The Adventures of Cassie

To Whom it May Concern:

2012-02-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

My patriarchal blessing teaches me that our bodies are the temple of our spirits. They are an important part of our being, but they are not the only part. Our spirit and our body make up our complete soul and that is the way we will return to our Father in Heaven. Our bodies deserve special care. They are a gift from God given to us through our mortal parents.

It also teaches me that my parents have given me: nurture, love, respect, and the hope and expectation of my happiness throughout my life. I feel like these same things have also been given to me from my Heavenly parents too and that these things relate closely to the way I treat my body. We need to love, nurture, and respect our bodies. We need to treat them so that we too can have hope and expectation for our happiness throughout our lives and meet that expectation from our Heavenly and earthly parents. Granted to each his own interpretation of these truths, but it is hard to have happiness and hope when we are sick or dealing with ailing bodies it becomes a challenge as opposed to the way you might feel on a great sunshiny day after you’ve had a great hearty breakfast and a good morning run (or whatever form of exercise you enjoy).

We are stewards over all that God gives to us in this life and we will be held accountable before him for what we do with it.
“For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures” (D&C 104:13). Our bodies are earthly blessings that the Lord prepared for us. This section in the Doctrine and Covenants goes on to say that the Lord provides all things for us, in His own way, and that “the earth is full, and there is enough to spare; yea, I have prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves” (D&C 104:17).

I can imagine the day that I stand before my Savior and account for my life, and I know that I do not want to come before Him and be ashamed of what I’ve done with the body that He paid so much for. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

And even though our bodies will be restored to their “perfect” state in the resurrection, we know that we will still have the addictions and problems that we had in this life in heaven. So we need to learn self-control, temperance, and moderation now.

“And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life” (D&C 51:19). “And behold, he that is faithful shall be made ruler over many things” (D&C 52:13).
“Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God and thou art his steward” (D&C 136:27).

I have a body and I can use it to bless others.

Elder Bednar’s May 2009 CES Fireside address:
In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles declare that as spirit sons and daughters of God we “accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize [our] divine destiny as heirs of eternal life” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; or Liahona, Oct. 2004, 49). Please note the primary importance of obtaining a physical body in the process of progressing toward our divine destiny.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught with clarity the importance of our physical bodies:
“We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine’s body to having none. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not. The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power.”

Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our premortal estate. President Boyd K. Packer has taught, “Our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character.” Thus, our relationships with other people, our capacity to recognize and act in accordance with truth, and our ability to obey the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ are amplified through our physical bodies. In the classroom of mortality, we experience tenderness, love, kindness, happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, and even the challenges of physical limitations in ways that prepare us for eternity. Simply stated, there are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have, as the scriptures describe, “according to the flesh” (see 1 Nephi 19:6; Alma 7:12–13).

Apostles and prophets consistently have taught the mortal and eternal importance of our bodies. Paul declared:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
“If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).
And in this dispensation the Lord revealed that “the spirit and the body are the soul of man” (D&C 88:15). A truth that really is and always will be is that the body and the spirit constitute our reality and identity. When body and spirit are inseparably connected, we can receive a fullness of joy; when they are separated, we cannot receive a fullness of joy (see D&C 93:33–34).

The Father’s plan is designed to provide direction for His children, to help them become happy, and to bring them safely home to Him with resurrected, exalted bodies. Lucifer labors to make the sons and daughters of God confused and unhappy and to hinder their eternal progression. The overarching intent of the father of lies is that all of us would become “miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27), and he works to distort the elements of the Father’s plan he hates the most.

Because a physical body is so central to the Father’s plan of happiness and our spiritual development, we should not be surprised that Lucifer seeks to frustrate our progression by tempting us to use our bodies improperly. One of the ultimate ironies of eternity is that the adversary, who is miserable precisely because he has no physical body, invites and entices us to share in his misery through the improper use of our bodies. The very tool he does not have and cannot use is thus the primary target of his attempts to lure us to physical and spiritual destruction.

The adversary attempts to influence us both to misuse our physical bodies and to minimize the importance of our bodies. These two methods of attack are important for us to recognize and to repel.

Now brothers and sisters, I cannot tell you all the ways whereby you may misuse your bodies, “for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them” (Mosiah 4:29). You know what is right and what is wrong, and you have the individual responsibility to learn for yourself “by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) the things you should and should not do and the doctrinal reasons why you should and should not do those things. I testify that as you desire to so learn, as you “watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives” (Mosiah 4:30), you will be spiritually enlightened and protected. And according to your faithfulness and diligence, you will have the power to discern the deception and repel the attacks of the adversary as he tempts you to misuse your physical body.
{end of Elder Bednar's talk}

We know that “unto whom much is given much is required” (D&C 82:3).

Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Mosiah 2: 36 And now, I say unto you, my brethren, that after ye have known and have been taught all these things, if ye should transgress and go acontrary to that which has been spoken, that ye do bwithdraw yourselves from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in you to guide you in wisdom’s paths that ye may be blessed, prospered, and preserved—
37 I say unto you, that the man that doeth this, the same cometh out in open rebellion against God; therefore he listeth to obey the evil spirit, and becometh an enemy to all righteousness; therefore, the Lord has no place in him, for he dwelleth not in unholy temples.

Teachings I found in Jesus the Christ:
“We believe in enjoying good food. We think that these good things are given us of God. We believe in getting all the enjoyment out of eating that we can; and, therefore, we should avoid gluttony, and we should avoid extremes in all our habits of eating” (pg 30).

Doctrine & Covenants 89
“Revelation showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days- given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all.
“Thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation-

Remember D&C 29:34 all things are spiritual unto the Lord. Eating healthfully, taking care of your body, getting enough rest, and excercising does matter to the Lord. Remember we can pray to Him for help with this. I have a testimony of this. He will help us obtain good and righteous desires that are His will for us.

Please take care of your body. If not for yourself, for your loved ones; family, friends, and posterity. If not for yourself, put forth the effort out of the respect and love you have towards God, who gave you the gift. And if that is not reason enough, please do it for the most important reason of all- the fact that Jesus Christ paid for our bodies.
1 cor 3:16-17 & 23: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are… And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”

I am blessed with the knowledge of the importance of our bodies and I have also been blessed with knowledge on how to take care of this sacred gift and I am more than willing to share it with anyone who wants me to. I'll help you and support you in any way I can so that you can better take care of your body. I love you.

last semester. first date.

2012-01-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

me and my roommates had SO much fun setting each other up on this date and playing raquetball and then getting frozen yogurt at sweetfrog :) it was the best date i've been on here i'm pretty sure.

the honor ball on friday night was the best dance i've ever been to! we had the VMI jazz band come and play live for it- amazing. and we had cute lil dance cards that guys could sign for a dance. and it was super formal dress. loved it.this is Eddie and his tie :) he made my whole entire night. ask me about the story if ya want it.

this life of mine

2012-01-22T16:42:00.000-08:00

THE FUN HAS BEGUN.

i have been so very busy this semester- fulfilling my goal of making the most of it and having FUN for sure :)

i went out in the community on friday to give fliers to the local businesses for my daddy daughter dance. i am so excited for it. (they are too)

this is Noah!

he came into the world on Wednesday. welcome beautiful! {i cannot believe my sister has a REAL baby, not a doll like we used to play with what seems like yesterday.}

her baby.

my baby!

(blossomed Thursday! still haven't named her, but she brings beauty to my life for which i thank God for.)

precious.

i learn so much from my nephews.

{josh asked on friday "mamma, who is cassie marrying?" yes, thank you josh. that is a good question. please let me know when you receive some insights on that.}

my first time ice skating!

{why is ice skating a romantic activity? is it the cold? or perhaps the physics of gliding across the ice being pulled by anothers hand? i dont know but i like roller blading better.}

tori & i have a bucket list this semester, this was one check off of the list! we rode our bikes to this run down ghetto looking convenient store and got homemade burgers. it was fun=) {my favorite part was that the lady who made them did not even wear gloves and we got to watch her make them.. now that's real.}

basketball games! go knights!

a few new wonderful additions to our house this semester [have kept the kitchen cleaner], for that i'm thankful.

first pizza night!

{apron by: mom}

ahh!! The First Freedom Awards Gala was such a NEAT experience. you can read a little bit more about it here http://scoop.svu.edu/qa-first-freedom-center-gala

but to sum it up, i am grateful to have the freedoms i do to practice the religion i choose. i met some amazing people that night who shared incredible experiences. one man i met from Baghdad had been held hostage, had a gun to his head, burried his own family members, been in prison where people had fingers and toes chopped off, and the list goes on- all for the cause of religious freedom.

i cannot complain.

{we had a little fun at the reception before hand.. i think the bar tender was getting annoyed with us... "what can you make us that's non-alcoholic?" and boooyyy were they good!}

11 things to be remembered from 2011- 12 things to look forward to in 2012!

2012-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012!!!!

2011 was the most amazing year yet. And it ended in quite the most perfect way, with a phone call from my dear friend Tanya! (What a blessing good friends are!) As Tanya and I were talking she shared with me some wonderful insights she had on our warped New Year's traditions, of which I had been pondering also. What a better way to welcome such a precious gift from God than by drinking, fornicating, overeating, staying up late, etc.?! haha! But it's not quite that hilarious when you really think about it. New Years could be just as spiritual of a holiday (I'm personally glad it too falls on a Sunday this year). Years, dates, calendars- things that will only matter in quite this way during our earth life, for we all know that Heavenly Father's time is much different than ours. Time is a great gift we've been given!

Take a look at these scriptures;

2 Nephi 2:21
And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

Alma 34:33
And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

So this holiday has caused me to reflect upon the way I've used this gift of time in 2011...

11) RUNNING my way through the beautiful Virginia foilage, warm sunny Texas, cool mountaneous Washington, and all the way to Nationals in New York!

10) SUPPORTING my brother-in-law's choices. Love you Josh.

9)REFRESHING, letting go &moving on. It's needed every now and again.

8) WELCOMING Matthew Hyrum Cooper to this wonderful earth!!

7) LEADING. I found myself in many marvelous leadership opportunities.

6) FINISHING my mission papers!!!!

5)RECIEVING scholarships.

4)REUNITING with family.

3) KEEPING friendships growing 2)MAKING new friendships!

1)LEARNING from examples. {such as my favorite family in Buena Vista. CONGRATULATIONS Tys for completing your master's degree. I think the world of you & Cami. Thanks for being my best friends.}

...and how I will use it in 2012...

1. Serving my God

2. Dancing with my dad again

3. Graduating with my Bachelors degree!

4. Perhaps working as an efy counselor?

5. Listening to prophets and apostles {CES firesides!!}

6. Going to the temple.

7. Struggling through trials

8. Doing my family history!

9. Meeting my new nephew!

10. Finding the perfect opportunity to give away this Book of Mormon I have.

11. Second Friday of every month= pizza night at Chestnut house!!

12. Adventuring with Tori!!

THERE IS SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

12 drummers...

2011-12-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

or musicians which I love & recommend:

1) Michael Buble's new {Christmas} album!!!

2) Josh Groban {Noel}

3) Paul Cardall {The Christmas Box}

4) {How the Grinch Stole Christmas} Faith Hill; "Where are you Christmas?"

5) Mormon Tabernacle Choir {Sing, Choirs of Angels!} ; "Still, Still, Still" & "Candlelight Carol"

6) {Elf Soundtrack} Zooey Deschanel; "Baby It's Cold Outside"

7) {The Polar Express Soundtrack} Josh Groban; "Believe"

8) Taylor Swift {Sounds of the Season}

9) Elephant Shortcut's EP {Paper Birds}

10) Feather-bottom Lewis [LIVE]

11) and, Adele. {21}

12) and, country... Bob Carlisle to Thompson Square

11+ pipes!

2011-12-22T07:20:00.000-08:00

This family tradition of playing chimes at Christmastime is so fun! The rule in our house is that on Thanksgiving we cannot have pie until we satisfy mom with playing enough Christmas songs on the chimes. She just loves them, and well the rest of us... we secretly do but we just get frustrated with how long it takes to get through a song because some people aren't paying attention or forget when it's their turn to hit their pipe! Ugh. haha.

But traditions are the best, huh?!

tiny nephews leaping...

2011-12-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

and running and hiding and playing with the fisher price nativity and the fisher price zoo animals- they had Joseph and Mary swimming to Bethlehem and Mary got to ride on the killer whale thank goodness! Ah it was the cutest thing. I love my nephews.

I painted these little ornaments for them for Christmas and they were so excited when they opened them! It was the best feeling I'll probably have this season! Christmas without kiddos is just not nearly as fun.

I LOVE BEING AN AUNT!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

dancing anyone?

2011-12-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love the holiday season for this reason- all the special musical and dance performances! I went to the Nutcracker- it was sooo good! I'm grateful for all of the people who share their talents that I so wish I had!

what to do with the milk from the 8 maids of milking?

2011-12-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

why make a holiday favorite, egg nog of course!

and here's the recipe- simple & delicious!

6 eggs

3 cups milk

8 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

beat eggs, then turn milk and sugar in and beat till thick (takes several minutes). then stir in nutmeg and vanilla and chill for 3 hours!

i had never made egg nog before but i've always wanted to and when we were cleaning out our fridge to leave to go home it provided us with the perfect opportunity to make egg nog with all of those eggs we had to get rid of! And we were all super surprised how good it turned out! don't be scared to try it :) haha.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

2011-12-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

I got these flowers that made my day!

My mamma loves me and she takes good care of me and she knows how to turn an anxious, sleepy, sore, applesauce eating, movie watching day into a good day with my favorite flowers to look at making me smile- I kind of want to say it made getting my wisdom teeth out worth it! (except for the fact that i can't eat the almond roca and fruit cake on the counter.. :(

no geese, but lots of other things laying in my mailbox this time of year:)

2011-12-17T21:45:00.000-08:00

So I know that all of these things I've recieved in the mail are all from the same two people, but they are the ones who actually read my blog and obviously love me the most anyways so i just want them to know how special they make the holiday season for me! This season obviously would not be nearly as enjoyable without loved ones to share it with. I'm grateful for their kind acts of love and generosity towards me, honestly what's better then finding things in the mailbox addressed to YOU? :D

Such a cute movie!!! Thank you for sharing it with me Tan!! I love it!

This magnent nativity is too cute mom, I love it too!!

And these window gel clings are pretty freaking CUTE! Mom is awesome making sure I have decorations for my room :) thank you!

5 crayon rings!

2011-12-16T21:43:00.001-08:00

The Dollar Tree my friends. GENIOUS!

four kind nominations.

2011-12-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most meaningful things of my life. I was blessed and honored with it this Christmas season. The Lord walks with us here on earth today. "But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me." (D&C 38:7) I can testify of this truth.

I must say though thatI honestly think that the people who nominated me are more qualified than I, and I owe it all to them because they are some of the most exemplary people in my life to whom I look to and follow and am blessed because of it.

I know the picture is bad. It's kind of awful to have your picture taken in front of several hundreds of people trust me...

http://svu.edu/news/archives/2011/service-and-teaching-awards

Three...

2011-12-14T17:41:00.000-08:00

[pieces of French bread left]

From the recipe that my friend Mary gave to me.

That I will share with you.

2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon yeast (or 1 packet)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

5-6 cups flour

put all in mixer, 5-10mins till smooth. let rise till double, punch down, repeat, then shape into 2 loaves by rolling it out to desired length and then rolling it up. you can sprinkle with cornmeal. then pinch down sides. put oven at 400. cut 3 1/2 inch diagonal deep slashes along the bread. to make it look pretty you can spray with water every 3-4 mins for 15-20 mins, brush w/ egg white at 20 and 2 tablespoons of water and sprinkle on anything else. bake for 30 minutes total.

mmm. nothing like homemade bread!

two gifts from loves!

2011-12-07T17:48:00.000-08:00

So I was having a totally BLAH day on November 30th. I cannot even remember why. I just remember breaking down in tears and feeling miserable. Then I went to institute, and one of my girls from last year (who was in my residence hall) had made this ADORABLE Christmas, excuse me "kiss-mas" countdown! I was so touched that she thought of ME. It made my day, and definitely my blog.

[one of the Sacrament meeting speakers on Sunday was talking about journal writing and they said if we write in our journals, we will have 'journal-worthy' experiences start happening to us. Or rather we will just start recognizing things as such. I testify of the truth of this! Even just from this 12 days of Christmas blog I have recognized more of God's tender mercies as I go about my daily life]

sorry this picture is sideways, i'm too lazy to fix it, BUT I recieved this gift on the following day, Dec 1st from another awfully thoughtful friend. It had a gingerbread man in it... but he escaped.. into my mouth. I LOVE GINGERBREAD! Anyways, again I was touched at this act of service- two of my friends made a whole ton of these cookies and passed them out all over campus spreading Christmas cheer. What a great idea!

On the first day of Christmas...

2011-12-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

I will share with you, my thankful list tradition, {made from a tree}

It's always so perfect that Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season! What better way to bring in the Spirit of Christmas then by remembering all that Heavenly Father has blessed you with?! I have found that counting my blessings really is one simple thing you can do to quickly bring the presence of the Holy Ghost.

This years thankful list included: newfamilysearch.com, The Family Proclamation to the World, pre-race hugs, chastisement, cheese, parents, temple trips, a liberal arts education, salad shooters, tithing settlements, workout buddies, RM's, Emma Smith, singing next to boys, and hammocks -to name just a few.

This is one of my most favorite traditions! I can hardly wait for it each year, I start my list in September!

{Thanks Tanya for bringing this tradition into my life in high school, and Tori for joining me in continuing it! It's more fun when you have friends to share your lists with!}

The Twelve Blogs of Christmas

2011-12-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

"... and how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; & they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth"

Mosiah 27:37

I came across this scripture the other day and it stood out to me, approaching the Christmas season and all, it reminded me of the words that the angel speaks in the Christmas story in Luke,

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

I love the messages in each of these verses and as the Christmas spirit often does, it inspired me to strive harder to liken these scriptures to my own life and find ways this Christmas season to publish peace & good tidings of good, as well as declare my own testimony of the Savior- for this is what the Christmas season is all about as the angel's message in Luke reveals.

SO, originially blogging was what came to mind as one way I can literally 'publish' these things, and so here I am. You can look forward to reading from me 12 more times this month as I share with you 12 blogs of Christmas, filled with things and ideas that have brought peace and good tidings to me and can do the same for you, as well as my own declarations of my testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that humble babe who once laid in a manger, bringing good tidings of great joy unto all people.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

We watched Elf last night.. Caleb is super excited for 'kissmuss'

And for my Thanksgiving trip...

Santa stayed at the same hotel we did ! !

Jamestown... we saw a pig get slaughtered! and then i had a ham sandwich for lunch right after.. mmm

inside Pocohantus' house! Not really, but it could be..

John Smith's ship..

Williamsburg is most famous for their authentic Christmas decor.. i LOVED these wreaths arranged with fruit haha.

The Governor's Palace!

In the amazing pleasure garden at the Governor's palace!

I believe I was picking a wedgie when Tori took this one.. haha! She caught me.

Only in Williamsburg.... I love it!

Eating dinner at the most delicious cheese shop!! so good.

Hey look it's me at the Cooper! Cooper is derived from a midevil latin word meaning container maker.

and the beauty of the temple last weekend!

I'm sure going to miss these temple trips with the mini Coops! i LOVE these boys.

Loretta

2011-11-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

"We know that not all addictions require treatments because we run" -unknown

I just spent an amazing, long weekend in Lake Placid, New York where we competed in the USCAA National cross country meet and we took FIRST PLACE!!

We were so excited! We wore our medals the rest of the day, including after we checked into our hotel and went to the hot tub:) I mean wouldn't you?

We competed at an Olympic Sports Complex! Our race was actually on a biatholon course, right down the road from the bobsled track. So cool.

After our win, we got to roam around down the super cute town!

feel the rhythm! feel the rhyme.... it's bobsled time!!

We named her (the trophy) Loretta... and we carried her into Denny's that night where we ate dinner

This was the morning of our race, right when we got to the course, Tori & I

And the beautiful view that we woke up to on race morning, from our hotel room.

Our team after the Banquet dinner the night before our race!

And it was snowing when we came out from the banquet, what should we expect?!

Some teammates at the banquet dinner where I recieved a 'National All-Academic Team' award "In recognition of outstanding scholarly acievement, as a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Student-Athlete"

I wish I had more pictures to do this weekend justice! It was super fun and what a great blessing it is to be able to have the opportunity to compete, and to have such a strong team (of champions!) who I learn so much from each of their examples. What a blessing it is to have the ability and talent to run, and to have such a healthy strong body. I am so blessed. There is truly so much to be thankful for.

Read more about our race here http://athletics.svu.edu/sports/wxc/2011-12/releases/201111111rh7tn and possibly in the upcoming Mormon Times :)

Node [nohd]: a centering point of component parts.

2011-11-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went on the most fun leadership retreat! We went to West Virginia, to this beautiful state park, and did a couple ropes courses. So fun! The theme was node, which is the part of a tree where it connects before it splits off into branches, etc. Node is also a term having to do with technology and it is really quite cool. Amanda, the e.c. secretary, did a great job planning the retreat for all of the leadership positions at SVU!

Here's my team, the 'redwoods'-

this was me coming down, after ringing the bell at the top! i think they said it was 50ft up! yah i know elias would never believe me after i would not even jump off that 20ft peer or whatever on the columbia river. bahaha.

i love camps! i love the outdoors! any kind of 'retreat' makes for a GREAT day:)

Southern Virginia University is a great place, and I'm going to miss it oodles.

Ok, well I was planning my sunday school lesson I was browsing the Mormon Messages and found this one, and since I am already in the Christmas mood as is probably anyone else who has been into a shopping center lately, I decided I would share it with you. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and I think it is a GREAT idea to try and emulate these children in keeping it simple, clear, and to the point.

http://lds.org/pages/mormon-messages-gallery?lang=eng#kids-and-christmas

More to come on Christmas, but for now let me be the first to tell you 'Merry Christmas!' Watch this video and have these sweet, innocent, Christlike children be the second:)

"If we want to get to the Celestial kingdom, we better be helping someone else across the finishline." -Pres. Rauls

2011-10-30T17:41:00.000-07:00

First place at Hood! Headed to Nationals Nov 11th!

I did not realize that I have been slack-a-lack-in, sorry M&D. I will start from yesterday and go back all the way to September through pictures!

Rapunzel... & Pascal, a spy, and a yodeler from the German countryside

Chestnut house halloween party!!

Ah. I am going to miss this SO MUCH. (p.s. i stole this picture from Tori. actually all of my pictures come from her and she is amazing)

welcome home Jesse!

Homecoming 2011

Temple service day! The best day of the whole entire semester! I love this place.

The best dollars ever spent- retractable marshmallow roaster twiners!

2nd place Roanoke race! woot woot!

a 'Cassie face' typical, i guess, what can i say?

loooovee her!

aw. my first date... it's been awhile.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ!

2011-10-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

To find out more, visit my mormon.org profile!

I just had an awesome week with my family in town visiting. I know they come for the grandkids, but I must say Thank You publicly because they spoil me too and they are truly the best parents ever! Butter Snaps! I've said enough.

Mom, Dad- I love you!

P.S. i've been thinking.. and i wonder what it was like years ago without any cameras. did people even bother to go out in nature without anything to capture what they'd see? without anything to prove that they had actually went somewhere? and to be able to remember that place by? and if so what was the point? do you mean they really just went somewhere beautiful and sat and admired it? they didn't have a photo shoot? how boring. who would do that? and how would you know when it was time to leave? if camera batteries didn't die, memory cards did not get full, and every pose thought of was not captured?

Shoot. I mean, literally..

It's an interesting world we live in today. I miss enjoying nature, zoo's, and parks without the stress of taking all the pictures you want. When will everyone get tired of 'posing' already?!

;) No, don't get me wrong, I love technology! I am grateful for it. It's going on my thankful list today. Now, SMILE!

update-

2011-09-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a little picture summary of what i have been up to lately!

staring at my new sweet nephew Matthew Hyrum Cooper

And holding him.

Lucky me, I got to see him on his birth-day!

Making beautiful signs that get blown away..

Watching Tori be cute and use her scriptures as an extra boost while sleeping.

mwahahaha. this isn't even legal to put up. i have a pyro friend who is doing a great job as my liberation coach.. i need say no more.

my beautiful house of girlies! i truly love them all.

we had a spa night... banana honey mask after my lemon steam thing and then cucumber toner and my face was glowing!

my best friends!

team huddle. aw. look at our team spirit socks the Kera is sporting:)

after winning our home opener. yay :)

my biggest fans! i LOVE it when they are there cheering me on. it means the world to me.

this friend rocks!

and aw my bubble umberella's first use!

life is sooo good. more to come.

Keep On Keepin On!

2011-08-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Let me present to you the 2011 USCAA Nationals team... I mean the SVU Girls XC team (soon to be the National Champions...)

Co-captains :) Love her. Sorry, she is my best friend, I have favorites..

How many girls can you fit in a tent?

Driving to Cave Mountain Lake for camping!

"I just wanna hold you close..." "You'll have plenty of opportunity in that tent!" hahaha

Wildcat Hike.. looking for a clearing to watch the sunset. Never found one :(

I LOVE THE OUTDOORS!!

"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured" -Pres. Hinckley

2011-08-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

These wise words of President Hickley's shall be my motto for this, my senior year, of my undergrad at SVU. And I will need to be reminded of them most frequently, I am sure. Thank you mother & father & all of my friends for all of your reminders.
I am excited, yet very nervous for this new school year!
But here are some pictures of my new place, enjoy :)

Oh What do you do in the Summertime?

2011-07-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Do you get pushed around WinCo in a shopping cart by your dad while gathering food for a family picnic?

Do you side-hug a missionary? Oops it was an accident, really. good to see elias.

Do you feed the ducks? And beautiful goose?

Do you run fun runs? And become 'Queen of the Mountain' for making it to the top of the big hill in mile 4 of the Mountain Mania 10k?

Do you TURN 20 and almost need another box of matches for your bday cake?! (4 more years) it took me 3 breaths to blow out.

Thanks for my birthday mom, this day is all because of YOU! :) I love you!

Do you eat THE MOST AMAZING cake that your mamma made?(yeah.. be jealous!)

Do you go see Winnie The Pooh in theaters to celebrate your turning 20? :)

(it was sooooo good!!)

IS THAT WHAT YOU DO?

Hahaha.

SO DO I :)

Bye-bye

2011-07-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

I did it.
A week ago actually, and it has been quite nice, thank you.
One of the books I read this summer, Good to Great (highly recommend it), taught me something that i never thought of before but is a no-brainer! And that was to make 'stop doing' lists instead of just 'to do' lists. I mean think of how much better we can become from checking off our 'stop doing' lists, eliminating anything in our lives that is a distraction from becoming the best we can become. Our modern day prophets have even spoken out on this issue. President Eyring said in last October's conference, "Beware of things that keep us from productiveness and meaningful interactions with others." And of course President Uchtdorf's talk "Of Things That Matter Most" can also be applied here.
"I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are. It is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing.
Printed material, wide-ranging media sources, electronic tools and gadgets—all helpful if used properly—can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation.
Yet amidst the multitude of voices and choices, the humble Man of Galilee stands with hands outstretched, waiting. His is a simple message: “Come, follow me.” And He does not speak with a powerful megaphone but with a still, small voice. It is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides."
I love how he refers to cell phones, facebook, or even blogging haha as 'hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation,' wow! Just think about it and what those words are in your own life. Of course everyone is different, but for me eliminating facebook from my life was a great check off of my stop doing list and is helping me be more productive and have more meaningful interactions with others, so in other words it is helping me follow the prophet. And he knows the way! :)

The GREAT Northwest!

2011-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

What I've missed: (in no particular order)

Winco (paper bags especially*)
The AIR! I love it. It fuels my creativity, i know. I wish I could bottle it up and take it with me wherever I go because it is just that valuable!
The water. We have the tastiest water at our house.
The trampoline- good for naps & star gazing especially :)
The scenery! G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S
Being able to run any time of day without worrying about dying in the heat. Running here in general is bliss.

Those are the things that come to mind as of now. There is just something special about home, I cannot find words to describe it, but I am greatful for it. I am finding comfort, peace, renewal, love, inspiration, and strength from my trip home. Yay me!

BUT the Great Northwest was the GREATEST when Seth came to visit :D

Hannah kept faking me out at the airport! I was DYING! and people walking by would read my sign and smile at me. One old man stopped in front of me and went "Aww" haha.

Longview's coolest attraction- The Nutty Narrows Squirrel bridge

Portland's tastiest Voodoo Donuts! So fun!!

A lil Sunday photo shoot. Photographs by Zachary. If you want to see more, there are more :D shoot!

but apparantly Zach needs a new camera haha.

And time at the Lake's Go Fourth festivities!

Driveway doodle time... 'mom's gonna be pissed, i'm not going to take part in this' -Zach

S'mores party with my friends! And the greatest dollar i ever spent, in my hand- that's right, a RETRACTABLE marshmallow roaster stick! Purse size, I can take it everywhere for those emergency s'mores cravings! Thanks Target!

Alby- Seth's favorite 74 yr old Lumberjack at the show.

Photo booth pics.. and Zach took better ones on his phone, and they're free! bahaha.

Cute lil sign! Fourth of July Fun Run 10K

7th overall, 1st female finisher, 48:05, fireworks for my prize!

Thanks Daddy :)

And here i proudly present the outcomes of the washington air that fuels my creativity with a few of my latest craft projects! so fun!

Another one of those awesome necklaces!!

And I must also mention a few things I have not missed about the Great Northwest:

Being so far away from Tys, Cami, Josh, & Caleb (CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU ALL SOON!!)
Being COLD
Expensive gas
and having so much earwax! haha

Lessons from My Father

2011-06-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I guess this is a preface to a book I would love to write in my future dedicated to my Father, Jerry Camenish Cooper, whom I love so much and have learned great lessons from. It is intriguing to note that most of these lessons were taught indirectly, through his example and my observation, lessons that I learned without realizing I was even being taught. I am so grateful for these lessons & more from my father, the valuable counsel he gives me along with special father’s blessings, and the way his personal righteousness and Christ-like attributes bless my life. I find so much peace and comfort in knowing I have an earthly father, an eternal friend, who has an expectation for my own happiness and from this I learn, and I know, and I feel my Heavenly Father’s love and expectations for me just as real as my own earthly parents. I hope my parents know how grateful I am for this.

Lesson #1 Love is truly spelt T I M E

From the yearly tradition of going to the Father Daughter Ball each February since I was 5 to a Memorial Day “sun break” breakfast picnic hike at Comanche Lookout park in San Antonio, my dad always is up for spending time with me and that is how I know just how important I am to him and how much he loves me. Thank you daddy, so much. For spending your Friday’s off of work going to school with me in elementary school so I could show you off, for those PPI’s we used to hold (remember those?), for playing tennis with me whenever possible, for helping me with math homework, for going on field trips with me even when I’m in college =], for running that 1 mile or so with me last May, for coming up with campaign slogans and strategies for me, for being interested in each race that I run, for listening to me whenever talk about whatever!, for sharing your stories, insights, knowledge, aspirations, etc. with me too. I could seriously write a whole book on all the ways you have spent your time in showing me that you love me.

Lesson #2 Prayer
We have this rule in our family; keep your head higher than your butt! Man! There are many lessons we can pull from this saying hahaha, however, what I learned and what I think my father was trying to teach by instigating this rule is the divinity of God and the sacredness of the responsibility we have to communicate with our Father in Heaven. This rule helped us remember the proper physical form that we should take when we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer and helps us remember the respect that is essential in our relationship with God. My father has been a great testimony to me of the power of prayer and supplication to the Lord. Many times I’ve walked in on him praying, and I am just grateful for his example and unspoken testimony in those moments and always. What a great man he is.

Lesson # 3 Leave the Light On
I did not date much in high school and so I never have really had any chastity talks with my parents, it’s just one of those things ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ HAHAHA JUST KIDDING m&d ;) But the one time I came close to having a boyfriend in high school was during my senior year and this boy came over to watch a movie with me, we were holding hands on the couch upstairs watching ‘Eagle Eye’ or something with the lights off (duhh, how else do you watch a movie?!) but my dad kept walking up the stairs, through the TV room, & down the hall turning on the hall lights. My under-developed teenager brain thought that he was mistakenly leaving the light on each time he passed through so I would get up and turn it off so I could see the movie better. He must have done this 3 or 4 times and I finally just left it on, tired of getting up of course. ANYWAYS, years down the road I have realized this quiet lesson that my father was teaching me of safety from Satan’s temptations & the law of chastity and so many other things without saying a word! I would just like to say thank you daddy for not only this small lesson, but for being the kind of husband and father that I know I want to have in my own home. Thank you for teaching me how a woman should be treated and for respecting womanhood. There are so many things you do, probably without realizing, that magnify to me the importance of my sacred calling as a woman. Thank you.

Lesson #4 Fill the Well
I wish I had my journal from last year, it is packed away in storage, but before the start of college last year my dad gave me a blessing, like always , and something he shared with me in that blessing and through that counsel has stayed with me and that is the important responsibility I have of filling my own well so that I will have enough to give to others and help and serve in the kingdom. I know that daily scripture study, prayer, going to church & institute, are essential to fill my well and that is of top priority so that I will have the means to do everything else. Thank you for that counsel that has stuck in my mind.

Lesson #5 (I will combine several things that tie together & make it my last lesson to share for now.. until that book..) Eat Raw Meat, Get out & Run, Did You Lose or did They Win?

All of these lessons I learned after my ambitious decision to try and become athletic in the 9th grade by joining a club soccer team, playing tennis for the high school team, later joining the high school soccer team, and then finally finding my most loved hated passion through joining the high school cross country team. I think all of these things really excited my dad as none of my older siblings were involved that much in sports (besides Rad Zach who is def admired for being on the swim team!), but seeing as I was just getting into sports in 9th grade, my teammates and competition definitely had a leg up on me. And I’ve been able to get the fitness part down pretty well but I guess it’s not in my nature to be that competitive (sorry dad, I just didn’t inherit that from ya) so you could ALWAYS count on my dad saying to my coach and to me after a game, match, or race, “Goodness we are going to have to start feeding Cassie raw meat.” I was like ha.. ha..
One time after one of my soccer games in my first season of soccer, on the way home my dad spontaneously pulled over at the middle school track and told me to get out and he was going to time me running sprints in the rain!! I thought he was crazy. But he was serious. So I did.
After every tennis match I could count on my dad asking me the question, “So did you lose or did they win?” (I lost a lot..) but on occasion I might alternatively hear, “So did you win or did they lose?” These questions sometimes were challenging to answer, but they always made me think about and analyze my game. I have learned from my dad through my efforts to be athletic more of what an athlete is. I am grateful for the things he was trying to teach me, because believe it or not I needed more than just my team coach!! Haha. I was behind and my dad knew that  he has always wanted to help me find success in whatever I do. I am grateful for that. These lessons taught me that ambition, diligence, and analysis are necessary for success.

[skol-er-ship]

2011-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

schol·ar·ship
–noun
1. learning; knowledge acquired by study; the academic attainments of a scholar.
2. a sum of money or other aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue his or her studies.
3. the position or status of such a student.

(dictionary.com)

Scholarship is one of 5 core values at SVU. It is a very important personal value of mine as well. And I have a testimony that it is of great importance to our Heavenly Father too.

Wednesday June 10th, 2009
I went to the senior scholarship awards ceremony tonight expecting absolutely nothing. I did not even know why I was skipping mutual to go to this. Yes, I spent many late nights filling out scholarship applications and writing essays, but things like this don't happen to people like me, so I thought. However, to my astonishment I walked away tonight with over $6,000 in scholarships. I am overwhelmed. I cannot believe the generosity of these donors and the trust that they have put in me, a 17 year old, with their money. All I can say is "Thank You" to the hands that Heavenly Father used to answer my humble pleas and live to be a likewise instrument for my Heavenly Father to accomplish His great work.

Since that day, almost two years ago, I have continually been blessed by the generosity of several other scholarship donors & funds.

I remember when I had made the decision to go to SVU Zach asked me how in the world I was going to be able to afford it. I just said I did not know, but I have faith that if this is where the Lord wants me He will provide a way, and He has.

Just this last Wednesday I came home from the temple to find a UPS envelope on my doorstep. I picked it up, sure that it was not for me (nothing that ever comes to this house is), but curiously I looked to see who it was for and totally surprised I saw that the envelope was addressed to Cassandra Cooper! That's me! Then I looked to see who it was from and recognized the sender's name from a scholarship I had applied for earlier this year. I knew I must have recieved some award because rejection letters are just not sent in EXTREMELY URGENT marked envelopes through UPS, right?! I ripped it open to find that I was the recipient of the 2011 AECOM Founding Chairman Scholastic Recognition Program Award. My eyes filled with tears, a common occurance for me when recieving scholarship awards. I can't not cry. The words of Melvin J. Ballard came into my head: “A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return.”

Mom, Tanya, and anyone else who is reading this (Tys & Cami :), can I just share my testimony that the Lord always blesses our most meager offerings. I try to give Him all He asks, but sometimes the spirit of my doing is not always right or I just fall short. But He blesses me nonetheless. He hears my prayers. I know that scholarship, learning, & gaining an education is important to Him because He has helped me immensely in my endeavors to achieve this. It struck me this time around that wow what I'm trying to accomplish here must be very important for me to have because the Lord keeps providing miracles to make it happen. Wow.

In Sunday School I learned of faith. The faith that the blind man near Jericho had in the Lord. He was blind, but yet he asked the Savior for his sight, which to a blind man is the impossible. He did not ask for a walking stick to get around better, he asked for his sight! Our teacher asked us to think about what we ask the Lord for and tears filled my eyes as I thought of how the Lord has given me my 'impossible' as He has provided a way for me to go to the school of my choice.
My dad used to tell me that if there is a will there is a way and to not let money hold me back. Sometimes, most of the times, it is hard to believe that. But I am grateful for the truth in these little lessons.

And I've rambled enough, but lastly these things have made me contemplate my testimony, as these experiences receiving scholarships have been answers to my prayers, little miracles, they have strengthened my testimony. I've thought that one may ask how I know they are not just coincidences. How do I know that everytime I pray my prayer gets answered and that somehow that means there is a loving God in heaven listening to me and helping me. Well, I know my life is not just full of coincidences because The Book of Mormon is not a book that teaches how to fill your life with coincidences. The principles I have learned from that book work every time, 100% of the time, and correct me if I am wrong, but I believe in science, etc. when something is continually tested and it continually produces the same results that it is no longer just a hypothesis but rather it can be counted as knowledge. The answers I recieve to my prayers are not accidents, luck, or fate, they are sure and I have learned for myself of this.

BUT like LeVar Burton from Reading Rainbow always says, you do not have to take my word for it...

:)

home.

2011-05-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

I won't be bloggin much these days since the main reason I blog is for my mommy & I am blessed to be with her everyday for the summer :)

Oh how I love her! She is the strongest woman I know. She has taught me everything important I know. I am grateful for her friendship, for her example, and for her dilligence in teaching me throughout my whole life- rough parts included. She was always persistent. I am grateful for who she is. She is beautiful inside & out. When anyone tells me I am beautiful and amazing, the credit goes to my mamma.

I've been enjoying my summer, maybe a little too much- I should get to work!

But... I love floating in the pool :)

and baking.

This is my first take at homemade bread! Super easy, cheap, & healthy! I gotta get it down for my future family :) I don't think my mom minds me practicing here..

i fell in love... (and then i fell in love again)

2011-04-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would take the time to tell my Southern Virginia story because it means so much to me.

My first visit to SVU was in November of 2009, my senior year of highschool, I came out for an open house and also got my senior pictures taken by the Vials during my visit :)

I fell in love with the gorgeous colors of fall throughout the town.

After much prayer, internal debate, and nights of crying and too much stress for what I thought was the biggest decision of my life thus far, I submitted my acceptance to BYU Provo. Yeah... I thought SVU would leave me alone after that, but they didn't :) Neither did Tyson. Many phone calls later, I was convinced, to attend for at least one year and then transfer to BYU. I had tuition paid for in scholarships and was able to run cross country as part of that scholarship.

When it rains here, it pours, blessings, hidden in disguise.

Student government? OK.

More XC? I guess...

Loving, wonderfully, supportive family? Always.

Best friends? Sure!

Work? definitely.

I fell in love with everything SVU has to offer!

I came back for more, and I fell in love again...

It's true, Virginia is for Lovers! (Just had to throw that in...)

And some more photos of my most recent endeavors here:

Locks of LOVE

Sunday Singing at Golden Living
They are so appreciative! We LOVE going!!

And.. because of SVU's fab location I got the opportunity to take a tour of the White House, Neat!

One of Those Treasures From This Semester of Learning

2011-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

"If"
by: Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Peanut Butter-Nutella Milkshakes

2011-04-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

Peanut butter nutella milkshakes- sooo good you should try them! Like a cup of Reeses goodness! Seriously...

Conference weekend was phenomenal!

And the beautiful springtime that is upon us is a blessing!

I am greatful for the Lord's tender mercies, they are everywhere!

Just Come Home With Me

2011-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

So I said "OK" and it was the best day.

Isaiah

2011-02-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

"Look for the Understandable, Highlight the Beautiful"

That is the advice my wonderful institute teacher, Brother Moss, shared with his students (me) in his Great are the Words of Isaiah class.

I have thoroughly been enjoying studying Isaiah and have learned so much! But lately I feel like this advice from Brother Moss for studying Isaiah is also very applicable in my everyday life. Sometimes it's all you can do when you're caught up in the whirl winds of life. There's much that I cannot understand at this time, but I must focus on what I can understand. There's much that is ugly right now, but I must magnify the beauiful things.

I'm greatful for this advice, it has helped me so much lately.

Pretty Princess Party.. My hair wasn't quite long enough.. oh well, my prince was.. working anyways haha.

Our Frog Cup Cakes, Mine is on the left, Tori's is the 'Chastity' frog on the right.. with red eyes..

Simple

2011-02-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've never had some grand faith building experience, been thrown into a den of lion's or killed a giant with a stone.

My conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ has happened gradually over time throughout my life.

I've been blessed with many wonderful people throughout the course of my life who have lead me and influenced me in the right direction. I am grateful to them. But it was not them who changed my heart.

I was taught to read my scriptures daily, to pray daily, and to go to church each Sunday. I believe it was these three simple things that made all the difference in my life.

I first did them because that's what I was taught, I wanted to please my parents, my teachers. But as the years went by I noticed that I was no longer doing it for anyone but myself, and why? Because the presence of the Holy Ghost that manifests itself when I read the scriptures, pray, and go to church. The truths which I learn that help me in every aspect of my life.

Because I've tried out the teachings in The Book of Mormon and they are true principles with promises (D&C 130:20-21).

And now, as I sit in my dorm room after 19 1/2 years, I look at my favorite picture of the Savior and I remember the promises I made to Him at baptism. And my heart is His, my sins I'll give up because what He has to offer is better than anything else. I can feel that. I know He loves me because He provided me with a way to give up my sins and become perfect even as He is.

And if I'm wrong, it would be a rare occasion in which my heart has led me astray, but then so what? What else matters? What else matters without the hope that Jesus Christ offers.

I give my reasoning, absolutely nothing.

Nothing else matters if Christ's Atonement can't really work for me.

So, it's worth the try, I reason.

And I'll give up everything to my Lord, my God.

I can relate to Alma the younger when he says;

"And according to [my] faith there was a mighty change wrought in [my] heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true" (Alma 5:12).

214

2011-02-01T14:38:00.000-08:00

The other day Tori came over to visit and as we were walking out my room she pointed out that I live in Room 214, which happens to be the date of Valentine's Day. And that's when it all suddenly started to make sense!

You see my friends, Room 214 is not just any ordinary room. It is a magical room. A room that turns regular, normal people into lovers! You could also refer to Room 214 as 'Cupid's Quarters.'

But I didn't know this when I moved in because no one actually reads the 'Residental Living Agreement' which just happened to be a special one, different from every other room in The Lofts.

After pulling it out and actually reading it thoroughly here is what I found that I actually agreed to by sigining'Cassandra Cooper' next to the X :

Resident may not return to her room for the night until after 11pm (at the earliest) on week nights and 1am on weekends; very few hours of sleep must suffice.

After retiring for the night 1-2 follow up phone calls are to be expected, just to make sure the resident does not forget they are loved.

Pets (including fish) are not allowed. The family of love ladybugs are the only exception- and they already reside in the room.

In the case of inclement weather (snow) resident is expected to look out window to find love letters carved in the snow to her.

The University is not responsible for theft or damage to personal property (i.e. heart) of resident.

The cost to replace a stolen key to one's heart is $ priceless.

Repeated violation of quiet hours, staying up talking and laughing on the phone and then dancing to Taylor Swift after hanging up, may result in happiness.

Resident is expected to be considerate of other students whose hearts have not yet been stolen, causing them to still have good health and mentality. (While you are Crazy & Love Sick)

In case of emergency Ben & Jerry's can be found at the Food Lion down the street (but this won't be necessary).

Bedroom is expected to be kept clean and orderly with exception to the plethora of colorings, notes, drawings,Kit Kat wrappers,post-it notes, framed pictures, cardboard love bugs, boxes of 'many things',etc.

I have read and understand the residential life policies as outlined above, and agree to abide by them at all times.

X Cassandra Cooper August 13, 2010

Hence the inevitable.

"I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!"

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Adventures!

2011-01-26T18:58:00.000-08:00

Only a month late, but in commemoration of 2010 I present to you some of

Cassie's greatest adventure's in 2010

The Adventure of the Big Red Wagon

(Spokane, WA)

2. The Adventure of Sisterhood

(NYC, New York)

3. The Adventure of ABC Gum!

(Seattle, WA)

4. The Tried & True Adventure of Friendship

(Buena Vista, VA)

5. The Aunt "Ca-Ca" Adventure

(Buena Vista, VA)

6. The Adventure of Learning

(Greensboro, NC)

7. The Adventure of Endurance!

(Washington D.C.)

8. The Adventure of Coming Home

(Longbeach, WA)

9. The Adventure of Dad's Midlife Crisis...

(Kelso, WA)

10. The Adventure of Celebrating 19 Years!

(Home!)

11. The Appalachian Trail Adventure

(Roanoke, VA)

12. The Adventure of Expectancy...

(Crabtree Falls, VA)

--->
....JUST KIDDING! hahahahah.

13. The Feminist Adventure, told ya we didn't need men

(Douthat, VA)

14. The "Dynamite" Adventure

(Virginia Beach, VA)

15. The Adventure That Left A Scar..

(Lexington, VA)

16. The Turkey Time Adventure!

(Buena Vista, VA)

17. The Adventure (best of all) of Love

(San Antonio, Texas)

Some People Wait A Lifetime

2010-12-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

For A Moment Like This.

Everything changes, but beauty remains.

Something so tender I can't explain.

Well I may be dreaming, but till I awake...

Can we make the dream last forever?

And I'll cherish all the love we share

For a moment like this.

I can't believe it's happening to me.

{This semester has been simply amazing. Each semester just keeps getting better. I can't wait to see how next semester can top this one! Seriously I have learned so much. Not only in the classroom from my AMAZING professors, but also from the experiences my Heavenly Father has blessed me with, and from the wonderful people and opportunities he has put in my life. I just want to share one of the coolest things in my life so far and that is the opportunities I have had to mentor, to be mentored, and to give others the chance to mentor and be mentored also. I was a mentor with the Cowlitz County Substance Abuse Coalition's Teen Mentor Program back in Kelso my senior year of high school. That experience has changed me. I made an inspiring young friend who is now my favorite pen pal! I love Izzy. When I came to Buena Vista and thought of Izzy I felt guilty for not doing anything like that here. So thanks to all of the wonderful people who helped make this crazy vision of mine a reality, we now have The Reach Mentor Program in Buena Vista at Enderly Elementary. It is precious. It is so special. Did you see the smiling faces of those sweet kids next to their new friends?! It is beautiful. Thank you to all those who have mentored me throughout the years and who continue to do so. My parents being the greatest mentors, examples, and friends to me. But also my dear sister Katie has been an example to me and touched my heart, and Tyson, Cami, Tanya Schaat, Mary May, Sis.Whalen, Leanne Allred, Jason & Christine Davis, and Seth Hartman -to name just a few. I am so blessed for the way you all have mentored me. I testify that this is a big and important part of Heavenly Fathers plan for us to mentor and help each other along life's journey to reach our full potential.

He loves us.

We need him and we need each other. I am grateful for this season dedicated to the ultimate mentor, Jesus Christ. May we always remember him as we go about our lives mentoring each other.}

I Am Thankful. 2010.

2010-11-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

Will someone please teach me how to blog?! I cannot get anything the way I want it, for example this picture, that is explained at the very bottom.. :(

Tori helped me put up this 'Thankful Tree' in my hallway last weekend, and it filled up fast! Among my favorite things the 2nd floor girls of the lofts are thankful for are; the ability to keep hold of anger- my roomates are still living, the laundry phantom of the 2nd floor, finding out my crush is dating my friend, Christian Bale- and then someone put a picture of him at the bottom of the tree w/ a caption that says "I'm thankful for you too ladies" HAHA. I love Novemeber! It's my favorite month. I love my girls too.

Our Thanksgiving date:

Good looking people all around!

and OREO turkeys, Tori added a gobbler with a slice of the red spice drops- GENIUS! so cute!

NATIONALS!! This is "steady eddy" he's at the starting line :)

Banquet dinner.. after traveling all day it was hard to look good..

I was super excited about my plaque for National All Academic Team!!

The beautiful scenery on the drive home (above) and well below... these boys CRACk me up! Shoot. This nationals trip I learned just how crazy boys are. Idk why it's taken me this long to find this out... but these boys are NUTS. I'll leave it at that.

midnight Wendy's run!

(and now, the text that I wanted at the beginning of this post)

I am finishing up my thankful list for this year. This is something that I've been doing every year for the past four years! It's the highlight of my Autumn. I started this tradition with Tanya Janene Schaat in the 11th grade (I believe) and I have shared it with many others throughout the years.

Here are a few of the things that made my list this year: Ben& Jerry's. basement apartments. the Appalachian trail. guitars & male voices :) . The Book of Mormon {never fails to make an appearance on my list, but this year I have had many wonderful opportunities to read and study this amazing book. It just keeps getting better.} Bananas. the butterflys you get in your stomach that let you know life is exciting! kisses. little notes of appreciation. The Odyssey (and many other books i've learned to love in Western Literature). The Gift of the Holy Ghost. true friendship. those are just a few...

If you have not recently read President Monson's talk The Divine Gift of Gratitude, I highly recommend rereading it!

"Sincerly giving thanks unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel Gods love."

Prayer and thanksgiving go together like oreo's and milk! I am extremely grateful for all that God so abundantly blesses me with. I know Heavenly Father is real. He hears and answers prayers. He loves all of His children, I've had the unique opportunity to feel that a lot this year being an R.A. I love my Heavenly Father.

For Zach Mostly.

2010-10-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here are my pictures from my race last weekend at Hood College in Maryland. I got 10th place, so I got a medal =]
We are headed to New Hampshire next weekend for Nationals!! I'm SO excited!!

Dear Mom & Dad,

2010-10-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately! I wanted to show you what I've been doing in school :)

I absolutely love this season, as you can tell!

Mushrooms, broccoli, onions, potatoes, and limes make great stamps!

My paper pig, because you never got me a real one.

TIGER MASK!

I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas! ... and oranges and grapes =]

What BUBBLE WRAP can do;

Someday just happened to be yesterday and Oct. 5th

Above picture by the talented Tori

I love being Aunt Cassie!

This boy....

makes me smile :D

Tori & I have our eyes on the right place!FRIENDSIES

and the BEST friendsie

Thank you for your postcard from San Antonio! I love you so much and cannot wait to see you in 2 months in Texas! My prayers are with you as you search for a house.

You are the best parents EVER. Thank you for teaching me all that I need to know.

Love Always,

Cassandra

"I'm Feelin Like A Star, You Can't Stop My Shine!"

2010-09-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

9.25.10
We took 3rd at Roanoke! Woot Woot! We have high hopes for nationals.

9.11.10
I took 34th in the W&L Invitational and got all banged up, clumsy me tripping over a tree root while running down hill. The pictures don't do justice hahaha.

9.11.10

This is Jordan. He likes to party.

(He's also very patriotic!)

9.23.10

This is Seth =] The designer of my love bug! Isn't he just amazing?

I left Tori & him with tape, scissors, and cardboard because I had to go to work. I came back and ta-da!

9.24.10

Since Seth is out of town this weekend, I had to ride solo in my love bug. HOWEVER, I put his picture on the windshield.. so it was like he was there with me.. bahaha!

The back view, like the bumper sticker Tori put on?

Tori's spaceship... we were going to see Toy Story 3 so it was only appropriate that she fly there! To infinity and beyond! Love her.

The Gang. Me, Tori, BJ, Kara, & Jordan.

9.26.10

Shoot, I'm tired! But it's been a great few weeks, as you can tell. I'm having the time of my life. Today is beautiful, I woke up to rain outside my window. My absolute favorite :)

Awesome Ends With "Me"

2010-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANKA. I love you and I have enjoyed the 15 years you have been in my life very, very much. You are my favorite lil sister. You're beautiful. I miss you oh so much.

Second of all, I know I am a daughter of God and He loves me and I love him.

I went to Virginia Beach yesterday with my XC team after our race. It was fantastic! I collected 5 unique sea shells, got knocked down and had my swim suit bottoms pulled down by the waves, and had sand on every inch of my body. What a day!

This week was, I think I can say, the hardest week of my entire life. So, Cami being the best sister-in-law EVER and just the most thoughtful friend called me on Friday afternoon and told me she had something for me outside my dorm. I came out to find a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream waiting for me. It. Was. The. Best. Thing. I've. Done. In. A. LONG, LONG TIME, eating that whole pint in one sitting. It made everything better :) Who needs boys when you have Ben &Jerry?! For real. I agree with Aquamarine.
Thank you Cami. (and may I also note the title of my post is "Awesome Ends With "Me" but Awesome also ends with Cam-E. LOVE YOU!)

And, before the hardest week of my life, I had a FAB last day of summer. BBQ, swimming, and dancing with the friends. They are too fun, I love them!

Also, Hello to Helen, SVU's Library Shuttle Van #11 of which I, Cassandra Cooper am the lucky driver of. I honestly LOVE this job of mine, getting paid to drive to walmart 4 times a week! It's been super fun so far.

Lastly (sorry for the long post), this is my first little art project for my favorite new class Art for the young child! We had to describe us with a drawing of our name! I run XC, I'm an Aunt, a Scrapbooker, the driver of the SVU library shuttle, I love to bake chocolate chickpea cookies.. and I love the outsidE. A lot actually.

Too bad there is no "H" in my name to say I'm humble... because now I must explain the title of my post is a quote I came accross that I thought was very true. Sometimes Satan tries to get us thinking that we are stupid, ugly, untalented, and worthless. That there are always people who are smarter, prettier, more talented, and plain better then us. This is not true. I am a daughter of God. I have so much potential. If I let Him, I am whatever He makes me. Awesome Ends With "ME" !!!

It's Seasonal.

2010-08-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Super fun day hiking part of the Appalachian trail thanks to Adam's reccomendation. Pictures above are from the GORGEOUS view at the top. Virginia, my friends, is one of the most beautiful places on this continent. I'm in love.

My room all unpacked =] I like my window view...

My first and only novel of the summer! And it's wack....

I love Tori =] It's so fun to be together again!!

I love my new job! These are the name tags I made for my girls' doors!

College. Spaghettio's. They go together perfectly.

look how much crap i've accumulated!

It has been a wonderful summer. Short, but nonetheless perfect. I've enjoyed many adventures with my amazing friends and I've made memories to last a lifetime. What I'm feeling now as I try and express to you my summer is somewhat similar to the way I feel when I try to find words to bear my testimony. There just aren't words to describe these feelings and emotions that make life what it is, great. I sometimes wish we had a little USB port, like computers, so we could just put our feelings on jump drives and share them with each other perfectly.

Everytime I try to tell you how I feel it comes out

"I love you!", I do!

19, Serene, and Smiling!

2010-07-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

Cheers to the best birthday yet and 19 amazing years! Thank you to everyone who helped make my day super special! I love you all!

I was born to be a queen!

2010-07-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

We went shopping today, Hannah, Mom, Aunt Judy, and I. For 8 hours, it's kind of like a full time job for those of us with Thompson blood in us. I remember Grandma being quite the shopper too. We all take the saying "Shop till you drop" quite literally.

As I have aged, however, my enthusiasm for shopping has declined. (Hannah told me the other day that I am good at being poor, by the way.) I just don't have the essential qualities of a great shopper. I don't like to spend money and I am very indecisive. So after about four hours of shopping everything just started to kind of look the same and I just didn't care about any of it anymore and I was just done (but I was still having fun!).

After this long day of shopping though I just feel really blessed that I am not interested in all of the material things that stores work so hard trying to lure you into buying. Don't get me wrong, I love new clothes, jewlery, purses, shoes, etc. Who doesn't?! But at the end of the day those things do not matter.

Watch the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic if you have not already (it's on netflix).

At the end of this long work day for us shoppers, I think I returned with the least purchases. Hannah has a whole new, very cute, wardrobe. Mom has outfitted the newly painted down stairs bathroom, and Aunt Judy has become Santa for her grandaughter Morgan and I'm sure they will be celebrating Christmas in July when she returns home (a very freaking awesome Christmas I must add with the most darling little girl things!!!). But it's not that I couldn't find any cute clothes, it's that I couldn't find any clothes that were cute and modest! In the moment it can be a very, very frustrating thing (as I'm sure most of you know). But I have never been happier and filled with more gratitude then I am at the end of a days shopping. The reason being the standards that I have been taught by my loving parents, given to me by my loving Heavenly Father. I am so happy that I can, as President Monson counseled in this last conference, show my love and respect to my Heavenly Father through my dress.

"Servants of the Lord have always counseled us to dress appropriately to show respect for our Heavenly Father and ourselves. The way you dress sends messages about yourself to others and often influences the way you and others act. Dress in such a way as to bring out the best in yourself and those around you."

i love you cassie

My mother has always been such a good influence for me in choosing modest dress and I appreciate her persistance in that more than I think she knows. I used to fight with her all the time because I didn't think something was immodest and she did :) but I am so grateful for her persistance and loving guidance.

"Mothers, your example is extremely important to your daugthers- even if they don't aknowledge it... When they wear clothing that is too tight, too short, or too low cut, they not only can send the wrong message to young men with whom they associate, but they also perpetuate in their own minds the fallacy that a woman's value is dependent solely upon her sensual appeal. This never has been nor will it ever be within the righteous definition of a faithful daughter of God. "
-Elder Ballard

"Listening and obeying the counsel of our prophet allows us access to special blessings."
-Ann M. Dibb

I can testify of this. I know that we are blessed as we do what the Lord has commanded and I know He commands it because He loves us and because He knows what is best for us. We must have the faith to trust Him in this!!

I end with my favorite quote from Elaine S. Dalton that I think of everytime I am faced with peer pressure, or when I am shopping and the maniquens at the store try and persuade me that a super cute immodest dress will look especially good on me...
"I cannot do what you ask, for I was born to be a {queen!}"

This I truly know.

Beautiful Things.

2010-07-17T23:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Hannah, You are so beautiful!

Dear Beautiful Star Fish on my head, I love you...

Dear Beautiful Friends (left to right; Amanda, Janet, ME, Lindsey), I love you too! I loved the three days we spent up at the cabin. They were the most perfect days with T. Swift on the ipod, jumbo reeses s'mores and hot dogs over the fire, 80 degree sunshiny weather and sunburns that turn into nice tans! A cool pool to ourselves, a toxic hot tub, UNO, sorry, and B.S., Finding Nemo, Baby Mama, Red Vines and a murdered gnome on the porch. It just doesn't get much better then this.

I LOVE SUMMER.

I LOVE CAMPING.

and the next best thing to camping,

I LOVE THE CABIN.

I am happy. The beautiful things in life are the reason why. Much Thanks to my loving Father in Heaven.

Ear Wax, A Five Guys, and Shooting Stars

2010-07-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I could blog about tonight. My thoughts are everywhere!

BUT, since I've been home it is the strangest thing (to me at least) that my ears are producing MAJOR ear wax. Seriously, everyday I have to clean them with at least 2 Q-tips and even still Hannah looks in them and says "Ew gross.." I don't know, I just thought I'd share that. Maybe someone could tell me why this might be?

This place sure has been a-changing since I've been gone! There is a Five Guys Burger's in town now. Hollywood Video closed. Wendy's remodeled. There's the beginnings of a zip line on my property...! and the list goes on. But what is killing me is not the changes in our local fast food joints or my front yard, but rather all of the sad changes people I have loved and do love have been making in their lives, choosing different paths. First of all, I just don't get it. But second of all, it just depresses me. Since I've been home I've been bombarded with such depressing news about so many people I know and love. I just don't know what to do besides pray and fast more fervently and make sure that I treat every person within my reach back in VA like I pray others within reach of my wayward friends treat them.
It's a tough world we live in, which brings me to my last thoughts for the night- Thursday night I was fortunate to be able to sleep under a beautiful blanket of stars! It was breathtaking. And I saw FOUR shooting stars that night! And it's moments like these that I have to dwell on and not all the sad changes in the world around me. Also, a thought Katie Thompson shared last week in the marriage and family sunday school lesson has stuck with me all week. In this crazy world we should always be able to find joy within our families! I love my fam so much! They bring me so much joy, just being related to such awesome people makes me happy! We must, as President Hinckley said "Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight." There is SO much good in this beautfiul world and it is a goal of mine to do what I can to increase it. So yes, I pick up litter and wear starfish in my hair and on my ears! I can't help it..

A Lovely Day

2010-07-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how to arrange pictures on my posts. It frustrates me, but oh well. You still get to see them and that's what matters, right?

I got to babysit Josh & Caleb today! It was super fun times. Josh just finished watching Aristocats, hence the very cute video where he sings "Everybody wants to be a cat!"

We went on a walk to the fish pond... and had a little photo shoot in Tys & Cami's very cute yard. I love their house and their kids and them also :)

I'm super blessed to be able to live here with them, I enjoy it immensely.

So then Josh decided everyone needed a picture with Cassie's sunglasses- so that explains the first few pictures..

and then Tyson & Cami came home and well, that's the end! :D

Pigs, Mud, Happiness...

2010-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Confession: I do not know how to blog. I do not know how to arrange these posts, this thing is so resilient- at least to me it is.

So anyways, happiness is my new friendship anklet from Lindsey :) She made it herself! Props to my talented Indian friend.. apparantly she has known how to do this since she was a child, go figure!

and the other two; pigs & mud well that is pretty self explanatory.

But what shall I do? I have never had shoes this dirty... ew..

and-a-more

2010-06-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

YAY! All done! We could not believe it!

Crossing the finish line, we had little chips attached to our shoes so that they could track us and our mileage and time and all of that, so those mats right there had a sensor for our chips at the finish line! Talk about not being able to cheat haha!

And I was a comin...

And here we had only just begun! About 10minutes before we lined up the announcer said over speakers "And there have been sightings of snakes on the course this morning!" OH BOY! Let me tell you! I was freaking out! I HATE snakes!! Luckily, I did not encounter any! Whew.

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

2010-06-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

This is the starting line picture...

Holly & I had a blast running in the Washington D.C. Northface Endurance Challenge Marathon (appropriately named, it was a challenge!) It also was an incredible adventure!

Holly & I had a lot of fun, we were laughing a lot during the race and people were like it sounds like you two are having too much fun... and we were!

So we thought this was just going to be like any other marathon, we did not know what a trail marathon was exactly, but we didn't think it mattered. It was the first marathon for both of us. Well, trail marathons are intense! Intensely FUN! I was very very muddy by the end (pictures later to come). The trail was single file for a lot of the way with brush taller than us- luckily we covered ourselves in bug spray before and came out tick-less! We had to run over logs, through streams, up and down steep mountains, and through muddy pits- which were hard to get out of because I kept just slidding back down! It was so much. We were like is this for real?!

Mile 19 was the hardest. I got so nauseous I thought I was not going to make it. They had snacks at the aid stations which were about every 6-7 miles, but thinking about food made me sick. And afterwards it took a few hours to even be able to eat because we felt so sick!

The coolest thing though, was all of the salt that had crystalized on our skin (and especially my arm hairs)! We could have filled up a salt shaker. No joke!

For the first few miles I was stuck behind this girl who kept spitting and blowing snot rockets! I was RIGHT behind her too! Luckily I never got hit. I had to blow a few snot rockets myself (I still have a bit of a cold) but I waited until no one was by me!! Haha.

So at the end both Holly & I had a similar experience. I got really emotional and almost started crying. I think there were several factors to this. First of all we were completely physically drained! And extremely happy to be finishing such an accomplishment, something we have been training hard for for awhile. But also this whole thing was an extremely unique and incredible spiritual experience. Of course we were praying the whole time to be able to make it :) and we were worried about the weather because it was 88 degrees and extremely humid- but it did not even affect me, prayers were definitely answered yesterday. And I just felt this overwhelming feeling that my Heavenly Father was aware of what I was doing that very moment. And that He cares about everything in my life. I felt that He was proud of me and that running was something that He has given me in this life because He loves me. I felt blessed and extremely loved as I looked at the beautiful nature around me.

I am just so extremely grateful for this earth life. For the opportunities that we are able to have here and the things we are able to experience that we could not experience in heaven.

It was just a cool experience. In a way it was like I had conquered my body, I had "put off the natural man" and that in itself is amazing.

It took a lot of scrubbing to get all of the mud off of my ankles in the shower, and thank goodness for IBprofen! But I am so grateful for this opportunity I had to run 26.2 miles! Thank you mom & dad for $ponsering me! Couldn't have done it without you guys..

Homecoming 09

2009-10-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Place

2009-09-20T10:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was an amazing day. Thanks to Tyson and Cami I was able to go to the most heavenly place on earth and have an opportunity to be Christlike in helping those who can't help themselves because they have passed on. I could feel how thin the veil is in the Lord's holy temples and I have a testimony of the importance of temple work..

I am grateful for each opportunity I have to go to the temple. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ which enables me to repent and become clean again when I have sinned so I can go to the temple and recieve those blessings that come from the temple.

I look forward to the day which I have been working towards my whole life, when I will be married in the temple and make those sacred covenants with my Heavenly Father and my spouse. I look forward to having my whole family in that sealing room with me (depending on if Han is old enough:) but there is nothing more that I want then to be in the temple with My Mom & Dad, Tyson & Cami, Katie & Josh, Zach, & Hannah! I love you guys! I cannot wait!!!!!

elections!

2009-09-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Heres some of my signs I put up when campaigning, i thought you might enjoy=]

Elections were last week and all 3 of us that ran for district 3 senator got elected. I'm excited though because I get to serve on the activities committee and the school newspaper committee, 'the shield'. It should be fun! We have meetings every tuesday from 8-10p.m. and we have to wear business attire because they like it to be professional and formal!

Friendship <3

2009-09-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

"Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism'... It unites the human family with its happy influence." - Joseph Smith

I miss my famliy, my best friends. I am so grateful for friendship. I know it is a gift from the Lord. I am blessed to have many friends, many true friends!

I feel the similiar to Joseph Smith when he said; "These have I met in prosperity, and they were my friends; and I now meet them in adversity, and they are still my warmer friends. These love the God that I serve; they love the truths that I promulgate; they love those virtuous, and those holy doctrines that I cherish in my bosom with the warmest feelings of my heart, and with that zeal which cannot be denied... I hope I shall see my friends again, that I may toil for them, and administer to their comfort also. They shall not want a friend while I live; my heart shall love those, and my hands shall toil for those, who love and toil for me, and shall ever be found faithful to my friends. Shall I be ungrateful? Verily no! God forbid!"

Elaine S. Dalton said in her wonderful CES fireside last night that we need to be careful about our choice of friends. We need to seek companionship of virtuous friends. This is one of the most important things we can do to protect our virtue.

Friends are ever so important! And I cannot be more grateful for all of the amazing friends I have and the virtuous lives they live and how they help me.
Thank you friends!
Thank you, Mom.
Thank you, Dad.
Thank you, Tyson.
Thank you, Cami.
Thank you, Katie.
Thank you, Josh.
Thank you, Zach.
Thank you, Hannah!
Thank you, Joshua!
Thank you, Lindsey!
and the list goes on.
Thank you for your friendship, for your virtue.

2009-09-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is what we climbed up!! Pics from the top!!

In the jungle the mighty jungle!

2009-09-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

We do lots of fun things as a Cross Country team!

One day for cross training we went swimming!!! It was a blast!

And last saturday we went on this hike to a place called Devils Marbleyard, it was an intensely hard hike but it was SUPER COOL and fun! I want to take the fam there when they come! You get to climb this HUGE hill of boulders! It is fun because it's just something you don't really ever get the opportunity to do and you feel like a big kid! But the hill is huge so it gets tiring! Also you can't help but sing the lion king when you are on these big rocks =]

Friendsies

2009-09-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is my friend C.J. & I. He is also from Washington, Federal Way! He knows the Fields! Gavin is his friend. I like hugging him because he gives good hugs like Zachy and I LOVE AND MISS ZACH AND HIS HUGS!!!!!!

Libraries!

2009-09-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

One more note- I have found myself ever so involved with libraries since I got here!
I got a job 2 weeks ago in the Library on campus, which has been really great! I love to meet new people as I check out their books! And I'm also working on a re-shelving project which has made me think a lot as I move all of these old books, how wonderful libraries are because authors get to share their knowledge through them and people get to learn so much from others! Libraries have SO much to offer it amazes me! President Hinkley I think said that the Library is the most important place on campus! WOO WHO! I work at the most important place on campus.. hahaha. I am definitley growing to love libraries and all they have to offer. I wish I had more time to read.
And ironically (except it's definitley not irony) today I got called as ward librarian! I never even thought of me recieving this calling!! But I am defintley excited to serve in this capacity!
So libraries and I sure have a thing! =]

Campaign

2009-09-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

So I decided that I want to be very involved here and take advantage of all this school has to offer and so I am running for a student government position, District 3 Senator (I would represent all of the girls in The Lofts where I am living). Campaigning has been very fun! Yesterday Tori & I made over 300 cookies and went door to door and I introduced myself and what I'm doing and gave everyone cookies- VOTE CASS!

I thought you might enjoy my campaign sign that I came up with myself! Everyone loves it and I think it's great! =]

SVU XC!

2009-09-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

We had our first race yesterday. It was at Washington and Lee University. Their course is super nice and its a pretty hilly course resulting in slow 5K times.

I ran a 25:30, came in 48th over all and 5th on my team. Our team placed 5th in this meet. The fastest time was over 20 minutes just to give you a picture of the difficulty of the course. But it was fun! I hope you enjoy the pictures! (Top: Chris & I, Jordan, Tori, Kylie, Me, Anne, The Girls team, The boys& Girls Team, And this last picture is Tori & I)

Mattress Dominos!!!!!!

2009-08-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

So I've always wanted to play this! And finally I got to! And it was SO MUCH FUN!! I strongly suggest it to anyone and everyone for a good time. We were laughing so hard. You just line up down the hall with a mattress between each person and the person at the end falls on there mattress knocking everyone else onto theres all the way down the hall and it is hysterical! My new favorite game! TRY IT.

Pick up lines and other nice things...

2009-08-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

You remind me of snow... cause you are beautiful even when you fall :)

If I had to choose between you or the sun... then I guess I would have to be one nocturnal son of a gun:)

You are like Christmas morning, I'm always excited to see you, Your dazzling to the eyes and I'm always sad when you leave.

I just wanted you to know that we are not related... but i mean... do you want to be?

If I followed you home would you keep me?:)

I'm made like a puzzle and you're all I need to complete me!

If you were an animal.... you'd be a fox:)
Goodnight my foxy lady!

I don't know if anyone has ever told you this but.... you look gorgeous at 7 in the morning :)

Rain Storms!

2009-08-08T21:14:00.001-07:00

So I got out of class the other day at 2:30 and it was POURING! This was worse than washington rain! I had no jacket. no umberella. no car. nothing but a white shirt for heaven sakes and a 5 minute walk back to my dorm! So by the time I got back I was so completely soaked, as you can kind of tell, but the pictures don't do justice! Let me just say that Virginia rainstorms are completely out of no where and they are intense!

Friday Nights

2009-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

On the left is me and my friend Haneen! She is a hoot! If we ever need a laugh she's the one we go to! On the right is me and Mickenzie on her 20th birthday we took her to the mexican restaurant to embarrass her =]

Virginia Life

2009-08-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

I never imagined how different living on this side of the country would be, but yah it's different over here!
Example #1 they don't know what canadian bacon is! you order canadian bacon pizza from dominos and they put realy bacon on it! (its not bad... but its not canadian bacon!!) apparantly canadian bacon here is called ham!

College Life

2009-08-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

okay a few things i have learned being at college;
#1 dont buy dollar store mops and brooms even if it means saving ten bucks! they suck.
#2 there are 4 meals a day at college. you always eat between dinner and breakfast. whether its ordering pizza or going to leehi's you always have fourth meal.
#3 just when you think you are done with activities for the night and you can finally hit the pillow you get a text and youre off again until early hours of the morning.
it's intense.

=]

2009-08-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

He's TOO CUTE! =]

2009-08-01T14:01:00.000-07:00