Told you so

Remember my theme for the summer? "Happiness is a choice"

Guess what, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Well, duh. But guess who else thought so? And wrote a whole long treatise type thing about it lots and lots of years ago? Aristotle. That's who. Yeah, I felt pretty smart. Me and Aristotle thinking the same way.

Anywho, that's what I learned about in World Lit yesterday. Go Aristotle.

Oh yeah...did you know that Shakespeare invented the word lonely? Who would have thought. I learned that in my Shakespeare class.

Also, there is a hilarious show on YouTube called Que Hora Es? It's a Spanish soap opera for people who only had three terms of Spanish...in the 4th grade. That's what I learned about in Spanish today(I promise that's not all)

The women's footwork for the reverse turn of the ballroom waltz is TH T TH HT T TH.

All dialects are created equal. You may not believe that, but the Linguistics who took a Usage class will teach you differently.

So, there is a nice little update for you on how my classes are going. Hope it wasn't too boring for you.
And remember, choose Happiness. I do.

Tales of the RB(among many other ramblings)

Perhaps I should have called this heads of the RB...big heads of the RB. So, I've been working in the RB for like a year now, right? And all of the custodial supervisors and most of the custodians themselves are always complaining about the dancers. Usually the ballroom dancers. So I just used to think so...whatever...they're not that bad. None of them had ever really bothered me before, they seemed like nice enough people. I'm kind of friends with a couple of them...and some of them can even be quite nice. But lately...I've kind of been annoyed by them, which made it really entertaining to overhear a certain conversation the other day between some ballroom dancers. So, there are these signs in the RB asking people not to sit in the hallways and thanks for not getting in the way etc. and then some asking people not to use bathrooms for changing rooms. Typical signs in a college building right? So I'm cleaning and I hear this:
Guy 1- "I don't know why they keep putting up these signs for the dancers, it's our building" (Okay, so the dancers definitely don't own the building, BYU does AND they are not the only ones who use that building.)
Guy 2- "mumble mumble mumble, and the Folk Dancers blah blah blah" (So he starts complaining all about the fold dancers and I'm thinking, so you think you're better than the Folk dancers..hmm. I've had less problems with them than you guys)
So yeah, I found that pretty hilarious. Especially the one guy claiming it was their building. haha, so funny. I really wanted to just go tell him how stupid that statement was, but I didn't.

On to another funny note. They recently put stickers on some of the doors in the RB. You know, the ones informing everyone to be careful because they are automatic doors. You've all seen them. I've always been entertained by the fact that if you read like any normal person would it reads "Automatic Caution Door" I mean technically they mean, "Caution: Automatic Door." Two totally different things, right? I thought I'd share with you all what I generally picture in my head when reading these doors. I picture these doors automatically and somewhat magically coming to life, sticking out hands(which they obviously don't' have) in the sort of universal don't' move fashion and shouting, "Caution, caution!" Pretty silly right? But hey, it's not my fault they can't make signs that make sense in the English language when properly read. At least in my opinion they don't.

So, now that I've made you all laugh I'm going to move on to a more serious note. How the heck does life keep moving on so fast on me!?! Seriously!?! The first friends of mine that I generally wrote on their missions were my cousin's two friends that are twins. Yeah...one of them is back and the other gets back this week. When did this happen? It seems like they just barely left. And Brian only has four months left, right? How did that happen. I don't' know. So I'm sitting here thinking, wow those missions go by fast, and Liesel up and gets her mission call! I'm super excited for her, she's going to Cebu Philippines and leaves December 16th. So not only is Liesel now taking off on her mission soon, it means we're both getting so old! Because of course I'm now not going on a mission because I'm sort of in love with somebody and kind of want to marry him somewhere along the line. When did we grow up? I don't know. Oh and just a point of interest, had I turned in mission papers, I also would have gotten my call this week. Weird....

Okay, that's all for my random ramblings. Goodbye now.

So busy

So, it's true that I'm a slacker and haven't written in a few weeks. Lame Lydia. (ooh alliteration) Let me explain why there has been a lack of entries on this lovely blog:

Classes
Work
Homework
Boyfriend
Friends

Yeah, do those seem like enough sufficient reasons? It seems like it to me. Trying to fit all of those things into my schedule means I'm ever so busy. Which means computer time is limited. And for some reason the blog just seems to fall by the wayside when that happens. I apologise to you though.

So now you're thinking, "how does she have time to write at this point and time?" I'll explain. It's Saturday, which is a beautiful thing in and of itself because not only do I not have classes, but I also don't have work. As for the homework factor, I've spent about 5 or 6 hours on homework today and if I do any more homework, my brain will esplode(yeah, I noticed the typo, but I liked it so it's still there). As for the friends and boyfriend thing, I'm sitting in the living room at Jacob's and Catherine, Jesse, and Dan are here too. But....Catherine is doing her homework(go Catherine!) and the boys have gotten into one of their crazy discussions(oh boys). So I find myself having some extra time with my laptop sitting in front of me and I thought: BLOG!!!

Now that you know how I have time for this entry let me get around to it. So, I'm so happy I stayed here in Provo. Obviously I'm glad to still be here with Jacob, but I also have some awesome classes. I'm taking Spanish 105, an English Usage class, Shakespeare, a World Lit class, and a dance class with Jacob. So, my classes are going to be hard, and I already have soooo much homework. But, I'm learning and it's exciting. I'm especially excited for my Shakespeare class. I kind of was a little worried that I'd find it boring(I know, what kind of English major would I be) but I have this awesome teacher who makes it so interesting and fun! YAY for good teachers.

Also, I still like my job. I may complain every day before I leave, but I like it. My supervisor is awesome, and I get to just think while I do menial cleaning. Yeah, I'm glad I got to keep my job. It pays pretty good too. Also a good thing.

So there is just a little update for you there on my life. I'll try and write a couple more entries tomorrow or something, like on about my awesome roommates, and my adorable niece(and the rest of the family) and such things. Adios mis amigos. Te amo(yeah, that's right, I'm still in Espanol mode. Go Spanglish.).

So, I met this guy...

A classic quote from Jill. I was reminded of it when I found the quote wall from freshmen year. Wow that seems forever ago sometimes. I'm starting this entry off with that quote because I think it's a pretty good description of my summer. Well, not exactly since I knew Jacob before this summer, but it still works. Another one I thought about using was the classic, "life is what happens while you're making other plans" but it was just to cliche. This entry may turn out to be kind of long and rambly, but it's my entry about everything that has happened to me over the past couple months, what I've been thinking about, and what I've learned. So there is a lot of that.

There are a few things in life that I really don't like doing. I don't know what I'm necessarily bad at them, but I don't trust myself to be able to do them well. Then include, making big decisions, changing my plans, being patient, trusting completely in the Lord, dealing well with stress, asking other people about what I need to do with my life, that sort of thing. It seems that the Lord felt I needed to grow up this summer and learn how to handle such things, because he seems to have been teaching me about them on a daily basis.

Jacob and I started dating towards the very end of June, and before too long it was clear that he was special and important part of my life, and I didn't want to lose him. But, I was going on a mission, that was my plan. And I don't change plans. But, for the first time in years my heart wanted something else as much as it wanted a mission, and I faced weeks of pondering, indecision, and uncertainty. I think my heart made the decision to stay long before my head would let me admit it to myself, but eventually my heart and head agreed. I was staying, and my mission will have to wait.

The answer on what I should decide in that case came a lot faster than I expected it to. But as soon as it was made, I faced another decision. Stick to the plan and move home, or try and find a way to stay in Provo? Then thrown into the mix was the option of trying to take classes, or just finding a job off of campus? And where would I find a place to live if I did stay in Provo? And where could I find a job, whether I moved home or not I still needed to find one.

All of these questions were running marathons in my head as last week started and from there the week only became more stressful. I found that the classes I needed did have openings, but how would I find a way to pay for them? I decided I wanted to try and stay in Provo, but where would I live? As the week passed, one day I would feel that I had an answer, a solution, and the next day it would come crashing down around me, and nothing seemed to be working. I experienced an emotional roller coaster unlike any I've ever been on before and by Thursday evening I found myself at a breaking point. I fell to pieces and bawled to my mom. I felt like I wasn't getting any answers. I didn't even know if I was supposed to be finding a way to stay in Provo or not. And if I was supposed to stay, how was I supposed to find way to make it all work?

Right now I'm sitting in my apartment, in Provo. Jacob is here with me, and I didn't' even have to change buildings. I can take out a loan to pay for classes, and may even get my half tuition scholarship rewarded to me by virtue of a petition recommended by my financial aid advisor. Everything has worked out and I'm surrounded by a feeling of peace and happiness that was nearly impossibly to find last week. But looking back I can realize how much I did learn as I went through that difficult time.

I've been forced to make a lot of decisions this summer, to seek a lot of answers on what I should do, and I've learned to recognize when the Lord is answering my questions. But I've also learned to recognize that sometimes the Lord needs us to figure things out on our own. Sometimes that make you feel as if the Lord has abandoned you, or maybe he just doesn't care. I'll admit that I started to feel that way last week. But once I got a handle on my emotions I realized that the Lord was helping me to grow. I had to take care of my own problems now, so that I'll know how to take care of them in the future.

This summer the Lord also taught me it's okay to change my plans. I've done that a lot this summer, it even started before Jacob became such a big part of my life. It's okay to rearrange things, as long as you're sure that your plans are what the Lord wants them to be.

I don't think I'll ever be perfectly patient, but I've learned a lot about that too. In the end, everything worked out for the best, and I couldn't' be happier. Halfway through the week I ran out patience, and it was then that I found myself at the breaking point. But the Lord is always in charge, and everything will work out. Sometimes you just have to wait for his time table.

I also had the opportunity last week to learn more about the priesthood. I had two separate blessings last week, from two amazing priesthood holders that I appreciate having in my life. I know that the priesthood is real. The promises that were made to me came true, and as long as I held to them, I was able to keep myself calm and feel at peace. I'm so grateful that I have so many worth priesthood holders in my life, that I can be blessed by those I love.

I've also learned a lot about the power of pure love this last week. Some people may find my crazy for it, but I knew I loved Jacob after only a few weeks of dating him. But I've been able to prove the strength of that love to myself as I have found myself creating situations of stress and indecision in my life because it would be better for our relationship. I've also learned about the depth of love Jacob has for me. His love and support for me were the only things that kept me going last week. He was a constant source of calm and peace for me when I desperately needed that in my life.

So I guess what I'm saying is I've grown a lot, and I've learned a lot. My life is now heading in a direction I thought I wouldn't get to for years. But apparently the Lord knew who I would need and when I would need him. I'm glad I'm learning to put the Lord in charge of my life, because he does a better job of running it than I ever could. I'm grateful that he loves me enough to give me opportunities to learn and grow and be happy. And I'm also grateful for all my family and friends that have supported me with guidance, advice, prayers, and love as I've faced my recent challenges. I love you all and promise to be there for you when you need me.

Eh?

That was a sound I heard a lot up at my family reunion this year, due to the fact that it's one of the only things my cousin Easton currently says, but he uses it to communicate pretty well.

So, if you couldn't' tell I'm finally getting around to a post about my family reunion.

First off, we were a little small in numbers this year and I missed everyone who wasn't there, but I still had a fantastic time!

We headed up on a Wednesday and arrived that evening at a cabin in Island Park, Idaho. After we got there we had dinner and settled in. Then on Thursday we went to Yellowstone!! I have never actually been there before (lame I know, I only live like 4 hours away) so I was pretty excited about that. The scenery was beautiful and it was great to be there. But to make it even better, I was there with my family, AND Abby came up with this hilarious game that was competition between vehicles. Each vehicle had to complete certain missions, and we ended up with some pretty entertaining pictures and videos. We also went swimming in the Firehole River where Clark and Deanna's family have been before. There is a part where the river narrows between some cliffs and the current is fast enough that it forms a kind of chute that you can jump into. It may sound a little dangerous, but you only stay under water for like a second and then it's just a fun ride for a bit down the river. That was a lot of fun.

Friday we went to Big Springs for a bit for some sight seeing, particularly to see some HUGE fish. Most of the day though we just lounged around the cabin and played games. We did however make homemade ice cream, by hand!. That meant taking bags with the ingredients, sticking them in bigger bags full of ice and salt, and shaking for like 10-15 minutes. And believe me, your hands get freezing cold! But the ice cream is delicious, especially with toppings, and therefore worth it. We played games that night as always, and just enjoyed each other's company. Saturday morning we cleaned and packed up and headed out. It may have been a short trip, and we did miss those who couldn't come, but as always it was great to just spend some time relaxing and having fun with my family. Ahh...I love them lots. yay for family! And for family reunions.

Evelyn Ann Crooks

Sorry that I'm a little behind on my posting. I have plenty to write about, but of course that also means I don't have as much time. I'll catch up eventually, that's a promise. But to tide you over, I bring you a post all about the most beautiful baby in the world. Of course, she's my new niece so I'm a little biased.

Sunday morning 2 am I get a text from Sarah: Hey, we're at the hospital, so expect some good news in the morning!

9 am: I find out they might have to do a C section, and I worry all through Relief Society.

However, by the time church is over I know that Evie is here and both she and Sarah are doing fine. Evelyn Ann Crooks was born at 9:41 am on August 9th, 2009. She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz and was 21 inches long.

A little after 1 Heather came and picked me up to go to the hospital, where I got to hold my niece for the first time. She is BEAUTIFUL. And I'm in love with her already. Here are some pictures so you can be too. :)

Haircut

So, my computer is still broken/sick. So Uncle Jon took it home with him to fix it. However, Jacob is awesome and is letting me put my pictures on his computer so that I can put them on facebook and get some one here. YAY!!!

So, this post is just to put up some pictures of my haircut. But stay tuned for an entry about the family reunion.

Here are the pictures for you:

Crazy Day

Okay, so I've had a crazy day, full of YAY times and really sucky times, and I wanted to share it with you all.
One problem, it would be great if I had some pictures, but the worst moment of my day arrived as a virus on my laptop. Which means that I'm trying not to use it and this is being typed up on the family computer. And, I don't' put my pictures on here. So, you'll all have to be patient.

Anyway, let me tell you about the rest of my day.

Jacob came over this morning, yay! And I found one of the most comfortable positions to sit in ever. Yeah, I almost fell asleep. (sorry to be so boring Jacob)

Then, AMANDA came to visit!!!!!! I haven't seen that woman for like two months of plus. I think I was slowly dying a painful death due to withdrawals, but don't worry I'm okay now. Meagan came with her, and it was super fun to see her too.

Those two girls came with me to campus where I donated my hair. As in I cut off 10 INCHES! That's a lot of hair. I love the cut, but I miss my hair. Mixed feelings, but since I've donated before, I know how to deal with them. Don't worry, I'll try to get some pictures up when I have a working laptop.

Then, we went to lunch at the Creamery. There were EFY kids EVERYWHERE! I kind of wanted to beat them all over the head because it meant it took forever to get our food. But, it's okay because I had chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream from the creamery, which totally made it worth it.

After lunch, we stopped by Sarah and Matt's. My sister is so pregnant. She's beautiful. And soon I'll have a niece! Like really soon, as in she is due in about 2.5 weeks but could come earlier than that. It will be awesome. And don't worry, I took Sarah chocolate when I visited. I'm an awesome sister like that.

Then, I had to pack. For my family reunion which I go to on Wednesday! I love reunions. Love them. So I am excited for it. But I usually don't pack so last minute. Like I would have started packing a week ago. It was stressful.

Especially because this is when I discovered that my laptop is sick.
But it wasn't all bad, because Jacob came back over and tried to help me figure out what was wrong with the computer. But then he had to go to work.

So I went swimming with the girls. I love swimming. It's a great thing. And Amanda and I just talked and caught up on life and things and it was super. Kind of like the Krispy Kreme (SP?) donuts that we bought on the way out of Provo because I caught a ride with Amanda and Meagan as far as South Jordan.

And dad picked me up there and now I am home. At our beautiful house in Fruit Heights. And that was my day. It was all crazy up and down emotion wise. But you know what? I'm still happy. Because that's how I want to be. :)

Can you sense that?

You all remember my whole happiness is a choice thing? Well, that's going real well for me right now. Among other things, and I've found myself at a point where I am perfectly happy. And a part of that happiness is a great feeling of peace. Sure, I've still got some confusion in my life, or it wouldn't' be life. But overall, I'm at peace. Which has given me the opportunity to pay attention to a few things. A lot of things actually, the little small things. Which has led to this post at this moment. My apologies to all of you that I may seem to be rambling, I kind of am. But I would like to share with you all something I've thought of lately, something I've paid more attention to than usual:

The senses. Yeah, I'm talking about the five senses. You know them: taste, touch, hearing, smell, sight. I've discovered that when you're really at peace you can pay more attention to the wonders that are the senses, and I've been thoroughly enjoying that experience. Even if your life may not be completely at peace right now, I suggest you take a moment. Find somewhere you can relax and feel some peace just for a little bit. And then just feel. And when I say that I also mean hear and see and taste and smell. Do it! As soon as possible. But as long as you're sitting here wasting time on the internet, let me just share with you some of my thoughts and experiences when it comes to the senses.

Taste: Okay, so all of us go around using this sense all the time. We're usually eating on a pretty regular basis and we don't' really think about taste very much past the point of deciding whether we like something or not. But have you ever really thought about the reasons you love what you do? I will admit that this is one sense I still don't pay a ton of attention to, but I promise that I have been thinking about it a little. For example, I was trying to figure out why I'm addicted to chips and salsa. Well, duh, it's the taste. There is something about the salty crunchiness of my favorite brand of chips that mixes perfectly with the slightly hot yet entirely fresh taste of salsa. MMMMM. so good. So pay a little more attention to what you're eating. It's even more enjoyable when you figure out why you enjoy it in the first place.

Touch: I've been exploring this one quite a bit actually. It's been a lot of fun. One of the best forms of exploration? Walking home barefoot. Yeah, I've been doing that. And it is totally awesome! I know it probably sounds a little eccentric to find so much joy in this, but on a regular walk home from work I can experience about 6 different textures on my feet. And when you're really paying attention to it, it's amazing how big of a difference you can feel. Try it sometime. It will be worth it, if you really want it to be.

Hearing: This one may be even more awesome then walking around barefoot to explore the sense of touch. Do you realize how many different things you can hear in a day? In a second? And the potential for beauty that each of those sounds have. For example, let me tell you what I can hear right now. I can hear myself typing, a sound I really don't think about that often. But now that I've pointed it out to myself, I'm thinking it sounds pretty awesome. I also have some music playing on my computer. Ah, without the sense of hearing, you'd never be able to appreciate music. Life would be so boring! and less meaningful. I also happen to be sitting next to an open window, which means right now I can hear the cars driving on Highway 89 about a block away from my house. Most of you probably think I've gone crazy, but I LOVE the sound of cars on a road, especially a busy road. Which points out one really awesome characteristic of sounds. There are millions, and we all love different sounds because they connect us to different memories. Isn't that great?

Smell: That's also another thing that we get to associate with memories, or with people, or a ton of things. Isn't that great? I've been paying more attention lately to how people smell. Which sounds a little weird, but whatever, I have been. Which means I'm learning to recognize how certain people smell. And if something else reminds me of them because it smells similar, isn't' that a great thing? Oh also, I've been remembering how much I love the smell of grass, and dirt, and all things outside and summer related. Oh, heavenly. And the best thing about smell, it lingers. So you get to hold onto the memories for a just a little longer.

Sight: I think this may be the sense I've been the most lax at increasing my attention to. But, I have noted a few things. Shades. Of colors. That is a great thing. I've learned to pay more attention to them. which helps me appreciate more beauty. And one other thing I've noticed. Patterns etc, in nature. There are tons of them, and they have an amazing natural beauty that we sometimes forget to take note of. The other day I could have stared up through a tree's branches for hours, simply the patter with which the leaves are displayed was super awesome!

Okay, thanks to those of you who suffered through my ramblings about my sense adventures of late. Now go out and have some of your own, and contemplate how amazing God's power must be to give us the gift of all five senses. And realize what evidence that is of how much he loves us. He didn't' have to make this world beautiful for us either, but he did. Now really, go enjoy it!

Just Beeeee yourself

A very wise line from a classic Disney movie, and something I've been thinking about a lot lately. It's kind of been in the back of my mind for a while as an idea for a blog post, but last night I was reminded about the idea by the song Let My Be Myself by 3 Doors Down. Here are the lyrics for you (without the repeated chorus, etc):

I guess I just got lost
Bein' someone else
I tried to kill the pain
Nothin ever helped
I left myself behind
Somewhere along the way
Hopin to come back around
To find myself someday

Lately I'm so tired of waiting for you
To say that it's ok, but tell me
Please, would you one time
Just let me be myself
So I can shine with my own light
Let me be myself
Would you let me be myself

I'll never find my heart
Behind someone else
I'll never see the light of day
Living in this cell
It's time to make my way
Into the world I knew
Take back all of these times
That I gave in to you

This song just resonates with me because over the years I've come to realise that one of the most important things to do in life is to discover who you really are, and learn to love that person. But that's only part of what really makes life happy. Life can't be complete without other people in your life to love and care about, and to have them love and care about you. But you can't build true relationships on a lie. Which is why you have to be able to be yourself.

I've never been the type of person who was extremely popular or had a ton of friends. But I have always had a small group of close friends. And I've been happy with that. I had a conversation with one of my friends a few weeks ago. She told me that sometimes her real friends seem to end up being her fake friends, and the people she think are her fake friends turn out to be real friends. We were talking about why she would feel that way, and she talked about how she often lets the people dictate how she acts around them. We came to the conclusion that that fact was probably a source of the problem.

So then I started thinking about myself, and what I do with my friendships. I don't know when exactly I made the decision, I don't think I'd even realised that I had. But somewhere along the line I decided that I wasn't going to let the opinions of others dictate who I was. And for the most part, I haven't. And the result of that has been that I have some friendships that I know I can trust completely. They accept me for who I am and don't judge me for what I'm not. These are the kind of friends you can always count on. And I've slowly built my life to be full of such relationships, they are the source of joy in my life.

However, I have been unlucky enough to have some friendships that didn't fit that description. If you look back up at the lyrics from Let Me Be Myself, I really can relate to them. I had a close friendship that ended up going downhill, and I'm not even in contact with that friend anymore. I honestly am not sure of her reasons for not wanting my friendship anymore, but I did have to figure out my own reasons for being okay with losing her as a friend. And what it really came down to was that she wouldn't let my be who I really was, without feeling judged. And in the end that is what made the friendship unhealthy for me.

So, in conclusion my word of advice to you is to figure out who you are, love that person, and find friends who will also love that person, no matter what.

Home Sweet Home

So, I spent the last weekend with my family at our new house in Fruit Heights. And, I'm absolutely in love with it already. The house and the yard. They are fantastic. So, I took some pictures to share with you. I only have some of the yard and my room though, because nothing else was unpacked and cleaned enough that I felt pictures would do it justice. But, enjoy.
Looking out on the fountain

Our beautiful Day Lilies

Front Yard

My dad is in love with this globe willow

My family on our awesome deck

I am very excited about this window seat

The closet is awesome too

Eventually I'll get some more pictures of the house on here. As it is you should at least be able to appreciate the amazing yard that we have!

One more for my list, and maybe yours too

I'm addicted to music. I'm not very knowledgeable about it (I'm working on that) but I listen to a lot of it. But even more importantly I think, I actually try to listen to the lyrics of the songs I listen to. Some people don't do that, but I do. And I find a way to make them applicable to my life if that is at all possible. One of my favorite things to do is to find songs that I find inspiring, songs that can give me a lift when I'm having a bad day. I have a playlist on my computer just for these songs, and trust me, it helps me out tons on a bad day. One of my best sources of discovering songs like this is the fact that all I do at work is clean and listen to music. Well, a few weeks ago I discovered another great inspirational song and thought I'd share it and my thoughts about it, with all of you.

The song actually comes from the movie Spirit, the one about the horse. I've never actually seen it, but I have the music because Kiera had it, and I'd heard it was good. This is one of the Bryan Adams songs, and it's called Sound the Bugle. Here are the lyrics for you:

Sound the bugle now play it just for me
As the seasons change remember how I used to be
Now I can't go on I can't even start
I've got nothing left just an empty heart

I'm a soldier wounded so I must give up the fight
There's nothing more for me lead me away...
Or leave me lying here

Sound the bugle now tell them I don't care
There's not a road I know that leads to anywhere
Without a light I fear that I will stumble in the dark
Lay right down decide not to go on

Then from on high somewhere in the distance
There's a voice that calls remember who your are
If you lose yourself your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight remember who you are
Yeah you're a soldier now fighting in a battle
To be free once more yeah that's worth fighting for

I don't know about the rest of you, but the lyrics to that song, especially the last two stanzas, really hit me quite hard. And when you put them to music, it's amazing, so you should all listen to the song sometime.

As if the song weren't already powerful enough, I started thinking about it from my point of view as a Latter Day Saint. So often I think life gets really hard on us, we make a mistake, or we just get tired and feel like we cant' go on anymore. We get to the point where we don't care about anything, and we don't want to go on anymore. But then, just like the song says, a voice comes. A voice from on high, begging us to remember who we are. Each one of us is a divine son or daughter of God, no heritage could ever be greater or more awe-inspiring. I believe that at the times when you truly understand and believe that heritage, you have the strength to do anything. But if you ever forget that, life gets too hard, and your courage disappears right along with that knowledge. But if you regain that knowledge and get back into the fight, eventually you'll find that everything you've found so hard in life has somehow gotten easier. You find yourself free of your doubts, fears, and discouragements. And then, as long as you keep listening to that voice from on high, you can face anything life throws your way.

That is what this song means for me. You can agree with me or interpret it as you will, but I wanted to give you the chance to pay attention to the lyrics. Hope you enjoyed them.

I've heard it said, that people come into our lives for a reason

"The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit a millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in celebration of the birth of the Babe has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we will, illuminate the landscape of our individual lives, so that our light my not only lead others but warm them as well." - Neal A. Maxwell

I know that I have kind of touched on this topic in a few previous blogs but 1. None of you probably really remember it much and 2. It's been on my mind a lot lately. So, I'm going to write an entry about it anyway.

The quote I started this entry out with was something my Doctrine and Covenants teacher shared with us, and I loved it as soon as I heard it. The concept that the Lord places people in precise orbits meant to bring their lives together is something I've gained my own testimony of in the past few years. It's also something I've been reminded of a lot in the past couple of months because of certain people I have in my life. I'd like to share just a few of the people in my life, whose lights have and are still leading and warming me.

I know, without a shadow of a doubt that God places us in families for a reason. I love my family, I love my parents and my siblings, and I would not be Lydia Ruth Hirschi without the role they have played in my life. My parents are some of my best friends, and growing up I built a relationship with them that a lot of kids aren't lucky enough to have. I tell my parents everything, and because of that they trust me. That is something I truly value. I know that the way my parents raised me helped lead to that trust, that perhaps I wouldn't' have found with someone else. I've been reminded of how much they mean to me in this last week as I helped them pack and move. I was tired and hot and kind of sore, but it was a great feeling to just be working on a project with my family. I know that I was meant to be part of the family I am in, and I am so grateful for that.

Another group of people that Heavenly Father brought into my life were the girls I roomed with during Freshmen year. I know I've mentioned it before, but it still amazes me how girls that have such different personalities could have grown as close as we have. They've helped me through a lot, and I still talk to them about everything. I know that our friendship will last for years to come, probably forever. And I know it all happened because the Lord knew how much I needed them each in my life.

I also feel so blessed to have the girls I roomed with this year in my life. I met Kiera and Amanda in quite interesting ways, and the speed with which we built our friendships could be called miraculous. I'm glad I know that they will always be a par of my life. And it was so great to meet Kinsey and Shannon this year, because they both played a part in who I've grown to be over the last year. I plan on staying in touch with them for a very long time.

Lately I've found another group of close friends from a kind of unexpected source. The people I work with are fantastic! I don't know if I've ever had so much fun with a group of people that I've worked with. We're all pretty close and I talk to them about all the exciting things going on in my life. We enjoy keeping each other updated, and I know I can go them all for advice anytime. I may not see them very often outside of work, but I know that they are a blessing in my life.

Finally, I know the reason I'm in the ward I'm in is so that I could build lasting friendships with people I wouldn't have met any other way. I've got a great circle of friends right now. People I care about, and that I know care about me. We know how to have fun together, and how to help each other through any tough times. I love my life right now because I get to spend time with them on a daily basis.

Something I've mentioned in past entries is that happiness is a choice(it's kind of my current mantra, so deal with me mentioning it a lot). I believe that this plays a role even when it comes to the people we have in our life. The Lord may place our orbits in such a way that they collide, but we have to choose to let others into our lives, and into our hearts. And then we also have to choose to acknowledge the Lord's hand in the friendships and relationships we build.

So next time you meet someone new, consider what the Lord could have in store for that meeting. Don't miss out on the chance to gain a needed friend, or perhaps even more importantly to be that needed friend for someone else. And if life is taking a different direction then you may have expected, realize that the Lord just needs to you be in someone's orbit for a while. It may be for them, but may just as well be for you. And as long as you let the Lord direct your life, you can give and receive the light and warmth you need to be happy in this life.

What I learned during Spring Term

Okay, so some of these may have been mentioned in previous entries, but most haven't, so you'll be okay.

1. All stories are invasion stories, even if they don't seem like it.

2. I can tell you the sentence pattern of any clause or sentence, and then precede to diagram it for you.

3. I know why everybody loves Bro. Bott. He really IS that good.

4. Happiness is a choice.

5. If you spend too much time with someone, they will eventually corrupt you with part of their personality....but there is a whole story behind that one I won't share. Don't worry, its not overly interesting.

6. I can say no to random proposals...6 times in a couple weeks. (Don't worry, they were all jokes)

7. Running through sprinklers at 1 A.M. with your coworkers can be a lot of fun.

8. Spring Term rocks because you get to know more people better.

9. It's okay for me to change my mind, and make random decisions. They just have to be the right ones.

10. Happiness really IS a choice. (I still need to work on that one)

11. Mirror messages are a great mode of communication, but they don't' make up for actually seeing your roommate.

12. I CAN survive college without all of my girls, but it gets really hard sometimes.

13. Don't take 9am classes when you work until 1am. At least not if you need plenty of sleep like I do.

14. You can live off of granola bars and fruit snacks for lunch.

15. You can learn a lot in two months.

That's just a few. I'm really grateful for this opportunity I've had to be where I am in my life right now and to learn these things and many more. I'm looking forward to learning more during summer term, even if it isn't about why you really should say "lie out" instead of "lay out".

Last Day at home

So, I went home for Father's day today. I love my dad. See the previous post. But anyway, my family is moving this week, and I probably wont' be able to make it up to help them because of work and transportation etc. That means that I probably was in our house for the last time ever today. It was home to me for 8 years plus, and since I tend to get a little attached it was a little hard. Not as bad as it could have been, but I still felt pretty sentimental. Enough to take some pictures. My family made fun of me, but I don't care. I want to remember that house, I made a lot of memories there. But my whole family is excited for a new start and a great adventure, it will be awesome. And part of growing up is moving on, so I'm okay with this.