Daddy

I wrote a long list of reasons why my mom is freaking legit for Mother's Day.

Just because I didn't do this on Father's Day doesn't mean my dad is not legit.

I've been thinking lately about all the reasons I appreciate my father. I think one of the most important things he did was help me learn how important the Gospel is. He makes family scripture study and prayer and family home evening and church attendance a huge priority. His example was essential to my spiritual development and he continues to be a rock in my life when I need advice or support.

Another reason I love my dad is because he always tells me I'm beautiful. It seems shallow when I say it, but knowing my dad thinks I'm beautiful gives me a special confidence in myself that can't be taken away. Closely tied to this is the fact that he always expects me to be modest. He was never harsh or bossy about it, but let me know in a gentle, non-confrontational way, and that communicated his opinion much more effectively than yelling or or scolding would.

I used to come to him for permission for different things and one of those times, I asked him something and he told me that he trusted me to make my own decisions on those things. It scared me, but I knew that I could do it because he'd instilled in me a strong sense of right and wrong. I feel the influence of my Dad daily as I choose what movies to watch, what friends to have, what books to read, and so much more. Not because he micromanaged everything I did or said, but because he had a strong testimony of what is good, and wants good things for me and I see that now that I've experience with trial and error and have seen that in a lot of situations, his way was the best way all along.

My dad is really smart. I love that about him. I can come to him with questions about almost anything and if he doesn't know the answer, which isn't common, he'll usually find it out pretty quickly and let me know. He helps all of us with schoolwork, and he encouraged me to grow my mind. He never used the fact that I was a girl as a reason for me to not pursue a higher education and pick a good major that was marketable. When I was applying for the nursing program and waiting to hear back, he believed in me more than I did. He always tells me that I'm brilliant and gorgeous and can do anything I set my mind to. I'm so grateful for his faith in me.

I could write a lot more than this about my wonderful dad but I'm going to stop now. 

Dad, I love you. Thanks for everything.

Confessions of a Non-Partier

College, friends. It's a thing.

Movies, books, media; society in general presents college as kind of a non-stop party. Drinking, dancing, flirting, kissing, fraternities, sororities, getting busted by the cops, having dramatic and romantic adventures. Pretty awesome.

Of course, here at BYU-Idaho, the number of students who get THAT crazy is significantly lower than at a non-church school. It still happens, but on a much smaller (and more discreet) scale.

Then there are the people who go out every single Friday and Saturday night. Whether it's to a bonfire, some off-campus party, dancing, etc.-- nothing against the rules--just always SOMEthing. 



And then there's me.



I used to have a problem with this, think something was wrong with me: I should be 'out'! Partying! Having soo much fun!

Then I realized a very important thing about myself.

I'm not a partier. 

I love having fun, laughing, eating (yesssss), being with friends, playing games, going places, etc., but I don't like being in a big group that I don't really know, trying ineptly to flirt with some guy I just met or impress a bunch of people I'll never see again. I'm not going to go into the 'show-off circle' at a dance or do something crazy all in the name of 'living a little'. 
I have the most fun doing something relaxed like playing games or cooking brownies or buying pizza (food is happiness).


(I just wanted an excuse to put this ^ in a blog.)



I've chosen to stop making comments like "I don't have a life" "I never do anything fun" "I'm boring". That kind of comment is negative and only serves to reinforce the idea that the only way to be 'cool' is to be and act a certain way. Friends, that idea isn't true. 

Just because you do homework on a Saturday night (like I do), or don't have the sweetest dance moves (or any dance moves), or just wanna curl up with a pan of brownies and watch some (a lot of) Netflix after a long, stressful school week does not mean that you're a social weirdo. It means that we can do those "boring" things together, if you want company.

Moral of the story: Know thyself. And to thine own self to be true. And eat pizza and brownies, bros. Because...Yumminess. And hey--WE [most of us, at least] ARE IN COLLEGE TO LEARN. So yeah, do your homework every freaking night of the week.

57 Reasons Why My Mom is Freakin' Legit (with #Hashtags)

 My mom.

She's kind of insane.

Insanely cool, that is.

Here is a list of some of the things that I love about my mom. She amazes, inspires, and teaches me constantly. #RoleModel

1. She had ten kids (no epidurals)
2. Raised them--#BeastMode #ForLife #MomMode
3. Homeschooled us--she's crazy
4. Makes 6 loaves of bread every single week for the past 25 years
5. Makes huge batches of granola all the time (and it's dang healthy, too)
6. Makes peanut butter
7. Knows how to make home made yogurt (weird, but good)
8. Can sew literally anything
9. Tried to teach me to sew some things
10. Stayed patient when I whined, cried, and ripped out the same rows of stitches 5 times 
11. NEVER EVER EVER got involved with any of her kids' drama. THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM. 
12. She's seriously the smartest woman I know. She took physics for FUN in college, guys. And her grade? "An A, of course." (In her own words.(: ) I often make fun of elementary ed majors but ya'll, guess what major the smartest woman in the world chose? Elementary ed! And rocked it, of course.
13. She is not only the smartest woman I know, but she still learns all the time. She's constantly reading all kinds of books on literally everything. (A few great ones she suggested to me: The Happiness Project, Mindset, and Christy)
14. She was so so so encouraging to me throughout all of my schooling. 
15. A lot of you guys know how much I want to be a nurse. Guess whose idea that was? She suggested it to me several times before I finally realized that #MotherKnowsBest
16. She never made anything surface-y a priority. I never ever felt self conscious about my clothes, body, hair, or makeup because she never talked about those things. She didn't talk about beauty a lot, not because she didn't think I was beautiful, but because she knows that there's much more to a person than how they look. 
17. She's so practical it's crazy. She's seriously no-nonsense and very honest. I HATE being talked down to and when people sugar coat things and guess who has never done that to me? #MyMom. When  women try to be super-sensitive and overly sweet all the time I'm like "WHERE'S MOM WHEN I NEED HER." She gets straight to the point and it's the best ever.
18. She is so humble!! SO HUMBLE! 
19. She can dance, guys. You would never guess it but she's got moves. Granted, they're 80s moves but she got 5 stars on Just Dance 4. And looked good doing it.
20. She's sassy. She would never own up to it ....but where do you think I got my sass from?
21. She's super funny. 
22. She taught me to love salad. Especially with great tomatoes.
23. She made health a priority. Natural health, too. I've never had any prescribed medication. The recommended cure-all for literally anything was: a cold pack, a warm corn bag, garlic, vitamin C, Neosporin, and sometimes Tylenol. I'm very rarely sick and when I am, it lasts a day or two. #Legit
24. She instilled me with a strong conviction about...basically everything important.
25. She is a wonderful example of honesty, kindness, passion, hard work, patience, unconditional love, unending selfless
26. She's a beautiful singer and made me want to sing, too
27. She never gossips
28. She made me memorize things when I was young, thus allowing me to discover my talent for it and 
29. She made me play the piano
30. Taught me how to clean a house
31. Taught me how to take care of a baby
32. Taught me how important family is
33. Taught me how important the gospel is
34. Taught me how to cook
35. Knew exactly how much lenience and how much discipline I needed to feel both trusted and worried about
36. Taught me how to do laundry
37. Listens every time I call her to tell her about a test or a roommate or money or advice or boys or recipes or when I'm just feeling bad
38. Tells me I'm beautiful
39. Gave me my curls. (:
40. She's so freaking thrifty. I definitely learned that one from her. #CostcoTrips #BuyItInBulk #PricePerOunce
41. Taught me to drive. (: That was an adventure...
42. Encouraged me to go to college and helped me make it there
43. Provided me with all kinds of wonderful learning experiences that I would never have had without her
44. Helped me get my first job #HarrisTeeterWin
45. Taught me how to grocery shop
46. Gave me a strong appreciation for good ice cream #BreyersVanilla
47. Gave me a strong appreciation for dairy products in general...yum.
48. Taught me how to make cheese on toast. And now that I like tomatoes again...#TomatoesOnToast
49. Taught me how to do the dishes and made me do them. :/
50. Didn't punish me for being late for curfew...#Thanks
51. Put up with so many of my tears. For so many dumb dumb things. Geometry comes to mind first...
52. Never stops working
53. Never stops teaching
54. 18 years of free haircuts (She's really good at them)
55. Never stops loving
56. Never stops being the wisest person I know
57. Taught me what matters most

Mom, I love you so much. I miss you a lot, too. I think about you all the time and I love that I can call you and you listen and give advice even when I'm an irrational 18 year old (which is basically all the time). Thanks for being everything that you are. Happy mothers day. (:

Dating

Dating is overrated...

#PBBF




I'd say yes, but in the absence of any requests, I'll settle for some creamy peanuts.

Because of Him

Often, when someone is talking about a not-so-active church goer, they refer to that person as going "on Easter and Christmas." 

Those holidays are special. They both celebrate something pretty dang important.



Jesus Christ. Our Savior, Redeemer, and brother. He lived for us, died for us, and lives again. Because of that feat, we all get to live again and have to opportunity to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.




I am so grateful for my Savior. I know this sounds cliche, and maybe it is, but it's still  TRUE.

Because of him, I get to live with my family forever, continue in eternal progression, find joy during hardships, forgive, be forgiven, be cleaner, be stronger, be better, and become my fullest self.



I rely on him for so much. Some say religion is a crutch for weak people. I say: we're ALL weak. We all need someone to lean on. Those who have a religion are the people who've figured that out.

I'm so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that the gospel is on the earth in its fullness and it can help anyone. No matter what your problem, trial, weakness, pain, or tribulation, Christ's Atonement covered it. We don't have to pay for something that's already been paid for. Don't carry stones of guilt, sadness, or anger on your back. Take upon the yoke of Christ for "[His] yoke is easy, and [his] burden is light." That's the only way life can feel easy; if you get your support from the Son.

I love my Savior. I can never say it enough times or in strong enough language. He gave up everything for me and I hope I never take it for granted. Please remember what's most important and keep that in the forefront of your desires.

Happy Easter, everyone.

The End.

Well, this is it.

This is The End.

Not of my blog.
It's the end of this semester.

I learned a lot of important things this semester. About life, the universe, and everything.

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but even though I'm not in school, this was a study of...living.

I had my first full time job. 
I learned how to deal with 40 hours of doing the exact same thing, standing in one spot. I learned that if you let them, your co-workers can be a kind of second family. I met a lot of people I never thought I would learn to like but now, I'm sad to leave. I learned that multi-tasking is possible, but NOT good customer service. I learned that I love to make people laugh, and it is possible to flirt with someone in a 2 minute conversation. I saw people of every walk of life--homeless, students, rich, middle class, beautiful, homely, happy, sad, black, white, brown...I connected with people from each of these classes. I love to make a connection--a smile, a joke, a shared feeling about something random like periods or going to the gym. I learned that people love being remembered, especially their name. Names are powerful. Listen to your boss, be helpful, be PROACTIVE, and be happy. No one likes a grumpy cashier.

I learned that age is really not that important. My ward was, on average, 7 years older than me. I loved them, though. They had a lot more life experience and wisdom than I did but I never felt excluded because of the difference. One of my favorite people in the ward was 9 years older than me but we got along fantastically. People are people are people. Never discount someone because of their age--old or young. 

I learned that family is the best (but I kinda already knew this one).
A hard week could be turned into the best week if I spent a little time with one of my siblings, or maybe even saw my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Never forget how important your family is.

I learned that being happy is a choice. Sometimes I'd feel very alone, bored, unexcited, and just over it. Going to the gym, reading a book, talking to friends, or just listening to music could help everything feel better. But I had to WANT to feel better. 

I learned the value of a good night's sleep. In the fall, I'd stay up til at least 1 o'clock every night. I couldn't do that these last few months, because I often had to wake up at 6:30am. Working 8 hours on 4 hours of sleep is NOT fun. I went to bed before midnight almost every night. THAT was a good thing to learn.

I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I'm not a partier. And that's ok. I learned that I'm way more of a people person than I thought I was. I'm not really an introvert anymore. I love making Ceasar Salad. I don't like dogs, unless they're shorter than 15 inches. I flirt with too many people. I'm overly fearless. I have a sugar addiction--legitimately. I learned how to spend money and how to tip my server.

Last of all, I learned this: Mom was right. About everything. I love you, Mom. <3

Frankly, My Dear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAqxWa9Rbe0

Something fantastic about Mr. Rhett Butler is how he always tells Scarlett what's up. He doesn't play games with her, he tells her what he thinks, even when it's harsh and REALLY what she does not want to hear. 

He often comes off as cruel or mean. But I say: what's worse--telling a harsh truth or a pretty lie?

I'd rather have my heart broken with honesty than be led on believing a falsehood. I want criticism, I want to hear that maybe someone just doesn't want to hang out with me, or yes, that dress does make me look fat. Concealing hard things from someone will not make those things disappear. It will most often just allow the situation to get worse when it could have been resolved with a dose of honesty.



Because I infinitely prefer the truth to any form of dishonesty, even 'white lies', I give all those I care about the respect to be sincere with them. 

“To conceal anything from those to whom I am attached, is not in my nature. I can never close my lips where I have opened my heart.” 
― Charles Dickens

My closest friends know what my honesty really means. It means I'll tell you if you're being too crazy, I will remove myself from a hug that I don't want to continue, and if you ask, I'll give you my complete, unadulterated opinion. Even if that opinion might really tick you off.

I'm not only truthful with my best friends, though. I'm very frank with everyone: My manager who might half-jokingly ask my opinion on something at work will most likely hear my opinion. Someone who asks if I missed them and I didn't, I'll tell them "Nope." A guy who asks me if I'd date someone like him and I wouldn't, I tell him so.

For whatever reason, people are often surprised at how honest I will be with them. They'll often think I'm kidding or being sarcastic. Some will think I'm trying to 'slay' whoever I'm talking to (as in above guy, the one I wouldn't date). I'm not trying to be mean, witty, or put others down. That is SO not the goal. I'm following the golden rule and treating everyone how I want to be treated. Unfortunately, it's not always seen that way...



I'm sure I've hurt a lot of peoples' feelings with my sharp tongue. I'm sure some would say that this quote fits me perfectly:

“All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness.” 

― Tennessee Williams

Guys, you know I'm not sugarcoated, but cruelty is something I despise. Even though I rarely admit it, I'm pretty much a bumbling, naive KID. I say dumb things a lot.

 “The truth needs so little rehearsal.” 

― Barbara Kingsolver

Sometimes this lack of rehearsal results in a lot of blabbed words and hurt feelings. I'm sorry. Please let me know if I've ever hurt you with my words because I promise it was not intentional and I'll try my best to repair it if I can.

I believe in truth. In my opinion, truth, in all forms, is the highest virtue. Truth encompasses loyalty, honesty, integrity, and consistency. The best way to hurt me is to lie, cheat, or not implement what you profess to be your standards.  What will me make me respect you the most is congruence, dependability, and be completely honest with me even, even especially, when it's hardest.

Now here's a few more cool quotes on honesty...

 

“The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones.” 

― Cheryl Hughes

“Truth builds trust.” 

― Marilyn Suttle

“What you didn't tell someone was just as debilitating as what you did.” 

― Jodi Picoult

“Don’t spoil me with your lies, love me with your truth.” 

― T.F. Hodge

“Maybe my expectations for honesty are too high.” 

― Kelley Armstrong,

“The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.” 

― Norman Vincent Peale