i want...

Family makes me happy. i want (probably more than anything) to be worthy of my own family. i want a family that is happy, and loving, and righteous. i want a home that is filled with the Spirit. where my children can be friends. and where we serve each other and enjoy spending time together. i want a family that gives me a little bit of heaven on earth.

glass half full

i took a quiz on blackboard today: 5 questions, multiple choice, 1 hour time limit.

final score: 4/5

i said: " i got 1 wrong :( "

jesse said: " hey, at least you got 4 right! :) "

and i appreciated his optimism.

sometimes being optimistic about life makes all the difference! :)

have i done any good in the world today? YES!

i was in the caedm (working on a 324 homework assignment) when i got a phone call from meags. she asked if i was in class or busy and since i wasnt, she asked if i could park the car for her. it was 1:49, she had class at 2, and there werent any available spots at jdawgs. so she didnt have time to find another place and still be on time for her class.

it was kinda inconvenient at the time cuz adeline had just arrived and was about to work on the assignment with me. plus, i was pretty sure i was gonna have to park it some place like the marriott. (for those of you who arent familiar with campus thats like a 15-20ish minute walk from the clyde, depending on how fast you walk).

but i was okay with it.

i met up with her by the foyer and set off to find a parking stall. (...too bad i wasnt setting off to conquer the world or something! :p) as i approached the crabtree light i decided to try my luck at jdawgs. if that didnt work i was gonna park at the duck pond...it'd probably be a 10 minute walk back to the clyde as opposed to a 20 minute one.

i got to jdawgs and entered the parking lot...there were no open spaces. but THEN, i saw a guy walking through the parking lot, and thought, "i wonder if he's heading to his car!?" :) i quickly circled the parking lot and returned to the place he was walking towards, hoping another car hadnt snuck in before me. i felt like a stalker. :P

well friends, luck was on my side. :) reverse lights came on, the guy backed out, and i scored a parking spot. meags was on time to her class, i was able to serve her, i didnt have to park at the marriott, i didnt even have to park at the duck pond, i didnt have to walk 10 (or 15 or 20) minutes in the cold, and i was only gone for a total of ten minutes! i was back in the clyde by 2:01. the icing on the top was that i finished my homework well before it was due. and the cherry on top was that i even finished my lab. remember the one i didnt finish on monday cuz of fhe? yup...now its done. :)

you see, this is the kind of stuff we get in return for helping others. god consistently, happily, and generously blesses us when we serve. he really does.

its as simple as that.

institute: candy for the soul

“If you are a single college student, I ask you to make participation in institute a priority. I promise you that as you participate in institute and study the scriptures diligently, your power to avoid temptation and to receive direction of the Holy Ghost in all you do will be increased. Divine favor will attend those who humbly seek it. That is a promise which I leave with you."

-President Thomas S. Monson

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A Promise From a Prophet

“We urge all for whom [Institute] is available to take advantage of it. We do not hesitate to promise that your knowledge of the gospel will be increased, your faith will be strengthened, and you will develop wonderful associations and friendships.”

- President Gordon B. Hinckley, The Miracle Made Possible by Faith,Ensign, May 1984, 61.

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i felt so edified coming away from institute tonight. and i totally couldve listened to her for another hour (or maybe even two)...it was THAT GOOD! heres a quick summary/recap of the insight (slash golden nuggets) i received:

• the righteous always flee
• god tries us when we pray for help...it's O-kay
• faith: a matter of WHO not WHAT
• the degree to which you know God is the degree to which you can trust him
• wickedness never was happiness => righteousness always is happiness
• but if not...and not...i will still believe
• 5 keys to happiness:* family * obedience * scripture study * work/labor * temple attendance *

it's official--im converted. :)

laughing makes me happy

today was brother's birthday. its a family tradition to make a birthday banner for the birthday boy (or girl). so last night, meags and i made the banner and this morning we taped it to his door.

the plan was to pick him up at 7 and take him out to breakfast at kneaders (this has also become a family tradition) well...we texted and texted and texted and texted and called and called and called and no answer. we were waiting for kinda a long time so meags got impatient and wanted me to knock on his window. she figured maybe that would wake him up.

the last time i did this it didnt work. so this time i knocked a little louder...okay, maybe a lot louder...and it worked! he woke up! :) BUT, little did i know that PoOr jOhn would be PaNiCkEd out of his mind, completely ScARed , breathing hArD , and sHooT uP out of bed saying "whoa! what was that!?" -- all because of my knocking! ... :p

when i found out his reaction i cracked up so hard and could not, for the life of me, stop laughing! it was so hilarious!!! ...and even thinking about it now makes me laugh! :p

later i got a text from him: "Eh! U know get somebody else sleeping in da room besides Erwin?" and i cracked up even more! it was GREAT!

thanks, john, for bringing laughter to my day. :)

fhe

it was ten to 7 and i was STILL on campus! i was working on my 324 architecture lab and there were 3 guys from my class who were there and had already finished part a. i needed help with it and they were willing to help me (one guy even did) so i really didnt wanna leave. but i made a commitment to attend ward activties. and that meant fhe.

i packed up all my stuff and hurried home. i actually made it home in 8 minutes! ...trust me, that's fast!... and luckily for me, fhe is right across the street. so i had 30 seconds to grab a bite to eat and walk over, just in time for the opening prayer. :)

i like fhe. i dunno why so many people dont go...but i still go. we made caramel apples, ate candy, and colored pictures for halloween. i did this one:

guess i'll just have to finish my lab tomorrow...

so so so so SO so good

today was stake conference and it was AMAZING. president heaton taught us to make priorities PRIOR TO. this will be my goal for the rest of the week. he also taught us that repentance means "to turn" (to the Lord), rather than "to change behavior." i am a changed woman, because of stake conference. :)

i just LOVE my stake presidency!

the joys of food

just like home

most of the time i dont like to eat rice. 1.its somewhat of a hassle to make. 2.it takes a long time to cook. 3.its not as healthy as other choices of food. 4.it takes more effort. 5.i (usually) dont have anything to eat it with.

but every once in a while its nice to go back to your childhood foods...and this was one of them. it was actually quite ono! and it made me happy. :) the best part about it: 1.the rice was already cooked...i only had to warm it up. 2.it reminded me of home. 3.it makes me a "true hawaiian." :p

a choice

earlier tonight i had a complex. i made a choice, soon regretted it, couldnt do anything about it, and had to live with it. unfortunately, everything else seemed to make my mood worse. you know how that goes? you're already grouchy...and everything seems to get on your nerves?

well...i had to make a choice. i didnt wanna be a grouch. so i tried to be optimistic, think happy thoughts, and look for the good. i even had to pray for help cuz it was hard. and slowly, but surely, i got over it.

my subway dinner was part of the happiness of my evening. its amazing what food can do for you. :) 1. it was free. 2. i didnt even have to leave the game to get it. 3. it helped me to be grateful.

the afterparty

there was an afterparty at the wilk to celebrate homecoming but i was pretty sure nobody would be there (or if anyone would...it would be lame). i mean, c'mon now...who's gonna wanna celebrate with such a sad loss? so, i decided to go home. when i got home from the game i felt like watching a movie. my roommate was in the mood for a chocolate mud pie (as consolation for the 7-38 loss) so i helped her make it, and then we watched nicholas nickleby. it was heavier than i was expecting...but good.

it made me want to marry a gentleman.

it gave me motivation to "never settle for less."

it made me want to be more articulate when i express myself.

it made me appreciate family, loyalty, friendship, and trust.

it reminded me that happiness is a gift. and a choice.

the mudpie turned out to be quite yummy...it was rich, and warm, and creamy, and delicious! it reminded me of the chocolate cake at macaroni grill and the brownie dessert at carrabas. :) and the bananas made it ten times better!

im pretty sure my afterparty was better than the one at the wilk. :)

feeling unincluded

isnt that amazing!? its like a christmas tree of pumpkins!

i caught a ride to the cornmaze with some people i dont know. and for the most part i felt so out of place. there were two pairs of friends and then there was me. i didnt have anything to say cuz they were talking about friend stuff. and since i didnt have anything to contribute to their conversations i was just quiet...pretty much the whole way there. i discovered that i can be very shy when im out of my comfort zone...maybe shy is not the right word. (i hope i didnt come accross as snobby or stuck up.) its more like quiet, reserved, observant. sometimes it made me not wanna be there. i found myself second guessing my choice to go. and wondered if i shoulda stayed home to study...or watch the volleyball game against the utes. but i knew that was already outta the question so i had to make the best of it.

the rest of the evening turned out to be not so bad after all...i met up with my roommates when we got there and hung out with them. its nice to have people you're comfortable with. and its so much better to have friends than to be an outsider. i decided that im gonna make more of an effort to help people feel included...cuz i dont like feeling unincluded.

we ended up going through the haunted cornfields instead of the maze. and it was SCARY!!! i got chased by a chainsaw man!!! i screamed a lot. :p

the drive home was much better cuz one of the girls acknowledged my existence and included me in her conversation. and i appreciated her for that.

provo in the fall

i was walking home from school today and i just HAD to take a picture of the view. isnt it so pretty?

today, these are a few things that made me happy:

* my planner*--i dunno how people survive school without them! i know i cant!

* yellow leaves*--besides the fact that its my favorite color, it makes campus look so pretty!

* studdy buddies*--ditto to "my planner"

the beginning

today i watched a play that got me thinking...

the result of my thinking:

start a blog. :)

so here it is,

and here i am.

and here's to:

The Simple Things