The Brother. What A Stud.

Family and Friends,

 

Well this week has been Crazy and fun!  Last P-day I challenged Elder Hansen that he could not drink one Gallon of milk In ten minutes and hold it down for five Minutes.  With Elder Hansens Personality He confidently took that challenge and thought he could do it.  So we have just got done playing basketball for a couple hours and we get the trash out just in case and we see if you can do this.   He didn't know that it is impossible to drink a whole gallon of milk and keep it down.  So The time starts going and he drinks like a quarter of it in like on minute and then he is like I can't do it.  It was so funny.  Obviously the whole District is cheering for him to down it and keep going.   Five minutes into it he has downed half of it and he is just talking and then All of a sudden he threw up and it projectiled 13 feet.  IT was the biggest projectile throw I have ever seen and I was on the side of him like two feet away and it was the funniest thing ever.  So that was an adventure of itself.

They did the gallon challenge.

On his mission.

For fun.

Welcome to the missionary life of California everyone!

 

   I Love the 4th of July in Utah!  One I am with my family we get to go to the parade! We get amazing fire work shows all over the Place and you get to light off fireworks basically the whole month of July.  Here in California you couldn't tell that the 4th of July was coming until that afternoon.  But having said that My 4th of July was Awesome!!!   It was our P-day and our whole District got invited by the Daltons for a BBQ and play on there new sport court.  We played in the sun about 95 degrees for 4 hours!  We played Basketball, Volley ball, and Paddle Tennis and it was a Blast.  Oh, and the food was amazing.  It was so hot and for some reason us Elders forgot to put on Sunscreen.  Yep,  Our whole DIstrict got fried.  I even go fried and have the sickest Tan line or I guess you could say Burn line. haha.  But it was fun and the Members here rock.  We then went to another BBQ and we were able to do a suprise attack on non-members who were there.  We shared the Book of Mormon and invited them to read the book of Mormon and Find out for themselves if it is true.  They accepted it and they thanked Elder Hansen and I for Doing what we do and going around telling people what we believe in so that was pretty cool.  We then were able to see the fireworks with the Hanagans and got home just in time for Cerfew.  It was Totally awesome!!! 

Okay so my brother has just been partying it up?

And sharing the gospel?

Best job ever.

    Then this morning I was able along with my whole District to go and meet President Bowen.  He is a really cool guy!   I am so excited because I know that he really was called by God and that there are going to be a lot of Miracles here in this mission.  He said that all here cares that we do his advice is to come closer to Jesus Christ.  If you have the understanding of his , Compassion, Charity, and Love for us then we will have more of Desire to work harder and not to do anything that you would offend the Savior.  I really Liked that.  Instead of being obedient just to be obedient.  You have Faith in Jesus Christ and it makes you want to be Obedient and do all we can to be his servants.  President and Sister Bowen are Awesome and they have had a lot of Trials to get here and they did!  I am Really Excited and so Grateful I am in this mission in Yorba Linda with Elder Hansen!  I know that If I continue to be Faithful To my Lord, my Savior, and My King that everything will fall into place. I love you All hope you all had a Great 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!

I love how his new mission president said it.

It shouldn't be 

"Be obedient because that's what you are supposed to do."

It should be 

"You want to serve and show your love for your Savior so you will follow his commandments and his prophets because you care about him so much."

Oh the joys of having a brother as a missionary.

Can you believe its already been ten months?

I can't.

I'm Back.

Sorry blog.

I have disappeared. 

I have been busy.

Girls camp was amazing.

Truly.

Exactly what I need.

I LOVED IT.

Our theme was Tangled.

We watched it three times.

Life was good.

The children of the Ward.

I adore them.

Every single one of them.

A life sized Rapunzel.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

I about died when I sawher.

The little sister.

We're princesses. 

We have endured six years of girls camp with each other.

SIX YEARS.

Long nights in tents.

Torturous hikes.

Rain storms.

Friendship bracelets.

Awful canoe rides.

Tears.

Manny many tears.

Love you Madison.

You'll always be my ward sista.

The beehives in my room.

Most of the time I don't feel like a Laurel.

These Beehives teach me everything.

I admire them.

Saturday night was spent with my girl Justine.

Our lives were shared.

We went and saw the fireworks.

I love fireworks.

Sunday I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting about camp.

I was asked to speak on our theme.

Which meant...

My talk was based off Tangled.

Best. Talk. Ever.

It went well.

And great.

And fantastic.

I love speaking.

I love voicing my thoughts and my opinions.

Weird I know.

Today...

Was rough.

Busy is a better word.

I worked for six hours.

Worked on my solo for two.

Doesn't sound like a lot.

But I can't move.

I like my couch.

It's my friend.

I think I am going to go swing tonight.

Wish me luck :)

Once more, I Am Off.

Once more I am headed off.

To the valley and rolling hills of Girls Camp.

I always laugh.

Some girls dread this.

Some beg there tired mothers to let them stay home because so-and-so is having a party.

Or what ever the excuse is.

I'm a little different.

Ain't that the truth.

I LOVE GIRLS CAMP.

It's one of the my anticipated events of my summer.

I'm a big fan.

And it's only three days.

And we are staying in a cabin.

And our theme is tangled.

YAY!

It keeps getting better and better.

So farewell dear blog.

We shall meet again in a few days.

Until then,

remember,

The best apples are at the top of the tree.

Shampoo a squirrel.

There a plenty of fish in the sea.

Love is a universal language.

And make sure you eat all your broccoli.

With those inspiring words,

I leave you.

Adios suckers!

Stick And Stones May Break My Bones.

Hey. 

You brothers.

Yes, you know who you are.

The ones that read my blog everyday?

The ones that write all the anonymous comments.

The ones that humiliate me.

The ones that point out all my flaws.

The ones that cut me down.

The ones that pound into my head that I can never change.

Yes.

Here's a little word to your mother.

I am a Daughter of King.

A true princess.

I have a testimony of the atonement.

I am different.

I am me.

And never been happier.

So please,

stay out of my life. :)

Have any of you ever been cyber-bullied?

Please.

Tell me.

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me."

Philippians 4:13

"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. 

In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. 

At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel's end-no dawn to break the night's darkness. 

We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, 

the disappointment of shattered dreams, 

and the despair of vanished hopes. 

We join in uttering the biblical plea "Is there no balm in Gilead?" 

We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. 

We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. 

If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. 

He will lift you and guide you. 

He will not always take your afflictions from you, 

but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Looking Back and Moving Forward"

The Adventures And Testimonials Of A Slumbering Girl.

Dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask.  ~X-Files


Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.  ~Marsha Norman


All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams.  ~Elias Canetti


Dreams are excursions into the limbo of things, a semi-deliverance from the human prison.  ~Henri Amiel


Pay attention to your dreams - God's angels often speak directly to our hearts when we are asleep.  ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994


Dreams say what they mean, but they don't say it in daytime language.  ~Gail Godwin


In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own.  ~Steven Kloves

Dreams.

Have you ever experienced one so painfully real,

that you wake up from your humble sleep

with a moist forehead and strong hyperventilation?

I did.

Today.

When I got home from a never ending day of school,

I had either the option to complete several chores

or take a relaxing nap.

What would you choose?

I laid in my queen size bed,

turned on my ipod to my Elder playlist,

and began dozing off.

Suddenly I was at a movie theater.

I took a seat by my friend's mother and we started eating some of her homemade treats.

We watched some sort of show that had lots of green.

That's all I can remember.

The lights came on and they were dim.

As my little eyes were adjusting,

I turned behind myself to crack my stiff back.

I locked eyes with him.

My Elder.

Sitting in the very back.

Still wearing his church clothes,

he was hunched over with head hanging.

My breathing stopped.

He was supposed to be on a mission.

Why was he sitting in the small theater watching a screen of green?

As everyone started exiting,

I tried to push my way to him.

Everyone was in the way.

No one would let me through.

I was pushing and pushing.

Shoving and shoving.

Finally, I approached him.

He was still sitting in the exact same position with his head hung low.

I stood there,

not knowing what to say or do.

Where do I start after that letter?

Slowly,

he raised his head.

Our eyes met.

Locked.

Neither of us could look away.

My heart melted.

Those were the eyes that I feel in love with so many months ago,

the eyes that told me they loved me.

Now they only stared at me with hardness and regret.

I was taken back.

He shook his head and stood up.

He was a lot taller than I remembered.

"Linsey, I didn't expect to see you here."

"You are supposed to be on your mission. Why are you here?"

He began to explain that he came home to stop the wedding of his ex-girlfriend who he has always been in love with.

(My biggest fear, and she is in real life engaged. So. That's fine)

He turned.

And left.

Without another word.

I walked out of the theater defeated,

tears already forming in my eyes.

I entered the little girls room to wash my hands.

It's a weird tendency I have.

When something goes wrong I have to wash my hands right away.

Cleaning myself.

Interpret as you wish.

When I exited there stood my brother.

Smiling his perfect smile with a row of bright teeth.

I stared at him.

Ridiculously.

"Holy cats. YOU are supposed to be on your mission. What is going on?"

"I just wanted to come see if you were okay."

He put his arm around my shoulder and lead me to a near by bench.

Tears started to flow.

Everything I have been holding in.

All the anger.

All the hurt.

The betrayal.

The time wasted.

All the tears.

Every emotion.

I sobbed into his white ironed shirt.

I looked up at him waiting for the usual comment of:

"Linsey, stop being dramatic."

"Pull yourself together."

"You are embarrassing yourself."

Nope.

He hugged me a little tighter.

Smiled, and with a shrug, she said

"Baby sister. Everything is going to be perfect in the end. Heavenly Father loves you. Your Savior is here. Waiting for you to come to him. Don't push him away. He is here for you like I am. Please don't forget us. Please."

Once more,

I lost it.

We talked.

We discussed every issue in my life.

My new goals and hobbies.

My newly established achievements.

Heart aches and that cause of all these tears.

I had my brother back momentarily.

All too soon,

he stood up.

He told me he had to go.

I clung to his shirt, begging my best friend not to leave me.

He said duty was calling and that I will be able to talk to him on Sunday.

My mind couldn't rap around what was going on.

It was all too real.

Everything was so confusing.

I started to sprint after him,

to find no one down the hall.

Nothing.

My hands began to shake and leaned against the wall for support.

Sliding to floor,

I just remember shaking my head.

BAM.

I was in my bed.

Sitting against the backboard.

Breathing fast, sweat pouring down my face.

What is the world just happened??

Seriously.

I don't know.

I needed my brother.

He is my best friend.

And with the craziness of my life,

I was in dyer need of his advice.

I don't understand dreams.

I don't know why they exist or what purpose they serve.

But one thing is for sure.

Heavenly Father blessed me with a conversation from my brother. 

He is watching over me.

Joshy has been gone 7 months.

It has flown by.

I miss him.

Every second of everyday.

I love my best friend.

Families will be together forever.

I know this.

And I could not be more grateful.

I Stand All Amazed.

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me
Oh, it is wonderful
Wonderful to me
I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine
That he should extend his great love unto such as I
Sufficient to own, to redeem and to justify
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me
Oh, it is wonderful
Wonderful to me
I think of his hands, pierced and bleeding to pay my debt
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet
I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me
Secure in the promise of life in his victory
Thus ransomed from death I will live to my Savior's praise
And sing of his goodness and mercy through endless days
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me enough to die for me
Oh, it is wonderful
Wonderful to me
Remember our Savior.
And his atoning sacrifice.
Remember that He is risen.
He has conquered death, that we may all live again.
Christ is my best friend.
He has given me everything.
And I will give him my life.
I will be an instrument in his humble hands.
My testimony is strong.
And unyielding.
I am a daughter of King,
and sister of his only begotten Son.
A true princess.
Happy Easter. :)