Youcam

So... me and my cousins have a tradition of taking pictures on my youcam every time they come up. And I'm not kidding. EVERY time. We seriously laugh our heads off taking them and we have hundreds of photos. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds!!

And guess what? We never ever get tired of it. Seriously. As I was creating a collage my little 7-year old cousin, Madison, was literally snorting as we looked through all of the ones we took. I'm not joking. I told her to get off my lap because I couldn't even hold her anymore!!!

We've had a ton of fun so far, and we plan to take many more; but here is a very tiny selection of all of our photos!

Reading...

So I kinda like to read....okay, I love reading. I love being able to get into a story and feel apart of it and get to know the characters. I love wondering what's going to happen and figuring it out page by page. I love the suspense, the mystery, the romance, the fantasy, the non-fiction, the action...almost anything I can get my hands on.

Now, don't judge me when you finishing reading this paragraph... I love books. I love the smell of a new book that's never been opened, I love the feel of the pages on my fingertips, I love being able to feel how much you've read and how much you have left. I will always feel that way, BUT... I do own a Kindle (this is where the 'don't judge me part' comes in). Even though I love everything about a book and I won't just stick to reading my Kindle, it's really nice to have a Kindle! Especially when I'm traveling.... no worries about ripped, bent, destroyed pages, or finding a bag that will fit everything you want to read on your vacation. It's just all right there and it fits right in your purse...or it can look like a manly planner of some sorts. :) Anywho. I'm not here to rave about how convenient a Kindle is...

With my love of reading comes no inhibitions when it comes to my reactions. I've had a couple books make me cry, and some even make me angry! My favorite, though, is when they make me laugh. I just get into my own little zone of reading and pop! there's a joke, or a funny scene, or just something humorous to me; I can't help but to laugh. Sometimes I find whatever I just read to be so hilarious that I keep laughing and I can't even continue reading. There is absolutely noooooo problem with this in my book...but I do get a lot of odd looks...

Find Joy in the Journey

I'm apologizing right now for a longer post...but I just kept having thoughts! And there are some really good quotes, so you should keep reading ;)

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”

~President Gordon B Hinckley~

Things are going to come up in life and you are not going to like it. For example, a few Fridays ago was crazy for me. I had homework starting at 7 until 9, and then classes from 9 until 11:15, and then I had to run to the testing center and take a test and a quiz… which I did not do very well on. Then I hurried to my next class at 1, and then at 2 I finally was able to head to my apartment. However, this did not mean I had down time. I still worked on homework, and then I had to get ready for work from 4-10. I got off work and then went to visit with my mom for a couple hours, and when I got back to my apartment I had homework until 1. Can you say crazy? I had been dreading that day all week (and it was a FRIDAY for crying out loud!), and when it finally came I didn’t even have time to think.

As I reflected on my thoughts for the day they were mostly negative. I don't have enough time! I'm exhausted! Work? I still have homework! I just am no good because I can never pass a test/quiz in this class... and, trust me, the list went on.

However, as I relived my thoughts I came across good things that made my day better and caused a little smile to escape in the madness. They weren't huge... just simple, random things throughout my day.

Simple, rejuvenating experiences surround us.
~Richard G. Scott~

The girl who said good morning with a cheery smile as I walked to class...

Tripping over myself, but regaining balance and just laughing...

The boy whistling for all the world to hear...

The boy jamming out with his headphones in, not a care in the world...

Laughter and smiles from people I knew, and people I didn't know...

And that list goes on too...

I recently read a talk by Elder Joseph B Wirthlin where he gives us 4 steps to help us find joy in life…

Learn to laugh--I couldn't help but think of my snowboarding experience. :)

Seek for the eternal--Always keep your goals focused on an eternal perspective...not an earthly one.

Understand the principle of compensation--The Lord will bless you, even if it doesn’t come at a time that you want.

Trust in the Lord--Put your trust in the Lord, do your best, and He will do the rest.-Joseph B Wirthlin

If we keep these 4 steps in mind we can be happy eternally. My absolute favorite quote from Joseph B Wirthlin is, “Come what may and love it.” No matter what happens in life, find the positive side and focus on it...even if it's not so grand, it will seem better.

“Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself.”

~Richard G. Scott~

This means that life will go on. Every trial that we go through will come to an end eventually. That end may be far away, but it will come. "Everything will be okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end." We need to remember this… keep everything in perspective and keep living life. “Come what may and love it.” Don’t let events get you down.

A lot of times I find myself worrying about the future… graduation, marriage, family, a career, and the list goes on. Sometimes I get weighed down with everything that I’m going to have to do and I forget about my life right now in the present. President Thomas S Monson tells us, “I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.”

Don’t worry about what is going to happen. Yes, you should prepare for it, but don’t spend time worrying about when it’s going to happen and what you are going to do when it does. That will all come with time, and you should just live life now. When I get stressed my dad tells me to live life one day at a time. That's what I try to do. Don’t worry about tomorrow when you’ve still got today.

We only live life once and we should make the most of it. President Monson also tells us, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.”

I hope you will be able to live life in the now. Don’t worry about what you are going to do in the future. Live in the present, put your trust in the Lord, learn and live the gospel... and learn to laugh. I promise you that you will find joy in your life if you do this. I know that the Lord is on our side. He knows what’s best for us and He will help us throughout life, even if it's just through the simple things we encounter every day.

Perspective

My last post was about enjoying the simple things in life. I came across this story that I think is a great example of appreciating the little things in life, so I figured I would just share it.

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the
express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
 Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! 
 "Life is too short and friends are too few."

Interesting, right?

Simple Things

Sometimes people look for the big things in order to find joy. They need things to be big, bold and in their face in order for them to be appreciative. When people think this way they tend to overlook many simple things that are just as great. They miss out on something small that could make them just as happy; if not more-so. I think we need to remember the little things, and always look for them because they are much more abundant than the big things.

A simple thing that I enjoy is to take a walk anywhere; I don't ever have a destination in mind. Sometimes I stick my headphones in and listen to music while I look at everything, and other times I just take the sounds of what's around me and listen. No matter where I go, there's always something that makes me smile; even if it's just the sunshine.

Another simple thing I wish I would take advantage of more is quiet time. I love to be the only one awake in the morning... and that's why I don't enjoy this one as often. Late night homework makes early morning quiet time a haze, and I would much rather be asleep. However, when I plan ahead and get to sleep earlier, then I'll get up and read or work on a project. I love how quiet it is and how much I'm able to focus and get things done. The best is Christmas morning when all the colorful lights are on and everyone comes out one by one. :)

One of my favorite simple things is the sunset. I always say I could watch the sunset every night and never get sick of it, and it's true! What I love is that it's different every night; no sunset is ever the same, and that's why it would never get old. Each time I watch one I love the peaceful feeling it brings, and the time it gives me to think.

Alma 37:6

6 Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Take the time to appreciate the simple things... and watch more sunsets. :)