A Baby Birthday

Yes, I still need to blog about Girls Camp, but this is only a short post.

My niece Mckenna turned one yesterday, and she had the biggest birthday party I've ever seen a one-year-old have. We went up to a friend's cabin for the weekend, and celebrated it there. The theme was Tangled, because that's her absolute favorite movie. We had Pina Colada tacos for dinner (ask my sister Madison if you want to know how to make them), and Mckenna got quite a few toys to play with. Then we watched Tangled on the big projector screen in the basement. (I actually fell asleep before we got to that part...) Anyway, the biggest thing though, was the cake.

Of course we did the traditional baby's-first-cake-let-her-at-it thing where you just let the baby attack the cake, and I can add pictures of Mckenna later, but this was one awesome cake! My mom and my sister Katie put it together, and it was Rapunzel. Her head was the cake, face made via edible paper, and her hair was made up of cupcakes. 

That, is a cake. 

Angry Birds

My little brother Matthew turned 9 on August 10th, and I swear he had one of the best birthday parties a kid could ask for. The theme was Angry Birds. To give you a better idea of what it was like, here are some pictures. With commentary via me. 

First, this is what happens when no one thinks to ask me where the big cupcake tins are...

However, the other cupcakes were adorable. Thanks Madison.

She used green gum-balls and fondant to make the pigs for the cupcakes.

Each little boy even got their own Angry Bird t-shirt that my mom made with iron-ons.

And here are the happy party-goers themselves

Yes, yes it was a pretty rocking party. Happy birthday Matthew.

Oh, Wal-Mart...

I happened to be in Wal-Mart the other day with my good friend, Lauren. Alright, so it wasn't the other day, it was a while ago, but it just came to mind so I'm going to share it. We were there to get these new Kisses that came out; Hershey's Cookies and Cream Kisses. (We make Kiss Cookies with all different kinds of Kisses and they are basically astounding). So, we are standing in the check-out line.

Just two girls and a bag of Kisses.

I happened to be leaning against the check-out counter while I was talking to Lauren. I felt someone lightly tap on my arm, and I just figured they wanted to start putting their groceries on the counter so I moved my arm off of it. Instead, I felt more tapping on my arm. This time I just figured that it was someone I knew trying to get my attention. So I turned around, and it was an older Hispanic man.

I should have just stopped figuring things. 

He pointed to my watch, and my mind went oh! as I told him it was 6:58. I started to turn back to talk to Lauren, but he looked so confused... So I just said it a bit louder. 6:58. Then he pointed back and forth to my watch and his eyes. So naturally, I try to let him see my watch so he could see what time it was.

Watches aren't meant to be seen by anyone but the wearer.

So, as I'm awkwardly twisting my arm around for him to try and see what time it is, I decide to try telling him once again that it was 6:58. It was when he started holding up fingers and saying "Seis..." that I realized what the problem was. The man couldn't speak English. So, I put my finger up to gather my thoughts for a second, and then I said, "Seis cincuenta y ocho." I was so proud of myself.Whoever said you never use high school Spanish in life was wrong. 

Now, before I say anything else, you need to know that he was very cautious and polite about the whole thing. He was very nice about it all; he simply wanted to know what time it was.

Once he finally understood me and knew what time it was, he got this giant smile on his face and said thank you more times than I could count. I just kept saying you're welcome and he asked me if I spoke Spanish. (and he asked in Spanish, mind you, and I understood what he was saying). I simply told him no, however. So he just kept saying thank you, 

and then decided to pull me in for one of those awkward half hugs...

At this point in time, I remembered that Lauren was right there. And as he pulled me in for this hug, I look over at Lauren and there she was, doing her best to suppress her laughter. Well, I shouldn't have turned my head, because this man was apparently very grateful to know what time it was, grateful to the point where he kissed me right on the cheek. 

The Hispanic man in Wal-Mart kissed me on the cheek. 

He then released a very shaken Jessica from his hug, and acknowledged Lauren's existence by extending a hand to her. She thought they were going to shake hands, and instead he kissed the back of her hand. My turn to suppress laughter at the shocked look on her face. It was short-lived though, because he then did the same thing to my hand...

After saying thank you a few more times, the conversation finally died, and Lauren and I were left rocking back and forth on our feet, desperately wishing that the check-out line could have gone faster. When we finally got back to my car, we both busted out laughing. Our first trip to Wal-Mart together, of course that had to happen. Creepy, weird, odd, and strange. Sounds like Walmart.

Oh, Wal-Mart. 

Soul Surfing

I just got done watching Soul Surfer with Matthew and my mom. It was incredible. Out of any movie I've seen that was based on a true story, this is the one that sticks as close to the real story as possible. This is Bethany Hamilton.

During the credits they showed Bethany Hamilton's real home movies, things she had done after the attack, that they had actually used in the movie. It was just a good feeling throughout the whole movie to know that they weren't blowing anything out of proportion, that any inspiring thing you saw, wasn't made up. There's a difference. It makes a difference to know that something really happened. And someone really made it through with her head held high.

At one point in the show, Bethany gets the advice, Sometimes, it makes no sense to look at the picture so up close. Sometimes, it makes everything harder. You have to back up and look at the whole thing. That isn't the exact quote, but this is; "Get a new perspective".

Later, Bethany comes back asking, "I've been trying, but how can this be God's plan for me?"

THIS was God's plan for Bethany.

To be an inspiration to all around her. There's a part in the movie where she reads letters that were sent to her from around the world. Where people everywhere told her what she meant to them. And she asked how she could inspire them, because she had just lost her last competition. Her mom told her,
"It's because you tried."

It was a great movie, yes, but Bethany is the great part. She's real. And what's great is the insight, the advice anyone can use for when life gets hard. When the weight becomes too much to bear...

Get a new perspective.

Thoughts for Sunday

Today is Sunday. I love the way Sunday feels. I don't have to work on Sunday, I get to go to church on Sunday, I get to be uplifted on Sunday, and Sunday never fails to rejuvenate my soul. On this particular Sunday there are many things I want to share, and because I can never keep my thoughts collected, they're just going to be scattered and out-of-order and everywhere. So here goes. 

First, I'm glad for the way I am raised. Today in Young Women's we were talking about Girl's Camp, and some of the Beehives didn't know what Secret Sisters were. It was weird, everyone knows what Secret Sisters are! But these girls made me realize that no, not everyone does. Something that was so well-known to me was completely new to them. And that was a big eye-opener to my life being raised in the church. All that I know about the Church I've grown up in, the religion I love, is completely unheard of to someone else. I think about it all, the way it's helped me and shaped me, and try to think about these people who don't have that. They don't have it all, and I've taken it for granted my whole life.

Second, a friend helped me with something I was struggling with. I love music, but I hate songs that have bad lyrics or anything like that. So, as I have had my iPod on shuffle while I do things, I have made a list of every song I have that's bad or implies anything bad. Well, I made the list, but I never took the songs off of my iPod. I knew what ones they were, but I couldn't get myself to get rid of them because I still loved the song. My friend helped me see past that. Click HERE to watch the video my friend posted on Facebook that helped me. I will not let one song ruin my chances. I am proud to say that I WILL be deleting all the songs that have found their names on my list. And I will keep my list, so that if I ever come across another bad one, I can add it to the list and make sure it gets deleted. There are so many other songs, so many other GOOD songs, that I don't need a single bad one. Thank you, Kylee.

And third, inspiration is everywhere. It's in the cute little girl that sat in front of me in church today with her big sparkling eyes looking up to her adoptive parents with so much love. It's in my ward family, where everyone effortlessly loves everyone. And it's in my life, where I can look anywhere and immediately see the Hand of God touching my life; where I can feel Him constantly. I have no doubts when it comes to Him. He is watching, He really cares, He is there.