Sunshine Award!

I just got nominated for the Sunshine Award by Eggs With Ketchup (http://eggswithketchup.com/)! I'm flattered! Here are the rules of the game:
1. Acknowledge the person who gave this award in a blog post.
2. Do the Q&A below.
3. Pass on the Award to 10 deserving and inspiring bloggers, inform them and link to their blogs.

1. Who is your favorite philosopher? 
Um. Good question. Does Anne Frank count? Her quote, "Look at all the beauty still around you, and be happy" has become my life motto. I think that was very philosophical of her. 
2. What is your favorite number?
126. Or any variation of that. I was born on January 26. My sport numbers have been 1 or 2 throughout High School. I just like them, K?
3. What is your favorite animal?
I have a general love for all animals but if I had to pick one I couldn't. haha 

4. What is your favorite time of day?
Random question but alright. I like afternoons. But I also like mornings on occasion. Sometimes I am forced to wake up early and I hate it while in my bed but once I'm up and about I love it. 
5. What are your Facebook and Twitter?
Here is my Facebook and here is my Twitter. Stalk away!

6. What is your favorite Holiday?
Christmas Eve. I anticipate that holiday party all year man. All year! I live for our production of the Nativity! 
7. What is your favorite physical activity?
Um how can I narrow it down? I obviously love lacrosse. But I'm pretty much down for any physical activity ever. I love the classic Gym Class games (hens my major choice). I love sports. Everything active. Yay. 

8. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?
DIET COKE. 

9. What is your passion?
Um. That's a little personal isn't it? Just kidding. I'm not sure if I know that yet? 
10. What is your favorite flower?
Sunflowers! 

Now here are the 10 blogs I am nominating! 
1. http://saraturner64.blogspot.com/
2. http://lauriesnowturner.com/
3. http://whatshappeningwithannabelle.blogspot.com/
4. http://greengrassisfun.blogspot.com/
5. http://kenzcurtis.blogspot.com/
6. http://alexburchtree.blogspot.com/
7. http://allieheroux.blogspot.com/
8. http://deardynamite.blogspot.com/
9. http://marcieprince.blogspot.com/
10. http://www.eastercloset.com/

Falling into Place

Last month an announcement was made that caused me to rethink my life plan. After this announcement I've been trying to figure out what my new plan should be. It has turned out to be a plan I've been dreaming about for a long time but just didn't really realize it. Is that even possible? I guess so because that's what's happened.

It's amazing to me how everything little thing in my life has been taken care of. Things were all up in the air for a while and now they are falling into place. I am so grateful for a God who has a plan for me and has provided me with ways to achieve and follow that plan. I am so grateful for an older brother who has made it possible for me to become all that my Heavenly Father knows I can become. Without my Savior I would not be where I am today and I would not have the ability to reach my full potential. I am amazed everyday how involved my Savior and my Heavenly Father are in my life. 

Now that was all very cryptic and vague. But here are my tentative plans for my life:

Stay at BYU for Winter Semester, go home for Spring and get my Mission Papers ready and hopefully sent in and receive my call in May, go to AFRICA with Help International to serve the people in Uganda, and then serve my Lord on a full-time mission in September.  

AHHHHH!!! HOW INCREDIBLY EXCITING AND AMAZING IS THAT PLAN?! I keep asking myself, "is this real life?" It seems like I have a 2 years of service to look forward to and I am so excited! Now this plan is tentative but it feels so right right now and I am scared but mostly so excited that I can't think about anything else. GOD IS SO GOOD. 

Dance Like Nobody's Watching...Literally

"Dance like nobody's watching and sing like nobody's listening"

This is one of my life mottos. I have a couple I guess but you can never have enough mottos right? This is one my mom always used to tell me before choir concerts, voice recitals, and step competitions. This doesn't have to be taken literally but I take it very literally. My roommates and family can attest to that. Almost every night my roommates get the pleasure of witnessing me make a fool of myself by dancing ridiculously horrible. They also get to hear my angelic voice all hours of the day. They especially love when I sing while they are trying to study. They tell me I sing even when my headphones are in but I don't believe them. If that were true it would explain the weird looks I get in the library and walking to campus but I think those looks are just them admiring my beauty. Don't you? 

Every once and a while you need a good DP (Dance Party) to get all your stress and wiggles out. Or in the case of my roommates and I to increase your wiggles. I especially love when I am home alone. Which doesn't happen very often with an apartment of 6, but on the off chance that I'm home alone you can pretty much guarantee that I'm belting out my favorite music and dancing around like a fool. 

I always try to trick myself into thinking that I can take a 5 minute Dance break while studying and then be more focused but that's never the case. Those 5 minute dance breaks just make me more hyper and antsy. I'll continue to work on that though.  

Can I leave you with a challenge? Find the time to dance and sing your hearts out. I promise it will increase you happiness. And who doesn't want an increase of happiness?

Also this is my most recent favorite song to jam to-

I Hope They Call me on a Mission

Well. It's been decided. I am serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am so excited. My plan right now is to wait until after Winter Break to start and put in my papers and then have my availability date be sometime mid-June. So far that has felt right.

Even though I have almost 9 months until June I know time is going to fly and June will get here before I know it. I am trying to start preparing now. I am trying to get my hands on a Preach my Gospel but they are in high demand so it's been harder than anticipated. I'm trying to find some time in my crazy busy days to study from it and learn it well. I am trying to make my scripture study more of a study and less of a "I'll just skim over this as I fall asleep" kind of deal.

Another thing I want to do to prepare is teach people. Being in Utah there aren't many opportunities to talk to non-members, but luckily I have a lot of non-member friends! So if you are willing, let me practice and teach you! Is that weird to ask? Nah.

I am so excited about serving a mission. I have been so blessed by this gospel and so I can't wait to bring that same happiness and blessings into the lives of others. God is so good. This gospel is so good. My Savior is so good.

If you have any tips or ideas for me to help me prepare, let me know!

welp.

Here I am sitting the library all set up to study some Anatomy but I can't bring myself to do it. I just can't. My dad did tell me it was time for a new blogpost so this is considered productive right? (Just say yes.)

Here are my most recent life updates:

Mission plans are still being figured out. I am planning on leaving after Winter Semester. That has just been feeling right lately. Nothing else huge to report there, other than I am super excited and also terrified. Yay!

Jr. Jazz is so much fun! Did I mention I was coaching a 1st and 2nd grade Basketball team? Well I am and it is so much fun! My assistant coach Carter and I have 8 rambunctious boys on our team. They are so fun. They are quite the handful and have attention spans of a goldfish but oh so much fun. They are actually pretty good too! Technically we don't keep score but I do. I'm too competitive not to. Coaching these boys confirms to me that I am pursuing the right career. Which is a great feeling.

Shaunessy came down to visit this weekend! I love that girl so much it's almost ridiculous. We had a lot of fun but the time went by way to quickly. She is amazing. I am so lucky to have her in my life. Gahh I love her.

Isn't she beautiful? 

A couple weeks ago I got to go see my favorite band in concert. It was one of the best days ever. I wrote a whole blog post about it but it didn't save and I was mad so I'm just going to give a brief recap of it. It was very stressful let me tell you. They pushed all the bands up so we were so close to missing Imagine Dragons (my favorite band). We got up and had to show them our confirmation number on my phone but I could not find the email. I was shaking so bad and may or may not have peed my pants. (don't worry about it...it happens...right?) So we get up there with no email still and I shoved my phone in this gigantic security guards face with some other email from the concert people and yell, "This is all I can find! But I promise I have 2 tickets!" He said, "You're shaking.." I yelled back, "Yea I know I'm missing my favorite band!" He gave me a hesitant look and I promptly yelled, "I have my temple recommend! I am worthy and honest!" Then this huge security guard looked at me with a face of relief and said, "Oh you have a recommend! Go on in!" We took off running. Only in Utah my friends, only in Utah. We made our way to some bushes and sat in them to see. It was so great. They are so great. Love. 

Neon Trees were there too! They were so much fun to watch!

In other news, my lacrosse stick broke. I went home and cried. I cried for other reasons too, it was a generally not good day without the breaking of my stick and then this just made it 10x worse. 

Anyways. That's the latest and greatest. Life is pretty good right now. I guess I should get back to studying. Or I mean, start studying. Tootles! 

Change of Plans

So if you know me well you know that I enjoy a good plan. I struggle with uncertainty. As of Saturday morning my world has been tipped upside down a little bit. I had a somewhat of a plan for my life. But with the new change in the Sister Missionary age, I am being forced to move forward with some uncertainty. But with some uncertainty comes some certainty.

So here is what I know for sure as of 12:19 October 8, 2012:

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on this earth. I know that the work of the Lord is moving quickly forward and I know I want and need to be a part of it. I know that Jesus is the Christ and He suffered and died for all of our sins. I know I often feel inadequate and unworthy of that sacrifice. But I also know that no matter what my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. I know I have been so blessed throughout my life and I have a responsibility to bring those same blessings to people around the world.

As I work through the many uncertainties of my life I will strive to remember the things I know for certain and those things will make the list of uncertainties shorter.

I'll keep you updated on my plans for this year. Just a hint, there is a good chance I'll be traveling within the next couple months. And that makes me terrified and yet excited.

Oh and I've had, "I Hope They Call me on a Mission" stuck in my head since Saturday. Does that mean anything?

Because I'm avoiding stress..

I am currently in the Library avoid homework. I think I have gone to the library more this semester than I have my whole freshmen year. I'm taking anatomy this semester and it is seriously kicking my butt. The last couple weeks I have spent about 3 hours a day studying for a stupid lab quiz. Which we have every week. So it's not like a one week thing then you are done, no. It's every week during the semester having to study freaking hard for a ten question quiz. And on top of that we have the lecture quizzes and midterm. Oh not to mention my other classes with papers and midterms. So yes. School is kicking my butt. 

But I decided to blog to relieve stress, not add to it, so no more talk about stressful school.

Here are the exciting things going on in my life:

1. Today is the first meeting of reLax Utah! So far we have about 15 members on facebook (a couple of which are my family and friends) But I'm just excited to get going. Lacrosse has always been a way for me to relieve stress so I'm excited to be able to play. I hope the weather cooperates and lets us play into the winter! 

2. Cougar Coaches! I signed up with my friend Carter to be a Cougar Coach for a 1st and 2nd grade basketball team. I am so excited! We meet every Wednesday and Saturday and I cannot wait! I miss my Summer Camp kids a lot and just generally being around kids. So I'm so excited to meet some new kiddos!

3. Great Roommates. My apartment could not have better people in it. Yes every once in a while I am shocked with how hot some of my roommates want it, or how quickly the sink can fill up after just emptying it but I absolutely love all my roommates. We have so much fun together. I think that if you walked by our at any given time you would hear giggles bursting through the door. I have had so many laugh attacks lately, which is such a perfect stress reliever. 

4. My ward. We have such a fun ward. And it seems that our apartment always has someone fun over. I love it. Yes, it can be difficult to pull myself away to write a paper when we have an apartment full of fun people, but it's just so much fun! We played some card games on Sunday night and I just couldn't stop laughing. So much joy! haha We have made some really great friends, and I am so grateful! 

5. Missionary E-mails! The other day I got an e-mail from Elder Redd and today I got one from Elder Hatch! They seem to be doing great! I'm so proud of all my boys on their missions! I sat down and wrote all of them the other week, and now I just need to get some stamps to send them out. It's crazy to me that all these boys are off serving the Lord for two years. I'm so proud of them! Love these boys! 

So there are some updates on my life! Thanks for letting me waste an hour or so of my time! haha Now I better start on Anatomy.....gahh