My Testimony...

It never ceases to surprise me how easily my emotions can get the best of me. there are times when i can be just fine and then all of a sudden, I start crying. I cant really put my finger on it and why that is, but I never seam to be use to it no matter how often it seams to happen to me in my daily adventures of life. Today is Sunday, and as I was sitting in Sacrament listening to the speaker I was overcome by what she was speaking about. She was telling us a very touching story of the Early Latter Day Saints and their sacrifices to build the Kirkland Temple.

 This particular family had china that was very dear to them. It had been handed down from their Great Grandmother and so on, and the little girl was so overcome with sadness about them breaking this beautiful blue china. But as they rode home one night in the setting sun she looked back at the Temple and saw it sparkling, and by the front of the Temple she saw blue sparkles and said to her mother, "look at the Temple sparkle in the setting sun! Only our blue china shines like that!". As we all know the Women of the church gave their fine china to the construction of the Temple. And as she finished telling this story, she stopped and asked, "What are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord and the restoration of the Gospel?" I started to cry. I wanted to shout from the roof tops EVERYTHING!!! I WILL SACRIFICE EVERYTHING FOR MY LORD AND MY SAVOIR! I have come to know this day the true and massive amounts of blessings we have as Latter Day Saints today. I know that we all sacrifice in our own ways to bring about the gospel, such as Missionary work, extra fast offerings, tithing, callings, families etc.. But today I feel a deep appreciation for those who came before me to help with the church, with the buildings of the Temples and the sacrifice that they went through to get here.

I came home from church to study and play catch up on home work to find myself in front of the TV thinking to myself, "I'll just see what's on, and then I'll turn it off and do what i need to do" as I was flipping channels I saw a program on the BYU channel about our Prophet Joseph Smith and the history of his family and the publishing of the Joseph Smith Papers. This was exactly what I needed to see.

As I sat and watched this program. I couldn't help but let the tears flow for appreciation and mourning for Joseph, Emma and their families. I think of my life and the struggles that I am faced with on a day to day basis and I sit in awe, and the struggles and hardships that they went through and how they persevered even in the darkest hours. To have unwavering faith!

Joseph's Mother Lucy Mack Smith was a remarkable woman!
standing up in front of her friends and family and maybe even people she didn't even know,  and proclaiming that the Lord is the master of his own Hands, that he will break the ice in the river that was stopping their journey, because he knows that that is what they are commanded to do. And as soon as she finished proclaiming her testimony in the Lord, the ice broke, so that they could set sail. and as soon as they had passed through, the ice formed back up again.

How many of us are willing and able to stand and proclaim at the top of our lungs that we KNOW WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT, THAT IF THE LORD SAW FIT TO MOVE THIS MOUNTAIN AND MAKE IT LAND HE WOULD! I ask the question to myself, how strong is my faith? how strong is my Testimony? And as i sit and feel of the spirit proclaim to me that what I have heard is true, I cant help but offer a prayer unto my Father in Heaven, asking him to forgive me of my weakness. Joseph was a remarkable young man, and grew to be a Man of God. I will forever have an emotional heart towards this man and his family. To endure as they did. I will forever be on that journey, but I hope and pray with the deepest desires of my heart that I may be able to do this task. I hope and pray that I may be an example of unwavering faith. I am True and Steadfast! I will be a Servant to my Heavenly Father and to My Savoir Jesus Christ. I will be an example to his children. And when it is all said and done, he will say to me "Well done my true and faithful servant!"

I leave these thoughts and my Testimony with you, in hopes that I may touch the lives of others.
-Amen

Family Fun

I am making great progress slowly but surely! we have now successfuly posted 2 new recap posts and now onto the next! this post is going to be random family pics that have been going on the past few months when i have been going home on the weekends for baby showers, wedding showers, and just family needed time. its always a blessing knowing that no matter what is going on in your life you always have your family that will be there for you. they will support you and love you through it all! to my great and dedicated family this post is for you!



Creating modle magic creations!



Family Dinner is always an EPIC moment in the Ebert house hold, and this Sunday was no exception to that! Grandma Ebert was coming to dinner, Blaine and Mel were in charge of the salad, and Jonathan was in town from St. George too! so getting all of us together was such a treat! And what a blast we had together!



NO one should have to see that! LOL



Savannah and her pout! oh she gets me everytime with this look!!

 



Britton and the girls were so funny! they played together the whole night! and this is them eating chocolate icecream together



 



Mom and Grandma talking about Grandma's childhood. its so wonderful to hear her stories! they get better and better each time she tells them!

 

 

Mel you are stunning and your my "favorite"







she had chocolate everywhere! and she kept asking Grandma for more!






Oh Grandma Betty, how much we love you and truly cherish your presence with us!!! I love you so much!!!



The running joke in the family is if you can make it through family dinner, you've made it in our family! looks like everyone is still making it!  

Cooking has always been something that I have loved to do since I was a little girl. I can remember wanting to be baking all the time, I watched cooking shows instead of cartoons. Julia Child was my favorite Chef to watch Saturday mornings, so its always nice to see it in the family.



Emily AKA "Lump Bump" as I have so Poetically named her is
 sporting the great look of soon to be again mommy!!!



Here is Abbie and Savannah making gingerbread cookies with Emily

With cookies being decorated and I believe was a triumphant success, it has now come due time to clean up the mess...unfortunately each girl has decided to ignore the instructions of their mother so politely of not looking at her. Oh these girls make me laugh so hard!

As time goes by we were drawing near to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's 60th Wedding Anniversary! And what they wanted to do to celebrate was have everyone in the family come together and do a session at the Timpanogos Temple.

 It was so fun and so spiritual to be with my family in the Temple. While we were there we ran into Julie Beck! The General RS Pres!!! WOW what a woman! Its was an awesome day! After our session at the Temple we came back to Jan's house to eat and give Grandma and Grandpa their presesnt; which was a book that was compiled together of all the grandchildren and great grands! Each child got a page to display 5 of their favorite photos! it turned out to be really cute! 



Grandma and Grandpa Johnson on their Anniversary, right after the Temple Session.



While we were eating Tiffany's son decided that he was going to "rap" for Grandpa and this little video clip is of that. I hope your able to hear it; I havent personally seen it since the I taped it; but just know it was hillarious and so cute! WEll... I think that just about sums it up for random pics of the fam! But dont worry, I still have Thanksgiving, December, January and February to get caught back up on!

Still Playing Catch-up!

OK Fam so you saw my crazy unorganized blog posts yesterday, lets hope i can make sense of this one today. So lets get started with just some of my favorite random pics that have been going on up here in Logan. And of course things that me and my roomies like to do; Football games, fires at Porqupine lake, cliff jumping in the middle of the night, camping in Green Canyon, and of course everyone loves going home to see family. so lets start with that.

Me and Kaylee up Green Canyon for an RS Activity



Kaylee and me at a USU Football Game! "Utah State Hey!
 Aggies all the way! go aggies go aggies hey hey hey!!!



yes i am giving myself an in home peddy!





Kody, Mayo, Adam, and a fire buddy who i dont know.. But I love my boys!!! Im so proud of them!!! Thank you for always keeping me safe!!!!



Maili, Lisa, and Tinesha in the mall at 12am right after our first

"Splurge" party at Maurices!





Here is Erin AKA "Polly" yes we believe that she has some sort of desease, we are unsure of the sorce or where it came from but yes she is crazy! and i love her more and more each day! Erin is my Saving Grace out here in Logan, I would have no idea what to do with myself if i did not have my "Polly" but yes she is a little on the coo-coo side!



Kaylee and Maili enjoying a bonfire night @ Porqupine Dam





Me and Jill being all sorts a crazy in her house.
Our photographer is her daughter Saige who is 4yrs old! haha what a great night! We were so loopy!!! it was really fun! I love her so much!



 

Me and Jill on North Beach in Bear Lake on the Idaho side. This was a great day. Maili and I drove up to the lake the day before to have a relaxing day at the beach; and then Jill and her family met us the next day. we swam all day then went back to the cabin to hang out. A side note to this day is that there was a huge storm the night before and it knocked out ALL the power to the cabin! Maili and I thoguht the house was comming down with how strong the winds were and how heavy the rain.

 The next morning we met up with JT and Braden and Travynn and make breakfast burritos on the grill and then took out the wave runners and waited for JIll and her family to join the festivities.(other small side note;with the power being off..we didnt realize that the burner on the stove had been left on. and it was left on HIGH!! ALL DAY!!! we got home to the cabin around 11pm and found out that we had left that on! OOPSIE!!!!

Here is Braden cooking our breakfast on the grill that is still al





 IT'S PARTY TIME!!! YES IT'S KAYLEES BIG 21!!!! WHAT A FUN DAY!!!! Kayless Bday fell on a Sunday this year, so we couldnt get too crazy but we invited everyone over and called some of her old roomies from her first year up here and threw her a bash to be proud of! and you know that, that cake is FUN FETTI!!! is there anything better? I think not!!!



Opening presents from all the roomies!



 

 Aggie games are the best! whether they are at the Spectrum or in the stadium you always need to be there! And since I love Football so much these were a regular this fall season.



Me and Matt Peterson! How much I love this guy!!!



And this is how we do games!!!! What an awesome croud! this was Homecomming game 2011.. sad thing is, we ended up loosing the game in double overtime!!!! it was so sad! but we faught hard and no one, has TEAM SPIRIT LIKE WE DO!!!!

There are so many crazy things that go on in my life that its hard recaping things that have occured. there are always things to do, and random spirts of energy that no one knows where they came from. The random ready wip fight, the "Hulk Hands" that were bought at the DI the hikes, bonfires, ice blocking down old main; there are just so many things! Pretty much what it comes down to is Life is Great up here!!! I love Logan and never want to leave! I love my friends! there are challenges and occasionally broken bones, near death experiences with drowning or being dropped off a cliff rock climbing. but all in all things are good and life is good. you always have to look on the bright side of things! John Bytheway said "If you want to have good things in your heart you have to put them there". And I truly beleive that! I want good things! I am determined to put "good" things in my life and in the end I will be blessed and the people around me will be blessed too! 



Cole Bunderson sporting the HULK HANDS!



Tyler Swensen AKA SWENNY after the ready wip drop competition



 

Here is Maili, Cole, Swenny and Kaylee ice blocking down Old Main on TRUE AGGIE NIGHT! It was super fun and super cold! but we had a blast! after ice blocking we came home and made breakfast burritos for everyone! we didnt get to bed till about 3am that morning! what a night! 

 



Maili and her WWF backpack! she is very proud of it!



Here I am rocking 20lbs lost and my new boots!!! WOO WOO



Kaylee and Matt Peterson

So that about wraps it up for right now! there are more posts to come! I still need to recap Christmas, family moments, nanny updates and so much more! But right now I have spent the last 2hrs trying to blog and that is 2 hrs that I could have been studying for my Med tests tomorrow! hahah but who cares right! blogging is important! LOL ok ok im leaving now. thanks for reading and come back soon!