Reflecting on 2013

It really is fascinating to think of everything that happens in a year's worth of time.

A year ago, I had already said goodbye to many friends, and was preparing to say goodbye to even more as they left for a mission; I started a relationship with a friend which unfortunately didn't last very long; I had just finished my first semester at university; I had started a great friendship with a friend I still have today; and I had decided that I needed to stay at school and pursue an education instead of going on a mission.

So much has changed, so much has happened, and I have grown immensely.

However much I've grown this year, I feel like this year is going to be even more so. As I was talking with my best friend last night, we had a really great conversation about almost everything. We not only caught up about what had happened with our past year, but we also were looking forward to the future and what it holds for us this year. I think 2014 is going to be an extremely great year. Who knows what it will bring, but I'm excited to learn, grow, and become what my Savior wants me to be. I look forward to progressing in this life, learning and being shaped into the person I am supposed to become.

I hope everyone had a great 2013, and that your 2014 is full of new opportunities, adventures, and growth in store!

Happy New Years Eve!

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Becoming a Little Better

After this semester at school, I have come to many new and great realizations. I feel like I am just beginning to blossom into the Brittany that I am supposed to become. Before this time, before being on my own, and before receiving a higher education, I was very naive in my thinking, my ideologies, and just about every thought and idea I ever had was immature in development.

After this semester, I have come to really start understand how important the temple is in my life. I have yet to enter through the front doors, but I am glad that for now I am able to perform baptisms as often as I want. Before this semester, I was glad that there was a temple just a block away from my apartment, but unfortunately, I was just happy that there was finally a change of scenery instead of sparse dry hills. This semester has really opened my eyes as to how important the temple is in my life, and for my life in the eternities.

Temples seal families together forever.
Temples will teach us eternal truths that my soul is searching and yearning for.
Temples will bind my future husband and I together--not just for this life, but for forever. I will be with the person I love for forever.
Temples are a place to receive strong inspiration and revelation. I find that even just sitting on the grounds and looking at the temple is a great way to receive inspired words and answers I am looking for at that moment in time.

I guess the most important thing I've learned is that this life here in mortality is meant to be built all around families, all around the gospel, all around the temple, and all about progression--not perfection. Nobody can be perfect, but we can all progress. We can all be a little better today than we were the day before.

This year, I challenge you to make a New Year's Resolution to be a little better than you were the day before. I am going to try this, as well as a new idea my grandpa presented at our Christmas reunion. It's called "24 Golden Hours". Throughout one 24 hour period, you try as hard as you can to be as perfect as you can in all your dealings--be honest, speak kind words, etc. It's extremely difficult, but shows you what aspects you can work on in yourself throughout that week. Maybe you need to work on patience, speaking kindly, not being judgmental, or being more service oriented.

This year I am wanting to find myself, to make myself blossom into a beautiful Brittany--both physically and spiritually. Not only am I wanting to take care of my physical self better (eating healthily, running more often and participating in a 10K, etc), but I want my spirit to be in top shape as well. I'm going to try to be a little better than I was yesterday.

Perfection isn't attainable, but improvement is, and that's what really counts. When Heavenly Father sees that true desire in our hearts, and we come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, He will help us, bless us, and guide us in ways that we could never thank Him enough for. We have to be willing to let Him in and give us the advice we need to continue in the path He has prepared for us.

Happy New Years, and may this new year bring you great things, with many improvements!

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Tender Mercies

This past week has been filled with many little tender mercies that I am incredibly grateful for. Grateful enough that I have decided to blog about it.

For starters, I was able to clean my apartment for white gloves in a time frame that I would have thought would have been impossible.

My finals went really well, my mind was clear, and I wasn't nervous about any of them. In fact, I guess I wasn't stressed out enough with deadlines that I totally spaced my science final. Thankfully, as a tender mercy, my science teacher let me take the test the next day in the classroom next to his office and I was able to land a solid B in that class that kicked my trash this semester!

I was able to ride down with a friend for Christmas break, and it saved me from riding down on the shuttle with strangers for several hours. Plus, it cost a lot less.

This past week with sending missionary emails, leaving friends, etc, I received some really great words from them. All of them, for whatever reason, decided to send me an email (even if I didn't send them an email that week) and they told me they felt like they just needed to tell me how much they appreciated me and how special I was to Heavenly Father. I was going through somewhat of a difficult time at that point--getting ready for finals, being stressed out, and just trying to get through those usual hard points in life where it's hard to see the iron rod you've been holding on to, but are striving to move forward, even though you don't know what's ahead. It's a scary feeling, not knowing what is coming or what you'll be expected to do, but I am so thankful for prayers, as well as great friends and family that have always been there for me, and are in tune enough with the Spirit to know that I needed some uplifting words last week.

This tender mercy is definitely the biggest one I could have asked for right now. Money for this next semester is going to be extremely tight, and so I was able to come back and work at Dairy Keen for Christmas Break to help earn some extra money. Even with working at Dairy Keen, and working on designing a program for work, I was going to be cutting it pretty financially close. However, randomly today, I received a check in the mail as my Christmas Bonus, and it covered the amount I needed to save up, as well as a little bit more. It was definitely an answer to my prayers these past few weeks.

I encourage everyone to look for tender mercies in their lives, as well as making sure that they are thanking Heavenly Father for helping them in their life and how each day plays out. I know Heavenly Father is watching over every one of us, and wants the very best for each of us.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

After 8 years of waiting....

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was 12 years old and starting to try to find herself, what music she liked, and where she fit in in all the middle school cliques. Her grandmother, who happened to be Canadian, had just found a singer that had released an album in Canada, and thought this little girl and her mom would like listening to it.

From the very first second of the very first song she heard (Feeling Good), she was in love with this style of music, with this singer, and with this song. She would listen to his CD basically every day on her iPod, dance to it, freak out when his songs came on the radio, and she would patiently (or not so patiently) wait and watch for Michael Buble albums to come out on iTunes.

This continued for almost 8 straight years.

One day, this girl who was now almost 20 saw an ad somewhere, announcing a Michael Buble concert in Salt Lake City, Utah, which was just an hour away from home, although she'd have to leave everything back in Rexburg and at BYU-Idaho (which is where she was attending), for a day or two. She begged her parents for a ticket to his concert for her birthday, stating that a ticket would be all she would want for her birthday. Heavens, if they said no to that, she'd go without presents for the next several birthdays and Christmases altogether if need be. She'd been waiting for 8 years, and with the arrival of Michael Buble's new baby boy in August and him being Canadian, she didn't know when she'd get a chance to see his concert ever again. She knew this would probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity for her, and she jumped at the chance.

Her parents agreed, and her mom even bought another ticket so she could go watch it with her daughter.

The day came, November 19, 2013, and this was the best 20th birthday present this girl, who was now technically a "woman", could ever receive.

And so, it is with great pride that I, who was this little girl (I know--hard to believe, right?), will now post this awesome experience for you all!!

PS, this last video is him singing in the basketball arena with NO MICROPHONE or any help at all. This was the end of his encore songs. It was amazing!! He has such a POWERFUL voice!!

Hope you enjoyed it! :)

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Day 2-Day 23

Yeah, yeah. I'm pretty bad at keeping up on daily posts and blogs, but it's something that I really want to work on. I have been busy enough that I wasn't able to sit down and write and post something every day, but I did write something down every day. Something that I happened to be grateful for that day, and something important enough that I wanted to share with all of you. So here is the list I created for the 23 days that I have done this "challenge" for my Family Foundations class. Enjoy!

1. Personal Revelation
I know I already posted about this one, but this one is a continuous thing that I am grateful for. Without this precious gift, I would not be where I am today. I am grateful that I am able to receive personalized instructions for me, in the stage of life I am today. This life can be confusing and difficult at the best of times, but personal revelation makes everything seem clearer and for a reason.

2. Family
Without them, I wouldn't have anything to base my love and goals to. They have been there every step of the way for me, but especially through these past two years of attending university. I never realized how much I loved them until I left for school, and I would be without them for months at a time. I know that they are behind me every step of the way, and I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now without them.

3. Friends, both far and near
My friends have been one of the most important things in my life. Based off of several personality tests that were actually accurate about me, both have stated that I feel my best and feel the safest and most successful when I am with my friends. They are my little emotional boosters, my confidants, and the people I rely on to help me feel the happiest that I ever really have been. They know how to make me laugh, how to help me when I feel down, and how to just help me be the most awesome me I could be. I wouldn't be the type of person I am today without them--they are all so amazing! Whether they're on missions, at school, or working, my friends are the best people I know.

4. Education
I am SO grateful to be getting an education. It is going to be difficult to be a stay-at-home mom in the future, and I sincerely hope that my future husband will be getting an education where he will be able to land a career where I will be able to stay at home with my kids. However, I know this is increasingly hard in this society and economy today, and this is why I am getting an education. I am also sincerely glad that I am going into Elementary Education, even with how time-consuming it is, because it has given me two very important things: the possibility of a job where I can do something I love every day, and the knowledge and creative resources I would need and love to have as a mother one day. Even though going to university is expensive and takes you away from family, I am so grateful for this experience, because it is opening doors and widening my opportunities that I could have in life.

5. A warm apartment to go home to
This one I get more and more grateful for as the days go by. As the nights get colder in Rexburg, I get more and more grateful for the warm fireplace I have in my apartment that heats up my apartment. I am grateful that I have a bed to sleep on every night with warm and fluffy blankets, and that I am safe where I am. That is something that I have realized many people go without, and I am even more so grateful than I was before for these few things.

6. Food in my pantry
This is also another thing I have realized I am even more grateful for. Food is always something you are having to buy, and I am very grateful that before this school year my mom hit up the case lot sales and got me food to last through this semester and most of the next semester as well. Yay canned food. :)

7. Technology
Technology is pretty much my life system while I'm at school. It is how I turn in homework, how I call home, how I turn in projects for my job, and how I am able to talk to people all over the world. I am so grateful for technology when it is used correctly--it is seriously the biggest help I could ever ask for with getting church assignments completed, homework done, and finding awesome things all the time. (cough cough Pinterest)

8. Music
This one I will always be grateful for. Whether I am playing music or listening to music, I am so grateful that I grew up in a home where music was appreciated and taught. This has become one of the ways that I can feel the Spirit the most, where I can receive revelation, and how I am able to relax and feel my best. Music really touches my soul, and I think it does for everyone, no matter what the genre is.

9. Holidays
I am grateful for holidays because I am able to eat lots of great food, learn how to make really great food (I learned how to make a pie crust and different types of pie today!), and get together with all my family and catch up with everyone. I also get to come home and sleep in my really big comfy bed and spend time watching movies and playing games with my family, instead of worrying about finishing homework. Holidays (especially at this time of year) also focus on the Savior and the beauty of his life instead of the world and everyone in it.

10. Trials
I am grateful for trials and tribulations, because they help me appreciate the better times in life even more. They help me know that Christ and the Holy Ghost are always there for me, even if times are hard, or things seem foggy or unclear, because I know I need to step up and be better than I am, and rely on the Holy Ghost to help me get through them. These are huge building blocks to our faith and testimony, and I'm grateful for the trials we have to go through.

11. Cool weather
I am SO grateful for this one. I can't stress this one enough. I really don't like hot weather, especially with a heavy backpack hiking across campus. I'd rather be bundled up and walk through the cold, than be too hot and not able to cool down. You can always warm up, but you can't always cool down. I just hope that snow comes soon and it cools down even more!

12. Chick Flicks
I really like chick flicks, and watching them with your best friends. That's one of the most relaxing things you can do on a night with no homework. Laughing, crying, squealing with delight, and giving hope to us about finding cute guys to eventually end up with.

13. Church Publications
I really have grown more thankful for the readiness and availability of basically every church publication out there, even on my phone at any time. I have used General Conference talks, I have looked up church books, quotes, etc, and have used them for devotionals I give in class, for inspiring moments, etc.

14. Family Home Evening
I love having a set time to spend with family and friends (at school) where we are able to do activities that bring us closer to each other and to Christ.

15. Prayer
Need I say more? :)

16. Scriptures
Prayer is how we communicate with God, scriptures are how God communicates with us. I am so grateful that I have this wonderful resource in my life and am able to receive revelation on so many different things.

17. Being at home with family
Having stated being at home for holidays, and how much I love my family, I am extremely grateful that I have a wonderful family to be able to come home to, and who are happy to have me come home.

18. Being able to laugh
If you know me, you know that I have a love of laughter and being happy. Being able to laugh and smile every day is something that I love and look forward to.

19. Having the gospel in my life
I love the fact that I was born into this gospel, because I have had to realize what I stand for, what my foundations are for myself, and what I value in this life. I have been taught the basics and fundamentals, but I have been able to culture my testimony and nurture it in the truths of the gospel that I have been blessed to have my entire life.

20. The Christmas season/Holiday Season
I love this time of year, for it focuses on the life of the Savior, and helping others who are less fortunate. I love the feeling in the air, the look of scenery all around, and the music that plays. :)

21. Fuzzy Socks
I LOVE having something warm and soft on my feet, and being able to relax and wear them around the house or in fluffy boots.

22. Transportation
I love having transportation available to be able to come home and to travel to the grocery store.

23. The Holy Ghost
This last one could be the most important one. Without the Holy Ghost, I wouldn't be in the place and situation that I am today. This is also related to my first one, personal revelation. I guess I started and ended on the same note. Pretty good, huh? :)

And there you have it. The 23 days of thankfulness for my class.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Winter Classes!

Hello again! It's been such a long time, but I am ready to crank out some seriously awesome posts! So stay tuned!

As tradition, I'll be writing about the classes I've registered for for school next semester (January-April). I'm actually really excited for these classes, and I get a LOT more hands on experiences with projects and things I'm doing. Becoming an elementary school teacher is becoming a very real reality very quickly.

Just really quick, before I post my classes, I have to say this: One of my classes is preparing me to take the first huge State Certification test for being a teacher. I think I either take it this next semester, or the one after that. I also will be going through the background/FBI fingerprinting process this next semester, as well as starting to put together my final portfolio (which will take a long time to complete) for student teaching. I apply in the fall next year for Student Teaching!

Alright, enough with the speech! Let's get down to the nitty gritty!

ED 259 - Integrated Science
MWF 10:15-12:30
The main objective of this class is to gain a solid foundation on content in Biology, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science so students can be confident in teaching these concepts in elementary school classes. Students will learn basic concepts and principles of science and hands-on applications to aid in teaching elementary school level science activities.

FDSCI 206 - The Science of Light and Sound
MWF 12:45-1:45
This course covers the physical characteristics of light and sound, the biological nature of the eyes and ears, and the sensation of vision and hearing through our brain's perceptual abilities. Students will evaluate the influence of music, movies, advertising, and video games on the human mind and behavior.

ED 344 - Idaho Comprehensive Literacy #1
MWF 3:15-4:15
This course teaches linguistic and language structure basics related to early reading skills. Teacher candidates learn strategies, to differentiate instruction, and access early skills of phonological awareness, concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, phonics, syllables, and morphology.

MATH 206 - Elementary Geometry
TTR 10:15-11:15
This class is for Secondary and Elementary Education students. Geometry with translations, networks, and coordinate geometry; permutations and combinations; probability and statistics, including its misuse; geometry as shape, transformation and measurement; Geometer's Sketchpad; Logo

FDREL261 - Introduction to Family History
TTR 11:30-12:30
Doctrine is taught through various readings and discussions. Students will develop their own personal record management program. They will use several important family history websites. Family history projects will be completed. Roughly half of the class time will be conducted in a lab setting to allow practice of skills.

ED 341 - Elementary Art Methods
TTR 12:45-1:45
This course provides K-12 pre-service teachers instructional experience in the visual arts. Emphasis is placed on the elements and principles of design, integration of the visual arts throughout the curriculum and instructional strategies aligned with the National Art Standards.

Day 1: Personal Revelation

Today, and in my life in general, I am very thankful for personal revelation.

Personal revelation is something that everyone needs, and I think it comes to all of us, even if you say you don't go looking for it. Everyone experiences it much differently than everyone else, and there is no right or wrong way to receive personal revelation.

For me, this time of my life is full of big decisions. These decisions are not something I've made on a whim, or just for the heck of it. The decisions still to come are decisions I am already keeping in the back of my mind, thinking about them, pondering about when they will happen, how it needs to happen, and what I need to do and where to place myself so that they will happen for me.

I know that I am here today at BYU-Idaho in the apartment I am in, in the major I am in, and with the friends and ward I have here, purely off of personal revelation and the help of the Savior in guiding my life. If it was up to me, I would be in a major that I wouldn't truly enjoy as much like I do with Elementary Education, I wouldn't have made the friends that I have made, and I just simply wouldn't be as happy as I am right now with life, the church, and my family and friends.

I know that Heavenly Father is guiding us in the direction that He needs us to go, and He is willing to let us know what is going on, or tell us where we need to go or who we need to be with, but oftentimes, we must be actively seeking and asking Him what He would have us do. Then we are given answers if we listen close enough, and if we follow what He asks, no matter how hard it may be, we will be blessed in ways that we couldn't even imagine. I know that following Heavenly Father and being obedient to him is extremely important, and that He will lead us to things that will strengthen and bless us, even if we don't see the positive side to things in the moment. Looking back at all that Heavenly Father has given you, told you, and seeing where you've been led will open your eyes as to what your potential holds, where you may be going in your life, or will place you in situations that will land in your lap that you couldn't have fathomed before.

I know that the gospel is true, and I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ both live and give us instruction that we need through the Holy Ghost, which is a wonderful comforter and guidance in our lives. I know that the scriptures will help us receive personal revelation if we read them faithfully, and that God speaks to us the most clearly through scripture reading. "We speak to God through prayer. God speaks to us through the scriptures." I know that each individual prayer of ours is answered, even if we sometimes question as to if anyone heard it, or if it even made it through the roof. I know that the sincere desires of our hearts are seen by the Lord and He will feed our righteous desires and give us opportunities that we wouldn't otherwise have, just for having the desire of missionary work and service to others.

Find what works for you with personal revelation and ask the Lord for help and guidance in something that you may need help with. I know the Lord answers prayers and questions we have through personal revelation, and everyone is entitled to receiving personal revelation. It just depends on how close to the Lord with the amount of revelation we may receive. If we are closer to the Lord, He will give us the answers that we need, and more.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Thankful for my Blessings

Happy November to everyone!

I have so much I want to write about, and so much I actually have to write about. Yes, I have to write in my blog for my class.

For my Family Foundations class, we had to set a goal for ourselves for about 2 weeks with strengthening our testimony. This was a hard goal for me think of--everything else in the class has been easy to set a goal for: physical health, scripture study, and education. But testimony? How do you set a goal for testimony?

I finally realized that my testimony grows stronger every time I share it. Whether it's in person or in a journal type of setting, whenever you share that little seed of faith of your testimony with someone else, your testimony grows, and it can spark a testimony of faith in who you talked to. This person that can benefit can even be yourself at a later period when you reread journal entries.

So I made a goal for myself: every day until Thanksgiving I will be posting something that I am grateful for. Along with posting what I am grateful for, I will post why I am grateful for it, and attempt to tie it back to some part of my testimony. I will then share my testimony on that subject and hope that it grows, not only for me, but for you as well. Doing this is part of my grade, so bear with me. :)

I will post the first thing I am grateful for in a separate post after I write this one. I want to be able to clearly find each individual thing I am grateful for when I look back on this assignment.

Stay thankful my friends, and I'll see you in my next two blog posts. :)

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Mrs. Rose

So I help out with a second grade class for one of my classes.

Can I just say I already absolutely adore every one of those kids in there? And not only in just that classroom, but in other classrooms I've helped out with?

I don't know what it is, but I absolutely love being around disabled or handicapped people. There's something so wonderful about them. I know that there are very incredible spirits in those bodies, and that was entirely Heavenly Father's plan. The adversary can't tempt those, or at least as much, as those who are in healthy bodies. He needs those strong spirits with Him after this life.

What does that have to do with my story, you might ask?

I was helping out in a second grade classroom, and the teacher asked me to help a little boy in a wheelchair for a minute while she ran down the hall to grab something. (This was a special ed teacher--not the main teacher.) From the moment I saw him, we both smiled at each other, and we just kind of clicked. He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him and he gave me a hug. I pushed him around the classroom and the hallways, and he would strain himself to turn back and smile at me as we went down the hallways. He was the cutest little boy, and everyone in the second grade knows him by name and loves hanging out with him. It's the greatest thing to see these kids working with this little boy instead of teasing him or leaving him out because they can't play or communicate with him.

That's one thing I love about the school I'm helping at--their playground is built so both handicapped and the other kids can play together. It's the best thing to see when I help out at recess--everyone is playing with everyone, and they're all helping each other out.

The other story I want to tell is the name of this post. I love working in elementary schools so far, because those little kids aren't afraid to tell you what's on their mind--and almost always, it's very positive things that are coming out of their mouths.

Anyways, I was helping out in my classroom with a center where we were making a construction paper scarecrow. I was helping the kids cut out and glue and make their scarecrows, when the teacher asked if the student teachers could come introduce ourselves. I went up along with my other classmate, and we introduced ourselves. I said, "My name is Miss Rowe, I'm in Elementary Education, this is my second year in university up here, and I'm from Heber City, Utah. I'm also really excited to be here with you guys!" One little boy jumped up from his chair with excitement and said, "I'm from Utah too!" Another little girl, not wanting to miss out on all this excitement said, "My grandma's from Utah!" And then there were other kids trying to let me know they had some sort of connection, no matter how small it was, to Utah. It was really great.

But I went back to the table to help cut out scarecrow stuff with these kids, and this little boy tugs on my shirt sleeve and says, "I thought your name was Mrs. Rose." I told him it wasn't, but that was close. "My name is Miss Rowe." He just kind of looked down and then back up at me and said, "Is it okay if I still call you Mrs. Rose? Roses are really pretty, and you're really pretty too." I had no words at that point, but I just smiled and nodded, and kind of patted him on the back.

I love Elementary school. :)

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Feeling Happy!

Happy October!

Can I just say that from here until about the end of December is my absolutely most favorite time of year?

I absolutely love October. The smell of spiced pumpkins, apple cider, the fun Halloween decorations, pumpkins, hay mazes, witches brooms, black cats, frost in the morning, fall leaves crunching under shoes, occasional days where it snows, being able to wear sweaters, boots, coats, sweatshirts, puffy blankets on your bed, fireplace turned on, hot chocolate for breakfast with a bagel, and just the general atmosphere of life! I love October!

It snowed a little this morning, the morning that I happened to put a sweater on. Yesssss. Lovely feeling! I also pulled out the long socks and fuzzy boots that are pure comfiness. Let's just say I'm glad this time of year is here! I also found out that the ONLY source of heat for my apartment is a little gas fireplace at the bottom of our stairs (we have two floors in our apartment). Although that should scare most people off, I got really excited. That means that my room will most likely be chilly, which is my favorite! Snuggling in warm sock monkey footie pajamas, drinking hot chocolate, wrapping myself in blankets, etc.

I know this post doesn't really have a whole lot of substance, but I feel just up to the brim with happiness today. Besides all those things I have listed above that make me happy, I thought I'd share a few other things that make me really happy as of late as well. I also cut my hair by myself today, and I'll admit it, I did a pretty good job--at least for the first time I've ever cut my hair. I needed some layers, and so I took a razor to it and now all the curls kind of just go together and are the same--lately, it was getting bushy, and I didn't want to go pay money to get mine cut. Plus, I was getting sick of it being a bush, so I added some layers, and so far, I've liked it a lot more. :) Don't worry mom, it's not as bad as when I cut my hair when I was 8. There is no bald spot on my head!

I gave a presentation in my education class today, and I was actually really nervous for it, because I was in the first set of students to present--which means you don't really know what the teacher expects in a presentation. And I had to present a lengthy chapter of a great textbook in under 5 minutes. It was incredibly difficult to figure out what to include, what to leave out, how to include the class without going over time and getting too involved in discussion, etc. I had to teach my class how to write an effective assignment--lesson planning, writing objectives, state standards, purposes of lessons, etc. It was a lot of knowledge I had to prepare myself for, but I did really well today. I was a little nervous while I was standing up and teaching, but everything seemed to come really naturally. And I didn't go over time, which I was really grateful for! My teacher also gave me "Superior" marks on my presentation, which was the highest you could go--I got 12/12 points! Yesssss. Feeling a little successful.

I get to see a really awesome piano concert tonight--I've actually been waiting for about 3 weeks to see it. It's Del Parkinson, and he's performing one of my absolute (if not very favorite) piano piece, Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gershwin. Not only is he performing that one, but he also is performing several other pieces by Gershwin. I absolutely love Gershwin's music, and I am not going to miss this concert! It's free, but you just have to beat everyone else there, since Del is an amazing pianist.

My education classes are going really well, my tests are going really well, I'm passing all the required tests to be a teacher so far, and (knock on wood) I have all A's in my classes, even though the homework load is significantly larger and harder than last year.

I have less than a month until I'm the big 20! I'm super excited! My friends are coming up to visit me that weekend, and I think on my birthday, we're planning on going to Costa Vida (kind of like Cafe Rio), and then going bowling at Fat Cats. I'm so excited! We might even go to COLD STONE. I love ice cream!!

Just over a month until I get to see Michael Buble in concert!!!! I can NOT wait until then! Seriously, I think my mom may have to drag my passed out body out of the concert afterwards. I really think I might pass out, cry, or just be speechless seeing Michael Buble in REAL LIFE. I have dreamed of this moment for 8 years! I am so excited!!!

Other than that random burst of excitement, I'm just feeling really happy! I have a great FHE group here, my roommate is really awesome, and we're getting our other roommate today, I think. I love Rexburg, but I love BYU-Idaho even more. I absolutely love my teachers, and I love the homework that I have. I love how much it's making me grow--not only in my knowledge of temporal things, but also in spiritual things. I have felt my spirit grow stronger, and my testimony has increased already in the 3 weeks that I've been here. I can't believe it's already been 3 weeks, but it also feels like I've been here for much much longer.

I'm so thankful that I have curly hair, the glasses I have, the smile I have, the internal joy and laughter I have every day, and for the blue eyes and long eyelashes that I have. I'm so thankful for all the little things that make me happy, that make me who I am, and that make me appreciate what I have been given.

I love teaching in elementary schools, getting to know students, learning how to be a more selfless person and helping students, and following the Master Teacher, even Jesus Christ. That one aspect of this education program is something I truly love. We are taught to act and teach like Christ did, for He is and was the Master Teacher. Even if I don't formally go into teaching and having a classroom of my own, I know the principles, disciplines, and ways to teach and love children. There are so many beneficial classes as an education major that are great to know as you start your own family one day.

I'm thankful for my friends, for my life, for music, and for the awesome situations I am in every single day. I'm thankful that there are lots of cute guys who are actually paying attention to me, for the opportunity to live so extremely close to the temple, and to have the family that I have. Without any of these things, I definitely would not be the person I am today.

I hope everyone has a happy October, for, as Anne says in Anne of Green Gables,

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
--L.M. Montgomery

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

I Stand All Amazed

Today is the first full day I've been back in Rexburg, and let me just say, however much I loved this place my freshman year, I love this school with all my heart now, and I never want to leave. I love my apartment complex (a LOT nicer than the dorms I lived in last year), I love my roommate (yes, there is basically only one right now), and I am so glad that I am living right where I am. I'm just about 2-3 blocks from the temple, and the view from my window gazes right onto the Education building--it's my own little pep talk each morning, that I'm here to become a teacher, and that building is helping me get there.

I don't feel nervous about being on my own, I'm not sad or lonely without my family--even though I do love them tremendously, I feel much more myself, and things are just turning out a lot better already than I would have expected--and it's only my first day fully on my own. I haven't even gone to the classes, which are always amazing!

Today in church, I actually already came to the realization that I absolutely love my ward. My bishopbric is hilarious--seriously. I have never laughed so much in church and felt how much they already loved each of us, as well as being able to feel the Spirit in incredible amounts. We have Relief Society first, then Sunday School, and then Sacrament Meeting. I think I might actually like this set up better--at least in Singles Wards--because of all the great things you've focused on all day, to then finish spiritually high with the sacrament. I just liked it so much better today.

Alright, this is where the title of the post comes in.

The sacrament song today was, "I Stand All Amazed". I have always loved that song, but today, I actually almost started crying when people were singing it. My ward is not afraid to sing, and to sing loudly with devotion either. I felt the Spirit so strongly today in that meeting, than I probably have all summer total. It was then that the song came to have so much more meaning to me than before, and I now truly treasure that song.

I think one of the main reasons that that song really hit me today, besides the devotion of everyone singing, was the fact that it correlated so strongly with what I had been studying for homework the day before. It was talking about how we truly needed our Savior, and without him, we couldn't have anything--basically. It was such a powerful article, and I am already looking extremely forward to this Family Foundations class--as well as all my other classes, since they usually all invite the Spirit to be with us in the classroom and as we study the material to learn.

I truly love this school, and I am so excited I get to be up here again for school. April seems too soon to go back home. 2 full years after this year seem to be too short to leave school. I know it's because of the wonderful Spirit and the learning model that is here at the school. I always leave school feeling so spiritually high, and I love that feeling more than anything else.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Big Steps

As I'm waiting for my last load of laundry to finish drying, listening to Italian men sing, and putting off packing a little bit, I figured I would write a post while some things are on my mind. However, one thing that really stuck out to me when I first opened my blog info site, was that I have 1,234 page views! I would never have imagined getting that people would be reading this blog as much as is happening right now! That's a pretty big step!

Another big step that's happening in my life is that I'm moving off to college again tomorrow. I'm very excited, but at the same time, I'm also really nervous for some reason. A good nervous though. I'm not scared or afraid, but an excited nervous. What will this semester hold for me? Will I be able to handle 18 credits? Who will I be hanging out with? What are my roommates like? They're all exciting things to think about, but whenever I do, I get the butterflies in my stomach. Sometimes if I'm lucky, they turn into flying squirrels and I get really nervous--excited, but nervous.

As I'm leaving behind the town and the community I know so well tomorrow, and go back to what feels like my second home, I've been doing a lot of thinking, mostly about the friends we pick to choose to hang out with, to choose to be our examples, and to look to as reference and guiding points in our lives. A year ago, if you asked me to list my closest friends, the list would look incredibly different now--even just a year later. I've started going through my friends, picking and choosing the best ones to associate myself with, losing a few along the way, but mostly gaining great new friends that I can look to as examples, or go to when I need words of support and love on a hard day. I'm so glad that I've gone through my friends and only talk to and hang out with those who I feel are on the same path and level as I am. I hope that doesn't sound mean, or judgmental, I really don't, I just don't want to be the one dragged down trying to bring others up from such a low point anymore. If they'll put the effort out, I'll make an effort to reach down and help them up. I want everyone to be happy. But if I kept those friends that constantly were a drain to me--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually--I wouldn't be going where I need to be going. I need to be seeking higher ground for when the storms come and try to take me off my feet. After going through this picking and choosing process of friends, I have really come to see how Heavenly Father places people in your life for a reason. Maybe there aren't a lot of people or close friends at certain points, but looking back, I now know that it is for a very specific reason: to help you figure out who you are and what you really want in life.

Now that I'm looking back and reading that, that sounds kind of gloomy, but that's an important lesson that I wish I could tell people as words of advice--your friends influence who you become. Surround yourself with the ones you hope to be like one day. It will make all the difference in the world! My friends weren't bad either, it's just the matter of choosing the "good, better, and best" options.

Alright, another big cool thing happened. So school starts on Monday for me, and I move up to Rexburg tomorrow morning. I have been getting lots of emails from teachers, introducing themselves, letting us know we have homework due on Monday, and what not. I already have taken 3 quizzes, 2 questionnaires, I have several readings to do with papers, and I have a paper due on Monday before I attend my classes. I'm kind of guessing this is just a taste of what this 18 credit semester will be bringing... But here's the exciting part! One of my classes is an Elementary Education Early Field Experience class, which means I get to go to an elementary school and practice teaching this semester. On Thursday this next week, I will be getting a certain grade level and a teacher to work with this semester. My teacher also emailed me, asking what I would like on my name tag when I am there working at the school. So far, I know my name tag will say "Miss Rowe", and I am working at Burton Elementary School in Rexburg, Idaho. I am so excited!! I can't even describe how excited I am for this semester!

I'm excited to figure out more who I am, to find new people to surround myself with, and to just learn and grow tremendously this semester. Hopefully it's full of big steps.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Bloom Where You're Planted

There's one month left of summer.

I've had 4 months at home since school ended, and I have one more to go.

When the summer started, I pictured it going somewhat like this:

• Baking breads, cookies and what not every day.
• Doing puzzles every day.
• Water balloon fights every week.
• Staying up late watching movies every night with my family.
• Trying new recipes every day.
• Writing in my journal every day.
• Reading books every day. 
• Hanging out with my group of friends every day.
• Learning how to sew, paint, crochet, etc.

Basically, I thought every day would be heavenly. Resting from school, hanging out with friends, and just living the life. And for the first week of summer, that's how it seemed to be going. 

Then reality slapped me in the face.

• I had to find work to be able to pay for tuition, school fees, and those expenses.
• Almost all my friends are on missions, are going on a mission, or are moving away since they are married.
• The friend group that you once were able to associate yourself with changes. Without you even trying.
• You don't get out of routine habits, even if you're on break from school. Laundry, cleaning, organizing your room, etc.
• Jobs take a lot of time. And by a lot, I mean almost all your spare time.
• You have to figure out who you really are. I'm figuring out that I relied a little too much on my friend group as who I was. Now that they're all gone, it's been hard to know who I really am without them around me.

All in all, it's been a great summer, but not at all like I was expecting. I've changed a lot, and I can see how I am being shaped and molded by Heavenly Father into the person that I need to become. Overall, this summer has been hard as that shaping and molding has taken place, but looking back, I am extremely grateful to Him for helping me become who I need to be.

So when life gets hard, don't whine and complain about it. When life doesn't go your way, don't blame others or the situation you're in for it. Just know that it is all for a greater purpose. Heavenly Father knows what He is doing. He is preparing you for what is ahead, for what He has in store for you. You just have to be willing to be sculpted in the ways that He knows is right for you and for the life He has planned for you. During the sculpting process, it's painful sometimes, and hard when we can't see the end result.

So now that I can look back on the past four months, I can now realize that I've been going through a shaping process. I'm changing and growing into the person that He wants me to become. With this one month left, instead of grumbling and complaining like I have for the past 4 months, I am going to forge ahead knowing that if hard things come up, it's for my own good and that Heavenly Father wants me to go through hard changes and friends leaving to help me figure out who I am, who I want to be, and what changes have to happen to make me a better person.

This is actually about my third attempt at writing this post. At first, it was a very grumbling and complaining post about how this summer has been nothing but hard for me. The second attempt wasn't much better, until I realized how grateful I should be for what I have in this life instead of complaining about all the little things that can easily change. 

Just because my old friends aren't around doesn't mean I can't make more where I am. 

I am grateful that I have 3 jobs. A lot of people can't get one in this economy.

I am grateful that the friends I have are worthy enough to go serve an honorable mission.

I am grateful that I still have friends, instead of complaining that a lot of them have left. 

I am grateful that I have technology, where I can communicate with my friends across the world while they are serving a mission.

Just writing a few things that you're thankful for in hard times will help you tremendously. Even in the hardest situations, when you think you can't go any lower and you think you've hit rock bottom, there is always, ALWAYS, something you can be grateful for.

That's something I would challenge any and all of you to do when times get tough, or when things aren't going your way. Keep a gratitude journal, and if you can't think of anything to write, look back on your previous writings, and see what there was to be thankful for in times of struggle or in just every day life. 

I know it's helped me tremendously, and I know it can help you too.

Bloom where you're planted. Make the best out of every situation.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Life Will Go On

A little while ago, as many people know, Frances Monson, the wife of President Monson passed away. I didn't personally know her, I never really knew anything about her--in fact, I never even knew what her name was until her passing was announced. And at first, I was a little saddened by the fact that President Monson was without a wife, but unfortunately, that was the extent of how I felt.

Then one day, I was scrolling through Facebook, waiting for the few hours I had before I had to go in to work, and I found a lot of posts from different sources that said Frances Monson's funeral was to be on television that day. Without anything else to do, I turned on the tv and found the channel where her funeral was being broadcasted. At first, I wasn't immediately glued to the television, I wasn't really into it--you have to know that I really don't like funerals. Everything about them is just so melancholy and kind of uncomfortable for me I guess. But Henry B Eyring got up to talk about Frances and was the last speaker at her funeral, and it was then that I started becoming interested and I started to feel something.

Now before I go on, let me tell you that I've always had a testimony about the Plan of Salvation and families really being forever, but this was part of my testimony that I've never really had to gain on my own. This was just something that I kind of accepted and just came to know--I never grew to know it myself. I've never lost somebody extremely close to me--not even a grandparent, sibling, parent, or cousin.

But while I was watching Frances Monson's funeral, it really hit me. I got an overwhelmingly strong feeling that the Plan of Salvation was really real, and that we will indeed be with our families for forever. Death is not the ending, rather it is simply a transition to another stage of our Heavenly Father's plan. It really hit me that death isn't something to be sad about--we should be happy that we will see them again and that we can be with them for forever.

As the hearse drove away and the funeral procession followed them, the camera panned from the cars, up and over to the Salt Lake temple, but still keeping their family in the camera's view. It was at this point that I remember crying and feeling the Spirit incredibly strong. I knew at that moment in time, that President Monson would see his wife again, I will always be with my family, and one day, I will be sealed in the temple and will be able to have children and a husband that will always be mine.

This was a very strong testimony builder for me, and it made me again realize how important the temple is. When you're little, you know the temple is a great place, but until this moment in time, I never really realized how beautiful and wonderful the temple and what it does for families. It made me realize then, and even now when I'm remembering this day that happened a little while ago, how important it is for me to be dating the right kind of guys, to be trying hard to always stay clean and even cleaner to go to the temple one day, to one day be sealed to the man I find to be my best friend, the one who upholds his priesthood righteously, who is a beacon of light to those around him, and one who I know I can always turn to for love, guidance, and help along our journey together back to the celestial kingdom with our future family.

I know this is kind of a deep and very spiritual post, at least for me, but it's been on my mind enough that I feel like I just need to write it out. I hope you all know that families really can be forever, that the temples are the source of love, hope for families, and the knowledge that we all need to return back home to our Heavenly Father one day.

I love this gospel. I love the temples. I love families, and I can't wait to have mine one day. I look forward greatly to the day that I can go through the temple for my own. Nothing could be more exciting for me.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

A Day in the Life of Fast Food...

This year marks the third year I've worked at my town's local family fast food restaurant, Dairy Keen. In light of this wonderful anniversary, and from several people telling me I should do this, I thought I'd give you a little taste of what each day entails working in the fast food industry. You're welcome. I know you've always wanted to hear what happens behind the scenes.

• You are going to get messy, salty, greasy, sticky, and other feelings that you probably didn't know existed. In the summer, you are hot and sweaty standing by the heat lamps while it's 100 degrees outside and people are hot and complaining. In the winter, it's cold when you take food out to cars, you have to be careful with your greasy shoes on the icy sidewalk, and your long sleeves will get dirty.  Really dirty. Ick.
• Your laundry pile will increase by a lot. Your pants will be greasy and salty, shake droppings will be on your shirt, pants, and even your shoes. If you're lucky, maybe even your face. And your eyebrows. If you get it in your hair, that's pretty special. 
• People will complain. A lot. About the littlest things. "This has pickles on it. I specifically ordered it without pickles. I want a new burger. WITHOUT PICKLES. You got it?" Do you know how many times I have wanted to open their burger, pick off the pickles, wrap it back up, and then give it back, smile, and say, "Have a nice day!" However, the motto that "the customer is always right" plays very strongly at the restaurant. Just make them happy. We don't want screaming customers who have a little pickle juice on their hamburgers. Heaven help us. 
• People freak out when they're in line and there is a lot of people around them. Everyone is stressed out, their eyes get huge, their pupils dilate, and they all look a little stunned. It's funny being behind the tills looking at this crowd of stunned people, but only until they come up to the till. Then you have to deal with a stress case, and in most cases, you have a family of stress cases that are all yelling at each other. It's your job to stay happy and try to make their order as nicely as possible. You will have parents yelling at kids to hurry and order, kids will be lifted up by their shirts, grabbed roughly, and many of them will cry. That might be one of the hardest things for me is watching parents yell at their kids over a kids meal. I know it's frustrating and difficult to try to order something perfectly for an entire family, but yelling and becoming angry towards your kids is something I wish wouldn't happen.
• One thing that happens A LOT is when I hand out a pager, tell them what number they are, when it will beep, handing them their receipt etc, people do two things. 1) They totally blow me off and ignore what I'm saying, and 2) instantly say, "IT'S A TASER! Look!" Then they proceed to "tase" the person next to them, and walk off laughing. The tased person is now confused because they're paying, and they didn't hear a single thing because the person tasing everybody was being loud and obnoxious about the pager.
• You will have people swear at you, throw stuff at you, and demand outrageous requests. However, as difficult as that gets, you still have to carry a smile on your face and try to figure out how to tame the angry customer that isn't making any sense whatsoever. 
• Ice cream will explode on you. You might get cut. You'll be burned. You'll get scraped, bruised, and maybe even hurt enough to go to the hospital. 

As bad as any of those things sound that you put up with each day, there are some moments that completely make it worth it. Here are some of those moments I've had. 

• People will ask you what you're doing in life, where you're going to school, and will be very positive and friendly, and even supportive of your choices. Coming from strangers, that may seem a little weird, but it's nice to see that there are friendly people out there who care about what others are doing with the life they've been given. It gives me hope and reassurance that maybe I'm doing what is right. And it reminds me that working there is just temporary, and it's getting me through school.
• People might give you a tip for putting up with someone, or because they understand how difficult working in fast food is. Once I was taking out garbage, and I was trying to lift up a very full garbage bag into the dumpster. That is one of the most difficult things to do. You use one hand to lift the cover of the dumpster open, and the other hand to swing the bag into the dumpster. As I was throwing the garbage, the bag exploded open on me as it went into the dumpster, and I got garbage juice all over my pants and my shirt, as well as my arms. A guy who was in the parking lot came over to me, helped me lift another bag in the dumpster, and gave me a few dollars and thanked me for all the hard work I was doing, even if it was difficult. People like that make me still believe in humanity.
• You'll see grandparents take out their grandkids for ice cream cones, and seeing little kids order what kind of cones they want and having their eyes light up--it's pretty priceless. Daddy/daughter dates, grandparents, or just couples who are nice with each other. It's refreshing.

So next time you go to a fast food place, understand that it's not a simple job. People order strange things, we have had to put up with angry people, and are probably tired from other things we are doing in our lives. We are working there to get somewhere else in our lives, understand that we probably aren't wanting to stay there for forever. Be patient, be kind, and be understanding that nothing is as it seems on the surface. 

We're all people. We all make mistakes, but I promise you, that if you are nice to people working making your food, we are much more willing to change and help you fix your order. If you're mean and pushy and not clear with what you're wanting, it's really hard to make the person that is making your day hard happy.

Now you know what it's like behind the scenes of fast food. :) Enjoy!

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

A Great Day!

Have you ever just needed a day to yourself?

A day where you could stay in bed. A day you could spend how you wanted.

The perfect day.

Lately, as you've probably been able to tell from my last two posts, I've been kind of stressed out with a lot of different things, and today, I let them all go.

I was able to sleep in a little bit since I wasn't able to go to my tutoring job this morning.

I downloaded Adobe Illustrator on my computer, and made a few cute designs/posters.

I stayed in my pajamas and kept my hair crazy and undone all day.

I listened to music that made me happy.

I took a long bubble bath.

I did my hair cute and my makeup was nice.

I get to go to work tonight, which is where I actually get to see people my age and hang out and laugh.

I read the General Conference Ensign from this past April session.

I did my nails.

I could keep going, but I think you get the picture.

Today, I was completely lazy, and did things I wanted to do--things that I felt that I needed to do to help myself a little bit.

Some days, you just need a perfect day to be yourself.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

I'm a...SOPHOMORE?!

I recently registered for my Fall 2013 Semester classes! I am so excited to finally be able to get started with getting ready for classes and going back to school! In just about a month and a half (August), I will be getting information about my roommates, my housing, and getting ready for classes! I couldn't be more excited! I'm technically a sophomore in college now, can you believe it?!?

Just so you know what my schedule will be like, I'll post what my classes are that I've signed up for. Fair warning though, I'm signed up for 19 credits, but ElEd classes are actually usually worth a few more. Technically, I think it's about 23 or so credits worth of work and time that I'll have on my hands, but I couldn't be more excited and ready to go back to school!

FDENG201 - Advanced Writing/Critical Thinking
This class will actually be an online class I'm taking, but it sounds really difficult so far. English has always been my favorite class, and I've always done really well in it, but this class sounds HARD. There will be lots of argumentative papers, research and thesis papers, etc, so it will be a little different of writing than I've done before, but nothing to worry over right now. It's going to make me learn and grow, right? :)

FDREL200 - Family Foundations
This is a required class of every student at BYU-Idaho, and I'm actually really looking forward to it. Not only is this class taught by a man who used to be in my bishopbric growing up, but it focuses on The Family: A Proclamation to the World", and teaches us how to be ready to start a family, how to focus our lives on the Lord, etc. I've heard that my teacher is really hard, but he makes you learn a LOT about family, yourself, etc. I'm really looking forward to it.

FDSCI205 - Understanding DNA
This is a general elective class I chose to take this semester, and I'm looking forward to it! I'm not super good at science, but this class seemed to sound really interesting!

HIST115 - History and Civics for El Ed
This class, I'm not looking forward to tremendously. I don't really like history classes, but I guess if it's helping me become a teacher, I'll do it! Hopefully there's lots of coloring maps and stuff. :) Probably not, but I'm crossing my fingers!

MATH205 - Fundamentals of Number Theory
I have to have this class for El Ed, and I think I'm mostly excited for this class because my textbook is an illustrated math textbook/dictionary. We learn how to teach kids math, how to count through shapes, colors, projects, etc. I am SUPER excited. Probably the one math class I'll actually WANT to make it to!

ED242 - Motivation and Management
This class will teach me how to control a classroom, how to help kids throughout the school day, etc. I'm pretty excited for this one, because I'll actually get to use what I learn in the next class I describe....

ED241 - Elementary Early Field Experience
This class, I might be the most excited for!! I get to start traveling to Elementary schools, teaching kids one-on-one, in groups, and eventually in class settings! Although I will have teachers critiquing me along the way, I don't find that scary (yet!), but instead motivating to do the best I can! Another fun part of this class will be a handwriting and lettering section! I'm SO excited to learn how to write letters a little differently so that little kids can understand on a white board, what I write to them on their papers, etc. I absolutely cannot wait for this class!

These are all my classes this semester! They will definitely keep me busy, that's for sure! I'm extremely excited to go back to Rexburg, see my friends, and be right where I need to be. The temple will be visible from anywhere I walk, I will be able to make new friends, and I will have homework again! That sounds a little weird, doesn't it? At this point though, homework is more fun than work, and I'm looking forward to long days filled with cutting out papers, stapling lesson plans together, and getting ready to be a teacher!

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

So Many Rambles

I have a few things on my mind, and it helps me to just get it out there to feel a little more relieved. I don't know why that works, but it helps me a little bit.

I guess I'll get the negative thing off my mind first so that this post ends on a very positive note. :)

You may remember that in October when they made the missionary age change announcement, I felt strongly that I needed to serve a mission for the church. Many people were very supportive of my decision, and lots of people were very willing to lend me a hand with advice, scripture reading tips, etc, for my mission, and I was thrilled with all the support.

Although many people were supporting me, including my family, I was hitting roadblock after roadblock after roadblock with just getting the mission papers started. I know that Satan tries to prevent people from going on missions, but this didn't quite seem like that.

I remember one Seminary class I had where a teacher told us that Satan doesn't always tempt us with bad decisions or things. He can tempt us with very good things, but things that would distract us from the righteous thing we were supposed to be doing at that moment. Usually these things happen at a moment in our life that could be life-changing. Satan knows we're not going to do something drastically bad on a whim, but he knows the righteous will choose the more righteous thing over the other if there's a choice of that. A decision of what's good, better, and best.

I know now, after hitting roadblocks with my major, my schooling, and other things, I am sure that I am not supposed to serve a formal mission, wearing a name tag, but rather stay at school and finish my schooling before anything else. Just because I don't wear a black name tag that says "Sister Rowe" on it does not mean I am less capable or worth less than other sister missionaries that are out serving. Yes, they are doing a great thing and are noteworthy for leaving their families and their lives behind for a year and a half, but they aren't the only sister missionaries in the world.

There are lots of girls like me out there that haven't served a mission and won't be serving a formal mission, but that's okay. That doesn't mean we're less important or capable than other sisters. I'm not trying to put sister missionaries down at all--I'm really not. Most of my friends are on missions right now. And I couldn't be prouder and happier of them. This is a great experience for them.

What I just don't like is when people expect all girls my age to go serve a formal mission, almost like it's the expectation of girls like it is for boys. That's really hard for me to deal with sometimes. I have had many people from my family, my ward, and just people I know, ask me if I am going to serve a mission. I answer with the usual, "No, I'm not going to serve a mission right now. I feel like I need to stay at school and finish my degree before thinking of going on a mission." To that response, I usually get a, "Well, why not? You totally could--nothing's wrong with you is there?" NO. There isn't something wrong with me. I usually get a raise of the eyebrows, a disapproving look, and as they're walking away, they usually say, "That's too bad. The church just lost what would have been a great missionary."

It's hard not to cry or get a little upset when people say that. The church hasn't lost a great missionary. I can still be one to people around me wherever I go. I don't have to have a name tag to be able to do missionary work. Sure, the work is a lot more focused on a formal mission, but that doesn't mean people at home can't be missionaries.

Be an example. Be faithful to the church. Create a relationship with Heavenly Father and the Savior. Learn how to listen to the Spirit. Be in tune and follow the promptings you get.

You can be a missionary too.

So just because I'm 19 years old, and I'm a girl, does not automatically make me a missionary like most of the world seems to assume now. The Lord has other plans in store for me at this point in life, and I intend to follow what He has in store for me. I'm sure it's a whole lot better than what I would have come up with myself.

I hope if any girl is the age to serve a mission and she feels like she needs to stay home, but might be looked down on by people because she isn't serving a mission, to stand up for what she feels is right for her in her life. A mission wasn't meant for everyone, especially in the case for girls. The most important thing is that you follow the promptings you get from the Spirit, not the people around you. You are in charge of what happens in your life (for the most part)--only you can get inspiration for yourself.

Alright, alright, so heavy negative venting part one is over. :)

Here's the uplifting part two. :)

Because none of my friends are really home anymore, I have been pretty lonely lately. Yes, I'm at home with my family, and I'm glad, but I'm really missing the social aspect and the people my age that comes with going to school. I miss basically everything about being at school. Even the homework. It's come to this. :)

Anyways, I got in touch with one of my really great friends who recently got married, and we got together to just simply talk and catch up on our lives. It was such a great experience! She's just a few steps ahead of me in life, and our lives have seemed to be pretty similar to each others. Just in events that happen, and what not. She talked about how she met her husband, how she went on to realize that she wanted to marry him, and the process of getting engaged, planning a wedding, getting married, and now being married. It was actually pretty nice to hear that someone has gone through what I'm going through and that it really does get better. She is such an example to me, and I don't know if she knows that I look up to her and find her exemplary, but she is a complete role model to me. It was so nice to have her support when it came to talking about getting ready to go through the temple, making myself ready to be a wife, and looking for qualities that really matter when it comes to being married, etc.

I knew we were pretty good friends, but I had no idea that we were close enough friends that she considered me as a bridesmaid. I almost teared up when I first heard her say that. That meant so much to me! In that moment, I was so thankful for her as a friend, and I was thankful for her example and her being able and willing to talk to me about things like this.

She told me that when I'm getting married, she'll help me with planning (if and when I need help--since she's been through it recently), help with planning my friend bridal shower, and just being there on my wedding day. It was nice to hear that she'll fly out for my wedding too, depending on circumstances. I couldn't have asked for a better evening than to spend with a dear friend who I care about and who cares about me. Nothing could sound more relieving and pleasant than having friends help me along a journey that will be amazing! It only happens once in your life, so they'll make it more fun!

When I get married one day, (and you know who you are if you're reading this!) you are definitely going to be one of my bridesmaids or my Maid of Honor. That is, if my husband doesn't have a gazillion sisters! I don't even know if I'll have a Maid of Honor--maybe I'll just have bridesmaids that kind of work together to plan stuff. That'd be a little easier, I don't know! We'll figure it out when the time eventually comes.

So many things. So much has happened. So much has changed. So much will be figured out.

Missions.

Going to college.

Becoming a teacher.

Becoming myself.

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

Goodbye Elder Bills! (As well as my reading plan...)

So about the 100 day Book of Mormon reading challenge...

Yes, I'm still doing it. Yes, I'm still on track. But no, I haven't been writing on here regularly like I should have. That almost makes me not want to do it when I have a lot of things to write, links to find, etc. I know that maybe I would be better off if I wrote it for you all to follow, but who knows if anyone is actually doing this with me. If you are, that's great and I congratulate you for being awesome. :) If you're not, I don't blame you--reading the Book of Mormon in 100 days takes a lot of time and effort, and it's hard to find a regular set amount of time each day to read.

So here is my change of plans. I will no longer be posting each day about the reading challenge, but I might once in a while let you know how things are going, if I am still on track, etc. If you are interested in any Book of Mormon reading charts, or the 100 day challenge I am doing, I will provide links at the very end if you want to print it out, follow along, etc.

I guess today would be a good day to kind of do a regular blog then, right?

I went to Lagoon on Saturday with my friends, Robyn Kirkland, Junie Neal, Ryan Ahlberg, Eve Sisson, Connor Haynes, and Tannen Bills, along with my family. We had an absolutely amazing time, and I don't think I've laughed that hard on some rides in a long time. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy from our fun day! (Some of these are also from Junie's mission call opening, but I put them in there as well.)

This was Tannen's last weekend home before he goes on his mission to New York, New York South. It's definitely going to be different not having Tannen around. I'm going to miss that funny guy. Whenever I would walk across campus and it was dark and I was by myself, I'd always call Tannen, and he would always answer. All I'd have to do was tell him I was crossing campus in the dark by myself, and he would stay on the phone as long as necessary for me to make it home, and I always felt much safer. He would also call me when he was in the dark walking. We were kind of our go-to for each other that way.

Tannen and I went to a few dances together, we were in orchestra and theater orchestra pits together, we hung out a lot, and we worked at Dairy Keen together for the past 3 or so years. He's been a great friend, and I'm going to miss him a lot.

But hey, he's doing what he needs to, and I know he's where he's supposed to be. He's going to be a fantastic missionary, and I know that he'll be great!

Tannen leaves for the MTC on Wednesday, and I don't really know if or when I'll see him before then. That's a little bit of a weird thought, but I know everything will turn out how it is supposed to. :)

Have fun jumping in the lake today Tannen. :)

Live. Love. Laugh. Grow.

P.S. Here are the reading links I promised from above. There are TONS online! Just look up "book of mormon reading chart" on Google, and click on the Images tab. You'll have a lot you can choose from!

http://www.sugardoodle.net/Stories_Thoughts_Poems/Book%20of%20Mormon/Book_of_Mormon_reading_chart.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZiHIPdEnjpRTou118BV2KWM_L1SNvlaG7XtPH48vlPY0xvQPQFuzDmJyQ7QJZEvP5-BvRfUAYm919oZfRDhJ8qbwpIxJf_5YTdXA8zYzLWHZU5ySheNB37mG_QOT0kM2H1YVRDc-87I/s640/bom+color+chart.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1FuoObEJa0vU6gZiCTZL-oUrns0lrEngL-PbI2EZFIRg7RhKqp1eHJ3DO1QhEqzMZcqQiNI4-MEMz3y7KVHe5nkt7avnu60e-_hi2bAQ7e5awg6HTNLfsOaXqtskpsv6_x4lXdXJj8xV/s1600/Book+of+Mormon+reading+chart+Scan10-03-02+1623.jpg
http://foodstorageandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BOM-Reading-Chart.jpg

This is the 100 Day challenge I am doing that you can do if you'd like.
http://www.ldssinglessg.com/content/BOM_100_Days.pdf