Optional Blog Headers

So, last night I had lots of laundry to do, which means. . .I made some more headers! Do you want to vote on them? I don't know what all of your preferences are. If there isn't one you like, let me know, and why. Thanks! I'll put a poll up on the sidebar.

Choice A: Unembellished Blue




Choice B: Bird (I'm considering a background change on this one)




Choice C: Flower




Choice D: Blue With Yellow Flower




Choice E: Classy Plain

I'm Holly

Hello! My name is Holly Moss. I was born and raised in Arizona-- mostly Mesa, where I now reside! I am a creature of the sun, and no I don't mind the blazing hot 115* summers that much. I grew up as the 4th of 5 kids in a happy and hard-working home. I never remember quarrelling with my brothers and sisters and call them all my best friends today. My dad worked for the airlines growing up so we traveled for free-- A LOT! I've currently been to 34 states and 10 countries and feel so lucky to see and experience the things I did at an early age. The most impressionable trips were those to church history sites and having family testimony meetings along the way!
After graduating high school I attended Ricks College for 1 year, where I met and roomed and served with Natalie Sue---- she's great! The next year Ricks became BYU-Idaho and that's where I graduated with my Associates in Psychology. I transferred to BYU in Provo and after my 3rd week there I met my husband on a blind date! It was love at first sight for him-- it took me a little longer. About 1.5 years later we were married in the Mesa Temple and I graduated from BYU with my Bachelors in Psychology. I then completed a 1 year program in Special Education for my teaching license. I taught Special Ed for 1 year in Spanish Fork, then we moved to Mesa! I taught 1 year Special Ed in Mesa before my life changed forever and I became a mom. "C" was born August of 2006 and is now my big, busy 2.5 year old. "Q" was born June 2008 and is now already 9 months old! Somewhere in those 2 years I also completed my Master's Degree in Adult Education and Training and am looking for an online teaching job. Time flies, but motherhood is certainly the best job I've ever had. My husband is the most sincere, giving, fun-loving, and caring man on the planet. I love him more every day and am so lucky to parent my children with him as my teammate. I always say I can't imagine marriage getting any better, and then it does!
A few random things about me:
* I love avocados in any form. ** I have to sleep with "white noise". ** I was a competitive synchronized swimmer for 3 years. ** I love the beach! ** I always have a project list about a mile long. ** I spend too much time on the Internet. ** I love to read good books. ** There is nothing better than a pina colada on a hot summer day. ** I love to laugh. ** I love missionary work. **I used to play the cello. ** I still practice the piano. ** I love the outdoors. ** I was on the girls 16-0 undefeated city champions basketball team in 9th grade. ** I like watching most sports. ** I have dreams of ballroom dancing with my husband. ** I'm currently serving as the Laurel advisor. **I can't imagine living life without purpose. ** I love teaching children new things. ** I love to eat. ** I've had 2 personal interviews with David A. Bednar. ** The Book of Mormon inspires me!

This bucket filler blog is certainly an inspirational idea that will inevitably help me learn and grow. I'm excited to be a part of it, not because I'm an "expert," but because I know I will learn and grow a lot through this process. Thank you all beforehand for your testimonies, examples, thoughts, feelings, and words of wisdom.

My personal blog is: moss2004.blogspot.com Come on over and get acquainted with me and my little family! Don't forget to leave your comments so I knew you were there! :)

Monday Girl-Elise

Hello Everyone. I think it is about time I practice what I preach and write a bio, right? Well, here are some random things about me, in no particular order:

I love belly laughs.
I hate bananas.
I think I could live happily on European breads, cheeses, and fruits.
I am in the Nursery in my ward, and I am learning to enjoy it more every week.
I love newborn babies--their sounds, the fact that they snuggle into you, how they like to keep their legs tucked up underneath them at all times.
I value kindness above any other quality.
I admire scriptorians.
I want to work with pregnant teenagers and counsel with them about adoption or keeping the baby.
Someday I want to be a foster mom and give a second (or tenth) chance to the kids no one wants.
I want a lot of kids but I don't want to have to drive a fifteen passenger van around.
I am very hard on myself.
I married a man who completes me in every way possible, and because of our bond, we have two beautiful children who are full of life and curiosity.
I have a deep testimony of the Book of Mormon, and that even if we scientifically prove that every historical event happened and the characters are real, we are left with nothing but a history book without understanding that (along with the Bible) it contains the truthfulness of the Gospel--and the way to a spiritual witness of that truth.
Sometimes I like to ask myself the "tough questions" to see if I have an answer I could explain to anyone, no matter his or her beliefs. Sometimes I realize that it all comes down to faith.
I tend to first see only the good in people, but I always assume they are seeing the worst in me.
I am disorganized and a major procrastinator.
I am only 23 years old, and I live in a place where people assume I'm the nanny instead off the Mother.


Aaaannnd. . .there's more. But I will spare you all :). I am excited to really get to know everyone here, and I am excited to hear the thoughts and discussion questions you have about the chapters we're reading in this beloved Book of Mormon.

Since the rest of you were so amazing and had great spiritual thoughts to share, I thought I'd throw in one of my very favorite scriptures:

D&C 88:49-50:
49 The ^alight shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not; nevertheless, the day shall come when you shall ^bcomprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him.

50 Then shall ye know that ye have ^aseen me, that I am, and that I am the true ^blight that is in you, and that you are in me; otherwise ye could not abound.

(this entire section is good. Read the rest here)

I just love it because it talks about how we understand the light because of the darkness, and it make me grateful for those dark times because I realize how much closer to Heavenly Father I become and how much more I understand the light, or the Gospel. I think sometimes in this church we talk so much about how we need to endure to the end, and that trials are for our good, and that Heavenly Father is there for us (all of those things are obviously true), that we forget that it is perfectly okay to cry and have down days and experience sorrow. Even Christ, our older brother and exemplar, did. In fact, that is a necessary part of our lives, and that is the gift that Adam and Eve chose to give us when they partook of the fruit in the Garden of Eden.

"Adam fell that men might be, but men are, that they might have joy." Adam fell that we might be--that we could be born, and born into a life where we can understand the beauty of the light Heavenly Father provides, because we also understand the darkness. Without darkness, there is no light.

And, just because I love it so much, here is one of my favorite quotes from Ezra Taft Benson:

"There are times when you simply have to righteously hang on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves you." (Given in Gen. Conference 1974, see Nov. 1974 Ensign)


So, on that note, this is another verse from that chapter that I found fitting to all of us at this time:

77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall ^ateach one another the ^bdoctrine of the kingdom.

78 Teach ye diligently and my ^agrace shall attend you, that you may be ^binstructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand.


AMEN to that!

(p.s. blog: ejejohnson.blogspot.com, but I think you all know this one)

The Wednesday Girl!

Hey everyone! I am Chelsea. Let me tell you a little about myself. I graduated from BYU in December in Communication Disorders. I am waiting to find out where I will be attending Grad School in the same field of study. I was just accepted at the University of Utah!! But we are anxiously awaiting to hear from BYU. I have been married for 3 years to Jeff. We met while he was serving his mission in North Carolina. I mostly grew up there. I was at BYU at the time, but I met him when I went home. I wrote him once a week, but he was good and did not write me. His mom invited me to this huge family party two days after he got home, and we hit it off instantly. It was amazing! We have one daughter, Brooklynn. She is nine months! She is crawling all over the place and pulling herself up on everything. We are betting that she will be walking by 10 months...we shall see! My family now lives in St. George and Jeff's in West Valley. It's nice to be close enough to visit, but not live right next door hehe. Jeff does tile work for his dad, who runs his own company. He is contemplating going to school for accounting, but I am making him put it off while I finish school. One day, he will be able to do that!

So I was reading in the Book of Mormon this morning. I am on my own course, but excited to already start again for this blog. I am in the war chapters in Alma. I heard something interesting the other day. Someone said that there is something to be learned from every chapter in the Book of Mormon, including the war chapters. I had never actually thought about that before, but it's true! I just read about the Stripling Warriors, and I think this is the first time I have really appreciated what they stand for. Their faith was unwavering. But what I wanted to focus on is Alma 58:37. "But behold, it mattereth not--we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding [our] weakness." How powerful is that! These men are in the midst of a war, fighting for their lives and their families' lives, but they were not afraid. They knew that their lives were in God's hands. I need to work on that. I need to put more trust in God. I feel like I have so little faith in myself, and a lot of times that keeps me from having faith in God. I need to step up, and put my life in God's hands. I need to trust that whatever weaknesses I have and trials I may face, God will support me and deliver me from them. I hope all of you can apply this to your own lives.

This is getting long, but I just wanted to say...Tori, I have not stopped thinking about what you said about doing something of eternal value each day. I'm trying to be better about that as well! I'm just so excited we are doing this. Also, my blog is jncnr.blogspot.com, so feel free to add it! And Alicia, can you make a cool signature for me? I don't really understand what to do lol. Thanks!!!

Hi. I'm Alicia!

Hey Everyone! It’s Alicia - your (mainly) Tuesday Gal! Let me tell you a little bit about me!

I was born in Provo and raised on the itty-bitty island of Kauai since I was 4! I met my husband, Cameron there after his mission for the Church. I attended BYU-Hawaii for 3 semesters before I said Aloha O’e to the islands and moved on to bigger things… like Utah! It was in Utah that Cameron and I “courted” and married. We have been married for four years and now have two boys! Makoa is 2 and Ka’imi is 10 months old (approximately 16 months apart)! I am fortunate to stay home with my boys. I am also a Photographer (mostly portrait) and I love blogging (to “journal”, entertain and connect), reading (hello, Stephenie Meyer!), sleeping (priceless!), and learning new things! My “public” blog is “Sweet Nothings” at thelasdyisablogger.blogspot.com

A quick thought I have to share is this, You Can Do Hard Things. One of the most encouraging books I have read is Sheri Dew’s If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn’t Be Hard. Brilliant! We can learn and grow from our trials – if we choose to. With faith in our Heavenly Father, we can become “refined” as we go through our own personal refiners fires. If we endure our trials (no matter how big or small) with faith, we will become the women God sees in us!

I look forward to learning and growing with you all!

Tori: Post #1

Hi everyone! I'm excited to start this up and to get to know all of you. Here's a little about me:

My name is Tori and I live in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, with my husband Adam and way-cute daughter Katrina, who is 10.5 months. We moved here in May after graduating from BYU and having Katrina (same week!). I stay at home while Adam trades stock. As for how I met Elise, we were freshman roommates, along with Chelsea. Then sophomore year they both went off and got swept off their feet by their now-husbands, and I followed soon after. When I'm not chasing after my daughter (who, to my chagrin, cannot crawl, but walks around everywhere with her little lion pushtoy), I like to do sewing projects, like pillows for my bedroom or quiet books for toddlers. I also love to read, spend too much time on the internet, and think about practicing my musical skills, like the violin. I am the primary pianist at church, even though my skills are pretty rudimentary. I love it because the kids are so much fun and I get a break from my daughter for a couple of hours! Oh, and my normal blog is adamandtori.blogspot.com.

Okay, so yesterday my husband and I were reading in Nehemiah. I've been pretty bored during our scripture reading since we started the Old Testament, and so it's hard for me to get anything out of it. I turned to the Bible Dictionary for Ezra, the book we just finished, and found some interesting things. After describing the history, it mentions religious values that are included in the book of Ezra:

1.The promises of the Lord through his prophets shall all be fulfilled
2. Discipline and patience are borne of disappointment, as one expectation after another was frustrated
3. There is eternal significance in everyday life
4. Preparation is needed for the rule of Messiah, the law being the schoolmaster to bring men to Christ.

Numbers 2 and 3 particularly struck me. Discipline and patience are borne from disappointment? At first that sounds horrible! And depressing. But when I think about it, so much of my determination to better myself, say with my violin skills, arose from instances where I didn't do as well as I wanted. When disappointments come, we can either give up, or like the Israelites, who were at this point trying to rebuild the temple, we can look for other avenues to solve our problem. Also, I'd like to think we can develop patience and discipline without frustrating disappointments. It's like in Alma: we can be humble, or compelled to be humble--I know which one I would choose, don't you?

And then number 3--there is eternal significance in everyday life. That made me take a step back and think about my day. What had I done that was of eternal significance? Well, I read scriptures with my husband and said good night prayers with my daughter. That's definitely good. I also cultivated my relationship with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law by spending a day together. I learned some lessons about patience from them in how they dealt with my very energetic nephew. I also worked on a church quiet book for him for his birthday, which cultivated my talents and hopefully will help his mother have a little peace during Sacrament meetings. When I looked at it that way, I had a pretty productive day, didn't I? It makes me wonder what I will do today that is of eternal significance, other than the obvious answer of raising my daughter? What will I do inadvertently and what will I choose purposely to do?

So that's my first spiritual thought. I look forward to getting to know all of you!

The Atonement

Taken from familyartusa.com (by Simon Dewey)

I would like to start by wishing Elise a happy happy birthday!! I hope it was wonderful! I wanted to share my experience of reading a book. It is by LDS author Rachel Ann Nunes. It's called Ariana: The Making of a Queen. Have you guys read that series? I only read the first one and decided I couldn't read anymore because that one was so emotional. But what I loved about that book was that it made the Atonement so real to me. Towards the end, Ariana is tempted to have a drink of a beer and a smoke of marijuana, addictions she had overcome years ago. She was now a baptized member and returned missionary. Right as she was about to give in, the power of the Atonement hit her full force. She realized she had been forgiven for her past life. She knew at that moment that the Savior had paid for her sins, and she did not want to cheat herself of that incredible blessing by giving in to temptation. She also knew that He had been there for her and had carried her through the most painful trials you can imagine. (I don't want to give those away in case any of you haven't read it yet and would like to.) Even though she is a fictional character, I admire her so much. I can't imagine having the faith and strength that she had to have to go on living at times. It made me realize how weak I am. Part of me worries that I would not survive trials as great as hers, even with the Savior behind me. But that is why He is there. Life goes on, even after experiencing the greatest pain or sadness. We need the Savior to support us in every step of life. We need His love and support in order to become Kings and Queens one day. That is a lesson that will probably take a lifetime to learn.