Human Nature...

Someone recently told me that human nature was naturally bad or evil. These are my thoughts...

Human Nature is good right? Recently I have found human nature to be depressing, but not evil or bad. We all seem so clearly out for ourselves (selfish). Put us together and inevitably trouble ensues; we fight, we divorce, we steal, we hold grudges, we kill. We wage war not just on the battlefield, but on every field—in the home, at the office, school, even on the highway. Our true nature is divine. Love is the substance of which we are made and we can never change that. How is it, then, that we humans are capable of such cruelty? Is it because we have forgotten our true nature, have we lost touch with our original purity?

Remember: To recall to the mind WITH EFFORT; to think of again. I have been thinking about my heritage lately (not my ancestral heritage); I mean my divine heritage and how often I forget. I forget that I have so much more to give because of what I've been given. So have we all simply forgotten? What causes us to change, even from when we are little. Yes, that little child who lives deep within our Divine who loves to play, joke, be happy and blow bubbles! Isn't it interesting that the Savior would make the following statement: "And again I say unto you, ye must . . . become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God" (3 Nephi 11:38)? James A. Paramore gave a talk that outlines what we can learn from children.

- The Power to Believe
- The Power of Implicit Faith
- The Power of Obedience
- The Power of Love
- The Power of Service
- The Power of Enthusiasm

Children seek new experiences, they have no pretense or scorn or condescension or pride. They are natural and warm and outgoing. They are excited about the smallest things, and as such, captivate our attention. They experience each day with newness, not building upon the difficulties of the previous day. They don't even remember them. They teach us that spontaneity and excitement for life are essential to happiness and self-fulfillment, and really come from a loving God. They are not instinctively grouchy or self righteous or hateful. These are acquired traits. Some of the greatest lessons we'll ever need are to hang on to and cultivate these gifts given by a loving Father in Heaven.

So is Human Nature Bad or Evil...No not to me. Everything we do that is good comes from within us, it has been given to us long before this earthly experience. When we experience negative feelings or are hurt by another person, we are not experiencing human nature we are experiencing the Natural Man. So when this happens be the better person be a "daymaker" assist them in remembering. I love that the qualities that we can learn from children are prefaced with the word POWER. We have the power to change ourselves as well as those that are brought into our lives, even if for a brief moment. How do we do it? We remember to be as a little child.

New York, New York

New York... It's a city where you're going to see sides of human nature that you're going to be shocked by. New York is a city where, if you are open minded, when you walk outside you don't know what could happen. It's exciting, passionate, fast paced, straightforward and, strangely enough, it's friendly...
My New York vacation was nothing like sitting on a beach somewhere sipping a virgin Margareta, yet it started out relaxing with a walk through the city & dinner @ the famous Shake Shack... Yep a walk through the city after the sun goes down in a place that's called "concrete jungle" where it easy to find no signs of spring other then air temperature and the shadows of light that stream from the buildings. Thank you Ruth Anne for showing us around.

Who can visit New York and not hit Broadway. I love Wicked ever since my good friend "T" introduced the 2 of us it has been love at first note. Friday night we went to Wicked & this is how I felt...Once the lights have dimmed, a sense of anticipation fills the air and a quiet buzz of excitement radiated around me. Once the curtain is up the buzzing stops, you can feel everyone holding their breath waiting for the silence to be broken by those who will hold our attention for the next 3hrs. Even after the silence is broken with "No one Mourns the Wicked" No one speaks, I can't; it's as if I am spellbound by a magical fairy Broadway dust. Oh how I love this play!!

Can you say Derek Jeter & Alex Rodriguez in uniform...yum! Okay so that wasn't the only thing I saw at the Yankees Game. The energy in Yankee Stadium is amazing. We were like 12 rows back with amazing seats with fly balls sailing over our heads. It was so hot that day, we walked away with some pretty amazing sunburns that later turned to tans. I must say I like watching baseball much better in person then on T.V.

We couldn't get enough of Broadway so we went and saw another play called Promises Promises with Sean Hayes and Kristen Chenoweth(LOVE HER). It was really good I could listen to Kristen sing forever, I love her energy! So after the play we went to find a treat and walked everywhere and decided that we really didn't want one because there was a million & a half people in Time Square that night. As we were walking back we decided to take the long way back to our Hotel...Well as we are walking up one of the side streets we see all these people with camera's taking pictures so we go to see who it is...Just as we walk up we see Kristen Chenoweth , I freeze, i can't even move I'm so star struck. She's right in front of me, I swear, I could have put my arm out and given her a hug; but I couldn't I just stood there. My friend Hollie was no better. We both just stood there. As we came back to earth Hollie got her phone out and snapped this picture of her walking away. It's the best we got! I believe we were both on cloud 9 the rest of the night.

I'm pretty sure I could go on & on about how much I loved my mini vaca to New York but this post is long enough. However I can't end without saying Thank You to my good friend Hollie who let me tag along with her. I believe I will simply still the words from the play Wicked..."I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason bringing something we must learn And we are led to those who help us most to grow If we let them and we help them in return well, I don't know if I believe that's true But I know I'm who I am today Because I knew you... ' Thank you for your friendship.

A Moment for My MOM!!

Did you know that elephant moms gestate their calves for 22 months?
- Thank Heaven I was only in your belly for 38-40 weeks MOM!!

Did you know that the average age at which a woman becomes a mom for the first time is 25.1 years?
- I do believe you were 25 when you had me...granted I wasn't your first, but according to this it's probably when you became a mom for the first time;) J/K

Did you know that 81% of American children younger than 6 eat dinner with their mothers most evenings?
- Mom you performed way above average on this one, I would say you achieved 100% with all of your children around the dinner table. I mean really... younger then 6 where else would we be!!

Did you know that Mr. Roger’s mom knit many of the sweaters he donned on the set of his popular children’s television show?
- Oh boy, I'm not sure I would have worn the Easter Dresses on a television show but I do remember you sewing(that's like kniting...right?) You made such beautiful stuff!


Okay so these are just silly facts about Mothers...Here are some real ones about My MOM.

Did you know that my Mom had 5 out of her 6 kids NATURAL?!
- Mom you are an example of both inner strength as well as outer strength. I know I have defiantly tested both your inner & outer strength @ times, but I hope you know that I love you!

Did you know that I took my whole 6th grade class over to my house without telling my mom & she came out of her room after just getting out of the shower(she was dressed)and there we all were?
- I don't think you even got mad at me, thanks for always making EVERYONE feel welcome in our home; especially your family. Home is always a warm place of love!

Did you know that with 4 years of playing High School Basketball & Soccer she only missed 1 basketball game?
- Thank you for being my #1 fan Mom. You always support me no matter what, thank you!

Did you know that my Mom is an excellent teacher of life, the gospel, and of love?
- I've never known anyone who works so hard on preparing the lesson they will teach in church so that they can convey what the sisters need to hear. You are an AMAZING teacher who teaches with the spirit & by example!

Did you know that my Mom loves to golf & is good too?!
- Thank you for letting me(who's not so good) go with you, I enjoy the time we get to talk and just enjoy each others company.

I could go on and on about how my MOM is a...Friend, companion, hug giver, cookie baker, cake maker, listener of stories, hair braider/poofer, role model, teacher, coach, example, best friend,& the best grandma you could ask for your own kids to have...



But I think we all know her best as my MOM a.k.a (Petree) Happy Mothers Day Mom I love you!!

I'Mpatient

I had the chance to study Pres. Uchtdorf talk from the Priesthood session this past week & he made a statement that has caused me to pause and take stock of my life.

impatience(ever noticed the I'M at the first): "is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all too prevalent condition called 'center of the universe' syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role."

Take a trip back in time with me...
Remember when if you wanted to watch a t.v show later you had to put your tape in a push record? What about that new song on the radio, where once you heard it you had to wait hours to hear it again? Or how fast you unwrap the shrink wrap on the new CD you have been waiting for. I was young but I still remember when this was life.

Back to the present...
We live in a world where everything has become instant- You can download a song or new CD even before it's release date , watch a new movie on your t.v (who needs to go to the movies anymore) DVR (oh and if you don't have DVR just watch it online), instant messaging, email, text, cell phones which can reach most people most places-it seems that we should never have to wait.

If we have to wait, we catch an attitude. But why? What is so unappealing about waiting? Where is the harm in standing in a line at the grocery store over using the self-checkout or slowing down on the freeway? (The cars you fly by always seem to catch up to you @ the next red light anyways). Does getting everything quickly ensure satisfaction? If I eliminate the wait time, am I guaranteed happiness?

For those of you who didn’t skim through this post to instantly determine its purpose, the answer to the question above is “no.” Instant gratification doesn’t equal instant satisfaction. In fact, the faster and easier we obtain things, the less value they possess. Having the ability to wait and exercise patience helps us become more appreciative; after waiting for so long we realize the value of something upon receiving it.

So I challenge myself to be a little bit more patient, enjoy the moment, live in the present and maybe I will be able to get over my “center of the universe” syndrome & notice that my life is taking place right now & en-JOY it. Maybe, just maybe if I can become a little bit more patient in all aspects of my life the wait will be worth it:) Join me if you'd like.

Cr"AZ"y

This past week I have been in Arizona as we prepare to open our new building in Chandler. The Building is coming along nicely:) We open the doors in July!! All I can say is that I love one-story buildings already.



There are a few things that I learned about myself while I was here. They are as follows...

I REALLY enjoy sunny days & little shops...

I don't like staying in this for multiple reasons...


I hate traveling alone...

I feel like if I'm going to go somewhere someone should be with me, which is really weird because when I'm alone at home I like the solitude. Maybe because when I'm at home I have the option of surrounding myself with people where as when I'm traveling that option is taken away. Hmmm...

It's am"AZ"ing what you can learned about yourself while in AZ for a whole week. I will visit often in the next couple of months just not for a week at a time. Maybe a day or two would be nice, otherwise I might go Cr"AZ"y!

Hoppin Good Time

Family, Baskets, Eggs, Spring Weather, Chocolate covered marshmallows, Food, Games, did I mention Family... These are just a few of my favorite things from Easter weekend. I had a blast and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. When I arrived my Family was already in full swing of Easter festivities making these.

With all of this

The kids loved them!! I was a little frustrated at first because I wanted it perfect but once you made one you couldn't stop. This is how they turned out...

Don't they look so fun!


This weekend happened to be conference weekend as well, one of the meanings of Easter is "Renewal". Whenever I listen to conference I always feel like I am being renewed or re-energized. I absolutely love to continue to ponder/study the messages that were given. Being with Family is the greatest, thanks guys for making it so fun:)

"Diving in Head First"

So I've always been told that when I make a decision that I should "Dive In Head First"...This was not the case this past weekend! So as many of you know I work at Noah's which is a multi-use event center. While at work we carry a little black phone around with us so that if the customers in the building need anything they can call. Well to make a long story short the following events/conversations took place between Friday Night @ 2:30 AM and Saturday Night @ 10:30 PM!
-1400 Singles in the Entire Building
-Running around like a chicken with our Head cut off
-Leaving the building... Tiffany R.(employee) "I don't know where the Black Phone is"
(ME)" Don't worry about it we will find it tomorrow it's 3 in the morning, and I'm not going to look for a phone"

Saturday Morning
- Tiffany Do (Employee) Calls me @ 9:00 AM "Steph, I can't find the black phone, did you take it home"
(ME) "It's somewhere in the building Tiffany R. doesn't know where she left it so just look around as you go.
-I arrive at work @ 3:00 PM still no Black Phone building is crazy no time to look for it.
-Call Tiffany R. to see if she can remember where she might have set the phone down
-Again Running around like a chicken with It's head cut off.
-Incoming call from Tiffany R. " Um...I can't remember where I put it...It may have fallen in the garbage...Whoopsie!!!
(ME) "Really!! Are you kidding me"
-Walk out to Dumpster call the little black phone, can't hear anything...get a little closer can here a faint ring. (thoughts going through my head) Are you kidding me...I'm going to Kill Tiffany...That doesn't sound good...
-Place call to my DAD someone had to know what I was about to do.

YOU GUESSED IT I WENT IN...Not head first though.



I never thought that I would be Dumpster Diving for a living. Just goes to show how much I love my Job!!! I really do. So I have started this blog so that I can capture all the great experiences that I have at my wonderful job and in my wonderful life. The little Black Phone is Safe and Clean!!