Eternal Families

I am thankful for the testimony of Eternal families. I love my family so much and can't even fathom the idea of not being with them in the next life. This seems to be a reoccurring topic in my papers for this semester. The family is central to Heavenly Father's plan for us and can bring us unity and joy in this life and the next.

Be Thankful

Thanksgiving is coming up and in the rush of school and everything, I have forgotten that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I am so thankful that I get to spend this thanksgiving with Lena and Scott and Scottie and my Aunt, Uncle and cousins. I am so lucky to be able to have family close.

Today I am thankful for little reminders to be positive. While I was thinking about what to do this weekend, wondering if anything could be done, I was checking blogs. My friend Tara wrote on her blog about a little boy named Rex. He was diagnosed with DIPG, a brain tumor. He lived long enough to see his baby sister. He looks like one of the happiest little boys I have ever seen, as do his parents. So, because of him I can be positive about the fact that I am getting a college education, that I can talk to my family every day, that I have a testimony that families continue and that friends are a special part of life.

Even though I do not know him, I love Rex for what he has taught me in just a few minutes. Other things I am thankful for:

- Ice cream (I think I have become addicted to Dreyer's, which is bad because it is expensive)
- Running when it is cold outside and I can hear the leaves crunch under my feet
- Teachers who care about the fact that you were throwing up and couldn't take the test
- Little babies
- A cute little apartment
- My room mates (now and past)
- Family!
- Flannel sheets I can snuggle under on Saturdays.
- Grand pianos
- The great composers who I believed were inspired
- University of Georgia Football
- Diet coke (with caffeine please)
- Coupons (and this realization that Carl's Jr. tastes way better than Hardees and I should eat a sandwich instead of just fries when I have a chance).

So many other things, but I'll resume the list later. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy School-is-almost-done!

Halloween- Friday

So, sadly I didn't take any picture to document the momentous occassion. But last night was more fun than I expected. In all we visited ten Halloween parties in the space of 4 hours, courtesy of the Wilk and our loose definition of the word "party". Our definition is: If three's a crowd then four's a party, right?

We ended up going to our own complex party, our stake bowling party, a pastry making party, a bingo game, a whole bunch of single's wards and even a couple of family wards. In the end we snuck into another ward's party and ended up watching a movie with this guy we met earlier from our stake.

We thought it was only fitting that we watched Princess Bride since our new friend, Caleb, was dressed as Inigo Montoya.

I have a feeling Saturday night will not be as exciting, but I'm considering a cup of hot apple cider, a warm blanket and a good movie might be all I can handle today. Darn cough, why did you have to come on the weekend of one of the most anticipated weekends at BYU?

Music this semester

I am one lucky person. I have really awesome teachers this semester, including my piano teacher Mandy. Last week I had my first lesson with her, and to my great surprise, we are playing the same piece! Lob de Tranen, which means "praise of tears" is beautiful. It's mournful and touching all at the same time. It makes me so happy and sad at the same time... I love how music can do that to you. Everything is going wonderful including a cooking class where I get to make food, eat it, and be happy! I really do like my life, okay I love it.

What a great way to start the school year.

On my first day of my JUNIOR year, I was walking across university avenue. I got all the way to the other side and began to step up on the curb when my left food caught on the sidewalk lip and I face planted it, backpack and all. This wouldn't have been to big of a deal except for two things:

1) I landed on my hand, and thought I might have broken it (My first thought was, "I am so dead if I can't play piano this semester")
2) Out of the corner of my eye I see this random person dart across the street, through traffic, to come see if I was okay.

Of course number 2 got me all flustered and I was all teary eyed because I thought I would have plenty of time to compose myself before the next light changed and allowed more students over to my side of the street.

Luckily, my hand was not broken, AND I found out two other people in my ward fell the first day too. I am not alone in my clumsiness.

Name change

The change in the name of my blog came from an idea that I've seen floating around. While a blog is a small glimpse into the inner workings of a person's life, I realized that sometimes I don't find my life all that exciting. But I do find the small things, cooking, music, reading, all to be very fascinating things. Those things, along with my family are what my heart delights in most, and what creates me. So, this blog will become more of a "Julie and Julia" (Great movie) idea than always just a "here's what I did" kind of things, although there will still be as much of that as there has been (every six months of so).

Even non-teenagers do stupid things

That's right. I am OFFICIALLY twenty! But with the territory comes wisdom and maturity, right? Oh how wrong I was! I decided (along with the help of my dad) that I would dye my hair a nice dirty blonde. So off I headed to Paul Mitchell hair school. I entered the doors at ten and left at four. Yes, that means I endured 6 hours of treatment on my hair where the did a million things. On the last attempt on my hair I looked at it and through gritted teeth said, "Yes, it's lovely." In my opinion, it was not lovely. It was orangey-yellow.

But of course, people always save the day. Lena and Scott let me eat some of their dinner and my parents let me bawl on the phone to them. AND THEN my room mates invited people over from the ward to go get slushes. I have to admit, although I did not want anyone to see me, the slushie was well worth it.

Today though, my hair is "fixed". It is still blonde, but does not scream bloody murder every time I walk in the door. Lesson learned.

1. DON'T DO SOMETHING DRASTIC ON YOUR BIRTHDAY

2. IF YOU MUST, CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY ON ANOTHER DAY.

3. HAIR DYE MAKES YOUR SCALP HURT

4. LIFE IS FULL OF GOOD PEOPLE

5. IT'S OKAY TO LAUGH AT YOUR OWN MISTAKES