My progressive list of gratitude. I assure you, there is no order... except the top three. Those will go unmoved for the rest of my eternity.

The Gospel

The Atonement

my family

a clean sheet of paper

a really sharp pencil

the expression on peoples faces when they zone out

learning new words

the perfect word to describe something

the sound snow makes when you walk on it

having sore abs

beautiful eyes

winning a debate

whistling

getting letters

driving in snow

doing donuts/cookies

the advantages of being the teachers pet

back massages

wearing pants just out of the laundry

heavy blankets

singing and dancing alone in my car

green

just out of the oven chocolate chip cookies

red doors

finding money

Far side and Calvin and hoobs

when guys smell good

getting free stuff! 

This quote! "One life is all we have to live and we live it as we believe in living it, but to surrender who you are and live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. In God's name forward boldly!"

the mountains in Utah

Provo

Boulder, Colorado

getting paid

being perfectly on time

deep thinking

the moment right before you fully wake up

a sunny day with a dark sky

RAIN

painting

having time to just sit and read

the scriptures

people watching

eavesdropping

tulips

daffodils

missionaries

prayers

worthy priesthood holders

being excited for something

when someone exceeds your expectations

having a cat that isn't annoying

good friends

brushing my teeth

having my hair played with

epiphanies

playing with other people's hair

hot showers

sunny rooms

swinging on porch swings

tire swings in huge old trees

oaks

reading

warm nights

people that have freckles with light skin and dark hair

Asian babies

lacrosse

Finding Nemo

being able to talk for hours without running out of things to say

being able to talk openly about my religion without fear of retribution

talking about the gospel without fear regardless of the threat of retribution

beautiful cars

the burning in your lungs after a good run

getting new running shoes

cell phones

theme parks

adrenaline

leaves

fires

apples to apples and curses

sushi tag

hugs

kisses

donating blood! (and plasma when I'm poor)

my mother

seeing extended family

poetry

late night conversations

meeting someone you feel like you've known your whole life

baking

my ipod

finding new music

MUSIC

wii fit

YOU! 

hot tubing

politics

the moon

sunrises

the fact that my little brothers are best friends

naps

savers

getting good grades

hot chocolate

vanilla

dad jokes

milk

pb and js

kissing snow (SARAH!) 

chess

off roading

hikes

table rock

candles

daisies

myself!

jumping on the tramp

not forgetting anything!

reading the news paper

the solitude of cemeteries

BARNS & NOBLES

talking to strangers

peter pan
Les Mis

singing

writing music

fake glasses

having perfect eyesight

dragon flies and lightning bugs

ice cream

wrestling

swimming till you feel like your arms are going fall off

songs that speak to you

Hersey kisses

notebooks

jello

the cello

piano

chap stick

learning

sushi

cuddling

superheros

hats

quilts

sunlight

the countryside of Wales

the castle in Larghne, Wales

children with accents

accents in general

President Thomas S. Monson

temples

the smell of sandalwood

caving

fog

long eyelashes

noses with character

happy eyes....

Weekend in Utah

So, I went to Utah last weekend for the Mae concert, and it was such an incredible weekend. I can't even explain, so I'll just let you watch a video explaining Saturday night...

P.S. I promise I did not use the Lords name in vain, the sound just didn't pick up the SH at the end of my gosh...

 

Just Thinking Aloud

Sometimes, I have nights… and days where I get really frustrated with the people around me. And then I realize that often times my frustration is completely my own fault. My expectations of others are what results in the disappointment, hurt, or anger I feel towards other. I’m angry because I am being selfish, because I want what I want. I need to change that and realize that I’m going to be okay, and that in five minutes, things will be different. I can handle pretty much anything for five minutes. It may not be better or worse, but it will be different.

Sometimes, I also forget that I’m actually really happy and that nothing that happens to me can change that! I’m happy because the Lord loves me and because he allows me the freedom to choose how I want to feel. Unfortunately, every once in a while, I start to forget that I’m happy and get caught up with what is going on in the moment. I often lose track of how I want to feel all the time, by listening to how something else makes me feel in the moment! How foolish of me! I should never let my emotions be determined by anything but myself because I let know if I’m choosing with a clear head and sound mind, I’ll choose the way the Lord wants me to feel.

Life is about learning. And growing. And becoming better. For a long time I kept telling myself there were things to fix, things that needed to be gotten rid of. How self-deprecating! I don’t need to be “fixed.” Fixing something is the means to an end! I can ever end my weaknesses, they are there for a reason. So, now? Now I tell myself that I need to learn to do things better, I need to learn to be better because if I’m learning there is always room for change. If I am learning there is no expectation to be perfect, I am required simply to master things one small step at a time. You know what else is the amazing thing about learning? You NEVER have to stop.

“I must learn to love the fool in me the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries” 

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.”

-Theodore Isaac Rubin (Both)

The Uncoordinated Damsel in Distress

 Tonight I was sitting in my bed, contemplating whether or not I wanted to blog, while eating tootsie rolls. My bed is amazing. It’s about as high as the average counter and it’s so comfy and big and it has an enormous brown comforter on it that I love! Well, suddenly, one of my tootsie rolls rolled off my bed! Ironic, I know. Well, I leaned down off my bed to grab it when, as I was trying to get back up, I realized that I was right at that point where you can’t get back up, but you also can’t really just slide off. If I had tried to slide off, my hip would have nailed the edge of my side table. SO, wilts everyone else in my house was asleep, I was dangling precariously from the edge of my bed. I was stuck! Naturally, I started cracking up which made staying where I was quite difficult. Eventually I managed to claw my way up my comforter safe and sound as you can see that I am quite alive and telling you all my story. Boy, my future husband is going to have his handful… and LOTS to laugh about! I just thought I would share in my own personal entertainment.

Haha! That is all :)

Have a wonderful night and I hope you all had an amazing Halloween!

Surgery

There is much talk of surgery around these parts. We're all praying that my mother doesn't have to have shoulder surgery because of the Calcium deposits in her shoulder (you can pray for her too if you want!). And my Father just got his knee surgeried on today! (not a word, I know, but I'm going with it) 
Funny thing though, my Dad is a horrible patient. He doesn't like to listen to the things the doctors tell him, such as no walking or putting weight on it for a little while. Silly dad!
So, after all of the preamble...

I was standing in my kitchen tonight, right after my mom and I had just rebuked my dad for walking, while my mom and dad headed to the neighbors for a halloween party; my mom was dressed as a nurse and my dad as her patient. Perfect, right? like whoa. As they were heading out my Dad was by the front door and my mom was at the garaged door and my Dad yells to her,
"How cold is it outside?"
and my mother yells back,
"Oh goodness, you're fine. You don't need a coat." and then leaves out the garage, leaving my Dad to manage the front door all alone.
A few seconds later I hear,
"Gosh dangit! Stop doing that!... whoever keeps leaving the screen shut when you close the door, STOP IT!"


Yes.. You are correct. My father crutched himself right into the screen....

Bahahahahaha!
I love my family.


P.S. pictures of my thrifty finds coming soon!! 

So Domestic!

I want to be crafty. 

The only problem with being crafty is that you have to have the cash and time to do the things you want. AND, you have to be willing to shop around if you want to save on the cash. But, I really want to do the projects I have in mind and looking through crafty blogs has not been making resisting any easier. I'm going to do it!


 I'm already knitting a scarf. That's a step in the right direction, isn't it? I'm about half way through, but I haven't been as diligent as I could be with it.  My goal is to finish it in... 10 days from today. Unfortunately, my knitting has not been enough to sedate my need for going forth and creating so I have decided I'm going to take the time to teach myself to sew. Ambitious? Perhaps. But, that's what Youtube how-to videos are for, right? I am going to go out shopping today with my lovely friend Michelle (after I go to the dentist, joy) and we are going to a bunch of thrift stores to find things I can teach myself to alter. WIN!

I will report back on my findings.

:)

The Rocking Chair

Here are some photos of my rocking chair. I figured I should take some eventually just to be sure I have some record of it :)

 

Isn't it just so inviting?!