Finals time

Hey, I know it's been a long time.
I'm finishing up another semester at Utah State.
I'm currently cramming my brain with art pieces, dates, locations, and everything else possible to memorize for my Art History final.

My major is lovely. I absoultely enjoy it.
My professors have been great for the most part and I've loved most of my projects too.
My favorite course, was my computers class, where I learned in depth the Adobe Suite.
I loved learning the software and doing projects that I got great feedback on.

Life is good.
I am going home this weekend, to finally take a break from school and enjoy this Christmas season.
I am excited to snuggle up with my family, watch movies and sit by the fire.
I am excited to read the story of Christ's birth and keep him in my heart.

I went to a missionary prep course at church yesterday.
My heart is pulling me dozens of different ways.
Ever since the LDS church came out with the missionary age for men and women, I have been asked dozens and dozens of times of times, if I'm going, when I'm going, what I'm doing about school and if I'm ready.

Honestly, I know I'm supposed to go, I have had that confirmed to me.
Whether that is this Summer, next year, or when I'm 70 with my husband, I don't know.
I have been feeling overwhelmed by that lately, and I have to put it on the backburner for now and see when it's the best time for me.
So for some of you that may be curious, no, I'm not going RIGHT now.
I'm going when it's best for me.

Have an amazing Christmas, everyone!

It's almost Thanksgiving break.

Oh how excited I am to see my family. Have home cooked meals & feel the spirit of Gratitude feel the air.

School is busy, but good.

I taught in Relief Society in church.

I had a job interview on Friday.

I aced my Art History test.

I'm almost in all the classes I need next semester.

Short and sweet, I know. But that's all I got for now.

Xoxo.

Everything good comes from above

I was tested for pre-diabetes last week and got my results from the nurse back today. Everything is healthy and clear. My glucose levels and my insulin levels are great. The nurse mentioned she was very surprised for how great they were. She thought the possibility of me being pre-diabetec was pretty high.

Everything good comes from above.

So here is another moment in my life, that I know I am watched over. I know that regardless if I was diagnosed or not, God's love and spirit would pour upon my soul.

Also, I had a great talk with one of my professors from Interior Design from last year.

She mentioned that she was so proud of me. She was proud of me that I haven't given up my passion for design. She is glad that I am pushing forward and moving on. She mentioned that she looks at me as a great student and very teachable. She said she would love to catch up more and always be there if I need a reference or any kind of help, advice, etc.

My thoughts of bitterness are slowly wiping away.

I know many of you may think that I am still extremely bitter and unhappy about my new path. But I'm sincerely not.

I know that God has put me on this new path for my own personal journey. I love you all. 

Graphic Design

I'm trying to get the words down of how I feel.

There are so many things I could thank God for. Thank goodness it's the Month of Gratitude.

The biggest thing I can thank God for though, is my life. He has blessed me so many times throughout my life. Especially the past few months. He brought me out of a tough and dark time in my life and words don't describe my gratitude for Him.

I am in awe that I have found so much joy in my new path. I know many still think I am bitter. But I'm truly not. I love Graphic Design. I love my classes, the people I have met and the opportunities I'm about to embark on.


Below is a recent project I did. Our assignment was to re-invent a book cover using a collage of pictures, typography and creativity.

Big News!

I am going to Study Abroad this Summer in Vienna!!

Peace

I feel like my posts have been dragging lately.
I've been grasping on to old memories and old trials.

But I need to change the mood of my writing.


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My classes are still going well.
I'm feeling great about my new path.

Sidenote: My professor loved my boards on Pinterest. She said I had great taste. Holla!


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I went to the temple last weekend. The most peaceful place on earth. The temple is a place of meditation. It is the closest place to heaven on Earth.
The temple is where God can speak to me personally.
He reminded me that I need to slow down.
For those of you that don't know, I have felt that I need to serve a mission for my faith the past few years. Through inspiration, I was told it isn't my time to go yet and to pursue my current plans.



For those not of my faith, I know it might be hard to understand this peace I mention. But to put it simply, an apostle of my church said this:

"Can the peace the gospel brings to a faithful Latter Day Saint be transferred to an individual experiencing adversity or great challenges?
The answer is no.
You can't share your personal conversion to another. Conversion is personal."

Whatever faith you are, LDS or not. You can't truly believe in a religion that you don't have a personal conversion to. That is a concept that I am trying to understand in my life. People that want the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their life--will find it. They HAVE to be converted. They HAVE to put in the dedication, time and willingness.



That is something I am slowly coming to understand in my life.

Here I Am

here i am.

at utah state.

pursuing graphic design.

i've had my faith tested.

i've understood how it feels to not have any sense of map or direction in my life.

i learned that God works in mysterious ways.

i am enjoying my classes for the most part.

my drawing class continues to open my eyes to who i am & to how i am developing as a person.

i am trying new mediums.

i've learned that i can excel and i can be successful.

my classes are letting me feel free.

not tied down to measurements, codes & biased professors.

many people are meant to be interior designers & they're great at it.

but for me, God knew that another major would be more fitting for me.

i will always remember the memories that i had there though.

i met some of the greatest people.

i learned how it feels to work hard.

i learned that I CAN DO HARD THINGS.

i am excited to implement interior design into my graphic design work.

i continue to go speechless when i see interiors that are well planned out and stunning.

i continue to have a desire to design textiles and put them into spaces.

the saying, when one door closes-another one opens is coming evident in my life.

i will continue to love interiors and graphics and put them in my life. 

Trust God

Tears are falling.

Happy tears though.

Tears of how grateful I am.

God put me exactly where I need to be. He put me in a place that was scary and that I was unsure of. But that place isn't anything like either of those words. I thought that I would never feel like I fit anywhere else but Interior Design. But I feel good. Not stressed. Not worried. Not insecure.

He continues to give me opportunities. Experiences. People.

All I needed to do was trust.

Trust Him in everything.

What makes you feel accomplished?


For me?


Being here.
Gaining an education.
Feeling like everything is at my fingertips.
Blessed.

Easel

Yesterday I drew on an easel.
Something I've never done before.

The class was loosely structured.
But not to the point that it was disorganized.
We were instructed to kick off our shoes and throw them on the table, so we could use them as a reference. We chose a portion of the table to sketch.

I remember standing on the cool painted and worn floor under me.
Sketching loosely, not caring what it looked like...but how it felt to me.
For the first time in a long time, I wasn't worrying about using a ruler or being tied down to rules.

As we all set up our easels for viewing each other's work--I glanced around the room.
Everyone's art  had a different style, feel and a voice that spoke to them personally.

Jane went around the room.
Critiquing but uplifting each one of our sketches.

When she approached mine,
I remember looking around the room--realizing that everyone's sketches clearly showed outlines of shoes. They were easily understood.
Looking at mine, it was far from recognizable.
I left the white spaces to speak for themselves.
I left lines out.
I left pieces out.

I remember thinking in the back of my mind that Jane would get after me for the unfinished and abstract feel. Thinking that it was very rough and hard to understand.

When she got to my work though, she said it was interesting.
Not in the way that people say 'interesting', when they don't know what to say though.
She said it was a very unique approach. She liked it.
She didn't ramble on about it and didn't say that I'm the next Van Gogh.
But she liked it. She thought I was unique.

That is why I'm here. To not have limitations to my art. To be who I am. I believe that this is where I am truly supposed to be. To be in a place where I can be who I have been aching to become.

Interior Design on my mind...

My dream last night felt like a rock to my side.
I was back in the studio again...
Everyone kept asking me why I quit.
I remember one of my professors just glaring at me with a small smirk.
My heart felt like it sunk.
I felt defeated and that no one understood that I sincerely fought for a spot in the Interior Design program and that I really didn't quit.

I woke up hurt.
All the memories from the first of the Summer when I got my declined letter came back to me.

I thought I was over the fact the Interior Design department didn't want me anymore.
But, I have to remember that this is going to take time.
Time for me to face life's trials.

I came across this quote that said,
          Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go.

I need to be proud of the two years that I accomplished with Interior Design.
Proud of who I have become.
Proud of the experiences I've had, the projects I fought through and the grades that I got.


This year is going to be different.
I won't be with the same kids, in a new department, a new major and all new classes.

But I'm honestly grateful.
Sincerely grateful.

School

Last day of work is this Tuesday.

I move out Friday.

I start school the following Monday.

Here is to new adventures and a new start.

Big picture

I ran today.
It felt great.
I've needed to clear my head for a few days now.

A few days ago, I met with school counselors to get my life figured out.
I have two or three more years of school ahead of me.
Two, for a B.S. in Art.
or Three, for a B.F.A with a Graphic Design emphasis.

Can I just tell you how hard it is to see the full picture sometimes?
I am definitely continually learning to have faith that things will work out.

I am grateful for a Heavenly Father that knows this is hard for me.
Knows that I take things personal and feels defeated.
Knows that if I am being prayerful-I can feel at peace.

I keep having thoughts of still feeling rejected and defeated for not passing the review for Interior Design.
I keep telling myself, Lauren pull yourself together. Get over it.
But that is easier said than done.
I keep thinking that I'm going to get a call or an e-mail saying, oh J.K. come back in.
But that's ridiculous. I know.
It's going to take time to let Heavenly Father take the steering wheel of my life for a bit and help me see the big picture.

The big picture of choosing a major that fits me better.
A major that I can handle.
A major that Heavenly Father has been planning for me.
A major that allows me to still be a mother.
A major that is just for me.

Sometimes you just have to go for it

I came across this quote last night and I found it really fitting for myself.

I found this applicable in a lot of areas in my life.

Many times in my life, I have been afraid to jump-take a leap of faith.

Whether it's with changing my major, changing friends, letting go of people or letting go of hard feelings.

Just do it.

Change

Change.
Often times we’re not quite sure of what we’re becoming or why.
Then one day, we look at ourselves and wonder who we are and how we got there.

There has been a lot of change in my life lately.

I started a new job. I recently was asked to take a supervisor position there, which is requiring a lot more out of me, but I'm excited for it. I'll be able to make a little extra money and get a few more hours.

I am planning on studying Graphic Design at Utah State.

If you were to ask me if I saw myself changing majors and not doing Interior Design, I wouldn't have believed you.I worked so hard my first two years of college. I put in everything to each of my classes and projects.

For the past while, I thought Interior Design was my destiny. But when I think back to experiences and things that truly fascinate me, I realize that God has been actually preparing me for Graphic Design instead.
 
I've always loved a sense of composition. In my photography, my sketches, cleaning, organizing my room and even food.

 

via

 

via

I'm a very visual person. I like things to look balanced, clean and simple.

 

via

I doodle all over my notebook. I change my handwriting all the time. Ha ha.

I re-design my blog daily.

I've been asked to design wedding invitations.

Typography is fascinating to me.

 

via

All of these things are definitely applicable to graphic design. Here's to a leap of faith.

Canyon Run

I went on a canyon run yesterday morning.
Four miles.

It felt so good.

Running is a thing that I've definitely been struggling with.
I go in phases of running multiple days a week then going a month or two without it.

I really need to get back into it.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to...

A man who taught me the importance of service and how it makes you stronger and closer to God.

A man who taught me to work hard in school. To always spend time studying and doing my homework.

A man who helped me develop a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A man who loves his family and through that, has helped me understand the importance of family.

A man who sincerely cares about each one of his children and my mamma.

A man who I love more than words can express.

Xoxo

Summer 2012-Trip to Zions

May 2010-High School Graduation

It's late, but I wanted to write.

It's late.
But I wanted to write.

Sometimes I start writing and only have a sentence or two.
I have forty unfinished blog posts that haven't been published.
Sometimes words come to me sometimes, I just need to open up a blank sheet and give myself time to just think.
At that point words aren't needed to be written down-but simply felt.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how blessed I am.

I think of people in my life that have helped me develop who I am. Like Millie.

Having Millie in my life gave me the opportunity to learn what service is and the power it has.

She taught me to be strong when it seemed impossible.

She taught me that true happiness is found in your interactions with people.

I have the opportunity of an education.

Even if there are unexpected turns and twists to it. 

I have the opportunity to learn, to be inspired by others and to develop myself even more.

I have my family & friends.

Who respect me and loves me.

Who knows how it is to be a college student, going through junior high, having trials & finding faith in the littlest of things.

But above all, I believe in God.

A man whose power is as huge as creating worlds-down to piercing my soul and reminding me of who I am.

I miss photographing.

I miss photographing.

I need to get back into it.
Below are a few photos from this Summer.

Faith in God

Yesterday, my cousin Shady and her little newborn were life-flighted to Primary Children's Hospital. Zeeke was born a few days ago. Due to complications of Shady being diabetic, there were complications with Zeeke that were more serious than anticipated. He is currently on feeding tubes, and has a bacteria in his intestines-which is very dangerous and life critical. Gratefully, they are at Primary Children's hospital, one of the best places in the country that little Zeeke and his parents can be.

We receieved a call last night, asking if my dad and brother would be willing to come give Zeeke a priesthood blessing. Tonight I can truly say, I was able to feel God's power. Maybe one of the strongest feelings I've felt in a long time. Words don't describe how beautiful that moment was. Seeing my dad and brother lay their fingertips on top of Zeeke's jet black hair was powerful. The words spoken were indescribable. Just touching his toes and fingers was a very spiritual experience. The spirit I felt in the NICU was personal and reminded me of how grateful I am to have the true gospel in my life.

My dad reminded me that, "It's experiences like these that show the power of the Plan of Salvation. We are in our creator's hands."

I need to remember that all we can do now is to have faith and to keep Zeeke in our prayers. They are in a great hospital and God's power and love has touched Zeeke. It is up to us to have faith that if God feels that Zeeke should be healed, he will.

Lack of writing

I haven't wanted to write.


I'm no longer in the USU Interior Design Program.
I kept wanting to think that it was a mistake and that they would change their decision.
My submission for review wasn't up to their expectations.

It stings.
I'm not sure what God has in store for me.
But whatever that is, I have to have Faith.

Oh, Summer

You are finally here.
Wow. I survived. Barely.

I moved home for the Summer.
I'm currently employed at working at a local pool teaching swimming lessons.
I don't actually start til first of June though, so I'm trying to find something else.
Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but this will be my fifth summer teaching and I want a change of scenery.

Home is great so far.
I feel so lazy though.
I really need a job haha.

Some great people

I wanted to point out a few people that have played pretty big roles in my life the past year.
This is not a strict list though. I am constantly inspired by others.

Trissta Lyman

Trissta's and I friendship began the beginning of this semester. I didn't really know her first semester. When we were assigned new seats at the beginning of second semester, I was assigned in the seat behind her. Not knowing really anything about her, it made me that much more determined to get to know her. Trissta and I are not only the kinds of friends that go out to lunch, go shopping or grab ice cream. Our friendship is so much more than that. We do homework together, we talk about our individual lives. I love learning about her past and why she is who she is today. She has been there for me during times that I felt that I wasn't being acknowledged. She was there for me when I broke down during class. I sincerely trust her and lean on her. I love her so much.

 Brianna Dickerson

Bri and I have been great friends for the past few years. Brianna is such an essential part of my life. That may sound super cheesy or ridiculous, but it's the bloody truth. She constantly is reminding me of who I am and what I am capable of. She is always telling me to stay strong to who I am and what I stand for. She is a huge listening ear to me. She has always been there for me. We are perfectly content by just spending the evening talking to each other. We have so many inside jokes and have such a great friendship. My quail. ;)

Katie Swain, Kailey Burch & Hope Braithwaite

                                      
My roommates. Wow. Where do I begin? I am so extremely blessed for these girls.

Katie has been there for me through thick and thin. Honestly. I cannot talk about her enough. You guys have probably seen so much of her on my blog. But I have to talk about her all the time. She helps me get through everything. She is constantly open for advice, making me laugh and keeping things in perspective.

Kailey is amazing. Let's put it simply. Her and I have had some great great conversations this past semester. She and I talk more than I talk with most people. We are constantly checking up on each other, talking about the little things in life. She is a huge strength to me. I love our spiritual conversations together too.

Hope. She is the nicest girl I have ever met. She is always willing to help with whatever she can. She truly tries to make everyone feel loved and accepted. It's a strong quality that she has that I am slowly trying to gain. She's wonderful.

My Interior Design crew (Trissta, Jessica, BeNae, Cassie, Katelyn, Kelsie and Danielle) 

This is only 7 of the 23 of us.

These girls are all so great in their own individual ways. They have all gotten me through this year. They have been amazing. We have been through so much together. Crazy projects, late nights at the studio, going to Seminar and so much more. Being a part of the Interior Design program sure has been crazy. But so wonderful at the same time. I love that whenever I go to my classes, I'm going with some of the funniest, greatest people ever. They are so inspiring and constantly are helping me improve who I am and my designs.

Betsy Reeves

By far one of my most solid friends. She is so solid in all areas of her life. She has always been logical and puts everything in perspective. She is a hard worker and sincerely cares about me. She is so uplifting to me. She understands me and knows how to be there for me in so many ways. She recently got engaged and I am so excited for her. She will make an amazing wife. Love her so so much.

Aubree Lyman

I met Aubree just this year. She lives next door to me. We have run a lot together this year and I have truly had thee best conversations with her. She is one that is constantly asking how you are doing and sincerely cares. I feel like I can constantly go to her if I ever need anything. She is genuine and a very 'real' person. She has so many qualities that I hope to one day gain. She is driven and doesn't let her emotions get in the way.

My Service trip friends

Liz Emery, Rachel Lewis, Bri Rhoades and Leah Calder.

Not pictured, Kenna Drew, Hilary Webb, Kaitlin Jackman and so many others.

Having the opportunity to spend my Spring Break with kids who love service was so much more than what I could've asked for. They are all so wonderful. We have been able to keep in contact after the trip and I love spending time with them. Love em.

life is good.

i'm pacing myself.
i'm working hard.
i'll be successful.

Breaking down

School has been really overwhelming me lately.

I was really upset last night, I called my mom.
I had my emotions under control until I heard her voice come on the line asking how I was doing.
I broke down.
Tears streaming down my face.
There is something about a mother's voice that hits my heart hard.

I told her about my classes, projects, boys, blessings and trials.
All bundled together.

She encouraged me to read a talk by Henry B Eyring, an apostle of my faith
gave a talk recently, you can read it here, 
If you need some uplifting.

My mom is lovely.
No, truly lovely.
I am so eternally grateful for her. She always has amazing advice and is always there for me.

It's important to put your 'trials' into perspective.
God knows you and believes in you.
Stay strong, fellow bloggers.
God loves you and knows how you feel.

mamma, me and sis

Patience is a virtue.
A lesson that I slowly am learning.

It's hard though, when you've been patient for quite some time.
Come on, boy!

the big 20

 

my birthday celebrations began last saturday evening at olive garden.

i went with katie, lisha, hope, bri, kenna, betsy and aub.

it was lovely.

we watched in time with justin timberlake, it was so good.

go watch it.

 today, to continue the birthday festivities,

i was woken up by candles and some of my best friends singing happy birthday to me at 6:30 am.

so sweet.

my good friend trissta took me out to cafe rio tonight & we did some shopping.

i am so grateful for the lovely friends and family i have.

i was overwhelmed with phone calls, texts and facebook posts.

thank you all so much.

sidenote.

i have this friend named, brianna. she's one of my best friends. she shared a few things about me that i cherished so much that i have to share:

Laurenita turned 20, so, here's 20 things about her-

1. She follows the spirit like none other.
2. we get into trouble in art history for even pretending to whisper. our professor= devil woman. 
3. she has Bay Watch legs and a cute bum.
4. she has a few catch phrases that we use in every day talking such as "sweaty mamas", "bum in a drum", and "llama lard"
5. She loves to take "breathers"
6. we're west USA travelers together.
7. she loves to serve people.
8. her sisters are obsessed with her.
9. She loves her dog lucky, and will cry when you talk about her too long.
10. She doesn't really like to tell anyone about her crush's unless you force it out of her.
11. our eyes are like identical in color. But only in pictures.
12. She helps put your trials in correct perspective.
13. her leg hairs collect lint. haha. sorry, i had to put this in here.
14. she started creeper week. {3rd annual is next week. be prepared}
15. she has like 6 different fonts of hand writing. 
16. she wants her man to have a tattoo. "bad boy gone good". haha.
17. she lives forever away. {4 blocks ish}
18. she gives fantastic awkward side hugs.
19. she cares about everyone. 
20. she helps everyone.

Institute

Institute is amazing.
I can't get enough of it.
It definitely gets me through the week.

Remembering who I am

Yesterday, my roommates and I went to the Color Festival in Spanish Fork. On our way down, we had lunch at my house in Orem and I was able to spend time with my family. My dad wrote my roommates and I a card about how much he loved having us over for lunch, to remember who we are while we were at the Color Festival and to remember our standards. He included some money for us to grab dinner on the way back also.

The Color Festival was fun. There were all kinds of characters. Young families, crazy teenage girls, high school boys running around with their shirts off and many others. It was a great time for me to be with my roommates, who I love so much. I always feel like I can be myself around them and I know that we have the same standards.

As we were walking back from the festival, there was a group of guys with rainbow colored stomachs, running in between traffic and with cigarettes in hand. They were swearing, spitting on people's cars and jumping into people's truck beds.

I was really bothered by this. Sometimes people can be so disrespectful. I was bugged by how rude they were to the people around them and how stupid they acted.

That made me think about the kind of guy that I want to marry.

I want to marry someone like my dad.

My dad is always respectful of everyone, he recognizes the little things in life that may seem small to some (like giving us money, so us poor college kids could have a great meal) and showing me a great example of a loving man and father.

Believing in a God

A few of my good friends have experienced extreme heartache the past few weeks.
One lost her brother last week.
One has a friend in a life-threatening condition due to a bus accident.

Even though it's hard for some people to believe that there is a God when we are surrounded by experiences like these.

We MUST remember, God gives us trials to make us stronger. It refines us. It gives us chances to grow.

Through him, we learn to rely on him, look to him and search for comfort.

"Earth life includes tests, trials, and tribulations, and some of the trials we face in life can be excruciating. Whether it be illness, betrayal, temptations, loss of a loved one, natural disasters, or some other ordeal, affliction is part of our mortal experience. Many have wondered why we must face difficult challenges. We know that one reason is to provide a trial of our faith to see if we will do all the Lord has commanded" -Paul V. Johnson, a member of the seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

God bless each of my friends. Their strength through these times are incredible.

service trip

last week, i went on a service trip as my spring break with the service center on campus.

i had an amazing opportunity to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House.

if you are unfamiliar of the Ronald McDonald House, it is a non-profit organization that houses families who have children in critical conditions, going through constant surgeries and who possibly may die soon. it is across the street from the hospital and it gives the families of those children, a place to live for up to 8 week, meals, clothing and all the amenities of a hotel and more.

i met a woman named suzanne, who was in charge of scheduling volunteers, collecting donations, etc.
i have honestly never met such a humble person in my life.
she had such a deep heart and i know that she sincerely cared about all the families they were caring for.

i was assigned to clean up the exterior grounds of the facility and making food for the meals. i was able to get to know a few of the other volunteers and even though it wasn't as long as i would have liked, i am glad i was able to help out.

how would it be if your life was dedicated to service?

i hope one day i can be a woman like suzanne, who dedicates her life to bettering those around her.

the crew

i also was able to volunteer at a local park.

our group build compost bins, pulled out bushes, pulled weeds and planted flowers.
it was a ton of work, but so worth it.

hilary, kaitlin, joel, kenna & will

shelby & i

the crew

i was also able to volunteer at Feeding America.

myself, along with 21 other college kids had the opportunity to package beans-which will be sent out to families who are food insecure. one of the shocking things i heard was, one in four children in the San Diego area are food insecure. many of them have no idea where their next meal will be from.

can you imagine that?

even though i am a college kid with a tight budget, i have never been to the point that i don't know how i'll eat.
growing up, i was always blessed with food in the cupboards, hot meals and occasionally eating out. if anything this trip showed me, how truly blessed i am.

like the ronald mcdonald house, they survive based on donations. they have local farmers, local businesses and big name brand stores...constantly donating and brightening families' futures. god bless them.

angie, will, kaeleena, leah, me & kaitlin

the crew

another project we did, was cleaning up Flinn Springs, a county park in California.
 just your typical yard clean up job, we weeded, raked, picked up trash, etc.

me & leah

rachel, liz, me, kaeleena, joel, will, angie, bri, kenna & leah

another clean up we did was a beach clean-up on the border of Imperial Beach and Tijuana

it was super fun. we broke into teams and had competitions on who got the most trash, funkiest trash and other random prizes. haha.

minus running into mexican border patrol telling us we were in an unsafe part, it was pretty great.

even though a beach clean-up may seem a little less service empowering, for me... like the ronald mcdonald house or feeding america, it was still a great opportunity

the crew

i was so blessed to meet a lot of new friends and have a lot of crazy fun adventures.

spring break

i'm heading to california for spring break.
i cannot wait!
i'm going with the service center on campus.
we are going to be blessed to be...
volunteering at a homeless shelter,
doing some beach clean-ups,
going to the ronald mcdonald house,
hitting up the beach,
knottsberry farm.

Relying

Life is crazy.
Being overwhelmed gets me frustrated.
But, allowing myself to rely completely on my Heavenly Father to get through this week is making it much easier.
When you are willing to give the Lord some of your day (scripture study, prayer, service, etc.)
He is more than willing to magnify your time and speak peace to your soul.

Just woke up.
Slept for 12 hours.
I feel better a bit.
Hopefully, I will feel better soon.

Hayley

Today, I spent the afternoon with this cutie,

  

          

We went to Targee and tried on these,

 

We did a "who can find the craziest sunglasses contest", I think I won.

I love spending time with Hayley. Cousins are wonderful.

When I get married.

I am wearing heels at my wedding,
None of this multiple colored converse nonsense.
Or the cowgirl boots.
Or the white flip-flops.
Or sandals.

 image via vamp shoes

My Tiny House Photos

weekends.

 

Oh, hey.

I just wanted to share the lovely weekend I had at home.

I went on a walk up the canyon with my dad.

Had great family dinners.

Went to the library.

Went to lunch at my favorite, Jo Vera's in downtown Provo.

Heard my brother speak in church.

Did a make-up night with my friend Stephanie.

Some gratefulness.

Today, I am grateful for...

My Institute class with Brother Winward.
Auto-save for documents that crashed.
Being productive at the library.
Talking to my Mamma on the phone.
The girl that complimented my outfit.
Pandora.
Healthy food.
My iPod.

A Jumble of everything

I haven't posted in awhile.
School has been keeping me quite busy.
Things are going well though,
I am slowly getting the hang of my classes, the work load and the projects.
I am FINALLY going home this weekend. I haven't been home since Christmas Break.
I've missed them, a lot.
Even though they are far away, I can feel of their love for me and I am so lucky to have great relationships with my parents and siblings.
 
I love attending my Institute class.
There is always a peace there.
I have had some things pierce my soul that have had me rethink...
relationships, people in my life, where my testimony of the gospel is and how eternally grateful I am for it.

 I would not be the person I am today without the Gospel in my life.

God

God is powerful.
He answers my prayers.
Especially with one thing that I had been struggling with for awhile.
His answer came to me in a surprising but very simple way.
I'm a believer.