at teaching us to keep the Sabbath day holy. Even when we went on vacations or trips we would try and do our best. 
I am not going to lie to you, I still think it is hard to keep the Sabbath day holy, but remember we can do hard things.

I remember one Sunday we went over to our family friends house for dessert and to watch the Christmas Devotional. I was with my little brother Max. They had gotten out this HUGE thing of ice cream. We started to dig in. Then we added in the toppings. I put my favorites of chocolate, caramel, and Oreo cookies. Max started to do the same things. However he had mixed up the barbecue sauce with the chocolate sauce on poured it all over his ice cream. He did not realized until he took his first bite, boy was that a face to see. To make him feel a little better, I told him I would try it....bad choice... I started to think about this particular "sundae." I thought I just had this barbecue sauce on some chicken and it tasted great, but on ice cream it was just NO GOOD! It all comes back to what we do on "SUNDAES." The sauce was good just not on the ice cream, lots of the activities are good, but not on the Sabbath. I know it is hard to come up with ideas for the Sabbath but I know as you do your lives will be blessed. I know for the youth it is hard to take a day out of our social lives, but I can tell you, in the end its worth it!

Don't Make it this complicated....


What are some ideas of things to do on the Sabbath???
Comment them to give others ideas!
www.mormon.org

DTR....Determine the relationship

Dating

Do not worry, I was over sixteen :)

“The Lord has made us attractive one to another for a great purpose. But this very attraction becomes as a powder keg unless it is kept under control. . . . It is for this reason that the Church counsels against early dating.” (President Gordon B. Hinckley).

Senior Prom

A Girls Mind:

First Date- "Going to the temple and were gonna' get married......"

First College Date

A Boys Mind:

First Date- "Should I get the shrimp and steak or should I get the chicken and steak?"

Dating in your youth, or even as a young adult can be and will be a little bit awkward. However it does not always have to be! If we follow the guidelines in the FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH pamphlet we can learn to build lasting relationships and EVENTUALLY (key word youth :) find our eternal companions.

Scavenger Hunt

Through out my teenage years and even my first few years at college, I chose to DATE. I knew that if I was going to find a boy I liked, I would have to date a lot of them to find a perfect one. I am so glad that I chose to follow the prophet and not steady date. It kept me out of trouble and helped me develop friendships and even gain those "great date stories" that are so much fun to tell.

He's Married now......just friends 

After talking with lots of people both young and old I have come up with a few Do's and Dont's for both girls and boys when it comes to dating!

* BOYS- Call the girls to ask them out, do NOT just text them....

-GIRLS- be willing to try new things..whether it be rock climbing, biking, golfing, hiking, ect

*BOYS- Always open the door for the girls no matter where you are going

-GIRLS- Always say thank you for the wonderful date, even if it was not

*BOYS- Always make the first date short, just enough to get them hooked :)

                                             -GIRLS- Don't talk about ex boyfriends or really personal information

Mission farewell, make sure you send them off!

TO ALL:

-Never TEXT ON A DATE...EVER

- Always say please and thank you

-Don't just talk about yourself, get to know your date

-Go on FUN and Creative dates

-Chew with your mouth closed

-BE YOURSELF

What are some great date ideas....comment!!!

www.mormon.org

Modest is Hottest

Dress & Appearance

For the Strength of the Youth



Senior Prom

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? . . . The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).

I proved the impossible I found the end of TWO rainbows
on my mission :)

 Trying to maintain modesty today is like trying to find the end of a rainbow. It may seem impossible, but it is not, I proved that on a preparation day in New York. When you serve a mission you get to pick a mission scripture for your plaque that hangs in your home chapel. The scripture I picked is found in the bible Luke 1:37 .

"For with God nothing shall be ^aimpossible."

  

I can honestly tell you that that is true! If we put ALL of our TRUST in GOD anything is possible, and if it be his will. When we trust him to bring us good looking young men to date if we dress modestly it is going to happen. If we choose to dress modestly to a School dance you can still be made Homecoming Queen. We always hear how people will judge us because of the way we dress. We have to remember though, that in the end, the only judgement that matters in the end is the final one in front of God.



Queen Kayla and Max Prom 2010 



“Maintain high standards of modesty for all occasions. Do not lower your standards to draw attention to your body or to seek approval from others. True disciples of Jesus Christ maintain the Lord’s standard regardless of current fashions or pressure from others” (True to the Faith, 107).

Converse all the way!!!

Someone I look to as an example is my younger brother Max who is serving a mission in Argentina. For his senior year he wanted to take a girl to prom. His biggest concern was if the girl was going to dress modestly or not. It was something he had considered before asking any girl out to a dance. It was not because the girl was going against his standards but because he wanted to keep himself out of the way of temptation. He ended up taking a girl to the prom who dressed modestly by her own choice. Like I said, even the modest girls can win, his date had won Prom Queen that night. He was so relieved that she had CHOSEN to dress modestly because they ended up being in a lot of pictures.

Remember your dress and appearance shows a great deal about you, its not what people think when they see you but it's what would God think if he saw me!?

It's okay to have personality but make sure it is one that would welcome at the feet of God.

http://www.mormon.org/

Time out for DAD'S!!!!

Daddy’s Little Girl

      Our Dad's Love us no matter what, no matter if they are in Heaven or on Earth, or most people think they are a piece of dirt. All I know is that they love us :] 

I am the lucky one in the family, I have the BOLD claim of saying that I am

Daddy's Little Girl. I have always loved my DAD  and knew I could trust him. One of my favorite memories was when I was in Elementary School. It was just a random day and my DAD showed up and asked if he could take me to lunch. I graciously accepted his invite. I was SO EXCITED. Not every one's DAD  just stops in to take his daughter to lunch, but mine did. I felt like a Princess! I got to ride in the FRONT SEAT, and did not have to battle it out with the siblings to sit there, I even got to choose the music! He took me to Granny's restaurant and he said I could order whatever I wanted. I chose the BLT and a Root Beer. We got to eat together and talk about school, sports, family and what I liked to do.

 I am now 21 years old and can still remember when he did that in the third grade. My DAD

has made a huge impact in my life, and I am so grateful for him and all that he does.

He taught me how to work hard through his example and ability to support our family.

 He taught me how to serve with all of my heart through his many time consuming church callings.

He taught me the importance of having fun through the many crazy and wild adventures he took me on.

He taught me to try my best and trust in the Lord.

He taught me to be me.

I love my Dad



Cheaper by the dozen......(well half)

Family

“Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities”
(“The Family: A Proclamation to the World”).


THE START



The family started when Bret met Kristi at BYU-I. They fell in love and were married in the Logan Temple, together they raised six CRAZY children who each have different talents and abilities. I am so grateful that my parents honored the sacredness of marriage and chose to raise their children to understand that they are children of God.

THE FUN STUFF

There is one thing that I absolutely LOVE in this world, FAMILY DINNERS. Sunday's were the only days that every single person could sit down for at least an hour and enjoy each other. Most dinners would break out into long debates, sometimes tears, and my favorite, FOOD FIGHTS. My favorite memory is when my Mom handed my dad his roll that was leftover from the boating trip the day before. Instead of eating it he launched is across the table it at Max and pegged him right in the head. After that we all loaded up on ammo. The dinner ended with all of us running around the house throwing rolls at each other. It was so fun to not have any worries of a mess but to just play together as a family.

THE QUALITY TIME

My mom would ALWAYS read to us. I think we would spend at least an hour of quality time together listening to my mom reading. I love to see her read to the grand kids now and understand how it uplifts them to have the one on one attention that kids LOVE. I am so lucky to have a mom that read me the classics Harry Potter, The Great Brain, Cheaper By the Dozen, Little House of the Prairie, Box Car Kids, Junie B. Jones, and even The Princess Bride.

THE TRADITIONS


In the FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUTH phamplet it says to participate in ttraditions. I love family traditions. Christmas is a pretty big deal at my house. We started the tradition of an UGLY Pj's contest that is judged before the big sleep over. All six of us would sleep in the basement and keep the movie Christmas Story on all night on replay.  In the morning Mom and Dad would read the Christmas Story from the the Bible and pray! Then we would all line up on the stairs and go down one by one to see what Santa had brought us. To finish Christmas Day off we go to Golden Star a Chinese Restaurant and enjoy a nice "Christmas Story" meal. Traditions have changed over the years but you can see we still participate as adults and that we still enjoy them!

THE SIBLINGS

Emily, Me, Alex, Mitch, LauriAnn, Max

I grew up lucky. I always had a brother or sister around to play with. There were many times when we would fight and maybe even bite! I remember there were times when I absolutely could not stand my siblings through my teenage years. That is something I wish I could change. As well all got older we became best freinds. Through many "sibling dates" I have been able to get to know each of them to see their strengths and their weaknesses. I have been able to grow to love them and to have them as my best freinds. It is so important to build these relationships young, its going to happen eventually you might as well do it now!

THE SPIRITUAL STUFF

Joe (best brother-in-law), LauriAnn,Alex, Me, Emily, Mitch, Max

I grew up with a loving Father and a kind Mother. I am so grateful because they took the time to raise us each differently according to our needs and our understanding. They strived with all of their might to get all six of their rascals to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every morning my Mother would DRAG us out of bed to read the Book of Mormon. Max, my younger brother, would lay on the couch and would yell out his infamous statement "Mom make me some waffles." We rarely made it through a morning with out many comments about how we could have had another 15 minutes of sleep. Even though it was always a fight to get us there, and I still could not tell you every story in the Book of Mormon, but I can tell you that we did read together and we did pray together, these mornings unified my family. I love my family more than anything. It has not always been fun, but when there are PEACEMAKERS families get along alot better and have the spirit in their homes. Like my Mother always said.....

 "Who wants to be the PEACEMAKER?"