family vacation 2014

My family went back east for two weeks and it was pretty much our greatest vacation thus far. It was the PERFECT trip. Perfect weather, no major complications, and even minimal bickering (somehow). I wanted to share some photos with you!

So without further adieu: 

Away we go! (we flew from SLC into Rochester, NY)

FIRST STOP: PALMYRA, NY

Visiting the Joseph Smith Farm and Sacred Grove

Visiting Hill Cumorah

Visiting the building where the Book of Mormon was first published

 Peter Whitmer Farm (where the Church was organized)

Baptisms in the Palmyra, NY temple

NEXT STOP: SYRACUSE, NY

We really just stayed in Syracuse for a night on our way to NYC, but we did visit this fun little place there called 5 Wits and did this fun little espionage-spy-simulator-game-thingy… :)

NEW YORK CITY

 1. View of Times Square from our hotel room 4. Eating at Planet Hollywood

2 & 3 are photos of St. Patrick's Cathedral

Lego World

M&M World and the American Girl Place

Nintendo World

Officially the coolest Apple store ever.

FAO Schwarz

We saw the Lion King as a family (so good) and my brother and I also saw Phantom. 

Diner where the staff sings as you're eating

 Statue of Liberty & accompanying museum (I'm obsessed with that mirror pic of Kelsey and Isaac with the Statue of Liberty hats)

1 & 2: street fair

 Ground Zero

 1. Central Park 2. Site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911 (Kelsey made it to Nationals History Fair with her project on it earlier in June) 3 & 4. Rad pigeon man

 1. I'm also obsessed with this picture Kelsey took 2. Manhattan temple

HOBOKEN, NJ

If you aren't familiar with the show "Cake Boss," it's based on this bakery.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

 1. Ben Franklin glasses 2&3: Liberty Bell

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed.

 See the resemblance? That's the original chair Washington sat in!

GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

 1. Amish country we drove through on the way

WASHINGTON, D.C.

1. D.C. temple 2-4: U.S. Capitol & tour

 1. National Archives 3. Supreme Court building 

 (That's the White House in the background of 1 & 2)

 1 & 2: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 4. Challenger astronauts' memorial

 2 & 3: WWII memorial

 2 & 4: WWII memorial 3: Vietnam memorial

 #3 is the Hope Diamond

 1. New Deal cane 2. HARRY POTTER WORE THIS 3. Golden Spike (I was starstruck!!) 4. GEORGE WASHINGTON WORE THIS

 1. Nauvoo Sunstone 2. Dorothy's ruby slippers 3. An iPod is actually in a museum.

Air & Space museum

(we also went to the Holocaust museum which was AMAZING but no photos aloud!) :(

NEXT UP: YORKTOWN, VA

 We were in Yorktown on the 4th of July, so we got to watch the fireworks there over the river! So fun!

1. We watched the fireworks with some friends from my dad's mission (he was a missionary in Virginia). 4. Visiting another woman my dad knew on his mission

WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Colonial Williamsburg is the CUTEST little place, and they designed it perfectly so it feels just like you stepped back in time. (Williamsburg is generally considered the birthplace of the Revolution)

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

Aaaand.. home bound! We flew out of Norfolk, VA. Look at the luggage in our car, guys. That's an art. 

Yay for fabulous vacations! I miss it so much! Alright, I missed a lot of photos and a lot of these are a little jumbled, but I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS POST FOR FOUR HOURS (it doesn't help that our internet has been incredibly crappy lately so I have to keep reconnecting to our Wi-Fi). 

So anyways, I'm going to quit and go eat dinner now! 

Until next time, 

Haley.

give it to GOD.

I had an interesting experience a couple weeks ago. I got to meet a woman that my dad knew while he was on his mission in Virginia.
We spent a while catching up with her and she mentioned how her daughter had had a baby unexpectedly a few years ago. No one knew she was pregnant, not even the daughter (how does this happen?!?!?).
Anyways, she said something that I really loved. Her daughter had just had a baby! Meaning she had had sexual relations with some man before she was married, something that our church frowns upon quite a lot.
So what did the mother do?
This was basically what she told me:
"I gave it to God. I didn't have to beat her upside the head for her decisions! It was too heavy of a burden for me to carry, so I gave it to God. He handled the whole thing for me. He's still handling it for me, I don't have to worry about it. I never had to worry about it."


I was so impressed. I was so impressed and am still impressed at her faith in God. She was willing to trust completely that God was over all. She explained that if she kept worrying and asking about her troubles, she was showing God that she didn't trust Him to handle it.

My friends, when you have troubles, give them to God! Give them to God and then let go of them. God can handle it. Christ already carried your burdens. He suffered for you already, so you don't have to keep carrying around regrets and burdens, worrying about whether or not they're taken care of.

Let go. Let go of the heartache, of the regret, of the guilt. Let go and let God take care of it.
TRUST that He can take care of it. He doesn't need you to keep reminding Him about troubles that you should have already let go of.
Don't let your past weigh you down. Surrender completely to God and His grace and trust that things are taken care of, that you can proceed with your life with a light heart and a bright smile.

Show God that you are willing to move on with your life and that you are thankful for the bright future He has given you.


She was such a neat lady and I really learned a lot from her. Join with me as I lay my trials before God and then let them go completely. Join with me and show God that you trust Him enough to let Him carry your burdens. Join with me in giving it to God and forgetting about it.

Haley

Trek 2014: A Gospel Worth Sacrificing For

Hello my dearest readers! It's been a few weeks since I last posted, but it's not because I've been neglectful, I've just been out of town like the whole time! But I'm back now! Yay! 

So a few weeks ago, I went on trek. I mentioned in a post that I was going, but I never blogged about it, so first thing's first. Let me tell you a little about trek! 

This was the youth in our ward right before we left. Trek ended up being postponed a day due to several inches of snow. I was super bummed at the time, but we still had a great experience.

But here's the thing about having a shorter trek: we were worked to the bone! We had to make up the miles, and it was incredibly taxing physically.

I was so so sore every night and I got so tired after walking for so many hours. It was brutal! Seriously though, so brutal!

But I'm so glad it was hard, and here's why:

It was hard for the pioneers. It was so much harder for the pioneers than it was for me. They walked for months at a time, and often in bad weather. They got sick. They got hungry. These were all things I didn't have to deal with.
And even despite the luxuries I had, like good hiking shoes and a good coat and as much water as I needed, it was still really hard for me. I was so spent that at times I doubted whether or not I could continue.
BUT I did. I continued. I made it the whole way. The women's pull was also really long and difficult, and at moments I wondered how we could ever do it. But guess what? We did.

Here's what I learned on trek: I can do hard things. We all can do hard things.

Even though I doubted myself sometimes, I somehow always made it from Point A to Point B.

This is such an important lesson to learn! Do you know why?
Sometimes we will be called upon to carry burdens that feel too heavy. Life is hard, and sometimes it feels like we can't carry on, like we can't endure. But we can. With the Lord's help, we always can.

If you aren't familiar with trek or with the women's pull, here's briefly what it is. All of the men and boys in all of the families get called away on missions, and the women have to stay behind and pull the handcarts alone, usually up a big hill. At the end, the men are able to walk beside us, watching for a few minutes, before stepping in to help with the handcarts.
This was such a neat experience and taught me so much. Again, about burdens. The men were called upon to leave and serve the Lord, and had to carry the burden of leaving their family behind. The women, then, were left with no choice but to continue to press forward, pulling the handcart.

In life, sometimes we are called upon to spend extensive time serving the Lord by fulfilling our callings. Sometimes other things come up in life, and we find that we have to change our plans. No one can get through life without carrying some burdens, is what I'm trying to say.

But what do we do? We press on. We move forward with the knowledge that God is over all and can make weak things become strong.

So that was the first lesson I learned on trek. I can do hard things. Whenever the Lord calls upon me to carry a burden, I can do it in His name and with His help.


Here's another lesson I learned on trek: the gospel is ALWAYS worth sacrificing for. I mean, why do you think the pioneers were able to keep moving every day? Why were they able to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even when they were freezing or filled with sorrow because loved ones were dying? How did they do it?

It's because they had something worth walking for. They were going to Zion. They were following the prophet, and in doing so were following God's commandments and gracefully working through this burden. They knew it would be worth it. They knew it would be worth it for their posterity who could live in peace, away from persecution. They knew it would be worth it to leave a heritage of hope and sacrifice, one that their descendants could be proud of. One that GOD could be proud of.

Friends, the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It was worth walking for. It's always worth sacrificing for. That's the only way the pioneers could have pressed forward every day. They knew they were sacrificing for a worthy cause.

How was I able to press forward every day? I remembered them. I remembered the pioneers and I thought of how much I love the gospel and how I am willing to do anything to keep it in my life and in the lives of my children and posterity. I leaned on their strength. I followed their examples. And I continued to have faith that the Lord would help me carry my burdens.


I know the gospel is true. I love it with all my heart, and I want everyone to know it. I want to be all in, willing to sacrifice and carry burdens to help the gospel to move forward. I know that following the commandments is always, always worth it.
Hard things come our way. They always will. I know that God is over all and that if He felt it was right, He would take my burdens. But sometimes He sees, in all His wisdom, that I need to endure certain trials.
Ours is not to wonder why. Ours is simply to trust and have faith and remember that things always work out.


I'm so grateful that I was able to go on trek and learn these truths, even if it was hard while I was enduring it. I truly never could possibly appreciate the pioneers as much as I do now if I hadn't carried that burden.
If you ever get the chance to go on trek, go go go!!


"We came through that experience with the absolute knowledge that God lives, for we became acquainted with Him in our extremities! 
"The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay."-Francis Webster of the Martin Company

Haley

observe and learn from others!

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't blog last week!
Hopefully all your summers are going great… I'm leaving for pioneer trek TOMORROW and I am really excited! Anxious too, but mostly excited! :) I will be sure to post about that when I get back home.

I saw this quote on Pinterest the other day and thought it was interesting. You could definitely interpret it multiple ways, but in the moment it made me wonder how many people around me have things to teach me - to teach everyone - and yet they never open their mouths.

I know so many quiet people; people that I didn't really expect much from but have really surprised me once I've gotten to know them.

The people around you have more to teach you than you might ever believe. You can learn so much about love and compassion and hard work and true joy and sacrifice just by watching others. Can you think of someone in your life whom you have learned something from, even if they never used words to teach you?

Pay attention to others. Be perceptive. You have no idea what lessons you might learn if you watch others and ask people about their lives, especially people you don't usually talk to.

What else could be accomplished by reaching out and paying attention to people, do you think? In a regional stake conference we had a couple months ago, I heard the following quote:
"Some ask in silence because their arms are too tired to be lifted up."
Could there be people around you who need - even desperately need - help but don't ask for it?
Certainly!

I feel like I'm jumping around a bit, but I think the message I'm trying to get across is pay attention to people. Don't just go through life with your blinders on, only thinking about yourself.

There are people to help. There are people to learn from. There are people who have needs and don't make them known. There are people who could bless your life greatly if you just reached out to them and got to know them.

One thing I know about people is that they can surprise you. So be aware of the people around you. We need others to help us be our best selves. And others need YOU!

People hold their tongues. They don't always tell others what they are really thinking. In fact, they rarely do. Learn to be perceptive and understanding of others. Their life will be blessed and surely yours will be as well!



Have a great week! I'll just be trekking away!

Haley

cheer up others

One thing I've learned in my life is that service heals!
It heals the server, it heals the person being served. It heals society!

When I serve others I grow closer to God. I learn how to care for and minister to others, and I also learn about myself.

There is nothing more humbling than reaching out to others, and in the process realizing that my own life isn't too bad. I always get a better perspective on my life when I stop to cheer up a friend.

Remember that nobody can go through life on their own. Some of society's greatest problems could honestly be solved if everyone felt that they had a friend who loved them unconditionally.
I mean, how great is it to know that others love you, care about you, and are rooting for you to succeed?

How great is it to know that God loves you. That even the God of the universe is hoping you will realize your dreams!

Help others to feel loved. Help them to feel not only loved, but also appreciated and needed by others and by God.
Help others to feel joy and be cheerful.

I promise your life will be so much more fulfilling and happy if you do!

Haley


P.S. I'm definitely rethinking the Monday-Thursday blogging schedule. Don't count on that.
It's just that recently I've been frustrated because I don't really always have great ideas at the top of my head to blog about. So when Monday/Thursday rolls around, I often end up settling for a post I don't really like because that's the best I can do at the moment.
Like today. I've been sick and exhausted all day and really didn't feel like blogging. But I thought this little picture and quote was cute, so that was what I went with. Haha.
But regardless of the days I choose to post, I promise I will continue to try to be good about posting often. :)
Have a lovely evening!

He GIVES and TAKES AWAY.

Job 1:21: "...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."


So the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
But wait. Does God ever really take away?
True, to us it would sometimes appear that He does.

Sometimes it feels like there is more bad than good in our lives.
Sometimes we are bombarded with trial after trial, and it can be hard to praise God when your life feels like it's falling apart.

But God's ways are higher than ours. God has a different perspective than we do. Is a loss to us always a loss in the grand scheme of things?

No. It isn't.

Many wonder, "how can there be a God if bad things happen to good people?"
Friends, God does everything for a reason. We can't always see what the reason is, but I promise that we become better people through our trials.
One day, after our earth life is long over and we have a much better perspective, we will understand why God does what He does.

I praise a God who GIVES me so many amazing things. My family and my heart and my emotions. I praise a God who gives beauty and love so freely. I praise a God who gives life.

And still, I will praise a God who TAKES AWAY. A God who is omnipotent and a God who sees all. I will praise Him when times get hard, because I know that He is mighty to save. I know that He knows what He is doing.


So can we worship a God who would let bad things happen? A God who would let people be taken from the earth early, a God who would let us feel sorrow sometimes?
Absolutely.

I will praise Him, my friend and my teacher. He always knows best.
He understands things that I never could.


Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns



Remember that all things will eventually work together for our good.

So join with me in lifting my hands always to the God who gives and takes away.


Haley.