Fire

Probably my worst fear as far as natural disasters go. And today confirmed that.  Hearing about the Provo Tabernacle, reminds me of how destructive fire can be.  I feel like anything could potentially be better since fire damage is so extensive.  The thing that scares me most is the destruction of not only life, but the treasured family heirlooms.  Like has been mentioned so many times today, the biggest loss is the memories and the history that was contained in the Tabernacle.  While it is a great loss, it is a great reminder to focus on the things that matter most, our relationships with others and the treasured memories it creates.

Christmas...

I'm super excited for Christmas all of the sudden today.  It's so bad I'm having trouble focusing on my last final tomorrow!  I want to go Christmas shopping and I want to give the people their presents now.  I compromised and went to the bookstore but I can't let myself go anywhere else or else I would never study.  But I'm super excited for my best friend's gift.  I just hope she likes it... oh well, I tried.

...

So, I don't know why but I have developed a certain love and fascination with ellipses.  Yes that is what the three periods in succession are called.  I find myself using them when there is no need.  But I love them... it's like the perfect spacing tool... and it also in my mind signifies thinking about what you're saying... when you put them it's like a pause in your thought process.  Yet somehow they are still separate sentences... there is a period at the end.  Anyway, finals are here and consuming my thoughts... kinda... well I better study more before the next 7am final...

For My Sister....

Broken

This week=ROUGH!!!

 But I can't blame anyone or anything.  It's completely my fault.  As I've grown older, I've realized how imperfect I am. And those imperfections have hurt those close to me.  Things all make sense now.  It was never really other people, it was my imperfections that caused my bad experiences.  To one person in particular, I apologize most sincerely.  I'm sorry for all the pain and trouble I have caused you. Thank you for being so sweet. I hope one day I can be the friend that you deserve. Love you.

Why is life so hard?

Bored...

Saturday... and I'm bored out of my mind... things I could do... no desire!!! But the feeling of not being productive is nagging at me... I guess I should take my quiz for Monday, take a cleaning break and then move on  to the presentation... but I'm still hoping for a wonderful distraction... and I think someone knows what that is.... Oh well, such is life... The semester is almost over... and summer is coming closer and closer every minute... (Can you tell I'm so excited for the summer?)
But before I attack my presentation, I would like to tell my bestie how proud I am of her.  She is so wonderful and does great things that she doesn't even know about.  Keep up the amazing work!  You are going to go far!

I swear that time is going by way too fast.  I feel like it was just October but then I'm looking at all my blog posts and the time that has passed is unbelievable!  Anyway, today was fairly uneventful... classes, well a presentation that was very helpful, you could count it as a class, work for basically 6 hours with old books that are falling apart and make me look like I've jumped into a pile of sawdust, another class, then to the homework.  It might be just me but in all reality, the junior core is becoming less stressful.  Yes there are isolated projects that add to the workload but overall, it's completely doable.  I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be in this program and love learning about the topics.  I will admit I'm a little sad to see this semester end, partially because I don't want to take my finals but I really have enjoyed my classes and my professors.  But with most things, there is an end.  I'm grateful that there are some things that will never have to end.  The top two are that I have a best friend who will be there forever and most importantly, I have a loving family that I am sealed to forever.  I AM SO BLESSED!

Eventful Week...

So as many of you know there was the "blizzard" warning.  This caused me to come home earlier than planned.  In addition to that, our bathroom light burned out at our apartment so we've been showering in the dark.  WHOO HOO!!!
Last night, we went to the Music Man and were super entertained.  But playing during intermission caused my cousin to head butt me in the nose.  The bloody nose was exciting and now my nose is bruised.  OUCH!
Then today, I taught myself to play the accordian!  It was so cool!  I feel super talented.  Anyway, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Eek!!!

That's pretty much all I have to say!!! 

I'm SUPER EXCITED!!!

The end.

Lessons Learned

Life can suck in a lot of ways!  One of the things I've learned is that you can't change your circumstances but you can change your attitude.  But that's hard and takes a lot of effort.  It becomes harder when you don't think you have that strength within you.  No matter how hard the challenge seems, it is possible! No circumstance is so permanent that you can't change your attitude. 

Another thing I have learned about is the divine principle of forgiveness.  I have been blessed to be forgiven for the things that I have done wrong, especially by someone very dear to my heart.  I hope that they realize that the same principles apply to them.

I feel that I have grown a lot over the past couple of years.  There is still a long way to go but I know I can do it because of the people I have around me.  I hope to continue to learn these wonderful lessons!  While there is a lot of tears (or maybe I'm just a crybaby), it has definitely been worth it. 

Thank you for all the support I have received from you.  You will never fully know how much you have changed my life. THANK YOU!

Grateful

So basically, the past couple days have kinda stunk in a lot of ways but instead of dwelling on that, I'd like to list a few things I'm grateful for and focus on that instead of the bad.

• I am in a nationally recognized accounting program.
• I have a job that pays well and is very flexible with my crazy schedule.
• Unexpected surprises.
• Good friends here at school.
• A best friend/sister that lives only 10 minutes away and is ALWAYS helping me out.
• My awesome family!
• Most importantly, a loving Heavenly Father who has blessed me with all of the above gifts.

The Definition of a Sister...

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a sister is born for adversity.


How true that statement is!!! I have been blessed not only with sisters by birth but a wonderful sister by choice.  My sister has shown me some of the greatest kindness in the world.  I am so grateful for her and all that she does for me.  I believe that the word sister can be used interchangeably with the word angel.  I truly believe that sisters are our earthly angels.  How wonderful it is to know that we are all each other's angels!


I would like to thank my angel... you know who you are... for the sweet things you do for me daily.  I love you so much, my sister, my angel.  Thank you sis!

What Doesn't Kill You....

Makes you stronger.  The past couple years have been rough but I know that I am stronger and that I have formed a stronger relationship with a dear friend.  To that friend, I would like to say I love you and I'm so glad we've stuck together through this roller coaster ride.  It may not always be easy, but it will be worth it.  I love you!

Seriously... SO BLESSED!!!

Oh man!  What a week!  The infamous test week of the Junior Core... IS OVER!!!  I should still be taking my last test but because of a wonderful miracle, I finished in under 2 hours.  The test was supposed to take 2 hours.  And I'm even fairly confident that I might have possibly aced the test or come pretty close.  I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father who blessed me with the ability to remember clearly all the material I studied yesterday.  He even helped me catch a mistake with my calculator that could have potentially created a HUGE loss of points!  I am so grateful for the help He has given me and I hope to show Him how much I appreciate it.

On a side not, I also want to thank my bestie!!! She said something really sweet last night and I can't stop thinking about it.  It really touched my heart.  Thank you!!!

UGH!!!

So it's about 11:30 and I have been working on homework since pretty much 5:30ish.  Granted I took a short break for "Crazy Cake Tuesday" but still my brain is fried!!!  I was lucky I got done what I did last night.  The Junior Core is going to kill me!  Oh well, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.  Hopefully I can survive the rest of this week and the following week...TEST WEEK! Then things should be fairly smooth sailing until FINALS!!! AGH! Can I have more time please?

You Know You're a Girl When...

You drive up to the temple with your best friend to just soak in the spirit.  While you're sitting there talking, a couple pulls up and gets out to walk around the temple grounds.  Now it's a cold night so both of them have their hands in the pockets.  You and your friend start freaking out because he's not holding her hand.  You get so frustrated almost to the point of rolling down your window and yelling at the guy.  Finally he gets a little closer.  They stop by a wall and you see his hand come out.  You start to get excited and then the next thing you know, he's on one knee and both hands are finally out!!! You and your friend start screaming and celebrating for them as they hug (and probably kiss) for a long time.  Once they are back in their car and drive away, you can finally settle down and get ready to go yourself.  Oh the joys of being a girl!

*Story based on actual events*

Tender Mercies

How wonderful the Lord is in blessing us.  Today I had the Lord show me an extremely tender mercy at a time where I needed it.  Fortunately, this was not the first time.  Over the course of my life, more specifically in the past two and half years, I have been blessed with some wonderful little things that make my heart rejoice in the Lord.  I am so grateful for what He has blessed with and I hope to remain worthy of additional little tender mercies that make all the difference.

Two Way Mirror

Life takes some crazy turns.  People have such a large impact too.  I spent a lot of time this weekend reflecting on the past.  It's been ROUGH!  However, I think I would do it over again because I gained one of my biggest blessings.  I lost a lot but it was mainly my fault.  It was the way I chose to handle the situation but now I realize that it is time to let the past go.  That doesn't change the way I feel about a certain individual but I'm not going to live my life this way anymore.  Starting today, I am making a change for me. 
In addition to this, I just want to mention that my biggest blessing came in the form of an earthly angel or my best friend.  I am so grateful for the angel that she has been especially when I haven't been the easiest to deal with.  I love her so much.  If I had to do this just to realize what an angel I have in her then I would do it ten times over.  I love her so much!  Thank you for everything!

TOP 10!

Top 10 Reasons I love my best friend...
1-She's basically gorgeous!
2-She brings me dinner when I'm stressed
3-She lets me sleep at her apartment on the weekends
4-She always makes me feel happy.
5-She will go out of her way to make me feel better
6-She talks to me late at night.
7-She gives me lots of hugs when I feel sad.
8-She gives me many second chances.
9-She accepts me exactly the way I am.
10-SHE'S THE BEST FRIEND EVER!

Umm....

What to do when someone misreads what you meant...
I know it was completely harmless and it makes sense that the mistake could of been made... but what to do? It's amazing what a difference one letter makes!

Errors

It's funny how the ultimate goal is to be perfect but there are so many little errors in the way.  I'm learning how a seemingly small error can have some huge consequences.  I'm afraid that I might lose the thing that is most precious to my heart because of my multiple small errors.  I hope I am proven wrong but I cannot control the consequences of my actions.  I can only hope that the best will happen. 

Holes

So I felt like blogging last night but as Google was down, I could not do it.  So now I will try to express what I wanted to last night even though some time has passed.
For the first time, holes that have gaped open for years were discovered.  I have tried so many ways to push them aside and for the most part was successful.  However, I realized that these holes only have one way to be fixed and I've been going about it the wrong way.  I am so grateful to my dear friend who helped me realize where I was wrong.  I love her so much!
Now while there are still the holes that will take much time to mend, they will be mended. I am grateful that this is even a possibility.  I love my dear friend! and I am grateful to her everyday!

Tests... Tests... More Tests

So this week is an infamous week in the lives of those in the Junior Core.  Two tests... Two days... Five hours... and one to go.  My brain is completely mush so in order to remedy that, I have my food and I'm going to mindlessly stare at my computer for a little bit.  And I never thought I would be excited to go to work but I am!!! Plus at the end of the week, is General Conference! WAHOO! and I get to spend time with my best friend!  How much better can life get?

Did I mention no classes Monday?

:)

So this will be my 50th post!  I never saw myself as a blogger but here I am.
In addition to that, I am preparing for the first round of exams in the junior core.  AAAHHH!!!  Studying is a beast!  Good thing they cancelled classes!  I don't know if I would survive otherwise!  Honestly I don 't have much to write... This is more of a procrastination tool so I guess I better get back to it and hit the books.

Mission: Possible?

So I realized I'm getting older and my 21st birthday is not far away.  After watching a dear friend make an important decision, I started to think about if a mission was in my future or not.  As of right now, I have a strong desire and at the surface level, everything seems like it could be put in order in time for me to go next summer.  Who knows what will happen.  All I know is MISSION?--POSSIBLE!

Pray=ANSWERED

This semester is easily going to be one of the most difficult in my life.  The homework is insane!  Today I was getting really frustrated with a problem.  I was on the verge of tears because I didn't think I would be able to figure the problems out.  In addition to that, the group dynamic has not been working well for me.  I try my hardest but it seems like I am always being left behind.  Anyway, I started my homework and everything seemed about as clear as mud.  I decided to read my scriptures and pray even though I was technically working with my group and I was kind of embarrassed.  I just accepted that fact and did it anyway and it was the best decision I could have made.  I struggled over the one problem and realized that it had answered 3 problems instead of just one.  I am so blessed.  It's true that the best way to get help is through the marvelous gift of prayer.  I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for this wonderful blessing!

Heart Stopping...

We've all been through it.  That phone call that causes your heart to stop even though the party on the other makes it seem like no big deal... the call of the executive secretary or worse the bishop.  I got one of those calls today.  Unfortunately, I had no warning.  My phone decided to freak out and not register my calls.  Then it randomly restarts.  When it restarts, I have a new text from my dear best friend.  Then I notice the voice mail icon at the top.  I call and have two messages.  Odd but not super surprising. The first one, also my best friend. Even though it had some disappointing news, it was still fantastic to hear her voice.  Then the next one... I presumed it was her since I rarely get calls from anyone else.  I was wrong.  It was the bishop.  My heart stopped.  I still don't know fully what it is about but my bishop is coming over sometime after 3pm today.  We'll see what happens with that.

Friendship

So I really want to proclaim to the world how blessed I feel that I have this amazing girl as my best friend!  She is such a sweetheart!!!  Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the things she does for me, many of them in little ways that she may not always realize.  She really is wonderful and I thank the Lord that she is in my life.  I LOVE YOU GIRL!!!  You will always be mine!!!

MY BAD!!!

So I realized tonight how much I have dropped the ball on things.  And there is really no excuse for that.  I send my sincerest apology out to the one who deserves it most...you know who you are.  There is no excuse for my behavior and I want you to know that there is no need for you to feel guilty or anything.  I take full responsibility for my errors and the pain that they caused.  I love you and would never intentionally hurt you but I know I did.  I wish I could make it all disappear and that I could promise you would never hurt again.  However, I will do everything I possibly can to make that the case.  I love you so so much!  Thank you for sticking by me even when I didn't deserve it.  You truly deserve nothing but the best.  Keep your head up.  There are great things around the corner.  I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Love, Me

Whoops...

So I have majorly dropped the ball on this. The sad part is that there was really no excuse for it. I think the thing that helped me procrastinate the most was that I made it private...however, I am changing it back. I want the world to hear what I say (okay really I just want them to know how wonderful my best friend is.) So I guess that's a good place to start. Now that I am making it public again, I will have more motivation to post. However time may be an issue since I am now in the Junior Core which takes pretty much all my time! But to start this off right...

I LOVE MY GIRL!!!!!!

Old Movies

I have recently rediscovered my love of old movies!!! They are super wonderful!!! This week I have watched "Oklahoma" and "The Sound of Music" You really can't get any better than that. I love old movies!!!

Change

What a crazy time in life! It's the prime opportunity to make changes in your life but at the same time it is the worst possible time because there are so many other things that need to be figured out in a such a short time span. Oh well, time to get work.

Relief

It's amazing how you think you've done something but when you actually fully do it, you feel so much more relieved. The task itself is not gone but it seems a whole lot smaller. Life is not always easy but it is manageable.

Books!

I love to read!!! Words cannot express the deep love I have for one of my best friends in the world. . . MY BOOKS!!! Anyway, it's getting late and I have a busy day off tomorrow. I couldn't go on without expressing my excitement. Good Night and Sweet Dreams!

Sleep

Why is it that on some of the nights when you need sleep the most, sleep evades you? Basically I have been up all night. Granted I took a nap yesterday and the night before but after practically no sleep for two nights I should be exhausted. However, for some reason that is not the case. I could understand if there was something exciting going on but my life is pretty average right now. Oh well, the world continues to move on. At least I have Monday off so if my body decides it actually wants sleep it still has time to get it.

Appreciation

I have a new found appreciation for all those wonderful mothers. I'm exhausted after just one day! However, I still love these munchkins and will probably do it again.

Quiet Moments

I love the quiet moments.  Even if there are two boys yelling in the background, I was able to have a wonderful time reading my scriptures and pondering.  Life is wonderful!

Futility

Ever feel like what you do is completely futile.  I kind of feel that way about work right now.  I feel like the majority of things we do here are completely useless.  I would like to know if anyone outside of the people I and my co-workers have shown actually uses the resources online.  I know that most of the stuff is cool and interesting but does anyone really care to look through an entire issue of a Provo newspaper from the 1890s.  I am a super nerd when it comes to things like that but I don't think I would. Maybe there is some obituary or something that will help someone in their family history.  Oh well, it's a job.

Life

Life is unfair sometimes.  Oh well, move on and make the best of it.  It can't be helped.  Make lemonade out of the lemons life gives... if it's possible.

Ugh...

Today is definitely one of those days... and it doesn't help that's it Monday!!! Oh well, back to work and things will only get better from here.  Let's go!

Umm...

I really have no idea what to call this.  I just realized I've been sort of a slacker so I thought I would post about something.  First, some old lady made balloon animals for my dentist.  Kind of weird but kind of cool at the same time.  Second, biscuit dough deep fried = pretty good doughnut.  Third, I love NSO!!! My group is the bomb and I am super excited to work with all of them later tonight and tomorrow!!! LOVE IT!!! That's about it.

Happy Birthday Roomie!

My roommate is awesome!!! And yesterday she turned 20!!!  Dear roomie, I hope that your birthday was fantastic and you got everything you wanted and more.

Love,
Me

Anyway

So I really like the word anyway.  I don't know why but I find I write it a lot!  I was quite devastated when I found out that anyways is actually incorrect.  That means about half of my journals have grammatical errors now because I think I use it every time.  It really is the perfect transition word.  Anyway, I should get to work. So enjoy the word anyway and use it as much as possible!

Grateful...

for the wonderful friends I have.  Life is not always easy but it becomes more manageable with support.  I have been extremely blessed to have an awesome friend!  She is wonderful! I don't know where I would be without her.  She is such a sweetheart and is so willing to give of her time and love.  Thank you so much!!! I love you!!!

College Life

Life definitely becomes more interesting when you only work part time and have nothing to do on a typical Friday or Saturday night.  Today was one of those days when there was nothing that had to be done so I took full advantage of that.  So I did my nails, watched a couple episodes of Bonanza while I cross-stitched.  Then came the grocery shopping.  My awesome roommate wanted ice cream so instead we decided to make our own.  Of course the recipe we found was super easy so instead of deciding to make just one gallon, we made two!!!  So far the vanilla with M&Ms turned out fantastic.  As soon as I'm finished with this, I'm going to go check on the Tropical Punch Kool-Aid ice cream.  Then comes the movie!!! I am so grateful for one o'clock church!!!

Snow?

So for some reason I woke up super early this morning... I don't know what happened. I just did.  As I was laying in bed listening to the rain, yes it was rain at the time, I got excited.  Then when I looked at my phone, I saw a 3 as the first number in the temperature.  I went opened the front door to see if that was actually true.  Unfortunately, it was quite chilly but the thing that made my day was the birds that flew out as I opened the door.  The one was a gorgeous red and brown.  I finished getting ready and put on my windbreaker to keep dry from the rain.  Before I even left the complex, I went back and got my winter coat and began the journey to work.  However, the rain had turned into snow. Not just any snow but a wet, heavy snow.  By the time I reached the Tanner Building, my pants were soaked and my legs were numb.  By the time I made it to the library, my coat was dripping and my hair was completely wet.  I looked like a drowned rat.  I have been at work almost 2 hours now and I am still a little wet.  Hopefully the journey home won't be as wet.

Change

To change or not to change?  Change is inevitable but I have a feeling a lot more is coming than I would probably choose.  However, most times the change we fight the most is the one that benefits us the most.  How I wish things weren't this way but what can you do besides take it with the best attitude?  I guess things can only get better from here on out.  Let the changes come.  They can't break me down.  I WILL conquer whatever comes my way!

Sigh...

What a wonderful past few days I've had... Not to say that they haven't been without their challenges but overall they have been quite exciting.  No one probably cares exactly what I did that made them so spectacular for me but I just want to say that I'm super grateful for all of my awesome roommates for the fun times we are able to have even when all we're doing is standing in the kitchen.  I also want to express my love and gratitude for one in particular... you know who you are... She is absolutely amazing and I hope she realizes how much she has done for me even though I don't always express it.  Love ya girl!!!

We're Back

So we survived the long arduous journey including our spur of the moment trip to Vegas. This week was super fun even if I am more of tomato than I was. Here are some of the pictures I took although I was outdone.

The Emerald Pools

The Court of the Patriarchs

Abraham, Isaac, Moroni, and Jacob

Mount Moroni

For Mom

For Justin

For Megan

For Grandma Atwood

Again for Mom

World's Largest Chocolate Fountain

I really enjoyed the trip... But I also had a lot of fun today.  I got to watch my brother's soccer team win their first game of the season.   My brother is basically an awesome defender.  Then I got to watch him watch "Say Yes to the Dress" without complaining... probably because he was preoccupied with my dad's phone.  Got to spend time with my dad running errands for my mom, like getting dinner (I definitely benefited from the purchases).  Then I got to spend time with my great grandparents.  It's been awhile since I've been able to spend one on one time with them.  I realized tonight how similar to my grandpa that I am.  If I'm going to take after someone... I'm glad it's him.

I'm Leaving... Not On A Jet Plane

So today begins our epic journey to... St. George. Not super exciting but this is basically a first trip with minimal parental assistance. I'm super excited! Plans... we have none set but it will be nice to get away for a little bit and forget that we have jobs and responsibilities back here. (Wow! Super long sentence.) Anyway, I should probably get up and start packing since I haven't even started. Let the adventure begin!

Dreamgirls

Best $3 I ever spent! So I bought this movie on a whim and had no idea what the story even was. I watched it in parts and liked it. Yesterday I watched the whole thing at work. I absolutely loved it!!! The music in it is soo wonderful!!! I think this will become one of my new favorite movies. I LOVE IT!!!

Summer... Here I Come

I feel like today is the first official day of summer for me. I know it technically started last Wednesday but life has been so crazy that today is the first time I've actually had a little bit of time to breathe. My weekend was absolutely fabulous! I worked all day Wednesday, babysit my adorable cousins Thursday and Friday. Then I was lucky enough to have a sleep over with my sister! We watched 2 movies. Then Saturday brought some shopping and partying with the roommates that were left. Sunday involved church and then making a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. Finally after all that was done, today I got to drive Jenessa up to Sandy so that she could go to the airport and head off to China. After that, I organized my room so hopefully Marlisa can stand it for the next year. Anyway, I am super excited that summer is here and I hope that I can be super productive!!! (unlike last summer) Too bad the hammock is gone. Summer... Watch out because I'm ready to take you on.

I Love My Job!

So just now, I was sitting here at work when the conversation turned to quizzing me on my basic knowledge of household tools. These things included a phillips screwdriver, WD-40, a socket wrench, etc. Just because I'm a girl does not mean I'm completely clueless. And also just because I'm barely twenty does not mean I'm clueless either. Oh well, I guess it's just time to enjoy this time of my life, even if I am constantly teased about it.

End of the Semester

So today is basically the last day of the semester for me. I have two more finals...both scheduled for today and two more papers. I am super excited to start off summer on the right foot. What better way to start it than with four awesome cousins starting Thursday! I am super excited to baby sit my cousins for a whole day! Since I won't be working full time this summer, I'll have a lot of time to relax which will be super weird for me. I don't usually do things like this but it feels like the start of a new adventure. I am super grateful for all the people that are in my life right now. My roommates have been awesome (that includes 17)! I really don't think I could have ended up with a better group of people to be able to spend so much time with. I'm going to miss you all and wish you the best of luck with your summer adventures all over the world! Let the summer begin!

Random Happenings

So tonight I decided to go buy a Swiffer since my cleaning checks are tomorrow morning. On my way there I saw a car that had apparently stopped in the middle of University Parkway. A guy in church dress pulled over and helped this man push his car out of the road. I was amazed at the willingness of a person to automatically respond. Basically I'm grateful for people like that in the world.

Decisions, Decisions

Life is full of many decisions. I just spent some time making what is possibly one of the most important decisions of my life... what kind of ice cream to make on Sunday. This is quite the dilemma. Being a picky eater has made some parts of life difficult including the world of ice cream. Most people may not understand but I do not care for ice cream as much as I do for other dessert items. I guess I'm just not as refined.
However, I do love my baked goods such as brownies!!! YUM!!! Since this Sunday is our last all together...I figured why not go out with a bang. So I planned basically an all day feast starting with my mother's delicious pancakes for breakfast. After church I planned a spaghetti dinner. It's tradition at our apartment to make brownies or cake on a regular basis. So I just decided to make my specialty...chocolate chip cookies in brownies. Then I had to decide what kind of ice cream to make to go with these divine brownies. Let me tell you it was not easy. However, I have made my decision and hopefully it will turn out fine on Sunday.

President Packer...

So I was studying for a test today and came across this quote by President Packer.  I'd read it before but it didn't hit me until today.  The things I learned from this simple statement are amazing!  In his biography, they talked about two of the life lessons he learned.  One was he declared his independence from the weather.  That is an amazing feat for someone.  For me the weather plays a huge role in my mood most of the time.  I already admire him for that.  This next quote is the one that really hit me.
"I decided years ago that I was going to trust everybody.  I had become suspicious of everybody because I had been misused and abused.  I got so I didn't like myself very much and decided that I would trust everybody.  If they weren't worthy of that trust they would have to prove it to me.  I have a been a lot happier since then."
This quote really impacted me.  Many people have done some hurtful things to me, people I trusted.  Now it has become instinct to be suspicious of those around me.  However, I want to try to adopt President Packer's perspective.
While I still am suspicious towards those individuals who have hurt me in the past, I forgive them and recognize the things that I needed to learn through those experiences.  I am grateful for the things that I have had experienced no matter how difficult they are.  I hope to use this quote in my everyday life and try to become like President Packer.

Bonanza

BEST SHOW EVER!!!  I have recently rediscovered my love for the show "Bonanza."  I discovered this show on accident but now it has become my favorite television show of all time.  I always had a fascination for old TV shows.  My mom introduced me to many old shows including, "The Brady Bunch", "I Dream of Jeannie", and "Bewitched."  I remember watching a marathon of  "Bewitched" the night my brother was born. Even with all of this exposure, I had no exposure to "Bonanza."  One summer, my parents decided they would get up and exercise together.  In order for them to be able to do it, someone had to be up to make sure the younger kids didn't get into trouble.  As the oldest, that responsibility fell to me.  I would get up around 7am and stumble out to the front room.  It wasn't half bad because I got to watch shows that I normally wouldn't be able to.  One of my favorites was Carmen Sandiego.  Unfortunately, it only lasted half an hour so I had to find something else to watch.  One day while channel flipping, I came across the last half of an episode of "Bonanza."  I became intrigued and started watching the last half of it on weekday mornings.  Eventually I discovered it on at a different time and began watching it on a regular basis.  When our family got TiVo, it became even easier for me to indulge in my pleasure.  Since moving out, that pleasure hasn't been as readily available.  Finally, I bought a few episodes at Walmart.  I began watching them at work last week and can't stop.  They are so fantastic!!! I don't know how I could have ever lived without them (mild exaggeration).  Anyway, suffice it to say that this is the best show ever and everyone should at least give it a chance in order to make their life complete.

Idea

I know I'm not the most interesting person in the world.  But one thing I do a lot (when I have the time) is read.  I love reading and the thought just occurred to me that maybe I could a start a book blog.  That way I could keep track of everything I read and not be confused on did I read that or not.  I think I'll do it.  I'll post the link later so that if anyone is interested they can look at it.  I won't be offended if no one does because it's kind of selfish in its intentions.

Again...Friends

I have one of the best friends ever!!! She is absolutely amazing!!! I hope she realizes how much I love her and appreciate everything she does!!! My dear, you are simply wonderful and I love you tons!!!

Work

Today I realized how much we do here at work that does not involve work specifically.  For example, today we signed a couple of petitions dealing with the Utah State Legislature.  We also found a few minutes to lament that it was snowing outside when it was supposed to be spring.  We also had some self-taught botany lessons but I'll save that for another post because pictures are needed to create the full effect. People probably think that we are really smart to have this job but in all reality... most of us are only putting semi-colons in for eight hours a day.  Still, this job totally rocks and you do have to have some basic intelligence to do it.

True Friends

As many of us are taught growing up in the church, the friends you choose to associate with have a huge impact on your life.  Recently, I've had a lot of time to ponder that principle and how it has effected my life.  I look back to the many friends and acquaintances I've had and look at what they did and how it has changed me forever.  In a lot of cases, the effects have been negative whether intentional or not on the part of the other.  But something that a certain friend said the other night really hit me and I've thought about it the past couple days.
Trust is something that is developed over time for most people.  Sometimes, there is the rare occasion that you meet someone who you instantly connect with and can trust forever.  However, even in those cases, things can happen to destroy that trust.  With that loss of trust, it can become more difficult for people to trust other people around them.  However, that should never be the case.  It is important to protect yourself but not at the expense of others you love.
In summary, I would like to apologize to a certain friend who unlike others has never done anything to deserve the mistrust I've shown towards her recently. I hope she knows she is loved and no one can ever take her place in my heart.  In the time I've known you, you've never been anything but a wonderful friend and I am so grateful for that and hope that it can continue that way forever.
Love,
Kierstin

My Family

So I just remembered I had to blog sometime tonight and had no idea what to blog on so I thought I'd blog about my awesome family who I spent some time with today.  First of all is my parents.  They are pretty much awesome!!! My dad is from the Salt Lake area and my mom grew up in Fresno, California.  They have been married for basically 22 years and have been the best parents anyone could ask for.

I'm the oldest so the next in the family is my sister Jessica.  She just turned seventeen and is absolutely gorgeous!!! She is the colorguard captain and on the yearbook staff.  Plus she is an awesome student.  I love hanging out with her.  Today we watched "Up."  Hopefully she'll be coming down the next couple of weeks to spend the night. Jessie, you rock!

Next is Megan.  She is fourteen and is a drama geek.  She loves it and she's really good at it.  My mom says she's the most like me but I don't think so.  She loves to read and has taken over my old room at home.  I don't know what else to say about Megan.  She is one you have to meet to really know her. Megan, you're cool!

Erin is number four.  She is the youngest of the girls yet she will probably be the tallest.  Erin loves animals.  It's completely weird because none of the rest of us care much for animals.  She also proclaims to hate the color pink but I think she secretly likes it.  She has just turned twelve and is getting ready to enter junior high next year.  Erin, you're awesome!

Finally, there's Justin.  Justin is the youngest at nine and is the only boy.  People tend to think that he suffers somehow for only having sisters but I will tell you that it is the complete opposite.  He is spoiled rotten! But he's still a sweetheart.  I predict he's going to be quite the ladies' man when he gets older.  Justin, you're a stud!

So that's my family in nutshell.  Hope you enjoyed it!

Munchkins

I absolutely love munchkins!!! By munchkins, I mean little children.  Tonight, I got to spend two hours with one of my favorite munchkins, my cousin Lindsey.  We had so much fun.  We went on a walk and she proceeded to tell me whenever there were stairs in the vicinity.  The stairs in the Tanner Building even got the title of "pretty stairs."  Now that she is almost two, she has developed quite the little attitude.  I tried to paint her fingernails but she proceeded to keep saying "I do it. I do it."  Eventually, I painted her nails but it was not without some trickery on my part.  One of my favorite parts was when my roommate was going into our bedroom and Lindsey proceeded to tell her that it was "Kierstin's room" and not hers.  Fortunately, my roommate just laughed.  Dinner was quite the ordeal and the magnet man had to take a bite before she would and I had to make a sound resembling something of a growl before she would take a bite.  Anyway, I absolutely loved the time I spent with her and I look forward to playing with her again tomorrow.  Besides look at this cute face!

Technology

First off, I want to start by thanking everyone for everything they did for my birthday this past week.  It was better than expected since class got cut by an hour and a half!!!  Anyway, I've spent a lot of time thinking on the subject of technology and how volatile it can be.
Yesterday, I got a new phone.  Normally, my family is not the most up and coming when it comes to the latest and greatest gadgets.  However, when we went to the store yesterday, my dad talked me into the new Motorola Droid. (He got one too.)  So as I've been playing with it the past little bit, I've realized how easy it would be to get sucked into everything and not interact with the people around me.  While the capacities are incredible, I'm more grateful for the meaningful interactions with the people I love.
As a side note, I'd like to send out my hopes and prayers for all the people who have been affected by the earthquake and the impending tsunamis.

Moving Home for Summer

As many of us know, moving is one of the hardest things to do.  Not only do the apartments have limited space but for most people, the longest they stay in one place is about eight months.  Fortunately, I live close enough that it's not too big of an ordeal.  But on the negative side, I went home a lot last year.  Loading and unloading my car was a little ridiculous.  The good thing was that my parents didn't give away my room so I still had my own space at home.  Finally after Christmas, my parents asked me how often I was going to be home during the winter semester.  I told them I didn't think I would be home a ton.  They then proceeded to ask if they could give my box spring and my bed frame to my 14 year old sister who only had a mattress on the floor.  I agreed.  Besides, sleeping on the floor could be kind of exciting.  They promised me that I would have a real bed by the time I moved home for the summer.  Then in a twisted turn of events, my bed at my apartment decided to become unwelded the last week of the semester.  I moved to the couch anticipating the idea of a real bed that wasn't five feet off the ground at home.  My bed was fixed and for the last couple of nights I had a bed.  The week after finals, I went to a friend's apartment to spend the week.  Since she was also moving out, we had an air mattress for the floor.  Not the most comfortable thing but it worked.  I came home waiting for news on when my bed was going to be arriving.  It never did.

Buying someone a "Coke"

First of all, I was shocked that this was an assignment because that is so far out of my comfort zone.  I was wondering what I could do without being super awkward.  I consulted my roommates on what I could do and they had a great idea.  I didn't know exactly how I was going to execute it so I just did it as the opportunity arose.
I went to Wal-Mart last night and bought a giant Hershey's kiss.  I was going to give it to someone random in the Wilk.  Then I realized I had to take a test, so I decided it would make someone's day a little better to give it to them in line.  Unfortunately, the line wasn't as long as I had hoped.  I approached the guy in front of me.  I asked him what test he was taking.  He looked at me weirdly and then asked me what test I was taking.  Then I reached in my backpack and gave him the box.  He again gave me a weird look and said thanks.  Then he asked   me if I had a bunch of them in my backpack or just one.  I told him just one and then after he wished me good luck on my test.  It was a surprisingly good experience considering how out of my comfort zone it was.

Dishes

Dishes are an odd sort of phenomenon.  Growing up, there was always a dishwasher so the need to do dishes by hand was almost non-existent.  The only reason to wash dishes by hand was if the dish was not dishwasher safe such as knives with wood handles.  Moving out for my first year of college, I mentally prepared myself for doing dishes by hand.  Fortunately, my apartment in Heritage Halls was equipped with a dishwasher.  Then as the semester progressed, my roommate decided that my dish washing skills were lacking and I was not allowed to do the dishes at all.  I simply had to inform her that I needed dishes and they would be washed.

This year, my new apartment does not have a dishwasher at all.  While dishwashers are nice, they are not necessary.  I'm perfectly fine with hand washing everything.  Somehow, my sink appears to fill up very quickly and soon overflows with the dirty dishes while there are none in the cupboard.  I am amazed at how fast the sink fills.

Tonight, my wonderful next door neighbor did a lot of our dishes and allowed me to study.  I will be forever grateful to her.  She is super awesome and a wonderful friend and neighbor.  Thanks a bunch and I hope our dishes won't ever get that crazy again but they probably will.

Waiting For Missionaries

Growing up here in Utah County, life changes dramatically once high school is over.  Like with most high schools, everyone goes to different colleges and hopes to keep the relationships.  But when you live in an area that is mainly Mormons, there is an extra twist to this whole scenario: missions.
For me, I didn't think too much about it because I was just barely 18.  But then after I moved out, I found myself coming back to my hometown repeatedly for multiple missionary farewells.  By the end of fall semester, I was fed up.  Fortunately, everyone I cared about was gone.
Living in Heritage Halls added another dimension to the issue.  Most of the friends that I made were preparing for their missions.  Even though I had substantially completed my farewells, I found myself attending another one an hour away from my home for a guy I met here at BYU.  I felt like everything was futile and that I would just continue to attend farewells for the rest of my life.
Now I'm approaching my twentieth birthday in less than a month.  Thankfully, I haven't been to any more farewells in the recent past.  Now comes the annoying part: waiting.
I did not have any serious relationships with any of these guys but I still consider them some of my closest friends.  I can't say that I know exactly what every girl who waits for a missionary feels, but I think every Mormon girl feels this to a point in her life.  I was looking at Facebook today and came across a girl I know who waited for a missionary and now they are engaged.  For them, waiting worked out great but in so many other situations, it doesn't work out as well.  That is why I believe that the best approach is not to seriously wait for any missionary.  Why put your life on hold for something that may not even happen?  I believe that the best approach is to be supportive by writing regularly and not expecting complete reciprocation.  Then if anything does happen, you can say that you lived those two years to their fullest, learning and growing, and helped your missionary be a better missionary.

Disney Drama

So I really have no idea what to write so I've reverted to my high school days where I had to write occasional papers on just something that sparked my mind.  I'm kind of stealing this idea from one I heard but we have also been talking a lot about this in our apartment lately.
Growing up, I watched a lot of Disney movies.  I was always enthralled with the magical ideas and the stories that Disney put out.  However, there is one universal flaw in most Disney stories.  There is the absence of one or both of the parents.  In some of the stories, the absence of the parents is an important point in the story but in general there is no true point to both of the parents being absent.

• Beauty and the Beast--No mother
• Pocahontas--No mother
• The Little Mermaid--No mother
• Aladdin--No mother for Jasmine
• Sleeping Beauty--No mother for Prince Philip
• Cinderella--No mother for Prince Charming
• Toy Story--No father
• Chicken Little--No mother
• A Goofy Movie--No mother

Anyway, I think that gets the point across.  There is a large absence of parental influence.  Now what message is that sending to young children?  Oh well, I guess the magic is still there even with the dysfunctional families in these movies.  I will continue to love these movies and will show them to my children in the future.  I guess there is still something magical about Disney movies.

Metadata Defined

I love my job here on campus at the library.  Unfortunately, not many people understand what I do as a metadata student up on the sixth floor.  Yes, there is a sixth floor to the library but there is nothing there that really benefits students.  Mostly what it is up there is a bunch of computers in cubicles that catalog the various items so that students can find them through the catalog and give them a call number so they can be found.
While there are many books up there, my job does not involve any cataloging of books.  I get to do digital cataloging.  The best definition I have found is from Wikipedia, "data about data."
Currently we are working on the project fondly called DE, which stands for Daily Enquirer.  The Daily Enquirer was the old Daily Herald back in the late 1800s.  We have worked on it for over a year and still there seems to be no end in sight.  We give each document a title and author so that students can search the catalog and find what they need in the digital collections.  Really, this is much more detailed but most people don't care enough to spend the time to learn about. 

My Bio

I'm not very good at this whole blogging thing yet.  I probably would have never started one except for that it is required for my class.  Anyway, I was working on homework for a family history class and was learning about the importance of keeping a personal history so I thought that I could use that as the subject for my first official post.
My name is Kierstin Brady.  I am currently a sophomore at Brigham Young University and working on applying for the accounting program here in the fall.  I have grown up in Utah and love the Utah valley.  One of my favorite features is the mountains and the way they look early in the morning.  I work at the library on campus and have for over a year and a half.  I absolutely love it!
I love little kids and I'm always super excited to babysit kids especially the really little ones.  One of my favorite kids to babysit is my cousin Lindsey.  In a couple of weeks I get to babysit some friends kids for an entire day and I'm so excited!
Anyway, my life is super busy hence the title.  I'm either working really hard on homework or taking a break so that I can rejuvenate to tackle the next round of homework.  This time I'm ending to get to work so I'll write again soon.

Welcome

So I just got an assignment to start a blog for my business writing class.  I'm not completely sure how that fits in but it's easy points.  I guess the only thing left to say is welcome to my life.