Summer Institute

LONG STORY SHORT----I have attended my adaptive needs institute class for eight plus years and have truly loved getting to know who my Savior, Jesus Christ is. I love him so much and the peace he continues to bring into my life on a daily basis is something that I am eternally grateful for everyday. I know with all of my heart that because of him---We can live with our families forever and everything that we have ever experienced in this earthly life will be made right. 

I have an opportunity to participate in my adaptive needs institute class throughout the months of June and July, which is something I think would make my summer extra fun. I still need to figure out the details of how this is going to work out in my schedule and have a chance to learn more in depth about messages--- from our living prophets. I have had a lot of blessings in my life from attending institute and feeling the spirit of our Heavenly Father on a daily basis with individuals who have such a deep love for our Savior more than you could ever possibly know. 

I am truly blessed to have learned so much from the class members who would come and participate along with us on a weekly basis. I have enjoyed getting to make new friendships with the other class members & knowing that they not only come to class to have fun--- but wanting to learn more about how we can draw closer to Christ. My testimony has been strengthened in ways through every lesson that my teacher had all prepared for us to listen to and take away something that we know is going to the biggest difference in my life. I have such a deep love for this restored gospel and knowing we can make it through anything that is thrown at us which if you ask me is not even close to being an understatement. I know with all of my heart that no matter the circumstances I ever find myself up against or not expecting to go through---the Savior will guide me every step of the way as I continue to be a better disciple of him. I obviously will continue to have ups and downs in life that will put my faith to the test and others that I know are going to leave me thinking deeply about what I need to work on. 

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Two Classes Left

 NEXT WEEK----I will attend my last two classes of adaptive needs institute at UVU and hard to believe the semester has gone by so quickly. I have truly loved feeling the spirit every single week and having my testimony of this restored gospel strengthened in ways that I never knew I needed. I am blessed to have a very personal relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ throughout this last year and knowing he is always with me every step of this journey is second to none. I love him so much and the comfort he has provided me during the hardest times of my life are truly a testament of knowing he has a hand in everything that I am ever faced up against. 

I am grateful for the many incredible new friends that I was able to meet throughout this past semester and learning about the gospel through their eyes was something I will keep close to my heart. I feel so blessed to know he will make everything right when we get to our heavenly home and can give him the absolutely biggest hug ever. I know my life has never been anything close to easy during my time on this earth and I look forward to seeing my loved ones who have passed onto the other side with their arms open wide with hugs awaiting for me to embrace them. 

April Fool's Night - Dance

I literally danced my little heart out more than most of the SNAP participants did this past week and made it the best experience I possibly could in every way. Dance has always been a part of my life and I usually don't have a lot of opportunities to dance like I do at our SNAP activities... which if you ask me is nothing that I would never hesitate to think about. I am grateful for the many laughs and memories that I was able to make with my friends who were there in attendance, which is something you have to see to believe at least in my opinion. We had the best time ever and dancing out as much as we possibly could whether it was a good idea at the moment or not---but you get the idea here??? I cannot wait to see if we will have anymore dances in the future and can keep getting my groove on any chance that this provided for all of us!!!

Free Write

Deep Blue Story (Mini Version)

I am not sure if you have ever watched some of the BYU deep blue stories but they are inspiring and have reminded me that even when we face difficulties in life, the lord is always with us. I actually met this cute, energetic young woman named Kylie who is truly an angel of a woman in so many ways. I am inspired by her positive attitude and love that she shares with everyone who has had an opportunity to meet her, which believe me was a dream come true!!! I loved getting to listen to her beautiful story about achieving her life goals and defying the odds in the face of challenges, which I think is an example that I need in my life so much right now. I also loved that she was able to see the lord's hand in everything she set her mind to and never giving up hope on what she wanted to accomplish even if it was going to take a little more time on her part-- she was determined to make it happen. 

I remember meeting her for the first time in early January of last year while walking in with my family to a BYU women's basketball game. She had such a beautiful smile on her face and of course being a hugger like I am-- I didn't hesitate to give her a nice big hug while we talked for a brief time. I am really hoping we get another opportunity to talk with each other again and share some laughs together, if we ever have the chance. #FingersCrossed.

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New Updates

I obviously have no idea if I ended up wining any of the games we did in a minute, but I am grateful for the many laughs and unforgettable moments that I was able to share with my friends. We enjoyed getting to watch one another play a DIY version of air hockey, getting as many ping pong balls inside of plastic cups as we could, of course we had a very energetic conversation about plans for future SNAP activities which if you ask me was the best part of the evening!!! I happily mentioned that we need to have some kind of an activity with any one of the BYU sports teams and it would not necessarily need to be one of the b-ball teams due to the fact they would be in the middle of their seasons--but who knows??? I would love it so much and getting to learn something new would be icing on the cake!!! 

Big Time Rush Concert (Next Friday)

I am excited for this anticipated event to finally get here and have my summer break end off with a very unforgettable evening filled with excitement. I know it will be a very late night for all of us and we will hopefully be singing along to every song that is performed. All of us have our brand new concert shirts that we are going to be wearing and of course just simply having the time of our lives with each other...but you get the idea?? #ICYMI

UVU Adaptive Needs Institute

After what has been a very eventful summer, I am definitely looking forward to another uplifting semester in my adaptive needs institute class at UVU. I cannot wait to learn more about the hymns of the church & how they can be a source of guidance, direction, comfort, praise, gratitude along with everything else that you can possibly come up with. I am grateful for the opportunity to feel the spirit every week and have the chance to be inspired by our classmates who make every class period one that I will not soon forget. I feel blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and know that throughout this semester, my testimony will be strengthened in more ways than one!!! 

May Dump

After being out of state for three weeks and not having access to a computer, I have obviously not written up too much this month due to other commitments that I had going on. I definitely enjoyed getting to have quality time with my mom, twin sister and aunt while we were in Nauvoo to watch my mom choregraph a show that has been well loved by many people. I am grateful to be home again and have a chance to let all of you know what has occurred this month as well as what I have to look forward to in coming weeks. 

LAST NIGHT----My best friends, along with my twin sister and myself participated in a Harry Potter night with our SNAP group. All of us picked which house we'd want to be in and then go off to do some fun activities like making potions, coloring pages with Harry Potter on them, watching a short clip of the first Harry Potter movie, listening to the cool music from the film itself, etc. We all had a blast getting to be with each other and laugh till our hearts were tired, which if you must know is not anything close to an understatement. I may not know too much about the world of Harry Potter and everything that does come along with it---but I am grateful to have seen it kind of come to life for a period of time. 

Instead of repeating about the SNAP show and tell activity, I will admit that everybody brought something to share with people that was unique to them. It was really neat to learn some new things about each of the SNAP participants and seeing their excitement for wanting to show us something they love. I definitely do wish we'd had more time for people to see everything and answer their questions, but obviously there was not any extra time to make that work. 

Nauvoo Trip (Mini Edition)

Since my mom's schedule while we were in Nauvoo was pretty unpredictable with all that we had to be there for and yet I am grateful to have had a chance to see the show before heading home. I will admit I was really skeptical about what this experience would be like and having known seen pretty amazingly talented dancers for years, I was not sure what we had signed ourselves up for. To make this long story brief---I did have opportunities when we had fun to go explore the historical sites and learn more with what the early saints did to make their city the beautiful place that it is. I am grateful for the pleasant & incredibly nice weather we were able to have, not to mention having our sweet treats on hand everyday was good too!!!  

Mini Entry

Minus the fact we are not packing my mom's laptop with us on our trip next week--- I am not going to be writing up anything new on here for awhile and I sincerely apologize for the unfortunate hiatus. I know it will be hard to not have any new updates to share with those of you who read my blog and obviously I've got no choice but to have something written on here at the end of this month. I am not one who likes to instantly stop doing stuff like this because it drives me crazy to not having a consistent tasks on my plate keeping me busy.

There will certainly be moments when this miniature trip to Nauvoo is not going to be so much fun and other times I know this will be an experience to look back on for years to come. I am definitely going to make the best of what it is to come from something I didn't think was going to work out for us and know there will not be memories to look back with smiles on our faces. 

Favorite Moment Story: 

YESTERDAY MORNING----I was leaving my healthy relationships class that had participated in at my independent living center and noticed I had three unread emails. I obviously figured it was going to be a little bit of junk mail that usually comes through or ads that I am not ever stoked about receiving until I realized it was something completely different. If you have read several of my blog posts over the past three years, I have been writing up a little bit about this former BYUWBB player whose example in my life is one that I genuinely never knew I needed for some time and to make this brief--- I am grateful for the role model they have been for not only me but so many other supportive fans!!! I have been watching their YouTube channel for a couple of years and have been hesitant to write a comment on their stuff that they have shared with the world. However, I realized that they had seen my heartfelt comment on one of their YouTube Short videos and could not stop squealing inside of my head with excitement. It was like the best early birthday present ever and little did I think I would see a response back---which still to this day feels like a complete dream!!! I am so grateful for their positivity and authenticity more than I can even put into words right now because it has reminded me that no matter the obstacles in my life, I will make an effort to see the good in whatever lesson it has in store. #ICYMI 

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Mini Stories

It's hard to believe that another uplifting and wonderful semester of Institute has come to an end so quickly. I have genuinely loved feeling the spirit every week in our classroom and learning about how simplistic the gospel of Jesus Christ is, which if you ask me is nothing short of an understatement. I am grateful for the many ways that I have been able to think a little deeper about my so called life and just simply remembering of what our purpose on this earth is. I am truly blessed to be a part of the one and only church on the earth today, which is lead by our prophets/apostles who help us in striving to be like our Savior, Jesus Christ on a consistent basis. I know after what my life has been through in the last few years--- I have never felt more closer to him than during this year alone, which if you must know is just comforting in more ways than I can even say. I am grateful for the many heroes in my life who continue inspiring me to see the light and good in this world, no matter what circumstances I may be up against in life that they will always be there for me. 

Holiday Break Plans

I am looking forward to quality time with friends and family as the holiday season approaches, but if you must know I will most definitely get as much out of this Christmas break as possible. I am grateful for all the many opportunities that I will have to give back to others and remembering the greatest gift that we've ever been given is of course that of our Savior. I cannot wait to take extra time to reflect on the blessings-- that I have had or experienced because of the One who paid the ultimate price for all of us to be here right now. 

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Thanksgiving Break (Last Week)

It was definitely great to spend time with family and enjoy the blessings that we have been thankful for this past year. I really liked getting to unwind from the craziness of life and reflect on what is important during a time of the year that puts everything into perspective. I also loved getting to be a part of as well as celebrate my Grandma's 90th birthday with many friends and family who showed up to visit and make new memories. Did I forget to mention we saw the newly released WICKED movie with family?? I will not spoil too much in this blog post here about it, but I can promise that you will not be disappointed in what you are going to watch on the big screen. 

Back at UVU Institute 

I have genuinely loved attending my adapted needs institute class so much and feeling the spirit every week in class has made it even more incredible. I am grateful to learn from our inspiring teacher who continuously leaves an impression on me to be a little better and follow our Savior, Jesus Christ a little more everyday. It has blessed my life so much as I continue to navigate how I want to set an example of what my Savior wants me to become. My testimony has been strengthened tremendously throughout this semester and reminding myself that no matter how many mistakes I make, I know with all my heart that the lord will take care of everything else. 

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Mini Concert

 

EARLIER THIS WEEK----One of my colleagues texted me and asked if I would like to attend their choir concert that was being held at the UVU institute building. I obviously didn't hesitate to say yes and be there to enjoy a wonderful night of delicious food, music, and feeling the spirit as the choir members rehearsed & performed their musical selections. I was very impressed with their musical talents and dedication to making sure they sounded well as a choir, which if you must know left me in awe throughout the evening. 

I especially loved watching this choir perform a well known primary song that reminded me of how important it is to be a child of God and knowing what our purpose is here on this earth. As this song wrapped itself up, I ended with getting a slight tear in my eye and feeling the spirit over come me so strongly was an indescribable moment. The main guest artist was amazing and sharing his journey of coming into the restored gospel of Jesus Christ which if you ask me was pretty incredible--especially knowing that I had no idea what to expect from this. I am grateful for not only his musical talents but coming to see and recognize who our Savior is while pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, which I think is remarkable!!! 

(Stay Tuned For More)

Fall Break

This fall break has given me a lot of extra time with friends and being able to relax while doing fun things is certainly not an understatement. I am grateful that is beginning to feel like the season of autumn is upon us and we can enjoy the cooler temperatures outside, which is sometimes a wonderful thing if you ask me but that is a completely different story!!! 

I have really enjoyed getting to focus on other things that need my attention, which if you must know is all work related stuff but I look forward to seeing my colleagues. We always have a legitimate time with each other and try to get as much out of what we are learning from our group discussions. I legit want to soak in every moment that I can with these people until my final council term is up, which if I must say will come and go before I know it. 

Inspiring Story (Mini Edition)

I am not necessarily going into the details here about this, but I am someone who does not like to ask for help when it comes to pretty much anything unless it gets to a point where I am lost with what to do. I am certainly not one of those who likes to bug people when it comes to anything and yet I know it makes me want to be a stronger person than I ever could have imagined. It was so inspiring to learn a little bit more about what this friend of mine has had to go through in order to get to where they are, which I am certain did take some asking for help but was able to grow into the person they needed to be. I sincerely hope that both of us run into each other again and I will be able to help her out in some way with anything she needs in the moment. 

Mini Shout Out

I would genuinely like to send a shout out to the UVUWBB team as they prepare for their upcoming season opener!!! I may not get to attend any of your basketball games at all, but I am excited for you ladies to compete against teams that I have never heard of before, (expect for maybe just one who is about a mile away from you.) I am excited for you to show everyone what you are made of & will be able to do as the season goes on... which I am sure will be more of an experience that nobody is going to forget. I would also like to send a shout out to the best role model on this planet who is one of their assistant coaches--all the best of luck as they begin an adventure that as one of their many fans could not be more thrilled about. I know they will leave an imprint on the hearts of every player, coach and fan who will ever get a chance to interact with them. #IYKYK. 

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EARLIER THIS WEEK----I came across an inspiring story on social media about an acquaintance of mine who was feeling a little stuck in life and needed someone to pick them up, so they could get where they needed to be. This story touched my heart so much that over the last couple of days, I have not been able to quit thinking about my own experiences when I needed someone to help me whether I deserved it at that time, but was grateful to know I would not have to go through this alone. 

LONG STORY SHORT---I was participating in a class through my post secondary high school program who at the time would meet out at UVU once a week for an hour. On this particular day, I remember snow was falling down pretty hard outside and within a couple of minutes I realized my bus was not going to be showing up any time soon. I didn't know if I needed to walk home or simply wait till someone I knew saw me asked if I needed a ride. Luckily, one of my good neighbor friends who I was always so friendly to me did not hesitate to offer me a ride up to UVU where they were headed to take a Portuguese class out there so they would not forget the language they learned from their mission. In that very moment, I was grateful to know somebody was looking out for me and wanted to make sure I got where I had to be on time, but if you ask me it was nothing short of a miracle. I may have thought that I didn't need any help getting to my class on time which ended up being canceled after having waited thirty minutes and got myself out to the main bus stop before it arrived. I was certainly not in the kind of situation my acquaintance was in, but I would like to compare these experiences with how our Savior, Jesus Christ will always be there to crawl or save us from being out in a snow storm and get us where we need to be. I know that there will be more than once occasion in my life when I am feeling stuck and need assistance to help me along the covenant path. I am grateful to know it's cool to care about helping others and not being afraid to ask for it if some one wants to help us out--no matter the circumstances we may be in.

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(To Be Continued) 

Favorite Song

 I made my choice.

You can mark this day. The day I pledge to take his name. I will be strong. I will be brave. Standing for him as I take my place. I felt the spirit burn truth in my heart. It's in my heart. 

And I will stand, I will not fall in a world that's weak I will be strong. I will be true, I will choose his way yeah, I know what's right and I will not change. 

In a world where so many will not, I will. 

I may be one but one becomes two when you stand with me and I stand with you, and as we unite our cause is great we're not just the candle, we are the flame. 

And I will take the light he gives me and I'll hold it up high, I'll hold it up high. And I will stand, I will not fall in a world that's weak I will be strong. I'll be true, I'll chose his way yeah, I know what's right and I will not change. In a world where so many will not, I will. 

I will stand, I will not fall in a world that's weak I will be strong. I'll be true, I will choose his way yeah, I know what's right and I will not change. In a world where so many will not, I will. I will. 

LAST NIGHT---I listened to this song performed by Hilary Weeks and could not help but want to write up about it here on my blog for all of you. I certainly love the message it gives us about standing with our Savior and reminding ourselves to be an example to those around us. I am grateful for the opportunities when I get to stand by him while on keeping on the covenant path. I have definitely gone through experiences with people when I had to stand up for what was right in a moment, when it was almost too easy to speak up and get the situation under control. Without going into more details about this, I love that this song here gives me the hope when I am an example of Jesus Christ---I will be able to overcome anything that life throws in my path. (To Be Continued)

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 May 2023 

I became an auntie for the third time and could not have been more excited!! I genuinely loved seeing the thrills from my niece and nephew who were ecstatic about having a new sibling in their home. I am truly grateful to spoil another little rascal that has brought so much joy into our lives--even before they arrived in this world!! 

April 2023

I was especially thrilled about our upcoming vacation to Texas and getting a chance to visit family who we have not seen in what has felt like forever!!! We explored the well famous Sea World park where we got to see shows of the water animals there and literally got thousands of steps in throughout the day. We took an incredible visit to downtown San Antonio and went on the super fun boat ride that takes you to locations-- on the river-walk trail. One of my favorite parts on this specific trip was visiting my cousins' home which is also a farm and loved every single minute of it so much!!! I really loved playing with my cousin's kids and enjoying their endless amounts of energy was nothing short of an understatement. We played a lot of fun games together outside and laughed till our hearts were tired--which I must say never quit at any given moment. 

November 2023

This month has certainly opened up new doors for me as I look forward to continue serving as the chair of a brand new committee that one of my governor appointed entities put together. I definitely have so much to learn along the way as I navigate my new leadership role in a position that will only make me grow so much more as a person in the disability community. I also had an opportunity to be asked out on two fun dates with a colleague of mine to attend their Institute class and participate in the "Lighting Of Riverwoods" festival last weekend--which I will admit was a lot more fun having never gone to an event like that before!!! 

This weekend I get an unforgettable opportunity to participate in the Orem temple open house that so many members of our stake will participate in. I am excited for another chance to be in such a quiet--- peaceful and holy place while ushering people who walk through in the right direction. I cannot wait to see the many smiles on people's faces as they enter into the house of the lord and getting that spiritually uplifting reminder of who we are in the eyes of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

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Super Fan

LONG STORY SHORT---I legitimately feel bad for not having attended more of the BYUWBB games last year had I known how stellar their basketball season was going to be. My family enjoyed following their journey for what felt like a short period of time, but it was incredible to watch them play tough and give every single basketball game, everything they had in order to be successful. After their legit season came in my mind, which was a very heartfelt end last year... it was hard for me to not wish they could have gone further into the NCAA tournament and brought that trophy home. I genuinely wished also that I paid more attention to what was going on and not purposefully missing out on what I saw was an unforgettable season for all of those lady cougars. I will admit that in my heart all of those ladies went all the way and made it an experience that none of us cougar fans would ever soon forget. I have been incredibly grateful to have been able follow a couple of the former players on their social media accounts and learn a little more about each of them. One of the main players whose name I will not mention in this blog post right now has one of the best YTC (YouTube Channel)'s ever and you could easily say that I have become obsessed with their content. I was a little hesitant to subscribe to this only because I didn't want to make it awkward for them having some random girl following their basketball journey without feeling like it was appropriate. I have been immensely grateful for their goodness and example of what it means to be a leader and person in this world more than anything. I genuinely have to say they have inspired me to always be a little happier than I was before, which if you ask me is not an understatement or even close to that. It has been an absolute dream come true to kind of get to know this remarkable BYU D1 athlete and their spunkiness never fails to put a smile on my face, whenever I need it at any given moment. Whether they know it or not---I could not be more grateful for what they do to make our world a better place. I may never know when my opportunity of meeting them in person will happen, but it will be the best day of my life and getting to let them know how much I want to have the energy they have when I grow up, I am certain would either make them laugh really hard or just smile really big. (Stay tuned for more!!)

Free Write

 ALPS Presentation (September 23rd)

I'm excited for the opportunity to present once again to this group of people, who are going to learn so much in a very short period of time. I have never actually participated in this training, due to the fact I have a little too much going on and don't want my brain to be fried. I cannot wait to do this presentation with one of my colleagues that happily agreed to help me out and look forward to bringing awareness to the very important topic of who individuals with disabilities are. 

Speakers Network Training (Fall 2023)

Until I receive more details about this, I am genuinely thrilled to have an opportunity to refresh my brain on the presentations that my speakers network does and needs a little more focus on. I could not be more ready for this chance to learn some new things and maintain a perspective of what it means to be an even better self advocate, speaker, etc. I am especially grateful to have friends that are passionate about getting that message of hope into our communities and doing all we can to make an impact on this society. I can't wait to tell you more about this training and hopefully share a lot of unforgettable moments from it as this winds closer. 

USILC Icebreaker Questioner?? (Unofficial News)

LONG STORY SHORT---I ended up being randomly selected to ask these "GTKU" questions for our council meetings and can only hope to make a good impression. I am obviously in for a treat which if you ask me is nothing short of an understatement and can hardly wait to see what creative answers all of our council members will come up with. I obviously have no idea why this mini tradition ended up being pushed aside without notice, but I am more than prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure this never dies itself out. 

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Waiting Place

"Little by little, He frees me. Moment by moment, releasing, my grip, my stubborn need to be in control, of everything. Over and over, He leads me, back to the one place that carries--- the grace that was waiting all along, waiting in, in the waiting place." - Hilary Weeks

SIX MONTHS LATER---I continue to find myself being stuck in the waiting place and not an obvious way to escape if I wanted to make the effort to do so. I legitimately made a mistake that no one in their lifetime should ever have to encounter or let alone deal with in a way that has at times felt next to impossible in more ways than I can comprehend. I did realize for the first time in months that I was not getting out of this spot any time soon and knowing what my new reality is must have been a lot harder for me to clearly see than it was for the colleague who purposefully allowed me to wake up shaken in the middle of the night. I may never understand in a million years why this had to happen to me and not feeling like it was completely planned to get me to where I am today. 


As a self advocate in the disability community, I have been told from people that all of the big things I have done make a difference for those around me and I am eternally grateful to know that is what I have achieved in my ten plus years in this environment. I have continuously sat in my waiting place anxiously hoping that my punishment will be over with soon and yet I know the rest of eternity this will be my life until I show up in the next life. I would never consider myself being a perfect colleague and feeling slightly out of place with all that I applied to participate in. I legitimately hate waiting every day for six months or if not longer to reconnect with someone that I wanted to be like when I grew up. Now that is not the case as I have made the effort with relearning from this experience and I am not the least bit proud of what happened in moments with uncertainty being a free for all on the table. I am never gonna be the perfect colleague who serves their whole heart with---knowing they have given it their best despite what took place six months earlier. At this very moment, I didn't want to necessarily feel obligated or numb to write this up today and yet here I am hoping that one person takes the time to read through my post. It has been a difficult journey filled with tears being shed, confusion about what could happen next in my life and not having any idea of how much it would affect me on a deeper level. I have struggled with maintaining healthy relationships with people who all they want to do is help me and I emotionally pushed them away because I knew a lot better than they did at the time. I'm also nervous about if my service on the council has been worthwhile and giving me a chance to grow into who I can be so much rather than who I could not ever become. 

The seconds pass relentlessly on as things in my life continue being stuck where they are and somehow that is a punishment I legitimately deserved to have. I am not writing up about this here to repeat every little trial that has ever taken place in my life, but to understand better who I never want to find myself being in all over again. It has never been easy for me to deeply take in what someone tells me in a very direct way and not realizing how much of a mark it left behind. I am doing all in my power to regain a trust from a colleague who may never for the rest of their life speak to me again, which as much as I'm significantly hurt by their words--I am not going to let it overtake who I am as a person. My deepened stubborn grip on controlling every aspect of my colleagues leadership role was painful and not exactly how a board member should behave. 

As you can imagine, this twisted turn in my life has been nothing short of an easy mistake to learn from and yet there are only more doors waiting to be opened up for me. I may never understand in a million years why I purposefully saw myself in a position that could have been avoided at all costs & not ever knowing what could happen down the road. I have grown so much more than I could have anticipated myself to during this time in life when I felt as if I was handling this on my own. My heavenly father knows how painfully difficult this journey has been for me and yet I am grateful for knowing he hasn't ever left my side for a second has been a dream. He has strengthened me through prayers that I've had to offer at night time and feeling his unconditional love every step of the way has given me a lot more hope than I could have asked for. 

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Hilary Weeks - Keep Going

It's been an emotional rollercoaster for me to get here and not hide away from what is in my heart. I am grateful for the peace of mind this beautiful song and others have given me, when life was almost a little too unbearable to deal with and relearning lessons on a daily basis. It's obviously not been easy for me to lash out my feelings and not take the time to listen to what is being said... which is something I can make lots of improvements on everyday. I need to keep on going and not pretending to be someone that I'm not meant to be in this world--which sometimes is harder than you would think. I have never felt like this an issue that my heart needs to learn from and understand a little more, that will give me a peace of mind & not worrying about what others think. It has gotten harder for me to see the clearer picture of things here and yet I know is just a little bump in the road, that all of us come across at one time or another. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have to keep on going and not taking what I do not know as close to heart as I have done way too many times in the past. This mistake of mine is one that I am confident is going to change my perspective on so many things and recognizing why it is so important to not have control over what other people are doing. It has given me a lot of reasons to understand why things in everyday life have to continue happening and keeping my mouth quiet as much as I can possible. I am grateful for the forgiveness that my Savior, Jesus Christ has for me and no matter what mistakes that I have made throughout my lifetime--He's always forgiven and loved me for who I am in his eyes. I love him so much and would not be the person I am today if it not had been for his example. He has allowed me chances to be someone who tries everyday to do better and not affront to what could have happened instead of the other way around.

(End Of Part One)

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If you have never heard of this event before, then you are clearly missing out on an experience that will be one for the books!!! I am so excited to once again participate in this worldwide prom event that happens a little bit prior to valentine's day and getting to feel reassured of how important I am in this world, couldn't warm my heart more than it does throughout an event like this one. It's simply amazing to see a whole lot of individuals with disabilities from all over the country in unity over a movement like this for one night only is a dream come true!!! 

We are going to have dinner at a local Mexican restaurant near the University Mall in Orem and then from there we will be head back out to our best friend Danielle's house for the remainder of the evening. It will be so much fun getting to dance the night away, hear inspiring messages from celebrities that we know & love about how incredible we are, being crowned queens of the prom will be the most amazing part of the event itself. I am so excited to celebrate with my best friends and getting a chance to be in the spotlight for once is just like nothing else I can even put into words. #StayTuned

Vegas Trip

TOMORROW MORNING---My family and I will hit the road for our much needed vacation to Las Vegas to spend quality time with each other but as well unwind from the craziness in this world. Minus all of that I just said here, We do not have much of anything planned besides checking out the place we will be staying at for the week as well as doing a little shopping, swimming outside, etc. I cannot wait to just feel like nothing over the past thirteen months has not been a struggle for me, when it clearly is or has become into something like that. I legitimately wanted to spend time in Hawaii for seven days but to make a long story short--We set on going down to Vegas and getting a chance to do something other than be home. It has been a long awaited trip that I have anxiously wanted to see happen and finally it will be here tomorrow afternoon!!! I am not going to have any new current updates on my blog for the time I'll be away and so I hope to make the best of all the many opportunities I will have to escape from my hectic life. 

Tahiti Village Resort

This place is one that I've never stayed at before and cannot wait to see what it's like in person. I am truly grateful for any chance I get to be away from home and refocus on myself a little more-- which has been something I've longed awaited for some time now. From what I've heard about the place itself, it is truly (absolutely one of the best in this world) and I cannot wait to see what they have to offer. I'll try my best with sharing any kind of stories or updates about this trip once I'm back home--but who knows?! Please stay tuned for more information to come at a later date!!! :) I'm certainly hopeful it is pretty legitimate if you ask me!!! 

Crunch Time

 Virtual Self Advocacy Conference (Two Weeks)

I'm probably a little anxious for this conference to take place in two weeks and cannot wait to hopefully keep learning about how to become a good self advocate in the disability community. I also have some other responsibilities that I have mentioned on here before and look forward to sharing more of what I know will help people want to make a difference in their neighborhood. We also have some amazingly legitimate guest speakers who will be joining us as well and educating self advocates on the conference, about ways they can speak up for what they need in this world. 

I really do hope things with this conference are going to run smoothly and people can get as much out of it as they can possible. I know it has helped me so much getting to really pay attention to what is being said-- not just because I think it would benefit me down the road, but something to look back on so I can learn what other solutions are out there. Being a part of the many committees that I am giving my time to help out on with this has been a dream come true!!! I may not know as much as I'd like to, but there is only so much left in me to keep learning from throughout this new journey. Only time will tell between now and this next week of how things are going to unfold... Please stay tuned!!