june 2016

(playing a little bit of catch up & sharing a few memories from June)

june was a really really great month. It was pretty crazy busy with a lot of good things but it flew by. (looking back it seems super long compared to july) 

June started off with a bang because the June 1 was the last day of school. The last day was filled with goodbyes and hugs and pretty much doing nothing and then in one last flurry of gathering papers, pictures, and hugs freshman year was over just like that. It's kind of crazy that a year could go by so stinkin' fast! It makes me a little scared because wow, high school is gonna fly! It's also a bit weird because soon I'll be doing  all the stuff you see in movies and think about as a little girl, prom, driving, ya know- all the classic high school stuff.

Other exciting things that happened in June:
+I attended my first graduation
+End of the year seminary party (seminary was really one of the best parts of this year & the end party was pretty great. A mystery old testament dinner, an auction - we got points to spend throughout the year-, and a lot of basketball)
+ Celebrated 2 of my friends birthday's with really fun surprises.
+Worked on a pretty exciting project I'll be announcing soon
+ 1 stake dance. A luau which barely anybody showed up to but was still pretty rad. our wards bought leis & we all matched #winning.
+babysat & mowed lawns (i don't have an official job this summer since I can't drive but i still need to make a little bit of money)
+finished the PARTY PATIO! Whoop whoop. A ton (like a lot) of work went into this project and it's pretty much done now except for the bug table. i'll have to share some pics once we finish that.
+lots & lots of bonfires. most nights were spent outside sitting around a campfire just enjoying the stars. Most of the time just with our fam but sometimes with friends. It really was perfect summer bliss just listening to the fire pop. the crickets chirp. and the quiet buzz of good conversation and laughter around the soft glow of the fire and the hundreds of stars above us.
+setting off a bunch of lanterns.. pretty much just like tangled;)
+  lots of bike rides on back country roads (me & nate's fav excersise)
+yakking (kayaking) we went on some pretty fun runs this month. my fav was the river that had a bunch of rapids. the thrill of being pushed by the current and the water splashing in your face is the best feeling.
+fathers' day. i'm so grateful for my dad and all the sacrifices he makes for our family. He teaches me how to work hard and takes me on adventures all the time.
+lots of journaling. i wanted to become better at journaling this summer & i'm pretty proud of myself for actually somewhat keeping this goal.

gratitude list (really trying to start doing this every night, obviously didn't do very good in june & july wasn't my best month... maybe august will be the month?)

6/15- yummy food, Emma's birthday, gold streamers, surprises, storms, & birthdays

6/16- cute movies (finding dory), mini piñatas, confetti, Natalie' birthday, chilling with siblings 

6/17- progress on the patio, competitions with Nate, pretty weather outside 

6/18- lake, kayaks, gorgeous nature, movie nights, late night Father's Day prep, jumping off rock @ the lake

6/19- my wonderful dad, Sunday afternoon naps, late night fires, church, Sunday dinners 

6/20- great memories, cheesy movies, satisfying feeling after you get a bunch of little things done, really pretty sunshine

6/21- planning hefy fundraisers, chickfila agreeing to sponsor, tea party with bella this morning talking the whole time in accents about our crazy French life in the fashion industry (haha it's the little things right?)

here are some of the highlights of my instagram. check it out here.

NEW Blog Button!

Shout out to all the wonderful women out there, I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! I am eternally grateful for the influence my mom and all the other amazing women who have impacted my life. I know that the work you all do is more important than anything else in the entire world. I am so grateful for the love and amazing example my mom is to me!  Keep being the amazing Christlike examples you are!

You may have noticed a week or so ago that I added a blog button to my side bar.... that was terrible. <sigh> After reading lots of online tutorials I tried it and it failed. The little box wouldn't show up, the picture was super shrunk and it was hard to read. Well fear no more! I finally got a new one! I super duper appreciate anyone who put the first one on their blog! It means so  much to me, especially since I know it wasn't super convenient, since I didn't have the code easy to grab.

How did I finally figure it out? This grab button builder helped me SO much! All you have to do is put in the information and it works! Then copy and paste the code it gives you into a HTML widget and the little box beneathe it + the button pops up! It was magic;) haha but really it was SO easy!

Also this week I plan to add some other blogs' buttons to my sidebar. There are some pretty amazing ones that I have been meaning to add so watch out for that!

Have a great day!
-Shelby

PS: Check out the new let's connect page at the top.

I'm dreaming of the beach...

I am in full countdown to the end of school mode. It's almost over!!!!! Ahhhhhhh! So as I daydream of things to come and think about trips past I want to share some pics. I barely posted anything about any trips over the summer, but I just uploaded all my phone pics so now they are super easy to get to. So yeah, there's not much more to it. I don't know if anyone will be interested but I want a distraction from homework to visit a little bit of memory lane.

So first up on the docket: Rosemary Beach Florida, Fall Break 2014

All iPhone pics because I forgot my camera. SERIOUSLY SHELBY?!? You forgot your camera on vacation?!? yes I will admit it. Actually thinking back I could have brought it but the sand made me so nervous! So thanks for being there for me old iPhone..... And don't worry most of these pictures are pretty ok. I've weeded it down a lot!

My dad grew up playing baseball and my brother is a baseball addict. And I guess it's some rule that you should bring your baseball glove to the beach. Whoops I forgot mine.... but it's probably okay since I haven't touched it in like 3 years or something like that;) Anyway we were stopped at a gas station after a few hours of driving and they went to edge of the parking lot and starting tossing. 'Cause like what else would you do?

 This was me pretty much everyday (except usually in my bathing suit and coverup) We rented bikes which was super fun. Also those sunglasses were my favorite. These are my only pair now- summer goal get some more;) These are like my favorite ever and they were a super deal because I got them for like 3 dollars. Idk if they actually protect from the sun, but they look cute and haven't broke so they work in my book;)

 Beach volleyball is my new favorite. Just not sure how to move the beach to ky haha. Anyway it was super fun because you could dive and it doesn't hurt at all. I look really unprepared but I promise I got that one:)

 The sunglasses again....take me back to the beach!!!

 Fall break fell over conference weekend (posts about past conferences here) so we got to listen to it on the beach! It was so spiritual to hear God's prophets surrounded by the beauty of nature. The beach was pretty empty that Sunday morning so it was mostly the sound of the waves and seagulls, warm sun, and spiritual goodness.

 This was the coolest pathway thing. It was so cute. I should have gotten a better pic, but I took this while riding my bike past so I consider it pretty good;) I got teased a tiny bit for "texting and biking" but really I'm only addicted to pictures not texting haha

 I think this is what I looked like.

 "Let's touch all the palm tree plants while we bike! Can you do it B?)

 Perfectly lined up palm trees. This makes me happy. Took it while biking...I've got skill ;)

 We biked to this donut truck that was adorable!

 The sun was really in our eyes.

 Sorry about my finger. But color makes me really happy so these blue chairs and everyone playing in the distance brought a smile to my face.

it was pretty adorable and yummy and how can you not take a picture infront of it? Especially when you are on a bike and have on pink sunglasses? 

 This was the ceiling in a tent/store thing and it was so cute! The adorable garland thing is made of string with ribbon tied around it! When you go there you can tie a piece on and it is so cute! Totally on my bucket list!

 Sorry for this super blurry picture but it only lasted a second and it was super fun. I absolutely love renting one of these and trying to stand, riding the waves, and going out super far. We started to go out to this sandbar thing but then we started seeing weird things and chickened out:)

Little girls in tutus on bikes in cobblestone streets. SO. MUCH. CUTENESS!

 The last pics are super blurry but we went to the beach one last time. And it was exhilarating to go at night. The wind was blowing my hair in circles and the ocean was pounding in majestic power. It seemed to go on forever and ever. As we said our last goodbyes you could feel the power that nature held. It was almost sacred in a way. On both sides as you looked along the coast you could see millions of tiny lights. But as you looked out at the ocean it was pitch black. A never ending darkness. Crashing and roaring. Under the peaceful and tiny, yet peircing light of billions of stars. It was indescribebale. The power of nature and it's creator stood out to me and made me feel tiny in a glorious way.

 The next morning we left. We left the ocean and the sun and the beach. We left their power and their peace and the joyous memories they bring. We left a little bit of the wonder, wimsy, and laidbackness you save for the beach each year.

(I think I'm going to end this like you would end a book. it just sounds kind of dramatic but I like it:)

And we returned to this. A different kind of beautiful. An ordinary beautiful filled with vibrancy and the fabric that makes life life. A this filled with happys and sads and frusterations and joys. But a this that was amazing still the same. A this that we tried to find the happy in. A this that was normal, but good. A this that seemed to become dull but then threw surprises like crazy. I this we sometimes hate but really love. A busy this. A crazy this. But we brought some wonder back. We brought some happiness back. We brought some amazing memories back.

And all of that from every trip, everyday, every little thing, is what makes my now.

And I love it

The fullness of the gospel {an iron analogy}

Iron Pic Source (Edit is my work)

*Switches to story telling voice (and language)*

Once upon a time in a land far far away called Kentuckia, in a white farmhouse an iron broke (and their washer and heat...but that's beside the point) This was very startling to their oldest daughter who really liked non wrinkly clothes

So they got a new iron. And the very picky daughter strongly disliked it. (She was kind of a laundry snob) She would iron and iron and iron, but alas her clothes would still be wrinkly! She was often the last daughter out the door, and we all know that when you are in a rush, the last thing you want to do is take 20 minutes to iron.

So she went on despising the "iron that never worked." And having slightly wrinkly clothes.

Until one day her dearest mother, who knew of her frustrations, said dearest daughter; did you know the iron keeps being switched to the lowest power? That could most certainly cause the iron's performance to be less than satisfactory!"

The said daughter turned a shade pinker because she realized that she had been adjusting the power to what she thought was high, but was actually low.

The daughter learned to use the iron correctly and they all lived happily ever after in their neatly pressed clothes.

The End.

*Switches to normal writing*

So how does this relate to the gospel?

Sometimes we become frustrated. We don't feel the fullness of the gospel. We don't feel the joy and peace it promises. We don't feel a reassuring feeling or a confirmation of truth. We might not feel like The Savior is comforting us or standing beside us. There are numerous examples of ways we might not feel like everything is just right.

But it might be because we aren't fully taking advantage of all the gospel. We might be just like the oldest daughter, ironing and ironing with no change. We might be reading our scriptures and praying day after day, day after day, with no answers.

We may be forgetting the most important tool. The spirit. If we forget the spirit, we are still partaking of the gospel, but only at a very low power level because the spirit is the only way to truly partake of the fullness of the gospel.

It might take revelation. We may have to wait for our Heavenly Father, like the mom in the story, to help us know what to do.

So what is our responsibility? To throw ourselves into the quest to come unto Christ. To keep persevering. To invite the spirit into our lives in every way possible. To always be worthy of his presence. To be ready and receptive of revelation constantly.

I know our Heavenly Father is constantly there for us. He loves us. He is our never failing friend, the Prince of Peace, and The Savior of the world. He sacrificed all for us and loves us beyond comprehension. Sometimes life can become frustrating and these truths become blurry. I plead with you to not give up. Your dark night will end and you will wake to a glorious dawn.

I know this with all sincerity of heart,

-Shelby

PS: I am the oldest daughter.

10 happy things

I think I have been going through i-actually-had-to-go-to-school-after-a-week-of-snow-days depression. Not a thing? Ask any students you know.... its a thing;)

As I was scrolling through feedly, I noticed a post on Love Taza about 10 things that make her happy. I thought it would be a great idea and maybe help me get out of back-to-school-depression

(I'm also making it a goal to be a little more personable on my blog, trying to figure out a good balance, I want to record some of my life, but all this stranger danger stuff scares me to death! Any thoughts?)

{source} I love this quote

1.  I got to spend the afternoon hanging out with my favorite four year old and it was awesome. Like I totally recommend finding a four year old and spending a day with them because they are so much fun. She recently got signed up for a gymnastics class and it over the moon excited,she does 546 somersaults a day (maybe a slight exaggeration....) and got her first gymnastics outfit (is it a leotard or is that only for dance...hmm not sure haha) today and has been wearing it with an adorable grin on her face. She also loves to exercise by running up and down our side walk. Yep, she's pretty fun and I love her so much,

2.Church. What else is new? But seriously, church is awesome and I love being so inspired and uplifted and feeling my Savior's love.

3. New Beginnings. That was pretty awesome too. I am so excited for some new young women and all of them are so awesome! It was great to refocus on the values and what young womens is really about. And it was decorated so cute...I mean globes and cameras cute (can it get much cuter???;) So shout out to my awesome leaders and the amazing beehives that are coming in! You all are awesome!

4. Youth parties. They are awesome, I have no clue what I would do without the youth program and the awesome friends I have made through it!

5. My curling iron. (I would say straightener too, but lets just face it...my hair won't stay straight:) It  makes me feel so happy when I actually have time to fix my hair semi cute. I know that looks aren't important..it just makes me happy. (And can we all agree that this "beach waves" look is super cool because it allows you to wear 2nd day curls in style...) Also would anyone be interested in any hair tips?

6. Teaching Sunday school. It sounds like a chore, but I am super excited.

7. ITS THE WEEKEND! AHH I AM SO HAPPY!

8. The snow is finally melting, Spring please come!

9. Not having to wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow

10. Laughing. I don't think I need to say much more....

Life is full of ups and downs, but I think we can always find joy, So the next time you are feeling down.. I challenge you to write some things down that make you happy. It really helps!

Random Ramblings

• New blog header! Yay! The old one just wasn't working for me with the dark background! I thought I would love the chalkboard, but not so much. 

•  I also made an about me page! You can click on the "Hello let's be friends.." on the sidebar and it will take you there. Still figuring out how to make that more obvious....

•  I haven't been to school in a week due to snow! We had about a foot, with lots of ice. Monday there was a foot (a TON for here!), they had already called off school to Wednesday. Then it was -21 degrees windshield (Brrrrr!) and the snow was blowing everywhere really hard! Then over the past few days we got 6 more inches. A solid layer of ice has formed under the snow so it is slick! Today it is raining, which makes the foot of snow like super cold, wet mud. Eww. A few buildings have flooded or collapsed because of all the rain and snow! I know it's nothing like what Boston is going through, but still crazy! 
• Church is cancelled tomorrow. I'm so sad! 
• My first stake dance was tonight and now it's cancelled too:(

I hope you enjoyed my random ramblings:)

I need your help!

I don't really have a plan for this post so get ready for some (hopefully) awesome randomness:)


I am so excited for the new youth theme- it is amazing guys! ! But more on that later (it's in my talk that I will be posting Sunday/Monday)


I know Christ loves us- that has just been on my mind so much lately and it is the most influential piece of information I have ever learned.


I have been thinking about my clogging blogging (that was a typo but it made me laugh so I'm keeping it in there) a lot lately. I feel like most of my posts are super similar. And while they are all 100% true without a doubt, I feel like I need a variety.


The gospel will always be my focus. But I need your help! What do you want? What would you like to see happen here on the blog?


PLEASE comment or email me! I really would love your opinion!
Some things I could possibly write about:
     -DIYs/Recipes (no promises here- they take a bunch of time but I could maybe do a few)
     - Quick Projects/Tips
     - Printables/ quotes
     -More about me/ happenings in my life
     -Music
    - Decorating
    - Blogging
   - Photography
   - Inspiration from around the web
   - Other (please specify! I am open to anything!)


I also want to point out that I think it is so ironic that right after I post about easing up on blogging I start writing a little more consistently. I guess my work isn't done here;)


I just want to say again- I believe what I have posted before 100%. I am not tired of writing about my Savior, the gospel, and the role it plays in my life- nor will I ever be. I just want to mix it up a little. He lives and he loves you. He is the way, the truth, and the light.
 I hope you all have an amazing weekend!
-Shelby

Seeing the Beauty

I am absolutely fascinated by sunsets. I love the beauty of the colors and the brightness of the beautiful sun. I'm kind of obsessed with light if you haven't been able to tell:)

 The color in each of these photos is amazing! God has made such a beautiful earth! Isn't it amazing!?!

These girls have blessed my life in more ways than you can imagine.

 It looks like it could go on forever!

 Look at those colors!

I love this picture SO much for a few different reasons. This perfectly explains my sweet little sister. And she wore her wings around for about a week:) Everywhere. Church activities, playing outside, going out to eat, going to the grocery. It was kinda  sorta adorable:)

Have a wonderful day!
-Shelby

Lately.....

Life has started again. Ughhhh. Oh, how I miss those summer days filled with cousins, traveling, sunshine, fun, and sleeping in.

Yep, you guessed it. School has started. It's not to bad really....just time consuming. You know?;)

 

 

A picture from my amazing trip to Boston that I hope to write about later;)

 

 

I know we all complain about school, getting up early really stinks. Teachers load up on so much homework it's ridiculous! And all the bad words and actions can get really discouraging. But the purpose of school is actually a good thing. Heavenly Father sent us to earth so that we could learn. And whether you like it or not, school helps with that purpose. Does this mean that I am automatically going to start liking school? Nope. Is it the truth? Yep. Does that mean we should try to not hate school and realize it is actually a blessing? *Sigh* Yes.

 

A few scriptures I found on Learning:

 

 118And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith

 

 18 Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.

 19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.

 

 15And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people

 

Just a few other random notes:

-I renamed my blog Let Moore Light Shine in hopes that with a bit more of a unique name my blog would be more easily found on google.

-I already mentioned this, but we are now on instagram! @moorelightshine_blog

 

What is your opinion on school? Has school started for you? Do you have an instagram account? I would love to check it out!



Happy Fourth of July!

 

 

"Cause I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free"

 

Happy Fourth of July everyone!

 

 

1 little day

Warning: This is a mix of thoughts in my head... I'm sorry it's  jumbled. I am super scatterbrained:)

1 MORE DAY UNTIL SUMMER!

I cannot wait!

I have been looking forward to this for so long, you have no idea.

I have been a slacker lately. I'm Sorry.

Forgive me please.

This summer I want to.....
      -Craft More
      - Improve my Photography
      -Learn to sew
      -Improve my Graphic Design skills
      - Figure out how to do more hair styles
      - Redecorate my room
      -Be a better blogger
I hope to blog about all of these!

I  have a fun surprise in a couple of weeks..... but it's not finalized so I will let you know as soon as I know:)

 

My family is just plain awesome and I love them. Most families celebrate only the big holidays, but here is our last-day-of-school-eve pie:)

I have the best feeling about this summer! I plan to be productive, learn a lot, and have fun! I want to live to the fullest and try to not waste too many days:) I could not be more excited!!!!!

Have a great Day!

-Shelby
The girl who is dreaming of summer and sleeping in and all things fun.

PS: Never Forget you are beautiful!