"17 Miracles". . . and just a few in my own life.

This past week I went and saw 17 Miracles twice. Once with my dear friend, Kade. Another time with my parents. Oh it was SO GOOD!!!!
The story was fantastic, the costumes were great and the makeup was beyond fantastic! It really portrayed what it must have been like. It was just such a great movie with so much truth and hope in it. A great Testimony builder. I am so grateful for the faith of those pioneers. They were willing to give EVERYTHING they had including their lives for the opportunity to step a foot into Zion. Those who didn't make it left profound words before they died such as, "It will all be worth it if my posterity stays true to the faith." and "Tell my son I died with my face turned toward Zion." They knew of the truthfulness of the gospel just as I do, but I left wondering, could I give as much as they did? A woman on a church history tour I went on said something in her testimony that I think of on occasion. She said, "I can say, 'I know the church is true,' but can I say, 'I am true to the church?'"

I have such great examples who are true to the gospel they love so much and I was lucky to see this wonderful movie with them. They are just a few "Miracles" in my own life I get to be a part of.

My wonderful, beautiful, pure Mother who is the greatest example of staying true to the gospel. She is so amazing. Full of patience, faith and trust in the Lord. She is a beakon of light in my life and is a true mother in Zion. I am so grateful for her light and testimony. She is my best friend and I love her with all my heart.

My amazing Dad who is SO strong to this gospel. I've never known anyone more knowledgable about this work and not only knows it, but teaches and lives it everyday of his life! He, along with my Mom and latter day pioneers. He is everything I want in my own eternal companion. I am SO lucky to be his daughter and say we are so much alike, it's scary. I wouldn't change a thing about him and would live every moment of ours together again. He has always been such a fantastic Dad! I remember when he would read to me everynight. He would tell me to look for words on the page. I never tire of his wise counsel and look forward to many more years of it.

I am so grateful and proud to be the daughter of this true and talented couple in Zion :)

And the last person I would like to mention is my close friend, Kade Smith. Kade is so amazing and I hope everyone has someone in their lives for a friend like I do with Kade. He has been my friend since I was 13. I met him in the eighth grade. I don't remember what class I had with him or if I just met him in the lunch room but he has always been a kindred spirit. I will always cherish our memories together. Full of music, laughter, and spiritual experiences. Kade went through a period in his life after high school that although may not have been the best decisions a person could make, I know it shaped him into the INCREDIBLE person he is today. He is such a great example of faith, Endurance and the healing power of the Atonement. I've seen him grow and come so far and I couldn't be happier for him. I couldn't be more proud of a friend than how proud I am of Kade. I hope he knows how wonderful he is and how much I love and look up to him.

Remember Me?

Wow, it has seriously been a long time since I have blogged! I would just like to make a public apology to my fans and followers. Now I know the guilt that Miley Cyrus feels when she forgets to blog every fifteen minutes.

Things have been SO super crazy in my life! HUGE mistake taking summer school. I was SO wiped out last semester that I thought I had enough momentum to make it through the summer. BIG mistake! I am going crazy! If I didn’t have my Cos-Girls (slang for “Cosmetology Girls” – It’s a hair school thing) I don’t know what I would do! But there are a lot of laughs that happen long before any of the normal people in the world are awake. I only have four more weeks left so YAY!! Who wants to take me out to dinner to celebrate? Anyone… Hello?

Saw 17 Miracles this week with my good friend, Kade. (He’s very handsome – and single, ladies if you want me to set something up;) Anyway, the movie was SO fantastic! I cried at least 16 times!! (One of the Miracles wasn’t worth crying over…) Kade and I were the only two people in the theater under 75. A lot of wheezing and blowing into cloth handkerchiefs. . . I couldn’t get over how fantastic the filming, costumes and especially the makeup were! I can’t wait to take my parents (tonight).

We have been into summer for two months now and I have not been swimming ONCE!!! My sister and her boys go like every day! They’ve turned into little Cherokee boys. And my sister looks like Pocahontas! (I hate her) Every time I think I’m getting more and more tan, Aimee walks in and I feel like we could get a gig doing a duet as Ebony and Ivory! So if anyone is going swimming, let me know, I’ll come!

Work has been good. I still work on weekends at a hospital. It’s dead on weekends! (the patient flow, not actual people that are dead everywhere) I work with this guy name Blaine now. He’s a security guard here on weekends. He manages the three buildings that are closed on Saturdays and Sundays so he just sits with me all weekend. We get along great. The first couple months were WAY fun! We’d play games, talk for hours and hours. I told him more about myself than I have told any guy in a VERY VERY VERY long time. He was just so nice and understanding, non-judgmental and really genuine. But like every relationship – Work or otherwise, the Honeymoon phase died off and now we sit in silence for 8 hours. Hahaha But no, Blaine is great and I’m going to miss him when he leaves.

So that’s pretty much all that’s been going on with me. I’ll try to keep you posted on the Epic things that happen in the life of Batina – I’ve been really slacking.