If you can LAUGH at it,

You can LIVE with it!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Day 7 ~ A picture of your most treasured item.

It is hard to show a picture of something that I treasure so very much.  The thing that I would like to share with you is this:


One of most treasured items is not really a tangible item, but something that is so very much a part of my life.  It is my testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  This is something that I have come to treasure as I have suffered from my choices and the choices of others.  This is something that I have come to learn the hard way, through many many tears and trials.

"...Jesus would provide a way for us to be resurrected and, by His shouldering our punishment and guilt, a way to be cleansed.  However, those would not be the end of His gifts. He also took upon Himself our infirmities and sorrows.  He provided a way for us to be consoled through every trial. He suffered alone so that we would never have to do the same. Through His Atonement all of us can be covered, helped, comforted, and ultimately embraced." 
(Brad Wilcox, The Continuous Atonement, 47)

As I have come to learn that My Savior didn't only feel the pains of my sins, but also of my heartache in the garden of Gethsemane and then again on the cross I have gained a greater love.  I have felt not only the cleansing power of the atonement in my life, but on the days that I need it most, I have felt the healing power of the atonement. I have watched as He has helped me to change a broken and sad heart into a heart that could feel love once again.  When I think about what was felt for me I can't help but think of "Oh it is wonderful, that He should care for me, enough to die for me"  Yes, it is wonderful, wonderful to me.



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Sunday, April 17, 2011

Day 6 ~ A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

A lady that I admire and would love to trade places for a day would be:


Wouldn't it be great to be her for a day! I know she has her fair share of challenges, but I would LOVE to have her wealth of knowledge and influence for a day. I would love to be able to have the spirit in my life they way that she does. 
In my dreams, I am often asked to give talks to young people and Sheri Dew knows who I am, 
kind of like the next Laurel Christensen. 
I know...Keep Dreaming! 


Quotes taken from Sister Dew's book "Saying It Like It Is"

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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Day 5 ~ A picture of your favorite memory.

Can I make an honest confession:  It seems like I have been doing a whole ton of that lately.  Here it is... I don't really have favorites.  I don't have favorite foods, favorite movies, favorite drinks...Maybe I am just weird.  So when you ask for a picture of a favorite memory, well I don't really have one and only favorite but I do have a lot of really great ones.  You might be involved in one or two of them.  Here is one I will share:

Well kind of, this isn't really me, but imagine me in it



This year I was BLESSED to get to spend my Thanksgiving Day at a homeless shelter, serving corn.  This was an extremely humbling experience for me that has changed my way of thinking and softened my hard heart.

One of the very most touching moments of the day happened when a little girl came through the line to get her dinner and started crying because she was so thankful that she got a roll that day.  A simple piece of bread.  I was trying hard to keep from crying my eyes out, but I looked at her sweet mother and just lost it.  I am sure it was quite the sight: Me crying, the little girl crying, and the mom crying.  I don't think for as long as I live I will ever forget that.


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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day 4 ~ A picture of something you wish you could forget.

 A picture of something you wish you could forget.

This is actually been an very enlightening decision for me to do 30 days of myself.  Good experience.

Here is a picture of something I wish I could forget:



Okay, so it's hard to get a picture of this.  I wish I could forget all of the times I have disappointed and hurt people in my lifetime.  I don't think there is anything harder than dealing with that pain. Maybe, I don't want to forget that because after all those times have all been learning experiences for me.  Part of that learning has come from realizing that I can't fix everything, there are words I can't back, and actions I can't relive.  But...knowing the hurt that I caused has led me to decide that there are some things I will never do again.

To those of you who fall in this list, people who I have hurt or disappointed - I sincerely apologize.  I am sorry that my growth and learning had to come at your expense.  Please know that I am trying hard to not make your suffering in vain. Thank you for helping me to be a better person.


Have a good night.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Day 3 ~ A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

This one was funny. Here is a fact that you might know about me. I don't watch TV. Pretty much never. This causes great entertainment for some of my friends because they will name drop a famous actor and I am usually completely clueless as to who they are talking about. I also did not grow up watching TV. Most of the time this is a huge blessing in my life.

So because I don't have a better answer, one show that I have actually watched (Thanks to them being on DVD) and I think I may even own (not really sure because everything I own is in storage...still...)due to inheritance of the DVD's is M.A.S.H



My favorite was probably Radar.  He was an innocent guy who turns red a lot, kind of reminds me of me a little bit!  





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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Day 2 ~ A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Okay, this one was harder than I thought it would be:

I always thought I wanted to do this:

But I am really not sure who I am trying to kid with that.  Truth is: I am a chicken and I hate high places, and I really don't think I could fall out of a perfectly good airplane.  Just don't think I could make that one happen.

What I really want to do before I die is this:


Before I die, I want to be a Mom.  
I realize that other things have to come first, but there you have it!  

PS - please don't think this is turning into a desperate "Woe is me" blog.  I know that someday I will have this blessing, and while I am waiting I am still enjoying life. 

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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Day 1

So I decided to steal something from my little sister Stef, that I think is totally fun. So for 30 days I get to document things about me. (Since no one reads this anyway, and eventually I will turn this into a book working for my journal)

Day 1:A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

I HATE pictures of myself
since the best most recent picture I have of me is below I will forgo the picture on this one.
Fifteen Facts:

1. I come from a family of 10 kids. I love it and feel bad for people who don't have very many siblings.

2. I have over 100 first cousins!  Wish I could keep in touch with them all...well most of them.  Just Kidding!

3. I have run 1 marathon in my life and hoping I can soon say that I have ran 2!

4. I don't like change.

5. I don't handle taking medicine very well, it makes me really crazy! (See my first post from January 2011)  I
do and say things that I would not normally do.

6.  When I was a teenager I wanted to start a school for Bums...I thought it would be a great source of income.  My plan was to teach them how to be a good bum and then charge them 10% of their income for a month.

7. I LOVE working with teenagers.   I think they could be the greatest group of people in the world.

8. I am not domestic in any way.  I can't cook, sew, make cute crafty projects or bake. But I know people who do, and I am not afraid to call them for help.

9. I believe in fairy tales coming true and happily ever after.

10. I believe that anything worth having is worth working for.  Things that come to us easily are usually not fully appreciated.

11. When I grow up I want to be a Mom

12. When I was little I used to pretend among many other things that I was Reba, and I was married to George Strait.

13. I wish that I could be described as a charitable person.

14.  I often have the best of intentions, but rarely follow through.  I like to celebrate when I do!

15. I love Music. Most often my thoughts in my head or my communications are through a song.

Hope you are doing well.

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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Rustin...

In case you didn't already know...I am one lucky lady. One of the reasons I am so lucky is because I have sweet nephews and nieces.  In February I was privileged to go to my sweet nephew Rusty's baptism.  He is such a sweet little kid (most of the time).  I always feel so honored to be part of these sweet kids life.

Jeremy's Family

Flashing our signature "I LOVE YOU" Sign...Specifically for Aunt Kristin today

Grandpa and Grandma with a few of the best kids in the world...I was so happy to see Colton there

Grandma & Grandpa with Rustin 

There are not many things that warm my heart like seeing these kids. It brought tears to my eyes as we pulled up to Jer's house and my sweet little Colton came running out of the house to welcome me.  I sure do miss these kids and wish I had more opportunities to spend time with them.

RJL - I am so proud of the choice that you made to get baptized.  I know that Heavenly Father is also very proud of you.  Keep doing what you are supposed to and you will continue to be blessed.


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