The best part of being a teacher.

Deseret Book. 

I could spend hours in this store and when my friend Sarah goes with me, we spend even more time. 

This was our date for the day. In the heat of the sun, we walked to the new Deseret Book store in Draper and started to look at all the trickets we Mormons love to buy. I was looking for a scripture bag for my new scriptures and Sarah was debating on purchasing new scriptures for when she goes to University in a week. 

While giggling and gleefully looking around the story, a little small girl walked up next to me. I looked down and there was Becky, one of my brightest students in last years class. I came down to her level and she hugged me tight. She showed me that she could now blow a bubble with gum and that she was excited to start Kindergarten. She hugged me again then walked around the store with her dad. 

I don't know about you. . . . but I am grateful I was a teacher, even for the small moments like that. 

"Onward, Ever onward"

It is high time a post came about the day my mission call came. I waited long enough for it. ;0)

On April 11th 2012, after a long wait, I finally received it! I was called to Suva, Fiji Mission speaking the beautiful language French. However, there was recently a change to my mission. I got my visa papers and it said New Caledonia, which is an island that is a hour plane ride from Fiji. It is a French Colony Island, which is where my French will come in. I got a letter from the mission presidents (My mission was split after I received my call) and it stated that I am going to a “mission that is one of the most diverse in the world”. Here is why it is so diverse: New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Samoan Islands (Which is now my Mission, Vanuatu Port Vila) have several different groups of people. Although the Island that I will be staying on is territory of France and the official language is French and you are a French citizen there. So they are Europeans but there is also Polynesians, West Indians, and Indonesians also there which means there are roughly about 29 Melanesian languages there. I am so excited! I also found out that there are 30 missionaries that are stationed in New Caledonia and there are only 10 to 12 sister missionaries there. But here is the really exciting part; only 3 to 4 of the sister missionaries are Non Native. I am one of those! It is truly a blessing and a great honor to be one of the few called to some of the world’s most beautiful islands to preach this gospel and to have the spirit use me as a tool to help the people there.

My dear friends. . . . The gospel is true. No battle. 

Sept 12th is coming up fast. (Insert girly scream here) 

Dancing + Music + Love + Youtube =Perfect Bliss

If my life was to be sorted out into filing cabinets and categories  rather then chapters in a book you would find a good mix of things. Misplaced categories of lessons that should have been taught in early years of life, my favorite places and best kept secrets. The recipe for my green monster shake and other delectably items. Pages and pages of rough drafts of stories, scripts and ramblings of my imagination. The largest lyrical songbook of every lyric I have memorized. A large folder of my fears and right next to it a even larger file of a little something I like to call the " The best love story, that was never written"

This file contains all my girlish ideas of what Disney poisoned my head on how I will receive my prince charming (Although the show "Once Upon a time" is pretty great about that topic, but that is totally unrelated)  Many of my friends have either gotten engaged, married or are now having a baby with in the past two years which has left me with a missionary badge rather then a diamond ring. Although I have made my choice on what do to for the next 18 months and am very happy with my decision, I still ponder on the eternity after my return home and lets face it folks, I'm a girl, I will think about it, I was programmed too.

A recent discovery has made my hopes of the future sky rocket once I saw this and made me incredibly happy and looking forward about my future in my files on courting and eternal love. 

I hope this makes you incredibly happy too. 

*To my future husband: Be creative when proposing. You will be happy with the results if you do. 

Magazine Photo Shoots

Oh Wal-mart.

My love for you has severely grown since September 2011 when you have always been willing to help me with my preschool needs. I'm walking through your doors at least once a week to buy the necessary snack or craft time items that I need for the little ones. I've scanned your book and magazine isle every time I go and usually find something to flip through for some last minute tips on make up or hair. However this week I didn't find something to just skim over, I found something to the other extreme.

There she was. . . All dolled up in a pink sparkly dress with wisps of blonde hair romantically being blown, obviously being blown by a overly large fan on the right hand side of the photo shoot. Many of you know her as the snobby little girl on "Uptown Girls",  Wilbur's human caretaker in "Charlotte's Web" and for the new generation of the anti good books readers, the petite vampire with looks that kill (literally) I was not shocked to see her on the front of a magazine for she is highly famous, it was what brand of magazine she was on.

For those of us who don't know what "Cosmopolitan" is, it is a mature adult magazine. . . if you couldn't already tell by the several headlines posted in bold letters around Dakota's frame. Many of the vampire following know who this girl is and idol her because (If my math and research are done correctly) she is 17 years old. Many teens can "relate to her" because she is also in her teens.

I was shocked, but thought, the choice is hers to do what ever she so pleases and publicity is publicity and left it at that to retrieve the items I needed for the week.

As I stood in the line to buy such items I notice that the magazines where now being replaced with the "more updated" copy of each magazine . . . then came my second surprise.

This is the newest issue of "Cosmopolitan"

Many of you know her as the witch from a known Disney show. Others know her lyrics such as "I love you like a love song (pause) BABY!" and many of you hate her for being Justin Bieber's girlfriend, but yet still follower her twitter account to see if they have broken up yet. This is the part I found amusing, She is a year younger then me, she is 19 years old to be exact and I remember three years ago when she talked with several leading talk shows and proclaimed she was waiting till marriage to have sex and wore a chastity ring. Well now with the big JB himself is with her, the ring is gone but both parties claim that they still are keeping their promises to them selves. . . But has anyone noticed the headlines on this cover that are bigger, bolder and more eye catching colors then the performers name? So she's keeping her promise to herself, but leading her fans to discovering what that promise really intel's and how the articles along side hers talks about how much fun it is?

Huh? I wonder. . . 

So here is my problem. . . Young teenage girls, when they have nothing better to do, just browse around Wal-mart (I'm witness to this) They will see these magazines with faces that they recognise and adore and who are teens themselves. They will pick them up and flip through the pages trying to find more of the photo shoot pictures of their favorite actress and along the way come across "Your best Orgasm", "Best sex ever" and many other things.

My little sister who is about to turn into a teen next week can tell you the names of both performers from the past two issues. She can't tell you who the older performers are from the past six months worth of magazine issues, but she can tell you who these two are because she listens and watches them. I personally don't want my sister going through these magazines even if she knows what these topics about (Which I hope she doesn't)

The age of innocence is becoming extinct and following the traits of  being a gentleman and lady which are now close to not being recognizable.

You can take the covers of this magazine any way you want. I judge the performers on them who knowingly full well what magazine they will be plastered on and the age of their fans who will want to see them. I judge the magazine company by sparking the interest of sex to young adults, where such topics should be talked to by parents and trusted adults, not articles about "50 best positions in bed" and "Ten things he wants from you"

Where are the real role models and why aren't there more of them? 

2 am meetings

I am one to be faint of heart to those whose hearts are falling apart. When I see someone in need, it's like a super cape comes on and I am to the rescue to help pick up the broken pieces and stitch them back together. At occasions it takes a few minutes and other times it takes months.

The day was normal. I was doing dishes since I had lacked in that duty all week and thinking about my life in 18 months as a LDS missionary. I will admit I don't want to serve in a few choice places and am terrified of where I might be sent. My father (who served his mission in Germany) randomly just came up to me and told me of when he was getting ready for his mission and work a job where he sorted mail and how at one moment in time he had this overcoming feeling that where ever he was sent, he would be okay.

My dearest friend S.A. and I went to a party where we only knew a handful of people. Later my other dearest friend S.J. (Both our my best friends) came in through the door and sat near us. As the movie of the night ended my friend S.J. and I started to speak about a boy at the party who had gotten sadder and sadder with each passing day. The boy we were worried about was someone I knew since Kindergarten and I didn't like seeing him put his feelings into a pressure cooker. I know the ending results of this if it kept going on. Finally after fifteen minutes of small talk with this boy, I asked:

"How are you, really?"

Then it came out. Not all at once but in baby spoonfuls. This boy had just came home from his two year mission just seven weeks ago and everything was out of place. He had claimed during the conversation that he had done what the Lord had asked him to do, yet when he came home everything started to fall apart. Minute after minutes I watched as words flowed out and a hidden anger got released. Things started to be said by this young man that those around him were shocked that he said these things. I thought I knew what to say but my thoughts just made him madder, then I let my friend S.J. take over for I feel that she is more in tune with the spirit then I am. But things did not get better.

It was 1:30 am at this point. My friend who had driven me to party was anxious to go since he was the driver and knew it was way past my curfew, however I was so demanding I said 'No' every time he suggested to go. The boy who I had grown up with decided to throw back our feelings and past situations we had told him but in a  hurtful way.

To S.J. "Why can't you just move on? why are you still stuck on something you can't have?. . . ." 

To S.A: "Why did you screw up in the first place? . . . ." 

and more mean things where thrown out to others sitting at the table, of course no one answered his questions, whether due to no reply or he didn't give them the time to reply. I was the last to be questioned by him:

"Why do you want to go on a mission Laurel? you weren't asked or commanded to go. Why don't you do what you were commanded to do and get married and make a family?"

Both S.J. and S.A. who were sitting at both my sides, placed their hands on my knees and gave a squeeze as if to say "Don't rip his head off" or "We really need to leave now" both knowing I had my mothers blood in me and I could give an awfully mean reply. However that is not the thought or feeling that came over me.  With out even thinking, I stretched out my hand and placed it on this boy who I didn't even recognize anymore and with tear filled eyes, said:

"I'm going, cause I love them. I don't even know who they are and I don't care or know where they live, but I love them. I want them to know of the love that not only what I have for them but the love that yours and mine Heavenly Father, has for them and how he knows all their heartaches and problems that there facing and yet he still loves them. I want to go, because I love them and want everything that is best for them, just like how I love you and want the best for you." 

That was the breaking point. My tears where shed by all members of last night meeting. But to me, I didn't even think of what I said, it just came out. I thought of my father and how earlier on that day he told me there would be a point I wouldn't care where I ended up and I know that's true now. I don't care where I go on my mission, I know Heavenly Father will send me where I need to be and I will love it no matter what. It's incredible what can happen at 2 in the morning.

I love you, please know that. 

"I can hear the bells"

You know the saying "Girls plan their weddings at the age of five"? Well I am the reason that saying even started to exist.
 I've been planning my wedding day since I knew what a wedding was (Thank you Disney princess movies.) 

When I was younger, the plan was to get married in a castle to a prince while wearing the biggest, poofy, sparkly wedding dress you could ever think of and then timings that thought by 100. Then have thousands of doves released when we walk through the doors as man and wife and have a big chocolate ice cream cake as the wedding cake. 

As I got older and realized what a small allowance in money I'll have to spend on my 'dream' wedding, so I've been researching over thousands of websites and paid a bucket load of cash on bridal magazines. . . and then there is a no thanks to the addicting pinterest which sucks me in everyday, I still have no idea what I want for my 'big' day, let alone a color scheme for it. 

But there is one thing for certain I know I want on that day. 

Looking back to when I was a wee lil tike, I knew what I was talking about when I said I wanted to marry in a castle. I know with out a shadow of a doubt that I want to be sealed for all time and eternity with my (funny, handsome, and ridiculously wonderful) prince in a castle that I see every day. I can't wait to be able to enter the temple and know that I have an eternal family from that point forward, that is why on my wedding day there will be a big smile on my face. 

I know that if I took the chance, I could go there now and have the dream wedding day I've wanted from my young age. Yet I am thankful for the fact that I can go on a LDS mission and make it so others out there, even if it is just one individual, can go through there and know that they have an eternal family also. 

One day. . . that will be me.

'Giving'

Due to recent events, both in my own and to those in my life, I've decided to put down my own thoughts on this thing called love. 

You may disagree and think I am naive but to me this is how things are,

and there is no changing that. 

Love is a frightening thing; 

it entails laying your heart on a cutting board, handing someone a knife, yet trusting that they won't use it. giving my love to you means giving you the power to hurt me more than anyone can or has ever had the ability to.

 It is then expected-no, required-that if you accept this love of mine, 

you understand these things. 

You must summon the courage to assume the responsibility to the precious gift you now hold. 

But somehow it seems incorrect to call my love a gift.

 you have earned every loving thought, 

every kind word, 

every caring gesture.

 'Giving' love to you implies that you don't deserve it, 

and that couldn't be further from the truth. 

Love is the most valuable thing I have in this world and I wouldn't just give it away to just anyone. 

Love is a verb: it requires action. 

from both parties.