Fierce & Faithful EFY 2012

Imagine a place where everyone is happy. Everyone loves the gospel. Every boy and girl is dressed modestly. The music is clean and no bad language is to be heard. Every moment is fun and crazy. Everyone becomes your family. Sounds pretty perfect, right? Well I spent my week there at a place called EFY. About a year ago me and Emma decided we wanted to go to Especially for Youth at BYU the next summer, but when it came time to sign up well... I was too late. Devastated, I decided to go to Logan instead at Utah State University... alone (dahh dahh dahhhhh). I am a brave soul, I know. I totally freaked! I prayed and prayed that the Lord would take care of me. And guess what? He did! After leadership conference at Utah State I got ready to go back for EFY. So after the grams dropped me off, I checked in and got settled in my dorm. Man I was nervous, shaking and everything! I sat in that little room for like a half an hour and then finally got the courage to step out and talk to the other girls. We bonded so quickly! Those girls... those girls changed my life. Taylor is reallly gorgeous and so much fun! I loved doing the singing program with her and just hanging out all the time. Lizzy is crazy! She is so fun to be around and I wish we could live closer and party all the time. Mackenzie is gorgeous and I am jealous of her looks all the time, even if she can't dance! Marty is so cool and unique, I wish I had the courage like she does to be different and confident like her. Carly is sooo sweet and easy to talk to about anything! Marilyn is seriously the sweetest person I have ever met, besides Jaecy! And brittany. So adorable! Alex is secretly super talented and I loved getting to know her. Ansley.. words cannot describe how much she helps me. Our after-lights-out talks were my favorite. She is so strong! Lianna is so talented and funny. I miss her laugh and her outgoing personality. She is the spice in the group! Last of all is Lauren.. she is the best counselor in the world. I know that Heavenly Father sent her to me for a specific reason, to help me gain an even bigger testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have never felt so close to the spirit anywhere in my life. No drama, no sadness, just a bunch of kids wanting to become better through Him. During the dances, singing program rehearsals and performance, skits, gospel studies, devotionals, pictures, and lectures I had the best week of my whole life. I am so grateful to get to know these beautiful people and to take everything that I learned back with me to the real world. Ehh I don't like being here. I miss the spirit! I miss the goodness! It just makes me so excited for my Savior to come back so we can live that way all the time. We are always tempted and being tossed and turned in this world, but thanks to places like EFY we can become more prepared and stronger to endure. I love the memories we have! "TODDDDDDDDDDDDDD." I hope I can stay in contact with these amazing people throughout my life. I just want you all to know that I do have a testimony of the gospel. I know that my Savior died for ME. I know that he is taking care of my dear Sammy and that I am going to get through these tough times. I know that I came from the spirit world to live this specific life and that the Lord helps me through each day. I know that if we endure til the end we will live with them again. I know that if we keep the commandments and listen to the prophet we will have a better life than we ever expected. Stay Fierce and Faithful my friends.:)

A little stronger, fresher, brougher.

People always say I'm "crazy" for running. Like it is insane or something. For me, it's something I can control. In a world of pull of people with free agency and life that can be changed by that, I seem to over-control (if that can be done) the things that I can. I can wake up at 12 am, hop out of the van and run up a huge hill for miles, pushing so hard, in so much pain but not wanting to stop, but i cant control my dads choices, or my friends choices, or anyone's choices but my own. Ragnar is not an easy thing my friends, but i have the choice to do it, and do it to my very best ability. When I would get to the point of wanting to stop I would say to myself "you have survived every possible heart aching thing this year, you can survive just one more mile". And guess what, I did!! 32 hours and 12 miles later i finished Ragnar Wasatch Back. It's amazing how much I have change from last year and how I learned from my mistakes. Im excited for my future and I know it's never going to be what I expect, it will be better. I can't believe that I am a senior. High school sure isn't what I thought it would be. If they told me that I would end up here, with divorced parents, a friend who committed suicide, and SBO secretary, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm grateful for the trials who have made me who I am. I am grateful for my few friends who have stuck with me and for my bunches of other friends who I know Heavenly Father sent to me for a certain purpose. All I gotta do is keep plugin through. <3