Raise your hand if you're a fan of Studio C! Good. Now that you are raising your hand stupidly while staring at your little LCD screen I want to tell you about a super awesome experience I had.
For those of you who aren't raising your hand, Studio C is an awesome and hilarious family-friendly comedy show that plays on BYUtv every Monday at 10pm ET/8pm MT and is always available on YouTube. I highly recommend you all go watch some of their videos. (Also read this blog post about the time I went to a fireside by Mallory Everton.)
The other day I had the crazy opportunity to be an extra on the set of a Studio C sketch! We filmed all night long in a dark creepy (probably haunted) abandoned warehouse in Provo. Filming began at 11:00 pm and I was on set until 6:00 am the next day and I must say that I have gained so much more respect for the filming process that takes place to make these clips. Talking to the cast members we learned that it can easily take 14 hours to make one 4 minute video and sometimes that means filming in the middle of the night. These guys are rock stars and pretty much the nicest people ever. Many of the cast members took time to talk to us and take pictures with us in between takes and it was so much fun to be able to get a little bit of the behind the scenes process.
We were asked not to post pictures that we took while filming until after the skit airs, but here are a few pictures we got with a few of the cast members before filming started as well as a picture of the abandoned warehouse.
Everybody watch Studio C season 6 which airs this Monday and watch out for my very average dance moves later on in the season!
Aside from occasionally hanging out on TV sets in the middle of the night, I'm quickly getting closer to Orlando! I report to the MTC in a whopping 17 days and I am definitely in crazy mode. There are so many thoughts and emotions going through my mind at a million miles an hour and it seems every other minute I feel different about leaving. Currently I'd say I'm excited to go, but not quite ready to leave.
Next week is my last week of coaching tumbling which I have been doing since I was a little thirteen year old and the kids I coach mean the world to me. I'm so grateful that I have been able to have this job for the last 6 years and leaving the gym is going to be one of the hardest parts about leaving. But that being said, I know it's my time to accept my call to serve so I want my tumbling kids to know that I love them to pieces. Tumble hard for me okay?
My farewell is next Sunday on the 13th and I am very excited to see everyone! If you want information about that check out my previous blog post.
So I will see you all soon! And in the mean time here are a few of my favorite Studio C sketches for you to watch.
Here is the newest episode of "Whitney meets famous Mormons!"
JK that's actually not a thing... but wouldn't that be a cool show?! I think so.
It's been an INCREDIBLE month when it comes to meeting incredible people.
I mean... I don't think I'll ever write a post again where I can say I've met Mallory Everton, T.C. Christensen, Hilary Weeks, Al Fox Carraway, Dawn Armstrong, and Anthony Armstrong all within the last month.
Several weeks ago two of my friends, SaBree and Kenna let me know that Mallory Everton from Studio C was speaking in their stake. I'm a huge fan of Studio C and so of course I went!
She talked a lot about being in the world, but not of the world. I adored everything about her talk, but my favorite was when she was talking about perusing your passions and she said to "go with what you love, because you will serve more people that way... And wherever you are in life, the gospel will only make you better at it."
She also gave me curly hair envy and inspired me to go back to my no-heat hair days.
haha thanks for being so awesome Mallory!
Since I'm on seminary council at my school I had the chance to help organize a morningside for the students at Layton High. We were so lucky to get T.C. Christensen come speak to us! For those of you who don't know who he is, he is the directer of 17 Miracles, Ephraim Rescue, and he also helped with the movie Forever Strong. He also has a new movie The Cokeville Miracle coming out soon. He showed us clips from his movies and gave us behind the scenes information about the stories in his movies.
What stuck out to me was the faith of the incredible saints that came before us. They went through a Hell that is unimaginable to me. If it wern't for them I wouldn't have the gospel in my life, which is the single thing that has brought me the most amount of joy. I will forever bless the names of my ancestors that came before me. While I may not be asked to die for my religion as many of them were, I have been asked to live for it. And I hope I can do it in a way that would make them proud.
This morningside also made it to the Standard Examiner! Read about it HERE!"
Yesterday I got a text from my adorable friend Lexi saying that Hilary Weeks was speaking in her ward. I've met Hilary two times before and both of those times were with Lexi so she said that it just wouldn't feel right to hear her speak without one of the Reid girls there. haha Hilary is always one of my very favorite speakers and she is an even better singer.
What stuck out to me a lot in her talk yesterday where the words;
"He loves me & ALWAYS WILL"
God Loves us all the time. Not just some of the time. He knows exactly who we are and what we are doing. You matter so much to Him. Because of this love he has given us everything, but we can't accept this "everything" unless we decide to follow Him. He doesn't usually give us a long to-do list, so we need to follow with exactness. He will let our testimonies grow until He lets us graduate from this life.
"The trick is to enjoy life and stop wishing away our time waiting for another day."
Here are a few of my favorite Hilary Weeks songs...
And then TODAY was also a day for the books.
If you've read my blog at all you probably know how much I love Al Fox Carraway. She is one of my all time favorite humans. I tell my mom all the time that "I want to be Al Fox when I grow up." I can never get enough of her enthusiasm for the gospel. It's seriously contagious. I've never seen a chapel so packed. I love love loved how when closing her testimony she said "in the name of Jesus Christ, my best friend, amen." Because he is my best friend and I want to be able to have the same kind of love and excitement for the gospel as she does.
After hearing her speak I just wanted to shout to the world that "I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE AND THAT HAPPINESS IS REAL!" Because that is the kind of feeling she gives me when she speaks. One of my favorite lines from her talk was;
"The Gospel is the greatest thing you will ever be a part of... and I love that."
I also love that she took the time to talk to us and take a picture with us even though there were a BILLION people there. Also she remembered who I am which made me extremely happy. Thanks Al! Love you!
I'm not even done yet...
While at Al's fireside I saw a few familiar faces. All of which played major parts in the movie
I got to talk to both Anthony and Dawn Armstrong who are the "missionary" and "missionary mom" in the movie.
They are both such incredible people. While waiting in line to talk to Al, Dawn came over to our little circle and talked to us for a really long time. She was seriously one of the NICEST people I have ever met. I swear she hugged me like four times.
She also promised us that she'd go with us to go see Meet the Mormons in Salt lake at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in a couple weeks... Like who does that?!
She just commented on one of my instagram pictures saying "You are such a doll!! It was my honor to meet you all tonight. Yeah for kept appointments! They bring the greatest friendships! Whoot whoot! Stay sweet precious girl!"
She's seriously my new favorite person.
We also got to talk to Anthony for a little bit and I loved how when we asked him to take a picture with us he just said "I'm nothing special... just a regular RM."
Excuse me bro... but you're in like one of my favorite movies. haha
He was seriously one of the most humble "movie stars" I've ever met. haha Thanks so much for taking the time to meet us!
I am so thankful for all the opportunities I've been given to meet such incredible sons and daughters of God. I only hope that someday I can be half as good as these people. Thanks so much for all your enthusiasm for living the gospel. It makes me want to be a better person.
I have such a strong testimony that Jesus Christ really did die for me. That weather we are someone "Mormon famous", or someone that writes a blog with 14 followers, He knows who we are, and He loves us.
GO FORTH AND FEAR NOT. FOR THERE ARE GREATER THINGS IN STORE FOR YOU.
feel my sunlight
p.s. I promise my life isn't usually this cool. I just am an expert at crashing other peoples firesides.
p.s.s. I promise to blog more often. I've missed this corner of the internet.
Wow January has been eventful and I've failed to write about it... typical.
I could rattle off all the cool things that happened to me this month, but somehow I don't feel like this would profit you much.
Being on seminary council I was privileged earlier this month to participate in testimony meeting with all of the class presidents at the school, in addition to all the seminary council members. As expected from this type of crowd you can imagine the kind of spirit that was shared in this meeting. There was enough testimony to cover you head to toe in happiness and lets just say that the inside of my heart was coated like hot glaze poured over a freshly baked doughnut.
I don't know how else do describe it.
As I sat there listening to the people that I joke around with, the people I send funny text messages to, the people I pass in the halls, and the people I follow on twitter, I was amazed at the conviction I could see in their eyes. I listened as my peers bore powerful testimonies. As I sat there listening to these students tell just how much they love their God, I couldn't help but think; "MAN! God sure does love them too. And he loves them a whole bunch."
Ever since that day I haven't looked at anyone in quite the same way. I learned that day that God loves the people around me so much. I began to see others through God's eyes and I began to see just how much he appreciated their individual sacrifice and devotion towards him. I also began to see the potential that He see in them.
I've heard it a million times, In fact, I recite the same phrase every Sunday... "I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me." We have been told since we were little that God loves us, but never have I internalized this like I did during this meeting. God really does love all of the people around you.
God loves that little kid that draws you pictures, God loves your friend that is struggling to enjoy seminary, and God loves the kid that can't get enough of it. God loves your friend whose parents are getting divorced, God loves the Cheerleader, the Theater nerd, and the band geek. God loves the boy who wants nothing to do with the gospel, and God loves the girl that is a self-proclaimed weirdo, God loves the heartbroken, and God loves the repented. God loves the kid that has a million friends, God loves the kid that has no friends. God loves your teachers, and God loves your students. God loves that girl who just turned in her mission papers, and the boy still trying to decide weather or not he wants to serve. God loves you.
I encourage you to try this week to see people as they really are. As sons and daughters of the God Almighty. Try your very best to see them as heirs to the kingdom of God. And I promise you that if you earnestly seek to see people in this way you will begin to understand them as God understands them, and subsequently you will begin to see yourself through God's eyes as well. Because He loves you so much.
I attended a fireside given by Mallory Everton from Studio C last Sunday and I just want to eccho her words when she said that "This {the gospel} Is a good place to be."
I know that the truest happiness has come into my life because of the gospel. It is the very best place to be and my greatest desire is for those around me to feel this same joy.
P.S. I got an acceptance letter to BYUI yesterday! While I'm not fully decided on where I will go to college yet, I was excited to get that letter! :)
P.S.S. Like I mentioned above, I got to attend a fireside given by Mallory Everton from Studio C last Sunday. It was amazing and one of my favorite firesides that I have been to. Mallory is my very favorite actress on one of my favorite shows. If you aren't familiar with Studio C you need to check it out right now. I love her enthusiasm for life and I loved her message about being in the world, but not of the world. Thanks for such an awesome fireside Mallory! It was so fun to meet you!
P.S.S.S. On Tuesday I was finally able to go do baptisms for the dead at the Ogden Temple for the first time since it's been rededicated. I also need to mention that these four goons in the picture with me are some of my very favorite humans and that I'm so glad to have them in my life.
P.S.S.S.S. One of my cute tumbling students drew me this.... I can't handle how cute it is!
P.S.S.S.S.S.
Last time I shared music suggestions I had several people tell me they loved it so I decided I'd keep it up! Here is what I've been listening to this week! Let me know what you think!
