This year we had Thanksgiving dinner at my Grandmother's house just like the good old days! All my mom's siblings and families were there except for Brad's and Steve's! It was wonderful! I'm so grateful for all my family!
especially this little guy:)...
Its so crazy to think that Erica and Jared were just dating a year ago! Now they have a cute little family of their own! They are wonderful parents to Kylar! I'm so glad his delivery went so well!
He is definitely loved! <3>
After dinner we were all entertained with a cute little thanksgiving
story by Robyn and a few songs from Oliver and Scrooge by Lily! I'm so
excited to see her perform these two plays this week at the Dicken's
festival!
Sneaking into a trailor park to go hot tubbing Friday Night!
Saturday morning we played our annual family basketball games. It was fun to be on the court again, but boy do I need to get back into shape!
Our amazing cheerleaders!
After basketball, all the cousins came over to our house to hang out while all our parents went to the Sealing of my cousins Claire, John, and Mila. We colored pictures and then my best friend Jessica came over and we watched Elf! Love that movie!
Oh and creative Lily made this indian hat and made me braid her hair! She cracks me up!
Anyways, this weekend was wonderful! I love the holidays because it means no school and hanging out with all my family all day! Now I can't wait to go down to Austin, Texas for Christmas to see my Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen and other family from my Dad's side! I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people wherever I go!
On Sunday October 30th, Brother Wilkey, a member of my YSA ward bishopric announced that he could get great tickets for anyone that wanted to attend General Conference in Salt Lake that comming weekend. He then told me personally that I should sign up to go. A few friends from my ward and I signed up in hopes we could all go up together to this event. The next day they all told me that none of them could go, so I said I wouldn't go either. If they couldn't go up, there was a Dixie State Band Concert that my best friend Jessica and a few others were playing in on Friday night, and if I went up to conference I wouldn't be able to support them! There was always always the Spring General Conference that we could possibly go up to.
The week went on not planing on going up, but on Thursday I received a text from Tahjeri, a girl in my new YSA ward, that they were trying to get a count of all who wanted to go up to conference a.s.a.p and that rides would be avaliable. I also got the message from my mom and Erica. I had a strong feeling that I needed to go up to this conferece and that the spring one can wait! So i told Tahjeri that i was coming!
The next day I showed up at the institute at 3, Brother Wilkey came with his 15 passenger van. Tahjeri, Jess, Taylor, Dirk, Brother Wilkey, Sam (Wilkey's daughter in law), Hazel, little Violet (grandkids), and I all jumped in the car and headed up north. It was fun to ride up and get to know all these amazing people!
I finally made it to the Busath's house around 10:30ish and was welcomed by a bed full of My great aunt Liz, cousin Hope, and second cousin Ollie watching the Lorax! With 4 tickets in hand I announced to Hope that i wanted her to come to conference with me to both the morning and afternoon sessions of conference, and that we supposedly had the best seats in the house! Exhausted, i sat down in their lazy boy and finished the movie with them. Then I went upstairs, read my scriptures and said my prayers thanking my Heavenly Father for this great opportunity to come up north!
We woke up the next morning at 7:30am, and my wonderful great aunt Liz dropped us off at the Conference Center. We got in line, finally made it inside, then was guided to our seats only 13 rows form the front!
The nicest girls behind us asked us to take their picture so we had them take ours as well!
Anyways, conference started with the whole crowd standing as President Monson and his counselors walked in. We sat down and then it started! Little did we know, our lives would be changed in minutes by President Monson's historical announcement!
All the talks were amazing, that day but this one was incredible! Our prayers were answered! Hope already 19, was in tears, and i was just in pure shock that would be 19 on January 1st, and could start my papers right now if I so choose!
Right as we were walking up and out of the conference center my best friend Jessica called me telling me all about her experience with this great announcement, and that she saw Triston, a VERY handsome kid from my ward, and a few others from my ward on the TV right after Monson announced the new age of 18 for boys! It made my day to talk to her! She truely is the best friend anyone could ask for! Liz then picked us up, we got home, and Hope got a call from her friend saying that Hope and I were famous. She said right after Monson announces the new age for girls, the camera zooms up on Hope and I. Hope and i quickly went to the computer, got on KSL, found the video of Monson's announcement, and sure enough, Hope, me, and the nice girls behind us are on the screen!
(If you didn't see us in the video above you can watch it again and look for this at 2:25 minute marker...)
It is crazy to think we are the girls that anyone watching conference saw, right after the big announcement! We represent those who now can go out and serve our Lord by bringing as many unto him as we can! Words even express how excited I am to see where life takes me from this point on. Whether I serve a mission as soon as I'm 19 or a little later, my life was changed that day, and I am eternally grateful to all that made it possible for me to go to that specific session of conference with Hope right by my side! I pray to my Heavenly Father each night for the opportunity to serve others and bring as many as I can unto him! This was my answer and I can't wait to fulfill it!
The afternoon session was also great, there weren't any huge announcements, but the talks were amazing and this time we were only 9 rows from the front!
Later that night Hope and I went to visit Bromley, Marci and Ollie's newest family addition at the hospital! She is so cute! I cant wait to have Erica's little baby in my arms in only 7 or 8 weeks!
That day was by far THE BEST day of my life so far! Everything about it was just wonderful! I am SO blessed to be a part of this only true gospel and be surrounded by such great people wherever I go!
To end my incredible weekend, Hope and I were blessed with the opportunity to attend the Sunday Morning Session! It was so great! After it ended Liz picked us up again and dropped me off at the Hilton where the rest of my ward was staying, so we could head back to St. George. Sad that i had to leave Liz and Hope, I gave them both hugs, and Tahjeri helped me take my bags inside! She is the sweetest girl ever! Then right in front of me was the guy of my dreams! Triston! At that point I didn't even know him well, but I asked him if he was going to ride home with us! To my overwhelming pleasure he said yes! He then helped load my bags into the van and we went back inside the hotel! We gathered everyone up and headed home!
I was freaking out because not only did I get to ride home with the same wonderful people I came up with, but also Triston! It was so nice to get to know him. He is such a genuine kid! He was asking us if we were going to serve missions now, Jess said, "Sure if I'm not married!" Triston then replied, "No man is worth not serving a mission for!" I'm now thinking "You sure are making that hard with that comment!" I could marry him just for that!
I made it home safely and was welcomed by a house full of family! Many of my aunts, uncles and cousins were at my house eating dinner. As I walked in the door I was tackled by hugs from both my little sisters and cousins! I have the best family! They then led me to the computer room to show me that I was famous! Lily gave me a hug and said "I hugged a famous person!"
This weekend was such a blessing. I was meant to go up north! I cant express enough how thankful I am, I acted on the prompting to go up, I couldn't be happier that my life was forever changed this weekend!
