long days... and happy nights.

Wednesdays are my longest days ever. I am literally go, go, going from 7 am to 6 pm. very little break time there.

but today ended perfectly with:

-doing science with the most adorable 6 and 7 year olds ever
-shopping date with my sister
-then baking apple crisp with her
-roommate trip to get cupcakes at 10:30 at night
-getting the best compliment ever from a great friend

Life is so great. Sometimes its hard, but I just have so many blessings it's awesome :)

Disneyland post is coming sometime. I just need more time to do it.

also, countdown to conference = 3 days!!!

love

Talk about being hit by a spiritual brick. Tonight was the most amazing night of my life. I basically received personal confirmation that Heavenly Father knew all of my wants and desires and he was watching over me and would give me the things I needed, all in due time. It felt so good just to know that I was loved and that Heavenly Father was hearing my prayers, even if they were not being answered right away.

I know that Heavenly Father is aware of our every need and that he wants us to be happy. Sometimes we can't get everything we want right away, but sometimes he gives us just what we need. I love the gospel :)

life is going so fantastic, and yet it's so crazy!

In approximately three days, I will be here...


driving forever and spending Thursday night with my family, taking in all the Halloween decorations at Disneyland, riding Space Mountain and Splash Mountain until I go crazy, having the greatest time with my best friend in the world, enjoying the awesome California weather, and thinking about everything but school. until them I am just trying not to die.

Before that, there's a physics test to take, being busy from 8 am-10 pm tomorrow, packing, cleaning, homework, and trying to get some sleep. I am so grateful today for the boy in my Physics class that spent an hour tutoring me. I understand more now and feel more prepared. It was great.

I also got added to a dinner group today. feeding me Monday-Thursday = yes please :) and the people in it are pretty cool too. One of my goals this semester is to be more social. and with new people. I am working hard so far!

I love life so much, but sometimes it's just crazy. and hard. I say things I regret, I do things I regret, I feel super busy, I feel stressed, etc... but tonight I am just happy. happy to be alive and healthy. that I have energy to do the things I love and so many possiblities available to me. even if the things I want to do don't always work out, I am grateful to have goals to strive for and new things to try.

General Conference is in about a week. I am so excited... I definitely need some spiritual power in my life! so you should all watch it :) plus, I get to watch it with my family at a cabin! Does life get any better?

I got to go help out at Provo High School on Friday. It was awesome! I helped out in Mrs. Nozawa's chemistry and geometry classes. I helped to tutor students in the distance formula and dimensional analysis. Man, I wish classes were still that easy. and too bad in college there aren't shortened classes so you can to a carnival at the end of the day. High school was such a piece of cake.



me getting ready to go tutor. this is a strange post but it was the best one.

Happiness

recent happenings:

-got punched in the face by my roommate (accidentally)
-ran the red rock relay (I am too lazy to blog about this... pictures are on facebook, and if you want to read about how awesome it was, just read this blog and you will know how cool RRR is... though we got 19th place, not 1st place... http://rachelsrosettastone.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-rock-relay-champs.html)
-hung out with some cool people at park plaza
-went to Michael's and got excited about Halloween
-got a job but then decided it was WAY too many hours and I wanted a social life (35 hours!)
-talked to some good friends and saw a few more on campus

Well, about happiness... for the last week or so, my life has been in kind of this rut. Like I was not really happy and I didn't really know why. well, I did. but that's a different story. I was frustrated with myself because nothing had really changed in my life and I could not figure out why I was unhappy. Then, last night, one of the girls that lives by me came over to ask us some questions for her positive living class. She was asking us about happiness, about how we defined it and why things made us happy. and I thought about how even though sometimes there are hard things in my life, I am still happy. The circumstances of my life may be hard to deal with sometimes, and I may get down on myself, but overall, I am still happy. She asked us what made us happy. I gave her some answers that matter, like friends, and family, and spending time doing things I like, and overcoming my fears (which are all major happiness bringers in my life!), but I think the thing that contributes MOST to my happiness, or more to my overall sense of joy, is the gospel. and by this I mean praying, reading my scriptures, and following the Spirit. I notice SUCH a big difference when I don't do these things now. I lose some of my positive outlook on life. I begin to think a little more negatively. The gospel really is the source of peace in my life and I need it.

Last but not least. When asked what she thought happiness was, my other roommate said that to her, happiness was being grateful for the things around you. I feel like that is another one of the reasons I am so happy. When I do read my scriptures and pray and live as I should, I find myself constantly in a a state of gratitude for all the wonderful blessings that I have. and I love it. I LOVE to be happy!

random side note... ALL of my friends are going to the MTC now or in December. and by all, I mean like 4. details. I want to go with them!

grateful.

Geesh, blogging gets hard when you are in school and doing homework all the time. So far, life is moving right along. But today, I just wanted to post a list of some of the things I am thankful for.

-being able to see my family a lot because Vegas is close.
-my roommates. Mayra is like the nicest person ever and is fantastic. Ashley is just as awesome as ever. Sarah is so much fun and I love talking to her late into the night. (though it might catch up to me!)
-being athletic. I love the feeling of working out and eating healthy. If only I could convince my mind that when I feel lazy!
-friends at BYU.
-being able to go to school
-the two random girls that I helped find the Benson this morning that were so nice and fun to talk to
-that I get to teach first through third graders science!
-that my prayers are answered
-that I got a job nannying two really cute kids!

Of course, I am grateful for a lot more things. but I am just loving life! even though it's kinda crazy right now :)

the new and improved BYU gym

While I was at my Red Rock Relay meeting, one of the girls there told me they recently remodeled the BYU gym. (side note about the Red Rock relay... it is in a week! I am super excited! I am running 3 legs, each about five miles!) I had to work out for the day, and I decided I would go check it out. I felt like I was in paradise.

it is like three times as big now!

you get cool wristbands!

I think they are trying to convert me to treadmill running.

you can plug your ipod into the treadmill and control it from there! and record your workout onto your ipod. coolest thing ever!

In other news...

this was our apartment's pet for the day, Sally the snail. However, we decided to let her go.

this is my new bedspread. I am very fond of it.

first baking of the semester: red velvet cheesecake brownies.

first cooking of the semester... yummiest chicken ever. and it's healthy too.


I am now an officially permitted to go help out at the schools! can't wait to start next week!