The Starnes clan goes to California

We had a crazy good time!! We started the week off at the beach. On Monday we went to Seaworld. Splash zone baby! Riding Atlantis a million times in a row! Nathan and Justin trying to climb a ladder but no luck.
Tuesday Disneyland, so much fun!!
Wednesday we went to the LA science museum. It was super fun! Seeing the Endeavor was inspiring!
Thursday and Friday was more Disney fun! The crazy down pour and group text messages was awesome!

Top 10 of 2012

We have had an incredible year! We have been greatly blessed and continue to thank our Heavenly Father for our blessings and trials.

1. Going to Disneyland with our friends! I love that place! So much fun!
2. Justin opening the new school and being crazy busy.
3. Going to New Orleans with Justin. That place gets into your blood. I have a new love of Cajun and Creole food!
4. Running my first half marathon! It was an awesome and spiritual experience. Weird I know! I did better then I ever imagined!
5. Justin and I going on a quick West Water Trip. Justin was awesome and rowed like a champ! Met new fun people!
6. Our list of 50 things to do in the summer. It was so fun the kids loved the outdoor movies and crazy activities! We were constantly busy!
7. Floating in the Great Salt Lake! It is awesome, go do it!!
8. Makayla choosing to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a wonderful day! She was so beautiful and shared a wonderful testimony! Lots of friends and family.
9. The boys moved up in gymnastics to level 3. They are loving it and are quite good. They are also blooming readers it is so fun!
10. We get to have a baby in our house 4 days out of the week. Maci loves having Kye, my sister's baby, over to play. It is also fun for me to have a baby, I get all the perks and none of the parental hassles! But he is easily the best baby!


We hope that you are all well and can reflect on the joys of the last year! I am so grateful for all our family and friends that we have been able to share so many wonderful memories with!
Love you all!

Remembered

In the Relief Society activity this week a question was asked, "how do you want to be remembered?" I think of my grandmother and how she is remembered, charitable, loving, strong, and kind. These are wonderful and I hope to emulate her. But she is also remembered as someone who took her trials with a smile. That is how I want to be remembered; I want to be remembered as someone who despite her trials she handle them with dignity and joy. That through it all I did not complain. I think that when we give ourselves the right to complain about EVERYTHING, we allow ourselves to look at everything in a negative light.
Complaining and whining about ones situation does not make it better or easier. You just sound like an ungrateful ninny!
Find joy, nothing will be perfect or easy! But when we change our attitude it changes how we choose to handle our lot.

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Words

We live in a world were anyone can sit down in a room and put anything they wish on the internet for the world to read. I think sometimes people forget that real, feeling people read those words.

I am tired of HATE.

It makes me sad that we live in a world were people feel it is okay to belittle and be rude to their invisible audience. Intended audience or not, mean words hurt.
I miss the time of privacy where the world of facebook and twitter (or whatever social media is used) didn't know the food you ate or the horrible no good very bad day you are having.
I think it is selfish, yep that is right, to put your every bad thought and feeling on line. What are your "friends" supposed to do with that? How is one supposed take such nasty words or feelings?
What ever happened to the adage that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all. These are precious words that few remember when the audience is invisible.

Now don't get me wrong I love a good laugh at something posted and the occasional quote can be inspirational but mostly I love that I can reconnect with long lost friends and let them know I am thinking about them and love them.

The internet is not evil, I love and often am very grateful that I can many times find the answer to questions and prayers on it.

But I wish everyone were wiser stewards of such a power!

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New Year, New Dreams

Ok. So the dreams are not so new but I hope that this is the year of great adventures! Whether the adventure is small or grand, they can all be great! I am very much a dreamer, not a resolution maker. I love to reflect on the past year and what will come with the new year.
I videoed the kids about this past year and what they are excited about this year: Disneyland! Yes we are kicking off 2012 right by going to California in February, we all can't wait! It will be a great adventure!
So adieu to 2011 and hello to 2012! It will be a great adventure I can just tell!

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Top Ten 2011

We have been incredible blessed this year. So here are the top ten highlights from 2011.

1. Justin being hired at Midvale Elementary as an assistant principal.
2. Justin being called as bishop for our ward.
3. Our month long summer vacation, which included Starnespalooza, Yellowstone, and rafting in Wyoming.
4. Justin rafting the middle fork of the Salmon River and then catching rafting fever.
5. Ashley rafting the Rogue river with her mom and also catching the fever.
6. The boys starting Kindergarten!
7. Justin riding in the Rockwell Relay. A crazy adventure with great friends.
8. Ashley finding her love of running and creating a wonderful friendship because of it.
9. Taking the kids on their first multi day rafting trip in October. They loved it, Maci constantly says, "Grandmas boat fun!"
10. Celebrating Makayla's birthday by going to California and getting an American Girl Doll.

We have been so blessed this year and the scripture D&C 82:3 where much is given, much is required has played through my head constantly lately. I know that with all our blessings it is important that we give back to help bless the lives of others. I love this time of year where I can reflect and feel the love of our Heavenly Father.

Merry Christmas!

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Rockwell Relay

We had too much fun doing the Rockwell Relay! It is 530 mile bike relay of some of the most intense terrain one can ride. It was epic!
Some of the highlights:
Getting to drive over 20 hours of the 33 hour ride!
Watching Justin fly down Cedar mountain- love watching him do something he loves.
Meeting new people and becoming great friends.
Pretending to be a nurse for road rash kid. Really all I did was hand Danielle band aids!
Seeing a miracle.
Seeing God's hand in all the little things that led to that miracle.
Knowing my kids were happy and safe while Justin and I acted like teenagers again!
Staying up, getting no sleep and having a great time doing it.
Watching people pack and unpack the car 150 million times-it never got old!
Winning a 6 month supply of vitamin water for a silly game! The best part was "shorty" contesting my win, he must have really wanted that v water!
Cow v. Deer who would win? It still remains a mystery.
Sleeping in a koa cabin like it was summer camp.
POONIS!
And much more! That I am sure I am forgetting because I am still very sleep deprived.

Thanks for letting me tag along Team Lucky Girl it was so fun!

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