Blessings

So life has been super interesting since I've been back from my mission. I can't believe that it will be a year next month.  I still miss it terribly and all the wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet.  I wouldn't say that life has been easier since I've been home.  In a lot of ways, it has become a lot harder but I am also a lot stronger than I was when I left.  Today I have been reflecting on a lot of the blessings I have received.  It has helped me to switch my perspective and look for the little miracles in my life.  For example, I have been able to get ahead on homework once again... I have Thursdays already done so that I can focus on the take home midterm I have this week.  I have fantastic roommates who help me to get out and try things that I have never done before.  I also have a wonderful family who are always fun to go and visit with and send random pictures back and forth (that means you Erin).  My finances aren't as tight as I thought they would be this year.  Overall, even though the journey has been difficult and rocky, there are many little flowers peeking through the cracks and making it that much more beautiful.  I am excited for the lessons I will continue to learn and for all the things that have made me who I am today. Look for the little things!

Meh...

So I feel like life has lately become kind of a "meh" state.  Nothing is super terrible but nothing is super exciting either.  It seems like there is a lot of "meh" going around.  Maybe it's just because it's the dark time of the semester where things are starting to get heavier yet the end is still far enough away that there is no end in sight.  Well regardless, there is much to do tonight and it's time I stop procrastinating and get the work done.

One week down...

So today marks the end of the week (of classes) for me for my first semester back in over two years.  It has definitely been an adventure but honestly classes are pretty low on the totem pole for stressors today.  Today was one of those no-good, very bad days where it seemed not a lot went right but it was pretty comical... here's just an idea of what went wrong...

• My earring broke in the middle of my business law class... sad day... and they were not even a month old... but they are fixable.
• I left my book at work so if I want to read tonight I'll have to start something else
• I'm not going to get as many hours of work because of the holiday
• My skirt has a snag in it that is super sheer and awky.
• And to top it all off, I found out that applications for internships for next summer are due Wednesday... what do I want to do with the rest of my life... I have no idea and so I get to figure that out and few more things all in a week.

But on the good side, I got to spend some good time talking with my roommate and bonding.  I got to go to my institute class which was amazing!  I got a spot in the underground parking.  I realized I can sleep in an extra half an hour tomorrow morning because of orientation.  I have my temple shift on Saturday.  I am done with Mondays homework and can start on Tuesdays tomorrow.  My mom is awesome and pretty sweet and I'll stop there because nothing really tops that.  

So I survived and I am ready for bed.  Sweet dreams everyone!

Beauty

So I felt the need to write this after being irritated once again by a sign I drove past today.  The sign read "Skinny up this summer".  Now why did this irritate me so much that I am writing this?  I hate what that implies.  I hate that in society today we are so concerned with being a certain size.  Honestly, it doesn't matter one bit whether you are a size 2 or a size 20.  What truly matters is the person that you are inside.  Last time I checked, your size didn't make you fit a certain personality.  And this sign isn't the only thing that irritates me.  I frequently hear radio ads mentioning trying things on over a skinnier waist or arms.  Why is this so important in our society?  Even if I had the best body in the world, I wouldn't flaunt like so many media outlets are encouraging people to do.  I don't need to expose myself in order to have friends and to develop meaningful relationships.  Again, it doesn't matter what size I am.  The people who are my dear friends are people who love me for who I am and what I stand for.  I think some of the greatest compliments that you can get are ones that don't focus on appearance.  I love when I get told that I have a beautiful smile.  I don't think it's because my teeth are super white or because I had braces as a kid.  I believe it is because I try to be a happy person and share that happiness with others.  Likewise, I have been observing women over the past few months and specifically looking at different body types.  I've noticed that some of the women that I think are the most beautiful have flaws with their bodies but you don't notice them unless you are looking for them because of the person that they are.  I look at my mother and I know there are things she would change if she could but the way she looks does not affect her parenting skills one bit.  I don't love my mother based on her size.  I love her because she is my mother and has given so much for me.  I can think of many other women who fit this same mold.  Women who by media standards are unattractive or worthless but by my standards are the most beautiful women in the world.  To wrap up, I can't say that I am perfect and that I am perfectly satisfied with my body but I am trying to be healthy.  I will probably never be a size 2 and that is totally fine with me.  What matters is that I have the capabilities to serve those that I love.  I know the people that truly care about me will never care what size I am but they do care about who I become.  Let's all forget about what the media says is beautiful and create our own definition.  Life is to be enjoyed and we are all different so that we can experience those beauties.  Who cares what your size is or how flawless your skin is?

We are all beautiful!

Car Fixin'

I really have no idea what to call these posts anymore since they will most likely be me just rambling about something... for example right now I am sitting waiting to get my car maintenance done. This has been a new adventure since my dad usually just took care of everything... now I've upgraded to having my dad tell me what to do and what not to do so I'll eventually get it right. It is something I definitely never thought I would be doing... I guess I just thought someone would always be there to take care of it but I am learning a lot. But leave it to me to cause a problem... turns out they don't have the belt I needed so they have to go to another store to get it. I've seen about four other people come and leave in the time I've been here but it is nice to know that it is all done and ready for when I am ready to go on a nice long trip :)

Life

I really need to get back into this.  This is actually kind of fun and since I don't feel like updating Facebook with all my random and stupid ideas, this could be a good place to do it.  I really should be going to bed since I have to get up around 3:30 but this sounded a little more fun.  Plus I'm also debating if I should read a little from my book but that could be dangerous since I stayed up until 2 the other night reading a different book.  So life has been interesting lately.  I realized that it is about a month until I move again... Yay... okay not really... I'm excited for my own room but the packing, cleaning, saying goodbye... no bueno!  But other than that things are going pretty well.  I've decided having two jobs is not my favorite.  It's much easier to work 8 hours straight than to have a 2 hour break because at the end of the break, I never want to go to my second job... Oh well I guess that is a problem that I'll have to deal with.  So I really have no idea where this is going and I'm pretty much rambling but I just felt like I needed to post something.  Maybe in the future I'll have more meaningful things to say.  Oh... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGGERS!!! My little sis turned 18 yesterday and it's weird to think she'll be moving out soon... well that means I'm old!  But I better go to bed or at least get closer than I am now.

Hmmm....

So I was looking at this and realized it has been awhile since I posted and was wondering if I even should continue posting because I don't know how many people actually care about what I have to write... Maybe I should follow my sister's idea and do an update of what has happened during the week for my familia and make it private... I don't know.  But on the plus side, my little sister got married yesterday and it was a beautiful day for them!!! She looked lovely and so happy.  Rick looked pretty happy too!!!  And I finally have two little brothers :)  Congrats to Jess and Rick and hopefully they will have many more adventures together!

Generation Gap?

So things here lately have been very interesting to watch.  I always knew they were happening but lately they seem to be taking on a new light.  I always knew that since I was the oldest, things would be very different by the time my brother left the house.  I guess I thought that as my siblings got older, there would be less "baby sitting" to do.  Boy was I wrong!!!

Even now as I am writing this, things are radically different from the time that I was in high school.  I remember having a bed time (usually about 9pm) where I had to be in my room and then I would read until the lights had to be out at 10pm.  I never resented that because I recognized that it helped me be successful in school.  I knew it wouldn't last forever and there wasn't much I was missing out on since my siblings usually had to be to bed by 8:30pm.

Fast forward five years, and my brother is still out with my dad who is playing basketball, my mom is at a meeting, my sisters are still not in bed and still have homework to do for tomorrow.  Did I miss something here?  I love having siblings that are older since they seem to be a lot funnier in general and can do a few more things but seriously... not in bed at 10pm.  This proves that there truly is a generation gap, even between siblings that are five years apart.  I wonder what will happen in the next five years.

That Awkward Moment When...

So tonight, I went to renew my temple recommend. No big deal. I get to the right place and wait until they are ready. They call the first two people in and I sit and wait. The other girl waiting and I chat and talk about random things. Again nothing extraordinary. Then they call my name to go in... and as soon as I stand up,y earring decides to snag in my sweater and I am stuck with my head slightly tilted. Then after the handshake comes the crazy process of trying to discretely untangle the earring from the sweater. Well I succeeded at making it so the sweater pulled out my earring and made it not so discrete. But in the end it was a funny moment that kept me entertained.

Facebook Status with a bonus update on Kierstin vs. the Towel Rack

So I have had a lot of deep thought (okay deep just sounded better) about Facebook statuses.  A few years ago, this was not an issue for most of the world.  We communicated in the traditional ways... cell phones (mostly without texting) and it was difficult to spread your updates quickly.  Now there is Facebook which shares your innermost feelings (or what you decide to put on there) at the click of a button.   So here comes the question that has been on my mind... how often should you update your status?  Mainly I have been thinking of how much is too much?  There are definitely the two extremes... the one where you wonder if the people were still alive because they never post and when they do it is basically to say that they are still alive and that they have been off in some exotic place or just not worrying about Facebook.  Then there is the other group that posts way too much!!!  The person that is always on the top of your news feed with the latest and greatest update to their life... so where is the happy medium?  I have thought a lot about some things to post but I don't want to frequent the top of the news feed.  Maybe I should be the person that every second updates and says, "I took another breath"... "Now there is another one"... "I'm still breathing what a miracle!!!"  (Keep in mind these would be three separate posts posted as quickly as you finish the first one.) But I guess this is just more for a rambling than to really answer the question... I guess just use your best judgment and maybe someone will be nice enough to tell you that you are being obnoxious.

P.S. As a side note, the current Kierstin vs. towel rack score is much better... I've had to be a little bit more sneaky but I am winning most of the battles now.  We'll see if my winning streak continues.

Kierstin vs. the Towel Rack

So I have had a little adventure since I've been home... I have entered into a war with the towel rack in my bathroom.  To explain, I need to back track a little bit.  Last year, my parents finally finished the last bathroom in the house. Of course it was after I left on my mission so when I got home this was a new experience.  I think the towel rack doesn't quite like me and this is why.  I showered and was hanging up my towel afterward and knocked the towel rack off the wall.  I put it back up and since then we have had a ongoing battle.  So the score stands right now Kierstin-2 Towel Rack-4... We'll have to see who wins the upcoming battles.