More New Pictures

I recently added new pictures to my Picasa Web Album. These are of prom and trips to overlooks with Ashleigh and a few other random pics.

New Pictures

I just added new pictures from about two weeks ago when I stayed over at justice's house...
this is my whole online album, but its a sub-album in there....I'll try to update this as soon as I can...

Pictures of the dance, etc...

I went to a dance on Saturday night. It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of new people at the dance, but I only took pictures of people I knew. Also I added some pictures of the really thick fog I had to drive through after church...here's the link...the dance was hat themed, so thats why everyone is wearing goofy hats. I put gel in my hair though so I didn't wear one, but hats were optional, so I just opted not.

Pictures taken with my new camera!

I just uploaded some photos that I took with my new camera (a big thank you to my awesome Dad) today. Here is the link to the picasa web album. I took the photos from about a quarter of a mile from where I'm staying. I was messing with the manual settings because thats just how I like to roll, so some are dark because I'm still trying to get the hang of it, but others are just right...

Also, I'm going to be hopefully adding some new posts tomorrow or Sunday or Monday depending on when I have the time...

Last Saturday

Last Saturday, I woke up late and my Grandpop made me breakfast. I told him I wanted to go mountain biking that day. I left about an hour after dinner and drove about two miles to the trail head.

I went to the interpretive center there and had to get a permit to ride, so I got that and headed to the trail.

The entirety of the trail is about 10 miles (a loop) but I only rode probably two or three miles of it. I was so eager to ride that I didn't wait until a warmer day, but it was about 55 or 60 degrees that day, and I got tired and my ears got cold. I started to ride and was excited and exhilarated by it (because its been so long since I had ridden).

I got out of breath after about a mile of fast riding and after a long downhill took a break. I climbed back up and went back to my car. I was tired and my ears hurt from the cold air blowing in them for the whole trip and wiped a bit of mud off of my tires and loaded my bike back in to my car.

After I got home I took my bike out of my car and changed my clothes and went right upstairs and fell asleep.

I slept for about an hour or two. When I woke up I made myself dinner and watched a movie.

The First Sunday

The first Sunday. I set my alarm for nine O'Clock, but I woke early because sometimes my alarm doesn't go off (I was excited to go to church too, so that may have been a reason as well). I got up, and felt well rested (I had gotten to sleep early the night before because I knew I would have to get to church early if I wanted to meet someone to sit with).

The drive to church was long but well worth it. There were many people that came up to me and introduced themselves and said they were happy to see me. I found a Brother that I had seen the day before, and I went up to say hello to him, he quickly introduced me to the young men's president in the ward. He was happy to see that he would have a new young man in the ward and once he learned that I was there alone he immediately invited me to sit with him and his wife.

It was a fast Sunday, so it was also testimony (by default). There were many people that approached the pulpit to bare their testimonies, and I just sat and listened. I noticed that there were a lot of young men getting up to bear their testimonies and I felt that it would be appropriate for me to bear mine as well (I figured it would also give anyone a good reason to introduce themselves to me). I waited until there was no one standing to bear theirs, and I rose and began walking. As I was walking, I thought to myself, how confident I could be because my Father had taught me to be, and from my past experience with bearing my testimony and speaking publicly (also facilitated by my Father). I thought of how I would appear to these people, how they would think of me after this, what they could and would expect of me. As I stepped up I looked at the bishop and smiled. I began with introducing myself, and stating that I was new to the ward and that I would be there until June. I mentioned that I felt that some people took the church and the blessings that we receive for granted, and how lucky I felt to be born into this church. I closed by bearing my testimony of the church and the Book of Mormon.

I sat down and my new friend told me I did a good job. A few more people bore their testimonies, and sacrament meeting ended. I stood up to ask where my class was and several people shook my hand and told me that they enjoyed my testimony. I went to class and I added my name to the attendance list. The class was taught by an older woman who spoke in a heavy southern accent (as many people do).

For the priesthood hour I went with most of the priests to sister Clark's house. She is an elderly lady who can no longer make it to church in the morning. We arrived at her house and agreed we were not going to sing a song. We entered and greeted her and I introduced myself, she said she was pleased to meet me and she mentioned twice that she liked my haircut. As opened the scriptures to read the sacrament prayer, the priest's quorum adviser spoke up and told her that we were going to sing her a song, we all looked at each other, then to the adviser and decided on "We thank thee oh God for a Prophet" then sang it to her. One of the priest's blessed the Bread and I blessed the Water. I said it was a pleasure meeting her, and we departed for the meeting house.

As we entered the building, my priest's quorum adviser introduced me to a Sister that lived in Clayton (a town close to where I am staying, relatively) and had a sixteen year-old daughter that goes to my high school. She gave me her cell phone number and invited me over for dinner...

The First Day

Today I did a lot of driving. I traveled about 40 or 50 miles south and saw where the church was and went to Toccoa to look around. I met Brother Randall there at the church and he told me that there were many youth in the ward, and that the meeting in the morning was at ten o'clock. I shook his hand and thanked him, and told him I'd see him tomorrow.

I went to the school and met with the counselor with whom I had been getting my school affairs in order. I found her and introduced myself, and she showed me into her office, I gave her the papers that she had asked me to bring her, and she asked how all this came about. I told her that I had thought it up, written my Grandfather a letter, and presented a ten slide power point presentation to my parents, and I was here now. She was impressed, and put together a rough list of my new classes and sent me along my way.

I went to the YMCA in Toccoa (which is in the middle of nowhere, like many places around here) and worked out for about an hour and headed back home.

I also went to Clayton to look around and go to the national forestry office to get information on mountain biking trails in and around the area. I got a map and two pamphlets and went home.