Birthday Parties, Dogs, and Life

Okay, once again, another story for you all.... (I love talking about myself!)

My friend from seminary, Tyler, invited me to his 17th birthday party for Thursday night at 7:30pm. I was very excited until I remembered that I was going to a rehearsal dinner, that same night, for a friend, Melissa, who was getting married on Friday. I thought of reasons I could go, but it turned out that my mom really wanted me to go as well! She said it was alright, so long as I went to Melissa's reception Friday night. I was very happy, because I had not been to a guy/girl party in a while, and I loved an oppourtunity to look way cute!

I got to his house, looking all pretty with my hair crimped (my friend did it, but it took 45 minutes to do...hahaha) Then I kicked off my shoes, and played volleyball while waiting for more people to show up. I had a wonderful time, we did night games, karioke, dancing (chicken dance, hokie pokie =D) and dead man on the trampoline. I was surprised that there were many more guys then girls there, but Tyler had called me earlier to say that all of the girls he had invited had girls camp that week. Sad....But he asked me to invite some of my friends to come as well, so there were two more than there could have been! They were my buddies from our Liken movies, both had starred in some of them, and way sweet girls. I was happy I had a chance to bring them along!

Oh and I saw Tyler acting, and BOY can he ACT! It was the silliest little skit (Little Bunny FooFoo) but he played it so well. He's way good! I loved watching him. No wonder he is in all the musicals at his high school; he is amazing! :D

There were two people who came from families of 12 kids and 14 kids, and then there was me with 9 kids, one on the way. And all the kids in the 12 family had bible scripture names! It was way cool! I suppose I really didn't expect that many..... :D

When I got home, I chatted to my mother about the whole night. She is very smart when it comes to people, social situations, and how to re-act to some things. Like me, she was a bit shy during the ages of 12-14 but she came out of her shell and had a great time. That is what I am trying to do as well. I know that I am a bit....okay ALOT more outgoing now, and am usually the one who initiates new things (like dancing at a dance instead of talking and standing around... :D)

Oh and one other thing. Our family dog surprised us all by having puppies Wednesday night. We had no idea that she was even pregnant! (shows how much we know..) I was in my little sisters room, just reading her a bedtime story, when I heard squeaking coming from underneath the bed! I stopped reading and looked down to see a little, rat-like thing, and Safara, our dog, licking it gently. I freaked out! I took Savannah (my sister) upstairs yelling, "Safara's having puppies!" My mother came out looking distraught. "What?!" she exclaimed. We moved Safara and her little puppy upstairs to a more suitable room for delivering, and I went to change the sheets on my little brothers bed. (She had given birth to the first one on it :S) Fun stuff! Anyway, there are only three, and they are ALL BOYS! Last time she had 6 puppies, and they were all GIRLS :D I think that is very funny. They are black, and all of them have a white patch on their little chests. Two have all four white paws, but they all do look a bit like rats...I know they will look better when they grow up, but I hope they are not ugly because we don't know who their dad is.... I can't wait until they open their little eyes! I think that when a baby (human or animal) opens its eyes, it starts gaining its personality. Before that, they all look the same.

Thanks for your time, and I congratulate all of you who made it to the end without falling asleep! =D

"IV formation, boys! On the double!"
"Us friends gotta stick together, right Chill?"
"Uh, Lightning, not that close..."
"Um....what formation is this, Sergeant?"
(PS We just found out....that one of the boy puppies....is a girl. :S I hope shes not too mad at us! =D)

Awesome Scripture Nuggets

So I decided to dedicate this article to all of the amazing scriptural nuggets I have either found myself, or have been shared with me by other people. I will be updating weekly, so keep coming back, if you need that spiritual boost. Feel free to add your own in the Comments section. I love to hear different ideas, and epiphanies!

1. JST Matthew 1:22
"For in those days there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect..." This was one shared with me by my seminary teacher last semester, Brother Laing. He was taught constantly as a youth, that the very elect were to be deceived, and to be very careful, and watchful in everything he did. Brother Laing often thought, "Well, if the very elect are going to be deceived, then why should I, not even close to elect, even stand a chance?" It was a question that prompted a principal, which I wanted to share with you. Our Heavenly Father does not wish to discourage, or dishearten us as His children. That is the plan of the Adversity. He only wants us to be happy, not fearful. Hopeful and faithful, not doubting and disbelieving. If you will notice, in that verse it says if possible, the very elect would be deceived. That little phrase "if possible," makes all the difference in the world. So the question is, Brother Laing continued, how do I make it impossible. The answer, he showed us, was in verse 37, near the beginning. "And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived..." I'm sure you all know just what "Gods word" is, but just in case you don't, it is the scriptures He gave to us. Isn't that an awesome promise? The scriptures are full of promises just like this one. God loves us so much, He gives us as many opportunities as He can to help us earn His blessings. His tender mercies, and ever-watchful eye guide us, so that we may know we are never alone. I can promise you all, that if you do read your scriptures, and really study and ponder them, that it will be impossible for the devil and his angels to deceive you. I know it, because I, myself, have tested this principal, and have gained a testimony of its truthfulness. Try it out, just do it. I promise your life will be changed for the better if you do!

2. 1 Nephi 2:22 This is my moms 'accidental' favorite scripture. It makes me laugh because I have six younger brothers, and both my little sisters would love this scripture as well! "And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren."

3. Helaman 5:12, Doctrine and Covenants 6:34
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
This really is a good scripture mastery verse. What an important principal to know! Sometimes, when I need it most, a scripture like this pops into my head, (not without help, I'm sure!) and reminds me of where I am really going.
"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."
This one just makes me light up. I love how the Lord gives us little verses like this one, to comfort us, and help us simply have a better day. What would we be without them?

4. Mosiah 26: 13-14
Just a preface to this scripture, many of the Nephite people have gone astray from the teachings of King Benjaman, they being only little children at the time. Alma and Mosiah are trying to deal with all the rebellious ones, because now it is turning into more than just cruel words. Alma decides to go to the Lord in prayer to find out what he should do. I love this scripture simply because it is something that all teenagers face today, and we all can learn from Alma's great example. Look at what it says in verse 13.
(more later, going to our stake trek! =D)

Sweet Sixteen and Over the Hill!

Happiness! I turned 16 on Saturday, and my mom's 40th birthday is today. We both agree its a big month to celebrate! :D
We celebrated my mothers 40th on Friday night, with a concert in our backyard with people like George Dyer, Alex Boye, Jessica Huffaker, Daniel Beck and others. I loved to hear all of those talented people sing! I had a great time, and I think so did my mom. The pictures you will see around here are from that party....(this side picture is me playing my mom's Baby Grand, and the top is me and my mom =D)

So I want to tell you all about my surprise birthday party. And the one present I wanted. It all started when....
We were at a Mia Maid presidency meeting, deciding on activities for the girls in our group. One girls suggested we have a "Late Night End of School" party at someones house. Of course my mom offered our new home in Mapleton, the one with a large backyard. I was very excited about it, and quickly agreed it would be a good idea. So we set up the date for a Friday night, a week before my birthday, (but I didn't think about it like that at the time.)
My grandma on my fathers side called and asked if the kids could come down to visit her, and maybe do some weeding as well. (She had just had surgery, and couldn't do it herself) My dad was thrilled to be have a chance to torture his children, and visit his mom at the same time so he said "Of course,"
(I'm just kidding, my dad is an awesome guy)
That just happened to be on the same weekend as the party, so luckily, I, my mom and my little sister didn't have to go. :D We prepared all day long, making goodies, and talking about what we were going to do for fun. We had planned on starting at 9:00pm but no one showed up until 9:30pm. I was surprised and happy to see that four of my old friends had come, one bringing a birthday gift for me. I hadn't remembered inviting them, but I found out later that my mother had gone behind my back to get them there. They were the only ones that showed up until a bit later.
I was a bit disappointed to see that none of the girls from my ward had come, 'til I saw my Young Women's leader, Sister Huffaker, and her daughter, Aubry. Then I had to smile when I saw them with a present for me as well. I invited them in, and we all sat down and started eating all that yummy food we had baked earlier in the day. It was so good! We had triple-chocolate-chip brownies, assorted cookies, strawberry shortcake, and strawberries and fruit dip. Oh yummm....makes my mouth water just thinking about it..
Anyway, while us girls were all pigging out (and the guys wonder what girls do at parties with just girls) my mother was in her room, 'planning' something. While we waited, we chatted about life, school, and stuff. Then my mom came out, carrying a glass goblet, pennies, and lots of smelly candles. I looked up a bit confused, we hadn't planned this for the party. Not that I had any clue what in the world she was doing...
We were all sitting down as my mom introduced all the other baskets:
"Popcorn, Hot Chocolate, Movie Basket," "Facial Masks, and Foot Basket," and other fun stuff. Then she announced, "Now we come to the fun one," I looked expectantly at the candle and glass one.
"We are going to do Haley's Sweet Sixteen Glass for her birthday." I laughed. I should have expected something like this from my mom. She knows how to be sneaky like that. You should hear what she did for my dads 40th birthday! But that's another story....
Passing the goblet around, she had each of our guests put in a bit of sugar for the 'sweet' part. We taped sayings like "Girly Girl," "Boys allowed," (we cut out the "No" :D) and "Sweet Sixteen" on the inside of the glass. Then my mom proudly presented the 16 pennies, each with a year 1991-2007 for all the years I had lived. She had been collecting them ever since I was born, and said it was a family tradition. I was amazed. (Sister Huffaker and I re-checked them all and scared my mom for a bit by joking, "You have one missing," She glanced up in surprise. "Which one?" We both just smiled and she slapped playfully at us.
So I placed carefully, each penny, on top of the sugar in the glass. Lighting all of the smelly candles, we each added some melted wax to seal up the whole thing. It looked so pretty when it dried, I had to touch it. Bad idea.... :S I accidentally put a deep fingerprint in the still-soft wax, so one girl quickly filled it in with the remaining wax from her candle. I felt a bit embarrassed, but at least I had made my mark, and that glass was forever mine! :D
I felt proud, me and my glass! I have in on my dresser right now, ready to show anyone who might stop by.
Then I had the most amazing week, met the most awesome people, (see other article) and clean forgot about the surprise present my parents were planning. Saturday morning everyone was packing up to go back to their homes, when my group surprised me by singing, "Happy Birthday" and bringing out our breakfast cinnamon rolls with 16 sparkler candles on the top. I was very happy and pleased to know that they hadn't forgotten my birthday, and even more so that they were giving up their cinnamon rolls to be my 'cake.'

Eventually, though, we all had to say goodbye, so giving hugs to all my friends that were left, I went home to spend the rest of my 16th birthday. My dad picked my brother, Tyson, and I up, and took us to Home Depot (can you believe it, HOME DEPOT!) to pick up some household stuff we needed.
I laughed when I saw some kids with red wristbands and lanyards proudly declaring, "EFY" on them. I couldn't believe their dad took them to Home Depot too! :D
The rest of the day I spent relaxing and helping my mother with chores around the house. We were still unpacking and hanging up pictures around the house. My parents decided to plan another surprise for me...I'll let you know when it happens!
And there you have it, folks. My surprise birthday story. I hope it was worth your time to read. ;D

My First Especially for Youth

Oh wow! I just came home from Especially for Youth Provo 2, and I had the most awesome experience! My group name was "Meat in Mine House." (I know its a bit strange, but its cute :D) There were 8 guys, and 22 girls in with me. I think I was blessed with the best group ever, man those kids are my heroes. And the counselors! Heather, Brynne and Ian (Santiago) they made me smile. I'm thinking I need to set them up with each other..... ;D
I've never been to EFY before, so this was my first time. I was thrilled to meet some people from my little town of Mapleton, so I can keep in touch. There were a lot from Arizona too, but sadly some from too far away to hang out with all the time...
Even though the kids were awesome, and the counselors were great, the best part was the learning. All of the classes, lectures, and firesides were taught with the Spirit, and that made it so much more. On Thursday night I cried my eyes out, it was testimony meeting for all of us. I don't think I realized how blessed I was to have a good, strong family in the Gospel. So many kids got up that came from broken homes, yet they remained so very strong. What shining examples they are to those that may be faltering. wow....
But anyway....The Dances! I loved the dances; they were so fun! Sometimes you have to be that quiet girl in the back round, but I sure wasn't!! I got out there (I think I scared some of the people in my group) and just danced my heart out! You have to give alot to get alot out of something like that. It surprises me that I used to be shy...never talking to any guys, standing behind everyone by the back wall...but I gained some of that confidence that keeps me going, and I don't think its stopped yet!
On Tuesday I wanted to sign up for the youth EFY Choir Program, but I got lost! I went to the BYU students audition instead....I laughed at myself when the guy at the front said, "Anyone with a green wristband, you are in the wrong room. Follow me please," :D
Eventually I got there and found out there were sign-ups for narrators and solos. I wanted to be a bit brave, and step out of the box, so I signed up on the solo list. I was sure I could just do maybe a duet or quartet, and just let them know in case they picked me. Oh and another thing.....I sat in the boys section on accident, when I first came in! There were some guys from my group, and they motioned to the other side of the room, whispering quickly (of course I couldn't understand them, 'til I looked up and saw everyone there..) Then I jumped up and laughed at myself again, ( I do that alot, :D)
After our next classes, I came back during free time at 3:30. There we were called out one by one for the auditions. I was very nervous when the girl came back saying my name. Then I saw, and I was very proud of them, some guys from my group that had just auditioned for narrators. They were walking back, and as I saw their confident faces, I felt better. I realized half of the guys actually there were people from my group!
So I approached the door... Only a few girls were sitting down, in a large classroom, with one guy at a piano. I quickly joined them, glancing around nervously. They called me after we had heard two girls sing. We were simply singing the first verse of "I am a Child of God" a-capella. I thought I could do that alright. As soon as I started to sing, all my nervousness faded away. I was very loud, but I didn't realized that 'til after I was finished. I hoped that I did okay as I walked out the door back to the choir room. Later I was told that we would be told the next day who received a part.
Classes were amazing both days, we had some very interesting speakers. I loved when the class was involved with the lesson. And those Object Lessons! Those were fun. I ate lunch quickly on Wednesday, then ran off to the choir room again. After practice, our director Cole, gave us a little prep-talk for those who would and would not get a solo or narration part. "We love you all," he said "No matter who we chose," My heart sunk just a bit. They started reading off names. I smiled as I heard all the names of the boys from my group. The list seemed to go on forever. I realized I had probably not made it, but I felt alright about it. At least I could support the choir and the guys from my group. Then Cole stopped. "Haley...." My heart froze. "Brooksby," I said, just hoping. He looked up and smiled at me, apologetically.
"Sorry I aways slaughter names," I really didn't' care at that point. I was just very, very happy. He could have called me "Lamb Chop," for all I that I minded!
After practice, Cole told me that I would be singing the first chorus of "I Need Thee Every Hour" and another guy would be singing the second chorus, with us joining at the end. I couldn't stop smiling. The guy said,
"That's my favorite song! I'm so glad I'm singing that one!" I was simply happy that I was singing at all. I messed up, of course, at practice many times, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
When it finally came time to preform all that we had practiced, I sang with all my heart. I don't know if the audience of youth ever got the real message of our musical fireside, but I know that I did.

Now to all those that have something they really enjoy, for me, singing, my advice would be to just go out and do it! There is something about doing what makes you the most happy...makes others happy...
Follow your dreams, it really is worth it! :D