That One Time I Got Inspired Again

Any time someone mentions having a blog, I become inspired to get back into writing mine.  If only people would mention blogging to me more often, maybe my blog wouldn't be going a year without any attention...
Not that there have been many grand events which slipped by without notice!! In the past year, I received my endowments, survived a flash flood and realized that, contrary to my previous belief, I am not ENTIRELY useless in the face of a crisis, and have had the pleasurable opportunity of seeing head wraps and flower wreaths-- styles I have adored since childhood-- become an acceptable fashion statement.
I'm back up at BYUI, entering into what will hopefully (cross your fingers and knock on wood) be my final two semesters before graduation. I have loved my time here, but I am definitely at the point of being ready to move on. Hopefully once I graduate, I will be moving down to Provo, Utah to try out life there! Not to be counting those chicken before they hatch, or anything...
This semester will definitely be more of my trying ones. I think. That's what the beginning of this semester is telling me. Maybe the dust of the first week will settle, and I will be pleasantly surprised as I gaze upon a semester where syllabi are tossed to the wind, and no one dares to speak filthy words like midterms and APA. And the flowers always bloom, and the temperature never drops below 50. You know, while I'm dreaming.
The crazy semester is, luckily, balanced out nicely by the girls I live with! I think I've got a good batch this semester, which is a relief and a blessing. Movie nights, ice cream runs, and greetings accompanied by hugs when I walk in!  I got pretty dang lucky there. Plus friends I've lived with before are here, and they are just some people whom I adore. Weekends where we can bond and play are what pull me through!
I am going to really try to keep this blog more updated. Not like I'm expecting much that's grand, but this is finding joy and wonder and lessons and growth in the small and everyday things. And if a grand thing happens, I will happily share it!

I love it when days are just... sort of meant for you!

Church today was just fantastic. I love fast and testimony meetings... it's such a great opportunity to hear the things that people have to say. It's not a group of people focused on one topic, or even given a prepared lesson. People just get to talk from their hearts, about whatever it is they feel like sharing. I know that not everyone is comfortable with getting up in front of a group of people and just sharing themselves like that, so I'm so grateful for those who do.

In Relief Society, our new RS president gave a little lesson, and that's when I started to feel like what was being talked about was really for me. One thing she asked was what markers we have for our lives, and the bishop's wife, sitting next to me, mentioned our patriarchal blessing. That was when things really started to click for me. I thought about my own patriarchal blessing, and about how I was way overdue for sitting down and reading it. I started to think about the parts in it that I knew well enough, and how it tied in to a conversation I had with my mom yesterday.

I'm not too far from graduating with my BA. Yesterday, I was going over everything, trying to figure out what to do with my life. Now, ideally, I would like to be an educated wife and mother. If that was my life, if I went through all this schooling and never applied it to a career because I was helping a husband to raise a family, I would not have a single problem with that. However, seeing as I don't even have a date for Friday night, I can't be twiddling my thumbs and just hope that happens. So, while I've been preparing myself for that as much as I can, I've got to be preparing myself for careers, too.

For the past couple of years, I've been moving forward with plans of being a Child Life Specialist. That would require me getting my BA, and then completing training for it. However, recently, I've started to wonder if I wanted to go to grad school so I can be a counselor? If I do, do I want to wait a while and work? Is that what I want to do at all? Do I want to teach instead? What will happen between now and the time I graduate... what other situations, relationships, etc. might come up that I will work into the equation? There are just SO many questions... being a grown-up is tough!!

Then in RS, the testimonies that were shared by both our new RS president and our recently released one, acted as a deep breath of fresh air to me. They both talked about trusting God, and trusting His timing. About believing that He knows what is best for you, and that He wants those best things even more than we do. He will lead us to where we are meant to go, and He will prepare us to be there. Even through small, seemingly unimportant things, He is helping us to be ready, in His kind, knowing, and loving way.

It's such a relief and a blessing to hear these lessons and to have this knowledge.  It's not like I've been set securely on one path, or have had God tell me "This is what's going to happen, and this is what you need to do".  And I know, like with the marriage and family I hope for, just because I need to have patience in God, it doesn't mean that I get to sit and twiddle my thumbs.  I need to work on keeping myself prepared for anything that comes.  I need to make sure I'm at a place in my life, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, that I can hear the promptings when they come.  I'll make sure I thrive where I stand, and am ready to move and act whenever I am called to.

So, life and stuff!!

Firstly, it's good.  I'm back from school until September, and that has a lot more ups than downs!  I could go in to more detail about that... actually, I wrote two long paragraphs going into depth about it, but ended up erasing it.  It's just not necessary, and would make a long read for anyone out there!!  Let's just say I miss some stuff about being at school, and there's a lot of stuff I love about being home :)

I'll be able to start making some money soon, which is absolutely nothing short of an answered prayer!!  I was getting to the point of starting to feel really stressed about money problems, and not wanting to ask my mom for help, when I reached out to someone in my mom's ward.  This woman is just amazing... I have nothing but wonderful things to say about her and her family.  I had babysat for her before, and sent her a message on facebook, letting her know that I was home, broke, and looking to babysit!  It just so happens that she and her husband had been needing a babysitter (lucky/blessed me!).  Tomorrow I'll be going over and giving it a sort of test run, since they have a new baby in addition to their sweet team.  This opportunity (if all goes well) is definitely God watching out for me.

Another big thing in my life (ha ha that's an unintentional pun you'll get in a minute) that I'm working on is my weight.  Since the beginning of this year, I've lost about 25 pounds, which gets me almost half-way to my goal.  Lately I have not been going as hard as I can, but I'm re-dedicating myself tomorrow.  At the end of June, I'm doing a Color Run (sooooo excited!) with my mom.  I want to be close to my goal weight by then, and I am absolutely determined to reach my goal weight by my birthday (July 20th).  I believe in the power of me :)

So, yeah, grown up responsibilities, getting healthy and fit (I want to be able to win the Hunger Games), cleaning the house a lot (but somehow always neglecting my own room...), and getting my SoCal glow back are the big things I'm working at now :)  This is all tossed in with a new church callings, friend time, family time, and trying to sit down and just read... and I like it just fine!!

In case the Clark Kent glasses, braid and pajamas don't clue you in, this blog entry is really geeky.  You have been warned.

So, two things bring out the geek in me: Disney and Superheroes.  Star Wars comes in third, but it's a step or two behind the others.

Don't judge.

In May, Iron Man 3 comes out.  In June, Superman comes out.  In November, Thor 2 comes out.  It's a good thing they're not all coming out closer together, because the heart attack would kill me.  It sounds silly and exaggerated, I know.  But I don't blame you for thinking so.  You can't really understand the level of my geekiness until you've been with me in the theatre as I watch a superhero movie for the first time.  I die.

Don't judge.

I could go into a nice explanation of why I love superheroes so much, but that's not really what sparked this post.  We'll save that for another day :)  What sparked this post is the idea of the superhero's lady.  It seems like pretty much each superhero has one. 

There is a significant part of me that believes in superheroes.  When I'm on a plane and scared of an explosion in the engine that tears off the side of the plane and I'm sucked out of the gaping hole (I hate flying), I sooth my fears, knowing that                 would swoop in and save me as I plummet to the ground.  When I'm out for a jog by myself late at night and I get an eerie feeling that I'm being followed, I brush those fears away, knowing that                   would stop the bad guy just in time, and I would be non the wiser.

I promise this post has a deeper point than how it's sounding thus far.  This is all just leading up to it.

In order to be the one saved from the plane, or the one watched over during the night jogs, I've gotta be the superhero's lady.  So I started thinking... what do I know about a superhero's lady?  Am I anything like one? 

First, we've never seen an unattractive one.  The ladies are beautiful.  I would never describe myself as beautiful.  So, whatever, there's that.

Then I realized that just because, at some point in their relationship, these ladies play the damsel in distress, they're not weak.  They're strong.  They have beliefs, values, and opinions.  They stand up for these things.  Whether the adversary they face is some larger-than-life, only-your-superhero-can-take-him-on villain, or the average-joe who is going against what they believe in, they don't back down.  They are plenty powerful.  They're good, and they fight on the side of good, as much they can, with the power that they have.

I would definitely like to work up to being the lady the superhero falls for.  She's a hero who stands for what is good, who helps people, and who fights her foes, without the radioactive bite, other-worldly powers, or millions of dollars to armor the rock-hard abs.  She seems like a pretty fantastic type of person to me.

On my way home!!!

Honestly, right now I'm just sort of going.  I don't think it will fully hit me until I unpack... and I take forever to unpack, so it will take a while!!

Getting home from school is a day-long journey.  I guess that's a little bit of an exaggeration, in all honesty, and even if it wasn't, I guess a day of traveling isn't that bad.

I left Rexburg at about 9:45 this morning.  It's 2:45 now, and I'm in the Salt Lake airport for the next hour and a half, waiting for my flight.  I definitely don't mind this part of the trip.  Really, it's getting past security and checking my bags that's the most stressful part.  But I did all that successfully  so it's all good!  Now I've just got to wait for my flight, and I've got my laptop, phone, a crochet hook and a ball of yarn, so I'm set!  The only other unpleasant part now is actually flying.  I hate flying.  Hate it.  It scares me.  I'd really rather not die in a fiery crash.  But I'm going to try not to think too much about that.

So, I'm almost home!  Let's see, if all goes according to plan, I'll have landed in five hours.  And then it's straight to a wedding reception.  Thaaaaaat's not my favorite idea, but oh well :)  It gave me an excuse to get done up this morning!

Ok.  I'm rambling.I guess I'm looking for something to do, besides spend hours on pinterest.  But even I am getting bored with this post!  So, wish me luck in my travels!  

Currently waiting for my roommate to open up the restroom (WHO takes a bath in the morning?  When you know there are four other girls who will need to get ready for the day??), so I can take my shower and start doing stuff.

Because there is stuff to be done!!  I head home Saturday morning, and need to put things in storage, return books, pack, clean... at least my finals are done!!

I really hate this point in the semester.  I hae needing to say goodbye to people I've really come to love.  Especially because as much as we say we'll get together, when you're spread out so many states apart, what's the REAL chance of that happening??

Also, leaving here is just bittersweet in itself.  This place is really another home of mine.  I pretty much love it here.  And my break is five months long.  That's a REALLY long time!!  It takes me a while to get back into the swing of things at home, especially since I'm coming back when people are still in school, so they're too busy, and too responsible to play with me!!  And with the way the job market is right now, there going to be very few people who will want to hire someone for just five months!  And, in all honesty, while I don't like being poor, I love my freedom :)  So, I'll just have a lot of time to devote to losing weight!!

On the other hand, I love home!  It's warm, it's sunny, it has beaches and Disneyland and malls and REAL Mexican food.  And, of course, it has my people.  I love my people :)  My friends and family who I haven't seen for months, and who I truly do miss.  My people are pretty cool.  I sort of like them a lot.

AND it's five months of not stressing about academic things, and not needing to buy my own groceries.  So, a BIG yay for those things!  And five months gives me time to reach certain goals that I really want to reach, so I'm happy to have time to devote to that before coming back up here.

It's both good and bad.  But I'm REALLY skilled at focusing on the good :)  So, everything's wonderful!

So, I'm from Southern California, going to school in Idaho.  Before beginning my first semester up here, I had seen it snow once.  Besides the fake stuff they do at Disneyland after the Christmas fireworks.  But anyway.  Most of my time up here has snow.  Flurries, blizzards, hail, freezing rain, slush crossing the street, patches of ice on the sidewalk, snowflakes which dance on the wind, right up into your nose... it's a new way of life.  As are seasons!  In Cali, it's warm.  Those are our seasons; WarmWinter, WarmSpring, HotSummer, WarmFall.  Sometimes it rains.  Sometimes it's kind of cold.  But it's generally warm.  AND I LIKE IT THAT WAY.

It's not that same way here.  Fall feels like how I imagine fall ought to feel; cold, crisp, brisk, with changing leaves.  You wear scarves out of necessity, not because they're cute.  And winter?  Well, I don't think this is how winter is suppose to feel.  A friend from back home told me once that "There's a crack in the ground in Rexburg, and the winds from hell rise up from there, and blow through the whole town".  I laughed when she told me.  I believe her now.  I don't believe hell is hot.  I believe it's cold, and there are great patches of ice everywhere, and even the snow is slippery, and stepping out of your apartment makes your nose hairs freeze, and even your eyeballs feel cold, and if you're not wearing earmuffs, you feel like there is some permanent damage being done to your eardrums because of the freezing air.

Anyway.  That was ranty.  Clearly, Rexburg weather is not my favorite.  However!!  To the point.

When you experience months of this bitter, biting, deathly, I-understand-what-the-pioneers-went-through type of winter, you LOVE THE HECK OUT OF SPRING. 

This week, spring has finally, graciously granted us with her presence.  The sun is shining, and you can actually feel the warmth from the sun.  These past couple of days, it's actually been hitting the 60s.  In the middle of this pst winter, I was wondering if I would live to see that again.  On Wednesday, I found myself sitting outside on the dead grass that has been buried under the snow for so long, soaking up the sun, listening to my music, and content as I could be-- in 58 degrees.  This place really does something to a person's head.  Living like a popsicle for months really changes your perspective on what a "nice, warm day" is!!