Benton is 13. Benton is a good kid. He wants to do the right thing. (I love that about him.) When he heard there would be a dance, he asked the teachers if he could just stay in his hotel room and not go. But the teachers said he had to be there with the other kids. So Benton went, and for the entire dance, he sat at one of the tables by himself. He was determined to stick out his promise to not go to dances until he was 14 and he refused to join his friends. Even, my mother emphasized, when he was asked to dance frequently by SEVERAL girls. (Atta be, you little stud!)

It's so awesome to watch my siblings grow up into great people. Benny Boo, even though we tease you and make up stupid nicknames for you and call you the "Spare Parts Child", I adore you. And you make me a proud big sister! 

*Insert fist bump*

I went to the Japanese Gardens because I'd never been there before!

I just liked this sign.

Yesterday afternoon, I needed time to think, but I also needed something to keep my hands from constructing booby traps in my house busy. (It's dangerous for me to be bored.) So I went out to the backyard to do some weeding.

Have you ever thought about the spiritual implications of weeding?

Weeds seriously are harmful to a plant's progression. If you leave a weed in the ground, it will inevitably multiply, and soon they will choke out the plant and the plant will die. Similarly, bad choices and sins stunt our progression as people. Often times, just like the weeds, one bad decision will lead to another and another until it seems like there is no way out. If you are too busy making bad choices, then you really don't have time to make good ones. In a way, I think that "kills" your spirit.

Sometimes, weeds don't look so bad. We have pansies growing in our backyard. I love pansies. They remind me of spending summers at my Grandma's house and learning how to press flowers. And so, being the sentimental sop that I am, I left them. Now our backyard is teeming with pansies. What I thought were nice little flowers are turning out to be a real pain. Often, at least for me, people make bad choices seem fun or without consequence. Sin too, often takes forms that make people think it's not as bad as it truly is.

Obviously, we know that weeds can be removed. Whether it be by using chemicals or pulling them out, there is always a way to kill them. Sometimes, people come to a weed that, no matter how hard they pull, won't come out. When you do something that is wrong, sometimes it's easy to think that no matter what you do, you won't be able to fix things or repent. Want the good news though? Jesus Christ is kind of like the ultimate gardener, and because of the Atonement, there is no weed too big for Him to take care of. And I think that's amazing. :)

 And I absolutely LOVE cute dresses. 

Adventure is a dangerous word to use around me. I'm ALWAYS up for an adventure.

So off we went!

And she took me to Crazy Cakes. Crazy Cakes is this cute little place downtown that has the most delicious cupcakes I've ever had. That's a fact.

 Retro bar stools? Um, yeah I die a little. 

 This is officially my favourite cupcake in the world. Chocolate with strawberry icing. YUM.