"Ring, happy bells..."

I probably say this every year, but gosh, I can't believe the year is almost over!! Only a few hours left!!

I've never really been one for New Year's resolutions, but I decided to give it a shot this year. Some are for my eyes only, ha, but here are a few of the not-so-personal things I'd like to accomplish within the next 12 months:

1. Serve others.
2. Remember my PJS. At the end of each day, I will make sure to spend some time in Prayer, Journaling, and reading my Scriptures. (Thanks to my fabulous visiting teacher, Brianna, for this one!)
3. Learn how to cook.
4. Learn how to crochet and knit.
5. Have the courage to share my testimony in church.
6. Read at least one book that isn't on a syllabus a month.

2008 was great, and I'm sure 2009 will be pretty fine, too!! Happy New Year to you all!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Yuppers...Christmas is right around the corner. I love everything about this holiday--the lights and decorations, the music, spending time with those we love...

The lights and decorations...

Last weekend, my mom and I went with her coworker and friend, Ponda, to see the lights at the Mesa Temple, and we also walked through the Visitor's Center. We had the best time!! The twinkling lights turned the grounds into a fabulous display of colors. After listening to a flute quartet perform a short concert, Ponda asked if we wanted to see the front of the Temple. As we walked around it, my mom kept saying how "beautiful" it was, over and over again. What a perfect night!

The music...

I lovelovelove Christmas music!! If I could listen to it 24/7, I would. One of my very favorite Christmas songs is called "The Gift" sung by Aselin Debison. It is soo sweet, and it always makes me cry!

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day.
She stopped for to rest by the road side
Where a bird with a broken wing lay.
A few moments passed till she saw it,
For its feathers were covered with sand,
And soon clean and wrapped it was traveling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand.
She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine.
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time.
Now the gift giving service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light,
An' all of the town folk brought presents
To lay by the manger that night.
There were diamonds, and incense, and perfumes,
And packages fit for a king,
But for one ragged bird in a small cage,
Maria had nothing to bring.
She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in,
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of Him.
Then a Voice spoke to her through the darkness,
"Maria, what brings you to me?
If the bird in the cage is your offering,
Open the door, let me see."
So she trembled, she did as He asked her,
And out of the cage the bird flew.
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new.
And just then the midnight bells rang out,
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
For its beauty was fit for a King.
Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade o' notes sweet and long
As her offering was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song.

Spending time with those we love...

I love my family and friends!!!!

I love this special time that we have to reflect on the birth of our Savior. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, and may 2009 be filled with much happiness and many blessings!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am grateful...

I am grateful for the rainy, cozy, time-for-hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows weather that has come our way, just in time for this special day of giving thanks.

I am grateful for my new jeans. I hate shopping for new jeans with a passion, because I never seem to find a pair that isn't too tight, isn't too baggy, isn't too short, or isn't going to trip me up because they're too long. However, in this case, the first pair I grabbed fit perfectly...not too tight, not too baggy, not too short, and I'm able to walk with confidence. And the best part? They were 50% off!! Woohoo!!!

I am grateful for my kitties and their quiet friendship and love. Abby, Sam, Mushu, and Emma really are part of the family.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have to get an education at ASU.

I am grateful for missionary work.

I am grateful for my good health.

I am grateful for my wonderful friends. They light up my life with their kindness, love, quirkiness, and sweet spirits.

I am grateful for my family. They have filled my days with laughter and smiles and lots of the good ol' TLC. They have offered me advice and guidance when I have asked for it (and even when I haven't), and I know that I am who I am in large part because of who they are.

I am grateful for the gospel and the happiness it brings.

I am grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father and my Savior.

I am so blessed...and I am grateful.

November 15

Last Saturday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. What made it especially beautiful for me, though, was that it was the day I was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The ceremony was so special, with the wonderful talks and lovely music, and the Spirit was so strong. My institute teacher, Brother Wood, performed the baptism. The actual ordinance was quick, but in the Book of Mormon it says "that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6). When I came up out of the water, I felt sooo happy, and I knew I had done the right thing. Having my family there to support me made it all the more special to me. I know how lucky I am to have my family's support, and I am so very grateful for their love and understanding.

Later that day, when things had calmed down a bit, I was able to think on my own a bit about what had just happened. I started thinking of some things I had done in the past that I'm not too proud of. I felt this empty feeling, but it wasn't the bad, depressing, something's-missing-in-my-life kind of empty feeling. It was more peaceful than that, and I knew, I was absolutely 100% sure, that I had been forgiven of my sins. The Atonement is incredible!!


The next day, I was confirmed in sacrament meeting. It was amazing, and I got to take the sacrament for the first time! This day was very special to my family for another reason, as well, as it would have been my grandma's (my mom's mom) birthday. Even though I never had the chance to meet her, I knew she and my sweet grandpa were there in spirit.

I am very excited to be starting out on this path. I feel closer to my Heavenly Father than I've ever felt before. I'm so grateful for those who have supported and encouraged me over the last few months, particularly Brother Wood, Madison, Lyndee, Jesse, Heather, Brother Calton, Blake, and Abby. I love you all. :)

Dancing Queen

I saw this on Madison's blog and thought it might be fun, so here we go!!

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, MP3 Player, or whatever on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song, no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

If someone says, “Is this okay?” you say?
Keep The Commandments - Paul Cardall

How would you describe yourself?
Sunshine and Summertime - Faith Hill
[I've been told I have a sunny disposition.]

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper

How do you feel today?
How Shall I Live - YW Selected Songs

What is your life’s purpose?
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

What is your motto?
Jesus Said Love Everyone - Paul Cardall

What do your friends think of you?
Chiquitita - ABBA

What do you think of your family?
Raise Your Voices to the Lord - Hymns

What do you think about very often?
Jesus, Once of Humble Birth - Hymns

What is 2 + 2?
Time To Say Goodbye - Sarah Brightman
[Yeah, math is not too high up on my happy list...]

What do you think of your best friend?
Faithful - Paul Cardall

What do you think of the person you like?
I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair - South Pacific Soundtrack
[Hmm, I don't think this fits...]

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Prima Donna - Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Speeding Cars - Imogen Heap

What will you dance to at your wedding?
The Loco-Motion - Little Eva

What will they play at your funeral?
If My Heart Had Wings - Faith Hill

What is your hobby/interest?
Strength Beyond My Own - Seminary Music
[This song is sooo beautiful. It's about the temple, I can't wait to go!]

What is your biggest fear?
Everything - Michael Buble
[HAHA]

What is your biggest secret?
How To Save a Life - The Fray

What do you think of your friends?
How Gentle God's Commands - Hymns

What will you post this as?
Dancing Queen - ABBA

Ready or not...

With four weeks left to go, the semester is winding down, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've been pretty busy over the last several weeks, which is why I haven't posted anything in, like, a month. School has been taking up almost all of my time, but I did get to go to a wedding last weekend!! The bride was one of my very favorite Hallmark ladies, Krista. The ceremony was simple but beautiful. I'm so very happy for her and her new husband, Nick, and hope they both find their "happily ever after!"

I've also been getting ready for my baptism (2 more days!!!), and I am so very excited!! It's hard to believe that the day is almost here...a month ago, it felt like ages away! I wish I could say I'm not nervous, but that would be a lie, haha. I'm not having second thoughts about my decision or anything like that. It's just little stuff...I keep finding myself thinking things like, "What if the water's like freezing cold?" and "Don't forget a towel!" Stupid stuff like that (although it's probably a good thing that I'm thinking about the towel, haha!). I know that whatever happens, though, it will still be a day that I will cherish forever...the first step in the beautiful journey back to Heavenly Father.

"I like to look for rainbows..."

I have some super exciting news!! In a few weeks, I will be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!!!!! Lots and lots of thought and prayer has gone into this decision, and I know with all of my heart that I'm making the right choice. The date is set for November 15th, and I cannot wait!!!

Father, all my heart I give thee;

All my service shall be thine.

Guide me as I search in weakness;

Let thy loving light be mine.

It's funny how it works out sometimes...

As is often the case, when I almost decide not to go to church for various reasons but end up going anyway, it turns out that getting out of the house for a bit, feeling the Spirit, and laughing with my girlfriends is exactly what I need to start a new week with a smile on my face.

I started to freak out on Saturday night, because I ended up having more homework than I'd originally thought I had at the beginning of the weekend (don't you just love it when that happens? haha). So pretty much all Saturday night and all Sunday morning, I was debating whether or not I should stay home and get my homework done. I'd been especially looking forward to this Sunday in particular, as it was Testimony Meeting, and I hadn't been to one of those since May...and Marvelous Madison had invited me to have "pirate stew" at her place afterwards. I decided, though, that I would probably feel worse if I didn't go to church. So I went...and I'm so glad I did!! I loved hearing everyone share their testimonies. And dinner at Madi's was super fun! The pirate stew was delicious, and when we were done eating, we watched the LDS version of Pride and Prejudice. It was super cute!!

And now for the best part!! When I got home, I was finishing up a final paper for my BIS 301 class that was due tonight at midnight. I got most of it done last night, but I wasn't feeling too confident about it. My teacher had asked us to bring a hard copy of our final draft to this morning's class with us, so that we could do a final peer review. When he was passing out the sheet with the stuff we were supposed to be focusing on, he said there was a surprise. I started reviewing my paper and wasn't paying attention to the surprise, but then Chris turns to me and says, "Did you see what the surprise is?!" Our teacher had extended the due date to tomorrow at noon!!!

Now just think how I would've felt when hearing that if I hadn't gone to church...haha!

Witty Wednesday!

This past weekend was super special, with it being my brother's birthday and General Conference weekend. Chris seemed to really enjoy his special day...18, oh my goodness!! Seriously, I don't think I realize how old I am until his birthday comes rolling around, haha!

General Conference was even more amazing than I'd imagined it would be. I knew it was going to be a very spiritual experience...I just didn't realize how much of one it would be. My love for the gospel and for the Church has grown sooo much after listening to the speakers. I've been encouraged and inspired in so many ways. I can't get over the range of emotions I've felt over the last few days, either...one minute, I'm quietly enjoying the scenery, letting everything sink in, and the next thing I know, I feel like I'm ready to run a race for the Lord, haha!

Anywho, here are just a few of the many wonderful gems I got out of this weekend...

"You must never underestimate the power of your righteous influence."
--Elaine S. Dalton

"Seen or unseen [angels] are always near."
--Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

"Come what may, and love it."
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"You don't know everything, but you know enough."
--Elder Neil L. Andersen

"Meekness is not weakness."
--Elder Robert D. Hales

"Every cloud we see doesn't result in rain."
--Elder Quinten L. Cook

"Find joy in the journey--now."
--President Thomas S. Monson

Happy Birthday, Christopher!!!!

18 reasons why I think I have the best brother in the whole world...

18. I lovelovelove his curly hair.
17. He's honest, especially when it comes to food.
16. He's my boss.
15. He makes me laugh. A lot.
14. He is my at-home tech help, so I don't ever need to call the Geek Squad.
13. Car rides with him are the best.
12. He sat through all 107 minutes of Enchanted.
11. He waited until we were outside of the theatre to start complaining about having to sit through all 107 minutes of Enchanted.
10. He is super intelligent.
9. He isn't afraid to try new things.
8. Four little words: "It was the chair!!"
7. He introduced me to Harry Potter.
6. We're only 16 months apart.
5. He lets me "serenade" him when we're driving without complaining too much.
4. I have an awesome study buddy!
3. Even though he's younger than me, I look up to him (both literally and figuratively, haha).
2. I'm so thankful we ended up in the same family.
1. He is the best friend I could ever ask for. :)

It's scientific!!

And now for something completely different, haha...an update!! Like I'd said we would in my last post, my mom and I went to church with her super sweet coworker, Ponda, last Sunday. We stayed for Sunday school and RS, too. Mama loved it!! She cannot get over how friendly the people were, and she lovedlovedloved the music and the talks. She even spoke up in Sunday school! And...she wants to go back!!!! Oh my gosh, I am so happy!! I've been praying and praying for something like this to happen!

This past Monday, the 22nd, I had my first lesson with the missionaries!!! I was sooo excited, and Madison got to be there with me, yay!! We talked about the Restoration, and we read a couple of verses that have really stuck with me this week:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
"And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it."
--Amos 8:11-12

I had goosebumps when I heard that, and I just cannot stop thinking about it! I'm planning on making it to 5th Ward this Sunday. Heather's been trying to talk me into singing in choir...so we'll see what happens, lol.

Anywho, I have to get back to work...love y'all!!

Time passes...

...and it feels like I'm barely keeping up.

Lately, all of my waking moments have been devoted to class, Institute, and homework. At least, that's what it feels like. Surprisingly, though, I'm not really that stressed. But let me tell you, prayer works wonders!! haha. :)

Thankfully, I will definitely be making it to church this Sunday...but I won't be going to 5th Ward. One of my mom's coworkers, Ponda, is LDS, and my mom and I are going with her to her family ward!! It'll be Mom's first LDS service, and my first service at a family ward. We're both super excited, and I can't wait to see how Mom likes it!

Witty Wednesday!

"What you believe, you can achieve."
--Mary Kay Ash

What we've covered during the first two weeks of my BIS 301 class can pretty much be summed up in that quote. For our first discussion post assignment, we had to watch Randy Pausch's "Last Lecture." Wow!! This guy was amazing, so if you haven't listened to his lecture, you can watch it here. Just to warn y'all, though, there is some language...and the video's over an hour long. But if you have the time, it's totally worth it!

Anywho, my shift at Hallmark last week went very well. The only big wigs who visited our store while I was there were some Canadian managers, so it wasn't too stressful.

Let's see...what else? Ooh, I'm super happy right now, because I just got done with my Institute class!! I was able to find a class that worked out with my schedule, so I don't have to wait until the spring to take one, after all! Hooray!! I'm taking the first half of Book of Mormon with my lovely friend, Heather, and I can already tell that this class is going to help me a LOT with my Scripture study. It's going to be awesome!! Also, when I got out of class, I ran into my ray of sunshine, Madison!!! Seeing her definitely put the icing on the cake. :)

Other than that, I've just been trying to keep up with all of my assignments. Fun stuffers.

Let the games begin!

Yesterday was my first day back at ASU, and I think it went pretty well. I've changed my class schedule a bajillion times this semester, so I'll do a run-down on my classes, for those of you who haven't heard the latest changes. On Monday and Wednesday mornings, Chris and I drive out to the Downtown campus for BIS 301, a fast-track, eight-week course that runs into the end of October. When that one is done, we start up BIS 302 (same days, same time, same teacher). We're also taking another eight-week course together online, ARS 300--Introduction to Art. Then, I'm taking two more online classes, ENG 301--Writing for Professions--and ENH 380--Ents, Orcs, & Hobbits: Tolkien's Vikings in Middle-earth. While it looks like I'm going to be reading a LOT this semester, I think I'm going to enjoy all of my classes.

I am disappointed, though, because I was planning on taking two classes at the Institute this semester, but I ended up dropping them. I'm not on the main campus at all this semester, and Chris was going to have to make a bunch of extra trips to get me to my classes (I hate being a burden to anyone). It was going to be way inconvenient for him, and after seeing the syllabi for my classes, I decided it was going to be too much with my work load. I hated having to make this decision. I'd been looking forward to these classes all summer. There's always next semester, though...

Anywho, I'm super excited for tomorrow afternoon!! I get to don my Hallmark apron again for the first time in almost 3 months!!! I just hope that I'll remember how to do everything, haha, especially as we're having a huge visit. Ahhh!! Prayers, please!! :)

How you gonna have a dream come true?

Yesterday was a really good day for me. First, I got my stitches out!! *happy dance* No more crazy hair-do, and goodbye to the globs and globs of Vaseline getting stuck in the crazy hair-do! Then, my new cell phone arrived in the mail, the Motorola W755. And I am absolutely positively in love with it, mostly for one reason: it's PURPLE!!!! Finally, I finished reading Twilight. Oh my goodness. Nothing could ever replace my obsession with Harry Potter, but I must say that this comes pretty close. And that's saying a lot.

Sooo...school starts in 4 days. While I'm excited about my new classes and a new semester, it feels kinda weird to think that this will be my last year at ASU. I'll definitely be happy to get my bachelor's degree and to start something new and different, but I don't even know yet what I want to do with the rest of my life. Right now, I'm looking at either getting my Master's in Library Science from UNC at Chapel Hill, or possibly going to Mesa Community College for their library science and technology programs. I've also thought about taking a break from school for a bit and working full-time. I don't know...

Sometimes, it bothers me that I don't know what I want to do yet, and I have less than a year to decide where I should start. The first question out of most people's mouths when they find out how I went to school is, "Oh, so you're going to be either a doctor or a lawyer, right?" NO!! I guess this is just me worrying about my future again. I know that everything will work out if I put my relationship with Heavenly Father first...I just need to work a little harder at putting my absolute, complete trust in Him and His plan.

Witty Wednesday!

"I came to a clear conclusion, and it is a universal one: To live, to stuggle, to be in love with life--in love with all life holds, joyful or sorrowful--is fulfillment. The fulness of life is open to all of us."
--Betty Smith

It's my funday.

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a few days. I've been devouring Twilight. And it is AMAZING!!!! I cannot wait to get started on New Moon!!

Edward: "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..."
Me: *dies*

On a completely different note, I didn't make it to church today, because I pretty much look like Frankenstein's bride. To try to make up for missing church, I read some articles in the conference issue of the Ensign (thanks again, Madison!!) and played some hymns on the piano. And that's pretty much been my day...that and Twilight.

I know I've talked about church stuff quite a bit since I started blogging. For those of you who don't know, I am not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I've been learning about the Church since I was 15 years old, and I've been looking at it more seriously since January. So I guess you could say that I'm a "friend" of the Church, haha.

Love y'all!!

Witty Wednesday!

I love quotes. Like, lovelovelovelovelove them. As a result, I've decided to try something a little different. Every Wednesday, whenever I am able to write a new post, I will post a quote that has spoken to me in some way. The quotes may or may not be entirely witty. However, they will certainly have special meaning to me, and I hope that they will inspire y'all, as well! And so we begin...

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
--Proverbs 3:5-6

Those who know me best probably see me as the biggest worry wart in the entire history of worry warts. Seriously. I worry about anything and everything. School. Work. School. Career. School. Dating. School. Friends...the list goes on and on and on.

Earlier this afternoon, I had to have a mole on my hairline removed. I'd had two removed before, so I had an idea of what the procedure was going to be like, but I'd passed out on one of them. Of course, that episode was going through my head all day up until I went to the clinic...just what I needed. Once I got settled and everything, though, it was no biggie, and now I'm sitting here wondering why in the world I was so anxious about that little procedure!!

Sorry, that probably isn't the best real-life example, haha, but hopefully y'all see where I'm going with this! Just like the doctors who stitched me back up today, Heavenly Father knows what He's doing up there. I just have to learn to put my trust in Him. My mom always says that half of the things we worry about never even happen, and I'm starting to think that's true...

The results are in...

...and they stand as follows:

Introduction to Shakespeare -- A-
Literatures of the United States, 1860 to Present -- A+
Survey of English Literature -- A+

..."CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!!!!"

"Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation."

I'm really glad I made myself go to church yesterday. There was a lot of drama last week, and my whole week was pretty much made up of "blue" days. I found myself questioning my beliefs and what I stand for, so I really wasn't in the mood for church. When I was sitting in the sacrament meeting yesterday afternoon, though, I felt genuinely happy. I can't even tell you how great that felt after trying to wear a cheerful face all week for my parents, haha! Just being there with people who share the same standards that I've set for myself gave me this great feeling, and I've been encouraged to stay on track. The talks, the music, the Sunday school lesson...I hope this doesn't sound egotistical, but it seemed like everything was speaking directly to me about what I have been struggling with lately, telling me not to worry, and that no matter what happens, as long as I try to do what I feel is right, everything will work out.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virture, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
--Philippians 4:8

Enjoying some R&R...

Oh my goodness, it feels sosososo nice to be done with summer school!!! The last two weeks were especially insane, but I'm finally done, woohoo!!! "Celebrate good times, come on!!" haha, ok, I'm done with the singing, too. Now I get to sit and wait for my grades to come in...yikes!!

Seriously, though, it feels so nice not to have to worry about homework and due dates. For one thing, I'm starting to play the piano more. When my mom, Chris, and I quit playing in the handbell choir at our old church last year, I ended up putting my music on the back burner and focusing instead on work and school. I decided to buy some new sheet music a couple of weeks ago, and one book that I'm really excited about is a collection of simplified LDS hymns. I love being able to play (and recognize!) some of the music I sing at church on Sundays! It feels great to think that I am learning to play the piano again, and I'm feeding my soul at the same time, haha!

For me, I think the best part about being done with school--I get to read something that isn't on a syllabus!! I finished up The Last Battle (amazing, amazing book), so that means I have FINALLY finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia, which I started right around my birthday in June. C. S. Lewis is now one of my favorite authors, and I regret not having read the series earlier. *sigh* So many books, so little time. After hearing some of my friends rave about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, I've decided to give it a shot. I confess that I was a little hesitant about trying it at first, as I don't normally enjoy the sappy stuff. And it has vampires, which is another thing that I tend to avoid in literature. So far, all I can say is this: Mr. Darcy...you've got competition.

First blog!!

So I've finally done it...I've created a blog. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be as addicting as it sounds, or else my GPA might suffer...not cool, haha!

I should probably start out by telling y'all a bit about myself. I am 19 years old. I'm a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in English Literature and Religious Studies. I'm not real sure about what I want to do when I'm done with school, but I'm trying to go with the flow and take things as they come. I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, with my parents, my younger brother, Chris, and our four cats. I am the sales and marketing assistant for my brother's website development and design agency, Workmotive, and I am also "on call" at Hallmark. I've lived in Arizona since I was 7 years old, but as I was born in Jacksonville, Florida, I like to consider myself a Southern girl (no accent, though *sigh*). I am a Christian, and my faith is the most important part of my life, hands down. I l-o-v-e to read, and I count bookstores and libraries among my favorite places. My family and friends are absolutely the most amazing people on the face of this planet!! Without them, I would be nothing.

Well, I think that's good for a first post. I hope my life is interesting enough to deserve a blog...if not, that's ok, I like how my life is going anyway, haha! Have a great day!!