The Music Inside of Me

Is crying okay?

2010-05-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I just finished watching the third episode of "The District," which is a three-video series I was told to watch before I enter the MTC. It is all about the importance of planning and setting goals. It had scenes with Elders and Sisters teaching real investigators and nothing was scripted. Um...I was crying the whole time. I don't know how I am supposed to go on a mission if I am going to be the one crying at all the lessons. I'm talking about good crying, of course - crying because I feel the Spirit. Aren't I supposed to be the strong one? Maybe if will change when I am on my mission and tears will only come when it will be helpful or something haha. Well, I did get some waterproof mascara just for my mission, so I guess I will be set there :)

Sister Barton :)

2010-05-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time doing an impromptu photo shoot with my sister-in-law Sarah. You can check out more of her pictures at www.bellepetitephoto.blogspot.com. She is amazing and so talented. We set out to get just get a picture for me to use on my missionary plaque and we ended up doing a whole photo shoot outside too. Too bad I don't have my missionary tag on. I guess it will be official soon enough (23 days!!!). Enjoy! :)

The one above is the one I chose for my plaque. It was so hard to choose because there were a lot of great ones.

Finals can be over now; I give them permission.

2010-04-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just got out of my third final and all I have to say is ughh. Not the best feeling. The only good thing about it is that on my way home, I stopped at the office of my apartment complex and they had hot dogs out at the grill. Yummy. I have another final Monday, which I already know I'm not going to feel prepared for because I would need a whole week to study for that one, and my last one is Tuesday at 8:00 pm. Meanwhile, as I study in my hot, lonely apartment, there are over 50 people at the pool/volleyball court/courtyard soaking up the sun. Too bad all of my studying is on the computer and my computer battery lasts about 5 minutes. I'm so excited for finals to be over so I can start packing and move home. I'm not happy to leave my roommates, but I think it will be a fun change (not to mention the fact that I can get away from blasting scream-o music often played in my apartment that ruins the Spirit). I'm enjoying the great weather and the happiness it brings. My visiting teachers stopped by today and brought me a super fancy cupcake from a local cupcake shop. I'm really excited to eat it. I have loved getting to know them this year. They are wonderful girls. I better go be productive before I go to my friend's bachelorette party tonight :) Thanks for reading!

Disneyland is definitely NOT the happiest place on earth!

2010-04-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

February 26th, I had the wonderful opportunity to go through the temple and receive my endowment. Without the temple, God's plan could not be fulfilled. It is the only way to return to live with Him in complete, ultimate joy FOREVER! I would never settle for less than that :)

My mom and me before going in the temple. I love her so much!

I'm pretty sure I have the best sisters in the whole wide world...and I get to be with them forever!

A few weeks later, my sisters and I planned a trip up to the Salt Lake temple. My Grandma Stevenson, who lives in Salt Lake, also came. It was so beautiful in the temple and it was so great to be with some of my loved ones. After the temple, we went to my grandma's house for a yummy lunch. I wish I could do this every weekend! I've gone to the temple every week (sometimes multiple times) since February 26th and I learn many new things each time I go. The temple is the house of the Lord. It brings peace. It seals families together for all eternity. It is beautiful in so many ways. :)

My future adventure in...

2010-04-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably already know, but I received my mission call in February!!!! I received it in the mail on a Wednesday and waited until Thursday to open it. It was fun to have the envelope for a day and know that it held life-changing information in it. I opened it February 18, 2010 and it was so wonderful to have so many friends and family members there to celebrate with me.

CANADA TORONTO WEST MISSION!!!!!!!!!

Reporting to the Provo MTC on June 2, 2010.

So happy! I knew right when I opened my call that it was inspired. It feels so right and natural. It has been fun to research about my mission since then. The city of Toronto actually is not in my mission. The west mission is a lot more rural, but we do have some bigger cities too. My mission home is in Brampton, ON, which also has a temple!!!! I'm so excited to finish school so I can solely focus on preparing to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is the only true church on the earth and it has made me who I am today. I literally could not live forever without it. It is amazing that I have come to this point in my life and am blessed to have this wonderful opportunity. I know it will be hard, but it will be worth it!

WARNING!

2010-04-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is my short warning message: I am about to blog a LOT in the next few weeks. I have lots to catch up on. I decided to copy pictures off of my sister-in-law's blog to use in my posts so I don't put it off any longer. I've got exciting news (which most of you probably already know...does anyone even read my blog? lol) and lots to talk about. You've been warned :)

Is it really necessary?

2010-01-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor today to get my second Hepatitis A/Hepatitis B shot (there are three shots total). The first shot I got didn't really hurt. I have the advantage of having pretty big arm muscles, so shots really aren't too bad...until today. I'm sorry, but does it look like the lateral side of my collarbone is covered with my biceps femoris (thank you anatomy class :) )? She literally stuck (stabbed!) the needle in the joint that connects my arm to my body. THEN....proceeded to push the end of the syringe with the PALM of her other hand with lots of pressure. Is that really necessary? I've never been to nursing school, but I'm pretty sure I could give a better shot...in someone's MUSCLE, NOT their bone! Haha...sorry, I'm overreacting. The main message of my story is 1. My nurse today will not be giving me my third shot, and 2. Maybe nurses should pay a little more attention to where they are injecting sharp, metal objects.

The Music Within Each of Us

2010-01-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

I know I already posted twice today, but this will be more of a thought post. Church was really good today. I got a new calling and I'm excited for it. It was nice to talk with my bishop for a few minutes. He's become one of my close friends the past year and a half. I went to Temple Preparation class today, which is always a great spiritual lift. A girl that went on a mission to Russia teaches it every other week and every time she teaches, I cry. Missions are amazing. What a wonderful gift from our Heavenly Father to be able to bring people to His Gospel, all the while molding individuals into the spiritual giants they can be.

I was sitting in sacrament meeting and I got out a paper with quotes for 2010 that my grandpa gave the family. As I read the quotes, one of them popped out to me. I had to blog about it because it is perfect for my blog name. It is by Oliver Wendall Holmes and it says "Too many of us die with our music still in us." When looking at the definition of music, it says that music produces beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. Form can be defined as the arrangement of parts. When I titled my blog, I wasn't completely talking about actual music that is inside of me, although there is a lot of that too and I'm grateful to be able to share it with others. This music that is inside of each of us is our emotions, our testimonies, and our beliefs that work in harmony to make us who we are. It is the power and strength of our soul. It is the knowledge that we are each beautiful sons and daughters of God.

I like to think that some of the "music," or testimony that is in me shows outwardly each day that I live. I had a recording session and retreat for BYU Singers yesterday and our awesome president gave a great spiritual thought about having enthusiasm. He had each of us turn to our neighbor and give them a genuine compliment. I was touched by what my friend said to me. She said that I show my faith on the outside, not just deep within myself, and that not very many people do that. I don't share this to boast, only to show that by sharing our light, being positive, cultivating a hope in Christ, being a friend, and sharing our faith outwardly, we can touch lives. My life has been touched by so many the past few weeks. My testimony of the importance service and kind words has been strengthened. It's amazing how the plans we make for ourselves can be completely turned around by an all-knowing, all-powerful Heavenly Father who has things in store for us that we can't even imagine. He knows what will make us truly happy and will walk with us to help us achieve that happiness.

So it is my goal to never let the music inside of me be confined within myself alone. What a difference you can make if you do the same. There is a whole world that needs your light, your testimony, your love, and your beautiful music. Never hide it. Share it! Embrace it! Live it!

New Year's Fun

2010-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

My roommates from last year and I got together for New Year's Eve and had a blast. There were people in and out all night. We played games, ate lots of food, and burned lots of food (burned cookies courtesy of Erica, burned nachos courtesy of Alex :) ). It was great to spend time with the girls again!

Winter Photo Shoot

2010-01-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

I had such a great time doing this photo shoot with my sister-in-law Sarah. It was fun to be in the snow and have lots of different outfits. She did a fantastic job and I will always remember that New Year's Eve :) We got over 150 great pictures. There are more on her blog. She also did a shoot of my brother Jon and he is such a stud. Check out his cool martial arts pictures on her blog (he just got his 2nd degree black belt in Hapkido!!!).

Needles and Tape

2009-12-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

I love my chiropractor! He is such an incredible person who has helped so many people emotionally and physically. I went this morning with my mom and brother. I definitely had a brand new experience...acupuncture! I'd never done it before. My chiropractor did it to help me with the lovely pain that I get on a monthly basis ;) It was a cool experience. Not the best feeling to be poked with lots of needles, but it wasn't too bad once they were in.

Here's a picture where you can see two needles on each hand/arm. There were also ones poking into the inside of my wrist, but I didn't want to lift my arms up because I was trying to relax them. I also had three needles in my stomach.

The next couple of pictures show something that I've had done a few times by my chiropractor. I found out in high school that I have scoliosis. If you ever look at me while standing up, you'll notice that my right shoulder is lower than my left, which means that my head tilts slightly to the left. I do it in pictures too. Okay, don't look at me weird now hahaha. Anyway, my chiropractor tapes my back sometimes, pulling my right shoulder up and both of my shoulders back. It helps me feel how my posture is supposed to be without compensating for my curved spine. For some reason, it's making me exhausted today. It works my muscles in ways that they aren't used to.

Only two more hours until I leave to my sister's for our fun card making night :)

Christmas Craftiness :)

2009-12-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

Before leaving to my dad's house on Tuesday, I spent a few days finishing up some Christmas presents and also making cards. Last year and this year almost all of my Christmas presents were handmade, and it was such a different experience. It brought me so much joy to make gifts from my heart. My siblings and I draw names for Christmas, and this year I had Julie. I started crocheting her a blanket in the spring and finally finished :)

I made myself a really cute recipe box a few years ago and thought it would be a great idea for my mom and Bill. I made it at the end of the summer during a crafy night with my friend Elin.

I also finished up a scarf that I started crocheting for my mom over the summer. I made Bill an "eye-sock." The story of the eye-sock goes back to my childhood lol. My mom would often put a black sock over her eyes in the morning to block the sun from coming in. So a couple years ago, I sewed her an "eye-sock." It was black with flower lace around the edges and I embroidered "Julz" in pink. I've been telling Bill I would make him one for over a year now, so I finally made it the Monday before Christmas. After making that for Bill, I spent a few hours sewing a little apron for my little brother Jesse. He is starting to help bake a little bit so I thought it would be fun for him to have an apron of his own. It was blue with baseballs on it and I embroidered a big "JESSE" on the front. It was fun to make. And it was fun to spend time with my sister Julie since I made it at her house :) Thanks for letting me use your sewing machine Julie!!! I made my dad and Heather a cute picture frame...which means we should probably take a new family pictures soon. It's been a while.

I spent about five hours on Tuesday making cards while watching "Little Women" and the Food network haha. I love making cards but don't give myself time to do it during the school year, so it was fun for me to make a few different kinds of cards. My sister and mom bought some of them from me. I had fun showing them to my family :)

My sisters and I are going to have a card-making night on Wednesday and I am super excited for it. I've been trying to stay busy during the break. My niece Aliyah was blessed yesterday in my blessing dress, which was really neat. She's so adorable. Then I had a Barton family dinner at my aunt and uncles' house. It was great to see the family and spend time with them. I'm excited to start school again in some ways, but I also wish I had more time to work on developing certain qualities in myself. I guess that's one of the challenges of life...figuring out how to grow and develop good qualities while we are busy with school, work, and many other activities. It's a challenge, but I'm excited to learn how to do it better :)

Time to re-dedicate :)

2009-12-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

I'm done with finals!!!!!!!! Wahoo :) It feels so wonderful. I am so grateful for the classes I was able to take over the semester and how much I learned from them. Not a day goes by when I am not extremely grateful to be at such a wonderful university that has such a great spirit. I'm so thankful for the strength Heavenly Father has given me the last couple of weeks to finish the semester. I love Him. That is precisely the reason that I am going to use this Christmas break to "re-dedicate" myself to Him. I made a to-do list for the break (I can't ever get a break from those hahaha) and I am so excited to study the scriptures, the conference Ensign, finish Christmas presents, spend time with loved ones, etc. I am going to start off the new semester right...meaning the Gospel comes before school and anything else. No matter how much school work I have to do, there is ALWAYS time for Heavenly Father. After all, there isn't a day that goes by where He doesn't make time for me. Anyway, I am excited to relax and rejuvenate myself :)

I just went to Cafe Rio with a friend who just got home from his mission. It was really good to catch up and talk. One of my new roommates just got back to Utah from the Jerusalem Center and she is here until tomorrow. Then she'll go home to Alaska for Christmas and come back for winter semester. I knew her from the ward last year and I'm really excited to have her as a roommate. My roommates are all great. My old roommate Alex is sleeping over tonight. We're going to have lots of fun. She means a lot to me and I always have such a great time with her. We watched a movie last night and it was the dumbest movie I've ever seen haha. But we ordered a yummy pizza, which made it better. Now I'm going to go get some things done. My brother Jon has his second degree blackbelt test tomorrow!!! I'm so happy for him and his accomplishments. He's the best brother. Here's a picture from the day my friend Xanthe got married. It matches my re-dedication goal because I am with the most important person to me!

Have faith, not fear.

2009-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a very long post with tons of pictures! I got off work on Friday around noon and then had a lot of shopping to do to get ready for the hike. The other activities co-chair, James, and I went to Costco and Maceys to buy all of the supplies we needed. I attempted to take a nap from 6:15-9:30pm but couldn't sleep much because I had so much anxiety/fear about what I was about to do. I didn't really know what to expect on the hike, but I knew that I would have to rely on God to help me through it all. I have never been more scared in my whole entire life as I was at times on the hike. It's not that it was a hard hike, but there were some very difficult spots to get past. I wasn't aware that there would be so many glacier/snow-fields that we would have to cross on such a steep incline. It was a test of my faith the whole way through, but with God's help and the great friends that helped me, I was able to conquer the mountain and fulfill one of my life dreams :)
This was the group from my ward right before we started the hike (nice that my face was cut off!)
Lane and me. Word of advice...if you are going to do a night hike, wear a head-light, no matter how dumb you feel. All of my siblings and me got them for Christmas and I was thinking "I am never going to use this!" I was SO grateful to have it.
I can't figure out how to rotate this because my Mac is so confusing, but you get the idea. This would be my fake smile on the way up the mountain because I was scared to death lol. Luckily someone let me use this stick that was a complete lifesaver when we hit the snow and ice.
On top of the mountain before the sun came up!
Looking out over Utah Valley. We hiked up the Timpanooke trail up American Fork Canyon, so when we got to the top of the mountain, we saw Utah Valley over on the other side.
Almost there!

It was SO gorgeous!
Hiking gear :)

You can see the little people hiking up the snow. It doesn't look that steep, but one slip and you will go tumbling down the mountain with no way to stop until you reach the bottom of the hill. I can't even believe I did it.

This is the trail leading up to the shack from the saddle.
Looking up the first glacier that I slid down. Talk about scary! It wasn't too bad because it's just like sledding, but it would be so easy to get hurt.
I was much more enthusiastic on the way down the mountain!

Again, can't rotate the picture lol.
It was just us three on the way down, which was kind of nice to have such a small group.
Um, yeah...there was no toilet. I did have my first experience ever going to the bathroom in the woods. Not to mention it was on top of the mountain right before the sun came up. I had to go so badly and there were no bushes or anything. Luckily I found a big rock and had someone guard me hahaha.

Absolutely beautiful!

This was how most of the hike was haha. Lane had to hold my hand across every glacier so I wouldn't fall.
This doesn't look steep, but think about the fact that the glacier drops down hundreds of feet, and if you slip, it would not be very possible to grab onto the snow.
There were so many pretty flowers and trees on the way down. It was so different hiking up the mountain in the dark and then hiking down in the sun. I recognized some landmarks, but most of it was like a completely different hike.
Home at last!!! After the hike, we went to a counselor in our Bishopric's house, Brother Wells. He had pancakes and fruit for us. It was so good to be safe, sit down, and relax!!! It was funny watching us walk from the car to the table because most of us could barely move.

I got home around noon and decided I wanted to try and take a nap before my date at 7pm. I was in bed from about 1-5pm and don't even know if I really fell asleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I would see myself falling down a cliff or tripping in the snow lol. It took me a while to get over it. I got up around five and showered, which was so nice after being all muddy. My date was really fun. We played mini-golf and then went out to Thai food. It was great to talk and get to know each other as opposed to seeing a movie or something. I was home by 10:00pm, which has never happened, and I appreciated it so much! It was nice not to stay out until midnight, especially since I needed rest from the hike and I had a meeting before church in the morning. I had a great Sabbath day yesterday and was grateful to relax. Now I am at work and today I am going over to my sister-in-laws to help Xanthe with her bridals. She is getting married THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for her. I am missing my new nephew and think it's time I pay a visit to him this week. Okay, I am just putting random things down now. I just want you all to know that I have a testimony of faith and prayer. It grew so much stronger because of this hike. I also think it is great to make a list of things you want to accomplish in life. I have more on my list that I am looking forward to accomplishing. I want to sing the National Anthem for an event someday, go on a mission :) (if marriage doesn't come first), have a family, make a CD (even if it's just for my family and close friends), go to the Rome, Italy temple, etc. It's great to always be working on some goal that will bring you joy. I can't necessarily say that hiking Mt. Timp brought me "joy" haha, but I don't regret doing it. Anyway, I'm grateful for Heavenly Father in my life and all of my great friends. I don't know where I would be without them :)

Broken toes, pranks, best friends, and hikes :)

2009-07-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

So...last week I was getting ready for work on a regular day and when I was going out of my bedroom, my toe caught on the door frame. Let's just say I heard a crack or pop or something, and it hurt extremely bad. I had to wear flip-flops for the rest of the week and could still barely walk. Here is a picture a few days after the "incident." As many pictures as I took, I still couldn't capture how bad it was. It's a week later now and I still have a bruise, but I'm doing much better!My apartment and another apartment have been playing pranks on each other lately. Well, last week while we were at church, the apartment of boys went into our apartment and played a prank on us. I guess one of them had gotten the code because they stalked me when I opened the door once and watched what code I punched in. Anyway, they weren't at church because of a mission president homecoming, so we didn't expect anything. When we got home from church, this is what we saw in the hall:
We knew something was up, so we hurried and opened the door to run to our bedrooms. This is what Alex and I saw when we opened our door:
It was horrible!!! Twenty-four rolls of toilet paper all over our apartment. It was ripped up into little pieces too! And there was lotion all over the doorhandles. AND obviously there was no warning that they were coming over, so they saw some things on the floor and in open drawers that they should NOT be seeing! Overall we had a great laugh. Well, I guess we got a better laugh because the next day my roommates went over to their apartment and totally got them bad. Shaving cream, toothpaste, fish sauce, and the toilet paper that they used for our apartment. It is all in good fun and I think we are laying low on the pranks for now.
My best friend Xanthe is getting married next week and she came over yesterday to hang out. We went out to eat and then went to the mall to look for a bridesmaid's dress for me. I finally found one and it's pretty cute. Now I need to find some gold shoes to go with it :) It was so fun spending time with her. We went over to my friends' apartment in the ward (the same apartment that we prank with) to play games and talk all night. I'm so grateful for all of my best friends and the way they touch my life :) Now for the hiking part of the post...I will have much more to write later, but for now we'll just have an intro. I am hiking to the top of Mount Timpanogos-TOMORROW!!! I am scared out of my mind. Hiking the Y pretty much does it for me and it's only about 45 minutes. We are starting the hike Saturday around 1:00am. I am the activities co-chair in my ward, so it is a LOT of planning. I printed all of the fliers today and posted them on everyone's doors. I am going to Costco today with the other activities co-chair so we can buy all of the food. I've definitely never done anything this intense before and I'm pretty excited. My roommate, Alex, inspired me when she wrote a list of life-long goals. My list is pretty short because honestly, what I want in my life more than anything in the world is to have a wonderful, righteous husband and family. That is all I will need to be happy. So I have to think really hard about what other goals I can put on the paper. Well, hiking Mt. Timp is one of them. I didn't know I'd be doing it this year, but I'm excited to cross that off my list :) My next post will be all about the hike. I'm sure I'll have positives and negatives (I can already list a negative...I have never in my life gone to the bathroom in the woods and I am NOT looking forward to it). Stay tuned!

Independence Day!!!

2009-07-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

July 4th was a great day. I love America and am so grateful to live in such a wonderful country with the freedoms that we have. I got home from my cousins in the morning and then had a family BBQ at my sister's house. Erica came with me and it was really fun.
Later that night, Erica and I got together with some boys and girl (hehe) from our ward to play the games and then watch the fireworks.

Such great friends!

Visiting my cousins

2009-07-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

My cousins (the Potters) live in Highland and I was super excited to visit last weekend because two of them were visiting from Idaho. I hung out with Stephanie, who is a year younger than me, and slept over on Friday night. We swam and laid out in her pool for hours and I was dumb and didn't wear sunscreen! I am totally fried now and can barely touch my shoulders. I'll definitely be smarter next time!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash

2009-07-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've recently loved cooking with spaghetti squash. It is such a healthy alternative to noodles and as long as you mix the right ingredients, it doesn't taste any different. I love putting spaghetti sauce on it. Here is a recipe for Mexican Spaghetti Squash that I made last week. It tasted pretty good, but was even better when I added some salsa to my individual plate.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

You'll need:
1 medium spaghetti squash
sea salt and ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
cumin and chili powder
a splash of water, as needed
cut up garlic (optional)

Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise and place cut side up in a roasting pan. Season with sea salt and pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, some cumin, chili powder, and garlic (if adding). Roast in a hot oven for about an hour, until the squash is fork-tender. Half way through roasting I poured a couple spoonfuls of water on each squash to keep it moist.

When the squash is done, remove it and let it cool.

In the meantime, gather:

Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet or red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can corn
cumin and chili powder, to taste
1 cup ripe and juicy grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (I did quarters)
1 can black beans, rinsed, drained well
Two whole roasted green chiles, seeded and chopped (I bought canned ones)
1 lime - for zest and juice

For garnish:

chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Option: cubes of goat cheese or feta. (I didn't put any cheese, but it would have been really good).

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillit. Add the onion, garlic, corn kernels, and spices; stir for five minutes until the onion has softened.
Meanwhile, when the squash is cool enough to handle, take a fork and scrape the squash, making spaghetti-like strands. Toss the squash strands into a large mixing bowl. Add a little olive oil to moisten. Season with more sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle some cumin and chili powder. Toss well. Add the skillit mixture, tomatoes, black beans, and green chiles. Combine. Grate a lime and add the zest. Cut and squeeze the lime juice all over the mixture and toss lightly.
Pour the mixture into a casserole style baking dish. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through - about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and some lime wedges.
Enjoy!

Don't Ask.

2009-06-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yeah...um...sometimes we are a little crazy.

Mormon Miracle Pageant.

2009-06-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, after I went to visit Isaac, I drove down to Manti with Jenn and Erica for the Mormon Miracle Pageant. I haven't seen it since I was about 16 years old and even then I didn't pay attention because I was with my ward and I was a teenager. What do you expect? hehe. It was really cool to see how all of the stories in the Book of Mormon connect and see the fun costumes of everyone participating. Who wouldn't want to spend a night looking at this absolutely beautiful temple? I love it.

Erica and me

Jenn and Me

Beauty. Joy. Love. Happiness. Light.

I love being an aunt!

2009-06-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

I received a text message around 8:00am on Friday telling me that my sister Julie was in labor. My mom and I went to the hospital around 2:30pm and there was still no baby (Julie got to the hospital at 3:00am). I decided to stay at the hospital and my mom left for a while. Once Julie was dialated to 9cm, I called my mom and step-dad and told them to hurry to the hospital. Two hours and fifteen minutes of pushing later, and baby boy was born :) Isaac Graden Johnson, born at 10:37pm on June 26, 2009, 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20.5 inches long. He is absolutely beautiful and perfect! I was SO privileged to be in the room when he was born (I was also in the room when my step-mom Heather gave birth to my little brother Jesse, so it wasn't too new). It was such a wonderful experience and made me want to look into nursing! I'm so grateful I got to be there and that I have a wonderful new nephew. I'm excited for my sister Liz who is pregnant with a baby girl and all of the future children to be born in my family :)I went to the hospital on Saturday to visit baby Isaac and his mommy and daddy. Isn't he so precious? I love him!

Auntie Heather :)

Checking things off my summer list.

2009-06-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ahh...it's summer. Time to relax. Time to sleep. Time to BAKE!!!!!!! Oh my goodness. I have a big list of things I want to accomplish this summer and things are going great. Thursday night, my boss/friend :) Elin came over and we scrapbooked all night. We also baked wheat bread. I've never made bread before so that was one of the things on my list for the summer. It was fun to watch it rise and finally bake it. It actually turned out quite dry and we don't know why because we had a great recipe, but it was still really fun. It was good to get my scrapbooking stuff all organized too. I got three pages done and have much, much more to go! Yay for scrapbooking and bread nights :)

Yummy!

I pray to never forget.

2009-06-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

I finished spring term last week on Thursday. I was so excited to be done with the stresses of school. My mom and I planned a fun vacation to Las Vegas to spend a few days with her family. Our plan was to leave Thursday and be there around 8:00pm. As time passed, we realized we were not going to be able to leave on Thursday due to some things that came up at work and just little extra items of business. We woke up early Friday morning and were off. We arrived in Vegas around 2:00pm. My grandma had called to see where we were and my mom said that she sounded like something was wrong on the phone. Soon we found out the devastating truth to the worry in my Grandma's voice. We walked in the door to her house and she said "We've had a loss in the family." My mom hurried and set her stuff down and didn't want to hear it until we were prepared. My grandma proceeded to tell us that the previous night, Thursday night, my 17-year-old cousin Austin had passed away. Complete shock overcame my mom and me. If you've never experienced the death of a loved one, you can't imagine the feeling that takes place over your whole body. My mom and I, in complete shock, asked what happened. The basic story is that Austin and his step-brother were walking about 2 blocks from his house and some boys in a car started harassing them. They decided they needed to get home, so they started jogging. All we know is that Austin said something about his asthma, then he tripped, fell, hit his head, and he was gone. His step-brother called my other cousin Daniel (16-years old, just younger than Austin) to come do CPR because he had just been certified as a lifeguard. My uncle Robert received a phone call and of course rushed to the scene. After trying to revive Austin at the scene, they tried again at the hospital with no success. Autopsy results won't be back for a couple of weeks to determine the exact cause of death. I now have three cousins that have died in the past two years: Kimberly (25), Danielle (20), and Austin (17).

What I thought was going to be my fun-filled vacation of swimming, tanning, and family parties, soon turned to family gatherings and funeral plans. I offered to sing at the service and because of this, I didn't want to let myself cry all weekend until I was done singing. That didn't work out so well. Saturday night I was crying so hard in bed that I literally could not stop. It's uncontrollable sometimes. The service was Monday and everything went so well. It was beautiful. I'd never really been to a non-LDS funeral and it was so wonderful to hear the faith in God that everyone had. The fact that they believe Austin is with God and in a better place is a miracle. Here are some of my favorite pictures from his facebook memorial page:

Such a cutie!

So adorable!

Left to right: Daniel (16), Uncle Robert, Aunt Chancey, Austin (17), and Tyler (13)

The Three Musketeers!

This is Austin and his family when his mom, my Aunt Bonnie, got re-married.

They love each other so much!

This whole experience has taught me so many things. First of all, it is so strange to think about the fact that my mom and I were supposed to arrive in Vegas on Thursday night. We would have been there. We would have gone to the hospital and seen Austin one more time. There must be reasons why we weren't supposed to have been there at that time.

The last couple months of Austin's life were different. He showed so much more faith in God and a yearning to be close to Him. The last status he had on his facebook said "Patience, endurance, and hope are all the things I need to heal." My mom and I both had conversations with him on facebook last week telling him how excited we were to see him and the family. I told him how we were going to "party it up" and have fun swimming.

Life is so precious. The memories we make with friends and family are so important. Sometimes we don't know what plans God has in store for us. Let your loved ones know how much you care about them. Tell them "I love you." The last words Austin said to his dad were "I love you, dad." That meant so much to my uncle. There is no time to waste. We can't put relationships with people or God off until tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. Take time to re-evaluate your life. If there is something you might regret or want to change after you pass away...do it NOW! Austin was such a wonderful son of our Heavenly Father and I will never forget the wonderful memories we have together. Keep his family in your prayers!

Kelly Clarkson!

2009-06-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

On June 11 I attended my first real concert ever! Of course I've been to choir, orchestra, etc concerts, but never anything like this. It was really fun and I want to go to more. Kelly was amazing live! I used to love her so much when she was on American Idol. I have her first two CDs which I love, but I'm not very fond of the new stuff. It was still way fun though because she is a great performer. While I was in Vegas this past week, I also went to the Big & Rich concert out at the California/Nevada state line. That was fun too, just a different atmosphere. They sang "Lost in This Moment With You," which was a number one song a year ago and I remember singing it while I cruised down the street with my roommates!

You can't tell, but there was a double rainbow. They were both completely full too. So pretty!

You can see Kelly singing in the background!

These are her first and last songs :)

Erica, oh Erica.

2009-05-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day. I got home from work and headed off to the gym. I worked out super hard and felt so good. When I got home, I heard this funny noise. After walking farther into the kitchen I discovered that there were bubbles coming out of my dishwasher and the floor was flooded!!! I immediately turned the dishwasher off (after laughing because this is the kind of stuff that is in movies) and called Erica to get the number for maintenance. When I called maintenance and told them what happened, the man on the phone told me he would call me right back. Later I realized that he probably had to hang up the phone because he was laughing so hard. He called me back and says this happens quite a bit. It happens when you put LIQUID dish soap-NOT detergent-in the dishwasher. I was laughing so hard I could hardly contain myself to finish the conversation with the maintenance man. I immediately called Erica and said "Erica, you are a dork!" She was so sweet to do the dishes and clean up before leaving out of the state for a month, and didn't realize that you can't put the liquid dish-washing soap in the dishwasher. The reason she did it is because right when we moved in, our kitchen sink had a leak and it leaked onto our dishwasher detergent. This caused it to form a solid block at the bottom of the detergent. Well we have now used up all of the loose detergent, and instead of breaking up the block to make it pourable, Erica just decided to use our yellow Joy soap. It seriously made my day. Maintenance will now be stopping by today to pour a neutralizer into our dishwasher, otherwise we would never be able to stop the bubbling. Oh what a memory!

On a different note, Erica is leaving for New York and Georgia to be with family and won't be back until the end of June. Alex, Erica, and I went over to Jenn's to watch Forever Strong. I'd already seen it before, but it is such a great movie and has some of the most moving lines. I ate TONS of junk food which kind of makes my trip to the gym pointless, but oh well...it was fun while it lasted. Speaking of the gym...I was super excited this morning when I put my belt on (just keep reading hahaha). A few months ago, I had to buy a new brown belt that was bigger because I couldn't even buckle my old one in the very first hole. I couldn't even get it around me! Well, I am proud to say that today I am wearing my OLD belt and it is buckled on the SECOND hole! I am pretty excited I have been going to the gym and eating healthy. It is SO worth it :) Here are some fun pictures from last night right before we left Jenn's-keep in mind these were taken at about 1:30am, so don't judge ;).

Dance.

2009-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Alex got her hair cut and it is SO adorable. I want to cut mine really badly but I am going to wait until I have my mission call next year. Friday we went shopping and then went to a dance. It was fun to get ready and party for a night :)

Squaw Peak

2009-05-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

I did a couple things for the first time a couple weekends ago. I ate sushi for the first time (see previous post) and I went to Squaw Peak for the first time...and no, it's not what you think HA (Squaw Peak is a big make-out point). My roommates, Jenn, and I went after ward prayer on Sunday and laid in the back of Jenn's truck, looking out over the beautiful valley. It was so good to get away and think. I think it's important for everyone to do that sometimes. Find a get-away place away from your worries and just relax. Stare up at the stars, look at the city, pray, write in your journal, take time for yourself!

The view!

Love.

Besties :)

I love my roomies!

Okay, so we may have had a little too much fun ;)

Sparkin' it up!

2009-05-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

A couple Fridays ago I went with a group of my friends and roommates to Spark to get drinks. I've been there a couple of times now and have really enjoyed it. They have some really gourmet food and amazing drinks. Enjoy!

Alex, Me, Jenn, and Erica

Can't take pictures and not have the peace sign!

This was my drink. It was a Shirley Temple with a stick of cotton candy coming out! So yummy :)

This was my first time ever trying sushi. I don't like seafood...at all. I knew that when I tried sushi for the first time it would need to be somewhere really gourmet and nice. It was crab sushi and it wasn't too bad. I think all of the wonderful sauces hid the seafood taste.

One year older and wiser too.

2009-05-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

I am no longer a teenager! Yesterday I turned 20 and I had a great day. I had school in the morning, then I met up with my mom and Bill for lunch at the Skyroom. My mom brought me pretty flowers and they smelled so yummy!

Me and my beautiful flowers :)

I got home and was so happy to see my room decorated cute. Erica wrote me such a sweet card.

Xanthe came over when I got home from work and we ate dinner together. I made poppyseed chicken and it was SO delicious. I was so happy she came over! I love her so much.

Alex woke up early to curl my hair because she does it really cute. I'm so grateful for her willingness to help me whenever I need help :) She also bought me "The Errand of Angels!" I am so excited because I tell my roommates at least once a week how I want to see it so bad. It is a sister missionary movie similar to "The Best Two Years." I'm going to watch it on Sunday after church. I'm sure it is going to make me even more anxious to go on my mission in a year :)

My dearest Erica! Whatever would I do without you?

Alex's boyfriend Jared bought me this pinata. It made me really happy :) I am always saying how Alex is never home, so he bought me this and wrote "Alex" on it! I got a good laugh out of it.

This is the delicious pudding/brownie cake Erica made me. The candles say "20." I was glad to have so many friends there to eat it.

I love my roommates!

Thank you to everyone for making my birthday so much fun. It seems weird that I have only been alive for 20 years, but when I say the word "twenty," I feel like I am so much older than nineteen. I am so grateful for my blessings in life and all of the wonderful people that have been in my life to influence me. I'm going to make this year the best yet :)

Wedding Bells and Sad Goodbyes

2009-04-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Surprise!!!! HA...No, this is NOT me. This would be my best friend Xanthe trying on a wedding dress because SHE'S GETTING MARRIED!!! Her date is July 25th (also my little brother Jesse's 4th birthday). I can hardly believe it. I have never had a close friend get married before, let alone one of my best friends. I'm so grateful to have her home for the summer (and I'm secretly glad her fiance is still in Idaho so I can spend more time with her lol). We decided that we are going to get together once a week and cook a meal. She will learn to cook and I will have leftovers :). She came over on Sunday and we cooked a chicken vegetable dish. She is coming over on Thursday so we can make poppy seed chicken, which is SO good. It's fun to talk and be together.
The day after school got out, I had my Concert Choir closing banquet. It was so much fun to be with everyone for one last time. We have built the greatest friendships and I am so excited for choir in the fall.

My dear Alto friends :)

This was such a fun/sad night. I went over to Apt. 29 on Saturday night to watch a movie and hang out. Dusty and Adam left for Alaska early Sunday morning, so it was fun to spend time with everyone before they all went their separate ways. Adam didn't get home until about 2:00am, so we all hung out until then. These are the greatest guys and I'm so lucky to know them!
It doesn't work to fake sleep when you can tell that Jesse is laughing. :)

Now I am just gearing up for school to start. Classes started today, but when I went to my lab this morning, there was no teacher. I guess they just assumed that we knew there wouldn't be class. So I will start tomorrow. Yesterday I was so excited because I got my Anatomy grade. Keep in mind that I worked harder in this class than in any other class in my life. I was so happy to find out that I got an A-!!!!! All of my hard work paid off and now I am even more prepared for Physiology this term. I will have to report on my final G.P.A. for this semester as soon as I know all of my grades.

I've been working a lot last week and this week. I am really enjoying it. I worked so hard yesterday on personal stuff and work stuff and it feels so good to be productive. I love checking things off of my to-do list. One long-time needed thing that I checked off yesterday was getting my hair trimmed. I hadn't gotten it cut since October, and my roommate is in hair school! So yesterday, Alex cut it at night and I am so grateful that she took the time to do it.

Yesterday I had a Graden Family Home Evening and it was great being with my family. I love them so much. We celebrated Liz and my birthdays (mine is coming up next Wednesday, May 6) and played some games. I'm grateful to be a year older and I'd like to say I'm wiser since last year ;). God blesses us in ways that we can't even imagine. We should always thank Him for giving us life and the wonderful opportunities that come with it.

Easter fun.

2009-04-13T08:59:00.001-07:00

Last week was amazing. My performances went so well and I feel so grateful that I had the wonderful opportunity of being involved with such a great production. Friday night I didn't get home from my concert until about 11:00pm. We had to do a couple of recordings right after the concert. Saturday, I woke up bright and early to get ready for my filming interview for choir and my Anatomy TA interview for next fall. Sadly, even though I felt that I had a great interview and did well teaching, I didn't make it as a TA :( . Oh well, I guess God has something else in store for me next fall. The filming interview went well, but it's such a tense environment for me. It was weird because I imagined myself sitting in a room with a backdrop and the camera just from my waist up, but it was much different. I was standing in the middle of the huge stage in the de Jong concer hall and the cameras were moving all around me while I talked. It was fun to work on my public speaking skills since that's a class I am taking right now. At 4:30pm, Concert Choir met for the sound recordings of our songs. Then we had pizza together before our call time for the concert. The concert went really well and then after, tons of people from choir went to get gelato at a cute place right next to Los Hermanos on Center Street. It was SO fun to be with so many friends and laugh together. It's really weird that today is my last day of choir for the year and lots of people won't be in Concert Choir next year. I wish we had more time together.

Yesterday was Easter and it was such a wonderful day. I had church in the morning and all of the lessons were so good. Testimony meeting was really good too. I bore my testimony which always makes me feel happy. It was the last testimony meeting for the school year. It's really weird that everyone is going to be moving out soon. My roommates and I have year-round contracts, so we aren't moving, but it'll be weird to get all new people. My brother will be in my ward spring/summer too because the wards combine. Anyway...yesterday...I spent the day cleaning my apartment and it was SO great! I deep-organized my room. I got rid of tons of papers and clothes. I just got so sick of the clutter. I had family dinner at 5:00pm and it was so fun to see everyone and eat delicious food. Ward prayer was fun, as usual, and then when I went back to my apartment, the ward missionaries came over to teach Erica a new member lesson. The lesson was so great. It was on the priesthood and eternal marriage. They made it really clear and understandable, which was good. I hope this week can be as great as last!

Blessed.

2009-04-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Now that school is almost out, I'm excited that I can have some time to blog! Warning: this may be a long blog because I've got a lot to catch up on. I'll look in my planner and write about my adventures (that are oh, so adventurous hahaha....not) since the last time I blogged.

First of all, I converted to eating healthy and exercising. Then I converted back to junk and not going to the gym. But starting Monday, I am converting again :). I ate so so so healthy for about a week and a half, went to the gym every single day, AND went to bed early each night. I was feeling so good and happy all the time. Then I knew this week would be super hectic and I wouldn't have time to go to the gym, so I figured I would at least enjoy eating yummy food too (translation: junk food). Starting next week, I have time to go to the gym again, so I will re-start my healthy eating. My meals consist of anything from brown rice and greenbeans (So good!) to salad with corn and blackbeans. It's amazing how once you start eating that way, you crave it. I never really craved cookies or candy (even when Erica proudly tempted me with her cookie that had ice cream and hot fudge all over it). Moral of the story: when you hear that eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep will make you feel better, it's not a lie. It changed my life! Everyone should try it.

On March 5, Erica and I went to the Draper temple openhouse. It was SO beautiful. I hadn't been through a temple since the Timpanogos Temple in 1997, so it had been far too long. I'm not gonna lie...I cried in the sealing room. It is SO beyond beautiful and there is not a single place on the whole earth that is more holy or wonderful. On March 22, Alex and I went to the temple dedication with a couple boys from our ward. The broadcast was in the Marriott Center and it was so amazing to walk in and have silence when there were thousands of people seated. I took great notes. I love the temple and will have more to say about it below when I talk about General Conference.

Last weekend I went up to Idaho to visit one of my best friends ever. I drove up with Erica, Jenn, and Mike (one of the Elders that taught Erica). We dropped Jenn off at her friend's house in Idaho Falls and then Erica and I stayed at Xanthe's in Rexburg. It was so beautiful because we got there at night and the first thing we saw in the city was the new Rexburg Temple. It was fun to see the little town so often talked about. Everyone says it's so boring and all I hear is complaining about it, but I think it's really cute. It has lots of stores and good food places. Friday night Xanthe and I stayed up until about 4:30am talking. We hadn't seen each other for a couple months and had LOTS to talk about (*cough* she's probably getting engaged this weekend.........WEIRD!!!!!!!! I've never had any of my close friends get married and it is just weird. Weird weird weird. I'm going to not think about it now!). Saturday night we went to Xanthe's boyfriend's play "Rainmaker," and it was SO good. I really enjoyed it and though it was very well done. Erica and I woke up early Sunday and left for home, picking Jenn up on the way. Here's where the main story of the blog happened:

We were driving on the freeway and were still in Idaho, close to the Utah border. It wasn't snowing and there was maybe less than 1 cm of snow on the ground. As we were driving, Erica saw a patch of snow on the road, so she started to slow down. We were going too fast when we hit the snow and started swerving all over the freeway. Then we did a 180 and landed in the left lane...facing on-coming traffic! The first car to come up hit the snow patch too, so instead of trying to correct their car and hitting us, they drove into the steep ditch inbetween the two freeway roads. It was terrifying sitting in the left emergency lane, watching each car head toward us, knowing that any one of them could hit us and kill all of us. We finally got clear and were able to turn back on the freeway (and get back headed in the right direction). The greatest thing about it was the feeling in the car. At any other time, we'd all be screaming and really scared. But it was amazing how calm we were. It was pretty much silent. I know for a fact that God took the wheel. He protected us because we have a purpose on this earth. I had witnessed a miracle that made me even more grateful for my wonderful life and I pray that I will never forget it.

Mike (Elder Parker) drove up with us.

The Rexburg Temple was so beautiful!

BFF!!!! (I look like a horse!)

Erica and I thought it would be funny to pull over on the side of the road and take our pictures next to random signs. :)

General Conference! What a magnificent time of year! The messages shared were so touching. It is so special to hear the prophet's and apostles' voices. The main thing that stuck out to me was the counsel to attend the temple. Elder Scott said to make a time to go to the temple and never let anything get in the way. I need to take this counsel. I need to stop putting school before church, which is kind of ironic because I go to a religion university. Right after conference was over, I made my goal sheet. I started doing it after last conference in the fall. I like to look through my notes and make about one goal for every talk. Then each Sunday, I look over my goals and pick a couple to work on in the week. It helps me to work toward becoming like Christ and remembering Him always.

Sister Hall (Concert Choir conductor) was telling us how she thinks it is so sad that as Latter Day Saints, we don't celebrate Holy Week. I haven't been able to forget that thought since she told it to us on Monday. This is such a "Holy Week" and it has been so good. I cannot think of a great week of the whole year. Tuesday was the Choral Department devotional and each choir performed a variety of songs. Today and tomorrow is our concert titled "A Pilgrim's Journey Home." There is much to be said about this concert. It is a huge production that they have been planning for years. They haven't done such a production for about ten years and I feel so blessed to be a part of it this year. We have had rehearsals all week (last night we had a recording session with dress and make-up until 11:00pm) and tonight and tomorrow are out concerts with an audience. I pray that the audience will hear and feel our message. I was chosen to share my feelings about the concert in a filmed interview that I will be doing on Saturday, so I'm excited about that. In filming last night, there were many times when I got chills all over my body and tears came to my eyes. I have been so blessed to be a part of this choir. We truly are part of the choir of heaven. I'm excited for my two concerts and recordings. I feel so blessed!

Work can be play too.

2009-03-06T09:30:00.001-08:00

I have to write a quick blurb about my job. I work at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (previously known as F.A.R.M.S.) on campus at BYU. I have the best job ever. I have never gone a day without laughing histerically at something that has happened. Plus, they always seem to know the days that I don't bring food and those are the days there just happens to be extra food from meetings. Today I got an Einstein's bagel with yummy honey cream cheese spread! There is another meeting going on right now with Krispy Kreme donuts, so we'll see about that! The people here are just so funny! The director, Dr. Jerry Bradford is hilarious and whenever he leaves, he says "Seeya later Gang!" The funniest part about him is that he never tries to be funny, he is just a cute old man who likes things his way. He cracks me up. Brother Paul Hoskisson is one of my heroes and the most common thing he asks me is "Heather, how's your love life?" Ed Snow always talks to me about my choir concerts and comes to every single one. Daniel McKinlay is our librarian and I can't help but make myself laugh at his sometimes not-so-funny jokes. Sandra Thorne gives me awesome transcripts to type up from Joseph Smith times. I learn a lot about the church from them and get some good laughs about anti-mormon stories from back in the day. Alison Coutts and Kristian Heal are from England, so that automatically makes them cool. Jeremy King is our accountant and always talks about how punctual I am. And Elin Roberts is my boss. She is the most sweet, fun, great person! We talk about everything and she is great at giving advice. She is young so she knows how to relate to everything I do. We went to Color Me Mine together before Christmas to make presents. These are just a few people I work with and they all make my day a little brighter!

I'm still me, just better.

2009-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how I can feel guilty for not updating my blog! I hate it when people don't update theirs, and here I am, one of those people! It's because I feel like I have to have pictures or it isn't interesting. Well you know what? I will put pictures up when I have time, but I think it will be nice to just journal every once in a while. It seems like my posts always end on such a serious note, but I'm pretty sure that's going to happen again, so just gear up :)

Hmmm....what's happened since I last wrote? Pretty much my life is changed forever lol. There are a lot of details that I won't go into, but my experiences the last month have made me a better person. I gained a testimony of so many principles of the gospel, I had some of the most fun times of my life, I've made it through half of a really hard semester, and I've become friends with the greatest people. More than anything, I have learned so much about myself. I've gotten to know my strengths and weaknesses and how I can make my weaknesses strengths. I'll never forget the great times I've had so far this year. I've tried to write in my journal a lot so I will remember. That's one thing I think is really important...writing in your journal right after certain things happen or after feeling certain feelings. It's not the same when you wait a month and then try to catch up. The point of a journal isn't just to tell what happened, but it's to say how that event made you feel and how they impacted you.

There are going to be hard times in life. Times when you feel like nothing is going right. Times when you feel alone. Times when you have that sick roller-coaster feeling. Times when you actually are sick. Times of stress. Times of boredome. And times of gloom. There is a key to fixing this and it's something so many people in this world miss. Of course, for me, the biggest comfort is the Gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ. But besides the Gospel, so many people underestimate the strength they have within themselves. We have the power within ourselves to change. We have the power to choose that no matter what happens to us, we can become better because of it. Life can be wonderful, but only if we choose to make it so. So CHOOSE today! Learn from your hard times and go forth with a resolve to be better :) Take the time to think. I've missed thinking hehe. Life gets so hectic that I forget to just ponder, pray, and take time for me. That time is precious. Thank you for reading. Have a great week and smile!!!!

Life.

2009-01-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

I am finally going to post some pictures. I haven't taken any pictures for a long time, but these are just some recent ones that have fun memories :)

This picture is probably from September or October. I made a yummy dinner for my sister Julie and her husband Walt. They helped me set some decorations up in my new apartment. Thanks guys :)

These are my wonderful roommates. This was our first roommate picture ever taken and it was around our second month living together. Erica is on the left. She is from Georgia and was baptized November 15, 2008. She also attends UVU. Alex is next to her and she is from Heber City, Ut. She goes to Dallas Roberts Cosmetology School. Then there's me :). Johanna is next to me. She is from El Salvador and is currently attending UVU. I love my roommates so much. They mean the world to me.

Alex and I dressed up for the ward Halloween party. We had a cupcake decorating contest and we won! It was an exciting moment haha. I made the picture frames in the back of us. We finally put pictures in them a couple months ago.

This was at my first hockey game ever! Erica, Jenn, and I went to the Peaks Arena to go ice skating. We were upset when we found that it was closed, but then were excited to know that there was a hockey game going on. It was against BYU and UVU, so Erica and I were both representatives (Go Cougars! :) ).

I love choir. I have had the most wonderful opportunity to be involved in BYU Concert Choir this year. The music we sing is incredible and brings the Spirit so much. I'm so grateful for music in my life.

This was at beautiful Erica's baptism. You can tell it's after she got baptized because I had been bawling for an hour and a half. It truly was one of the highlights of my life and I am so proud of her. Alex and I sat in the front of the room...we figured we were pretty important being Erica's roommates and all ;)

That's all I've got for now. I need to take more pictures...with all of the time on my hands lol. I think I aced my first Anatomy quiz and the rest of school is going well. My dating revolution is still going somewhat. I'm resolving to have a great day!

Explosion and Revolution.

2009-01-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

Time has slipped away and I haven't been able to update my blog. That's probably how it will be until summer. I started school again last Monday and I can already tell it is going to be the most time-consuming semester of my life. I had my first anatomy lab yesterday and about 15 minutes later...my brain exploded! I went home about to cry because of the stress that was all of the sudden placed upon me. Despite the lack of time and the overwhelming work I have, I am excited for the semester. I know I am going to learn so much and am grateful for the opportunity.

It was so wonderful to listen to President Monson and Elder Holland this week. Right before the CES Fireside on Sunday, I was thinking "Why am I even in school? I wish I could just study the gospel and do other activities all day that would make me a better person." Then President Monson spoke about the importance of education. Yep, I felt pretty dumb. Elder Holland's talk was SO wonderful. My mom got me a seat down on the floor so I was pretty close up. He spoke about the sin of longing to be in the past and not having faith in the future. Everyone needs to hear it. I think it will be re-broadcast on BYU-TV on January 25.

So...I never get asked out. That is, until this semester. I call it my dating revolution. I had a date right before school started and then two dates the next week. Pretty good start to a new semester, I'd say! It will probably end up being just a week-long revolution, but it was fun while it lasted. Haha.

Elder Parker, now Mike, is home from his mission and it has been lots of fun talking with him. He came to visit his mission before school started and my roommates and I had fun hanging out with him. He's up at BYU-Idaho now. Elder Eccles didn't get transfered, so he is still progressing in the work here. His new companion, Elder Tolentino, is really awesome. He is Phillipino and from California. I saw them at devotional and then we all ate lunch at Legend's Grill with Elder Eccles' cousin. It took a while to get our food so they gave us free drinks and cheesecake. The food there is amazing!

School is hard. Sleep is sparse. My roommates rock. Life is great. I love God. He loves me. :) That's all I need to look forward with faith!

Tired of Waiting

2008-12-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I am tired of waiting until I can put pictures up to start my blog, so I am just going to get it started right now. I will post pictures when I get home. I am at work right now but there isn't too much to do. We are in the middle of moving buildings and my boss is out of town, so everything is a little scattered. I finished finals last week and am so grateful for how well they went. I'm looking forward to seeing my grades this semester. As scared as I am for next semester, I am kind of excited for the challenge! I will be in super hard classes, i.e. Anatomy, Statistics, Public Speaking, etc. It will be neat to explore the classes in my new major, Exercise and Wellness.

Christmas is in two days!!! I've still got a couple things to finish up in terms of presents, but I am super excited. I am going to Vegas tomorrow and can't wait to see my family there. I have enjoyed getting ready for Christmas this year because I home-made most of my presents. Anything from cross-stitching to painting dishes at Color Me Mine , I had a blast using my talents and being creative. I even started a couple presents as early as June!

I watched a couple movies last night and got caught up on some scrapbooking. I have two more pages to do to get caught up through last Christmas! Then I will only be a year behind :). After that some guys in my ward came over and my roommate and I played games with them. Correction...my roommate played games with them...I was basically asleep on the couch! Lame, I know, but I was super tired. It was still fun though; we had some good laughs.

One of the Elders that taught my amazing roommate that got baptized is going home today. It's sad that he won't be here anymore, but we are going to see him next week. He is going home for Christmas and then coming back for a tour of his mission before school starts up at BYU-Idaho. It's going to be weird to call him by his first name now. The missionaries have played a big role in mine and my roommates' lives this semester...life-changing.

I had a fun Christmas weekend up at my dad's last weekend. My little brother is SO adorable. I will post a video of his cuteness later. I love him! I got some great useful things too, like a whole new pots and pans set! I'm so grateful for all of the great things received.

Well, it's time I find some work to do. I am going home at noon and then hopefully hanging out with one of my best friends who is here from Idaho. I'm excited to see her. Life is great and I'm looking forward to seeing what new experiences I will have in my life that compose the Music Inside of Me.

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