Dig a little deeper

I took my little sister to see The Princess and the Frog. I was excited to see it. Everyone else in my family had seen it before me. I think that this movie is something that I need to see again to fully appreciate it. I will know what to look for. Regardless if it was a Disney movie, I still cried. Ha, it shouldn't be a surprise, but I did.

I finished reading the Book of Mormon! Last night! I am so excited about this because I think it was the first time that I can remember reading it all the way through, all by myself. It made me incredibly happy and I feel complete. :)

And I proved that I can accomplish a goal!

I tried to stay away from Facebook. That didn't work to well. I even had Denay change the password. I will try again, this time for real. Usually when I have school, I can concentrate on necessary things, but I am here at home and usually I have nothing to occupy my time with. Hence checking Facebook too often. I am excited for school to start. New classes and this time I am going to start my secondary education classes. I am nervous to be a teacher in a year. Teaching is such a huge responsibility! My mom had me come visit her school and sit in on some history classes. Mount Ogden is a inner city school. Maybe not all schools are like that, but there are enough students that don't want to go to history classes. I am nervous. I want to change students lives, and makes them socially responsible people who want to do good in the world too. But at the same time, I can't do everything. At some level, parents have to educate their children too.

Tonight I am going to a mocktail/moustache new years eve party, 1940's style. Pictures forthcoming.

And I am going to dye my hair again. Again, pictures forthcoming.

Gah, my sister is watching Jurassic Park and the raptors are about to make their entrance and I am getting antsy. So intense.

Anyways, see you next year! Have fun!

Family Wards

I made a new friend today! He is about three or four (I have THE hardest time guessing how old toddlers are...) anyways, and his name is Lucas. I sat behind his family today during sacrament meeting and about halfway through the meeting he came over to the side of the bench where I was sitting and we bonded over a colorful book. :) His father noticed how much fun we were having and he leaned back to tell me that his name was Lucas. I asked if Lucas wanted to come back to my bench, and his dad hoisted him over, but Lucas didn't like that. So we played with a bench between us. I think his parents were sad to learn that I am a college student and that I wouldn't be sticking around.
Regardless.
Sometimes, I miss children in the ward. Single college students can only be so much fun. And the best part about ward children is that you can hand them back to the parents if things so sour.
All in all, it was a delightful meeting.

Wedding dresses and late night chats=the best ever

Christmas vacation rocks. I get to sleep as much as I want to, eat whatever I find appealing...and, I get to see friends!
School is great and all, but there are just some people that I can't find in Provo. Mostly 'cause they are here, at home.
TODAY was exciting. Lydia took me wedding dress shopping with her! We found a wedding dress. Cause she is getting married! In a pretty dress. That we found!
I love watching the TLC show "Say yes to the dress" and this was like, real life! Terribly exciting. I have never been involved in a wedding before and so this is something new. AND: I got to hang out with Victoria Maez Green. We have been friends since elementary school, which is impressive considering how many times we switched schools. And well, she got married and had an adorable baby girl and we just got busy, but this year, we got to hang out a bit. I just got back from talking with her. It was amazin just being two busy girls, handling life as best we can and like girls, talking until our mouths were sore. It's funny how we piece together the bits and pieces of what we know about mutual acquaintances so in the end, we know everything about everyone. It's beautiful.
Yup indeedy.
It was a good evening indeed.

The Water Fountain's Vendetta Against the Piano

Funny story at work.
Once upon a time, there was a ballet class room that had a piano to play music and a water fountain to refresh tired ballerinas. Well, somewhere along the way, the water fountain decided that it did not like the piano anymore. So, it waited until all the classes were done when it attacked. At first it was a subtle approach. It sprung a leak and soaked the piano platform. It's evil plan was discovered before too much damage was done and the piano was moved so the platform could dry. Not to be deterred, however, the water fountain hatched a new plan. When no one was looking, it sprung another leak. But this was more aggressive. It shot right up and into the piano. The next time someone looked, the piano was full of water.
Now the piano is in pieces, drying and the water fountain is getting therapy, aka getting its problem fixed.
Hopefully no more drama in the ballet room.
Hahaha. True story.

Golden Anniversary

Typically, anniversaries are to celebrate weddings. This post is NOT going to celebrate a wedding, but it is a big milestone in a way. This is the 50th post on this here blog. Aren't you excited to be a part of this?! You should be, cause I am. In reality, I couldn't think of what to write, and so I was fiddling around and noticed that I had 49 posts. Which meant my next post would be the 50th. Which meant that this is a big deal. So here I am celebrating this momentous milestone...in the basement of the SWKT, waiting to help a Hist 201 student. Not exactly how I pictured it, but you know, one makes the best of situations as they come. I think I when I go home, I will make pudding.
Mmmmm.
Pudding.
Good way to celebrate.
:)

Shakespearean Finale

So just to be honest right up front. I am procrastinating. I am very good at it. I have been perfecting my craft since I was little. So, right now, I am NOT doing my Shakespeare final. We have to rewrite a scene from Shakespeare. In iambic pentameter. I did NOT sign up for this creativity nonsense. Tell me to write a 10 page paper on the historiography of Shakespeare and I will do it, and do a dang good job too, but rewrite a play? Use my imagination? What?
No.
Not cool, Mr. Shakespeare-Professor-who-I-adored-all-semester-long. I have complained to everyone who cares to listen. I have known about this stupid final since the midterm. Does that mean that I did anything about it? No. Of course not. Silly rabbit, that is what procrastinators do. They don't do anything that they could do tomorrow! I never study for finals as much as I ought to. Then I get there to take the final and then I realize.
"I am an idiot. I should have studied more."
Does realizing this make me change my ways?
Nope.
Have fun procrastinating with me, cause I know you all do it too.
:)
k bye.

"Daddy, they took my boot!"

Actually, they took my lunch, but me and Jane were similarly put out about it. Indignant even. So me and my good friend Amanda Jardine have this pleasant little tradition of attending devotional then heading to the creamery afterward to enjoy a cheap lunch. Usually it is a good experience, we get to eat food, chat, and have ice cream. It gets a little harder to eat the ice cream during the winter months but somehow we manage it. BUT TODAY WAS DIFFERENT.
They called my number and I went up to get it and as soon I got up to the pickup counter, some kid swooped out of NOWHERE and took my lunch! My lunch! Seriously? And what was a person supposed to do in that type of situation? I wasn't prepared for it. This is not something we learn in elementary school, like those say no to drugs and alcohol lessons. I know how to handle those types of situations (not that they have ever happened, but you know *shrug* at least I am prepared) Having someone take your lunch though, no one can ever really prepare you for that so I turned right around and went back to the table. Amanda has more backbone than me so she complained. Twenty minutes later and no food. I did get my ice cream though. Then Amanda got her ice cream and when she came back, they brought my food! I have such good friends. :)
Point of the story?
The best solution if someone tries to take your lunch, just tackle the poor fool, since he obviously doesn't know what he is doing. It saves a lot of heartache, especially if you don't have an Amanda there with you to get you your food...
The End.

"Happy is what happens...

...when all your dreams come true."
This line from Wicked has been in my head all week. I got to see the show this summer in San Francisco, which you have all heard about. I couldn't shut up about it. Anyways...I don't really agree with it. If you wait until all of your dreams have come true, then you have missed out on living. Happiness is found in the process of fulfilling your dreams, not the end result. That is something I have to constantly remind myself. I am always planning, scheduling, but if I don't step back and enjoy what is happening right now, it will be gone before I know it and I won't have any memories to look back on. I am scared of not living my life in the best possible manner, of not being of the most use to people and not loving everyone as deeply as I should. This may seem to be coming from out of the blue, but some things have happened this week that have made me think about how short life is. A friend's little sister passed away in an awful car accident this week. And this December is the year anniversary of my great-grandmother's passing away. I wasn't super close with either of these people. And I know that where they are now is a very happy place. But I empathize so deeply with the people left behind. I keep thinking of how they must feel and how sad it is. People really mourn. And seeing their sadness makes me want to live my life in such a way, and this sounds wierd, but in such a way that people will miss me when I am gone to.
This week has also made me realize just how grateful I am for the gospel. I have seen what deaths have done to people who don't have these truths. There is a hopelessness that is only helped by knowing that one day we will see our loved ones again. And that is another reason to live the best life possible, is so there will be nothing standing in our way when we are reunited with those we love and care about, and those who we have missed so much.
Anyways, I hope I didn't bring anyone down, reading this blog. This is just what has been on my mind lately.
Love ya'll

TRC at the MTC

I did it, I did it, I did it!
Woo!
Ok, background so ya'll can understand me. I am in Norwegian 340, also known as Norwegian Literature and this is the class that all the RM's take so they can get credit for the classes that I have already taken. Anyways, there is a kid in my class who is the Norwegian teacher at the MTC. He mentioned they needed volunteers to help the missionaries teach the lessons to. I was nervous. I couldn't take anyone with me. (I can't find any norwegian speakers when I need them, go figure.) So I would have to go alone. Alone, all by myself, in a foreign environment, surrounded a foreign language. So I kept putting it off. I had all sorts of excuses. Mostly I was worried that I wouldn't understand anything. But I did it last night. I went, I sat and listened to a native speaker being taught by the elders. IT WAS AWESOME.
I totally knew what they were saying. I am just a little slower in responding. It was a good experience.
Missionaries are awesome, the poor things! They were trying so hard!
So the lesson to be learned?
Go out and do something that you have been putting off because it is good for you.
true story.
:)