Think about it.

At seminary this morning, we were asked to think about something we were sincerely grateful for. We all gave obvious answers of: family, friends, rain, shine, etc, etc... And those are good, but I know I didn't put as much thought to that as I probably should have.

A couple years ago for Thanksgiving, I made a list before I hopped into bed of things I was grateful for. (Which consisted of 500+ bullet points.) Then I thanked Heavenly Father for each thing on that list. (It was a long prayer.)

I know i've been thankful for things around me, but I haven't really thought about it since that one experience. So after much pondering on just these few things, the answer to the question at seminary...

I'm grateful for:

MEMORIES. CHANGE. JOURNALS. TIME. PHOTOGRAPHS. HUGS. PEOPLE. CLEAN-BEDDING. HEALTH. STRUGGLES. MUSIC. LAUGHTER. LISTENERS. LOVE. SOUNDS. BEING ALIVE. 

I've thought about 16 things I'm truly grateful for this morning. Just 16. I know that doesn't seem like much... But, what if you didn't have just those 16 things? I bet it would feel like you're missing out on a lot. Think about it.


"I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."

—Thomas S. Monson

"blue skies fade to grey"

Yesterday, was all together a bad day. I didn't even write in my journal yesterday cause I just didn't want to make yet another stress filled entry/I didn't want to remember yesterday.

So I was saying my prayers last night...
tossing and turning...
too tired to stay awake...
but listening to my brain that wouldn't shut up for me to be able to fall asleep...
Praying for me to actually get something out of seminary...
...I had nightmares about dreading seminary coming so soon. About staying longer than needed, and not being allowed to leave.

I woke up throughout the night feeling restless, so that by the time my alarm went off, I seriously considered for the first time to skip seminary. I turned off my alarm (rather than hitting the snooze) and fell asleep again instantly.

Why would I need to go to seminary anyway?!

• To listen over my fellow seminary-goers voices TRYING to listen to our teacher who wouldn't be getting the respect he deserves?
• To be distracted as my friends pulled out their homework, cell phones and writing notes back and forth?

I've been guilty of some of that stuff before... But I'm just getting tired of it all.

5 minutes after I fell asleep, I woke up with the thought that I wasn't doing the right thing.
I sleepily got out of bed, moseyed to the bathroom, did the essentials, pulled on sweats, considered bringing hot cocoa, decided against it, forgot to brush my crazy bed head, and walked out the door, as my mom assured me that I looked like "walking death" ...Then... I entered my seminary room.

To my surprise, I found COUCHES in my classroom. And a substitute teacher with a book in hand. I grabbed the softest couch thinking this was all too good to be true, as she spoke the best words I've ever heard at 6am in the church building "I'm going to read a story, now my one rule is that if you don't like my story you can doze off and sleep, but no talking until I'm done"

It was a good story about her mission. We were done 15 minutes early, cleaned up the room, and she had hot chocolate for us in the kitchen and we all just mingled for the remaining time.

Best seminary class ever.
But I realized, that everything I had asked/told Heavenly Father in my prayer last night; he just had it covered! (Like usual.) Things I had asked had been answered through words our sub had said.

SO! Pray. Pray hard. Listen. Be obedient. Trust. And rely on the Lord. And everything will be okay.

That thing called "love"

Okay. I've said it before. I'm not a huge fan of Valentines day. 
...But today was pretty...hmm.... Okay. (:
Let's rewind to this past weekend.


On Saturday, during church basketball... My (right) foot thought it'd be a good idea to roll and make a loud cracky noise mid run... Later that night, this is how swollen it looked...No beuno:

YAY KANKLES!!! PREGO ANKLE!!!!

Yeah, it felt like an Easter egg was under my skin.

On Sunday I went to Stake Conference... Which was 2 hours long. Then at 5pm I headed to Tacoma for a 2 hour long mass at my best friends church, prepared to support her as she received the Holy Spirit. It was cool seeing (again) how the Catholic church worships, and I'm glad I got to go.

Monday night, I went to Olivia {my best friend's} house, bringing 17th birthday gifts!

{kissy!}

This ballon ^ made the lady at QFC get excited and ask "WHO HAD A BABY!?!?(:" to which I explained my best friends mom did....17 years ago. ;) She got a kick out of it and Olivia did too!

Side note: I painted her the painting in the background for her birthday 2 years? 3 years? ago!!

May I just take a slice of humble pie and say I'M A REALLY COOL BEST FRIEND!?

She wouldn't smile for me...

...but rather gave me sass...

....quite frankly I don't know what was going through her mind...

....But I got tired of trying to take a nice picture, and I started eating the ice cream I had just bought her (not pictured).

This was my attempt at NOT dressing in sweats and a sweatshirt to seminary... And NO I did not curl my hair at 5am... It's called, sleeping in a messy bun! Boo ya. 

Oh, did I mention my Valentine is the 12 year old down the street? ---No I didn't bribe him with a lollipop and a bouncy ball saying "you make my heart bounce" for him to be "mine".

I then proceeded to make Valentines Day as happy as it could be by making the house lovely, and not having the main focus be that you have to have a "boy toy" (as my sister says) spoil you.

2 of the 3 dozen flowers to Mom

The hearts I made 2 weeks ago by melting crayon shreds between wax paper and hanging on the chandelier, and in windows. Thank you Martha Stewart. 

Nathan busy at work making valentines for Mommy (his valentine).

German pancakes for breaky.

A Winnie the Pooh Valentines card from Mom... to rub into my sisters face who ADORES winnie the pooh...

My festive bedroom

Lexie's Valentine to me last year.

Valentines the boys will be receiving TOMORROW.

Oh yeah! Then I heard a knock on my door... And I was given THESE:

 Pretty GORGEOUS Aren't they!?
DEFINITELY made my WHOLE day wonderful! AND... It didn't take a boy to make it that way! A Sunday school teacher/a dear friend of mine since the time I was 7 years old took the time out of her day just to get me flowers! You have no idea what simple acts of kindness can mean to somebody. Love that lady! (:

*trying* to be artistic!

After 3 hours of painting at my art class, I got home to my 10 year old cousin who handed me this Valentine (:

Essentially, Valentines day, TODAY, has made me realize, it's not *alllll* about the mushy-gushy stuff that couples feel the need to pawn off to each other... But rather another day where people express in different and creative ways just how much they appreciate you; and boy do I feel appreciated!

The End.

T'was MY night before Christmas

I decided the most appropriate way to tell the story (being the night before Christmas) was to go traditional. (Beware, this was all on the spot writing, nothing actually special):

T'was the night before Christmas, the family party was finished
As we stayed to clean up, the part-goers diminished.
We packed up our stuff, and we drive home in the dark
To find our hairy greeter went missing, so we heard not a bark.


The neighborhood was silent, quiet and mellow
All except for the calls for our lost puppy, Longfellow.
We whistled and shouted as I shed a tear
The night before Christmas and my dog was not here.


Tuckered and tired my siblings soon said
"I'm sure he is fine, let's crawl into bed"
Their words didn't soothe, the pain in my gut
So I sent out once more, to find my poor mutt.


A ways down the street, I walked out of sight
Equipped with only, a small bright flash-light.
While frightening thoughts, soon filled my head
I rationalized a way my best friend could be dead.


T'was the night before Christmas, and I nearly gave up
When quickly I turned at the cry of my pup!
Though past 10 o'clock, I knocked on a neighbors door
My dog was in their back yard, I WAS SO SURE!


The lady was friendly, and let me walk through her house
When I adverted my eyes to her half naked spouse
I wished those were boxers rather than tiny black briefs,
I walked out the door with a SIGH of relief!


I ignored the image now etched in my brain
But all of this trouble did not go in vain!
Covered in leaves, and quite muddy
But who cares!? I had found my long lost buddy!


I found my doggy, he was shaky and tense
Trying not to fall off a ledge, he got half stuck in a fence.
He sprang in my arms and he was filled with delight
It was a Merry Christmas Eve, and we had a goodnight.




Now it's Christmas day, and I feel very spoiled! Yoga pants and undies (which are MUCH prettier than that old mans down the street) from Vickies Secret. Nikon camera. Life As We Know It. Chocolate. A pretty cardigan. An egg beater (I still can't figure out why I got this one...!) Socks. Nail polish. A childhood favorite book, Harold And The Purple Crayon. Giftcard to Starbucks. A 3oz. mug from Starbucks. Lotion. Probably a few more things I can't think of... But I definitely feel like this is one of those bigger Christmas' for me. As daddy would say "Spoiled rotten to the core!" I miss that man.


Church was only an hour long, and it was pushed back an hour so it started at 10am. We had crepes, filled with nutella and bananas for Breakfast. The choir at church performed, and the narrators voice made me want to fall asleep (in a good way) ...And I got to mingle with a few friends afterwards. We got home and broke open all the packages under the tree! Now dinner will be at 4pm because my family enjoys eating.


And there's still. no. snow. ....RAIN, actually.
Merry Christmas everybody!

just don't frown

"it's gonna be a great day! 
It's gonna be a great day!
IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT DAY!"

4 1/2 hours of sleep. Lectured in seminary for being quiet!! Struggled to stay awake while reading 56 pages in my history book. Had no ride to basketball practice... So I ran. In the cold. While having a cold. In shoes that made my two big toes turn black (bruised). Jammed 2 fingers for the first time at b-ball. Got back home, no one was home. Walked to the neighbors where Jim bandaged my fingers to a popsicle stick and adhesive tape. Then he made me macaroni and cheese with ketchup on top because "It just makes you feel better!" I get home again, realize I smell, so I shower with my left arm sticking out of the shower for 20 minutes IN A COLD SHOWER, and I would have been out sooner, but it's really hard without your other hand cause my bandage couldn't get wet. I can't type very fast now, so no more writing my essay tonight.

And in spite of all the what-others-would-consider-bad-things, today, was just a really good day! SO, when life gets you down... just don't frown. If you frown you won't see any of the weird positive ups!

I was able to get through the day without taking a nap! I accomplished more school than usual! I stuck to a schedule today. I was able to stretch my legs and go on a run for the first time in nearly a month. I got to see some of my wonderful friends. I got complimented on my form. Jim made me mac n' cheese!!!! Yum. My legs have that good sore feeling. Mom made yummy dinner. Mom was proud of my effort today and she rented me the movie One Day on itunes. So. I'm going to watch that now :) What an unusually wonderful day!

-Hannah

Adrenaline Junkie

Today is day #6 in Park City. Where is the time going? 

Well I signed away my life for the second time today! ...Call me an adrenaline junkie, but taking 3 ski lifts up a mountain and paying an additional $30 to go on the big zip-line to practically fall off a mountain... Now that was fun! The last ski lift was the worst, and that was almost scarier than the actual zipline! It had a flimsy little rod in front of us but otherwise if we rocked we would be gonners! As we were being hooked up, my eagerness was building! 

Jack Sparrow: You know that feeling you get when you're standing in a high place with that sudden urge to jump?... I don't have it. 

THIS IS NOT ME! I am not afraid of heights at all, but sometimes when I'm on the tip of something, I'm scared I won't be able to fight the urge to jump off and then I'll just splat and die. For example, when walking across the Tacoma Narrows bridge, I looked over the edge and saw a boat just about under me, and the only thought in my head was "if I jumped, would I make the boat, or just dive right through the boat?"  Lets NOT confuse suicide with adrenaline. That's what scares me.

So there I am, being strapped on and I just am wanting to dive into this! After I passed that emotion and we were off, it was AMAZING being able to look all the way down the mountain, and watch Lara screaming on the line beside me, and to realize that I am WAYYY above those trees going über fast and realizing that if the main 2 chords holding me on snapped, then I'd be screwed. It was the best use for $30 EVER. Did I mention that I was wearing converse cause Lara told me they'd look better in stead of keeping my feet warm?? Oh and by the way, I beat Lara down the mountain! I am a precision instrument built for speed!

So far we've covered: House-renting. Restaurant-going. Jacuzzi-ing. Tubing. Sauna-ing. Sneaking onto a bunny hill. Ice-skating. Number-taking. Zip-lining. Signing away our lives. My family has gotten so cool! What's next, SKY DIVING? That would be awesome.

Tonight is the last night for my older siblings... ): And I got my second nose bleed today. I hate how dry it is here. But that about catches you back up on how awesome we are ...Until Monday when I go back to being boring.

GOBBLE 'TIL YOU WOBBLE

Finally here!! The day where I can eat as MuCh as I want and no one can stop me because everyone else is doing exactly the same thing! Motto: 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Yesterday, day 3 in Park City, I got to go tubing for the first time with my familia. It was AWESOME. Ryan even said it's probably one of the best hills he's been down! We raced on our tummys, and spun in groups, laughed and screamed, it was absolutely delightful! Too bad we didn't get any pictures ): cause between riding up the conveyor belt, waiting in line, then taking a lift up to the tippy top of the hill, we had ZERO time to grab the camera and take pictures! We had 2 hours there and only got 5-6 rides. But it was memorable!

This would be my family... Too picky for turkey. So we're having some type of other meat like steak or something. Not to worry, mom is buying me turkey of some sort... But seriously, they claim it's always "too dry" PSHHHH. Girl please. 

This morning, instead of being in my hometown and running the 10k turkey trot which I had been practicing for, I'm sitting in front of a TV watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade eating yummy chocolate chip bread, and it was hilarious watching Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) dancing around cause I guess he's in some musical now... Then there was a depressing/guilt-trippy commercial which i can't find now, but it had Jennifer Aniston, Robin Williams, Morgan Freeman and Luis Fonsi on a childrens cancer research hospital about how all kids want for Christmas are to get better... Makes you feel kinda REALLY greedy.... AND OH MY GOSH, SANTA IS ABOUT TO COME DOWN 34TH STREET IN MANHATTAN! My youngest brother, Spencer, claims that it's just a "fake" Santa Clause... Whatever. You know I sat on Santa's lap this year already! He gave me a lollipop and denied my wish of a snowy Christmas... But now I'm just rambling...

So anyway, have a thankful Thanksgiving, eat lots, and be happy! (:

This is the only picture up on the internet so far of Santa Clause from the parade. BEST Santa I've EVER seen! And Mrs. Clause was there too! She's never done one of the parades before! Seriously though, they were adorable! He even KISSED her! Oh gosh. I want to meet him.

Grateful

I am grateful for today and what it's brought thus far:
6am I was able to go to seminary
7am I was able to get a ride from the best Opa in the world to SeaTac
9am I was enjoying a peppermint hot chocolate and a croissant from Starbucks
9:55am I was boarding a plane that showed me rain, bright sunny skies, and snowy mountains
12:53pm I was grateful to have landed safely
2:55pm I was grateful that this cute little restaurant in Park City let me get eggs benedict from their breakfast menu, even though they would have stopped breakfast hour by 3pm.
3:20pm I was grateful to be able to explore this awesome house we rented which appears to be small but in reality ...is not.
-I'm grateful for the 7 stories this house has that will help keep my legs toned while on this vacation
-I'm grateful that this house has a: sauna, fireplace, jacuzzi, queen sized beds, cable, internet, soft couch ...so I can live the high life for a whole week!
-I'm grateful that I'll get to see my siblings in a few hours (:
-I'm grateful that now I can take a nap on these heated floors in front of the fireplace
-I'm grateful for the Christmasy feeling of being in a snow-globe while snowflakes fall like powdered sugar onto waffles... I love this snow!
-I'm grateful that I'll get to spend Thanksgiving with all of my siblings.
-I'm grateful that I get to see my favorite grandpa tomorrow
-I'm grateful for taxi drivers that will bring my siblings to me soon soon SOON!
-I'm grateful that I was able to sneak onto the computer while mommy is grabbing groceries!
-I'm grateful for this awesome experience
-I'm grateful for my life (:

hAlLoWeEn 2011!

For Halloween, I made this lovely tutu as part of my costume of being a fairy... The whole point of this was to be able to have a cheeper costume and still be able to have fun with it.... Yeah, never think like that. You always find one more thing you need to add to make your costume perfect, and well, it just adds up!

 

I successfully did my own hair to be some sort of messy something or rather which i thought turned out splendidly! From far away it looked pro, and people kept asking me who did it! ...My sisters would be proud.

 

I agreed to pass out candy for the little children in my town with my best friend... So we had a lovely time together getting ready.

The finished results, heading to the harbor (: 

Something important to note is that today marks the 11th year Olivia and I met and became best friends, which is also the same day I moved into my house. So this is always a fun way to celebrate our friendship anniversaries! 

Last minute pumpkin carvings are in order. If I was asked to make one face to represent all of the faces of my siblings... This would be the face that describes us best. Pathetic?

This picture would be perfect if I had my wings, but I accidently left them at a friends house! Oops! (:

After freezing our toes off in the crisp Autumn air, Olivia bought us dinner, and we laughed so hard we were crying, well, I was crying, because of the lovely game "1-2-3 BE UGLY!" I always win this game... and I refuse to put up the picture where i win.... So this one is where Olivia won!

This was a few days back, I improved my hair since then, instead of that awkward part down the middle, but we had to get the family pics before our party we needed to attend.

It all boils down to... 

1.) I enjoy Halloween, and going all out for it!

2.) I love my home and hometown

3.)I love my best friend! Pals for life!

4.) I do love dance parties by myself to Thriller and Monster Mash.

5.) I felt odd being behind the bowl giving instead of receiving the cavity prone candies that rot my mouth... yet somehow I probably ate just as much candy as usual!

6.) Pumpkin Waffles. De-lish!

7.) My favorite costume tonight, was a 12ish year old boy dressed up something like this: 

Chick Magnet! Get it?! (:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Pros and Cons

Benefits and Drawbacks to my week/end...

Drawbacks:

• A guy flipped us off and made many naughty gestures... at first I thought he was speaking ASL... but I was soon corrected! This was after nearly hitting our car, then he threw stuff at our car from out his window. ALL in front of a little girl in the backseat. :(
• I got food poisoning from Applebees. Imagine if you will, knives stabbing all sides of your stomach... Essentially, I felt like throwing up during church. 
• I somehow managed to get a bruise in another inconvenient place.
• Stained my white shirt. ALWAYS happens to me.
• I'm running low on deoderant....moisterizer....razor blades....makeup.... and it all always happens about the same time every year.
• The dog peed on the floor. So not cool.

Overall:  happy feelings had diminished.

Benefits:

• We were able to laugh about the mean guy in the car
• Despite the food poisoning, I was able to enjoy time with some great friends over dinner, and enjoy a cuddle puddle while making up romance stories in the back seat of the car. (:
• My white shirt got clean...!
• I was able to attend the Seattle temple and do baptisms. The Spirit was so strong and I felt edified. -Guys look REALLY good in white. There's something about white... it just brings out the complexion in every guy.
•  When driving home from the temple, we passed a billboard that said "I'm a Mormon" and to visit "www.mormon.org" That made us all extremely happy!
• I got an amazing head massage. I love magical fingers!
• I ate black raspberry chocolate chip ice-cream with another lovely friend... We had deep conversations till 1am and I woke up to her telling me I was sleep talking!
• Church, like always, was just wonderful. I love my teachers. 
• I made a "skirt" this week. Like... a TUTU. Fairy for halloween?  Simple? Easy? Yes. Original? No. But what is original anymore anyway?
• Sunday naps! 
• A little girl I've never met said that if I gave her one of my Smarties, then she would name her daughter after me.

Overall: Even just one of these good things, can make all of the bad things look like not a big deal. 

"If Life Gets Too Hard To Stand, Kneel"

...Due to the fact that I usually fall asleep through my prayers...

Then I would probably wake up with yummy foods, and a couple of my favorite men.

HA! Jokes... Well, for the most part... 

"If Life Gets Too Hard To Stand, Kneel" Seriously, Gordon B. Hinckley KNOWS what he was talking about! It is IMPOSSIBLE to fall asleep on your knees.

ANYWAY, I thought you'd think this is a cool thought cause that's what I thunked.