A True Friend

Life has been hectic this past week. I've been working 6.5-8 hour shifts everyday, but somehow I've been staying awake in school, and getting my chores done.

I would just like to dedicate this post to my Gina.
She is the most thoughtful girl around my age that I know. And people have been walking all over her lately. This makes me very angry. This past week has been hard because work has been so demanding and tiring. Every second we're off work or school we want to be sleeping. And Gina is the hardest working employee at Carl's Junior, no joke. She always goes the second mile. And the reason why she's working is so she can earn money to go to Japan with me. Japan is important to me, because, well, I did grow up there. So I should be more serious about earning the money but she is so serious about this. My friends in Japan would be proud of her. There isn't a truer friend anywhere I swear. She was there for me when I needed her to come to church with me that one Sunday (only you know why, Gina). Gina probably doesn't know how much she helped me that day. My family has adopted you, and I love your family like my own.

I' ll always be there for you too, Gina. Thanks for helping me be the best I can be

We sign our cards and letters BFF
You've got a million ways to make me laugh
You're lookin' out for me, you've got my back
It's so good to have you around

You know the secrets I could never tell
And when I'm quiet you break through my shell
Don't feel the need to do a rebel yell
'Cause you keep my feet on the ground

You're a true friend
You're here 'til the end
You pull me aside
When something ain't right
Talk to me now and into the night
'Til it's alright again
You're a true friend

You don't get angry when I change the plans
Somehow you're never out of second chances
Won't say "I told you" when I'm wrong again
I'm so lucky that I've found

A true friend
You're here 'til the end
You pull me aside
When something ain't right
Talk to me now and into the night
'Til it's alright again


True friends will go to the ends of the earth
'Til they find the things you need
Friends hang on through the ups and the downs
Cause they've got someone to believe in

Everybody's Gonna Love Today!

As you can probably tell, I've had a very busy but fun week. I got to sleep over at my aunt Nat's house this weekend, with Gina, her older sister Micky, and Micky's friend Krystal. Boys and Girls basketball both took region this weekend, and boys wrestling took STATE!!!! The fam party was fun too.
I've had training for Carl's Junior with Gina all this week, and I HAD to post pics of our uniforms. They're cute and dorky at the same time. The shirts look like bowling shirts. We're going to start a bowling team!!!
I spent Valentine's Day with my girlfriends. I bought Tashi, Gina, and Merial, oh and one for my daddy Sharpie, and my boyfriend Wade (we made a family at school. Gina's my mom, Sharpie's my dad, I'm their daughter, and Wade is my boyfriend - but this is all pretend hahahahaha) all heart shaped pizza from 5 buck during lunch.

Mom and dad gave me lots of chocolate. And after school, we prank called like all the boys in our high school and a couple of people in Orem and Grantsville pretending we were a survey company. And we asked who their crush was. Most people wouldn't say anything, or would hang up in the middle, or prank call us back. But quite a few actually gave out the full name of a girl. How stupid do you get?! And then, everyone was talking about it the next day at school. ahahahahaha (my evil laugh)

Then, me, Tashi, Gina, Merial, and Kember all went and watched "PS I Love You" at the theater. (Our small-town theater only shows one movie at a time). So now all 5 of us have decided to marry someone with an Irish accent.

And it snowed really bad the night before Valentine's Day, and so for mutual, we shoveled the sidewalks and driveways of the widows in our ward. I was freezing, wet, sore, and I didn't have the time to be doing it, but the widows are so cute. When they said thanks they were so adorable and it made my day (and I decided to change my attitude)

It snowed all night, so Valentine's Day morning we had 18 inches of snow, but they didn't cancel school. Pine View got 2 inches and they canceled. The wimps. Anyways, my mom let me drive to school, and it took us 15 minutes to get all the snow and ice off the car. And then half way to school, I realized I forgot my bag and made Tashi go back and get it. I pulled off to the side of the road, and Tashi opened the car door, and scraped the top layer of snow. So she was up to her knees in snow. My mom saw this and thought I'd gone off the road and Tashi was running back for help. And I knew I couldn't stop all the way or I would get stuck. But the retard that looked like he was going to turn because his signal went on then off made me slam on my brakes and I got stuck. But I got out by reversing. So many people got stuck really bad on the way to school. Half the school was late. Katie and Josh cross country skied to school. haha
Mana's here for the weekend again!!! After we got home from up north, we went to see Patrick for a few minutes. Mana was sick this morning and didn't go to church but she's feeling a lot better now. And so now she can go to the missionary fireside. Carl's Junior opens Tuesday, and I have to go in on Monday, but we might take Mana to ride Patrick's horses on Monday morning. Me and Mana have been playing the piano all day. I get addicted to playing the piano.

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's week. And a fabulous President's Day weekend.

Motherhood

I absolutely had to share some more quotes that we got on motherhood in seminary:

"Motherhood is near divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels." - James R. Clark

"Mothers, will you be missionaries? We will appoint you a mission to teach your children their duty...and the principles of salvation."
&
"Mothers are the moving instruments in the hands of God to guide the destinies of nations." - Brigham Young

"No career approaches in importance that of wife, homemaker, mother...Warp the motherly cloak about you and, unembarrassed, help in a major role to create the bodies for the immortal souls who anxiously await." - Ezra Taft Benson

"Every girl, and I say every girl, should prepare herself for marriage and for domestic responsibilities. You are not reading that in the magazines today, but it's true nevertheless. She should be encouraged to be proud to prepare for the true womanly service. She should become skilled in things that are useful and enriching to her family life. She should develop her talents, strengthen her knowledge and testimony of the gospel, and be eager to serve others. Some girls may be called on full-time missions, and all will have the opportunity to be highly useful in the kingdom of God if they prepare themselves...We want out women to be well educated, for children may not recover from the ignorance of their mothers."
"Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days...will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the church are seen as distinct and different - in happy ways - from the women of the world." - Spencer W. Kimball

"Mothers perform a labor the priesthood cannot do...Men should give them honor, gratitude, reverence, respect, and praise. A man who fails to gratefully acknowledge his debt to his own mother who gave him life is insensitive to the Holy Spirit." - James E. Faust

Stressful Life

Well, I was way stressed out this week, but it's finally all over and I can enjoy the weekend.

1. I've had 2 work meetings for Carl's Junior, (including having to pass the food handlers test and I barely passed it),
   
2. Parli pro (parliamentary procedure) every morning before school, and practicing like mad because region is next week, (and being on time)
   
3. Chores, trying to keep my room clean,
4. Youth Court, going to the last home basketball games for the season,
5. Getting my drivers license!!!!!!!!!!!! (during lunch break),
6. Having my bishop's interview for my patriarchal blessing,
7. Mutual,
8. Buying plane tickets for Japan
9. Doing the Hinckley challenge

Ya I'm really tired...but I think everything's been working out. I need to read my scriptures and go to bed after this. Just had to relieve some teenage stress here

Wonderful Women

We just had 2 lessons in seminary about inspiring women - Deborah, Ruth and Hannah. Bro. Rasmussen talked about how us girls have a surprising amount of power over boys. And we can use the power to do good or evil. To quote Bro. Rasmussen: "Be wise, be wise". I like his voice when he's giving us a bit of council. His lessons are very powerful. My attention never goes anywhere.

And I like to read stories about these good women in the scriptures, not because I'm a feminist natzi, but because it gives me inspiration to be the best woman I can be.

First of all, was Deborah the judge and prophetess, who the Lord chose because there wasn't a righteous enough man to do the job.

Through the faith, courage, and wisdom of the prophetess Deborah and her ability to inspire her people to be more righteous, “the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed him.”

And then Ruth and Hannah that had great adversities. These righteous and faithful women could not see what the future held; yet they were faithful to the Lord and to the covenants they had made.

Ruth staying behind with Naomi showed that she was truly converted.
It is interesting to note that Hannah’s story begins with a cry of distress and sorrow to the Lord and ends with a song of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. We do not always have the option of choosing our situations in life, but we can respond with faith and trust in the Savior. We can know that He knows and loves us and will be with us. He has promised in the Doctrine and Covenants: “Ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours”. We can also know that when we exercise our faith, the Lord’s purposes will be accomplished in His own way and in His own timing, and in the end, everything will work for our good. We can play a part in blessing future generations by exercising our faith in the Lord as we move forward through trials.

Ruth loved the Lord, and her faith and hope in Him were strong. Neither she nor Hannah gave up their hope. Rather, it sustained them in their trials.

These two women possessed not only the qualities of faith and hope but also devotion and sacrifice. Hannah’s love of the Lord and love of her son are also poignant reminders of God’s love for His children.

Similarly, because of Ruth’s unselfish love and obedience to Naomi, she eventually married Boaz and had a child named Obed. Through her lineage, the Savior was born.

Like Ruth and Hannah, all of us will experience adversity. We may not always understand the Lord’s design for our lives, but we are never alone. He is ever with us, and He promises us, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation”

Happiness and Goodness

Some good things that have happened to me recently.:

I finally figured out that it was my spirit crying for Pres. Hinckley. That's why it was hard to control the crying. I've cried myself out, and I've moved on now. I feel a lot better. After the reassuring devotional in seminary, the very very spiritual funeral, and now that we have a new first presidency, I think my insecureness of the only prophet I've known is finally gone. We got to listen to the funeral in the car on the way to St. George to visit our friends, the Cluffs on Saturday morning. And we watched the rebroadcast right after daddy came home from Japan yesterday (Sunday).

And in my B day, 2nd period class of seminary, we got to watch clips of the funeral again. And the announcing of the new first presidency was announced satellite at 11:00 am, right in the middle of the period, so we were the only seminary class out of 8 that got to see the satellite broadcast of the announcing, and probably one of the very fwe seminary classes in the whole state of Utah, the US, or the world. Bro. Rasmussen said our class was spoiled.

I'm so excited about this new first presidency!!! In Pres. Monson's short speech after he was announced, he called the youth of the church "beacons of goodness". I love how the youth was one of the main things he talked about in that short speech. I can tell he's going to be a good prophet. Elder Uchtdorf (now President) becoming the second counselor was definitely a surprise, but a very good one. And I got to see clips of the announcement during lunch-time-devotional too. I love living in Utah and being very spoiled.

Oh, and my dad is back from Japan now!!! Yipee!
And he brought home the DVD of the movie Tokyo stake made for mutual conference. And a letter from Maika. Reading those made me miss my kindred spirits in Tokyo stake. Maika, Ribeka, Tomohiro "tom", Yuuichiro, Kousuke (my twin brother from a Japanese mother), Micchan, Yuuki, Urara, Ari, oh oh oh I can't wait for March. I miss them so bad it hurts.
Maika & Ribeka, I loved your letters, and the movie. Me and Tashi watched it twice in a row, and we would have watched it again and again but it was already 11 pm and we had school the next day. But we're watching it again for family home evening tonight, and I'm going to show all my friends here!!!! And I loved the email you sent me, Maika! It was so beautiful. I was so glad that you felt the same way I did about Pres. Hinckley. Keep your testimony strong, garnish your thoughts with virtue, and stay steadfast and immovable!!! haha I love you ~ ~ You make most of the happiness in my life.