Stake conference Talk for Connor

 

Good morning brothers and sisters and aloha,

(Smile and look around. You are gonna do great!!)

I’m super happy to be standing here today and especially because I’m able to talk about the savior, my relationship with him, and stories about him in my life. Three things that I want to cover is the importance of music, Relationships with others, and following in our Savior’s footsteps.

One of the things that I have been trying to get better at is playing music on the piano. I was taught the piano at a young age by my mom.  Thank you mom!! As I've grown I realize the importance of making and listening to uplifting music. An example of this is how sing before the sacrament is administered, the sacrament is the most important ordinance we participate in each week. The scriptures say “the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me” so we should really sing our praises while singing at church. We also know that The power of music influences and invites the holy spirit. So as we invite the spirit into our life through uplifting music we are setting the right tone in our life and in our homes to help us become more like him

Another way I grow closer to the savior is by creating relationships with others. I am constantly creating relationships with people around me - being a military kid every 3 years has given me many chances to meet so many different people all over the world who have influenced me. Many of my friends, teachers, and leaders have helped me grow and become better. Many of my friends have also helped guide me to make the right decisions. I can strengthen my relationship with the savior by reading my scriptures daily and going to the temple. So as we try to be like the Savior by loving those around us we grow closer to the savior.

In a few years I need to be ready to have the strength to go out as a missionary and spread the gospel in areas that might need it. The fact that i love sports and that they are helping me to prepare for my mission by pushing me to work hard is helping me with skills that give me more confidence in my body and my mind. Going to seminary this year has really helped me in my testimony and love for the Savior. I have learned from the scriptures that “I can do all things through christ who strengthens me”. Jesus served  those who could not help themselves.  So I need to be ready to use my body to serve others, and by doing so I  am becoming more like him. 

We can grow closer to our father in heaven as we create meaningful relationships, lasting testimonies, and strive to serve him . As a young man I am trying to mold my mind and my body and my spirit to create the kind of person that is who to my Heavenly Father wants and needs me to be.

Testimony

Stories of Jesus in my life remind me to keep growing - better and better.

The gospel is true

Families are forever so be nice to your siblings 

Ready for a change- time for a short cut

 After a few of the things that have been going on, I was starting to feel A little stuck. We weren’t moving so I couldn’t change that— I just got forced out of my church calling— couldn’t change that no matter how much I wanted to. And so I turned to what I could change— my hair. Honestly- I had had my long hippie braids and only wore my braids during the day for so many years. Pretty boring …

So I looked up a couple of images that I could show the hairdresser and Ben was like yeah you should do it in a very supportive way. But this was pretty impulsive idea and when I got there that day, lady didn’t even try to talk me out of it—and one thing I am a little frustrated about is I could’ve donated so much hair For locks of love, but she didn’t even offer…. She also asked how long I had been thinking about this style and I said 3 days— that’s not very long!!

And then she  just went right to it. I didn’t even have time to change my mind. It went short quick and there was hair everywhere. Three times they came in and swept up the floor!! She did a great job with the initial cut and styling it and helping me feel so free and fun with my new shortcut.

Ben has said it has changed my whole look to a more sporty type of lady!

I was feeling pretty good about the big change that had happened until Ben showed me the before and the after pictures —I couldn’t believe what I had done!! Major regret in a way but I also knew I couldn’t do anything to go back. So now I’m going through  another chapter and phase and it’s gonna me fun!

It’s just hair… right?

Family portraits

 

Waimea Bay for memorial day

 

One of my Hawaii dreams finally came true today!!

After seeing friends who come and visit for a week get lucky enough to swim with the dolphins in Waimea a huge pod of dolphins came out and was splashing, jumping spinning for the whole day we couldn’t believe it!

It was amazing how close they were and would get to the people out paddling in the bay or swimming in fact, my friend Val, and her daughter Olivia said Dolphins were just circling them and swimming right underneath them and they even touched their body touch their legs! They said a baby dolphin went right between their legs!!

It was an incredible show, watching these wonderful animals, jump, spin, swim, and splash for the whole day! Randall Kim said her has lived here his whole life and NEVER has seen dolphins like he did today. It was an amazing experience and one I hope the kids will never forget.

Of course - dolphins or not— the kids have the best time at Waimea Bay, especially when they have friends to jump off the rock, snorkel and paddle around with.

Ballet and surgery

Brielle has been taking ballet with sariah🌹 and (Mabel) for the last eight months and has really loved it. This was the end of the school year recital and it really was amazing to see the confidence and smiles on all the girls faces but especially Brielle!! the girls worked really hard And the teacher. Miss Alicia knows what she is doing to push them - firm but in a good way—so refreshing.

We were all able to be there and I’m know that her brothers were very glad to watch Brielle do something that she loves so much Brielle‘s last recital. Carol brought a date and they were dressed up after just coming from a wedding.

A few of the friends from church came to support Brielle sariah🌹 and (Mabel) Isa Wells and Sister Diane Alailima. Momma Petrice Rose is now one of the young women leaders so we wanted to get this group together :)

Cael is quite the supportive brother—  he and Brielle have a lot of fun together!

So after the dance we headed straight to triplet hospital to visit Cannon…

This guy Finally went in for surgery that morning to remove his tonsils and adenoids after having a sleep apnea diagnosis in December we were finally able to get him in. The doctors said everything went well for the surgery. His adenoids were so huge as they were taking them out that kept clogging their removal machine. No wonder that poor kid had a struggle breathing through his nose with a blockage like that!!

He had a cute little voice when he talked and was in very minimal amount of pain. In fact he started eating real food that night they gave him chicken and potatoes and broccoli. And when we would ask if he needed some pain or what his pain level was at, he would say “1 or 2 or nothing”. He did not appreciate the Tylenol or ibuprofen taste flavors. It was a bit of an ordeal to get him to take the medicine so after a few days we stopped trying and he was totally fine. The doctor said to plan for him being out of school for at least two weeks, which was the last two weeks of school, was totally fine if he never went back to school !! But the fun things and class parties and eventually when he had been out for a few days and had the weekend to recover, he was ready to go back for Some of the class fun at the end of school!

 

Kicked out of primary 😭

I’m smiling in the outside but crying on the inside… okay I’m also crying in the outside too! 😭😭

 Honestly. I am sad. Getting Released from this calling is still fresh and has been hard. I’m Still recovering from really hurt feelings and how it happened . No one told me this was happening— in fact the last time Bishop met with me he said to keep going and make plans for the rest of the year. There was some weird comments and Ben keep asking if anyone had talked to me yet? What was that supposed to mean?? So there were clues but I didn’t really believe them. So right before church I sit down with Bishop - it was Sunday morning on mother’s day, I just started bawling— really couldn’t believe this was how it was going to happen— I did feel caught off guard- it felt like getting “fired” and that has never happened to me before!! And in the office as I’m crying there wasn’t any tissues- just rough brown paper towels. I felt awful! I am still in a delicate place emotionally. Still cry when it is brought up... I’ve been released from callings but for some reason this one is especially hard. I am crying a lot.

The main Reason it was explained I was getting released was that it’s difficult to have a family with both husband and wife in two “presidency and bishopric”- ward callings… it was one of the reasons why the previous primary President was released and I got out in— Her husband was a counselor in the bishopric. But I didn’t think that was necessary and firmly stated my position that I would be completely fine doing this calling for as long as he needed me to do it and if there was one of us that needed to be released, it would probably be Ben. He gave it a good try as a counselor for a few months, but I was very happy to be Staying in primary for ever.

So there you go….  It all went down and I’m going through the stages of grief 😢😭 some anger denial and mostly feeling sad —don’t mind me as I sink into this depression.

I guess it just goes to show for the amount of effort I spent thinking planning and trying to make primary a special place for all of the sweet kiddos… that’s why it hurts so badly. The amount of effort is equal to the amount of loss I feel.

 

Big Island for 3 days

Ben was traveling for a medical conference on the big island and I wasn’t quite sure if I should go but after what happened on Sunday, I was feeling like it was probably a good idea to get out of the house- so I could cry in a different location 🥲🥹

Ben would leave early in the morning and get home around lunchtime. In the meantime for me I went to free exercise classes and arts and crafts activities at the resort. Plus the pool and lagoon and beautiful sunshine. I walked around and ate some food and sat in the sun.

Our Monday adventure was doing the snorkeling with the manta rays. It was raining a little bit as we pulled up to the dock to the boat and I was nervous about getting cold getting into the water. I even asked for two wetsuits to try to help conserve warmth.

The water was pretty pretty good not too rough out there, but as the boat began to rock and roll, I knew I needed to either eat some of those ginger chews and luckily we had taken some motion sickness medicine.

It was pretty incredible to have these amazing creatures within an inch of my body as it came up to the board that we were holding onto and flipping and rolling right in front of my eyes. I would giggle in my snorkel and squeal with delight each time they came by me.

Two of the Monteray’s stayed by us for most of the evening and then there was a little lull where they appeared to have left, and that’s when I thought I was ready to go back to the boat, but figured I might as well stay until it was time for us to get out. Suddenly down along the bottom of the ocean floor  I started to count 1234 89! Nine Monteray showed up right there at the end!! 

When we got back to the boat, Ben went towards the front, leaned over the side and began to puke His guts out. Apparently he didn’t do good with the position stretched out in the water and was Feeling sick most of the time  🤢 

I knew if I stayed next to him while he was puking I would not do good either so I quickly took off my wetsuit, Grabbed my towel to dry off, And sat on the bench on the far side away from him on the boat and started drinking my hot chocolate 😂😂

this was our view from our room, pools, ocean and resort!

I would say the one downside of this place is the parking lot is a mile away from your room so get ready for over 10,000 steps a day if you try to leave this place!

Just up the road was this really cool petroglyph Trail, with ancient Hawaiian images in the middle of a lava field, the trees were gnarly in the trail was rooty and dusty. It reminded us a little bit of the forest in the princess bride.

 It was a beautiful stay on the big island and we really lucked out with the weather apparently It had been raining the whole time back here On Oahu!

Sadly, I had to cut my trip short because Cannon had an appointment on Thursday afternoon regarding getting his tonsils out and apparently they needed the adult there to fill out the paperwork 😢😩 oh well.