Hooray!

Just turned in my 20 page paper!!

Just call me Scrooge

This year I feel like I just don't want Christmas to come. I'm just not in the mood. Am I weird? Don't answer that- I already know the answer. I hated all of the Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving, and now that it is after Thanksgiving, and technically "Christmas time," I still find myself resenting anything Christmas. I am looking forward to going home for the holidays- that is for sure. Maybe I'm resenting Christmas because it has so many other meanings. My time in Provo is getting shorter and shorter- and all of the Christmas stuff is just a constant reminder of that. I also have just been ridiculously disgusted with the ever increasing materialism. Why am I taking a stance now, when my whole life has been filled with materialistic Christmases? You would know just as much as I would. I really do like Christmas, but I guess I'm just not ready for it to come. This time of year is just hard as well, so maybe that has a lot to do with it. I'm about to turn 24 which is awful. haha. I'm so weird about my birthday. I just hate getting older! So maybe once my birthday is over, I will be more in the Christmas spirit.... who knows... Until then I guess all I have to say is "Baa Humbug!"

Greetings from my busy life

It's been a month since I've last blogged.... oops. This semester is absolutely insane though. When did I become an adult? Can someone please explain this to me? Here's what's going on.

1. I am taking the GRE on Monday. Monday people! And yet as I study for this GRE I can't help but think that this has nothing to do with grad school and that it really isn't a good way of showing what kind of a person or student I will be..... But hey, whatevs.

2. I've started applying to grad school, speaking of. I can't help but have the fear that I won't get in. May seem irrational to you, but very real to me. I need to have a plan B, just in case. And yet I have NO idea what that plan should be.

3. Money sucks. Moving on.

4. Jerusalem plans continue to go well. It still doesn't feel real, and I'm guessing it won't even after I am already over there.

5. Oh by the way- I'm in my last real academic semester of my bachelor's degree- so on top of all of the "life" stresses, I also have 5 classes to deal with. Midterms, what? Good news though- I'm pretty sure I aced my midterm this week. One more to go. (for now)

6. This is my last semester in Provo. Pretty much ever. (Never say never I guess, but for all intents and purposes, this is it!) Even though there are quite a few things that I don't love about Provo, it will be very hard to say goodbye. It's always hard to say goodbye to what you are used to.

7. I'm turning 24 soon. Ugh. 24? really? How did this happen?

8. All of my friends are having babies. Kinda weird, but so fun to look at pictures on facebook!

9. Oh and by the way.... I'm going to KENYA. week of Thanksgiving. Boom. More details to follow. I've waited to tell people just because it really doesn't feel real. But it's happening. My friend is going for a charity the week after Thanksgiving, and I am going with her a week before to tour around and experience Kenya. So I just got a bunch of vaccinations. Which made me sick, but I'm over it now and ready to Safari!

There is probably more going on with me, but those are the more pressing/important things.

Thought Process

Here is how my day goes all day every day. I think to myself:

Jerusalem!

Holy Crap I'm taking the GRE....

JERUSALEM!!

i need to study for the GRE. So many vocab words

490 paper- slavery slavery slavery

I'm freaking going to Jerusalem

wow i have so much reading, i don't know how i am going to get all of this done.

i need to find more clothes that are appropriate for Jerusalem

i wonder how Ethan is doing... how can I get closer to him?

i know i'm not worried about the math portion of the GRE, but should I be?

Am I really going to Jerusalem?

I need to call mom/dad/fill in the blank

READ READ READ

I need to figure out car insurance for Jerusalem

I need to write Emma back

Words with friends takes up way too much of my life

The Quran is actually a pretty good book. What if I was Muslim? ;)

There are Muslims in JERUSALEM

I wonder how (fill in the blank) is doing...

I need to write in my Journal

Shoot. I am taking the GRE.

Am I going to get into grad school? What if I don't? What if i DO?

Jerusalem is going to be awesome.

I miss Ethan. I miss Parker. I miss my parents.

How is Parker doing? How can I be a support to him from so far away?

I'll be even farther from him in Jerusalem.

How is it possible to think about Jerusalem THIS much?

Oh shoot, I need to think more about the GRE and less about Jerusalem.

bellicose=hostile, apotheosis=supreme example, anachronistic=out of place, etc.

JERUSALEM

And the cylce just goes on and on and on....

Papa Joe

For some reason or another, I'm really missing this guy lately:

It's not his birthday, or his death anniversary, or anything like that. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I'm in a family history class right now. Or that I'm studying Southern history for my major. I miss Georgia. Particularly Papa- since he was the reason that I would ever visit Georgia. I miss going to his house and having absolutely nothing to do but sit and enjoy each other. I miss not being able to walk past him without getting a long, often overdrawn hug. I miss being told that He loves me and to never forget it! I miss sitting on his swing in the back yard with magnolias, woods, and the next door neighbor's horses. I could go on, but let's just say that I can't wait to see him again!

News

I'm going to Jerusalem! In other words- I got in! I can't believe that it is all really happening. I have been dreaming about going for over 5 years now and it just doesn't seem real. I really really really am excited to go. I found out yesterday, which meant it was just a good day all around. But now today the reality of it has really sunk in. Because I'm going to Jerusalem on January 3rd, this is my last and final semester in Provo. And that is honestly kind of sad to me. As much as I have always talked about leaving Provo as soon as I can (which apparently I'm doing...), I really am going to miss it. And it is a heavy burden to carry, knowing that I only have 4 months to spend with the wonderful friends I have been able to make since I have lived here.

I moved to Provo for the first time in August of 2006. I went home for the summer of 2007, but other than that, I have lived here year round ever since then. It was a rough beginning, but as I got used to the Provo ways, it really has become a great place for friends and fun times. Although Provo definitely has its downsides, there are a lot of positive things that I will miss. Mainly the people that I have met and become so close to. You know who you are!

Now that I'm going to Jerusalem, I have all of these decisions to decide upon that I thought I had longer to make. Things that I was going to be deciding next semester all of the sudden have to be decided this semester. And it all seems very overwhelming. And yet I feel a peace about it all. I know that everything will work out for the best. It always seems to, miraculously.

I am very excited to be moving into the next stage of life, even though it kind of scares to daylights out of me. It feels so similar to the fear of leaving St. Louis to come out here, and yet I feel much more ready and prepared this time. I have learned so much during my years in Provo and I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. To those of you reading this and are still in the Provo area- let's make these next 4 months count!!

Yep, I'm a bloggin'

Surprised? You probably forgot I even had a blog. Well I'm here to remind you that I do. Well I can't sleep. It is exactly 1:18 AM at this very moment in time. And I am awake. Obviously. I have never had trouble sleeping in my life. But as of late, falling asleep seems to be quite a problem. Staying asleep is easy, but getting to that point seems to quite the challenge. Perhaps it's because I have so much on my mind? I'm not really sure. The weird thing is, is that I really am very very tired. And my eyelids are burning and screaming at me to please go to sleep. But once I lay down in my bed, these same eyelids refuse to stay closed. So here I am, blogging. This summer has been alright I suppose. June was kind of a drag. I had classes and that was fine and all, but in reality I just wanted to go on a million roadtrips like I did last summer. I did just get back from a month long vacation to my hometown, St. Louis, though. And that was very fantastic actually. While home, the fam and I also went to DC for a little vacation. I have literally been wanting to go to DC since I was in the 2nd grade. I did a little project on our nation's capital, particularly the smithsonian, and have been dying to go there ever since. Well here I am, 16 years later, and finally achieved my goal! And the best part of all is that it didn't disappoint. We were up and going all day every day, but I didn't mind because I wanted to see as much as possible.

So DC and St. Louis were marvelous. Being home for that long really was a pleasure. I was worried that I would be aching to get back to my life in Utah, but I somehow left wanting to stay even longer, which I guess is the way it should be. And now I've only been back for 3 days and I'm feeling bored out of my mind. I just want to be DOING something. And so, as you can imagine, I am ready for school to start. It starts a week from Monday, and I am counting down the days! I will probably be singing a different tune once I see how much reading I have to do this semester. Yikes. But I'm up for the challenge. I think.

As far as other updates go- I applied to go the Jerusalem center, and I should be finding out whether I got in or not in a matter of days. According to the itinerary, I should find out on or around the 19th of August. So 2 days (ish). I'm hoping the ish part might mean I will find out tomorrow. But I guess you just never know.

Well I think that is all for right now. Maybe I will try this whole sleeping thing.... again...

Big Dreamin

This is what occupies my thoughts all of the time right now. It's the BYU Jerusalem Center. I've been wanting to attend the center for over 4 years now and I'm really hoping that my dream will finally come true. I'm applying to go in January!! Pray for me to get in! I want to wake up every morning and look out on the ancient city. And there is a field trip to Tel Aviv! And if things ever clear up, then there is a field trip to Egypt as well. I guess that remains to be seen. Oh Jerusalem...

Oh hey...

Oh hey, it's been a while. I keep thinking that none of the blogs that I follow are blogging very much lately, but then I remember that I'm not either. Probably because not a lot has happened worth blogging about. Here's something of interest for you I suppose- I'm in a dinner group, well actually 2 of them this summer. One on Tuesdays and one on Thursdays. I'm really really glad that I decided to join because it has been quite a good experience. I really do love cooking. And even more than loving to cook, I love to have people eat and enjoy my food. Perhaps its a vanity thing where I really just like to impress people and have them validate how awesome I am, but either way I really do enjoy it. I guess I also like having a reason to cook. It's so much easier to cook for a group than for just myself, plus I have more motivation to do it if I know that people are counting on me. I've cooked twice this summer. The first time I made Indian food- chicken tikka marsala. It was freaking good, I must say. And then this past Tuesday I made Banh mi sandwiches- which are French Vietnamese meatball sandwiches basically. And they were soooo good! Those sandwiches are one of my favorite things that my dad makes, so I figured I would give them a try.

Not only is it fun to cook, but it's also fun to chat and discuss things with people while eating good food. I have 2 awesome groups of people that are a lot of fun and I enjoy spending time with them. Plus they all cook well too! So it's just a win win situation all around. I want to always be in a dinner group now. Even when I'm married with kids, I still think it would be fun to do so. Now I need to be thinking about what I want to cook next.....

P.S. I am acing my French class. Not to brag, but yeah I guess it is to brag. Je suis intelligente!

New Post

Yeah... sorry about that whole not blogging thing. I need to be better. Here's the update for ya- I'm doing spring classes- French and Utah History. I am liking my French class and my Utah history class is a hit or miss. Sometimes I think it's not so bad- other times I find it hard to stay awake during it. I do enjoy the book I am reading for it right now though. It's called "Mormon Mother." It's an autobiography of a mormon mother who was a polygamous wife in the late nineteenth century. The manifesto declaring the end of polygamy came out while she was married. I can't believe some of the things I am learning about polygamy. It's just incredible how much I am learning about the simple logistics of a plural marriage and such. Either way- I would highly recommend it for an interesting read. Other than school, not much else is new in my life. Church and work are both going well. So I guess that's all I have for now- sorry for being so boring, haha. I'll try and be interesting next time.

Apparently my class actually starts at 1...

Well I thought my next class started at noon, but here I am waiting for it to start and am realizing that it doesn't actually start until 1. Awesome. I guess that gives me more time to blog though, right? Well winter semester ended last Thursday and Spring classes already started yesterday. I would be lying if I didn't say I was slightly relieved though. I was really bored those few days between school days and I didn't really know what to do with myself. So I'm glad to be back in classes- and I'm only taking 2 so that should be even more enjoyable.

I've been thinking a lot about God lately. Mainly about my relationship with him. I'm struggling to know what is and isn't ok to ask Him. I feel like I just want to lay down how I want my life to go to Him and for Him to just grant it to me sometimes. And it's not like I'm asking for some crazy, unrealistic things. I have righteous desires, and yet I still struggle to ask for them sometimes because I want to ensure Him that it is His will that should be done, not mine. What if my will and His will are aligned though? How can you really tell? I guess that's one of life's lessons that I am still learning slowly but surely.

It Friee day

It's Friday night. When I want to be out doing this:

Don't these people look like they are having fun? Well that is the message I am trying to convey at least... Instead I am doing this:

Aren't finals fun? Tomorrow is my first one! And what is up with having a scheduled final on a Saturday, BYU? REALLY?! Well I could get down on my rather dull Friday night, but then good old google images reminded me that:

when I searched for an image to portray having fun. So I guess I'm having fun either way! Don't be jealous!

As Promised...

A few posts back I told you all that I haven't taken any pictures this semester0 which is definitely true. But I also promised that as soon as I took a picture, I would post it on the blog, so there it is. This is Emily and I at the conference center in Salt Lake City. It was a beautiful day, even though it snowed and was kind of cold. I do enjoy the dreariness- if not only because it gives perfect lighting to pictures. Ah yes...

I pulled out my lavender cardigan for the "Spring" and got a ton of compliments on it- so thanks again Mom! I think she bought that for me when I turned..... yeah.... 17? 18? Some teen year. Or maybe it wasn't even for a birthday.... haha. Either way- it kept me warm but was still a nice spring color.

Tomorrow is also the last day of classes for the semester. Can you believe it? I can't. Wish me luck on finals!

Reflection

Well I've had my blog for about 2.5 years now. Crazy how the time has flown. For some reason I decided to go back and read my blog from the beginning and I've really enjoyed what I had to say. I can't believe how much I've grown as a person (and blogger) since October of 2008. A lot of rough times and a lot of really good times. My blog seems to only reflect the good times- which I guess is a good thing. I'm surprised at some of the realizations that I had come to and somehow forgotten. So I'm glad I went back and read them because I was able to remember and reflect on those little epiphanies. I feel like I blog way differently now than I used to... And I'm not sure that's a good thing. I loved reading my older posts but as I got closer to the present I got kinda bored. But maybe that's just because I was tired of reading- it kind of took a while to get through them all. I couldn't believe how much my posts used to be filled with testimony and small praises to the Lord. And I've kind of stopped doing that. Which I definitely don't think is a good thing. Especially since Elder Uchtdorf encouraged us all to share the good message of the gospel more on the internet through blogging and social media. And so I need to get back to that. The Lord has blessed me beyond compare and it continues to amaze me on a daily basis. I feel so empowered and strong lately- probably because of conference. I'm filled with strength that the Lord has given me, for without Him, I am nothing. The Lord is full of patience and mercy. And that is what I've truly learned/am learning recently- especially within the past year. I want to get back to a simpler me, where I realize that the small things in life are what really matter. I wrote several posts in the history of my blog that were lists of tender mercies or small moments that blessed my life, and I'd like to do it once again. Simplicity is key- I truly believe that. So here are a few of the small things as of late:

1. I know I've already mentioned conference once in this post, and also in my last post. But I really am grateful for the chance I had to listen to the great council from the Lord's servants. They really know what they are talking about!

2. I have really enjoyed going to school this semester. All of my classes are really great. Today in class my teacher called on my by name! I know this seems like an odd thing to recognize, but I never really know if my teachers know my name, and it took me by surprise when he used my name. And it made me appreciate my professor more.

3. I really needed some chocolate the other day. That craving pretty much never comes to me- but for some reason it did the other day. And then I remembered that my mom had sent me a bunch of chocolate for Valentine's day! And it was delicious...

4. My roommate started a dinner group that meets every Tuesday and Thursday. We all take turns cooking and it has been really fun. I made chicken tikka marsala (Indian food) on my night. And it just reminded me how much I love to cook! Especially when I'm cooking for other people.

5. My bank account was extremely low the other day and it was kind of getting to the scary point. But when I went to check my balance to make sure I hadn't overdrafted, I found an extra $100 more than I thought I had in there. It was like magic! Some amazing angel had transferred the money into my account from above (or from St. Louis...thanks again Mom!)

6. Rereading my own blog (although it may sound weird) really gave me some inspiration today. I felt uplifted by my own positive experiences that I had fortunately recorded. It just goes to show that bearing your testimony only makes it stronger- even if you are reading your testimony from over 2 years ago.

7. I got some really cute sandals at Target! And they were on sale! And it was fun to shop with Emily this past weekend.

8. I'm going to DC this summer!! It's been a life long dream of mine to go- literally since the 2nd grade. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint...

9. I cut back on my hours this semester with school and all and although I have a lot less money, working less has been grrrrrrreat. Such a blessing.

10. I've been doing indexing for the church- just ask me about it if you don't know it is. But basically its taking digital copies of old documents like censuses from the early 1900s and typing in the information so that the names can be temple ready. Its a quick and easy service I can do anywhere that has internet connection- and it's pretty fun! At least I think so...

My Favorite?

I usually say that my favorite apostle is either Dieter F. Uchtdorf or Jeffrey R. Holland. And that is strictly based on the fact that I usually get the most out of their talks. But I was pleasantly surprised by what my favorite talk at conference was. And it was a talk given by this guy:

Elder Richard G. Scott

His talk was so tender. It definitely brought tears to my eyes multiple times. I couldn't believe how tenderly and lovingly he spoke of his late wife. It touched me in a way that honestly surprised me. And it made me realize that how he spoke of his wife and marriage is what I want in my own marriage someday. His utter respect and admiration for this wonderful woman was so powerful and strong and yet meek and tender. It was beautiful to hear and beautiful to watch as tears gleamed in his eyes as he spoke of his wife and family. It just made me really realize what I really want and desire in life. What he has is what I want. And I'm not going to settle for anything less. His talk proved to me that having a loving spouse and children is the best and most rewarding thing that I could possibly have in this life and in the eternities. And it gives me hope that men like our apostles, especially Elder Scott are out there and truly appreciate and understand the importance of the women in their lives, especially their wives. So good new! These men aren't impossible to find! And that's what gives me hope. I'm so grateful that we have general conference. I always feel refreshed and renewed. And I always leave the sessions with a clarity that I can't seem to get any other time of the year. And it's wonderful. The church is true! So to explain my title- all I'm saying is that I think Elder Scott is a serious new contender for favorite apostle. Not that I need to have a favorite. I really do love them all. But I'm just trying to convey how powerful his talk was to me. Hopefully I did a somewhat adequate job. :)

I am a very stylish girl.

How do I look?

In case you think I am vain, just know that the title to this blog

and the opening line are from a song that I happen to be listening to

right now. It's called Une very stylish fille by Dmitri from Paris.

Seriously consider checking it out! Also- my oxfords came!! And

I think I'm in love. Seriously. Amazing!

Right NOW

Today has been a good day, despite the fact that it is snowing outside on March 25th. So much for spring.... I woke up around 8:15 and headed to my 9AM southern history class. I enjoy that class quite a bit, actually. And I'm writing another mini thesis for it! Mini thesis sounds cooler to me than a long paper by the way. In reality, it is just a longer-than-normal research paper. My topic? How the urbanization of the South led to the rise in lynching spectacles at the turn of the 20th century. Sound fascinating? Oh, it is. (and no, that isn't sarcasm) As horrifying as lynching is, and trust me, it IS, for some reason I can't stop reading about it. I can't stop being horrified by all of the gruesome pictures laid out in the book I'm currently reading. How did this happen? How did we lose our humanity as Americans in such a recent time? It's crazy. And that's why I'm doing my paper on that.

Anyway... after I went to class I headed over to the Marriott center to see a special forum where the guest was.... drum roll please.... MARK ZUCKERBERG!! Isn't that exciting? He's never spoken at a university before, and here I am lucky enough to be at his first on at BYU! I was fascinated by what he had to say. And I'm also fascinated by facebook in general. A guy sitting in front of my group was commenting on how Mark is probably the most influential person in the world right now simply because of how much time facebook takes out of everyone's day. It affects everything in your life in a direct or indirect way. And it's kind of mind blowing if you think about it. I was quite impressed with what this amazing successful 26 year old had to say about facebook and the technological world that we live in, and all in all, I'm really glad that I went if you can't tell. Facebook is great- you can't convince me otherwise! The influence it has had over global affairs alone is incredible.

And now I'm back at home after one other class I had. And it is still snowing. It has been snowing since like 10 AM. what. the. heck! I usually love snow, but it has its time and place. And this is not the time or place. Oh well, with the way the weather has been going lately, I'm sure it will be warm again tomorrow and no one would ever know that it snowed at all.

And right NOW- as my title suggests, I am cooking a pizza, blogging, watching E-Ho do dishes while listening to music, and drinking orange juice. Word.

Hello Again

Hello Blog,

How are you? Good? Me too. Did you know that this is your 111th post? That's pretty cool, right? Sorry I'm semi neglecting you. It's just that I've finally realized what I want to do with my life, and therefore have been ridiculously busy with planning things and preparing myself to achieve my new high set goals. I even made a new 5 year plan to replace the old one. I'm looking at it right now, actually. Not only is it ambitious of me to have a 5 year plan (even though I've had one for quite a while now), but this plan is so pretty! I made it myself and everything. Anyway- everything seems to clear to me now, and it feels freaking awesome. Oh, you're happy for me? Yeah, me too. Anyway- I guess I just wanted to tell you the good news, although it is vague. But that's why my readers should keep in touch with me more, right? Then they would also know what you and I know (hint hint) :) Anyway- I hope you have a nice day, because I know I am having one!

Love,

Grace

P.S. I am listening some of Britney's new songs. She never ceases to amaze me.

LENT

You might be wondering why I haven't been putting up any pictures on my blog lately. Well let me tell you- it's because I haven't taken any. Aside from the Valentine's pictures (which I put up on facebook) I haven't taken pretty much ANY pictures this year. I took a picture every single day in 2010, so I guess I am just a little burnt out. But hey- As soon as I do something that is picture worthy- I promise to not only document it, but put it up on the blog as well.

Anyway- It's that time of year again. That's right- lent. I just started doing lent last year, and it was quite an enjoyable experience, so I decided to do it again this year, and probably every year from here on out. I decided to go for something way hard this year. I'm giving up paying to go out to eat. And I go out to eat a LOT. So it'll be hard- but worth it. Not only will I benefit as a person from making such a sacrifice, but my wallet will also benefit. And that's the real deal folks. Let's just say that I'm not the best with money. I'm not the worst. But I'm not the best. So yeah. I have a free meal at Tucanos and a Jimmy John's gift card to get me through the next 40 days. haha. And if I happen to get asked out to dinner, I will also have that available to me. But in general, I'm going to be cooking a lot more! That's pretty exciting I suppose. I do like to cook, I just never take the time to do it. So maybe now I will, since I don't even have the option of going out to eat. It started on Wednesday, so I'm going on day 3 now. I haven't felt any withdrawals yet. Maybe I will, who knows. I seemed to fair pretty well with giving up facebook last year without feeling too many withdrawals, so maybe if I feel like I can't do something, then I don't feel the need to do it? I don't know. The same thing happened when I gave sugar one time. So I guess we shall see. Wish me luck, everyone!

Hi Grace, meet Grace

This semester has kind of been a weird one for me. I don't mean it's been a bad one- in fact being weird doesn't mean it's good or bad. It just means weird. I've always prided myself in having a firm grasp of reality and who I truly am. How I feel about certain things, what I want in life, how I would react to certain things, why I am reacting that way, etc. And I'm not saying that I am all of the sudden having an identity crisis and that I don't even know who I am anymore. Because that is definitely not true. I know who I am- better than anyone else in my opinion. The problem is that I have that opinion to an extreme sometimes to the point where I almost want myself to be the only person that truly knows me. It means I don't open up to others, I don't let know people what I really think oftimes, and so on.

Ok this blog post is already going in a different direction than I was wanting it to, so let me rein it back to the point. I feel like I know myself really well, so it still surprises me when I learn something new. I guess that's part of the growing up experience? Or better called the life experience? Let me give you a few examples.

First. Lately a few of my friends have been discussing the whole topic of the love language theory. You know... that one where there are 5 love languages and you feel and receive love through one main one- even if you feel love through all of them. The 5 languages are service, quality time, physical affection, words of affirmation and gifts for those of you that don't know. Anyway- when everyone was talking about it, they just knew what kind of love language they spoke. And it surprised me to think about it and have no idea what language best suited me. (Disclaimer: I am not one to rely on psychology- especially "popular" psychology requiring you to know what color you are, or what kind of tree you are, although I do find it interesting) But it still surprised me because I can usually know what a result of a certain quiz will be before actually taking it. But with this one, I simply didn't. So I took the quiz online and the results were overwhelmingly in the words of affirmation category. I scored the highest possible score (12) for it actually. With quality time being second with 8.

It's stilly though because even though this may seem insignificant to many of you (including myself if I were an outsider), this has really affected me. As I've done more research as to what it means for words of affirmation to be your love language, I have learned new things about myself that I suppose I always knew, but just didn't know how to put it into words. Words matter to me. I need to be told that you appreciate me. I need to be asked about my life to ensure me that you are interested. I need you to listen to me and to say out loud that you are doing so. I need you to tell me that you love me and I need you to tell me why. I need you to not say things that you don't mean because I will probably never forget it. (This is unfortunately so true! This doesn't mean I won't forgive you, it just means I won't forget it) I need you to word things in the way that you mean them so I won't come away from a conversation thinking something totally different than you are. (This is also not a plug for people to start sending me notes of affirmation or comments telling me how much they appreciate me, it's more just me sharing with you what I have learned about myself- I swear I'm not being passive aggressive, and if you know me at all, you will know that's true) Is this high maintenance of me? I argue that it's not. It's just my love language.

And with this new understanding of how I feel love and usually express it as well, it has brought a new light to my current situation. (wow this post is getting a little personal... oh well, no turning back now) I have felt distant from friends that I hold dear lately. I have felt that they don't care and that I am not appreciated. Not recognizing these feelings just made me retract in a way that no one even really noticed. And I did it in a way that no one would notice. But now I'm realizing why I feel that way. And the love language quiz helped me to realize that, even if it was a stupid little online quiz. As much as I hate feeling sad or miserable, I hate even more when I don't know why I feel that way. So this quiz helped me realize that, leading to a more self-aware confident me. So that's the first thing that I've learned about myself.

Second. I'm kind of discovering my feminist side. Not my feminine side (I've already met that side of myself) - my FEMINIST side. I've read two article lately that have made me realize this. The first on being the one I plugged for in my last post and the second one being an article in the New York Times that I read today. You can read it too, if you'd like (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/opinion/04holmes.html) Although the article is specifically about Charlie Sheen, it addresses a much bigger issue facing our world. What is wrong with men? Don't they see how lucky they are to have women in their lives at all? Women are not disposable, they are not worthless, they are not less intelligent, they are not over emotional, they are not psychotic crazies. They are highly prized daughters of God. They are nurturing, emotional, beautiful, sympathetic, divine, smart, and powerful. I hate that just because they are different than men, they are passed off as psychotic, over emotional or high maintenance. And I'm tired of feeling like its the women's fault. Because it's not. It's the men of this world. I'm trying to not sound too radical, but I do have really strong opinions and feelings on this. Women should be nothing but appreciated and praised. Yes they have faults, but being different than men is certainly not one of them. Individual women have faults, not women in general. And the same goes for men. I'm tired of men getting away with such acts as Charlie Sheen while the world turns and looks the other way. Enough is enough. And now I will step down from my soap box.

Before I do so, I do want to say that I am not overgeneralizing men. I know that there are great guys out there who really appreciate women. My father is definitely one of them and I appreciate his example of loving and supporting my mother and me throughout our lives. And yes, I do have other examples, but guys- do you really appreciate the women in your lives? I don't just mean your girlfriends and wives. You should be treating every single woman in your life with dignity and respect. Don't make her feel crazy for having emotions because it is part of human nature. Instead of passing them off as crazy, try understanding them and having patience with them. Not only should you love them, but you need to tell them you love them, and show that you love them. No one is off the hook here- even if you aren't beating women, like Charlie Sheen, I'm sure your appreciation of women could use some improvement.

And before you start defending yourselves with "oh but girls don't appreciate guys either," just know that I'm not saying that isn't true as well. But girls not appreciating guys doesn't make the fact that women are under appreciated and overlooked any less true. Let's stop blaming and start accepting. I, and women in general, deserve it. And now I really will step down from my soap box.

I would say sorry for such an emotional/strong post, but I'm not, and I shouldn't be. I'm taking a stand for women! (see, I wasn't kidding when I said I met my feminist side recently)

Mini thesis

want to know anything pertaining to the Choctaw Indians and the Indian Removal Act of 1830? Just ask. Because I'm the expert now. Apparently.

Writing

Why does writing papers suck so much? I write all the freaking time. I write notes, I write in my blog, and I write in my journal. I easily write 50 pages a month. maybe more? that was an extremely rough guesstimate. But when it comes to writing a paper, I just don't have the motivation/ability to just WRITE. I've been sitting in the exact same spot for about 10 hours now. yes, 10. All because of a paper, that oh by the way I haven't even begun to write. Don't think that 10 hours has been wasted though- I've been researching. But now I think it's actually time to take the plunge- so obviously I needed to blog first to get in the writing mode perhaps? Or maybe it's just because I've felt a desire to blog again- because it's kinda been a while. On the few small breaks I took today, I did a few things that maybe you can enjoy as well.

Emma introduced me to a new pandora type station with no ads, got it? NO ADS! Anyway- she also introduced me to a new band MNDR (pronounced mandar according to this website). And I've been listening to her radio station all day long. I have even bought a few songs that I discovered through this station. Basically I'm transforming into an Indie-hipster. That's ok right?

I also read a really interesting article (also introduced to me by Emma) that expressed exactly how I've been feeling for a long time now and just haven't had the right words to truly express it. Emma got it from Alicia, and on her fb wall it has sparked quite a debate! I know that if people ever put links or videos on their blogs, I NEVER read/look at them, so I will understand if you choose to not look at this article either, but I'm just saying it's a great article. And although it's about women, it is written by a man and it meant for men. And I couldn't agree with the concept more. Try reading it and let me know what you think.

Read it here

I also tried the New Special K cracker chips where you can have 30 great tasting chips for only 110 calories! Definitely wouldn't recommend them. They aren't as great tasting as the box tells you they are. The flavor isn't bad I suppose and they definitely aren't disgusting, but I wouldn't buy them again. They kind of have a styrofoam taste to them- just like rice cakes. But they aren't horrible I suppose. You can try them if you want, but hey I wouldn't do it.

Just imagine- I did all of this AND researched for a paper while remaining in the same chair all day. Good thing I had no class, right? Cool.

30 Day Bust

Yeah about that 30 days challenge... I'm not saying I'll never finish it. I'm just saying that I really didn't enjoy it. I thought I would like it more than I did. But hey- that's ok right? I'll put the last few topics up eventually, but every day is a little much if you ask me Plus the topics aren't that interesting a lot of the time. Maybe I should come up with a 30 day challenge that is actually cool. hmmm.... maybe I will. Anyway- don't worry- I haven't died. I'm just on strike of the 30 day challenge, which I am now calling the 30 day bust if you can't tell. Welp- see ya

Day 20

Day 20 : A Bible Verse

Joshua 22: 5

" But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses, the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

I guess you'd like my thoughts on it to? I'd say the verse is pretty self-explanatory. But I really like the word diligent- its requires a certain dedication and exactness to God and to his laws. It's nothing for the faint of heart. We must cleave to him, and give all of ourselves to him. And that is definitely not easy. To give of your entire self requires energy, effort, and the ability to humble yourself and recognize that you aren't the one in control. That is definitely a hard thing for me to grasp. Anyway- here's to being able to give of my WHOLE self to God with ALL of my efforts.

Day 19

Day 19: Something you want to do before you die

Well I want to do a lot of things before I die, which hopefully isn't for a long time.

1. Go to Jerusalem- preferably living there for a semester abroad, but going there in general would be ok too.

2. Graduate from college- it seems like this is forever away, but in reality it really isn't, so yay!

3. Finish reading the Old Testament- yeah... I've been reading it for over a year now... let's just say it's a slow read. haha

4. Learn to sight sing. I'm convinced that my inability to sing isn't because I have a bad voice per se, but more just because I can't sing high enough for a soprano part, but don't know how to read the alto line, leaving me to squeak out the melody, which is pretty unpleasant to my (and everyone else's) ears.

5. Learn to play the violin (or just a stringed instrument that isn't a guitar really)

6. Write a book - I'm unsure what the content will be yet... I have ideas, but I haven't really decided.

7. Get married and do that whole family thing... I guess... (totally kidding)

8. I'll just do everyone a favor and just say travel in general as opposed to listing off every single place I want to go- because trust me, there are a lot of different places that I want to go.

9. Learn to play the 3rd movement of Moonlight Sonata on the piano by Beethoven. Pretty much the hardest song I've ever heard.

10. Eat in a ridiculously expensive 5 star restaurant in NYC. I know it seems stupid, but hey it's something I'd like to do one day.

Day 18

Day 18: Favorite TV shows

I could put pictures up, but hey it's not worth it- you guys know what I'm talking about

1. Glee

2. The Simpsons

3. 30 Rock

4. Psych

5. So You Think You Can Dance

Day 17

Day 17: Your Favorite Song

It probably doesn't surprise you that my favorite song is a Michael Jackson song- or at least it shouldn't at this point. Thriller is my favorite song. It's my ringtone as well- and I can't get enough of it! It's also my favorite music video of all time. And yes- I have it on DVD.

With that being said, having a favorite song is a lot like having a favorite movie- it's hard to choose just one. It all depends on what you are in the mood for and such. So here's a list of other favorites:

All Time Faves: (in no particular order)

1. Take on Me- A-ha

2. Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Backstreet Boys

3. Ain't no Sunshine- Bill Withers

4. Acceptable in the 80s - Calvin Harris

5. Say Say Say- Michael Jackson

6. Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps - Doris Day

7. At Last- Etta James

8. Missing - Everything but the Girl

9. Share it With Me- Family Force 5

10. She Doesn't Get It - The Format

11. You Make my Dreams - Hall & Oates

12. You Are So Beautiful- Joe Cocker

13. Move Your Feet- Junior Senior

14. Bang Bang- K'naan feat. Adam Levine

15. Dangerous- Kardinal Offishall

16. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing- Leo Sayer

17. Mad- Ne-Yo

18. You Are the One- Shiny Toy Guns

19. Kiss Me- Sixpence None the Richer

20. Careless Whisper- Wham!

Current Faves:

1. Paris (ooh la la) - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

2. Give a Little More- Maroon 5

3. Who Owns My Heart- Miley Cyrus

4. Higher- Taio Cruz and Travie McCoy

Catch UP

Day 16: Things that you hate

Screamo music

World of Warcraft

Being Late

Seafood

People that text during the sacrament

Putting away laundry

People who chew with their mouths open or just loudly

Bulleying

Day 15: (sorry I know I didn't blog on Friday or Saturday, but hey here are the topics anyway!) Things that you love

Roadtripping

Special Olympics

Playing Rockband

Writing in my Journal

Shoes

Word Games

There are plenty of other things that I love - but these are the pictures that I had on my computer.

Day 14

Day 14: Something you don't leave the house without

This question is rather boring, I know. Especially since I feel like these days, everyone doesn't leave their house without the same basic things- such as a cell phone, their wallet, etc. I will say though- that there is pretty much only one thing that I always have with me- and that's my cell phone. I don't always take my wallet to school, even though I usually do. And I usually have my planner on me, but not always. So my cell phone is the winner on this one. I guess I can't live without it! Who can though, really? Unless you are one of those people still stuck in 1990 that doesn't have a cell phone haha. I would say that I regret that I have come to rely so much on a piece of technology, but that would be lying. I love my iphone and all of the information I can get from it whenever I'm wondering where I know some actor from, or what a certain word means, or what the Bachelor does for a living. Information is literally at the tips of my fingers at all times. And not to mention communication! I can call or text people whenever I please, and THAT is the beauty of the 21st century.

Day 13

Day 13: Someone you miss

It's little Pooky! He's on a mission in El Salvador right now- there he is pointing it out! This is at the missionary mall. He is such a sweet heart and I am very lucky to have him as a brother. He is hilarious as well. He makes me laugh all the time, it's really great. Our sense of humors just click, you know? He is a very good role model to our youngest brother, Ethan as well. He is the sweetest boy you will ever meet and he would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. Everyone likes him, and for a good reason! Anyway- I miss him more than I thought I would- and I thought I would miss him a lot! I can't wait for him to get back, the time is already flying by faster than I could have imagined.

Day 12

Day 12: Celebrity Crush

Need I say more?

Zac Efron is such a doll. And just for the record- he is older than me for all of you that are thinking I'm a cradle robber.

Day 11

Day 11: Favorite Movies

I actually did a post on this a while back. I suppose I could post a link to it... but ehh... I'm pretty lazy.

Favorite movies are hard to determine for me, as I'm sure it is for everyone else as well. There are movies that are just good movies, plain and simple. Good meaning well written, good acting, and beautiful cinematography. But those movies aren't always the kind that I want to watch all of the time. Then there are the movies that I could watch over and over again- so they are my favorite simply because of their rewatchability. There are a few movies that fit both categories, but it's not often. And then there's always the mood factor. Sometimes I'm in the mood to watch a light hearted movie, or a sad one, or a mind-blowing one. So it's hard to really say what my favorite movies are... With that being said, I am making this topic a lot harder than it needs to be. So I think I'm going to pick my top 3 in different categories of my choosing.

Overall Favorites:

1. Moulin Rouge

2. Beyond the Sea

3. Vanity Fair

Rewatchable ones:

1. Clueless

2. Zoolander

3. Hairspray

Animated Movies:

1. Nightmare Before Christmas

2. Toy Story 3

3. The Princess and the Frog

Mind-blowing Movies:

1. The Others

2. Inception

3. The Sixth Sense

Musical:

1. Singing in the Rain

2. 7 Brides for 7 Brothers

3. Meet Me in St. Louis

Recent Faves:

1. Tangled

2. The Social Network

3. Harry Potter 7

Tearjerkers:

1. Steel Magnolias

2. The Last Song

3. Moulin Rouge (sorry for the repeat)

Chick Flicks:

1. Mean Girls

2. 500 Days of Summer

3. Legally Blonde

Other:

1. Edward Scissorhands

2. Ray

3. Strictly Ballroom

There are so many good ones out there! But I will leave it at that...

Day 10

Day 10: A Picture that Confuses You

When I saw this topic I knew exactly what picture I wanted to pick. As it has been stated many times before, I went to Hawaii this summer with some friends. We rented out this house a block away from the beach and it was awesome. Something that made it even more awesome was the art that was put all over the walls. It was usually stuff with extremely strange quotes and such. Anyway- the best one/most confusing one was this poster mounted in the dining room.

Can someone please explain this picture to me? It was a great topic of conversation for everyone that went to Hawaii with me, and no one could really figure it out. How does an egg flying in the sky with butterflies coming out of it over a chess board explain perspective?! Like seriously.... if you guys have any idea... please let me know, I'd be interested to know what your thoughts on this are.

Oh. and the quote underneath "Perspective" says "Change is not only necessary to life... It is life" What the heck?

Day 9

Day 9 - Someone or something that has gotten you through a lot

Just for the record- a lot of different people have gotten me through a lot of different things in my life. But I'm really an independent type of person- to a fault actually. When I'm truly suffering, I tend to keep most of it to myself and just tell myself that I can get through it by myself. I do have one thing though that has truly gotten me through every possible problem that has come up in my life. And that thing is my journal, or I suppose multiple journals at this point.

I guess it's kind of an odd thing to choose, but it is absolutely true. With journal writing, I just find it sooo therapeutic. I can write anything that I'm thinking about whenever I come across a problem in my life. It allows me to vent and not hold back, get excited over stupid things, and just be myself and think and write whatever I feel like writing. And it's very fun to go back and read my journals as well.

Whenever I'm going through a really hard time, I can express my fears and pains and such to their full extent and not worry about other people worrying about me. Which is where the whole independence thing comes in I guess. I can also really see how much I have been blessed with as I write down all of the good things that have happened to me and how much God watches out for me and loves me. It's a good way to reflect on the past, live in the present and look forward to the future at the same time. I'm a huge advocate of journal writing- I can't say enough good about it. So I suppose that's what has gotten me through the most, if not everything.

Day 8

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh

I went to my photos on my laptop to search for a picture that made me laugh. I only have pictures from 2010 and 2011 on there, so I didn't need to search long because this one is form January 1, 2010. haha!! I had kind of forgotten about it. Love these boys- even the creeper in the back.

Day 7

Day 7: A picture of a place that you've been

It was hard for me to pick a picture for this one because I've been to a lot of cool places. I decided to go with a picture from Hawaii though. I tried to pick a picture that I don't think most of you have seen, since I didn't put it on facebook or on the blog. I'm pretty sure this is Sunset beach in Hawaii. But who really knows- I went to a lot of different beaches. Hawaii was awesome. So chill and perfect weather. It was really paradise, I must say. I would love to go back again.

Day 6

Day 6 : My Parents

Aren't they lovely? Well the topic "my parents" is rather broad.... So here is a picture of them. My parents' names are Flint and Freda Finlinson. Yep- that's right. Take that for some alliteration, why don't you. It's even better when you add family at the end. I still think they should have named all of us F names, but hey that's just me.

My mother is a Southern belle from Georgia. She is extremely proud of her Southern heritage, which is where I get my love of the South from. (In case you didn't know, I love the South) I'm very much like my mom in a lot of ways. She is very practical, honest, and everyone seems to love her. I'm not sure how much I am like her in that last aspect, haha. Despite her protests, I still believe she is an amazing mother, even if she doesn't think that I have that opinion. She loves Aerosmith, diet coke, Gone With the Wind, fine dining, and planning and going on family vacations.

My father is a western boy from a small farm in middle of nowhere, Utah. You would never know that form meeting him today, but he is still proud of his heritage as well and the work ethic that it taught him. I am also a lot like my dad in a number of ways. He loves being creative, fashion, and cooking. He is obsessed with cooking actually, and spends most of his leisure time planning gourmet meals and cooking them. Lucky for us, right? He is very good at keeping in touch with and having a personal relationship with all of his children- unlike a lot of fathers that I know. That is what makes him special as well as many many other things.

I love my parents very much, even though I don't say it as often as I should. (Good thing they read this blog, right?) I always say that I was first in line in the parent picking line in heaven. I had first choice, and these people are who I picked! haha. My parents also like to use that line against me when I am not happy with them. They will always say "well you picked us!'' Oh boy... either way, through good and bad, I AM glad I picked them. :)

Day 5

Day 5 : A habit that I wish I didn't have

This is a hard one because I'm always trying to start good habits as opposed to focusing on ones that I wish I didn't have. Instead of wishing, I prefer to actually try and change them. Of course I'm not saying I'm perfect and that I don't have any habits I wish I didn't have, I'm just saying that if you wish you didn't have a habit, you should change instead of wishing it wasn't so! So I guess I need to take my own advice.

I wish I was IN the habit of keeping up on current events more. So I guess I wish I didn't have the habit of ignorance? haha. I try my best to keep up with what is going on, but then I often forget. And it's so easy to just look at the New York Times online. So I wish I could get into the habit of just looking at it everyday to just know what is going on. I have TIME magazine and I need to read it more thoroughly more often. I know the basics of stuff- like oh hey there are a bunch of protests going on in Egypt right now! But I want to know the history behind them and the full on story.

The only problem is that you can never know everything that is going on in the world. I've been really good at keep track of the situation going on in Sudan right now. (Southern Sudan is seceding form Northern Sudan) And I know all the reasons and such, but that's only ONE country! How is it possible to know about the protests in Egypt, the ousting of the Tunisian president, the seceding of southern Sudan, the floods in Australia, and not to mention everything that is going on in America!? And also not to mention everything that I didn't just mention. haha. So it's a huge feat, but I'm continuing to give it my efforts. Not my BEST efforts, but hey I'm giving it effort. Anyway- I'm going to make a goal to look at the New York times every day for a week from here on out. Here's to habits that we (I) want to change! Who's with me?

Day 4

Day 4: My first love

I highly considered not doing this topic and just choosing some other random topic, but I suppose I'm not that creative in thinking of blog topics... so here we are. I'm not one to have extremely personal blog entries, so I'll keep this one kind of vague. For those of you who know the story, you'll know what I'm talking about, and for those of you that don't, you can ask me in person!

So my first love... eh hem...

When I was a mere 15 I met this boy at a youth dance. We hit it off and I really enjoyed his company and he seemed to be enjoying mine as well. Not really thinking anything of it, I would talk and dance with him and so forth. All of my friends during this dance saw what was going on and didn't waste any time in finding out if we were interested in each other- and it turns out that we were! And a young, exciting romance blossomed from there. I couldn't actually date him, since I wasn't 16 yet, but we were "going out" haha. Oh man.... it all sounds so silly looking back at it now.

Anyway, we hung out with in groups for the next 6 months, talked on the phone incessantly and just couldn't get enough of each other. I found myself wanting to be a better person, loving life to its full extent and just wondering how I could have been so lucky to have this happen to me. I know this may surprise many of you, knowing me now, but hey I was 15! I was stupidly "in love." haha I put quotes because I don't actually think someone that young really knows what love is, but that's what I thought I knew at the time.

Those 6 months were great and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. Due to complications that I don't wish to get into and the consequential teenage drama that ensued, it obviously didn't last. He broke up with via another friend (which I was SUPER pissed about) and that was that. I was devastated, but I did survive and live to tell the tale today. I've liked/dated a few guys since that time, but I have yet to recapture that 'stupidly in love' feeling that I felt during that first experience. And that is why I'm not married I suppose! I'm glad I went through that experience.

I actually went back through my journals over this past Christmas break when I was in town, and OH BOY. My first love experience filled the pages during those 6 months, as you would imagine. And as I read the entries, I felt all of the emotions all over again- from the excitement of having a boyfriend to the sadness of breaking up. It was intense!! Because you know that 15 year old girls are so much more dramatic than 23 year old ones.... (or are they?) I'd like to think so.... Either way it will be interesting to see how I am once I am in love as an adult. Here's to the future!

Day 3

Day 3 is to describe a really good memory. I chose the last day of my San Francisco road trip. The group actually went down to the Carmel/Monteray area and went on a scenic drive. We stopped at one point to have a picnic on the beach and take pictures. It was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect, the company was perfect, and everything was just perfect. I have a LOT more pictures where this came from, but blogger is taking forever to load plus I don't want to make this post THAT long. Needless to say, this is a really great memory of mine.

Day 2

Day 2 is to describe the meaning behind my blog name. As you can see my blog name is "How Sweet the Sound." I'm hoping that everyone has caught onto why it is called that, but just in case, I will explain. My name is Grace, as you all SHOULD know. Whenever I meet someone new, they often will sing Amazing Grace to me, which happens to be one of my favorite songs. Most people would say they get sick of the same old "Oh you are singing Amazing Grace... never heard that one before..." but in reality I love when people do it. Not only does the song name have my name in it, but just the concept of grace in general is absolutely beautiful. And the words to this song are amazing. Amazing Grace is also a really good movie that I would definitely recommend! So with that being said, the next line in the song after "Amazing Grace" is "how sweet the sound," which is where I got my blog title. So not only is the word grace sweet, but hey so am I! haha... So yeah... there it is.

30 Day Challenge: Day 1

Well I've been thinking about doing this for a while now. A few of my friends have done this on their blogs and if for no other reason, I think it'll be fun! So basically there is a topic for each day and then I blog about it. Blogging daily... we will see if I'm up for the task! So let's get started, shall we?

Day 1: A Recent Picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about yourself

1. I'm watching 30 Rock at this very moment in time. I freaking love this show, and I must say that Tracy Jordan is hilarious. Tina Fey is basically my hero for being an amazing creator of a great show and being hilarious at the same time.

2. My favorite color is purple. I'm actually kind of obsessed with it. Whenever I'm clothes shopping, I always go towards the purple sweaters, tank tops, dresses, skirts, etc. My purse is purple, my iphone case is purple, my sheets are purple, and trust me I have lots of other things that are purple. (you get the point)

3. Speaking of obsessions.... even more than the color purple, I am obsessed with Michael Jackson. I have been ever since my parents introduced me to his Thriller album when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I listened to that CD on repeat for months at a time, and then of course expanded to his other albums. I read everything I could about his life and watched every possible documentary on him. And nothing has changed. When he died, yes I cried while watching his funeral. A lot of my Christmas gifts through the past years of been Michael Jackson themed. Calendars, puzzles, DVDs, CDs, and this year the wii video game! Anyway, enough about Michael...

4. I just started a fashion blog. I really enjoy it and it's a nice little hobby I can do since I enjoy fashion but don't exactly want to get a career in the field.

5. I love making movies. They aren't amazing, but I still love filming them, editing them and then watching them and laughing a ton after I finish them.

6. I've been growing my hair out for about 2 years now and it is freaking long. Sometimes I just want to chop it all of because it really is a pain, and yet I love it being long. I've been hesitant to cut it because I've invested 2 years of time into at this point! haha. For now I'm going to keep it long though.

7. Until the age of 7 or 8, I SERIOUSLY thought my middle name was Lydia. I don't actually have a middle name, and was apparently upset by this as a child, so my parents told me that I did have a middle name and that it was Lydia. Fast forward a few years to my freshman year at BYU. I received a letter from BYU for some reason (I don't remember the contents) and guess who it was addressed to? Miss Grace L. Finlinson. Now you tell me what that L stands for!

8. Every time I look at the clock and it is 12:08, I always announce that it is 12:08 or at least smile to myself if I'm alone because it reminds of my birthday December 8th. I also get super excited when I meet other people that do this same thing. It's rare, but hey it happens!

9. I have a few mottos that I live by which some people think are kinda odd I suppose. One of them is the whole idea of mind over body. I believe this to an extreme actually. I honestly believe that being sick is a mental thing and that you can keep yourself healthy by simply putting your mind to it. It's not as simple as it sounds, but that's the basic idea.

10. I love nail polish and having painted nails. (As you can see from my last post) And as much as I love having painted nails, I hate having chipped nails, so I paint my nails a LOT. I have my phases where I won't paint them as much, but in general that's what I do.

11. I love Old Navy. I buy all of my clothes from there. Literally all of them. Every article of clothing that I am wearing right now is from Old Navy.

12. I never eat breakfast, but I love breakfast food. Savory breakfast food that is.

13. I took a picture every single day in the year 2010. I made the goal on Jan 1, 2010. And I stuck it out all the way to Dec 31, 2010. I have all the way to September 30th scrapbooked. Hopefully the rest will be done soon.

14. I love pop music. The poppier the better. I love Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and most people in that same category. And I'm not afraid to admit it!

15. It took me far too long to come up with 15 things... and I'm once again watching 30 Rock. so good!

Today

Call me girly, if you will. But I find so much joy in having freshly painted nails. And I'm loving my new(ish) pink nail polish! I found some time to paint my nails while eating 30 rock today. Yes that's right- I said eating. Anyway- today has been a good day. I got to sleep in, have lunch with Kjerstin, and have cute, perfectly painted pink (try saying THAT 10 times fast) nails. Oh! And it snowed today. And I love snow! I know i'm in the minority on this one- but I really do love it. So overall - a good day. Now on to some homework...

Condi

I had the opportunity to go to a forum at BYU this past Thursday with a very special guest: Condoleezza Rice. I was SO impressed and she was nothing short of inspiring. I'm so glad that I went and she made me really think about where I am going in my life and what I want to be doing. Here are a few notes that I wrote down during her speech:

"Today's headlines and history's judgements are rarely the same. We need to make history's judgement the right one."

"It doesn't matter where you came from, it matters where you are going."

"We as a nation are held together by that promise of being able to achieve despite humble circumstances."

"The essence of being human is integrating your knowledge of what is with your belief of what might be."

"With education comes responsibility."

"When you find your passion, worlds open up to you that you never thought possible."

"When you overcome something that's hard, you know you can overcome life's challenges. So do something that is hard for you."

"Keep your optimism. If we, who have every opportunity at our fingertips can't be optimistic, then who can be? As educated people, we have a responsibility to be optimistic."

"You can't control your circumstances, you can control your response."

"Thing that seem impossible in retrospect seem inevitable."

She said so many good things and I am truly grateful for people like her that are living the American dream and giving the rest of us hope. Thank you Dr. Rice for coming to BYU!

New Blog!!

Drum roll please.....

The wait is over- I have officially started my new fashion blog. Read it, Enjoy it, Comment on it, and Follow it! Here's the link:

www.ifyoulookgood.blogspot.com

Don't worry- I will still be updating this blog as well! I enjoy all of your comments, so let me know what you think!

Resolutions

Well it's a new year and I have a few resolutions, some of which I can actually share with the blogging world!

1. I want to eat breakfast every single day. I've never been very good at eating breakfast, even though they say that it's the most important meal of the day. So I'm thinking I'm going to give it a shot. I ate breakfast this morning, and I can already tell a difference!

2. Keep a planner- I've never been good at keeping a planner either. I often find myself double booking myself or forgetting about assignment or meetings, and hopefully with a planner this won't happen.

3. Start and keep up my new fashion blog- I'll probably be posting once a week, probably on Wednesdays. (Hey! Tomorrow is Wednesday!)

4. Go to bed by midnight on school nights. I'm often known for staying up extremely late and sleeping in late as well. And I'm ready to break this habit! I've been going strong for the past few nights, so now for the rest of the year!

5. Study in the library every day- this way I can keep up with my academics in an environment with not as many distractions as I have at home.

Well I have a few more that those ones, but I'd say that is a good start- pictures from Christmas break will be up soon!