Disney World

My Roommates and I with the neighbors having Sunday Dinner

Partying with my Coworkers during Leap Year

Eating in Italy

Graduating Disney University!!

Mouse Kisses

Well....where do I even begin to describe this adventure? I guess I'll start with the basics.....  it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Florida is a beautiful place to live, and for the most part everyone there is very friendly and nice. Working and studying with Disney was one of the best decisions I made for myself. I learned to be spirituality independent and strong. I made some of the best friends I will ever have. I had the time of my life playing in the parks! And I met and saw some pretty interesting celebrities (Justin Bieber, Payton Manning, President Obama). All in all it was the best seven months I could have asked for. There were times when it was hard....spending Christmas without my family, having no Institute, sometimes having to work on Sunday, dealing with angry guests....as ideal a job as it was I sure put up with more crap than I was paid for. But I grew and matured from it, more than any other experience I've had so far. Was it worth it? Yes. Will I do it again? Heavens no :) It was one of those experiences you just can't try and duplicate. Viva Disney  World!!!

Me and some co-workers at work (not working obviously lol)

The Tree of Life

Relay for Life

August 12th was Moab's Annual Relay For Life, and this year I got to perform for it! We only got fifteen minutes, but my brothers, father, cousins and I got to sing our hearts out on live radio and in front of the entire Relay For Life participants as well! Boy was it an experience, a lot of things fell through, and I wasn't sure our performance was gonna be that amazing. But we had a real fun time and got great feedback afterwards. We sang Celebration from Kool and the Gang, Derek and I did a duet (A Whole New World) the little kids sang a cute song called Skidamarink, and then we finished with "Your Never Alone" by Lady Antebellum with Joseph playing guitar. I was really grateful for the opportunity and have definitely learned some important lessons from this. Practice and preparation!!

General Conference

Now that I am a bit older and actually understand what our Prophet and Apostles are saying, Conference has been something I always look forward too. I love going over the highlights of each talk, and reminding myself of the spirit I felt, and the truth's I learned as I listened and wrote down important instructions from servants of God. I continually thank our Heavenly Father for blessing me with the opportunity to do so. I was grateful for Elder Cook's talk on the divinity of women, and because I'm a romantic absolutely adored Elder Scott's on marriage. I was thankful for the talks given on faith, courage, and the Atonement, and repeat now what was so eloquently stated, that "Our future is only as bright as our faith."
What a beautiful reminder.
I'm grateful for the Priesthood session, where our young men were encouraged to stay true to their ordinations. I'm so glad that my brothers have such amazing men to look to as examples, and I'm grateful that my own father has always been worthy of his own Priesthood. I love this gospel, and I will forever be grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us divine revelation through kind, loving men such as President Monson. I am proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

https://lds.org/general-conference/watch/2011/04?lang=eng&vid=895226075001

The Mikado!

The Mikado is an Operetta by the famous Gilbert and Sullivan. The Music department at SUU made it its spring performance and I got to be a part of it! We all had an excellent time, singing the hilarious songs, learning our wacky Japanese choreography, and making lasting friendships. The makeup and wigs were always an adventure to put on, but I had a lot of fun with it because I already had some background knowledge so I wasn't stressed out. Such a good time and such amazingly talented people. I love Peter Sham (our director) and his ability to make even the downest of moments a party. Yay!

DISNEYLAND!!!

So I am pretty sure I have the coolest friends on the planet. Joy Seegmiller, a friend from college, invited me to go to Disneyland with her and some friends for FREE!! Who was I to say no? So the four of us piled into a car Friday afternoon, drove to California, and partied in Disneyland all day Saturday. We had an absolute blast! Even though they were older than me by at least four years (Tristan by ten!) we all had a great time, made some fond memories, and now have some epic inside jokes. I'm so grateful that Joy invited me, it was definitely a trip I needed. And we saw shows, and rode rides I had never been on before. Huzzah! The group goes as follows: Tristan, Jens, Joy and Me! It was fun too because both the boys had been to Disneyland a ton, so we were able to navigate the park with ease and get on all the good rides really quickly. Definitely a plus. I am so blessed to have such great friends with such wonderful personalities!

So....

LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!!! No complaints, no worries, Hakuna Matata. Because really, no matter how bad it may seem, it's really not that bad....LIFE IS SO GOOD!!!!!! So lets smile and laugh and remember what a bunch of spoiled rotten kids we are. Whoo Hoo!!!

Beautiful Things

I'm feeling sappy today....maybe because I just got done watching Thumbalina (which has not lost its childhood charm, even though it's much cheesier now than it was when I was seven) and am now admiring the sunset. I really love beautiful things. Scratch that, I really love naturally beautiful things. Like my mom without makeup on, and rainbows, or a sincere smile, and newborn kittens. They are just so...beautiful. The kind of beauty that makes your heart ache, and a smile appear on your face, and a chuckle or sigh of nostalgia escape your lips. Those little moments remind me why life is so precious and how for most of it I am wasting my time! I should get out more and enjoy it! I can just imagine God shaking his head at me and saying "Look at this beautiful Earth I made for you! Why are you not exploring it, discovering it, memorizing it?"
Well I've found a new goal, and I'm determined to see it through. I'm gonna go exploring and see as many of God's wonders as I can. It's a journey I think I am going to enjoy thoroughly.

Repelling!

More fun with my LDSSA pals! We had a leadership training day and thought, while we were at it, we might as well go repelling! So we gathered our gear, drove down to St. George, ate at In N' Out Burger, went up to the Dixie Rock and went repelling! It was my first time ever, and I had an absolute blast. It was a little...nerve wracking at first, but everyone was very supportive, and the day was beautiful so in the end it was nothing but a grand adventure. I have so much fun with those in my calling, I am very grateful for their friendship and amazing personalities. We were on a rock edge that over looked St. George and had an excellent view of the Temple. Such a rewarding sight once you completed your repel. I thank God everyday for the wonderful experiences he gives me, and hope that I learn as much as I can from them. Cheers!