2010

It seems like I just barely wrote my post last New Years Eve all about 2009 and I can't believe I am doing it again already. 2010 was quite a year. I was greatly blessed in many ways and I also had many learning experiences. I definitely feel like I have grown a lot this year and learned many important life lessons. There have been a lot of new people come in to my life this year as well from whom I have learned much. It is always interesting to look back on the year and all that has happened.

2010 in review...

In February, over President's Day weekend, I traveled down to Las Vegas with Kylie and several other people to go to Kasidy's mission farewell. I also got to see the sites of Las Vegas for the first time and spend time with Kylie's family.

In April, our ward FHE groups each created a movie and then we showed them at a Oscar Night. My roommate Hayley did a great job with our movie and it was a hit!

Also in April, my family came to visit and we attended General Conference. We had quite an adventurous time getting locked in random hallways and coming out of holes in walls.
Yet again in April, my family came to visit again for Brad and Kristen's graduation. Brad was getting his Masters degree and Kristen was getting her Bachelor's degree.

Summer at home
I kept very busy during the summer I spent at home. I wrote a long post all about it, but here are a few things...

I participated in a lot of activities with the YSA group.

I went on a great trip to New York City with the family

Three of my friends from Provo came to visit me at home and it was a highlight of my summer.

I got lots of quality time with the family.

In September I met and start dating Samuel

In October I had friends over on my birthday to have cake

Rachel made me this awesome Hunger Games cake


In November, I went to Seattle with Samuel for Thanksgiving.

And I got to meet his family.

At the beginning of winter break in December, Samuel came home with me. One of things we did was go caving.

On Christmas Eve we reenacted the Christmas story...20th anniversary!

2010 was a great year and I have high hopes for 2011...

Family

With this Christmas season I have been thinking about family even more than past Christmases. I think it is because this is the first Christmas in many years that the entire family has all been together. Also, this Christmas marks the end of many things for our family and the beginning of many new and great things to come.

This Christmas Eve we all celebrated at Brad and Jet's house. One highlight was when we reenacted the Nativity story and it was the 20th anniversary of the first time we filmed it as a family since it began on my first Christmas when I played the part of baby Jesus.



It has been so great to see our family grow through in-laws and nephews and to see the new element and personality that each of them bring to the family. We will only continue to grow and develop and it will be so fun to experience.



I think back on all the memories I have had with my family through the years and it really has been quite a journey.

The last time, before this Christmas, that we were all together.

I just finished reading "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Evans(yes, yet another book by him) and I came across a quote about family that I thought rang true. It is something I have really come to realize in the last few years as I have discovered that, just as any other family, we are not perfect and do not always say or do the right things, but the beauty is not in the perfection, it is in the creation.

“I’ve come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes—imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it’s not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude—it’s the chance to paint.”

-Richard Paul Evans

A New Tradition

At the end of this semester I read "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. It is his very first novel, the one that started everything for him, as he had never planned on being a writer. For some reason I had not read his first and most popular novel, although I have read almost all of his other books. I am very glad I finally did as it is contains an extremely important message. Then on the drive home from Utah this Christmas Break, I read "The Christmas Box Miracle: My Spiritual Journey of Destiny, Healing, and Hope" also by Richard Paul Evans. It is the amazing true story of the man who wrote the story, what made him who he was and lead him to that point, and then the story of how his novel became a #1 New York Times Bestseller and spread rapidly throughout the world, touching and changing lives everywhere. I was drawn in to the book from the very beginning and read the entire thing without a single break. I was blown away with how many miracles there were surrounding this novel and the unbelievably great amount of lives that were effected by reading it. It is an amazing story.

The following is a quote from "The Christmas Box Miracle":

“The Bible says that ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.’ There could be no better explanation of the Christmas Box Miracle than this; through a small Christmas story, thousands, maybe millions of lives are somehow affected for the better. And if I cannot fully explain these miracles, it is of small concern to me. I’m satisfied just to be a part of it—a journey where the end, perhaps, was known from the beginning. The words of my grandfather’s blessing have come to pass. But in the blessing there is also this warning and reminder: The greatest work you will ever do will be as a father in your own home.

When I step far enough from the tress to consider the forest, I wonder at the scope of the miracles wrought by this little book and I cannot help but marvel at my role in it and wonder, Why me? There are better writers and better people. Maybe I was just the only one listening when the story needed to be told. I intend to ask God, if I ever get the chance.”

The little 90 page book "The Christmas Box" really did change the world. Anyone who reads of all the people whose lives were touched can clearly see it. I decided that I want to start a new Christmas tradition for myself: I want to reread "The Christmas Box" every Christmas season. It is not a long book and so I think it will not be too difficult to take the time to read. The messages it carries are ones that we all need to remember. As it says at the beginning of the book, “I find that each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas Box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss it as seems them good. As for me, I believe. And it is, after all, my story.”

It's that time of year again...

...and by that I mean the BEST time of the year! I love December and I am so excited that it's here! Last December I wrote a blog post about several of the many many things I love about the Christmas season. Those things are definitely still true and it has been so great seeing all the decorations and lights(I got to see the lights on Temple Square this weekend), having Christmas lessons and singing Christmas songs in church, buying presents for people, reading Christmas stories(I read The Christmas List over Thanksgiving break and I am going to read The Christmas Box next-both by Richard Paul Evans, and I have read some Christmas picture books too), drinking hot chocolate and eating candy canes, thinking about all of the people who are important in my life, and so much more!

I really CANNOT believe that an entire year has passed already. It completely blows my mind. I have realized that I have been saying things like this a lot in the last two years and that time probably isn't going to slow down again anytime soon so I should get used to it. It is pretty interesting to think back to a year ago and where I was at that time, who was in my life, and what was on my mind. At this Christmas season I have been reflecting back on last Christmas...

Last Christmas break everyone except Greg and Kristen were there. We had lots of good times...

Acting out the Christmas story was quite an experience...


Hyrum had grown so much....but nothing compared to how much bigger he will be when I see him this year!

I had my wisdom teeth removed and looked like a lovely squirrel...


My family discovered a love for the game Settlers of Catan that has not died out at all...


With only about a week and a half left until I head home for Christmas break, I have been pretty excited thinking about what it will be like this year. Many things will be like they always are...

*Playing lots of games as a family*Mom's delicious cooking*A very weighed down tree full of ornaments collected through the years*Wes waking up at the earliest time allowed by the parents to see what Santa brought*Plenty of snow(hopefully!!)*Much laughter*Naps by the fire burning in the fireplace*Visits from carolers and friends*Making visits to friends(and keeping our caroling very basic to avoid scaring people off)*

But there will be several new things this year as well...

*The ENTIRE family will be there(no one will be on missions or with their spouse's family etc)*A little boy will be walking around and causing excitement*Samuel will be with us for the first couple days of break*Grandma and Grandpa Skidmore will be there for a short visit around Christmas*There will be more females present than there has been in my entire life*Our family is up to 10 people now!*

Everybody

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about love in all of its various forms(romantic, family, friendship, etc). Anyone who knows me very well at all will not be surprised at this since I am kind of known for my 'love of love.' One of the many reasons it has been on my mind recently is because of a song that I discovered a couple months ago and that has become one of my favorites. It is called "Everybody" and it is by Ingrid Michaelson. Rachel has deemed it 'Steph's theme song.' And its kind of true, because not only is it about love, but it talks about the universal desire that each person has to both love and be loved. Also, I don't think it portrays love in a 'everything is perfect and no one ever gets hurt' kind of way because that's not how I believe it is. I have been thinking a lot recently about the universality of love and how the fundamentals of it are the same for everyone. One of the deepest and most innate desires people have in this life is to love and be loved in return. I have put most of the lyrics to the song below as well as the actual song, because I don't only love the words, I love the way she sings it too.

"Everybody"

We have fallen down again tonight
In this world it’s hard to get it right
Try to make your heart fit like a glove
What it needs is love, love, love

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Happy is the heart that still feels pain
Darkness drains and light will come again
Swing open up your chest and let it in
Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

oh everybody knows the love
Everybody holds the love
Everybody falls for love

Everybody feels the love
Everybody steals the love,
everybody heals with love
Oh, oh, oh, oh, just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody feels to love
Everybody steals to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Countdown of Gratitude Part 3

This is my last post of the countdown but there are still SO MANY things I have not touched on. But here are a few more things I am super grateful for in the last 20 years....

Sister-in-Laws: I loved growing up with my four brothers, but it is definitely nice to have some girls in my life. Both my immediate and extended family is really scarce in the girl department. So I was super happy in the last two years to have two sister-in-laws added to my family! They both bring new and great things to the Skidmore family and it has been so great to get to know them and to actually have sisters!

Jet- She joined our family in November 2008 and I remember hitting it off with her from the very beginning. The first night I met her when she came to meet our family Brad, Jet, and I all stayed up late talking together and I remember thinking that I was so glad to find I was not losing Brad to someone at all, but instead gaining a new sister. I have had the chance to live with Brad and Jet for a month on two separate occasions and I have many good memories of those times. Jet and I can talk for hours about all kinds of things. I still enjoy being able to talk to her on a regular basis while I am in a different state and I miss her, Brad, and Hyrum a lot!



Kristen- She joined our family in August 2009 and I got a second sister! I remember the first time I met Kristen as well when our family came up to Provo to visit and she was very easy to talk to and get to know. And then later in the year when she came down to New Mexico with Greg for my high school graduation and other family events I remember thinking how well she fit in to our family and that no one seemed to be acting any differently with her there. Kristen is a lot of fun with a great sense of humor and is also very kind and good at reaching out to people around her. I really miss having her and Greg here in Provo and getting to visit them whenever I want!

FRIENDS: It has really struck me this summer and school year how many amazing friends I have been blessed with. Friendship is such a beautiful gift that can be found in any circumstances and I have been so blessed to have found friends in so many different contexts and that I have always had people with whom to laugh, swap stories, make memories, and really care about and be cared for. I could say so much about each of them, but for now I will just have to share a piece of it through pictures: