I will get good at this!

I KNOW that I am supposed to have a blog but I am so poor at it!  So here's to me trying to get back into it.  My heart is full today, as I have reflected on this beautiful week I have had. I say it a lot and I will say it again, God is good!  I have felt his hand countless times in my week and I am so grateful for his constant care of his children, even when we feel inadequate and undeserving.

1. Monday morning started off with the arrival of beautiful baby girl straight from Heaven. I was crazy and drove down to Layton to meet her and it was well worth the trip.  When I got there Dianna wasn't feeling too hot so I had baby Judith all to myself.  She had just gotten her bath and she was smelling so sweet.  She was perfectly bundled and I was able to hold her in my arms for about 30 minutes.  As I held her I felt heaven in my arms.  What a privilege it is when we get the opportunity to hold such perfect little souls.  Holding her I realized that I was being affected by her goodness, he was healing my heart and changing me.  This little being who was only 2 or 3 hours old was making me a better person.  Thank the heavens above that we get these opportunities to recommit ourselves to Becoming.

2. This GUY!

This Mr. is the BEST thing that has ever happened to me. please don't look too closely at my crazy face but check him out! Holy Cow! Is there anything more endearing than that look on a boys face?  Every girl deserves to feel so completely and utterly loved by someone.  I have no doubts or fears that he cares for me and would do anything for me.  I would do anything for him too.  He is good. Good to the core.  He is kind to everyone.  He trusts in the lord, even when it doesn't seem like the most rational thing to do.  He is a keeper!  So yep, this is happening.

3. Relief Society Conference

The relief society conference was phenomenal.  The words spoken were EXACTLY what I needed to hear.  Once again I felt my soul on fire: I am determined to be better and make improvements that will make me a better Disciple of Christ.  The main message I received from conference is that if we keep our Covenants than we will feel God bless us over and over again. Time and Time again we will find ourselves in awe of his goodness.

10 Reasons to be Happy

1.  The SUN is shinning 

2. Sandal weather is finally here! My Chaco's will never leave my feet again!

3. Books on tape or books on a mobile device?  I have been reading/listening to The Hobbit this week and it has been so fun to escape to another land where I don't have to make tough decisions

4. Roommate impromptu celebrations.  Stabby girl had a killer interview today and she ROCKED it!

5. Stretching.  I. Love. Stretching!  see why on next line

6. Rock climbing, kicks my butt yet I can't help but love it! And I can really see my improvements

7. Running.  I had a killer 2 1/2 mile run today.  I really need to get back into the swing of running. (it's not like I have a half marathon coming up?!) 

8. I am going to Africa! I couldn't be more excited!

9. Sam is coming to Africa with me! Love that girl so much!

10.  General Conference is this weekend! So many questions to be answered.

She can.....

Sometimes while I am at work absolutely FIGHTING to stay awake, I get a wee bit emotional... and weird.
 That is exactly what is happening tonight.  It has been a LONG day with many great and challenging things accomplished. Here is the list of my accomplishments for the day:
1. Got out of BED! ( you have no idea how huge that is!)
2. Shower (another accomplishment you might be surprised at)
3. Got my passport pictures and learned that you  don't smile for them.  (that doesn't look good on anyone)
4. Didn't fall asleep in class
5. Did my Pointless homework assignment
6. Conquered a 5.9- Climb! (Almost with ease!)
7. Then I conquered a 5.9 Climb!
8. I went to class making NO detours ( you have no idea how hard that one was to accomplish, but I did it! And I'll do it again tomorrow.)

So thinking back on my day, and trying to find the courage to face the next handful of months I pictured my life as a movie and I made the poster.  Below are the titles I came up with. In all of these movies I would be playing she... She never gets a real name.  For the purpose of inspiring all girls to face challenges and triumphs with spunk, strength, faith, and class.  (I wish that was how I really handle things)  Thinking of my life in these movies I can envision the person I will become by the end of the summer ( or right before the ending credits.)  I think she will be much better, stronger, inspired, and selfless (at least that is the goal).  Here I go; there is JOY to be found in ALL journeys.

KEEP KIM HOME: Upcoming Events

KEEP KIM HOME: Upcoming Events: Mark your Calendar Folks because Keep Kim Home has a FUNNY fundraiser coming up! The Improv Troupe where nothing less than the fat...

Hair Treatments

I have always known that I have really really really thin hair.  I've just always known that.  My mom has thin hair, and my grandpa started wearing a toupee as soon as he returned home from his mission.  Did you know that the hair jean is passed down from the mothers, father?  Good thing I love my grandpa so darn much, or I would have a hard time forgiving him for what he has done to me!  So, I was never meant to have great hair but, that has never stopped me from trying just about everything to get my hair to grow and thicken.  Here are a few of the remedies I have tried:

1. The Hair Zapper

I will never forget the day my aunt pulled this lil' beauty out of the closet!  Now the above picture is the essential idea of what the "hair zapper" looked like but the one my aunt gave me was probably made in the 80's and it looked more like a glass hand held garden  rake.

  

So here's how it works.  We would plug it in, it would turn red and yellow,\ then it would start shooting off jolts of electricity through to the tips of the comb!  While the electricity is pulsing through I would comb it through my scalp!  It was the strangest feeling on my head!  The best part about the Zapper was how much fun my friends and I had with it, I wonder if that is why we are so weird sometimes!  We thought it was the funnest thing to play with.  Looking back I shouldn't have let them use it  because they already had thick long hair, and I needed to save all the juice for my head!  Needless to say the only thing the "Hair Zapper" did for me was help me make friends.  But I can't help but wonder if Annie would have such thick hair if it wasn't for me and the "hair zapper."

2. Mayonnaise

My senior year I would pull out our huge Costco sized tub of mayo and lather mayo all throughout my hair.  I would then put on a shower cap to trap the nutrients, I actually can't remember why I wore a shower cap but, I do know that it heated up the mayo.  It was so gross!  After a while liquid mayo would be dripping down my face.  Yuck, you would think after spending 45 minutes wiping liquid mayonnaise of my face I would try to find another way to make my hair grow but no!  I did the mayo treatment all the time!

3. The double Pony Tail

 Yep I thought I was being so tricky!  The double ponytail made your hair look longer!  But it didn't make my hair grow, and since my hair was so short you could easily see the two ponytails, but Cami gave it shot!

4.  Biotin

I have also taken biotin supplements but I never saw any improvements.  But man, did I take the pill religiously!  

Now you know the woe's of my thin hair problems!  I think I probably say this to 2 or 3 people a week and I'll tell you too:  When I get to heaven I will have the thickest, healthiest, and longest hair.  My hair will also have a soft natural curl.  That vision I just gave you is why I am trying so hard to CTR!  

Answered prayers

The other day I was talking with a friend, whom I hadn't talked with for a while and he reminded me of an experience I had last year.  I have never written it down and it is definitely one that needs to be remembered.  So here it is!

It was the beginning of the Fall semester 2011.   I just had an amazing summer and was struggling to keep myself motivated in school but I took on 18 credits, worked 10 hours a week and I was feeling SWAMPED!  To top it all off a cute boy was asking me out on dates and I really liked him!  I wanted to spend time with him but, I didn't know where the time was going to come from.  I definitely didn't want that time to take away from my studies, and I was determined to still get good grades and stay up to date with my homework.  But I also really wanted to give this guy a shot.  Sitting in Institute one day (completely thinking about my own things, I couldn't tell you what the lesson was) I became overwhelmed thinking of all the homework I had to get done, work I needed to get to that day, and battling really wanting to make time for this new relationship.  I was feeling very anxious, and I was so nervous that dating this kid would RUIN my GPA.  Immediately the spirit whispered to me, "Cami what is important to you, is important to me." 

Wow!  What a loving Heavenly Father.  Through God nothing is impossible!  That night as I said my prayers I asked for God's help in maintaining my grades that semester. I went through that semester juggling a boyfriend, 18 Credits, and a Job.  It was the hardest and best semester of my life!  So many times I saw the Lord's hand bless my life and guide me.  I am so happy to say that I got a 4.0 that semester!  I know that prayers are answered.  I know that God cares about us personally,  and he is aware of our personal dilemma's.

He lives!

I am back!

Well it is about time I return to the blogging world after a serious sabbatical.  (Ry Ry, my brother, taught me that word it means a rest form work).  I am conflicted as to whether this blog should be a catch up, or if I should just start with what I want to say today.  I figure if anyone was to read this they probably already know me quite well so I am going to skip diving into the past plus, it's time for the future anyway.


In fact that is what I want to tell about my future.  What I want to work towards has been shaped by what I have learned from the past.  Deep right? Ugh too deep, I'll just type.

1.  This summer 2013 Africa meet Cami Larsen!  This girl has wanted to come and serve your beautiful black children since she was 10, and man is she anxious to get there.

2.  This summer 2013 Hawaii meet Cami Larsen!  Cami has been to Hawaii twice and both times has sworn she would come back to live and work there for a summer! Hawaii she is coming back

3.  This summer 2013 Europe meet Cami Larsen!  Cami spent all last summer with Brits, and people who had traveled all around Europe and now she is itching to have an experience there too!

4.  This Summer 2013 Cami needs to work.


But honestly I WILL go to Africa the other places will have to visited later.
I know this ain't much but its a post!  I'm a little rusty.