Last Day of Being a Teenager!!!!

Some people are most excited to turn 16 so that they can drive and date. Other people are the most excited to turn 18 because they are adults. I have been waiting all of my life to turn 20; I don't really know why. And tomorrow I wil be 20!!!!! FINALLY! It feels like I should have been 20 a long time ago.

Not that I didn't love being a teenager. As we all know, I absolutely LOVED Jr. High and High School. It's been a great decade! Here are some great things that have happened:
- I made friends that have uplifted me and made me a better person. Most of those friendships are still going strong, and I know that they will continue to.
- I developed many talents, and decided which ones I wanted to stick with and which ones I didn't. Developing these different talents guided me to where I am now in school and my job and they have just had a huge impact in my life.
- Through good times and bad, I was able to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ and His Church. I have learned to apply the Atonement in my life. These things have given me strength in my teen years and I know I will need to rely even more on my Savior in the years to come, because life is only going to get more difficult and confusing.

These years have made me into who I am, and are the basis for who I am going to be. A lot of people look back on their teen years thinking, "I was so stupid" or "I wish I hadn't done that" and stuff like that, but I look back with...pride? Is that an ok word to use in this case? I am happy with what I was able to accomplish. I haven't been perfect in any way, but I have been able to learn from everything that has happened in my life thus far, and it has helped me be better.

The 3rd decade of my life is about to begin, and I'm ready!!!!

Glimpse of Heaven

I go with my friend Breanna to do baptisms for the dead at least once a month. Today was the day we decided to go. While we were there, we ran into my friends Eliza, Mindy, Hannah, Taylor, Devin and Patrick. Guess how happy that made me?! WAY HAPPY!!! As I sat by the font with these people, I felt so happy knowing that we had made good choices in our lives to be there. And I couldn't help but think that Heaven will feel like this, except a billion times stronger. Knowing that your family and friends lead righteous lives is one of the best feelings ever.

Millstream Sacrament Meetings always have the answers

So yesterday I prayed that I would find something in church that I needed to hear. I'm just really worried about starting school again. It's so mundane and I just really don't like it very much and don't feel like I can handle the stress.I found what I needed in sacrament meeting. My ward has the most amazing sacrament meetings ever. Really. Today the Stake Patriarch talked to us. And he talked to us about always changing and not being too comfortable in one place. He told us to be aware of when we are in a groove, and make sure it doesn't become a rut, and eventually turn into a grave. I feel like my whole life is in a groove because I have had just school and work for a year and I have three more years of it. BUT, some thoughts came to me while I was listening: while I am in that groove, I need to make sure that my spirituality is not, and that it is always progressing. I can also get more schoolwork done ahead of time so that I am not as stressed and miserable. I also need to give myself some time for socializing this year. I think that is why last year at school wasn't so great. So now I have figured out what I need to do! I am really grateful for personal revelation!



And, just for fun, here is a random story from my past that amuses me. Enjoy:

Once upon a time, when I was a little sophomore in high school, I had a major crush on this kid who sat by me in seminary. I liked him for a really long time; until I started my senior year actually. And then, as I was meeting a lot of new people, I realized that even if this person was actually interested in me someday after his mission like I had previously dreamed of, I really didn't ever want to be with him. Yeah he was funny, cute, a good singer, and very spiritual, but he didn't work hard in school and liked stuff like motorcycles. So, I didn't think about him at all after that.

Eight months later, his mom came by the choir room and gave Larry his mission address and told him to give it out to people because he was in need of letters. So I decided to write him a letter. He wrote back, and I felt so stupid so I waited a really long time to write back (like a month before he was coming home). He came home a couple months ago and we became friends on Facebook. I thought it would be nice to see where he went in life. So I have noticed that we are always online at the same time but I already feel really dumb for writing him and decided I was going to leave him alone forever more. Yesterday, he started talking to me on Facebook. And suddenly, I was that little 16 year old again. I FREAKED OUT!!! Like I really have not acted like that in so long! It's like I lost 5 years off my age in that moment, and I have been laughing at myself ever since. I am just really glad no one was there to see me be dumb except my sisters, but they are 12 and 14 so they think the way I acted is normal. I have since regained my composure.

I just thought I would share that. The End.

Say YES to the Dress!

Combining the last three nights, I have slept a total of eleven hours. I have been out way late and then I have to get up at 4:30 am to babysit. I am so tired! This morning, while the little girl I watch was sleeping, I found a season of "Say Yes to the Dress" on their Netflix and decided to watch it (It's so hard for me to find something to watch at this house because a lot of the stuff is rated R). Almost every single time a woman found "the dress" and started to cry, I started to cry too! And I felt like a huge idiot. I was crying like I was watching A Walk to Remember. It was pathetic. I think I need some sleep!