Cascade Springs

On Sunday we decided to drive up to Cascade Springs and take the short walk as a family. We used to come here when we were little and it was nice to go back with those of us living at home at the moment.

We had several wonderful picture opportunities.

We saw some beautiful flowers, a few fish and even a bumblebee!

Nikki and I shared some sister time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery!

David even climbed a tree that is over hanging part of the trail. He was very proud of himself.

Alright.... so he didn't exactly make it all the way up by himself.

It was a wonderful trip, we very much enjoyed spending a Sunday afternoon up the canyon. Just the five of us, and the Beaver, as Dad calls him. Nikki simply couldn't leave her man Bieber behind so we brought him up and Nikki sang along the entire time!

Create

Antoine de Saint-Exupery once said:

"True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new."

I always thought that to create something of value you had to be creative, you had to be artistic, musically talented, or well versed.

I was introduced to this Mormon Message and it has since become my inspiration. For what? Something of value to me. Which is all that matters. Right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJC1sRJ8F0Q

True happiness comes from hard work, perseverance, persistence, determination, a little natural talent and a huge vision.

Sprinkle Tongues!

We made an AMAZING discovery this week!

(Please remember that it is finals week, we are all running on very little sleep, food, and brain power because our poor little thinkers have been fried.)

SPRINKLES STICK TO YOUR TONGUE!

An Interesting Experience

**Viewer Discretion Advised**

May contain potty humor

This morning I had a very interesting experience, one I have never been privileged to have before... I really hope I never have it again.

I woke up at 5:30 and put on a dress and walked up to the temple and had a very wonderful experience. However, in my haste to have that wonderful teaching lesson I forgot to do certain things that normal people do in the morning, like go to the bathroom.

When I got home about 7:30 am I talked with Evelyn for a little while and then decided that I needed to shower. As I was walking to my room to get my clothes I realized how desperately I had to go to the bathroom! I calmly reasoned to myself that I would collect the things I needed to shower and then I would go. As soon as I had picked out my clothes and was about to head to the bathroom Sam walked out of her bedroom, went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. About this point I realized that I was in major trouble. My face looked a little like this:

I decided to pick up my room.... not helping! Finally I realized I was not going to make it if I didn't take action NOW! What to do?! I can't go to the neighbor... it's way to early for that. THE SMITH!! Luckily I live on campus and the closest building is just down the hill. I put on my shoes and headed down in a very nonchalant manner.

As I was walking out of the complex a crow (I HATE crows) took fright and sounded up the alarm, he scared the heck out of me in the process and I nearly did something regrettable. I picked up the pace and put on my serious face so that no one would talk to me.

Don't worry, I made it! But just barely. Moral of the story: Always go to the bathroom right when you wake up!!

A Project

I had to make a cover for a project in Missionary Preparation. The only requirement given:

"Be proud of it."

15 Minutes of Fame

On BYU-I's home page they have these wonderful pictures of beautiful people smiling around campus. They recently updated these pictures; I was so glad to be looking at new faces that I decided to look at all the pictures.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw myself in one of the new pictures! I know it's me because that is my pink backpack! So obviously there is no other person in the world it could possibly be! But I also have more evidence, she also has my baggy jeans (this is a dead give away, no one else on campus ever wears baggy jeans, these girls are here to get married, they always look their best!)

Beauty, Truth, and Goodness

A few weeks ago while I was sitting reverently in Tuesday devotional the speaker said something that really caught my attention. He talked about keeping our thoughts pure, and how literature is a wonderful way to accomplish this. Now, I like to believe that I have a fairly clean mind.

**COMMERCIAL BREAK!

Funny story about having a clean mind. Often times I'll be sitting with my roommate and boys (that are there for her, not me.) One of them will say something and they all bust up laughing. I never understood what was so funny and would always try to get them to explain it to me. They never would. The only explanation I ever got was "You'd be shocked, you're too classy." Finally, my roommate told me, "When the boys and I are laughing don't ask, you really don't want to know." See? Clean mind.

**NOW, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STORY

After hearing this I decided to memorize a poem a week. With school and everything a week should give me enough time even if I can't work on it for a few days. It's been the most wonderful experience anyone could ever have! I'm on week three and these poems keep floating through my head at times when I need a little extra push.

Poems I have memorized:

1. The Canyon is Calling, by Hannah Cooper Ashby

2. Invictus, by William Ernest Henley

3. The Road not Taken, by Robert Frost.

If you have a favorite poem let me know and I'll stick it on the list.