HELLO WISCONSIN!!!!

MESA!!!

Just a few pics from my trip to Mesa this weekend! After going to the Temple, Lyndee and I (Mary Anne studied at her brothers house...not fun) swam and was by the McNeils pool for the rest of the day..about 5-6 hours total...I am a bit burned!!! but it was sooo worth it!!!

"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

So these past couple weeks, I have had so many testimony building experiences it is unreal! For starters, most of you know that I am taking my second class this summer, English 102, and it has been a rough ride so far. It is very stressful and a lot of material and homework in such a small time space, but I'm getting through it! But last week I was in class and we are studying poetry (I'm terrible at poetry too by the way) and we were reading the poem "Out, Out-" by Robert Frost and we were discussing the different meanings of the peom and possible 'hidden' meanings and my teacher just said something about our lives and how we don't know the reason we are here and what we are supposed to do here on earth. When he said that it just hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to shout out, "But we do!!!" That truly was an eye opener how blessed we are as Latter-Day Saints to know the truth that this life here on earth is not just something to do and after we die that's it...We do have a purpose and a reason for being here!!

And secondly, last thursday night I had the opportunity to go with the missionaries and the ward mission leader to give the second new member discussion to a recently baptized girl in our ward. It was on the Plan of Salvation, and I just loved every minute of it! This was the second time I was able to sit in on a missionary discussion and I have always thought of the possiblility of serving a mission myself and both times with the missionaries, I just think, "I want to do that!! I want to devote a year and a half of my life completely to the Lord and his Gospel!!!" During the lesson, I just listening to the Plan of Salvation and The Atonement and I almost wanted to cry just because It hit me how blessed I am!! My Savior died for me!!! My Heavenly Father has a Plan for me to return to him one day!!! And listening to Jessica (the new member) bear her testimony how she knew it was true, was a testimony builder for me. Jessica has had a rough time, the day she was baptized, her mother flew into town and tried to stop it all together and she had family calling her trying to talk her out of it! How strong she was and strong her testimony was to know that she had to do this for herself? She knows her Savior and Father in Heaven loves her and she knew that it was true!!!

And lastly, friday night I was able to go to Mesa with my friend Mary Anne and stay the night with the McNeils, my friend Lyndee was already in Mesa. Saturday morning the three of us girls went to the Mesa Temple to do some baptisms and earlier last week, Kathy called me and said that she had a friend that had about 29 family names that needed to be baptized for so we were pretty excited for that. So we got to Temple and after waiting awhile because it was busy, we were able to be baptized for this woman's family. And everytime I go and do baptisms, I like to look at the year the person was born and where they were born (It was something I was told when I first went to the Temple, to see how long these people have been waiting for this day and that has just made it more personal for me) well after about 2 names, I finally opened my eyes and I almost wanted to cry!! Half of the names that we were baptized for were born in the 1800's in Wisconsin!!!! It really hit home for me and made it so much more special for me! I truly know that my Heavely Father knows the desires of my heart and it was not an accident that we were able to do these baptisms.

I do know with all my heart that this Gospel is True and everything in it is true! I love my Savior and I know he loves me and that he died for me and has felt all that I have felt. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me and has a Plan for me and hears and answers my prayers! I know that my Father in Heaven has given me these experiences along with so many others, to help me and to build my Tesitmony and I am so grateful for that! I know that President Monson is truly called of God and loves each and every one of us! I love this Gospel and and am so blessed to have it in my life!!!

Night with Lyn Lyn & Cream Puff!

So Lyndee has been gone most of this summer already so finally she got back from California Saturday night and we finally got to hang out! and earlier that day I made a cream puff or started to...Mom you would be sooo proud! It was delicious!! After going to a baptism of a friend of ours, Lyn helped me finish the topping then of course we had to test it to see if it was good enough to eat!! We ended going to the park swinging on the swings and just chilled all night! It was a good night and I sure did miss that girl! Lyn Lyn- you can't leave me again!! hehe Here are some pics from our night!

That's my Dad!!!

So first of all, I had no clue that this was going on and when I talked to my little sister, Jasmine today, she just said that my sister-in-law, Michelle was going to be sending me some pics that were going to make me laugh...well they sure did in fact! I am in no way surprised by this, this is truly my dad and all I can say is that I am so proud and happy to be able to call him my dad!! I have to be perfectly honest though, when I told my friend Lyndee that I was going to be getting some pics from 4th of July back home, she knew how much I missed it this year and how sad I was friday and she told me that it might make me cry. I really didn't think that from my sister saying that they were going to make me laugh, that they were going to make me cry too. When I opened the email, I broke out in laughter followed by (yes you guessed it...) me crying. Don't get me wrong, it was the most laughter filled cry that I ever had, but it just made me realize how much I did miss. By the looks of it, the 4th of July was a success and Happy 100th Anniversary Gresham!!!!

Christmas in July!

Maybe it's because I grew up in Gresham where July 4th is like Christmas, but I absolutly love this Holiday!! I love the parade and the games and food and especially the fireworks at night! This year, however, will most definitly not be the same....Arizona really does not care all that much of this day and the celebration is going to be nowhere near what it is like in Gresham. Of course my friends told me there is a parade and then fireworks at night, but that's about it. My friends and I decided to have a little cook out and have a party of our own. I'm pretty excited about it but I think I am going to be a little disappointed by not being able to be in Gresham for the 100th Anniversary!!! If you are there...Please take lots of pictures so I can see! I hope everything has a good 4th and I love you guys!!