'tis the season

This Christmas turned out to be pretty great! It was one of those years that you know it just didn't feel like Christmas. I'm not sure why.. but it felt like it today. And that's what matters:)
See today it was all about family. And I am so grateful to have mine! We've had fun AAAALL day long from the tradition of snuggling in (or more like piling/squeezing into) mom and dad's bed to shooting each other with Nerf guns! From non-stop photos to over baking dinner rolls. From finding the "Christmas Pickle" home made ramps. It has been a fantastic day:)
I think today though is best shown through.. PICTURES!! :D (in other words I got a brand new camera and documented today in 254 pictures and figured I might as well use some of them!)
sooo..

Logan still has that Santa spirit which is soo cute! He had so much fun today with his new little puppy (which he lovingly named Softy. The other little MightyBean in his had happened to be a dog. Therefore the Bean's name is Mini-Softy hahaha ADORABLE!!) playing with his legos, discovering his new play castle. He is just so CUTE! :)

Dylan is very serious about his legos. He LOOOOVES building them, and he particularly liked his new Ninjagos (please don't ask me what they are. I have no clue!) He's always very curious and extremely creative. It was fun taking pictures of him because his look is always so inquisitive! He's a sweet kid:)

Kyle my red-headed buddy! Today he got his own video camera which he absolutely LOVES! He and his friends like to do tricks and show off, so he is super excited to be able to film and edit them. He's the cool kid, so he also loves his new Jazz flat bill hat;) (which is unfortunately not shown here:( ) He's had fun filming today and just hanging around with everyone:)

Nate. He loves snowboarding, snowboards, snowboard brands, snowboard thoughts (getting the picture??) and baseball:) hahah He's had fun today wearing his new Burton beanie (snowboard brand) and doing tricks with his ChuckBuddy (more on that later. they were a huge deal in our household this year! But just to clarify, they have to do with boarding:) He's a stud. No doubt;) and isn't afraid to chill and play with his brothers all day. He's been sweet:) family. That's what it's all about!

Mom and Dad (who's 19th anniversary is this week!!) are wonderful:) Mom is the perfect and most amazing example of love for others. She made sure we thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas (with Dad's supervision of course;) and made it special for us all. Dad too made sure this was memorable and wasn't afraid to get down and play with the boys. And trust me HE DID! I have the continuous sound of Nerf bullets ringing through my ears and the joyous sound of "OOOHHHHHHHHH!!!" every time someone made a jump to prove it! haha

My family made this Christmas a special one. Truly. And I love EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! :)
(but of course we're not done. I still have pictures to share!:)

 Some of our favorite things this Christmas:)
[top left] CHUCK BUDDIES! So they're these little snowboarding trick figures. They have little magnets in their hands and their boards so they can show the perfect "grab" and you pretty much build a ramp out of anything (and EVERYTHING! seriously we had everything from left over cardboard to clamps to card tables!) and then you push these little buddies down the ramp and you watch them jump and fly and all this other fun stuff! :) since they're magnetic, that picture was taken on the fridge. Pretty cool, huh?
[top right] Dinner rolls. Family favorite. Except this time, we ran out of eggs. So we substituted. With mayo.. (just so you know, i was a little doubtful, but it worked!) They expanded like no tomorrow! I barely had the chance to roll them out before they started rising! it was crazy! And then we forgot to switch the temperature from 400* to 325* (BIG difference!) luckily we caught it before we burned the first dozen! So this time it was adventurous and fun:)
[bottom left] a friend from church brought us homemade tamales which are POSITIVELY DELICIOUS! oh my goodness I love them!! yum yum yum!
[bottom right] ChuckBuddy:) that one is Nate's. Each of the boys (including dad) got one. Each a different color. So it's been fun to watch them set up courses for their buddies to ride. I may just have to do a photoshoot of them. They are pretty cool;)

Well. That was our Christmas! Hope everyone had a FABULOUS one as well!:)

I just want to take a second to say, the toys and the trees, the lights and the laughs, the fun and the food are all great! But the true meaning of Christmas is Christ. The birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A beautiful gift from our Father in Heaven. In fact, it's the greatest gift of all! Christ is the reason we can make it back to our home in Heaven some day. He suffered for our sins. He died for you. He died for me. And this Christmas season is the celebration of His birth. He is the King of Kings and our brother. This is the season to remember all that They have done for us. Let us not forget it.

Merry Christmas everyone! <3

"the house of the lord"

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the temple this weekend. We went as a youth group in our ward. It was so peaceful:)
Sometimes, it's not easy being strong. We want to break down. We want to cry. We want to have someone hold us and just listen. And then tell us everything is alright.
But the temple.. It's different. In trying times, it brings us peace. Even if only just for a little bit. Just walking the grounds, I could feel it. Sure the lights are beautiful, especially since it's the Christmas season. But it's more than that. It's comfort and a little breath of heaven. At least that's how I see it. With an open heart and an open mind, you can find tranquility.
It's even better on the inside. I am grateful to be worthy enough to hold a temple recommend. Going inside just brought me so much peace. I found answers to prayers and confirmations so strong, I could not have gained that anywhere else.
Within the temple, sacred ordinances are performed. One of which is baptism for the dead. We were baptized for about 250 friends who have waited for many many years. I personally was baptized for 15 women, all from the early 1800s. How cool is that?! They've waited nearly 200 years for that day! To finally be united as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in confirmations. It was very heart-warming:)
Sure, life ain't a piece of cake. Worries, stresses, pains, sorrows, confusions, disappointments and so much more surround us in a whirl-wind of sadness. Yet the temple takes care of that. For those few hours I was there, it was replaced with peace.
I am grateful to have a temple close enough to visit often, and I cannot wait for the day that I am married there for time and all eternity. I can't even describe how important that is to me. But it will be so wonderful:) I just know it!
I love the temple!!:)

missionaries

I love missionaries! I am always amazed at their dedication to the Lord for two years and the strength they have. They have a wonderful Spirit and such strong teatimonies. You can feel it with every word they say.
We had these wonderful Elders over for dinner tonight. I love the unique experience each brings. Each came from such different places (New Zealand, New Jersey, Utah, and Hawaii!!) yet you can see the love they have for the gospel radiate from their eyes. I can't wait to someday see that same love shine in each of my brothers, and of course my future husband, maybe even myself.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is soo true! It brings true and lasting peace and happiness. I am so grateful for missionaries!! Love them and the message they bring is so true!

Elder Logan, Elder Fifita, Elder Shelton, and Elder Casazza with the future Elder Hendricks's :)

a 17 year old..

Wow! I can't believe I'm 17!! It's weird to think about! I've learned so much over the years, and have so much more to learn. I am grateful for the blessings God has given me, especially my family, friends, and church. I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have them in my life.
This year I hope to grow closer to my Heavenly Father. And to find a greater appreciation of myself and the people around me. I hope to spread smiles and sunshine to everyone I know! :) loves to all<3

-things i am grateful for-

God.

family.

Nathan

prayer.

home.

piano.

TOMS.

friends.

goodmorning.

laughter.

individualworth.

stars.

twizzlers.

temples.

HeavenlyFather.

smiles.

imagination.

JesusChrist.

music.

wishes.

change.

waffles.

movies.

Jasmine.

forgiveness.

driving.

trees.

integrity.

dancing.

kisses.

sunshine.

countrymusic.

Michelle.

photography.

decency.

creativity.

parents.

rain.

colors.

theAtonement.

cookies.

sweatshirts.

grocerystores.

service.

brothers.

virtue.

jeans.

Autumn.

movies.

military.

hugs.

Prophets.

amazement.

hands.

church.

mousse.

EFY.

food.

clouds.

peace.

teachers.

Madison.

divinenature.

hair.

thoughts.

time.

modesty.

learning.

talents.

texts.

beauty.

Katie.

inspiration.

Christmas.

lactaid.

happilyeverafter.

fun.

shopping.

goodworks.

airplanes.

money.

birthdays.

trust.

childhood.

walking.

contacts.

dreams.

Annie.

growth.

quotes.

faith.

safety.

theHolyGhost.

facewash.

charity.

ancestors.

challenges.

kids.

work.

memories.

theSacrament.

ribbon.

understanding.

gifts.

princesses.

eternity.

socks.

RascalFlatts.

knowledge.

pillows.

footsteps.

constancy.

baking.

Patty.

hearts.

remembrance.

flowers.

rainbows.

TaylorSwift.

crazy.

baseball.

support.

calm.

Seminary.

phonecalls.

weekends.

new.

progress.

comfort.

doctors.

Summer.

light.

coziness.

happiness.

theBible.

creation.

choice.

accountability.

bodies.

sweetness.

technology.

books.

sleeping.

tears.

LadyAntebellum.

secrets.

massages.

improvement.

backroads.

openness.

theBookOfMormon.

journals.

fairytales.

lucky.

pancakes.

cleanliness.

guitars.

thePriesthood.

joy.

wonder.

precious.

moments.

simplicity.

love.

quotes

A few thoughtful words that have really meant a lot to me:

"well being pretty is mainly on the outside. Plus you can always put effort into looking pretty. You're beautiful if you're beautiful. You can become beautiful or lose beauty. But it's not just about what you put on or how hard you try. Being beautiful is who you are."
~nathan van katwyk

"every woman deserves a man who calls her baby, kisses her like he means it, holds her like he never wants to let her go, doesn't cheat, wipes her tears when she cries doesn't make her jealous of other women, instead makes other women jealous of her, is not scared to let his friends know how he feels about her, and let's her know how much he really loves her."
~cody carlson (fb)

"love is louder than the pressure to be perfect"
~annasophia robb

“I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill—crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars."
~dieter f uchtdorf

"the best kind of friend is the one you could sit on the porch with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you've had."
~christina christensen (fb)

"‘Bill, I have never helped a “nobody” in my life. In the kingdom of our Heavenly Father, no man is a “nobody”’”
~marvin j ashton

"once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale"
~anonymous

"just be you, because that's who I love."
~mark norman

"Life is like a piano. The white keys are happiness, the black keys are sadness. As you go life's journey, remember the black keys make music too."
~katie kay martin (fb)

jazmatazz!! <3

Awww man I love this girl!! 138 days since I had seen this girl. Aww man have I missed her!! She is just the sweetest thing ever. And no matter how far apart, we're still the best of friends. We can have the craaaaaziest adventures together. From scary movies to getting lost, shopping to goofy pics, school to running in the rain with our TOMS on, this girl is mine:) I love her sweet spirit, and I love how almost nothing has changed between us. She is beautiful and I love her to death. Can't wait til spring break;) love you jaz!

the miracle worker

Whew! Another play done! And many more to come (I hope.) it was definitely crazy. I learned so much about myself, and others. I wanted to portray Helen as realistic as possible. Yet i wanted to find myself, be real to myself as well. It wasn't always easy. There were quite a few times my steps were taken grudgingly. But I am happy with the way it turned out. I am happy with the people I was able to work with on both casts, and through the long hours, silly emotions, bumps and bruises, lack of sleep, and the craziness of it all, I'm so grateful for the learning experience it became. I dedicate this to the true Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan, and all those associated with them, and I cannot wait to meet them someday in Heaven. Thankyou for the amazingly inspiring story. May your memory live on! <3

madds:)

Who would have thought that a simple English buddy freshman year would end up being one of the greatest friends in my life. I've learned ever so much from her, and she brings me closer to my Heavenly Father every day. Loveyou madds! <3

the beginning

So I felt inspired by so many of my friends to start a blog that showed the many blessings God has given me. Sometimes it is difficult to see them, but as long as I keep walking, putting one foot in front of the other, then I believe we can each look back and see His hand in our lives.
My plan is to show my life through my TOMS:) haha yes my shoes. But how else can I show how to Take One More Step without my TOMS? :)
I hope that this may be an uplifting blog to everyone. I think it will be a great blessing in my life as I begin to see things clearer and I hope that it may show everyone how much God loves us. He really does love you. Sometimes it just takes one more step to see it:)