Dear Sister Reid...

Dear Sister Reid:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
You are assigned to labor in the Florida Orlando Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest Standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leave behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in his labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you as you pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please go the missionary.lds.org promptly to acknowledge your acceptance of this call.

Sincerely,
Thomas S. Monson
President

This was my last time seeing Teri until 2017. She will be serving in the Maryland Baltimore Mission and she leaves next Wednesday. Good Luck Teri! I love you to pieces!

Adam will be serving in Orlando too!!! (note the hat) He leaves July 15th.

Sister Hartvigsen served her mission in Florida!

Thanks so much to everyone that came! I am definitely blessed with the best. Thanks for all of your love and support over the last 18.5 years. I wouldn't be where I am today without you guys. So thanks for your good examples and your loving smiles. I love you guys!

I feel so honored to be blessed with the opportunity to serve The Lord and his Children in Orlando. I pray that I will be able to be His hands in doing good in peoples lives. It's been a crazy week with graduation and a mission call within two days of each other. But I'm so happy about it. And as for September 23rd... I can't wait.




feel my sunlight



p.s. As soon as I got my call I posted on Instagram and Facebook the words "I GOT MY HOGWARTS LETTER!! (Aka my mission call!)" Little did I know Harry Potter World would actually be in my mission. The Lord has a sense of humor. I'm sure of it.
p.s.s. Can you tell I'm a little excited?!
p.s.s.s. Here are a few pictures from graduation last Wednesday. And you'd better know we nailed a high school musical jump. Because can you really graduate if you didn't take a HSM picture?

night changes

Does it ever drive you crazy 

Just how fast the night changes 

Everything that you’ve ever dreamed of 

Disappearing when you wake up 

But there’s nothing to be afraid of 

Even when the night changes

Well hello friends!

Have you ever just listened to a new album all the way through and had it speak to ever aspect of your life at that very moment? I have had One Directions new album playing for the last hour and a half and words can't even describe my emotions right now.

Does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes?

I can't even explain how much this is about my life in this exact moment. It seems that my world is spinning at a million miles an hour in the right direction. It's almost like I have just begun to breath the most beautiful air just as the realization that it's all about to change knocks the wind out of me and I struggle to keep the last breath of sweet air in my lungs.

I don't know how else to explain it.

I was sitting here listening to this album when I came across a song called 18 when I thought "hey I'm 18!" but then literally thought "no... no that can't be right."

18 means I'm a senior in high school.
18 means my last year of public school.
18 means all the friends that I have gone to school with for as long as I can remember are about to become people I only see on Facebook.
18 means seminary council is almost over.
18 means my life right now is about to become memories.
18 means mission papers.
18 means college decision.
18 means graduation.
18 means this is my last Christmas before I leave on a mission.
18 means attending the farewells of all of my friends.
18 means my night is changing.

As I pondered these things I realized just how fast these changes are happening and just how little I can do to stop it.

Santa has bought and wrapped my mission luggage, and the colleges have my applications. Whether I like it or not things are about to change.

All my life has been planned up until graduation. Every year I left school in the Summer with complete assurance that I would find myself sitting in another desk within three months. This is the first time the plans have been changed.

While it's everything I've ever dreamed of-- Graduating, going on a mission, attending college-- It still drives me crazy just how fast the night is changing.

But even though it seems that things are about to change, many amazing things are happening as well!

While I've been away on holiday from my blog (do I sound British? Oh please say I sound British!) many things have happened!

Last weekend I went to Cotillion with the adorable Hayden Rigby and had a blast! Thanks again Hayden!

 

Turns out December was also a month for tumbling reunions. I got to see Anedy and Shawn who are some of my favorite former teammates at the Utah Gymnastics Preview...

 

and a few days after that I got a surprise call from one of my other former teammates, B, telling me to come to the gym because all my best friends were coming to visit!

 

It was so much fun to see everyone!

Another exciting gym happening took place at our annual competition team party which I was working. I was playing games with the 7 years old and under group when all of the sudden one of our little girls gets very big eyes and grabs onto me for dear life. I turned around to see a large Grinch walk into the gym just as a few other little girls begin to notice and demand hugs. All the older kids thought he was awesome, but some of the little ones weren't convinced, which was great for me because now they all think I'm a superhero because I saved them from the scary Grinch. And then after the Grinch left I gained a small fan club. It's moments like this when I love being a tumbling coach.

And perhaps one of my favorite parts of December was our annual ginger bread making party with the Daniels. Which is technically a graham cracker making party because we can't handle real ginger bread. We have done this every year for as long as I can remember and this year is the last year that we will all be here since both Lauren and I will be on a mission next time this activity comes around. I'd say it was a success even though the houses haven't gotten any better over the years.



I'm also proud to say that my house is the only one still standing at my house.

December has been good and OH LOOK IT"S CHRISTMAS EVE!!! In case I don't get around to posting again before Christmas I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and I wish you all the joy and happiness I can summon. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my blog. Without you this blog would just be words in the universe. I love you all! Merry Christmas!



feel my sunlight



p.s. Since it's Christmas Eve, check out these two awesome videos!

subsequent

Imagine the feeling of a car slamming into a cement wall. The immediate devastation that comes from the destruction is intensive, but the events that follow the crash are what really define the situation. The cuts and scrapes show where you got hurt, but even though your face is numb and bleeding and your neck is sore, you are suddenly aware of each breath you take. And with each breath you take you find more and more joy. It is a joyous thing to be alive, but sometimes we need impacts to remind us what really matters.

There are a series of impacts that happen inside us, to us, and around us, but what follows those impacts is what we call life. The word subsequent tells the story of what comes after the impact. The word subsequent is my word. It is the world that matches every single part of me. Whether it be an unintended repercussion, or a welcomed reward, everything in my life is a subsequent result.

I have been working as a tumbling coach for almost five years. This incredible opportunity subsequently followed the fact that I was a hard worker during practice and my coach took notice of my effort. This effort has brought me countless other things in addition to the best job in the world, including lifelong friendships, and opportunities to travel and compete all over the U.S. at local competitions, state championships, National championships, and international invitational. But while much good has come from tumbling, it has also resulted in my fair share of last place finishes, and injuries. My life greatly revolves around tumbling, and that is all subsequent to my dreams as a young girl, and my effort that followed it.

While tumbling is a big part of my life, it is only small potatoes compared to all the other parts that make up me. I am a series of results. I play guitar because I was inspired by a tumbling coach that used to sit on the side of the floor and play to us during competitions. I love Narnia because it reminds me of my childhood best friend. I hate driving on the freeway because I’ve been in several car accidents. I love grapefruit juice because my dad used to always buy it for us when we went on vacation. I am a proud church girl because I have received so much good from God that I want to give something back to him, which is the same reason I serve on seminary council. My lack of vertical altitude is a result of my genetics. And I write this blog because I want to share the impacts of my life with the world.

Everything I love is subsequent to an experience I’ve had, everything I hate is subsequent to something that made me oppose it, everything I desire is subsequent to a dream, everything I’ve achieved is subsequent to effort, everything I’ve lost is subsequent to lack of effort, every experience that I live is subsequent to a decision, every piece of my life is subsequent to a piece of the universe. My life is a series of impacts, and what subsequently follows.

Spilled Milk: a lesson on Murphy's Law

Hiya friends!

Want to know something awesome?!

I locked my phone and my keys in my car...

What? That's not awesome you say?

I guess your right.

So if any of you lovely people try to text or call me and I don't respond don't be offended. I promise I don't hate you and I'm not ignoring you.

This last week I was able to go hang out with my family on the Oregon Coast. It was buckets of fun and thanks to Murphy's Law none of my pictures from my fancy pants camera will upload. And also thanks to Murphy's Law, my phone with the rest of my pictures is locked in the car.

It's kind of a Murphy's Law day.

Murphy's Law states that 

"Everything that can go wrong will go wrong." 

(Look teacher! I do pay attention in school!)

So I guess you'll have to survive with only the pictures that I've already uploaded to Instagram.

I was on this rode, therefor, there were more Whits on this Whitmore Road.

We found a tiny door at Burger King. #shortpeopleequality

Dad is livin' so big he hit his head on the midget door. Way to live big dad. We're proud of you. #LiveBig2014

Finally found a door my size!

lots of fast food

Portland Temple!

Beach Sistas

Required handstand picture.

Life is best when it looks like this.

So in the spirit of "everything that can go wrong will" lets talk about Murphy's Law. Murphy's Law means that all the bad things that can possibly happen to you will. HowStuffWorks.com states that "it may just be right. This isn't because of some mysterious power the law possesses. In reality, it's us who give Murphy's Law relevance. When life goes well, little is made of it. After all, we expect that things should work out in our favor. But when things go badly, we look for reasons."

What? It's my fault everything seems to have gone wrong this morning? No, but its my fault if I decide to dwell on it.

As we go through life we focus on all the bad things. The keys locked in car, the photos that won't upload, the frustrations with work, the million responsibilities we are trying to juggle, all the people texting you wanting your time that you don't have, the car accidents, the failed attempts, the tight money, the medical problems, the spilled milk.

These things happen to everybody.

But while we are focusing on the spilled milk we sometimes forget the milk that's still in the glass.

Murphy's Law is only relevant if we let it be.

Look down at your hands for a second and think about all the wonderful things they have done since you woke up this morning. They have probably done at least a few of these; made you food, brushed your teeth, combed your hair, drove your car, shook hands with someone, gave someone a highfive, picked something up, set something down, typed something awesome, scrolled through the internet, hit like on some social media site, played a musical instrument, pushed play on a movie, done pushups, done pullups, honked your horn, cleaned your house, opened a door, clicked on my blog, or maybe turned on some music.

Now, That's only a few seconds of thinking about the awesome things your hands can do. And this list is limited to one body part. Now think of all the awesome things in your feet, your mouth, and your brain. Think of all the things outside your body that are awesome. The list would never end. These things your hands did this morning are all remarkable amazing features that you have been blessed with the ability to do. But when you did any of these this morning did you think "Oh, it's so awesome that I can do that?"

Probably not.

As humans we expect only good things to happen to us, and we therefor, only notice when bad things happen. While what we should be doing is focusing on all the good things.

Hiliary Weeks, an astounding LDS singer and speaker, once talked and sang at a concert I went to. She talked about an experiment she conducted that resulted in the creation of her site billionclicks.org.

She had heard that on average the human things around 300 negative thoughts a day. She wanted to know if this was true so she decided to test it. She got one of these clickers and clicked it every time she thought a negative thought through the day.

Pretty soon she noticed that she was focusing on, and looking for all the bad things. She started to become depressed and was having a hard time focusing on the good things in life.

This is exactly what Murphy's Law is. Focusing on bad things until they are the only thing you can see.

She wondered if this same experiment would work the other way. If focusing on bad made her sad, would focusing on good make her happy?

She also tested this and it worked! By focusing on only good thoughts she soon had a new attitude about life. Things suddenly became better and all she did was change her thoughts.

When I heard this I decided I wanted to try it myself. I bout a clicker and I tested this experiment and am proud to say that it works! Now, this morning I wasn't thinking about this and was trying to figure out why everything was going wrong. When I realized that in reality, everything was going right. As soon as I changed my outlook on my day things got a whole lot better.

Since Murphy's law makes us sad, let's make up a new law that will make us happy. Let's call it Happy's Law.

There are so many good things in our lives right in front of our noses. We just have to open our eyes to see them.

So here's to the person who locked her keys in the car. Don't focus on the spilled milk, but the milk that's still in the glass.






feel my sunlight




p.s.  Thanks to too much spam comments I had to change my settings so that I have to approve comments that are posted. So if your comment doesn't show up right away don't fret! It will! Keep the comments coming! I love them!

p.s.s.I only have a year left of High School. I only have a year left of tumbling, and only a year left until I go on a mission. That's a crazy thought!