dancing

I LOVE TO DANCE!

Last semester I had the privilege of taking a ballroom dance class. We learned the fox-trot, waltz, tango, cha-cha, swing, and polka. There is something so wonderful about dancing. When I dance I forget my troubles and when I'm done I have a much lighter heart! One day I was having a terrible day, and I got on someone's blog and some music came on. It just happened to be a song that I had danced to in class, and I couldn't resist dancing! My mom also loves to dance and so I taught her the tango and we had a rousing dance around the house. I happened to come across several of these quotes about dancing awhile ago, and I enjoyed them so much I thought I'd post them for ya all! ENJOY!

...in 1959, a national news magazine described the LDS Church as the "dancingest denomination"

(all quotes are by President Brigham Young)
"I want you to sing and dance and forget your troubles... Let's have some music and all of you dance"

"I want it distinctly understood, that fiddling and dancing are no part of our worship. 'The question may be asked, What are they for, then? I answer, that my body may keep pace with my mind. My mind labors like a man logging, all the time; and this is the reason why I am fond of these pastimes—they give me a privilege to throw everything off, and shake myself, that my body may exercise, and my mind rest."

There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven. Sweet harmonious sounds give exquisite joy to human beings capable of appreciating music. I delight in hearing harmonious tones made by the human voice, by musical instruments, and by both combined. Every sweet musical sound that can be made belongs to the Saints and is for the Saints. Every flower, shrub and tree to beautify, and to gratify the taste and smell, and every sensation that gives to man joy and felicity are for the Saints who receive them from the Most High.

If you wish to dance, dance; and you are just as much prepared for a prayer meeting after dancing as ever you were, if you are Saints.

serve, smile, learn and do

ofttimes when I don't feel like I can tell people things in person, I write them down. When I was about 17 I wrote a story for my mom to explain how I was feeling... it's kind of weird so I won't post it here, but in it I wrote 4 things that I needed to do to help resolve my feelings of despair and being totally overwhelmed with everything!

SERVE until you feel like dropping
SMILE when you feel like crying
LEARN something when your brain feels groggy
DO something when you feel like stopping

SERVE, SMILE, LEARN, and DO
are such great things to keep in mind as we go
throughout the day, week, months and years!!

a wordy week

the other day I was helping my mom with something and she said "what word would you use to describe that?" to which I responded... "sticktoitive". She didn't think it was a word, but it certainly is!

STICKTOITIVE
tenaciously resolute; persevering

Isn't that the coolest word? I would love to be described as a sticktoitive person...

about a week ago a word accidentally slipped out, and I'm pretty sure that it's not a word, but it SHOULD be..."OWNSOME" I actually googled it and came up with a german word "mutterseelenallein" which translates to be "on one's ownsome" so it must be a sort of word!

I also accidentally said "OWNESS" as well... and well, it's not exactly a word, but another sort of word. But I came up with some interesting history about that word. "In Latin onus means “burden.” In English it came to mean “responsibility”: “the onus is on the defense attorney to convince the jury of the defendant’s innocence.” It is often used to mean “blame”: “he bears the onus of having lost the key to the vacation house.” People sometimes mishear this word and turn in into "owness." This form is also used by some to refer to the opposite of otherness, but that would be "ownness," with two N's."

AREN'T WORDS JUST SO MUCH FUN? I JUST WONDER WHY WE DON'T
USE SOME OF THESE WONDERFUL WORDS MORE OFTEN!!!!

another word

lets hope that you never have this...

CONSTERNATION
a sudden dread or a state of paralyzing dismay

but if you do, remember that faith
can dispel all doubt, dread and fear!!!

doesn't doing laundry...

JUST MAKE YOU HAPPY?!?!

On Saturday I was folding some sheets, and I said the above to my mom... "doesn't folding laundry just make you happy?" Apparently she didn't agree with me, and she told me that I should post it on my blog... so here you go!!

I just love doing laundry, I know... I'm weird, but I just love doing it! In fact, that's pretty much all I did on Saturday and when one of my sisters brought up her HUGE pile of dirty clothes, I got giddy. ;) I love pretty much everything about laundry, but here are just a few of the things that I love most.

1) I love seeing how much I can stuff in the washer
2) I love pouring in the laundry soap and vinegar
3) I love taking clean smelling clothes out of the washer
4) I love cleaning the lint tray
5) I love putting in homemade dryer sheets (they smell mmm-good!)
6) I love taking fluffy clean clothes out of the dryer
7) I love shaking out warm clothes and folding them up
8) I love folding socks... they're my favorite!
9) I love seeing huge piles of dirty laundry disappear
10) I love seeing empty laundry baskets.

when I'm old and gray

True love lasts forever.

It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us... when Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to “love one another; as I have loved you,” He gave to them the grand key to happiness in this life and glory in the next. Love is the greatest of all the commandments—all others hang upon it. It is our focus as followers of the living Christ. It is the one trait that, if developed, will most improve our lives."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

the prayer

A couple of years ago (you know, pretty much everything I talk about happened a "couple of years ago", if you know our family's story, those years were incredible growing experiences!!) I came across an article that changed my life... it was an incredible love story that started at birth. A couple had a little girl, and when she was born, they decided to start praying for her future husband, even though it would be about 23 years before they would ever meet him. When their daughter was old enough to understand, they told her that somewhere in the world there was someone that would someday be her husband, and they encouraged her to start praying for him, which she did. The rest of the story is so touching and amazing, and sometime I'll have to post it for 'ya!

When I read that story, it hit a chord with me. I realized that somewhere out in the world there was someone who I had never met. But someday our paths would cross, and meanwhile, life would happen, and I wanted the opportunity to pray for this amazing man. Since I was about 15, I started praying for my future husband every day. I think I've only ever missed once or twice, and I have learned so much through praying for someone I don't know. Sometimes I felt like I should pray for him to have the needed strength to endure hardship. Sometimes I prayed that he would have the additional help he needed in all the things he was doing. Sometimes I prayed that he would be able to grow up to be the godly man that he needed to be to fulfill his mission in life. Sometimes I would pray that he would be blessed with extra protection. And sometimes I simply prayed that he would know that somewhere in the world there was a young girl that was praying for him. But the thing that mattered most was that I PRAYED, I prayed hard, and I prayed everyday.

A couple of days ago my sister came across this very touching story, and it touched me so much, especially since I've been doing the very same thing, and I hope for the same happy ending.

"I was recently at a church meeting where a leader spoke to the young women of our Stake. She told us that when she was little she dreamed constantly of the man she would marry. She played little games like, "Whoever wears a red shirt tomorrow is the one", or "If the car makes it through the next stop light, I already know him." Then one day her young women's leader suggested that instead of dreaming of who he would be, the girls should pray for their future husbands. She said that after that, she never missed a night. She would pray that he would be able to live up to the standards she wanted. She prayed that he would be strong enough to make good decisions in his life. Because she was praying for his strength, it made her want to be stronger as well. When she met that man she had been praying for, they fell for each other right away. On the third date, after all of the "get to know you" had been established and things got a little deeper, he told her that every time he had been faced with temptation in his life, he felt he had been blessed with a little extra help in making the right decisions. She couldn't believe it."

I have absolutely no idea who I am going to marry, only God knows that... but what I DO know is that through praying for someone I've never met, I have developed a deep love for whoever that someone is, far more than I ever thought was possible to have for someone you've never met. I would encourage all of you single girls out there to pray for your future husbands, wouldn't that be so neat to have your future husband tell you that he often felt a little extra help... and that help was you?

while I'm waiting

This song is from my new favorite movie, FIREPROOF.
It says so many things that I would say about waiting,
but songs usually say things better than simple prose. ENJOY!

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
I'll be taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

the dream

I had a dream...
Most of the dreams I've had don't stick with me very long, but a couple of years ago I had a dream that I think of often. I call it THE THREE LEVELS

1st level - Everything that I did with this boy was in secret. I don't think that my family even knew him! We went running through a restaurant and then secretly went up a canyon to an ancient school house. He wanted us to pick some bricks out of the wall, which we did... and the school collapsed! I don't think anyone knew we did it, and he certainly wasn't going to tell anyone. The only feeling I got from this boy was one of infatuation... nothing deeper, just physical attraction.

2nd level - The second part was even weirder than the first. Luckily this boy was a decent fellow, in fact he was someone I sort of recognized from riding the bus. We were in a supermarket having a race with these weird carts that flew through the air. It was a huge competition and I believe that I won. The feeling that I got from this young man was one of being totally superior to him. He didn't even talk to me, he just gazed at me. There was no companionship, nor even friendship. Just the feeling of being totally superior.

3rd level - The third level is one that I think of often and use as a sounding board for many things in life. There wasn't much to see in this level, just a simple picture that is burned in my memory. All I saw was a young man and myself standing in a garden. I didn't see his face, but I noticed two things... he had brown hair and was about a head taller than me (so about 5-7 inches taller than me). He was holding my hand and I think proposing... and I got a complete feeling of being CHERISHED!!!!!!! I want the feeling of being equal with the person I marry. And I also want to be filled with the desire to improve and become the best wife for him that I can. To be inspired to be better, just by being around him!!

As strange as that dream sounds,
it has given me so much hope
and so much to think about!!
It has made me think so much of how I long
to be with that young man in the garden,
being cherished and loved by someone
that God has chosen for me!!

my perfect plans

ever since I was little, one of my greatest dreams was to have a family of my own. In fact, when I was about 10 or so, my plan was to have 56 children... one for each letter of the alphabet, both a boy and a girl. when I was in high school, I was totally certain that when I graduated prince charming would show up on my doorstep, sweep me off my feet, and by the time I was 23 or so I would have 2-3 adorable children, a perfect marriage, a charming house, and I would be perfectly content.

If anyone would have told me that I would be 20 7/8 years old, still single and living at home, I most likely wouldn't have believed you... but here I am! Heavenly Father had (and still does have) SO much work that needed to be done on me, and frankly I am not quite sure that I would've been ready to get married at 17.

Throughout the years, I have grown so much in my desire and dreams for my future. In my patriarchal blessing there is a tiny little paragraph about my future family, and I have just poured over it trying to understand every little word. That little paragraph has worked wonders in my life. One little part of it talks about a desiring a companion... that little word has changed my life!!

Over the years I have come to realize that I didn't desire a companion... I just wanted a family and all the fixings... babies, laundry, cooking, etc., but a husband didn't matter that much. But as I have grown older (and hopefully wiser!) I have come to realize that the one thing that I want more than anything (except eternal life) is a companion! I want someone who is my very best friend and I his! As I looked back and wondered why in the world I had such a strange perspective, I came to realize that in all the couples in my life, as great as their marriages were... they weren't necessarily companions and best friends. Through the past 2 years I have met some wonderful ladies whose husbands are their very best friends. One couple in particular is so cute to watch... they so obviously love each other, and I love spending time at their home!

as I look back over the years, I am beyond grateful that Heavenly Father didn't answer my prayers for my perfect plan to come to pass. He has a perfect plan for me, and it is beyond anything I could ever dream up! The past two years have been incredible years for me... and what if God had answered my prayers?? I would have been lacking a huge part of who I have become!!

I am so thankful for a God who answers prayers,
but also sees fit to not answer sometimes!!

happy valentine's

well, I just did a little reading about how valentine's came to be... what an interesting history (see this page on wikipedia)! One part that struck my funny bone was when they said that in the 19th century handwritten cards were replaced by mass produced ones. Now, that isn't funny, in fact, it's quite sad, but if you have ever seen the movie "Cranford" you will recall the following scene....

the spinster ladies of the town have gathered around the local general store to see the latest rage in England... PRINTED VALENTINE'S!! The lady who is in charge of the town (well, at least she thinks she is :) says, what is the world coming to if our valentines are being PRINTED?! Those printed valentines create quite the stir in the town as I recall... it must just be best to hand write them from now on!

I actually don't have a valentine (by definition - a sweetheart) that I know by name, but I do have one somewhere in the world who I love very much, even though I don't know exactly who he is!! As those of you who followed my last blog know, I haven't ever had a boyfriend, I haven't ever held hands with a boy, and I certainly haven't ever kissed anyone! Life has turned out a lot differently then I ever expected, but it has been so good! This week I'm going to be posting some things for my valentine... my wonderful future husband (though I don't exactly know who he is!!)! I'll also be posting some things that have helped me immensely in learning to wait patiently!

baby makes 18!!!

I was mixing up a treat for my little brother's birthday party tonight and for some random reason I was thinking about the DUGGAR family. If you haven't read about this amazing family, you should order their newest book... 20 and counting!!
I had the opportunity to read it over Christmas break... and boy-oh-boy... what an amazing book!! It's full of good tips that they've learned, and their incredible life story (they are considered America's largest family!). Well, I just remembered today that Michelle was pregnant with #18, but I hadn't heard about the birth, so I looked it up on their website... and on December 18th "The baby, named Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar, arrived at 38 weeks gestation by Caesarean section weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 20 inches long." Congrats to the Duggar family!! As I have read about this amazing family over the years, I've read many negative comments concerning their family size, but I think that they are absolutely amazing to be doing what they are doing! They haven't limited their family size, and have seen many miracles in doing what the Lord asked!!

wordy wednesday

sorry this has been so long in coming... I just need to take the few seconds it takes to do this, but I don't!! I'll try my hardest to be better!! Anyway, here is today's word... a new one, but definitely one that I'll use!!

ERSTWHILE
former, formerly, in the past, at a former time

a stupendous saturday

On Saturday we had some friends over for sledding, games, milking goats, and a delicious dinner! They are SO much fun to be around and even though I've only been with them 4 times, I think they are one of the "bestest" families around! They have 8 wonderful children, and 2 fabulous parents and the more I get to know them, the more I like them!

Milking - the people in the back were standing around a heater to stay warm!

Lindsay (in pink) milking. She kept milking and milking and actually milked 2 goats!

Loren milking for the first time

Some of the girls sledding, don't they look warm??

Finally at the bottom of the HUGE hill!

It's kind of a funny story how we actually met them... I met their second oldest son (Loren) at school and in the process of becoming good friends with him, I asked if he and his family wanted to come over to play games. Well... to make a long story short, this is the third time we've been together as families since December! I can't believe that we have actually done that because we usually only do it once and then just talk about it, but that's not the case with this family! We all have such a good time together and get along remarkably well.

Loren actually leaves for a mission TOMORROW! I'm so glad I got to meet him, and I'm sure that he will be an amazing missionary and do a wonderful work for the Lord!!