Not working at work

Does anyone ever really work when they're at work? I for one, don't. Instead, I put together fun things for people to read.
Enjoi.

Bold the things you've done:


1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo-I was a brave, chubby 10 year old.

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch-does marriage count?

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person


39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie-Suits on the Loose.. Suits on the Loose.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy-1 word. Popples

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous-Donny Osmond. Peter Piper Pizza.

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Sad sad life Courtney leads.

Late late

I figured I would post a picture of Meagan coming home since my last post said I would. I have to be honest in all of my blog dealings.
She gave her homecoming talk yesterday and did (of course) a fab job.
In the 10 days that she's been home, she's been on like 12 dates.

party train has arrived on schedule

she is home. (she also told me to write that title.)
Pictures to come later

I hate goodbyes

Dear Family,

I’m glad that tears can’t transfer into emails because I’m scared to write this last email. I’ll start by talking about the amazing things that happened this week so that I can save that part for last.
The Empey family is set and ready for baptism! I am amazed by the dedication and commitment of Steve. For the last two weeks, he has been reading Preach My Gospel, a chapter in the Old Testament, Truth Restored by President Hinckley, and listening to the Book of Mormon on iPod in his car (he’s just finished Alma) every day. He said that he used to think that he didn’t have time for anything more in his life, but somehow, he has time to do all of this. I hope we all feel ashamed of ourselves ;) I told President that I can’t believe that I have an investigator reading Preach My Gospel! We teased Steve that he’s going to know all of our secret missionary tricks! Steve, Roisin and Michael came up to the Trail Center on Saturday and watched the Joseph Smith film. It was such a powerful experience. Afterwards, we asked Steve if he would let us prepare him to be baptized in December. He got a classic Steve-smirk on his face and said, “Yeah, I’m ready to make that covenant with God.” Yes, that’s right, he said covenant, who is this guy?! He knows exactly what it means to be baptized and is fully prepared to not only keep that covenant but magnify it. They weren’t able to come to Church this Sunday, but he said that they would be there “…next week, and the next, until next year, and then every week then as well.” Steve and Roisin decided to be baptized on Dec 6th, and Bryce wants to wait until the 20th so that his Dad can baptize him! Michael says that he hasn’t decided yet, but I’m confident that he’ll be ready by then.
We had Stake Conference this week, which kind of had me bummed at first because I wouldn’t be able to see all of the ward members my last week. It turned out to be a great blessing because I’ve served in so many of the wards in this Stake I got to say good-bye to many more people. I saw some of my favorite families from Elmwood, Gretna, and Papillion. The Lord has been full of tender mercies for me the last couple days. Stake Conference was great though. Elder K. Smith from the 6th Quorum of the Seventy came and he held a new member meeting right before the conference that we attended with the Grote family which was really neat. Bishop Lyman and his family bought scriptures for the entire Grote family, quads for the ones baptized, and the hardback Books of Mormon for the younger kids, all with their names on them! He gave them out right before the meeting and they carried them around so proudly! Elder Smith talked a lot about adversity and overcoming challenges by doing the things that we have always been counseled to do, pray, study the scriptures, attend Church, pay your tithing, etc. The Lord has been preparing us for the last days for a long time. He has been teaching us the things we need to do since this dispensation was begun. So many are waiting for some new, big thing to be revealed that will protect us from the coming challenges. I really don’t know if it will happen that way. Just start doing what they’ve always told us to do! It’s like missionary work; there is no big trick to it. There is never a time when it just clicks and you finally figure out how it works. You just become better at doing the things that we are taught to do and you grow line upon line.
Ok, so I’ll climb down from my soap box and tell you about Sylvester and Aliou. When we went to teach them this week you could see a marked difference in Aliou’s countenance. He kept saying “I am happy, I am so happy, I don’t know why, but I am so happy.” We told him over and over again that it was because he had come to church but he just laughed at that. Then Sylvester piped in and said, “No, Aliou, it is because you went to Church. Don’t minimize the blessings of God.” Whoa, I know! Then he turned to us and said, “I will be at Church this Sunday.” We explained that it would be Stake Conference and what to expect with all of that. We promised that despite the different services, he would still feel the same feelings and receive the same blessings. Afterwards, he said that he loved it and it felt good being there. He also said that when he was “convinced” of these things, that he was going to go be a missionary in France! They’ll be baptized soon for sure. Looks like I’ll be coming back to Omaha often for baptisms, if anyone wants to road trip out with me, you’ll have to provide the car, but start saving up ;) ha.
I’ve been anticipating this last week that I’m going to get the question “So, how was your mission?” about a thousand times when I get home. I’d like to take a moment and answer that to everyone who reads this email so that I only have to say it in real life about 987 times (I’m not sure how many people read this). Words like great, amazing, wonderful, incredible, just don’t quite do it justice. A wise word from one of my favorite members here helped me to put it into one sentence. Here it is: It’s more than I ever thought it would be. I’ve learned more, I’ve experienced more, and I’ve found more joy than I ever thought I would. I’ve loved more, cried more, had more faith than I thought possible. I’ve seen more miracles, more conversions, and more opposition than I could have ever imagined. I’ve learned to trust my Heavenly Father, my Savior, the Spirit and myself. I’ve learned to be patient with the Lord’s timing, others, and most importantly, myself. I’ve learned how to work, how to set goals, how to become the daughter that my Heavenly Father wants me to be. I’m not there, but I’ve got the tools and I understand how to use them. I found that when I truly lost myself in the work, that’s when I found out who I really was. That’s just some of the miracles of a mission. So if you ask me about it, please come equipped with tissues and an hour, and then I might be able to explain to you what the last 19 months of my life has meant to me. I am eternally indebted to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to come here. To allow me to represent His Son, teach His Gospel, and fix me all at the same time. Not to mention all the work that He had to do to help the people I teach become converted despite me. I stand all amazed.
I thank you for the support you’ve been. For the prayers you’ve offered on my behalf and the people here. Thank you for paying your tithing and allowing the work to move forward, it’s blessing millions of people and one girl in particular.
I leave you my witness that Jesus is the Christ. That He lives. That this is His Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That His Gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. That the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and will bring you closer to Christ because, as Elder Smith put it, “you bump into Him a lot more often in it.” I love you all. I’ll see you soon.

Love, Sister Henson

Time to vent

For the month of November, I have noticed people writing things that they are grateful for, I have decided to take a different approach to this gratitude thing. I am going to write things that really really bother me. Yeah, I am going to complain. Don't take me wrong, I have a million things that I am grateful for but I don't think everyone wants to sit here and read how much I love my life. Aren't pictures enough?

First things first:

1-People who celebrate 6 month anniversaries. No such thing. It's ANNIVERSARY. Not Bi-versary, not quad-versary. ANNIversary. That's once a year for those who can't do the math. One time folks. No wonder this world is so afraid of generation X taking over. Were going to be having 4 Christmas' a year!..actually not a bad idea, I'll have to write that one down.

2-Happy chewers. Have you noticed people chewing gum that start to laugh or even smile, all of a sudden becomes the world's fastest and loudest chewer? It's like they lost their lips,or they just remembered that they have 5 chins and need to work their jaw out really fast before anyone notices, or they are having a good old fashioned chewing contest with a camel. I urge everyone, next time you find yourself in the middle of a laugh with that Juicy Fruit in your mouth, stop and listen to yourself. If you are guilty. Please, please don't ever do it again.

3-This one isn't so much a complaint as it is a frustration.
So there is a lady in the kitchen where I work that just found out I'm a vegetarian. I try to go as long as I can once I meet someone not to disclose this info. Once that information is in their cute little brain, I turn into a 5 year old when I'm out eating with them. They will look at the menu and show me all of things that I can eat. You would think after this long I would be able to tell. Guess not. Back to the lunch lady. She now takes it upon herself to make me a veggie Pattie everyday for lunch. Bless her heart, it is so nice of her to be taking time to do this. But a person can only eat so many veggie patties. I guess her thinking is that since I don't eat meat, I must love veggie burgers. It's been about two weeks now and I still haven't told her that I don't want to LOOK at another veg Pattie as long as I live be of her generousity. I used to look forward to that time of day where I would have my pick of every side dish imaginable. Now it's like I'm walking into a soy filled hell. yes, it's that bad. What's worse, is that she spells my name wrong. Some days I'm Cortney, other days I'm Kourtny. Today I didn't look to see who I was. I left the tin foiled Pattie on the counter as a sign of my food independence. Me? Passive aggressive?

Merry Christmas

I know at least 2 people that will appreciate this..



'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft'

Fairy Tale

This is the make-up I was planning to do for my fairy costume...dead fairy.

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Then Tyler offered to do my make-up cause is really good at drawing skulls, and he is. On paper.....



Thank Allie and Roger for the best Halloween ever..3 hours of Mafia, that's my kind of night.