July 1st - 31st

In Our Family This Month...

* 4th of July Celebrations! Sarah and Chris Gyllenskog invited us to a BBQ at their place for the 4th (let's be honest - it was really their daughter, Katy, who invited us! haha) but no matter - we made up some themed foods and headed over! The kids all ventured out onto the roof to watch the fireworks while the adults visited.  Mom and the girls found matching $5 shirts and had to grab a picture together.

 

*Lexi has been accumulating lots of hours for her Visual Arts class with crocheting! Katy has been requesting a crocheted Snoopy and so Lexi obliged and crafted one for her birthday. It turned out soooo cute and Katy was blown away! Lexi also had seen a cute crocheted bucket hat online that she wanted and so made her own!

 

* This year, our ward decided to combine the YM and YW camps to ease the burden on the Bishopric and other adult leaders that were involved. It was held at Camp Hycliff (a church owned campsite in Oregon). It is a really nice facility with lots of grass, shade, pavilions and even a water slide! The YW camped up on the hill on one side of the camp and the YW camped on the opposite side. The YW asked mom to teach a Bullet Journaling class on one of the days so dad and her drove up early on Tuesday morning to be ready to teach by 9am. The class went over well and it was fun to see all of the kids! Aubrie was having a bit of a tough time with her ankle and being in a boot but by the time they all got home a few days later, her spirits had definitely done a 180 and she said it was THE BEST camp! 

 

* The end of July brought the North American Invitational 7's Rugby Tournament in Salt Lake City, UT that John and the girls had been practicing for. We had a team of 12 girls mostly made up from girls on our Meridian high school team but had a few other select girls from the other local high schools. Dad and Jared Turner coached a U16 team and since it was a tournament, they designed up special jerseys and went with hot pink and navy (which was really fun!) Like always, the weather was super hot (imagine playing rugby in 100+ degree heat!) but the girls did well and had fun. We went up against several All-Star teams and while we didn't win, we held our own and the girls felt happy with how they played (for the most part). 

* McKendra turned 24 on the 21st! We were gone to SLC for the tournament on her actual birthday so we celebrated the day after we got back. We had tortellini soup and french bread for dinner and then Aubrie made her a delicious "24" cake - and made it yellow since that's McKendra's favorite color! Her best friend, Christa, flew in that day from Nebraska and will be here for 2 weeks. McKendra is a very talented artist and so we got here some large canvases for her to create some original paintings!

 

Spiritually Speaking...

* (The following is written by Aubrie, age 15)... While at my friend, Katy's, birthday party we thought it would be fun to go to the playground, so we did. everything was great until I took a step down to the ground from the about 1/2 foot tall platform and twisted my ankle. I sat there with my ankle in throbbing pain thinking how this would affect my rugby season, especially because of the NAI 7's rugby tournament that would be coming up in about 3 weeks. I thought I would still be able to play and this would be the type of twist where you don't feel anymore pain in the next couple of days, although I did hear a pop as my ankle twisted, which worried me a little. The next day my ankle felt the same and I couldn't walk on it. I used a pair of crutches we had from previous injuries and borrowed a boot from one of my teammates. As the next couple of days went on my ankle started to feel a little better but still not great, so dad ended up taking me to the doctors to get it checked out. after an X-ray the doctor told me I had 2 torn ligaments in my ankle along with a low and high ankle sprain. He then told us that the recovery looked like it would be 6 weeks. both me and dads hearts shattered at the news, as the rugby tournament was in 2 weeks. when we got home, dad and I thought that we should give me a blessing. later that day when Ben was awake they gave me one with dad anointing and Ben blessing. in the blessing he stated that with faith and doing the exercises my physical therapist gave me, I would be able to play in NAI's! I felt in my heart that this was true and I believed. before the tournament there was girls camp. during the first day of camp I felt very left out of everything because I couldn't do all the fun things my friends could. in my blessing it said that I needed to avoid doing things that could be dangerous to my ankle. I prayed about what to do, and I received the answer that I could do more things at camp because I was there to learn of his son and was faithful to him. for the rest of girls camp I had such a fun and spiritual time, being able to do things like a waterslide, and 9 square. once I was home and still in a boot with only one week until the tournament my physical therapist said he didn't think I would be able to play that weekend. I was sad and confused but I still had faith and continued to do my exercises. To my surprise, by the next appointment that week I was out of the boot and crutches and cleared to do as much as I felt like I could do. I felt so so happy and thanked my heavenly father. I had my first rugby practice back the night before we left to Utah for the tournament and I was able to do more than I thought I could. the next day in Utah we had one last practice before the day filled with games. I ran for the first time in weeks. I was the slowest on the team and I ran with a limp. doubt flooded my mind. over and over in my mind I thought, I can't do this, I can't do this. but I then remembered what god had promised me. everything became easier and easier as practice went on. I could feel gods love so strongly and I felt so thankful to him. That night in the hotel Lexi asked for a blessing of comfort. I asked for one too while he was doing them. in the blessing god told me that my miraculous recovery happened because of my faith in him. the next morning I warmed up and everything felt good. I was subbed in in the second half and I ran just as fast as the other girls with no pain. after each day of playing I felt so grateful to my heavenly father and I've grown a testimony of faith. even against all odds and logistics of me playing, I still did. I know heavenly father loves us with all of his heart and wants to give us what we want, we just have to have faith. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

* The following is written by Lexi Vogt (age 15)

So the whole week at girls camp I'd been studying Ether 12 which is about faith. After reading a quote that said

“Faith is kindled by hearing the testimonies of others who have faith” I had the idea in my head that I was going to

hear someone's testimony during testimony meeting, feel the spirit, start crying, then bear my testimony, and it

would be great. I was sitting there during the testimony meeting and it's getting later and later but nothing was

hitting me and I wasn't feeling the spirit very much. So I started praying just being like, Heavenly Father please

help me feel your spirit and love. At one point I was praying saying, I know it sounds stupid, but please help me

to cry because testimony meeting just doesn't hit as hard without a good cry. I was getting sad but was coming to

terms that if I didn't cry I would just trust in the Lord, even after all my prayers, that maybe there was a reason I

didn't cry. I changed my prayer to be if you are there and if I don't feel the spirit from anyone's testimony help me

feel your love from a hug (I've had times where I've prayed for a hug and I felt a warm all around me which is what

I meant). After praying I didn't feel anything but I got a side thought that Aubrie could be my hug but didn't think

much of it. It was getting close to the end, and I wanted to bare my testimony even if I hadn't had a big experience

that made me cry. A girl in my ward talked a lot about her sister and I thought “oh maybe I'll just talk about Aubrie.”

The leaders called that there was only 5 minutes left. Some other girls went up before I could. Then I stood up when

I got the chance and said something like, so I've been studying all about faith this week- I said some other things

that I don't remember- I said, sometimes my prayers don't get answered the way I want. When that happens, I have

to go back to my faith, and the things I know, Like how Aubrie's always there for me, and that Heavenly Father put

us together because he knew we needed each other. About 2 years ago my best friend and I had a horrible friend

break up, and it was so so hard on me. Aubrie was there for every night I cried. One night I got a blessing and it said,

you have a best friend who's waiting for you. Right then I felt the spirit in my heart stronger than I ever had before,

along with the realization that Aubrie was the best friend mentioned in my blessing! I thought of it like she was there

every night and we were waiting for us to realize that she was my best friend. When I got that blessing I had always

said that Aubrie was my best friend, but I'd still been waiting for someone else to come along and fill that spot. I had

thought about that blessing so many times and not once I thought that Aubrie actually was that person. Once all of

that had rushed through my head Aubrie says “What the heck” and you can hear both her and I sobbing at this point.

Aubrie was in a boot (for her hurt ankle), so she's struggling to get up a step to hug me. We’re both sobbing while

hugging each other. As we were hugging the thought from earlier that I didn't pay much attention to, came back to

me “Aubrie is your hug” I then started to cry even more. As soon as I could speak after crying I closed my testimony.

The meeting was over so we said prayer and then went down to the tents. Aubrie and I found out the spirit both hit

us at the exact same part. I also found out that she also wasn't feeling the spirit, so prayed saying close to the same

things I did. It’s just crazy the way God works. I would never have thought that's the way the night would go, but

somehow, it was even better than anything I could have thought! 

I testify that even when it doesn't feel like it, God is more aware of you than you could even imagine. He is aware of all of your feelings, needs, and wants. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.