I made it. {dancing into the sunset}

Well I made it.

Today is my first day of summer. I am officially done with Junior year and I am oh so pleased to be able to type that. They told me junior year was the hardest year and boy did it kick my butt, but I made it through and that right there is a reason for rejoicing.

So I know you are all dying to know what I did to celebrate (because that was obviously what you were thinking). Well, I'll tell you.

Yesterday following the assembly we were released into a hot smelly cafeteria to write notes to everyone we know in expensive books. We did that until 4ish and following that what did I do? I spent the evening with some of my new absolute favorite people.

No, not my high school friends.

My new young women leaders! (and Lauren and Raegan)

I just want to give a shout out to my new leaders because I absolutely adore them. Even though I don't know them very well yet I love them all dearly. As I enter this summer I enter my final year in the young womens program. This is the final stretch and I am so glad I get to spend it with these wonderful leaders. This final year is going to be FANTASTIC!

Now I need to shift this post to a new topic. That topic is tumbling. I wrote last month about how I took the silver medal at state championships, thus qualifying me to compete at my fourth national championships in Louisville, Kentucky. I have competed at the last three national championships in San Antonio, Texas; Long Beach, California; and Kansas City, Missouri. I have had such a great opportunity handed to me and I am so thankful for each of these opportunities to compete. They were all truly wonderful.

Now, it breaks my heart and tears come to my eyes as I write this, but I will not be competing in Louisville, Kentucky this summer.

Although I am hitting a high point in my tumbling and am finally at the level I want to be, I feel my heart pulling in a different direction. My heart is being pulled to Palmyra, New York for EFY. I feel that this is the experience I need to have this summer. And because I am saving for a mission and for college I don't have the funds to do both trips.

I realize that this was most likely my final chance to compete at a National Championships due to the fact that the next time Nationals comes around I will be about two months from a mission, and because I do not plan on returning to compete in this sport when I come home. My heart breaks to think that I will not be a part of the Flipside nationals team this year, but I would like to say that I am SO proud of my team mates who will be a part of it in years to come.

And with that I need to thank my coaches. My wonderful, amazing, fantastic coaches; Stephanie in particular. I hit a point last year where I didn't know how long I wanted to continue in this sport. I have been at the same level for 4 years and was starting to lose my drive. Nobody knew about this except for my teammate Teri and we only discussed it a few times when nobody else was around. However, Stephanie was the one person who pulled me through it. Stephanie was the only person who could motivate me to try when all of my own motivation was gone. With this new found motivation I was able to work harder than I ever had before.

At State when I came to talk go my coaches following the awards ceremony Stephanie gave me one of the biggest hug I have ever gotten from one of my coaches. It was a hug of congratulations. Something I am not used to getting. And the words that my other coach, Jill said to me are still ringing in my head, that "I finally pulled through when mattered most". This was something I have been trying to do for years. I finally did it.

Now, hearing this you would think that I would be all for competing at Nationals, however, like I said, my heart (and my money) is being pulled to Palmyra and I am oh so happy about it. I seriously can't handle how excited I am for this experience. It is going to be amazing.

Now by resigning my spot on the Flipside Nationals team I am in no way quitting tumbling. I promise to continue to work just as hard as I was before. I also promise to support those who will be competing with the best of my ability. After all, I am still on the team and I still call them team mates. I know you will all do fantastic and I will be the first one to text you after they compete to see how you did.

With the fact that I am no longer competing at Nationals I am now free to work other things besides passes, thus giving me the opportunity to work towards moving up to the next level. I have competed four long years of level 8 and now, for the first time, I have the opportunity to work towards moving up to level 9. This is the new goal. I can't wait to work at it.

So with that my heart is open to the future. I like the way my life is headed and I can't wait for these new opportunities. I can't wait for EFY with the magnificent Raegan, and I can't wait for this last year as a power tumbler. I also can't wait for this last year as a high schooler.

The future is bright and I can't wait to dance into the sunset.


This song is exactly how I feel right now. I love it.







feel my sunlight




p.s. That was seriously one of the hardest posts I have ever had to write. I love my team so much.

p.s.s. Even though I am not going to Nationals I am still going to be doing fundraisers for EFY. My New York Trip will actually cost more than my Nationals trip would have so Ill need any help I can get. And I am doing a little bit of a different fundraiser this year. Instead of fat boys and pizza cards I will be selling up cycled furniture and other home decor stuff. More on that to come. 

p.s.s.s. Shout out to all my friends who graduate today! You guys rock!

Gratitude for notebooks & gold pennies

Hey hey hey my friend.

I haven't blogged in 13 days.

That's a problem.

But on the positive side I now have this brand spankin' new, up and running portfolio site. 

Scroll through it all you want right here.

 It has been a day of gratitude.

Gratitude for the up and coming hot portion of the year.

Gratitude for the fact that it's Friday.

Gratitude that all my grades are higher than they were last week.

Gratitude for some awesome new young women leaders.

Gratitude for amazing friends.

Gratitude that I get to attend EFY in Palmyra, New York this summer.

Gratitude that I live in a place where I can take seminary with a room filled with righteous youth during school hours.

Gratitude for the fact that I only have to go to each class one more time.

Gratitude that when school ends seminary won't have to thanks to summer seminary.

Gratitude for the amazing opportunities I have been given to serve others.

Gratitude for the progress I have made in my life

Gratitude for all the progress I have yet to make in my life.

It's been a grandiose day filled with Hawaiian music from the Soul Surfer movie soundtrack, chemically changing pennies with zinc to make them gold and silver, and buying lovely new notebooks. Oh how I love a trip to the local Wally World to pick out new journals. I can't wait to destroy them with thoughts of love and spiritual things. I'm obsessed.

Life is good my friends. Life is magnificently splendid.

feel my sunlight

p.s. This time next year I'll have a mission call. Just think about that for a second and try not to panic or get too excited. I personally can't wait.

p.s.s. Have I ever told you how much I love the movie Soul Surfer? Its my all time favorite ever. I would watch it every day if I had the time.

#ItWasMom Happy Mothers Day!

Hi Friends! Sorry I've been a slacker at blogging lately. I have been swamped with projects like this...

(This is me doing an infomercial for "The Snuggie" for my American Sign Language class. There are for sure some mistakes so if you know ASL don't mock me.)

My days have been swamped with work the last little bit. I took the AP English Language test yesterday and lets just say I'm glad that is over with.

Since it seems to be a video kind of day I want you all to take a second to watch this video...

My mom is the one who put up with all the tears, all the laughs, and all the banging of pots and pans.

Who accepted the noise while I practiced my musical instruments. From my pots and pan days, to my piano banging days, to my guitar playing days, to the times I insisted on listening to Radio Disney.

It was my mom who held me before I could talk.

Who made sure I made it from here...

To here...

It was my mom who put bandaids on my knees.

Who let me tie yarn all over the house.

Who let me watch High School Musical a thousand times even when it became annoying.
 
It was my mom who dressed me up like this...

 

And this...

It was my mom who inspired my love for this...



which later evolved into a love for this...

and who took me to the doctor when tumbling meant this...

It was my mom who ran to buy poster board at midnight when I notified her I had a project due the next day.

It was my mom who checked my grades and made sure I turned my homework in.

It was my mom that taught me who God was and who inspired my love for this.

It was my mom who installed a version of Photoshop Elements which inspired me to become a Graphic Designer.

It was my mom who taught me, who held me, who loved me, who read to me, who taught me to read by myself, who drove me to soccer practice, who taught me to drive, who I called when my driving resulted in car crashes, who picked me up when I was down, who inspired me to be bigger than myself, who put up with me when I was at my worst, and who clapped for me when I was at my best.

Julie B. Beck said that

“THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT A MOTHER CAN ACCOMPLISH. RIGHTEOUS WOMEN  HAVE CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.”

My mom no doubt molded much of my life. Things would be different without her here.

I am so glad to have the mother I was blessed with. And I now echo the words of Abraham Lincoln when he said that


“ALL THAT I AM OR EVER HOPE TO BE, I OWE TO MY ANGEL MOTHER.”

i LOVE you MOM! happy mothers day! 

#ItWasMom


 P.S. I suggest you all go read THIS BOOK! I am about halfway through it and I'm digging it... a lot.

 

invisible lies

This post rests a little more personal than I usually prefer to sit. This blog post is a letter addressed to the teenage girls of the world, but the message is for everyone. To the girls who read this I hope you realize just how great you are, and to the boys I hope it changes the way you see and treat God's precious daughters.

The world is mean to teenage girls. The world is mean to all, but currently I reside in the time of life that one would call "teenage girl years". These years are filled with messages that tell you that "you aren't good enough" and while they haven't been as mean to me as they have been for some, they have indeed been a mountain to climb.

You know how medicine bottles will say "GRAPE FLAVOR!" like it is going to be some kind of amazing, delicious drink, and then come to find out the actual flavor of the medicine is "death, and the tears of small children?" Yet, somehow that disgusting spoonful of medicine somehow manages to make you feel better? This is an accurate description of what it is like to be a teenage girl living in the 21st century.

Satan feeds lies about what we are expected to be. Teenage girls are among the most receptive of these deceitful messages.

Hank Smith is one of my favorite motivational speakers. In his CD Break Up With the World he talks about how the world is obsessed "with comparing, competing, and never feeling that we are enough." As teenage girls we are bombarded with the message that we need to be taller, skinnier, healthier, more outgoing, more involved, smarter, prettier, more loved, richer, and stronger.

"take a girl to the grocery store, and let her look at the magazines. What will happen to her self esteem? It will fall. Why? Well she looks at that, and lets say she's standing next to a boy, and the boy says "Oh, that girl's so hot", and the girl looks at that and looks at her and says "I look nothing like that, so apparently I'm not." and her self esteem falls."

I, being a teenage girl, know exactly what this can feel like.

Just today we were sitting in our seminary class when our teacher asked the boy who sits behind me "When you're playing for keeps what is one quality that is non-negotiable for your future wife to have." The immediate, non-hesitant response that came out of his mouth was "tall." Now, this comment had nothing to do with me and he was in no means being rude at all, but being the fact that I stand roughly 4'10" tall this stung a little bit.

Now, Satan is very good at seizing these kinds of opportunities. He began to plant thoughts into my mind like "maybe all boys prefer tall girls", "you will never be tall enough", "this is why you have never been asked on a date", "you will never find someone because you lack vertical inches."

lies.

Satan is very good at lies.

I am a generally happy person. I don't have any major issues with self-esteem, in fact, I like being short (tumbler perks!), but it is in the moments that I give into Satan's lies that life suddenly becomes hard. I know what you're thinking... "just don't give in." But that is easier said than done when your grades aren't up to par with how your dream college would prefer, you have been stuck at the same competition level in tumbling for four years while your team mates go on to do things you only dream of doing, you have never been asked on a date, your teacher is yelling at you because you were a few days late on an assignment, your bedroom looks like a tornado hit, The group of people sitting next to you are making fun of your religion, and the boy behind you said that being tall is a requirement for his future spouse and you only stand 4'10" tall.

I know so many girls who feel exactly the same way that I do. I also know so many girls who have it even worse than I do.

In retrospect, there is someone who is very good at speaking truth to counteract the lies.

His name is Christ.

He knows exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. He gives comfort in tribulation, strength in oppression, and peace in trial, but he can only provide these things when we choose to listen to him rather than Satan.

He did indeed feel every pain and heartache the world ever has, or ever will face while kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows exactly what you are going through and he want's nothing more than to help you in your trials and tribulations. He knows of your struggles and weaknesses and He also knows of your strengths and your possibilities and He wants the best for you and He is always available to help and assist you.

To the daughters of the Most High, I cry that you will turn to Him and realize that "You are a Daughter of your Heavenly Father, who loves you."

You are a Princess who is heir to the Kingdom of God. While things might be hard right now, someday your pain will be invisible.

"Here's to anyone who has ever felt invisible." Listen to the truth, disregard the lies. You a peculiar treasure of great worth.




feel my sunlight



p.s. Shout out to any of you who read that entire thing! I would totally love to give you an ice cream sandwich for completing that task, but because I don't know where you currently are, and because I don't have any ice cream sandwiches, I guess you will have to live with pretending I showed up to your house with an ice cream sandwich to give to you. It seems like a good gesture. Pretend I did it.

p.s.s. I decided I am going to compete in the 2014 US Power Tumbling National Championships. This means I need to do some serious fundraising. Fundraisers coming soon. Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches are my favorite fundraiser, so who knows, maybe I will show up at your door with a box of ice cream sandwiches! I give more info when the time comes. :)

p.s.s.s. Thanks for taking the time to read my writing! This blog would be nothing without you. Without you it would just sit here collecting internet dust if that were a thing.

#becauseofHim {an Easter post}

Exhalation is eternal life. It is the kind of life that our father lives. It is the kind of life we can live.

To have this life you MUST be PERFECT.

But we are all human. Humans make mistakes. It is inevitable that all humans who have ever walked this earth, walk this earth today, or will walk this earth will be imperfect.

All except one.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
-John 3:16

There was one who walked this earth walked every single day in perfect steps. He never gave to temptation and he spent his entire existence caring for those around him. He was the most unselfish person to ever walk this earth.

He suffered every pain and trial that human kind had ever known. He did this that we might not suffer as he did. He did this that we might have the chance to be forgiven.

He died so that the sting of death might have no victory, he lived that we might live again.

Because of him we can feel JOY.
Because of him we can LIVE AGAIN.
Because of him we can be FORGIVEN.
Because of him we can FORGIVE.
Because of him we can feel PEACE.
Because of him we can become LIKE HIM.
Because of him we can be made PERFECT.

This beautiful Sunday morning attended grandma's ward because me aunt and sister were performing a musical number for the program. During sacrament meeting wonderful returned sister missionary spoke about Christ. She made me realize something that I hadn't thought of before.

 You don't drive up to the window and say "I'd like eternal life please!" and then they would reply "okay, please drive up to the next window and we will give it to you."

It doesn't work that way.

It takes action. It is through Christ we are saved AFTER ALL THAT WE CAN DO.

Our mission on earth is to become like Christ, and then to help others become like Christ.

Moses 1:39 says
"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

God's greatest goal is that we will all receive immortality and eternal life. This is why he sent his Son.

We must live in a way that will bring us to this immortality and eternal life. We must live like Christ. We must apply Christ's atonement. We must become perfected in him. And then we must help others do the same.

There are those who are waiting to hear the truth, but they don't know where to find it.

We must bring it to him.

This Easter can prove as a reminder to us of what Christ did for us, and what we must now do for him.




feel my sunlight



p.s. I competed at the 2014 Utah State Power Tumbling State Championships yesterday!! I placed 2nd out of 21 girls. I had some FANTASTIC competition and everyone was great. I am so excited to be able to say that I hit mobility to move from level 8 to 9. In tumbling you must receive a certain score to do this. It has taken me 4 long years to receive this score and I am so proud to say that I FINALLY DID IT! Was it easy? NO. Was it worth it. YES! I also qualified for National Championships and am crossing my fingers that I will be able to go. Thanks to my amazing coaches, team mates, and tumbling friends that have helped me and pushed me down this long road. I couldn't have done this without you. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Conference: called to serve

Oh how beautiful is the sunshine pouring down from the sky and oh how neglected this blog has been this week. I mean, we had conference and I have yet to blog about it... SHESH! I need to get with the program.

So.... CONFERENCE!!!! 

Conference was fantastic. Incredibly extremely entirely fantastic. I took an entire 60 pages of notes. Yes you read that right....60 PAGES! Granted, I write really BIG and I also draw a lot of pictures that take up space, but still, this should count for some kind of record. Feel free to send me any awards.

This conference brought so much peace and direction into my life just when I needed it the most. 

This conference weekend has reaffirmed my desire to serve a mission in a year and a half. I love this gospel with all my heart and I can honestly say that if the prophet called me up and asked me to leave tomorrow I would go without giving it a second thought. I don't know how I'm going to survive the year and half wait, but I think my mom is glad the wait is there. Oh how I desire to obtain a name tag.

Thanks to this reaffirmed desire, I have spent much of my free time pouring over missionary blogs, pinning missionary things on pinterest, and scrolling through the comments on this facebook page for sisters who are preparing to serve missions. Which is probably why this blog has remained untouched.

So since I am not able to leave on a mission right now I think I'll make this quote my new goal. Whose with me?

So you watched conference... now what? The end of conference is a time to change. It is a time to re-evaluate your life and to see the areas where you could become better. Its a time to listen to the Lord speak through the voice of prophets. The words spoken in conference are true and if we follow what they say we will become better and we will become more like Christ.

I saw a tweet about conference that said

"Day one: take notes

 Day two: take notes

     Day three: take action"

Although it may be "day six" when it comes to conference (thanks to my lack of blogging) we still have time to take action. For me it is becoming a better missionary.

I know that if we follow the words of the prophets and we apply what they say into out lives that we will notice a change in ourselves. I have a testimony of this gospel and I believe it to be true with all my heart. I found so much joy in conference and I can't wait to take action.

What action are you going to take?

feel my sunlight

p.s. for those of you who missed conference you can watch it HERE!

p.s.s. GUYS!! My bangs are finally long enough to fit into a ponytail without being braided!
*cue happy dance music*
*proceed to happy dance*

#LDSConf

Hey everybody! It Conference weekend!!! The greatest weekend of the year! (you know, besides the other Conference weekend in October.) General Conference starts in four minutes!!! Watch it here!

Also, don't forget to share your thoughts using the hashtag #LDSConf on your favorite social media sites!!!

Go feel the spirit my friends!  Listen to prophets speak!



feel my sunlight



p.s. Let me know your favorite parts!