Gratitude....fail

Gratitude Challenge...Ok, I totally failed.  Between school, sending Seth off, and Thanksgiving Break, I have had no time.  But don't get me wrong, I truly am grateful for so many things.  I have a habit of finding something I am grateful for each day, and it never ceases to amaze me of the many things I have to be grateful for.  And now finals are coming, and it is study, study, STUDY!!!  It amazes me how I am so busy this semester compared to last semesters.  I thought it might be a gradual process...nope, it went from manageable to "OH MY HECK, THIS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE!" haha, I think that it is a good thing though.  It will keep me busy for the next two years.  Here's a link I found kinda funny the other day that fits pretty good with right now: 

http://www.ahajokes.com/b4final.html

...though I'm afraid that my teachers wouldn't hesitate to fail me! :S  I'm not too worried about failing, but I still would rather not mess up my grades.  I don't think this week should be called dead week...cause it is the liveliest weekend.  I've never seen so many people in the library.  But then this note came to mind:

Guess it's called dead week for a reason! haha

...as I finished this post I saw this guy (in the library):

Don't worry, he's not dead...but it made me giggle

after writing this post.

Gratitude 19

I'm grateful for spontaneous comments.

Today we went to Sam's Club for free samples!

We're poor starving college students, don't judge haha.

Funny part is, Danielle, Briana, and I went yesterday too.

...ok, maybe you can judge a little now haha...

So, we were walking around and noticed that

the girl who was giving out the free samples of 

this yummy stuff...:

...was the same girl from the day before!

So, I said out loud "Oh no! She might recognize us!"

(joking of course) A lady next to us started laughing hysterically

at my comment and said, "HAHA! I'll let you pretend to be my children!"

We all laughed, and she walked away laughing.

Then for spontaneous this morning:

Hailey began to sing songs from this wonderful musical

and so I started to play the music from it.

We all sang and it made for a pretty

glorious morning! :)

Gratitude 18

I'm grateful for snowplows.

Especially since it looks like this outside:

...cept the roads aren't plowed haha.
We prolly have 5 inches or so here.
My roommate Hailey and I went with our
neighbor Erin to the new Twilight movie tonight.
Right near the end, the movie paused and the
lights came up a little.  Everyone was saying
things like "This CANNOT be the end...WHAT!?"
Then, a lady came in and said somebody in the back
was having a seizure.  So they called the ambulance.
The patient wasn't taken out or anything,
but it was still kinda scary.  Once the EMTs left, they
backed the movie up a minute, and we watched
the last few minutes.  My opinion: it wasn't that
great of a movie...but it wasn't bad either.
I just want the next one to come out now! haha
Thanks for going with me Hailey and Erin! :)

Gratitude 17

I'm grateful for experience:

Its almost impossible to explain.
Cause you don't miss the person at all...
but yet you have this feeling like you kinda do.
Then I found this quote on pinterest (of course haha).
I loved being that happy, and I can be that happy again,
this I know.  I'm grateful for every experience whether they
be hurtful, difficult, happy, or easy.  Everything builds us
in some way or another, and we can always learn.
It's just best to live by the fact that: experience matters!

Gratitude 16

I'm grateful for variety.

Okay...maybe not this much variety.  Let's not get crazy!  But, I'm thankful I don't have to do the exact same things over and over all day long.  That would get really boring, really fast.  Of course I have to do some things every day, but not in the same way or order.  I have to go to class every day, but I never take the same path there.  If I have the time, I usually walk a lot further than necessary, just to switch things up a little.  There are some things I don't like to change...like my morning routine, or my spot in the library...but I still do a different hairstyle or different homework subjects.  One thing where I absolutely love variety is FOOD!!! :)

So I've been on an avocado kick lately.

Turkey - Avocado sandwiches have been my best friend.

Just to try and change the taste a little, I added some

lime juice to the mashed up avocado. :)

It is sooo good!  You can guess what I'm eating tomorrow!

Gratitude 15

I'm grateful for quiet.

Weird?  Maybe, but I love when things are quiet.

I don't think I could ever live inside a city

where it is constantly noisy.  At least Logan quiets down

a little bit.  The porch of my dream home looks like this.

I would sit on this porch and watch the sun go down all the time.

Call me crazy, but the other day I walked

to the church to play the piano.  Once I was done,

I just sat there in the peace and quiet.

It was hard to leave...nothing quite like silence.

It made me laugh when Mom sent me this:

It fit perfectly for today's post.

(pics via pinterest)

Gratitude 14

I'm grateful for my ability to read.

Through it I have gained and can gain

everything that I need to know.

Whether its reading my Book of Mormon or

reading my textbooks, I am constantly learning.

Even though I sometimes don't feel like reading,

I'm still grateful that I am able to do so and

comprehend it.  It also leads to other things I

am grateful for...like dreaming and feeling good :)

These are just some of my favorite books

I read growing up (pics via pinterest)

Gratitude 13

I'm grateful for talents.

And for the people who share them.

My cousin Jenna was in her high school play this past Friday.
They put on "Footloose" and it was so good!

She was absolutely hilarious, playing
and the rest of the cast did a very good job.
I love going to plays and performances where
people share their talents.  That is yet again something
I could never do, and it makes me appreciate them even more.

Gratitude 12

I'm grateful for Veteran's.

I'm thankful for Veteran's Day.

It has turned into a day where only those who have

passed away are remembered, but we should also remember

and give thanks to those who are currently serving.

These brave men and women put their life on the line to

protect our country and to protect our freedom and rights.

I could never do what they do, and

I'll be forever indebted to them for their service.
Some day I hope to make it to the Vietnam Memorial.
(pictured above via pinterest) 

Gratitude 11

Yikes! Gotta play catchup:
I'm grateful for dreams.
Hopes, dreams, wishes...whatever you call them.
They give meaning to life.



And what better of a chance to have
a wish come true than on 11/11/11 at 11:11 right?
Two chances!..and guess what time we looked
at the clock that night?...11:12...boo haha.
But that's ok!  Cause I didn't miss it in the morning
and the Aggies beat BYU that night! :)

Gratitude 10

I'm grateful for compliments.

Dear Cashier at the bookstore,

Thank you for complimenting on my

headband this morning.  If only you knew how thankful

I am for your kind comment.  Uber-stressed about

my language sample project I've been working on

for a solid MONTH and due in an hour from now,

your comment just helped me to smile and

forget the stress for a little bit.  So THANK YOU!

A truly grateful student, Mara

If you haven't complimented someone today,

go for it!  You never know how it might impact

someone.  Even if you make them smile it will be worth it.

I watched Patch Adams last night, and was reminded

of the importance of making someone smile or laugh:

"Remember laughing?  Laughter enhances the blood flow to the body's extremities and improves cardiovascular function.  Laughter releases endorphins and other natural mood elevating and pain-killing chemicals, improves the transfer of oxygen and nutrients to internal organs.  Laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body fight of disease, cancer cells as well as viral bacterial and other infections.  Being happy is the best cure of all diseases! - Patch Adams

Gratitude 9

I'm grateful for Aggie Basketball!

But no, I am not a die-hard fan like these individuals above.

I'm going home this weekend, and not camping out

in the freezing cold weather all week to MAYBE get a seat

inside the Spectrum.  These tents go on around that fence, and onto

 the HPER field.  It is NUTS!  I counted 14 tents last night,

and that number exploded today.  I do love the basketball

games, but I'll let these fanatics have their fun and I'll

sleep in my warm bed :)

Gratitude 8

I'm grateful for letters from friends.

It completely makes my day, and I got two this week!

So basically it has felt like Christmas...or maybe that's

just because they have started playing Christmas music in

ALL of the grocery stores???....haha, too soon people!

Let's get through Thanksgiving first! :)

Gratitude 7

I'm grateful for optimistic people.

Of course I'll never find a person who is completely optimistic all of the time, but I really appreciate those individuals around me that look for the positive all of the time.  I complain...a lot.  It is a weakness I have, and I know that if I surround my self with these positive people that I can improve.

I found this excerpt a while back.  I don't know who it is by, but I LOVE IT!  It's called  

"What I'm Thankful For"

"The mess to clean up after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.  The taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.  The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.  My shadow who watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.  The spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.  All the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.  That lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.  The piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.  The lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.  My huge heating bill because it means that I am warm.  Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.  The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.  I am thankful for you because it means that I am loved."

I took a look at the things that I have complained about lately, and looked for the positive .  Here are some of the ones that I came up with: (I kinda kept with the feel of the above paragraph)

I'm thankful for the burnt toast because it means I have enough money for food.

When the managers turn off the water because I know the value of indoor plumbing.

The price of the laundromat because it means I have clothes to wash.

The smog in the air because I know the value in a breath of fresh air.

The cold, wintry days because it means I know the warmth of the sun.

The overload of homework because it means I have the opportunity to get an education.

The tough trials because I know the blessing of patience.

The temptation and distraction that come from the adversary, because
I'm blessed with a body that he covets.

The bitter sip of that cup so I can know the sweetness in forgiveness.

I came across another good talk by President Faust.

Here's the link: http://lds.org/liahona/1998/06/a-second-birth?lang=eng&query=bitter+cup

In it he said, "Having drunk the bitter cup, however, there comes a time when one must accept the situation as it is and reach upward and outward.  President Harold B. Lee said, 'Do not let self-pity or despair beckon you from the course you know is right'".  I love that.  It is important to stop constantly complaining, because Heavenly Father's Spirit can not be with you if you are always negative.  It would be like looking at my conscience and having that devil on one shoulder and angel on the other.  If I was negative, of course the devil is going to win.
Every single time.

If you have time, go and read that talk.  There are many different things that he talks about,
 and I find it really enjoyable.  

(photos via pinterest)

Gratitude 6

Today I am grateful for those make-you-feel-good movies.  You know what I mean right?  They can be sad, happy, funny...basically anything, but in the end they will leave you with that "good feeling".  

The one that was watched today was:

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you do.  It was a great thing to do on this lazy Sunday afternoon.  Church today was just spectacular.  It has just kinda been one of those "feel good" days too...maybe it has to do with the fact that I am not doing one bit of homework haha.  There were just a ton of things that people said today that totally lifted my spirit, and I knew that they were things I needed to hear.  Some of the things said include: having faith in hard times and through trials, reading the Book of Mormon, staying close and/or learning to recognize the Spirit.  I know how important it is to have faith that even though times may be tough, they will eventually get better.  Why on earth would we put ourselves through such testing trials if they didn't get us anywhere?  We might as well just quit now, and save ourselves the tears and heartache.  But trials make us stronger.  Through the tough times we discover who we truly are and grow closer to those that we love.  Testimony meeting today was basically all about the importance of reading the Book of Mormon (BOM).  I know that it is one of the greatest books there is.  It is the BEST "make you feel good" book.  There are a ton of conference talks and articles about it, but this is one that applies really well to today: http://lds.org/liahona/2011/10/if-you-really-want-to-know-you-will-know?lang=eng&query=power+book+mormon In this book I have received answers to many prayers, drawn closer to the Spirit, found strength in trials, and strength to resist temptation.  Many times I have been challenged to read from it daily.  I have done this, but not as I would like to.  I make sure to read from it...even if it is one verse, but I want to make sure that I set aside time each day to read from it, and not leave it til the end of the day.  If I am not tired, and have the time, I know that I will be able to draw closer to the Spirit and learn so much more.  Finally we had a lesson on learning to recognize the Spirit.  I like to think of the Holy Ghost as my conscience.  Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between my thoughts, and those feelings I get from the Spirit because sometimes I don't want what Heavenly Father wants, but I know that He knows what is best for me and I need to learn to accept what the Spirit tells me, even when I don't agree at that exact moment.  I hope everyone had as great of as Sunday as I did.  Now off to a CES broadcast tonight!  President Packer is speaking, and I absolutely can't wait! :)

Gratitude 5

Today I am grateful for snowball fights!

No I don't know this person, but this pic captures the fun we had!

We girls totally dominated those boys ;)

(no need to tell you the #'s on each side haha)

After cleaning checks were over this morning,

the word went around that there was a

snowball fight about to commence and all should join!

So we did!  I put off the homework I should have been

doing, and it was a blast!...now back to homework before

the basketball game this afternoon, and volleyball after that, woot!

Gratitude 4

Today I am thankful for kids!

http://www.facebook.com/SassafrasPhotographyByLee

(Above is the link for the photographer)

I love to play with kids, and I absolutely ADORE these kiddos above! No joke, they really are like medicine to me.  I can be having a terrible day, and just a few minutes with them can completely turn my day around.  How sweet is it that I picked a major that I can be with kids ALL DAY LONG!?  It's gonna be good :) Today was my cousin Tyron's b-day and Abigail's (on the left) is on Sunday. So, they had a combined birthday party and it was so much fun!  A ton of the kids friends came over, and I just LOVED every minute.  It makes me absolutely stoked to be a mom.  Even though it will be crazy, hectic, stressful, or just plain awful some days, I am still excited.  How awesome it is to me, that I get the opportunity to raise my own children in the true gospel.  It will be a huge responsibility, because I know that I will be responsible to God in how I decide to raise my children, because they are also His son or daughter.  Parenting will be not only my greatest responsibility, but my highest priority.  With my husband, we'll raise those sweet spirits in this world that continually becomes darker and scarier each day.  With the way that it is going, I would be terrified to have my own children in these days...but with the knowledge that I have, and the plan that is laid out before me, I know that we can be safe and blessed.  If I do my part, I am guaranteed that I can be with them FOREVER.  These two links below were spectacular, and I thought that they kinda fit with this post.

http://lds.org/general-conference/1996/10/the-eternal-family?lang=eng&query=eternal+families

http://lds.org/ensign/2003/10/your-longing-for-family-joy?lang=eng&query=eternal+families

In the end, kids just make me super happy, and I am grateful for them.  They have such sweet spirits, and everyday is an adventure.  I love to play with them, or even just sit and watch them explore and learn about the world they live in.  Nothing warms my heart like a baby's smile or giggle.  I have a super long video that I taped for my language sample project in my comd class.  I hope Becca doesn't mind, but I uploaded it on youtube and here's the link: he's SOOOO cute!  I didn't care as much about the video cause I just needed the audio clip, but it still turned out super cute.  This project is HUGE and worth a ton of points...thanks again Becca!

Gratitude 3

Today I am grateful for something I should have posted yesterday.

I'm grateful for COAT-HANGERS!!! particularly the wire ones :)

On Wednesday, Seth came to Logan.  He came down early

enough to go to Institute with me, and then he went to pick

up his missionary gear while I went to my other class.

Then our plan was to head to Shelby's basketball

game in Westside.  When I got out of class, I had a text that

said he had locked the keys in car...like brother like sister, or

it's gotta be something in the air here in Logan.

Thank goodness Kara & Jake had a wire hanger that we used,

along with a shovel to pry the door open.

(yeah, we looked like total hicks)

We got in about a half hour later, and then we took off

to Westside.  Thank goodness for wire hangers,

or the locksmiths in Logan would be making

bank off of our family this week!

Gratitude 2

Today I am grateful for hot water.

Each day that I do one of these gratitude posts, it is going

to be relevant to the events or circumstances that day.

(cause last year I did all of the important ones

and I want to be different this year! :)

So today I am grateful for hot water.

Cause when I have only cold water, I might look like him:

We got an email from our managers at 11:30 this morning

that said they were turning the hot water off at noon, and it

won't be on until this evening....nice notice, right?

Haha, well at least I won't need hot water for a while.

I already showered, my dishes are done, and my clothes

are clean....I just hope they get it fixed soon!

Gratitude in November (1)

November is finally here again, and that means

Gratitude in November!!!

I've been excited for this to start again,

because helps me to truly be grateful for all of my

blessings.  I have a bunch of blogs done...I guess I

didn't really have to wait for November haha, but I did.

So here goes Gratitude in November Post 1:

I'm grateful for quotes.

Especially quotes from these smart people.

They give many words of kind words of wisdom,

and can give me peace, strength, hope and

even just make me feel happy.

This post could go on FOREVER, but here are some

of my favorites and ones I have stumbled upon lately:

and finally:

So true, and all of these are via pinterest,

so who knows!

Friday the 13th ain't got nothin on Monday the 31st

"Friday the 13th ain't got nothin on Monday the 31st".  No joke.  Emma said this on facebook this morning, and it just fit perfectly with this post.  So, yesterday was our ward Halloween Party.  I'm not huge on Halloween parties, but I put full effort and enthusiasm into helping plan it, and was actually pretty excited for it.  Here was the game plan:

Meal: soup, salad, bread, 

and homemade rootbeer

Costume Contest

Minute-to-Win-it Games

and

Human Foosball

We planned to start setting up at 5:30 (tables, chairs, decorations) and then we would have half an hour to throw on our own costumes.  I got to the church around 4:30 with the dry-ice.  I left right after my classes, and was just crossing my fingers that they had some left in the stores.  Luckily they did, and so I just wanted it  at the church, so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. 

I rushed over to the church, because my friend Lindsey needed to get in to practice the piano.  I gathered all of my grocery sacks, the cooler, church keys and went inside.  When we got inside, there were a couple of tables set up with some decorations, and I thought "Uh-oh...somebody else thinks they have the church tonight".  Little did I know, that MY ward didn't have the church reserved, and there was also ANOTHER ward that thought this same thing.  So there were THREE wards that thought they had the gym last night.  It was crazy to say the least, and I'm so glad that I got there an hour early.  I talked with a Bishop from the ward that actually had the church reserved, and he said that they were already sharing the gym with another ward.  If we wanted to go forward with our human foosball plans, then we needed to find a gym asap.  Luckily I knew the Bishop that had the church across the street reserved, and so I called him.  His ward was going to a corn maze and coming back to the church for donuts and hot chocolate.  He said that we could use the gym.  We were SAVED!!!  So, I gathered up my stuff and went to take it to my car.

No keys.

I searched everywhere and retraced my steps 3 times.  Lindsey came and helped me search (bless her heart), and then we concluded that they must be locked in my car.  They weren't in the ignition, but I sure couldn't see them in the car.  Renee (aka my hero) had the brilliant idea to use a door stopper as a wedge, and then we could get a hanger inside.  This would have been easy...except for the fact that my unlock/lock buttons were just that: buttons.  So they had to be pushed.  There was no way that a bent hanger coming in from the top was going to push a button place vertically on the door.  But we were determined, and Renee was on top of my car for at least half an hour (by now it is 5:30).  Just when I had resorted to this...:

...the best person in the world drove up in a white van that read:

A locksmith!  He just happened to be driving by and saw Renee on my car.  He came out of his van, 

I told him it was a button, he turned around with out a word and came back with a wedge and iron bar.

He put the wedge in by the window, and then used the bar to lift up the locked door.

Said "There ya go!" and took off.  My HERO!

At this point I feel like this:

We hauled all of the stuff over to the other church and a man opened the door for us.  In a huge hurry, we set up a ton of tables and chairs, sliced up the french bread, made rootbeer, and spread the word that the party had moved.  We ended up putting up two more tables, and had about 130 people there.  Just when we thought Hooray! Everything is going good again, and nothing will go wrong...something dreadful happened.  Some of the boys were playing basketball while they waited for the food line to go down.  They had a chair by the hoop and would run and jump off of it to slam dunk the ball.  I didn't hear about it until later, but somehow one of the boys came down wrong and in the process he broke BOTH wrists.  When they called his roommates to find out how he was doing, he said that the doctors were going to put him out so that they could reset them both and then when he woke up they would send him home.  The poor boy!  I sure hope he heals fast.  In the end, the party was a success and I hope everyone had fun.  We ate, had a costume contest, ate donuts, and played human foosball.  It took a HUGE team effort, and I'm so thankful for everyone that helped.  If I learned anything through this whole ordeal, it would be this: the next time it is Monday the 31st and Halloween...I'm just gonna stay in my bed!  Hope you had a Happy Halloween!