My Little Everythings

Before I begin this post, I just want to say how HAPPY I am that I have another fellow blogger right here in my own town, aka, my BFF Alyson Lee Caten! Her blog is super cute and she has an amazing story, so check her out. :)

I am so grateful for summer, and that I have more time to spend with my family. I have seven nieces and nephews that are my favorite little people, not to mention little cousins that make life 10x more enjoyable. Over the past few weeks I've been able to share a glass of chocolate milk with my little princess (it's our tradition), see the other two little princesses in dance recitals (had to miss one-- sorry Emma! Next year for sure!), go to the carnival, and work/play/babysit at the farm with my stud muffin baby cousin. This post is all about my gratitude for their funny little personalities and lively spirits that help me remember what really matters in life. <3

Emma-Pants and I drinking a glass of chocolate soy milk.

My little ballerina, Eva, at her first dance recital.

She looked so stinkin' cute!

So proud to be the aunt of such a cutie patootie :)

Eva at the carnival with her monkey she won :)

Jefe (Dad's grandpa name-- it's spanish for "Chief") and Eva on the carousel.

Instragram: the app that makes you want to take pictures of random things ;)

Phoenix (I like to call her Phe Phe. Mom, on the other hand, isnt a fan! haha) She was making me laugh the whole time! "We're on the 'mer-go-round!"

Cuties :)

My precious little monkey girl :)

Now for the stud muffin, Eli!

Love his baby TOMS. :)

His faces are too cute!

Too sweet :)

Eli with PaPa at the farm!

His hair... love it!

Ugh, can you say,"Cuh-ute!"

 



A Strong Woman is a Powerful Woman

I admire strong women above all others. "Strength" can fit into so many categories, like "strong body", "strong personality", "strong testimony", "strong muscles", "strong faith." Today I volunteered to work at a water station for a local half-marathon (I felt like a lazy bum for not running, but I haven't had time to train since track season ended, and I have a dance recital tonight-- can't dance with noodle muscles!) I saw women (and men) that I know from church, school, sports, family friends, and even complete strangers. One of the freshman English 1 teachers, Mrs. Nelson, has become a good aquaintence of mine the past few months. She's a cute, petite blonde who has had three kids, yet she runs every single day after school.  I would see her running on the side of the road a lot as I was on my way to track practice. Changing before practice, I'd ask her questions and she'd give me some great running advice. As she approached my station, I was amazed her six pack-- jealous much! I also saw my Cross Country and Track-Distance coach, Mrs. Baird, who was one of the first women at the front of the race. My cousin, Emily Graves, has run tons of half- and full marathons. She has two kids and is pregnant with Kiddo #3. Dude, I want to be the pregnant running lady with two kids! ;)  And I have to give most of the credit to the adorable wrinkly old ladies going at those 13 miles!  Haha! I saw lots of inspirational women today that I would love to be like when I'm older. Strong women with flushed cheeks, glistening faces, pounding hearts, sweat-slicked hair and smiles on their faces as they catch their breath are some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Whether your strength is in your muscles or in your faith, you are powerful!

It's Summa Time!

Finals? Check.
Last-minute projects? Check.
End-of-year music and dance performances? Almost done!

Summer is FINALLY in full swing,which means:
Lake parties
Getting paid to sit down at the greenhouses at the nursery waiting on customers
Long runs
Wearing my cute new DownEast Basics swimsuit and white floppy hat from Wet Seal
13 mile bike rides
Getting tan
Young Women's Camp
Utahhhhhh!
Youth Conference
EFY (ahhhhh!!!!) :)
Band camp
More DIY and craft time
Sweet 16 party with my BFF
Farm-grown favorites from the nursery: watermelons, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (yeah, my job is gonna be wonderful!)
And probably my favorite part: getting to spend more time with my little nieces and nephews! :)

I have been waiting for summer since our crazy winter weather that brought spring fever two months too soon. We had what I call a January Spring, and it's felt like I've been at school for far too long than I was supposed to. But that time has quickly passed, and starting Monday next week, I will be free and doing all of the above ^

Here are some things I want to try out this summer:

Frozen Yogurt Drops

Honey and Cinnamon DropsMakes 36 – 1tsp drops
175g (about 3/4 cup) honey flavoured greek yogurt (I used Krema brand)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Per Serving (1 drop): 8 calories, 1g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 3mg sodium, 0g finer
Peanut Butter and Chocolate DropsMakes 40 – 1 tsp drops
175g (about 3/4 cup) Oikos vanilla yogurt (not fat-free)
24 g (4 tbsp) PB2 peanut butter powder
1.5 tsp cocoa powder
Per Serving (1 drop): 6 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 1g protein, 7mg sodium, 0g fiber
Honey and Almonds DropsMakes 40 – 1tsp drops
175g (about 3/4 cup) honey flavoured greek yogurt (Krema)
1/4 cup skinless sliced almonds, toasted  and finely ground
Per Serving (1 drop): 11 calories, 1g fat, 1g carbs, 0g protein, 3mg sodium, 0g fiber


                                                                     Mint-Lime Lemonade

- the juice from half a lemon

- the juice from half a lime
- 2 or more table spoons of brown sugar
- mint( I like mine more minty so I use around 6 leaves)
- water and ice.
You mix the lemon&lime juice with the brown sugar, and then you add the mint, water and ice! That simple!

Cookie Bowls with Fillings

I saw this idea on Pinterest and have wanted to try it for some time. Just flip over a muffin pan!

                                                               DIY T-Shirt Dress

DIY dress made out of a man's t-shirt. (I would wear skinny jeans or capris under this). Here are the instructions on how to make it.
                                                                   Braids

I dont use hairdryers, flat irons, or curling irons more than once or twice a week during the summer (unless I'm at EFY or Youth Conference of course!) Braids are a fave, but the usual side-braid I did all last summer got kind of boring after a while. I love these different braid styles.

        

The Real Hair Headband braid

Fishtail braid

Waterfall braid

Can't wait to try out all these fun things! Happy Summer to all of you! :)

Where Good Friends Lead You

Every now and again, I think about my decision to serve a mission. I want to serve a mission, but I've heard that if I meet "the one" and I have the option to either get married or serve a mission, that I should get married. "It's not really your calling to serve a mission. You're calling is to get married in the temple and raise a family. It's okay to go on a mission, but you have to choose, you need to get married." I've also heard," You won't ever regret serving a mission, but you might regret not going on one." So, at fifteen, still six years from making a final decision, I'm in a dilemma. But I expressed my uneasiness about this decision to a very close friend of mine, and what he told me helped me to make my final decision. After explaining both sides of what people have told me, this is what he told me: "Go on a mission. I want my wife to be a return missionary, because that tells me she has a firm testimony and knowledge of the scriptures, and faith. It tells me she's serious about the gospel, that it's the most important thing to her. And also, it gives me more time to finish school while she's on her mission. Kat, you definitely should go on a mission." If I never become anything else in life, I want to be a strong, faithful mother who would do anything and everything for her family. I have no doubt a mission would only help me progress and become that kind of mother. I now have an answer to my question. I want to prepare myself for that special day that I go to the temple, and I can't think of a better final-action than to serve an 18-month mission at 21 years old. I'm so grateful for my friend, and for the example he constantly sets for me. I will always be grateful for him, for helping me decide what to do. It just goes to show where good friends will lead you. :)

The Power of Music

I heard a song on WAY-FM, a Christian-rock radio station, that was absolutely beautiful. It seriously sounded like an EFY song! It's about how the hard things we go through in life aren't curses, even though we see them that way. I've not had any super serious problems going on, but if you've gone through high school, you know what I'm trying to get at. It's cool to reflect on my past trials and look at them as a blessing. It's difficult, but I can see how those trials blessed me.
The song made me think a lot about Kelsi Caten, and the way her cancer has affected her family. I know it almost seems cruel to call something like that a blessing, but if you really take the time to think about it, it has and will bless the Caten family so much. We are all seeing what the power of prayer does for people; her progress is evidence of that. If we can all look at our problems and obstacles and keep in mind that those will make us stronger, having faith that they are indeed blessings, we would live in a happier, less self-centered world.

Here are the lyrics to the song, "Blessings" by Laura Story.

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family
Protection while we sleep
We pray for healing
For prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand
to ease our suffering
And all the while
You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

Chorus:

Cuz what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know you’re near
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness
We doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
Lord, that we’d have faith to believe

(Chorus)

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not
This is not our home

(Chorus)

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain
The storms
The hardest nights
are your mercies in disguise

Performance Fit for "The King"

This past weekend was the last competition in which the WCHS Pioneer Pride Marching Band would perform our show, "Elvis."  Over the weeks, we've added in fun things like dancing, leaning (that's the best word I can come up with!), horn flashes, cheering, and at the end, air guitar with a base drum pounding like a heartbeat. We had so much fun cleaning up our show for the final and most important competition. We traveled to Marietta, Georgia with our hopes nearly completely beaten down as a result of our not-so-great performances at the past two competitions in Trousdale County and Chapel Hill. At Trousdale County, we still didn't completely have our show on, and barely any of the fun stuff was there to make it enjoyable. At Chapel Hill, we did well with our completed show with more fun stuff, got good ratings (all ones!), our drum major got a trophy, but our guard and band got no plastic at all. I didn't really mind at first, standing there on the field as the awards were given, but when you're the band with the smallest and least amount of trophies, it's somewhat disappointing.
However, the excitement of going out-of-state for a big competition with big bands, we couldn't help but be pumped. We rode charter buses down to Marietta, stopping twice along the way. At the Georgia Welcome Center, my friend Zach and I ran two laps around the park next to the rest stop. We were laughing and smiling, and everyone else was too.
When we got to Sprayberry High School, we passed the time by playing EFY games that Lucy Hale and I explained to everyone: The "Wah" Game, "Ha Ha" Game, Ninja, and Ninja Tag.
Soon it came time to strap on the shakos, zip up the jackets, and assemble the instruments. We warmed up, and then, excited yet relaxed, we marched onto the field, ready to blow everyone away.
I played my heart out. I didn't care if I was too loud. The best part about being a flute is that you can pretty much play however loud you want, because you're barely heard anyway (haha). I played all the hard parts of the music I'd struggled with at the past competitions. I stayed in step, remembered all the fun things we threw in, and I just had a blast being out there doing what I love. At the end, I couldn't help but smile as we marched off the field. I knew I had done well, yet I prayed that we had done well as a whole.
We changed, came back and watched the bigger bands perform. Soon enough, it was time for leaders and seniors to go back to the buses to change for the awards. My heart seemed to have pounded louder and harder than Dylan King's base drum had during our performance. They announced awards for best overall band, field commander, and guard. Then came the placements for our class, Class AA.
" The second place band in Class AA is... Warren County!" the enthusiastic announcer said. My jaw dropped and immediately turned into triumphant grin, bursting into laughter. I looked at the leaders and seniors and I wasn't the only one.
Hearing our band screaming was the best feeling in the world. It felt even better walking back to the buses, knowing we had finished this season strong.
I know that hard work does pay off. This weekend was proof of that. I love music, in all its aspects. This year, I felt more joy in our accomplishment because I watched how we progressed. The twelve hours spent every day for a week in July were not in vain. All the hours of practice everyday at school were not a waste. Every drop of sweat, every aching muscle was worth it, and that applies to everything we do in life. By devoting our time to good things that we love doing, we will therefore become the people who will make the difference this world wants to see.

We put this "formal" picture together all on our own! :) haha. I'm in the front row behind the drumline in the center.

I'm the person closest to the front on the right, sticking out kinda funny (I promise that's where I was supposed to stand!)

All the leaders and seniors after winning second place in Class AA. :)

General Conference, October 2011

This General Conference was the first one I've ever sat through all four sessions of. Thanks to my amazing Young Women's leaders, I was really excited for it.

As a Wednesday night activity, the Young Women played a game where we split up into two teams and had our knowledge of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles put to the test. My group was the Marvelous Moroni Maidens (see Alma 48:11) and the opposing team was Stripling Warrior Wives. Aren't we just too stinkin' cute? :) The winning team got first choice of the Conference Books that were put together by our leaders (packet from sugardoodle.net , search "conference packets", and scroll down to Youth/ Adult conference notebook).

Filling out my Conference Book was such a fun experience! The first page had a place to list your goals for conference, and what to do before, during, and after conference. There was a page for each member of the First Presidency and half a page for each of the Twelve Apostles. Each speaker had a section for notes, a margin for scriptures they mentioned, which session they spoke, and a box to write "in one word" what the talk was mainly about. For the First Presidency, you could color their tie and do a crossword puzzle about their lives. At the end is a section for more notes, a big crossword puzzle, and a talk called "No Ordinary Blessing" (Pres. Uchtdorf, September 2011 Ensign).

Several of the other young women and I got together for the first two sessions on Saturday at the ward building for a conference party. We had three boxes of oreos, a gallon of milk, a box of sandwiches, colored pens, crayons, markers, pillows, blankets, and our notebooks. We had so much fun together that day, and decided to make it a tradition for every Saturday session of conference from now on. :)

Sunday, I watched the last two sessions at church with my parents. Between sharing gummies, drawing pictures, and comparing pens with a little girl named Rylan, I managed to get a whole lot written down by the time the day was over. My mom and I made a special conference dinner: Cordon Bleu Chicken Casserole! Yum!

I got so much out of General Conference, and by putting together the hours for playing the game, watching conference, setting up the party, and preparing dinner, it added up perfectly to a ten hour Personal Progress project! I do feel like I've grown and progressed as I wrote down everything word that meant something to me. I have a strong testimony that my Savior lives and that the things spoken by the general authorities are words from our Heavenly Father. I know he loves us and will do anything to help us come to know him and our purpose here on earth. I'm so grateful for my teachers, leaders, parents, family members, and friends for all that they've done for me. :) I've really enjoyed this General Conference, and I'm excited for the next one in April. :)

Rachel and Latha :)

All of us :)

I was loaded with all the pens, pencils, highlighters, lip balm, and sharpies we needed :)

Delaney, Kara, and Ella  :) I love these girls to death.

The Conference Book.

Thomas S. Monson's tie :)

Henry B. Eyring's tie. I think they all coordinated that day :)

Lucy :)