Life, Lately.

Well, I have completely skipped over the month of March apparently, according to my blog. I can sum it up for you in two words though,

-HOME WORK-

hmmm, so maybe that's one word but we'll pretend its two for emphasis.

But I have since escaped that seemingly endless pit and surfaced (mostly) unscathed.

I even came away with fairly good grades!

History & Philosophy of Education: A

Art & Propaganda of the 20th Century: A

Book of Mormon: A-

Math for the Real World: B+

University Choir: A

Light and Sound: B

Issues in Special Education: A-

Hopefully those are good enough to keep my scholarship for next year!

we shall see..

Anyways,

the semester was kind of a hard one for me.

We had some drama issues in the apartment, and I became caught in the middle. I was able to find a job, which I am grateful for, but it wasn't an easy job for me. I was in over my head with homework, tests, projects etc... and I dealt with loneliness and some other issues in my life.

But lest you think I am a negative person-there were the good times as well.

I had amazing roommates and I felt like I got to know them a lot more, and to appreciate the amazing people that they are.

We had some crazy times.... ;)

Job(no matter how hard it was)=MONEY. :)

Through the trials I felt like I was able to learn a lot more about myself, and I think I grew up and became more mature. (even if it was only a bit. ;) )

We had really good home teachers and FHE brothers who were tons of fun, and always knew how to make us laugh.

Although my classes were hard I learned a lot, and gained new perspectives.

BYU-Idaho is a wonderful place to be :)

And no matter what, if I was sad, angry, happy, or excited, I could always count on a call from Spencer to brighten up my day. :) He's the best!

Life, with all its ups and downs, is good. And I am grateful for all the experiences I've had.

But now I am home. At least for the next 5 months I am home. :)

I feel like I am a different person then I was at this time last year-and that's a good thing. And I think it would be almost a crime to live my life in the same way I have been living it before. It's time for a change. I want to be able to look back and say that my experiences have made me a better person.

So, here's to life, and change, and new things.

I can't wait to see what the next few months bring. :)

Here we go again...

Change.

Life's full of it.

No, not the kind that jingles in our pocket..

At this very moment I am sitting in the living room with all my roommates for our last night together. :( Ashland is leaving in 3 and a half hours to catch her shuttle, Rebecca leaves tomorrow(Thursday) at noon, And Alexsa and I are leaving Saturday morning. It seems like we just got here! and now everything is changing again.

...I used to think that graduating from high school and moving out of the house would be the biggest change in my life, and after that all the changes would be easier.

Boy, was I wrong!

With each passing day comes the realization of how naive I was. Life is changing constantly. 3 months ago I moved out of the house to a different state, moved in with strangers, went to church with all new people, started college, and became in charge of myself. Basically my entire life changed. And in just a few short weeks the process will start all over again. and after that, another thing will change, then another, and another, and another, and another.

Change.

Its never ending.

And sometimes I just wish everything could stay the same.

Eating Oatmeal.

Life is hard. School is hard. Friendships are hard. Being away from home is hard. Living on my own is hard. Waking up so early in the morning is hard. Missing people is hard. Responsibilities are hard.

And sometimes life becomes so overloaded and stressful that I feel like I'm going to explode. What do I do when this happens?

I eat oatmeal.

I make myself a big, HOT, double serving of strawberries and cream/apples and cinnamon oatmeal, and stir in big helpings of milk and honey. When its ready I sit down on my couch, turn on my "favorites" playlist with the volume on low, close my eyes, and let myself relax.

No distractions can get to me. I close Facebook, and turn off the t.v. My phone goes on silent, and my laptop is shut down. I turn away from the dirty dishes, and the remnants of our latest apartment disaster(the flooded toilet) and instead face the window and watch the wind blowing through the trees. I close all textbooks, music books, and notebooks, and for the moment, I forget about whats due in a few hours, the next day, or even two weeks from now.

I slowly begin to eat the oatmeal, savoring each bite. With every bite taken I contemplate life, and all its complexities. I take time to think about old memories, some that bring a smile to my face, while others bring a tear or two(..or maybe three or four). I think about life as it is now, with all its joys and frustrations. I take the time to sort through problems, and try to come up with solutions. At this point the faces of the ones who are most important to me pop into my head and I thank my Heavenly Father that I have been blessed to know so many wonderful people.

...and slowly, ever so slowly the bowl is emptied.

As I take the last few bites of my now almost cold oatmeal, my thoughts turn to the future. Whats going to happen? Am I following the path I should be? Whats going to change? And while these thoughts are frightening most of the time, for the moment, I'm not scared.

I take the last bite and realize its almost time to face reality. Its time to go back to the drudgery of everyday life. My feelings are a strange mix of melancholy, joy, and peace. I stand up to take my bowl to the sink and realize that I feel a lot better.

A quote pops into my head.

"Life is just like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." ~Gordon B. Hinckley

Tears of gratitude come to my eyes. Life may, at times, feel like its full of bumps and bruises, but I am so grateful for this journey I've been allowed to take.

And for the opportunity to slow down and eat a bowl of oatmeal.

A thought for your Sunday.

You know how you can be taught something for your whole life, and not fully understand it until much later?

I had one of those moments today.

In countless Sunday school classes, young women lessons, and sacrament talks, I have heard that you love those you serve. I've always believed that, and have even had opportunities too feel that love for those I've served. But it has never hit me as strong as it did today.

Two weeks ago I was called to be the Relief Society chorister in my ward. Now, this isn't a hard calling, or one that takes much time, or even one where I felt that I was really "serving" anyone. However, today, while I was standing in front of my relief society leading the music, I felt an overwhelming love for every girl in that room. I only know about half of their names, and I've only known them for a month, but the love I felt for them was so strong.

This experience taught me a really important lesson.

It doesn't matter how big or small, significant or insignificant what we're doing may seem. If your serving someone, with your whole heart, you will feel that love, and be grateful for the opportunity you had.

Remember, Nothing you do is insignificant to our Heavenly Father.

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Me+Blog=???

So. there I was, staring at my journal, trying to muster up the strength that it would take to open it and try to catch up on, well, everything! when an idea popped into my head. "start a blog!" what?? the idea seemed a little crazy at first(who would want to read a blog I wrote?!) but days passed, and the more i thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea.
"Who cares if anyone actually reads its!" I thought. But maybe now if I have a place to record random happenings, crazy adventures, and other such things I won't feel as guilty for not writing in my journal as much as I should. (plus..I'm on my laptop WAY more then I should be, why not do something productive?)
so.....here I am! Hopefully ya'll have seen the movie UP and understand the "adventure book" reference, but for those poor souls who haven't..enjoy this explanation :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR8hlvLghrs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GroDErHIM_0
Well, there you have it. I'm starting my own adventure book. Whether its "stuff I'm gonna do" or stuff i've already done, you'll find it here. Now, stop reading my blog and go have your own adventure, or as Ellie says, "Adventure it up there!"