Me "Mor" ial Day Weekend

As many of you know I love going home to (Hurricane)...So this past weekend I decided that although I love going home because of family; I also love going home because of where it is!  I feel like Hurricane is a hidden treasure that hasn't yet been discovered or ruined with over population and commercialism.   There is so much to do within a 10-30 min drive from my humble abode.

Zion's National Park

Gotta Love I-phone Pictures

   My Sister Amber and her family were able to come with us.  We hiked to all 3 Emerald pools with them since they still have semi-small little ones:) They all did awesome!  We had some good moments on this little hike.

1) Bathroom Dance (Shaylee needed to go to the bathroom)...Sorry Amber!!

2) Addison was our Fearless leader...no but seriously she was a quick little hiker. But when she ran out of juice she really runs out of juice.

3) Shaylee was holding my hand down the hike and fell in some sand & I thought she had her feet under her and then I realized I was dragging her through the sand!

Shaylee, Addison, Myself and Rana excited for our hike:)

After we ate lunch Rana and I went back to do Angels Landing...It's been a few years for me! I absolutely love it.

It doesn't look like it, but I was at the highest point on top of Angels Landing!

Post Angel's Landing...Such a good DAY!

   So on Sunday we went to church the next morning & it was one of the most interesting sundays I have had in a while.  I just have to say that being in the Primary Presidency is probably one of the hardest jobs in the church.  I know, I know,  some of you are shaking your head thinking that there are so many other calling that are harder.  Let me spell it out for you.  Not only do they have to deal with kids, they have sharing time, birthdays, and bulletin boards to decorate, weekly talk schedules, planning a yearly program, scouts, achievement days, & last but not least you also have to deal with the teachers.  I couldn't believe how many teacher would just leave town without finding a substitute for their class...Anywho, because I was visiting and happen to know someone in the presidency I was asked to substitute last min.  As I was teaching the lesson to the 9-10 year old boys about the conversion story of Limhi's father, I realized how easily as adults we miss what a blessing it is to be among his children. 3rd Nephi 11: 37 we are to become like them.

My friend Rana did have an admirer :) He loved that she would listen to all the of interesting things he had to say which were many! Priceless face...Thanks Rana you were such a sport! 

GOLF

Sand Hallow is Beautiful

Finished off the trip with a little SnoKaps!!

hOw tO sEe & ReMeMbEr...

    I recently read Henry B. Eyrings talk "How to See and Remember God's Kindness"  I feel as though I have been asleep spiritually lately & needed to experience a personal awaking... I had this very visual image of sleeping soundly and having a pail of ice cold water thrown on me (It woke me quickly, but I wasn't happy) vs. the other visual of waking naturally after a good nights sleep to the sun peeking through my window(Much more peaceful and pleasant experience).   I feel like I sometimes expect my Heavenly Father to be holding that "Pail of Water." Even though that thought brings a smile to my face, I prefer the light that comes through my window to be coming from him waiting for me to finally wake up & to see that everything in life is good and he is waiting to teach me line upon line.

   Every once and a while I feel as though the "Pail" is needed in order for me to wake up.  I'm not sure if the Pail of water represents anything specific other then what's specific to every individual.  Maybe your pail is a huge trial that opens your eyes wide enough to draw closer to your Father in Heaven.  Maybe, your pail is a bad relationship, a health issue, losing a loved one, self-confidence issues.  Whatever our "Pail" remember it is there to help us See and Remember God's Kindness!

  This talk allowed me to recognize all of the good things that God does for me on a daily basis.  I'm not the best journal keeper...(Does this blog count?) but I have decided to make an effort in being more conscious to all the blessings he does bestow, which are many.  I believe it's easy to get mad or unhappy when we have a trial(or pail of ice cold water thrown in our face), but to keep the perspective that God wants us to be happy changes everything.  Take a moment and think of what your reaction would be to being waken up with a pail of water and the difference between if it was your Father in Heaven vs. someone else that was doing the waking up.  
   I feel like my thoughts don't flow as clearly when I have something that was extremely powerful for me, but here it is documented...Happy Day!

Face Paint of Life

The history of face painting includes painting faces for reasons of camouflage, religious purposes, entertainment, inclusion in sports and as a statement about society. This past trip home for Mother's Day the face painting was for pure entertainment...Thanks Shaylee & Addison:)

Yes, that is me concentrating for her:)

Both Shaylee and Addison took "Face" painting literal no matter how many times Amber & I said we just wanted a little close to our eyes...You can see that didn't happen!

When we went to get our treat for the night we couldn't figure out why everyone was staring at us & then we realized we had forgotten we had some serious face paint going on:)  I love me some SNOKAPS!!

So even though face painting was super fun & definitely a highlight of the trip, The real reason I drove down was to celebrated my Mother. I can't put into words how much this wonderful women means to 

me.  So Mom, I hope you know that I love you & I'm glad that I am able to call you my Best Friend.  I hope that I am able to be a small reflection of the Women you are!

We celebrated with some Pedi's and lunch at the Olive Garden

Can you guess who's toes are who's?  My sisters think it's weird that my second toe is longer then my big toe...Don't worry I get it from my mom:)

Oh yeah I had to say goodbye to my sister Lisa who is moving to Florida this week. I'm excited for her to start such a great adventure with her family, but I will miss her sorely!! 

P.S she's not taller then me she has on heel's & me flats:) 

This little one was asleep when I said goodbye...Love you Tyn!

Egg-cellent

I decided it was time to make a trip down south since I haven't been home in a couple of months. I was lucky enough to have some co-riders with me this time. I took 2 of my nephews down with me since it was their spring break. I just want to share a few of the many cute & funny things that they had to share with me on our car ride.

Jaden: Hey Aunt Steph, do you want to know a true story?
Me: Of course.
Jaden: Okay, true story. Before the dinosaurs roamed the earth fairies & wizards existed and they became stars as well as some live on islands around the earth!

Me: Any song requests
Jaden: Ridin dirty (8 yrs old)

Me: Ridin what?! (P.S. I did find this song on youtube and Jaden was able to sing most of it!)

Tanner: Justin Bieber (6 yrs old): Aunt Stephy did you know that Justin Biebers voice is going to be lower on his new CD. Don't worry it's okay.

Jaden: Yeah its okay because like right now I scream & sing like a girl but when I get older I won't like Beiber.

Tanner: Jaden guess what? Carsen(a kid they know) said he doesn't like Justin Bieber but he likes his songs.

Jaden: That's close enough!

Jaden: Aunt Steph...I finally told Kyndell (his 3 yr old sister & my niece) that she was going to have a baby someday & that it was going to hurt, but that she would be okay!

Me: -insert laughter-(I had nothing)

Quick little side note. I might have had a mild anxiety attack with kids in my back seat with wheat thins, fig newtons, fruit snacks and a McDonalds happy meal. I just had to keep telling myself that everything is cleanable:) I figure when I have my own family I will get over this rather quickly. Right?!

Here is the breakdown of our Easter Weekend.

1. Community Easter Egg Hunt/Craziness

2. Our own Egg Hunt

Look at those beauties (My sisters)... Hiding the eggs:)

The Excitement!!

They all found their special eggs

3. The Easter Car Show

love the Camero's

4. Last but not least the first pool day of the season:)

To round out a pretty amazing & relaxing weekend my best friends (my parents) spoke in church on Easter sunday & both did an amazing job...such good examples! Can't wait for next time.

Before and After...

Have you ever experienced those moments where you feel like you've accomplished something. Those times where when you start a project you actually finish and then you stand back (gain perspective) and are proud of yourself because...well you did it! Sometimes it's the big things like high school, college or a mission that we really take notice of, but lately it's been the little things for me.

- Mowing the lawn with straight lines. (LOVE MOWING)

- Reading a vs or line from the Book of Mormon

- Workout everyday...even if it's only 10 push up's (IT'S SOMETHING)

- Taking time to be silent

- Smiling more often

I feel like all to often we find fault with ourselves because of all the things we aren't doing. Why is it so much easier to see the bad? I find it easy to notice the huge list of all the things that everyone "thinks" I should be doing, but what about the things I am doing?

I've been helping my brother up in Idaho with a project. I wanted to share the before and after pictures with you, but also want to share some thoughts that came to me as we worked.

I love physical work! I have since I was a child. As we began the process of remodeling, it was easy to see the improvements. It was almost instant results. Once we made a choice to change something we moved forward with that change and saw it come together in a week or two. The thought came to me that temporal changes & choices are so much easier to see then the changes that takes place in our hearts. A hair cut, color, or losing weight. What about the choices we make to change our character & personality. WHO are WE "before" we make the choice and WHO are WE "after" the choice is made? There is always a before and after with every choice we make in our lives. Our choices will either bring us into the light or away from the light.

Standing in Holy Places.

Sometimes I find myself having wondered to the 3rd floor of Noah's in South Jordan around sunset or just after; looking out of the panel of windows that line room 301. I love the silence that proceeds the events before they arrive. About 7 months ago as I was looking out on the valley a very peaceful & emotional feeling overcame me. I know this probably sounds really weird, but as I was standing there I realized that I could see 3 temples from one window.

I stood there and reflected on my first experience of going through the temple...in some ways that moment was more peaceful then the first time I attended. Since then I have been back frequently and not so frequently depending on how you look at it. I haven't gone every week or even every month in the last 5 years that I have been endowed. My mind immediately followed with all the stories told of saints who sacrifice for years to attend the temple once. The force of the guilt of having 3 right in my back yard & not finding the time only lasted a moment as I realized that even though I might not attend as frequently as I would like...I do attend, I do carry a current recommend and when I do go I focus on the moment & draw closer to my Heavenly Father.

I still stand in Aww as every now and again since that moment seven months ago I find myself at that same spot looking at these 3 beautiful temples & reflecting. If you are doing what so many others are & setting new years resolutions or goals for 2012, maybe put this one on the list:)

Remembering back to NOW...

Some say that life comes down to a few great moments. Often the key points in our lives pass by in stealth, leaving us to chase the shadows. We are left to question and evaluate the times we felt we've lost. Socrates once said "A life unexamined is not worth living."

I sometimes reflect upon the moments of my life that have come together brick by brick to shape the pyramid of my character.

The most prominent on my mind today is that of my mission. Today marks the 4th year that I have returned from the Ohio Cleveland Mission & Kirtland. I can't believe that it has been that long. You will never catch me saying the infamous statement of "on my mission", however, I can't help but express how much I grew while I was there... If you ask my family they will tell you that when I came home I was a little crazy/weird!!

I had an amazing Mission President who actually enter the mission field with me. President Peterson is one of many who helped shape a part of my character that assisted me in opening my mouth! I wasn't the best companion and often wish I would have been who I am today back then, but I also know that I wouldn't be who I am today without all the many wonderful experiences of back then. I could write a novel on all the memories I've been spending time in today, but to sum it up, my mission was definitely a brick by brick experience.

If I examine the surface or the materialist things in my life, it doesn't look like I've accomplished that much. You have to take a deeper look...In the last 3 years I have had some major shifts in the way I view life as well as how I view myself.

I get homesick every once and a while for the Ohio and I decided it's because a piece of my character(heart) was shaped there. Very real emotions surface as a sound, a particular sent, a song, or something that I see flashes me back to the past. I'm so grateful for all those individuals who showed up in my life to teach me, and help me remember who I am! I will forever love & miss the O.C.M