My new niece Rebecca Anne! Isn't she the most precious little thing you have ever seen?! She is perfect. If I were to rate her from 1 to 10, there would be no way that she would be any less than a 10.

My thought is, if we are all born a 10 then why do we feel like we are not 10s? My thought is that we are all born 10s and we will all die 10s. That fact will never change. I think that our actions and what we do may not always be a 10 but us as a human being and child of God is always going to be a 10. God sees us all as 10s, He loves us completely.

That is my thought for the day. YOU ARE A 10!

All We Need is Love...ha!

Rant Time!

Who ever came up with the phrase "All we need is Love" is missing a big chunk of the picture. In regards to relationships, we need a whole lot more than just love to make them work!!

I haven't been in too many of them, maybe only one or two...but I have observed and learned a lot from my four married siblings and my parents to know a thing or two. Relationships are hard! Love is an essential thing ofcourse! But it takes so much more..

1. Loyalty and Commitment

-Choose your love, Love your choice

2. Common Values and Beliefs

-Religious

-Standards

3. Common Goals

-Financial

-Family

-Lifestyle

4. Fun!

5. Love and Romance :) Yes, This is a must.

6. Respect

Who ever said 'Love is all we need' wasn't thinking very far in the future apparently. If Love is all you have, it might not last that long...Because it takes Work! 

Simple Joys

There are a lot of simple joys in my life when Jacob is around...this is one of them! <3

I love happy people!! :)

I made a new friend today :)
His name is Joey.
He works at Shake Out in Rexburg.
Actually he is the manager there. But he is awesome.
I was in a mood to take myself on a date all by myself with a book and a strawberry shake (delicious) tonight. So I did. I was there for two and a half hours...but an hour of it was just spent chatting with Joey. I really didn't want to go home and do homework. So I was loitering...

Anywho! Since no one was coming in, he just talked to me and he even gave me a free hot chocolate!! :) that was very nice of him :).

So the point is, the reason I chatted with him for so long is because he is a genuinely happy person. I could tell He truly loved what he was doing. HE was super fun to observe as I ate my shake because he was very good at what he did and he had awesome customer service! He was friendly, talkative and had fun! I love meeting people who can have fun and be truly happy wherever they are. He told me as we were talking that the reason that he could be so happy with life is because he knows what it is like to live in the dark. To have no light or friends to care about you, and because of this, he appreciates what he has and He Lives Life to the Fullest! :D

That is all for today!

College Life

I finally picked a Major! I decided on Recreation Management with an emphasis in Recreational Therapy. Yep! I want to be a therapist and work with mainly struggling teenagers. I want to do a lot of outdoor activities with them. Hiking, canoeing, maybe some gardening and lots of other activities.

I am going to continue to be a Personal Wellness Coach part-time and then I am going to be a recreational therapist as a career. We shall see if I end up sticking with that but I am very excited :)

Beautiful Day!

I went on a run today, and it felt like summer!!! It is soo sunny out side that my "run" was more like a walk/run because I had to keep stopping and looking at the flowers or feeling the cool breeze. Nature truly is remarkable!

Now isn't that flower lovely? I found it on my walk. It's petals are so soft <3 

Challenge for the day!!!

Go on a walk, and stop and smell the flowers. Cliche? Yes! But totally worth it! 

Pure Happiness :)

A small glimpse into happiness<3  

One Boy

One smile

One Love

Two adoring eyes

Two arms to hold 

Two fluttering hearts

Pure Happiness...

Feeling so loved

So wanted

and so needed

Laughing like dorks

Grinning at nothing

Making up songs

and dancing to no music

Life is wonderful <3

Live Like You Were Dying

For my online Entrepreneur class our teacher had us write out a list of 50 things we want to do before we die. After I hit the 20 range, it got a lot harder...then when I finally reached 50, I added 10 more!

60 things to do before I die :) Super happy thing :) I would encourage every single one of you to write out a list of dreams you have and talents you want to develop and goals for your future. Make a list and then start WORKING on them!

A quote I love, "'Someday' never comes". It really doesn't.

It's got to be now!

If you need help thinking of things for your list, check out this music video. It's very inspiring.

Live Like You Were Dying - The Bucket List (Music Video), on Youtube.

I'm not going to share my whole list but I will mention a few of them :)

Become a Millionaire

 Ride in a hot air balloon

 Become an inspirational speaker

 Help others reach their wellness goals

Marry in the Temple

    Serve a LDS mission

Go to Ecuador on a service trip

 Publish a book

 Travel and visit India

Backpack through Wales

Always have time for my family

 Be an effective Wellness Coach

  Be free of allergies

  Own a goldfish (that doesn’t die the next day)

  Smile at a random stranger everyday

   Teach my children to love Christ

 Learn to play the cello

 Perform in the BYUI symphony with my flute

   Go dancing on a regular basis with my husband

   Become fairly great at clogging

  Learn archery with a real bow J

Paint a picture at least once a month

  Go on an African safari

  Ride the world’s largest Zip line

Own an exotic animal

   Skydiving? Only if my husband comes too

   Adopt a little girl-Sarah

Love life every day

The POINT is, Don't be afraid to DREAM! It is soo much fun, and once written down...who knows what will happen! :) Now you can go out and Create your life. and have fun :)

Happy Day!

I love random acts of Kindness! :) Today My Mother and I spent the day packing up my room and then shopping for my college supplies. It was very exciting for me to buy my very own blender and bowl set and dishtowels! I felt very grown up ;)
Well during the course of the day we got to experience happy moments! YAY!!!

1. Coincidentally we stopped at a Bank that we never go to, at a time that we were not planning on and there, walking out were two friends that I actually had a delivery of clothes for! We were going to stop at their house later but it worked out so perfect! We both thought it was super funny :)

2. While Pulling into Walmart, a homeless man sat on the edge of the road simply giving everyone who past a smile and a thumbs up...I admire how he wanted to put a smile on peoples' faces even when his circumstances were not perfect. He didn't care a sign about giving him money, he simply gave people a smile for their day. How thoughtful...

3. Random happy moment! I was able to pay for all of my college supplies that we got from Walmart with my own money! I felt very adult-like and self sufficient :) Tis good to provide for my own needs.

4. We stopped to get gas after that and as I ran in to pay, the cashier greeted me excitedly and genuinely seemed happy to assist me. I love people like that.

If one must have a job, have fun doing it!!!

5. Lastly we stopped at the mall to return a few clothes that didn't work. First I was able to talk to a girl in Old Navy who seemed interested to know more about my Herbalife business and what I do :) That was super happy. And then as we walked past the Pretzel shop my mother and I both started craving one little pretzel bite...so we walked up to the counter and asked the man if we could buy one pretzel bite for a quarter. (We had zero cash with us haha). Quote: "How about this? I grab a size small container, fill it...and call it good! Would you like sauce with that?"

Both my mom and I just were like, "Really?!". That guy blessed our life because he was kind enough to give us a random act of service. It wont happen every time, but he sure made our day :)

This also teaches the power of ASKING! It's a magical concept :)

6. Oh! And one last hoorah for the day. In JC Penny, we found a fantastic sale on these really! cute winter coats. I don't remember if I have ever owned a brand new coat but now I have one :) And then I found a super cute grey sweater that I loved and the lady at the desk, Karma, gave us a $20 discount. Which means I got that sweater for free....Happy day! 

So BAsically Today was a very great day spent with my mom and Many happy moments occurred. Make someone's day by smiling! Make someone's day by serving. And have fun doing it!

That is all :)

Thought For the Day

Well, a little bit fuzzy but I painted this way back I believe my Freshman year in High School. Out of all my paintings, I still love this one the most. The meaning behind it is amazing :)

There is always another Sunrise.

The grave stone represents all of the pain we go through, all the disapointments, and all of the heartbreak.

The willow tree well, it has gone through a lot. That can be Us. 

And the sunrise is Christ. The gospel, hope, new beginnings. And Even when there are clouds covering the whole sky, The Son will keep rising every morning with out fail.

It will get dark, the wind will blow, someone you love may die. 

But the Son will keep on rising in the East, every morning.

Take a Deep Breath

And Look to the Son. Let it warm your skin and ease your Pain. Because He will. 

Christ is the 'Author and Finisher of my faith'1. The one who carries me when I can't seem to walk any longer...He is there! Do you know how much this means to me? It means the world...

He knows me perfectly.
He knows what I need to go through in Life to help me grow...
He knows that I struggle, He Loves me anyway...
Sometimes He lets me struggle, so that I can come out on top
So I can believe and TRUST in Him!

He is Perfect.
Even if the whole world is a mess, He is my Anchor!
My Rock.
My Brother,
My Friend,
My Merciful Savior...

I couldn't have gotten here without Him.
Where is Here?
Me. Faith. Alive. Love. Living. Family. Friends. Trials...
Everything I go through, and experience is Here.
It makes Me who I am!

He is the Finisher of my Faith.
In Him will I never doubt,
Because He is PERFECT!
I know in Him I can Trust.
Thank Goodness that He is there...
For Everyone.

Even You.
He will always be there, Waiting for you to reach out
And He will grab your hand.
Use a particle of Faith if you need to,
And reach out.
Catch His hand and let Him Carry YOU.

He Loves You...He Loves Me...And He is There.
Of This I know.



#sharegoodness
1.  Moroni 6:4

Faith is an Anchor

Ether Chapter 12 (From the Book of Mormon)

The prophet Moroni talks a bit about faith. Moroni starts in verse 6 where he says that the people would not listen to the prophets because they "saw them not". Meaning that they didn't believe the warnings because they didn't see the signs. They refused to believe because they did not have faith.

Faith is things hoped for and not seen. Moroni says we recieve no witness till AFTER the trial of our faith. If we have Faith that Christ will help us through a trial, we have to be willing to go through it. Sometimes we are allowed to suffer for a time, till our faith is tried and then Christ will step in and help us.

If we need an answer to a prayer, we have to show our faith by praying and actively seeking answers. It says in Ether 12:4 that Faith is an anchor, that keeps us steady in the storms. Faith brings hope, and when there is hope there is light. Then with that light we are able to see past the storm clouds into our Loving Heavenly Father's eyes. He is watching us, He knows us, and He wants to help. By showing our faith, we tell Him that we are ready to rely on Him. That we trust Him.

Verse 18 Says that First, we need to believe in the Son of God. Believe in Him and He will make Himself manifest in your life. In Alma 32 verse 27, Alma the Prophet teaches that if your faith is still weak and small, if you only have the DESIRE to believe, that is enough. Let your desire grow till it becomes faith and then Christ will teach you and support you as you go through life.

The seed is your desire. It really wants to grow into faith but it's kind of scared...So it gently pokes its tiny head out of the soil. It feels the Light and receives the water and it shoots up into the world. It has grown into Faith. Now if we keep feeding this little sprout, keep taking care of it so it doesn't wither, it will grow stronger and stronger till one day...you KNOW. You not only Believe in Christ, but you KNOW He is there and He Loves YOU! 

You have become a beautiful Tree. And Heavenly Father and Christ know your struggles and know about your journey to grow your faith. They love you! Isn't that wonderful?! So please, don't be afraid to grow your faith. Take a leap and Christ will catch you! I promise. I know He is real and He is waiting to hear from YOU, so he can help you. I know that He is there.

Cloudy Skies...

Time for a Daily Observation!!

I looove taking pictures of sunsets :) It is my favorite thing to capture with my camera. I realized the other day that the most beautiful sunsets I have seen are the ones with clouds...

When you throw in a few clouds, the sky turns fiery colors of orange, pink, and purple :)

I decided to apply this thought to life in general. I realized that without hardships and "Storms" in life, we wouldn't be able to appriciate the good things in life.

 Without the clouds....life is kinda like this:

Granted the sky is still beautiful, but take a look at how these next picutres look so much more glorious when a few clouds are thrown into the mix....

You see, the challenges and struggles that we are faced in life are there for a reason. They help us become the person that God sees in us. A person that we may not be able to see right this minute, but through time...We can become glorious! Our trials make us more beautiful :) They help us become strong. They give us the experiences we need to help others come to recognize their beauty. 

Please remember to be patient through the storms...they create beautiful sunsets!!

Life is Hard...

Have you ever noticed how just when you finally feel like you are out of the slumps and you get so pumped up about life, that Life decides to throw things at you?

Ya.....Life is kinda being mean right now. *sigh* I did not end up running on Wednesday OR Friday. :/ That was pretty disapointing. I must confess that I let tiredness run my life. I haven't been sleeping well. last night I wasn't able to fall asleep until around 4 am, bleck!

What to do, what to do?...I don't like living in a slump. Its so...unhappy! I love this quote by a famous LDS speaker and comedian, John Bytheway. He said, "If Life were easy...it wouldn't be hard!" So true! I have to keep reminding myself that the reason Life is hard is for us to learn. There really would be no point if Life were easy....well it would just be easy! I know we all yearn for an easy day, which I hope everyone gets at least once a month, at LEAST!

What can we do to get out of slumps?!

Here are 4 ideas to start...

1. Go out and SERVE!- 

I find that when I have been stuck in a slump for a while, if I stop and ponder I will realize that I have not gone out and served for a while. I love to randomly knock on a door and ask if I can weed that person's garden or wash their dishes. Even if they decline, I can bet you it made them smile and...chances are you are smiling too :) But still, go knock on another door till they let you serve them, it is worth it.

2. Do something you love!-

Are you an artist or musician? Go start a painting or play a lively tune! Do you love to pamper yourself? Take a bubble bath! Are you an outdoorsy type of fellow? Have a picnic and hike in the outdoors. Maybe you simply enjo9y a good book or paintin your nails. I don't care what your passion is, JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ONE! Dis cover what you LOVE and HAVE FUN! :)

3. Spend time with Personal Development-

Make working out a priority: I find that I am more at peace with myself when I am keeping healthy and inshape. (If you need any help with that, visit my other page about Herbalife Wellness). Another part of Personal Improvment is the mental side. Learn something new. Read a personal development book. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is always a good one! If you desire, further develop your relationship with God and Christ (or whatever you believe in as your Divine Deity). Take time to study and pray.

4. Take time to Listen to a Family member or Friend-

Have you ever just listened as a child told you their fears and dreams? Their concerns and what makes them happy? I find it does wonders for the soul when one can listen to those around them without trying to FIX anything, just being there for them is enough. Take time to develop a stronger realationship with your friends. They can greatly add to the light in your life :) This is my sister and cousin after we ran a 5k Color run together :) That was a bonding experience for sure!

There you have it! Now Let me know if you have a fun experience with these ideas and post them in the comments! Share Light :)

Lets Discuss Simple Things...

This is a Sunflower!

I was doing some yard work for a wonderful Lady today. I was trimming her bushes and also her rose bush (beware! they like to bite..) when I saw this absolutely lovely sunflower! 

She had not intentionally planted sunflowers in her garden but here they were. Where did they come from? Well it just so happens that she puts all sorts of seeds in bird feeders all around her home and this little guy must have fallen out of the feeder. So, he decided to grow. 

I feel like sunflowers are one of the most common flowers used in metaphors about life but I am going to use him again anyways :) He wasn't supposed to grow tall and beautiful; his purpose was to feed the birds. He didn't let that stop him though...He bloomed where he was (accidentally) planted.

 What does this mean for us?

We are all planted in different soils. Some more rocky than others. And sometimes in life, people may try to tell you that you are not supposed to grow into a tall, beautiful sunflower...What do they know?!!

They are not all-knowing creatures with a life calling of ruling over you. No one but God and Yourself should have a say as to who you are "supposed" to be. If it is your desire to grow tall and share your talents and gifts with others, don't let people put you down and try to discourage you. Grow where you are planted DESPITE the rain and the hail. Maybe even a few avalanches... 

Just something to think on :)

Now! Another thought for the day...dun Dun DUNN!!

This is what the sky looked like as I drove home from working. My first thought was, "The sky is chasing me!!!" hahaha Very epic sounding, don't you think?
So my thought is, Enjoy the small things in life! You have heard it a million times but It is soo true! When you start to notice the cool looking clouds, the dandelion growing in the grass, or the tree that happens to have cool looking branches, Life all-of-the-sudden gets happier. You learn that life is a beautiful, glorious thing, instead of a dreaded Monday or Tuesday. I find that people will look at me strangely but who cares?! I'm having fun and enjoying life so It doesn't matter what they think. Life is too glorious not to notice the small things.

Take a look around..What do you SEE?

Went On a Run Today...

I Ran 3 Miles Today!

With my new view of life I decided that I want to run 5ks and maybe even move up to 10ks eventually. So this involves training! Today was my first day with my new mindset...it was quite entertaining! 

Here's what I'm trying: Monday is my "Maintenance" Run, a nice easy 2 to 3 mile run. Wednesday is my "Sprints" Day; Sprint, jog, sprint, jog...for about a mile or in the words of a marathon runner I met, "until you want to throw up". This will help improve my speed. And then lastly Friday is my "Distance" run. Run until I can't anymore. I am actually borrowing this routine from the marathon runner I met at the seminar. But I have learned that it is ok to borrow ideas from those with more experience, because you learn too and you can start improving! 

Now...During my run, my knees started hurting quite terribly, same with my ankles and I got this sharp pain in my left shoulder. In addition to that, my feet started killing me half way through because I don't have the right running shoes for my feet.

What do I do?!!! It hurts! A lot! 

So I start giving myself a pep talk. Kind of like the CDs you listen to that start yelling at you telling you not to quit. So that's what I did, I told myself that pain is good because that is when you start to grow, when it hurts, you have the opportunity to heal. I told myself that I love running, that I run because I can, because I deserve to do things I love because I am human and because I am ME! I told myself how proud I am of me that I'm running and that I love me. It was actually quite inspirational :) I was imagining myself giving this speech to a huge crowd of people, inspiring them to never give up! It was exciting to visualize myself doing this because that is actually one of my dreams in life to become an inspirational speaker...

This is one of my favorite quotes. I love archery so this stands out to me :) When Life is pulling you back, get ready for the take off and SOAR!!! 

Maybe next week on my maintenance run I will record myself giving this little pep talk and show all you guys. It could be entertaining haha. 

Hello! I would love to share a little story with you about how I decided to start my blog. I never considered doing one...Ever...in fact, technology hasn't always been my best subject ;)

 To start off, I went on a Student Ambassador trip to the British Isles in July of this year. I had an incredible time and I loved every minute of it. During my trip I learned a very important lesson. Its called Living Life Full On. I did not coin that phrase, actually I'm borrowing it from a program we experienced on my trip. It was our second day in Wales and we headed to our Full On experience day. We spent most of that day learning how to live life Full On, by giving life everything we had. 100% of us. The Full On leaders that day taught us that we have the power to tell our brains we can do anything! If we believe in ourselves, anything we set our minds to is possible. We ended that day by repelling off the Penryn Castle tower. An 80 ft. tower...on a castle. Oh yes! It was terrifying! But because I believed in myself and the Full On Crew kept encouraging us, we did it! So this was the first experience. Learning to live life Full On.
Now two days ago actually, I went to a self improvement seminar called Humans Being More. It was held at the gorgeous Treasure Mountain Scout Camp right next to the stunning Teton Mountains. For two days we focused on learning about ourselves, discovering our dreams, and learning how to take action and stick to our goals that we set. We learned how to be successful in Life. Now, during this seminar I decided a couple things. First, that I am starting my business on (or before) August 31, 2014. Second, that I am ready to live my dreams just because I CAN! Because We are Human Beings, and We deserve to live our dreams!
Now lastly, this was actually after the seminar came to a close while I was sitting at dinner, but I was thinking about what I was going to accomplish in the next year and this thought pricked my mind: "I am going to start a blog". So out of the blue! But I feel like I am supposed to write this blog, for whatever reason, God wants me to do a blog. So here I am!