I'll follow where you lead

Whether through the rocky ways, stormy seas, or barren hilltops You go
I'll follow You Lord on the path that you show
For You are the light, the truth, and the way
and I'll follow you Savior past my dying day

You built the foundation whereon I must keep
and told me of blessings that I would reap
If I could stay faithfull on the rock that you built
and not lose my way because of sin or guilt

So when I need comfort or am in bleak dismay
I'll remeber Your words, and I'll look your way
and I know You will be there for you promised me this:
If I but repent, You will guide me out of the abyss

By TraciAnne Atkinson

YSA photoshot

These are some cute pics we took last night at the Maine's studio. We had a ton of fun just goffing around, playing foseball, and helping the Maines practice for their photo shoot at Skyview high school on Saterday. in explination of the backgrounds on these pictures the theme of skyviews prom is superheros. tell me what you think

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

September 25, 2009Yesterday my little sister Annie was reading Kristi and I a story she worte as an assignment for her writting class. The assignment was to write a story about a shoe, as so many fairy tales do. It got me to thinking, Why, in the world, do we have so many fairy tales about shoes?! And before you go and say there aren't all that many let me list a few for you, There's Cinderella of coarse with her glass slipper, then there is the crazy old coot(ahm, women) who lives in a shoe(why in the world someone would want to live in a shoe is beyond me, place must stink like the dickens), there is puss in boots, and there is Dorothy with her ruby red shoes to take her home. Then there are the tales of shoes that do amazing things, like transport you ten thousand leagues with each step or like hermes shoes that let him fly.Finally there are the many obseessed women and probably a few men who horde and collect shoes in the tens or hundreds. So my question to society is this, WHat is it that we find so facinating and mystical about so seemingly ordinary an object as a pair of shoes? Why do they continue to be an object of our adoration. Are shoes just a way of shielding our feet form the elements or adding something to our latest look. It would appear not. Let me know what you think

What Manner of Seminary Teacher . . .

Yesterday I graduated from seminary. It was a wonderful ceremony and I could feel the spirit very strong. After the ceremony my amazing seminary teacher sister Tucker had a special video put togeather for our class that compared life to running a marathon. This is just one of the many amazing things she has done for our class so I thought I would write a blog post dedicated to her. She has been a wonderful example in my life of someone who personifies the love of Christ and what it means to truly help our fellow man.

What Manner of Seminary Teacher

Eratic, spontaneous,
crazy energizer bunny
we thought we might kill her
that first early morning

but Loving and dedicated
to each one of us
we grew to love her
by the end of the month

She cheered and she shouted
she expected our best
she told us she knew
we would pass this test

When others dismissed us
and sought to ignore
she brought the spotlight
to illuminate us there

She buffed and polished
She molded and shaped
till each of us shone
with a light none could escape

Now the year is ended
The days have flown by
But none will ever forget
The year she taught us there

Favoriate Memories from my senior year in seminary:

One of my favoriate adn most memoriable lessons from my senior year was an object lesson. Sister Tucker had some of us go out one by one and walk through the church, telling us that there was something we should find, but not to look for it. Before we entered the cultural hall there was a clutered mess of items that obviously did not belong. Not one of us stopped to pick it up! After all this was over, Sister Tucker read aloud a story about a race put on by a rich lord, or a king or something. In this story there were many contestants. In the middle of the race, however, each one invaribly ran into a cluter of rocks that covered the path. Most sought the king out after the race to complain but one humble man stopped along the way to help clean up the mess. In the midst of the rocks he found a bag of gold. Instead of keeping this Gold he tried to return it to the king but the king told him it was his because he had stopped to help. Needless to say this story had some of us running out to the mess we had previously come across. Sure enough at the bottom of the pile was a twenty dollar bill. We did not get the money that day because none of us offered our help that day. Even after hearing the story we only raced after the money. This lesson taught me alot about the importance of helping others and of realzing when my help was needed. I was very ashamed to realize that I had not offered my help to pick up the items. It helped the lesson to stick.

Another of my favoriate lessons by Sister Tucker also involved money. This time the lesson took place in the gym. We were playing freeze tag, except for the fact that half the gym was considered a safe zone where the person who was"it" could not go. On the other side of the gym, however, sister tucker scattered candy and five dollar bills. There was ever a twenty tapped to the wall. Needless to say, many decided to take the risk and even succeded in obtaining some money. We all felt rather foolish, however, when at the end of the lesson sister Tucker walked over to the trash can on the safe side of the gym and gathered a check she had taped there in front of us all at the begining of class. It was worth 50 dollars. This lesson taught me alot about the importance of not riding the gate when it comes to sin and temptation. It also taught me the importantce of not focusing on worldly goods. Had I payed attention to sister tucker, instead of the money on the ground, I would have seen her hide the geater reward.

Finally my most favoriate lesson was the one she did on the atonement. For this lesson at the end we listened to a song. It talked about watching the atonement from up in heaven and wishing to help with the burden. Then it talked about going to live on earth and needing help with our little burdens. After the song we prayed and left without saying another word. It was a powerful testament of the atonement.

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to be in sister Tucker's class and to be able to have learned from her. She has set an example for me that I am going to do my best to follow.

Narrative Photo

Hey Gang,

sorry its been so long since I have posted. I have been both sick and busy. Bri asked me to post my most recent assignment for Photography. It is a narrative photo. Let me know what you think the "story" behind the photo might be.
-Tay

BEST SUPRISE EVER!!!

Last night, tuesday the 21st my family got the best suprise in this whole entire world. My sister Bri and my brother in law Grant showed up on our front porch. I was totally taken by suprise and was estatic to see them though I could not believe my eyes at first. It was incredible. What was more my sister Kristi had known and had somehow managed to keep it a secret. This is a great feat especsially in my family. I am so happy to be able to share the days until firday with them. Tommorrow we are all going fishing at five am.!!! Grant has only been two or three times and has never gutted a fish so tommorow we get to teach him! I am looking forward to this so much!!!

Another Poem

So I was going through my old school work trying to find my "best work" for my PDP when I found this poem that I wrote my freshmen year of highschool. I liked it and thought you all might like it too.

A Peaceful Place

Do you
have a peaceful place
where you go for you quiet
treasured

where all is sweet

and nothing wrong

and nothings there

but quiet

Do you

have a place

where you long to go

but nobody knows

where nothing

can reach you

or take from

your secret oasis

is it calm

and serene

and just yours

to keep

Do you have

a place where

it's only you

and the wind in your hair

your own private place

in nature

where only you

are welcomed close

or are you

still searching

for that one secret place

where you can be safe

and nobody knows it... but you?

These are the rest of the previous post

 

 

My first week in photography

 

 

 

 

I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!!!!

I love my photography class! I have only been to two classes so far but have already learned alot about my camera that I didn't know before. I learned about controling the lighting in your camera yesterday. I found out how to change the white balance, the f stop the shutter speed and the ISO. Still not exactly sure what the ISO does despite many explinations of what it is but if any of you know what it is and would like to take a shot at getting it to click with me I would greatly appreciate it. So far the only thing I have noticed about it was that when the ISO was really low, my pictures were black outside, but when it was high I had more clarity. Some thing I know about it are 1. I know it has something to do with lighting since that was our focus yesterday, and 2. dad said that it had something to do with shutter speed and video but I didn't really understand what he was trying to explain. Other than that I am clueless. I can't wait to find out what we get to learn about next class. I am really enjoying experimenting with the f-stop, and the shutter speed and know I would enjoy experimenting with the ISO a lot more if I could just understand what it is for. I have loved the homework so far, after all what homework could be better than taking photos? I will post some of the photos I have taken for the class later.

Highly anticipated new releases

In other news, I cannot wait until the 14th when the book I have been waiting for, for about 2 1/2 years is finally coming out. It is teh second book in the Beka Cooper series- Bloodhound. Another book that just came out that I can not wait to get my hands on is City of Glass the third book in the Mortal Instruments series.

Hurrah!!!

YEA!!!!! I FINISHED!!!! Today I finished the last two chapters of Revelations, thus offically completing my first time all the way through the new testament. Reading through the new testament was a huge testemony builder for me. I had always concentrated on the 4 gospels to the exclussion of all else that was in the new testement. It was a huge eye opener to see what wonderful doctrine is to be found in the rest of the new testament. Looking back I have to say that my favoriate part was probably Romans Chapter 8. I just love it. Espeacilly the last few verses on the love of God. This week has definitly been a week of finishing things because on tuesday, excluding virtue, I finished personal progress. This is good because tuesday happened to be the dead line. I just want to add my testamony to those of my sisters in saying that personal progress can truly bless your life if you take the time and effort to truly commit to the value experiances and projects. It is truly designed to help you become the daughter HEavenly Father would like you to be. I know that my testamony (and future home skills) grew greatly as I completed my personal progress, espeacially during this final push. I know that Heavenly Father inspired the program and wants all of his daughters to fulfill it. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to do so.
-taytay

Unpleasent suprise

Today we took Koda to the vet to get his boosters and vacination shots. At first Koda was very excited about this. He loves car rides and the only thing he loves more than car rides is being able to go into the place the car went(most of the time he can't). So Koda was very excited when we grabbed his leash and told him to come. He was estatic to find all the wonderful friend canines inside the vet clinic as well. However he(like the rest of us) was not to terribly excited about the long wait with nothing to do. Never mind though the long wait was quickly forgotten when the vet came in and started to pet him and give him treats. Noone is as forgiving as a dog, which makes this next part all that more funny. You see the vet needed to get his temperature and to do this you have to stick the thermometer up his butt. When the vet first tried to do this Koda whipped around as fast as can be and gave him a look that said "what the heck do you think your doing with that mister". The vet backed off pretty fast but soon returned with the mean stick (thermometer) and an assinstant named Charles. This time Charles held Koda with a muzzle on him as the vet stuck the themometer up his butt. Koda still bulked but was powerless to do anything about it. Charles then left the room. However, whenever he came back in the room Koda would scramble fast as can be under then bench that dad was sitting on. It was really funny. The funny thing was that Koda had no problem with the vet that actually stuck the thing up there, just Charles. What made this all the more funny is that Charles had to convince him to trust him enough to get him to follow him back to where they take the shots. It took him a minute but with a treat in hand he was able to accomplish this. Needless to say I don't think Koda will ever trust him again.

Senior Pics

These are some of my favoriate single or with just one other person senior pics

Senior Pics

Flower Closeups

Hey,
Thought i would post some closeups of the flowers in my garden with their names. Tell me what you think of them ok. Above-PrimRose Below- Hercules

Below- Peach Flambe- this is my favoriate in the whole garden

Bleeding Hearts in the pink and white verities

Gardening process

Hard at work and muddy to prove it. What could feel better than this?

Here I am planting the first flower. This was really a whole lot of fun
This trellice was so hard to get to go into the ground. We finally had to have dad come and hammer it in. Which we are really lucky didn't break it, it says not to do that on the packaging but we just could not get it to go in. Oh well alls well that ends well

Here I am hanging the millet spray, trying to invite the birds of the neighborhood. Come to find out that there is a bird that seems to have claimed this particular tree as its territory adn is there from early morning to late at night. Hopefully it will find a mate and then we will have baby birdies. But if not it does have a beatuiful song adn hummingbirds are not the least bit frightened of it.

Pre-planting View

This is a full picture of my garden before it was planted. Mom and I had spent the entire morning the day before shopping for them. They are so pretty!!!

Freeway Adventures

If I have learned one very important lesson in the last couple days it is this, never leave the house without the proper amount of gas in the car....

On Tuesday afternoon after volunteering at the fish hatchery down on the old Evergreen Highway i happily and obliviously made my way home. At first everything went great... Then I noticed the cop behind me. He is not what this story is about, however, as I uneventfully (Thank heavens) left him behind when I switched from the 14 to I5. It was just a couple minutes later that I started my true adventure. It was around 5:30 in the afternoon or in other words rushhour and so at first I noticed no problem as the cars were all going slow. Then traffic picked up and when I pressed on the gas in an attempt to follow their receeding figures I found out I had a big problem. When I pressed the gas it was like hitting the brakes. Now being the brilliant person I am my first thought was not, oh I bet I am out of gas, it was more like this... OH MY GOSH... Crap(insert glare at car) this car had better not blow up in my face. Now I should probably explain that thought. You see when I was young (no I don't remember exactly how old I was suffice it to say I was young) I had watched a program at my grandma's house where a woman had stopped to get gas. No biggie everyday occurance you are thinking, except for this particular woman forgot to remove her keys, created static electricity by getting up that transfered to her key, started to fill her car and BOOM! Her car blew up in her face. So since I was young adn impressitionable this has always been my secret greatest fear. My second greatest fear also has to do with cars it is of getting hit by a car going 60-70 on a freeway. So my thought immediatly after Crap this car had better not blow up in my face is... Get off the freeway..Get off the freeway.. Get off the freeway! Sort of like Mulan chants when she is on the roof and the fireworks are about to go off. Get off the roof, get off the roof, get off the roof. So I slowly but surley exit the free way my next thought being that i can pull of to the side of the road. But as luck would have it there is no where to pull over. Then I spot a road that leads off to teh left... I had always wondered where that went when we drove by to drop teh kids at school and had never seen anyone on it so in my mind it was an old abandoned road adn I could stop right in teh middle of it. Luckly when I got to the road i spied a parking lot at the base of the hill and managed to crawl into it because as I soon found out it was not an old abandoned road. It lead to a park. At this point I am thanking God that my dad just replaced my lost cell-phone and I call mom. While i am doing this I notice that the gas, thought the car is off, seems low. So one and two get put together in my mind and I figure out this is the problem. Mom calms me down, and then has me call dad on his cell. Dad asks where I am, luckly I am good at knowing where I am so I was able to give him really good directions. Next problem I am in our only car at the moment. So Dad gets a ride with Brother Azar. They show up about 45 minutes later. Lesson well learned. I will never forget to moniter my gas again.

In other news

I have discovered a new passion! Gardening!!! It is so much fun, plus very relaxing when you need a break from life. I have created a flower garden in our front yard(will post pictures later). It is beautiful and it took a lot of work. WE have also started our vegteable and fruit gardens as a family.

Yesterday we all went to the temple grounds to take my senior pics. For those who don't know I told mom and dad that if we went as a family and took pics that could replace professional senior pics. They look really good and we had a ton of fun plus we got some cute shots of the little kids too. WE all dressed in red shirts of various shades for the family pics even Koda ( we put a red bandanna-okay it was a small apron folded to look like a bandana but it was cute, on him). The next step will be to pic out my favoraties. When I do I will post some.

Today we finally installed the doggy door into our back door so hopefully we will stop having those icky accidents in the house when someone forgets to let Koda out. I think so because he is already using the door to get in and out of the house at will.

-taytay

Happy Birthday to me

I am 18!!! YEA! I really can't believe I am able to say that. It is a little wierd. I had a super fun birthday though. Mom and I went to the gardening centers and got all the flowers for my flower garden. It is so pretty! They are all planted now and I should have pictures up soon. When we got home, Annie had a super fun suprise party set up for me with just family. It was really fun. I am also thouroughly enjoying my gifts. My new scriptures have all the scripture masteries highlighted and it is really nice to wake up to the nature sounds on my new alarm clock then the horrible beeping that came from my old one. We didn't make it to our lunch date on my birthday due to Johnathan's unexpected appointment with the doctor to inspect what turned out to be pink eye. But we did go the next day. We went to sweet tomatoes and it was super fun. I am also loving the new cell phone (kind of an early birthday gift) that dad gave me adn have even given in and learned how to text. Mom and I were also supposed to go out to the movies but we didn't get to go till Friday. It was a lot of fun when we did go though. We went and saw the one about the numbers on teh paper. It was good but a little to intense adn I am still not sure about the ending. Anyway that concluded the birth day celebrations

Temple Reflections

So I went to the temple last night and they have remodeled the baptismal font room. Among other things that are different are teh doors to the rooms where you get confirmed. They are now clear glass with a wood frame. Anyways right after I was done with my confirmations when I opened my eyes I looked at teh door and the door reflected Christ giving a blessing to someone in a painting that was behind me only I could not see the person he was blessing in the painting because my own reflection started there. It was really neat to see and it reminded me whose work we are truly doing when we go to the temple.

Poems from the Heart

Well,

sorry it's been months since I posted. Got caught up in life. Everything is going great. I thought I would post my poems that I have written since they are about the most important things in my life and are ussually promted by a big event in my life.

Watching My Sister Fall in Love

Watching my sister fall in love
I’ve realized how little I know

Love is a thing hard to describe
It is sharing your life
Your stories, your friends
It is showing your faults
And not trying to hide

It is a glow, a change
A difference in your very being
It is trying your best to become
Better than you are

It is telling and sharing and laughing
Together
It is hope and a joy
It is commitment to each other

It is growing, it is striving
It is working together
It is recognizing how you change
One another

Watching my sister fall in love
I’ve realized how little I know

A sister is there to help you to grow
To lead and to guide
And sometimes to tell you no

A sister is there to comfort
To laugh with and cry with
And enjoy growing up with

A sister is there to show you the way
To set the example
That you always will follow

To create memories
Pure and sweet
In the high times
Or the low
A sister is there to dance with
To sing with
To imagine a world beyond our own
And make it true with

She helps to show you
That tears are okay
That laughter is medicine
And that fairy tales
Can be true

For that sister that
I have watched fall in love
I LOVE YOU!!!


Memories of You

Memories of you
When we were still young

Of our room during nap time
Voices quietly playing
Statues or dolls

Of playing elves
Of princesses
Ordering our poor servant
Kristi around

Of adventure and
Excitement
Exploring something new

Of growing up
Staying up late
And talking of dreams

Of dancing on the beach
Or in a thunderstorm
On our driveway



Of sweet voices
Singing me to sleep
At girl’s camp
Late one night

Of water fights
Getting soaked to
The skin

Or of being locked outside
And racing
To all the doors
To get in

Memories of toilet paper
Flying through the night
As you taught me
A new kind of art

Of the moon
Bathed in red
As we watched
An eclipse

Or of discussions
About what
Harry Potter would
Face next

These memories of you
Are bright shinning pillars
Showing me what
To do

Because these memories
Cherished and sweet
Are my way of
Remembering

Just why
I looked up to you

I wrote those two poems when Bri got engaged. I read them at her wedding reception.
This next one I worte in response to a question Brother Norton asked in Institute, he asked who taught us what we know about love

What I've learned about love

What I've learned about love
I've learned from my dad
who guided and counseled
and shown me the way

What I've learned about love
I've learned from my mom
who saw past the
faults mistakes and the flaws

What I've learned about love
I've learned from my brothers
who forgave and forgot
the things that I've done

What I've learned about love
I've learned from my sisters
who've shared in my joys
my pains and my griefs

What I've learned about love
I've learned from my teachers
who shared with me
their great knowledge and truths

What I've learned about love
I learned in school
from fellows reaching out
for caring and comfort

What I've learned about love
I learned from my Brother
who laid down His life
that all might live

What I've learned about love
I learned from my Father
who provided the plan
to lead me to Him

Finnally my last poem I wrote in response to a recent crisis concerning Koda. On monday I got out of school to find out that Koda had bit Matthew when Matthew tried to take an icecream container away from him that he had found. When dad had called the Humane Soceity to find out what to do they had told him that because Koda had bit he would have to be put down. This was written durring the hieght of that crisis. We learned the next day by calling our vet, animal control, and teh health department that the humane society was wrong. All that happens the first time they bite is a ten day quarentine(they have to stay in your house or backyard) to make sure they don't have Rabbis.

My best friend

You were the one
I came to with problems
Who listened to me
As only you could

You were the one
Who cuddled and snuggled
Deep into
All hours of the night

You were the one
Who loved me to bits
Who didn’t care
About looks or smell

You were the one
Who smiled without fail
When that was what
I needed the most

You were the one
Who was happy to wake up
Who grinned at the chance
To spend one more day with me

You were the one
Whose bark full of joy
Who would not be silenced
Whatever the neighbors said

You were the one
Who tore stuff to bits
Despite all protestations
And scoldings of NO!

You were the one
Joyful to see me
Grinning around corners
And saying catch me if you can

You were the one
Who taught me patience and love
Through all the midnight hours
Full of potty training trips

You were the one
Who taught me no mess
Is to big
To forget to laugh about it

You were the one
Who taught me how to comfort
As I saw you lying sick
In those first few months

You were the one
Who taught me to hold on tight
Because you were the one
To jump after the squirrels

You were the one
Who taught me to face my problems
As I watched you learn
To get over your fear of other dogs

You were the one
With that big puppy grin
That told me everything
Was going to be all right

You were the one
Who was ready to play
Fetch or tugtug… whichever
Just for the fun

You were the one
Who taught me
How to teach as I taught you
To sit, lay-down, and to stay

You are the one
That I will always remember
Because Koda You were always the one
-Tay tay