I'm a Mormon

If you haven't heard, there is a website called Mormon.org where it tells people about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly referred to as "the Mormons" due to our additional book of scripture called the Book of Mormon). Well members of teh church can create a profile and share it with others so everyone can see that Mormons are just like everyone else and to see what we believe in.

Well I made my own!! (it still needs some work, but check it out!!)

http://mormon.org/me/76D8/#

I love being a Mormon!!

FALL SEMESTER

So I haven’t blogged in…. forever. My bad. Life is crazy. I have been working, going to school, doing homework, and yes…. Dating. I feel like I don’t have many excuses because I am working 20 hr. weeks and I am taking 15 credits this semester so not too many, but boy are they keeping me busy. I am taking Finance, Statistics, History of the World up until 1500, Physics 106, Physics 108 and last, but definitely not least, my favorite class of the semester…. Mission Prep! It is such a good class. I adore my teacher and all that I am learning in that class. As for dating, yes my friends, I do have a boyfriend. Weird, I know because I am so anti-dating. But this guy got me.

His name is Brad for all of you that are wondering and yes, I do like him. A lot. And he does treat me well. Very well. He has to be if he can put up with me and my stubbornness. All in all, my semester so far has been good. I have been busy, happier than ever and wouldn’t change a thing (except that fact that I have to take Physics, but hey, I guess my life can’t be perfect!). I am so grateful that I get to go to college, learn, meet new people, have the time of my life and just be happy!  

"Being crazy isn't enough" - Dr. Seuss

So, I realized I haven't blogged in a while. My life has been crazy. I finished off Summer Term. I am now officially a Junior in college. CRAZY, huh? But I am going to keep pushing through and I guess we'll see how young I am when I graduate. Sounds like a fun plan haha. Life is sweet though.


This week I get to go HOME for a whole week! Yes, that is my summer break, only a week. But I will take what I can get. I can't wait to just spend time with family, not worry about school work and just enjoy the time I have been given with them. I love my family so much. They are my everything. I honestly would put them above others in that I would rather be on the phone with my mom or dad than my best friend. I think that is because the people in my family really are my best friends. They are forced to be in a way, since we are stuck together for eternity. Needless to say, I am stoked for this upcoming week. My life is GREAT! :) The church is true.

"You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." -Desmond Tutu

If you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on!

You know when you just feel like giving up? I am so thankful I have great people all around me in order to keep me hanging on. I have such great friends that are always watching out for me. Whenever I am not feeling my best or happiest, I am surrounded by great people hugging me, texting me, saying just what I need to hear and just being amazing. I also have a great family. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. My family is close. I mean REALLY close. When we are going through something hard we just need to be with each other. So it has been nice being able to be with my family. They are my everything. My life really is great. Though I am having some days that I feel really stink and I can’t go on (something I am REALLY not used to but I know that some people deal with this their whole lives), I also have times where I am happy. My friends can make me laugh, my family makes me feel loved. Life IS good. I just need to count my blessings and be thankful for the trials that are thrown my way. Life is good. The Gospel is true. People are always there if we need it, and one person is always there for us. Thank goodness for my crazy, beautiful life!

Footprints in the Sand

Since I have had to do crazy stuff recently, aka withdraw from my first class ever and having to petition to keep my scholarship along with catching up in my Nutrition class before the term ends in 2 weeks, I have had an abnormal amount of time to sit back and reflect. Reflecting can be good, but also due to what has happened recently it can be bad too. I think I am finally getting through the shock stage of everything that has happened and I think it is kind of starting to hit me. Which is hard. I almost wish I could stay in the shock mode/military mode where I try to just fill every second of my day so that I have no time to think/break down.

But through all of this, I have learned to lean on my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ even more. I feel bad that I feel like I need them in my life more than ever right now, but boy do I. I don’t even know if I could function if it wasn’t for the support I have received through Them. It reminds me of a poem that I have heard time and time again, and was even recited at my grandpa’s funeral. It is called “Footprints in the Sand” and I truly love it so here it is:

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there was one only.
This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from anguish,
sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints,
so I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The years when you have seen only one set of footprints,
my child, is when I carried you.”

Believe

I believe in pink.  I believe laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girl's are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. 
-Audrey Hepborn


LOVE this quote so I felt like sharing it with everyone. I, too, believe in being strong when everything is going wrong, in miracles, in pink, in being happy. All we have to do is believe and life can become so much better! Just remember to smile when everything is going wrong because as Mother Teresa said, "Peace begins with a smile."

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

You know how they always say that God only gives you trials that you can handle? Well my family must be super strong!! Three grandparents gone in 1 week. Ya, that is what I call a rough week. A week full of roller coaster emotions, lack of sleep and physical exhaustion from all of the stress. My emotions are so unpredictable. Sometimes I will just see something small that reminds me of my grandparents and just break down. Walking through Wal-Mart and crying is not normally acceptable so it is kind of hard because I feel the need to hold in my grief a lot of the time. But it literally hurts inside, like someone punched the wind out of me. But my family must be pretty strong because we continue to work hard together. Though my family all should really not be together (since it is practically three families put together), and at times it seems that it is going to fall apart, we are all still together. I have a great family. I am so thankful that I have them in my life and that I continue to have them watching over me, both here on earth and those that have passed watching me in heaven.

Grandpa was my best friend. He always was watching over me, and continues to do so. 

"One of the best ways to have a little heaven in your home is to have someone you love in heaven"

Life.

Today is one of those days that you just wonder, why me? Good thing I have the Gospel in my life. Not only did I have to make it through my grandma's funeral (such a hard, hard funeral but also uplifting), but once we got out of the funeral we found out that my grandma in Canada passed away today too. And grandpa got put on a machine to help him breathe in the hospital and has an infection. I just feel like everything came down at once. My brain is having a hard time comprehending it. It is almost like I don't know if my heart can take any more trials and heartaches. I just hurt. I can't wait until I feel happy again. I almost feel like I should be happier because I do know the truth if the Gospel, but it is just a hard time. I am so glad that I can be with the family and know that they are going through the same thing as me. Family is the best thing ever at times like these. Thank heavens for family and God bless this great family that I have been blessed to.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life." - Charles Darwin

My friend posted this as a status the other day and I really liked, especially lately and what I have been going through. It said:


Make sure your cheeks always hurt more than your heart.

Awkward: (adjective) lacking social graces or manners

You know those times when you just can’t help but laugh at the awkward situations you are in? One of my best friends, Rachel, came and visited me yesterday for a tiny bit. It was so much fun. We were laughing about some of the things we had done together when we were living together. It was so awkward when we were talking about some stuff and then someone would walk in the room. For example, we were talking about the time(s) we made laxative “goodies” such as brownies and “chocolate” covered pretzels for our roommates. We were talking about buying tons of laxatives when my current roommate walked in the room, just in time to hear about all the laxatives we needed to buy. Just for clarification, we do NOT have bowel troubles. But it was funny just to see the confused and awkward faces of those that overheard our conversations yesterday. It was just so great. My old apartment of roommates and I thrived on awkward situations. We lived for them. They weren’t awkward for us, but we loved making other people feel uncomfortable. It was SO great. So here is my post dedicated to my awkward life. May it continue and may I continue to enjoy it.

The Little Things

This weekend I am down in Vegas because of the 4th of July weekend. I get a little break from school and I am ecstatic. It is so nice to just take a quick breather before getting back down to business. School is going splendid, don't get me wrong, BUT a break is always nice. Since I got home, I have realized a lot of the little things I have missed about home.

I miss home made meals. I miss my dad buying treats for you (it is part of the way he shows love). Having my little brother fall asleep on my bed and having to tell him to go to his own bed. Funny family conversation. That feeling that you know you aren't getting judged because your family knows everything about you. Listening to church music Sunday morning before church. Tackling and tickling my little brothers. Swimming. Sun. Those long summer days where you literally live in your swimsuit all day. BBQs. When you roll down the window when getting in your car to let cool air in, only to find out the air outside the car is actually hotter than the air inside. Searching a parking lot to try and park next to a tiny tree so your car can be in as much shade as possible. Police, not just there to give out tickets but doing something exciting such as protecting you. The moment when you drive into the Vegas Valley at approximately mile marker 60 and you see the valley and your breath is literally taken away (still, after living in Vegas all my life, I still am awestruck at the beauty of Las Vegas at night). Having my parents to say, hug and kiss goodnight to every night. A family to go to church with. There are so many little things in life that we take for granted and these are just a few of them. I am so thankful for this country and those that died to protect it. Let us not take our great freedoms for granted. Remember the little (and big) things in life. We are so blessed and may we continue to be. God Bless America!

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." - Robert Brault

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”

Is it crazy that I LOVE my classes?! I haven't taken any tests yet and that may change things but I really am learning tons of great information that I find super interesting. And the work load is not overwhelming. I currently have time for socializing, homework, church and exercise. Hopefully that can continue throughout the term, but I am currently loving my life. I have great friends and an awesome family. I laugh so much at all the great things that happen in life. Life is so happy. I belong to the true church and I get to go to college! Life is SO AWESOME, right?

"And I, God, created man in mine own image" - Moses 2:27

This semester I am taking Humanities. I was not oober excited to take this class, but my teacher seems SO great. We already had such a great lesson on the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's incredible paintings therein.  So one of my personal favorites that we talked about was "The Creation of Adam" (also called "The Creation of Man"). Michelangelo, while painting the Sistine Chapel, disappeared for a while. The Pope had him brought back to finish his job. When he came back, his style was drastically changed and he painted the great masterpiece of "The Creation of Adam." This painting is so interesting because it goes against SO much of Catholicism. But interestingly, much of it matches that of the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Here is the picture:





As you can see, Heavenly Father (God) is pictured on the right. Heavenly Father has a body (which is SO opposing the doctrine of Catholicism). Heavenly Father also has Christ as a child underneath His arm. This is contrary to Catholicism in that it shows that we are all children of Heavenly Father and that we have the potential to divinity. It also shows that Heavenly Father and Christ are two separate beings. It makes you wonder what kind of spiritual experiences Michelangelo must have had when he disappeared for a bit. This is just the surface of this painting! CRAZY, huh? It just goes to show that the truth is there for those that are looking for it. I already love all the great things I am learning. It looks like it will be a challenging class but a fun and informative one. I can't wait. I love how at BYU we have the great opportunity of uniting both spiritual and secular knowledge into a great atmosphere of well rounded learning.

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” - Ghandi

So this last weekend I was able to go home to Las Vegas and just have fun. I didn’t have to worry about homework or tests or quizzes. It was very refreshing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got to hang out with Sara (one of my best friends) for her graduation party. Then the next day I ran into tons of people I knew! One of which was Jade Mack, my best friend all through elementary and middle school! It was so great to catch up with her. Then later that night Julianne (one of my best friends mentioned in a post before) and I got to go on a “blast to the past.” We went up to where we went to seminary, to our high school that overlooks the city, to Wal-Mart (where we used to get prank supplies) and then we did a prank. It was so fun!

 

Not only did I do all of that, I also got to spend lots of time with my family. It was GREAT! We played tennis, swam, saw a movie together and ate together. Needless to say it was a much needed break and I know feel refreshed and ready to take on this term.

Speaking of this term, today was my first day of classes. I only had my Nutrition class today. It seems really interesting! Though it is a lot of memorization, I am thinking it should be a bit easier than the classes I have taken considering this is a 100 level class and I have been taking 300 level classes. I have my Humanities class tomorrow, and I am hoping it will also be fun. But I am really looking forward to my Nutrition class and making my lifestyle healthier! So here is to a new semester and making it a great one. I got this!

"The healthiest response to life is joy" - Deepak Chopra

Life is great. That is honestly all I can say. Yesterday I got to have a mini roommate reunion. It was SO fun. We went to J Dawgs, ate ice cream from the Creamery on Ninth and, of course, watched our personal favorite "She's the Man." We were laughing, quoting and talking together like we hadn't been apart for the month and a half that we have been. It has been so great!

Times like those make me remember how blessed I am. I am so blessed! I am blessed to always have great roommates. I am blessed with the best influences someone could ask for. I am blessed with a job. I am blessed with the opportunity to attend a great school. I am blessed with the ability to be in the true church. I am blessed to be around beautiful nature. I am blessed to be near a temple. In the end, there is no doubt in my mind that my Heavenly Father loves me because He has blessed me SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!

Summer Term??!!

So this is the last week of Spring term.... kinda crazy! I feel like it went by so fast. So far this term has been so eventful. I traveled to Reno, Wyoming, Vegas, went into California and Arizona a few times too. Ya all within like 6 weeks. I am crazy, I know. I also met tons of new people in my new ward. And they are great!! I also practically owned a quote wall (i.e. I am sadly the main contributor to the quote wall). I also probably have more bruises than ever that I have no idea where they came from. I still blame my roommate for beating me in my sleep. I have also injured my head more than normal. Practically every weekend my poor noggin takes a beatin'.

I also set off the fire alarm while cooking, gave a talk in church, wrote about 10 papers, donated 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love, didn't miss a single class, volunteered over 15 hours and didn't take a single day off of work. The lack of sleep is starting to become the norm. My schedule is like death but I love every second of it. I hope to keep volunteering at the Utah State Hospital this next term, only in the Physical Therapy. I can't believe that Summer Term is almost here but I wouldn't trade anything for this great time I have been having!!! Life is GREAT!  Peace, love and happiness!

< Donating my hair!         


Las Vegas (home sweet home)>

“The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”

My supervisor at work yesterday was such a great example to me. She and I were talking about how there really are tons of tender mercies in our lives and we just need to recognize them. She also told me one of her favorite scriptures that I often overlook. It is 1^st Nephi 1:20 and it reads “…But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”

So a recent story that really illustrates the tender mercies of the Lord watching over my family has to do with my dad. In February, he had a large tear in his retina. When he went into the doctor, their main goal was to try and save his eye sight but they were unaware if they could. This resulted in surgery after surgery on my dad’s eye due to it continuing to tear in different places. With each surgery, my dad lost some of his eye sight. I remember the despair I felt during this time. I just wanted to be home, helping my family. I wanted to have this happen to me instead of my dad. I was worried about the implications of my dad missing work and the possibility of him losing his job. I remember just fasting and praying that my dad would be able to keep his eye sight. I remember those nights that I would cry just begging my Heavenly Father to let my dad keep his eye sight. I am happy to say that after about 7 eye surgeries, my dad still has most of his eye sight. Though he doesn’t have much peripheral vision, he can still see. Yet this is not where the tender mercy stops. Just two months before this happened to my dad, my old young womens leader had a tear in her eye’s retina. She had described the experience and symptoms to me and I had talked to my parents about it. If this had not happened, I don’t know if my dad would have seen a doctor due to his general dislike of doctor visits. Another tender mercy was that my dad was able to keep his job. Even with all the time he had to miss, his employers still kept him which is a miracle in and of itself.

I am so thankful for all the tender mercies that constantly surround my family. From my dad’s eye sight, to my mom’s life being saved by a couple of inches in a car accident to my little brother’s life being spared during his seizures. Many may comment on my families lack of luck due to all our physical problems, but really it is the abundance of luck, or tender mercies, that the Lord has graciously given to us.

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul” - Plato

So I really SHOULD be doing homework. But I just have to talk about one of my secret obsessions... classical music. When homework is out of hand or I feel there is a lot of work to be done, classical music always soothes my turbulent soul. When I don't know what to do or how I am going to get through something, some how listening to classical music always gets me through.


So since I play the cello, I am sure you know what type of classical music is my favorite... YES! You got it- those that exemplify the amazing-ness of the cello. So one of my favorite modern cellists is Steven Sharp Nelson. His albums "Tender Mercies" and "Sacred Cello" are indescribable. So he also does a lot of duets with the great Jon Schmidt, and I LOVE them. So I am including them. The first one is probably the most peaceful, the others are just FUN. Please listen and enjoy. You may not like classical music but listen to each for like a minute and you may fall in love with this cellist like I have. Enjoy:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVRcbc5_WoI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXtVBJDPs6k


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR94NDIfGmA


Ya for cello parts! They are such a great pair. Music has always had such a great impact on my mood, so if you ever need to just feel at peace I highly recommend classical music. And for those of you that just LOVE the glorious sound of the cello listen to Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major. This song is SO fun to play and just sounds great. Well I realize you may not all be die hard classical fans, but hey, I tried. 

“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music"

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be”-Abraham Lincoln

The past month or so I have had the great opportunity to volunteer at the Utah State Hospital. It is a short term mental facility. It was such a great experience. Though I may have had a few scary times, it was all worth it. I am only going to be in my unit that I have been volunteering at for 4 hours a week for only a couple more weeks and then I am going to be volunteering as a Physical Therapist there. I learned to love all people. I learned to love the George that just follows you around to be your friend. I learned to love the Lee that is one of the most caring people I have ever met. I have learned to love the Karen who tries so hard, and even though she falls a lot, she keeps trying. I learned to love the Julie who just loves to sing and dance all the time. I am so glad that I had these people, along with many others, to help show me that just because you are classified as having a disorder doesn't mean you aren't a person They also taught me to appreciate the simple things in life such as being a good friend, having a heart of gold, the will to keep trying and just having fun whether it be by singing or dancing or whatever other means. So here is to all the George's, Lee's, Karen's and Julie's that are my friends, the most caring people I know, those that keep trying hard and those that just love to sing and dance through life. Keep up the hard work! Everyone is great and God loves us all more than we could ever imagine. Always remember that!

Believing Christ

For my New Testament class we have to read “commentary” reading or texts about the New Testament. We have assigned books we had to read twenty pages or more from. First I read Jesus the Christ by Talmage and I honestly loved it. I just started reading Believing Christ by Stephen Robinson. What a great read! This text has opened my eyes to so much and I have only read twenty pages. It honestly can be said to be one of the most influential books I have read.

I think too often we don’t apply what we know to ourselves. It is so easy to say “Yes, they can be forgiven but I can’t.” I know I do that at least. In this book, Stephen Robinson brings up some great points. He says, “They may believe that the Church is true, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, while at the same time refusing to accept the possibility of their own complete forgiveness and eventual exaltation in the kingdom of God. They believe in Christ, but they do not believe Christ…

“Not only must we believe that he is who he says he is, we must also believe that he can do what he says he can do. We must not only believe in Christ, we must also believe Christ when he says he can clean us up and make us celestial…

“These people simply won't believe that the gospel can work for them. And without obeying the first principle of the gospel, without having genuine faith in Christ, these individuals cannot enjoy the power and the blessings either of faith in Christ or of the principles that follow faith—repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Even though they may consider themselves experienced and mature members of the Church, they have not yet been spiritually born.”

I think this is such a great book because too often we get caught up in how we are not perfect. Of course we aren’t. If we were perfect we wouldn’t have to come down to earth in the first place. This book really opened up my eyes to how I often am hardest on myself and how I need to let Christ help me. I can’t be perfect without His help. I am so thankful for Christ and all that He went through so that I do have the opportunity to return home to my Heavenly Father one day.

Home Means Nevada

So I got to go home for this weekend. I have been missing home like crazy. I don’t know how some kids can go almost years between their visits home. I miss my family so much it is indescribable. There have been so many times that I just wanted to come home and be with my family. That is probably the hardest part of growing up for me. It hasn't been the bills or the school; it has been the lack of being with my family.

Since I was going to Vegas I brought my roommate Keturah. She had never been to the wonderful place I call home: Las Vegas. We brought her to some cool places like Hoover Dam and the Strip. I think the coolest thing was the temple though. I love my temple. The Las Vegas is so pretty! My dad has been to so many temples and swears that ours has the prettiest Celestial Room. I love my temple so much. It is as much as part of my home as my actual house is. I love how even though there is so much sin in Las Vegas, we still have something to look forward to. When we went to the strip I am sure we were the girls with the most clothes on (I was hoping for someone with more clothes) and there is sin all around, I was so glad for the standards that the church has. I am glad that my parents raised me in the church. Most of the members in Las Vegas are either strong in the Gospel or completely fallen away. There is no real middle ground for members here, and if the person is in the middle, they won’t be for long. I am so glad that our church has the standards that the church has. It makes being a member in Las Vegas very hard, but it also makes your faith and testimony in the church grow very strong.

I love my temple

I'm Going There Someday

Today I have been thinking about temples a lot. My co-worker and I play this game at work where we change my desktop background to a different temple and we have to guess what temple it is. So I am getting to see some really pretty temples. Then I started thinking about the joys of the temple. I have a little brother adopted from Guatemala. He is the funniest kid ever and we are really close.

Well, before we got sealed to him he had cerebral seizures. He stopped breathing for a while and we almost lost him. At the time, while my parents were trying to take care of him medically, all of us children gathered in a bedroom and prayed. We loved this child and wanted him to be part of our family forever. Those were some of the scariest moments of my life, but looking back they are part of the sweetest: a family gathered together in fervent, faith-filled prayer. We later got to go into the Las Vegas temple and watch my little brother be sealed to my parents so that we could be a forever family.

Temples really are a light for all to see. In Las Vegas there are a lot of lights, but the temple has a different light. Instead of the neon glow of street and club signs, it has a pure white glow. I love the temples. In them there is peace, safety and hope. I love all the ordinances that occur within them because I love my family so much that being with them forever is the only thing I want. I can't imagine having to go through life not knowing that I will be with my best friends forever. I am so thankful for temples and the wonderful ordinances within them.

"The temples are sacred, holy places. They are a source of spiritual power and strength. They are a place of revelation."- Silvia Allred

“A grownup is a child with layers on.” - Woody Harrelson

So yesterday one of my great friends turned 18. Some call her Keturah, K. Small, or Dactyl but she is more like a sister to me. Everyone thinks we look alike and that we are sisters. At first we thought it was kind of weird, but now we really like it. We just think, "Ya we practically are sisters."

So my sister turned 18 and we just spent the night together, playing cards, eating brownies (and forcing her to finish hers), watching sports and just enjoying the company of the group. It is times like this that make me really think about the simple things in life that I enjoy. So I am going to say some of the few things that I am truly thankful for. Some are weirder than others but here they are:

• 1. Family. They are my everything. All my fondest memories revolve around them. I miss them so much. Some people would be surprised about how homesick I really am. I wish I could just go home and live there again. You can ask anyone, family is my first priority and I will always put them first.
• 2. Technology. With out this I would not be able to call my parents every day. I would be SO sad (and yes, I do call every day).
• 3. The Gospel. It truly brings peace and happiness to whomever seeks it out. I just want to share the joy I find in the Gospel with everyone I meet and just let the world enjoy the blessings that I do. Some may think it is an impossible feat, but I am going to try and share the Gospel with whomever I can.
• 4.Missionaries. My mom was converted by some wonderful missionaries and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. My mom, dad, brother and sister have all served a mission and I hope to soon add to that list. I want to help make eternal families and pay it forward like my mom did.
• 5. Vegetables. Last night I had grilled zucchini and crook-neck squash. It was delicious. I miss having as much vegetables as I used to at home.
• 6. Sunny Days. Being from Las Vegas, that is on of the things that I truly miss. I live for sun. I feel like I am at my best when the sun in out and shining.
• 7. Disney Kid Movies. They are so happy and cute. I love happy endings and I love being able to watch movies that I know will be appropriate.
• 8. Friends. This seems far down on my list but I was honestly just trying to think of how I could adequately express my love for my friends. I would not be the person that I am today without all those that have come into my life and shaped me into the person that I am today. Though I have some friends back home, on missions, at other colleges or at BYU, they all influence me and continue to influence me wherever they may be.
• 9. Music. My family speaks, lives and breathes music. What music I listen to honestly determines my mood. I have this secret obsession with classical music. I love listening to hymns played on a piano, cello, violin, whatever I can get. Those songs calm me down and help me be the person that I need to. My current favorite is "Redeemer" by Paul Cardell. It seriously brings the Spirit so strongly that I often cry while listening to it.
• 10. My cello. Though I don't have it with me, I soon should. I miss being able to play it and to be able to relieve stress through it. Some don't even know that I play the cello but it is one of my passions and I have missed it dearly.
• 11. Running. This is a new like for me. I used to hate it but after 2 knee surgeries I realized how I had taken it for granted. I am still working on being able to run and I can't wait until I am back in shape.
• 12. My knee. It doesn't always work the best at times but I am thankful that I have one.
• 13. College. College is my life. I love learning (even though trying to keep up my grades stresses me out to no extent). I am so interested in all that I am learning and I realize what a blessing it is that I can go to school. So many people don't have the same opportunity I do.
• 14. Trials. This is such a hard thing to be thankful for but looking back on all that I have gone through, I am thankful that God put me through what He knew I needed so that I could become what He wanted me to become. One of my favorite talks of all times come from this idea. Hugh B. Brown's "Current Bush" talk. And since I love it so much, here is a link to it: http://lds.org/new-era/1973/01/the-currant-bush?lang=eng
• 15. Christ. He is not by any means at the bottom of my list, but is at the top. He is not by any means a simple thing to be grateful for. He is my everything. When I feel the world is falling apart, I can talk to Him and know that He is listening and has empathy for me. He knows what I am going through. He gave His life for me that I can repent and return home to my Heavenly Father again. He is my Savior, Redeemer, my All. For anybody that is struggling, Seek Him. For anybody that needs help, Seek Him. For anybody that needs a friend or needs to be comforted, Seek Him. He is always there, just waiting for us to ask for His help.

I am so grateful for so many things and I am truly blessed. I am so blessed that I have SO many things to be grateful for. I hope that I can use them the way that Heavenly Father wants me to.

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving."- W.T. Purkiser

"Stress is poison." -Agavé Powers

So I just took an online stress test on a medical website. My result? High. Funny because that doesn't surprise me at all. I have been so stressed lately and I don't know why! It seems like whenever I feel like I have got a grip on things, a wave of things to do comes and crashes down on me. Honestly the only thing that has been a bit of a stress reliever is reading the New Testament. I feel at peace when reading it. I wish I could just read it all day in order to avoid the stresses of life. It just makes Matthew 11: 28-30 so much more special in my life when Christ says "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

 I am just glad I have the Gospel in my life to help me whenever I need it. I am so lucky to have the scriptures to read and calm me down.

True Friends

I feel like I am blogging a lot lately but I just have a lot to say and it seems that this blog is a bit of a stress reliever. Today I am SO grateful for my friends back home.  My best friends that were still in Vegas this last year made being away so hard. We did everything together, literally. Julianne and Sara have always been there for me and it was hard to leave them. I really like the quote “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” Whenever I feel down or miss them, without hesitation I can call them. Even though we are approximately 381 miles away we can still call each other for anything. I am so glad that I have such great friends wherever I go.

What brought this wonderful blessing to my attention again was last night. I received the greatest phone call from Julianne last night. She was just calling me to tell me how much she loved me and that really touched me. I needed that so much and I was so grateful that she listened to the Spirit and called me up. She is such a great friend and a great example to me because she is so strong in the gospel and always shows me how to live my life right. We have done so many crazy things together and we have grown so close that I know we are literally going to be friends forever. How blessed am I to have such great friends such as Julianne and Sara. Thanks girls for changing my life for the better. I am glad we have known each other since before we can actually remember.

 

"To have friends who will always take you to higher ground is an incalculable blessing."

Wyoming

So today I went to Wyoming with Keturah Small for my friend Trent Bennett's farewell talk for his mission. The road trip was hilarious and awesome and a great bonding time. Also he is going to be SUCH a great missionary. Once he started his talk the Spirit immediately flooded the room. I am so jealous that he gets to go out on his mission!! I want to go on a mission SO badly... I just want to leave right now!! 

Also, on just my three hour road trip I was able to see such a wide variety of beautiful scenery. It was magical. I could just see God's hand in all the beauty that is around me and I am so thankful. I just keep thinking of the primary song called My Heavenly Father Loves Me where they say "I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me."

Great Examples

So, hanging out with the great people that I do, I noticed how they all have a blog. What a great idea for everyone to keep up with each other! So here goes my shout out to my girls Heather, Becs and Pono for being such great examples to me. “Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there”


Hopefully I keep up on this blog so everyone can keep up with me!


So lately I have been super stressed out with school. I want to get good grades and do the absolute best that I can, so I am always scared of not reaching my full potential as a student. It seems like there is so much to do and so little time, but hey that's spring term! The stress was getting really bad this week and I was getting sick to my stomach constantly. My mom and great friend Heather suggested that I get a Priesthood blessing. I am so lucky to have great people in my life to help me remember the great blessing that I have of the Priesthood in my life. So I called up my brother and he came over and gave me a blessing. How awesome is it that I live right by my brother so that he can bless my life daily. He gently reminded me that God is in control so I hope that we can all remember that. It was such a great experience and now I have the determination and strength to keep going. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to go to school and to be surrounded by great people.


"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." ~Winston Churchill