True Meaning of Christmas

Every year around this time of year I see people running around with boxes and bags full of gifts . So many lose the true meaning , the true christmas story about a baby Jesus born in a stable . He could have been born in a palace but the savior of the world was born meek and humble . Here is the Christmas Story from Luke Chapter 2 ...


And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and lain him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the feild, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior , which is Christ the Lord . And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace , good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the sheperds returned , glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Thanksgiving !!!!

So this Thanksgiving my mom had to work . So I steeped in and cooked the Thanksgiving Dinner . Its kind of weird when we finally sat down to the table to eat realizing that I had made everything except for the turkey ( Thanks Dad :) ) And a little help from Aj .

It was a good experience to be in the kitchen cooking for Thanksgiving cause pretty soon I could be getting married and cooking our first Thanksgiving dinner . We will see , Who knows what the future holds .


At least this Christmas both me and my mom will be cooking the feast ! At least I got a little preview of how it will be like in the future.

Catch Up !!!

Crazy how much time has flown by since the last time I updated .

We had GlenGarys Birthday Party with Our family and the Lowerys . It is crazy that it has now been over a year since this little cuttie was brought into the world and my family . He is growing up so much and so fast .

Top Picture : Glen Getting ready to blow out his candle

Bottom Picture : Glen hanging out as guest arive . I love the outfit he is wearing .

Glen playing with the ballons .

Little Glen Turning One !!

GlenGary turned one on Tuesday !!! We are actually celebrating his Birthday Next week with family . The picture above is his Baby Picture the day after he was born . More pictures of his first birthday will come .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEPHEW !!!!!!

General Confrence Weekend

Last weekend was a very spiritual . It was wonderful to listen and watch what the Prophet and his apostles wanted us as a church to know . Many of the apostles that spoke I have either met or have shaken hands with . Like Elder Scott , Elder Anderson , Elder Oaks . There was many more talks that I also enjoyed like Elder Uchtdorf . His talk was funny .

Here is the Link to the New General Conference Page :)
http://new.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

Ballet Under the Stars

Last night both my parents and I went to this wonderful concert . My mom and I left early to be able to get good seats , which we did . As it got closer to the recital starting there was roughly over a thousand people there . It was a pretty night . I loved watch them warm up and practice their spins and do their Barr routine .

Once the show started it was wonderful . Be able to see professional ballet dancers . Being able to go see them encourages me to keep going no matter what .

I talked to my mom while we were watching that it would be so amazing to be apart of their Ballet company . Its something I can work for and keep strengthen myself as a dancer myself .It was a wonderful night and I am glad I was able to go .

It happens every dear . If you want more information about Ballet Az go to ...http://www.balletaz.org/

Getting Hurt - 1st injury in Dance

So as you can see from the title I got hurt at dance like I usually do . It was Thursday after doing warm-up at the bar we then moved to floor . We have been working on a combination for a while now and nothing has really happened until Thursday . When I did a ballet move when I landed I some how rolled my ankle . I knew something was not right since my ankle was in pain. Since it didn't swell or anything I kept dancing on it through class .

On Friday after school I went to Physical Therapy for then John or Tod could check it out and find out what I did . After I had gotten almost all my cardio out of the way . Tod came over to me to see when I would be done for then he could pop my hip and my back into place . While I was heading into his area of the office John told him to check my ankle while I was in there . It was crazy , it turned out I had rolled it out of place . Since Tod is a Chiropractor he asked me to lay back and relax and he popped all the bones back in place .

It has been weird working out with it hurting . I have dealt with more pain then this before so its really not that bad. I have been wrapping it and icing it . I will have to take it easy this week at dance but at least I had only rolled my ankle :)

1st Collage Paper - Losing my Aunt Mindy

My aunt Mindy was a kind young woman. She was more then just an aunt to me. She felt more like a sister or a really good friend who you have known your whole life. Mindy would welcome anyone who entered her house with a warm smile and good company. She would make you feel like you were home.


Mindy was short but not too short, had a lot of drive in her. She was a farm girl; she had lived on a farm her whole life. Her voice was soft she could be but stern when she needed to be. She had very brown curly hair. She always had a smile on her face even if everything was going wrong or when she was going through chemo-therapy.


My aunt Mindy was diagnosed with colon cancer. As she went through treatments my family was always there to give a lending hand. There was several times when we would go grocery shopping; we would secretly pay for all the food and other items that her children needed. At times this annoyed Mindy and Uncle Raymond, but it meant so much to us to be there for her and her family. As it got closer to her death the cancer had spread from the colon to surround one of the main arteries of the heart.


We heard she passed away right after Thanksgiving. We had gotten the call Sunday morning that she had passed away the night before. After the call we all cried but me. I was sad but wanted to be strong for my mom. My sister Tara and I went to church just a couple hours after getting the call. That Sunday seemed to go by so slow and dragged on into the night.


The next day I went to school to get my work that I would miss. Since that night we were flying to Rexburg, Idaho to go to the funeral. We would be gone for well over a week.


Before the other family members arrived we drove out to Raymond and the kids when we got to Rexburg. Many of them wouldn’t be getting here until later that night. It was strange being in the house without my aunt Mindy to welcome us into the door and smell her cooking in the kitchen. The house always smelled of freshly baked cookies and comforting aromas. This time the air smelled empty and sadness. My family and I walked into the living room where my aunt usually sat in here recliner. I didn’t know what to do or say. I wanted to cry but since I cried all day at school I didn’t have any more tears left in me.


It all happened so fast. One moment we were at home the next we were at the hotel were mom’s brothers and sisters would also be staying. Each family got there one by one as we gathered and had a mini get together in the foyer of the hotel; To discuss what would be going on the next few days. A couple times while we were talking my parents and my moms siblings got into arguments. I didn’t know which side to be on since they are all family. They finally agreed that they wouldn’t stand in the line and let Raymond and the kids be the only ones up there.


There was one viewing the night before she would be laid to rest at a beautiful old building that kind of looked like a church. There was a video going of what each of the kids where thankful for Thanksgiving. Then we sat down and waited until are row was allowed to go through in to the next room where the casket was.


It was hard to look at the body that lay in the casket. It didn’t feel like it was my aunt. She looked like a statue of clay placed there and seemed too tiny and frail.


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The day of the funeral was a cold one; it had just snowed the night before. We went to the church were there was a second viewing. We waited in the room for what seemed like an eternity. When it came time to close the casket those who were not family were politely asked to leave and take their seats in the chapel. We then said a prayer and got into the line behind the casket. We each filed in one by one. The room was quiet but the atmosphere wasn’t sad but upbeat that everything would be okay. My aunts’ husband spoke and so did two of her older sisters. My aunt Gayle read a poem that my cousin had written. It was so beautiful; even though people cried they were happy tears knowing some day beyond the grave we will see her again. Just as we came in we each followed the casket out the doors to the hearse.


Everyone got into their cars and followed the procession. It was kind of weird being in a car line like that. As we got onto the major roads traffic stopped as we passed. When we got to the grave sight there was already a canopy set up with chairs underneath. Since my dad was one of the Pallbearers he had to put his boutonniere on top of the casket. After she was laid to rest, family and close friends went back to the church to have lunch.


Instead of going back home after the funeral, my parents decided that we were going to go down to Park City, Utah for a few days. It was nice not having to return to normal life right away after losing my first relative. We were able to spend time together and enjoy the snow.

Getting in to the Swing of Things

I have now been in school for almost a month . Crazy I know ! My schedule is insane with everything I am doing . I am starting to finally get the hang of all my other activities along with school and home duties .

With my busy schedule I am never really home . I am always at school , working out , or baby sitting . I enjoy it a lot . I am always in motion . I don't enjoy the feeling of being lazy but I enjoy relaxing when I can .

I still need to make some adjustments to my busy schedule . I am hoping with time that it will be more smoother .

Today after I had gotten done with dance . I came back to the house and cleaned . After cleaning I got on the computer . I looked at the clock and it said 11:33am . I knew I had institute from 12-1 pm but totally spaced and kept searching for information for one of my classes . The next time I looked at the clock it was 11:54 am . I realized that I needed to change and then get to institute . Quickly I ran up stairs and changed into a normal outfit then ran down the stairs to my car.

Lucky , I made it to my institute even before they started they Hymn . I was so happy that I made it and wasn't too late .

Remebering 9/11

When September 11th happened I was 10 years old . I really didn't understand what was going on that frightful day .

I had fallen asleep in the family room and early that morning while my mom was getting ready for work she came in were I was sleeping and turned on the T.V to the news channel . She had woken me up and we watch as the first tower was hit and in smoke .

Even though I was only ten years old I knew something bad had happened and that America was no longer a safe place .

My parents made my siblings and I go to school . Being at school that day just felt weird and off . The teachers you could tell were scared and worried but they couldn't tell us what was going on . I remember sitting in class wanting to ask my teacher what what going on . We couldn't . We tried to have a normal day at school but that day wasn't normal .

Since that day every September 11th feels off beat . We as a country were not expecting to be attacked on America soil . That day thousands lost their lives but we as a nation are still standing tall .

Most kids who were born after 9/11 don't understand what this day means . I will always remember the video on the TV of the 2nd tower being hit , people yelling and people praying . This weekend we honored all those who lost their lives that scary September day .

Do you remember where you were that September Day ???

Lamb of God by Rob Gardner

My parents and I went to this wonderful performance on September 11 . I had heard about the " Lamb of God " from Tyler who was in the Easter Pageant . Him and his wife where both in it . Along with Jeanee ( She is a director for the Pageant ) .

I couldn't wait to hear and see this production . My mom and I had ordered the tickets a week or so prior to this performance .

The night of the performance was an exciting on for me . I was so excited to get there and in my seat . Before we got to the ASU Gammage theater we went to dinner at Outback . Then we drove out to Tempe .

Since there was a ASU game going on , there was a ton of people both driving and walking . We had to call Aj ( my brother ) for the address since the GPS in the car didn't have it as a destination . When we saw the theater it was larger then I thought it would be .

As we got inside the theater their wasn't that many people there. As it got closer to the performance there was quit a crowed . As it got closer to the time for it to start . They let all the people who needed assistance go in first . We were let in .

After we had found our seats we saw that the full band and orchestra were warming up before it would start . The who theater was filled with people . The lights began to dim and the production would start .

~

The songs that were sang were so beautiful . You could fill the room lift and be filled with the spirit . Each piece flowed into the next with out error . Words cant explain what I felt there . In each piece of music there was Hope Power and Believing . I know that seeing it is one thing but hearing it can be just as powerful .

Here are some links :

1st is the preview for the production : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK3brIWi_1Q
Here is one of the Beautiful Song called Hosanna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc6Wx2wJyKM


Thanks for all those who made this come to life and reach out to each heart :)

The Power of Music

Music is an important thing in my life . I am always listening to the radio , the music on my Ipod or on YouTube while I am on the computer . I am always listening to some song or artist who I feel captures my life or feelings in their lyrics . Its kinda remarkable how one song can help get you through the day or help get you through homework .

Since I am a dancer I am always listening to music . Either trying to find a song to dance to or practicing to classical music . Its amazing experience to be able to take they lyrics and make a master piece out of them .


"Dancers are instruments, like a piano the choreographer plays." ~George Balanchine

Vans the New Fashion

Vans are becoming more and more fashionable . Many times walking around campus you will see dozens of diffrent colors and styles of these shoes . A couple weeks ago I went and got my third pair . They are a little darker then the color showen above . You get the poinet .

My first pair of Vans are a Light Blue . My secound I got for prom instead of getting heals that I would probably only wear once I got Red Vans instead .

I cant wait until I can get another pair and wonder what color I am going to get next :)

Vallient Faith

The Young Women sang " Vallient Faith " in sacrament meeting on Sunday . There was such power in how they sang . I wish I could have been up there singing along with the girls . The words are so powerful and strong . And what they mean is pure and true .

If you have not heard of the song before I encourage you to look it up on youtube and listen to it . Here are the lyrics but it is so much more powerful when you hear it with the music with it .

" To many people are just sliding by
Plugged into the world and missing the meaning of life
But I was born to be a worrier of light
With faith to move moutains and power of God filling my life

Chores :I want to live my life with honer and faith
I want to return to his arms unashamed
Its not enough to live it half way
Follow him fearlessly all of my days
I will with vallient faith

I've lived for ages , I've prepared for this life
I wont be confused or cross to the enemy side
I am gurded with power and truth
Sideing with God , He's pouring out blessings in all that you do

Chores

Valliently , Fearlessly, Fighting for the Mighty King
Valliently , Fearlessly , Fighting for the Mighty King

Chores "

Just Dance ....

So today I had an audition to see if I could get into a high ballet class at the Doubson Campus . And guess what .....I MADE IT !!!! I cant believe it . I am so excited to get to know more about dance from a diffrent instructor .

First week of collage !!!!

I am in the middle of the week of my first BIG week getting used to my classes at the Community Collage . It is exciting . I was nervous all sunday for no reason . I found my classes fine . Which was good because my first fear none the less was if I was going to be able to find them . Most of my teachers are old . The only class with a young teacher is psycology . That class is going to be my favorite I can tell already . I am going to have to push myself to get all the projects done . I think it will be great to learn more .

I have a audition for the dance program on friday . I am a bit nervous for this since I haven't danced for almost a year . I will do good , my body knows ballet . Just getting back to it is going to be hard . I will let you know how the audition goes .

Today was my first day at Institue for the school year . It was kinda strange at first . There wasn't that many of us . We filled up the first row and a couple of seats . The book I will be learning about in institue is D&C .

I am excited for the new school year and getting to know new people . I just need to step out of my shell .