It's all about the little things.

So this week has been crazy busy. Today I decided to make a list of all the things I need to get done by next week. That was a very bad idea. Talk about overwhelming amounts of homework. And it keeps coming.. and won't stop. So I decided to just take it one thing at a time and so I started on an assignment while listening to some music. Pandora must love me today because a song came that helped lighten the mood. The lyrics said, "if life has taught me anything, its all about the little things." Well isn't that a true statement. I've heard that concept many many times in many ways but a simple reminder is always great. I will try to work my way through all this homework with a smile on my face because even though it seems incredibly impossible right now, it will seem so small in a few years. So, in the meantime I will continue to try to be happy :)

Happy things this week:

• Building fires
• Guacamole :) 
• Running
• Getting a call from my best friend to tell me she is engaged :) 
• Playing the piano
• Making new friends

Choosing to be happy!

     What a lovely week it has been already, and its only Tuesday! Today is Valentines day. What a lovely day it was. But first I must explain the title of this post. So, yesterday I got a letter from my dearest friend, Chase. I was so happy. Its always good to hear from him. I don't think I told him that I have been overwhelmed with school and sad and missing him but somehow he already knew. He basically told me I need to be happy and I can choose to be happy or choose to be miserable, whether he is here or not. Its hard having my best friend far away from me but I am glad he reminded me of a very important concept that I needed to be reminded of. So today I decided I was going to be happy and I certainly was! I spent the day at work, school, my moms school (I go to her school once a week to get hours in for my education math class), went to see my grandma with my mom, went to more class and then I have been working on homework for about 4 hours straight. Despite all the busyness, I am quite happy. Being happy is a lot more fun than being sad :) Plus, I have gotten a lot more homework done tonight in less time than usual. Lots of happy things this week so far.

     Happy things this week:

• Rain
• Smiling just because I can't contain how happy I am :) 
• Leftover cookies from my mom's Valentine party at school
• Realizing I will be my Nephew's favorite Aunt in 2.5 months! :)
• Rereading children's books from my childhood and realizing how hilarious some of them are
• :) 

2012!

     So far 2012 has been pretty busy. I haven't really had time for anything but school, church, some sleep, and work. I am taking 18 credits this semester full of classes that require lots of work (what's new). I started a new job and I'm not working as much so I figured I'd be able to keep up with 18 credits. It's a pretty full load but I can do it. I'm taking Children's Lit, Interpersonal Communications, Partnering with Parents, Education 2010, Math 2010 and History. I really love my communications class and I'm glad that I have at least one class that I can just enjoy. I have some pretty interesting professors this semester so they keep me awake in class, which is a good thing. :) 

     I have enjoyed this year so far even though I have been overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork. I have been researching schools to transfer to and starting to make plans for spring 2013. I am looking forward to getting out of St. George and going to a new school. It will be good, but for right now my life is just great. :) 

     One thing I decided I want to do every week this semester is write a few things that made me happy during the week. I want to look out for the positive things in the week so here goes my first list of happy things.

• Getting delicious treats from my wonderful visiting teachers
• Talking with old friends 
• My turkey that sits on my desk :)
• Old letters
• Spending time with my extended family for my Grandma's Birthday
• Going to the store by myself for absolutely no reason just because I can :)

Letter box!

     I have a nice photo box that I keep all my letters in and it had Winnie the Pooh on the lid. I wanted to mod podge some cute paper on it to make it more age appropriate (haha.. Shout out to my older sister who bought the box). Well, yesterday I finally decided I would give the box a makeover. My friend came over and had a brilliant idea (most of my brilliant ideas come from her brilliance) to mod podge newspaper on my box. Sooo that is exactly what I did! I love it and here is my lovely new and improved letter box :)

     Yes, the man in the corner is the man with the yellow hat from Curious George :) 

December!

     So, obviously I haven't posted very much for December. This month went by crazy fast, but it was great! I finished my 3rd semester of college! Yay! I finally have a few weeks to relax before I do it all again. :) Good thing I enjoy what I am learning. 

     I also got to spend a weekend with all of my family on my moms side of the family for the weekend of my Grandpa's funeral which made a wonderful weekend, despite the sadness of it all. 

     I have had a wonderful break with my family. My mom and I have watched lots of Christmas movies together and made lots of treats. My mom and sister and I made candy cane cookies which are a tradition at my house. My grandparents found the recipe on the package of flour (if I remember right) when they were first married and have made those every year with their kids and I am glad my mom carried that tradition to our family.

     I had a wonderful Christmas with my family. Christmas Eve I was in the kitchen all day cooking yummy treats. We had dinner Christmas Eve with my family and sang Christmas songs by the piano and then my sister and brother in law came over and we played a few rounds of Uno.

     Christmas day was beautiful. We didn't wake up super early to open presents because my sister and brother in law weren't going to come over until later that afternoon. It was a little strange being able to sleep in on Christmas. We started off our day at church together. Going to church on Christmas made it easier to remember the Savior and the true meaning of Christmas. After church I went over to my best friends house to see his family and be there when he called from Yakima Washington. He is serving a mission there and he asked me to be there when he called his family on Christmas day. It was so good to talk to him. He was able to Skype with us and it was great to see his face. :) That was probably the highlight of my Christmas. After that, I went home and opened presents with my family and ate dinner. It was a really good day. :)

     Yesterday, Tiffany and I decided to have an adventurous day. We started out at Jimmy Johns where we picked up delicious sandwiches for us to devour on our picnic at Town Square. It was a really nice day to have a picnic. After that, we went to the dollar store because she threw her trash can away and has been needing a trash can for her room. Luckily, we found a perfect trash can for her room at Dollar Tree. She is thrilled! After that, we went to the mall and she found some dashing sunglasses and both of us found some earrings that we have been wanting. Later that night we decided to build a fire, watch a movie, eat pizza, drink hot chocolate and snuggle up in fuzzy blankets. We decided to rent The Help from red box. After lots of trouble with the movie being out of stock and my cards not cooperating with the machine, we got our movie of choice and our pizza (thanks to the change my brother gave me for Christmas) and went home to enjoy our night. Here are some lovely pictures of our movie night. :)