I'm so glad when Shelly comes Home!

Once Upon a time there was a girl named Shelly....

...who needed a place to live before she left for her mission.  So Dad and Mom decided she should move into our house! It was such a great decision because Andrea, Me, Josh, and Nick got an older sister! :)

Well that was a long time ago, and Shelly has been on her mission and returned, married a really cool guy named Chris, moved to Utah, bought a house, and most recently had a beautiful baby girl named Bailey!

Tonight, Shelly brought Bailey over to our house for the first time! She is so freakin cute! I love her to pieces already!

Thank you Shelly and Chris for my new little niece! :) I love you guys!

Cameron and Kamrin's Wedding

I am so greatful for the opportunity I have to witness friends of mine follow Heavenly Father's Plan and join together in Eternal Marriage!

“That proclamation on the family helps us realize that celestial marriage brings greater possibilities for happiness than does any other relationship. The earth was created and this Church was restored so that families could be formed, sealed, and exalted eternally.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Liahona, Nov. 2008, 93

The Bride: Before and After

The Groom: Do you think he looks nervous?

The Happy Couple: Before and After

“Marriage is sanctified when it is cherished and honored in holiness. That union is not merely between husband and wife; it embraces a partnership with God (see Matt. 19:6).”

Russell M. Nelson, “Nurturing Marriage,” Ensign, May 2006, 36

 

"Remember, brethren, that in your role as leader in the family, your wife is your companion. As President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: 'In this Church the man neither walks ahead of his wife nor behind his wife but at her side. They are coequals' (in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 68; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 49). Since the beginning, God has instructed mankind that marriage should unite husband and wife together in unity (see Gen. 2:24). Therefore, there is not a president or a vice president in a family. The couple works together eternally for the good of the family. They are united together in word, in deed, and in action as they lead, guide, and direct their family unit. They are on equal footing. They plan and organize the affairs of the family jointly and unanimously as they move forward."

L. Tom Perry, "Fatherhood, an Eternal Calling," Ensign, May 2004, 71

"Men and women joined together in marriage need to work together as a full partnership. However, a full and equal partnership between men and women does not imply the roles played by the two sexes are the same in God's grand design for His children. As the proclamation clearly states, men and women, though spiritually equal, are entrusted with different but equally significant roles. These roles complement each other. Men are given stewardship over the sacred ordinances of the priesthood. To women, God gives stewardship over bestowing and nurturing mortal life, including providing physical bodies for God's spirit children and guiding those children toward a knowledge of gospel truths. These stewardships, equally sacred and important, do not involve any false ideas about domination or subordination. Each stewardship is essential for the spiritual progression of all family members, parents and children alike."

M. Russell Ballard, "The Sacred Responsibilities of Parenthood," Ensign, Mar. 2006, 29-30

"There are many qualities you will want to look for in a friend or a serious date--to say nothing of a spouse and eternal companion--but surely among the very first and most basic of those qualities will be those of care and sensitivity toward others, a minimum of self-centeredness that allows compassion and courtesy to be evident. ‘That best portion of a good man's life [is] his . . . kindness,’ said Mr. William Wordsworth (‘Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey’ [1798], lines 33–35). There are lots of limitations in all of us that we hope our sweethearts will overlook. I suppose no one is as handsome or as beautiful as he or she wishes, or as brilliant in school or as witty in speech or as wealthy as we would like, but in a world of varied talents and fortunes that we can't always command, I think that makes even more attractive the qualities we can command--such qualities as thoughtfulness, patience, a kind word, and true delight in the accomplishment of another. These cost us nothing, and they can mean everything to the one who receives them."

-Jeffrey R. Holland

"Against [a] backdrop of spiritual decay, you young adults of the Church enter the stage. You have a firm foundation of faith. You are role models, both in courtship and in marriage. You know what's right and what's wrong! You hold the line! You know the Lord's teachings. And you will teach them to your own children and grandchildren. You are the 'Hope of Israel, Zion's army, Children of the promised day' ("Hope of Israel," Hymns, no. 259). You have far more spiritual power than we did at your age. As you go forward on life's battlefield, you are numbered with 'the covenant people of the Lord, . . . scattered upon all . . . the earth; . . . armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory' (1 Nephi 14:14). We are very, very proud of you!"

Russell M. Nelson, "The Dawning of a Brighter Day," Ensign, May 2004, 83

"One good yardstick as to whether a person might be the right one for you is this: in her presence, do you think your noblest thoughts, do you aspire to your finest deeds, do you wish you were better than you are?"


Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Single Adult Brethren of the Church," Ensign, May 1988, 53

Just Me and My Cuzzy!

Last night I went and hung out with my little cousin Emma! I hadn't seen her in probably 4 months, maybe longer- which is a shame because she just lives in Orange County! But we had a lot of fun! We went to this little Mexican food drive through (which I can't think of the name right now, but it's bomb!) and then just ate in my car.  Then we went and sat on the beach and caught up! Then we went back to her new place and just hung out for a while! I love my cousin! I'm glad that we finally hung out!

[Christ] has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves...because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is.

Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 70-71