tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86572380155252874812024-03-05T09:29:30.923-08:00The Tender Mercies That Get Me Through the DayBeing negative is not helping me be happy. Being grateful and optimistic is a much better alternative and blogging about the bright side of my day is a good start to changing my negativity to optimism.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-18370159064405561382014-06-03T21:59:00.001-07:002014-06-03T21:59:15.695-07:0016 Goals so far...So, here's a sum up of my progress on my 16 goals while I'm 16 years old.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Complete Personal Progress and get my YW medallion</li>
<li>Get my driver's license</li>
<li>Finish the Book of Mormon (for the second time)</li>
<li>Read 6 new books</li>
<li>Empty my project drawer</li>
<li>Take the CHESPE test and pass</li>
<li><strike>Go to Mormon Prom</strike></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;">Read scriptures every single day </span><span style="color: orange;">(I </span><span style="color: red;">failed</span><span style="color: orange;"> this...but have started anew. So, I'm doing my best from now on, but will make this my new years resolution every year until I do it.)</span></span></li>
<li>Read a Jane Austen book</li>
<li>Give away X amount of Books of Mormon</li>
<li>Crochet an outfit for Jason (<strike>booties</strike>, vest, hat)</li>
<li>Go to EFY</li>
<li><strike>Help plan and go to Stake Youth Conference </strike><span style="color: red;">and invite some nonmember friends </span><span style="color: orange;">(I was unable to invite friends due to the fact that since all my nonmember friends live 15-20 min away they would have to stay at my house for the weekend and Mom and Steve were out of town. I was not aware of this when I made the goal, so it wasn't my fault!)</span></li>
<li>Cook 8 meals</li>
<li>Cook 10 new desserts that I've never made before</li>
<li>Memorize all of the Book of Mormon scripture mastery verses</li>
</ol>
Well...it's progress. I'm planning to get a lot done this summer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-58919915777396008492014-05-27T19:59:00.001-07:002014-05-27T19:59:15.643-07:00"Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."That is found in <span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Matthew 18:20</span><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">D&C 6:32</span>. <br />
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First, it's finally summer so I have lots of goals and plans for myself, including blogging more. So instead of starting by catching up on the past few months now I'm just going to gradually catch up by writing one topic at a time...and I have several topics lined up for later this week so I PROMISE there will not be another one or two month break after this, in fact I plan to blog again within the week (in a week at the latest).<br />
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So, for some reason I feel the need to write about this today. The reasoning for the scripture title is that I believe in the restored church for more than the gospel and it's doctrine. That is <i>very</i> very important. There are countless churches out there that are constantly arguing over doctrine because their ambiguous bibles are not clear about it. We are lucky enough to not have to deal with that because we have the Book of Mormon and a latter-day prophet to guide us. However, because of the circumstances in my life, my testimony of fellowship and friendship in the church is especially strong. There are many people in the church that have gone inactive that say, "I still believe in the church, I just don't understand why we have to meet so regularly and have so many meetings that take up so much time." This scripture answers that question. God wants us to meet together. We <i>need</i> to meet together. We need to love, help, and cherish each other, especially during these last days where true, friendly, and Christlike love is hard to come by. <br />
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This last move from Pasadena to Azusa was <i>especially</i> hard. I really don't know why, and don't want to think about it...it just was. I was having a very hard time and was really not myself for months after we moved. But my new friends in the Glendora stake, in the form of seminary, saved me. I go to seminary with all the sophomores in the stake and they have been so loving, including, and kind from the first day I went to their class. Not only them, other kids: juniors, seniors, the girls in my ward...I don't know what I would do without them. There is something truly special about the friendships shared in the church. I love and need my friends outside the church as well (hey, a nonmember friend of mine was there to take me to Mormon Prom when my Mormon friends weren't ;), but I really don't know where I would be without the people I've met in this stake over the past year. I don't know...is it weird to say that I have a testimony that I would find friends in the church no matter where I go? Cause that's kind of what I'm feeling. I'm just so blessed that it <i>is</i> that way. That I have been blessed with new friends over and over again. It's only been recently that I realized how much stronger this move has made me, how I've grown and changed. How I've become more sensitive to including and loving people <i>because</i> of how important this love and inclusion has been to me. I think these people that I've met are special, but I also know that these friendships wouldn't be as special if we didn't meet, pray, and love in the name of Christ every morning, mutual activity, and Sunday. Heavenly Father's infinite blessings are just incredible. How He manages to care for each of us and send the perfectly crafted tender mercies at the perfect times is constantly mind blowing to me, but in the end I'm just thankful for it.<br />
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This post is not what I was originally picturing, but oh well. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-34769147139291179982014-03-28T16:09:00.000-07:002014-04-14T17:21:20.683-07:00Busy HomeschoolerOh my goodness, I can't believe how long it's been. I've been sooo busy!!! I am on the youth planning committee for our stake's Youth Conference so that requires a lot of time and planning, including the 7:30 meetings every Sunday morning from a month or two ago to Youth Conference in April. I'm also in one of the singing groups for Youth Conference that meets on Sundays after church, so honestly my Sundays aren't feeling very restful lately. <br />
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I also had the CHSPE test, which is the equivalent of a high school diploma if I pass. I was cramming and stressing over that for a while. I finally took it last Saturday and honestly have no idea how I did. Half of me says I did pretty well and the other half says I failed miserably. I find out in over a month. : (<br />
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Then of course there's Wizard of Oz and Schoolhouse Rock that I'm getting ready for...<br />
<br />
So I've felt super busy lately, but I have been feeling so lazy too. So ready for spring break. So not having the desire to do anything has not helped my schedule.<br />
<br />
Anyway, guess what I'm gonna say? I got to see some friends in their school musical last night! That seems to be the one consistent thing I blog about. I'm so lucky to have such talented friends! Last night was the opening night of The Music Man and one of my friends was Professor Hill! He was the one that was another lead (though not the main one) in a musical I saw last summer, that I blogged about. He did soo well! I also had two friends who were the "Pick a little, talk a little" ladies (the one song that's super fast and they kinda sound like chickens), a friend in the chorus, and another in the orchestra playing her violin. It was sooo fun!!<br />
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Well this little thing has taken me forever and I need to pack for tomorrow. Love you all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-29902512910464645762014-02-18T17:59:00.002-08:002014-02-18T17:59:34.873-08:0016 Goals for a 16-year-oldSooo, I'm not really sure where to start or how much I really need to catch up on. I got to see some friends in Tom Sawyer the Musical, two of which starred as Aunt Polly and Huck so that was fun! I'd never seen that musical before and I loved it! <br />
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I got to go to Disneyland for my birthday, and I brought a friend from Shakespeare class! That was a blast. I so wanted to come up with the entire list we did, but obviously I can't remember now. :( Oh well. <br />
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We went to Lizzie's for the weekend and that was super fun as always. They finally got a piano! It's sooo exciting! I'm so glad that her kids get to start young and I really hope they love it.<br />
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I just finished a <i>really </i>good book. It's by Julianne Donaldson. This is her second book, and I've read and <i>loved</i> both. The book I just finished is called <i>Blackmoore</i>.<i> </i>She bases her books in Jane Austen times and she seriously comes up with such heart wrenching romances and characters (especially the "prince charming" characters ;) that you just fall in love with. <br />
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I've been meaning to write my goals for this next year of my life for the past two weeks. Where has the time gone?! Where does it go?? I feel like it just slips through my fingers faster than usual lately. It also kind of scares me how so much of my future depends on what's happening right now. What with studying for the test that ensures I get into college that I have to take in a little over a month. And so many people say they wished they'd paid more attention in seminary and memorized the Scripture Mastery verses better. *exasperated sigh*<br />
<br />
So! Here are my 16 goals to complete while I'm 16 in no particular order (thanks for the idea, Danielle!)<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Complete Personal Progress and get my YW medallion</li>
<li>Get my driver's license</li>
<li>Finish the Book of Mormon (for the second time)</li>
<li>Read 6 new books</li>
<li>Empty my project drawer</li>
<li>Take the CHESPE test and <b>pass</b></li>
<li>Go to Mormon Prom</li>
<li>Read scriptures <b>every single day</b></li>
<li>Read a Jane Austen book</li>
<li>Give away X amount of Books of Mormon</li>
<li>Crochet an outfit for Jason (booties, vest, hat)</li>
<li>Go to EFY</li>
<li>Help plan and go to Stake Youth Conference and invite some nonmember friends</li>
<li>Cook 8 meals</li>
<li>Cook 10 new desserts that I've never made before</li>
<li>Memorize all of the Book of Mormon scripture mastery verses</li>
</ol>
Some of them like Mormon Prom and EFY are unnecessary, I guess, cause I'm going to do them whether they're on this list or not, but I don't wanna push myself too much this first try. About the giving away BOMs goal, I need feedback on what number I should strive for cause I have no idea. And I'm worried about the last one because I am soo behind. Last year my seminary teacher worked with us for five minutes every morning with lots of different techniques to help us memorize all of them and I got all of them pretty well! This year my teachers have been helping us memorize the reference with a one line rhyme and I guess rhymes just don't click with me or something because I know hardly any. *another exasperated sigh* Well there they are! Comment please! Love you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-52772980863504774772014-01-29T18:24:00.001-08:002014-01-29T18:24:17.901-08:00What I Did <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Smile</u></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>It looks good on you.:)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Well, today started with us trying to buy tickets to a One Direction concert. :p I can tell you <i>it is not easy</i> to buy tickets for the biggest band in the world! We thought that this was going to be the presale, which meant it would be easier to get cheap tickets, but that didn't happen. The best we could find came to a total of $96 and it was so far from the stage that it wasn't worth it. Moral of the story: don't count your chickens before they hatch! It's terrible to get excited about something and then not do it.<br />
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On another note, I'm among the living again! I woke up last Thursday morning with a neck that would not move. We decided rest was the only thing that would help and after a week in bed I decided I was fed up with it. My neck isn't back to it's normal self, but I'm done being and invalid.<br />
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Soooo, <b>today </b>I:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>went to seminary</li>
<li>helped clean the house</li>
<li>studied my scriptures</li>
<li>emailed my Shakespeare teacher</li>
<li>changed my sheets!</li>
<li>went on a walk</li>
<li>cleaned my room</li>
<li>put my blankets in the washer AND</li>
<li>blogged!</li>
</ul>
Yay! And my birthday is next week and we're going to Disneyland! and I'm going to come up with my list of 16 things I'm going to do this next year!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-15526698417772612292014-01-11T14:56:00.000-08:002014-01-11T14:58:11.486-08:00The Things that Make it All Worth ItFamily is very important. At church the importance of family is always getting pushed into our faces and as a teenager I feel like I am frequently told things along the lines of, "Family is what's important. Don't worry about your friends cause you're not going to know them in a few years and family is what you're going to hold on to." That is true to an extent. And I'm not bagging on family, but I wanted to talk about the importance of <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">friends</span> and what an impact they have on our lives. Mom and I were talking about this Monday morning as we drove to or from seminary (I forget which). And I forget exactly how it came up, but I think it was something about how supportive all our friends have been with Motordogs. People in our ward in Pasadena we weren't even extremely close to have come to eat, inquire and praise. I feel like I have the best friends in the world. <i>All of them</i>. From so many different circles, so many varieties. I have friends from lots of different church circles, homeschool groups and friends of those friends that have then become really good friends of mine! And they all love and support me so much, through school, seminary, theater groups.... My friend Francesca (whom I take my Shakespeare class with, taught by her mom) and her family are such good friends of ours. I love her and her little brother (who is 10) to death and I can't believe I've barely known them a year! I can't imagine my life without them! When mom and I were talking about this she declared life would be impossible to live without friends. It's impossible without family and it's impossible to get to the Celestial kingdom without family, but friends add a whole new level of happiness to life. Mom then told me a story about when she was a kid. She said she remembered an old friend of theirs that was very healthy and would have lived a long time, but died soon after his wife did. She said when that happened she asked her dad, "So, in heaven we'll be with our family because we're sealed to each other, but what about friends? Are we going to be with our friends in heaven?" And he answered, "Well, it wouldn't be heaven without them." When she said that we both teared up. It was a very inspiring conversation.<br />
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The next day we went to Disneyland and of course it was a blast. I could take pictures and everything with my new phone! It was so wonderful. Anyway, that night, not too long before it closed, we were in Fantasyland. Amy was on the carousel with Gracie and Maddie, Mom was somewhere changing Jason's diaper, and Anna and I were sitting on a bench by the carousel waiting. I looked around and saw a girl with long blonde hair and a fancy camera to her eyes standing on top of another bench. My gaze left her as I thought, "That would be fun to take pictures like that." For some reason I looked back and as she lowered her camera her face registered in my brain. That girl looked so much like my best friend, Chelsie, from our ward in Redlands. I looked away thinking it couldn't possibly be her. They were just about to move when we moved from Redlands and there was a girl in my stake who also looked very much like her, but was not her so my mind could just be confused again. I turned toward her again as she hopped down from the bench and started talking to two blonde boys that looked the same age as my friend Chelsie's brothers were supposed to be. I stood up and my mind argued with itself. <i> What if it's not her? But you have to find out. </i> <i>What if it <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">is</span> her? </i>My eyes still locked on my perspective friend I told Anna to wait there and walked over. The girl's back was to me and after just standing there dumbly for a minute I said, "Chelsie?" They girl whirled around and looked at me for a moment before screaming and dashing forward for a hug. It was her! One of my best friends I regretted loosing contact with was here at Disneyland, in the same place at the same time as me, almost three years after we said goodbye. It was the craziest thing! I had still been wearing my glasses in Redlands and she recognized me without them. Her mom and sister returned from the carousel and I gave my former YW leader a hug. It's funny how you can't exactly remember a face, but when you see it, you know it looks exactly the same. Her sister, who was 1 when I left, looks absolutely nothing like she did before but I totally matched the faces of her brothers with the little boys I once knew. I asked the youngest one (who is <i>adorable</i>) for a hug and he obliged. :) We had to separate again before we wanted to and I regret now not taking a picture together, but now we're following each other's instagrams and everything so we won't loose touch again. After she left I still could not believe it happened, but it absolutely made my day. It was the best.<br />
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Having that experience just the day after discussing friendship with mom really hit me. I am so so blessed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-5842620143156254502014-01-06T14:46:00.001-08:002014-01-06T14:46:12.362-08:00I was doing so good with blogging! Could have been better, but definitely better than before, but now instagram and facebook has just ruined it. Facebook clarification: my dad has always wanted me to get one so he can "keep up" with me better, but I've always rebelled because it just seemed like a waste of time to me. I did not want to get caught up in the whole facebook movement, and guess what? I didn't. Facebook was big, I didn't have one, facebook died and I survived through it. Well when I got an iphone I said, "Dad I don't need a facebook cause I'm just going to use instagram, which is better anyways." Well, he doesn't know much about instagram, so we ended up trading. He got an instagram and I got a facebook. :p I guess I like it to keep in touch with people who don't use instagram, but other than that instagram is far superior.<br />
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Aaaaanyway, what should I say? My new years resolution is to read the scriptures every day. 365 days in a row. For more goals I'm gonna steal Danielle's birthday goal thing and do 16 things this year, starting next month. That's so soon! That's scary. <br />
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I'm gonna be in two musicals this spring! Isn't that so exciting??? I have so many friends that have been in so many and they love it. And since I love musicals and love to sing I've always wanted to do it, but have been to scared to. Well, Anna and I took a great leap and signed up to be in the Wizard of Oz in a really good company several friends have been in and loved. We're hoping to be the crows (who aren't in the movie, just musical performances) that sing during the scarecrow song and the chorus. The other musical I'm gonna be in is called Schoolhouse Rock. Which I'm also really excited about cause the director is a friend's mom and that friend is choreographing it. I don't know this play at all, but I've decided to take another leap of faith and audition for a singing part anyway. Why not? I'm gonna sing 16 Going On 17 from Sound of Music and see where it gets me. This play only has rehearsals once a month and then we take a CD home to help learn the music, so it's low maintenance compared to the other one.<br />
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Of course there's the obvious exciting thing, we opened Motordogs!!! Ultimate of exciting. <br />
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This is short and rambly but I'm gonna go ahead and post it anyway. : )Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-69091197732854854962013-12-15T15:10:00.001-08:002013-12-15T15:10:15.601-08:0010 Days till Christmas...Okay, it's definitely time to post. I was so going to post four times last month, but then I went to my dad's and that failed. Getting an iphone didn't help. It's so much harder to make myself blog when I instagram and facebook now. (btw, facebook was my dad's idea. He didn't know how instagram worked and wanted me to try facebook so he could 'keep up with me better' so I told him I'd do facebook if he did instagram. So now we're both doing it.) Anyway, I'm loving my new iphone! I'm love love loving my camera and how beautiful the pictures look. It is so easy to capture moments now. I can keep up with friends who are far away (or not so far away :) and I'm just loving it. I ordered a pink Mickey Mouse case for it and it's on it's way. ;)<br />
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Alright, I'll do some catch up on our Thanksgiving trip to Utah then skip to the present. I had such a fun time this trip. We didn't spend as much time with the boys cause we were only there one and a half weeks and they spent four or five days in Arizona with their dad for Thanksgiving like they always do, but it was fun anyway. Me, my sisters, Dad, and Diane went to temple square to see The Savior of the World musical, as you saw on instagram. That was just beautiful. We also saw the Christmas lights and I almost froze to death. But honestly, I think I get more cold in California than in Utah because of what we <i>expect. </i> I expect to be freezing in Utah so I really bundle up and it ends up not being that bad. In CA I have this sunny weather expectation and have too much pride to bundle up, even though I would be more comfortable if I did. Anyway, that was fun. For Thanksgiving we went to Idaho and spent it with my grandparents. My grandpa has started working in the garden section at Walmart and he had to go to work Thanksgiving afternoon so when we got there the night before almost all the food was made. Almost everyone got up around 6 the next morning (not me, hehehe) and we ate at 11:30. It was the smoothest Thanksgiving I have ever experienced. And so yummy. My grandparents brought out some of their apple juice that they personally juiced from the apples, I might have actually helped, I'm not sure. It was basically heaven in a glass. NOTHING like store bought apple juice. Oh, I just remembered that for mutual while we were there the young women went to the new exhibit at BYU. It had tons of paintings from all over the world. Back story: BYU did an exhibit like this before, no idea when, and they ran into a lot of old churches with paintings that they had kept for years and years and were not willing to let them leave. So BYU got what they could and the exhibit was really successful. Because of how respectful, successful, and loved the exhibit was last time, this time churches were a lot more willing to give up their paintings for a while. So we got to see paintings that had not been moved from those old churches in who knows how many years. It was so amazing and moving.<br />
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Christmas is 10 days away. That went by so fast and I'm kinda depressed about it. Oh well, we have school off now. I have seminary on Monday then I am done! Happy day! I really need to get caught up, on the book I'm supposed to be reading for Shakespeare class, cleaning my room, reading my scriptures. I just fell apart this week and it makes me sad. Not fall apart the sense that I broke into tears but that I just let my priorities go and wanted to be lazy before it was time to be lazy. Well now I can be lazy during vacation and I'm gonna work to get caught up! Haha, anywho, love you all and hope you're having a good Christmas season!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-25863759461126603642013-11-11T15:39:00.000-08:002013-11-11T15:39:17.881-08:00Something that makes everyone in our house smile...Except Steve. In this house we are all pretty obsessed with <i>High School Musical</i>. All three of them. Always have been. We just love them and today when we watched the third one (Senior Year) Mom and I found ourselves talking about the characters and their actions in such depth that you would have thought we were discussing something so much more. I said, "Aren't we just so amazing, Mom, to find so much meaning in something so cheesy and meaningless?" We connected how loving and forgiving Troy is. In the second movie Gabriella and his friends totally got mad at him for taking a new job that payed more than theirs, missing dates and being so successful just cause Sharpay, who has lots of connections, made him so. In the third one, Gabriella does not tell Troy that she is up for an honors program in college and will have to leave halfway through their senior year, therefore causing her to miss the musical she asked him to do with her and then doesn't come back for prom like she promised, but Troy never gets mad or accuses her of anything. At one point Mom said, "Troy's my favorite. Not just because he's the cutest, but because he's so good." She cracks me up. Once when we were watching the second movie a few weeks ago (our favorite, btw) and during the last song that Troy and Gabriella perform, Troy would do a particular move, a toss of the head, move of the eyes, or flick of the hand and Mom would go, "I just love it when he does that. He's so adorable." She also says that Gabriella doesn't deserve him. Haha. : ) Of course I agree with her, I'm just not as expressive about it. ; ) These movies are watched very regularly in our household. The music is also listened to very regularly while we do the dishes. It's just a constant high school musical here.<br />
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So, did that make you smile?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-74754566524808742292013-11-10T14:06:00.001-08:002013-11-10T14:06:35.990-08:00All the Little ThingsDefinitely time to post.<br />
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So, we borrowed <i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants </i>at the library this week. Love that movie. Before I get to the point of why I brought it up I want to add: the part when they're making the rules for the pants they say you're not allowed to tuck in the shirt and wear a belt or do the double cuffs at the bottom because that was <b>super </b>t<b>acky</b>. Well, I decided to wear their entire tacky outfit to a dance last night and it was actually pretty cute. It's so funny how styles change. Skinny jeans are hardly ever worn all the way to the ankle anymore, they are almost always double cuffed. <br />
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Anyway, in the movie there's this 12 year old girl, named Bailey who has leukemia that says that being happy isn't about having your life be perfect. It's about<u> stringing all the little things together and making them count for more</u> <u>than the bad stuff</u>. I thought that was really profound. Our life as a total can be looked at as one big mission, one big journey, one big anything, but really it's made up of lots of little things. The little things are what count. In my saddest moments, it's usually set off by something so little it shouldn't matter, like having my schedule for the day ruined or ruining a batch of cookies, or spilling water all over a beloved book. There are so many of those little things that can make our lives miserable if we let them. But we shouldn't let them. Since there is opposition in all things there are the little bad things and the little good things. The little good things such as getting asked to dance by someone who likes to talk ;), or going to bed early, or the day the plant you have been diligently caring for starts to look a little greener, and especially all those many gentle, soft, and little promptings we all receive everyday. Though we may miss a day talking to Heavenly Father because "we're just too tired" He will never use any excuse to avoid speaking to us, or miss any opportunity to speak to us. Once when I went to the temple with the youth in my stake someone gave a brief talk to us before we did baptisms. He said that he thinks sometimes people, especially youth, make receiving a prompting too complicated. He said all it takes is a thought and a feeling. You may ask yourself, "but what if it's Satan prompting me to do this?" We all have the gift of the Holy Ghost. We can tell if that action would lead us closer to God or closer to Satan. With all the little blessings, we shouldn't despair. After all if your schedule's ruined one day, does that mean that the next day won't be as fresh and new as always? If you burn the cookies does that mean you will <b>never</b> make a yummy cookie again? I don't know what to say about spilling water on a beloved book because that would really break my heart. There are some bad things that you can't overlook. Some of them aren't so little. So you've just gotta string all the good little things together and make them count for <b>more</b> than the bad stuff, just like Bailey did.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-66630037018055477152013-10-25T16:21:00.002-07:002013-10-25T16:25:21.130-07:00The Light at the End of the TunnelThis happened last Tuesday and I've been trying to finish that post ever since then. Now it seems a little fuzzy, but I felt like I needed to document it.<br />
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I got back from seminary and was informed that I needed to make bread. I had managed to make the last batch of bread without any disasters (such as spewing butter or flour all over, forgetting an ingredient or trying to be tidy and putting the honey away only to have to lug it back down because I neglected to remember that you add honey two different times) so I really wanted to accomplish the goal of making more than one batch successfully. Mom left and I asked Gracie if she wanted to watch a movie or listen to music. She said she didn't want to watch a movie so I put on some music. After about two or three songs she came in with the movie <i>Ramona and Beezus</i> and asked me to turn it on. I was in the middle of a step that couldn't be interrupted so I told her it was too late and I couldn't do it right now. When she understood she threw a fit and ran out of the kitchen. I sighed because I <b>hate</b> it when I do something that upsets her like that. So I turn back to my bowl (feeling like I wanna cry because I'm trying to make bread for the family, tried to please my sister and failed, I had a lot of homework to think about in the back of my head and it was my time of the month for everything to be blown out of proportion ;) and realized that I couldn't remember how many cups I had measured. <br />
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I don't remember what happened from that time to when I ran out of wheat, but know I was still not in a good mood. I was at the end of the bread making process and all I had to do was add enough flour to get the right consistency. And this is when I reached the bottom of the bin of wheat. I called Mom to ask where more wheat was and she responded that it was somewhere in the garage, probably to far back for me to get. "Just use white flour." "I already used all of it. There wasn't even two cups." "Well then just use some quick oats. You can dump in a couple cups of those." So after dumping in three cups of quick oats it still wasn't ready. It was raising while I was trying to figure out what to do and I was getting more frazzled by the second. I called Mom again and her phone died in the middle so I had to wait for her to call on Steve's phone. We conversed over four different phone calls in less than 20 minutes over this stupid bread that my mind had been stewing over for hours and we came to the conclusion that the only thing we could do was put some plastic wrap over it and put in the fridge until they returned and Steve could get the wheat.<br />
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The space of time between placing the dough in the fridge and them getting back has also gone from my brain, but I believe I tried to spend it doing homework and studying for my permit test. When we opened the fridge after they got back we discovered that the dough had risen and overflowed to the point where a good portion of it had fallen over the edge of the bowl and stretched down past the edge of the shelf of the fridge (cause it was sitting at the very end, can you picture it?). I'm pretty sure that the first words out of Mom's mouth, though it might have been Anna's or Gracie's, was, "What happened?!" leaving me to put my hands up defensively and squeak, "It's not my fault, I did everything you told me to!" After which Mom gathered the escaped dough and shoved it back into the bowl, apologizing that she asked me to make bread when we didn't have enough wheat.<br />
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Another large obstacle in the back of my brain that added a lot of stress was the thought of taking my driving permit test, which I was scheduled to do at 3:30. I wanted to do it because I do want to learn to drive (even though I'm scared to death of sitting behind the wheel), I wanted to pass the test before I forgot everything I learned from Driver's Ed and at this point I wouldn't be able to get my license for several months after my birthday so I didn't want to add any more. Before we could think anymore about the bread we all had to run around to get ready to leave. Anna and Gracie scrambled to get dressed for dance because we were going there straight from the DMV and I had to gather my school together to try to get some done during all the waiting I would have to do. We left late and I panicked with the earlier conversation about the DMV going through my mind. Mom and Steve had told me all their horror stories about how many hours they spent at that awful building only to be sent back because there was some information about themselves that they didn't have. "Oh, and I failed my first test to get my California license, so I had to read through the entire manual before I took it again. It was awful!" "Gee, this is sure making me feel better." "Oh no, honey, you'll do great! You're so much more prepared than I was." Yeah, that one inspiring statement after that entire conversation about all the <i>torturous hours</i> in the <i>dreaded DMV</i>. <br />
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On the way there we realized that I didn't have my social security number. We call my dad and he doesn't answer. We pull into the parking lot 10 minutes late, waste another 5 by trying to find a shady parking space and end up finding one in the very back and run inside, praying that dad will call back while we're filling out my form. We walk in and after having a hard time finding the form to fill out, take it to a table and begin the process while I'm nervously drumming my fingers. After it's all filled out we call Dad again and he still doesn't answer. So we decide (er, Mom decides) to just get in line and start on everything else and hopefully he'll call during all of that. We get up there, Mom slides the copy of my birth certificate toward the guy working with us the same moment my dad calls. I hear Dad asking me, "You don't have it memorized? That sounds like a good project for you." (<i>well thanks, I'll hop right to it cause it's not like I have anything else to do right now!</i>) as I see the guy shaking his head at the copy in front of him. "You mean we need the original?" My mom asks. "We need the original?" I moan. "You need the original birth certificate?" My dad asks. So yeah, I didn't get to take or pass the test that day.<br />
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I walked out to the car, shoved aside Anna's "Aliese, what're you doing here?" and hopped into the back seat. We discussed what to do with our free hour and came to the conclusion that there was nothing to do but go to dance early and wait. Great. My bread failed, I didn't get to take my test which means we wasted a trip to the <i>dreaded DMV building, </i>and I wouldn't be able to go home and cry for six hours because their dance classes end at seven, which is just late enough to make driving through Monrovia to home then taking me back to Monrovia by eight thirty for my choir (called Vocalise) I joined this year a waste of time and gas. So we went to dance and I did homework during the long and lonely three hour wait. After my 'lunchbox' lunch from home I begged mom to get a snack because I was really craving chocolate (which I don't usually have a problem with except at that time of the month ;). "I don't know about chocolate, but I want some kind of snack, too," Mom said. I was grateful enough for that because it was something at least. "Are you sure you don't want those granola bars from Costco?" Mom asked. I grimaced. Costco sells these big boxes of crunchy peanut butter granola bars that I used to think were really good. Until I had <i>way too many</i>. "Still o.d.ed on those?" She asked. I nodded.<br />
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We went to Trader Joe's while waiting for Anna's class to get out and Gracie and I waited in the car while Mom went inside to "find something yummy for us all." Guess what she came back with? Crunchy peanut butter granola bars. "I don't think they're the same as those other ones," she said. I tried it and besides the peanut butter frosting on the top they are too much the same for me to stomach. "Yes, they are, Mom. Do you want the rest of mine?" Sigh. I just wanted to go home and go to bed, but we had to go back to get Anna then drop me off at my choir practice where I had another hour to wait.<br />
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Believe it or not, I still had homework to finish (this was all for my Shakespeare class) so I sat down near the spot me and a girl from choir usually study in when we wait for class. She had a tap dance class that finished an hour before our choir practice started in the same place so she always stayed and studied. Well, when she came out of class I realized that she had previously set her school stuff at the opposite end of the room and that's where she went to study. I sighed but told myself that I'd get more work done that way, though it really felt like another disappointment.<br />
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Probably around 8 (half an hour before practice) a girl named Lydia from choir walked in...wearing an EFY t-shirt. My curiosity peaked, I called out to her and said I wanted to ask her something. She walked over with an enthusiastic, "What's up?!" I replied, "Where'd you get that shirt?" She started talking about EFY and after I told her about my experience with it I said, "I didn't know you were Mormon!" And she said, "I didn't know you were either!" She took out her phone and said that she was going to put me in as her 'Vocalise Mormon Buddy'. We chattered on happily for the rest of my waiting time. Our conversation went from EFY to school to dances to family and back again and it perked me right up.<br />
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It's funny cause I remember a funny feeling when I met her. I don't think the thought that she could be Mormon crossed my mind and if it did it came and went in a second, but I had some kind of feeling that I didn't get when I was introduced to everyone else and it came back every time I turned around and looked back at the soprano section where she sat. It's amazing how much of a difference someone that stands for Christ with the Gift of the Holy Ghost makes. Not only to those hungry for the truth that they don't have, but to someone who needed to be reminded that she had that Gift too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-19535235767093657232013-10-13T15:41:00.003-07:002013-10-13T15:42:48.332-07:00GRATITUDESo today in YWs we learned about being grateful. By the end of the lesson my notes said this:<br />
<ul>
<li>"Attitude of gratitude." -Pres. Monson</li>
<li>D&C 46:32 -How can I show my gratitude? Service, honoring the people I am thankful for, thank you notes, writing what I'm thankful for down, sharing my talents</li>
<li>Luke 17:11-19</li>
<li>Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.</li>
<li>Alma 34:38</li>
<li>"Trying to remember [how I had seen His hand in my day] allowed God to show me what he has done" -Pres. Eyring</li>
</ul>
I love the YW leader who taught today because she always has lots of scriptures and gives new perspectives on stories we've heard a hundred times. The Luke scripture above is the story of the ten lepers. She talked about lepercy and how it affected them. She said that it was common to get lepercy when you were a child and since in <b>verse 12</b> it says they were <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">men</span>, they had probably had it for years. And in that same verse it says that they <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">stood afar off</span>, meaning that because of this disease they had they had been forced to leave their homes, friends and families and live far away without associating with anyone. So along with getting this terrible disease that they had to deal with, they pretty much lost <i>everything</i>. So after Jesus healed them, why did only one out of the ten come back and thank him? After naming some things we thought, do we sometimes use those excuses to not give thanks?<br />
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I am grateful that I have the scriptures, that I get to learn more about them every morning and that I understand them! I remember why I was a new beehive in YW I was so confused when people talked about how much they love the scriptures and how much they help them and I really didn't get it. I didn't understand what they meant, there was no way I could love them like all these other people seemed to. I just thought that that wasn't one of my gifts and I would go my whole life not understanding. Boy was I wrong. I am now one of these people that love reading my scriptures as much as the book I'm currently reading and I don't bear my testimony at testimony meetings, YW or youth conferences without mentioning how much I love them. <br />
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I am grateful that I finished Jane Eyre.</div>
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I am grateful that I got to go a Halloween dance last night, even though it wasn't a very good turnout. I dressed up as Dorothy and actually got quite a few compliments on it. I invited my friends from Pasadena and even though it was Stake Conference for them so they all had to babysit they came late. So that was fun.</div>
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I'm grateful I read an entire Shakespeare play for my Shakespeare class that I'm taking. Taming of the Shrew.</div>
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I'm grateful I'm a member of the church and that I've had the opportunity to learn and study this in my youth so that I may be able to know it well enough to share it with others now and on my mission later.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-43904821244906268902013-10-05T18:34:00.003-07:002013-10-07T17:09:16.220-07:00Random HappinessHere's some random things that are making me smile lately.<br />
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This post about happiness in itself makes me happy because it's the sixth post in two months and that's a major major improvement for me! This new goal is working!<br />
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Conference is this weekend. I really really love conference. I haven't always loved it. Until recently I don't think I really understood why it was necessary to listen to 8-10 hours of talks over the course of the weekend twice a year. One thing that I think opened my eyes was the attitude that one of the YM in my old ward had toward it. In seminary and Sunday School you always have the 'primary answers,' reading the scriptures, going to church, take the sacrament and stuff like that. His answer was always General Conference. "How can we know the Lord's will?" "Watch <b>General Conference</b>." "What can bring us closer to the Savior?" "Watch <b>General Conference</b>." "What should we do when we're sad?" "Read a <b>General Conference</b> talk." Once my teacher asked him about it and he said, "I'm being serious. General Conference is the answer to everything." And I think he followed that profound statement with something like, "It's the bomb, man!" Eyeroll. So anyway, I'm really excited about General Conference, especially since we missed part of it cause of Gracie's baptism in April. <br />
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I'm <i>really</i> progressing with my crocheted quilt. I've sewn enough squares together to complete three rows and have sewn two of them together. Getting closer. : )<br />
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Fall is here! It's October, the beginning of the holidays. It's Halloween season, after which comes celebrating fall and Thanksgiving, the CHRISTMAS! I'm so excited and even though it's not really fall weather yet here, it's getting closer. We're more into the 80s and 90s instead of late 90s and 100.<br />
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To celebrate fall I made my first pie the other day! And we were going to take a picture, but by the time we remembered there was one lone piece left that really didn't look very pretty. I'll make another one and take a picture soon. This one was peanut butter with a layer of fudge sauce on top. It was delicious. I made Grandma's pie crust because she showed me how to make it while she was here and it turned out really well! The sides didn't fall in and it was nice and flaky.<br />
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I learned something in seminary that I wanted to share. It's in 2 Nephi chapter 4. This is the end of Lehi's farewell speeches (Patriarchal or Father's blessing, however you'd like to think of them) and then he dies. And what do Laman and Lemuel do after he dies? They start complaining against Nephi (cause that's their specialty). So here's Nephi, grieving his father's death, because whatever his brother's think, he did not want that to happen and he's not happy about it either. And what does <i>he</i> do? In verse 15 it says he reads the scriptures which his <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">soul delights in</span>. Then he thinks about the things of the Lord which his <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">soul delights in</span>. In the mist of discouragement and sadness he ponders the things which his <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">soul delights in</span> and <span style="background-color: #ffd966;">counts his blessings</span>. From verse 19 on he focuses on the things that the Lord has done for him that fills him with delight. This is known as Nephi's Psalm, a song or poem of worship or praise. Then in chapter 5 verse 1 it says he 'cried unto the Lord'. So if you could ask Nephi what to do when you feel like nothing's going right, when you're sick or your heart is broken. He would say, "I already wrote it down for you because God told me you would need it. You should read the scriptures, count your blessings and pray to the Lord who <b>knows how you</b> <b>feel</b>."<br />
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Steve's getting so close to opening the hot dog stand!<br />
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Jason's three week mark didn't present him ugly. He grows cuter by the day and he's starting to give us smiles more frequently. It's amazing how truly angelic they are, especially with their toothless grins.<br />
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I am enjoying the leftover lasagna that I'm eating for dinner. : )<br />
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If you haven't noticed, I've renoticed all the cool things you can do to your posts that are at the top of the page! So I'm enjoying using those, too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-19492995699421021312013-09-29T16:36:00.002-07:002013-09-30T09:58:13.179-07:00Inspiring ScripturesI hesitate calling this 'Inspiring Scriptures' instead of something more specific because, what if I post something else about scriptures that I can't get more specific than 'inspiring'? Oh well. : )<br />
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So I'm taking a Shakespeare class from the woman who taught my CC class last year. Her daughter loves Shakespeare so her mom's doing this class for free for specific friends this year. It has been awesome so far and we haven't even started a play! So far we've just been studying Shakespeare's life, his language and the time period he lived in. We start <u>Taming of the Shrew</u> in October. So in preparation for that we were given some assignments to study up on this week. One of them was to read the list of scriptures given on <span style="background-color: white;">Gender Roles/Marriage</span> and <span style="background-color: white;">Beauty </span>(we're studying Shakespeare with a <i>Christian</i> view). I was really inspired by what I read and I thought I'd share it. I'd really encourage you to look them up yourselves, but I'll just share the main point of each scripture.<br />
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<b>Gender Roles and Marriage</b><br />
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<li>Ephesians 5:22-33 ~ These scriptures tell wives to be submissive to their husbands and tell the husbands to love their wives as much as they love themselves. Make sure to look at the second footnote in verse 33 where it helps to replace reverence with respect.</li>
<li>Genesis 3:16 ~ This verse talks about a woman's role to have children.</li>
<li>Proverbs 31:10-31 ~ The first of these scriptures is the one that says "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." And the verses that follow describe what qualities a virtuous woman should have and what her duty is to her husband. In verse 30 it mentions beauty. These are really very beautiful scriptures and I would like to add something that I researched. I was curious about the value of rubies so I googled the worth of them compared to other jewels. <i>Rubies are more rare and of more worth than any other jewel.</i> Here's something I cut and pasted comparing rubies to diamonds. "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Thus, while a 1-carat ruby is worth twice as much as a 1-carat diamond, a 3-carat ruby of the first quality is worth ten times as much as a diamond of the same description, that is to say, that while a 3-carat brilliant of the first water would be valued at about $16,300, a ruby of the same description would be worth about $160,300. The value of a 5-carat." </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I thought that was quite fascinating and made me feel very special.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 Corinthians 7:4 ~ My interpretation of this was husband's and wive's responsibility for one another.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;"><b>Beauty</b></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">1 Peter 3:4 ~ It's the inside that counts.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">1 Samuel 16:7 ~ The world looks at the outside appearance, but the Lord look at the heart.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">I also learned something in Sunday School today that was very fascinating and moving. You might already </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">know this, but I've never heard it before. So by the end of the Book of Mormon the Nephites are all destroyed, but the Lamanites aren't. Yeah, the Lamanites are good at the end, but when you add all the years of iniquity that they both went through they seem to be equal. Well in<b> Jacob 2:35, 3:5-7</b> talk about how the Lamanites are not destroyed because they stay loyal to their wives and the Nephites don't. </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 16px;">Sometimes it may seem like women aren't talked about a lot in the scriptures, but if staying loyal to their wives or not is the big tip off for getting destroyed or not, I think just in those few verses it testifies very strongly how precious and important women and marriage is. So there's my inspiring thought for the day. : ) </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-79919838585884867562013-09-25T15:16:00.003-07:002013-09-25T15:16:45.268-07:00September Must HaveWell, things have been kind of chaotic in my house lately so I haven't had much spare time, but I new I had to post at least once in September. And I was doing so well in August (for me anyway) and I don't want to mess that up. So.<br />
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Little Jason may have tossed up our schedule, but I love him so much. He is so adorable and he NEVER cries. He fusses when he needs to eat, but that is literally all. We have been so blessed and I think it's cause Heavenly Father knew that our life was busy enough with our homeschool and church schedule and hard enough since we just moved (not just, but recently). I wish I could put into words how adorable he is...but I can't. : )<br />
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Seminary is going awesome. I think I even love it as much as I loved last year which makes me so happy because I was so worried that I would be disappointed after having such a good experience my first year. My ward is put together with the 0 period class that starts at 5:50. Even though I was really bummed that I only got 5 more minutes than last year I thought that I should attend seminary with my ward. So I went the first day and came back heartbroken. Because it was the 0 period class everyone was dressed for school except me and it was a class of something like 25 kids. It scared me. We called the person in charge and I switched classes that night. The rest of the stake meets at 6:50, divided by grade. So now I meet with all the sophomores in the stake and we add up to 15 kids. It's so much better and I totally love all the kids. There's actually more boys than girls which is a major first for me. In every single boy/girl group I have been in the girls always outnumbered the boys. Now there's 9 boys and 6 girls, so that's fun. My class is taught by an older couple and I just love them too. I love learning from them. I love the scriptures so much. It seriously breaks my heart if I miss a day because that means I've missed digging into a chapter in a way I haven't before. Seminary is really one of my favorite things. Without it, I don't think I'd be able to be happy after this move. It makes me happy.<br />
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I finished Driver's Ed!!! I passed the final test on Friday and the certificate was sent. So as soon as it comes I can go take the test at the DMV and get my permit! I'm getting excited (though I'm still terrified) though now I'm just nervous about passing the permit test. Wish me luck.<br />
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I have finished all the squares for my crocheted quilt and am now working on sewing them together. This has been such a project. I've been working on it for over a year! It will be so refreshing to work on something else when I'm done. <br />
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I've completed 4 of the 8 values in Personal Progress and will have completed another one as soon as I finish my quilt! This makes me really happy because I want to finish it and have time to get an Honor Bee (the reward for doing the extra mile requirements) before I leave YW.<br />
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I got a regular babysitting job that starts in October! The woman that teaches Anna and Gracie ballet has four beautiful blonde children and the two youngest need a babysitter during one of the weekly classes. They are the sweetest things and I'm so excited for this! I'll be babysitting them a couple hours a week and she said she hopes to work up to $10 an hour!<br />
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I think that's enough for now. Love you all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-45579233247311029792013-08-30T15:18:00.002-07:002013-08-30T15:18:58.892-07:00Getting Used to the Best of Both WorldsI moved with the intention of going back for all the dances and making sure to still see my friends regularly. Which is a little difficult because after spending a night with them it makes it really hard to come back home because I miss them so much. :( So I'm trying to get used to it so that I can see them without getting depressed again, because there is no way I'm going to stop seeing them.<div>
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I spent quite a bit of time with them last weekend with them. I got dropped off at a friend's house at six where we all met then drove to the dance. We were super early which is always kind of awkward at dances cause people don't start showing up till about an hour late anyway. But it was super fun being with them all again. And just fyi, I danced 5 out of the six slow songs. 4 out of the 5 were friends (which I prefer, it makes talking easier). And 3 out of the 5 asked <i>me</i> to dance, not the other way around. </div>
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Since we were getting back so late we decided that I could just stay the night at one of my friend's houses. It was very thoroughly talked out and contemplated before I was given the okay. Which was fine because we didn't even do anything. We got back after dropping everyone at home after midnight, washed our faces and went to bed. I would've totally gone to church with them, but Elder Perry was talking at our stake conference in Azusa so I couldn't exactly miss that. So I was driven straight to my stake building in Azusa to hear Elder Perry (which I will talk about later) then we all went back to Pasadena for the Girls Camp fireside.</div>
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Now, I hesitate to talk about this because I don't really want to tell you about it and I'm not going to be very positive, buuuuut, I'm pretty sure my mom emailed you all the What Makes You Beautiful video that the boys made for the girls in Pasadena. Well, someone decided that the girls should do a response video...and that it should be filmed at Girls Camp. Soooo, we filmed a video for the boys to a song none of us had ever heard before...at Girls Camp. This whole thing made me mad because the whole point of Girls Camp is that you don't have to impress anyone because it's just girls and the video completely ruined that. And the boys did not appreciate it at all. Except for literally one or two sweet guys all they did was laugh and point fingers. We showed it to them at the fireside, which is another reason I had to be there, cause everyone insisted. The video ended up not being that bad. I was hardly in it at all, which I was happy about, but it was nothing compared to the boys video. Their's is so much better. So there's that. And trust me, this was me being positive about it.</div>
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Onto being more positive. I am planning on meeting a friend at the mall sometime soon. It was gonna be tomorrow, but we had to reschedule so we'll see. And there's a stake dance in my new stake that I'm gonna invite my friends from Pasadena to! Since they got mad at me when they found out I had one they didn't invite me to. :) Haha. Love you all.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-74841707210211196852013-08-19T16:01:00.002-07:002013-08-19T16:01:57.445-07:00The Positive a midst My Tragedy So, on of my best friends I've ever had left for New York yesterday. :( So so sad. Buuuuuuuuut, I got to spend a good last day with her on Saturday. They were super busy with cleaning and packing and yard selling so I helped them and just hung out. We watched the last episodes of the fourth season (the last one we have). And we also watched 17 Again, which we both love. She loves Winnie the Pooh so I crocheted her a stuffed Pooh bear to look like the original A.A. Milne's one. I was a bit disappointed with how it turned out, but she loved it so that's okay. I'll miss her, but I won't lose touch. :)<br />
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I'm working on an online driver's ed course and though miserable, it is slowly progressing.<br />
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I finished my knitting Personal Progress goal! So now I can continue with my crocheted quilt, which I am STILL working on as soon as I can get the book from the library.<br />
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We went to Lizzie's this past week, which was super fun! We haven't seen them forever and I've missed them. Elle was actually pretty easy to get along with. Usually it's not very easy to get her to like you, but she totally loved us this time! We watched the old Freaky Friday, which was super funny. Lizzie made totally delicious food for us. We had gourmet pizza, crepes and peanut butter brownies. They were all wonderful.<br />
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Seminary starts on Monday! And though I'm nervous for reasons I don't want to focus on I'm glad it's starting soon.<br />
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I'm going to babysit the two most adorable little boys I've ever known, ages 1 and 4, in Pasadena tonight. I'm so excited!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-52825004426666240732013-08-08T18:28:00.001-07:002013-08-08T18:28:17.849-07:00The Good Happenings of the Past Two WeeksI changed my blog not quite a week ago, but didn't make an effort to actually post any optimism, which defeats the whole point of changing it. So, I'm going to start by looking at the bright side of the past two weeks and remembering the fun things I did. Hopefully I can remember most of them.<br />
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Well, on the 27th I got to go to a musical that one of the young men in my old ward was in. It was called the Tavern Keeper's Daughter. It was actually a really good play and he had a good part in it. I went with his mom and three of my friends from my old ward and aside from being with them it was fun to hear him sing in a play. He has a pretty beautiful voice.<br />
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Last week we had a fun mutual activity. We worked on Personal Progress and there was a contest to see who could wear the most P things. I didn't win, but I think I should have won most creative. I was the only one with a pumpkin pin. ;)<br />
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Our library has an amazing stock of movies so we've been educating ourselves by bringing home as many musicals a week as we can. We've watched lots of Fred Astaire ones and are starting on Howard Keele ones this week.<br />
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Mom set up a new chore schedule and we've actually been doing it and keeping the house clean! I really don't mind chores that much as long as we do them regularly because I love living in a clean house.<br />
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One of my best friends is moving to New York in less than to weeks. It's a major tragedy for me, I'm not really being optimistic about it. But I did get to go to her family going away party on Sunday and see her for the first time in a month since I was at my dad's. And then she came over the other day to watch Avonlea with me! When I found out she loved Little House and the Waltons I just had to introduce her to Avonlea and she absolutely loves it! We're on the fourth season right now. She is totally in love with Gus. :)<br />
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There are probably more, but this is all I can think of for now and I don't want to post pone actually posting this to think of some more. Ta ta!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-35805016769425252972013-06-06T14:17:00.002-07:002013-06-06T14:17:23.425-07:00Tiny Update<div style="text-align: center;">
I guess the reason I'm so scared to post is that I don't want to think too much and blogging requires thinking about my life and putting it all down. Thinking about your life and writing it down can be good, but right now...for me...it's not. Thinking breaks my heart and makes me go crazy. What works right now is distracting myself, making sure I don't have time to think. Unfortunately, those times still come, but oh well.</div>
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We've moved. Seminary's over. Attending church in Pasadena is over. I'm going to seminary graduation on Sunday, then I'm done going to that building. :( So so sad, but like I said, I can't think about it. If I do think it has to be about the book that my old YW leaders gave me, <i>Who Moved My Cheese</i>? It's an awesome book about change. It basically takes your whole life when you're dealing with change (thoughts, desires, actions) and writes it out at kindergarten level. It helps you understand, get in perspective and move on. I think it's a book everyone should have on their bookshelf. </div>
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I've unpacked some. I've got basically everything hung up. Mainly I need to work on my desk. We got it for free on Craigslist, so it need a lot of work. I need to sand it and clean out the drawers, then I'm going to paint it yellow. :) I thought I'd take a jump out of my comfort zone. Why not? Once I've got my desk I can organize my craft stuff and figure out what won't fit in the desk.</div>
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That's all for now.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-89277110696337578242013-05-10T17:29:00.004-07:002013-05-10T17:30:28.215-07:00Crazy, crazy, crazy<div style="text-align: center;">
Life is so crazy right now. It has been for a while, but especially right now.</div>
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So much of my stress if because of Mock Trial. What did I say about it before? Did I mention that I hate it? Well I do. We all do. We are very unprepared for Monday (which is when the trail it) and are in no way expecting to win. Probably not the best attitude, but we can not do anything better than that. I have the fewest things to do and I feel overwhelmed. I have to work on objections. I'm an attorney for defense so it is part of my job (as well as the other attorney's) to object to protect our witnesses. The thing is, they are so confusing. We have to remember what classifies as hearsay, ambiguity etc. and the actual name. All on the spot in the second that a question is asked when it is not supposed to be. Not easy for someone who doesn't like to argue unless she's really mad (me!!!). Mock Trial is so hard. If I was interested in it, it would be less hard. But considering I would never in my dizziest day dreams become anything that would have to regularly go to court, the complicated stuff that I'm supposed to know like the back of my hand goes right over my head. I can not adequately explain Mock Trial and all the agony it has caused me and my family (all I do is complain about it). Every single little detail in the case is important and it's just too much for me. </div>
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On top of that I was terrified of moving out of the ward. We've been looking for a place to move forever since there's no room for a baby where we live and there was less and less hope for finding a place in our ward. I couldn't imagine losing everything I do with all these people everyday. Seminary, mutual, Sunday School, activities, dances. It was my whole life. Then the nightmare actually happened and it was announced that we were moving to Azusa. We are moving to Azusa. I cried all weekend. I hung by a thread all weekend, barely keeping from crying unless I was already crying. It wasn't only my ward friends being taken away from me. I was already losing my friends from CC. One girl's moving (most likely to New York), two people are going to public school. I'm going to a Shakespeare class with one girl next year, taught by her mom, who taught my CC class this year, but other than that, I'm losing everybody. And my church friends on top of it.</div>
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So now, everyday I have to think about how I'll be leaving and how much my life will change. Not to mention packing! Oh my goodness. We have so much to do and only one week left to pack. So stressful. Such a load on your shoulders when you have to pack.</div>
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And seminary. I still love it. But it's getting harder to get up everyday and I feel like I never get enough sleep. And I want to get the Stake President's award, which has extra requirements for going to extra mile in seminary. So I have to work on that. I have one scripture mastery left. :) And I'm so scared about seminary next year. I'm so scared I'm going to be disappointed. Guess what time it's at? We thought we'd get away with something later, but no, we got five extra minutes. 5:50.</div>
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My only comfort is the scriptures. It's strange, because I don't know why. They've never been like that for me before. I guess it just provides the comfort and reassurance that I need, while distracting me so I don't have to think about why I need that comfort. Because if I think too hard about my life, all I can do is cry. </div>
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And I haven't read a book since Christmas. That is the saddest thing I've ever heard. Sigh. I hate to end on this note, but I've got nothing else to say. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-1410860788504436142013-03-07T15:12:00.000-08:002013-03-07T15:12:20.969-08:00What I should have posted before now:<div style="text-align: center;">
I swear I started a post the other day but I can't find it. Oh well. I'm not exactly sure what to say first, though</div>
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First of all, I actually did make a goal for this year. It wasn't before New Year's but at least I made it a while before now. I really need to work on Personal Progress and I'm not going to make one of those 'Do better in Personal Progress' or 'Always be working on some Personal Progress goal.' I made a specific goal to finish Knowledge and Choice and Accountability (both of which, I've basically just started, so that leaves about 6 goals each, plus the projects). At least! Meaning, finish them as fast as I can in case I can finish more before the year is over. If I find it hard to do Personal Progress I can't imagine what it's like for public school kids. I am always in awe at what they do.</div>
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I do have my own school problems, though. Well, I guess not problems, just not what I'm used to. What we learn is sooo different from anything I've ever done before and even more different from what they do in public schools. We are not doing history or memorizing facts (though, with the Classic method of homeschooling, memorizing is all they do for elementary school age). Whether we remember what we're learning or use it in our lives or not, we are strengthening our minds. We are doing Logic, which is just another form of math as far as how confusing it is. I can't even explain it, but it greatly puzzles us all. It'd actually be kind of funny if we could watch ourselves, being confused together and all having the same exact expression on our faces, huh? Mock Trial is also very thought provoking. It involves original ideas, writing, logic, acting skills and memory skills, though we haven't used the acting skills yet. If I wasn't convinced against being a lawyer before, I so am now. I have no wish to deal with all of those rules and objections. Mock Trial isn't my favorite. I would say I hate it and I can't understand it, but this past week we brought in our opening statements (which is basically an introductory talk about the case overall. You're supposed to use persuading writing skills to make the defendant sound like the sweetest, most innocent person in the world (defense) or like a horrible criminal, with undeniable faults (prosecution). All with the same information.) and everybody flipped out at how great mine were, including the teacher. I was flattered, though I think their praise was exaggerated.</div>
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Anyway, I wanted to write more, but I have to do chores and such. But this is better than nothing, right?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-30542667997566808932013-02-18T15:30:00.001-08:002013-02-18T15:30:48.694-08:00Way, way overdue<div style="text-align: center;">
At New Year's I realized that my last post was about Halloween and thought, "I should probably post." But did I post? Clearly not.</div>
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I could say things have been crazy. Sometimes they have been. December was...well December. It was Christmas. I basically focused on Christmas, what can I say? In January I had a couple dances that were fun. Well, the New Year's Eve dance was pretty sad. Not very many people, the really awkward songs that aren't really fast songs, but aren't really slow songs. There was a thing they called a Multi-Stake Youth Activity which was basically an EFY Express. There were a couple speakers, an In-N-Out truck and a dance. I was super excited about the In-N-Out truck, but it was outside when it was freezing (probably 40s or 50s) and there was a line of a hundred kids or more. They had us go in a certain order and I felt so bad for the priests because they had to go very last. The whole thing kind of ruined my burger. The dance was super fun, much better than the one before. Many more of us and much better music.</div>
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So, for school now I do this Classical Conversations thing. We call it C.C. It's a Christian homeschool group that meets once a week from 8:30 to about 3. We do Math, Logic (Symbolic Logic, to be specific), English (we're reading and writing short stories), Latin (I don't really do it. I don't know it!), and Science (right now we're reading a book called Defeating Darwinism). I love it. Everyone is divided into levels and we are together with the same teacher all day. The kids are awesome. I felt welcome and loved from the first day. There are only five other kids (three girls and two boys) in my class and they are all super sweet. The school work is working out pretty well. They started over with everything for the new semester, except Latin, of course, which is where I struggle. I can't do anything. We finally decided to get me a <i>Latin for</i> <i>Dummies</i> book when I got sick. <br />
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I got chickenpox. Yep, chickenpox. It was awful, to say the least. Mom had a flashback to when I would have gotten the shot for it. It wasn't required and my dad wasn't a P.A. so he didn't have strong feelings about it, yet. So, I didn't get it. What we can't figure out is how we went all these years thinking I'd gotten it. Through elementary school and lots of shots and checkups since then. Oh well.<br />
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Mom says that if she wasn't sure about immunizations before, she is now. I can't even describe it. I first got sick with a headache and a few blisters last Saturday, but I didn't make the connection with the blisters. I didn't get any sleep that night so I stayed home from church and was totally sick with a fever by the time they got home. We didn't figure out it was chickenpox until Monday. But there was not doubt. I was so achy from the fever I couldn't move. My head hurt so bad I couldn't open my eyes. I had blisters all over my back, chest, stomach, face, neck and eventually my legs, too. After a couple days my fever was gone and my main problem was the rash. It hurt, itched and was even in my throat. I could hardly eat anything and it had to be cold. I had two priesthood blessings total. One, when I was barely moving, and one in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep because of the rash. I didn't think I was going to make it. I honestly could not believe that I could ever get better and was afraid I was going to be like that the rest of my life. I basically just watched TV all day for days and wouldn't let myself think because if I left time to think I either wanted to cry to scratch my skin off. Plus, I felt like I was missing a lot of things. I missed a Scripture Mastery Fair, where a bunch of seminary classes played scripture mastery games. And there was a C.C. dance that I was super excited about. It was two nights. The first night they taught us some dance moves (which ended up being the side to side slow dance step we always do at Stake dances and a few more simple steps). The second night was a three hour dance where we had to dress up and switch partners all night. There were going to be pictures and the parents were invited for the last half hour. I missed the second night. So, I was pretty depressed this past week. If I wanted to, I could write a really moving story about it all, but I'm just not in the mood. Now, I'm basically better. My legs hurt if I do too much and I get tired easily. Mainly, I'm just covered head to toe in scabs. I told my dad that I was not going to C.C. today (I guess they don't take Presidents day off) because of it, even if I was worried about catching up. Luckily, my class was cancelled because the teacher was feeling good. I told my dad and he said, "This happened after I prayed that you'd be able to go to school. Prayers are answered in mysterious ways." I guess so. He prayed that I'd be able to go to school and instead it was cancelled so I didn't have to go. :)<br />
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I'm excited to get on with my life. Hopefully I'll go to seminary in a few days.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-61781802420100008502012-11-06T17:24:00.000-08:002012-11-06T17:24:40.191-08:00HalloweenI suppose I should post about Halloween. I will try not to take too much time to do it, but my last post ended up being much longer than I had planned, so...<br />
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Halloween made it feel really official that I've been here for over a year. That's a long time for what we did before that. We'd move and start talking about moving again a few months later. Last year I went trick-or-treating with the YW and YM in our ward. It was so fun. Who says teenagers are too old to trick-or-treat if we're willing to dress up? So, we went again this year, but the YM didn't join us until we went to the biggest street for Halloween. All the houses are decorated amazingly. Some houses had over a hundred pumpkins in their yard. They block it off from traffic and it is just packed with trick-or-treaters. We didn't actually trick-or-treat on that street. We didn't even look at the houses much. We just walked down, lost a couple people, then went home because we were so tired and it was so crowded. I dressed up as Laura from Little House, when she is older. I had the outfit from trek and I thought that I'd want to be Laura sometime since I love her so much so I was Laura. We put my hair up and I wore some really pretty, but natural looking make-up. I actually really looked like her, though no one recognized me, of course. I told the YW who I was and they started calling me 'Little House'. It drove me crazy. I was like, hey, there are so many names you could call me that would be correct, like Half-pint, Beth, Laura, Miss Wilder, even Brown Eyes (which is only used in one episode. Anyone remember which one?). But they just kept calling me 'Little House'. :) I came home with a boat load of candy. Like, a 4th of a pillowcase full. Two full snickers bars. Yum. Anna and Gracie didn't have very much, for some reason, so I shared mine, and Mom made us throw it away the next day...or the day after. Don't remember. Really sad. She said she just can't have the temptation, which, being me, I don't understand. I have amazing self control (I'm not being sarcastic, only exaggerating ;). <br />
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The Saturday before Halloween we had a trunk-or-treat and a dance right after. So we just left from the trunk-or-treat together. Sadly, we got there about an hour late and I'm not going into details why because I'm still not even sure why. It was a dress up dance and instead of wearing my trek clothes, Mom thought I should wear one of her old prom dresses. So, I wore the one with a black top and white bottom. I loved it, but I was so excited to dress up in my collar and mid-calf length skirt Laura costume for Halloween. Much more comfortable. The dance had the normal songs and dances, but it also had some square dances, like on trek. It was fun, but not as fun as trek. I mean, what did I expect? You really can't beat that trek dance. It was amazing. And it just didn't feel right doing those dances in a gym. <br />
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Overall, Halloween was fun. And I'm so glad that I got to spend it with everyone from church. I love them. :) So grateful for them. So, now it's basically the Holiday season. I'm not feeling it. It never really felt like Christmas last year. Seriously, it's a hard transition going from Idaho Christmas's to California Christmas's. Especially since we'll be in Utah every other year, which makes it hard to get used to something new when you only do it every other year. Oh well. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-23408444692671981802012-10-29T20:02:00.001-07:002012-10-29T20:02:40.576-07:00Crocheting Dilemma<div style="text-align: center;">
First, of all, thank you for the cooking stories, except-two people? Only two people commented and left stories. Seriously, what happened to all of you? I am certain that there are many more awesome/horrible cooking stories out there.</div>
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So, this past Thursday I went to a baby shower. That baby shower caused me so much frustration and grief, and I'm sure that the person the baby shower was for would be very upset if she knew that. I've mentioned her before. She's Kip's wife and they have an adorable almost 3 year old girl that I babysit all the time. They live super close so all I have to do is walk on over there to babysit. And she used to be a YW leader, but she got released because she's moving soon. :( Which I am really sad about. So, because I've spent so much time with her and love her so much I really wanted to crochet her something special. Oh, and she's having twin boys so that meant I had to make two of whatever it was I was going to make. I started probably three weeks before the shower, by googling 'baby boy crochet projects' just to get some ideas. I found an adorable picture of brown booties with a white stripe and a little football. But it was on pintrest and since I don't do pintrest I couldn't look at the pattern. So, then I decided to google 'baby boy booties' and finally found a website that just had links to a ton of different patterns online. There were some really adorable ones, but my favorite ones were some little sneakers. So, I printed off the pattern and started figuring it out. It didn't take long before I realized something was wrong. Some parts were way to big and it got to the point where I seriously did not know what to do. I ended up undoing it and redoing it, I think, three times, trying to get it right, before I gave up. I have a book that has patterns that have always worked out and it had a pattern for some high top booties. They looked adorable, so even though I wanted something a little more creative I thought that at this point I couldn't really be picky. So, I hurriedly made the first booty, assuming that it would work out because this book had been great so far. Somehow, the ankle turned out a little smaller than my fist. That was not going to work. I'm pretty sure that this was the Sunday or Monday before the shower. Mom told me that she got some burp rags with a crocheted edge as a baby shower gift and that she always loved them. So, on Tuesday at WISH I talked to someone in my ward who crochets (she actually teaches a crocheting class) about how to crochet on fabric. She researched it, sent me a link on how to do it, and gave me some fabric that she had on hand. I spent my time alone while Mom was at dance with Anna and Gracie, looking it up, finding a pattern for burp rags and cutting the fabric. To do it, you basically just poke a hole in the fabric with your hook. It does work, but it is hard and gets more and more frustrating with each hole. I couldn't actually start until the next afternoon after my sewing lesson because I needed to serge the edge and my sewing machine was at my sewing lesson. So, I had to poke holes into the fabric for each individual stitch with a dull metal hook and my already barely big enough burp rags became kind of small. The holes were uneven and the thick yarn I used for the edge just seemed bulky. I hated them, the project of making them and the entire situation by the end of it, but Mom said the were cute and the woman a gave them to liked them and the color. I finished them about 15 minutes before we needed to leave for the baby shower. The whole thing was a nightmare and as it went on it just got worse because the shower was getting closer and I was getting so frustrated. The woman from my ward who sent me the link helped me the best she could the whole way. She didn't have a good booty pattern either and tried to find one for me and she was really very supportive the whole time. She's going to help me crochet an afgahn for a Personal Progress project. I'm excited. :)</div>
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After this whole thing I thought that I really needed a book full of patterns for things for babies. Today I went to Micheal's and found an entire section dedicated to crocheting books and half of it was dedicated to crocheting for babies. I was so excited and looked through almost all of them individually and a couple more than once. I didn't look at them as long as I would have liked to, though because I was there with a friend that only came with me because we finished book club early (another subject). There was one book that was awesome. It had tons of stuff, except it was mostly sweaters and vests and only had three pairs of booties and three blankets, which is probably what I would crochet most. There was another little book that had 9 pairs of booties that were all completely different and adorable. I really want that and the other book, but both of them would be about $30 and you can't use coupons on books. I'll have to figure that out. But I want them so bad and am getting so excited that I can't think about anything else! It's such a dilemma. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8657238015525287481.post-31053732949416146032012-10-20T18:10:00.002-07:002012-10-20T18:10:50.788-07:00A Few Things<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, I'm not sure what I'm going to blog about. I had a bunch of random things going through my mind a while back, but of course now I can't remember them.</div>
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I went to a mutual activity that was all about Personal Progress and I'm going to start a project as soon as I can. I'm going to crochet a square quilt with the value colors for my bed. Right now I'm focusing on making two pairs of baby booties for a baby shower for some twins. I'm really frustrated with booties. I can't seem to get a pattern that works. I had to alter a pair I made recently to make them smaller. I thought it was because the hook I used was too big, but the hook I'm using now is the right size and it still seems a little big. I just need a book full of good patterns for babies. I have already made so many things for baby showers that I could really use one.</div>
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I had an idea for story and wondered if I could ask you all for some help. I can't say much about the story because I don't really have much of a plan, but I need some cooking stories. Some great and funny stories about messing up or burning the food of yourself or serving food that was messed up and you didn't realize it. And details about the circumstances and who you were serving the food to would be great, too. If you could email me I would be so so happy about it! I need to start writing more and so I'm jumping at this idea I got when I was sweeping the floor the other day. :)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3