Thoughts on a Sunday afternoon...

Life is pretty funny sometimes.

I usually have times when I think I know exactly what I want and exactly how things will work out.

Silly me.

Things change... all the time.

Majors change, relationships can change and we are always making mistakes.

But there is one person who is constant-- our Heavenly Father. And the wonderful thing is that He has a plan for each of us. I'm so grateful for the fact that He loves me enough to let me go through things that point me to a better path (as painful as it can be sometimes).

I also know that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to live and die for me. Jesus understands my little heartaches. He has been through it all.

I know that through Him I can always be striving to become better. Trials and confusion are usually the exact things that remind us of how much better we can be and of how much closer we can be coming to Jesus.

I am so eternally grateful to a Savior that never, ever gives up on me. Seriously, I can be such a stubborn girl.. But He loves me despite of all of that.

What a blessing.

Also, have you heard this arrangement of Savior, Redeemer of My Soul?

I love it so much.



Amanda

Yesterday was my baby sister's 17th birthday.

It was a fun, fun day.

I even made some ghetto birthday decorations.

This sister of mine is a pearl of a girl.

Seriously, she has it all together; she is totally going places!

She is my only sister, but she is also my best friend.

I love her so much.

People always say that they have the best siblings in the world...

but sorry folks, mine are the greatest.

California Dreaming

Thanks for a fantastic week, California.

Mmmmm... it was good.

I loved spending time with my family; we made some great memories.

We had the lovely opportunity to stay at a little apartment on the grounds of the Los Angeles Temple.

It was such a blessing to be able to go do baptisms with my younger siblings a couple of mornings that we were there.

I love this temple-- it is seriously sooo beautiful.

We spent a day at Disneyland. Seriously, I think every time I go I like it even more.

This picture was taken after my experience on California Screamin'-- the biggest roller coaster in the park. Folks, I hate roller coasters. But.. I finally gave in and got in line for this bad boy.

And... as painful as it is for me to say... I kinda liked it.

Of course, we visited a couple of beaches.

I am crazy about the beach...

On Tuesday, we went to the beautiful Newport Beach and drove around Balboa Island.

Oh my gosh... so in love.

This particular picture was taken at Huntington Beach.

We said good-bye to the beach last night by taking a stroll down the pier.

Ahhhh, so perfect.

Yeah, I loved this week big time.



The annual Lindsey campout

We just got home from yet another fantastic year at the Lindsey campout!

After spending a couple of days in the lovely outdoors, I realize that I am entirely in love with:

Pine Valley, UT, chubby babies, bike rides, homemade donuts, outdoor movies, family walks when it's overcast, hammocks, the elderly campground hosts (wouldn't that be THE life?), summer thunderstorms, happy kids with dirt-covered faces, dutch oven potatoes, lawn chair gatherings, and.... my family.

I'm crazy about them.

You know those people that make you want to be better just by spending a little while with them?

Yeah, that's exactly how my family makes me feel.

I love my adorable grandma, my aunts and uncles, my inspiring older cousins and those darling younger cousins.

I love my mom who reassures me that the wild turkey that is about to attack our tent is in all reality my little brother talking in his sleep, and I admire my younger sister who happily agrees to sleep under the stars with me (don't worry, it didn't actually happen).

Basically... the people that make up this family of mine happen to be my favorite people in the world.

Lucky me.