the night before hallows' eve.

well, not really, but two nights before hallows' eve. friday night my roomies and i were sitting around not doing much when we decided to make up costumes and go to a party just for the heck of it. so the creativity began. lauren and jill already had their outfits. lauren was a cat and jill a nerd. i decided on a cowgirl when lauren said she had a cowgirl hat. then we decided that caty could easily be a bee. we ended up running out of really great ideas so shelby ended up being a nerd with jill. (steph was off somewhere with her brother). then we all got dressed up in a hurry and headed off to the party. none of us were technically invited to this party but one of the boys in our ward set his status to say that they were having a party in their lounge and that anyone who wanted to come was invited. so we headed out and we got to the party and walked in and saw we were the only ones who had bothered to dress up, it was embarrassing for about .2 seconds but then everyone start clapping and cheering for us and apparently we were a big hit. so we went in and played some foosball. boys kept coming over and talking to us, which was fun. my cap gun was a huge hit. boys were really impressed by it and kept coming over and shooting it off to scare people. we also played some pool and danced a little. we met new friends austin and patrick. we left kinda early because jill and lauren had planned on going to idaho falls to go to dr. slaughters, and then to a scary movie. but by the time we got home it was a little too late for them to make it on time. so we ended up getting steph to dress up as a sheriff, not as cool as me though cuz she didn't have a hat. then we all went to sammy's (new restaurant in town). while we were at sammys we told new friends they should come with so they came over and then after our time at sammys we headed over to the cheap theater to watch a scary movie. we got a dollar off because we were dressed up, which was so great! so i ended up getting in for $2! we saw devil (watch the preview!) i ended up liking it. i think it was more of a thriller than a scary/horror movie. but then we came home and pretty much went to bed, but it was such a fun great night!

scripture of the day:

Moroni 7: 12-13 Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

today i am thankful for:

* fun roommates who are creative and silly.

* really cheap movies so that i can have a fun with my roommates for our halloween celebration.

* fun people who have parties and invite random people to join them.

* my cap gun and what a big hit it is with the boys. :)

* pictures from my roomies cameras. its like i dont even need a camera anymore.

* time to sleep in.

<3.

fhe.

for fhe on monday we decided to carve pumpkins, seeing as it is the pumpkin carving season. it was one of those activities that i absolutely love and can't wait until i can be at home again and can do fun stuff like that with my family but, i love my byui family this semester so it was so much fun! we got there a little late because we had to go buy some pumpkins. at the store we decided to split up into groups of two and be pumpkin carving teams. stephanie quickly claimed shelby as her partner, soon after jill claimed lauren, so caty and i were left as a team, i was very pleased! caty is so funny, i love her, so i was glad to be her carving partner! we got to the boys house and dawson and kyle were off purchasing a pumpkin themselves. we waited until they got there and then we sang a song (give said the little stream), said a prayer and had a little spiritual thought and then began the festivities. caty and i decided on a werewolf as our design. it was a little more detailed than we thought we could do, but we decided to go for it! and ... it turned out awesome! big papa (our fhe dad) carved their pumpkin, all alone, sometimes brother dallon liked to pretend he was helping, but he wasnt. it was pretty funny. the other 3 boys just bummed around the living room doing strange things, which was also pretty funny. i forgot my camera at home when coming up to school so i keep having to resort to stealing photos off of facebook for you guys to see. these ones are from my "brother" dallon.

all of the carvers as we began the carving process:

big papa carving his pumpkin while holding a knife very dangerously:

the stephanie/shelby team looking cute:

the lauren/jill team being silly:

the janaya/caty team hard at work:

the big papa/dallon team "working":

brothers "mike/kyle" and skyler (sj) decorating the home with halloween costumes:

some carvers and the finished products (man with a mustache, skulls, a werewolf, and an owl on a tree branch):

we had a blast. after we were done carving the pumpkins big papa decided to show us his manly skills and ripped a phone book in half. it was very impressive actually. dallon only had one picture of that up on facebook and it was really bad and blurry so i left it out. but here is one where the boys all covered jill in the ripped pages:

all in all it was a really fun night. i really enjoy fhe this semester. i am pretty sure i have never looked forward to it so much, i cant decide if it is because we have such great fhe brothers or if it is because i am not the fhe mom this semester and dont have to worry about planning activities. its probably a combination of both, but either way i am very happy i love fhe so much!

scripture of the day:
Proverbs 18: 24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

today i am thankful for:
* my daddy. he blesses my life so much and is able to relieve much of the stress i have in my life.
* my family! i decided sometime last week that i missed my family and was going to fix it by writing everyone emails, so i did. i got back replies and it made me so happy to hear about life. i plan on keeping it up!
* the internet. it is amazing to me how quickly you can share things with people. and how easy it is. it is such a blessing to me.
* jackets. it is getting cold here in rexburg and has even snowed a few times (nothings stuck yet) and i am so glad that i have jackets and coats that i can use to layer up.
* insurance discounts. i found a paper in my car from a year ago that i can fill out and send in so that my insurance will be lower, yay!!!
* my byui family! it is so great to know so many wonderful people up here and to feel comfortable talking to them and asking them for anything. i absolutely love it!
* my roommates. they are amazing. i have never loved my roommates so much. we have such fun together and i feel so close to all of them.
* knowledge. i am trying so hard at my chemistry class and i feel like i know so much and then i dont do so hot on the tests, but today in my science foundations class we had an in class group assignment and it had to do with chemistry and i knew all the answers. its nice to know that even though my grade in that class isn't the greatest i still am learning and growing.

<3.>

lessons from the Lord.

yesterday i was feeling the stress of many things on me at once and i decided to head out to my usual thinking spot. it is a church that is out on one edge of town near some fields. i drove out there, parked the car and then spent a good 25 minutes staring at this one tree trying to figure out why i felt so stressed, and why all the trials in my life were coming at me, and how i was going to get everything done that i needed to. after those first 25 minutes i was still staring at the same tree and the thought popped into my head, "how often do you let what you are focused on determine what you see." i then proceeded to look up and from where i was sitting, and from this spot at the church you are up on a hill and when you look out you can see out over rexburg, sugar city, and st. anthony. it is so pretty and is even the reason that i go to this spot to think. i realized that i have been focusing a little too much on my "woes" and not enjoying all of the blessings that my heavenly father is still giving to me. it was a good lesson, one that i really needed in the moment. i am so grateful for my Savior and the little things He does in my life to help remind me how much He knows and loves me. well, after this i decided to take some pictures to display my experience, so here they are.

the tree.

a little to the right.

more to the right.

seeing further past the tree.

broadening my horizons.

the view that i get to see when sitting and thinking.

up next to the tree.

three photos that show the whole view of why i go to this spot to forget my woes and work through trials.

what a beautiful wonderful lesson from my Heavenly Father. He knows and love me, i am so grateful for that.

scripture of the day:

todays scripture is not really a scripture but some thoughts taken from Elder Uchtdorf's October Conference Talk, 'Of Things That Matter Most' ... "If life and its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing, then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most ... We would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter the most ... Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship - the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace."

today i am thankful for:

* the blessings the Lord gives me.

* the lessons that i am able to receive through the gift of the spirit.

* a mother who knows.

* friends and family at home who make me feel loved and important.

* smiles from strangers.

* time to study.

<3.

the 2 most handsomest men in the world.

about three days ago i was going about my business, just doing some homework in the living room and in walks my roomie jill. she is carrying some flowers and i think to myself, "i wish someone got me flowers." she walks around the couch, sits down, and hands them to me. needless to say i started to think my mind powers had grown stronger than i had realized. so i take the flowers and i see this note:

they were from my home teachers. i started smiling from ear to ear like a giddy little girl but i didn't care. i was so happy someone had given me flowers (and the two most handsomest men in the world no less). i am so grateful for my home teachers. i feel like they really care about me and they have been so nice to me. they show up at least once a week just to say hi and see how i am doing. they text me a couple times a week to make sure im having a good day and see if i need anything. it has been such a blessing to have such good home teachers in my life. i really appreciate them. i wanted to let you see them (since you are probably wondering what the two most handsomest men in the world look like) but i have no photos of them, so if you promise not to tell, i stole pictures of them off of facebook and so ... here they are!

tyler

and kyle

and here are my flowers. they really made my day!

thanks kyle & tyler!

scripture of the day:
Enos 1:12 And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires because of thy faith.

today i am thankful for:
* that the 2 most handsomest men in the world care about me enough to bring me flowers and make me feel loved.
* a roommate who lets me use her printer.

* my family.

* lotion. it is unbelievable how quickly the cold can suck all of the moisture out of our body.

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*7*10.

i love that the Lord blesses my life! ...
* tonight is night two (yes i know, not too impressive yet) that i have gone to the gym. **
* i am having an easier time sleeping at night and waking up in the morning.
* i am poor which keeps me from eating out, and buying junk food and sugary items.
* my roommates are really encouraging and helpful.
* my book of mormon teacher always has great stories that make me feel the spirit.
* my little brother makes me feel good about myself.
* my lab partner doesnt yell at me or say i am stupid (like we heard from some other lab groups in chem.)
* i am here, and i have been blessed with a body and mind that help me in my life and make me feel important and strong.

** jill and i made the goal to get physically fit together. last night was night one and we walked to the hart (gym) ran on the elliptical for 30 minutes and then walked home. it was good, it has been a long time since i have worked out. then tonight we convinced stephanie and lauren to come with us and we all walked to the hart. then steph and lauren went to bikes and jill and i ran on the elliptical for 45 minutes. after jill and lauren did some ab work. then we all walked home. once we got home we pushed the couches around in the living room and did abs for a while (russian twists, seals, supermans, & the plank) and then we did stretches, and stretched each other. it was wonderful. i feel so loose and stretched out and i loved it. anyways, we have made plans to do this every night and i am really excited about it. it has been really good so far. and since the start of the semester i have lost 20 lbs! which is pretty exciting. i guess thats what happens when you are poor (no sugar and junk) and walk to classes 3 days a week!

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*6*10.

today i was able to see the hand of the Lord in my life ...
* i feel close to no stress.
* i was able to go to the gym with jill, it was good.
* it didn't rain on my while walking to school.
* i am making new friends each day.
* i feel comfortable with people that i barely know.
* our fhe boys are fun and great.
* my home teachers too are fun and great!
* things are working themselves out.
* my dad has knowledge that helps and blesses my life.
* shad does cute things that make me feel good even if they might be on accident.
* my mom helps relieve my stresses.

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*5*10.

my life is blessed by the Lord ...
* i have a father that i know loves me and would do anything for me, and i that i can call him anytime, with any problem and he will help me. he is the perfect example to me of what my Father in Heaven is like.
* the Lord gives me peace and comfort when i need it the most, as long as i turn to Him.
* my roommates are nice and wonderful and understanding. they help me when i need it and i love them for it.
* the boys in my ward are wonderful and always make me laugh and feel welcomed & loved.
* even in the most stressful of days and situations i find people that make me laugh, what a joy and a blessing.
* my foods class had me make chili, which in turn made my lunch and my dinner free.
* i am happy, even among everything.

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*4*10.

i love the Lord ...
* fhe was super fun, once again, even though we just played a card game.
* stephanie helped me out with something when i really needed her to, such a blessing.
* i did not have my intro to fcs class which gave me some extra time to study for my chem test.
* walking to school keeps getting easier and easier.
* even though i had a super stressful day i still had fun and laughed, i am so grateful for an apartment of girls that i love and feel comfortable with.
* i know i say it a lot, but my home and family management class was once again amazing! i would call it the best religion class i have ever had ... only ... its not a religion class.
* my little brother talks to me and makes me happy.
* i have what i need when i really need it.
* my testimony and faith in the Lord help me through countless on going trials that would otherwise be impossible to get through.

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*3*10.

i can see the hand of the Lord in my life daily ...
* the second day of conference was just as amazing as the first.
* i have roommates who have roommate prayer and all gather together to watch conference.
* i have knowledge from the Lord on how to live my life through scriptures and the prophet.
* i always seem to have time to get the things that i need to done.
* i am able to memorize things i need to.
* i have great friends and roommates.
* i laugh and am happy!

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*2*10.

the hand of the Lord is relevant in my life ...
* first two sessions of conference were amazing!
* we have had so much roommate bonding and it has been so great!
* i woke up in time to wake other roomies so we could all up for conference on time.
* we played wallyball with some fhe boys!
* jill and i went out to idaho falls and i got a gift for shad.
* i got to take a nap.
* i got to hear from one of my favorite people ... TANIA!!!!

<3.

hand of the Lord journal 10*1*10.

i love to see the Lord working in my life ...
* my chemistry class was cancelled today, so i only had one class and got to sleep in and be able to finish my homework before it.
* tomorrow is conference and i am so excited!

<3.