Can I take your order?

So the other day on the way to Family Home Evening with the YSA Kristi and I decided to stop by Mcdonalds because we hadn't had dinner yet. So we pull into the drive through and the guy tells us he can take our order whenever we are ready. Due to the delimea of trying to find anything on the menu that has even that slightest chance of not giving us a heartattack(good luck by the way not possible) we tell him it is going to be a minute. We then of course take a few minutes to decide what to order. When we are finally ready I turn to the speaker...okay we're ready...no answer...umm, hello?...no answer...slightly louder, hello?....no answer...finally both Kristi and I shout HELLO? This is what we then here in reply SHUTUP I can hear you! I told you to just order when you were ready!...umm what? Kristi and I turn to each other with incredulus looks, then I decide to explain our need to shout (huge mistake).. "okay well we said hello two or three times before and you didn't answer so we shouted." "I TOLD you to just order when you were ready!" AT this point I am very incredulus and ready to go at it with this guy but Kristi pipes up from the back "Traci just don't I am hungry and I want my food" I turn to the speaker the guy is still trying to argue with me and tell me that I should have just ordered "ok, you know what whatever heres our order...so I gave him me order and moved onto the window. Mean while Kristi and I need to confirm that this really just happened. Kristi: did he just tell you to shutup Traci: umm. yeah I think he did. He opens the window glaring at me jerks the card from me and then gives it back never removing his glare from me. We drive to the next window and at this point really can't resist just laughing our heads off. I mean really what ever happened to customer service or the customer is always right. Needless to say we checked our food really good for anything unwanted.

Struggle

Encircled about by unyielding arms
bound in a cold and iron grasp
abandon hope, its death has come
giving myself over to darkness and despair

Then penetrating the dim bleak depths
and loosening sins strangling hold
His love finds me and wraps me in light
Hope everlasting now shines from within

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