Day #43: Religious, Southern, Trailer-born, Middle-Child Finds Joy, Confidence, and Love.

A TRAILER PARK -- 
My dad always says, "You can take the people out of the trailer, but you can't take the trailer out of the people."  I was born while my dad was finishing school at BYU in what was then the BYU married student trailer park at Wyview.  During this time, my dad was going to school and working while my mom stayed at home with my older sister and I.  My parents had to sacrifice so much to make this possible, but their example and the way that they raised us through this time has shaped who I am today.  First of all, this has impacted how I view the important things in life.  Because of my parents example, I find it so important to put the important things in life first: God, family, and people being at the top of the list.  Although we didn't have much during this time, my sister and I wanted for nothing.  We were children who knew laughter, dancing, music, and great joy!  Again, this trailer park instilled in us the knowledge that material goods are not the key to happiness, but rather righteousness, laughter, and family.




$10,000+ DOLLARS --

I worked very hard while I was growing up even though I did not have a steady job with a set income.  I babysat a lot and mowed my lawn on occasion, but mostly, I worked hard at school.  My mom told me that if I worked at it, I would be able to get scholarships and school would be my job.  While school and education in and of itself was always important to me, I always had another secret dream that motivated my desire to succeed: to travel and study abroad.  However, such a goal would cost a great price.  As I came to school, I continued to work towards my goal and was extremely blessed to be able to go to the BYU Jerusalem center over this past summer and had enough financial support to be able to accomplish this goal.  This experience and the Holy Land changed my life.  Through the people I met, the experiences that I had, and the places I visited, I learned more about myself and about life.  I gained a love for a people I had never met before and developed a desire to serve and connect to more peoples of the world who have different cultures than my own.  Most importantly, this experience strengthened my testimony, which is at the heart of who I am.  This wonderful place is where my Savior lived, taught, walked, died, and arose.  I came to know Him, and I am continually trying to put Him, His Father, and their gospel at the center of my life.  This experience definitely helped me continue on this path. The $10,000+, though a large chunk of money, got me on a life shaping adventure that I will forever be grateful for, and is representative of my belief in hard work, blessings, my Savior, and the confidence that I gained from this experience.




A PAIR OF JEANS --

In between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, my family moved from Georgia to Utah.  This move across the country rocked my world; it was culture shock.  The weekend after we moved was youth conference.  Because we had to wear long pants, and all of our pants were in boxes, we almost did not get to go.  However, our young women's leader stopped by our house and told us that she was going to take us to the D.I. to buy some jeans so that we would be able to attend this youth conference. While we were at this conference, we met a girl named Jillian who was moving to Indiana.  Jillian introduced me to a girl that would be going to my high school named Kirsten.  Kirsten ended up introducing me to people who would change my life forever.  The friends that she introduced me to taught me so much about what it means to love.  They taught me what it meant to have good fun and gave me the opportunity to practice being an example and to practice uplifting and loving.  These people shaped the way that I look at people and my desire for close friendships.  I will forever be grateful for the leader who saw fit to take me to buy a pair of jeans.  These jeans are symbolic of Heavenly Father's hand in my life and how I believe that He has blessed me with the experiences in life that I need when I need them.

Day #42: Jerucrew!!!!!

Here's a couple of pictures just so you can at least begin to put a few faces with a few names! (:
Also, my computer is in a weird Hebrew mode.... so I'm feeling a little confused about some of the weird punctuation.... but oh well.... love you lots! hope this keeps you happy!!!!!!

 This is me at the Dome of the Rock!!!!!!! I get to looks at it everyday.... just not this close.

 On the way up to the Pergamum Acropolis in Turkey! Kimmy, Cameron, and Paul Bradshaw(Nathan's cousin

 Some of the boys: from left to right: Taylor, Scott, Paul, Mike, Stephen, and Dallin is at the top of the little pyramid

 Roomi Date in the city!!!! from left to right: Vic, Corny, Sammie! k

 Just some of the awesome members of the Schade bus nbd (you'll read about this event in this weeks coming installment (;

McKay, Me, and Dallin (from left to right

Day #41: Tart and Tangy.

"Life.

Life is like a lime.

Ooo, it's tart and tangy.

Sweet, oh so sublime.

Quiet.

Speechless like a mime.

Bold and noisy like a crime.

So don't you dare waste my time,

'Cause life can stop...

On a dime."

~Walt Disney's An Extremely Goofy Movie

This poem has a lot of truth in it.

And it's always stuck with me.

Partially because this girl is just AWESOME.

Srsly though. Check her out.

Day #40: January.

So today, I started thinking of all the reasons I have to hate January:
1) I have to walk through temperatures that range from -4 to 14 degrees at 7:45 in the morning to go to class.
2) Inversion. Makes Utah County to where it has the worst air quality in the nation (that is NOT an exaggeration. it's a fact.). Makes it to where I can't see my beautiful mountains even though they are only two feet away from me (that IS an exaggeration).  Makes it that much colder.
3) I can't play outside. Well I could I suppose... but I run the risk of getting frostbite or slipping on the black ice that is everywhere and becoming permanently paralyzed... which frankly would be no bueno.
4) Trying to learn a new schedule.
5) Having to leave my family after an amazing break.
6) Having to find a new place to live next year.
7) Having to pay money.
8) Having to apply to my program.


But then, as I have found is typical in my life, as soon as I started coming up with the reasons I should be miserable, I knew I was having a rotten attitude and that I really have a whole awful lot to be thankful for.  Heavenly Father has been SO good to me, and sometimes I get so caught up in the mundane (like anyone I think) that I fail to keep in the forefront of my mind the truly remarkable and incredible aspects of my life that I fail to recognize.

Hence a list of just a few reasons that I have to love January... most of which occurred just within this past week:
1) My family comes and visits me. My dad came all the way to provo to give me a blessing.  My mom came and took me shopping last Monday and out to eat and we had SO much fun! I love my mom a million red icees.
2) I have the most amazing roommates.  Seriously.  They are so amazing and I love living with them.  They are some of my really good friends and I love how much time I've had recently to spend with them: talking, watching movies, laughing, eating, painting toes, going to volleyball games, etc. etc.
3) I have the best friends from home.  The angels came and we went on an adventure. During break Bekah and I did so much together! Spencalicious came and took me to dinner!
4) Travis (the 7th brother) made Rosie and I dinner on Saturday! And played cards with us.
5) Ritchard, Ashtyn, and I made civil rights cookies! (Nikki Manaj (spelling?) took best of show)
6) I get to study something that I am SO passionate about! I love what I am going into and I am learning so much about life, how to be a better teacher, and how to be a better mom!
7) I get to walk through the cold in warm clothes to go to the preschool where I get to see the loving smiles and learn from the mouths of precious children and an amazing mentor!
8) I have the chance to listen to the Spirit and find out what I need to be doing next year.
9) I have the opportunity and the resources to be able to fulfill a dream and go to Jerusalem.  It may be a lot of money, and some extra work, but in a way, this is one of the things that I have worked for my whole life... and I am so blessed to actually see it be fulfilled.
10) I see people I know on campus and I have friends in classes and on the way to and from class that I get to talk to!
11) The frozen snow and ice is sparkly!!!
12) I could go on... but I won't.

Sometimes, it is the times that you shouldn't be able to see happiness, the times when it is hardest to muster up the strength to smile.... in these times when you turn to the Lord in prayer and with a thankful heart, you are most blessed.  If you allow yourself to open your eyes to the incredible blessings that our Father nearly SURROUNDS you with, you will grow closer to Him AND be happier.  I know that because I have seen it in my own life.

Forum today was really incredible. One of the things he talked about was going about life as a quest, with our eyes wide open to the wonder and beauty all around us; becoming passionate and purposeful in our daily learning and reaching out to others. (i'll add a link to it when it comes out, because it really was pretty phenomenal)

I challenge each of you to go about life looking for ways that the Lord has blessed you each day.
Find His hand in your life....
And pretty soon, you'll be hard-pressed to find a place where His hand is not in your life.

And that is why the good outweighs the bad for the month of January.
And why all I can say at this point is:

I LOVE JANUARY!!!!!! <3

Day #39: Happy MLKJ Day!!!

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Dr. King was an amazing man.
Really.

I just read a book called "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry." (it was phenomenal btw. if you've never read it i strongly recommend it). Anywho, it's about a black family in the 1930s and it was really eye-opening to me.

I can't even imagine living with that kind of constant fear.
The fear of someone burning your house down.
The fear of someone coming in to lynch your daddy in the middle of the night.
Of a white man pushing you off the sidewalk to make way for his own daughter.
The fear of someone just wanting to take away your land.

And if you stood up to it for someone else, the fear that they'd do the exact same thing to you.

That is why Dr. King is an amazing man.
As well as all of those people who were courageous enough to fight for equality.
And not just during Dr. Kind's era either, but the founding fathers, those who have stood up for themselves in religious equality, women's rights, and racial equality.

That is what today is about.

Today is about equality and all of those men and women from our country who have dared to stand up for what they believe in, which was right, no matter who or what stood in the way.

And I am so grateful for all of those people.

Happy day (:

Day #38: The King.

Today is The King's birthday.
THE King's birthday.
Elvis Presley.

My obsession with Elvis started when I was in a musical with all Elvis music.
And then extended as my grandparents took me to Pigeon Forge Tennessee the summer after.
It might have even started in my childhood with my parents Elvis cds and listening to the soothing and powerful "American Trilogy" at Stone Mountain as the generals rode through the battle. (which, if you haven't heard that song and want to know what the South sounds like... that's pretty much it.... i LOVE that song)
And I haven't looked back.
I have seen 3 Elvis impersonators, own 41 Elvis songs, have 2 Elvis lunchboxes, a pack of Elvis playing cards, and a blue suede shoes Elvis ornament.

I guess you could say I just like Elvis.

So happy birthday Elvis!!!! Thank you for keeping me entertained.
And thank you to my grandparents who helped to kindle my love of Elvis.

Also, my grandpa and I used to imitate this video.... and we think we're pretty funny when we do that (: Enjoy.

Also shout out to my friend Cody who's birthday is also today. (:

Day #37: Speak Life.

What is friendship?
Better yet, what is love?

I've been really blessed to have friends who have taught me about so much about friendship, love, life, and relationships in general.  And I am still learning things all the time about myself through the interactions I have with them and other people.

I realized recently that part of true love, true friendship, involves wanting to be around someone: simply loving each other's companionship and what they individually bring to the table.

Activities become less and less about what you do... and more and more about who you do it with.



And through this love and companionship (or lack thereof at times), I've discovered the principle of speaking life:

Speaking life is more than just talking to someone.  If you've ever done it, you'd know the difference.  It's feeling for someone.  Feeling their pain and joy and really caring about what they're doing and what is going on in their life.

It's a connection.
It's when you know you are both helping each other to make it through on this journey that we're all on.  It's serving.  It's loving. It's listening. It's talking. It's being the hug the person needs.  The person you cry with.

It's making a discovery about who you are and about living life while talking with another person.

And it can be so simple sometimes.  How hard is it to just care? Care about what others have to say and what they are going through. Everyone needs someone to care.

So speak life.
Speak life with everyone around you.

Not only will it bless their life and lighten their burden, but it will lighten yours as well.
Trust me.
I have seen it in my own life and with the people I know and love. <3