Just Being Myself

So a few years ago this guy named Jeffery Dean came down and he talked to the Christian youth of St. George about dating. One of the things he suggested we do that I particularly liked was the idea of a list of "10 Commandments" for our future spouse. These are ten standards that should be met before that person is considered for a relationship. I liked it and created my own set of 10 Commandments... but I haven't really followed them. So I went back and revised a few of them and I thought I'd post them up on here kind of as a way for me to stay accountable to these 10 Commandments. This way those of you reading can help hold me accountable to the standards I am setting. Without further ado here are my 10 Commandments... 10 Commandments for my Future Spouse He MUST have a relationship with God. He should be patient... I mean come on he has to put up with me for the rest of his life. He must be good with kids. Nothing makes a girl swoon more than a guy who is ...

Dear 16 Year Old Me, You've finally done it! You're 16!!!! I know you're still struggling over losing Paul and Nolan, but that's okay to still be feeling this way. I know you're thinking life will just be awesome... you can date now, you're on Drama Council and Pine View is doing Fiddler on the Roof. You're also about to enter your hardest year of school. APUSH, Honors English AND College Classes??? Girl you are insane. I'd like to offer you some advice. First things first: relationships are over rated. I know you feel like you have to have a boyfriend now that you are finally of age but in all reality you don't. I know you're going to get boy crazy, just please remember that you never need a boy in your life to be happy. The second thing I have to tell you is learn to manage your time. You are so super involved with anything and everything right now... you need to manage your time and learn to prioritize or else be prepared to face the conseque...

     Okay let's get one thing very clear here: I have seen a lot of death... like A LOT of death within these past few years. I personally hate death and all that it brings... between losing my Uncle and my friend Nolan in the same week to losing my Great Grandma less than a year later I'd thought that I'd somehow grown immune to the pain that death brings... I was oh so very wrong. When little Nathaniel Wiebe was sent up to God's loving arms I lost it. I'm not sure why that was I'd never been particularly close to Nate, I don't even recall holding him. I think part of my devastation was that I am very fond of the Wiebe family. Because of Phil and Melissa my family is stronger than we ever would be had we not met them. Without Phil and Melissa my parents wouldn't be married and I probably wouldn't have a very good relationship with my mom. So I was crushed that something so heartbreaking could happen to such a good family. I remember crying in my roo...

     So I leave for my very last summer camp here in a few hours (yes, I'm still awake at two in the morning and I have to wake up and get ready to leave around eight or so) and I have so many emotions running through my system right now. I'm so excited to see what this year will bring. This is the first time our church will be staying at the Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort (yes, that is its real name) so I'm excited to see what they have to offer. Also the pastor that Jake hired to come preach is amazing. He taught our lessons last year and I loved it, I really felt myself growing closer to God. I'm also very excited for worship... I hear it should be pretty awesome and for me I love to worship God best through music (last year I even got to join the worship team up at camp and it was such an awesome experience). The Draper campus is coming down to camp with us and that should be fun too, last time we camped together was way fun and the laughs were endless. I am also so...

Uncle Paul,      Holy Hannah, it's been two years already. I told myself I wasn't going to cry this year, but here I am typing this up and the tears are starting. I am so upset that you're gone. I know I shouldn't be, I'm happy you're not in pain anymore, that you're in Heaven. I'm upset because I never got to know you. Our time together was very brief and you were sick for most of it, and then you got worse and overnight you were gone. I  remember when I first met you at the family reunion in Iowa. I was feeling a little secluded, all those Robucks in one place can be a little crazy and too much for a shy girl like me (those who know me and are reading this probably just laughed at that) but you still came over and spoke to me, you still included me. I remember you trying to tell me the story of the time you "wrestled the Grizzly Bear in the Rockies" but I just laughed because it was such an outlandish story and obviously B.S. then you tried ...

     Okay lets just get one thing absolutely crystal clear here: I LOVE to shop! Even if I don't spend money I love walking into stores and arranging outfits which I think would look adorable on me or trying fragrances at Bath and Body Works and convincing myself I don't need that. I just love it all. That being said, I do have a job and I feel I am responsible with my money (as responsible as any 17 year old who still has mommy and daddy paying for all my needs can be), I make sure that I pay what I owe for my phone bill and the car insurance and then once that's done I put some money from every check into savings because crap happens and I don't want to worry about where am I going to get the money to replace my busted tire or to pay for the totally unexpected fees I encounter through school (the tire was fixed and schools done for now so my savings is untouched, yay!) So I feel comfortable when I spend money on that totally fab dress at Areopostale (the one store I N...

Life is such a precious gift that we have been given. Many of us take it for granted and we often forget that life is not a "forever" gift and one day we will breathe our last breath and leave this world behind. I am constantly being reminded how short life is lately. My friend Sh'Kell is such a funny girl, even though she knows I am happily in a relationship she is ALWAYS trying to set me up with her friends. I usually tell her no, but I've been debating over whether or not my current relationship is worth it because he's leaving in August for Basic Training and has made it very clear that we may not make it after that (I am willing to fight though, I REALLY like this one, he makes me happy but what do I know? I'm only 17). Anyways getting back to the point... because I've been debating when Sh'Kell told me yesterday that she had gotten her friend Zac to come down with her boyfriend tomorrow (so today), I didn't say no I mean what's the harm i...