May

Goodness time does fly. May was full of many events. May 6 was Shanna's wedding. It was fun to be with my past roomates again. The Frames are amazing people. I loved being with their family for the day. The sealer said something I really liked. He talked about repenting. We often think of repenting as a bad thing, but really it's not. It is something that should bring us joy. It is a tool given to us so we can become better, happier people  We also use the Atonement for the same purpose. We use it with repentance. With both we can become like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

    

On May 14 I went on my first date since being home from my mission. I went with Dallin. He lives in Roosevelt and we go to the same YSA ward. I actually knew him from High School. We were in a show choir called Center Stage. For our date we met at the church and went Power Bocking also known as Jumping Stilts. Don't worry, I didn't know what it was either. You strap them to your legs and shoes. You can walk, run or even jump. Although we just stuck to walking. I felt like I was learning how to walk all over again. It was much harder than it looked. I have a knew appreciation for those in therapy learning how to walk again. After we went to Marian's for some ice cream.

 It was time for another wedding. On May 21my cousin tied that knot with her love Dallon in the Manti Temple. It was another great wedding. My favorite part of the wedding was when D'Lee and Dallon were suppose to kiss over the alter. D'Lee was to short. So she vaulted herself up. Needless to say it was a short kiss. the sealer then remarked that he had told them to kiss like they meant it. So when they exchanged rings D'Lee and Dallon made up for the supper short kiss. The color's for the wedding were very D'Lee...Rainbow. We had some time to kill in Richfield as we waited to pick up Meg. So we went shopping and my family found some rainbow things to wear to the reception.

Masters of Cotton Candy Making.

The bouquet hitting Jen in the face.

Dallas having too much fun too much fun with the car.

Rockin' the Socks

First Dance

May 27 was the last day of school. So I had to say goodbye to my kindergartners who I worked with durring the year. We had a play day at the park. How I miss being a kid. To the end the day 6th grade challenged the faculty and staff to a kickball game. I am proud to way the faculty and staff won. I can't remember the exact score but it was like 20-13. Needless to say we won by a lot.

 Of course the last thing I did in May was go to my family party for memorial day. We split our time between the Gardner and Mathis families. I am so grateful we have a day to remember our loved ones. I am also grateful for the Plan of Salvation that gives me the knowledge I will see these loved ones again.

Book Club time. Uncle Stan teaching us all about the book The Jesus Wars.

With Him We Can

We had a Relief Society Retreat in my stake. We came together for an evening and tied quilts, had dinner, and then had a program of speakers and musical numbers. I gave a short talk with the theme With Him We Can. All the speakers had a different take on it. We had some talk about adoption, military moms, death, hard times, being an every day women, etc. Mine was based around my growing up and going on a mission tying in With Him We Can. I would like to write about what I talked about. Note this will not be exactly what I said because I didn't write my talk down. So this is all from memory.

I grew up in the Gospel. I grew up going to church on Sundays, going to youth activities, mutual, and going to seminary (a class for kids 14-18 years old to learn more about the church). I loved it. I loved what the church was doing for me. Fast forward to my senior year in high school and I started to have doubts. I started to doubt everything I had grown up believing in. I didn't tell to many people because I was embarrassed and ashamed. But I tried to shrug it off and keep going. Now fast forward to my first year in college. That's when I really began to doubt. Those fears of things not being true seemed to be happening. I would pray but I didn't feel like anyone was listening. I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. I kept going to church, activities, and institute (the adult class) because I knew I needed to be there. But I really was just going through the motions and it was holding no meaning for me. I kept praying for strength to keep going and what to do. I had this feeling I needed to go talk to my Institute Teacher, but I didn't want to. I thought I would be a bother and wasting his time. I finally caved in and went to go talk to him, which was one of the best things I could do. I told him how I was feeling and how I felt like a failure. He stopped me right there and told me I wasn't a failure. If I had failed that would mean I would have given up, but I hadn't. I was still going to church, institute, praying and reading my scriptures. It was OK to be feeling like this. Everyone for themselves has to have a trying period and a time to know if this church, this gospel was true. We read in the Book of Mormon from Alma 32, which I challenge you to read!! It talks about faith and wanting to believe. But that knowledge wouldn't come quick. But with a wanting to believe, exercising my faith, having patience, and being diligent in my studies of the church I would know when the time was right the church was true. At the end of the year (May) there would be a trip to Nauvoo and he highly encouraged me to go. I was promised that this trip would change my life. 

So fast forward now to that end of the year trip. Up to this point things had slowly started to get better, but I was still a little shaky about my testimony and about the church. We are leaving Nauvoo and nothing had happened. It was fun and it was a beautiful little city but I didn't feel any different. I started to think something was wrong with me. I prayed and asked again for this life changing experience. We had a few more stops to make before we came back to Utah. The last stop was in Independence, Missouri. That morning I had the opportunity to go inside a new temple, the Kansas City Missouri Temple. It had only been open for 10 days. This part of the trip was unplanned. I went and had a nice experience. It was very peaceful. I was feeling the spirit (but I didn't realize it at the time). Later that day I was able to visit the Community of Christ's temple. As soon as I walked in I felt different. I didn't feel bad, but I didn't have the same peaceful, calming feeling I had in the Mormon Temple. I knew at that moment that the Mormon Religion was true. I knew that Joseph Smith had seen God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and had re-established the church on Earth. I knew that I was a daughter of a Heavenly King and that Christ was my brother and Savior and that they loved me and cared for me so much!! They wanted me to be happy and to trust in them. I know this sounds crazy that just by walking into a building to feel all that, but that's how it was. 

So now fast forward to to the end of my second year in college. I was needed to change schools but I wasn't sure where to go and things just weren't working out. I would pray and I kept getting this feeling I needed to serve a mission. I kept pushing it aside. Background: I had never wanted to serve a full time mission. I thought maybe I would do a couple's mission (like the Petersen's) but that wasn't for many years down the road. It didn't fail, when I would pray something about a mission would come up. On Sunday I decided to fast and pray. I told Heavenly Father I needed to know by the end of sacrament meeting if I was suppose to go on a mission and if I was I needed a sign and it would have to be big because I was missing the little one. We're coming to the end of the meeting and one of the final speakers got up. He wasn't sure why he needed to speak that day but he really felt like he needed to say, "if you're on the fence line about going on a mission than you need to go." I knew at that moment that it was for me and that I needed to go. I still struggled with the whole idea. That summer I had such the inward battle of needing to go and wanting to stay. I was talking to my cousin about it one day and she asked me the reasons why I didn't want to go. Number 1 I didn't wan't to leave my family/extended family. We had family parties all the time. I enjoyed their company. By going on a mission I wouldn't get that for 18 months. I would miss them too much. I had absolutely no desire to go. I felt like you needed that or else it would be a long mission. Last I was just plain scared, that fear of the unknown. My cousin, who had served a mission was able to give me comfort and told me those were all valid reasons, but people would be placed in my areas that would become like my family and friends, as I continued to go the desire would come, and if I would trust in the Lord than he would help take the fear away. Plus if I didn't go I would spend my whole life asking the what if question of what if I had gone. I decided to go. So after 8 months I turned in my papers (the application that talks about medical things, if you've speak another language, etc.) and 1 week later I had my call to go to the Canada Montreal Mission. 5 months later I found myself on a mission. 

Let me tell you, it was hard. Those first couple of months were the longest months of my life. I would just pray and pray for peace knowing I was doing the right thing and for charity to love the people I had and would meet. Eventually the peace came and I definitely grew to love the people!! Avan (my cousin) was right. There were so many people placed in my path that reminded me of my family and friends I had left behind. I was able to make new friends that loved me and cared about me. That desire came. I was able to tell people about the Gospel and how wonderful it is. That fear subsided. Sometimes it would resurface when I would change areas or a new challenge came. But it wouldn't last long. I know I was able to serve a mission because of Him. Without his help I would have never survived. I would have never been able to meet someone you and all the other wonderful people I met. Canada has a special part in my heart. 

Now that I'm home I'm still figuring out what to do with my life. Where to go to school, what to major in, who my friends should be, etc. But I know that with Him I can. For with God all things are possible. We weren't put in this Earth to fail. We are meant to succeed. We just have to trust in Him and let Him in our lives. I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know he came to earth and performed the atonement. He did that because he loves us; so he can help us and we can return to live with him again. 

Easter

It's my first family party since I've been home. I was stoked. Easter turned out great and it was a lot fun. We went to Aunt Ann and Uncle Lee's house. We stayed there for several days. On Saturday we had the big family party. It started with a bunny scavenger hunt. I think there were over 20 bunnies. Then we went back to the dinosaur bone place we went to before I left. The bones are in the rocks and there are some really big ones. We ended our fun back at the house for Book Club. The book was Dealing with Dragons. It was a fun read. I haven't read it since I was a child. It brought back some great memories of mom reading to me. The time went to quickly and it was time to go home. The bad news is the weather was awful. It snowed. While in Talmage we even slid off the road. Lucky for us the Thacker family where behind us and a kind truck driver pushed us out and the truck driver dove the car up the hill and onto a flat surface. I'm thankful for kind people and for family and the time we have to spend together. I am also thankful fo my Savior who died for you and fro me. He is the reason why we even have Easter. Because of Him we can do anything!

Mom and Aunt Ann "fixing" the candle.

The finished candle.

Liam checking off a bunny.

Ann and Jacob finding a bunny.

Lexi and the bone.

Book Club Test

Sliding down Grandpa's Legs

Indian Canyon

Home

HIghlights of Februrary/March

Hello to anyone that actually reads this blog! Life has been going well. It's been rather busy, which is a good thing. Since it's been about a month since a post I'm just going to give you the highlights.

Well first thing is I have a job. It was basically handed to me. So it's the following Monday since arriving home. So I've really only been in Altamont for 3 days. I get a phone call from Mom asking me if I wanted a job. Well my first thought was that she wanted me to sub for her (she is the music teacher at the elementary). I told her it depended on what the job was. She then proceeded to tell me that Lori (the principal) had stopped Mom and told her to have me come talk to her because she had a job opening. Mom and Carol didn't even know there was a job opening. So needless to say I jumped on it because jobs are very hard to get right now, especially here. So I am an aide at the elementary and I spend most of my time in 6th grade helping a student with fetal alcohol syndrome and is only on a 2nd-3rd grade level. She is an amazing girl and she has made quite a bit of progress in the short month that I and several others have been helping her. On Fridays I'm in Kindergarten helping another student with autism. He's a cute kid too. When I'm not in either of those spots I'm progress monitoring or sometimes subbing.

Funny Story. After coming home I went over to Price to help tend my cousin's kids/visit with friends. I was meeting with a friend in the Student Center at USU Eastern. We were getting ready to leave when this guy came up to us. He asked us our names. I told him I was Cassy and this was Laura. He then looked at me and asked, "Have you ever had a boyfriend?" I told him no. He then asked, "Would you like one?" Keep in mind I have been home for less than a week, so this is very awkward. I told him no not at the moment. He looked at me all sad and said, "But I would treat you nice and you would be happy. And I could buy you things." I still told him no I wasn't ready. He asked why and when I would be ready. I told him I didn't know and I just wasn't ready for a boyfriend at that moment in my life. Then he said okay, shrugged his shoulders, hung his head, and walked away. What a memorable moment!

I had the opportunity to go to my aunt and uncle's setting apart. They left after about a week of me being home for a mission to the Porto Alegre Brazil Temple. What's really fun about this is they are the same aunt and uncle who came to my setting apart. They had a small family party and when it was time for the setting apart, their bishop came over to the house to do it. It was fun, and I'm glad I was able to see them before they left for 23 months.

I've also had the opportunity to attend a session in the Vernal Temple. This was the first time I had ever done a session in this temple. It is a beautiful temple and it holds a special place in my heart. It is the temple I grew up going to do baptisms for the dead. There is such peace in the temple. I encourage all if they have the chance to go to the temple.

I had a rather eventful weekend the weekend of March 4th. I toured Weber State campus and then after that one of my best friends was married in the Ogden Temple. I must say it was the shortest wedding I have ever been to. The wedding started at 1 pm and I was out of the temple by 1:15. It was a short, sweet, to the point wedding. After that we headed up to Perry for the luncheon and reception. I had a lot fun catching up with this family. The parents and the bride both told me they were glad that I got home just in time for the wedding. I am too! Congratulations Kelsey and Kurt!

The next day I spend the time with Dad and John. I decided since I was up there I would spend the weekend at their house. I dedicated my Saturday to them. Dad and I went to theatre to see Mocking Jay Part 2 (it's not John's kind of movie). I didn't mind the movie. In fact I enjoyed it, probably because it's been about 5 years since I've read the books. Then we went back home and took advantage of the nice weather and sat outside on the swing enjoying the view of the mountains and catching up on life. Then we grabbed John and went to grab a bite to eat before picking up Khloe and Lili.

Khloe and Lili are the fosters girls living with Dad and John. So yes when I came home from my mission I came home to two foster sisters. I must say the are so cute and are very well behaved. So I spent Saturday night playing with them in the front yard. Goodness I am out of shape. I was rather tired of several rounds of tag, kick the can, spinning, climbing all over me, and of course some tickling. So after some hard core playing we took it inside to watch the movie The Good Dinosaur. Of course we had to watch it in my room in my bed. And of course they fell asleep in my bed. Since they had been begging Dad and John to have a sleep over with me in my bed, I decided to let them stay there.

The next day I went and found a YSA Ward to attend. Then I headed to Kaysville to meet up with one of my companions Sister Heninger, or now I should say Sydney. It was so great to see her and meet her dad and sister. Then to end my weekend I had Sunday dinner with Gordon's before heading back home.

The following weekend I was able to go to my former roommate Madi's homecoming. She served in the Cusco Peru Mission. Conveniently Aunt Mary and Uncle Boyd decided to go too. So I took advantage of that and rode up with them. While there I was able to see almost all of my roommates I had while living in Grandma's house. We were just missing Megan. It was so good to see all of them and to see where the last year and half has taken us.

Yesterday I went to another wedding of Kelsi and Robert. Kelsi was another great friend from high school. I spent the whole day at LC Ranch, where they were married. We had a bridal breakfast/ shower in the morning and then the wedding and reception that afternoon/evening. It was another short wedding. I think the ceremony was about as long as Kelsey Pugh's, short, sweet, and right to the point. Gordon's came out for the wedding (it helps the Becca was the photographer and Jena was a bridesmaid). Even Rachel and Justin came along. It was wonderful to see them all. I haven't seen Rachel since before I left for my mission. I was also able to catch up with Kelsi's brother R.J. who I haven't seen in 4 years. It was so great to see them all!

 Last but not least I was able to attend the Provo City Center Temple Dedication this morning. It took me back to my mission when the Montreal Temple was being rededicated. It was a beautiful session. Dallan H. Oaks was presiding. I would like to share two thoughts on things that were shared. The first is how we think of going to the temple as leaving the "real world". It was said that the temple is the "real world". Think of that. If the temple is the real world than there is so much happiness, peace, and joy found in it. We should try to make this not so "real world" into the "real world". My second thought comes from CTR. As a Mormon we hear CTR all the time meaning, Choose the Right. One speaker suggested if we make CTR the target of our life than our bulls eye is CTR, but meaning Current Temple Recommend. As we live worthy of a temple recommend, our lives will be blessed.