Merry Chirstmas!

Christmas time can be so busy! I've felt more stressed this year at Christmas time than ever before. As think of all the things I'm trying to do and the money I'm trying to make, I feel like I haven't had as much time to think about Jesus Christ and his birth. None the less, I've been leaning quite heavily on my Savior lately and he has been a big part of my life.

I work at a restaurant and lately, they've cut everyone's hours. Go figure right? Christmas time and they cut hours. I've been working about half as many hours as I need so I've been picking up tons more shifts at my second job where usually, I'm just a substitute when someone goes out of town. Not only that, but I've been babysiting and people have paid me to wrap presents for them. China and school are expensive just by themselves, but put them both together and you have a lot of money... Heavenly Father promised to bless me and I've been blessed in a lot of ways, but I've had to work to receive those blessings. I've learned a lot and really had to push the stress levels down a lot. Things work out, but only if you do your part. I have to admit I am really ready to just take a day off of everything to relax. I'm so grateful to all the people who have been supportive and willing to help me out. I couldn't ask for better friends and family.

Just one month and two days until I go to China with my best friend! It's coming so fast! I remember when I first decided to go. It was over a year ago now. It's been a long time coming. I remember when I learned our departure date and it was four months away. How time has flown! I feel so unprepared to go and there are so many things to consider and put together before I leave. Not only that, but I'm anticipating being really homesick like I am every time I move away. I know it will be completely worth it and I plan on emailing and skypeing tons and tons. I think it will really help to have my best friend with me also. When I was at the resort, I felt much more at home once I had made good friends.

I hope that everyone has felt loved and cared for this Christmas season as I have. I also hope that it hasn't been too stressful and that you've thought of Jesus and his birth as he is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas to you all!

Happy Late Thanksgiving!

Okay, I know that Thanksgiving was two days ago, but I just really wanted to write a post about people and things I love and am grateful for.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ: For all the tender mercies they grant me, loving me unconditionally, blessing me with all the wonderful things I have in my life, sending me the spirit, answering prayers, giving me opportunities to grow and learn, sending me trials, sending me wonderful people, always being there so I don't feel alone.

My Parents: For supporting me, letting me live my dreams, laughing at me when I do dumb things, letting me live with them, listening to my worries and concerns even if they are trivial or dumb, loving me, working hard, teaching me good things and helping me live the gospel.

My siblings: For teasing me non-stop, helping me to laugh at myself, playing games and talking, being great examples, acting like crazies.

My best friend: For listening to everything I say, understanding me, making me laugh like no one else can, reminding me to be silly sometimes, going to China with me so I don't have to go alone, being a great example, teaching me, going to Barnes and Noble with me, being my best friend.

My friends: For skipping classes with me, texting me in class, doing crazy things with me, watching movies and quoting kid history, listening to my music and pretending to like it, listening to me and understanding me, sticking with me through the years, always being there, being great examples of faith and love, laughing at me.

Work: Ideally, I would just be rich and not need to work, but I am so grateful to be able to work for the things I want like school and China. I'm grateful that I have a job where I have friends and good managers who keep things uplifting and positive and make me feel like a winner. :)

School: I'm not thankful for homework, but I'm so glad I can go to school and learn. I love being able to learn new things and become a better person. I am grateful that I can pay for my education and that my teachers are so nice and understanding.

America: Freedom to practice whatever religion I want, to say what I want, and to be what I want. I love America and the freedoms I enjoy. I am proud to be an American!

Money: I know, this is so shallow, but I am so grateful for money because it teaches me a lot. Paying for school and China has been hard, but I'm so glad that I had to work for those things. You work hard for things that are important to you.

China: I am so glad China exists so I can go spend five months teaching English with my best friend. :)

I am so blessed and overwhelmed with everything in my life. Life isn't perfect, but it sure is wonderful!

Happy Holidays!

Life Sure Is Crazy!

Hello! Long time no see/type? So here's just an update on the things going on in my life.

I'm going to Weber State full time where I'm working towards my Elementary Education degree (and not even half way yet). I work 20 to 30 hours a week at a restaurant where I try to make enough money to pay for expensive tuition and payments for China.

I leave for China to teach English for 5 months on January 30th with my best friend. I will spend a few days touring Hong Kong before going to my assigned school, which I will be informed of in December. I'm beyond excited since I've been wanting to go for over a year and it's finally happening! :)

I have the best friends anyone could ask for. They are good people, they help me be a better person and help me out when I need them. I can't say how glad I am to have them. They text me while I'm bored in class, watch movies with me, and follow me when I decide to go somewhere on a whim.

I love my family so much, they are so supportive of everything going on. I love sitting down with my mom and updating her on all things school, boys, work, and friends. I know my family members all love me and care about what goes on in my life. I love them all very very much.

I'm a member of the Welcoming Committee in my ward and I haven't really gotten a chance to do much yet, but I'm really excited to meet all the new people that come into the ward and make some new friends to add to the other wonderful friends.

After coming back from working at the resort, I felt a little like a different person. I'm more adventurous and spontaneous. I'm more me, and I have gotten to where I like myself for who I am.

Life is definitely going uphill right now and I'm grateful to be out of the slumps I was in at the beginning of the year. I'm very blessed in all aspects of my life. It helps to be postive when things get hard, because they still do sometimes. Either way, I love Heavenly Father and Jesus very much and I'm trying very hard to please them. I have so much, how could I forsake them?

Homework Protocol

If you happen to be writing a paper for English, this is how it must be done.

1. Get on Facebook.
2. Pull up the Word Perfect, if you are up to date unlike me, you pull up Microsoft Word
3. Check email.
4. Type in header and other required info (Name, date, teacher, class.)
5. Find a reason to type something in the blog.
6. Watch the new Kid History Episode
7. Think, "Oh yeah I have to write that paper!" And go write the title and one sentence before going back to facebook one more time.

I know that it takes ten times longer to write the paper this way, but it's a lot more entertaining. Cheers!

Weber State, Weber State, Great, Great, Great!

First week of school as a transfer student at Weber: Success!

On the first day of school, I got really confused trying to find my health education class. Turns out it's in the gym building of all places and I didn't realize that. I kept thinking, "That's the wrong building!"

The bus ride is 1 hour and fifteen minutes.

I only go Monday Wednesday Friday. Perfect!

I come home from school completely ravenous.

College is the PERFECT place to people watch. You wouldn't believe the things people do. Also the bus.

I like big libraries and Weber State's library fits those qualifications. I've already checked out some books. :)

There were people praying in the middle of the bookstore.

I got a free water bottle! Three cheers for free stuff!

My history teacher has something against ANY other college except Weber. If you wear other colleges clothing, he will "slap it off you."

I only have to take one or two finals at end of semester. The rest are papers and that is CAKE!

This semester is going to be fun!

Weber State, Weber State, Great! Great! GREAT!

Things I'll miss

I go home from working at Zion Ponderosa in less than a week and it makes me a little sad. I will miss a lot of things about this place.

• The completely amazing people I have been able to meet and become friends with.
• Being able to go into Zion National Park any time day or night.
• The stars and the milky way.
• Zion Canyon at night.
• Sleeping under the stars.
• Staying up all hours of the night talking and watching movies with friends.
• Swimming in the AWESOME pool.
• Spontaneous fun.
• Doing all kinds of fun things for free. I.E. Four wheeling, horseback riding, canyoneering, jeep tours etc.
• Talking to people from all over the world.
• 30 min. phone calls with guests. NOT.
• All the activities at the resort. IE Bonfires, volleyball, night hikes, rodeos.
• Hiking
• Bunny rabbit hunting
• Driving up North Fork Road way too fast because we all know the road so well.
• Getting huge tips from people.
• Radio conversations. "Did you order something for Zion Ponderoa" "Ponderow row row your boat!"
• Joy riding in the golf carts.
• Telling people the story of Jolley and touring Jolley's Cabin.
• Days at the pool

Things I will not miss:

• Mountain goats and tourists. NOT a good combination.
• Wal-Mart is an hour away.
• The meal plan. The food was fine, but I like to be able to cook for myself.
• Working and missing out on awesome stuff. :(
• Missing my family and friends back home.
• No cellphone service
• Annoying guests. "Zion Ponderosa this is Sarah." "Hi, is this Zion Ponderosa?"
• Long car rides

Zion Ponderosa, I will miss you!

Golf Cart Madness

Today at work, I rented a golf cart out to a customer and her sons. She wanted me to show her how to drive it. It went a little like this:
Me: Okay, here is the gas peddle, if you push this knob all the way to the left, it will put the cart into drive.
Lady: Like this? (She then drives up over the curb onto the grass screaming until she found the brake)
Me: Yes, like that.
Sons: I think we'll walk.

To Jump or not to Jump

So a bunch of my co-workers are planning a skydiving trip. I REALLY want to go. Especially because it is on my bucket list. The only problem is, I need to pay for school and I feel like if I go, I might be short on money. My dilema is, do I be responsible and act like a grown up? Or do I be spontaneous and JUMP? Lucky for me, this is the kind of problem I have to worry about and not something much worse.

Right now I'm leaning towards jumping. I really would be okay if I didn't go. I would just wish I had gone. I want to JUMP!!!

In Loving Memory

Four years ago today, my grandma passed away. I miss her lots and I'm glad that I get to share a name with her since she was a truly wonderful woman.
Love you Grandma Joy!

Vacation While I Work

Here I am at Zion Ponderosa Resort livin' it up! I live in an apartment with 8 or 9 other girls and I share a room with 3. I work full time five days a week or more if I pick up a shift. The resort is right by Zion's National Park and I get into the park free while I work here. On my days off I get to go hiking etc. I eat the meals they serve to the guests and the food is alright. The only bad thing, I don't have a car so when I do have a day off, I can't do what I want, I have to mooch off other people and it's totally lame. So today was supposed to be my day off, but I didn't have anything to do so when I got asked to pick up an 8 hour shift, I did! Unfortunately, time passes really slow at the gift shop so I just kind of get bored. It's okay though, I get to blog. :)

I really feel like I am on vacation here, not working. Work isn't hard, I actually really like being a receptionist and answering the phones. I get to do all the activities on the resort for free while I'm here and I've already hit up the hot tub, the zip line, the bonfire, and the mini golf! The only bad thing? Everything is 30+ minutes away. It's weird since I grew up in a city where everything is 10 minutes away at the most.

It is really beautiful up here and the stars are bright. I really do miss my family and friends and I keep thinking of things to tell them. I have access to email so lots of people should email me so I can be connected. My email is on my facebook page. If you email me your address, I'll send you a post card from here. :)

Live it up!

FTSK!

Today, Sadie and I went to the Zumiez Couch Tour featuring Forever the Sickest Kids and Anarbor. Just so you know, Anabor wasn't that great. Okay, they were not great AT ALL. When FTSK finally came on the stage, it was AMAZING! They are fantastic live and have great stage presence. They were cool! They played a few good songs and it was so fun! Sadie and I were on the second row. The drummer came on a did a plank on his drum. Then the lead singer did a plank on his stereo. I got a picture. It was awesome! Planking, a world wide inside joke. When we get more pictures, I'll post them all. I just bought a camera so be prepared. :)

FTSK!

Zion Ponderosa Resort

THIS is why I love life! It happens so fast! Two days ago, I got a phone call from a resort I applied to in March. They interviewed me and then let me know they would call me after conducting some other interviews. They called me yesterday and told me that they wanted to hire me! I told them I would call them back with my decision. After some personal thought and four phone calls to Sadie, Mom, Dad, and my friend Kimee, I called them back and accepted the position offered to me. I leave in two weeks to be a receptionist at the front desk full time. I get two days off a week and I will get to hike all over Zion's National Park ALL I WANT!! I am BEYOND excited and I CANNOT wait! I went to work today and put in my two weeks. I leave on the 19th and I'll come back in August before school starts. This is the coolest thing ever and it just feels so right! I am SO excited!!! Room and board is $10 a week and then I'll be on a meal plan which is $40 a week. Talk about CHEAP! I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO SO excited! Can you tell?

Horseback Riding at Zion Ponderosa Ranch and Resort

P.S. Sorry if this is confusing or something, I'm just so excited!

Patience, It's an Acquired Taste

But it's one I'm acquiring! Slowly, but surely I'm learning patience. It might have something to do with waiting 3 months to find a job and other such things. I don't get frustrated very easily anymore, but I am still very impatient about some things. I'm trying not to go into detail about what though. :) But I'm learning patience and I'm glad, because I know it's a quality I want to have when I'm a mom someday. Here's to patience.

Too Sarah

The following is a letter my five year old cousin wrote to me. :)

Sarah,
This is the most delicious kind of chips I have ever tasted! This is how the story begins. Lay's Limon Chips are the best chips I ever tasted. I saw them and went to taste them and I thought I had poisonous chips in my hands, but I like them. And some day I will send some to you so you can taste them and you'll like them too.
By Joey

He liked the chips so much he just HAD to write me a letter. It was so cute and it almost feels like an advertisement for Lay's. :) Guess I better go buy some Lay's Limon Chips! :)

If You Loved Me For Me

Today I watched one of my favorite movies with my cousin. It's called Princess and the Pauper and it's geared towards little girls. Don't make fun of me, okay? :) There is a song on there that I just LOVE! It's called If You Love Me For Me.

ERIKA:
Once a lass met a lad
You're a gentle one, said she
In my heart I'd be glad
If you loved me for me

You say your love is true
And I hope that it will be

DOMINIC:
I'd be sure, if I knew
That you loved me for me

ERIKA:
Could I be the one you're seeking?
Will I be the one you choose? Can you tell my heart is speaking?
My eyes will give you clues

DOMINIC:
What you see may be deceiving
Truth lies underneath the skin

ERIKA:
Hope will blossom by believing

BOTH:
The heart that lies within

DOMINIC:
I'll be yours
Together we shall always be as one
If you love me for me

ERIKA:
Who can say where we'll go
Who can promise what will be
But I'll stay by your side
DOMINIC:
I'll be yours
Together we shall always
Be as one

BOTH:
If you love me for me
If you love me for me

I know it's totally cheesy, but I just LOVE it! That is all. The end.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Seriously, I have the BEST Dad in the whole world. He is truly amazing. Here are the many reasons why.

• He is the very definition of hard working.
• He loves his family more than anything
• He understands me.
• He is fun. For example: River Trips to Jackson Hole, "Kick Ups" and "Roll Overs." Bikes, Softball, Soccer Coach.
• He is funny. I.E. A bonfire with a bunch of hay bales for seats and a toilet.
• He breathes weird when he's proud of himself.
• He looks at flight prices and announces every good deal he finds even though we all know he will never buy them.
• He can fix just about anything. (It make take several tries, but in the end...)
• Story: I woke up at four in the morning once and couldn't sleep. I came downstairs and found him awake too. We ended up talking for an hour in the middle of the night about boys
• He gives the best advice.
• He is romantic and thoughtful. I.E. Queen for the Day.
• He has a unique sense of humor.
• He is a good man.
• He is spiritual.
• He takes us out on one-on-one dinner dates or to the Jazz games.
• When he's watching the game, you can say anything you want to him because he won't hear you.
• He is talented at what he does.
• When he read stories to us, he had a different voice for every character.
• Instead of typing, he chicken pecks with two fingers.
• He texts like a caveman.
• He is adventurous.
• He is kind.
• He is the master mind behind chickens, ducks, dogs, etc.
• Two words. Razzleberry Pie.
• He says, "I love you."
• He holds the Priesthood and uses it in our home. I can ask him for a blessing any time.
• He is respectful and honest.

Dad, I love you! You are my hero and my best friend. I couldn't ask for a better father.

Love, Sarah

Happy Birthday Sadie!

Today is my older sisters birthday. This post is dedicated to her. :)

Favorite memories:

• Pillow horse races.
• Butterfly land
• Bike horse races with Magical Mane and my horrible copy cat of a name, Magical Glitter.
• Catching potato bugs and naming them Rose.
• Playing fairies. Dewdrop, Autumn, June, etc. 
• Sheets in the wind
• Trips to the pond with stories of the secret box
• Driving in the car blasting Here by HelloGoodbye
• Playing horses while Dad built our closet.
• Driving an imaginary carriage while bouncing on the bed
• "Sadie, was that you?"
• Cattails
• Debts (I always owed more than you)
• Playing Barbies for hours. Most of that time spent dressing them and doing their hair. You always got the best Barbie clothes. (Too bad we couldn't put the clothes in a magical dryer that made them our size)
• Horseback riding in the big field
• Never having to clean our room. ;)
• The Band! (There's a pain in my heart like a cold December,) I was always the best back up singer ever. 
• ABBA (Your favorite song, Does Your Mother Know? Mine, A Man After Midnight. Uh...)
• Mario Party until "late" at night.
• Monopoly Party (You ALWAYS won.)
• Talking in my room or yours until we both fall asleep.
• Harry Potter Midnight Book Parties
• Harry Potter Midnight Showings
• Picking you up from the Airport when you got home from China.
• Seeing you when you came to visit me at my apartment after being away all summer.
• "If you punched me in the stomach, I'd throw up on you." "If you punched me in the stomach right now, I'd.... throw up on Grandma?" "Uh..."
• River Rafting!
• Quiet Books
• Predicting who we will marry and being TERRIBLY wrong
• MASH
• Domo
• The iPod telling us to go to California

Other random memories

• Kick ups, roll overs, and pancakes.
• "It smells like the dump." "Jordan smells like the dump."
• Saturday morning Phantom of the Opera
• Big J and Mr. Duck
• "Oh look a duck!" Ten second later, "Oh look, a duck!" "Hello Captain Obvious!"
• Wave Race
• The first time playing Game Cube, Mom-"The graphics are so good it's making me dizzy."
• 10 cent Star Wars Movies
• Pack Camels on Sunday

Love you, best friend!

Sarah

Neglect

If my blog seems neglected it's because I started my own blogging journal. I blog to express random feelings and when I write in my journal, those feelings are compromised so I changed from a book journal to a blog journal. It's exciting because already I have several more pages worth of words that I wouldn't have put into writing in my book journal. I will keep blogging though. Don't worry. :)

Adventure on the Road

I left my bike down at my apartment where I lived last semester because when I moved out, it wouldn't fit into my car. I drove down for a night with my older sister Sadie to pick it up. My brother put his stereo system in so we could have an iPod hook up and we jammed the whole way down. A few of my favorites: Friday is Forever-We the Kings, and all the songs about California. (There were A LOT). When we got there, I went and said hi to some friends, Amelia, Brian, and Ryan. Amelia, Brian, Sadie and I went to the institute dance where there was WAY too much country music playing, and not the good kind of country either. Then we celebrated Brian's birthday with chocolate covered rice krispy treats. When the guys started talking about burning things, we left. :)

The next morning, we attempted to load my bike into my car. A few failed attempts later I went and got Tanner to help us. A nice long rip in the ceiling of my car and a wrench later, my bike was comfortably nestled in the back seat and off we went. After a stop to get swiss ham croissants at Arby's, we listened to Relient K the rest of the way home through the rain. Thanks to "G," (that's my cars name) my 1995 Thunderbird, the trip was smooth sailing.  GO G!

Fun, Fun, Fun 'Till Daddy Takes The T-Bird Away

And with the radio blasting
Goes cruising just as fast as she can now

And she'll have fun, fun, fun
'til her daddy takes the T-Bird away
-The Beach Boys


Today marks the day I officially got my T-Bird!! :D It's a 1994 Ford Thunderbird. It has a horrible paint job and I love it so very much! I've had my heart set on this car for 2 or 3 years now. Only bad news is, my brother is taking it to Wyoming for two months until he can buy a car. I'll survive, but I will have withdrawals for sure. I'm super excited to make a mix CD with Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys as track #1 to put in CD slot 1 and then fill up the other 5 with summer CD's and Relient K mixes. BEST DAY EVER!

CHINA!

Call me impatient if you will, but I want to be in China right now! February can't come soon enough. Since all I'm doing is working, it's hard to be excited about anything else but China. I'm starting my application through China Horizons and I'm saving up slowly. For those who don't know, I'm going to teach English for four months next spring in China with my amazing friend Kimee. I can't wait to meet the kids I'll be teaching and watch them learn and grow. I also can't wait to go somewhere outside of the country and have a passport. These things are miracles to me.

The Blog of 1000 Awesome Things

I LOVE this blog! It makes me smile and become a little nostalgic. You know how you do things and you wonder if other people do them too? This blog totally confirms other people do crazy stuff too. Some of my favorites are:

• #297 Singing the national anthem with a big crowd
• #317 When you can hear it snowing
• #371 Seeing old people holding hands
• #442 Figuring out how we got on this topic
• #490 Driving around with the windows down on late summer nights
• #494 Cutting your sandwich into triangles
• #508 Dropping your cell phone on the sidewalk and then realizing it’s totally fine
• #545 Watching a movie in the basement with a group of friends
• #569 Sharing your stories with friends
• #620 Singing in the car on the way home from the concert
• #629 When it feels like the lyrics to the song you’re listening to were written just for you
• #650 The first couple hours of the roadtrip
• #660 Stomping dry crunchy leaves on the sidewalk
• #681 Realizing you’re going to be in the background of someone else’s picture and smiling at the last second
• #691 When you flip to a radio station just as a song you love is starting
• #698 Listening to your new favorite song over and over again
• #771 Waking up before your alarm clock and realizing you’ve got lots of sleep time left
• #737 Catching somebody singing in their car and sharing a laugh with them
• #837 Pushing those little buttons on the soft drink cup lid
• #885 Paying for something with exact change
• #923 Doing anything that makes you feel like a caveman

Totally take some time to read through this blog. And for anyone planning on buying me a "just because" present, buy me the Book of Awesome. ;) Happy reading!

Don't Dance The Night Away

Erin and I went to a dance at the local institute on Friday. We were excited to go and we even wore matching shoes that we got from Target for $9! When we got there, we realized we didn't have any friends at the dance. Note to self: dances are not fun when there are only two of you. We tried to dance and have fun, but there was only so much we could do! We stayed the whole time though, and it was fun for the most part. Too bad no cute boys asked us to dance. Then we went to my house and watched my favorite Barbie Princess movie. (Don't make fun of us!) In the long run, it was fun! :)

On A Scale of 1 to 10...

Conference gets a 100! The best way to be uplifted and rejuvenated is to attend conference either at home on the TV or in person at the Conference Center like I did. Erin, Alex, Jordan, and I decided we wanted to go see if we could get tickets to the afternoon session today. Somehow, Jordan magically had 4 tickets 5 minutes after we arrived. It's a miracle to see so many saints in the same place. There is a fellowship felt that I can't fully explain. We are all brothers and sisters and we feel that bond when we come together.

Words can't explain what I feel towards my church and my church leaders. What wonderful men and women. They are good, charitable, loving, and in all ways an example of Christ. I feel so blessed to be instructed by them  as their words ring true in my heart. At the end of conference, I feel so blessed. I live in a wonderful state where I am surrounded by so many who share my beliefs. I can go to the temple whenever I want with so many temples nearby in less than an hour. My family all lives close and I see them often. I have the best immediate family of all time (dispute all you want, I'll never back down. :) ). They make me laugh and we are all very close. All my favorite memories involve them. I could go on for hours about all the blessings I have but mostly, I want to say that I LOVE my life. I love who I am, who I can become, and Heavenly Father for giving me this life and allowing me to still be in it. I can never repay Him or the Savior for what they have done for me. I only hope that I can live my life in such a way that will show my gratitude and love. I'm excited to be able to someday serve a mission and share my testimony with the world. Until then, little blog, you will have to do.

Festival of COLORS

We celebrate spring by throwing colored chalky dust stuff at each other. It's actually an Indian (India) Holiday, but it's fun enough that everyone joins in. I went with a couple of friends Erin and Alex. We had a blast!

AFTER!

Farmer's Tan!

I don't really look like myself eh?

Happy Birthday Erin!

Today is my friend Erin's birthday. She turns 19. The one thing she hates is snow, but guess what it does? It snows on her birthday! :( Sorry, Erin! I'm just hoping it doesn't ruin our celebratory plans. If so, I'll be terribly sad. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIN!

Burdens Lifted

I love my religion so much! I love being able to repent of sins and feel the burden (guilt and sorrow) lifted off my shoulders. I have been feeling especially lite and free and it's amazing how it affects my mood. I can be much more positive abot my current situation and hopeful for a better one. Not only do I love repentance but I love prayer and the temple. Today I went and did baptisms with a couple good friends at the temple and it was absolutely wonderful to feel the spirit so strong and forget about the world for a while. I am a member of the best religion on the planet!

Got Milk?

 I have this friend. He is talented when it comes to photoshop and I thought this was hilarious!  GO STAR WARS! ;)



-Photo by Scott Levie

Back in Kindergarten

Remember when you were in Kindergarten and on the first day of March you determinded if it came in like a lamb or a lion? Today, March came in like a lamb. It is a beautiful day!

Library, I Love You

I love the local library always. Oh wait, I don't like them when they don't have the book I want. Like today, I wanted The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and they didn't have it! I was disappointed. They also didn't have the book by Mark Zusak that I wanted. Dear Library, today you failed me. However, I came away with a few good reads none the less.

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
• The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Leverage Point by Gerald N. Lund

My sister has been reading the classics and I decided that that would be a good direction to take since I haven't any other books I'm dying to read except The Color Purple. I just started The Scarlet Letter and so far, I'm enjoying it. It makes me feel smart when I understand the words because it is so different from how we talk now. I just have to keep an open mind and the words flow like a fast paced river into my mind. (Cool metaphor, eh?) I was not surprised to find that we had all the classic books in my on home library, but there is something magical about pulling the book off the shelf and putting it in your stack, then getting it scanned. I love that sound that says, "These books are all yours for a whole month!" I am offically guilty of having a stack of books sitting on my floor by my bed. At least every week or so, there is a different stack instead of the same ones for months, right?

Question Marks

Life is full of them. What to do with life, where to go to school, where to work, who to be friends with, where to live, who to love. I guess you could say those are my major question marks right now. Not the last one though. :) I have lots of questions about myself. I know who I am, where I came from, and why I am here. Despite all this knowledge, I wonder if I'm good enough, if I'm doing the right things, if I'm headed in the direction my Heavenly Father wants me to be. At this point in my life, nothing is happening the way I would like it to. I'm learning lessons that I know are important to my future, but I'm trying to get the downward spiral to reverse and begin climbing to happier times. I've always been busy. For example, my senior year in high school, I was captain of the Impact Team, president of the large choir, a member of seminary coucil, in the advanced theatre class, in two choirs, and in the schools musical all at once. I loved it so much and loved my senior year. Now, I'm stuck at home with out a job, without a calling in church, and I'm not futhuring my education like I would like to. Everytime someone asks me what I'm doing, I go out of my way to tell them my story so that they won't judge me poorly. Despite that, people are still hard on me. I feel like I failed, didn't measure up to my potential, and now I'm hating myself for it. All my life I've held a really high bar for myself. Senior year, I didn't feel like I was meeting that bar which resulted a meltdown in english, a meeting with my counselor and mother and a trip to Olive Garden -now I see how stupid I was for thinking that, but I feel like now, I can justly say that I'm not meeting the bar AT ALL.

Back in October, I wrote a letter to a missionary friend, He sent his letter in November and I recieved it several months later at the perfect time (last Saturday). As I read the letter, I felt a weight lift off as my friends words were just what I needed to hear. It was WONDERFUL to have someone thousands of miles away in Brazil so supportive of me who has so much faith in my potential. I knew that letter got lost for so long for a reason. One thing he said especially blessed me. He said, "Do you think Heavenly Father and Christ will let a daughter ever be alone or without blessings especially when she is doing what is right? You may feel lonely or unnoticed now, but it is simply to prepare you for what the lord has in store for you in the future." Those words were just what I needed. I know that the best friends I have are the ones receptive to the spirit and capable of being the vesels to answer my desperate prayers. Don't worry about me. I'm ready to face this trail head on! GO ME! :)

Snow Snow Sushi

Last night it started to snow! A LOT! We haven't had a big snow storm at all this winter so I'm so glad it's here. Better late than never right? Here are some pictures of the snow.

The first and last pictures are of trees in my yard. The second and forth are of the back porch. The middle one is a red crate that was left outside; it's about 12x12x12". Snow is so beautiful and I love it so much! Unfortunately, it's supposed to be 40 degrees tomorrow and the snow will probably melt, but there is another storm due Thursday. Can't wait!

This weekend, I tried sushi for the first time. I really liked it and I'm excited to try other types of sushi since I just had a california roll.

The Love of My Life

I get cravings for it on some occasions and when I do, I go to the Library, spend way too much time looking through the shelves and selecting the small, large, thick, thin, colorful, or dull books. Then, I rush home and READ. One book a day, often reading late into the night. I've always been that way since the time I was 9. I couldn't bear to draw out the time spent reading so I always read like it's going out of style or something. Homework gets neglected and it's painful when I'd have to go somewhere and stop reading. I love getting lost in books, in school, I would have teachers calling my name and I wouldn't even noticed, I'd be so into my book. There are whole new worlds to imagine and people to see. I love creating the character in my own head and I often see them much differently than the authors description because of my very independent imagination. However, if you tell me I have to read a book for school, especially a text book, I will neglect it, or procrastinate.

Reading is the love of my life. I've never met someone or done something that has left me so addicted-yet. Now I bid you farewell as there is a stack of books on my desk waiting to be devoured.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I have to say I really love hearts. It's a good shape. Secretly, I've always wanted to have a secret valentine. Maybe I'll be someone else's secret valentine! That'd be fun!

Be sure and spread the love today! I sure will!

The Nail Polish Bag

Meet the nail polish bag. Between me and my two sisters, we have a lot of nail polish so we have this bag to keep them in. For some mistaken reason, my older sister thinks it's cute... look at those ugly cats. Clearly not cute. Notice the hot pink nail polish spill on the zipper as well.


























































That, my friends is the nail polish bag.

Driving On The Lake

So I live near this lake. On this lake, there are several islands. One island has a road called a causeway to it. We decided to journey out to the island to take some pictures of the sunset among other things. Here are the pictures I took (on my phone).

The first picture is me and my friend Erin standing on the ice on the lake about 20 feet from the shore. The ice was about 2 inches thick and strangley being pushed up onto the shore. The second is of a buffalo. Sorry it's so small. My phone doesn't zoom very far. :) The third is a dock on the lake and the forth is the sunset with the lake on the far right. On our way back from taking pictures, the GPS wasn't showing the road on the lake so our car looked like it was just driving in the lake itself. We had a boat car!

Things I Am

• Chauffeur
• Pony
• Dish Doer
• Chair
• Nerf gun target
• Cook
• Homework helper
• Dressing aid
• Hugging friend
• Tooth brusher
• Doggy or kitty (You choose)
• Blanket finder
• Cleaner
• Diaper changer
• Tree for the cat (Literally up my back to my shoulder)
• Bedtime story reader
• McDonald's play place watcher
• Hunter (Stuffed animals)
• Watcher ("Sarah, watch this!")
• Rules enforcer
• Flash cards helper
• Car seat buckler
• Microwaver
• Criminal ("Get on the ground!")

I'm watching my 5 cousins this week and it's been so much fun! Also, as you can see, a little crazy. I'm playing mom. :)

My Bucket List

This is my list of things I want to do before I die.
- Go to China
- Live in a big city (only for a short time)
- Go sky diving.
- Travel all over Europe (France, Germany, England, Italy, Greece etc.)
- Go somewhere no one else goes. IE Laos, Djibuti etc.
- Ride the tallest rollercoaster as well as the fastest one.
- Go to all 50 states in the U.S.
- Shake the Prophets hand.
- Go scuba diving in Austrailia.
- Win something from a radio contest.
- Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty
- Visit the pyramids in Eygpt.
- Star in a musical.
- Sleep under the stars on a beach.
- Be an anonymous benefactor for some charity.
- Do humanitarian aid in Africa.
- Go to the Olympics (out of country)
- Have a song written about me.
- Study abroad in England.
- Learn a second language.
- Learn to play the guitar.
- Get married and have lots of children.
- See a platypus and a beaver. (Don't ask about the beaver.)
- Go on a cruise.
- See a show on Broadway.
- See the 7 world wonders.
- Leave $20 in a pair of jeans at the store.
- See the Northern Lights
- Read every book that's won the Pulitzer Prize in the fiction section.
- Add more to my bucket list.

Create Your Own

Did you know that you can creat your own converse shoes. I KNOW! It's way cool!! All you have to do is go to converse.com and then click on create. You can chose everything from the inner lining, the color of the rubber and laces to the color of the string. It's awesome. I wish I was rich because I would buy three pair. :) I did a black white and red theme when I designed mine. Someday I will buy some.

My New Band!

So many of you have probably seen the "create your band" status that people are posting on Facebook. I created mine and it is AWESOME!

If you want to create yours, first you must go to wikipedia.org and click the "random article" link. That is your band's name. Next, go to quotationpage.com and click on "random quotes." The last 4 or 5 words of the last quote is your albums title. (I cheated and picked more than that.) Then, proceed to flickr.com and go to "the last 7 days." The third picture from the top is your albums art work. Now you are awesome and you have a band! Feel special.

Things I've Decided

- Driving by yourself on the freeway for a long time and singing along to music is really awesome.
- First dates can be really fun.
- I love my new purple sunglasses.
- I have really awesome friends, they are the best!
- Bowling is only fun if you do it incorrectly. (i.e. Granny style, on one foot, backwards, eyes closed, dizzy, etc.)Also, you must use a fake name. I like Gertrude.
- There are a lot of good songs on the radio, you just have to find them midst all the horrible commercials and bad songs.
- Pasta on dates is a big no no. You might end up with sauce on your eyebrow, and that is really embarrassing. :)
- My sister is awesome because she has friends in Dubai, Taiwan, China, and England. Note: they are all native to that country except Dubai, and she's chinese.
- I want to go on a road trip to Cali.
- I want to drive across the country from coast to coast.
- I'm SO excited that purple is big this year.
- Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to work really stinks.
- Going to bed right after work is the best.
- I have a really long list of wants. (i.e. Car, iPod, camera, job, clothes.)
- I need to clean my room so I can redecorate!
- This list is long...

Songs I Really Love

This would be a list of all the songs I love in no particular order.

- Must've Done Something Right, Relient K
- The Heart Never Lies, McFly
- Tell Me I'm a Wreck, Every Avenue
- Bad Day, Daniel Powter
- Shadow of the Day, Linkin Park
- Who We Are, Lifehouse
- Broken, Lifehouse
- There is a Light That Never Goes Out, The Smiths
- I Quit! I Quit! I Quit!, The Click Five
- Starlight, Muse
- A Day Late, Anberlin
- Hopeful Romantic, This Century
- Something 'Bout Love, David Archuleta
- Would You Go With Me, Josh Turner
- Brick, Ben Folds
- Your Guardian Angel, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
- Hello Brooklyn, All Time Low
- Perfect Scene, Mercy Mercedes
- Here (In Your Arms), HelloGoodbye

These are my top three favorite bands.
- Relient K
- McFly
- Lifehouse

All those songs I could listen to over and over again and never get sick of them. Some of them have memories behind them and that's why I love them.

A Few Changes

Where to start? Well, I passed all my classes but lost my scholarship. That means that I can't afford school right now so I am moving home to work full time. Either I will go to  a Universtiy near my house or I will go to China. It's all a toss up right now. I am a little sad at how things have turned out, but mostly, I feel so relieved to have a semester off. It seems to me that Heavenly Father has been preparing me for this for a while now. Even though this isn't really what I had in mind for myself, it's what He had in mind that counts. I've been placing a lot of trust in Him lately and sometimes, I get nervous because I might not like what He plans for me. In the long run, I know that He knows best and I will see those blessings eventually. To explain a little, I was working at McDonald's at school. They weren't going to give me the break off to go home so I was going to be spending most of my break away from home. It wasn't worth it to me so I thought a lot about quitting. I mulled over it a lot and finally decided to quit. I prayed about it and it felt like the right thing to do. I was a little confused because I needed to pay rent for my apartment for the first of January and I wouldn't be able to make the money if I quit. That's when I knew I was going to be relying very heavily on Heavenly Father and my faith. I quit my job and came home. I took over a cleaning job for my brother in hopes of making enough to pay for it. Today is January 3rd and my last check from McDonald's still hasn't arrived and I still haven't been paid for the cleaning job. I'm scared that the money won't come till after a $50 late fee gets tacked onto my already expensive rent. I just keep reminding myself to have faith and remember that I've done all I can, I just need to leave it up to him. I probably won't be able to sell my contract, but if anyone is interested, let me know! ;)

Life is so unpredictable. That must be why I love it so much. You get into the swing of things and it sends a curve ball. Some curve balls really stink but others are awesome. Either way, they bring blessings and growth. I've grown a lot in just four months, enough to say I'm done moving out, but I needed to do it for a while so I could grow more. I always said I would move out and I was so anxious to be on my own. After doing that for a while, I missed my family way too much and I didn't like only worrying about myself. Call me crazy! :) It took me almost the whole semester to adjust to life and I was completely not myself. I would come home for a weekend or break and all those feelings would just melt away. I never wanted to go back to my apartment very much, but I never dreaded it either. I had fun down at school, so so much fun! I just like living where people know me and love me no matter what. I'm always accepted at home and I always have friends. Maybe I'm taking the easy way out, but it feels right. I'm much better at making new friends when I'm home than when I'm away. I've already made some new friends this winter break than I did in a whole semester away. I'm so grateful to my room mates who dealt with me and my dysfunctional self and to Heavenly Father who gave me such a wonderful experience. I'm ready to grow in some other ways now, progress in life more. Life is nothing with out progression. I just barely found a video I would like to share with you that I really liked. :)
"Look Not Behind Thee"

So moving home is one change. The other is that I've finally decided on a blog name I like and the url is different now. The title comes from a talk by President Thomas S. Monson in General Conference 2008. My new URL is www.thewaytojoy.blogspot.com. That about sums up all the changes. For now...