Christmas Time 2009!

I think Christmas is pretty much everyone's favorite holiday. I used to want to meet someone who had a different favorite holiday, like Halloween or Easter, just for the sake of some variety. But over the years I have come to realize that there is a reason that Christmas is the favorite holiday. Once you get past the excitement of gifts and good food, you see that there is more to Christmas than any other holiday. It is a time that families come together to celebrate a greater cause than any other, the birth of our Savior. You to spend time together and enjoy each other's company, which as you get older and move away from home, this time becomes precious because it is rare. I think another large part of the joy of Christmas is celebrating someone else's life, someone else's perfection, someone else's impact your own life and the lives of others. Another huge part is that Christmas is a big deal. People all over the world celebrate Christmas. Most people don't have to work, go to school, or do anything they don't want to. It is a widely observed holiday that has been celebrated for centuries. These elements help make this time of year have a certain spirit about it that cannot be replicated. The Christmas carols, decorations, stories, and treats all contribute. It is all very special and it is these extra things that make Christmas everyone's favorite holiday, including mine. And this year's Christmas has been absolutely fabulous for all the above reasons!

Home Sweet Home

So I am home now and Abby came home with me. It has been so much fun so far! We have had a GNI (Girl's Night In) and I have shown her around Monroe. It was weird going around Monroe and showing her all the places that I used to go all the time, but haven't been there for so long. And it just made me realize what a good childhood I had and as much as I hated growing up here, I actually love it here because it is my home. And I want to be able to come home to it. I also just love my little sisters! They are all so fun! And so cute! We just have such good times and I am so glad they are related to me and not going anywhere! :) It is always great to come home and remember where you come from and spend time with people who love you and will always be there for you. Family time is just the best!

Summer Coming to an End

I can not believe the summer is almost over! It seriously feels like it just started but it also feels like so much has happened! And that is probably because a lot has happened! It has been such a good summer! I have loved so many things about it! Also I have grown so much spiritually and learned so much about myself. I feel like the times that you do completely random, different things you have experiences that make you grow in areas that you didn't even know you could grow. And to change in ways you never knew you wanted to change. These adventures are what make you who you are. And make you different from everyone else. No one person will ever experience the exact same things you will. Life is just great like that. But it is awesome because you do usually have friends that experience things with you and the ones that experience these things with you are the ones that know you the best. That is how they become your best friend because not only do they understand you, they understand why you are the way you are. And this summer those friends have been Jon and Abby. They have been there for it all. And it has been amazing. Here are some of my favorite pictures that will give just a small glance at our summer.

Update of My Life

Well I just finished another semester at BYU.  People always told me that college went fast.  And now I know first hand that it does! I just can't believe that a whole semester has  gone by again. And now I have gone home, seen my family for about 5 days, and am off to Disney World for a Summer Internship.  And I must say it was one of my hardest decisions yet to come here and leave my family for most of the summer.  But after a few days, I realize that it was a good choice.  And I am going to be happy here.  I have made friends and I am excited about my job here.  I am doing quick food and beverage service in the West Stands of the Magic Kingdom.  I think I will really enjoy it.  Also I think if anything this experience will just give me more experience in the working world.  I mean it is a long time to work and there will be hard days, but I will have to keep working.  Also already it is so different from BYU and I think it will also help me to realize how lucky I am for being able to go to BYU. I mean I always loved it but now this will just make me love it more!  And appreciate it more.  Anyways but we went to a dance the second night we got here and here are a few pictures :)

Love at Home

I love coming home.  Especially after being gone for so long; time makes everything sweeter. All the smells, the pictures around the house, and the family phrases that I used to think were normal and everyday things I now treasure and love to be around. I love just being around my family.  I love to hear them all say the little things that they always have said. I never realized how much I loved those little things until I didn't hear them everyday.  It is also hard to realize that they have new parts of their life that I don't know about. Maybe it is self-centered but I hate to know that their lives go on without me here.  It is so hard to know that they are growing and learning without me here to witness it all.  But it is okay, they are all growing up to be such wonderful people.  For family home evening we had a testimony meeting.  It was so great to hear the testimonies of each of my siblings.  It just made me realize how blessed I am to be raised in the gospel with a family that is so amazing and strong.  I am so thankful that families can be together forever.  I just love it all so much! I especially love coming home because all the love felt in our home rejuvenates me and makes me prepared to go back out on my own again.  I love how every time I come home I grow and become a better person just from the examples of my younger siblings.  I learn something new from each one of them. My parents have done such a good job! I love coming home for all the fun games that we play.  I love coming home for all the fun activities we do as a family.  I love coming home for the relaxation time we have.  Basically I just love coming home!

Bitter-Sweet

So I just hate bitter-sweet things.  I am about to go home which I am super excited about it!  I cannot wait to see my family and just be home with no worries!  Plus some of my cousins are coming into town which just makes it even better!  All of this is way sweet!  But then there is the bitter part.  Why does there always have to be a bitter part?  So while I am at home I am missing so many great things! For example, our stake ice skating activity, Mr. BYU competition, and the Utah vs. BYU game!  All these things are going to be awesome and I am greatly missing out!  It seems like this always happens in life.  I guess it is just important that you always make the decision so that the sweet outweighs the bitter.  Which in this case the sweet does outweigh the bitter, but it sure doesn't make the bitter any sweeter! 

Now the Second Best Movie Ever!

Is that perfect? haha

The Best Movie Ever!

So this movie just makes me so happy to watch!

Isn't she the best??

Perspective

I was just thinking about how time can change things.  It is so weird to look back even a month ago and think about the people that I hung out with, crushed on, and cared most about.  My life has changed so much in such a short time.  It just really got me thinking about how people just come and go and same with joys and hardships.  One year at EFY I went to this class on perspective.  In the class the teacher started out by talking about how old we are in the Lord's time and then the same for President Hinckley.  And we figured out that President Hinckley was only a little bit older than 2 hours.  Then he explained that if we think of our hard times and trials on this time table it will be so much easier to bear.  We can realize that they will all be over soon and just be a small part of our past.  He also told us that we signed up for these trials.  And we looked at them and thought that we could definitely handle them because it was short time.  For example those who have terrible accidents or mental disabilities all looked at the Lord and said sure I can handle that, I mean it will only be a few hours.  And most of us don't have trials that long or that devastating.  This idea really hit me hard.  It made me realize that our trials really are "only but a short time".  If we look at everything this way it makes life so much easier and enjoyable.  And also just treasure time so much more.  I mean time comes and goes so fast!  We just really need to make sure we are treasuring all our time here and love life more!  It is so wonderful! 

The Beatles

I just thought I would do a quick post to portray my love for the Beatles.  They are my absolute favorite music to listen too!  Everyone has some music that takes them to their happy place, and mine is the Beatles. Anytime I just need a little lift I crank up the Beatles and I am already happy! It is wonderful!  If you don't have some music that does that for you I highly recommend looking into it!