It's not always sunny.....

One Year

2011-11-12T20:07:00.001-07:00

Today I am VERY grateful for my husband Steven.

Right now Steven and I are cuddling on our cozy couch watching the BYU football game. A year ago at this exact time we were in California at our wedding reception. Can you believe it has been one year?! I sure can't. It has been so fun today to reflect on the past year and everything we have gone through. We have definitely had some tough times but of course I am grateful for those too because they have gotten us that much closer to where we want to be. Sometimes it is hard to remember that "this too shall pass" and that of course we are not going to be perfect. I see all these older people in our ward who talk about how loving and considerate their spouse is and how great their marriage is. Then I remember that they have had 30, 40, even 50 years to work on it!

I am so thankful for marriage and the opportunities it gives us to grow as individuals and as couples. What a wonderful blessing!

Steven is so sweet. My most favorites thing about him is that I know he loves me. He knows how to show it and I am so thankful for that! He is also the funniest guy I know and really knows how to make me laugh. He does some of the funniest things that I have ever seen/heard.

I found this amazing quote about marriage from a talk called "Eternal Marriage" by F Burton Howard. I really want to print this out and display it in our home to remind us daily of how important marriage is. Read the talk too, it is awesome. Enjoy!

Happy one-year anniversary honey!!

Happy 11/11/11!

2011-11-11T22:01:00.001-07:00

Cool day, huh?

Naturally, today I am very thankful for our veterans. It is my personal opinion and hope that we can remember our veterans more often than just on Veteran's Day. The sacrifice that our veterans and their families make to fight for our country is truly amazing and not enough thanks could ever be given to repay them. Back home in Rancho Cucamonga, my Dad has held and event for the past few years where people can come to honor veterans that they know. Each person would get a colored lighted balloon to represent a veteran. These balloons would all be let off at the same time in a beautiful display of love and remembrance for our veterans. I never had the opportunity to actually attend one of these events because I lived in Idaho or Provo but I know they were a great tribute to our veterans and I am so grateful that my Dad has always taught us about the sacrifice of these amazing men and women. Here is a picture from one of the events ( Great shirt, Dad!)

I also want to pay tribute to a soldier from Rancho Cucamonga who was killed in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb. His name was Sgt. Carlo Francisco Eugenio. His body was returned to California last night. Hearing about a story so close to home and thinking about how this young man was just a few years older than I am really makes me recognize the huge sacrifice.

I want to say thank you to Sgt. Eugenio and all of the other servicemen and women who have boldly served our country and for all of the families who support their loved ones in their service.

Oops Again

2011-11-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am not doing so well at this daily writing thing this time around! Not sure how I let almost 3 days pass without writing!

Today I am thankful for health! I have been a little under the weather the past few days and whenever that happens it always make me thankful for the times that I actually feel good and have energy! The body is an amazing thing that I take for granted way too often. I am going to make a better effort to be grateful for my body and my health and to strive to take care of it!

I will start after the holidays..... :)

My ward!

2011-11-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for my ward! Steven and I live in a great neighborhood full of some really amazing people. Some of the older people in our ward have lived here since the homes were built in the early 1950's! I love learning from these great ward members and hearing their stories from the early days of the neighborhood. It is so cool to see them and to hear them talk about how they raised their families in this area and to think that one day that will be me. There is not a fast and testimony meeting that goes by without at least one person standing up and talking about how wonderful this ward is. I am so thankful that Steven and I were able to move here and that things happened so smoothly. There are some other newly wed couples who have moved in since we did and I am so thankful for them and I hope that we can develop some really strong friendships while we are here!

I am not sure how long we will be here, but I want to take advantage of the wonderful ward while we can!

Oh, also...it only takes us about 45 seconds to walk from our front door to the door to the ward building..so awesome! And yet we still get there 2-5 minutes late every week! I think it is because it is so close that we don't ever feel rushed to get there....anyways I didn't mean for this to turn into a confessional! So thankful for our ward!

:)

Snow

2011-11-05T19:20:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for the beautiful snow that fell last night and this morning. Please notice that I specifically mentioned the snow that fell last night and this morning and not snow in general. The snow that fell last night and this morning has my love and thankful feelings because it did what I wish all snow would do...it didn't stick on the roads or sidewalks!! You see, because it is only November 5 and the ground is still warm so the snow didn't stick or freeze. I wish all snow falls could be like this! Having to drive on slushy or icy roads is the ONLY reason I don't like when it snows! This morning we slept in (favorite) and then woke up to a winter wonderland! So beautiful! I love how peaceful the world looks when it snows. It looks like nothing bad could be going on; that everyone is making a warm breakfast and spending time with their family. That all the kids are playing the snow-sledding and making snowmen, etc. I know this is not the case, but I can pretend, right?

Oops, I skipped a day....

2011-11-04T09:06:00.001-06:00

I forgot to write yesterday due to my new goal of not getting on the computer after work. I am online all day at work and then I would go home and spend at least 1-2 hrs online at home?! Come on! So I made a goal and last night I didn't go on and therefore I forgot to blog. Wait- I did get online....but it was on our Ipad and only to watch Modern Family and Up All Night on nbc.com.. Dang it.

Anyways, today and yesterday I am thankful for our car. I have complained about it recently because I really miss my old car (it got totaled in the summer by a careless neighbor who we have forgiven :) My old car was cute and could hold a lot of stuff and all the scratches and scrapes on it could be attributed to a great story! Our new (used of course) car is not as cute and it makes funny noises in the dash board. But at least we have a car! At least our neighbor's insurance paid us enough to buy a new one! What would we do without it?

United Way of Salt Lake

2011-11-02T19:09:00.000-06:00

Today I am grateful for my job! (1) that I even have a job and (2) that I have the job that I do. I somehow got really lucky and got hired by United Way of Salt Lake very soon after I graduated last August. It was a struggle at first to transition from being a student to working full time but it has been very rewarding. I love the people I work with and the opportunities that working at United Way has provided for me! AND they even announced today that we are moving to a new office building with WINDOWS!! (we are currently located in the basement of a building). So awesome! I am so thankful that I am employed and can earn money for my husband and I to live off of! Such a blessing!

Happy November!

2011-11-01T16:07:00.001-06:00

Can we officially call it The Holiday Season now?! Just 24 days till Thanksgiving! I absolutely love this time of year and this year has been especially fun being married and all! Last night was my first Halloween being married and having our own place to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters! We carved pumpkins and decorated our front porch with cobwebs, a black light, and a cute Halloween wreath made by yours truly! (I actually made something from Pinterest!) I also bought a HUGE bag of candy and only like 10 kids came to our house! Come on! I literally have a whole bowl full of candy left! That was the only let down of the night. Steven and I had soup in those cute little pumpkin shaped bread bowls and I roasted the pumpkin seeds (yum!) We caught up with the Halloween episodes of our favorite TV shows and then told scary stories in our cozy bed :) Tonight I will take down the Halloween decorations and put up my Thanksgiving ones (thank you Hobby Lobby!)

In addition, I have made a goal to write about something I am thankful for on my blog every day in November. I did this two years ago and it was really fun.

Today, I am very thankful for lds.org. On Sunday for our combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting, we had the director of lds.org come and speak to us about the website and all of its amazing features. I was already someone who visited lds.org at least 5 times a week but his presentation made me even more excited about everything it has to offer! The Church has given us access to so many wonderful things. We could even read the General Conference talks just a few days later! Lds.org has made it so easy for church members to prepare lessons, talks, Family Home Evenings, etc. It has also made it super easy to share the gospel! We have access to thousands of talks, articles, videos, etc. that we can link to blogs, Facebook, and Pinterest. We can also read the scriptures online from our computers, tablets, or phones! So amazing when you really sit and think about it!

I LOVE Fall!!!

2011-10-01T15:14:00.000-06:00

Steven and I went on our first annual Fall Colors hike yesterday! These pictures definitely do not do the colors justice! I HIGHLY recommend getting out there and checking it out for yourself! This was the Dog Lake hike about 9 miles up in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We are definitely making this an annual tradition! Enjoy these pictures!

P.S. I am LOVING Conference and especially the announcement of the new Provo Temple! So exciting! Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

We did not carve that, but since it was already there, I decided to take a picture!

I just LOVE the yellow against the blue!

Dog Lake

I am in love with this video...

2011-06-16T09:26:00.000-06:00

How refreshing! I want this video to be the theme for the rest of my life! I never want to forget to live in every moment and never take anything for granted. Any suggestions on how to remember this important message daily?

Happy Day!

6-year Old Girl Gathers Storm Victim Donations!

2011-05-11T12:36:00.000-06:00

What a cute little girl! I can only imagine all the great things she will do for her community as she gets older! Hats off to her!

Happy day!

I just couldn't help myself!

2011-04-29T11:24:00.000-06:00

I admit, I was a royal skeptic at first. I mean come on, was the royal wedding seriously such a big deal? I mean yeah, it is exciting and historical and everything but did all the news anchors of the major TV stations REALLY need to be in London covering the wedding a WEEK before??!! Were people seriously getting this caught up in it??!! I could understand the excitement from people actually in Great Britain, but why were we talking about it so much here in America??!!

I now retract all such thoughts and feelings regarding the Royal Wedding.

Steven (another major skeptic) asked me the other day if I was going to watch the wedding live. I told him NO WAY I was going to wake up that early (or stay up that late) to watch it, but that I would probably turn on the TV in the morning while getting ready for work to see her dress, after all, I do admire Princess Kate's fashion.

My alarm went off at 6 am. I found myself excitedly getting out of bed and walking straight to the TV to turn it on. As soon as I saw Kate's dress, the beauty and excitement of the whole scene literally brought me to tears! TEARS??!! Seriously? Yep. I was hooked at that moment. I have been watching clips and replays all day. What happened? I finally gave in and let my inner princess wannabe girl come out! I have never been one of "those girls" who sits around and dreams of the prefect prince and the perfect wedding and the perfect marriage, but I think that is what made this whole Royal Wedding thing so fun! We all got a glimpse into a modern day prince and princess story! Of course their marriage will not be perfect and they will likely have problems just like the rest of us, but I think it was exceptionally exciting to be a part of the beginning of what I hope will be a "happily ever after"!

Graduations

2011-04-23T08:35:00.000-06:00

This time of year always makes me nostalgic. I am not sure why, but it does. I can't believe that it has been a whole year since I graduated! I think it has taken me this whole year to process that I even graduated! So much has happened in the past year. In fact, all of the biggest most life-changing things have all happened in the past year! Whew. Last year at this time my whole family was in town to watch me receive my Master's degree. I said "goodbye" to some of the best friends I have ever had. I was excited to leave for Paraguay in 3 days, but nervous to leave my boyfriend for 3 weeks. What if he didn't like me still when I came back? (It was actually quite the opposite because about a month after I got home is when we first talked about getting married)! I was feeling weird about not being able to call myself a student for the first time since I started kindergarten 19 years before. ( I still miss school a lot...so weird).

April 2010

Yesterday, Steven graduated from BYU with a Mandarin speaking major and a business minor. This guy is a trooper. During the whole past school year, he commuted from Salt Lake to Provo everyday to go to school. I can't imagine adding almost 3 hours to an already long and exhausting day. And he did it all on public transportation! It might take him a whole month of sleeping in till noon to recover. And I wouldn't mind at all if he did, because he truly deserves it. He has sacrificed so much of himself for us which is so admirable. I love him.

April 2011

It's been 7 years since I graduated from high school. In one month, my cute little brother will graduate from high school. I can't believe that kid will be 18 in 3 months. Where does the time go? One of the things that makes me most sad is that I have not lived at home since he was 10. He still had a chubby face that I could squeeze! I have missed most of his growing up years and I wish I would have cherished those moments I had with him while I could. But ya know, I was just a dumb teenager with an annoying little brother.

June 2004

April 2010

3 years ago, I got my bachelor's degree from BYU-Idaho In a little over one year from now, my little sister will be getting hers. She is so smart. She is so strong! She got straight A's last semester! I never got straight A's in college! She

has pushed through so many obstacles and has emerged a champion!

April 2008

Happy Birthday: Charlie Chaplin! (tomorrow!)

2011-04-15T11:28:00.001-06:00

He made lots of people smile :).

Happy day!

Sunny Side!

2011-04-14T13:39:00.000-06:00

I am not a fan of runny eggs, but this is super cute! Talk about spreading sunshine!

Happy day!

Source: imgfave.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Be a Hero

2011-04-08T10:28:00.000-06:00

This is a great story about a woman who is doing what she can, in her little corner of the world, to make it a better place. I love how she says to go outside and be a part of your community.When we actually know each other, it is a lot easier to love each other. Enjoy! Happy Friday! WOOP WOOP!

Here is the link to the story on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/04/07/cnnheroes.latiker.roseland.youth/index.html?hpt=T2

Happy day!

Dear.....

2011-04-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

Dear Spring,

Please come to Utah.

K thanks, bye.
Alison

OR

Dear Utah,

Please have a non-snowy/rainy/ windy Spring NOW!

K thanks, bye
Alison

OR

Dear Utah,

Please be a little more like California, only weather wise, and in no other way.

Kthanksbye!
Alison

**Please note: I am not complaining, simply wishing**

Happy day!

Sarah Jane Studios

2011-04-05T09:23:00.000-06:00

These illustrations are super adorable and really bring a smile to my face. Sarah Jane "Illustrates Childhood" and I am so glad! I really want some of these prints for all of my children's rooms (when I have children that is :) A lot of them remind me of my mom for some reason, especially this one:

It looks like my Mom when she was a little girl!

Thanks, Sarah Jane, for "illustrating childhood" and creating a little sunshine!

Visit the Sarah Jane Studios blog at http://www.sarahjanestudios.com/blog/ or her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/people/sarahjanestudios?ref=ls_profile

HAPPY DAY!!

Reasons why my Mom is better than yours

2011-04-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am fully aware that everyone thinks that their mother is the bestest Mom of all the Moms that ever existed and I am no exception. Today is Mom's 52nd birthday! April 3, 1959! I always loved how my Mom's birthday was on April 3. It occasionally falls on a General Conference day, on Easter, or just in the first few days of April which are usually warm and pleasant beginning-of-Spring days. I just have always felt like April 3rd was a fitting beautiful day for my beautiful Mom's birthday.

Reasons why my Mom is better than yours:

She is a great cook! It must of been super hard working all day and then coming home and making nutritious meals for the family but she did it!
She is a super hard worker
She taught my how to save money and be frugal and a good shopper and happy
She is SOOO smart! Once not too long ago, we played this game where I would open up the dictionary to a random page, close my eyes, and point my finger to a random word. She ALWAYS knew what the word meant, and if she didn't she could guess pretty dang close. I was amazed.
She planned my whole wedding by herself under tremendous amounts of stress- and it was amazing!!
She smells good, ya know, like "Mom"
She always prayed and read with us before we went to bed
She is very self-sacrificing
She is so cute, and her Dad tells her so all the time
She is very strong amid her trials
Because I am the most like her
Once she slept in a tent with us kids in the backyard even though her back was really sore
She has a great sense of humor and laughs A LOT
She has a PERFECT driving record. She was pulled over once but let off because of her perfect record!
She is very understanding
She made us dresses and hair bows growing up. Those were my favorite clothes!
She gave me the best and most thoughtful gifts at my bridal shower ( picture of the Redlands Temple, framed Proclamation to the World, hand-embroidered dish towels, and a sewing kit).

I love you Marmie!!! I hope you have a great birthday and I am sorry we are not there with you!!!

Happy Day!

Send a postcard to a soldier!

2011-03-30T11:56:00.001-06:00

I found this really cool website called Tonic. They have different "deeds" that you can participate in every day. The website tracks how many deeds are done and if the goal is reached, money is donated to a good cause. Today's deed is to send a postcard to a soldier. It is a super easy way to spread some sunshine! All you do is:

Go to the Tonic website
Go to the History tab
Click on the "Do the deed" tab
The website will guide you from there!

You can choose from a variety of pre-drawn postcards drawn by children around the country.You can choose a pre-written message or write one of your own. This is the one I sent:

Great job Let's Say Thanks for giving people the opportunity to be day-makers!

*Life Update*

I was folding the laundry last night and I started to notice grease spots on all of Steven's shirts. What the heck?! There is no way I could have left chapstick in my pockets, (1) because I am more careful than that and (2) because I haven't done that since I was 14!! So I called to Steven to ask him if he left anything weird in his pockets. He was as confused as I was! So I kept folding and then to my surprise I saw my chapstick, sans the outer wrapper, in the bottom of the laundry basket! Oh dear. I felt so sheepish! It took me right back to when I was 14 and my Mom would get so frustrated with my sister and I for leaving our chapstick in our pockets. So I immediately called my Mom and asked her what to do, Mom's always know best. She said to spray it with Spray n Wash and wash them again ASAP. Well it was already almost 11pm and I had THE WORST headache and didn't really feel like going to the laundry room of our apartment complex that late to fix my mistake. So I sprayed them and hung them up to dry. This morning the spots were even bigger. Ummmm??!!! So I will be washing them tonight and crossing my fingers that the spots come out, or else Steven will be getting alllll new shirts, which wouldn't be a bad thing, except I feel bad about ruining some of his favorites!

Lesson: empty your pockets every night and especially before you do the laundry!

Happy Day!!

I am addicted to these videos....

2011-03-29T10:32:00.000-06:00

and they all make me smile! I have been meaning to write about this for awhile now. I love the Church's new "I am a Mormon" videos on YouTube. I love hearing about other people's challenges and how they overcome them. I love hearing about people's lives and how they got to where they are today. I love hearing about happy people and their secrets to happiness! You should really check it out, but only if you have some time to spare, it is really easy to get addicted! Here is one of my favs:

Visit the YouTube channel here.

Happy Day!!

1,000 Reasons to Smile!

2011-03-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard of the 1,000 Awesome Things blog? Well if you haven't you need to check it out! I have been following this blog since the end of 2009 and I absolutely love it! The blog is a countdown from 1,000 of awesome things. It is currently on #280 which happens to be "When little kids get really, really excited" The author includes pictures and sometimes videos to display the awesome things. I also think he is an awesome writer. Here are a few reviews about the blog:

“1000 Awesome Things might be described as optimism for the rest of us. Sunny without being saccharine, it’s a countdown of life’s little joys that reads like a snappy Jerry Seinfeld monologue by way of Maria Von Trapp.” – The Vancouver Sun

“Strangely heartwarming… perfect for rainy days.” – The New Yorker

“Honors the little joys of life.” – USA Today

Here are a few of my favorite "awesome things" that the blog has highlighted:

# 973- Sleeping in new bed sheets
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/07/29/973-sleeping-in-new-bed-sheets/

# 941- The Universal Fry-Sharing Policy
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/09/11/941-the-universal-fry-sharing-policy/

# 937- The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/09/17/938-the-smell-of-rain-on-a-hot-sidewalk/

#925- Watching The Price is Right when your home sick
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/10/03/925-watching-price-is-righ/

# 895- Getting something with actual handwriting on it in the mail
http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/11/14/895-getting-something-with-actual-handwriting-on-it-in-the-mail/

# 858-The other side of the pillow
http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/01/06/858-the-other-side-of-the-pillow/

# 828-Remembering what movie that guy is from
http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/02/17/828-remembering-what-movie-that-guy-is-from/

# 769- When the thing you were going to buy is already on sale
http://1000awesomethings.com/2009/05/11/769-when-the-thing-you-were-going-to-buy-is-already-on-sale/

I could go on and on. Check it out, what are some of your favorites?

Happy Monday!

Baby Hungry??

2011-03-24T08:06:00.000-06:00

So my dear mother commented that I have been posting a lot about babies and kids. Then she asked if I was baby hungry yet??

My response? "NO MOM!!!"

Can't a girl love babies and kids and not be baby hungry??!! Can't a girl adore other people's kids without ever wanting one of her own??!!

Similarly, there are TONS of babies in our ward and I love looking at them and playing with them during church. It is quite the pleasant distraction! Every time this happens, Steven leans over and says "You REALLY want kids right now, don't you?"

My response? See above, replace "MOM" with "STEVEN"

I love little kids, they always make me laugh, smile, etc. I know I will have some of my own someday, but for now I can just look at cute pictures, watch cute videos, and play with kids at church and be perfectly content :)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2010/05/your-happiness-photos-group-5/

P.S. Happy Sweet 16 day!!!! GO COUGARS!!! I know you can do it!!!

More Baby Sunshine!

2011-03-22T12:32:00.002-06:00

Enjoy! Happy day!

HAPPY SPRING!!!!

2011-03-21T08:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday (March 20) marked the first official day of Spring! I don't know about you, but I am more excited about Spring finally being here than I have ever been! This past Winter was the LONGEST one of my life! I am so ready for the warmth and sunshine! I know, I know, I live in Utah so there will probably be about 3 or 4 more snow storms before we really feel some warmth but still!!

Spring is:

Blossoms
Green grass
Warm sunshine
Finally being able to run outside again!
Camera time!
Vacations
Graduation
Easter
New birth
General Conference
Mom's Birthday :)

What is Spring to you?

And for your enjoyment:

Happy Day!!

**March Madness Update** My bracket is currently #1 in both of my groups! In fact, I am in the top 99.9 percentile on ESPN! I am relishing in the glory now because I know I wont' be there long (given that I chose Pitt to win it all....)

Be a day-maker!

2011-03-18T12:57:00.000-06:00

If being a "life-changer" sounds a little daunting to you (like it does to me), just be a day-maker! Who knows, making someone's day could eventually change their life! And yours! I really want to try to be a day-maker! Here are some ways that you can make people's days:

Be the Chocolate Fairy
Get a bag of good quality, individually wrapped chocolates – such as Dove or Hershey’s Bliss – and fill a mason jar with them. Attach a flower with raffia and a note that says, “Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays. Love, The Chocolate Fairy.” Pick a Monday and place the jar at the doorstep of a neighbor. Run stealthily away.

Breakfast’s on Me
When going through a drive-thru to pick up breakfast, pay for the bill of the person behind you, too. This act of kindness will probably be less than $10, and that person may do it for someone else next time.

Gardening Service
Pulling weeds is no one’s favorite summer pastime, but it’s a job that has to be done. While attending to your weeds, check your neighbor’s garden or flower beds for overbearing weeds. Spending just a few extra minutes weeding will give your neighbor a happy surprise and will allow you to help beautify your neighborhood.

Surprise Service People with a Treat
When visiting the doctor’s office, picking up your car from the auto shop, or going to the hair salon, surprise the staff with a treat. A box of doughnuts or a dozen cookies fits nicely into a budget of $5 to $10 and will put a smile on the faces of those who receive it.

Run Extra Errands
If you know someone who is busy with a new job or has a newborn baby, offer to pick up a few things for them while you are out doing errands. Basic tasks like grocery shopping or dry clean pickup can become heavy burdens when schedules are full or when unexpected events take place.

Coupons Instead of Casseroles
When someone new moves into your neighborhood, instead of the traditional casserole or brownie plate, provide a list of local grocery stores and restaurants in your area. Include a $10 coupon or gift card to your favorite grocery store or restaurant. This guarantees your neighbors the opportunity to have a positive adventure in their new hometown.

Music to Remember When
When friends have a son leaving for college or a daughter getting married, cheer them up by sending a CD of songs that came from the year their son or daughter was born. You can use iTunes to search for popular songs from those specific years, or use your own personal collection. Hearing those songs will give your friends a few laughs during their trip down memory lane.

* Taken directly from the LDS Living website. The article can be found here.

Though some of these are a little cheesy, I think they can all be adapted to meet various needs. I really like the idea of paying for the bill of the person behind you in the drive-through line! If only I actually ate fast food often enough to do this! Can you imagine how excited you would be if you got up to the window and started to hand them your money and they were like "oh, it's ok, the person in front of you paid for it already!"

There are tons and tons of ways to be a day-maker and they definitely do not have to be elaborate. I think it can be as simple as a smile or holding the door open for someone. I dare you to try it and see what happens! I will too! Enjoy!

Happy Weekend!!!

March Madness!

2011-03-17T15:53:00.000-06:00

Basketball fans: It's Time!!

The most exciting time in college basketball begins!!

I have a few things to say about this:
1. GO COUGARS
2. I hope my bracket does as well as last year and that last year was not just beginners luck!
3. GO COUGARS!
4. I hope I can figure out a way to watch the games at work!
5. I REALLY hope BYU never plays while I am at work!!
6. Jimmer WILL get Player of the Year!!
7. GO COUGARS!!!!

HAPPY MARCH MADNESS!!! oh and Happy St. Patty's Day!

Noodle Shop Owner Gives Away Free Food

2011-03-16T20:44:00.000-06:00

The tragedies in Japan have been devastating to watch. I have found myself spending hours reading countless accounts of people and their horrific situations. But buried in all the tragedy, there are still stories that provide at least a little bit of sunshine. One of those stories is about a noodle shop owner who lost his home in the tsunami but he still manages to live outside of himself and give free food to others. It is SO easy to look inward when we are going through trials, but I know that if we strive to make others happy, even in the midst of our own personal tragedies, that we can truly be happy. This guy is a definite day-maker! Enjoy!

Prison Guard Donates Kidney

2011-03-15T07:20:00.000-06:00

This story is a beautiful example of the true goodness that surrounds us daily. There are amazing people doing amazing things everywhere! Way to make someones life! Enjoy!

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/03/13/prison-guard-donates-kidney-to-man-hes-never-met/

Happy day!!

Daylight Savings Time

2011-03-14T09:31:00.000-06:00

Longer days = more sunshine = more smiles and fun = happy me! :)

Jimmer- "Is this guy even human??"

2011-03-12T08:52:00.001-07:00

I just can't help myself! I just have to include this guy in my list of sunny things! Jimmer makes people smile, laugh, and shake their heads in unbelief. BYU fans were all smiles last night after Jimmer's AMAZING 52-point game! Let's hope for another one tonight! WE LOVE JIMMER!!

The man:

The basketball player:

The Legend:

Happy 100th post on this blog!!

FRIDAY!!!

2011-03-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

There is a certain song that makes me instantly happy/excited every time I hear it start playing. I have provided three different versions for your enjoyment!

Happy Friday!! Have a great weekend! GO BYU!!!!

All my love and prayers are with the people of Japan and anyone who may have family or friends there.

Kids

2011-03-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Kids always have a way of making you smile, laugh, and bring sunshine into your day (Moms- perhaps you would add scream to that list?) I just love how little kids are so easy to please, eager to compliment, and ever fearless!

Exhibit A:

You can find the full article about this cute boy here : http://www.ksl.com/?nid=957&sid=14664019

Today I went to volunteer at Guadalupe School in downtown Salt Lake and I was helping the cutest little 1st grade girl with her reading. I got up to grab a white board from the shelf and as I walked back to our little desk the girl beams up at me; "You're pretty!" So sweet! Another 2nd grade girl had similar glasses to mine, both squarish and purple. When I pointed this out to her, she was so excited! She thought it was the coolest thing in the world that we had similar glasses! There are so many lessons to be learned from these little children! No, I am not suggesting that we go around requesting kisses from attractive people, but I think we (really I mean me) can all be a little more fearless, eager to compliment, and easy to please!

Happy Day!

Dreams

2011-03-09T11:15:00.002-07:00

In my search today for something to brighten people's day (some days are harder than others) I came across this foundation- http://www.sunshinefoundation.org/. The Sunshine Foundation has a mission of making children's dreams come true. These children have terminal illnesses, injuries, or disabilities that make it hard for them to live a normal kid life. Generous donors have the opportunity to "adopt a dream" and make it happen for a special child. I just love Love LOVE the idea of making someones dreams come true or bringing sunshine into people's lives. I feel like it is something we can all do. Whether on a grand scale, such as this organization, or on a small scale such as smiling to a stranger on the street, anyone can take part. So thumbs up to the Sunshine Foundation for making dreams come true!

Happy Day!

Who's On First?

2011-03-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

In honor of the 2011 Major League Baseball season starting at the end of this month, here is a great video that has me laughing every time! Enjoy!

Happy day!

Happy Monday!

2011-03-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is a great story about a homeless man who found an envelope with over $1,000 in it and he turned it in to the police station! That takes some extreme integrity, what a wonderful example! It definitely makes me step back and ask myself what I would have done in this situation. I hope you find this article as refreshing as I did! Enjoy!

You can find the article here: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Homeless-Man-Finds-Returns-1440-Cash-117078068.html

Happy Day!

A smile in a box!

2011-03-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

What a special girl! She saw a need and came up with a way to meet that need, all on her own! Very inspiring. Great job Emily!

Check out the Emily's Smile Boxes Facebook page or her website:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emilys-Smile-Boxes/107097096799

http://www.emilyssmileboxes.com/

Happy Weekend!!

103 years of sunshine!

2011-03-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

I just love this little lady! I dare you to not smile while you watch this! Her secret to a long life is JOY! How beautiful is that?! She is the epitome of bringing sunshine into people's lives!

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess!

2011-03-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Dr. Suess was born on March 2, 1904, which would make him 107 today! Happy Birthday to a man whose stories and illustrations have brought smiles and laughs to thousands of children AND adults over the years! His classic and fun stories will continue to be loved for many many years to come! Thank you Dr. Suess for bringing us perpetual sunshine! So, take a few minutes to celebrate and read a Dr. Suess book or two! I promise it will make you smile! (or just visit this mildly annoying website about all things Dr. Suess! http://www.seussville.com/#/home)

What is your favorite Dr. Suess book? It is really hard for me to choose, but it is between Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh the Places You'll go.

Happy day!

Back to my roots

2011-03-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Don't we all need a little sunshine?

I have decided to get back to the real reason I ever started this blog; to remind myself that even when times are hard, we can still find reasons to smile and laugh-to bring people sunshine.

Ahem.

Hello, my name is Alison and I am here to bring you (yes, YOU!) your daily spot of sunshine :)

If you haven't already seen this video, here is something that will no doubt bring a smile to your face! Enjoy! :)

Reading old posts can be like chicken soup for the soul

2011-02-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

So I get really annoyed when I visit a friend's blog and they haven't updated in like a week and then I look at my last post- yep, two months ago. I am basically a hypocrite. So here it goes....

Last night I read some old journals and while some of it was pretty painful to read (seriously, why was I SO dumb?) it is also quite amazing to see how much I have grown. I also read some more recent journal entries from when Steven and I were dating and it was just so fun to read about the things we did and then to look at us now and see how much we have grown together. Also reading about little things that he did that at the time didn't make sense to me but now that I know him better they make perfect sense! And to think that I have only known him for a little over a year, I can only imagine how much better I will know him in 30 years! And then 50! So exciting!

Then I just went back and read some old blog posts, some real gems. I found this from a year ago! That's right, OF (Original Fan)! I also found this, this, and this. I forgot how much I love taking nature pictures!

So what I am saying is, go back and read some old journals/ blog posts, it will really blow your mind in a good way :)

Happy March! Spring please come soon, thanks.

2010-The year of extreme stress, the year of extreme joy.

2010-12-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

What just happened? The year of 2010 sure threw me for a loop! So many ups and downs! Every year has its ups and downs but this years highs were a lot higher and the lows a lot lower. So many life changing events occurred this past year!

January 13: 13 days into the new year I met Steven on a blind date. Funny thing is how much I was dreading the date! Not because of anything to do with Steven himself but just because it was a blind date. But from the moment I opened up the door and saw Steven's smiling face I felt completely at ease. There was never a boring or awkward moment the whole night. I am so grateful that his sister Stefeni chose to set me up with him!

April 23: I graduated from graduate school. Still can't believe I did that!

April 29-May 23: I traveled to Paraguay for 3 weeks with Jarilyn! Feels like a dream.

August: got a new job, moved away from Provo (my comfort zone), and got engaged!

November 12: I married the man of my dreams. I know it sounds super cliche and I am really not the kind of girl who over-idealizes everything but Steven is seriously amazing. I feel so lucky that we found each other. He continues to amaze me every day. He makes me want to be more than I am and I love him so dearly.

As far as the lows go,my father is currently being punished for a crime he did not commit and it has unfortunately created some very difficult situations for me and my family. It has been hard to say the least.

Above all, 2010 was the biggest learning year I have ever had. I am so grateful for the peace that the gospel brings. I have learned to always be mindful of my blessings or I will get lost in my worries and stress. Luckily, I have a tremendous amount of blessings so it isn't too difficult.

Wow

2010-12-20T11:01:00.001-07:00

This painting was hanging in the Provo Tabernacle when it burnt down on Friday. All of it was burnt except the part where Christ was. Interpret this how you wish, but I think it is amazingly wonderful and beautiful.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

Last year, I wrote a new blog post every day in the month of November to tell what I was grateful for. Unfortunately, this year was so insanely busy that I did not even think about it! I was no less grateful though. In fact, I find myself on this Thanksgiving night, filled with so much gratitude that I might explode. Here are a few things that I am grateful for:

My Husband: Steven is so incredibly kind and sweet. He treats me so well. Sometimes I just stare at him and wonder how I got so lucky. How do I deserve such an incredible person? He is also so so so funny and always has me laughing. I feel so blessed to know that we are sealed and that I have him forever.

The Temple: I am so grateful for having the opportunity to go through the temple and to be sealed to Steven. I can't wait to return over and over again with Steven and with my future family. What an amazing blessing that I have so many temples so close!

My Family: Wow. We have been and are going through a lot right now. Timing is a funny thing. My Mom and Dad worked so hard not to let anything get in the way of my wedding day. I love them for it. My siblings are amazing and I hope that they know how dearly I hold them in my heart and mind.

I am also so deeply grateful for my extended family- and Steven's too. A lot of people traveled a long way to be at our wedding and it means so so so much to me. Again, I feel so incredibly blessed to have such an amazing family, on both sides :)

Friends: I can't believe the support my family and I have received in the past few months, especially with my wedding. So many people stepped up to help my Mom with my reception. I was literally blown away by the love and support that i felt from people when I went home for my wedding. Everything was beautiful and perfect and I am just so grateful!!

Everything else: this includes my body, my job, my car, my apartment, my bed, my scriptures, my food, flowers, snow, warm coats, boots, etc. you get the picture.

In sum, I am grateful for my LIFE! <3

A case of the Mondays? Not me!!

2010-08-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was no ordinary Monday! As countless school-aged children returned to school after summer break, I was getting engaged! That's right, ENGAGED!

I knew it was coming sometime in the week, but I honestly thought it would happen closer to the end of the week.

Sunday night:

S:" Let's do something tomorrow."
A: "Ok, what time?"
S: "I will pick you up at 6"
A: "6??!! That is too late, I thought we were gonna spend all day together!"
S:"No, 6 am!"
A: "6 A.M.??!!" Why so early??!!"
S: "I dunno, I thought we would go on a hike or something."
A: "Oh, ok, cool"

So I woke up at 5:20 on Monday morning and put on black yoga pants and a maroon sweatshirt. There was no way I was taking a shower that early in the morning so I just threw my hair up in sloppy bun. Luckily I had enough sense to put on a little eyeliner and mascara. Then at 6:00 on the dot, Steven called and said he was outside.
I walked outside and he was waiting for me by the door. He gave me a big hug and took me to the car. He seemed a little nervous, but nothing too weird. I was trying not to think too much about it because I didn't want to get my hopes up too soon. Steven then told me that he thought it would be nice to watch the sunrise together as a great start to this crazy week (I start a new job TOMORROW and he goes back to school next Monday). At this point I was still trying not to get my hopes up and think too much of it because I honestly thought it would be later in the week! So we drove up to the Draper Temple and put a blanket down on the hill behind some abandon castle-house and it was beautiful! The mountains were to our right, the valley to our left, and the Draper Temple directly in front of us. There was even a little field of wild sunflowers! It was perfect. We talked for a little bit and I still noticed that Steven was acting kinda funny, but again- nothing too terribly out of the ordinary. Finally the sun came up over the ridge. Then Steven stood up and pulled me up with him. This is when I knew for sure. We hugged for a little bit. Then he got down on one knee and looked up at me with his beautiful blue eyes that I love so very very much and he whipped out this bad boy (it was just chilling in his pocket the whole time!)

Then he asked me to marry him. I said yes, of course and then started bawling (not entirely unexpected, but a little surprising nonetheless).

We are getting married on November 12 in the Redlands, California temple. I am so excited to start our life together. Steven is my best friend and truly amazing. What else could I ask for?

Thank you all for being so excited for us, I will try to keep my blog updated better than I have the last few months!

"This is all I need...."

2010-07-28T09:29:00.000-06:00

That is what Tati said last night at Red Robin where we all gathered for her birthday. She looked around with a content and satisfied smile on her face and said "This is all I need" ( assuming of course that Aubrey was there in Spirit) I have definitely had that feeling before, where I look around and become overwhelmed with gratitude at the people in my life. I am so grateful for amazing friends and family who have made my life so rich and happy. Being with people who we love and who love us can bring us so much happiness and peace. For this I am eternally grateful!

Steven

2010-07-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

This is Steven. Isn't he handsome? Let me tell you a little bit about Steven James Cundiff:

* Steven is one of the most athletic people I have ever met! He can do anything! He is an AMAZING runner! He is also amazing at soccer, basketball, AND racquetball! He LOVES being outdoors and being active. He is also really strong :)

* Steven has an enormous amount of hidden talents, including (but not limited to) chopping wood, starting fires, predicting the future, and washing windows.

* Steven loves talking to people and making them laugh.

* Steven has more drive and passion than anyone I know. He will do anything it takes to make his goals happen.

*Steven has his head on straight.

*Steven is very considerate and kind.

*Steven can speak Mandarin (which means he is really smart).

*Steven is a great motivator.

*Steven always calms me down and makes me feel happy, especially when things are really rough.

*Steven has a very good memory.

*Steven is a very good communicator and very understanding.

*Steven is very honest.

*Steven hates olives, just like me!

Anyways, I could go on and on about Steven but this list is sufficient for now :)

I am one lucky girl :)

Roommates

2010-06-07T20:52:00.000-06:00

Once and awhile you get really lucky. This is how I feel about being roommates with Nicole, Brittney, and Brittney. We were freshman roommates at the dorms at BYU-Idaho and we were the best of friends! We had so much fun together. We got together last weekend at Olive Garden and we sat and talked for hours! We are all in very different places in our lives, but we still had a great time! I love these girls and will be forever grateful that I shared the first few years of my adult life with them!

Grateful

2010-05-31T12:07:00.000-06:00

Sometimes when we are feeling under the weather, we get frustrated because we can't do everything that we are supposed, or want, to do. (Like teaching the gospel doctrine lesson at church, or running, or hiking). BUT sometimes this is a good thing because it forces us to slow down and gives us a lot of time to think. (Like laying in bed all day with nothing but myself or going on a really long walk this morning because I couldn't run). As I was walking the route that I normally run, it was so nice to take time to actually see the beautiful things going on around me. I think summer is finally here! I loved seeing tiny dots on the Y and kids running around at Seven Peaks. I loved seeing all the people running or riding their bikes. My mind was immediately taken back to last summer which was by far the best summer of my life. I was very active and I made a lot of amazing friends. I am pretty sure that this summer will be even more amazing than last and I am so excited! Here are some of the other thoughts I had while on my walk:

I love Provo!

I love America!

I am so grateful for all of the people who have sacrificed their lives to make this country what it is today and to preserve our free spirit. I think it is because I just recently returned from out of the country, but I have never been this grateful for America before. We truly have so much. I just went out-by myself- for two hours, walking and sitting on a park bench. That would not happen in a lot of other places in the world. We have so much freedom and I am so grateful.

I wonder when I am going to feel better so I can run?!

I am so excited for this summer and all the adventures that await!!

I am so excited to go home to California with Steven!

I am so grateful for Steven!

Iguazu

2010-05-25T18:11:00.000-06:00

I am BACK!! So good to be home!!

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Iguazu. We got a little lost so we didn't have as much time there as we would have liked. The pictures are taken from a catwalk that goes along the river and then ends right in front of the biggest part of the falls called Devil's Throat. We were super close up so the pictures aren't all that great :/ It was a phenomenal experience!

This is actually in the morning when we got to Ciudad el Este. The right side is Argentina and the left is Brazil!

Walking across the river!

Devil's Throat!!

Village and sunset

2010-05-12T19:25:00.000-06:00

So I am really creative with the titles of my posts. Today we went in to one of the indigenous villages close to the school. It was hard to take pictures there because the people are really suspicious of outsiders coming in. But we got a few thanks to Jarilyn's stealthy camera skills :)

Here is a typical house in the village.

Saeko, me and Jarilyn in the village

We figured they probably would't mind if we took pictures of their cattle

Some of the students playing soccer, they are fanatics here!

Hawaii? Nope, just the jungle of Paraguay :)

Farm life in black and white

2010-05-09T18:35:00.000-06:00

Sundays are good days for picture taking

2010-05-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

Sunshine and extra time do a body good :)

The monkeys were out again! He is giving me a thumbs up!

Straight from the jungle of Paraguay!

This is Chicle. He loves me and follows me around! I try not to touch him though, just in case he has fleas. I feel sad because he is so sweet to follow us around but I never am able to play with him. However, he did enjoy this little photo session :)

It might be really hard to leave this place.

One of these pairs of feet may or may not be mine. Hey, don't judge! Everyone does this here, it gets pretty cold at night and I was not prepared!

Asuncion!

2010-05-08T19:03:00.001-06:00

Today we went in to Asuncion to do some shopping and visit the temple!

Saeko and Jarilyn waiting for the bus!

Asuncion, Paraguay Temple!

The Paraguayan flag

SUPER SEIS! This is the main super market in Paraguay

Jarilyn modeling the weird little rolling baskets in S6

People

2010-05-04T19:08:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love the people here. Not only the people from Paraguay, but also the people I traveled here with. I am so grateful for them and the amazing examples they are to me. Here are a few photos from the weekend!

On our way to catch the bus to Villa Hayes

Andrea, me and Jeff. Jeff and Andrea are MBA students from BYU. We try not to fight too much :)

Jarilyn, Andrea, Me. We are in Villa Hayes eating some amazing BBQ pork!

Jar and I on our way to church on Sunday morning!

The members of the branch in Benjamin Aceval were so kind! It was so cool to go to church there! Jar played the piano and I lead the music in sacrament meeting!

Sunday was Andrea's birthday!Jose came all the way from Asuncion to bring him that cake! Alfredo and Javier (the two guys on the right) are teachers here at the school and they came over to our little house for dinner!

Wildlife in Paraguay

2010-05-03T08:56:00.000-06:00

Here are a few photos of some of the creatures I have encountered since I have arrived in Paraguay.

This grasshopper was about 6 -7 inches long!

Babe

Pretty flowers :)

This parrot said "hola" to us. Haha

MONKEYS!!!

Don't worry, it was just on the wall above my bed....

Hoy

2010-04-30T19:12:00.000-06:00

Today we visited a community of indigenous Paraguayan people. It was very interesting to see and experience. The first picture is of some of the students here at the school and the rest are ones we took when we were out with the people.

Cerrito

2010-04-29T19:07:00.000-06:00

Here are some pics from the day! We are in Cerrito which is a small community about 40 miles away from Asunción. The school here is amazing. The weather is so beautiful! We have our own little house for all the BYU interns and it is really great! Except for the frogs in the bathroom.... haha. Tonight we played ultimate frisbee with some of the students!!! It was so fun! The kids have never played ultimate frisbee and they caught on SO FAST it was insane! I was so impressed. Anyways here are some pictures!

Me and Jar :)

Jordan, Me, Jar, Hugo (director of the school), Andrew (teacher at the school), and Jeff.

One of the buildings in the school!

A view of Asunción as we were leaving!

A view of the landscape from the school.

Estoy Aqui!

2010-04-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

We made it! It was a loooong day but we made it here with no troubles! Our luggage even made it with no spills or anything! We are currently in the capital city of Asuncion where we are just staying for the night. Tomorrow we will head to the school where we will be working for the next three weeks!We have been told that there is reliable internet access where we are staying so I should be able to get on pretty often! Here are a few pictures of my trip so far! None of them are actually of Paraguay because it was practically dark when we got here!

This is a view of the sunrise on the plane on the way to Chile!

Jarilyn asleep in the Santiago airport. We were there for 6 hours.....

My view of Chile from the airport.

I will try my best to keep this updated and post some great pictures!

Did that seriously just happen?

2010-04-25T01:09:00.001-06:00

YEP, it did happen. Let me tell you, I felt like a I was sleep walking the whole weekend. So surreal. So wonderful :)

I think it is finally hitting me....

2010-04-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

What else could bring me to the verge of tears since the minute I woke up this morning?!

I am graduating. From graduate school. In 3 days. I am 23. My family is coming. In 3 days. I have missed them.

I haven't had / given myself the time to think about how big of a deal this is. Well, as soon as I woke up this morning it kinda all hit me at once. Now I can't stop thinking about it. And it makes me cry.

No, I am not sad. At all. Just nervous/excited/anxious/nostalgic/happy/ other feelings that words don't exist for. These feelings can become overwhelming and make me cry. But it's ok! I was wondering when I was actually going to have feelings about this!

This is going to be an interesting week indeed!

I am so so SO happy right now! Also, I am slightly nervous/sad to be leaving a certain someone in a week. I am so glad it is only for three weeks.

SPRING!!

2010-04-17T20:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T12:49:00.000-06:00

"The very foes who slay thee Have access to thy grace"- Hymn 197

I think I'm in love.....

2010-03-19T20:23:00.001-06:00

with Utah :)

March Madness

2010-03-18T16:31:00.000-06:00

Ok so guess what? I have NEVER cared about the NCAA tournament in my life. Until now.

So I am dating this really great boy who absolutely LOVES college basketball. He kinda has me hooked. Ever since I met him in January he has been talking about how he couldn't wait until March Madness. His excitement maybe rubbed off on me. A LOT.

He made me fill out a bracket by flipping coins and as of right now I am winning in both of my groups! Beginners luck I think :)

Today has been one of the most distracting days of my life! I have spent all my time (even in class) looking at scores and checking my bracket. Luckily I didn't have class during the BYU game so I was able to watch it. I haven't screamed that much since football season! This really IS madness!

On another note, my really great friend Lindsay Johnson won the Bateman award for the whole Marriott School today! I am so proud of her and the Romney Institute! So grateful to know Lindsay :)

I want to go to there......

2010-02-19T16:29:00.001-07:00

Simply Amazing

2010-01-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

Words cannot describe how happy this video makes me feel. I love it and I love Elder Busche. LOVE LOVE LOVE

Snow

2010-01-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

So it finally snowed last night! While I didn't really enjoy my car sliding around in it, it was sure beautiful this morning! I ventured outside this morning in my pajamas and took some pictures of the snow on the trees. Snow on trees is one of my favorite things.

Coming Back

2010-01-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever left a place for a long time and then returned? Isn't it weird? Everything looks extremely familiar and you can still remember exactly how to get around, yet it is somehow very different. I have come to the conclusion that it is mostly different because you as a person are different. Right now I am in the David O. McKay library at BYU-Idaho waiting for my sister to get out of class. I haven't been here since the day I graduated-almost two years. Somehow my login and password still work so I was able to get on the computer in a lab that I was in almost daily when I went here. I spent the last hour walking through buildings just to see if anything looked different, and also to see how things were the same. Mostly everything is the same, there are a few different paintings on the walls and things like that, but I am just amazed at how similar everything is. As I have been walking around I have been thinking about the person I was when I was last walking in those specific spots. I am the same person, but I have changed immensely. I also don't really know anyone here anymore so I kind of feel out of place. It is also super cold and I don't know how I survived. Weird, weird, weird.

The End.

Love this-

2010-01-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

I finally saw Invictus tonight with my parents and brother- I loved it (and not just because it included Matt Damon with a South African accent:). Here is the poem entitled "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley which Nelson Mandela gained inspiration from while in prison. I really really like it, especially the last two lines. I love the idea of being the captain of one's soul.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Bring it on!

2009-12-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am so ready for 2010!

Here is an AMAZING narrative from one of my favorite websites "1,000 Awesome Things".

I think it is beautiful, enjoy. :)

"#601 Getting through it
That was a tough one.

Come on in and stop for a second to shake your head, dust yourself off, and look back at how far you’ve come.

Sure, it’s been a long year. Some crushing lows slapped you and smacked you around. There were times your heart dipped and you squinted back tears while your stomach squeezed so tightly you couldn’t sleep. There were moments you walked around in a glossy-eyeball daze — when loved ones hurt, friends didn’t stay, or someone dear to your heart slowly drifted away.

Sleepless nights, stressful nights, with teething babies, slurring customers, bad bosses, bickering boyfriends, or blank computer screens. You were feeling and you were dealing and you were reeling and you were healing.

But as you walked your hard path down your long and bumpy road some little drops of confidence dripped like coffee into your head and into your heart. As you stumbled and got back up a quiet inner strength slowly seeped into your bones. And as you climbed over obstacles set in your way some relaxed satisfaction and growing self-awareness glimmered like bright lights at the bottom of your stomach.

Yes, this year changed you and grew you in so many ways you don’t even feel or notice yet. As you struggled you empathized, as you slipped you understood, as you worked you earned…

… as you looked you learned

… … as you dared you grew

… … … and as you jumped you flew.

Your dreams are still focusing and your passion is growing. Your energy is still bubbling as your story keeps going.

You’ve been through so much and gained a year’s supply of experience along the way. You’re stronger than you were last year and stronger than you realize. Sure, there were times you bent, but you definitely didn’t break. There were times you caved, but you definitely didn’t flake.

Listen up: you got bigger, you got better, and you got the scars to prove it.

So stop for a second today to smile and look back at everything you’ve done this year… everything you’ve seen… everywhere you’ve been…

You’ve taken more illegal naps and had more blurry-eyed late nights.

You’ve danced to more wedding songs and smiled at more beautiful sights.

You’ve seen more scorching sunsets and heard more head-bopping songs.

You’ve tripped a few times, but baby, you kept rolling right along.

Yes, you’ve hugged more old friends and kissed some brand new pretty faces.

You’ve cheered more on the sidelines and visited some brand new pretty places.

You tasted more meals, you got more deals, and you’ve sniffed more flower blossoms.

And you made it all the way through this year because you’re so completely

AWESOME!"

by Neil Pasricha

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight,my heart is full of gratitude for my Savior- His birth, His life, and His death. This year I started listening to Christmas music a lot earlier than I usually do. A week or so before Thanksgiving I found the "Peaceful Holidays" station on Pandora and for the next month and a half it was literally all I listened to. I love this station because it played piano or instrumental arrangements of Christmas songs. These beautiful songs became a form of worship for me because they express feelings for the Savior that I can't so eloquently describe on my own. Here are a few lines that really express my feelings towards the Savior tonight on Christmas Eve.

"What can I give Him, poor as I am?....Yet what I can, I give Him: give my heart."
-In the Bleak Midwinter

"Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!"
- O Holy Night, last verse

"He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love."
-Joy to the World, last verse

"This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!"
-What Child is This?

Merry Christmas everyone! I love you all.

Wonderful and Weird things that happen when I come home

2009-12-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

Wonderful:

- I get to see my family
- It is warm, even if it is "cold" it is still warm
- I get to go running a lot
- I get to see old friends
- I get to go to my home ward and see people who have known me since I was a baby (and they don't hesitate to tell me all about it :)
- I get my own room ( I love you Tati)
- I do fun reminiscing things like looking at pictures and yearbooks
- I get to eat my mom's food

Weird:

- I become really tired. It is the weirdest thing. At school when I am getting ready for bed, I am able to stay awake to read my scriptures, write in my journal, and pray, but when I am home, as soon as I put my pajamas on, I am OUT. Like the fall-asleep-while-you're-praying-and-wake-up-twenty-minutes-later-with-a-neck-ache-kind of out.
-I become lazy. I wake up, do some stuff, read a book, sleep, do some stuff, read a book, and sleep some more.
-Even though it is warm outside, I am always FREEZING inside my house. I am not quite sure what it is, but all day yesterday I was walking around with sweats and a sweatshirt and a blanket wrapped around me. I think I just got used to having it be 80 degrees inside like it is in my apartment.
- I have virtually no recollection of the whole past year I spent in Provo. When I think about it, it seems like it happened 20 years ago on a different planet. I feel like once I left Provo, so did everyone else and that nothing happened and nothing will happen till I get back. Weird. And egocentric.

Right this very minute......

2009-12-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

I am watching "Little Women" with Laura and Janae and I am very happy :)

Exciting!

2009-12-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13965607

The Church is adding "to care for the poor and needy" to the three-fold mission of the church! I think it is really exciting and a huge blessing to have modern-day revelation guiding us in our lives.

Savior, Redeemer of My Soul

2009-12-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight at institute, Katherine sang this beautiful song. I can't stop thinking about it. My two favorite lines that keep running through my head are "And all my life reflect thy will" and "And fit me for the life above". Here is a beautiful video that I found of the hymn. Enjoy :)

It's Dad's 50th Birthday!!!

2009-11-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

My Dad is:

sacrificing

Hard working

strong spirited

faithful

a Melchizedek Priesthood holder

a return missionary

a teacher

a lover of hymns

a lover of books

a lover of traveling

a lover of neckties

a good story-teller

a Trojan through and through (fight on!!)

funny

sometimes embarrassing (but we love it)

a wonderful father that I love very very much.

My Dad helped me to learn how to read. He has always worked very hard to make life good for us. He has saved money to take us to really cool places. He has sacrificed a lot in the past few months to keep our family happy. I love him very very much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Daddy!

What I am most grateful for.....

2009-11-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a really good Thanksgiving. It was a little weird not being with my family, and it is a little weird sitting here in my apartment on Thanksgiving night, but it is refreshing to mix things up a bit and to know that I can be happy and have fun in new places with new people.

Writing a post every day about the things I am grateful for has led me to a lot of reflection on what I am MOST grateful for in my life. The thing I am most grateful for in my life (besides my family, that is a given) is my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was fortunate enough to be born into the church and to be active in it my whole life. However, it was not until about a year ago (if I am being really honest) that I started to gain my own testimony. My testimony of the gospel-and more specifically of my Savior Jesus Christ- is my most prized possession. Luckily it is one that can never be taken away or stolen from me. It is one that I can keep forever, and it will even get stronger as I live through the rest of my life. I am so grateful for EVERYTHING that has happened in my life to get me to the point I am at now. I still have a looooong way to go, but I have a strong and deep faith in the Atonement and in modern -day prophets. I have the Book of Mormon and temples. I have my family for all eternity. I have a strong relationship with my Heavenly Father through prayer. What else could I need? I am so grateful for these things which have been (and will be) the strong foundation I need to conquer whatever challenges life brings me. For this I am very, very extremely and eternally grateful.

lots and lots

2009-11-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

to be thankful for:

inspiration

my job

got my paper done :)

seeing my cousins tomorrow!

LDSP job posting

Noelle in PMPC for helping me make two people's day :)

dancing turkeys

Mt. Timp (it was pink tonight) kind of like this:

It looks like Thanksgiving outside

2009-11-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today I walked outside and it really looked like Thanksgiving! I don't know how, it just did K? Ok.

Tonight I attended my FIRST BYU basketball game EVER! It was way fun! I am really glad I went!

I am grateful that I live on this earth,at this specific time, in the United States, in Provo, UT, at Chatsworth, in Center 7, as Tati's roommate. I am so blessed.

I am grateful to be the daughter of Rex and Janet Gutierrez. I am grateful to be the grand daughter of Welcome and Eleanor Adamson and Carlos and Lucy Gutierrez. I am grateful to be the sister to Anna Beth and Rex Elias Gutierrez. I am grateful to be a cousin to my 56 cousins on my Gutierrez side and my 9 cousins on my Adamson side.

Basically, I am just grateful for my life. Just the way it is. For everything that has happened in my life, the good and the bad. For everything currently happening in my life, both the fun and the not so fun.

Dear life,

I love you.

Love, Alison

Vulnerable

2009-11-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for many things:

Joseph Smith

Guru's with the BF (best friend, not boyfriend!)

Kathryn I.

Apple Cider

Thanksgiving break

Katie S.

That I was not one of the ones presenting today in ethics

that I changed my emphasis

Eva- for being understanding and flexible

Mom

Oops...

2009-11-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Oops, I totally forgot to post yesterday! So this post is for what I was thankful for yesterday and tonight I will (hopefully) remember to post about what I am thankful for today. But first, what is the difference between THANKFUL and GRATEFUL? I am going to investigate because I have always wondered....

Ok so they are synonyms and are basically the same thing.

In Websters Dictionary (online edition) it defines thankful as:
1. Conscious of benefit received
2.expressive of thanks (duh)
3. well pleased; glad

Grateful is defined as:
1. a) appreciative of benefit received. b)expressing gratitude (duh)
2. a) affording pleasure or contentment. b)pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated.

Hmmmm.... very interesting.... so being thankful is more of a recognition of something whereas being grateful is actually being appreciative something. I think you have to be thankful for something in order to be grateful for it. But they are basically the same so.....

I am grateful for Steve for helping me transport the turkey last night and for not getting juice all over my car.

I am grateful for days where I am alone most of the day (I really mean it, I am not being sarcastic). I think we all need those once and awhile.

I am grateful for music

I am grateful for my car

Pink

2009-11-20T22:18:00.001-07:00

Squaw Peak was pink tonight at around 5 and I really liked it.

I am grateful that I got to talk to my sister today. We really don't talk enough.

I am grateful for seeing friends I haven't seen in awhile and catching up with them.

I am grateful for hugs.

I am grateful for children and the pure love of Christ that they exemplify.

I am grateful that it was warm(er) today

I am grateful for Michael for making me laugh this morning when I really needed it.

I am grateful for the email I just got from Andrew M.

I am grateful for Jarilyn.

I am grateful for the "Peaceful Holidays" station on Pandora

I wish...

2009-11-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

I wish I was going home for Thanksgiving.

So it's not that I wasn't thankful for anything the last two days, I was just really busy :)

Today I am very grateful for:

amazing friends

my job

life

the gospel

laughing

this:

Homeward Bound

2009-11-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for:

The gorgeous song "Homeward Bound" written by Marta Keen. I downloaded the Mormon Tabernacle Choir arrangement of it and I can't stop listening to it.

Mom calling me on her way home just to say hi :)

My great-grandmother Rachel Bleak. I have a beautiful picture (that I may or may not have stolen from my grandparent's house) that I love to look at for inspiration.

The Book of Mormon and Elder Holland's conference talk "Safety for the Soul"

A friend (who shall remain nameless so his head won't get too big ;) who carried my books home for me. Thank you!

Lovely Weekend

2009-11-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

I feel like there is something important I should be doing, but I can't remember....so I will just blog :)

I went to the temple with my ward on Friday night. We ended up doing some family names for Aubrey which was really neat! I then went home and actually did some studying (gasp!) I usually don't do that on Friday nights......

I woke up earlyish on Saturday. I looked out the window and what did I see? SNOW! My initial reaction was some form of "ugh" but then I remembered my goal to find the beauty in everything. So I decided it was beautiful and I got really excited. The days events proceeded as follows:

- a wonderful little meeting of the ethics club ( members include: me, Raymon, Jarilyn, Lindsay,Heather,Andrew, and Brooke). We had a stimulating discussion on various topics such as subjective vs. objective reasoning, the ethics toolbox, and the Bathsheba syndrome. Oh how we LOVE ethics!

- a little BYU game-watching BBQ at Jeff's house. Great people, yummy burgers, and a leg wrestling competition in which I witnessed Ray dominate everyone(except Carolyn of course :)

- more homework ( I know, I was on a roll!) mixed with naps, mostly because I was doing homework on my bed.

-hot cocoa party with more wonderful people!

- ice cream, cards, and dancing to music from Glee with Lindsay, Boyd, and Brian. Great fun :)

Today was a bitter sweet day. Church was great as always. We bid farewell to our bishopric and welcomed a new one. I love them already. Just by looking at them and shaking their hands, I know that they love us.

Besides surprising myself with the amount of homework I accomplished, I am surprising myself in other ways too. I can't quite put what I have been feeling lately into words yet, but it is happy and scary all at the same time. It makes my stomach get all tied up in knots but also makes me excited. Maybe one day I will be able to share it, but as for now, NO WAY.

I am thankful for :

love

snow

friends

happiness

the Mormon radio channel on lds.org

my ward <3

I want to go to there....

2009-11-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

(all photos are taken by this amazing woman)

La dee da....

2009-11-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. I am thankful for:

RB

Niki- the department secretary who I sit at the front desk with. We have so much fun talking, especially about baking :) Today was her birthday and she brought cupcakes for everyone else! She is so sweet...

This morning when I walked out of that Tanner building, the wind was blowing and all the leaves were flying everywhere. It looked so magical and beautiful, I wish I could have captured it somehow.....

The city clerk of Grand Terrace for actually returning my call!

<3

Brooke Reider Day!!

2009-11-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

Today was so fun! Some of the girls in the program dressed up like the fabulous Brooke Reider! This included lots of pink, bows, and teased hair! It was way fun.

Today I am grateful for:

All the girls in my program, and especially Eva Witesman for being so awesome!

All the men and women who have sacrificed their time and their lives to protect our country and fight for what we as Americans believe in. Happy Veterans Day!

Speaking of Veterans Day, I am grateful that my Dad's event went well tonight. I think he has a good turn out which I am sure made him feel very happy. Dad happy= me happy!!

Institute- amazing. I hope the teacher knows how great his lessons are.

Hymn # 131- More Holiness Give Me. My favorite line is "More fit for the kingdom"

Warm weather- because I know the cold is coming-- like tomorrow.... :/

Now the day is over....

2009-11-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for:

Pandora- specifically the Jon Schmidt station I have been listening to for the past 4 hours.

Being done with this grant proposal assignment

My mom not having to work tomorrow

feeling like I should check the DVDs before I sent them to Elder Packer

water

new boots :)

Berto (the guinea pig) looking really cute

the meeting with Orem city going well

Monday!!!!!

2009-11-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Today (even though it was Monday) I am grateful for:

Advil and airborne- helped me not feel sick anymore so I could go about my daily activities free from pain and sickyness.

Singing in the car

Eating dinner together with my whole ward at bishop's house :)

This poem:

Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost

I <3 <3 Sundays

2009-11-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for so so many things, and I don't have time to extrapolate on all of them so I will just list them all:

1. My ward. I love everyone in it so so much. They bring me so much joy!

2. My bishopric. so so sad they are getting released nest week :(

3. Visiting teaching

4. Visiting friends i haven't seen in awhile! Happy Birthday Celia!

5. leftovers. Without them, I would have gone hungry today ( not really, I am just being dramatic, but still very grateful)

6. amazing amazing wonderful beautiful friends. and brownies from said friends :)

7. sister <3

I <3 Saturdays

2009-11-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for :

people who don't rake their yards- this gives me an endless amount of crunchy leaves step on when I am running. :)

running- I love running and I am grateful that my body is healthy and strong and able to run.

Relief Society- last night was the RS sleepover and it was way fun. I was reminded once again how blessed I am to be surrounded by such beautiful and amazing people!

Song and Sky

2009-11-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today I am grateful for:

The sky: today is one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen. I know I have said this like a bazillion times, but i absolutely love Fall. Today is so warm. I just regret that I couldn't be outside in it. However, I am blessed that my desk faces a big window which faces the mountains so it could be worse right? The sky is an amazing blue color right now and just makes the orange and yellow leaves pop so much more. I am also looking at two hang-gliders who are over the mountain. Wouldn't it be so cool to feel like you were flying? I LOVE TODAY!

Lady Antebellum's "I Run To You"- I can't get enough of this song. It makes me so very very happy. It is a beautiful song with great lyrics and every time it comes on the radio I get really excited. Like today, I was driving to work and the windows were down (because it is a beautiful day) and right before I was going to turn into the UPB parking lot, the song came on! So I just kept driving so I could hear it.

Here is a link to the song on youtube :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXf4QLqnROU

Gratitude

2009-11-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

My good friend Brittney gave me a great idea. Everyday in the month of November, she is going to talk about things she is thankful for. In reading her blog thus far, I noticed that she is very aware of the little things in life, the little things that bring joy. She usually lists more than one thing, some of them are small things and some of them a little more serious. I decided that I want to do this too. Thanks Britt!!

Today I am thankful for:

My Dad. He is working so hard to support my family. He has always been a great example to me of hard work. I am sure it isn't easy when you have to essentially change your whole career path at the age of 50 and basically start all over again. But he is doing it. He is doing it with dignity and strength.

Berto- Berto is our new guinea pig. He is super cute, even though I am still nervous to touch him. More importantly, last night when Tati brought him home, she was more excited and happy than I have seen her in awhile. This brings joy to my soul!!!

Crockpots- They make my life so much easier! Especially on busy days like this :)

Life is life

2009-10-27T13:54:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, when I have a lot to say, I don't really feel like taking the time to write a nice post about everything- because there is too much. So I combine that with my obsession with lists and I make a BIG LIST

Things I have learned/noticed/thought over the past few weeks:

1. I adore fall. I would marry it if I could. When talking to a friend about this, I told him that if I could have it my way,the trees would always look yellow, orange, or red and there would always be a plethora of crunchy leaves on the ground for me to step on. Then he said it wouldn't be special anymore. This was very wise, and I agree. Thanks Sam.
2. Speaking of Sam, I decided that I love the name Sam. It is one of the only boy names I really like. Sam, Nathan, and Ben. Those will be my sons names. And my daughters names will be Jane, Mary, and Betsy. Jane is a must, Mary and Betsy are new loves which I may or may not still be attached to by the time I have children.
3. I want a mac book
4. Life is precious. I stumbled upon a blog that I probably should have stumbled upon before now. Stephanie Clark is a young mother who got in a plane crash and suffered severe burns all over her body. She was in a coma for months. Her face was completely reconstructed and she looks totally different. Despite all this she is just so grateful to be alive and keeps continuing on in faith. She has hard days when she looks in the mirror and cries because she misses her old self. But she just keeps on living, and living beautifully. The day after I started reading her blog, Robi got in to a bad longboarding accident. In the time between hearing about the accident and hearing the actual details, I just kept thinking "He will be ok, he has to be ok. Even if he is paralyzed or something, he will still be happy Robi and it will be ok." Robi ended up passing away on Friday October 23, 2009. Life is precious. We can't take it for granted.
5.When things like the above happen, it really makes you realize what is most important in life and all the silly things we worry about daily. A lot of things become very insignificant.
6.ALWAYS wear a helmet, especially when doing dangerous things.
7. Being surrounded by good people is the way to go. I love my friends and the people I am with daily. I cannot put in to words the difference it has made in my life.
8. Laughing is so fun.
9. People are usually smarter and cooler than they think they really are. Of course if cool people knew they were cool, that would definitely make them un-cool.
10. I love the Book of Mormon
11. I have been telling people that I am not excited to graduate because I still don't really know what I want to do. But I do know what I want to do, I am just not ready to leave Provo yet. I love Provo. A lot. I have only lived here for a little over a year and despite the cold and snow, I don't want to leave yet. I want to find a job (LDS Philanthropies?) in this area and stick around, at least for a little bit.
12. This weekend marked a year since my boyfriend and I broke up. A year ago at this time I thought I was going to die, I wanted to run away and get away from everything and everyone. It is amazing how much things can change in a year. I am SO happy. I am so much stronger, and closer to where I want to be.
13. If I don't make specific times to go to the temple, I don't go. Common Alison, get it together!
14. I love my Dad and I am so proud of the things he is doing/ sacrificing for my family.
15. When I am bored at work, I can think of lots of things to say!!

Just sayin....

2009-10-08T12:57:00.000-06:00

I have come to the realization lately that I think I should have been born on a farm or in the country. This might have something to do with the fact that I have lived in Idaho and Utah for the past (almost) six years of my life. I grew up in a very urban area- the houses on either side of mine were probably only 15 feet away.

Exhibit A:

Don't get me wrong, I love Southern California and I LOVE where I grew up, but sometimes I just really wish I lived in the middle of nowhere.

Exhibit B:

This picture makes me feel a variety of different feelings:

1. It makes me really happy
2. It brings out a deep sense of longing
3. It makes me jealous of whoever's farm that is
4. and it makes me want to marry a rancher or a farmer so I can live somewhere like that ( Ok, I know it is silly, but at least I know that it is silly, right?!)

Ok though, in all seriousness, I have really come to love and value the beauty of the earth. I am having a hard time coming up with a way to accurately describe my feelings on this subject..... so I will spare you from the rambling that comes from not knowing what I am trying to say.....There is actually a Dixie Chicks song that kind of describes what I am trying to say so here are a few lines from that song:

I wanna touch the earth
I wanna break it in my hands
I wanna grow something wild and unruly

I wanna sleep on the hard ground
In the comfort of your arms
On a pillow of bluebonnets
In a blanket made of stars

I wanna walk and not run
I wanna skip and not fall
I wanna look at the horizon
And not see a building standing tall

I wanna be the only one
For miles and miles
Except for maybe you
And your simple smile

FIN

It's Been Awhile.....

2009-10-02T13:51:00.000-06:00

Well, school has been going for about a month now and I have managed not to go too crazy yet. The biggest thing that has changed in the last month is that I changed my emphasis in the MPA program to Nonprofit Management. So this was kind of a surprising decision (even for me) because I have always wanted to do local government- as in I decided to go to grad school so I could do local government. But when school started, I just was not happy with my classes and I just didn't feel good about where I was going. (Those that know me really well know that I have to feel good and be happy with what I am doing or I wont be able to do it) So I started thinking about nonprofit and maybe switching my emphasis but I kept thinking "No, it's too late, you would be way too behind." or "Hey, wait! You have always loved local government, you can't just switch up the whole course of your career with only eight months till graduation!"

So it was the last day to add or drop classes and I got an email from Catherine (the assistant director of the program) asking if anyone wanted to switch into the nonprofit classes because it was the last day and they needed more people. So with about 2 hours to think about it and meet with Catherine, I took a few minutes and tried to think about it rationally ( I am kind of known to make major decisions without thinking them through all of the way) but then I realized that I don't really have time to think about it rationally and to do all the things you are supposed to do when making a huge decision (e.g. pro/con lists) so I decided to resort to my favorite way of making decisions- How does it make me feel? Switching my emphasis to nonprofit felt right and I knew I would be very happy doing it. So I did. And it worked out beautifully. The classes I had to add fit perfectly into my schedule and I didn't have to change my work schedule at all or anything! A fellow student still had the books so I could just buy them from him and Dr. Witesman was so excited and very willing to work with me on getting me caught up. The biggest way I know that it was the right decision is the fact that I actually enjoy reading my textbooks! I don't fall asleep!

This experience has taught me a few things, but the biggest thing is that you just need to do what makes you happy. We are blessed with the Spirit of discernment and that means we should be able to rely on the way we feel about things to help us in the decisions we make. If we feel uneasy about something, we shouldn't do it. If we don't feel at peace about something, it may not be the best decision.

On a lighter less serious note, I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!! I have been having so much fun going to the games with my friends, it has been a blast! ( I am sure having 40 yard line, front row seats helps a little :)

Also, despite the fact that I miss Summer desperately, the Fall IS beautiful!! Just wish it didn't get so cold so fast!

Sorry for the long, rambling post- I will try to stay more updated :)

Summer all the time!

2009-08-30T23:28:00.000-06:00

So school starts like...tomorrow. In less than 12 hrs I will be in class. I have had such a wonderful summer, it is really hard to think about going back to school. But I have decided that I will just pretend it is still summer, even when it's not. Let me explain: This summer was very relaxing for me. I did everything that I wanted to do and more. I had a very laid back, no worries attitude. So I have decided I will just keep that attitude, even when things are going crazy. Also, I will not think about how great summer was and complain about the fact that it is not summer anymore. So even when my skin starts turning white again from the lack of sun, I will just pretend I am tan. I will act like it is still summer.

Besides, I really do LOVE the Fall.

FOOTBALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tati

2009-08-26T16:22:00.000-06:00

This is Tati.

Tati is my roommate. Not only is Tati my roommate, she is also one of the best examples to me about how to be a good person. Why, you ask? Let me just give you a few reasons:

Tati is strong. She puts up with a lot; and she does it without complaining.

Tati is patient. Tati teaches severely handicapped children. How she is able to be patient and kind with them is beyond my comprehension, yet she does it- every single day. Not only does she do it, but she loves it.

Tati sees the beauty in all people. As I just mentioned, Tati teaches handicapped children. The other day I was asking her about her class and she excitedly told me all about them and how wonderful they are. She told me about a little girl and she described her as beautiful. Tati has the rare ability to see beauty in people that most other people cannot see.

Tati is self-sacrificing. She will do anything for anyone. You couldn't find a better friend to have.

Tati is beautiful

Tati loves her family more than anyone I have ever met.

Tati is a GREAT swimmer :)

Those are just a few of the reason's why I think Tati is wonderful. I am so so SO blessed to have her in my life.