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I'm literally going to miss my special needs institute class more than anything after it concludes in a few weeks from now. I have absolutely loved getting to learn from such an amazing teacher who has such a great love for the gospel and having the spirit with her as she has taught me. I am grateful for the incredible opportunity it has been for me to attend her class every week and feeling the spirit of our Father in Heaven so strongly every single time I walk into that classroom. I always liked having this chance of being at the UVU institute and it was just sightly difficult to ever get much out of the lessons that I would have liked to, just simply because it was such a big class with so many people that needed to do their situations in life they had to make noises in order to focus/listen. I am going to be honest with you right now that in my mind, I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to get out as much from institute as I would have wanted to have at the time... (but with this new teacher I have truly gotten so much more out of it this year alone than I ever did before.) I'm incredibly grateful for the absolute blessing it has been for me to be a part of this class all year long & getting to learn a lot more about my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that having made institute a priority in my life has given me so much peace of mind and being able to be an instrument in His hands on a regular basis. I know that my life will truly never be the same again because of this experience and strengthening my testimony of this gospel more often than I'd usually do. With the last few classes left to go until the year is over, I want to take this opportunity and express my gratitude to my classmates/my phenomenal institute teacher:

To my institute classmates:

Thank you so much for making me feel so loved & a part of this amazing class. There is not a doubt in my mind about the gratitude that is in my heart for all of you and the wonderful examples you all continue to be in this world. I am grateful for your strength and the many lessons you have all taught me this year in class. I felt so blessed to have been able to call you some of you my closest friends & I have been truly uplifted by your testimonies of this gospel more than you could ever know. I am so grateful for this amazing class and all of the ways we have been able to feel the love of our Savior. I love you all so much and hope you each have the best summer ever!!! #TillWeMeetAgainNextTime

To our AMAZINGLY legit institute teacher, Sister Crosby:

Thank you so much for being the best and most legit institute teacher ever!! I have loved being in your class this year more than anything in this world & I can't thank you nearly enough for all that you have done for us. I am grateful for your uplifting and inspiring lessons that you spent so much time and dedication into teaching each of us every single week. I liked being able to feel of the love you have for this gospel and especially for the Savior, more than I could ever put into words. I know that my life and everyone else's in our class this year, are truly never going to be the same because of your example to us. Wishing you all the best in your new adventures this summer & truly hope we'll keep in touch for many years/days/months to come!! Thanks a million for everything this year and I will truly never forget all the many things you taught me. 

I know that this gospel is true without a shadow of a doubt and I am so grateful for the happiness it continues to bring into my life everyday. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives and that he will always be there for us no matter what it is we are currently facing and I've truly felt his guidance in my life more often than I ever have before. I am grateful for the opportunity that I had of getting to attend my special needs institute class this year more than anything else in the world and I am really going to miss being there from when it ends till the next semester begins.

Spiritual Thought

In my special needs institute class today, we talked about the true meaning of what the easter season is all about and how we can keep the focus on our Savior, Jesus Christ. I loved feeling of the spirit so strongly and reflecting on just the very important reasons for why we celebrate this holiday. I know it really touched my heart as I was sitting in our institute class and watching a video of the experiences our Savior went through to make this journey on earth possible. I am grateful for that knowledge of knowing that we will all live again and be in the presence of our Father in Heaven. 

If there was one little thing that I've been able to see in my life is that I'm never going to have to face any challenges alone, and I am so blessed for the guidance he continues to give me on a regular basis. It was really hard for me to watch the video we did in class today about the last week of the Savior's life and not being able to even comperhend the agonizing pain he went through for us.

I've always known the Savior's Atonement was something he did for me and for us, but yet I haven't been able to not think of one way he hasn't continued to strengthen my testimony of the gospel. I am grateful for his significant role in my life more than anything else in the world and I know he will be there for me whenever I need him the most.

Spiritual Reminder

"Even in the most difficult and darkest of times, there is light and goodness all around us."

To me, this quote really just needs to remind all of us and myself included, that no matter what situations life throws at us without even realizing it-- there will always be something good to come out of them. It isn't necessarily anything that is going to make ourselves miserable or feel like it's not fair we can't explain to anyone else about how we really need to cope with what is going on. 

I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go...

These lyrics are the chorus of a song that I've listened to in my bedroom multiple times and never paid much attention to them, until just recently that it had me think of this analogy. The words of this chorus remind me that despite anything we ever have to face in life, the Savior will always and forever be there standing by us through our tribulations. He will be there next to you and I with drying away our tears to help us fight our spiritual battles, regardless of how challenging the situation really appears to be. He will hold us close to him as we go throughout our everyday lives to make sure we continue to be on His side of the line and not anyone elses. I truly have felt like the Savior is talking to me personally in these lyrics and as I've blogged about one too many times already that he is never going to leave us in handling things by ourselves. Even if we sometimes think we can handle it by ourselves, it is never the case because he is and always will be there for us to lighten our heavy burdens that we all have. I know he isn't going to let go of us through any period of time in our struggles because he has already paid that unfathomable price to let us never forget that we are not alone. He may not give me the answers I'm desperately wanting right away and yet when I have found myself kneeling down in prayer to him, there is not one single trial that I cannot see the goodness coming from it. Once I got back in attending my special needs institute class this year, I have truly felt more closer to my Savior than ever before and I love the peace he can bring in our lives everyday of the week. In our family room, we have this portrait of the Savior that our amazing YSA ward friends presented us with as a thank you while back and whenever I've looked at it from across the way, I know that he is not out of my sight. It also reminds me that he is constantly wanting us to be more like him and to never forget that because of what he went through for all of us, we can strive to become a little better. 

Like the lyrics in this beautiful song I just shared with you, it's titled: "I Won't Let Go." and to me this is exactly the message I need to be reminded of on a regular basis. It helps me to remember the Savior's hand in my life and in everything that I'm striving to do to be more like him. I have probably glanced if not more than one too many times at that portrait of our Savior and just this week alone, I know that he is watching over me in everything that I do to make myself become more like Him each day. 

I know that without any shadow of a doubt, our Savior, Jesus Christ lives and that he will always be there with us no matter how difficult our challenges are for us. I know he wouldn't give me or anyone else something that he knows we couldn't handle in the things that we face, because he has always been there whether I've recognized it at certain times or not. While I was listening to this song last night in my bedroom, I knew right in that moment in time I was not going to be on my own with this particular situation and remembering who I am in the eyes of my Father in Heaven. I know it wouldn't have made me just start having a different perspective if I were not choosing to share this experience with all of you who are looking through it. 

In sharing these lyrics with you guys today, I am grateful for the knowledge of having a purpose on this earth and the things I need to remember are just only making me a better person. It's not meant to give me more obstacles that are needed to be placed in front of me, but to remind me that my focus should be on the blessings that will come from it to keep us humble. I know for me personally all of the posts that I've shared in the last few days have certainly made me a little more in tune with what I need to remember and to never lose sight of the Savior in my life. 

Free Write

Awhile back, I wrote up a blog post titled Uplifting Experience and it was about when my little best friend was called back to their heavenly home. It was at the time such a difficult trial of faith to have to ever experience and yet I didn't know if I'd have enough love in my heart, for another dog. One of the things I could've easily felt comfortable sharing in my special needs institute class today, was like being able to tell a little story about a scripture that really stood out to us during a tough time. This is the scripture that I was able to luckily find again and share it with all of you:

Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 

It was probably a little bit more specific than what I just shared with you here, but the meaning of it to me is very plain and simple. I know that I could have not felt the peace in my heart, within those few minutes if I didn't come across that scripture and pondered on it. I knew despite the situation I had been experiencing at the time, I probably would've figured out that it would not last forever & somehow it just reminded me that the Savior will always be there for us. I don't know why I didn't have more of a heart felt story to share today during my institute class, but I think it reminds me to never forget that whenever I'm going through a challenge-I'm not alone in dealing with that. I love being able to have the Savior, Jesus Christ on my side every step of the way and what I have gone through this week hasn't been anything short of easy. I don't know if my Heavenly Father is giving me this very difficult yet hard experience to help me understand something that I didn't know about yet. 

This gospel means so much to me and getting to feel the love my Savior during our institute class on a regular basis. I am grateful for the peace and happiness it brings into my life everyday, whether I'm able to notice it right away or not. I know that my life is blessed with the ways I hope to continue to live as the Savior did in everything I'm ever going to face. 

I would like to share my testimony that this church is true and that no matter how many struggles I'll have to push through on this earth, I can overcome them because of the Savior. I know that this life is not meant to be anything but easy for us and if we ever need to feel peace in our lives, we can turn to the one who has experienced it more than we can imagine. I am grateful for the amazing opportunity that I have of being able to attend my special needs institute class and getting as much out of every single lesson as I possibly can. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Current Events

Advocates As Leaders - Self Advocacy Speakers Network

I'm super thrilled about creating this supported decision making guide and having it be a different alternative from doing guardianship. I know that this guide will in particular have the supports you would need in order to make the decisions for years to come and how to make that happen. I know this guide will come in great use for individuals regardless of their age/circumstances to make their own decisions. With the support of people you know and have expertise in certain work fields, (w/ helping you make these choices that are going to impact your life down the road.) 

April 10th, 2017 - Supported Decision Making (Training)

I am really excited to have this opportunity of meeting with my friends and discussing the importance of what this guide is all about. Even though this is far away from now, I am hoping for a good/helpful discussion from the other people who are going to be there as well and learning as much as I possibly can. More about this later!!

Staff at the 5th annual NINJA Youth Leadership Conference - Logan, Utah

Nothing would make the start of my summer vacation more amazing than getting to staff in a program that means so much to me personally. I am not sure about anything yet until after the upcoming deadline approaches and seeing what happens from this, going forward. This NINJA program was absolutely life changing for me when I attended the conference three years ago, I'll admit right now this opportunity of getting to staff at it would be so awesome!!!! 

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Earlier today in my special needs institute class, I was thinking about an experience that I had awhile back and was never able to really share it. My favorite singer/actress Victoria Justice whom I love so much and truly admire as a good hearted person in the entertainment industry, was starring in this TV show called Eye Candy. And without mentioning what network it was on, I immediately just thought to myself that if I just only record the first episode and see if I like it or not. One of my parents found the show on our TV and immediately had it recorded so that I could possibly watch it the next day. It wasn't really until a little bit later on into the evening, I got this feeling from the spirit that I shouldn't think about watching that show. It kept reminding me that if I ever made the choice to watch this TV show that I wasn't going to be all that impressed with the storyline or the actors who were portrayed in it. I didn't even think that watching this show would really mean all that much to me, and yet I felt like in the end of all of this I had made the right choice. I was very grateful and felt so much at peace with myself that regardless of what was on that television program, I knew in my heart that Heavenly Father loved me. I truly love this gospel more than anything in the world and especially getting to be a part of that special needs institute class is such a blessing. I appreciate my institute teacher so much and the incredible spirit that she brings into our classroom every single week. I am grateful for every single person in my class and the joy each of them bring into my life every week.

Exciting News

Advocates As Leaders Speakers Network

In the summer of last year, I participated in this Quality Of Life Conference that was held up at Provo Canyon and it was truly a wonderful experience. It's also where I was able to hear about this speakers network of individuals like myself who go around Utah to speak about people with special needs feel, believe in, and value. I don't really know how many people I'll end up having to speak to while I'm doing all of this, but I am very excited to try something new and make some great memories. I know it's completely out of my comfort zone and that it's something I've never done, but I can already tell it will be a great opportunity to have my voice heard.  All of the many people who are involved with this, are contracted through Utah State University and even though none of us are on the payroll--We all get paid $50 dollars to write and present what is important to them. I am truly stoked to be learning a lot of new things and getting to hopefully make some new friendships that will last forever. I cannot wait for the many years ahead that I'll get to be a part of something new about being a self advocate. I am not hesistate to admit that this chapter of my life will be a good one and looking forward to inspiring my peers to do the same for themselves. I am also really hoping that we can get out to some of those other ILCs across the valley and get to be reunited with some of my favorite people ever!! I am not saying it will be an absolute for sure thing, but it doesn't necessarily hurt to dream if I say so myself- just saying that right now!! ;)

NINJA Volunteer Youth Mentor - NINJA Conference 2017

THREE YEARS AGO--- My best friend Danielle and I were pulled aside to get some information about this first time ever youth leadership conference. The conference was held up at USU in Logan, Utah and little did we know just what an absolute life changing experience it would become. As I just looked at the schedule of what was to happen at this event, I definitely felt like things like that never happen around here too often- so why not give it a try?? I didn't even really know what to expect in the sense of how much fun this experience would turn out to be or if I would even make some new friends. After getting up to that conference and seeing just how much fun it was going to be, I didn't hesistate to what to do it all over again the next two years. I loved every single minute of this NINJA conference more than words could ever describe and I am grateful to have gotten so much out of it. I am happily excited to announce that me along with my friends, are going to be applying to return to this conference as "NINJA Volunteer Youth Mentors/Staff this summer!!!! I am really thrilled about knowing what it's like to be on the other side of things, which means we wouldn't be attending as the participants anymore. We would actually be there helping out with running the classes and activities that are going to be taking place throughout the week. I know that it's going to feel a lot like doing a job instead of just playing the entire time, (which I'm sure there will be plenty of that going on). I've never seen it from this perspective before and I am definitely hoping for a good experience. I loved going to this conference so much and it was certainly the biggest highlight of my summer vacation, without question.