Lately

Big W is to Australia as Wal Mart is to America.

Boxed milk exists out of Italy. How unfortunate!

Jelly shoes have made a comeback apparently...not so sure that's a good thing haha.

I have been here about 8 weeks now and overall the time has gone by pretty quick. The days are mostly repetitive but we have been doing new things to spice it all up, and baby Ems is quite fun to be around. She is almost crawling now!

Now I'm on vacation for 2 weeks and my mom is coming to Australia to play tourist with me!! Party!

Some realizations as of late:

1. Even jogging slowly is much faster than walking.

2. Having an eyelash in your eye is one of the most annoying things ever.

3. There is a much increased feeling of safety when you're walking home or running at night when there are street lamps as opposed to not.

4. Living with people who are of your same religion is wonderful! There is an added sense of comfort and understanding without you realizing it's event there until it is not. But I do love my host family!

5. Humidity and hills kinda suck together.

6. Lightening is beautiful. So is the sound of rain on a tin roof.

7. I dislike wind, though this is not news to me.

8. I drink too much soda. And I need to stop.

9. Having a spiritual side to your life is necessary to find balance and happiness.

10. I always have and always will love music.

11. Blankets are the best.

12. I like doing new things. I like being able to say I did something, and I feel proud of myself especially when I figure out how to do things myself.

13. Native Australian animals are seemingly cute but apparently deceptively so. For instance, I found out about drop bears which look like koala bears but they fall from trees to attack you! What the heck??

14. Now that I've actually read the Hunger Games books I now know that the movies actually follow the books pretty closely.

15. I love Mormon messages.

16. Rugby is awesome.

17. I like lists a lot.

18. Chocolate is annoyingly delicious. Especially with mint. And Australia seems to have a knack for creating mint chocolate things.

19. Winter is not cold everywhere.

20. I love America.

Random list of things I've thought about recently that are not necessarily important, but it's fun to look back on your thought processes at certain times in your life.

Happy vacation to me!!!

A Whale of a Day

Wow today was a full day.

Started off with me going whale watching off the Gold Coast. Totally awesome. The boat ride out to open sea was quite bumpy and SO much fun (I'm so grateful I don't get seasick because I saw many people chuckin' overboard...gross). The lady I was sitting next to kept grabbing my leg as we went up and down haha...we became friends. I wouldn't say the whales were extremely playful, but we did see a few breaches and tail waves and other activity by the humpbacks which was way cool. One even came right up next to the boat! Unfortunately my camera died very fast being that I forgot to charge it, but I got a few and the ones I stole from other people are exactly what I saw anyway haha.

View of the Gold Coast from the boat.

That guy on the right works on the boat and is Italian. We talked for awhile!

Whales coming up to breathe.

Our boat, Spirit of Gold Coast

Breaching whale! So cool!!

Waving hello to us!

Next Aaron, Sally, and Emily picked me up and we drove up to Mt. Tamborine which gives you an amazing view of the Gold Coast and surrounding area. On the way you get to see a million trees, rainforest, and beautiful scenery. We got to eat lunch with a great view.

I bought these shoes for $5.00. Win.

A real magpie.

Troppo bella!

Finished off with one of these fantastically named ice cream bars.

After returning home and taking a nap, Sally and I went to an AFL game in the city. Australian Football League to me is a combination of rugby and soccer, or something to that effect, where you kick the ball while releasing it from your hand (like a soccer goalie) but you can still throw it and tackle each other and to score points you have to kick it through the posts. A very interesting game in a huge oval field. The Brisbane Lions played the North Melbourne Kangaroos and it was an intense and close game where Brisbane won!!! Sweeeeeet!

Meat pies are all the rage here.

Awesome day!!!

The House of the Lord

There's something to say about how happy the temple makes people. Me, for example. I haven't gone to the temple in a few months. It was kind of crazy how much I wanted to go that when I went I appreciated it a lot. Inside I was able to feel the spirit and really connect to my Heavenly Father as I prayed to Him.

I believe that through the promises we make in the temple and because of the restored priesthood power of God that families can be together forever! What an amazing thing that can make everybody happy and keep us together with the people we love so much even beyond this life.

I'm grateful for the temple. :)

3 Nephi 13:14-21

For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Moreover, when ye fast be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face;
That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father, who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;
But lay up yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What I've gotten out of these verses is that Heavenly Father wants us to do the things we do for the right reasons. We need to obtain testimonies of even the simplest doctrines because when we are faced with the decisions of what to choose and how to act we must have the integrity to choose the right. The things we believe to be right are the things that we'll choose.
"Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also." --> Our hearts are with what we esteem to be valuable. If we believe our family to be valuable we spend time with them and treat them well. If money of success is more worthwhile then we follow that. When we are faced with contradictory decisions I believe we ultimately follow what we believe to be most important. Where our heart leads us. Where our treasure is.
Heavenly Father doesn't want us to do things for show. I mean, if it gets us doing something good then by all means, but we are blessed more when we do something good for the right reasons.
Forgiveness is something that we need to do for the right reasons. It releases us from a burden that we don't have the right to carry. Someone else already carried it for us.


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While I was on the bus the other day I didn't have my ipod or anything to do really, so I read my scriptures on my phone and actually had thought processes! Amazing what happens when technology doesn't get in the way of thinking. :) So I wrote some thoughts that I was thinking in response to Helaman chapter 3 in the Book of Mormon:

It's not the church of God that becomes prideful but the people of the church of God. This can lead to corruption and people believing that the church itself is not true or perfect when in reality that is false. People are flawed. Even the prophet today has weaknesses though it's hard to believe. Christ was the only perfect being. So we have no right to judge others based on their imperfections, and we especially don't have the right to judge the church of Jesus Christ. We are lucky He allows imperfect people to become members of His church so we can learn to be more like Him.
The Nephites and Lamanites struggled with this too. Things we going well, then they started becoming jealous of one another...maybe they didn't like the leaders or the other people who went to church or feel that they didn't fit in for whatever reason. They wanted to be unique in their own way but felt pressures to confine to the standards someone else placed on them. There are times when I have felt that my individuality is being limited because of something I'm not supposed to do. But in the end does that really matter? I am an individual. I am unique. I do try and follow the rules as well. And it works for me. I know it would work for any single person who decided to try it instead of blaming what they "can't" do on the church and the rules it gives us. We can all be individuals, follow the things that CHRIST (not man) want us to do, make sacrifices, and get bigger blessings in the end. I'd rather listen to the prophet when he tells me to respect my body and not get more ear piercings (I use this as a mild example) even though I would like to, and as a result now that I'm doing what Heavenly Father wants me to do. It's His plan and it's His reward and approval I'm looking for. Not my own. Not societies. Much easier said than done most of the time, but it makes me feel better when I do it His way.
I've wanted to go to the temple for awhile now. It's easy to not make the time. I didn't go during the last month of so of school in Provo...using excuses such as I didn't have my car anymore, I was about to graduate and busy with finals, working 2 jobs. A little busy. All reasonable things and such, but that kept getting longer. Came to Australia and kept wondering when I was going to go. Again, don't have a car so I have to take the bus of get a ride. Which day should I go? Saturday is explore day and the temple closes so early anyway...excuses EXCUSES. Finally I had a ride set to go, then I Was all ready and found out they couldn't go anymore. It's amazing how much desire I had to go and how disappointed I was that I couldn't. I wanted it!!! And knew that I desperately needed that familiarity that I've been missing here all by myself. So I made it happen anyway. The relief was incredible, the spirit strong. There's an example of when you do what the Lord wants you to do and you make things happen, you get the reward of happiness. The thing we all want anyway.

Daddy Dearest

My dad is pretty legit. We always had music playing in the house growing up so I became more cultured in my musical tastes. Aka: I like country. We had chips and salsa every single Sunday for lunch. He gave me a crowbar for Christmas one year (not even kidding). Our favorite movies to watch together are The Fugitive or Twister. We went out to eat every Saturday after my soccer games, and that tradition continued even when I came home from college for the summers. He fixes stuff. We love roadtrips. We could put away the ice cream (preferably Moosetracks) like nobody's business. My first concert was me and Dad going to see Shania Twain.

He taught me the value of hard work and diligence. If you want something you work hard to get it. Life doesn't give you free handouts. Good relationships with people are important. Make it so people can depend on you. Growing up he was always faithful in his church callings and always put others first and gave them his time and service. He was always going to help someone move or give them a priesthood blessing. Everybody loved him. He was a big family man as well.

I'm grateful for my dad. The past 3 1/2 years may have been a bit rocky in our relationship but we have worked through many obstacles and through it all he has supported me and my decisions in life as I went on my mission, graduated college, and continue to pursue my dreams. He has taught me many things in my life that I will forever be grateful for.

Happy Father's Day to my daddy. :)

Put the lime in the coconut.

Costco

I really should work for Costco. They could put me in the "word of mouth advertising" position because I tell everyone I know how awesome this place is. The third Costco in all of Australia opened just a few weeks ago a bit north of Brisbane, so it takes close to an hour for us to get there from where we live. And since I have a Costco card and they work internationally we made the drive. As we've been talking about it the past few weeks I kept joking that it would probably be whimpy and be nothing like the awesomeness of the ones in America. They said when I walked in I should say in my very American accent that this was a "baby Costco". But this was not to be because it was exactly the same and AWESOME. We walked through every single aisle and I was happy happy!

My purchases. I figured it was about time I read the Hunger Games series, and I was having DP withdrawals :)

And let's not forget my favorite part of Costco... 

A bit more expensive for my hot dog, but $1.99 still isn't bad. Plus it still included my free refill which apparently is a rare commodity here in Oz.

Other happenings in my weekend included going to a YSA dance Disney theme, and since I didn't have much to work with I wore my Jamaican beanie and claimed I was from Cool Runnings.

How can I not have a million friends with that expression?

Went shopping at a big ol' shopping center and actually bought some stuff. Yay.

Went to some people's house who have a wood oven for making pizzas. Oh yes they were delicious. The Italian way.

Terrible picture.

Watched some World Cup. Australia lost, but Italy won!!!! FORZA ITALIA!!!!!!!!

And this is just funny.

Good times.

John 14:23-27

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our adobe with him.
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let if be afraid.

I have a commandment given to me to love God. To live Him with all my heart, might mind, and strength. That's a lot of energy I am commanded to give someone. But why do I do it? I feel like it's almost a cycle, because when I love someone I WANT to do the things that make them happy. So I love God because I keep His commandments, and I keep the commandments because I love God. Maybe that doesn't make a whole lot of sense when I write it down but in my head it makes perfect sense and so I do my best to do it.
I fail a lot. Some of the commandments are pretty simple and also easy to keep. Others are downright difficult, depending on the person. As members of the LDS church some people feel that we have so many rules placed on us and no room for freedom to make choices or to have fun. We ALWAYS have the choice. What many people fail to understand is the greater freedoms we possess when we choose the right. We aren't doing harm to ourselves or to others when we live this way and we also receive blessings from God when we're obedient. Seems like a win-win situation to me.
Heavenly Father gave us the commandments.We have the commandments we read about in the Bible, specifically the Ten Commandments that are timeless. We have modern commandments given to us for the changing world in the thousands of years since the first were given. They are intelligent things asked of us that help us. Not harm us. Jesus Christ was a teacher of the commandments. Prophets today do the same thing. To follow Heavenly Father and love Him we listen to the teachings of Christ and the prophets. The Holy Ghost helps us to know what the correct decisions to make are. He can always be with us spiritually and to follow Heavenly Father and love Him we listen to those promptings.
            Heavenly Father.
            Jesus Christ.
            Holy Ghost.
They work together to help us. We love all of them and that they do this to give us help and guidance.
I feel pretty lucky that when I have a question about something in my life I can pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ and receive answers through the promptings of the Holy Ghost. That's love. Peace is love. Peace comes through answers.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." He gives us peace and love. Now we need to love back and keep the word that He has given to us.

Gold Coast

Highlight of this past week was yesterday I ventured to the Gold Coast! I was going to go rain or shine this time, but I was very happy that it was a sunny day. :)

The famous Surfers Paradise sign.

Didn't eat here but should have!

Instead i had yummy yummy KEBAB. I do love myself some kebab.

Some more people watching...

BELLISSIMA

Some cool panoramic shots.

I just love the beach. It's good for the soul. :)

The Gold Coast is quite a place. I recommend it and I'll be going back!

And here's a favorite of little Em this week:

Just chillin next to me :)