Life

Life has been a little crazy in the past couple of months. Samuel has officially turned 12 this year, which is so hard to believe, because he also become a deacon. We also have two new wonderful cats, who are some of the best that we have. Both Lucy and Magellan love to be together which is so great because they are very playful at certain times. Poor Magellan had to have all of his teeth removed because he had ulcers and they were bleeding when we took him into the vet in November, the guy has recovered fairly well, and is just content to sleep in the front room or on a bed. Lucy likes to be where the people are, which is sometimes the kitchen and she likes to be in the way. She will meow when she thinks nobody is home and all that it takes to get her to stop is for her to see a face and then she is good. She knows when I'm coming up the stairs in the morning for scriptures, because she will try to lurch at me. Our family has also discovered that both cats love to be loved, and enjoy being petted, and snuggled with. Lucy will sleep on your sholder, when nobody else is around or when she just wants to snuggle with somebody. It has been great to have cats back in our house, even though there is litter all over the bathroom floor again, they are great and good animals.

Time to write a book

A couple of months ago, I ran into a friends mother, and she made this interesting comment about me dating her son, whom I have known for about 12 years now. I also ran into another friends mother last night (May 6, 2012) and she whole-heartily agreed with this other mom. Both these moms have known each other since they moved to Idaho Falls over 12 years. I couldn't believe that the first mom said something to me about me dating her son, as he was not even in the country at the time. I truly think that both of these ladies are wonderful people, and they just want what is best for their children. There are times when they might just have to give their children a little nudge and help them along in life. Both of them have boys that maybe have caused them a few more problems because they are the boys, and they also have daughters, who are sweet, and very kind, and just as sweet as their mothers.  Just to have this mother, saying that I should be dating her son, kind of surprised me, and I'm pretty sure I even blushed when she initially said the statement. I don't think I have thought more about any statement, as much as I thought about this one. It kind of surprised me that somebody thinks I should be dating their son, and it also surprised me that it came from this mom.

The really odd thing about this is that I really haven't talked to this particular in over two years, and sometimes I wonder why I even worry about all the different things that some people do. I know that sometimes it is best just to leave things along, and then not worry about things, especially if they don't concern you.

It has been really fun to write this story, as many different things have occurred since then, and this story started out to give a friend background on the history between some people. As I have really started to write the story, it has turned out be pretty interesting, as there have new things that have come to light. Two different friends’ mothers have said this guy who happens to be the son of one of them. I know of three people who think I should be dating this same guy. It is just interesting to see how many things have changed and how we are so very different. I'm not sure whether I would still consider him a friend, since it doesn't seem like he thinks of me that way, or he would try and talk to me a little more often. I guess after a certain point, people should be considered acquaintances and not really friends. 

There is sometimes so much on my mind, that sometimes I just have to write and get things in perspective. Writing is kind of my outlet for different things on my mind. I'm not really sure where this story is going, but I will hopefully know an end later in life, and then maybe the story will be complete. I wonder if there is something that I'm missing where different things are concerned and I'm just not able to see it right now. I hope that one day I will be able know what I'm suppose to look for, instead of wondering what is suppose to happen, and just wondering if it is ever going to happen, because sometimes I feel like life is passing me by. I know people who are younger than me that are getting married, who are having children, but I also know people who are older than me, who are having more children. I just hope that people will realize that there are still single people out in the world and sometimes it is really hard to watch people, especially friends who are having their second or third child and I'm not even married. It is really hard to watch things like that. 

So Excited

So Love the BYU Young Ambassadors!! They are a wonderful group and so talented. I saw their wonderful  show in Tennessee in May 2011, while they were on their Summer South Tour. I was so grateful that I got to catch up with some of the group that I knew. I had a fantastic time with my friend Nicole Wright. We kind of made an evening out of it. This group is one of my favorite things about BYU (besides football, and men's college basketball). I urge people who are down in the Provo/ Orem area to go see them while the have chance. The great things about this group, is they are all so talented, and they each add something to this wonderful group. Randy Booth is an amazing director and a great leader for such a talented group.
On to bigger and better things

Birthday Time 2012

It is time once again for my birthday. I can't believe it is almost here. I will be 26 this year, and somehow I kind of don't feel like celebrating. I look at all the great things that friends have going on in their lives, and I'm kind of envious of the fact that some of them are married, have children, and have all these great things going on in their lives.I had thought when I was a teenager that some of those wonderful things would have happened by now, but it just looks to be not happening anytime soon for me, and for right now, that is okay. I feel like I'm at a stand-still in life, and really trying to figure out where I'm suppose to go from here. I  sometimes wonder how I have made it to this point in my life and how some things have not worked out the way that I thought they would. I have some many things on my mind, and somehow I can't seem to make them happen. I sometimes wonder when great things are going to happen, and I sometimes if they are just going to pass me by. I continue to look at things, and sometimes wonder if I'm going to be along for long time(with no dating prospects on the horizon), as I wonder how I can become a better person and wonder if there is a way that I can change things. Sometimes I wish that things would just change for the better, so that maybe the world doesn't look so gloomy and such a bad place. Why can't things work out the way that we would like, for just once? Does the world have a problem with us being happy? I know that people think I'm happy a lot of time, but there are things that are constantly on my mind, and I wonder how people are able to be truly happy all of the time. How do we change things if we aren't happy with them? How do we make sure that even those that we love or that are family just encourage us, and want us to be happy instead of always being down about things? 

How do we know that certain things are going to happen and that we can truly be happy by our own standards? Why do we feel that we have to live up to everybody's ideas and what they feel that we should be doing?

Hopefully this year will be better and things will go more smoothly, with some great adventures. I really do hope that as I continue to get older, I can look back on some bad years and know that something great came from them, and that maybe instead of remembering all the bad things, I can look back and remember some of the good things.

On to bigger and better things

Scrapbooking

I have really been scrapbooking recently and it seems that there is still so much to do. I was recently given a book that I could do pages in. I also have a 12x12 binder that I got about 5 years ago and some of the things in that book are old. I was recently looking at it, and was seeing how much label that I have to do, to see what people are in certain pages, and what events are on certain pages. I have a book that has so much labeling that needs to be done, to really make it what I would like it be. There are so many great memories that I have, and I still have so much that I would like to put down on paper and to have pictures from. I'm amazed to look at certain pictures to see how cousin's have changed, or how their children have changed. My Aunts and Uncles change sometimes, especially when you don't see them for periods of time. On my dad's side of my family, we are so spread out, it is amazing when the whole family comes together. My dad comes from a family of 10 children and out of those 10, 9 live in the states, with one living in Singapore(because of a job). My mom's family is also a little spread out, but sometimes it gives people a reason to travel.
I was looking at some pages from high school and noticing how much some people really have changed. I have been out of high school for almost 8 years now,and to watch finally do things that they dreamed about doing is amazing. I have a good friend, named Eric Davis and he finally graduated from BYU this year, and I'm so proud of him as a friend. Whenever I would talk to Eric, it seemed like he was changing his major almost every semester to something different. I know some people who are still in college, some who have bachelor degree's to their names, and others who are on to graduate degree's and many more brighter things. I'm glad that there are things that I know for sure. I started my college education with a certain goal in mind and now I'm not so sure, but things will work themselves in the way that heaven see's fit. 


On to bigger and better things

I love the scripture that says "the last shall be first and the first shall be last." That has come to mean a lot to me recently. My grandma, Faye Smith Nef is the only one now left living out of her family. She does have sister-in-laws still alive, but other than that she is only one of my Great-Grandparents children that is still alive. Both of my Great-Grandparents, T. Leonard and Grace Smith have passed away, my grandma's brother Gene passed away before my Great-Grandfather passed away, and now my grandma's other brother, Larry has also passed away. My Great-Grandparents, both my Great-Grandpa and Grandma Smith, and also my Great-Grandpa and Grandma Nef have raised amazing children who know how important family really is and all the great blessings that being part of a family holds. My Great-Grandparents, each set, made a lot of sacrifices for each of their families. I love all the history that has been shared about each of them. Both of my Geat-Grandmothers passed away before I was ever born, and I'm sad that I didn't get the chance to meet and to know them. I look forward to the next life, when I will get that opportunity to set down with them and to talk to them. I love the fact that my grandma has things that belonged to her mother, and my great-aunt Lois has things that belonged to her mother. There are so many great examples of mothers in this world. why don't we treat them with more respect? Grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters, and even more generations after that are so important in the way life works. I see some many different generations around me, and see that some things really do get passed from one generation to the next generation.

Being Grateful for the Little Things

As I have come to recently find out, we should all be grateful for the little things that life gives each and every day. I have come realize how much I appreciate certain things, like being a member of the church. I'm grateful for the gospel and the many things that I learn by studying and by attending institute. Institute is something that I would urge lots of people to attend, because there is so much that you learn about the gospel and the scriptures. I'm grateful for friends who care enough to ask me what is wrong and who care enough to actually get to know me. I'm grateful for friends who have served missions and the great service that they provided. I can't think of certain people that have been better missionaries. I still know some great missionaries, and I know that they are working hard, and doing their best to help more people learn about the gospel. How grateful I am for the gospel and to know that there is more to this life then what others may think. I'm grateful to have a family who loves me even though I may make mistakes, and may make weird decisions. I'm grateful to know people who know that there are certain things I can do on my own, but sometimes I may be to stubborn to ask for help and they may step in without having to be asked. I remember a talk that was given about remembering the Tender Mercies that Heavenly Father sees fit to give us. and to remember that sometimes they don't come when we expect them to come. The mercies that Heavenly Father gives us, are when he sees that we are ready and we have a little more experience on our side. Thank Heavens for tender mercies and the great many things that they teach us along the way.

IT IS A GREAT DAY TO BE A GRIZZLY!!

 I can't think of a better way to end September 2011, then a win for the Skyline Grizzlies against the Idaho Falls Tigers. It was a great game to attend, and after the Grizz got to 50 pts, the tigers didn't really have a chance to come back and win the game. It was great to see people painting over the ugly orange, and to see the Grizz have a big win this year. It has been a long road back to see the goalposts being blue again. I was a senior in 2003-2004. When football season happened in 2003, we lost the emotion bowl my senior year. The class of 2005, got a marginal win, by doing a hail-mary pass and winning by a point. There have been years when Idaho Falls has won, and those were the most disappointing games to attend. Since the last time the goalpost where blue previous to this was 2007, so it was about time in 2011 that Skyline reclaimed the goalposts and painted them blue. Congratulation to the class of 2012 for winning the emotion, this game was one of the best to attend. I really wish some of the refs had made some better calls and hadn't given the Grizz some of the penalties that they thought they should not have gotten.
It was a great time and I'm pretty sure thoughts of people enjoyed the game. I know some parents were really anxious about the game, but you all pulled it off. Final score Skyline 50-Idaho Falls34.

Congrats Grizzlies on a remarkable win. It was a great time, and it is so nice to see the goalposts turn blue






















On to bigger and better things

Truly His Children

How do we really realize what great gifts we have been given? We, as children of God have been given so many different gifts and talents, and many different blessings. Our Heavenly Father has granted us so many different things because of our obedience to the commandments and the laws that we have been given in order to return to live our Heavenly Father after this life. This life is really a chance to prove ourselves and go through the trials that the Lord gives us in order to make us a stronger and better person. Are there friends that are watching our example and would like know more about the church, but are not sure how to ask us about the things that we believe? There are so many different nations that have been open to the gospel and we truly are children of the world. We know that without the gospel we wouldn't have all the great blessing that we have these days. We all have a great responsibility to help preach the gospel and an even greater responsibility to help out the full-time missionaries, and be great member missionaries. We can give the full-time missionaries referrals, and we can help them activate those that are less active, and are just needing some help coming back to the church. So many nations have opened their doors so that missionaries, and hopefully many will want to hear the message that the missionaries have. Our full time missionaries work very hard, and we need to do all that we can to help them out.

GOTTA LOVE THE MISSIONARIES

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As you can tell I love the missionaries, and certain ones just happen to be some of my favorites that I have met during my time in Tennessee. I know that the missionaries are working hard, and they are serving a mission for the right reasons. I have met an elder who gave up a scholarship at Northwestern to serve a mission. I met another who is serving a mission because his plans concerning body-building didn't work out. It is amazing to watch some of these wonderful elders and sisters work together with their companions to accomplish something great. I'm amazed at what a great work these wonderful missionaries do. I'm so glad that I have met these wonderful missionaries, they are great people and they know what the gospel means to those that are seeking the truth, and those that have so many questions that other religions can't answer them all. I'm constantly amazed at the way the missionaries can start a conversation with people that they have just met, but I guess that is part of being a missionary. Some of my favorite people have also been the missionary couple that has been over the "Home Storage Center," The Erbele's. My grandparents are the missionary couple that are over the "Bishop's Storehouse," and they do a great job. As somebody looking from the above pictures, the missionaries need to let their sense of humor out once in a while to play, and they do a great job of making some people just laugh really hard.
Good luck to these wonderful missionaries as they finish out their missions, and good luck to these wonderful missionaries in whatever else they may wish to do with their lives

The many different layers of family

I have always thought sometimes life can give things to worry about, but that it can also make us appreciate the things that we have and many blessings that we have because of the freedoms and choices we are able to have because of where we live. One of the things that I'm most grateful for is for great grandparents and great parents who have taught me the value of certain things. My grandpa and grandma Nef (LaMar & Faye Nef) celebrated 60 years of marriage, and I'm so grateful for the great example of what a marriage should be and the generations of us that they have blessed. July 2010 we finally got the whole family together, which meant all 10 children, as many cousins as could make it and most of the great grandchildren. It was also a great experience because we also got my grandpa, his sister, Lois Nef Cherry; his brother, Clyde Nef of Fresno, California; and the baby of the siblings, Floyd Nef of Rexburg, Idaho.
It was a great experience to have an Albert & Daphne Nef family reunion, in place, where it seemed that most people in the Nef family knows. We held a family reunion in Burton, Idaho, which is just outside of Rexburg, Idaho and seems to be growing every time I got there. I'm so grateful to be part of the LaMar & Faye Nef family. Those of us that are part of that family are so blessed. My grandparents attend the temple every week, except those weeks that it is closed. The temple is so important. I watch as we all try to do what is right and how we continue to work hard, because it seems that it is the only that might just us through part of this life. My grandparents have always told us the importance of hard work and the great joy that can come from working hard. I looking at my grandpa who is 86 years old(turning 87 years old this year!) and still goes and helps out my uncle on the farm each day of the week. I love looking through the pictures that I have of my great-grandparents, and their children and to think how proud they must be of all the things that their children have done. My great-grandmother Nef passed away from cancer many years ago and  I know that she will forever hold a special place in not only her children's hearts, but also mine because she raised some pretty awesome children. I barely knew my great-grandfather Nef, because he passed away 2 years after I was born. I love to hear of the different stories of my great-grandparents. They went through so much together, and I see where parts of them have been passed on to 5 wonderful children. One of their sons has already joined them on the other side, along with some grandchildren, and also some great-grandchildren. I always love hearing the different stories that each of their wonderful children have to share to pass on, or how seeing their parents do something really made a difference or touched their lives. I couldn't be more blessed to be a part of this family and all the great things that I have as a part of this family. I'm so grateful for the history that I have learned and that I'm a part of.
Thank you to LaMar & Faye Nef for raising 10 wonderful children, and for wanting each of us to learn about your family history and the history that each of us is a part of. Grandma and Grandpa are the best people in the world. Thank you for making me want to have a marriage that lasts 60 years and even beyond that.




Always an adventure

Darling, Little Sister Veronica

I have a wonderful little sister, who is smarter than she leads on. She will be 14 years old this coming July and I can't believe that she will also be a freshman in high school for the coming school year. Veronica and I have had some great moments, as I watch her grow and become the young woman that I know she can be. This young lady is very smart, and very hard working. I love to be around to hear her play the piano, as she works hard on the pieces that she is given, and practices them even harder. I'm aware that there will be certain situations that I won't be able to protect her from and that kind of scares me as an older sister, and her being the sister that I love to spend time with. I know that my sister knows what to do in most any situations that she finds herself in, I just hope she remembers to do what is right, even if others are not doing what they know they should be doing. Veronica is a very smart girl, she chooses her friends wisely, and she knows what she should be doing and that doing certain things will get her into trouble. This little continues to amaze me by the things that she does.
I remeber the day before Veronica was born, as her birthday is the day after our mother's birthday. Mom had a plan as to what we were going to do to celebrate her birthday, but it seemed that this wonderful little girl had a different plan for mom that day in July of 1997.
I'm glad for the time that I get to spend with this wonderful sister, and young lady. She can make a bad day always seem, just as our little brother can do the same.

Hope this little lady has a wonderful birthday,as I will not be able to be there to have fun with her. I can't believe she is turning 14 years old. She is very amture for her age.

Love you lots, 
with great faith
Always,
your older sister,
Lisa