This is sad that I am already planning my 25th birthday on the day of my 24th birthday, but I am working all day today and that to me is just sad, so I am planning my birthday for next year.
I will have breakfast in bed, even if I have to get up to fix it and then hop back into bed to enjoy it. :)
I will get a mani-pedi with a few of my girls.
I will at some point get dressed up and go out to eat (lunch or dinner) with a few of my girls.
Who knows what else I will do. I may go to the pool, I may go hiking, heck I may go out of town and do something crazy like bungee jumping or zip lining.
All I know is that I will not be working and I will be having a fun and relaxing time.
I am sure I will have more ideas as the day goes on so stay tuned.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Blessings
I am so amazed by the blessings that Heavenly Father provides for us, especially when they come in packages not seen as blessings.
Every trial that has occurred in my life, I can give reasons to why they occurred or at least why I think they occurred. I have always been able to look at the bright side of life. The last few years, the intense trials that occurred were so tough for me. Though I have come a long way, I still struggle.
One trial that I am going through that still effects me to this day (though not everyday). I've never seen the good or the possibility of the good that may come from that trial. I was struggling more than I could imagine this afternoon and normally I would text people to help distract me from my thoughts. I tried that and was not getting the results I wanted so I started reading scriptures. From my few hours of reading, I am realizing that even though the good may not be occurring in this moment (and maybe it is and I don't see it) there are possibilities of blessings that I choose not to see before.
In D. Todd Christofferson's talk during last conference titled, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” he talked about many things, but one item in particular was about a current bush. This bush had grown quite tall, over 6 ft. to be more exact. The gardener, who was new, had trimmed this current bush to nothing but stubs. Out of the stubs came what looked like tears and the current bush had asked why had the gardener done this to him. The gardener replied with this powerful quote, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.”
The days I feel that pain, I tend to change... I get stronger. It's taken me months to realize this, but I am a better person because of this trial. My life is constantly changing for the better. No matter how this trial ends, I will be exactly what Heavenly Father would like me to be. As long as I show Heavenly Father my gratitude, I know I will be blessed.
Every trial that has occurred in my life, I can give reasons to why they occurred or at least why I think they occurred. I have always been able to look at the bright side of life. The last few years, the intense trials that occurred were so tough for me. Though I have come a long way, I still struggle.
One trial that I am going through that still effects me to this day (though not everyday). I've never seen the good or the possibility of the good that may come from that trial. I was struggling more than I could imagine this afternoon and normally I would text people to help distract me from my thoughts. I tried that and was not getting the results I wanted so I started reading scriptures. From my few hours of reading, I am realizing that even though the good may not be occurring in this moment (and maybe it is and I don't see it) there are possibilities of blessings that I choose not to see before.
In D. Todd Christofferson's talk during last conference titled, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten” he talked about many things, but one item in particular was about a current bush. This bush had grown quite tall, over 6 ft. to be more exact. The gardener, who was new, had trimmed this current bush to nothing but stubs. Out of the stubs came what looked like tears and the current bush had asked why had the gardener done this to him. The gardener replied with this powerful quote, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.”
The days I feel that pain, I tend to change... I get stronger. It's taken me months to realize this, but I am a better person because of this trial. My life is constantly changing for the better. No matter how this trial ends, I will be exactly what Heavenly Father would like me to be. As long as I show Heavenly Father my gratitude, I know I will be blessed.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
4th of July
... was amazing!
I stayed in Vegas and celebrated the day with my roommates and some friends.
I spent most of the day cooking and baking. I made my mom's potato salad, deviled eggs, and some very delicious banana bread. I also helped Kim make snicker salad. Surprisingly, snicker salad is good.
Later Sarah and I grilled for the very first time! We had a bucket of water on standby just in case we messed things up! We were a little scared at first, but all was well. Our food turned out pretty amazing. :) We grilled hot dogs (my fav), BBQ chicken, and smoked hamburgers.
The weather was spectacular! We sat outside to eat. We were in the shade and there was just a slight breeze. BEAUTIFUL is all I can say.
We played some Jungle Uno, had dessert, and listened to the neighbor kids light off fireworks. It was such an amazing day. :)
I hope everyone had an amazing and safe 4th!
I stayed in Vegas and celebrated the day with my roommates and some friends.
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| Me, Kim, Sarah, Cindy, Jasmine |
I spent most of the day cooking and baking. I made my mom's potato salad, deviled eggs, and some very delicious banana bread. I also helped Kim make snicker salad. Surprisingly, snicker salad is good.
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| Most of the food to the side... |
Later Sarah and I grilled for the very first time! We had a bucket of water on standby just in case we messed things up! We were a little scared at first, but all was well. Our food turned out pretty amazing. :) We grilled hot dogs (my fav), BBQ chicken, and smoked hamburgers.
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| Grillin' :) |
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| Sarah grillin' :) |
The weather was spectacular! We sat outside to eat. We were in the shade and there was just a slight breeze. BEAUTIFUL is all I can say.
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| Yummy food and camping chairs! |
I hope everyone had an amazing and safe 4th!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Mary Jane Falls
I should have wrote this earlier, but oh well... I am getting to it now.
Parking was a pain... and I get nervous in my car with tight spaces. I was freaking out just a little, but with a little help I found a spot and was able to park.
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We started hiking and our large group was then separated into small groups. There were tons of people on the trail. The small group I was in stopped several times, but that was fine by me! There were zig zags to the trail which reminded me of Angels Landing in Zion. It was a nice hike.
Oh, and my 24th birthday is in 24 days! I seriously can not believe how quickly the last few years have flown by. I can remember the last 4 Fourth of July's and I can remember the last few birthdays. I keep wondering if this year, July is going to be low-key or just as memorable as the last few. I'll soon find out! :)
Have a happy and safe 4th!!!! :)
I should have wrote this earlier, but oh well... I am getting to it now.
So I went hiking last weekend up in Mt. Charleston. It was much warmer than expected. Of course I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt... I was wishing I was wearing shorts and a tank.
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| Linda, me, and Estee |
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| Group Picture |
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| Mary Jane Falls |
We made it to the top and WOO-HOO! It was fun to play in the water. I totally missed the group picture because I wanted to run around the water for a while. The ice-cold water felt so amazing!The hike down was so much easier! I was making jokes about jogging the end. Towards the end, I spotted a lizard with a bright blue tail. It was pretty amazing to see. Once the hike was over with, we went to the Cabin and had an awesome lunch! The drive back to town was not so fun...my a/c decided to not work for that drive. Feeling the heat with the drop in elevation... :(
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| Playing next to the snow! |
Overall, it was so much fun! I got to spend some time with some friends I have not got to spend time with in a while.
Oh, and my 24th birthday is in 24 days! I seriously can not believe how quickly the last few years have flown by. I can remember the last 4 Fourth of July's and I can remember the last few birthdays. I keep wondering if this year, July is going to be low-key or just as memorable as the last few. I'll soon find out! :)
Have a happy and safe 4th!!!! :)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Amazing Sunday!
Church was so amazing today that I had to not only write about it, but share it. It was testimony Sunday and the things people shared was so amazing!
I do have to give my back story before I talk about the testimonies people shared...
It is Sunday morning and I am up around 6:30 am. That's early for me, but usual this past week. Anyway since I was up that early, I was pondering about my day, about what I wanted to do, what I could possibly accomplish. I checked emails and then I started reading. I was so enthralled in this book that I did not want to put it down. A short time later, I decided to put the book down and get ready for church. I was so unmotivated... I seriously had no desire to go! As I sat thinking, I decided that I should go even though I could think of several other things I wanted to do.
So I get to church and people start sharing their testimonies. The first person up is a friend of mine. She has had health problems for years and it still continues today. I don't remember every word said, but I was so moved. The struggles she goes through every single day and she didn't mention a single thing about it specifically. I was in awe. The next person to share was new to the area and he happened to show up here. The first person he saw was Tongan just as he was and when he sat in church and heard the first person who gave their testimony sing, he felt like he was in the right place. He shared his story and the strength of his testimony was just amazing to me to. Person after person that went up, just the stories shared was beautiful and amazing.
About three quarters into it, some one I look up to bore her testimony. She was talking about difficult times in our life and with time the peace that Heavenly Father brings. At first I thought she may have been talking about a break-up with her boyfriend (she was sitting with her girl-friends, so I made a quick assumption). As she kept talking though, I realized she was talking about a recent tragedy with her brother. With that realization, my heart began to race.
Others began to share, I was working on getting my heart to stop racing. Most of the time it works... this time though, my heart was pounding faster and harder to the point where it seriously felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. At that point, It was difficult on me to focus on the speaker. I barely heard anything she said and I swear I was beginning to get tunnel vision. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew I could not deny that prompting any longer.
I was the last to share my testimony today. My heart was racing so hard I had difficulty listening to my own thoughts. I was shaking with so much intensity, I am surprised I didn't sound worse than I did. Afterwards, several people thanked me for sharing and that it was good.
I always think about something I would like to share whenever there is a testimony Sunday. I never share because even though I have been told I have a great testimony and I should share it whenever and wherever, I hear other's give theirs and I feel like mine is so inadequate. I feel like others can gain more by me just sitting back and letting other's speak. Among that, I am not a crier. I may get teary-eyed when something hits me just right, but I don't cry. Please don't misunderstand me, I am a compassionate person and many things move me to feel awe and amazement. I am just not a crier. I am also not a joker... I am a fun person to be around, but I do not crack jokes. I just tell things how they are and what I think in my heart and in my mind. People who share their testimonies usually cry at some point or crack a joke, that is why I mentioned it.
Ultimately, I just want to say thank-you to those who shared today. It renewed my spirit and got me to share my testimony.
I hope every one is have a great, amazing, blessed Sunday!
I do have to give my back story before I talk about the testimonies people shared...
It is Sunday morning and I am up around 6:30 am. That's early for me, but usual this past week. Anyway since I was up that early, I was pondering about my day, about what I wanted to do, what I could possibly accomplish. I checked emails and then I started reading. I was so enthralled in this book that I did not want to put it down. A short time later, I decided to put the book down and get ready for church. I was so unmotivated... I seriously had no desire to go! As I sat thinking, I decided that I should go even though I could think of several other things I wanted to do.
So I get to church and people start sharing their testimonies. The first person up is a friend of mine. She has had health problems for years and it still continues today. I don't remember every word said, but I was so moved. The struggles she goes through every single day and she didn't mention a single thing about it specifically. I was in awe. The next person to share was new to the area and he happened to show up here. The first person he saw was Tongan just as he was and when he sat in church and heard the first person who gave their testimony sing, he felt like he was in the right place. He shared his story and the strength of his testimony was just amazing to me to. Person after person that went up, just the stories shared was beautiful and amazing.
About three quarters into it, some one I look up to bore her testimony. She was talking about difficult times in our life and with time the peace that Heavenly Father brings. At first I thought she may have been talking about a break-up with her boyfriend (she was sitting with her girl-friends, so I made a quick assumption). As she kept talking though, I realized she was talking about a recent tragedy with her brother. With that realization, my heart began to race.
Others began to share, I was working on getting my heart to stop racing. Most of the time it works... this time though, my heart was pounding faster and harder to the point where it seriously felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. At that point, It was difficult on me to focus on the speaker. I barely heard anything she said and I swear I was beginning to get tunnel vision. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew I could not deny that prompting any longer.
I was the last to share my testimony today. My heart was racing so hard I had difficulty listening to my own thoughts. I was shaking with so much intensity, I am surprised I didn't sound worse than I did. Afterwards, several people thanked me for sharing and that it was good.
I always think about something I would like to share whenever there is a testimony Sunday. I never share because even though I have been told I have a great testimony and I should share it whenever and wherever, I hear other's give theirs and I feel like mine is so inadequate. I feel like others can gain more by me just sitting back and letting other's speak. Among that, I am not a crier. I may get teary-eyed when something hits me just right, but I don't cry. Please don't misunderstand me, I am a compassionate person and many things move me to feel awe and amazement. I am just not a crier. I am also not a joker... I am a fun person to be around, but I do not crack jokes. I just tell things how they are and what I think in my heart and in my mind. People who share their testimonies usually cry at some point or crack a joke, that is why I mentioned it.
Ultimately, I just want to say thank-you to those who shared today. It renewed my spirit and got me to share my testimony.
I hope every one is have a great, amazing, blessed Sunday!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Memorial Weekend
This past weekend was a fun-filled weekend!
Friday, I subbed for one of my favorite classes. The teacher was so awesome and got me a gift! She didn't even need to. It was so sweet! That evening I went to an Area 51 baseball game. I bunch of us from work went. There we several highlights from the evening: 1, a coworker jumped over 3 rows of bleachers trying to catch a foul ball; 2, some guy broke his bat while hitting the ball; 3, the 51's had 6 HR in one inning. The ultimate highlight of the evening was the firework show. It was spectacular!
Saturday after work I went to "It's a Gas" Exhibit. It is an exhibit about chemistry basically. There were tons on neon signs. I had to wear my new stellar sunglasses! :D After that I went to a friend's house for a BBQ. They know how to throw a BBQ. Tons of hamburgers, sausages, chicken, chips, fruit, and I don't even remember what else. The ladies chatted about school and life while the guys watched the fight (MMA?).
Sunday was a very chill day, literally and figuratively. I wore my long, hippie skirt to church that I don't necessarily like because it was cold and windy.
Monday, I drove into Mesquite and spent the day with my mom and Clark. I went to the cemetery and honored some veterans that have died. After that we moved some furniture over to the house. We had a small BBQ that evening, steak, beans, and potato salad! My mom made me try a really great dessert. It sounds a little weird, but it is so yummy. It is strawberries dipped in sour cream and rolled in brown sugar. Don't knock it until you try it! After that I came back to Vegas, went to a pool party and mingled. It was nice to finally get home and talk to my roommates who were gone all weekend. :)
Friday, I subbed for one of my favorite classes. The teacher was so awesome and got me a gift! She didn't even need to. It was so sweet! That evening I went to an Area 51 baseball game. I bunch of us from work went. There we several highlights from the evening: 1, a coworker jumped over 3 rows of bleachers trying to catch a foul ball; 2, some guy broke his bat while hitting the ball; 3, the 51's had 6 HR in one inning. The ultimate highlight of the evening was the firework show. It was spectacular!
Saturday after work I went to "It's a Gas" Exhibit. It is an exhibit about chemistry basically. There were tons on neon signs. I had to wear my new stellar sunglasses! :D After that I went to a friend's house for a BBQ. They know how to throw a BBQ. Tons of hamburgers, sausages, chicken, chips, fruit, and I don't even remember what else. The ladies chatted about school and life while the guys watched the fight (MMA?).
Sunday was a very chill day, literally and figuratively. I wore my long, hippie skirt to church that I don't necessarily like because it was cold and windy.
Fresh Start
Hello all!
So most of you may be wondering why I am starting a whole new blog. It's because my other blog was bombarded with so much emotion, including a lot of sadness. I used it as a venting tool, a way to release stress, and a coping mechanism. It was like an online journal that people could read and follow along with the roller coaster of a life that I was experiencing.
Though I do not mind sharing those thoughts, I feel like I need a fresh blogging start. So much has changed since I first started that blog in December 2008. I've grown and changed so much! I need a happy blog to share with the world. That's not to say I won't be emotional, but I'll save the fun, crafty, innovative, great things for this blog!
Enjoy!
So most of you may be wondering why I am starting a whole new blog. It's because my other blog was bombarded with so much emotion, including a lot of sadness. I used it as a venting tool, a way to release stress, and a coping mechanism. It was like an online journal that people could read and follow along with the roller coaster of a life that I was experiencing.
Though I do not mind sharing those thoughts, I feel like I need a fresh blogging start. So much has changed since I first started that blog in December 2008. I've grown and changed so much! I need a happy blog to share with the world. That's not to say I won't be emotional, but I'll save the fun, crafty, innovative, great things for this blog!
Enjoy!
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