THINGS I'M DISCOVERING

1. Dusting when you live in a desert is pointless
2. Jack the Dog loves spaghetti
3. I'm not meant to be in a job where I drive around all day...which, ironically, I'm in
4. Disneyland is magical for adults too
5. Aleve works significantly better than Extra Strength Tylenol
6. There are always good movies on the Hallmark Channel
7. Thinking you've let go of things isn't the same as actually letting go of them
8. Most movies can be seen for free by going to tvshack.net
9. Birthdays become increasingly difficult when your personal life doesn't change that much
10. Ceiling fans are lifesavers
11. If you don't pull weeds they eventually grow to the size of a small bush....landscaping :)
12. If I don't prepare my lunch the night before it doesn't get done
13. Celine Dion is my all time, favorite singer
14. No matter how old I am, I still find myself getting homesick
15. Financial worries can become consuming if you allow them to
16. Every once in a while a Diet Coke really DOES make everything better

ADVENTURES IN DISNEYLAND

For Maci's 7th birthday the Wilkerson girls went to Disneyland as a surprise. She just thought she was going to California to see the ocean. A few minutes before we got to our hotel, we let her read her card, saying that she was really going to Disneyland. It was 2 days at the 'happiest place on earth' and such good, good times!

And back again for a second day.....

FAVORITE YW ACTIVITY EVER

As a YW presidency we've decided that we want to get to know our youth better. Our girls are amazing and we want to make sure everyone knows everybody. We decided that once a month, all of the leaders will do an additional activity with just one class. This month it is the Laurels and since it's Katelyn's birthday, we made it a birthday extravaganza!!!We got up and went to Katelyn's to surprise her and to have an early morning (7:30) breakfast. We ate french toast, fruit, juice, bacon - it was delicious!!!

Then we headed off to the outskirts of Las Vegas to do some target shooting with some super fun guns (and people that knew what they were doing). We've been talking about this for a month now, so we were way excited and ready to go!!

We had the best instructors today! Scott Hendricks is in our ward and works for the FBI. As a random sidenote, he also assisted in the arrest of Warren Jeffs. Anyhow, he and his friend, Matt Kershaw, who is also in our Stake, took the entire morning off just to let us play with all of their guns and ensure that we were safe. They seriously were awesome!

Me and Holly M., who is the Secretary, were on one team and the others on another. We divided up at first so we could have time to go through all the guns. Holly is new to our ward and she's always up for a good time!

Katelyn V. rocked the rifle with the clay pigeons. She's the only one who was able to hit them after they were in the air, and she did two in a row. This was her 'going away' activity, now that she's turned 18 and is going to be headed off to college and singles wards. We'll miss her! She is such a fantastic girl!

Aubrey N. was our little hand gun superhero. She had never shot one before and she literally hit black almost every single time! She's fantastic! When I have a daughter I want her to be like Aubrey. She is HILARIOUS and always makes us laugh.

Robyn V. is such a fantastic friend to have in your corner!! She is Katelyn's mom and my first counselor, and the woman never ceases to amaze me. I loved that she got to do this with her daughter! She is young at heart and I love that every time she teaches the girls you can just tell how much she cares for them. She is such a sweet person.

Holly proves that even being 7 1/2 months pregnant won't stop you from having fun. I only hope that I'm a tiny bit as cute as her one day when I'm pregnant! She did awesome!

Admittedly I was the special kid on the playground today. For some reason me and the hand guns just weren't feeling it, but me and the M-16....yes, we were. I LOVED shooting the big guns!!

So here is all of us. It was honestly one of the best Young Women activities I've ever participated in....as a youth or as a leader. We had so much fun!! Our instructors made it a great day for us. Good, good times. Can't wait for the Mia Maid activity.

THANK YOU

To the creative mastermind behind gummy vitamins for adults, I just want to say thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! I'd be willing to bet he or she is similar to myself. Hates swallowing pills, LOVE eating candy, and in desperate need of a daily vitamin supplement. Being healthy has never been so easy.....

TENDER

This made me so emotional

LEST WE FORGET

Harold B. Lee

'Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation , founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail . This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. . . . This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple.

We are living in a time of great crisis. The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. . . . It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through.

We must be on the optimistic side. This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands. While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin. We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation.

You must remember . . . that this church is one of the most powerful agencies for the progress of the world, and we should . . . all sound with one voice. We must tell the world how we feel about this land and this nation and should bear our testimonies about the great mission and destiny that it has.

If we do this, we will help turn the tide of this great country and lessen the influence of the pessimists. We must be careful that we do not say or do anything that will further weaken the country. It is the negative, pessimistic comments about the nation that do as much harm as anything to the country today. We who carry these sacred responsibilities must preach the gospel of peace, and peace can only come by overcoming the things of the world. Now, we must be the dynamic force that will help turn the tide of fear and pessimism.'

DUCK...DUCK...GOOSE

Tonight when I took Jack to the dog park there was a group of dogs standing around. One of the little dogs was sort of frisky and would go from dog to dog, trying to hump each of them.

A little girl, standing near the dogs, ran over to her dad and yelled excitedly, 'look daddy! They're playing duck, duck, goose!"

Darling, sweet little girl. Duck, duck, goose indeed!