Poem

When I feel discouraged
and life becomes a task
I think of sweet young Mary
riding on a donkeys back

How deep was her anguish
Oh, how great was her pain
Sheltered in a stable on the
night the Christ Child came

It took faith to see the glory
on that cold night, I suppose
When she wrapped her new born baby
lovingly in swaddling clothes

In my mind, I see our Savior
in the manger at rest
Thank you Lord, hope raings eternal
and I know I've been blessed

Sis. Betha

(Some of you may have gotten this poem in my Aunt Vels christmas card, but today would have been grandma's birthday and I don't really have any of her poems or songs, and I wanted to post something for her, so I decided to just post this poem.)

Christmas and The Weekend

On Wednesday night we had a really good meeting, even with the small amount of people who were there. Then we went home and opened one gift each and 'went to bed'.

Christmas morning we all got up and then we opened the rest of our presents. Then we cleaned up and started preparing the food for our Christmas dinner. Bro. Derek and Sis. Sheila came over and had Christmas dinner with us and stayed for a few hours to visit.

On Friday Bro. Jerry and Sis. Audrey came down and so we went over to Derek and Sheila's to visit them. Saturday we went over there for lunch and dinner and visited. The young kids played a few games and then all the little kids joined us playing rhythm (and so did Sis. Deana). It was a lot of fun. The boys came over to spend the night on Saturday.

Sunday we had meeting at our house because the pipes at the church were still having problems. It was a really good meeting. What we heard about was kind of how God has a plan for us and if we do his will the consciouses won't be bad. Then we went over to Bro. Derek and Sis. Sheila's for dinner. We had some really good visits and played some card games. The guys all went to watch a football game and then after they got back we went home and the girls all came over to spend the night.

Happy Holidays

Dear friends and family,

This past year seemed to be a full one for me. Although we didn’t realize at the time, my family went on quite a few trips, mostly to California and Washington.

During my spring break I went down and visited Amber for about a week. We went to the movies and hung out in the small town they live in. while I was there Shay came, which was great being with two of my best friends. When we weren’t watching movies or waling all over town, we spent our time scrap booking. Not having Easter with my family was really different. When I left Alturas, Amber and I rode up to Brownsville with Aunt Kim and the girls.

Like every year, or most years I guess, my family went to the Brewster camp out over Memorial weekend. Every camp out seems to be better than the last. The church meeting we had was pretty encouraging and wonderful as was the singing. Just being around the brethren was great and made leaving hard.

Dad worked up in Brewster in the beginning of the summer. We spent a week up there in July, which was fun. We visited with the brethren there and I got to hang out with Chantea and ride horses with her. At the end of the month we went down to Tulare, California for Chris and Cayla’s wedding. I thought that the wedding was really quite beautiful. That was the first time we had been down there and the brethren were real nice and hospitable. That’s one reason I love the brethren so much, they don’t even have to know you and they show you their love and compassion and invite you into their homes with hospitality.

School is going pretty good so far this year. My grades aren’t that good right now, but I plan on getting them up as soon as I can.

I’m hoping to get my license in two weeks and I have applied for a job at a few places, but haven’t gotten any calls yet. I did baby sit in the summer and have some since too.

My family is staying home for Christmas this year. We’re excited about staying home because we’ve been gone on Christmas in the past few years. We have a tree for the first time in 4 years and we’ve had the tree up for and decorated since the beginning of the month. Christmas should be nice with just the family.

We’ve had some hard times and loses through the year, but the Lord has seen us through them. Mom is expecting a new baby in January, which we are all excited about. I hope this new year is a bright one for us and all of you.

Love,
Sis. Elise Gray

Bad Day

So, we got some snow over the weekend. Personally I think that snow is pretty great, it's the getting wet and cold that I don't like and the days like yesterday when it only got up to 8 degrees and was 2 degrees when we got up this morning. But what is even worse than being cold is being sick. I woke up this morning with a terrible sore throat and couldn't hardly talk. A sore throat is bad enough, but on top of that we have a Christmas concert tonight. So, my day hasn't went too well and it's not over yet.

Rules?

I see how many younger people, like those younger young kids that I mentioned before, do not like the rules that their parents have for them and are very rebellious about it. I myself have came to think that all rules are a good thing to have. Without rules nothing would ever get done, if parents didn't have rules for their children then they would grow up thinking that they can just do whatever they want without any consequences, which is definitely not a good thing at all. I think that it is good for our parents to have rules for us because it prepares us for serving the Lord. Gods commandments are just like rules and we need to follow them just as we need to follow the rules of our parents. The rules our parents have for us are good for us and will keep us out of trouble. We need to not be braking rules because then we will get into the habit of it and think that it's okay to brake the rules of God. The rules of both the Lord and our parents are good and bring no harm to our lives (they actually prevent any harm from coming) and there is no reason for us not to follow them. Rules are a very good thing.

Thanksgiving Week

So, we went over to Brownsville on Saturday (like on the 22). I got to drive over the mountain, which made mom think that she was gonna die; I'm not sure why, it's not like I was driving bad or anything. We got there at like 4:30, Bro. Bill and his boys came over to visit and we had dinner. Then later that night Uncle Mark and Aunt Kim came to pick up Teah and I went home with them. Shay was babysitting a friend of her dads kids and when they came to pick the kids up they ended up staying for like an hour and a half cause Uncle Mark got out some photo albums and so they were all looking a pictures.

On Sunday we went to church, and I remember that meeting was pretty good I just don't really remember what we heard. After church the young kids all went to Bro. Travis and Sis. Wenona's for dinner. Then that night they had church at Bro. Loyd's, which was really good and nice.

Monday we mostly just laid around and were lazy. We did make sugar cookies that evening. Tuesday Aunt Connie was home from California, so she came over for a while at like 10:00 and then we went to her house for her to print something. Then at lunch she took Mackenzie, Tyrel and I out to the school to have lunch with the kids. And we hung out at Uncle Marshal and Aunt Connie's until it was time for grandma to come home. We cleaned up grandmas house and the made dinner when she got home. Right when we were finishing up making the dinner Uncle Mark and Aunt Kim showed up so they all ate too. Then after they left a few of us went back over to Uncle Marshal and Aunt Connie's to hang out with the kids some more.

I had to get up earlier on Wednesday cause I went with grandma to her school. I had a lot of fun with the little kids. We went to church that night, although I don't remember what we heard again I do know it was a good meeting, but then we don't hardly go to 'bad meetings'.

We got up in the morning and started cooking lots of food (duh). I made a baked chocolate swirl cheese cake, long name but it was good. Then we went to the Rec Center, where all the brethren had Thanksgiving dinner. We ate and hung out there playing ball and stuff for a few hours. When it was time to leave we went back to grandmas, but the food away and rested for like an hour or so. Then we went to Uncle Marshal and Aunt Connie's, everyone was there until about 9:00. Shay, Kara, Tyrel, Mackenzie and I all stayed the night there, so we could go shopping with Aunt Connie in the morning.

We got up at 4:00 in the morning to go shopping. Went to the mall and a bunch of different stores. We had a lot of fun other than the whole being dead tired by the time we got back. We got back to grandmas at about 10:30, ate and tried to sleep some. Then at like 2 or 3 we left to come home.

Leaving To Brownsville

We're leaving later today to go to Brownsville for the week. Thanksgiving; eat lots of food and be with family. I may or may not get on while I'm over there, so if I don't I just update about how Thanksgiving goes when we get back.

Different Veiws and Just Plain Being Older

I don't know what it is about me, maybe I or even all the girls my age matured faster that girls who are younger than us. I watch the way that the girls who are even just a year younger than me (so 15) and I'm like "Okay that is how I was when I was like 13, what is the problem here?!?!". For me since I've been like done with all of that for like 3 years I don't get why the are acting that way, I don't get why they don't just grow up and get over it. I include the other girls my age in this because for the most part they seem to be the same as me in this and feel the same (Amber says that there is just something about the girls born in 1992).

When some of the biggest differences show up is when they are all complaining about their parents. Now I'm not saying that I've never been mad at my parents or complained about them because really what kid does not go through that 'I hate my parents, they don't care about me, they don't let me do anything' stage? I did go through that, but it was when I was like 11, 12, and 13. I hear them complain about all sorts of things that their parents don't allow them to do, watch certain movies, wear make-up, have boyfriends, or go to friends from schools homes. To me none of these things matter. If my parents don't want me to watch a movie or show they have a perfectly good reason for it, which actually means for me that I probably wouldn't have wanted to watch it in the first place. I don't care to wear make-up at all, basically you get what you see, nasty make-up covered girl that you have to wash to find, and besides it just is work to get done. You don't even want to get in to the subject of boyfriends with me and I my whole life have kept myself at a distance from the world so really that has never been a problem for me, I would much rather go to the brothern's home anyhow. When we are married with families none of these things are gonna matter, but then again these girls are not thinking about that.

I think that instead of getting mad at our parents we should be thinking of all the things that they do for us and all the things that they let us do. Our parents do some much to make our lives easier and they care so much about us. When we stop thinking about ourselves and what everyone should be doing for us, we can then start thinking about others and what we can do for them.

Things like church, living the faith and serving the Lord are my life and all that I want. So, I don't understand people who don't feel the same as me and I really don't understand it when people who have been raised in this way just simply don't care.

When I am with these younger girls I find myself having to hold my tongue because if I don't I'll end up saying something that they won't like. Oh, they won't actually listen to any of the things that I have to say, because we heard from Bro. Roger Bell when we were in Altruas that you are only hearing and not listening until you actually start thinking about the things that are said and applying them to your life. I do my best to try and speak some word of help to these girls, but when they don't want to listen it really gets me feeling down and like there is just no hope at all for them.

I really just don't see eye to eye with these girls.

Pictures from Altruas

getting the food ready
waiting for the food

where is that food??

Brandon and Tiffany

Shelby and Ashley

Brandon and Tiffany

Garrette, Cassidy and Teah

Brandon and Levi (boys are weird)

Levi, Tiffany and Ashley Gully

Shelby, Ashley and Breona

Lunch

Two Wednesdays in ever month we have half days, so almost every other week. It's not really much of a half day because we are only getting out at 1:00, which means only an hour and a half off, last year was better because we got out at 12:30. I don't know why they decided to change it this year. So, they have our schedule all messed up with this not so half day, last year it all worked out, we had our first 6 classes before lunch and had our lunch at the regular time, but this year because of how it's set up we go to lunch 15 minutes early. This don't work out so well, we share our cafeteria with the Elementary and Middle school and the little kids eat before us. So, when we come 15 minutes early the little kids are still eating and the lunch ladies aren't ready for us. Which means that even though we are getting out 15 minutes early we have to wait outside of the lunch room until the regular time. (The people who decided on this schedule were not very bright if you as me, cause really we are getting a shorter lunch.) Somehow I am always able to squeeze and push my way up to the front of the people waiting outside the doors (what can I say, I'm just small I guess). Well everyone is just pushing and shoving because they want food. A few times they manage to get the doors open, mostly when they were sending people who got in back out. I was ended up stuck in the middle of this mob of about 20 or more guys, who were all pushing and shoving at the closed doors. This was a very dangerous place to be, really scary, I thought for sure I was going to be smashed. There were at least two times when I ended up inside by force of the shoving when the doors got opened, which they would then send us all back outside, which was difficult when everyone else had move forward to the doors when we got in. I was proud of myself though, when they counted the first 20 to go in and I was #9.

Summer is Coming Soon

Ha ha, what a funny title with it being fall and summer just barely getting over.

The last two months seemed to just drag on and on, and to tell the truth I was just really wishing that it was still summer. But then after we went to Alturas I realized that since the next few months, or rather all the month have something somewhat big the time should pass rather quickly.

November (which is now here)-Thanksgiving, which is about a month from when we were in Alturas, so not too long to wait. We have the whole week off and are planning on going to Brownsville. For anyone who would like to come we are going to be having a little party for Mackenzie in Brownsville on the weekend before Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving, all the food is just so great.

December-Christmas, I love Christmas,it's just such a happy time, all of the food, family, friends and the fun Christmas songs. We've been singing Christmas songs in choir for a while now because we only have choir every other day. Everyday when I'm in choir I'm like all excited for Christmas and then I remember that it's still like almost two months away. We're going to have our own Christmas at home with just our family, which will be nice since we haven't in a long time.

January-BABY!!!!!! Yes, finally the baby will be here after all of this waiting. Also in January is Gideon and Brani's wedding, which mom said that if anyone from here goes I could probably go.

February-Don't really know what will be going on, but it's a short month so it should pass pretty fast and I'll have a new baby to hold and make the time pass faster.

March-Spring break, don't know what we'll be doing, but it should be fun.

April-We only have one day off of school, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

May-Brewster camp out.

June-Schools out, I turn 17, which all means that it is then summer again. Summer is just around the corner.

Kate's Party - Amber's Play - and Church in Altruas

So, this weekend we went down to Altruas for Kate's party and Amber's play. A lot of people ended up showing up and it was a really wonderful weekend.

We left after school and work on Friday (we took Kansada, Katie and Jesse and left Myla and Melissa with people). On our way down we meet up with Uncle Marshall and Aunt Connie and traded kids then and at the next stop. When we got there we all just hung out at the Young's house until the Gully's got there. Like everyone was in the girls room, which was a lot of people and I kept on having to leave the room because I felt too crowded.

On Saturday morning I got up early with Kate, Tiffany and Ashley M. to pick up some things for Sis. Jenny for breakfast, pick up Victoria and get the donuts. Victoria has been staying with Sis. Misty and going to church with her, she was in an accident awhile back and has to use a wheel chair or crutches, she is a really nice girl. We came back and ate some donuts and hung out a little bit. Then we decided to go get Shay because her parents had just got up and she was already ready to come down, but they wouldn't be for awhile longer, so Tiffany, Levi M., Amber and I got in Kate's car and went out to Shay's grandpa's to get her (Kate was driving of course). So, we got Shay and went back to the house and hung out some more. Then Tiffany, Levi, Brandon, Shay and I went with Kate to run some other errands and take Victoria to where she need to to go to get ready for the scavenger hunt. We went to Kate's bank (which is also where she works now) and then Brandon and I went to get money from the ATM because we didn't have any, I had never used my ATM card before and had my pin number backwards so I wasn't able to get any money out of the bank lol. Then we went to Holiday and got flowers for Amber and had the store keep them til later, so that she wouldn't see them.

We went back to the house and got ready to go to the park for the scavenger hunt. Rachel had set up the scavenger hunt for the young kids; we were split up into 2 teams and one team we drove down to the Chevron on to start and the other started at the park, they are on opposite ends of Main street. The clues were in or outside of the shops and they lead you to the next place, until you got to the other end and at the last place you got a word and you called the number that you were given and say the word and find out if your team won. My team finished in like have an hour, which was way faster than Rachel had expected us to finish and when we go to our last place we were there looking for the clue for like 15 minutes and she hadn't even came to hide it yet. Our last clue said "Fill 'er up" so we went to Chevron because we figured since the other team started there that's where we ended, we all looked everywhere there some people went across the street to the other gas station and Travis went on his long board down to a gas station that isn't even on Main and then Rachel showed up with our clue lol. We won because the other team was just getting to the park, but Robbie was still on his way to take their clue, so I think that they just called it a tie. Then we had to go to Rite-Aide because Kate had forgot to get a prize for the winning team lol.

Then everyone went to the Young's to have sandwiches since the B.B.Q. wasn't until 3:00. Then we walked to the church and hung out cause people were starting to go there to get ready for the B.B.Q. We played Upset the Fruit Basket before it was time to eat and after we ate we played States. We had cake and Kate and Jared opened their cards and presents. Then Shay and I went with Kate to go drop Amber off to get ready for the play. When we got back they were playing Wink'em. After we were done playing that we played a few initsation games until it was time to go. We did hug the pot holder, what are my feet for and pinchy wenchy (which Shay and I had to do because we hadn't yet). Then it was time for everyone who was going to the play to leave. Amber had made a list of all the people who were coming and going to be getting the discount, which has about like 50 people on it. At the intermission we all yelled, cheered and clapped for Amber. When they bowed at the end Brandon ran up there with one of our flowers and gave it to her and then when he came back Shay and I took her the rest of them.

Then we went back to the Young's and the boys went across the street to Amber's Uncle's where they were staying. Us girls were all really hyper from all the candy we had ate and so we were all sitting and standing around the table giggling and talking about nothing. We stood peoples cell phones up on the table, had them on vibrate, called them so that we could watch them dance around the table, it was actually pretty entertaining. Kate's friend Danielle came and spent the night and went to church the next day with us, she is worldly and so she was confused about what we were talking about most of the time and we tried to explain it to her the best we could. After a while we all went to bed.

Sunday morning we got up, ate, got ready hung around, blah blah blah the usual Sunday morning things. Then at about 10:00 some of us went to get ice, some went to the Bottle Shop to get drinks and others stayed to finish getting ready. When we got back we all started heading over to the church. I had remembered just then that I had my stickers, so until it was time to sit down for church I went around giving them to all of the young kids and some of the younger kids too.

Church was really wonderful. Bro. Brad Bell got up and talked some about Lazarus and how we have to believe to make it to heaven. Uncle Marshall and Uncle Mark got up and talked some more about that. Bro. Don Young talked about how there are no cabins in glory land and how we have to do our work and my dad also talked about this. Bro. Roger Bell got up and talked about how we need to listen and not just hear the ministry. There were some testimonies and prayers and there was a prosify to the young kids talking about how soon we are going to be the ones with little families and how we need to make the right choices.

Then we ate dinner and left. We traveled with Marshall and Connie until it was time for them to turn off, but this time we all rode in our own vehicles.

Just a Few Words

Happy Moments, Praise God

Difficult Moments, Seek God

Quiet Moments, Worship God

Painful Moments, Trust God

Every Moment, Thank God

When life knocks you down to your knees,

Just remember that you are in the perfect position to pray.

God doesn't give you people you want.

He gives you people you need,

To help you, to hurt you,

To leave you, to love you

And to make you into the

Person you were ment to be.

Powderpuff Football

This is Homecoming week at our school, so we've been having all kinds of dress up days and things going on all week. On Wednesday the guys had He Man volleyball and then last night us girls played powder puff football, which I'm not sure why they call it that, it's probably because we're girls, but it you saw the way we were playing you would wonder too. We played Seniors and Juniors against Sophomores and Freshman because we didn't have enough people show up. (There are girls who find football fun and girls who don't; most people at school probably would think that I don't like football or don't like playing it, but they don't know me very well, at camp outs I always will play football with the boys, I like playing football and I like watching football too.) We were supposed to be just playing flag football and not tackle, but that's not how it ended up working and we were all tackling the whole game; we would tackle them and then pull their flags. We won. It was a lot of fun, today my back does hurt some from the few times that I succeeded in tackling people, but I guess that's not that bad cause some of the girls have big bruises and stuff.

#1 Friend??

I feel like I have thousands of friends. Probably because almost any person that I meet I consider a friend; I have gotten pretty close to most of the young kids here in the Northwest in the past few years. Sure, I would have to say that Amber, Jilleeanna and Shay are my closest friends, which anyone who knows me knows, but at the same time their are still so many great friends in my life.

So, when my grandma gave me a pack of 150 stickers that all said "#1 friend", I was thinking, "What am I going to do with these?". I can't compare one friend to another. But before we went to California I got this idea to take them with me there and to the camp out and give them to everyone. Unfortunately I forgot to take them to both things. Last night I found them again while I was scrapbooking (those stickers seem to disappear a lot) and then I put them I my purse so now I will always have them with me (unless I forget my purse lol). So, you should probably remind me about my stickers when you see me.

Maria Sue Chapman

Today we didn't have choir, so we were in the library hanging out. I got a magazine to look at and while I was flipping though I came across a really sad story. The story was about how Maria Sue Chapman (who was Steven Curtis Chapman's adopted daughter) ran to the car when her brother pulled into the driveway, but she was not seen and got hit. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20221775,00.html You can go to this website to read more (it is the artical that I read).

This reminded me of how easily and quickly one of our loved ones can be taken from us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay1vgulzR8I
(This is a song that he had wrote for her before her death, with pictures. I couldn't figure out how to get blogger to just let me post it.)

P.E. and Biking

So, our P.E. teacher has decided to have the class bring their bikes for the next couple of weeks to ride. Of the 16 kids in the class only 4 of us have brought bikes so far (me being one of them), but this is only the second day. Us that had bikes rode and the others went and hung out in the library all period. We rode and rode and rode and it hurt. The last time I had even rode a bike was in June when I rode with Dale down to the canyon, so as you can imagine I was not physically prepared for riding bikes like that today. I did okay at first, but after a little while I got way behind the other 3 boys and the teacher. By the time we good back to the school my legs felt like they were ready to fall off. Hopefully I get better with this bike riding thing.

Changes

Colors changing as the time goes by.

Flashing past us all.

Our friends change.

Then we change without noticing.

The music changes as we go into new phases of life.

All around things are changing.

We watch the clouds change before our eyes.

Feeling change as we figure life out.

New people coming into your life and others leaving.

Changes will be good.

Even when they look bad.

Another change is on it's way.

As the world turns round.

Everything is changing.

The Brownsville Camp Out

Oh, the camp out was so wonderful. The brethren are so great and wonderful in the way that we love and care for each other and share with one another and help each other.

I rode up from Brownsville with Aunt Connie on Thursday. Shay and Katie were there for a little bit cause they came to put up their tent and then they went back home. After they left I hung out with Brandon and Josh, listened to the play Brandon's guitars and pretended to know what they were talking about when they talked about music and drank the Arizona Tea Josh gave me. We also stole or took a lot of Jake and Dustin's food because they went to the store and got a bunch of good junk. Melissa found out that they had Jerky and so she decided that Dustin was her friend because he gave her some and she kept on chasing him all weekend, it was really funny. Because we couldn't stay in the dorms that night I ended up sleeping in a room with Ashley, Alyssa, and Shelby, where I slept on the floor because 3 girls in that bad was enough, they thought that they were gonna stay up all night, but with me in the room they thought wrong, I turned of the light at one and told them to be quiet of go to sleep (they ended up going to sleep).

We mess around doing nothing on Friday morning until people started getting there. Then Bro. Marty and Sis. Kim and Bro. Conn and Sis. Nancy got there. After a bit I ended up back in the room with the boys (Brandon, Josh and Zakk) listening to them play, pretending to understand their music talk, drinking Arizona Tea and eating all of Brandon's penny candies. Then we had to move our things up to the dorms so that people could put their stuff in the rooms. Then Brandon, Josh, Zakk, Colton, Chantea and I walked around town (because the camp out is like in town), at first we were going to the playground, but then we went past it and ended up at the store, so we all got drinks and went back to camp. Then we played volleyball and Amber got there and then Shay got there too. I hung out with Katie a bunch that day. Sis. Christina asked us to make the rice cispies, but something was like wrong with the marshmallows and they wouldn't melt, so we went with her when she went to Wal-Mart and got some different marshmallows. Later I played football with the boys, Chantae and I were the only girls playing, but it was still a lot of fun (even if the boys never gave us the ball). Then I went and got Kate, so we could make the rice crispys. The new marshmallows worked, we had that stick marshmallow rice crispy mess all over us. Then I hung out with some of the young kids outside until Uncle Marshal came and told us that it was time to go inside (at 10:00 we have to be either in the building or upstairs in bed). Then I started trying to get all of the young kids to play games, you see Chris used to be our boss, but he got married, so now we don't really have a boss anymore, some how I ended up the boss though (because I wanted to play games and was trying to get all of the young kids to play), after on weekend now the young kids (or the ones who play) ask me what we are gonna play and I'm like 'I don't know, what do YOU WANT to play?'. None of the older young kids who are like 18 and older would play with us, which I thought was stupid. First we played States and I got a bruise on my leg from Zakk. Then we played Wink'em and then I got to teach some people how to play the killer game with the hands that we played at the Masquerade and then it was time to go to bed.

I had grandma get me up at 6:30 when she got up because I'm SIXTEEN now which means that I'm actually allowed in the kitcen, so I got to help with breakfast. I don't remember what I did until it was time to get ready for church, I was probably hanging out with the boys again (I hang out with them boys a lot) because Amber and Shay don't get up early. Then I was time for church, the meeting was really wonderful and lasted until like 2. Then we had dinner and then we were waiting to see when we were going to Silver Creek Falls. Well at first we were waiting, but when I didn't seem like anyone was going and no one was getting it going I got right on organizing that hike because I really really really really really wanted to go. So, I was running this way and that way finding people who wanted to go, cars for people to ride in, adults to go, then finding people again when they didn't go where I told them to go (I didn't know how exhausting it was to be the boss, when I finally got in a car to go I felt like I had just ran a mile). We ended up having 5 cars go, which isn't nearly as much as most years, I was still running finding things out when they were all in the cars and out at the road ( I almost got left, which would have been really sad after I had spent all that time running and organizing it), when I got to the cars were full, so I had to squish in with River. The hike was a lot of fun, we didn't have too many people, so no one got lost. Bro. Bill was our Chaperon and every one was really good for him and minded (we also had 2 other adults who went), which made he happy because I would have felt bad if they had given him problems. On the way back we stopped at the park again like last year. I hung out with Kate and Tiffany for a while cause I didn't know where Shay and Amber were. Then I saw Brandon and Zakk and I went and hung out with them, we went to the Swezeys camp and hung out, they talked about music and I pretended to know about it (I'm getting pretty good at pretending to know what their talking about, but I'm also learning a lot about music too). Then when it was time we went and played young kid games. We played States, wink'em, killer with the hands and killer wink'em and then it was time to go to bed.

I had grandma get me up early again, so I could help with breakfast. (I'm skipping to church now.) So, church was really wonderful and great, lots of testimonies again and there were like 6 prosifys. It lasted about as long as Saturdays meeting. Then Rebecka Shockley gave her hand. Then we ate dinner, hung out, played volleyball in the rain and played bingo and hung out some more. Then it was time to get ready for the ordinance supper. It lasted 4 hours and was the most wonderful, beautiful ordinance supper I've been a part of. My mom wasn't doing well on the weekend and a lot of sisters came and prayed for her. And it was just really beautiful and really wonderful the whole thing. Then like all of us young kids who are 16 and some others made the cookies and donuts, we had a LOT OF FUN doing that. Then I started singing and Shay told me to get my books, so I got my books and we were all singing very loud and high too. It was also a lot of fun (but I almost lost my voice). Then we started playing young kids games after we were done cooking. Aunt Connie said that we could play cheat the judge as long as there was no pulling on clothes and it didn't get too violent. So we played that for a while, until it got a little wild and she came and told us to pick a new game. It was kind of my fault, but I'll blame Zakk for letting me win like that. Then we played initsation games on the younger ones until us older ones (like me) got tired of it. Then we at pizza. Then we played questions and answers. Then we played some other games, but not really because we were all just so tired to play. Aunt Connie asked us to clean everything up, so we did. Then people kind of went to bed for a while. Then got up to start cleaning things up and get around for leaving. Then people started leaving and we said goodbye and gave lots of hugs, even thought it's so hard to leave after such a wonderful weekend.

P.S. Brandon fell asleep on the way home and totaled his car, but he's all right.

More Summer Goings

As if I haven't had enough traveling this summer you're thinking, I'm now in Brownsville until the camp out. Really this has been one of my mellower, calmer summers, most years I have been away from home much more.

On Friday we went to Bro. Josh's funeral. Saturday we hung out around Brownsville, showed Amber the place at the park for my wedding. Then Sunday we went to church in Eugene, where we had a really good meeting.

Meetings and Singing

Last Wednesday night no one got up and it was a pretty slow meeting, but Bro. Sean was here and gave out meeting for the next night and then for Friday night. During Thursday, Friday and Sundays meetings we heard about the spirit, talking to the Lord, pleasing the Lord and some about miracles. They were some really wonderful meetings; all very uplifting. On Friday night Bro. Sean gave out a singing for Saturday night. At the singing we all sat in a circle and he said that we would go around and everyone could either pick a song, testify about something they were thankful for or both. So, everyone got a chance to pick a song; even Dale, when we got over to where he was he opened moms book and said that he wanted that song (he didn't know what the song was and I don't think that he even sang it with us, but he wanted to make sure to get a turn). It was a very good weekend or week actually.

Summer and Pictures

WOW!! This summer has pasted so quickly (I guess every summer is like that though),I can't believe that the camp out is less than 3 weeks away and then we have to go back to school. I was going to post many different times in the past few weeks,but like when Amber was here I just never had the time to sit and write a full post. On the second week that Amber was here we planned my wedding and she didn't let us leave one little thing out,which people think is odd since I don't even have a boyfriend,but at least now we will be prepared.
Josh, Amber, me and Shay (in picture)

Bailey

Me

Ashley and Shay, I love them.

This would be me, Ashley and Shay

Trip to Brewster

Yes, we are back from are trip, part of me is happy to be home (cause I do like my bed and other things about home) and part of me wishes that we could have stayed longer.

We got to Bro. Jerry and Sis. Audry's at like 10:30 on Friday night, so we had to go to bed. On Saturday our family went down to Chelan, to Wal-Mart and to the lake/river (they call it a like, but when you go over the bridge there the sign calls it a river so I was kind of confused). When we got back I had a headache and slept until, well almost after dinner, so I don't know what everyone else did.

On Sunday we went to church (of course), which the meeting was really good, a lot about Bro. John and the others that had recently passed away. After church we went out to Bro. Con and Sis. Nancey's for dinner. Abe and Tomas also came and we had a lot of fun. We jumped on the trampoline first until dinner was ready. Then after dinner Josh came for a little while, we visited with the adults for a bit and then went outside and played volleyball. Josh left and we played for a little bit longer before we went out to see the pigs. We had to Chase the pigs into one corner and trap them there because they had to give them some kind of shots or something. After we got cleaned up from being in with the pigs we played cards. When Colton got home we finished our game and went outside. We played a game that was kind of like dodge ball on the trampoline, one person was on the trampoline and the rest of us were in a circle around it playing volleyball around the person and trying to hit them. It was actually a lot funner than it sounds (like most things) and I also learned how to spike a volleyball. We left their house at about 9:30, the kids all had a lot of fun with Sierra, riding the horses (they had 4 kids on one horse), playing with the puppies and all of the other animals. When we got back to the house I called and talked to Shay and Amber before it was time to go to bed.

Monday we mostly just hung out at their house. The kids played a lot of different games. In the evening my mom and I walked around town with Sis. Audry and Sis. Petra, but we only walk one round with them, I probably could have walked two, but mom was tired and I figured that I would just go back with her and let them walk a round alone.

On Tuesday after dinner we went out to visit Bro. Greg and Sis. Philis. It was nice and even though they don't have kids our kids seemed to have a pretty good time, although Dale did throw a bit of a fit and wouldn't come in at first because he had wanted to go back out to Sierras.

Wends day, we mostly sat around again. Went to church and meeting was pretty good, there weren't many there cause a lot of people were out of town. After church we went to McDonald's with the few young kids that were there (Abe, Zakk and Rylan and that place was the slowest ever).

On Thursday we went back down to Chelan to swim again after lunch and then dad meet us when he got off work. After dad got to swim for a little while we went out for Pizza and then we went back to Bro. Jerry and Sis. Audrys. That night Audry and Petra walked again and mom and I walk the one round with them again.

Friday we went to sis. Sandra Todds funeral. It was a nice funeral as far as funerals go. Myla and I rode with Bro. Con and Sis. Nancy out to the cemetery because mom decided to stay and help get the dinner ready. Bro. A.J. was able to be at the funeral, which was good because he has been really sick and hadn't been able to be at church for a few weeks, I was glad to be able to see him will we were up there. When everyone left from the dinner we went out to Bro. Con and Sis. Nancey's and so did a bunch of other little girls and Tomas. We rode the four wheeler out to get the horses that we were gonna ride, I had to drive the the four wheeler back with Dale and get some feed so that Chantae could use it to catch the horses (it was a little bit scary since I had never drove a four wheeler by myself before). Then we saddled the horses and Chantae, Tomas, Tyrel and I went on about an hour long horse ride. There were only 3 horses that we could ride and 4 of us, so Tyrel and I had to double on Fritz, we took turns riding on the back, which for the next 2 days after that I was very sore. I had my hair up in a bun with a pencil because I had forgot to bring a rubber band and as soon as we started trotting my bun came lose, so my hair was just going everywhere. At on point Tyrel got on with Tomas and Chantae and I ran our horses though a field and we were all gonna take turns doing it, but Fritz wouldn't stay on the path and we didn't want him to decided to run off. So, we decided to start going back to the house, Tyrel was still on with Tomas and when we started trotting Peanut started bucking (we had forgot that Peanut don't like trotting while going double) and Tyerl got bucked off, I was right behind them and Fritz got scared and bucked me off too. So Tyrel and I got back on Fritz and we went the rest of the way home. When we got back we ate and sat around a bit. Tyrel and I got to drive the four wheeler again, but when Tyrel wouldn't stop going fast and went through some mud puddles I got off very mad. We stayed at their house until about 9.

On Saturday we went out for breakfast and then since they were having their Apple Pie Jamboree, we went and looked at all of the little booths until the parade. Rylan and Riannan got to play in the parade with the school band. After the parade we looked around a little more, went back to the house for lunch and then came home.

Going

We're going to Brewster for the week and I don't know if I be able to get on a computer, so I'll just tell you about the trip when we get back.

BABY!!!

So, yes our families wonderful news of having a new baby is out and my little brothers and sisters can't seem to shut up about it either (which I think makes my parents mad lol). Of course us girls are all sure that we're gonna be getting a baby sister, how could we not want a baby sister to dress up cute and love on now that we're all old enough to help out. Dad and the boys all seem to be in vote for a boy (us girls we don't really want another brother, but then the baby would be young enough that he probably wouldn't be picking on us girls) and mom I don't really think she cares what it is, but she is happy to be having a baby. I always thought that my parents should have waited to have a few of the kids til I was old enough to help out and when I found out that Amber's mom was having a baby I gave them another round of the guilt trip about how all of my friends have little babies, come to find out we already were having a baby on the way at that time too lol. So, me and Amber's moms are gonna be having babies in January. YAY!!!

No Title

Don't give up, Keep on running your race, Pray without ceasing. Let the tears pour out when you have to. Fine comfort in the things you love the most. Don't ever allow yourself to fail, It's hard to forgive, But harder to forgive yourself. Give all that you have and more. The Lord will show you the way, If you will only ask. Stop for a moment to take everything in, These are some of the greatest years of your life and you won't get them back. Have faith through all things and keep putting it all in the Fathers hands. This isn't the end, Only a short time before many new beginnings.

My Birthday (a little late)

I just realized that I never posted about the little birthday party we had for me on Friday. I had planned on posting it on Monday, but then Shay was baptized and that seem much more bigger than a birthday lol.

My grandma Linda, Kara, Uncle Matt and Aunt Tisha and Alyssa were the only ones who came (besides the people who live here).

So, at about 11 in the morning all of the guys and us kids went to Smith Rock and the women and little kids went yard selling. It was a nice day and not too hot for hiking. We split up and met back at the bridge at 1:15 (which by the time we got there meant we only had an hour). I hiked with uncle Matt, Christan, Dale and Mackenzie. The little boys were really funny on the way down, they kept on slipping and thought it was the funniest thing ever. All of us except Kansada and Alyssa were at the bridge before 1:15 and so we were all thinking that maybe they got lost or something, but really we were just early and they were on time.

Then we went home to get things ready for the B.B.Q. at 3. We ate when everyone got there and visited. Then we, well Sis. Jewel and I opened presents (Sis. Jewels birthday is also on June 7). After that we ate cake and visited more.

From my family I got 2 Tinker Bell shirts one is white the other pink, 2 under shirts also pink and white, 2 headbands white and silver (not pink), a brettaet, and 5 things of hair sticks (last week when I broke one of my last ones, which meant I only had one I told my mom that I wanted her to go buy me some for my birthday lol) and chocolate. Grandma Linda got me a blue shirt, and a bunch of other little things. I had told my mom that I also would like some new p.J.s cause I was wearing the same ones I had been wearing for the last 3 years and they were getting stained up. Dale, Chantal and Andy got me some blue P.J.s and Andy made a card. Kansada got ma a green shirt that has pok-a-dots. Brad and Jewel got me a vanilla candle, some really cute purple candle holders and a picture frame. U. Matt and A.Tisha got me some P.J. bottoms, a beach tollew and fudge mix. Kara gave me a scrunchie that she made and Alyssa got me a singing card and a gift card. Grandma Linda also gave me 2 pairs of P.J. bottoms, so now I have so many P.J.s I don't know what to wear to bed lol. And I got lots of cool bags ( that the gifts were in).

Kansada and Alyssa

Me holding Maria (grandma got me a happy birthday ribbon to wear)

The cake stuck to the pan and fell apart when we tried to get it out, so we put it in a bowl with frosting.

MacKenzie blowing up balloons

Sis. Jewel opening her presents.

Rejoicing

Shay was baptized yesterday. I was so happy and even more happier when dad said that if we could get someone to watch the other kids then mom, dad, Dale and me could go over for the ordinance supper. Before church had started she had came to my mind and so I silently prayed for her in my head. Then when ever grandmas phone rang in church it was like I just knew that she was getting baptized (and I hadn't even known that she had been crying in church on Wednesday night and talking to her parents). So, after we were done eating at the church we had grandma take us home so we could get to little car. Dad had to change the oil first so me and Dale asked to ride with grandma. On the way over Kara, grandma and I sang out of my song books. The ordinance supper was wonderful and I was so glad that I was able to go because I hadn't been able to go to an ordinance supper since I was baptized and I was so glad to see Shay on such a grand day.



Shays friend Catie from school was also there. It sounded like she's been going to church with them. In the last few months I had been praying for her (when I remembered that is). I have to thank God for how far I've come because a year ago I really didn't like Catie or Shay being friends with her, but now I've been praying for her and I've even came to like her a lot now.


It was a wonderful and beautiful day.

Two Poems

Dreams

While we sleep in our beds at night,

Our minds wonder, dreaming the unthinkable.

All crazy, confusing or even frightening,

A jumbled up, mixed up mess of scenes.

We pray our Father in Heaven will give us understanding,

Put all the worries that come, into his hands.

Someday we'll understand and it'll all work you in the way he has planned.

Now and Forever

Now and forever

Our love

Now and forever

How long we will be together

Now and forever

Our friendship

Now and forever

The road we walk

Now and forever

Through the good and bad times

Now and forever

Way that he loves us

Now and forever

A Days Worth of Thinking, Thanking, Praying and Growing

The Growing Feeling

Mom was sick today, which if you know my mom you know that she don't get sick very often, so it's pretty big if she's sick. We relay on mom for so much that it's kinda hard. I hadn't known that she was sick, so I thought it was rather odd that the lights were all off and the kicten was still a mess from the night before, until I heard Tyrel talking to mom I thought that she must not have been home, but it seemed strange that she would leave the house looking like that. I do mine and MacKenzies' laundry on Mondays (my friends always find it funny when I complain about my mom taking my clothes and washing them or MacKenzie giving them to her because I just want to have that bit of independents and growing), so I had been planning on doing that and I was already planning on cooking dinner since I had asked mom yesterday about it (but I had thought that she would be helping me). So, when I got home I cleaned up the kicten, helped the kids get their snacks, had them clean up, got my laundry and what mom had in the dirty clothes started and got my chicken thawed to boil for my casserole (we don't realize how much our mothers have to do until we have to do it for them). Work, work, work, work, work. The whole time while I was making dinner I kept on thinking that I wasn't gonna have enough, the pile of chicken didn't look very big and I was a bit worried about the fact that the recipe only called for 1 cup of rice (uncooked) (I haven't cooked a whole lot of rice so I wasn't real sure that would be enough), but I found that after it was all mixed together there was more than enough. The kids didn't all seem too fond of my casserole, but dad said it was pretty good. I did pretty okay I guess for I being the first meal I have ever cooked for our family without any help from mom and It's a good thing that I had been looking through the cook books on Saturday or we probably would have had leftovers. Seems I am growing up a bit more than I thought, like just this morning I was thinking about how crazy it is that I'll be 16 on Saturday.

Thanking

Back at spring break I had gotten this wort looking thing on one of my fingers. I had showed it to everyone while we were at my grandma's and she had said that it was from kissing wild boys (my mom don't recall this, but I very much do), which I really didn't like especially when they were all teasing me about it (I hand NOT been KISSING ANY WILD BOYS). But then I had gone away. Then about a month ago I noticed (in English class) that it had come back, then I started looking at my hands and I thought that I could see more coming up on some of my other fingers (yes I was a bit freaking out), now I was getting scared about having these things all over my hands. So, when I got home I anointed my hands and prayed about it and then didn't worry about it any more. I had noticed in the past few weeks that it was getting smaller and there were no signs of anymore. Well, today when I looked it was all the way gone again. Then I remembered something that happened about a year ago, we were putting the new shower in the main bathroom and this piece of metal that we needed got lost. Well if you know my dad very well you know that he gets really upset when we lose things and starts yelling and screaming. So, I was praying for the Lord to help us find it as we searched. We couldn't find it and we couldn't find it, then I was laying on the girls floor talking to Dale to see if he could remember having anything like it (when things go missing in our house usually it's because dad misplaced it or Dale had it), I turned over and there it was laying on the floor.

Humbling

It seems I'm always praying for help to be more humble. Today while I walked home I was thinking about how Kansada had said that I was perfect and never do anything wrong, well I sure don't agree with this at all, in no way do I think that I'm perfect and I see were I have done things wrong all the time. So, I guess that in a way I have become a bit humble because I know that I'm not perfect. Lets just not let this bit of knowledge get to my head or I my lose that humbleness. I can see how people might think that I or anyone else may be perfect, because we all have different trials to bare and we don't always see the things that others may be struggling with.

Brewster Campout Pictures

Shay, she's a bit goofy
My Amber and Shay
Amber
Andy and Isaiah pointing.
Josh and Brandon, a bit odd.
Me playing volleyball.
The boys getting their shirts ready for the game.
Shay and Amber; they are weird.
Shay, me and Amber.
Some of the younger kids.

Volleyball.
Playing volleyball.
Shay and me playing volleyball; we look a bit silly.
More volleyball.
Chris.

Billy blowing up a balloon.

Thanking God

Life and Death

This week has been pretty hard at school, because on Friday Matt Zachary, who was a Senior died, I won't go into the details because I didn't really know him so it don't seem right. But I did see him around school a lot and from what I know of he was a really nice guy. It just seems so weird and sad to think that just last week he was walking though the halls and now he's gone. It reminds me a lot of when Sage died, I had babysat her just 3 days before she died and she was just fine. I held her all day and I remember imagining her being big enough to wear real clothes (she was so little that clothes were too big for her). Then she was gone. It really gets you thinking about how we're not promised tomorrow. And the whole time at school when I'm around everyone who is so sad about Matt, I can't stop thinking about how easily God could have taken Josh from us on Sunday night. I just keep thanking him over and over again for sparing his life. At the same time I'm so thankful that the Lord has helped me to be able to forgive Josh in the last month because I know that if he would have died and I hadn't forgiven him it would have killed me.

Changes

I was thinking today about how just 2 years ago at the Brewster camp out there were very, very few of the young kids who were in the faith and this year I looked around and probably other half of the young kids who were there were in the faith. I remember how wonderful it was at the Brownsville camp out 2 years ago when there were about 25 of us young kids and not one of us was baptized and how by that Wednesday 10 of us had came in the faith (I was one of them). And it seems like since then there have been so, so many of the young kids here in the northwest who have given their hand. It's such a wonderful feeling when you hear of one of your friends giving their hand and even better when you are able to be there to witness it. Along with this there seems to have been many changes in the way that we act, I remember how we used to always just go around playing our games and doing our own things that weren't of God, but now we're always singing together, we see so many of us get up and serve the Lord in church, I've seen the guys get up and make talks in church, I even sat and listened to some of the guys visit on the word on Friday and it was so helpful to be able to listen to people your own age talk about those things. We seem so much more closer now and much more like a family than ever before. I'm always praying that the Lord will help us young kids who are in the faith to be able to do what would be his will and help the ones who aren't that they would have that desire and be able to be baptized. I'm so thankful for all of my friends who have came into the faith and I can see how the Lord is working in many of the others life's.