truths.

the truth is..

I suck at blogging. Didn't once post for the month of December, and it was the best month I've ever had.

I'm so glad my brother is home from his mission. Even though he misses the mish like crazy, it's so good to have my best friend back again.

I have a hard time finding motivation at work. I do the same thing all day, every day. I need a change.

I wish I were still in Idaho right now.

I want every weekend to be like last weekend.

I kind of/sort of, already miss him.

I should be cleaning right now.

I don't know what I'm doing with my life, where I'm going, or what I want to do.

I don't need to figure it out right now. It will all work out how it's supposed to, when it's supposed to.

the truth is.. I think this will be my best year, yet.

three quick thoughts

I had a really rough weekend, to say the least. But it's funny, as soon as you start thinking about all you're thankful for, you stop focusing on the negative. [imagine that.]

So since my last post, I have really thought about how blessed I truly am, and to sum it up with three things:

1. I am SO thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How I could ever get through my trials without knowing that I have a loving Heavenly Father, knowing that everything would work out in the end, is beyond me. The gospel provides me with a sense of hope, that I know everything will work out in the end, and if it's not working out, then it's not the end.

2.It seems funny to say that I'm thankful for my trials; but really, how would I learn and grow if my faith wasn't tried? I'm grateful for where I'm at and the trials that have brought me here. And for the weight that the Lord has carried for me when He knew I couldn't handle it any more.

3. I'm thankful for a bright future. That I can wake up to a new day, every day- and make the best out of it. "the future is only as bright as your faith."

So even though things are crazy and confusing right now, I know I can look forward to a bright future. Keep your chin up, soldier.

catching up..

this is me catching up on 11 days of not posting. (i've been busy, okay?)

• thankful for little kids. they say the cutest things and know how to brighten my day. like this one time when my sister took her little boy to the doctors office to get his shots, the doctor leaves the room and he says, "that guy is really gettin on my nerves!" in his sweet raspy voice. i wasn't even there and just hearing that made my day. love little kids.
• thankful for airplanes. how awesome is it that i can get to phoenix in 1.5 hours flying time instead of 11 driving? love it.
• thankful for clothes that are a little snug.. means i have enough food to eat. (looking on the positive side.)
• thankful for answered prayers and the feeling you get when you know you've received your answer.
• thankful for a job. making pretty good money and it feels nice to have money in my savings account... for once.
• for my little brother who i've been venting to all week. who knew a 15 year old could have so much wisdom! such a cutie.
• thankful for the rough times and for the humbling experiences that come with it.
• thankful for kneaders raspberry chicken walnut salad. hits the spot, every time!
• thankful for my big comfy bed. if there's anything i love more than my sleep, it's a comfortable bed to go with it!
• thankful for my sister and brother-in-law that allow me to live with them. it's seriously the best!
• aaaaaaaaaaaand i'm thankful for the weekends. because sometimes i just need a break.

Seven

This is short and sweet, but today I am thankful for snail mail. It's the best feeling opening your mailbox to find letters from a friend/missionary that you've been dying to hear from. Why did that ever go out of style, anyway? Snail mail is the only way to go.

Pen pals anyone?

four.five.six

On Friday (day 4)- I realized that I am thankful the talents that God has blessed me with. Not because I'm an incredible dancer, a master at the piano, or an amazing gymnast.. But because I can laugh at myself when I attempt either one of those things.

Day 5- I was thankful for the holidays. There's not a better time during the year. It's really the only time my family is all gathered together, and I love it. Speaking of which, my brother (who is currently serving in Romania) will probably be home to spend Christmas with us! Best news ever.

Day 6- Today I am thankful for a "Mr. Fix-it" dad. (For lack of better words.) He's an electrician, he's a mechanic, he's a carpenter, he's everything! I don't know how he knows it all, but he does. I was able to go home this weekend and before I left he was checking out my car to see if everything was working right. He checked under the hood, below the car, the tires, just everything! Thankful that he's always willing to help his daughters out!

day three.

[I've thought all day about things that I'm thankful for, and I came up with this.]

Today, I am thankful for honest people.

short story- for lunch I went to KFC and gave the lady my debit card to pay for my food. A minute later she hands me my bag and drink and I drive off. I go back to work and something doesn't feel right. Not sure why, I opened my wallet to find out that my debit card isn't in there! I thought about where I put it when the lady gave it back to me, and I realized I drove off before she had the chance. (I'm an idiot.) So I drive back, hoping that after a few hours my card is still there. I go through the drive thru and say "I was here a few hours ago, and pretty sure I drove off without getting my debit card" the lady responds, "You sure did! I tried to catch you, but I wasn't fast enough. I kept it safe for you, though!" So I got it back and with no added charges, thankfully.

And now something not so honest:

"DAD! You're ugly!"

"Oh, good for you. Now your gonna probably gonna have a belly ache...that's why you shouldn't eat so much candy."

"Gasp! You sneaky mom!"

Classic!

Day 2-

I'm thankful for my family.

(come on, you all knew it was coming!)

And for the wonderful childhood that I had. Every time I talk to a client who was raised in a broken/single parent household, I just think of how lucky I was (and still am) to have the parents and family that I have. Can't imagine life with out them.

(Not pictured: Layne, who will be home in TWO months! And Leah, who lives in Arizona. (lucky.))

The Thankful Project

Ever heard of the Happiness Project? It's a good read. But I thought I would do my own little twist on something similar. It's called the Thankful Project, where I post every day for this month things that I'm thankful for. It's all over Facebook, so I guess I can't take any credit for coming up with this brilliant idea. But I thought I'd hop on the bandwagon and join, and make up for my zero posts in October. (Shame on me)

Day 1- Today I am thankful for:

"No shave November." Facial hair is hot. (in most cases)

And to prove it:

See?

best advice.

"Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great purpose in heart."

-Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

I really needed this today.

P.S.

Just in case you were dying to know... I got the job.
I work at a law firm where I help people apply for social security disability. super easy, super boring, but also super interesting. sometimes i get the crazies that call in, those are fun. thank goodness i'm somewhat entertained by them, otherwise being on the phone for 8 hours a day would probably kill me.
I'll leave you with this goody:

one of my co-workers thought through the whole phone call that she was talking to a woman. when she asked what their maiden name was the man responded,

"You think I'm a woman?! No! I'm a MALE! and he spells it out, M-A-Y-L!"

i love people.

this is just a taste, but it's the little things like this that make me laugh and brighten my day.

On a more serious note:

I am SO grateful that i have the ability to work and to keep a job. I'm grateful that I have a perfectly working and able body, that i might take for granted sometimes. I know in this day and age most people hate their bodies if they're not a size two. But just think about the people who are crippled, can't walk, are in constant pain, and are unable to work because of it. Also, I'm grateful that I am mentally stable. the stories that i hear from people who are schizophrenic are horrifying. I would hate living in constant fear that someone was out to get me, or that demons would come out every night. my heart literally aches for all these people. Last, I'm grateful for this job, to remind me that I should be so grateful for the body and mind that God has blessed me with, and all that I am able to do. So the next time I want to complain about my weight or something lame like that, I think about those people who would give anything to have my able and working body.