ask for help

Finally. FINALLY. I am home! For good this time. This summer has flown. My family had a great time in California, but I am so glad to be home. I can’t say that I’m dying to go back to school, but I’ll at least be glad to have a set schedule back. And I am so excited to be back in my home ward!

Here are a couple pics from our trip…

Golden Gate Bridge. It was fun to have my best friend Sydney in California with us.

Isaac’s birthday. I wonder if he likes his iron man toy?! (sorry for blurry pic)

I think I need to get into a better schedule with studying my scriptures and conference talks. I’m pretty sure I’ve done okay this summer for the most part, but especially the past couple weeks I’ve let my good habits slip a bit.

I was thinking the other day about the blessings I might be able to have in my life if I simply put in the tiniest bit of extra effort. Maybe all I’d even have to do is ask for them.

I wonder how hard it is for Heavenly Father to watch us struggle. It’s probably harder than I can imagine. As much as it is surely possible for Him to take away our sorrows, to bless us with strength, perhaps sometimes He waits for us to ask. Somehow, sometime, we have to learn to trust and rely on Him.

Maybe sometimes I put off things like scripture reading because I’m too busy trying to deal with things, solve all my problems. Surely just putting in the time to read my scriptures and following the commandments would solve my problems more efficiently, wouldn’t it?

I’m grateful for a Father in Heaven who blesses me so much. One who is patient and understanding always. I want to spend the necessary time so that I can draw closer to God and make sure that asking Him for help is always the first solution to come to mind in times of trouble.

We can make life so much easier for ourselves if we simply remember to ask. Ask for help, ask for more love, a softer heart, more angels to bear you up.

“Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you.” – Shakti Gawain

Have a great day and week. God is good. Always remember this!

Haley

California 2012

Long time, no see??

It sure feels like it.

Anyways. I have a good excuse. My family and I have been in California the last two weeks... it's something that we do every year. Both of my parents grew up in California, so we go stay with my aunts and grandparents in Los Banos every year so that they can get an adequate dose of nostalgia... :)

Prepare yourself for lots (and lots) of pictures...

Our trip started out celebrating a birthday. Isaac is 2 years old!!

San Francisco skyline

We have our traditions... actually for years we pretty much did the same activities every year we went out there... we go to Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz, The Island waterpark... but we have started branching out more. I've been to CA many, many times... but had never been to San Francisco... so it was really fun to go see it this year. 

I looooove the architecture and the uniqueness of all the buildings... soooo cool.

Golden Gate Park

This really cool looking flower observatory place... just so happens they are closed Mondays... and of course, we were there on a Monday.

Probably the first ever carousel ride for this little kid...

 I think the sign said that this was the location of the first children's playground in America... hmmm...

My dad claims that everyone who comes to San Francisco must get a picture of the above houses with the skyline behind it... (what I wouldn't give to live in one of those... I like the yellow one in the middle...)

The most we could ever see of the bridge. Lame, right? It wasn't even foggy anywhere else. Just there. 

Next year, I guess!

We are easily entertained.

Lombard Street... "The Crookedest Street in the World" apparently... Those poor people in the above picture rode down it on Segways... 

Ghirardelli Square...

Hard to tell in the picture... but Biggest. Ice. Cream. Ever.

We devoured it in probably 2 minutes...

China Town was probably my favorite. It was cool to see everything written in Chinese... (plus everything is really cheap in their souvenir shops... yay!)

We picked up dresses and slippers for both of the girls for like... $18 total. Sweet.

SF Giants game... they barely lost in the 10th inning. Bummer.

To say that Isaac had fun would be a huge understatement.

Zach got pooped on by a seagull. lol.

Notice the rag on Zach's head... I think he got a little paranoid after that...

My dad and I toured Stanford University... (haha. someday maybe...)

the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk...

We've been on this ride over and over again... and this is what our faces look like Every. Year.

I didn't go on this ride. I would've puked.

We always go get Marianne's ice cream after...

Monterey. If I become a multi-millionaire someday... I'm moving here. It has been my favorite vacation spot since I was five.

Our favorite lunch spot... every year we ask for a window seat...

I love shopping. So naturally, I love Cannery Row.

Souvenir shops galore.

Carmel Beach. Did you know that Doris Day lives in Carmel? I wanna go see her house really really bad. But I don't know if anyone really knows exactly where she lives...

We went to the Oakland Temple on my parent's anniversary. 

The temple they were married in... on the day they were married.

Cool, right?

(I had never been there before...)

We went to Fenton's after the temple... more huge ice cream.

All of the above pictures were from the first week... my dad only stayed out for a week and then flew back home so that he could work. The second week we went to another beach, but since my dad's phone was our main camera... we didn't get any pictures. (I found FIVE whole, perfect sand dollars!!)

Anyways. The second week we mostly hung out at my grandma's house and visited with our aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Give him the iPad and he will be content for hours...

"I do not like the cone of shame."

(name that movie)

The awful, long drive home... (blech. 14 hours.)

Anyways... we had lots of fun but I am really happy to be home. Where has you and your family gone over the summer?

Oh... and back to my regular blogging schedule now! No more two week breaks! 

haha. yeah.

Until next time...