Semi-annual guidance

I remember growing up and ignoring the fact that General Conference was on, especially when it was a Saturday. I mean, c'mon, it was Saturday! It was my free day! I was supposed to sleep in and play all day long, not watch 4 hours of church!

Even Sunday was rough for me. Extra church than I was used to? That didn't fly with me.

Once I went to college, I started enjoying conference. Maybe it was the excitement from my friends that rubbed off on me, or maybe it was the chance I had to go sit in the conference center in salt lake that really got me interested in it. Whatever it was, I was hooked. Through 4 years of college, I had gone to at least one session every 6 months. I only missed watching a session a few times because I was working softball.

I have found the importance of listening to the words of our prophet on a regular basis and I have learned to love it.

In the last two years, I have been present for great and wonderful announcements that have brought me to tears (and no, I don't think I was just overly emotional at the time those announcements were made).

Last year's October session announced the rebuilding of my beloved Provo tabernacle not only to its grand state, but to also convert it into a second temple in the city.

This year announced a temple in Tucson, which was overridden by the announcement that young men are eligible for church service at the age of 18, and young women at the age of 19 (previous ages were 19 and 21, respectively). This news is huge. My first thought had to do with the fact that I'm not ready for my baby brother to leave for 2 years (a bit selfish, I know) and after that, I was a mess. A crying mess.
As I thought about it more, I began to realize the repercussions of this announcement: I and my brother could go through the temple and receive our temple endowments at the same time (girls who have not served a mission and are not married are encouraged to wait until they are 25). I will be 25 in 2 weeks.

I had always thought that I would go through prior to my wedding, with my fiancé. It never even crossed my mind that I would have the opportunity to do so with my brother.

And now, a new announcement: my youngest sister will also be serving a mission a year earlier than planned because of the change. By June, we could have 3 of the 4 kids going through the temple.

It was an answer to a prayer, not only for my siblings, but also for me. I had been wondering what my next step in life would be, where I should be headed. Now I know that I should be preparing myself to go through the temple, to make those sacred covenants and to receive important blessings that will help guide me for the rest of my life.

Oh what joy and peace comes from being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you want to learn more, go to lds.org or Mormon.org and feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

unnatural obsession

it's true, i have a habit of obsessing over unattainable men.
the latest object of my affection is this man:

matt bomer

you may recognize him as neal caffrey from USA's 'white collar'. or, if you watch glee, he just recently portrayed blaine anderson's older brother, cooper.

how obsessed am i? well, let's just say i watched all 3 seasons of white collar in a week and a half. and i'm pretty sure i've watched this video of darren and him singing a mash up of duran duran songs more than just once.

 this combo was probably the best decision the producers and director could've have made for the show. in the words of kurt, "you're both so talented and good looking." (so true!)

doesn't matter that he's 10 years my senior, or that he and his partner Simon have 3 boys together.

i ignore all that in the face of a chiseled jawline, that wavy slicked back hair that i just want to run my fingers through, and a voice like satin. oh and those eyes? gorgeous. not to mention, he looks dang hot in whatever outfit they place him in on his show: fitted suit? PERFECTION. naval whites? I'M DYING. a tuxedo? okay, can someone turn up the a/c?? oh and those scenes when he's shirtless....pretty sure i've died and gone to heaven.

too much? be thankful you're not my mother, who has to hear about my obsession nearly every day. (i'm trying to convince her that watching the first three seasons of white collar is a good idea, and NOT a waste of time)

he is quite literally perfection. don't believe me? just google image him. you'll get what i mean soon enough.

excuse me, i'm going to go salivate over him some more...

remember that scene in stardust, when tristan is a mouse, and yvaine has the sudden realization (outloud) that she is actually in love with tristan?



this still stands as one of my favorite scenes from the movie (besides when tristan tells her he loves her too--what can i say? i'm a huge sap) because a lot of it is true. but i never really realized it until now.
i didn't understand how you can go from, well, loathing isn't the right word in this situation, being irritated with some of the things a person does, to not even noticing them anymore, or, even better, embracing them as part of a person that seems to be a good match for you.

it's true when people say that the little things don't matter. a person's flaws can be overlooked, and the things that really get under your skin don't matter anymore once you start looking at them the way Heavenly Father created them. when you open your heart and your mind to new possibilities, and allow yourself to overcome the "natural man" and judge prematurely, you come to find out that you enjoy someone else's presence far more than you did, or that you thought you would, and you would rather have that person in your life, weird quirks and all, than to never have them there at all.

Elder Holland stated in one of his books that "true love blooms when we care more about another person than we care about ourselves...it ought to be more evident in the kindness we show, the respect we give, and the selflessness and courtesy we employ in our personal relationships"

I guess i'm finally growing up, if i'm able to understand what people have been telling me for years.

there may be people that drive us crazy, people that you don't think really "get" you, or people you think you could never understand or be friends with because they're so "different" from you, but i can testify that if you just let all those inhibitions and judgments and preconceived notions go, that you'll start to see people in a different light, in a better light, and you'll start to appreciate the people you have around you, because they're there for a reason.

an epic weekend

normally my weekends are pretty uneventful, filled with nothingness, chores, or watching movies/hanging out at friends' houses.
this weekend was not normal, not by any means.
and to follow my weeklong California vacation, i was looking forward to it (it's always nice to come back from vacation with a lot of fun things to look forward to)
my weekend started on Thursday, when Mother Earth decide to grace us with really warm weather. like, warm enough that i pulled out my sundress and sandals to wear to work. when i got home from work, i had planned to get some things done around the house, but the warm weather was just too much to ignore. so instead i took Trax over to the new City Creek Center downtown for it's grand opening, despite the risk of running into a massive crowd.

it actually wasn't too crowded, since the work/school crowd hadn't quite gotten there yet. the place is GORGEOUS. plus there are a lot of great stores, and i purchased some really fantastic wedges there :)

after the crowds showed up, i headed home to eat my dinner of chik-fil-a (welcome to downtown!) and then headed off to institute.

after institute, i had some time to kill before the midnight showing of HUNGER GAMES! this film has been a long time coming, and it did NOT disappoint. there were some things i felt should've been there, but overall, i think the filmmakers did a great job (shout out to Aldric Porter, who co-produced the film!)

of course, getting to bed at 3 AM did not bode well for my ability to wake up the next morning, but i thought it would be worth it :)

until i actually did wake up the next morning and realized i would be 2 hours late to work....oops!

no matter, i had some extra time off, so i used that, and only worked for 6 hours. nice!

that night we had a ward night at the jazz game, which, despite being at the very top of the arena, turned out to be a success.

another late night though, turned even later, when scott and i stood outside my apartment and talked for another hour after the game ended, ha.

leading into an early morning, as whitney and i needed to be in Sandy at 9:30 to get in line for tickets to that night's Real Salt Lake game versus Chivas. it was worth it though, when we found our seats that night behind the north goal. even though they lost, and whitney and i walked down state street to the car instead of dealing with more crowds, it was still a fun night. i love soccer games :) and can't wait for more this season.

tron and i also battled the crowds (again) at city creek (don't worry, i refrained from purchasing anything) and then scott and i played catch for a bit before i took off for the soccer game and he went to a hockey game.

sunday brought a really good set of meetings, mingle, nap and then a fireside with elder ballard.

all in all, it was a pretty successful weekend, and it gives me high hopes for spring/summer (spring is still evading us, what with a 20 degree drop in temperature last night/today and rain all day today)

lots to look forward to in this city :)

2012

this will be a quick post seeing as it's late and it's been a long first day of twenty-dozen.
i'll recap last year's resolutions, recap my break and do a much overdue update on my life later.
until then, here are the things i want to work on this new (possibly last?) year:

take risks

seize opportunities

be happy

smile through the tears and the hard times

{post-edit: i'm also going to stop being the "best friend"}

i love...

hugs!

no really, i do.

and i realized that the people i hang out with on a regular basis don't hug.

at least, not often.

some have their reasons: they have very large personal bubbles. and that's okay.

i won't intrude on that bubble. but if they wanted to let loose a bit, i'd be happy to give them a hug

(and i've been told i give pretty good hugs)

i feel like as people get more comfortable with one another, there's less of a need to hug.

like, they already know that they like each other, and that they're friends, so why show it?

the people i spent the weekend with ended up becoming comfortable with each other, so by the end of the weekend, when we all parted ways, we hugged. awesome.

there is something so personal in hugging. the closeness. the ability to smell the other person (i'm BIG on how people smell. memory association thing, or whatever)

i remember when i came to visit last summer, people i've been friends with forever hugged me when they first saw me (granted, it had been about 6 months since i'd last seen them all) and it was SO GREAT.

and not to call him out or anything, but that same weekend, i met nate and after only spending a couple hours together, when we were reunited after dinner (which we were both at), he was the only one to come over and give me a big hug. such a great feeling.

i miss that. miss hugs from people i love.

so if you see me in the next couple days, give me a hug

it'll make my day, and probably yours too

hugs = happiness :)

weeeeekend!

but first:

i hate when i check the weather on my phone (i have provo and TO saved as faves) and i get excited when i see a big ol' 82 degrees listed for the day, thinking, no way, it can't be that warm in provo, and then realizing that the last time i checked weather, i left it on Thousand Oaks, and then i get all sad, remembering that i'm in the frozen tundra once again, not the warm oasis i once was.

i'm REALLY excited for this weekend. like, REALLY.

basketball game right after work (i'm leaving early, ha)

then writing my talk (yay and boo)

GIRLS NIGHT. love.

soccer game tomorrow morning.

writing my talk more.

picking up tickets.

CINDERELLA with my best friends. (loooove the ballet)

church sunday/giving my talk

despite the fact that i have to miss lindsay's missionary farewell, i'm excited about speaking.

i haven't given a talk in this ward, not even when i lived here before, so it'll be a new experience.

and, i kind of like giving talks. i usually write pretty good ones (so i've been told) so i enjoy getting positive feedback from people :)

but really, can it be tonight already???

Groundhog Day

February is already starting out GREAT. (although it's only the second day, so I guess I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch...)
Last night was a success: pulled pork dinner pre-institute (which i didn't end up going to: institute, not the pork dinner), Just Dance 2 (always a good time, even if it's just for a short while), boys basketball game (which they DOMINATED, and lost a player to ejection...now THAT'S my kind of game), talking and laughing at sunshine (typical), freezing in the 2 degree weather, and the subsequently going to the malt shoppe for ice cream. 7 of us crammed in corb's explorer: corbin and brittany in front, anna and kenady in the middle, nate caitlin and i cuddling in the back. good conversations and lack of awkwardness always makes things better, as well. :)
and tonight is just going to get better: birthday shopping for bryce-man. institute (i'm really going tonight...) water polo game, dodgeball game. and somewhere in between all of that: crepes. and possibly watching groundhog day.
and i found out i'm getting a "promotion" of sorts: i'll get off orders desk and start searching, which means a pay upgrade which i'm in need of. and i won't be the middle man for EVERYTHING finally. that was the biggest headache ever. and we're also talking about getting health insurance, YAY! now i can go out and play and not worry (too much, at least) about getting hurt.
Things are looking up :)

{post-edit: i didn't end up making it to institute, crepes took priority at 6:30. don't worry, everyone gave me crap for it. i felt bad enough as it was. luckily they're all good sports. and luckily i'm not letting myself get offended or down on myself too much these days}

happiness is...

eating sushi with relief society ladies {especially after craving it for 2 YEARS}

grabbing coldstone after sushi and enjoying it in gorgeous warm night weather

listening to a horrendous reggae band outside while talking to a good friend about life

reminiscing on happy good memories

watching so you think you can dance

warm weather

getting off work early and spending the rest of the day laying out by the pool

red hair

reading

being tan

having plans for a weekend and being excited about them

cafe rio sweet pork burrito

planning utah trips

being single and uninhibited (a happiness for now, not forever {i hope})

Happiness is...

So I found this great cute idea on a random blog that popped up on my google reader today. The rockstar diaries chronicle the lives of this cute young mormon couple now living in DC after meeting in NYC. Taza is adorable and chic and her husband matches her perfectly. Readers email her their lists of what makes them terribly happy. I thought I would follow suit, but rather than email a complete stranger, I thought I would use that idea to update my blog.

So, here goes:

1. balmy summer nights
2. longboarding to 7-11 for slurpees at 3 am
3. holding hands
4. falling asleep in someone's arms
5. east coast thunderstorms
6. music
7. a good concert
8. drives that go no where
9. laughing
10. dancing

I'm pretty sure there are many more things I could list, but maybe I'll do that once a week, as I think of new things and find joy in the mediocrity of life :)

happiness is...

• having friends that will bring you costa vida while you're at work. who will go snowboarding with you when you call them to go. who will go out of their way to make you happy.
• enjoying your job and looking forward to the nights you get to work, even if it is a 5 hour shift of jr. jazz high school boys' basketball.
• enjoying school and class and having meaningful and fun conversations through them, namely passing notes during pl sc 170.
• having someone on the outside who knows about a previous situation but still makes you feel better about what happened and reassures you that what you said and did was justified.
• listening to good music that makes you feel happy.
• coming home from a long day at school and work, and finding you have 10 new emails, 4 new comments on facebook, one friend request, one message...
• being tired but still being happy about the things that have occurred in life in the recent weeks.
• being grateful for the things that God has blessed you with and seeing His hand in your life.
• feeling like everything is going wonderfully and wondering how you could've ever been depressed or upset about anything.

today (and yesterday, and the past few days for that matter) was fantastic. i didn't do a lot, and i was worried about making it to work on time, but everything worked out. yesterday was snowboarding again. i was by myself for most of the day while matt was in class, but we met up afterwards and his eagerness to do whatever was so infectious. it's funny, but he's always so tired and kind of blah when i pick him up to go, but as soon as we've finished a few runs, he's jazzed and psyched for the rest of the day. it's contagious and rubs off on me. his happiness reflects on me and makes me feel so much better. random hugs from him make me feel good too and puts a smile on my face.
today was a long day of class, but i was prepared (finally!) for 361 and so i kept itching to say something, but unfortunately never felt smart enough to (maybe in a couple of weeks). good conversation with adam through notes in 170 also brightened my day, as did leaving class early to get to work on time. work was great. lots of fun, except for that little stressful game where there were a gazillion people there all yelling. lots of energy, that's for sure. texting nell about snowboarding tomorrow, and matt, and then asking him to bring me food and him being willing also made everything better. sure i had to wait a few hours, but still, he did. well, actually BLAINE brought it inside, but he called (and thank goodness Sharon was my supervisor and said i could answer) to make sure i had gotten it and that he would call about boarding tomorrow. and then TEXTING and apologizing for not coming in. uh, thanks, but it was enough that you even BROUGHT me food. you saved me from 5 hours of starvation. thank goodness for friends.
i love love LOVE how everything is going this semester and i can already see a change in my attitude and behavior about everything. I'm more relaxed and easy going (as i should be). i really hope this lasts for longer than just a few weeks. i'm really enjoying all of it. :)

i'm a huge mental case

i seriously screw up everything because i think way too much about stuff. as much as i try NOT to, i still do. and i don't know how to fix that. I already know that i have serious mental issues (nothing that they have to lock me up for...) but it holds me back from doing the things i love because i'm scared of getting hurt, or being embarrassed or being rejected. OR, i just say and do stupid things because i think that things are weird, when really, it's all in my head. I make it seem worse than it really is and that's when things get screwed up. it's like i can't leave well enough alone. if something is GOOD in my life, something must be wrong because good things just don't happen to me. ever.