Diligence

In Relief Society today we had a lesson on diligence. We talked about how we can't move forward with out being diligent. We can't overcome our trials with out having family and diligence get through the tough times. We also talked about how you may have this perfect picture of who you think you should be but the truth is you become that person very slower and by being diligenct in all things.

This is a lot my experience with the piano. When I first started learning how to play the piano and really wasn't in 100%. I hardly practiced and I dreaded going to lessons because I always got discouraged. I would make mistakes and at the time I could barely read music. It would take me for what felt forever to just learn how to play a song that was a half a page, large print, in the key of C, and only one note for the right and left hands. It saws hard for me. So I quit. I got too discouraged and couldn't take it anymore. I can't tell you how much I regret decision. I have for many years. About 5 years or so I missed playing the piano so much that I got my old books out and started playing just for myself. I later started to teach myself more difficult. They weren't that super complicated but I was increasing my skill. I later got my sister's old book out and other books we had lying around the house. I kept teaching myself and getting better and better but I still wasnt satisfied. I think I've always had this image in my head of the perfect pianist. I have always wanted to be that person that can play this super complicated piece. The truth of the matter is I have to remind myself that they didn't start that way. Maybe someday I'll be that good for right now I'm as I can be. I'm as good as can be expected. About 2 years ago I started taking lessons again. I was faced with challenge again that I wasn't as good as I wanted to be.

To be completely honest I am extremely proud of where I am when it comes to the piano. When you look at ow many years I have actually been taught, not just self teaching, I am actually quite accomplished. Maybe I'm not a concert pianit but I can play hymns, I can sight read, I can pretty complicated things, and I can learn a song quickly. I have come a long way from where I strted . Ickow that this is one of those talents that I have been given and I love every opportunity I get toplay. I absolutely love playing the piano. If I haven't quit when I did I always wonder where I would be today when it comes the piano. When I really think about it I don't think I'd appreciate my talent as much as I do now. Mostly because it was my choice to go back into piano lessons, not my parenst. I got back into the peiano for myself and no one else. Now that has changed but playing the piano is my sanctuary.

Now what does this have to with diligence? I got discouraged a lot and still get discouraged when it comes to the polaying the piano. I'm still not where I want to be and sometimes I wish it could just jump the time and not have to put for the effort but I do. We can apply to life because we may want a certain outcome but the truth of the matter is if we don't put forth the work we won't ever get there. We need diligent in the hard times to achieve our goals. We need to be diligent in those hard times.

Fantastic Fall

I have to say that fall is my favorite time of year! The weather yesterday and today have been amazing. It's been cold, cloudy, windy, and rainy. Can life get any better than that? I know it sounds crazy but I 100% like the cold a whole lot better than the heat. It has been so nice the past couple of days with colder weather. I am absolutely loving it! And the colors are extraordinary. How can you not love this time of year? The rain. The colors. The smell. The food. Thanksgiving. The clouds. The wind. Watching movies. Fire in the fireplace. Curled up next the fireplace with a warm blanket with a really good book. Can I just say I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!!

 How can you not love that????


Now since it is Friday I just say that I have really enjoyed today. All I've really done today is read a really great romance novel, The Princess by Lori Wick. It truly has been a fantastic Friday!

October through photos

Since I haven't updated my blog in way to long I have decided to update it with all of the pictures from the month of October. A lot of things have happening and now I am documenting it.

We started off the week with General Conference and the Manteca Street Fair.

Tony has been waiting for this park to open and it finally did. He had a great time.

At the fair there were blowup rides.

He had fun on those too.

Later in the month I went on a hike with my sister, dad, and Tony. I took this picture just randomly but I have to say it is an extremely beautiful.

We hiked along this river.

The second to last weekend in October I went with my mom and Charity and Anthony to the Del Osso Family Farm and went through the corn maze

We had a really fun time finding our way through the maze. What made it even better was that we went when it was dark and we didnt use a flashlight which make it just a little bit on the creep side.

I made decorations for our door out of paper.

My sister did pretty much the same thing but decorated her whole apartment

You can find her blog post about it here.

All of us dressed up on Halloween

Caleb and Alyssa were nerds, Tony was Spiderman as always, and I was a cowgirl.

Only one of the cutest couples on the planet.

Tony being Tony =D

I spent most of Halloween carving a lot of pumpkins. I think we ended up with a total of 14 pumpkins. I didn't carve all of them but I did gut most of the them, which in my opinion is the worst part.

Caleb's witch

I did this one. Part of the month fell off so I put it back together with toothpicks.

I did this one. The design was going to be a lot better than this but I broke the carving tool so I had to do it with a giant knife.

Alyssa's pumpkin. Isn't it cute???

Half of the pumpkins all lined up.

Those same pumpkins at night all lit up.

I did this one.

These are leaves. You can't really tell but it looked pretty cool.

Bats.

Fun at Six Flags

As a family we got Six Flags season passes this year and we went all the time. It was a lot of fun and their is more than just roller coasters to enjoy. It was nice because if you were getting tired from walking around the park we could go to a show and enjoy a different part of the park. One thing that I didn't like that much is how busy it always seemed to be...but I guess there is always a perk to everything. Here are some pictures of our time at Six Flags. We would often go with the Larsons as they also had season passes.

In front of the Six Flags sign

The front gate

Some of the Roller Coasters. I believe the ones that are in this picture are Medusa, V2, and others that I cant remember the name of.

Medusa. One of the best roller coaster ever! We went to Six Flags when it was raining one day and with the speed of this coaster the rain drops felt like pebbles hitting your face as you went by. I do have to say that besides the rain that was probably the most fun I had at an amusement park

Kong. This ride isnt as fun when it's not raining.

Tony LOVES Six Flags a lot!

In the Aquarium

Shouka the Killer Whale

The Dolphin Show. Yes that is a person in the air. Those two dolphins flung him in the air.