Traditions

With the Holiday season here, I can't help but think of the years that have gone by.  There are things that my family has done every year for my entire life that make the holidays so special to me.  We have some rather strange traditions, but I wouldn't change them for anything!  One that I think gets most people is our Thanksgiving Pinata.  I don't know where this tradition came from, but we have done it my entire life, and I know my older cousins did it too.  I think it must have been my great grandma.

Here is the start of our Pinata this year!  

Here's a blast from the past!  

Like I said, we have done this every year, for my entire life!  Some years we would buy the pinata, but most years, it was homemade.  Another tradition that we always do at Thanksgiving is go up to our pasture in the mountains and cut Christmas trees.  We also usually try to go shooting when all of my family is here, but that doesn't happen every year.

We have a lot of traditions revolving around Christmas.  One of those is our huge Chandler Christmas Eve party.  This is another tradition that has been taking place for a long time!  At least 50 years!  My dad remembers going to it when he was really little.  It has changed through the years, as our family has expanded, but it is still a time spent with family and I love it!  Another Christmas tradition that we have is we always have a huge breakfast on Christmas Morning with my Grandmas, my aunt and her two boys.  We open presents and just spend time together.

There are sooo many more traditions that my family has, but it would take me hours to write them all down.  At this time of year, I can't help but be thankful for all of my many blessings!  I'm so thankful for all of my family and for the blessing we have of spending time together.  I'm thankful that my parents have created traditions of their own when my siblings and I were young that we will be able to carry on to our own families!  I hope you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!  

The Five Love Languages

Every two weeks for my class, The Eternal Family, we do something called  a provident living project.  The first two weeks of the semester were dedicated to making better habits of scripture study, the second two weeks were dedicated to healthy eating and exercise, the next two weeks were dedicated to budgeting and money management, the last two weeks were dedicated to media management and the coming two weeks are supposed to be dedicated to learning how to love others more fully.  One of the things that we were supposed to do in preparation for the next two weeks was become familiar with the book, The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman.  There was also a questionnaire we were supposed to do that told us what our love languages are. Here's a link if you want to take the quiz yourself!  http://www.5lovelanguages.com/  I would encourage everyone who hasn't already, to take it!  Anyways, I'm just going to talk about my results here for a minute :)
The five love languages are Words of Affirmation, Quality time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service and Receiving Gifts.  
My primary love language was Quality Time!  When I was talking to my roommates about it, they already knew that, even though I didn't know it myself!  The next two that I scored the highest in were Words of Affirmation, and Physical Touch.  I always thought that my primary love language was words of affirmation so this quiz was really good for me!  Learning how other people love and feel love can be very beneficial to all relationships, romantic or not.  When we understand what our family members' love languages are, we can better show our love for them,

A lot of Controversy!

The last couple of days, every single time I get on Facebook, I see something about the "change" in the Church Handbook regarding children of same-sex couples.  First off, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I believe that President Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God on the earth today.  I know that he is God's mouthpiece.  Because of that knowledge, I believe that this "revision" of the handbook came from God.  I also believe that this isn't really a change.  The church has had it's stand on same-sex marriage from the beginning of time, that being that it is an abomination before God. Romans 1:25-27 says

"25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

God always meant for marriage to be between a man and a woman.  I believe the the leaders of the church are protecting the children of same-sex couples from having to disobey their parents and go against their wishes.  Belonging to a church where one thing is taught, then living in a home where another thing is taught can be detrimental to a child.  I saw a post of Facebook last night that said, "Come on LDS Church, it's 2015 for goodness sakes!"  Something that we say all the time is that we should live in the world, but not be of the world.  Just because the world is changing, doesn't mean the church has to change.  In fact, it never will!  This morning, first thing when I woke up, i read this article that several of my friends shared on Facebook called "Quit Acting Like Christ Was Accepting of Everyone and Everything"  I would HIGHLY suggest that you take a couple of minutes to read it!  I believe that even though the world is going farther and farther away from what is right, it is even more of a reason for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to stand up for what we believe in!  

Righteous, intentional parenting

I saw this on Facebook the other day and I really liked it!  

I'm going home on Thursday to help move our cows and I am sooo excited!  Moving away from home has helped me to realize how amazing my parents are!  I am so thankful that they were willing to teach me and my siblings, not only the value of hard work, but also the importance of the keeping Jesus Christ the center of our lives!  Last spring, before I moved home, I emailed my dad (that's how we stay in touch most of the time) and told him how thankful I was for the fact that he and my mom told me "no" growing up.  When it happened, I definitely didn't like it!  (That is an understatement!) but I am soo thankful that I didn't get to do everything I wanted!  My older siblings probably think I did :)  But I didn't!  And that has really helped me as I have gotten older!  I am so thankful for my parents' righteous examples to me!  I love them so much!  

None of us marry perfection, We marry POTENTIAL!

I really liked this quote from Elder Hales at general conference.  

I was thinking about this a lot today as I was doing one of my assignments.  None of us are perfect, but we have the potential to become perfected over time.  We won't reach perfection in this life.  It's not possible!  But through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can continually become better!  When I am looking for a husband, I can't expect him to be perfect!  I need to look for some one who tries their hardest to be the best they can be!  And I need to do that as well!  Anyways, those are just my thoughts for today!  

A Tribute To My Mom and Dad!

I was having a really hard time thinking of what I wanted to write about this week.  I have read so many amazing talks and learned so much, but none of it really resonated with me.  I decided to watch some YouTube videos from the Mormon Channel. Two that I really loved were Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership With God, and A Father Indeed.  As I was watching these videos, I couldn't help but think of my own mom and dad.  I am so incredibly blessed with wonderful, loving parents who are always there for me.  They are such great examples of service, whether it is in the church or in the community!  They are always willing to help!

First, my mom.

 

My mom is literally the most hardworking woman I know.  Besides raising 8 kids, she also takes care of our cows, traps gophers, moves water, bales hay, hauls hay, (literally helps with every aspect of running a ranch) cleans the house, is a member of several community organizations, is a scout leader, and a member of the Stake Relief Society presidency.  She is always willing to help when anyone needs it!  I have learned so much from my mom; she has taught me how to cook, how to sew, how to clean, how to do laundry, the list could literally go on forever!  One of my most favorite things to do with my mom is to cook.  I love when we make dinner together! (even though we get frustrated at times)  I love calling my mom and telling her about my adventures when I'm at college!  She is a great listener!  I owe so many things to my mom!  Although we have arguments, (some bigger than others) I love my mom and I am so thankful for her and the blessing she is to me!  

My Dad.  

You can obviously tell that I'm his daughter :)

I don't know where to begin.  My dad is amazing!  My dad is also extremely hard working!  He always says that he is a teacher so that he can afford to be a farmer :)  My dad teaches wood shop and a small engines class.  I feel like I can talk to my dad about everything!  He has taught me so many things!  He always helps me with my car when I need it, he tries to teach me how to take care of it my self (which I'm not that good at) :)  he helps me to see the good in others and in myself, he is a great example of service, and he is a great example of humility.  I love my dad for his ridiculous jokes and puns! (even though I act annoyed)  I love emailing my dad through out the week while I'm at college.  I send him silly pictures and videos that I find interesting.  I love my dad so much!  I am so thankful for his example to me! 

I obviously wouldn't be here if it weren't for my parents, but I'm so thankful that they have given me the opportunities and the learning experiences that I have had.  I'm so thankful that they taught me the value of hard work at an early age and the importance of serving others!  I hope to some day be as amazing of parents as they are!  

Tolerance

One of the sections of required reading this week for my class was from an official statement made by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January of 2014.  It is entitled The Divine Institution of Marriage and it talks a lot about how in our church, we believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.  That is the way Heavenly Father always meant for it to be!  At the very beginning of the statement, four purposes are given for why the church made this statement in the first place.  It says:

"One purpose of this document is to reaffirm the Church’s declaration that marriage is the lawful union of a man and a woman.

Another purpose is to reaffirm that the Church has a single, undeviating standard of sexual morality: intimate relations are acceptable to God only between a husband and a wife who are united in the bonds of matrimony.

A third purpose is to set forth the Church’s reasons for defending marriage between a man and a woman as an issue of moral imperative. The Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage derives from its doctrine and teachings, as well as from its concern about the consequences of same-sex marriage on religious freedom, society, families, and children.

A fourth purpose of this document is to reaffirm that Church members should address the issue of same-sex marriage with respect and civility and should treat all people with love and humanity." (The Divine Institution of Marriage)  

I REALLY like this section of the statement!  Especially the fourth reason.  A lot of times I hear member of the church who are very intolerant of people who may have different beliefs from them.  I know I have been guilty of this as well, but we can still love people who are different than us, without condoning their lifestyle!  I think this is a really important thing to remember!  There is a part later on in the statement that says 

"Tolerance does not require abandoning one's standards or one's opinions on political or public policy choices.  Tolerance is a way of reacting to diversity, not a command to insulate it from examination.  The savior taught that we should love the sinner without condoning the sin."

Another quote says:

"The church's affirmation of marriage as being between a man and a woman 'neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians.'"  

In all, I felt this statement was very worthwhile to read.  While I don't believe that same sex marriage is right in any way, I do believe that God loves all of his children and he was us to love each other.  Hating someone for their beliefs is not going to make the world a better place.  You don't have to accept or be okay with the choices someone is making to love them.  

My Thoughts About Dating and Marriage!

Taking a class this semester called "The Eternal family", has obviously made me think a lot about marriage the last few weeks!  But first, let's talk about dating.  Can I just say that dating sucks?  I mean, you go out with someone you barely know, worry about what they think about you, try to make casual conversation with them while asking a lot of questions that you normally wouldn't ask.  All the while wishing they will either leave you alone forever after or ask you out again, it's a pretty vicious cycle!  Sometimes, I wish arranged marriages were still socially acceptable!  It would make things so much easier. :)  I'm just kidding!  But if we are commanded to get married, why is it so hard?  Well, I have a few thoughts about that.  I think Heavenly Father wants us to have to work hard for something!  If you don't have to work hard for something, you won't appreciate it as much.  If you just get married with out thinking about it, will your marriage be that important to you? Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and it is part of Heavenly Fathers plan.  In a nutshell, we are here to gain a body, learn and progress, get married and have a family.  I know that this is true.  But Heavenly Father never said this life would be easy!  He allows us to experience trials that he knows will help us to grow.  Some people never have the opportunity to get married, some couples are unable to have children of their own.  President Eyring said in a talk called The Family, 

        "For some of us, the test in the schoolroom of mortality well be to want marriage and children in          this life with all our hearts, but to have it delayed or denied.  Even such a sorrow can be turned             to a blessing by a just and loving Father and his son, Jesus Christ.  No one who strives with full          faith and heart for the blessings of eternal life will be denied, and how great will be the joy and             how much deeper the appreciation then after enduring in patience  and faith now." 

There are so many trials that we are asked to pass through, and all the while Heavenly Father is there with us, ready to help us if only we will reach out to him.  He wants us to succeed in this life because he knows how much joy will come to us afterwards!  In the end, as long as we are faithful, keep the commandments, and repent when we make mistakes, things will work out.  I'm so thankful for my eternal family.  They are such a blessing to me!

The Family, A Proclamation to the World

The Family, a Proclamation to the World Was introduced in September of 1995, (which just happens to be the exact month I was born)  Which means, it's exactly 20 years old (like me)!  So I thought I would post about it today!

This is TRULY an inspired document!  I don't know what the world was like in 1995, but I know it must have been better than it is today!  We have been given this proclamation as a guide to help us remember the importance of the family.  

The first paragraph says:  

           "WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

The family is central to God's plan for all of us!  I am so thankful for my family!  I don't know what I would do without them and I am so thankful that I have the knowledge that I have of Eternal Families!  There is so much talk right now of same sex marriage.  It makes my heart hurt to see how much Satan has influenced so many people on this earth.  I know that God's plan is for one man to marry one woman. His standards will NEVER change, despite all of the turmoil on the Earth right now!  I am so thankful for the constancy of the Gospel!  

Things are about to change!

For one of my classes this semester, The Eternal Family, to be exact, I get to participate in a semester long project to help me strengthen my testimony of the importance of the family unit and to help me strengthen my family.  I am really excited for this project, but there is a catch, I'm going to be blogging once a week throughout this semester about different topics that we learn about in my class, as well as things that I come across on line pertaining to the family.  I would really appreciate any feed back or insights that you are willing to share about the topics that I post.  I am so thankful for my family and the blessing that they are to me!  Stay tuned for my first post, hopefully coming sometime next week :)

It's been a LONG time!

May 30th....  That was the last time I wrote anything...  I guess you could say I've had a pretty eventful, busy summer!  First, I flew on a plane for the first time (but I already wrote about that), I went to Arizona to see my nephew get blessed, and we got to go see the Gilbert, AZ temple and the Mesa, AZ temple!  They were GORGEOUS!!

 Then we went to the Grand Canyon on the way home,

 then my entire family came the last week of July for a family reunion (and we took family pictures!)  :)

I love my family so much!  It was awesome to have everyone home for a while and to get to cuddle my adorable nephews!!  

Now, I have 12 days until I go back to Rexburg!(which means 14 days until my 20th birthday!!)  What happened?!?!  At the beginning of the summer, I thought 5 months sounded like a long time but now it's all gone! I'm pretty excited for the most part...  Other than the homework part :)  I'm excited to meet my new roommates and make new memories with them!  I know it will be a great semester!  I'm excited to learn new things and make more friends!  I can't wait to see what is in store for me!

Utah!!

It's been over a month and a half since I last wrote on here...  Wow!!  That's how long I've been home!  I can't believe that I've been graduated for over a year!  I got to fly down to Provo on Tuesday to spend some time with Clay, Emily and Keith, mostly Keith since Emily works all day and Clay is trying to get his thesis done.  It has been great!! I can't believe how much Keith has grown since I last saw him in February!!  He's walking around like crazy!!  Man, I just love him soooo much!!!

He's pretty much adorable!!  :)  I'm flying back home tonight!  This week went way too fast but it was great to get away from home for awhile!  have a great day!!  

Saying Goodbye Stinks!!

I'm going to miss these girls more than I can possibly say!! 

I can't believe I'm going home tomorrow...  Well today I guess :)  This semester has literally been the fastest three months of my life!  I have learned so many new things, I have made so many amazing friends, and I have grown more than I ever thought possible!  I'm so thankful for all that I have experienced this semester!!!

I'm too blessed to be stressed!

As I was finishing the Book of Mormon this morning for the who knows what time, I couldn't help but feel blessed!  I have sooo much in my life to be thankful for!  I have incredible friends, I have an AWESOME family, I have the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I am able to attend an incredible college...  There are sooo many things!  I can't believe how fast this semester has come to an end.  In nine days, I'll be back home in Weiser!  I'm going to be there for five whole months before I come back to college in September!  There are definitely some things that I'm going to miss, one of those things being my independence.  I like not having to get permission to go places!  Haha :)  I'm also going to miss soooo many people in Rexburg and the surrounding area!  Anyways, as I was reading Moroni Ch 10 this morning, I couldn't help but reflect on all of the things I have experienced as I have read the Book of Mormon over the last 7 months.  While the reason I was reading it was for my religion classes last semester and this semester, I have learned so many knew things and my testimony of Jesus Christ has been strengthened immensely!  At the beginning of last semester, I thought reading the Book of Mormon for 45 minutes every day was ridiculous!  Now, it's second nature to me!  It's just something that I do every day and I have definitely felt blessings come into my life because of the time I have dedicated to the Lord every day!  The scriptures have helped me through some pretty tough stuff in my first year at college!  Last semester was soooo hard for me!  I didn't think I was going to be able to get through it!  I was so homesick and I just wanted to give up, the Lord gave me the strength I needed to get through my classes.  I know I couldn't have done it without him!  At the beginning of this semester, I was super homesick again.  Not nearly as bad as last semester, but it was still pretty bad.  The Lord blessed me with incredible roommates and amazing friends who have helped me more than I can say!  I have learned to more fully rely on My Savior.  I know that he is always there for me!

 I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and the incredible blessing it is to me.  I'm thankful for all of the things I have learned in my first year of college, I'm thankful for all of the people who I have met that have made an impact on my life, and I'm thankful for the lifelong friendships that I have made.  I am so excited to go home and spend some time with my family, away from homework!

Only 3 1/2 weeks left. Where did the semester go?

So.....  I am having some mixed emotions concerning the end of this semester.  I am really excited to see my family since I haven't been home since The beginning of January, but at the same time, I am absolutely loving college right now!!  I'm not loving the homework part, but really, who LIKES to do homework?  haha!  I just have the most amazing friends and roommates and I am really going to miss being in Rexburg for the next 5 months!  Here are some fun pictures from the last few weeks!

Bowling for FHE!  

Roommate date to the Cocoa Bean! Sooo yummy!  Rebecca had to ride in a wheelchair for one of her classes, in case you were wondering...  haha :)

The DELICIOUS pie I made for pie day!  Creamy Peanut Butter Pie!

I have been stressing a lot lately and Allison showed this to me!  It's the TRUTH!

Who needs to do home work when you can do your toenails??

The rest of these are from a photo booth that was at a party that Allison and I went to so they are sort of blurry.  It was sooo much fun!  I've never taken pictures in a real photo booth before!  

Allison and me!

Allison and Me

Allison, Me, Troy, and Sam

Me, Troy, and Allison

Anyways, it's been a great few weeks!  I can't believe how fast time is flying by!!  I am soo thankful for the amazing people that the Lord has put into my life this semester!  I know that he is sooo very aware of everything that is going on in our lives and he TRULY wants to help us!  I prayed soo hard that I would be able to enjoy this semester and what do you know, I am!  I am not homesick AT ALL which is HUGE for me!!  Have a great day!!