The Most Wonder(ful) Woman of my Life! :)

Here we are again. Like I said in my last post, I have some great news to bring up! I am Engaged!!! Although, before I can even get close to that story, I better introduce my darling fiancé to you! 

Along time ago, in a galaxy far far away… (DUH! duh duh dun, duh duh dun etc etc.) Just kidding, right here in your very own, the Milky Way! Back in February, when I was getting ready to campaign for Executive Vice President at Salt Lake Community College. Brandon (My “annoying” older brother) and at the time his girlfriend (now fiancé) Sydney were over at the house, and wanted me to go on dates with girls… Ewww girls! Couddies Gross!! (Just kidding, I totally had been going on dates with lots of girls before, but at that time I was just EXTREMELY Busy!! That is the only reason I did not go on many dates in the 4 weeks before the elections! Anyways, Syd came up, and left me with an ultimatum. I am going to set you up with one of these two girls. Showed me two pictures on Facebook, and said a little about them. This one girl, or a girl named Lexi. She told me that Lexi was a recently returned missionary, and better yet, she served a mission in Peru, so she speaks Spanish! (That is a plus, since I do too. Also because I was looking to date a returned missionary.) [I wanted a missionary for two reasons, one she would probably know the Gospel of Jesus Christ better than me, because Sister Missionaries rock! Two because being a returned missionary, I wouldn’t have to lose her to leaving on a mission! ;)] Anyways, going back to the story, I saw her profile picture on Facebook and was honestly stunned. She had Gorgeous Long Blonde hair, Bright Blue eyes, dark lipstick on, and was modeling! Wow, you have no idea how stunned I was! She was GORGEOUS! My thought to myself “Well, maybe this could work out, because I could take pictures of her, she could be my model!” “Okay okay I said, we can do ONE date, but only ONE. Since I have to worry about elections right now.”

So a week or so later, we were set up on a date! We had a double date (Blind for us obviously). I got in the truck with Brandon and we set off on our adventure up to Syd’s apartment in Bountiful. On the ride up I was feeling a little nervous (Strange for me to feel so in a situation like this). Since this was only my second blind date ever. My first one last year, didn’t go so hot, at least we didn’t match well anyways. When we arrived there at the apartments there was this girl with short blond hair walking to the door, and Brandon said “Look, I think that is your date!” I thought to myself “Where did her long hair go?!” I was very surprised that it had disappeared. As we walked up to the door, I was hoping she had already gone in, but of course, she was still waiting there for Syd to come open the door, so we had that awkward first confrontation… I had to play it off cool, I couldn’t show the awkwardness that was flowing in the air. “Ohhh hey!! What’s up?” I said, and we instantly started our conversations! The rest of the night went wonderful! We started it out by making Pizza! We had a competition with Brandon and Syd! We made our own, it was a Cheesy Smiley face! The eyes and the mouth were extra dough with string cheese on the inside! Then Brandon and Syd made a combo pizza. We decided who would win the competition would be the pizza that was voted the most through Snap Chat. So we all took a picture of the two pizzas, once finished, and then we all sent it to all of our friends. Well, we lost. Everyone wanted the combo rather than the extra cheesy and cheese sticks on the pizza! HA! They don’t know what they are missing out on! Oh well. They next part of the date was really fun! We played a game, by thinking of two characters, actions, and locations, and writing them all down on a separate piece of paper. Once finished, we had to pick one of each, and then draw it on a t-shirt! I picked Mario, Picking his nose, and on an island. So then we were allowed to pick on more. so I picked Phil (Hercules) and photo shoot. So that is exactly what I did! Once we were finished, I had to give my shirt to her to keep! Well, the sad thing is, I thought my shirt was pretty good, until I saw hers that she was going to give to me. How embarrassing mine looked! Syd’s shirt also destroyed Brandon’s! We were shut down by both girls! I forgot the most important part! Lexi and I had never watched the Labyrinth with David Bowie, so we put that on while we were making shirts… Yeah, it was a pretty crazy first date, but we had a blast! When we were leaving I almost forgot to ask her for her number, but I got it as we were leaving, then as we got to the car I had to put the great song of “Good to be alive (Hallelujah)” by Andy Grammer! We both were belting it as we were driving away, so I guess you could say it was not only a wonderful night, but it was a FANTASTIC first night! As I got home that night, we had already started texting and joking, so we knew something fun had to become of us! I mean, we already started planning for the next time that we were going to hang out! :)

The very next day I was at my house with my mom in the family room watching TV, when I received a text from Lexi saying “There is something I want you to know.  wrote a song!” My response: “You wrote a song??” Lexi: “Hahaha this is my way of trying to share it without coming right out and telling you to listen to it. Fail.” So obviously she is trying to get me to hear her song, so I flirt back with her and say “hahaha hey I can listen! Are you going to sing it to me?? :)” She responds with “How about I send you a link? :)” (Well, it was worth a shot, right? ;)) So she ended up sending me the link, I don’t remember if it was a facebook, or a youtube link. Anyways, as it was loading to the page, I was not expecting anything to crazy, and as the song started I noticed she was playing the piano. Then, she began to sing. My mouth dropped… Hearing this girl sing, was Amazing with a capital A. Wow, that is all I could say as the song ended. Then I looked up at my mother and said. “Mom, she can sing.” I am sure my mom thought something along the lines of “I know dear, I have ears too.” or something snarky like that, but what came out was something along the lines of “Oh goodie! You two can sing together.” It was just lining up perfectly! My physical list of a girl, was really falling in line. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and could sing. 

A week or two later, we had Stake Conference in my Singles ward stake. I think I had completely spaced that, because I had set up a date for that Saturday night with Lexi to have a follow up date. When I realized it, it was the day before or worse, could have been the day of. I sent her a message and told her I was very sorry, but I would have to reschedule, and then gave her the details of what happened, because I didn’t want her to just think I was bailing on her. Then to my surprise I received a message “Can I come? :)” So not only was this girl, attractive, but now she wanted to come to Stake Conference with me. So I agreed to her idea, and we chose to go out to dinner first. I took her out to Tio’s a Mexican restaurant close to my house, and then we went up to the stake center. When we sat down, I pulled out the Gospel Library on my phone to take notes, and she pulled out a small notebook to take notes. That was cool to see that we both get the best out of our learning by taking notes. Her notes are so cool! She draws pictures and writes key words to the things that. Where as I just write key phrases down that stick out to me, and mark the scriptures in my Gospel Library app. After the conference we went back to my house to watch a movie. I wanted to watch Inception, because I hadn’t seen that since before my mission, and I had wanted to watch it the entire time I was in Chile! Why I hadn’t yet? Great question! So we decided we would watch it. I think she fell asleep, but we cuddled on the couch. There was one point where we looked at each other, a perfect kissing moment, but I think I got nervous and backed out. That or I was thinking she would get mad at me because it was “to soon” in the relationship that we were creating. Anyways, the next day at family dinner (she was invited) I told Syd that I had a “Perfect opportunity” to kiss her, but I backed out. Syd flipped, and apparently went later on to go learn about this “perfect opportunity” from her. Then later on that evening we had gone out to the front room, and just laid on the grown together, and at some point we came close face to face, and so  I decided that i would just go in for it. So that is exactly what I did. While we were lying there on the floor, we had our first kiss.

Back in March, I had the opportunity to go up to see her Mom’s side of the family, or I guess I should say the Wilson family for a dinner. On the way up, we had to pick up her youngest brother, Andrew from her Dad’s house in Syracuse. I was getting nervous, yet again. I mean, I am very much a people person, but it is so much easier to get to know one person at a time, than it is to have to learn names of like 40 people and get to know them all. Anyways, I went along with it, and it was lots of fun! I’ll tell you this, their puppy Oscar is a riot! He likes to run around more than my dog Chip does! That or he is just younger, and so he has more energy than Chip does. To this day, I still don’t have everyone’s name down in the Wilson family, because there are lots of them, but that is another story. Lexi and I from the beginning would joke around be like “What would you do if this happened and we were married?” Although I don’t know if it was really a joke, I mean, I really would ask dumb questions I am sure to her they seemed dumb, but they were questions I really had for her, because I know with me, things dumb and crazy are going to happen. Anyways, so coming back down to Salt Lake City from Logan, as we were passing the Logan Temple, I decided to ask “If we got married, what temple would you want to be married in?” She thought about it for about 3 seconds and then said “San Diego.” I kind of jumped a little bit, because that had always been my dream, to find someone who was either from San Diego, or who wanted to get married in San Diego, so that I could get married in that temple with them! So that was kind of a cool fact! As we were getting back to dropping Andrew off, we stopped there so that I could meet her Dad and Step Mom too! Her whole family is a lot of fun! 

A fun thing that we did near the end of March for Spring Break, was we did a double date trip. Brandon, Syd, Lexi, and I all decided to go on an overnighter down to Goblin Valley! That was a whole lot of fun, we went and played around on the rocks for a couple of hours, and then ate Tin foil dinners, and a gluten free peach cobbler for Syd, by Syd. It was lots of fun to be down there! I did realize that it may be a little tough for me to be around Syd and Brandon at the same time for more than 24 hours since they are both a little crazy and a little power hungry, so these two forces put together longer than 24 hours can be a little crazy. Anyways, if you would like to know more about that trip and the fun that we all had together, you will have to go look at Lexi’s blog or bug her for pictures, because we took some really great pictures! :) (Well, she did).

A couple of weeks after that, I heard Brandon had bought a ring, and was going to ask for the hand of Syd in marriage. How exciting! The two love birds were going to get married! Then it came out, and they had, had the whole situation happen of getting engaged and it was all over facebook! A couple of weeks later, I think is when Lexi and I decided that we should get married as well. So I got to called both of my sisters. I called Jen first, she didn’t pick up. So then I called Ally, and she picked up. Her conversation was fun. “Hey Ally…” “Hi Connor…” “So uh, remember how you are coming to Utah in September..?” “Yeah..? Oh great… When else do I need to come??” “Well, actually… California, San Diego. In October.” “You guys don’t want us to come home for Christmas, do you?? Well, congrats, we will start looking for flights.” Allyson and Jed live in Dallas, Texas with their son Logan. Later on Jen called me back and then I told her as well, and her response was a little more giddy. I honestly don’t remember much about how I talked to Brandon about it (See, this is a reason right here why I need to post more…). 

Here is a fun fact about Lexi. She is an artist! She likes to paint, draw, and lots of fun stuff like that (hence the reason she likes to do her notes like that). Anyways, she actually designed her ring! The cool thing about her ring, is all of the stones and gyms are from other rings. The diamonds are from her mom and dad’s marriage, and then the ruby’s and sapphires are from a ring form her great grandma. She always says “There are perks for being the only girl.” I guess she was right. Well, with this design she had for a ring, we were going to start asking jewelers on prices, when her mom texted me with a wonderful price! After hearing what Brandon paid for her, I was expecting to have to take out a loan, and then pay who knows how much for this little rock on her finger. Although what her mom told me was just perfect. S. E. Needham up in Logan is a jeweler that she works with a lot apparently. This story is kind of funny as well. :) She told me it went a little like this… She went in to the jeweler and started looking around, when one of the Needham brother’s themselves came and started to discuss with her. They know each other pretty well, from what I understand. She pulled out the design and showed him the rocks. He started to think, while rubbing his chin. Then looked out the window to the car lot across the street and said “My oh my, Chris (Lexi’s Step Dad) had got some new car’s out there!” Meaning, he still is successful and has some money. *Hint hint, wink wink* So they made out some kind of deal, where they could melt down the gold from the great grandmother’s ring, and that we would use our jewels, and then we could have Lexi’s ring for super Cheap WOW! Just look at the picture down below, it is GORGEOUS! Also, I love it as well, because (Well, don’t tell her I said this, but I think it looks like the Triforce from Zelda!) I think I may just love it more than she does! :) It is just kind of fun though, since it is so different than your average ring, and she gets that every time someone asks to see her ring.

So Lexi’s birthday is on Cinco de Mayo, and she had bought tickets to go to New York City with her Mom, like 2-3 days before she met me, and so for the first week of May she was there in the Big Apple. While she was there, I was waiting on the ring to be done. I had no idea when it was going to be done, or when/how I was going to ask her to be my wife. I got a few ideas throughout the week, mostly from my dear Mother. I figured on Monday, I had all week to figure out, because she didn’t come home until Friday anyways! On Tuesday I sent out a text to Kelly, (her dad) and asked him if I could meet up with him at Texas Roadhouse for lunch! He said sure, and so on Wednesday as I was going there, I had to make sure I was on time. I arrived and it wasn’t open. WHY DOES A BIG YUMMY PLACE NOT OPEN UNTIL 4PM?! Man, they would get a lot of business for Lunch, but oh well! Good thing I am not a big Steak guy anyway, so I looked around real fast, and then noticed that across the street, there was a Wing nuts! So I called Kelly and told him a change of plan. We met up there, had lunch and then I got his permission to marry Lexi! Whew! One Dad down, and one more to go! So Thursday night was the preshowing of Captain America: Civil War. We had a Student Government thing where we got tickets for cheap, and I definitely went! Although being caught up on all of the main movies since I had been home from my mission, I still hadn’t seen Ant Man. Before I went to the movie, I needed to watch it. So I did. During Ant Man, closer to the end I received a call from an unknown number in Logan, and I got an electric jolt go through my body. So I slowly picked up the phone, and my fears were confirmed. It was the jeweler… (Duh Duh DUHHHHH!) He told me that the ring would be done later that night, and ready for pick up when the store opens the next day at 10am. The day that Lexi got home!! So after hanging up the phone, I pushed play on the video to finish it, but my mind was racing, and I couldn’t sit still the rest of the movie. How I finished it? I do not know. Do I remember it? I also do not know. So I decided to do something that Mom told me to do, and ask Lexi to marry me at the Airport! I called Chris (Lexi’s Step Dad) and asked him that when I come up to Logan tomorrow to get the ring, if I could take him out to lunch! He said sure! As it was time to go to Captain America, I texted Kiersten (Lexi’s mom) who was in New York with Lexi, and said (Get away from Lex, and call me ASAP). I told her my plan for asking Lexi to marry me the next day, and she LOVED it! Her part was to make sure the Lexi was dressed up, and to think that I was going to come pick her up from the airport! After watching Captain America (Which was Amazing by the way) I started recruiting a couple people from Student Life at SLCC to come and help me the next night to get engaged! When I got home, and called Jayden, one of my best buddies, he couldn’t do it because he worked, so he sat there and talked to me for an hour, but I was exhausted I had to drive up to Logan the next day, so finally I hung up. The next day as I woke up, it was time to go up to Logan! I stopped at the bank and pulled out $440 which left me with $5 to my name, all of the guys there at the teller position told me Good Luck with a thumbs up and big Smile! So I drove up in the Ford Explorer that my mom owns, which sucked. I didn’t realized until I was about at Ogden, that the Air Conditioner wasn’t working. It was just blowing out hot air. So I was kind of thankful that I missed the turn for Logan, and that I had to drive back through Brigham City, so that I could have the windows down and cool off a bit! I drove next to the temple and thought to myself, “I will be going there in 6 months with my honey!” :) Right about here when I hit Brigham City I called Lexi, because she had texted me and said that she was on her way to the Airport. I told her all week that it was iffy if I would be able to come and pick her up or not, because maybe I had to work. I told her “Sorry hun, it looks like I am going to have to work tonight, so I will have to see you tomorrow after work.” Although I really didn’t have to work! Hehehe :P Once I got up the canyon, I had to remember that it was the Utah State University graduation that day, so it was busy that day! I finally got through the traffic there and found the store and got out and walked a little bit! It felt good! I stopped in and started talking to the same brother that had called me on the phone. He handed me the ring, and my eyes grew wider and wider I was amazed! It was gorgeous! It looked so much better than the model that they showed us. After seeing that, I got real nervous. (Just wait till you see the picture). It is GORGEOUS! Anyways, I ran across the street to meet up with Chris and we went to eat at Angie’s the place were you can “Clean the Sink”. We had a great discussion, and he also approved me. Whew! Then I embarked on my way back down to Salt Lake! On my way down I started to call people and ask them to help me. I asked all my main boys, Adam, Matt, Ryan, Grant, Matt, and then I called my family and also her family to come help out, and then I had up to like 50 people to help! As I got home, I showed my mother the ring, and she also was Amazed! Then I hurried and went to change my clothes, so that I too could look all good like her. We all got there, and were arriving, were were all getting excited, especially me. I couldn’t figure out where we were going to go. My original plan was, I had some signs there that I would have people raise saying “Welcome home Lexi” and other similar things, then obviously the “Will you Marry Me?” signs, which were on the back. Then I would have the crowd separate, kinda like how Moses parted the red sea, and I would just be there. Although, there were two families waiting for missionaries, and a family waiting for a sailor. So I had the missionaries on the side of us, and the sailor in front of us. So that plan wouldn’t have worked. So my Uncle Bruce came over and said I should go upstairs and then follow down behind her, and then be out in the middle of everyone. So I decided that last minute! I had three people filming from different Angles. My cousin Steven was up at the top with me, so he could come down behind us. I was up there and just getting super anxious, when I saw Steve was talking with someone who had just come off a plane. Then I looked down the hall and THERE SHE WAS! Her and her Mom!! Shoot, no time to think, here I went. As I was going, I had to hurry and tell Steve! Let’s go!! I hopped on the escalator on the other side of her, and then started coming down, and Steve started to film. She looked up right past me, and didn’t even notice me. She started to walk. Lori (another VP from Student Life) started to yell “Hey Lexi!!” and everyone else did too! She had walked right past all of the signs as I was getting down on my knee. I panicked, and so I kinda yelled her name! She didn’t hear me… So I called a little bit louder! She then turned around and noticed it was for her. She got kinda read, and put her hands up to her face! She came over and told me “You are in Trouble.” As I was on my knee I asked. “Would you like to marry me?” I got nervous, so somehow the “like” got put in there too. She nodded and said yes, and so I got to put the ring on her finger. :) Afterwards, Kaylie (my oldest niece) came running up holding flowers for Lexi! Then ran back to Jennifer. It was super cute! We went back to my house, and posted on Facebook that we were engaged on Facebook and we got over 500 likes in two hours! Over all I think that we ended up with somewhere over 700 likes. That is my all-time record, and I think that we had the most likes over any of friends! It was a proud moment of us both! One of the few things that us “Youngins” today look for to make us “happy” ;) Anyways, that same night, Jayden came over and hugged us both! That was lots of fun too! 

(Wow that was a long paragraph)

Hmmm I guess I could end with we just got Lexi moved into the apartment where we will be staying for the next 6 months! I will be living there for the two months after we get married. She only got a 6 month contract on the apartment. It is in a wonderful little place up in Sugar House, Utah. It is a good thing she just became the manager of the Wedding Dress shop where she works, so that she can be making... Well, let's just say she is rolling in the dough, and can pay the salary for our expensive hotel sized apartment for like the next 100 years. It is more like a hotel room. That is what I like to call it. I guess I will have to get to know Lexi a whole lot better after we get married, living in such a small place… ;) It will be super fun! 

I lied, there is one last thing. I just need to express how happy my fiancé is so Amazing. We have been in DC/Virginia for the past two days, and we won’t be going home until the 4th of July. She is loving, caring, and just amazing, this morning when I was going to change my clothes so I could get out and help the men here take down a tree, I noticed I had a missed call from my mother, I listened to it, and it was her informing me that my dear Grandfather had passed away this morning. He passed away in his sleep peacefully, but as I was posting a picture of me and him on Facebook, she came over and saw that, and then hugged me and made me cry more than just a tear, but as I was leaving to go and help. She stopped me, and made me give her a real hug. As I have been quiet here all weekend, she has been checking up on me. I introduce to you Andrea Alexis (Almost Holt) Hewitt, and I Connor Gordon Holt Love her with all my heart, and I can honestly not wait at all to marry her in just over 3 months.

Here is the Pizza from our Blind date. As you can see, it is a screen shot from our Snap Chat contest! Obviously #1 should win, I mean look at that cheesy goodness, and how happy it was! 

Here is where we went to Goblin Valley! The picture on the left, is where we took our fist picture together, so that we could show people we were together. Since we still hadn't done that. Oddly enough, we still to this day (as you can see by the pictures) have not taken very many pictures. We have plans to take lots more!

This was a fun activity where we went to be in the music video of a local artist, we went out by the Great Salt Lake, and had a fun activity with these two lovely people. (They were either engaged at this moment, or obviously at least had their date).

Lexi and I went to the Sunday Afternoon session of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After stopping at Best Buy in Murray, we saw this awesome sign, so I got a bright idea! (The picture on the left) Then as you can see, she was laughing super hard! (On the right)

Lexi did this huge painting her senior year of High School! I Love it, and I would like it hung in our house some day! As you can see, it is bigger than the window next to it. This isn't even some of her best work, but I love it! 

Ignore the mustache (It was Mustache March) so yeah, I will probably never do it again, but it was proof so that I could know that I could do it. With that smile? She definitely thought that she was beginning to like it, and after I shaved it, she realized that was a dumb thought, and she never ever wants me to have one again. ;)

Lexi cut my hair here in this picture. This photo was taken because my mother had said that we had not taken any pictures together at all. Mainly for that purpose, but after the 4 hour haircut that she gave me, she wanted to make sure we had a good picture together too. We took like 40 pictures that were timed (I would have done the same thing if it were my camera).

Here is the ring! Look, does it not look gorgeous?? More than that. Can you see the Triforce in the engagement ring with the big diamond? ;) Doesn't it look huge in the second one?!

 Engagement day! 05/06/16 in the Salt Lake International Airport

Jayden just loves us so much! What a cutie pie!

 Proof we are starting to take more photos. This was taken two days ago, at the Washington Monument in Washington DC. We are just gonna keep those photos a rollin. 

The Leaders of Students at SLCC

Well, where to even start? I know it has been awhile since I have posted. (Once Again). I think my goal is that I want to slowly make this blog into a journal! I mean, I am terrible at writing in my journal since I have come home from serving in Chile... I feel like, I just have had no time at all! Why is that you ask? Well, that is exactly what this post is about!

Let me start by going back three years ago, before I left to Chile, ending my senior year of High school.

While I was ending my senior year at Murray high school, I was just done with school. My wonderful Mother just kept telling me that I needed to get some scholarships for College before I left to Chile, so that I could have something waiting for me two years later when I returned to come home to go to school. I honestly was just not that excited on doing that, because I was just done with school. I had "Senioritis" to the max. So I finally just tried to get a couple just to make my Mother happy. I applied for some stuff at Utah State University and I ended up receiving $1,000 Scholarship. Then I found a scholarship at Salt Lake Community College that was called "The Presidential Scholarship" I had no idea what it was about, but it was full ride for two years, and I fit the requirements!! So of course I applied for it. A week or so later I received a call, saying that I was picked to come in and interview for the scholarship! For the next week I had to create a presentation, I really didn't do to much, I had a slide show of 5 slides full of pictures. I don't remember what exactly I had on there for the topics, but they were things that I had accomplished, and when I had my interview, I just went in with confidence and talked. It wasn't something that I prepared for to much, but I ended up getting called saying that I received it, which was awesome!! So then I went and told them I was going on a mission for my church, and they let me hold it for two years.

I came home last year in April, and I started up at SLCC in June, coming to the office and starting to figure out what my scholarship entitled. Then I figured out after a month or so, that the office was that I got to be involved in Student Government at SLCC. Better yet? They paid my tuition for having a scholarship at SLCC, and I got to have fun, just like in High School! Boo yeah! Although the student government at SLCC, is a lot more fun than at MHS. It is also a lot more structured. For example, there were 8 boards. Presidents Board, Student Senate, Publicity and Advertising, Clubs and Organizations, Fine Arts and Lectures, North Region, Central Region, and South Region. I happened to be involved on the Central Region board. The three region boards all do the same thing, they are all activity boards in the region where they are at. So really, I feel it is the most like high school stud. gov. You just plan fun activities for the students to enjoy SLCC. I had a blast last year! I met great friends, like Summer and Matt. Not to mention all the other friends from the other boards. I had the opportunity to plan a cool Winter Event which is the Holiday Extravaganza! We had this event which was really cool, where we planned for 4 winter holidays, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, and Diwali. Then it was huge! Lots of fun, and I really enjoyed it. It was kind of stressful, I will tell you that, planning an event for like 400 people to come.

Before the school year started, we had Summer trainings, and that is where I started to meet everyone! Something that was really cool, was within this amount, I got to know some of the LDS students, and one of them was the correct SLCCSA (Salt Lake Community College Student Association) President. Carlos M. Within the first couple of weeks, he told me that he saw leadership in me, and that he thought that I should run for SLCCSA President. I was really surprised! I mean, he didn't even know me, but he didn't stop. All throughout the year, he told me that I should do it, and so when January came around, I did it. I applied and got into the elections. I decided I would run with someone who had knowledge about the Senate. Arturo S. Who had been in the Senate for three years, I thought that he would be great at being the Executive Vice President because then he could run that part, while I learned how to figure out how the Presidents Board worked out! Arturo eventually agreed to run with me, but apparently he wanted to run for President and didn't decide to tell me until  about ten minutes before we decided our positions, he told me that he wanted to run for President and that I should run for Executive Vice President, and if I didn't do that, he would be running against me. So pretty much, he gave me an ultimatum. I ended up decided I would just run as the Executive Vice then, because I knew it would be better to run as a pair. Since we ran as a pair, 4 of the 6 other candidates ended up quitting, because they knew we were a strong pair. That was cool. Then the following Monday, I found out that I was the only one running for the Executive Vice President, and the other three candidates were all running for President. The biggest thing then, was that I needed to get 51% of the Student votes, so that I could get in. About a week and a half before the elections, Brandon and Syd wanted to set me up with a girl. So we went on a blind double date (That will be for another post though).

Elections came, and I had a few pointers from Carlos throughout the year, and one of the big ones was, you have to have a lot of people come and help you! So I had some family and then a couple of friends, and Arturo did the same! We had so many posters made, and also t-shirts, and then we went hard for the two days of elections! The day after the elections ended, we had a dance at the South City Campus, and then we found out the results! Drum Roll please... ARTURO and CONNOR!!! Arturo received 450 more or less, and I received 800 more or less. It was awesome!!

So we have been doing a lot of stuff in the past couple of months!! I can tell you that, I mean in the past year I had 400 office hours, and I have already had 140 in the past two months. More than a 4th of the past year!

If it wasn't so late, I would get more into the details, but I will get a lot more into things later on! We are just at an Executive Council retreat right now, and we need to wake up in the morning to go do some more stuff! So I will write more later.

Here are a few fun photos from the past year!

So during the Summer, I had to go to the basement and understand the basement where we would be using lots of stuff to use during the year! 

Here we had an event at the Jordan campus to welcome Students back with a crazy country rock band. They were kinda crazy. 

Carlos M. The SLCCSA President. This was another welcome back event, but at the Taylorsville campus, with the same band! 

We had a cool event called the Fall Concert. Joe Nickles was the main band, but Ellie Duke was the opening act. She sang really good! If you want to hear them, both of them are on Spotify! I was just lucky to get a selfie with her, then a friend had to one up me and go get her number... Ha! Of course.

On the Left: It was lots of fun on my birthday! We had a fun event, where in the Student Center all the offices had activities, and there in the SL&L office we had a ball pit that we had met! It was awesome! I was so happy! So I of course had to test it! ;) 

On the Right: This was at the Holiday Extravaganza! I was with Summer, and Mr. & Mrs. Clause! The coolest part? It is the REAL Santa Clause. No joke.

 This is what we wanted to use for our poster for elections, but they didn't accept it, because of copyright issues. Fun though, right??

This is what we actually ended up using! It obviously helped us to win! 

For our elections, we had a theme of "Beard" We started off at the Inter Club Council by telling jokes about Arturo's beard, and that maybe we should shave it if he won, and so we used it all! 

This was what we did the week before elections at the three main campuses, this being at the South City Campus.

 Same thing, but we happened to be at the Taylorsville Campus!

This is the Executive Council for 2015-2016 These guys are awesome! 

After Elections, we had the opportunity to go up to the capitol of Utah and listen to the President of SLCC talk about the SLCC Promise. A new thing that will be in action of Fall of 2016, to help people pay for school. If they are eligible for a Pel Grant, SLCC will pay for the rest of the school. Awesome!! 

 Honestly, exactly how this year will be going! This EC Rocks! 

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Many of you may already know this, but if you didn't, I had the wonderful chance to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had the opportunity to serve in the south of Chile for 21 months, and I absolutely loved it so much!

On this mission I served, I had to study personally for an hour, and then with my companion for an hour, the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the Book of Mormon which contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's quite Amazing to be able to study from this great book and to really know that it is true. It is My Testimony to tell you that I know it contains the true word of God. As a young boy I didn't quite enjoy it as much. We read from this Holy Scripture as a family early in the morning before I would we would get ready for and leave for school. At this time in my life I would have much rather been sleeping! Then when I was in 9th grade I joined the High School Swim team, and I was honestly kind of excited to wake up before school. Why? Well, I wouldn't of been falling asleep to hearing my Father's voice of reading before it would be my Mother's turn, and then hearing them both wake me up and say it was my turn day after day (or in other words to read this book). Instead I would get to follow the steps of my older brother by, waking up early with a bunch of my friends, and go jump into a cold pool to swim for 2 hours during the fall, and then play Water Polo in the Spring.

Now at this time of my life, I did not really understand The Book of Mormon, and the importantance there of. This is one reason, st the beginning of that same school year of 2009, my Mother had me sign up of Seminary at my Jr. High school. I wasn't to thrilled when she told me about it during 8th grade, thinking it was going to be just another class like sunday school or something along the lines. Although during my 8th grade year, all of my best friends from my neighborhood had told me about Brother Pond, and how awesome his class was, and just how awesome Seminary really was!

So during my first year of seminary, we studied The Book of Mormon. We had to read it on our own, and honestly it was the guest time on my own, that I had read it all on my own. Also when I really started to understand it. I mean, obviously they teach us in church as kids about the big heroes in the book, but that doesn't mean you are going to understand the book. 

This is also when my Brother Brandon was on his mission on the land of Thailand. Near the end of my 9th grade year in 2010 I received a hand written letter from my brother. It was Awesome, because I never received letters. I was super excited and ripped open the letter that day! One of the most important questions he has asked me in my entirw life was in that letter, and what was it? "Connor, do you know if The Book of Mormon is true?" Well, I sat there and thought about it, and what did I think of?? Well, my parents have told me my entire life it was true, my brother and sisters have all said it was true, even my closest friends had told me the same! Although when I thought to myself, "Do I really know that the Book of Mormon is true?" I could only think of one answer. "I don't know." So I kept on reading this letter that my brother had sent to me, and he then went on to say, "Well, I am going to give you a challenge, this is the same challenge that I give to all of my investigators here in Thailand. I want you to read the Book of Mormon today, and I want you to first off start with a prayer I want you to pray and first give thanks for the opportunity that you have to read the Book of Mormon, than to ask for the Spirit to be present while you are reading. Then I want you to read. It does not matter how much you want to read. It could be as large as 100 chapters, or it could be as small and simple as 1 verse. After you have finished reading I want you to finish with another prayer once again giving thanks for this opportunity that you had to read, since not everyone in the world has this opportunity, and then to finish off to ask your Heavenly Father if this Holy Book, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ is really True." Well, what did I do? I  thought about it, and I thought to myself "What could a little prayer hurt? Why not, I will try it." So that night I did my reading for my seminary class, because I was trying to finish it so I could get my fruities. I first started by kneeling next to my bed, and I offered a simple prayer, following the steps that my brother had asked me to do. I don't remember how much I read, but I can state that I read some, and then finishing off with another prayer. When I asked the last question, "Heavenly Father, now that I have done these steps, I truly want to know for myself if this book is True, is the Book of Mormon true Father? I then at that very moment, after asking those words, felt the most incredible feeling that I have ever felt in my entire life. It was amazing. So I wanted to keep feeling, it and so I asked again, and you know what? I felt it again, but even stronger! So I asked yet a third time, can you guess what happened? Yeah, I felt it EVEN stronger still. What is kind of crazy is even just thinking about this experience, I am feeling this same feeling, and I Love it! :)

Some of you may ask, what is this feeling? How do you know that what you only felt is an answer that the Book of Mormon is actually true, and that some crazy kid didn't just go off and write it, and make a church so he could make lots of money and what not?

Well, the answer is a simple one fore me to answer. That feeling is the Spirit of God. I know that, because of one famous scripture in the Book of Mormon, that all missionaries LOVE to use. I know that from my own personal experience as a missionary. The reference to this scripture can be found in The Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:3-5 which states;

 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

So not only am I, one man, who lives in this world give testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Now you have a Prophet from the Book of Mormon, before ending the book says that everything which is in it, is true, and is for the beneficiary of mankind to know. We also aren't the only ones, there is a prophet of God who is on the Earth today, that holds the keys to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and all of the keys to God's Holy Priesthood. He also has 12 Apostles, who hold the keys to the Priesthood. They all bare testimony of the truthfulness to the Holy book which is The Book of Mormon. You can hear their testimonies in person, here in just 2 weeks. When they will be sharing messages with the whole world in an event called General Conference, which is held in Salt Lake City Utah, but it is broadcasted through television, internet, radio, and you can find it just about anywhere, if you just search it. 

In closing, I just want to share, that I too know, and bare a humble testimony that this Book has changed my life, and you will be able to see that in many ways. I want to share that I know that without it, I would not be where I am today, and that I would not be as happy as I am today. It brings the Spirit of God into my life, every time that I open the cover and flip through the pages and study it's words. I bare testimony that if you take ANY question you have to this Book. Wether it simply be asking if the book is true, or if you have some really crazy question. As long as you follow those steps from above or Praying, Reading, then Asking I promise that you will receive this answer through the Spirit of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, our dear savior Amen.

If you are more curious about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or commonly known as The Mormons you can go to Mormon.org where you can meet lots of Mormons by reading their profiles just like mine! https://www.mormon.org/me/BWT3

Babies N' Such

Hey what's going on everyone? How is life?? Life here in the good ol Salt Lake City is kicking on slowly! Okay, not slowly, but very fast actually... I mean, it was just last Thursday like a week ago, when I went to the Temple with my 97 year old Grandpa Hale! Now it's Thursday all over again!! 

Now, I am sure you are all "Curious" about the title of this post?? "Babies N' Such?" Well, that is saying that I have had the wonderful chance a couple times this past week to be able to go and baby sit 3 of my 4 nieces and nephews. Last Friday with my brother Brandon, we went down to Sandy to the Call home, and had a party with 2 of the three of them! Carter and Charlotte! We had a super fun time taking pictures, videos, playing hide n seek, bouncy ball, magnets, cards, watching tv and doing lots more!! It was lots of fun!! The best part?? Baby Charlotte (Almost two months old) went right to sleep after I fed her 10 minutes into the day, and she slept the entire time we were there! 

Then here this past Tuesday, I had the wonderful chance to go be roped into baby sitting again! Since I can't drive yet, I hopped on the Trax and got down to Sandy, where my wonderful sister Jennifer, picked me up with the 3 kids this time, and we went back to the house. As we got in there my sister told me that the kids had some jobs that they had to do. Stuff to clean their rooms, and other jobs that 3 and 5 year olds have to do. Really easy stuff, and if they would do them they could earn some money. Then Tio Connor (My awesome name) would get the chance to mark off the jobs when they were done. So I know had Kaylie, Cater, and Charlotte, to take care of, and I thought it was going to be an easy job! Just so I could hit the "Easy Button" and hear "That was Easy" but man, that hour was a whole lot harder than the 3 hours the week before with Brandon. Why? Well, as soon as Mommy left, they sure didn't want to do their jobs, and I had to hold Charlotte, hoping to get her to fall asleep, but she was just crying and crying... Now you can probably just imagine this going on in your head, One uncle, with a crying baby in his arms, and two little children who don't want to clean up... Hahaha oh boy was it fun! Finally I got Carter to do his room by giving him the incentive of being able to watch the tv show that he rented from the library a couple of days earlier "Go Diego Go" where he could learn some Spanish like Tio Connor! So he went and made his bed, picked up his toys and clothes and a had a clean room super fast! Now young Kaylie on the other hand was trying to be a little trickster, but its funny, because she didn't know that Mommy had told me before hand that she could be trying to be a trickster, and more than that? That I tried pulling the same tricks as a little boy... ;) She was throwing toys under her sheets, books under her bed, and there was just No way that I was gonna let that happen... So with the crying baby in arms, and bouncing up and down, I told her that she had to move her things. She innocently said that "there isn't anything there..." So we worked in there for a little bit with a crying baby, and then all of a sudden Carter came in there with a bowl of Kaylie's stuff, and he ended up spilling these little beads on and then they were all over the room... So I told him we had to clean them up, so I started to help, and then he ended up doing it a second time, so I helped one more time. Then he did it a third time, and I this time I had to get mad, and get him to clean up, So I picked up Charlotte, because she was still crying and Carter had to pick up the puzzles and pieces. 

Later finally when all the bedrooms were cleaned, we ran down stairs to get the tv show to start for Kaylie and Carter, so they could learn some Spanish!! After I got it started I took Charlotte with me upstairs!! I was thinking that I could maybe put her down on the ground and that she would be fine since she hadn't cried for about 3 minutes! Then when I put her on her stomach for some tummy time, and then I laid down on the couch to catch a few zzz's really fast, she started to cry again... So as I sat there for a little bit, I then realized maybe there is a chance that this is how Heavenly Father feels with us?

This is the part that I need the help of everyone else?? So why is that? Well, there I was, lying down on the couch and just kinda relaxing finally, I wanted to close my eyes for like 5 minutes, but as soon as I closed my eyes, all of a sudden, Baby Charlotte began to cry. "Crap, now I gotta hold her and help her even more." went through my head, and then all of a sudden it made me think of our Heavenly Father. He is up in Heaven relaxing, finally at the end of the day, when all of a sudden, one of us, an imperfect child. starts to cry for help. When he has been helping us the entire day, he has held us in his arms the entire day, he has fed us, changed our diapers, and done everything that he could to help us, so he lays us down, and then he thought he was good, because we were quiet for 30 seconds, and then all of a sudden, we started to cry again, and we want help of our loving Heavenly Father. 

Now here is the part I need help with. How does our Loving Heavenly Father feel about us? Is He just happy to help us out, or is He now like "Oh great, another thing I have to do to help this kid become perfect..." 

I mean we are obviously talking about Heavenly Father, He isn't going to just leave us on the side of the road to deal with things ourselves, so He is going to help us, but I mean, does he ever get annoyed of it? If we are constantly falling to temptation, because we aren't perfect, or because we want to rebel against the church or our families?? I am not sure. I feel, if we rebel, yes he would be mad, but if we just fall to temptation, I don't think that he would be to mad with us. What do you guys think??

Anyways that is what has been on my mind for the past couple of days! I now am going to sign off after putting up some pics of the last week, so I can go and finish editing photos from my last photo shoot!! I am super stoked!! :) Anyways, thanks for readin guys!! 

Connor

We are getting Huge!!  

We had JV Water Polo State this past weekend, and I got to help out with that, the girls took 4th and the boys took 2nd! It was awesome!! 

I got to see my old Water Polo coach Brenna, reffing some games at State! 

Later on during the day Jackson and I both saw her, so we had to take pictures so we can make the guys who are still out on their missions, a little jealous! ;)

The first Photo Shoot that I have done since I got back from my Mission!

Josilyn has become such an Amazing model, just wait for lots of picture of her!! (In fact she is the one I am going to go edit as soon as I am done here)

I got to go see my Best Friend Jayden, on Mothers day in the morning! It was super awesome! He gets home from Africa in August!! #CantWait

Yesterday 4/5 of the boys from my neighborhood got home (+ John Poulsen) Matt Sommercorn one of my all time best friends just got home from his Mission in Washington!! It was super sweet to see him after two years!! 

Yesterday my entire family (Minus 3) went to go and see the Payson temple open house! Wow, it was BEAUTIFUL! Can't wait until it is open, I am going to have to go down there to do some sessions, and work for the dead in there! Can't wait to live together forever with these guys through the temple! 

"Change"

What does the word "Change" mean? Does it mean that you have to "Change" what you like to do? What you like to eat? The things you like to do? The way you are? Who you are? I mean, this is a big question that is really on my mind right now.

Verb: make or become different.

Noun: the act or instance of making or becoming different.

Like I was saying last week, is that coming home from the Mission is Really hard. For more than one reason, but for this post, there is only going to be one reason. "Change"

Change is something that I learned in the mission can be very hard. You have to change a lot. Change companions, change areas, and sometimes even Mission Presidents. Although, I still remember the day that I heard my companion come running down the stairs one P-day and tell me that President Rappleye was on the Phone and wanted to talk with me, and then he told me that I was going to be leaving the next day on an Emergency Transfer to go to my Second Area on the island of Chiloe. I was so excited! To have my fourth companion, my second area, and to start getting to know more of Chile. Although, by the end of my mission, when I was being transferred to my 8th area, I wasn't to excited. I have learned that its not always fun to change areas, companions, wards, stakes, packing up and moving all over again. It's something hard.

When I think of the word "Change" it makes me think of something I talked about in my homecoming talk. The Fourth Missionary.

***

Your life's greatest work is you

As you entered the mission field you concluded one phase of life and began another. To this point many of you have had the protection and close support of family and church leaders and teachers. Now you have moved into a new phase of life on your own. You are essentially on your own. From this point on, you are wholly responsible for what you do and most importantly for who you become.

For the most part, your life is yet ahead of you. What will you do with it?
What will be your greatest work? What will be your most important creation?
I will tell you. Your greatest work: your most important creation is and will ever be you.

What kind of person will you become? By this I do not mean what role in life will you take. I don't mean will you be a cowboy, lawyer, surfer, homemaker, engineer, computer programmer, accountant or the like. I do not refer to what kind of car you will drive; what kind of clothes you will wear; what kind of house you will live in; what kind of spouse you will marry or what kind of family will you raise. I mean, when all of that is removed and there you stand alone, who will you be? I mean, you.

What personality will you have; what strengths; what knowledge; what character; what emotional state; what presence; what qualities; what virtues? What will you look like? What will you sound like? What will it be like to be around you? Who will you be?

Envision and plan for your greatest work. We plan many things in life. We each live in a house that was built from a plan. Someone first envisioned the house in his mind and a plan was then put to paper.

One of my sons had a poster picture of a Porsche Carrera on his bedroom wall. It is a beautiful creation. The lines and symmetry of its design make it a work of art in the opinion of some. That car began somewhere, sometime ago in someone's head. First, someone saw it in his mind and then put it to paper. Someone envisioned it; then plans were prepared, the work was done, and a beautiful car was created.

Some of you have carefully planned your education. You carefully planned your course
selections over these past several years with a view toward college admissions and intended occupations. All of you at some point made a plan to serve a mission, you followed that plan and here you are. Now, hopefully all of you plan the appointments, activities and goals of each day and week.
We plan many things in life. But, have you planned your greatest work? Have you envisioned
who you will become? Do you plan for what kind of person you want to become? Can you see in your mind who you want to be? Do you know?

The choices

As you consider what kind of person you want to become, what choices do you have? The choices are more limited than what you might think. Here are most of the choices, but overall they are a choice between the qualities of light or the qualities of darkness:

Do you want to be powerful or weak?
Certain and confident, or afraid and insecure?
Comfortable with your self or arrogant and abrasive?
Do you want to be filled with light or darkness?
Do you want to have peace or conflict within?
Selfish or generous?
Influential or inconsequential?
Do you want to be free or be a slave?
Happy or miserable?
Do you want to be kind and loving, or mean and cruel?
Honest or dishonest?
Do you want to be forgiving or hard and unforgiving?
Knowledgeable or ignorant?
Do you want to be a person of faith or doubt and fear?
Trustworthy or unreliable?
Hardworking or lazy?
Do you want to be cheerful or despondent?

The first of each of these choices is an attribute of light. They are incorporated into your character
as you choose to follow Christ.

Dynamic process; always changing

As you consider the question of what kind of person you will become, you must understand the
dynamic process of life. You not only can change but you do change all of the time. Sometimes people do not believe this. They excuse their failures and weaknesses by saying: "That's just the way I am." "I am just short tempered, impatient person." I can't get up in the morning. That's just the way I am." "That's my nature." Or, "I'm just shy. That's all. That's just who I am." "I am not really a spiritual person." To believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the plan of salvation. You are not cast in stone. You not only can change but you do change all of the time.

You are a dynamic, changing, evolving being. You are always changing. You never stay the same. You cannot stand still. You are right now the sum total of what you have thought, said, seen, heard and done. What you think, say, do, hear and see, cause you to change; to change for good or evil; to become either stronger or weaker; to either internalize the qualities of light or the qualities of darkness. You are responsible for who you are and you are responsible for who you will become.
Do you know what kind of person you want to become? Do you see in your mind who you want
to be? Do you know?

What manner of men ought ye to be?

Jesus asked a similar question. He said: "What manner of men ought ye to be?" On this particular
occasion he was speaking to his Nephite disciples and so he spoke in the male gender, but the question applies to us all, and so, He asks of you: "What manner of men and women ought ye to be?" Then answering His own question he said, "Even as I am." Jesus Christ not only came to atone for our sins; He also came to show us the way. He is the Way. You not only may become like Him; everything is stacked in your favor to become like Him.

Jesus Christ not only came to atone for our sins; He also came to show us the way. He is the
Way. You not only may become like Him; everything is stacked in your favor to become like Him.

Think of this life as a path on which you never stand still. As you move forward, you incorporate
into your being the characteristics and qualities of God. As you move backward you assimilate the
qualities of Satan.

Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens to you,
every unfairness, every conflict, every sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every
temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you opportunity to respond by
applying in your life the teachings of Jesus. As you do so you are changed to become more like Him.
If you were never presented with some advantage to be gained by dishonesty, such as
recognition, or money, or a better grade on a test or avoidance of punishment or embarrassment, you
could never develop integrity. If no one ever offended you, you could never learn to forgive or internalize mercy. Were you never wearied by the annoying behavior of another or the repeated failures of someone else you could never become patient. Were you never subjected to the appetites and passions of the physical body for food, for water and for sexual fulfillment you could not develop self mastery. Without opposition the plan would be frustrated, you could not progress and the purpose of life would be unachievable.

In short when you choose to follow Christ you move forward and assimilate attributes of light;
when you do not, you move backward and acquire attributes of darkness.

Can you see, have you seen, who you want to be? What will happen if you don't plan. What will
happen if you have no vision of who you want to become?

There are two ways of evolving: deliberately and accidentally. You can either decide who you
want to become and deliberately work toward that end, or you can just go with the flow and become
whatever life makes of you. In that event, you will become whatever the fickle circumstances and forces of life and society will make of you; whatever is currently considered to be popular or in; whatever is easiest. But, whatever you become accidentally it will not be nearly the full measure of our potential. You will become just someone, somewhere in the middle.

***

This is something that honestly "Changed" my Mission, more than that? It "Changed" me. It changed the way how I looked at the mission, how I served my mission, who I was, who I was becoming, and who I am now.

The whole reason that I decided to bring up this topic of "Change" is because yesterday I was talking with a really close friend of mine, and she told me something. "You haven't changed at all." It's kinda funny when she said this, it made me think of something that my Mom said to me a couple weeks ago right as I returned home. She said "It's like you have never left." So I asked my friend to explain a little more and she said; "Well, you are exactly like you were in high school, like exactly! and you got home and found out nobody is the same still. Everybody had moved on with life, everybody had moved away and gone their seperate ways, grown up, and just changed and you are the same still, and you don't really like that, or at least that is the way you act at least."

Well, let me tell you, I HATE Change. It has been the hardest thing to have to deal with for the past two years, and then look at this I come home, and EVERYTHING is different. My niece is HUGE and going to school, both of my nephews talk a WHOLE bunch not just "mama" and I even have a new niece. There are so many things in Murray buildings, programs, people. My ward is different, because not everyone I knew is there. My friends are not all here anymore, some are in college, others moved away, and others are out in the mission. The hardest thing? I have some new feelings about things, but they aren't feelings I am very found of. Being sick and all, with epilepsy things, that I use to enjoy, I get these stupid feelings that have made me have to "Change." So it's super hard, because even though I have a Very Loving family and all, I feel like I am dealing with all this "Change" on my own.

Here is the thing that gets me about what my friend said. "And I think you don't like it because you left right after you graduated, and everyone started real life. You left to a foreign country and never changed, and came back and everyone else had, and that's hard." 

At first I was kinda offended reading that part. Thinking, wow... Really? I haven't changed and so that's why all of this has gone down. Well, I received some palos (Sticks) to the face, because right after having this conversation I was at the CES fireside last night downtown in the Tabernacle with Elder Lynn G. Robins, it was great, but I realized I shouldn't be offended, and should be forgiving, and that was some of the personal revelation that I received from the talk. Since then, I have been thinking a lot about my Mission, and thinking A LOT about the word "Change." 

I feel that, yes. If you look at my physical being, I pretty much have not changed. I did not grow at all on my mission, I am still just tall. Even though I ate EVERY. LITTLE. THING. in front of me in the mission, and that I have changed so much that I Love food now, I only gained .2 lbs so yeah 155.2 hahahaha oh man how I laughed when I saw that the first time the day I got home at the doctor office... Maybe my hair doesn't look too different, or whatever else you might want to look at me, but there are many things that have changed about me, since I left on my Mission in July of 2013.

What are some of those things? Well, like I said in the paragraph above, Connor Holt likes to eat now. Before the mission, I sure didn't. I was a "Picky Eater" and I also never had the time to eat, but it's okay, because I now eat everything that is on my plate in front of me, and you know what? I have learned to Love food. I loved to talk before the mission, like a ton!! Wasn't really a fan of listening very much, but now I LOVE to just listen to people talk! To listen to their life story, in fact it's something I did this very morning! I went and listened to the World War II stories of  my 97 year old Grandfather! I have changed in the way I think about woman. Before  my mission, I am a little ashamed of thinking this, but it was "Wow, she is pretty, I want to date her." and that would be how I judged things. Now i realized that Woman are so Important and just like President Monson said in General Conference during the Priesthood Session of 2012 "Every Woman deserves to be told she is Beautiful." I am not out to just "Get some" but I am out to find a Beautiful woman to one day become my Eternal Companion, who will share her life with me, and want to be with me for all Eternity. With that Beautiful Woman? Well, I want to have Children now, I sure didn't WANT that before the mission, like yeah, kids would be cool, but one of my favorite lessons to teach on my mission was "The Plan of Salvation" or something that really shows us how Families can live together FOREVER and how I need to have kids to let them come to this Earth and have a life, and that I can help them, and I just want to have a "Cute little family" to take care of. (yes you can take a chip out of the "Man Card" because I just said "Cute." Here is where the real "Change" comes in. Before the mission, a big pet peeve of mine were "Sunday Mormons" Not a fan. Still not, but here is what I have realized. That was kinda me before the mission, lots of people thought that I was a great member of my church, but I didn't always make the best decisions, and it took me a lot of "Change" and becoming a whole lot more Humble to be able to accept that, and to Repent and to "Change." I thought that I liked reading the scriptures before my mission, but wow... Did I "Change" my study habbits on the mission. I sure LOVE to Study the scriptures now, I didn't even finish the Book of Mormon on my mission, I started 1Nephi 1 on July 17, 2013 and before I came home I had just finished Helaman. I am now in 3 Nephi, it has been hard to study since I returned home, but I LOVE the Scriptures, and the Revelation that one can receive through studies. You should see my scriptures, they are SUPER COLORFUL! Now, one of the last things I will talk about "Change." There is a word that I like and its "MAN" this word liking came from my 9th grade seminary class, when I learned to like reading the scriptures, and where my teacher Brother Pond, taught me how to study the scriptures, this is where I found my favorite scripture, and I still remember the day that he told us about this scripture. I took some pointers... ;) Well, this scripture can be found in Alma 48:17-18 but at this time it was just 17 that I really liked, I didn't know about 18 really. (As you can see by looking at my Missionary Plaque) This scripture says;

17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

Now, Brother Pond said. "Boys, if you want to know who a 'Real Man' is and who you should be like, look at Moroni. Girls, you are gonna want to find a 'Real Man' one day to marry in the Temple." So i definitely sat a little taller, and tried to puff out my chest a little bit more, but I really didn't understand this scripture at the time. I found a really cool truck in Chile, and I Loved this picture, it was my favorite that I took on the mission!! But here, before I could become a "Real Man" I would need to understand the next verse a little...

18 Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.

So it's not just to be a "Man" but it is to be a "Man of God" and that is something that I sure feel I have studied out in the past two years, and if I haven't "Changed" for what other people like, I sure have tried to "Change" to become a better "Man" by becoming a "Man of God." That is why it is my favorite scripture, it sure has changed my life.

The Fourth Missionary Ending

***

Now. I have this last question for you. The Second, Third and Fourth Missionaries, all give two years of their lives. They all give equally their time, and energy. They all eat the same food. They all face the same challenges and encounter the same fears. They all sleep in the same quarters. They all walk the same dusty roads in the heat of the afternoon. They all leave behind girl friends, and sports, and school and everything that was or could have been for these two years. They all conclude their missions. They all go back and speak in sacrament meeting and go on with their lives. My question is this: Why do all of that and not benefit personally by it? Why?

Do you see that I am not talking: about obedience: rather I am talking to you about intelligence. I am telling you that there is only one intelligent wav to serve a mission; the wav that will bless. and benefit. and change, and uplift. and empower. and ennoble you; your life, your spirit, your character, you. That is the wav of the Fourth Missionary. It is the only intelligent way to go.

Now you know. Now you can choose. It is up to you. Serving as the First or Second Missionaries is notacceptable. I expect you to be at least Number Three. If you are smart you will chose to be Number Four.

If I have an army of #3 Missionaries I will look like a successful mission president. I will go home to a ticker tape parade along South Temple Street. Throngs of people will line the streets and chant my name in praise and wonder, but in truth, in my heart I will know that I failed. I do not just want you to look the part of a disciple of Christ; I want you to be a disciple of Christ. My primary mission is you. My focus is you. My concern is your happiness, and I know that neither the First. Second or Third Missionary is happy and content, nor can he be. You need to be the Fourth Missionary, not for me, but for you. It is the only intelligent thing to do. It is up to you.

***

So here is the thing, I have learned. I need to Change, but I don't need to just follow the crowd, but I need to Change in the way that the Lord wants me to, to become yet again, a better "Man of God." If this friend, doesn't like the way that I have changed? Well, she can go and be friends with others then, because to me? I feel like I really have changed, maybe not that much in looks, but I know who I am, and what I want out of life. Do you?

What's Up with my Life??

I got to hold my youngest niece Charlotte for the first time! 

This is my sport, really though, no one knows it....

After going to watch The Avengers 2 the other night we went to McDonalds, and this guys was just in there sleeping at 4 in the morning... 

Graduation for my brother from the big world of College Que Suerte!

My first date since I got home from the Mission with Amanda Lundberg, we went to the Real Soccer game!

Looks like he'll never make it...

I made it a couple of yeras ago... ;)

I Love this guy so much! Through this temple, we can live together forever!! (After the CES Fireside last night)

I was bugging my old Choir Teacher this morning, Scotty!

From 9-10am i had a good morning nap with Grandpa Hale :) "ZZZ"