16 Days and Thanksgiving!!!

So I officially fly home in 16 days and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am...I'm so ready to go home to be with my family, to be back in Wisconnsin and to be done with this semester! With Thanksgiving tomorrow, today I was thinking of all the things that I am thankful for and I have a lot.

1. My Family!!!! I love my big family, we may get on each other's nerves but in the end we are there for one another and I wouldn't trade my family for anything!

2. I Love Wisconsin!!! Moving away has made me grow to truly love and appreciate Wisconsin! I love everything about my home state!

3. My Education....I have learned a lot at EAC and am so happy that I had the opportunity to come here and learn what I have. And I'm excited to further my education hopefully at BYU or a University in Utah!

4. Friends! I have the greatest friends in the world, and seriously they are pretty much everything in the counrty! I have great friends back home that I love dearly, I have met some great people in Arizona and Utah!! My friends mean the world to me and I am so grateful that I have them in my life!

5. Seasons! Moving away from Wisconsin, I have grown to really appreciate the 4 seasons! I hate cold, but I miss it. I am so grateful for grass and trees and snow and color..living in the desert you don't get that

6. The Gospel!!! I honestly don not know where I would be without the Gospel in my life!!

7. The Priesthood! I am so grateful that I grew up in a house that I was able to have a a father's blessing whenever, before school starts, when I'm sick, or just a bad day! Receiving a priesthood blessing is such a special thing for me, it makes me really know that My Father in Heaven is there and loves me!

8. My Trials..now that would never have been on my grateful list a few years ago, but now I can honestly say that I love my trials, I have finally grown to really know and realize that I am tested for a reason, everything happens for a reason!!!

9. Prayer! Prayer saves me daily! What more can I say?

10. My life!!! I have a great life, I have the best family and friends and I have so many blessings!!! I have a lot to work on and I have a lot of things I want to do, but I love my LIFE!!!

I can't wait to go home and be with my family! The countdown has begun!

My ABC's!!!

A- Attached or Single- Single...
B- Best friends- My Mom and Sisters
C- Cake or Pie-Banana cream Pie all the way!
D- Day of choice- Fridays...end of the weekdays
E- Essential Items- I have to go with Jeana on this one...all my products!! I think I get it from her..I need my good hair products and of course makeup
F- Favorite color-again with Jeana...Purple
G- Gummy Worms or Godiva Chocolate- Gummy Worms..not a big chocolate eater
H- Hometown- Good ol' Gresham!
I- Indulgences- Ice cream!! Cookies'n'Cream..got some in my freezer now..hehe
J- January of July-July...July 4th baby!
K- Kids- none
L- Life is incomplete without-Family and friends
M- Marriage Date- Hasn't happened yet...
N- Number of Siblings-I'm 6th out of 7! 3 brothers and 3 sisters..gotta love it
O- Oranges or Apples- apples mostly, but I'm always up for a good orange
P- Phobias or Fears- snakes, I can't even look at pictures of them...and I live in Arizona right now..what is wrong with me??
Q- Quotes- "Every ending is also a Beginning...we just don't know it at the time" "Dance as if no one is watching..."
R- Reasons to Smile-I have lots...the best Family in the world, the greatest Friends in the world, and knowing that I am a Daughter of my loving Heavenly Father!
S- Season- Having the experience of living in AZ and away from Wisconsin....I miss the 4 seasons for sure...as much as I don't like the cold, I miss the fall and all the colors and the winter of course
T- Tag Friends- Anyone that wants to learn their ABC's
U- Unknown Fact About Me- You probably know this, but I am a worry wart person....I worry about everything...
V- Very favorite Store- Maruices
W- Worst Habit- not that I can help it, but people to get annoyed with me that I can't wake up to an alarm clock that is right next to my head...seriously my alarm will go off for a good half hour every morning..I'm working on it I promise
X- X-ray, Ultra-sound or Mammagram- Out of the three I've only have had X-rays...when i fractured my thumb, but it wasn't that bad. I'm looking forward to an ultra-sound when I'm pregnant, but I'm definatly not looking forward to a Mammagram
Y- Your Favorite Food- I love food, lets just put it that way!
Z- Zodiac- Leo!!!

It is started...

I have officially started my BYU application for the second time this past week! I am applying to be a transfer student in the fall of 09!!! And I just had my interview with my Bishop today and I will meet with the Stake President in Wednesday night, I honestly can't say how I feel about everything yet. It hit me the other day that I am almost done with my time in Arizona and as excited I am to head up to Utah no matter if I get into BYU or not, I sure am going to miss AZ and the Gila Valley. I will definatly be leaving a part of my heart here, I've met some of the greatest people here and I am going to miss them so much!

I was told today that I have exactly 13 days of classes left and 26 days till I fly home!!! This semester has been interesting and definatly a learning experience, but it went by sooo fast now that I sit and take a look at it. I am so ready to go home, and I can't wait to get off that plane in good ol' Wisconsin!!! So it has started: my application, my limited time in a place I grew to love, and limited time with people I grew to love!!!

you are special....

Last week I was talking to my brother and we got talking about how confident his wife is and he made the comment, "its because of me..." at that point I chuckled sarcastically, but I totally agree that his wife is confident in herself, Thats one of the reason I look up to her so much. After I laughed, my brother then said, "if a wife is not confident in herself, its because her husband is not doing his job...don't you remember Johnny Lingo?? Johnny Lingo's wife began believing she was beautiful because of Johnny Lingo." Now I have been thinking about this for about a week now, and I keep thinking that it can't be just that. This is where the independent girl inside me comes out and says that it's not just beacuse of men that woman can feel confident and beautiful. The phrase comes to mind, "You have to love yourself to be loved!"

Now if that is the case, that it has to start with yourself...where and how??? We are taught in the scriptures that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" Does confidence grow with age? We are always taught that we as woman are Daughters of God...I remember Girls Camp one year we had that theme and I can tell you all week I felt like a true princess, but then I go back to the world, school and all, and that isn't always the case. Then I thought, isn't that what this earth life is about?? We are here on earth of gain earthly bodies, to fight through the struggles and trials of life to eventually gain Eternal Life, and isn't knowing ones worth part that??

Thinking about all about this, I got to thinking about the presidency lesson that I have to give the first week in December. I already decided that I was going to have my lesson be based off the book "You Are Special" by Max Lucado. And that I thought that this would tie in perfect. Now I'm asking how can I make this lesson work?? Any Ideas???

It could never happen...

Recently one of my closest friend's cousin passed away from cancer, and I have been thinking nonstop about the situation. This past weekend I saw my friend and we sat and talked about everything and it hit me how much you can love someone, when you just want to take the pain away. It killed me seeing her in so much heartache, and I've never met her cousin or most of her family for that matter, but I can't help but feel compassion for them. Her cousin was a beloved husband and father of two young kids, and my heart goes out to them. I couldn't imagine losing someone so close to me...you always think "it could never happen to me and this whole week I've just been thinking of how much I take for granted. I have so much to be thankful for and yet I find myself always wanting more and being selfish. This life is so short and I know that I need to make the most of everything and everyday...I want to wake up each day and MAKE is a great day. I don't want to have regrets and wish one day that I should've said "i love you" again to someone no longer here...so I am telling my family and friends now...I Love you!! Thank you for everything that you do for me, I don't know what I would do without you in my life!!

(especially to my friend..you know who you are...I'm always here!! I'm so sorry for your loss, I'm thinking of you)

Halloween!!

For Halloween this year I was Marilyn Monroe (well modest Marilyn Monroe)...She came back!!!! hehe it was a fun night, my friends and I went to the Institute for a Halloween dance then rented a scary movie (swimfan...not scary, pretty dumb actually would not recommend it to anyone) All together I had a good Halloween, but still wish I could've been home with all my nieces and nephews to take them trick or treating! Anyways, Jeana this costume is for you!! It was fun being Marilyn for the night!!