The New Year

Well I have made my goals for the new year.  One of them is to call my family members more often.  I think about them often and need to be better about calling.  This came from a talk in conference that I wanted to follow about not having any regrets later in life.

I started in a family ward today.  It was fun to watch the little kids in front of me take the sacrament.  One of the little kids wanted to touch all of the bread.  The mother then picked out one piece and gave it to the child.  The little boy then said, "I don't like the crust!"  My friend and I both smiled.  We really enjoyed watching them.
I had a sister ask me where I live and I told her.  She then said, "Weren't there two single sisters living there before."  I said, "That would be me!"  She smile and said, "Oh!" Then she didn't know what to say. I said,
"I'm now in this ward."  Everyone thought that I had moved here from a different place, but nope just had to change because I aged out.
I really did enjoy the family ward today.  It was fun to meet parents of some of the Young Single Adult in my last ward.  Then one of the sisters gave me a nice compliment.  She said, "You were the best Visiting Teacher to the two girls that lived at my house."  Then she told everyone that I was the best visiting teacher.
It is amazing how many people I do know in some way.  This will be a different change for me but it will be good.  It has taken me awhile to come to terms that this is what I would be doing.
I'm looking forward to a new year and a time that I get the time to grow and learn new things.

Merry Christmas!

I like the end of the year.  I like to look back and remember the things that I have learned this year.  I also like to reflect upon the things that I have accomplished this year.

1.  I would have to say one thing that I have learned this year that everything is done on the Lord's time table and that he has not forgotten me.  (He has not forgotten you either.)
2. That service to others really does help not to think about yourself or the problems that you have in your life.  I decided to take Elder Ballard's challenge to be like a "Bee" and pray for experience to help other people.  When I did I was able to see that the Lord really does have a hand in my own life.
3. Serving the people in India gave me a another great perspective on all of Gods children.  That you can be happy with almost nothing.  That you can find joy in the little things in life.  That when you are helping other people they can have the biggest effect on myself.  I will not forget Vijaya she is one that I truly got to know. She wanted someone that would talk with her and love her just like all of the other children.  She just wanted someone to notice her.  She just wanted someone who wanted to be with her.  Thanks to her she made my stay in India remember-able.
4. A new school year can bring joy!  Once school started again in September I have had a different experience.  I have been more myself.  I love to laugh with my student, tell stories and I have had fun being with them.  School has been a fun place.  I have noticed this year how many students are so caring and kind. They bring a smile to my face.  I'm thankful for their kindness that they have shown me.  They say, "Thank you!" at the end of class and greet me with a smile.  I have learned this year to look for students that need a little more upliftment from me as their teacher. I think the best part of this school year is that I can laugh out loud and have fun with them.
5. That being an aunt is an important responsibility.  Twice this year I have had times that I am able to take my niece and do things with them.  Once was when I took my two nieces Becca and Madelyne to Washington with me.  The second time was when I had all of my nieces over for my Aunt Laurie sleepover.  I look forward to this sleepover every year.  We have fun and we party.  I think the best thing is that we get to spend time together doing things and making memories.  Because I don't have children of my own this has been something that makes me fell apart of God's plan.  It means the world to me that I can take my siblings children with me place and that I get to do things with them.  I really just want them to look back and remember the great memories they had as kids.  I look back at the fond memories I have of the things that I did with my Aunt's.  They really are the best.  :)
6. No matter what life will go on and I get to determine how I will be happy in life.

I'm sure that I learned more these are a few things that I have been thinking about.  God loves us!  Merry Christmas!  

Last Day in Dehli

We spent an extra day in Dehli because we bought our tickets for the wrong night back, but this was still fun for us.  We were able to see many things in a small group then the large group that we were in.  I did like it, but you could tell that we were all tried and Benson our guide was even tried. 

The market that was from all of the different city in the area. Jana and Trisha looking at the paintings.



Renu and Benson Massey our guide and his wife.



India arch for the 90,000 soldiars who gave their lives.



Trisha, Jana and Laurie




The Gandi grave





The beautiful view of the city.  The tower in the back ground was to watch for people coming.  This was Bensons favorite place.





A sweet that they like to eat after dinner to refresh the mouth.  It tasted a little like perfume.



 



Benson took us to his favorite place in the city.  This was at a statue that we saw the view.  It was beautiful place to see all of the green trees and the birds.

 

New Dehli

Benson with the snake charmer.



Jolynn faced her fear and when out and held the snake.




The Lotus Temple





The middle class market.  They are sewing on top of the building.  This market was awesome. 



Magic Carpets

It was amazing to watch how fast they would tie the string, but if you did this everyday for 8 hours; I think you would be fast too.  They would sing out the colors when they were starting a new row.  You can see the knife they used to cut the yarn.  They could spend up to 2 months making a rug or longer depending on the size.  Then they wanted a little amount of money for how many hours they spent making the rug. 



This man is un-doing the knots so that the rug has more luster. Of course many hours of doing this job.



I sat down and he taught me how to tie one yarn on the warp yarns. 

Agra Fort

Agra Fort was huge just like everything else.  We only saw 20 percent of Agra Fort.  It was here at Agra Fort that the Emperor was jailed by his son for 8 years so he wouldn't build a placae for himself because he had built the Taj Mahal for his wife. 



Jana and I in front of the Agra Fort



Thanks to Trisha she thought that we should do these pictures. We had fun! L to R: Trisha, Laurie and Jana



Jolynn, Mashell, Trisha, Laurie and Janalyn

Me talking into the wall.  If you talked into the wall on the other side of the room the person would hear you.  The halls were haulo they would put water in the walls to cool off the room during the summer. 



The Jail



The outside of the jail.




Mashell, Laurie, Janalyn, and Trisha on the judgement seat.



Taj Mahal Pictures #2

The entrance to the burial of the wife.



Jana, Laurie and Trisha.  This is a picture through the wall. 





Becky, Emilee, Mashell, Jolynn, Trisha, Laurie, Janalyn





The Taj Mahal in the sunglasses.



Jump for Joy!

Benson Massey and I in front of the Taj Mahal.  We took it for my brother Thomas.  Benson knew Thomas when they lived in Hawaii.



Camel in the City.