Ahhhhh. :) I LOVE Christmastime!!! Something about it just makes me feel so calm, happy, and peaceful. I feel so at peace with the world and with who I am. It is a welcome and refreshing break from the "norm" of winter and the whole year. I love it :) Yes, it can be stressful with money and shopping and making food and everything. But man, it is so great. My one word do describe Christmas:
*JOY*
Everyone is smiling, neighbors reach out to each other, there is singing, gift exchanging, tons of service, and everyone seems united in a special way. My favorite part is that I get to spend every second with my wonderful family. I also get to focus on my Savior and all that he has done for me and the major blessing the gospel is in my life. Christmas break has been fantastic so far, and I can't wait to even more!! :)
Here is how it has gone so far...
After school got out on Friday, I rushed home and got my suitcases in the car and headed out to Salt Lake with my mom and grandparents. We met my dad at one of my personal favorite restaurants, Este Pizza, and ate dinner there. I then bid farewell to Grams, Gramps, and my mom (yes, they went to the David Archuleta Christmas concert. I was quite jealous.), and my dad took me out to the airport!! I then hugged him bye, walked in the airport, and started my wonderful adventure! I got to fly out to Colorado (by myself! :] eep!!) to see my amazing friend Sierra from EFY this summer!! It was my Christmas present this year and it was SOOO much fun!! I got my ticket, did security, checked my bag, boarded, flew, landed, found my suitcase in the GIGANTIC tent that is Denver International Airport, and in the end was quite proud of the thing I had just accomplished!! :) It sounds lame, but I felt pretty cool. Haha. Me, the little 14 year old, flying to Denver by myself! Haha I don't know. I just thought it was sweet. Heh heh. :) Anyways, I found Sierra and it was SOOO fun to see her!!!!!! I missed her so much!! Ahh! And for the next week, we just partied! :) Partied, partied, partied! We went ice skating, and I have decided that we are the greatest ice dancing partners ever! Possibly also the most clumsy. Haha! We both were horrible ice skaters, but decided to make the most of it and "danced" all over the outdoor rink. Yeah, I think everyone thought we were nuts :) Haha! After 5 days of nonstop fun and laughing hysterically, it was time to come home! Which i was sad about, but couldn't wait to be with my family!!
I flew home late late late on the 22nd. It was so good to see my family!! :) The morning of the 23, I went out to SL with my momma while my siblings were at my cousins and my dad was at work. I love my momma!! :) She is the best!! Then we picked up my siblings and went out to my dads office in SLC and spent time there at his company "Christmas party". Haha. Santa came, and what my dad's business did for a Christmas present is they gave each employee a picture of their family with Santa. Which was a cute idea! Here is the problem. My siblings and I all agreed to do a funny face picture instead of a serious smiling one. So we get up there, and I'm holding my baby sis, and didn't notice that Ian and Molly decided to smile normal. So we get the picture later that afternoon, and yep. They all look super cute and smiley, and I'm the only one pulling a totally dorky (but hilarious) face! Haha its awful!! And also pretty funny because the last time we took a picture with Santa, it is the same thing. My siblings all look darling, and I (accidentally this time) am pulling some ridiculous face! Oh man. Haha.
Later that night I got to hang out with one of my best friends, Rachel Cottle. That girl is absolutely hilarious. Let me tell you. When me and her get together, we laugh like the whole time. I think I have more funny moments and jokes with her then anyone else. She's great :)
Christmas Eve was such a fun day!! In the morning, I just hung out with the fam. We made lots of food for the party that night, and just played games and stuff together. Then we went out to this AMAZING AMAZING Christmas concert. It was at the Cathedral of the Madeline in SL, and if you haven't seen it before, it is a GORGEOUS building. Seriously, its beautiful. It was a Catholic church, and the inside is spectacular. My personal favorite was the stain glassed windows. Stunning. But anyways, it was a catholic group that sang, and there were little kids from probably the age of 8 to adults. They were phenomenal. I can't even describe to you how beautiful their voices were. They handed out a book of all the lyrics, and the songs they sang were so great. Some were even sing alongs, and we got to sing with the choir. The organ was SO so cool. You could feel it in your heart. No joke. Ahh. It was a beautiful concert. I felt the spirit very strongly there, and it totally got me into Christmas mode. Amazing.
Then we went to the Nelson family Christmas party. It was super fun! We ate a great dinner, had a singing/ scripture reading program, and then a white elephant gift exchange. So funny! I love my family :)
That night, I had a "sleepover" with my siblings. Can I just say how much I love them? My sisters are the sweetest, funniest, and most darling girls I know. I adore them. They're so great. And my brother is awesome. Obnoxious, but awesome. :) When we don't argue, we have fun together and get along pretty well! haha! But we watched Elf, and it was lots of fun!! By the way, I love that movie. Hahaha. So great. It's a Christmas classic. "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" haha!
THen, CHRISTMAS MORNING!!! My stink of a brother woke me up at 7 a.m. by throwing pillows in my face. What a bum :) But it was great!! I got a UNC sweatshirt, boots, a photography book, and slippers! Oh, and 2 super cute headbands! Haha! My grandparents came over then, and we ate breakfast. Hootenanny pancakes. Delicious :) Then we just delivered some neighbor gifts, and then went to the Moon family Christmas party. So, the Moon's are known for always being late. Without fail, at least one family is always late. So this time, we drove up to my aunts, 40 MINUTES LATE, and guess what. We're the first ones there. Haha!! I thought it was pretty funny! Anyways, we ate, exchanged gifts, had a "talent show", and just played games and talked. It was lots of fun!!
Then today was Sunday. I LOVE SUNDAYS!!!! Not even kidding you, they are one of my favorite days of the week. I love them! They are so great! We had an awesome lesson in Sunday School about the second coming. My mom spoke in Sacrament meeting. That was great. And young womens was awesome, as usual!! :) I love my YW group!!
Anyways, it has been a fabulous break! And I can't wait for this week!! Snow, skiing, family, friends, and.... my birthday! YES!!! I will finally be 15. booh yah! Haha! Anyways, Merry Christmas!!! :)
xox abby
12.26.2010
12.15.2010
12.12.2010
Temple Square and Joseph Smith
Today was a fun Sunday! My parents both had to speak in another ward. My dad is a High Councilman in our stake and so he speaks in other wards like every month, but today my mom had to speak too. So, we went to Sacrament meeting in the other ward, and then decided to "ditch" sunday school and young womens and head out to Temple Square. It was actually tons of fun! I really enjoyed it. I love the Salt Lake Temple. It is such a gorgeous building!!! All of Temple Square is gorgeous, actually. I always feel so peaceful there. We walked around the visitor's center for quite a while. We got to talk to tons of sister missionaries. My dad is supper (maybe a little too) social, so of course we had to introduce ourselves to tons of missionaries. It was actually really fun! :) I would LOVE to go on a mission. I think it would be the most amazing experience!! It would be unlike anything else I will ever do, and I think it would be so rewarding. I'm sure my testimony would grow exponentially. I would love to dedicate my life for two years entirely to the gospel. I've decided that I'm going to live my life in a way that I could go on one, and if that is the direction my life leads me, I will definitely go. Another cool thing we did was watch the Joseph Smith movie. Sadly, we walked in after it had started, so we missed the first half or so of it. But it brought me to tears. I cannot even BEGIN to describe how amazing Joseph Smith is. I admire him tremendously, and can't imagine going through what he did. He is one of my "heroes", or whatever you want to call it. I also admire Emma Smith so much. Like, wow. That woman is so incredible. I'm begging my mom to get Emma Smith (the movie) on netflix. Any of you want to come watch it with me? I honestly think she is one of the most amazing women I've ever heard of. Her strength, courage, determination, faith, and perseverance are beyond incredible. Honestly, she is a phenomenal woman. And I admire her and her example so much!
12.09.2010
DONE.
I'm done.
I'm done getting walked all over.
I'm done feeling like nobody cares about me.
I'm done aimlessly following.
I'm done changing who I am to get somebody to like me.
I'm done sitting back and watching my life tick away while i sit miserably in the corner.
Sorry everyone, this post isn't going to be that exciting. But I need to get out how I'm feeling. I've made a decision. And it is a decision that is going to change me, and change how I act. Lately, my life has been sort of a parade. I've been the audience, sitting back and watching. I follow. I feel like I go around and half the people don't want me there. Mistakes I've made in the past have been eating me alive. I've been so lost and confused lately. I've shut my mouth and hung my head. I've been walked over and hurt. I've felt ashamed and insignificant. To be honest I just haven't liked who I am that much. I fake a lot of smiles. Several days I hurt and just don't want anyone to know so I act like everything is fine. I haven't been very happy. But I'm done. I'm a new girl. I'm going to keep my head held high and walk proud, because I know I have something special. I am an individual. I'm not small and unwanted, even though I have been thinking that for a long time. No. I know there is something more inside me. So i'm going to try and find it. Today is a new day. A new chapter in my life. And I'm the author. My life is taking a turning point! And I have a feeling it's going to lead to a much happier life. I'm special. I know I am. I have just been pushing that thought deeper and deeper this past little while. I've been afraid to let it out. But not any more. It's time to show the world Abby Moon. And who she really is. I'm no longer going to hide behind a mask because I'm afraid to show my face. No I'm going to go show the world my smile, and if they make fun of me I'll just laugh along with them. Because I've learned something. Its how I think of myself that really counts. Not what anybody else things. "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent". Sorry you had to hear me babble and ramble. It just I wanted to get that out. It seems more powerful now. I'm going to keep my head held high!! And that I promise you.
Beautiful
Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly it's hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure
From all the pain, feel so ashamed
I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
To all your friends you're delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Tryin' hard to fill the emptiness, the piece is gone
Left the puzzle undone, ain't that the way it is?
'Cause you are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down, oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
No matter what we do
No matter what we say
We're the song that's out of tune
So full of beautiful mistakes
'Cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won't bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring us down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
One more quicky. I wrote this poem a while ago. As you can probably tell, it was after an EXTREMELY difficult time period. Wow. Looking back I'm amazed at what happened. I wrote this (bad) poem at a point where I was about to give up. But instead, I was smart enough to switch up my attitude. It made things so much better. I don't know why I didn't do it before. And this past month or two, I have been having very similar feelings toward myself. They aren't as bad, might I add, but the same idea. And I don't know how I was stupid enough to forget this lesson I had already learned. But I read this poem and it reminded me. I know it's not that great, but to me it says a lot about what happened. It's amazing what impact your attitude has on a situation. Don't judge me on the level of my writing please :) I'm not an author!!
A blank page lies before me
I see opportunities to no end.
In front there is a shining hope
And joy from heaven angels did send!
Behind me I hear a thunderous storm.
I turn to look at those chapters in my life
I’ve never seen such desolate darkness before;
So much regret, loneliness, sadness, and strife.
So how did I get from thunder to sun?
What in my life stopped the rain?
I read the last written sentence, and a light bulb turns on
It’s so simple: my attitude changed.
All of the sudden, the earth starts to smile,
I hear the birds in the trees start to sing.
I begin to see all the beauty in my life,
The darkness is gone, let freedom now ring!
I look down at myself, and see deep, jagged scars
Remnants of that time that will always remain
I should be ashamed, I should want them gone,
But they’re something I’m glad that I gained.
I learned a great lesson in those chapters of life,
A lesson that changed how I view the pouring rain.
And though it was hard, and I wandered along,
It was an experience I don’t think I’d change.
Without a few thunderstorms every now and again,
The brightest things become harder to see.
The grass is now greener, flowers now sweeter,
And in the end I’m a happier me.
You must experience the dark to know of the light,
To feel the true joy, you must also know pain.
And wandering the pages of that terrible time,
Taught me that now I can DANCE in the rain.
Sorry for the dragger of a post. Thanks for listening!! I love you all (all, 2 of you? I think? Haha) Have a great day!
XOX abigail
I'm done getting walked all over.
I'm done feeling like nobody cares about me.
I'm done aimlessly following.
I'm done changing who I am to get somebody to like me.
I'm done sitting back and watching my life tick away while i sit miserably in the corner.
Sorry everyone, this post isn't going to be that exciting. But I need to get out how I'm feeling. I've made a decision. And it is a decision that is going to change me, and change how I act. Lately, my life has been sort of a parade. I've been the audience, sitting back and watching. I follow. I feel like I go around and half the people don't want me there. Mistakes I've made in the past have been eating me alive. I've been so lost and confused lately. I've shut my mouth and hung my head. I've been walked over and hurt. I've felt ashamed and insignificant. To be honest I just haven't liked who I am that much. I fake a lot of smiles. Several days I hurt and just don't want anyone to know so I act like everything is fine. I haven't been very happy. But I'm done. I'm a new girl. I'm going to keep my head held high and walk proud, because I know I have something special. I am an individual. I'm not small and unwanted, even though I have been thinking that for a long time. No. I know there is something more inside me. So i'm going to try and find it. Today is a new day. A new chapter in my life. And I'm the author. My life is taking a turning point! And I have a feeling it's going to lead to a much happier life. I'm special. I know I am. I have just been pushing that thought deeper and deeper this past little while. I've been afraid to let it out. But not any more. It's time to show the world Abby Moon. And who she really is. I'm no longer going to hide behind a mask because I'm afraid to show my face. No I'm going to go show the world my smile, and if they make fun of me I'll just laugh along with them. Because I've learned something. Its how I think of myself that really counts. Not what anybody else things. "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent". Sorry you had to hear me babble and ramble. It just I wanted to get that out. It seems more powerful now. I'm going to keep my head held high!! And that I promise you.
Beautiful
Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly it's hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure
From all the pain, feel so ashamed
I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
To all your friends you're delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Tryin' hard to fill the emptiness, the piece is gone
Left the puzzle undone, ain't that the way it is?
'Cause you are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down, oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
No matter what we do
No matter what we say
We're the song that's out of tune
So full of beautiful mistakes
'Cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won't bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring us down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today
One more quicky. I wrote this poem a while ago. As you can probably tell, it was after an EXTREMELY difficult time period. Wow. Looking back I'm amazed at what happened. I wrote this (bad) poem at a point where I was about to give up. But instead, I was smart enough to switch up my attitude. It made things so much better. I don't know why I didn't do it before. And this past month or two, I have been having very similar feelings toward myself. They aren't as bad, might I add, but the same idea. And I don't know how I was stupid enough to forget this lesson I had already learned. But I read this poem and it reminded me. I know it's not that great, but to me it says a lot about what happened. It's amazing what impact your attitude has on a situation. Don't judge me on the level of my writing please :) I'm not an author!!
A blank page lies before me
I see opportunities to no end.
In front there is a shining hope
And joy from heaven angels did send!
Behind me I hear a thunderous storm.
I turn to look at those chapters in my life
I’ve never seen such desolate darkness before;
So much regret, loneliness, sadness, and strife.
So how did I get from thunder to sun?
What in my life stopped the rain?
I read the last written sentence, and a light bulb turns on
It’s so simple: my attitude changed.
All of the sudden, the earth starts to smile,
I hear the birds in the trees start to sing.
I begin to see all the beauty in my life,
The darkness is gone, let freedom now ring!
I look down at myself, and see deep, jagged scars
Remnants of that time that will always remain
I should be ashamed, I should want them gone,
But they’re something I’m glad that I gained.
I learned a great lesson in those chapters of life,
A lesson that changed how I view the pouring rain.
And though it was hard, and I wandered along,
It was an experience I don’t think I’d change.
Without a few thunderstorms every now and again,
The brightest things become harder to see.
The grass is now greener, flowers now sweeter,
And in the end I’m a happier me.
You must experience the dark to know of the light,
To feel the true joy, you must also know pain.
And wandering the pages of that terrible time,
Taught me that now I can DANCE in the rain.
Sorry for the dragger of a post. Thanks for listening!! I love you all (all, 2 of you? I think? Haha) Have a great day!
XOX abigail
12.06.2010
12.04.2010
Yesterday...
... was an AWESOME day!! It was so much fun. I love my friends :)
To start off the lovely day, okay well actually the morning wasn't so lovely. In fact the morning was quite awful! But the day definitely got much better. I went to lunch with one of my closest friends. She's awesome!! Her name is Madi and she's a junior. I actually talked to her for the first time like 3 months ago, but she is super cool and we've become good friends really fast! She's one of the most real, quality girls I know. Madi, if you ever find out I have this blog, which i doubt you will, haha, I love you lots :) But anyways, we went to lunch at her cute grandmas house. Her grandma is darling and it was fun to be able to meet her. I love how she and Madi are such good friends. Lunch was tons of fun!
And they day just kept getting better!! I went over to my friend Kayla's house and we got a present ready for our awesome friend Maryn's birthday party. (guess what. We bought it and got it ready and everything, and we totally forgot to bring it to the party. We're brilliant, huh?) While we were at Kayla's house, we learned some VERY exciting news. :) Baha. Oh man. We were just singing and jumping up and down and everything! It was grand. :) Then Madi picked us up and we went over to Maryn's! Can you say party??? I can :) It was a blast!! I love my friends so much! Haha!! We played the name game, ate chinese food, talked, LAUGHED and LAUGHED, played Mario Kart, and ate a brilliant desert. It was so good! Crepes with ice cream and toppings. Two of my favorite foods (crepes and ice cream)!! It was so yum. Sadly, I had to leave like 2 hours early, so I didn't get to enjoy all the other fun things they did. But it was still a blast!
Maryn Jenkins, happy birthday on the 6th!! And thanks for inviting me to your party!! You are such a fun friend, and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to get to know you and become friends with you! You are so creative, I only wish I was 1/10 at creative as you! You are so fun and unique and kind and happy. I love being around you! And I love having seminary with you. Your testimony is so strong and I love hearing your input in class! Thanks for being my friend and for all the fun times we've had, and I'm looking forward to many more!! We definitely should hang out more often. Anyways, happy happy birthday!! :) I hope your day is just fabulous, you totally deserve it!! Thanks again! I love you!! :)
Love, Abigail Moon
To start off the lovely day, okay well actually the morning wasn't so lovely. In fact the morning was quite awful! But the day definitely got much better. I went to lunch with one of my closest friends. She's awesome!! Her name is Madi and she's a junior. I actually talked to her for the first time like 3 months ago, but she is super cool and we've become good friends really fast! She's one of the most real, quality girls I know. Madi, if you ever find out I have this blog, which i doubt you will, haha, I love you lots :) But anyways, we went to lunch at her cute grandmas house. Her grandma is darling and it was fun to be able to meet her. I love how she and Madi are such good friends. Lunch was tons of fun!
And they day just kept getting better!! I went over to my friend Kayla's house and we got a present ready for our awesome friend Maryn's birthday party. (guess what. We bought it and got it ready and everything, and we totally forgot to bring it to the party. We're brilliant, huh?) While we were at Kayla's house, we learned some VERY exciting news. :) Baha. Oh man. We were just singing and jumping up and down and everything! It was grand. :) Then Madi picked us up and we went over to Maryn's! Can you say party??? I can :) It was a blast!! I love my friends so much! Haha!! We played the name game, ate chinese food, talked, LAUGHED and LAUGHED, played Mario Kart, and ate a brilliant desert. It was so good! Crepes with ice cream and toppings. Two of my favorite foods (crepes and ice cream)!! It was so yum. Sadly, I had to leave like 2 hours early, so I didn't get to enjoy all the other fun things they did. But it was still a blast!
Maryn Jenkins, happy birthday on the 6th!! And thanks for inviting me to your party!! You are such a fun friend, and I'm so glad I've had the opportunity to get to know you and become friends with you! You are so creative, I only wish I was 1/10 at creative as you! You are so fun and unique and kind and happy. I love being around you! And I love having seminary with you. Your testimony is so strong and I love hearing your input in class! Thanks for being my friend and for all the fun times we've had, and I'm looking forward to many more!! We definitely should hang out more often. Anyways, happy happy birthday!! :) I hope your day is just fabulous, you totally deserve it!! Thanks again! I love you!! :)
Love, Abigail Moon
12.02.2010
The temple :)
Just went and did baptisms for the dead with two girls I love a ton. What the perfect way to spend a Thursday afternoon :) I love the Bountiful temple and am so blessed to be able to see it's light and beauty every day. I felt the spirit so strong as those priesthood brethren place their hands on my head. I am definitely going back soon :)
11.28.2010
So I know that this is a little late, but being Thanksgiving weekend, I think I'm going to post some of the things I am grateful for. I could go on forever, but I will just post some of the big ones.
*My house
*My AMAZING friends! I love them all so much and couldn't ask for better!
*Colors. I can't imagine the world without them. Think about that. It would be horrible to never see the beauty of the color red.
*People who protect me and make my life better and easier (firemen, police men, doctors, etc.)
* The ability to run and move. This one is HUGE for me. Running is a big part of my life. I don't know if I could handle not being able to move. When I run, I feel so free. So alive. Plus it is a huge stress reliever for me. I don't pity, but more respect those who don't have this ability for one reason or another. That would be so hard!
*Snow. I love sitting outside on my porch at night with my glass of hot chocolate and watching the falling snow. It is so beautiful and peaceful. And quiet.
*Different people and cultures.
*The vast diversity in our world.
*Juniors who go out of their way to talk to lame little 10th graders even though they don't have to. And they end up becoming a huge source of peace in your life and one of your very best friends!
*Scriptures that when you read them touch you and influence you so much it is like they were written just for you.
*Oceans and beaches.
*Blankets. I love the feeling you get when you're cold and just wrap up in a warm blanket. You feel so warm, comfortable, and safe.
*People who lived before us. I am so grateful for the knowledge they brought us and the examples they have shown. They are the people who have shaped our world and made it like it is today.
*Dancing in the rain.
*Laughter: it is the best feeling in the world, and truly nature's medicine.
* Sunshine! :)
* Music and songs. They have power that simple words might not.
*Our country and those lives lost to bring it this way.
*Nature. It is the most wonderful, beautiful, peaceful thing. It has the power to inspire and renew you. What better way to refresh your spirit then enjoying God's creations? I love nature. Think about it, thing about how majestic trees are. Or how beautiful and powerful mountains are. Or the simple beauty of a wildflower. The wonders of animals, water, wind, everything. Ahhh....
* Education and learning.
*The simple pleasure and joy of eating a melting popsicle in my front yard with my sisters on a summer day, and then having a water fight as we run barefoot through the green grass. Their smiles make my whole day.
*Pictures. Pictures have a power I can't describe. They really are worth 1,000 words. They preserve memories, tell stories, show feeling, they are amazing.
*Travel. I love it! It is so awesome to be able to see the vast diversity and beauty of our majestic world.
*Southern Utah. The beauty there is beyond words. The red rocks, perfect soft sand, it's absolutely glorious, and one of my favorite places.
* Food. :) Need I say more?
* Having a wonderful talk with my mom. She's the most amazing woman I know and one of my best friends.
*Babies. They are so pure, so perfect, so small, and so beautiful!
*My young women's group. Those girls are so awesome and I am super good friends with many of them. They are such great examples to me. And my leaders are fantastic. We have such great unity and support.
*Technology. I am so grateful for this! It is so helpful and I could go on and on about how much it helps us and makes our lives easier.
*Good books. Words have power. I love the books that make you FEEL something. For example, "The Book Thief". This is my favorite book of all time.
*Being able to see a temple every day, and visit it often and feel the amazing power of the Spirt there.
*The Christmas Season. The happiness, love, unity, and fun of the whole season is something I look forward to every year. I spend so much quality time with my amazing family. The whole purpose of Christmas is amazing, I always feel so peaceful and happy this time of year.
Well, I could go on and on forever, but there are two more I am unimaginable grateful for....
*My family. Where would I be without them? I love them immensely. I am so grateful for their love, devotion and support to me. My sisters are 2 of my all time favorite people. They are the cutest girls I know! Their smiles and their light bring joy to my day. They can cheer me up when I'm in my worst moods. They are so silly and fun and we have such a good time together. My mom is amazing. Her strength and courage and everything about her is so awesome. She is such a good example to me. I wouldn't be who I am without her. Both she and my dad love me so much, and I know they would do anything for me. My dad is so supportive and does so much to make my life better. My brother is such a cool kid, and though we argue we can have a ton of fun together. I love him and he's becoming such an awesome kid! I was blessed with an amazing family that I wouldn't trade for the world.
*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Wow. Where do I even begin? I could honestly go on for hours talking about it but I don't think you all want to hear it. So I will just say that I love it with all my heart. It is my source of peace in a world of turmoil. It gives me a desire to keep going, keep trying, and be better. My Heavenly Father is the one who loves me no matter WHAT, even if the rest of the world is beating me down. My Savior is my light, my hope, my brother, my redeemer. Ahhh. Words cannot describe the magnificence and pure love of the church. But I have a strong testimony of it, it is where I want to be. And I KNOW that is it the only source of true happiness in life. It has been for me.
Well, there you have it!! Sometimes it is easy to forget how truly blessed we are. But life is better when we remember!! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I sure did!! I'll have to post about it later. It was a very unique holiday for me! :)
*My house
*My AMAZING friends! I love them all so much and couldn't ask for better!
*Colors. I can't imagine the world without them. Think about that. It would be horrible to never see the beauty of the color red.
*People who protect me and make my life better and easier (firemen, police men, doctors, etc.)
* The ability to run and move. This one is HUGE for me. Running is a big part of my life. I don't know if I could handle not being able to move. When I run, I feel so free. So alive. Plus it is a huge stress reliever for me. I don't pity, but more respect those who don't have this ability for one reason or another. That would be so hard!
*Snow. I love sitting outside on my porch at night with my glass of hot chocolate and watching the falling snow. It is so beautiful and peaceful. And quiet.
*Different people and cultures.
*The vast diversity in our world.
*Juniors who go out of their way to talk to lame little 10th graders even though they don't have to. And they end up becoming a huge source of peace in your life and one of your very best friends!
*Scriptures that when you read them touch you and influence you so much it is like they were written just for you.
*Oceans and beaches.
*Blankets. I love the feeling you get when you're cold and just wrap up in a warm blanket. You feel so warm, comfortable, and safe.
*People who lived before us. I am so grateful for the knowledge they brought us and the examples they have shown. They are the people who have shaped our world and made it like it is today.
*Dancing in the rain.
*Laughter: it is the best feeling in the world, and truly nature's medicine.
* Sunshine! :)
* Music and songs. They have power that simple words might not.
*Our country and those lives lost to bring it this way.
*Nature. It is the most wonderful, beautiful, peaceful thing. It has the power to inspire and renew you. What better way to refresh your spirit then enjoying God's creations? I love nature. Think about it, thing about how majestic trees are. Or how beautiful and powerful mountains are. Or the simple beauty of a wildflower. The wonders of animals, water, wind, everything. Ahhh....
* Education and learning.
*The simple pleasure and joy of eating a melting popsicle in my front yard with my sisters on a summer day, and then having a water fight as we run barefoot through the green grass. Their smiles make my whole day.
*Pictures. Pictures have a power I can't describe. They really are worth 1,000 words. They preserve memories, tell stories, show feeling, they are amazing.
*Travel. I love it! It is so awesome to be able to see the vast diversity and beauty of our majestic world.
*Southern Utah. The beauty there is beyond words. The red rocks, perfect soft sand, it's absolutely glorious, and one of my favorite places.
* Food. :) Need I say more?
* Having a wonderful talk with my mom. She's the most amazing woman I know and one of my best friends.
*Babies. They are so pure, so perfect, so small, and so beautiful!
*My young women's group. Those girls are so awesome and I am super good friends with many of them. They are such great examples to me. And my leaders are fantastic. We have such great unity and support.
*Technology. I am so grateful for this! It is so helpful and I could go on and on about how much it helps us and makes our lives easier.
*Good books. Words have power. I love the books that make you FEEL something. For example, "The Book Thief". This is my favorite book of all time.
*Being able to see a temple every day, and visit it often and feel the amazing power of the Spirt there.
*The Christmas Season. The happiness, love, unity, and fun of the whole season is something I look forward to every year. I spend so much quality time with my amazing family. The whole purpose of Christmas is amazing, I always feel so peaceful and happy this time of year.
Well, I could go on and on forever, but there are two more I am unimaginable grateful for....
*My family. Where would I be without them? I love them immensely. I am so grateful for their love, devotion and support to me. My sisters are 2 of my all time favorite people. They are the cutest girls I know! Their smiles and their light bring joy to my day. They can cheer me up when I'm in my worst moods. They are so silly and fun and we have such a good time together. My mom is amazing. Her strength and courage and everything about her is so awesome. She is such a good example to me. I wouldn't be who I am without her. Both she and my dad love me so much, and I know they would do anything for me. My dad is so supportive and does so much to make my life better. My brother is such a cool kid, and though we argue we can have a ton of fun together. I love him and he's becoming such an awesome kid! I was blessed with an amazing family that I wouldn't trade for the world.
*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Wow. Where do I even begin? I could honestly go on for hours talking about it but I don't think you all want to hear it. So I will just say that I love it with all my heart. It is my source of peace in a world of turmoil. It gives me a desire to keep going, keep trying, and be better. My Heavenly Father is the one who loves me no matter WHAT, even if the rest of the world is beating me down. My Savior is my light, my hope, my brother, my redeemer. Ahhh. Words cannot describe the magnificence and pure love of the church. But I have a strong testimony of it, it is where I want to be. And I KNOW that is it the only source of true happiness in life. It has been for me.
Well, there you have it!! Sometimes it is easy to forget how truly blessed we are. But life is better when we remember!! I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I sure did!! I'll have to post about it later. It was a very unique holiday for me! :)
11.26.2010
11.18.2010
paradise.
wow! I haven't posted in waaay too long. sorry children. i'm sure you have all given up on me! heh. first off, life has been a little bit rough. i swear i live on an emotional roller coaster! ahhh! but i'm for sure working on it. its gotten to the point where i'm just going to be me. and if people don't like it, well heck. they can deal with it! i'm not changing! haha. second, there is still that darn filter :) baha. so i could go on telling you everything new. everything exciting. but, i won't. haha. that would take way too much time. and i've only got like 10 minutes before i get blocked out again! haha! so here is what i'm going to do instead: MEXICO TIME!!!
In september my family and I had the AMAZING opportunity to go to mexico with the nelson side of mi familia. it was pretty much a blast and a half. it was very possibly one of the greatest weeks of my life. so i will just give you a little preview about what it was like! and yeah, i know this is what. 3 months later? but it was just so amazing, i have to share. :)
BEACHING:
first off can i just say this was probably the prettiest beach i have EVER seen!!! the water was the most stunning color. the sand was absolutely perfect. the waves were beautiful. the beach stretched on for miles. miles of beautiful water, beautiful sand, amazing sunshine, ahhh. just gorgeous :)
what a sass master :) love this girl!!
okay and let me just say she had been there for a whole day and a half in constant sunshine, and this was taken like an hour after i stepped off the plane. so don't make fun of my whiteness :)
hahah taken right after the first picture. oh and by the way this is my cousin Eliza!! I love her so much!!
SO happy to be there!!!
hot tan line, abigail. thats really attractive.
RANDOM PHOTOS: This is just some of our hotel and beach. I just walked around for like an hour and a half enjoying the beach! and took a few pics. not too many though. here are just a few!
our awesome blue hotel
TURTLES: okay this was by far one of the highlights of the trip. it was absolutely incredible. ahhh indescribable! so here is how it goes. for three months, mother turtles come up to the beach at around 11 o clock each night to lay their eggs. now i'm a total animal girl, so when i heard this i about flipped out! so the first night we were there, me and my cousins and my aunt went out the the beach at around 10 30 to look for turtles. we walk down the beach a little ways, and there is this huge whole with sand flying out of it! so anyways, we walk up and there is this HUUUGE giant turtle digging a whole. oh. my. lanz. so so cool!!! :) so we sat and watched it like forever. then everyone else went in but i was going to stay until the end! so me and eliza sat out there with my mom who came down half way through. we stayed at a respectful distance until she was done. and man did she take forever! that momma lays a lot of eggs! haha! it was a really long process. she had to dig the whole, lay her eggs, and bury them. turtles are actually very skilled in the art of burying eggs. i was surprised. haha. but anyways, we watched this turtle finish, and then once she was almost to the beach we ran up and touched her. ahhh i about died. it was the all time coolest thing i have ever seen!!!!!!!! but it gets better. :) so i'll tell you one more momma story. i don't have any pictures because i didn't want the flash to scare them away and not lay their eggs. because if they don't they lay them in the water and the babies drown. but anyways, one night it is just me and my mom. we are sitting out there by this big turtle, just watching her. we watched her for like 45 minutes and me and my mom just talked. (so fun!) but then she finished, and it was the coolest thing. we had been so quiet and respectful that she just scooped herself out of the giant hole, and honestly scooted herself down the beach about 3 feet away from my feet. she went RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! ahhhhh!!! so then when she got passed us so we were behind her, me and my mom went down and were just touching her all over. it was the most amazing experience. me and my mom on this perfect beach with thousands of stars above us in the middle of the night with this giant mother turtle. wow. that is all i can say!! but there is one more thing we got to do with the turtles, and this one was pretty much like my favorite part of the whole trip. i could have done it all day. the turtles start laying their eggs 3 months before we got there, and the eggs start hatching after they have been buried for 3 months. so, if you can do the math you might be able to figure out what we got to do! we got to release the baby turtles into the ocean. oh my heck. i was in heaven!!!!!!!!!!!! they are the cutest, most perfect little things i have ever seen. and they are TINY!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. words can't describe how awesome it was. the pictures might give you a little idea of how sweet it was.
CHICHEN ITZA: oh my amazing. okay so this is an ancient mayan city that was abandoned many years ago. the mayas are amazing, their level of knowledge is absolutely incredible, they were truly brilliant people. it was so cool to go and see all of the buildings and ruins! i loved this part of the trip, it was definitely one of my favorites. so awesome.
This is the main temple, "El Castillo". This building was phenomenal, so beautiful!! What is super cool is that their calendar was "built" into the temple. basically, everything represented part of the calendar. each step represented a day, each level a month, etc. they were so smart and their calendar is so incredible accurate. its only barely off from our calendar today, and they had no tools or technology or anything, just their knowledge of math and astronomy. another cool thing about this building is that they built it just perfectly (not by mistake!) so that on the two solstices of the year, the shadow makes a perfect snake down the steps and they built a snakes head at the bottom to complete the picture. its pretty incredible how smart they were!
another thing about the mayas is that they were a very bloody and sacrificial people. they believed that human lives and human blood was the only way they would keep living. so, they threw people off the edges into these "cenotes", or pools. researchers have been on diving trips in them, and found the bones of many many people, most often women and children. pretty crazy, eh? another way they did sacrifices is they would lay people down on the human statue on the building shown above, and line their head up perfectly with the head of the statue. they would then either cut off their heads or rip out their hearts while they were still beating. nasty.
okay so this has nothing to do with chichen itza or the mayas but it was just a cool bike i saw there. haha!
the wall of skulls. so so cool!
pretty much like my favorite picture!
okay i now realize i am going on picture overload. wow! sorry! i didn't realize there were this many! alright i'm going to stop. just a few more :) haha! sorry everyone!
FISHING!! Alright so fishing was super fun. but i experienced a really horrible feeling i have never felt before. its called being sea sick. oh my lanz. it was brutal. yuck. i felt so nauseous it was horrendous. but fishing was super fun! it was sort of disappointing in a way. we didn't catch a ton. but man it was fun! :) i saw a bunch of dolphins. we caught some bonito (absolutely stunning fish. the pictures do them no justice!), marlin, and barracuda. super cool.
SNORKELING: this was super cool. we just walked down the beach to this big rock "finger" thing. haha i don't know what you call it. but we just popped on our gear and went snorkeling right on our beach and man oh man it was GORGEOUS!!! absolutely phenomenal. the coral was so cool. you all probably think i'm weird, but i REALLY get into stuff like this. i'm a total nature girl. by best friend calls me a tree hugger. haha. anyways, we saw so so many types of fish it was crazy. and i took some chips and fed them and they would swim up millimeters away from my goggles. so cool. haha. oh and i saw a squid! it changed colors when i chased it. haha. oh man.
how can you not just LOVE this girl?! ahh! she is my favorite! and such a sass :) haha
ISLA MUJERES: so this is a super cool little island off the shore of cancun. we took a ferry boat over and spent the whole day there. it is super fun!! sorry there is going to be a lot of pictures on this one. i obviously have issues with posting too many pictures. my apologies. but anyways, it was a very diverse spot. we rented golf carts and drove around the whole island (its tiny!) and it was so so fun!
okay so see what i'm eating for lunch? that is a whole fried fish baby. mmm so good :) it had the fins and eyeballs and everything! best meal we had like the whole trip. my brother even ate the eyeballs and quite enjoyed them! what a weirdie :)
these next four are pictures from tortugaranja. its a turtle sanctuary where they have tons of turtles and eggs and it was really fun to just go look at all of them so up close! but NOTHING beats seeing them lay eggs or letting the babies go :) no way! but it was still awesome.
iguanas were everywhere. and i kid you not when i say EVERYWHERE. i counted 17 on one street!! its pretty awesome :)
driving around: this was really interesting! one side of the island is very commercial. that is where all of the restaurants and stands where people sell things are. the other side is where people live. oh by the way the island is small that there is basically only one road. haha! it goes all the way around the island. anyways, you will be driving and you will see a fun little area with small houses and then you will see a HUGE nice house and then you will see a shack. they have all kinds of people living there with all different levels of money. and some of the levels of poverty were amazing to me. i can't believe people live the way they do. its crazy!! but they still manage to be happy and colorful. i admire them.
LEAVING :(
goodbye beach. i will miss you very much.
the hotel zone. you can see our hotel!!
well, there you have it!! sorry that was such a long post! whew! haha! and i've decided that blogger makes pictures look so nasty. yuck. it totally ruins them!! but anyways, it was an amazing trip. i would go back in a heartbeat! i love the beach. and the ocean. it makes me feel so, at peace. i don't know. but someday i want to live on the beach. ah yes. that would be fabulous. anyways, enjoy!
xox abby
In september my family and I had the AMAZING opportunity to go to mexico with the nelson side of mi familia. it was pretty much a blast and a half. it was very possibly one of the greatest weeks of my life. so i will just give you a little preview about what it was like! and yeah, i know this is what. 3 months later? but it was just so amazing, i have to share. :)
BEACHING:
first off can i just say this was probably the prettiest beach i have EVER seen!!! the water was the most stunning color. the sand was absolutely perfect. the waves were beautiful. the beach stretched on for miles. miles of beautiful water, beautiful sand, amazing sunshine, ahhh. just gorgeous :)
what a sass master :) love this girl!!
okay and let me just say she had been there for a whole day and a half in constant sunshine, and this was taken like an hour after i stepped off the plane. so don't make fun of my whiteness :)
hahah taken right after the first picture. oh and by the way this is my cousin Eliza!! I love her so much!!
SO happy to be there!!!
hot tan line, abigail. thats really attractive.
RANDOM PHOTOS: This is just some of our hotel and beach. I just walked around for like an hour and a half enjoying the beach! and took a few pics. not too many though. here are just a few!
our awesome blue hotel
TURTLES: okay this was by far one of the highlights of the trip. it was absolutely incredible. ahhh indescribable! so here is how it goes. for three months, mother turtles come up to the beach at around 11 o clock each night to lay their eggs. now i'm a total animal girl, so when i heard this i about flipped out! so the first night we were there, me and my cousins and my aunt went out the the beach at around 10 30 to look for turtles. we walk down the beach a little ways, and there is this huge whole with sand flying out of it! so anyways, we walk up and there is this HUUUGE giant turtle digging a whole. oh. my. lanz. so so cool!!! :) so we sat and watched it like forever. then everyone else went in but i was going to stay until the end! so me and eliza sat out there with my mom who came down half way through. we stayed at a respectful distance until she was done. and man did she take forever! that momma lays a lot of eggs! haha! it was a really long process. she had to dig the whole, lay her eggs, and bury them. turtles are actually very skilled in the art of burying eggs. i was surprised. haha. but anyways, we watched this turtle finish, and then once she was almost to the beach we ran up and touched her. ahhh i about died. it was the all time coolest thing i have ever seen!!!!!!!! but it gets better. :) so i'll tell you one more momma story. i don't have any pictures because i didn't want the flash to scare them away and not lay their eggs. because if they don't they lay them in the water and the babies drown. but anyways, one night it is just me and my mom. we are sitting out there by this big turtle, just watching her. we watched her for like 45 minutes and me and my mom just talked. (so fun!) but then she finished, and it was the coolest thing. we had been so quiet and respectful that she just scooped herself out of the giant hole, and honestly scooted herself down the beach about 3 feet away from my feet. she went RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! ahhhhh!!! so then when she got passed us so we were behind her, me and my mom went down and were just touching her all over. it was the most amazing experience. me and my mom on this perfect beach with thousands of stars above us in the middle of the night with this giant mother turtle. wow. that is all i can say!! but there is one more thing we got to do with the turtles, and this one was pretty much like my favorite part of the whole trip. i could have done it all day. the turtles start laying their eggs 3 months before we got there, and the eggs start hatching after they have been buried for 3 months. so, if you can do the math you might be able to figure out what we got to do! we got to release the baby turtles into the ocean. oh my heck. i was in heaven!!!!!!!!!!!! they are the cutest, most perfect little things i have ever seen. and they are TINY!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. words can't describe how awesome it was. the pictures might give you a little idea of how sweet it was.
CHICHEN ITZA: oh my amazing. okay so this is an ancient mayan city that was abandoned many years ago. the mayas are amazing, their level of knowledge is absolutely incredible, they were truly brilliant people. it was so cool to go and see all of the buildings and ruins! i loved this part of the trip, it was definitely one of my favorites. so awesome.
This is the main temple, "El Castillo". This building was phenomenal, so beautiful!! What is super cool is that their calendar was "built" into the temple. basically, everything represented part of the calendar. each step represented a day, each level a month, etc. they were so smart and their calendar is so incredible accurate. its only barely off from our calendar today, and they had no tools or technology or anything, just their knowledge of math and astronomy. another cool thing about this building is that they built it just perfectly (not by mistake!) so that on the two solstices of the year, the shadow makes a perfect snake down the steps and they built a snakes head at the bottom to complete the picture. its pretty incredible how smart they were!
another thing about the mayas is that they were a very bloody and sacrificial people. they believed that human lives and human blood was the only way they would keep living. so, they threw people off the edges into these "cenotes", or pools. researchers have been on diving trips in them, and found the bones of many many people, most often women and children. pretty crazy, eh? another way they did sacrifices is they would lay people down on the human statue on the building shown above, and line their head up perfectly with the head of the statue. they would then either cut off their heads or rip out their hearts while they were still beating. nasty.
okay so this has nothing to do with chichen itza or the mayas but it was just a cool bike i saw there. haha!
the wall of skulls. so so cool!
pretty much like my favorite picture!
okay i now realize i am going on picture overload. wow! sorry! i didn't realize there were this many! alright i'm going to stop. just a few more :) haha! sorry everyone!
FISHING!! Alright so fishing was super fun. but i experienced a really horrible feeling i have never felt before. its called being sea sick. oh my lanz. it was brutal. yuck. i felt so nauseous it was horrendous. but fishing was super fun! it was sort of disappointing in a way. we didn't catch a ton. but man it was fun! :) i saw a bunch of dolphins. we caught some bonito (absolutely stunning fish. the pictures do them no justice!), marlin, and barracuda. super cool.
SNORKELING: this was super cool. we just walked down the beach to this big rock "finger" thing. haha i don't know what you call it. but we just popped on our gear and went snorkeling right on our beach and man oh man it was GORGEOUS!!! absolutely phenomenal. the coral was so cool. you all probably think i'm weird, but i REALLY get into stuff like this. i'm a total nature girl. by best friend calls me a tree hugger. haha. anyways, we saw so so many types of fish it was crazy. and i took some chips and fed them and they would swim up millimeters away from my goggles. so cool. haha. oh and i saw a squid! it changed colors when i chased it. haha. oh man.
how can you not just LOVE this girl?! ahh! she is my favorite! and such a sass :) haha
ISLA MUJERES: so this is a super cool little island off the shore of cancun. we took a ferry boat over and spent the whole day there. it is super fun!! sorry there is going to be a lot of pictures on this one. i obviously have issues with posting too many pictures. my apologies. but anyways, it was a very diverse spot. we rented golf carts and drove around the whole island (its tiny!) and it was so so fun!
okay so see what i'm eating for lunch? that is a whole fried fish baby. mmm so good :) it had the fins and eyeballs and everything! best meal we had like the whole trip. my brother even ate the eyeballs and quite enjoyed them! what a weirdie :)
these next four are pictures from tortugaranja. its a turtle sanctuary where they have tons of turtles and eggs and it was really fun to just go look at all of them so up close! but NOTHING beats seeing them lay eggs or letting the babies go :) no way! but it was still awesome.
iguanas were everywhere. and i kid you not when i say EVERYWHERE. i counted 17 on one street!! its pretty awesome :)
driving around: this was really interesting! one side of the island is very commercial. that is where all of the restaurants and stands where people sell things are. the other side is where people live. oh by the way the island is small that there is basically only one road. haha! it goes all the way around the island. anyways, you will be driving and you will see a fun little area with small houses and then you will see a HUGE nice house and then you will see a shack. they have all kinds of people living there with all different levels of money. and some of the levels of poverty were amazing to me. i can't believe people live the way they do. its crazy!! but they still manage to be happy and colorful. i admire them.
LEAVING :(
goodbye beach. i will miss you very much.
the hotel zone. you can see our hotel!!
well, there you have it!! sorry that was such a long post! whew! haha! and i've decided that blogger makes pictures look so nasty. yuck. it totally ruins them!! but anyways, it was an amazing trip. i would go back in a heartbeat! i love the beach. and the ocean. it makes me feel so, at peace. i don't know. but someday i want to live on the beach. ah yes. that would be fabulous. anyways, enjoy!
xox abby
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