First Day of Freedom and my Goals!

It's been pretty nice having some extra time to do things- like this for instance! I've been able to relax a lot more as well as get all my homework done in a timely manner. Very, very nice! My Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be amazing!

So here are some of my goals for the next few months considering my new schedule and my exciting move to Georgia coming up in 6 1/2 months:

1. Hit the Gym @ 5 am every day (We're going to try and hit 120 by the end of October! Yahooo!!!)
2. Balance out my food choices even more (doing pretty good on that one already)
3. Project Proposal done by December
4. Get a new Nikon!
5. Spend more time on my knees and in my scriptures
6. Finish "Selling the Invisible" and "Crucial Conversations" during October
7. Read two books a month minimum (in addition to my assigned reading- those don't count)
8. Learn to fix my basic car problems (yes... I'm going to learn to be a little mechanic :) cool huh?)
9.Work on my Spanish more!
10. Keep up these straight A's I've got going on currently!
11. Work on my single more- have that finished in its entirety before I leave in May.
12. Improve my friendships overall
13. Attend Institute on Tuesday nights :)
14. Back to Piano Practice- finish memorizing "Islamey" by January and clean until May. Keep up during the summer.
15. Improve my guitar- practice scales, chords, and arps as well as ornaments every day.
16. Keep up on my violin.
17. Vocal warm-ups every day.
18. Keep my room clean (that one is gonna be a struggle...)
19. Keep up on all my blogs! (I have so many... but I like them all so much that I can't bring myself to delete any of them!)
20. Yoga every day along with planning and study time at the end of each night.
21. Keep up on my letters to all my mission boys- there are a few left! Gotta make these count!


Those are but a few- I have lots and lots of little goals that I'm working on. It's pretty nice to actually have time for all of these things!!!!!!!! I'm sure that I'm going to become even more well-rounded as I work on these things even more than I am currently.

Well that's all I have time to write today! On to more good stuff!!!!

In Pursuit of Happyness :)

Today is one of those great days- starts out good despite my lack of sleep and keeps getting better. Mind you, I still have to tell Tiff that I'm quitting today... That's not gonna be fun... but as of right now, life is freaking BOMB.

One thing that I've figured out is that all good things come to those who wait. Not only is it a reward from God, but it's a RESULT of hard work- things build up as result of your attitude, and there is nothing in the World that can keep those blessings from your grasp.

I was watching Glenn Beck's conversion story last night at my parents' house (LOVE him btdubs), and he said something SO true (dramatic-sounding because he was emphasizing and also adding some comedy of course, but nonetheless true). He said that, as an investigator, he started following commandments because he knew from the scriptures he was assigned that God could not EXIST if he didn't fulfill his promises when we fulfilled our end of the bargain. HE CANNOT EXIST. In essence, and I quote, "God is HANDCUFFED to the truth." I think that rather than defying eternal truth, God's going to do what he says he's going to do. One of those eternal promises is that he'll give us what we ask for if #1- it's a righteous desire,  and #2- we ASK him for it having done all of the required steps of said blessing.

Well, here I am. I'm worthy, I'm doing all the right things and seeking for progression, and I'm acting on promptings. What else does God ask us to do? That's pretty much it. Pretty simple right?

So what now? That's it. Act on what you can and wait patiently and faithfully for the rest. Do I sometimes feel desperate and lost? Sure. Everyone does. However, I'm pretty sure that things work out exactly the way they are supposed to in the end, and I've got some pretty hefty promises already, so why doubt?

Here's the Song in my head today :)


"Dry County Girl"
-Rascal Flatts


A tall drink of water in a cotton dress
That preacher's daughter, she sure is blessed
As sunlight passes through the fabric so soft
You can imagine what goes through my thoughts
She says there'll be time for all of that
When my dress is white and your suit is black

There's so many fish in the sea
And I know it's a great big world
But I couldn't help but fall in love so hard
For my dry county girl
For my dry county girl, yeah

It's widely known that I have my flaws
While she's the Joan of Arkansas
Her lips won't touch the demon wine
But her eyes are full of pure moonshine
And I get drunk just holding her hand
I get high thinking I could be her man 

There's so many fish in the sea
And I know it's a great big world
But I couldn't help but fall in love so hard
For my dry county girl
For my dry county girl, yeah 


For my dry county girl
Lord, I fell so hard
For my dry county girl 

A Night of Reunions, Tacos, and Smith's

Tonight was great!

I got to hang with some of my dearest friends today! I love them to fetching DEATH! Mallory Cullotta and Greg Lewis are their names, and I met a new friend too- Mark. It was a good time! I met them in SLC for a concert (short lived experience. I was FREAKISHLY freaked out by having to walk ALL the way across Salt Lake BY MYSELF... IN THE DARK... only to find that they were indeed leaving the concert and heading out of Salt Lake. They miraculously saw me walking in and stopped me. DESTINY!!!!), and then we went to Del Taco and ate some dec Mexi food.

We talked about Hawaii, my lipgloss obsession, Mallory's memories with Mark, and the Chipotle Taco. We laughed a lot, and I kept getting salsa on my face- ew (just kidding- loooove salsa). Then Greg needed groceries, so we went to Smith's to grab him some grub. That was surprisingly fun! We ran around like hooligans and grabbed all sorts of sugary nonsense for Greg's pantry.

Tonight was fun!

Tales of Europe and Catan

Today is a brighter day!!!

Taylor finally called me yesterday, and we had a wonderful talk. Leaving things on a good note was really important to me, and I really don't think that our conversation could have gone any better. We have said our goodbyes, and I'm sure I will be able to see him around and smile. I won't lie- I still have a little bit of a hole in my life right now; it's weird not having that someone right there all the time. But I know it was right. What a great ending to a great summer!

Last night was awesome. I met a few people by going back to my old ward in Alpine, and that was super fun. Then I went over to Jessica's house, and she told me tales of Europe!! AHHH!!! I am so jealous!

May I just say that my best friend, Jessica Frazier, is the MOST adventurous woman in the entire world. I'm not kidding. She seriously does things that no one in their right mind would do, and she really doesn't blink about it. When you first meet her, you may think she is a bit shy. However, upon further inspection, you'll find that she is a wild, sexy, smart, HILARIOUS person. She screams fun!

What the fetch???? This is probably 

one of the top ten kisses I have ever seen 

in my LIFE. Jessica Frazier is possibly the 

sexiest woman in America... 

And Europe apparently... :)

For instance, one of the funniest things I've ever known of her doing was something she did in Europe this summer (the trip she just got back from). She was on the Eiffel Tower, and she had a need that was so strong that it almost pained her: to be kissed on the top of the historic building. However, everyone that came with her was either a girl or a relative, so what on Earth was she to do? Of COURSE she headed up to the most attractive, muscular man in the ENTIRE facility and KISSED HIM!!!!!!!! SHE KISSED HIM!!!!!! She of course asked, but he was very willing AS you can see... :)

WHAT??? Like seriously... This girl is CRAZY!!!! That's exactly why me and Jessica have an unspoken law that whatever fun things we do must either be spent doing together or reenacted at some point in our lives. So yes... Me and Jessica WILL be visiting the wonderful land of France together, and yes, there WILL be a kiss on the top of the Eiffel Tower to a COMPLETE stranger for both of us!!!

After many tales of the yonder land of Europe, we parted for the evening and I went over to see the boys at Kev's apartment. They were OF COURSE playing Settlers AGAIN- it's always a heated battle with lots of heightened emotions. It was just plain fun. I fetching love my ward btdubzzzz!!!!

And that was my night. After I came home, Emily painted my K that's going on my door and Brad came home to tell us about "Precious," the Polynesian Tranni at Denny's. It was...a precious story. Haha.

Well, onto day 2 of the week. Lots of buddies coming back to Provo this week like Greg and Josiah!! I'm excited to see 'em! It's going to be weird starting school and getting back into the Fall version of being social, but it's going to be great!

Monopoly and Boat Motors: The lessons of Repentance and Forgiveness

Here's a thought: Life feels like a game of strategy- like Monopoly. Despite the number of jail cards and game fees arise, as long as you don't leave the game board before the end of the game, you finish victoriously. There is certain amount of work that must be done to ensure progression in the game; those who don't try don't go very far at all. in fact, to continue at all, you have to at least roll the dice. Rolling that dice exhibits an interest in the game, and even a small interest is enough to lead you on.

However, you won't last very long if you don't start showing more than a minor interest. You must evade as many obstacles as possible to come out on top. This may seem easy, but in reality, using such strategy involves thinking through your actions. Not only that, but you have to be consistently thinking about what your next move is going to be and prepping for future moves. It's too easy to get lost in the moment, especially when you are on a lucky streak. You cannot lose sight of what's ahead, and with that in mind, you are bound to be given a break in your lucky streaks. Prepare for them, and you'll be fine. Assume you're fine in every situation and you'll fall hard when something interrupts your happy times.

I've pondered on this idea for a while now. I really have come to know that no one is immune to failure in life too. When I used to look at people with major problems in their lives, I used to think, "Dang- how could they be so weak? I would never do anything like that." In reality, they started out just like me- they probably thought exactly the same thing about other people before they did something wrong. No one intends to make mistakes starting out. It begins with a pattern of compromise and rationalization. Slowly, their actions turn, and suddenly, they find themselves lost in sin.

 I love the church, and I know exactly what I want in my life. It provides for a return from the mistakes that have built up like sea grout on a lightly neglected boat motor. That motor needs constant care to keep it clean enough to use, however sometimes you have to turn to a more rigorous cleaning with  the proper chemicals to remove what has already fastened itself to the metal. When all of that junk is gone, the motor is still in perfect condition- it's just weighed down and is a hazard in its current condition. The process of cleaning is so simple! Perhaps it looks like a long and tedious task to remove, but all it takes is a steady hand and a little patience and TA DAAA! It's done!

Isn't the atonement wonderful? I am so grateful for it!

Ho Brah! This Wahine be SURFIN!!!!!

Today was surfing day!!!!!

We got to White Plains Beach (over by the military site) and decided to try our hand at surfing. We had longboards, and we each needed to take one. Those suckers were HEAVY!!! Luckily, a local came over after seeing our distress and taught us how to properly carry a longboard. Thanks brah!

I of course was most excited to go, so I got to take her out first. The waves were PERFECT. They weren't extremely massive, but they weren't too small either. My only complaint was the stupid coral right beneath me- I guess that beach has an extensive reef right beneath the wave-break spot. Since it was really only 2-3 feet below us most of the time, I cut my feet on the reef a few times. But it was all worth it! We got some great surfing in!!

After about 3 hours out in the water, I was EXHAUSTED. For anyone that surfs, I think you can attest to how tiring the process can be. You have to freestyle or butterfly-stroke it out for hours at a time. You can BET I was tired! So I headed in and sun bathed on the beach with my brothers. Can I just say that they are hilarious? My poor hair extensions are completely destroyed thanks to the salt water, so Trev used it as a beard/chest hair prop. Gross!!! Haha but I was laughing and sent the pic to Jessica :) hahaha. Ty kept singing the "Sand in muh pants, sand in muh pants.. lookin' like a fool with the sand inuh pants!" song, and that was HYSTERICAL!

After the day was over, we ate and headed around town to buy some souvenirs. It turns out that there are  A LOT of Obama fans in this state.... I can't tell you how many Obama bobble heads we found.... LOL

Now we are at the hotel room and Brit is painting my toenails. It's funny- she LOVES doing this kind of stuff... maybe I should let her do them for me since I loathe doing it :) She hasn't even compained about my "dull" choice of black and white! Haha

Well, I am falling asleep ya'll!!!! Tomorrow is our last day in Hawaii, and then it's back to the mainland!!!

Kahe Beach Revisited: Joy and... JELLYFISH?!?!!?

Kahe was our choice once again today!!!!! But it was even MORE interesting than our first trip!!!

So Mom and I went over there this morning by her request- I didn't realize it, but when I got to see the dolphins the other day, my mom really felt like she missed out. So she woke up this morning and asked me to come with her to seek them out. Talk about a surprise! Mom is adventurous instead of cautious today!

So we went- the water was BEAUTIFUL today. I didn't realize how much of the coral I hadn't seen because of the murkiness the other day. Anyway, the reef was quite extensive, so we followed it out in hopes of finding the dolphins once more. After lots of searching, we could hear them, but they were too far out to find them. Mom got scared at the deep seafloor and the possibility of sharks, so we bailed and headed back to shore. We found some shells at least!

Well, that's not where it ends- we headed back there again later that day. This time, we succeeded at finding the dolphins!!! Me, Aunt Marilyn, Brittany, and Shelby headed out after seeing them jumping from the shore. This time, they were even friendlier! They followed us all over the place. They gave us a show too! They spun and jumped for us for a few minutes before following us to the next spot. It was a lot of fun, and it was definitely a plus getting to see my aunt fulfill a lifelong dream!

What happened on the way back was... less fun than what happened five minutes before. As we were venturing back to the beach, I noticed that my leg was suddenly burning like CRAZY. As I looked up, I noticed that THOUSANDS of jellyfish were swimming in the water... I mean THOUSANDS. Yes... I got stung at LEAST twenty times. Possibly more. My whole leg now has welts all over it. Haha! It was crazy. But hey! Who can say that they fought it out with a jellyfish? Heck- Who can say they fought it out with over 1,000 jellyfish??? Not many- that's for sure.

Despite the fact that my leg was burning for the next hour, I stayed in the water (the jellyfish free part that is) and enjoyed the rest of the beach day. And of COURSE, my night was made once again by a call from Taylor :) This was a good day indeed!

Ok! One real day left in Hawaii before I head out on Sunday Night!!!! Let's make it count! But I won't lie- I am really ready to head back to my job and my life back in P-town. :) Missing it all!!! But tomorrow should be great!!!!

"I've got my toes in the water, toes in the sand, not a worry in the world a cold...drink... in my hand. Life is good today- Life is good today!" :)

Dolphins Ahoy!!!

Yesterday was the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finally found them!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right- I found wild Spinner dolphins and SWAM with them!!!! Talk about fulfilling a bucket list item!

OK OK, I will tell you how it happened in detail. I awoke that morning with a determination to snorkel; we hadn't gone snorkeling so far, and our trip was (and currently is) nearly halfway done already. Since no one else was really jumping on making concrete plans for the day, I went ahead and took the lead. I wanted to find something secluded for two reasons: #1- More Fish, and #2- More Shells for collection. As I searched for blogs  and articles, I came across a blog written by what looked to be a native Hawaiian. Thinking that they should have something interesting to say, I read on.

I came across a little beach called, "Kahe." Also known as "Electric Beach" due to it's placement directly across from the electric plant, it is one of the many hidden treasures on the island. Because it's small and hard to see from the freeway, very few people know about it (aside from the locals that is). It mentioned how, although a very strange location, this was a great place for many different fish and turtles because of a large pipe underneath the water that had slowly become overgrown with marine plants and coral. As I read more, it explained that, not only was this a great place for an assortment of fish, but Spinner dolphins had recently taken a liking to the spot. 

I was thrilled! It sounded like this would be a nice place to meet up with some marine animals. The fact that dolphins were seen there was cool, but I figured that, considering the time that we were going (2:30 PM), we had NO chance of seeing them (they say that dolphins typically come in for feeding in the morning and swim back out to deeper waters during the afternoon to get some shut-eye). I kept that in mind so that, on one of the mornings that I was up at 5:00 (most mornings over here), I could walk over and watch them jump.

We finally got there (after much painful waiting and attempted sabotaging of my glorious day's plan), and the water was ROUGH. It was a bit of a windy day to begin with, but this beach was seriously one of the scariest looking I had seen in my 21 years. The blog had said that this was for advanced swimmers... and he wasn't kidding. I watched as the massive waves sucked the beach in and smashed down again over and over and had to think twice about getting in. As I started to get out of the car, I noticed something jump from the corner of my eye. I spun around to see two dolphins playfully leaping into the air. I almost fell over.

They were quite far away from the beach, but at this point, my hopes and dreams were on the line, and I forgot how chaotic the water was. I rushed to the beach, fins and snorkel gear in hand, and rushed to jump in. As I was readying myself for the suicidal swim to meet my finned friends, my mother's voice came from behind me telling me that I wasn't allowed to go out there until my dad or my aunt were ready to go.

I was panicking at this point- my aunt takes FOREVER to get going on things, and my dad was back there talking to people who were trying to talk my parents out of even letting us swim this channel (Locals... we had people earlier that day tell us that there was "no such thing" or that it was "a boring swim with little to offer." Yah... sometimes the locals will tell you those things about the hidden beaches to keep tourists from going to them. My mom believed them, but I knew better, so we ended up going anyway. Thank you Krissy! ) I was afraid that, by the time my family actually got down to the sandy entrance to the water, the dolphins would be gone. I announced that I was going anyway and that I'd waited long enough. 

Yah... that didn't sit well with my mom... She still sat there and said, "Don't even think about getting in, Krissy." Heck... 21 years old and I STILL feel guilty going against my mom's will... no matter how petty the request...

So I sat... and sat... and sat... finally, it was too much to bear. I readied myself. My dad started down from the rocks above and I screamed for him to hurry up so I could go. Confused, he looked at me and asked, "Why didn't you just go?" SERIOUSLY??? Heck! Dad would have been fine with me getting out there! I should have just asked him... Anyway, with the consent of a parent, I hopped into the rough water and started out.

I could see why they advise inexperienced swimmers to stay away from this spot- it was treacherous. The current was strong- it sucked at me and would have probably drowned someone who hadn't become familiar with water (I was a trophy-winning swimming in my younger years). But I was determined to get out there. It was a long, long way out there, and as soon as I realized that I was in deep, open water, visions of Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" began buzzing through my head. Stay calm, Kris... That's what I had to keep telling myself over and over. 

In the mean time, I had lost site of the dolphins, and I was a LONG ways out. I was worried. Perhaps they had gone back out. What made me more nervous was yet another fact that I had learned years ago on the Discovery Channel: When Dolphins sense a threat, the entire pod will hurry off to new waters. What could pose such a threat? Giant Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, and even Tiger Sharks, all frequent visitors to this depth of water. 

Uh oh.

Despite my fear, I kept going. They had to be around here somewhere! Then I heard it- a high-pitched whistle. It was faint, but I knew exactly what it was. I followed that sound, and it started to get louder and louder until finally I saw the outline of not two, but 30-40 dolphins. 

YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 I wish I could have actually gotten a picture of those guys,
but this is what spinner dolphins look like.

It was absolutely the most mystical, magical scene I have ever encountered. I hadn't expected to see so many of them!!! Not only were there full-grown dolphins, but a bunch of babies as well. That explains why they wouldn't let me touch them. However, they were very curious about me and allowed me to swim with their pod for nearly an hour. At one point, I turned to see one right next to me. He looked at me for a moment than swam away to maintain his distance.

It was absolutely amazing. I went to try and find my family so that they too could witness this awesome scene. However, my dad and brothers had seen too much of Shark Week on TV and were scared of going out that far to see them. My dad also couldn't hear the dolphin call- it was too high pitched for his ears I guess. Anyway, without hearing that dolphin call to excite him into going, he had very little motivation to follow me and coaxed me to come back to the beach with everyone (it was probably a good idea- the dolphins were on their way back to deep water, and the sun's lowering position signaled the coming reign of the sharks for the evening- we likely would have run into a not-so-friendly neighbor).

Again, not the actual turtle we saw.
But he looked like this!

After getting back, we swam around the shallow waters with a friendly sea turtle and boogie-boarded on the huge, 6-foot waves. Tyler, Trevor, Brandon, and my dad played a game where Ty would call out in a Scottish accent, "Stand your ground" and they would all see who could stay standing when the wave whacked them. Talk about funny to watch!

At the end of the day, we all had sand diapers from being strewn across the beach by the massive waves, and I barfed out my body weight from gulping a mouthful of seawater. It was a fun day! I had fulfilled my lifelong dream of swimming with wild dolphins, and we all acquired bruises and other battle scars from our epic day of beaching (that sounds terrible, but I'm being serious. It was a fun day, and we have all sorts of marks to prove that we gave it our all :) ).

I guess we shall see what today holds! It should be fun!!!!

Aloha Kakahiaka!

Aloha! Today marks the true beginning of our Hawaii Trip. Yesterday we flew in, but it was a pretty rushed day from the airport to the hotel, so it ended up including very little "Hawaiian" fun. But something VERY funny did happen yesterday, and it's worth sharing :)

As Bentleys, we are notorious for being late (Once, my Grandma Bentley was a year, yes.... a year, late for a wedding. This should illustrate our family trait a bit haha). Stotts (me mum's side) are pretty good at being on-time. Me and my mother, fearing the inevitable if fate ran its course (and exhibiting the Stott punctuality), kept trying to get everyone to the airport yesterday and were PANICKING about missing the flight. Because of our efforts, we arrived at the airport the earliest we had ever arrived; 35 minutes early.

However, my lovable Aunt Marilyn and her daughter, Shelby, were running a tad behind schedule... actually... a lot behind schedule. We were boarding the plane and called to see where on Earth she was. Our stomachs dropped as she said, "I am just passing Alpine." AHHHH!!!! Alpine is 30 minutes away from the airport just with the driving alone. Then there was parking, baggage check-on, and security to get through. We were positive that she was going to miss her flight and add her experience to our list of missed Bentley flights.

We waited nervously to get updates from her and Shelby as we arranged ourselves in the plane. To our surprise, 20 minutes later, we got a call from Shelby to inform us that she was, indeed, at the gate of the plane. We all had to stare at each other in amazement- there was absolutely no way in HADES that they had made it... But Marilyn was still parking the car...

Through a series of Medallion flashes and skillful persuasion, Marilyn and Shelby were allowed to board the plane. We all started laughing our HEADS off when we learned that Marilyn and Shelbs were actually ON THE PLANE. It was almost 20 minutes past our expected departure date. At the end of the flight, the stewardess very kindly reminded the entire flight, "Thank you for flying with Delta! We would like to remind all of our passengers to arrive 45 minutes prior to departure for all Delta Flights." Hilarious!

Well, we all got here in one piece, so here we go! It's going to be a fabulous day of surfing and snorkeling :) Talk to ya'll soon!!!! :D

Opposing the Natural Man

It’s really upsetting to know that people that I associate with blatantly disregard basic respect and moral responsibility.

 I’ve been working really hard on turning my life around lately. It’s easy to understand where I have been emotionally for the past few months- teetering on the edge of my security and reason- so deciding where to go and who to trust has been an issue to say the least. I’ve also struggled to decide what exactly I’m going for and what my current goal is, because my previous desire lead me here (not to the location where my initial goal was stationed).  I still think that it’s a righteous desire, but the getting there is a tough road filled with obstacles, foreseen and unforeseen.  The things and people challenging my ideals and hopes sometimes feel like enough to make me quit.

It’s hard to point yourself in a direction worth pursuing when so many forces are hedged against you. I feel like sometimes, people and their nature become such a roadblock that trust cannot be built and therefore becomes impossible to earn.  The way I see it, the expectations for some people are so below what should be achieved that, when presented with a better alternative, they disregard it as a secondary good of sorts, believing that what they think is the best thing is better than what is, in reality, the best thing.

I’ll be more specific: I absolutely DETEST anyone who disregards the sanctity of women and accepts a whorish replica of a virtue. Men who treat women as objects, numbers, or disposable creatures in any way are fools, and when I hear them speak of a woman with any level of disrespect, I am immediately upset.  This ridiculous model that is placed before us- the one that tells us that we are only as good as our outward appearance, our sexual abilities, and our displayable achievement- is disgusting, abhorrent, and vile, and any LDS man who buys into it or supports it in any way should seriously consider immediate and serious repentance and inner cleansing. I would NEVER consider entering the house of the Lord with such a skewed perception and sinful belief in fears of offending God himself with such a gross spiritual crime stained on my person. The lesson I taught today reaffirmed the fact that the Lord sees a hidden sin as an act of hypocrisy, and He measures such a sin with greater weight than that of a sin brightly displayed and admitted.  That is why in that last and great judgment day, the Lord will seek out and destroy all the “secret combinations.” Those aren’t just the gangs and the terrorist groups; those are the secret sins and pleasures that we attempt to hide from his view. But there is no crevice or darkened corner that he cannot see. He knows your thoughts and your secret intentions.

What is a woman? She is someone with abilities and potential beyond any Earthly measure. She brings to the table clarity, patience, compassion, understanding, and love. She is the key to bringing new individuals to this Earth and rearing them with the right model in mind as they make their own way in this awful world. Without the woman, there would be no life. What, then, is the proper way to regard her?  She is to be revered, cherished, and respected.

Think now of a visual; you have your own daughter, a small, innocent child, in your arms. As you look at her, do you see a sex toy? Do you see a symbol of filth and a temporary cure for one’s insidious appetite? Do you hope that she becomes any of these things? Do you hope that men see her and think only of what they can do to her or how they can benefit from using her?

That’s exactly what you do every time you think of a grown woman that way. In a sense, you are condoning a sick model for womanhood and participate in the objectification of women. You are taking that child and turning her into an animal. You’re allowing this world to look at your precious child and the millions more as worthless creations. Because of you, the world with take her and abuse her in their minds and ultimately on the billboard down the street. Unbelievable.

I cannot believe what the young men in this church are allowing to enter into their lives. It sickens me to think my children will someday live in a world where such a terrible and destructive idea is right at their doorstep. What sickens me even more is knowing that those men with the priesthood, those who are sworn to protect and provide for them, are poisoned with such an repugnant sin in their lives.

No wonder a girl thinks twice about committing and marrying these days!

I love my job :)

I just had to write a short little entry about how much I adore my job!!!!

Picture this- You're sitting at the front desk of a beautiful dance studio. The sunlight is streaming in through the windows, and music is playing everywhere. A group of little girls come into the foyer wearing fluffy little tutus and big flowers in their hair. One comes up and asks you to kiss her boo-boo. Another one misses her mommy, so she comes to you and begs you for a hug.

Across the hall, one of the studio doors is open and you see an intense hip-hop dance going down. As the girls and boys come out of the room, they give you high fives and come to chat with you during their break. In the meantime, Rick Macy and Brandon Bryant come up to the desk and casually start making conversation.

Then, as you are calling mothers to help them fix their billing error, the best bosses IN THE WORLD, Janene Schiffman and Darcey Wilde, come up to the desk and start cracking jokes with you. Then a gorgeous Tiffany Carpenter, Artistic Director, and Seneca Minor, Director's Assistant, start chatting with you about life. As you make some calls for them and figure out costuming issues, Ashley Rogers, other Director's Assistant, starts choreographing a stunning routine for her new class in the foyer.

As you leave for the day, you can't wait to get back there tomorrow :)

That's my job!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!! You should all come by and check us out, cuz if it's that good to work there, think of how much fun it is to DANCE THERE!!!

My Bestest Buddy and Bride Wars :)

Have you seen Bride Wars? Well you should, because it’s the story of Jessica and I! Haha just kidding- neither she or I have been married quite yet (Oh my I hate DANIEL! What is taking him so long? Haha). But we each identify with one of the girls- we’ve decided that I am Liv (Kate Hudson) and she is Emma (Anne Hathaway).  It’s scary how similar we are to them in the movie!!!!!

I’m the Business girl who is loud, in your face, and straightforward. I’m the type of person who doesn’t like waiting for things, always needs to be one step ahead of the game, and wants to find a way to get it done NOW. I can’t dance, and I can’t run; I’m not always super confident when I’m asked to do either of those activities in public. I like my music loud, because it pumps me up, and I LOVE chocolate (I have little control over my eating habits when chocolate is present). I like things to be modern, clean cut, and simple when it comes to decoration and dress. I like darker colors like black, red, and white.

Jessica is the sweet, caring person that, even if she doesn’t really want to, takes care of other people first. She may come across as submissive initially, but she often will surprise you by turning around and putting her foot down.  She goes with the flow for the most part, but she definitely knows how to turn a situation around if she needs to. She endures through things- no matter how bad things get, she always finds a way to keep her chin up and be the bigger person. She’s cool; she’s collected. She’s smart and beautiful. It’s no wonder multiple men are always begging for her attention! Jessica likes floral, flowy, feminine things. Lighter colors like pink, white, blue, and green are among her favorite colors.

Jessica needs a Nate. Nate is the kind of guy that wants her so badly that he waits and waits and waits. The moment that she is available, he snatches her, sweeps her off her feet, and treats her like a princess. He’s not rowdy or rough- he enjoys spending quiet evenings over dinner, chatting about books, talking about work, and going over ideas for his articles and her teaching methods.  The two of them would have great chemistry and would laugh about the little things in life all the time. He’s experienced and mature, but also still has a child in him, which Jessica will bring out in him.

I need a Daniel. Daniel is someone who is determined and not easily frustrated because of setbacks. No matter what he does, he is successful, honest, and hardworking. He would have a clear idea of what he wants in his life and where he is going. His idea of a perfect evening would be coming home and talking about work or watching a movie and commentating on either how good or how bad it was the entire time. He is gifted and understanding, but he doesn’t have a problem telling me just what he thinks or how he feels about something. He takes time to listen, but he also will remind me when I’m overreacting or being a drama queen. We would laugh about things that we did- our quirks- and we would love to people watch. He’d be able to make me laugh when I was down by making me look inward and making me see both my faults and my strengths in the situation. He’s smart and collected with an obvious air of confidence, but he’s sweet and understanding all the while. He’d have to be my best friend.

Every time I watch that movie, it’s more and more hilarious because the two of us are so like those characters!!!! Jessica and I were DEFINITELY meant to be the best of friends!!! We laugh the same, we talk the same, we fight the same, and we forgive each other the same. She and I go for similar guys as our characters do (and may I mention that those types of guys are completely OPPOSITE of one another thank GOODNESS), and our goals are similar to those in the movie as well. It’s crazy! Haha! Who knows- maybe we will get engaged at the same time. Let’s just hope we don’t book our weddings for the same day and venue and hate each other while we both plan. Hopefully we’ll be each other’s Maid of Honor instead of me paying my male assistant to help me out and she grabbing her narcissistic coworker to fill in.  I also hope that neither one of us has to call off the wedding because something we did to one another drove a wedge between us and our fiancé. But one thing is for sure- we will always be best friends, and there is nothing like having someone like that in your life to love despite everything. Love you Jessica!!!!!! Thanks for being my very best friend!!!!!

When are you READY?

This weekend was really a great experience :) I can finally breath a little bit!

I remember when I was floundering back in 2009. It was at that time that I considered not even going to college. I thought about pursuing a music career with my voice over in California. Getting an agent and trying my luck at entering the music field sounded like a better idea than moving to a college town, getting a degree, and making a family by the time I was 23. Relationships seemed futile and I felt worthless; I wanted to prove myself by showing everyone else up with my talent!

Since then, however, I have found myself as one of the few girls in the business program, and I'm over halfway done with my degree. I've mastered the social scene (at least gained a significant amount of control in my sphere). I've fully recovered from massive heartbreak. I've grown spiritually. I'm independent financially. I have THE best friend in the world helping me make it through the craziness in between my strong moments. Overall, I have found who I am, and I'm ready for progression at this point. I couldn't have said that two years ago.

More important that the age itself is the abilities associated with the age. The age of 18/19 is the age of stupidity. It's not anyone's fault, but you are a completely nieve, stupid individual at that age for the most part. I fully admit to being just like that at that point in my life; in fact, I probably still have a small measure of that stupidity now that I'm nearly 21. You aren't developed enough in your thinking; you haven't had that chance to learn to stand on your own two feet or think for yourself- how could you have the street smarts to fend for yourself on every level already? You don't. And that's totally OK. It's supposed to be that way, and you're not going to be that stupid forever. There's light at the end of the tunnel.

Here's my opinion on the whole marriage thing and when one knows they are ready. The rule of thumb, in my opinion, is that you are forbidden to get married until you are ready to be a parent. Don't you dare get into a marriage with the idea that you are at an ending point- that will discourage you, because you're starting  something at that moment. The maturity isn't there until you realize what marriage actually is, and it's an enabler of the creation of a family. You are required to start thinking of others the minute you make your vows with your God and your spouse at the alter- it is no longer all about you. It is no longer the "fun" life you were living before. You have to be a grown-up. Your days as a child are over, and it will be time to take responsibility for not only your husband or wife, but the coming children that you are commanded to allow into your lives.

Does that idea irk you just a little bit? Well here's some advice: GET OVER YOURSELF.

The thing is, I know you all know that I'm right on this one. It's an unnerving truth though, isn't it? In fact, it's downright daunting really. I think about myself right now, and I wonder, gosh... am I ready to be a mother right now? I'll admit, I don't have all the answers, and if I were pregnant right now, I would cry every day because I have nothing figured out beyond where I want to be. But despite that fact, I feel like moving towards that goal is in my cards right now. I didn't even consider that possibility two years ago! My idea of marriage was all about was being the sweet little wifey with the skanky little aprons in the kitchen when my brand new little hubby came home from work every night. He would wear a suit and carry a suitcase. I would make him dinner and clean the house during the day. We would travel and see the world and be perfectly happy! We'd be just like those cute couples in the movies- complete cheeseballs and mooshy-gooshy all the time.

Now I'm not saying that it won't be like that for a little while- in fact, that first year of marriage is supposed to be a time of development for a husband and wife, and I think you need that time to truly know each other. But what if you find out after your honeymoon that you are expecting a third or maybe even fourth member of your family? What will you do at that point? Do you think it's possible that something like that could tear the two of you apart? You better believe it. Do you know how many single mom's I know personally? Yah- it's scary. But it's reality. So unless you have the mental, emotional, and physical ability to be a parent when you join together with another person for time and all eternity, don't go there. It's no longer about you. You have to be there mentally even though you might not get there for another year or so. The elevated level of maturity is necessary to survive. That's just how it is.

No one said it would be easy- they just said that it would be worth it. So wait it out and don't start rushing into something until you know yourself well enough to judge your abilities. It's OK to take it slow; it's OK to know you have a ways to go. Just work for progression and don't worry so much about the in-between, but rather the destination. Yet savor the moments that lie in the NOW. Life is meant for enjoyment and learning and growth. You can't fly with a broken wing, so don't attempt something that you're not ready for, and don't ask someone else to do the same thing. It will all work out in its own due time :) No worries.

Overinvestment: An All-Encompassing Dilemma

Overinvestment in the stock market is a common mistake made by even the most experienced investors.

People overinvest for a few specific reasons. The first is the rumor of a spike in stock prices. The phrase heard over and over is “Buy low; Sell high.” At certain points in a selling period, valuable stock goes for lower prices (a very common time for this to occur: Summertime. We continue). Knowing the swells and declines in the market, an investor cannot help but take advantage of a moment where the most expensive, valuable stock is below the average price, especially when it is significantly below the average price. The smart investor knows that, in most cases, a stable line of stock doesn’t remain at a low price and high availability for a long period of time.  In fact, it could be as short as a few minutes of fluctuation. That stock, in most cases, returns to normal or even rises to a more expensive price than before. One feels the need to take advantage of such a window of opportunity.

Another reason for overinvestment is because it’s a thrill: some people with a large amount of disposable income find no harm in investing a lot of cash in something that may or may not gain a significant return. When there is little risk of coming to ruin because of a single or a number of seemingly unimportant investments, more risk is taken with less care.

A final reason would be the ever-present pride cycle at its peak: arrogance. Some people are simply convinced that they have enough luck and a pattern of success that makes them immune to failure. No matter how dangerous the game, how many different investments are involved, and who they have to step on to get there, they are willing to let their ego do the driving.

So what happens at the end of the round? What happens when the dividends are ready to be given out? What do the statistics say about being in too many places at one time? Chances of all those investments turning out good are so very, very slim. In fact, the probability of all of your investments going under is oftentimes higher than getting a return on each of the individual investments. Then what? You’re in trouble… a lot of it. And you know what? You’ll have no one to blame but yourself because you either  1. Followed a trend,  2. Sought a thrill without accounting for the possible consequences, or  3. Got cocky about your investing abilities.

In the process of being cornered and quartered? Yup. Pretty much haha

Conversation: A Medium of Verbal Exchange

You know how sometimes you have to force words to come out of your mouth to make a conversation work? Remember all those moments where you had to pull a topic out of the air in order to make things seem less awkward? Hate those times, right?

Now with that visual in mind, think about the exact opposite: You know when things just flow and you don't need to worry about making something up on the spot? The conversation becomes spontaneous, interesting, and full of flare. Don't you freaking LOVE that?

I've heard of a lot of situations that lie in the first category lately: My girls have told me about how they are just plain frustrated at the whole dating thing. On one hand, they'll tell me that they meet a dude that is as good-looking as they come, but can't carry a conversation to save his life (unless it revolves around him). On the other hand, they'll go out with a guy that is fun and smart and with whom there is an unforced flow of jokes, stories, and compliments, but there is no physical attraction going on.  Despair and annoyance are two very common emotions that run through girls' minds (and I'm sure with guys as well) when they think of the large, black-lettered word of "DATING."

But if there's one thing I know from my many dating failures and mistakes (as well as my mini successes along the way), I know that you can find someone that is exactly what you want if you wait for it. Yes, the waiting is the worst part, but once you find it, it's going to be incredible. Dating becomes fun at that point. I'm not even talking about the whole marriage thing- I am simply talking about the dating process itself. It's typically tedious and exhausting, but finding someone with whom you just click is the initial goal. Finding someone who you can talk to without hesitations or too much effort is the first sign of a good thing.

Sometimes I think that people look at the big picture way too much. Yes, the end goal is marriage, but if you constantly have your eyes set that far ahead, sometimes you miss out on the initial joys of life, you know? What about the now? Living in the present? That's OK- in fact, it's what you're supposed to do. In fact, my philosophy on marriage and love is this: you don't just find true love. It doesn't just wait for you to pass by it to jump out and say "Here I am!!!!" You find someone you are attracted to and who you can also look forward to talking to all the time. You realize that your compatibility is there and you want to spend a lot of time together. Finally, you spend that time together, realize that this could work in the long run, and then you choose to spend the rest of your life with that person because of all those factors. Love isn't real until you create it through personal experiences with someone. It won't just be there the vast majority of the time. Take time to build it if you want to find it.

It's like Clint Black told me long ago, "Love isn't something that we have: It's something that we do." That's how it is folks. You've got to put forth effort and offer your own contribution before you find that golden word.

So this is what it's all summing up to here, though it seems that I've strayed a bit. There are filters in dating, and one of the first ones is deciding if you can communicate with someone, Without communication and verbal exchange, relationships absolutely don't work. That's such a critical part of the whole game. So if you're struggling to find someone and want my advice, go find someone you can talk to without a huge amount of effort. There are people out there that fit that description for you. Also, be the type of person that one can talk to in the same way. Be outgoing! Take risks. It's scary, but it's necessary, and it mixes it up for you (especially those who feel like they've been at the game for much longer than they thought they would be) and makes it fun!

Business Call

Don't you hate when people you once knew and loved treat a conversation like a business transaction? No personalization. No care. Just dead, unfeeling business. Nice. I appreciate the consideration to all this time that we've known each other. You da best.

I understand the application of "getting a life," but it's another thing entirely to pretend that the other life you supposedly had just doesn't exist. Didn't you ever listen to that ridiculous Spice Girls song? You know, the one that says, "Friendship never ends?" Well, those ladies may have been a short-lived group with horrible lyrics, tacky dance moves, and several wardrobe malfunctions along the way, but that above statement really should be true. It's not complicated; it's not overstepping bounds; It's decency.

Take me and my buddy Cooper for instance- me and him dated a few years ago and had QUITE a nasty little break up on both ends. He left on his mish, and we didn't really talk a ton except through a few short emails. After a while though, we were both fine and look at us now- we are really good friends! We hang out all the time and do crazy, fun stuff together!! See, that's how it should be. Burning a bridge is the stupidest solution to an ended relationship in my humble opinion. Be friends afterwards. DUH. This life isn't about meeting people, realizing you can never be together, and then hating that person for it for the rest of your life. It's about meeting people, finding qualities in those individuals that you would like in a partner, and growing from the experiences. Meanwhile, you maintain a friendship with that person if possible. Yes, difficult circumstances may lead you to make a decision, such as entirely leaving someone alone, but if both parties are willing and OK with things, then there's not going to be a problem. GET OVER IT. Am I right, or am I crazy? Of course I'm right. I usually am... :P (haha jk).

So conclusion? Don't burn bridges that don't require it. It just wastes time and wood. Don't treat previous occupants of your world like strangers. It's unfair and childish. Plain and Simple. People aren't numbers and statistics- they're people, so treat them as such. What's more is that they affected your life, so don't act like they didn't. Show people that you are capable of loving more than your bubble. 

Expectations

Expectation: What a fickle term. Isn’t it interesting that it fluctuates so much? What once was a sign of great achievement can quickly become a general requirement. What once was considered less than necessary can rise to the same status.

For example: Someone who went to college in the 1920s was a rare gem. Those individuals were guaranteed an elite place in the world simply because of their status as a graduate. Now the act of becoming a college graduate guarantees nothing: It isn’t rare to meet a college-going individual, and those without considerable achievement and a hefty resumes while attending have slim chances of rising past mediocrity in the workplace.

Another classic example is simply the independence factor in the US. Nowadays, at 18, you are expected to start providing for yourself. Coming home in between your hard times for a little help is of course found widely acceptable, but once you begin approaching age 25 and above, going home for too much is considered “freeloading” or “slothful.” In other words, it’s looked down upon. Then there's the idea of marriage (and yes I'm aware that Mormon culture is HIGHLY unusual compared to everywhere else including it's homeland, the USA, so I'm glimpsing beyond just our own culture and making a generalization). Getting married is a fact of life. It's the norm. At a certain point, getting married and having a family is a general rule: you've got to do it sometime. It's a defined stage in every American's life which explains why tying the knot/finding a stable, long-lasting relationship is the source of just about every movie ever made over here.  Look at other places though: In Korea, you’re not even supposed to start thinking about marriage until your 30+. In addition, You’re never really emancipated from your family: you’re expected to stay near your families and help to continue the family legacy and provide honor and prestige for your family name. That's only one example of a culture that moves a little slower- I could name off probably a million more just like that.

Do we move too fast? Are our expectations exceeding the necessary levels? I don’t really know- a lot of the changes that come with time and the differences between the US and other places don’t really bother me. In fact, I embrace most of them. But some of them I fear are growing faster than we can follow.

So what will mounting expectations lead to in the future? Good things? Bad things? Only time will tell right? 

The Ability to Learn: A Fascination of Mine

It’s kind of funny how knowledge is a progressive feature of this life.

Today has been a day of thought and of recognition. I’ve been home and helping out around the house while my mother has been picking up extra shifts at the hospital. As well as oiling baseboards, shining steel, dusting tables, and folding clothes, I’ve been in charge of helping my little sister, Chelsea, with her math homework. 

Being in kindergarten, Chelsea is dealing specifically with addition, namely with 9s. As she struggled to find the answers this morning, I turned and told her simply, “ Whenever you are adding 9s, first add a 1 to your answer because all of them are going to be either ten or more (except when you are adding 0). Then see the number being added to 9 and take one less than that number as your second number. That’s your answer!” She looked at me confused for a few minutes. She didn’t really get it for another 10 minutes or so, and even then, she didn’t understand the “why,” just the “how.”

She got done with one worksheet and I was relieved. That took a while. Then I realized that she had, not just one, but five worksheets of the same nature that were due for today’s class.  In that moment, I found myself wishing that I could just do them for her rather than making her do them herself. I already knew how to add 9s. I already knew the difference between a circle and a square. It would only take me a minute a piece, whereas it would take her probably fifteen minutes each.  Then I recognized the meaning of that thought: Think of how far you’ve come since age 6, Krissy.

I bet that’s how our parents feel when we make mistakes; “I wish that I could just do it for them. I know how to do this. I know how to combat that.” But they know they cannot do it for us. They can’t fully express their experiences to us. We have to live through those moments on our own in order to feel It and learn it entirely.

The cool thing is this: after a while, those lessons, like adding 9s, become so basic that they become embedded in us- we start applying the principles without even thinking! That is true wisdom: the application of the knowledge we obtain from life experiences. I just find that so fascinating and compelling. Who would have thought that we could do that? Who would know that we could store so much information within ourselves after so many years?

Just a few thoughts for the day J

The Craziest Trip I've Ever Been On!

Wow- St. Geezy was SO much fun!!! It was also absolutely INSANE from start to finish- I will break it down for you- hopefully you get a laugh or two out of it, because I certainly did.

I began with Jessica and I blazing forward with no legitimate plan but to have a good time. I knew a couple of hiking spots, but for the most part, we were just cruising along without any course of action.  We ended up hiking the D, scaling a plateau, and playing the flute at the top (bucket list item COMPLETE!!!) as well as hanging out at my aunt's pool. It was a fabulous trip, and we loved it!

Grandpa's on the Left, next to him is one of his
sisters (I always forget her name). The final one
is his other sister, my beloved Aunt Alice Holland
(Yes... Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's Wonderful mother
if you were wondering :) ) My family is awesome :)

On our way back, I stopped in at my sweet Grandpappy's house. You will never meet a sweeter man EVER. He is getting old and starting to lose his ability to get around, so it's not very often that I get to see him. At first, he didn't recognize me, but as we got going, he recognized that it was me and was SO happy!!! His smile is priceless :) He told me and Jessica stories about his time in the Navy and showed us an entire album of pictures and papers from his time of service. However, the best part of the entire thing was hearing a very, very sweet story about my Grandmother and how he KNEW she was the one, even before he met her. The story and it's details are some that I had never heard before in all my storytimes with Grandpa, and I can understand why; Grandpa keeps to himself for the most part, but his love for my grandmother cannot be hidden when he talks about her. This particular story is not readily told to just anyone; grandpa felt impressed to tell me for some reason, and it was absolutely remarkable- opened my eyes entirely. But one thing that I especially learned from that? That kind of love is so powerful, that once realized, it overcomes anything and everything. It doesn't matter what obstacles are in the way; it doesn't matter who doubts you; it doesn't matter the "times" you are faced with. All that matters is that you #1- Believe you can love. #2- Recognize that love and #3- Maintain that love.  We left Grandpa's house with some fresh oranges, a cupcake, and a warm heart :)

Next off, we were driving back. We only had a little money left, so we started to ration it out carefully. We ate animal crackers and granola bars for two days to get by while we were in St. George (we brought cash only and didn't quite think of everything :S), and now we realized that we may not make it back on the gas we had!!! Dun dun DUN!!!

We got to Beaver and thought... huh... we're on empty... we've got over 100 miles to go still... we're broke...

That's when we started counting our pennies... literally!

Exactly $3.85... one gallon of gas... 

At this point, we were LITERALLY scrounging for any change we could find in my car. We managed to find enough to keep going for a bit. But then we hit empty again and were perplexed as to what we should do. We thought... hey... we could coast and see how far we could coast- there are a lot of hills! Let's see how far my baby can go!!!!!!

Empty Tank....

And this is our location...

Yah... we're in trouble... hahaha!!!

At least we met some fun friends on the way!!!

Apparently he's my future husband. Delish. Haha!

Big dude in a Yellow Bug... Manly...

Well... here we were at the edge of defeat despite out laughs along the way, and what has to happen? A police officer pulls us over. After making me sit there for a million years and giving me a WHOPPING ticket, he directed me to the closest gas station and then told me, "Let me help you get to the turn around." Not understanding what he meant by that (thinking he wanted to simply follow me to it to ensure I made it alright), I proceeded. He pulled me over again, and for not letting him lead me (although I was CLEARLY fine without his help), he yelled at me for ten minutes about how terrible a driver/person I was. I wanted to punch him in the kisser... but I refrained and resigned to say nothing more than, "Yes sir," as he rudely abused his power at my window... idiota... Oh well... it's only food money for the next month right? And to explain his awful behavior to myself, we assumed the man's daughter was just diagnosed with stage four cancer and his trusty Dalmation had died an hour previous. That made us forgive him a little bit. :P 

Finally, we made it home, and I was surprised with a lovely date with Colby! He picked me up, we went to Macey's and got some pasta, made and ate it, then watched "Premonition!" It was a blast :)

 So overall, our trip was INSANE!!! It was a little costlier than I had hoped thanks to Deputy Jerkface, but overall, I'm glad we got to go!!!! Nothing like a trip with your bestie and a fun date to start the summer off right :)

A Thought :)

‎"The best way to stay grounded on your path is to express gratitude and thankfulness each day of your journey."


-Kevin Hall


What a great quote to start my day! It's true that sometimes we lose our footwork and start slipping. But the fantastic thing is that there are simple remedies to our most complex problems. Expressing thanks for the many, many blessings that we have is a source of strength; it leads to great things and even greater growth. The most mature person is the one that finds something to be thankful for in every situation. It doesn't matter if it's a situation one would normally feel victimized by a situation or if it's one that makes one feel like a million bucks
(in an optimal economy... :P ). Reaping some type of benefit and seeing the light of every situation is what shows people you're ready for even greater, tougher climbs!


Progression is the key to happiness, and how can one progress without the help of God? He is the one that grants that movement; He is the one that wants that to occur in our lives in the first place!!! How does he know we're ready for more blessings and therefore more responsibility? Understanding what we currently have is the answer to that question.


Let's all be grateful!!!!! :D


Just a thought for the day :) So I'll start... eh hem... I'm grateful for... my math final because... I feel smart getting even a few answers right!!!! Haha ok ok ok- you try now! The sky is the limit ;)

Come Lonestar- We Dance! :)

Good afternoon to ya'll!!! I just thought that I would take a little break from all this studying and write a little about today and how awesome it is :)

Just a really cool, inspirational picture I found :)

I've done... well... pretty much nothing but studying today (and being awoken by a pleasant voice :) ) But it's been a good one- I've gotten a lot of accounting stuff done, and I got past one final. Yay!!!! Macroeconomics is officially done!!! And I didn't think I did too bad on the final despite the confusion of it being today rather than Wednesday (good think I woke up in time!!! ;) ). Does my brain hurt a little bit? Uh huh... totally. I feel brain-squished. But it's all good!!! All this studying is going to pay off!!!!!

Besides the fact that business cycles, inverse relations, contribution ratios, and production units are swirling through my head right now, I've still had a sliver of brain power left to think about normal stuff, namely how happy I am. I was a little tiffed today when I had to rush over to my Macro test an HOUR after it had started in an attempt to complete it in time, but after I left, I realized that I had done the best I could with the information I had been given, and worrying doesn't help you after all you can do.

That started getting me thinking about God and His plan. You know, there are times where you just don't feel like you measure up in any way. You feel like you are falling short in every task, and you want to just give it up and throw in the towel. But God is so great- he really wants you to succeed, and he knows the intent of your heart better than you do yourself. Because he is such a loving father, he reminds us that we need to try our best to work through our trials and our hardships as well as succeed in taking advantage of all of the really good things in life as well (not be lazy in those times). After we've done that to the best of our abilities, he's proud of us and makes up for the difference that, despite how hard we try, is always going to be there.

We are hard on ourselves for sure- I think that's why they say that it's likely we'll be helping in the judgement process in the end. But it's important to note that we are striving for perfection in this life; we aren't expected to reach it here- it's not possible. It's about the progression and the principle. God is NOT going to be there with a ball and chain and a tally mark of all your sins- that's not His nature. He loves us all and is up there looking down with the intent to inspire us to do great things. He knows that because of the veil between us and Him that not all things are going to be clear enough to us to be perfect in every way. In fact, if we were perfect, it would completely demote the importance of this life. It would become meaningless, because to be perfect is to know all things.

Think of how many lessons we learn from mistakes and failures!!! Now, I'm not saying to actively seek to screw up, but it's inevitable; we are all going to mess up. But even when it happens, it's what we gain from it that defines the experience and its role in our lives. Don't forget it!

Loving these days! Learning lots and finding a lot of happiness lately ;)