Summer Reflections

So, summer happened. And guess who never posted on her blog? Jessica. So guess what she gets to do now? Sum up three amazing months in one post!!! Ha ha. Summer brought a lot of working, fun, and partying. My job finally took off, and I had some pretty crazy--but fun--shifts! :) So, on June 10th, I headed off to my last year of Girls Camp. :'( It was a really amazing experience, and I loved being around all the sweet and amazing girls that live in my neighborhood! I spent a lot of time with another "sixth year", and by the time Thursday night rolled around, we were a mess. We cried so much that night... I'm pretty sure we lost the younger girls' respect. And that's assuming we even had it in the first place... ha ha. :) But the thing that I learned the most is that our Heavenly Father is in charge. He has a plan for each of us, and even if it's hard, we are going to be all the better for it! Our theme for the week was "Brave", and each day we had a quote that went along with the theme. My two favorite quotes were:

"Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
          -Christopher Robin

"Fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
          -Thomas S. Monson

These quotes just made me so happy! First of all, you can NEVER go wrong with a Disney reference. Never. Secondly, they are so right! We are so much more than we think we are. In fact, we have infinite worth, and a God in heaven who will help us become braver, stronger, and smarter. :) And as we trust in Him, we will be able to see His plan and realize that our future is glorious! Our now may be hard--we all have trials--but our future is bright as long as we have faith in God's Plan of Happiness.

Then, in the middle of July, my parents took my family on a "mystery" vacation! They kept the secret of where we were going for over two months--isn't that impressive? When we got the airport, they finally broke the news. We then got on the airplanes and headed towards Pittsburg, Pennsylvania! We spent a day and half there at the zoo and aquarium. Then we drove to New York, and saw Niagara Falls! It was AMAZING. And.... I saw Canada! And I waved at some Canadians! :) Ha ha. Then we went to Palmyra, New York. While there, we visited the Sacred Grove, the Smith Farm, the Hill Cumorah, the John Johnston home, and a few other sites. We also saw the Hill Cumorah Pageant, which was pretty cool. (Nauvoo is still better. Just saying. :D) Then we drove out to Kirtland, Ohio. Kirtland was amazing. I actually felt the Spirit stronger in Kirtland than in Palmyra, as did the rest of my family. It felt like a little Nauvoo! :) It was so cool to see where my ancestors and the early leaders of the church lived, worked, studied, and worshipped. We were so blessed to have the chance to be there!

Hanging out at Niagara Falls!

The E.B. Grandin Print Shop

My sisters!

My family at the Smith Farm.



The School of the Prophets, located in the Newel K. Whitney Store.

The Kirtland Temple... kudos to my sister Emylee for the cool photography!

 

 

And that's about all I did this summer! :) I had a wonderful time, and I learned a lot. Here goes my Senior year! :) Thanks for reading, and come back soon!