YOU are priceless and you are worth everything

It is so hard to be confident when society is telling every girl they need to be skinnier or look like a model, wear this and that, be more like someone famous, eat this and not that, starve yourself, have a thigh gap, date guys who party, get pregnant, do drugs, do this and that.
Like doesn't this make you want to scream! You aren't aloud to be yourself, it's hard not to do things for popularity, or to get the most likes or favorites on instagram and twitter. Life has become more like a popularity contest. God put these things on earth because He knows we can get through it, with His help. You dont need to be popular, you already are in God's eyes. You're perfect! Girls: You dont need to be a size 0 and have a thigh gap, you're perfect the size you are. You dont need to layer on that extra foundation or put on several coats of mascara, im sure you're gorgeous without makeup even if you have a pimple or two. I have them too! And guys: you dont need to be the strongest of them all, the best looking, the most wealthy, sporty, but you should be yourself. Dont let others change you if thats it what YOU want. Be yourself, dress like YOU not some famous person who doesnt even dress themself. You are good enough and you are worth the world.

What i thought was love

Teenagers these days think they're in love when they get their first boyfriend/girlfriend. For some of you that may be in seventh grade, others even older. I can tell you several times where i was so i believed "in love"
Love is more of a sensitive subject for me now because of this one boy i fell so hard for and it took me so long to finally get over him. I've just learned to only say you love someone when you really sincerely mean it. Somethings arent going to last forever so enhoy it while it lasts! Be careful, don't break your heart for someone who doesnt think youre worth it

Power of God

This was an experience that happened to me while i was up at girls camp this summer.
I woke up early on june 30th, i woke up at 4:30 i had just gone to the bathroom then went back to bed, but i couldnt really go back to sleep which was terrible because i was about to be going for four days into the mountains where i wasnt going to get lots if sleep. I sat in bed til five A.M. when my alarm was set to go off, so i showered hoping that after i had showered i would feel better. The ashcrafts were coming to pick me up soon and i was really dbating on whether or not i should go up. I felt nauseous all morning. When they came to pick me up i decided i would just go, i knew i would be blessed. We went to go grab some breakfast at McDonald's isabelle told me just to order something even though i didnt feel hungry, i got it and never ate it because i just felt so sick. We got on the bus and I told isabelle i wanted to sit next to her, she saved me a seat next to her and next to the bathroom.  I never used the bathroom because i slept most of the time up to Camp Shalom. I woke up when there was about 20 more minutes to drive and this was the most miserable time, i felt really sick and light headed. When we got there we set our things up. I was still feeling sick but went to the stake morning devotional anyway. Sitting the whole time definitely didnt help as soon as we finished isabelle and i went to the bathroom where i threw up. After throwing up you always seem to feel a little better, i felt only slightly better. One of my leaders gave me her ice cold diet coke to drink and it helped for a little while. Still feeling sick and miserable my ward ate lunch and i wasnt able to eat anything because i just didnt feel hungry. I laid in my cot all day except when i got up to go to the bathroom, i missed several activities that i waa looking forward to. Sleeping was nice but i would've rather been able to be outside with all of the other girls. Dinner was approaching and i was just tired if feeling sick. I had several thoughts going through my head to ask my bishop for a priesthood blessing. Finally i got out of bed and Maya and Michela came with me to ask my sweet bishop for a blessing. Him and his counselor found a spot where they could do it, they sat me down and blessed the oil then started the blessing. Michela and maya were there watching and listening. The bishop told me i'd feel better and also have the desire to eat. As soon as he finished i stood up and felt so much better! I was so hungry. As the days went by i felt better everyday. And i was so glad i asked my bishop for thag blessing. I strengthened my testimony of the gospel and the power of the priesthood. The church is true go tell your friends

Remember me?

Hello everyone!
Its been over a year since i've posted on my blog a lot has changed and happened!  This summer has gone by way too quick and im about to start highschool, its crazy. Five years ago i was going into fifth grade, fast forward five years and im now a sophomore! I am so excited to meet new people from other schools. I am so glad to be out of jr. high. Some of the kids just seriously bothered me!
Yay highschool, i never thought i'd grow up so fast but here i am and its crazy to me!
A few exciting things that have happened this year
-i got my learners permit
-My oldest brother got engaged and will be getting married next month
-i went to EFY with my best friend Becca
-i have a babysitting job that i love!
-i went to girlscamp, which was a blast
-my older sister Rachel came home from her LDS mission from Dominican Republic
-i took a summer course of drivers ed
-i started my first journal in April and finished it in July
-i got a smartphone 📱
-Marissa comes home in four weeks!
-i get my braces off in September!!!!

2014 has been a really great year so far and its coming to an end quickly! I am hoping to do a blog post once or twice a week. So we'll see how this all turns out, ive had this blog since 2011 i think and now that im older it should be written better and a little more interesting.

Enjoy 😄
-Heather Renae

EFY & Girls Camp 2013

Well since you really want to hear about my EFY and Girls Camp experience I will tell you  about it. Even though I kinda forgot about it...  sorry it won't be very interesting.

So EFY.. it was themed "Firm in the Faith" Helaman 3:35

MONDAY: I roomed with Mariah in the new Heritage buildings

My counselor's name was Marisa Ellsworth, she was super cute and nice. (and short)

I asked her if she knew my sister (Rachel) but she said if she saw her maybe she would remember.

Monday checked in got to the dorm and got set up for the week. Then we met our group talked until we had to go and meet our company we made up our company name it came out of Alma 37: 6-7 we came up with Salvation of Souls a.k.a. S.O.S.

We had a fairly big company, more girls than boys so when we were escorted, there was 1 boy to 2 girls

around 3:30 we had orientation, we met our session directors. the Knowltons from Springville

they are a super funny couple and so full of the gospel

I loved having them as the directors!!

Then we had dinner..

then FHE I don't remember that, that much we set goals as a company

The other counselors in my company were Kristina Moore and Max-maxwell vaterlaus

I absolutely loved my company, like one big happy family!! =) then we went back to our dorms and had time to get ready for bed and write in our journals and stuff then at 10 we had reflect and review every night, then lights out at 10:30 that night Mariah and I stayed up til like 1am just talking and laughing we were just sooo hyper so we had a "dance party" and I called mom that night too, I called her almost every night to tell her I loved her, we put our beds together because we got scared so then we could get to sleep hahahah

TUESDAY: morning devotional on service, breakfast then we went to our company spot and had gospel study, the grass was always sort of wet so i didn't like sitting on it

Then the boys escorted the girls to the morning side with the session directors, we talked about fasting and praying often. Every morning for morning side we'd talk about the next line or so in the scripture Helaman 3:35. Today we had classes to go to, my first class was like really boring, but I took notes. no i take that back my second class was taught by this super nerdy guy and it was like the MOST boring class ever!!!! Cuz im no nerd

Anyway during my 1st class this guy came and sat by mariah and I and he wanted my number. I was kind of the prettier one out of mariah and I (that sounds totally bratty but kind of true) hahah so yeah he wanted my number. His name is Mitchell Mayberry from Arizona. He's really nice to me, we still talk sometimes too he wanted me to eat dinner by him it was super weird. but we did, so im sure he was soo happy

I helped Mariah get ready for the dance tonight, I did her hair, makeup and gave her a cute outfit. .we went to lunch then went to more classes ...  back to the classes the third one I went to was the BEST one, the teacher was a Texan/German man Klaus Oehring he was so funny. I went to my last class and Sis. Capener taught it, she was kind of crazy but I liked her she had a really poppy attitude. She talked about the atonement and how it's the ramp to exaltation.When that class ended the session director came up to me and asked me if i had gum, when do i never have gum? so i gave him a piece, then he wanted to take a picture of me. worst picture ever!! After that class we had free time so that's when Mariah and I got ready for the dance, We both looked so cute, luckily both of our dances were outside so i didn't get too hot. I danced with a lot of people well boys that is hah and don't worry I asked boys for girls choice too! Mitchell asked me to dance, not during a slow song, he taught me how to swing dance!! It was weird at first but then i just went with it. It was so much fun.

***quick thing so theres this crazy girl in my company who is total boy crazy, her name is Miriam Funk. So there's this boy from New Zealand (Curtis) haha he has a funny name   anyway  she's totally in love with him, one of the days when we were waiting to get lunch she went up to him to play him a song on her ukelele. When she got up to him he said "you play the ukelele and she just dropped her ukelele on the ground and started to cry!!! hahahahah then he was like "did i do something wrong" and then she says" no I just love you" so he hugs her and looked over to the boys in my company and when he was hugging her he mouthed to them "what the heck" haha he was so weirded out, we talked to him during free time today!! I didn't really like Miriam a.k.a. Uke Girl Everyone called her that hahaha she kind of annoyed me, and was the BIGGEST FLIRT EVER!!!!

anyway back to my journal stuff we had a good time at the dance then went back to the dorms for our nightly routine. All the walking made my feet hurt so I went to bed fast

WEDNESDAY: we had our participant devotional on gratitude, then breakfast then gospel study, then we went to morning side, what do you know he shows my picture to everyone!!! I was so embarrassed. but I gave him gum so it was nice. He taught us about humbling ourselves and staying close to our parents because Satan chances for success improves as he can get youth to drift from their parents, then he said there's safety and security when your parents are nearby. We had to go to two classes today I went to a class taught by Sis. capener  she talked about Talents, she shared a quote i liked" Don't ever be intimidated by another person's talent, be INSPIRED by them!"

Then I went to Bro Oehring he talked about choices. I loved his class today! Then we went to lunch, then we met as a company, then we had a Preach my gospel missionary thing, you won't believe who I was paired up with, Uke girl!! She didn't do anything just stared at Curtis when we were preparing our lesson. then we had free time mariah and I went to the creamery to give my money to Marisa for pizza night, but she wasn't there so we went our by the courtyard thing outside of our dorms because ours was right next to the creamery. but there was Curtis playing soccer with BC Ben he was a counselor guy. but they asked us if we wanted to play, Mariah was a bit hesitant but I was like "SURE!" so we played and we just shot on Curtis he blocked mariahs goals but not mine. hehaha he was so attractive, we were talking to him after and he was wiping the sweat off of his face with the bottom of his shirt so we saw his 6pack!!! we had to wear our EFY shirts so we went to our dorm and put them on for Game night, It bugged me so bad how everyone called it games night. We went to game night/banner an cheer prep

Cheer prep was so stupid because no one would listen to whoever was talking so our cheer went to row row row your boat. The games were lame but fun anyway hah

Then we went back to dorms for pizza night. We had papa johns pizza, and talked for a while, then we watched Miranda sings videos on Marisa's laptop.  then we had our nightly routine. I forgot to add something!!! so when mariah and I were walking to dinner Curtis and his cousin Andrew both from New Zealand knocked on the window and waved at us!! hhaa

THURSDAY:today was the day we dressed in our sunday clothes!!!!  we had our participant devotional on modesty , then breakfast then gospel study, then we went to morning side

Morning side today was split by genders. But it was great!! We (the girls) got out 15 minutes before the boys, the boys were in the Joseph smith building, the girls lined up outside along the sidewalk and sang hymns while the boys walked out. we had enough girls to reach to the boys next destination. then we went into an amazing morning devotional by the session directors. I cried. He talked about how girls influence boys and just because we don't have the priesthood

doesn't mean we don't have anything special. "The Errand of Angels is given to Women" After, we walked out and the boys were lined up along the sidewalks clapping and giving the girls the nicest compliments, The only thing i could do was smile, and when I tried not to smile, my mouth just smiled haha. By that time it was already time for lunch. At lunch Bro. Knowlton came and sat by our company, he took a picture of our group of girls.   then we met as a company for an EFY game show that was from 1:30 to 3:15 then we had free time, mariah and I hung out under a tree and went out of our comfort zones and talked with all of the cute boys that passed us :) my sister marissa would say "oooohh boyyszz". then we had dinner and then we had the musical program **********I wanted to be in the musical program but i didn't want to go by myself so we didn't go :( back to the stuff after the musical program Bro. Knowlton gave us a fireside after we sang the EFY medley. The spirit was already so strong but once we started singing this song it was over whelming! Made me teary. we were escorted to testimony meeting. I was crying!!!!!! but you'll be so proud of me because I stood up and bore my testimony but I kept it really short so I wasn't just crying in front of people.. Today was such a testimony builder I learned that i really don't know what other have been going through, some peoples testimonies made me more emotional then others. But I loved EFY!!!!!

FRIDAY!!! believe it or not mariah and I slept in so we missed our morning devotional with our group. We had both turned our alarms off thinking we'd only sleep for a few more minutes but we slept for any extra hour. we ate breakfast late too, then we went to gospel study with our company. then we had session director morning side the morning side was fantastic!! I loved it

then we had company pictures and then lunch after lunch we went to the variety show. it was so cool! I really enjoyed the variety show, this guy sang and sounded exactly like Michael Buble!! I wanted to marry that guy then and there!! he reminded me of you two. then we had free time.we hungout with our friends and put our numbers on little papers to give to cute boys, i wasn't planning on giving them to anyone it was just for fun though. then we went to dinner and at dinner we talked with this counselor Grant, he's the one in the picture i sent, anyway we told him that he should ask marisa out on a date. and we told him to dance with her during a counselor slow dance then he would ask her. we got ready for the dance and met with our company. Then we went to the dance. this dance wasn't very long but it was fun. at the dance, we had a secret mover with grant to tell her when  to ask marisa to dance, he actually did it!! it was so cute to watch them. Oh yeah and mitchell hugged me, and mariah!! hah it was hilarious When me and my friends were standing in a circle, we had like no dance moves so we made up a dance! hah it was a funny dance. then for the last slow dance it looked like curtis was going to come and ask me!! but it wasn't a specific gender ask thing, so mariah got the guts and asked him. im happy she did it though because she really liked him. anyways when we were walking out of the dance this number kept on calling my phone and I had no idea who it was!! then he told me i danced with him and i didn't remember dancing with anyone with that name, then he told me he found my number on the ground!!!! Apparently one of the little papers i made had fallen out of my back pocket. After the dance we went to the Joseph Smith Building for a slideshow, Bro Knowlton showed the picture of the group of girls from yesterday.. we met as a company to say our goodbyes it was so sad. they were really like my family.  they were separating the girls and boys and the boys did a little huddle then said " we love you ladies" i about lost it there.

we decided that as a company we'd meet together in the morning. so we walked back to our dorm and packed then went to sleep.

SATURDAY: Goodbye efy. We woke up and said our goodbyes to our company, I got teary but no tears. I said bye to mitchell too, he hugged me and said a few things then I left. I was soo glad I got to go to EFY I'm for sure going next year because I loved it. I was sad to leave

THAT WAS SOOO LONG!! holy cow!

I won't make this one very long

GIRLS CAMP we had a lot of free time, we did secret sisters this year!!!

 tuesday: got to camp, nighttime was so cold.

wednesday: Isabelle and Brooklyn broke my nice cot. I was so mad I had to sleep on a really crappy cot..

thursday: lake time, isabelle showered. I washed my hair in the freezing cold water with Maya, my head was like an iceblock!!! put hand warmers in my sleeping bag, hubba bubba

friday: pranks, first dance off, testimony meeting,  miss shalom, the most boring hike ever!!

saturday:  dance off, riff off, sing off, hymn off, battle of the wards when we were waiting for our bus. we also caught salamanders in the lake cleaning, I caught one!!

I remember a lot more from EFY because of the handbook thing i wrote alot in that and it had the schedule of stuff so i just needed to remember details. but at girls cmap they didnt give us a schedule i will send pics from girls camp in a few minutes

LOVES!!!

Looky here!

Special thanks to Zoe Lazerson for taking our cute pictures!

OverView of Summer

 

Oh how I miss summer:)

 Both of my sisters are leaving me very soon to serve missions. I'm really lucky to have them as my sisters, I love them so much and cannot wait til they get home! I know what they're doing is the right thing but I'm going to miss them.. Marissa Puerto Rico: Rachel Dominican Republic