I promise, I still exist.

    8.2.13

Have you ever had a rootbeer float that not only came with unlimited root beer, but also came in a glass that was bigger than your head? I hadn't. Until I went to this cute diner in Lehi. 

Sooooo worth the 30 minute drive. Go there ---> *One Man Band Diner*

    8.9.13

I got my wisdom teeth pulled. 

Now, I am a big baby when it comes to stuff like this. Like, it kinda freaks me out. So of course, what do I do? I start YouTubing videos of people that had just gotten their teeth taken out. (Literally the funniest things I've ever watched) Anyway, so my friend gives me a blessing the night before. And honestly, it brought me so much comfort. #priesthoodpower I was sooo much more at peace--before. Now afterrrr is a different story. Afterwards, I was wacko. We won't go into it, though. My healing process included some High School Musical, some ice packs, and some really great friends that stayed by my side the whole time. 

Shout out to...

Hayley for driving me and changing my bloody gauze.

Braeden for making sure I took my medicine and changing my ice packs.

Will for giving me a blessing and babysitting me while I slept.

and Kelly for getting me everything I needed and always checking up on me.

    8.11.13

Q: What is better than a picnic in the park?
A: Going to a picnic in the park on a sunny Sunday with some really cool people.
Sundays always seem to be the most beautiful day of the week. Sundays make it really hard not to recognize the beauty of the earth and reflect on the wisdom of God.

Looking at theses pictures and thinking about how beautiful the earth really is reminds me of the primary song My Heavenly Father Loves Me:

Whenever I hear the song of a bird

Or look at the blue, blue sky,

Whenever I feel the rain on my face

Or the wind as it rushes by,

Whenever I touch a velvet rose

Or walk by our lilac tree,

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heav'nly Father created for me

But really, though. Heavenly Father created all of this for us. Why? Because He loves us. Everything He does He does because He cares so much about us and loves us.

    8.21.13

Today my Carls Sister Case reported to the MTC.

Omaha, Nebraska sure is in for a treat for the next 18 months. Love this girl.

Blessings are like stars- there are too many to count!

Sometimes your heart just aches.
Aches so much that all you seem to be capable of is crying.
Aches because of stuggles you're going through.
Or because of heartache others are experiencing.
Sometimes it just aches and you don't even know why.
But sometimes, more often than not, when we allow ourselves to see all of the good and happy things that still occur everyday in our lives, living becomes a whole lot more beautiful.

I was feeling pretty low today, until I came across Hunter Kofford's blog.
It just made me realize that there are some very strong people out there that have gone through way more than I'll ever have to. The story of Cooper Kofford definitely touched my heart. What a beautiful family.
I'm also learning how to care more about others when I'm in the midst of my own seemingly-unbearble struggles.
Because I know that it is a selfless, Christ-like thing to be able to be completely lost in your own hardships and tears but still be able to put it all aside in order to find those that are in need of help and love.
Like I said, I'm still learning.

Lately, I've also come across a lot of things about being thankful. Literally, everywhere I turn it's like I'm being reminded to be grateful in all things.
Thank ya Lord. He knows me so well and knows exactly what I need to do to be better.
I think that by remembering to count our blessings is Heavenly Father's way of helping us to remember that He really does love us and really is mindful of us.

So things I'm thankful for:
the Gospel (everything petaining to it- scriptures, the Prophet, my Savior, Church, institute, prayers, etc.)
music
blankets
technology
kind people
BYU
missionary work and missionaries
a safe place to live
green Utah grass and the sky
food that never seems to run out
laughing
memories made and memories in the making
pictures
all my senses
good friends

Speaking of good friends and memories-- what does a night of stargazing with a bunch of great people look like?

long walks back and forth, avoiding the long-boarders, counting the satellites and shooting stars, playing truth or dare (dare or dare), spouting off goofy pick-up lines, singing hymns in the dark, snapping pictures every 2 minutes, mainly just flashing the camera to see the path, arguing about which constellations are in the sky and which ones aren't, etc.

Happy Thursday,

Court

As They May Become

You know those days where things that you have heard before finally strike a cord and help you see how much-needed-to-be-learned lessons can be applicable to your life? Or those days where you hear things that actually make you listen?

Yep, it's one of those days.

But the Sabbath usually has that effect on a happy-hungry soul.
Not to say I'm not happy, because I am; I'm very happy.
But sometimes you have those days that help you see that extra bit of room you have within yourself to make necessary improvements.

Today at Church we were taught a lesson that was based on a talk given by our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, called As They May Become. We learned about the significance of seeing people, not as they are, but as they may become. This is an excerpt from the talk:

During the 1940s and 1950s, an American prison warden, Clinton Duffy, was well known for his efforts to rehabilitate the men in his prison. Said one critic, “You should know that leopards don’t change their spots!”

Replied Warden Duffy, “You should know I don’t work with leopards. I work with men, and men change every day.”

A couple of semesters ago I did a project for a class (Living Prophets, Barbara Morgan-- best class I've ever taken in my life) in which I had to pick a Christ-like principle that I wanted to work on, and then apply that principle to my life (by the way, I chose charity). At the end of the semester I had to put together some sort of project that showed how I applied charity to my life and how I had made progress, personally. Toward the end of the semester, I read this talk, As They May Become, and it truly changed the way I viewed people. 

I just want to bear my testimony that I know with all my heart that when we see people through the eyes of Christ and see them for who they are meant to be, according to their fullest divine potential, not necessarily as they are, but rather as they may become, THAT is when we have taken a step closer to our Heavenly Father, because we are learning to be patient and to love despite what we see and think we understand.

We also talked about struggles at Church today.
We talk about a lot of pretty cool things in Church. #goMorms (yeah, I just did that #oops)
Anyway, the low down on struggles: they're good for us.

It's easy to say that when talking about them, but it is most important to remember it when in the middles of stuggles and trials. We have to look at them as opportunities of growth and understand that all the challenges we go through are tailored to our individual needs in order to help us become our best selves and to become like our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Okay.
Random.
But the apartment across from mine is definitely setting off fireworks. Inside. It's pretty entertaining. And distracting. And possibly dangerous, but you know-- #YOLO.

So, today we had an overcast sky. Pair that with a couple of loverbirds and you got yourself some cute pictures.

Tanner and Kelly. Telly. Cuties.
Kelly is my roommate/best friend/sister/laughing buddy/shoulder to cry on/godmother to my future children/etc. You get it. She hates me putting pictures of her up, most likely because people can't handle her darlingness, but ya know, we all do what we can for society.
Tanner is our friend that just happens to be a little more than friends with Kell. They're cute, it's fine.
Yeah, and that KT was already carved into the tree. Food for thought.

Hope y'all had a Happy Sunday!

xoxo,
Court

Happy Pioneer Day, Y'all!

So a bunch of friend's and I get up this morning and head down a couple blocks away to this huge festival. I'm thinking "Oh this is cool! A festival with friends and families and wholesome activities- how fun!", still having no idea what this festival is for. Finally, about 10 minutes of being at the festival, it hits me.

Pioneer Day.

Well, who knew?! (Everyone except for me of course). *Welcome to the party, Courtney*

Anyway, so Pioneer Day! This is actually a United States holiday, but pretty much just Utahns celebrate it (and probably your select few out-of-state individuals that just want a reason to shoot off some fireworks-- but hey, why not?). So Pioneer Day is a celebration (every July 24th) of the arrival of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers to finally reach and settle in the Salt Lake Valley over 100 years ago. This day is really a commemoration of the physical, emotional, and spiritual endurance that the Mormon pioneers faced in escaping religious persecution by trekking from Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley.

Seriously though, what great examples of endurance, integrity, faith, and character! I always hear about our ancestors and the hard times they have gone through, but over time, I have definitely gained such respect and gratitude for the pioneers and I'm so grateful and blessed because of the sacrifices they made. They truly have taught me (and hopefully not just me), mainly 2 things:

1) Always be FAITHFUL, no matter how hard it gets, because God knows us and loves us and the struggles that we face are to help us learn to trust in and draw closer to Him. It is important for me to let the struggles that I face strengthen me, rather than turn me away from God. Our individual struggles are tailored to our individual needs to help us become our best selves. So faith is key.

2) What kind of LEGACY am I going to leave behind? It is so important for me to make sure that I develop a strong, unwavering testimony of what I know to be true, because my testimony is what will determine how I live my life, and how I live my life will determine the legacy I leave behind. My legacy is how people will remember me. I want to be remembered for being a Christ-like individual. Period. I will probably not reach perfection in this life, but I want to be remembered for having tried my absolute best.

*Now, cue Hannah Montana's "Nobody's Perfect"*
Oh, those were the good old days.

So, although I have lived in Utah a year now, I haven't actually celebrated Pioneer Day until today! Some of my favorite festival activities of today included:

-Tomahawk Throwing- talk about not holding back... literally. (LOL?)
-Log sawing- let's just say that it takes a lot longer than a minute and 27 seconds to slice through a giant log
-Rootbeer chugging contest- those 10 year old boys do not waste time.

All in all, it was great. We got some branded logs, free pixie sticks, and some coupons to Pizza Pie Cafe! What more could a poor college student ask for?
#livinthelyfe

Also, the other night I attended a special Pioneer Day concert in Salt Lake City and may I just say... it was the most beautiful concert I have ever attended. The talent shared and the Spirit felt was beyond anything I expected. It was so pure and amazing and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go. The video below is a recording of the whole concert.

'

So yeah. Check it out. Great family night-in activity, for sure.

Happy Pioneer Day!

xoxo,
Court

First Things First

Well, here's to my first post! I have officially joined the blogging world. I'll let you know when I catch my breath.

I would definitely say that my primary reasons for starting a blog are very similar to some of my main desires and purposes in life:
to influence others for the better
to touch some lives here and there
to share what I know and believe
to recognize the little, beautiful things in life that go unnoticed
to speak kindly
to learn as well as to teach
to see things through new perspectives
etc., etc.

This quote pretty much sums up how I feel [in regards to life and to this blog]:

"There are few things in life that bring as much joy as the joy that comes from assisting another improve his or her life." 
-Richard G. Scott

I'm also a Mormon, or as I like to call it, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon, and not because of things I've heard or because of what others believe, but because I have read it for myself (really though, I have) and I have gained my own knowledge of its truthfulness.
It really is such a great book.
It has taught me so much and is one of the major reasons I am who I am today.
This video is great, too.

I hope that as I learn the art of blogging, I'll be able to impart of some bits of enlightenment here and there.

xoxo,
Court