Happy Holidays!

So I know I haven't posted in a while but here are the past few holidays. I am really into the Picasa collage feature of Picasa 3, plus it helps when adding a lot of pictures.

Thanksgiving

Tyler, Ellen, Ciera, Josie, and Jensen came down from Utah. We had a blast! We went to the mall, saw Twilight, ate, went hiking, ate some more, laughed, ate cookies, went to Organ Stop Pizza.

Christmas

Lots of family fun. I read a great Christmas book called Gathering Christmas. I got some cute shoes. My mom has a blog now. Every year my family does a grandkid/year overview book which is something we all look forward to. We all had a relaxing time, even Sammy! Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday to me!

Yeah for me I'm 24! I decided to go to Bucca de Beppo this year for my birthday dinner. An added benefit of having my birthday the day after Christmas is that everyone's schedule it pretty flexible. Food was great! Lots of laughter and love!!

Please note (see picture below).... Bucca has some pictures that are inappropriate. It depends on where you sit. The little kids did a pretty good job of keeping it together (see Ray and George in picture collage above). When Claire was held by Mom her face was right in front of some naked butts. In fact everytime my Mom held her she softly whispered "naked butt". We all got a good laugh out of it!

New Blog

Welcome to the newest member of the Blogging community! My Mom has a new blog with a little help from Adam and I. My Mom's new blog is called Laugh Lines. Now her humor can be enjoyed online! Enjoy!

Christmas

Times change; years speed by; but Christmas continues sacred. In this
marvelous dispensation of the fulness of times, our opportunities to give of
ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are
hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given.
There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved. If we are to have
the very best Christmas ever, we must listen for the sound of sandaled feet.
We must reach out for the Carpenter’s hand. With every step we take in His
footsteps, we abandon a doubt and gain a truth. It was said of Jesus of
Nazareth that He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”7 Do we have the determination to do likewise? One line of holy writ contains a tribute to our Lord and Savior, of whom it was said, He “went about doing good … ; for God was with him.”8

My prayer is that at this Christmas season and all the Christmastimes to come, we may follow in His footsteps.

Then each Christmas will be the best Christmas ever.
~Thomas S. Monson

Christmas is coming...

President Thomas S. Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency, said

Christmas is “a time for families, it is a time for remembering, it is a time for gratitude. “The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. … The spirit of Christmas is something I hope all of us would have within our hearts and within our lives, not only at this particular season but throughout the year.”

President Monson said that when we keep the spirit of Christmas, we keep the Spirit of Christ. “The salutation ‘no room’ was not only heard by Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus, but was also endured by Him on frequent occasions in His ministry,”

President Monson said. “In our homes today we have rooms for eating, rooms for sleeping, rooms for recreation.

Do we have room for Christ?

We have time for … activities that are part of our daily lives.

Do we have time for Christ?”

Taken from the Christmas Devotional of 2007.

I'm listening to...

Over the Rhine :Snow Angels

My favorite songs:

White Horse

Little Town

Goodbye Charles

Snowed in with You

Snow Angel

At Last!

I saw this on NBC nightly. This story touched me and I just had to share. It's 2 minutes and 33 seconds. Do yourself a favor and watch it.

WWII vet earns Silver Star 63 years laterDec. 20: It took 63 years for the army to recognize what Corporal Carl DeBoard always knew: that 2nd Lt. Robert Bailey, the man who saved his life in a firefight with the Germans during World War II, was a true hero.

NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sunday Night

Did you know?

I had a great Sunday. The sacrament meeting talks were about the importance of the sacrament. Inspiring words were said.
Spiritual enlightenment here.
In Sunday School I found out that there are two different marriage licences:
1.) the regular marriage license
2.) Covenant Marriage License.
Marriage is a sacred institution of husband and wife. I am so grateful for the inspired document of the The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
In Relief Society I made a new friend we have a lot in common. :) The lesson was really good and we basically testified about the importance of standing in holy places (D&C 87: 8).
I love Sundays!

Scripture Power: D&C 136: 28

"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. "

Morning Hike

Looking at ASU. Looking at Camelback Mountain.

I went on a trail I have never been before at South Mountain. It was the Beverly Canyon Trail (info below). It had some great views. I love Arizona!

The Beverly Canyon Trailhead is located

by the parking lot,8800 S. 46th Street (south of Baseline road)

Length: 1.5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate - some short, steep sections

5 reasons why I feel blessed

1.) I saw a beautiful sunset (pictured above).

2.) I got to have dinner with my parents. Rarely happens on a Wednesday. They are so awesome.

3.) Had yet another great institute class. Spiritual enlightenment galore!

4.) I learned something new today!

5.) This is the 140 post I have written. Yeah for me!

Inspired by NieNie.

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you to all Veteran's and their families!

Grandpa Dibble farmed during WWII in Layton UT. (picture is not during the time period)

Grandpa Gregory served in the Navy and was stationed on the USS Mercury.
I miss them both!

Did you thank a Veteran? I did.

Geneva's Mission Call

The night of the Pumpkin Walk I got a call from my awesome friend Geneva Good Bear. She finally received her mission call and was going to open it at 8:30. Around 8:15 I got a call from Geneva asking if I was coming. I told her I wouldn't miss it but I would be in a ball gown. I am so glad I had the opportunity to be there. I was snapping pictures like crazy and got some great shots as she was reading her call. The pictures tell the story way better that I ever could.

She got called to the Rapid City, South Dakota mission. That is where her tribe is from. She gets to tell the wonderful message of the gospel, which she holds dear in her heart, to her people. She reports December 31. Best of luck, Geneva!

Did you vote YES on Prop. 102?

I did and so did the Ball Family! This made me laugh all day long.

Halloween

Pumpkin Carving and Walk

Every year the Brisas community has a Pumpkin Walk. During school that day students bring a gutted pumpkin and sometime during school carve the pumpkin. In the front courtyard the pumpkins are on display and lit. There's also pizza, drinks, glow bracelets and necklaces, and a book fair preview. The Mallet Masters even perform a few songs. Students are allowed to wear their costumes that night. Since I am the student council sponsor I hung out at the tattoo booth that we were in charge of. You may be asking, did Beth dress up? Of course she did! Here are a few photos of the day:

Stephanie and Christian Nielson

At the breakfast table this morning my Dad asked about that one family I've been following. He said there was a little article in the front page. Little article? The small section on the front page leads you to two full pages about the Nielson family plus a really cute photo. Just I as was done with the first page Mom came in and I read the article out loud while she ate breakfast. The article was well done. It talks about the love of Stephanie's sisters and her husband. The AZ Republic will be highlighting their family this week.

I know for me my prayer list is getting pretty long these days but I would ask you to

1.) keep saying your prayers

2.) add this family to your list.

Hope you had a blessed Sunday. I know I did!

Smiling Dog

This made me and my students laugh! Enjoy!

General Conference

I love General Conference! I am not really sure how to describe my feelings or thoughts about General Conference so let me use a couple pictures and one of the many quotes which inspired me.

In his talk "Finding Joy in the Journey" President Thomas S. Monson said:
Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with
gratitude for our blessings. Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and
lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It
is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will
tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing
from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health,
family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us
[happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on
earth.”

Fall Break

Monday
When with Elliot and hiked Camelback Mountain.



Tuesday
I was in my classroom all day organizing the library, filing papers, and planning for next week.

Wednesday
I went hiking with Geneva Goodbear. We went to South Mountain.


Thursday
I went on the Pioneer Trek for the Tempe South Stake. I was a Big Sister of the Orange group. On day one we treked 16 miles.



Friday and Saturday
On day two we hiked 8 miles. PLUS the woman's pull. Early in the morning on day three we quickly packed up because of a storm. It rained and the winds were up to 60 mph. We walked about one mile to our final destination in the mud. Overall it was a great experience and I am really glad I was able to go. While walking I had a phrase from Come Come Ye Saints in my head. The phrase was "gird up your loins; fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake." The pioneers gave so much. They went through countless difficulties and heartaches yet they knew in whom they trusted. Heavenly Father never forsake them. My testimony was strenghten and my desire to have faith in every footstep increased.