First things first

So, I am slacking on my blogging duties (but who says there are even duties in the first place? this thing sometimes nags like a journal that I've failed to write in for some time...guilty conscience, I guess :).

I went to Girls Camp this year with my YW group and can I just say that it was a blast!! Our group is small but strong. It was B.O.O.T. Camp, which stood for Building Our Own Testimonies. I was there for three days and Bry ate enchiladas I made for him for three days. I was wiped out by the end of the week and Bryan, I'm sure, had a stomach ache :).

Here are some highlights/pictures from camp. I love being in YW again. Fun times!

This is our whole group. Bishop and his wife came this day for dinner and testimony meeting.

Sue, our camp leader, Marianne, the YW president (one of my top fav people), and me. It rained a ton this week and was about 50 degrees during the day time so I wore three jackets the whole time. Luckily for us it stopped raining EVERY time we had an activity planned so the girls were able to do all that the Stake planned for them. Coincidence? I think not.

Our girls inside the cabin. The little girl on the right with the balloon is Ivy. She is autistic and has down syndrome. She and her mom came up and spent the night with us for one night and ended up staying longer because she was enjoying it so much. We did the Hokey Pokey with her alot and the girls really had a fun time with her. It was awesome being able to include her into all the activities.

Our girls did a ropes course together and this one was a big swing that you get harnessed to. They are a little nervous with anticipation but excited. Fun girls!

Our little cabin! Yes, we did have electricity, toilets, and showers. That is totally my type of camping! It was great, especially since it was so rainy and cold that week. I went through a ton of sweaters and pants from getting soaked.

All the girls got along great and we had a fun time! I wish I could've been there the whole week, but school restrained me from that. I will miss these girls when we move in a month. It has been such a blessing for me to work with them! We have awesome youth in our church!

Air Force Week Air Show Extravaganza 2009!

Our good friend Chad, Bryan, and I went to the Air Force Week Air Show on Saturday from 1-5 pm and saw some pretty awesome planes! They had different planes flying each hour or half hour and each of them did different tricks. They showcased planes from the different eras in the USA and they were open to tour the cockpits, walk through, etc. It was alot of fun! Here are some of the planes we saw: (and I don't know the names of them. Sorry!)
The only shade to be found was under the wings of the planes. Lots of people had their lawn chairs set up right underneath them! It was funny! There were about 300,000 people there throughout the day at Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield, UT.

This is actually the under side of one of the planes in the area they hold the bombs. They had it open to look into and tour. Crazy!

Don't go towards the light! This is the only picture I got of Chad and Bry that day and, of course, the sun was shining right behind them! This is inside one of the HUGE cargo planes. It was open on both sides and the cockpit is located upstairs at the end.

This is the Thunderbird Show at the end of the day. They had six F-16's flying in different formations. They were AMAZING. I have a few videos of them at the end of this blog.

Here's Bry wishing he went into Aeronautical Engineering instead of law :). He'd make a good pilot! You couldn't wipe the smile off his face this day. Just like a kid in a candy shop!

Here are one of the F-16 Thunderbird planes. Very patriotic. That's a plus :)

This is a big smooth plane. As you can see there were LOTS of people there. It was fun getting BBQ sandwiches and Frozen Lemonades. I love the vending at these kinds of shows :)

Another cool Fighter plane. I kept thinking of "Top Gun" the whole day. "Highway to the Dangerzone!"

This is an old school fighter plane. They had three planes fly together at one point in the show that represented 40 years of Air Force history. This was one of them.

Not a picture you get to take everyday :). Bryan, there's a fighter plane right behind you!!!

Here are some quick videos of what we were able to go and see. It was a fun day, with perfect weather! (It would have been better if Beth was able to make it too. We missed you!) All in all, a very cool experience!

Temple Trip with the YW/YM Group

We were able to go to the temple last night with the Young Men/Young Women's group in the Winder 5th Ward. It was so fun to be with the youth and to watch them do baptisms and confirmations. All of our presidency wore temple dresses and helped the girls through the process, as most of them have only been to the temple once or twice. For one of our girls, Eseta, it was her first time to go and it was fun explaining to her the process, the symbolism, and to just watch over her. We have a great group of girls, each with their own personal and family challenges. I am so proud of them and the great lengths they take to come to church, do their personal progress, and grow in their testimony. It is just amazing. It is a testimony to me that, despite our difficulties in life, we can succeed in anything with the Lord on our side.

We had a great mutual activity about a week ago and the girls really enjoyed having me take pictures while they posed. Here are a few (of about 30 I took that night!). I love these girls!

Megan and Eseta

Kim and Sarah (the one in the back) are two of the leaders I work with and they are super fun! I enjoy spending time with them.

I have a soft spot in my heart for Megan. She is such a good girl and I know she'll do awesome in whatever she does in life!

This is some kind of dance pose and Hannah jumped in the middle just in time! Funny girls.

We took about ten of these pictures. Megan and Penina were trying to do High School Musical poses. This is one of the better ones I took :)

Riley, Hannah, Megan, and Sarah. Fun times :)

Here's Megan, Me, Riley, and Briana. We have a great group!


I love working with the Young Women's group. They have become a sort of family for me away from home. It's amazing how much love I have for these girls and how much I want them to succeed. I learn so much from them and the presidency. It's been such a big blessing for me. The church is great about fostering family-like relationships and for caring for eachother. I love our little Winder 5th Ward and the humble, kind people we've been around this year. I've learned so much from the grandpas, grandmas, the newly wed couples, and the youth. I know this was the right ward for us to be in our first year of marriage. We've learned so much from them!

Couple "Dating"

I thought that the formal dating process would end with marriage, but I've noticed a phenomenon as we've been married now for 9 months. I always knew that Bryan and I would continue to date each other, but I didn't think we would have to ever go through the process of finding the right fit for us after marriage. Well, I was wrong.

I wasn't given any advice or forewarning on this as Bryan and I got married. Maybe all the married couples we know are so desensitized to it already. I think it's something that all engaged people should be aware of. It's the process of couple "dating". This process is somewhat less formal than the original dating pattern, but uses the same premises in order to be successful. When you're single, you have a group of friends and intermingle with all kinds of different people. When you're married, you have other couples over for dinners, go out to movies/theatre together, or just to a ball game. It is a different process though than making friends when you're single because both of us have to like both of the other couple in order to want to continue going out.

It feels a lot like dating again just because of that last qualifying factor. If Bryan thinks the guy is cool, but I think the girl is boring it's harder for me to want to go out again. And vice versa. I find the process a little bit ridiculous myself, but also quite funny. I never thought I would be hanging out with other people to see if they "mesh" with us as a couple. I never thought that it would be so important that they have the same interests, same sense of humor, and even are within the same realm of life that we're in.

The part that is the most humorous comes just after you've invited a couple over for such a first "date" and it was a success. You think during the week, "should we invite them over again? or is it too soon?" and "maybe we should wait to see if they invite us over" and also "do you think they had a good time? We had a good time. We hope they thought we were fun". Ridiculous? Yes. Funny? Yes. True? Yes, again. It's the same feeling you get after going on a first date. The whole process just strikes me as hilarious.

We're growing accustomed to this process although I wish someone would've let us know beforehand. Oh well. At least I'm forewarning those who may be next!

And on to Another Semester!

It seems like just yesterday I was stressing about finishing four papers within two weeks, studying for the last round of tests and quizzes before finals, and preparing for all my final exams. Now here I am, just a week later, realizing that I have a group project due next Friday, a paper due in just over a week, and my first test a week from Monday. Such is the cycle of school! I have never done a summer semester before and I'm starting to realize what they say about summer terms being quick and intense. I have a test or paper due every week for the next seven weeks! I'll have to stay on top of things!



I am taking American Literature, from 1865 to present day, and Philosophy Ethics and Values. Many of you may know that I already attempted the Ethics and Values course this past semester, but promptly dropped the class due to the professor being way out of line in referring to the Mormon religion. He was very cynical, rude, and off-base with his remarks about religion. It was ridiculous for any student to be put through such animosity. This time around the teacher seems fair and unbiased. I'm very leery of philosophy teachers though. I don't know what it is about them, but they always seem to be unkempt, wildly cynical, and indifferent. These cartoons may explain it better :):








I was hoping to have my associates degree by the end of the summer, but the English Dept may have cancelled a class that is required for graduation. I have emailed the teacher to see what is going on, in hopes that they may make an exception. If not, I'll have to rearrange things for the fall. We'll keep our fingers crossed for now.



I am also going to be taking a creative writing class, British Literature, and Critical approach to Literature (hopefully) in June to August. The terms are about seven weeks long. I am signed up for piano lessons too, but am still deciding if this will work into the schedule. There's no better time for me to learn than now! (especially since we have a piano in our home) I am excited for the semester and for the chance to continue my schooling!



We're looking forward to a fun summer with the family! We'll be out to see Brett and Melissa in June, with the Bryners for Memorial Day weekend, and in New Mexico for 4th of July weekend! We also want to get away for some weekend camping trips (if anyone wants to come along, you're more than welcome!). It'll be a fun summer!

To Every Thing There is a Season...

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I love this scripture. It reminds me to have patience and to realize that every one is on a different schedule in life: Some get married at 19, some in their late twenties, and some remain unmarried. Some people graduate college in four years, some take a little longer, and some never get the chance to go. Some people have their ducks lined up in a row, some people struggle to make ends meet, and some people just can't get ahead. Some people have large families with ease, some struggle to get one, and some feel like that time will just never come.

I think I've learned that my time table is very different than that of my sisters, my friends, my family, and the people I associate with at school or church. I have also learned to trust in the Lord for guidance and to know what His will is for me specifically. It seems too often we want something so bad and we are stuck in our own little sphere with a very limited perspective. I continue to learn that this life is just a dot in the spectrum of eternity and that the things that worry me now will soon be just a small moment.

I also learn through life's experiences how much love my Heavenly Father has for me as his child. I can't comprehend the blessings that I've been given from Him. I am so blessed and in awe of how He knows me so personally and takes the time to manifest that to me. I am learning through these experiences of how to be more compassionate and understanding of the struggles other people are called to face.

Right now I am struggling to be patient in trying to have a family. I am surrounded by women who recently had babies or women who just found out they are pregnant. I know that our time will come and I have no doubt that we will be blessed with a family, but it is hard some days to keep up the optimism. I feel silly even sharing this, but felt like I should because I know that a lot of people in my own family have felt the same way.

I know this is a small moment for me and I want to learn from this more than anything else. I want to be able to give empathy to others and to become more humble. It is times like this that I rely on the strength the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that the power of the Atonement covers our weaknesses. I am grateful for the blessing of knowing my Savior, Jesus Christ, and being able to rely on Him for help and guidance.

So, there is a time to every purpose under heaven, and this is my time to learn and to grow. I am grateful for the bounteous blessings I've been given. I am grateful for a wonderful husband who is such a light in my life. This little moment will be gone soon enough, but for now I will learn what I can from it and keep my chin up!