I have a niece!!!!

I had a friend once who was talking about his sister having a baby, and in his excitement, he exclaimed, "I don't know if I'm going to be an aunt or an uncle yet!!!" It was a good time, and now that I am an aunt for the first time, I understand his excitement!

I could go on and on and talk about Jocelyn Hanna Ence, but I think that pictures will explain a bit better this wonderful little girl. :)

Baby Jocelyn, born September 15th, 2014

Being fed by Nana :)

Of course, seeing all the cool places Jocelyn can fit, thanks to Alex

She was a happy one from the start!

Happy Halloween, from Jocelyn!

Alex, Kristen, and Jocelyn after her baby blessing

She is going to take after her aunt in the snacking department ;)

This little one charmed the boots off of Santa

She didn't feel the castle was up to par 

Of course, a pinterest fail

Jocie and Doc always get along!

She always wants to know what is going on!

I promise she likes me

Oh yeah… she is thug

Good thing Ash isn't the mom, right?

She is growing up wayyyy too fast!

I mustache you a question...

Isn't she the cutest?

Fun times with Daddy!

She already has her first Valentine! Look at her go!

She is quite the talker!

She is beastly strong like her parents 

(and don't you just love her little cape?!)

Aaaaand you're welcome. :)

I love little Jocie to death, and I am sure she will be showing up in more of my blogs…. when I actually do blog. :) Isn't she just perfect!? Yep folks, after Ashleigh and I begging for years, we are finally aunts. And it's the best!

I'm Married! Life as Mrs. Tanis Reed.

Alright, So I have been the worst blogger since… I guess since 2014! I blogged once in January, then again in March after I got engaged, and now that it is December, I guess it is time to blog again! I have been married for 5 months (as of tomorrow), and let me tell you, it has been AWESOME.

I am so overwhelmed with thinking of things I could blog about, but I figured I could tell you a little bit about my stud of a husband. In honor of our 5 monthiversary, I will give you 5 stories of Tanis.

First story of Tanis:
Tanis and I have been mildly (or completely) obsessed with games, even before we met. We play them on a regular basis, and sometimes even eat while we play. On this particular day, we had had chips and guacamole, with big glasses of milk. We were wrapping up our last game, and I asked Tanis if he could put our glass of milk in the fridge, and the chips away for me. He obliged, and we went about our day. About 4 hours later, I go to look in the fridge, and I see the chips. Naturally, I look for the glass of milk to see if it made it in the fridge too. Nope. The milk was on the counter, and the chips were in the fridge! I got a good laugh out of that one!

Second story of Tanis:
This is a story that occurs Monday through Friday, every week. I have been student teaching this semester, and in order to get to the school I have to leave by 7:10 every morning. I am NOT a morning person, and have ran late every day since my first week. I am there from 7:30 till 3-4, so it is a long day! Every morning, Tanis rolls out of bed with me, and the first thing he does is make me lunch. He wants to make sure I get to eat, so that is his first order of business. Next, he bundles up and goes out to our car to scrape the ice off, so I don't have to do it. EVERY. MORNING. What a stud!

Third story of Tanis:
This one dates back to my birthday. So my 22nd birthday was awesome. I loved it. I was well remembered and well loved. The only thing I would have changed, is it would have been cool to get a cake, and to be sung to. (Not a big deal, right?) Well, I mentioned that to Tanis a day or so later, and then we moved on, and I totally forgot about it. Fast forward about two weeks. I was meeting Tanis's family for the first time, and it was our first day there, and we were sitting around the table, and Tanis's mom brings a cake out of the fridge, and starts putting in candles and lighting them. I start looking around, wondering who's birthday it is, and Tanis's dad keeps looking and smiling at me, so I smile back, excited to sing to whoever it is! Finally, it came out that that was MY birthday cake, and they were going to sing to ME. That was probably one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me. I almost teared up, but I didn't want my in-laws to think I was a baby, so I sucked it up. Tanis remembered my silly little wish, and granted it. I love that man.

Fourth story of Tanis:
Tanis loves pizza. Loves it. Probably as much as he loves me. Well, I got a pizza recipe from my old roommate Kami, and we decided to make it. We were prepping the ingredients, and I asked Tanis if he wanted to make the dough or cook the chicken. He turned to me with his big blue eyes, and said, "Well… I would love to make the dough… but if you want to, I can make the chicken!" This cute little guy just wanted to make the dough! Even if my heart was set on making the dough, how was I supposed to turn him down?! I've never seen him more happy making food in my life. It was precious.

Fifth story of Tanis:
Tanis is such a silly man. He is sooo smart, but sometimes he forgets things. We were getting ready to leave the apartment, and were kinda in a rush. We finally got out of the apartment, and we were getting ready to lock the door, and Tanis starts searching his pockets and such for his keys, and he can't find them. A few seconds later, he realized they were in his hands. Hahaha he is so cute. :) Poor guy, couldn't find his keys! He has always told me that the best place to hide something is to place it right in front of him. I now believe him.


I have billions more stories, but those are just a couple. Tanis is the most kind, loving, funny, smart, hard-working man I know. Every day is an adventure. I love him dearly, and marrying him was the best thing I've ever done. I love life as Mrs. Tanis Reed. :)

Meet Tanis :)

On March 14, 2014 my best friend in the whole world asked me to marry him, and I said yes. :) When most people find out, they say one of these three things, if not all three:

• Congratulations! When is the big day?
• What?! I didn't even know you were dating someone!
• I need to meet him! We should do something sometime!

So, if you are thinking the first one, thank you very much, we are getting married July 11 in the Lubbock, Texas Temple :) We are VERY excited! If you are thinking the second one, well, I guess it is safe to say I was dating someone, and very seriously!

If you are thinking the third one, I totally agree! Everyone should have the opportunity to meet Tanis! I know that some of you are not in the Provo area, and those that are are super busy, and  it's sometimes a struggle to match up schedules. So, I am going to tell y'all a little bit about this man of mine :)

Meet Tanis :)

• He served his mission in Panama City and absolutely loves speaking spanish, even if I struggle understanding it sometimes.
• He is from Magnolia, Texas, and is very proud to be a Texan!
• He is studying electrical engineering, with minors in physics and computer science. (Yeah... so don't feel bad if you haven't met him, sometimes I have to pencil myself in to his schedule!)
• He is suuuuuper ticklish, and seriously cannot control it. For once I am the dominant tickler ;)
• He's a beast at tennis! Our first date was tennis, and we played and it was super fun, and he made me feel like I wasn't too bad... then I watched him play against someone on his level... he was totally playing down to me. He is insane. I love it.
• He is very very very patient. Sometimes I know I can be ridiculous or annoying or just way out there, but he is SO good to me. Seriously. I love him.
• He is a hard hard worker. With his major and double minors, working two jobs, and being engaged, and trying to fit in sleep somewhere in there, he still always manages to not only stay on top of things, but to excel at each of them.
• He is a popcorn addict! To most of you, that's probably not a big deal. But I come from a family of popcorn addicts, and my roommates tease me heavily about it (*cough*Dani*cough*), but he is just as much of an addict as I am. :)
• He's so handsome :) Blue eyes, super cute smile, soft hair, tall, broad shoulders... yeah. He's mine 
• He is competitive! One thing I am NOT okay with, is people letting me win... well, he doesn't let me win. Or even come close. Not even in leg wrestling, which is my thing.
• He lives about 15 minutes from me walking, and he will walk over to spend time with me, and then walk back with his heavy backpack! I have been better about driving him, but when I had my dad's truck, I never drove it, so he would walk home, rain or snow... sometimes both. He is so good to me.
• He is a family guy. The first night he held my hand, we were walking home, and I asked him about his family. He just talked and talked and talked and praised each one of them individually, and I loved it. He loves his family. He is gonna be a great husband and daddy.
• He is long winded. He looooves to talk! Which is perfect for me! I always want to talk. I'll ask him "what are you thinking?" or really any question that comes to mind, and he will always gladly answer it :)
• He is strong. Definitely physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I can see it, and I can feel it. 
• He is a great driver. about a month into dating, we went to Texas to trade out my dad's truck for my car (I had hit an elk going home for Thanksgiving) and he drove a lot of the way back. I was the worst backseat driver, and it carried over for another couple weeks. I knew it bothered him, and I tried to keep it in, but I couldn't help it. But I KNOW he is a good driver. Sometimes while driving, I will stop and trade seats with him so he can drive and do the hard things, like parallel park and such.

So that is a little bit about Tanis. Basically, he is the most amazing man in the world, and I hope you all have a chance to meet him if you haven't already. :) The more I learn about him, the more I love him. I guess it's safe to say I am the luckiest girl in the world!

Happy New(ish) Year!

Here is my first blog post of the New Year!... at least published one. This year has already been filled with some pretty big events that I will probably remember for a good while, but also little moments that I hope to remember for even longer. In honor of 2014, here are 2,014 things that have already taken place this year!... Hahaha psyche. Let's just do 14.

1. I am back in Provo. I spent the break in California, which I cannot express to you how healing and necessary those 2 weeks with family was. But alas, I am back in Provo for my last real semester at BYU. But, I am excited for all of my classes, and this semester should be a good one.

2. Our sweet cat, Tiger, passed away Monday night. We will miss her dearly, but are grateful she didn't suffer too long.

3. Lunches with Nicole. So this is one of the little things that would be easy to forget, but I really don't want to. Nicole is one of my favorite people in the world, and getting to take a break and see her in the middle of the day for lunch is seriously a highlight.

4. I interviewed for an EFY counseling position today, so crossing my fingers that I will get it! Also, shout out to Chris, who scraped the snow and ice off my truck today, so that I was able to get to my interview on time! (Seriously, I wouldn't have made it if I would have had to scrape it myself)

5. I am finishing up my application to intern/student teach this fall, so I will be assigned in the next couple months. This will be the turning point of my future, deciding if I teach, go back to school, serve a mission, work elsewhere, or move to Cali and become a beach bum. I haven't ruled out any of the options yet. ;)

6. My body is in so much pain, I can't even sleep throughout the night. I started a gymnastics class at BYU, because I tumbled as a kid and loved it! But turns out my 21 year old body is a bit different from my 12 year old body, and every muscle in my arms, shoulders, and back ache. My legs are okay, but that is about it. So... if anyone has any desire to give me a back massage, I wouldn't object, and would probably even feed you...

7. I have been really blessed this week with people who care, and Peter is no exception. He knew I was struggling, and came to my rescue and picked me up, made me dinner, and just spent some quality time with me. What a stud.

8. Speaking of studs, the same day as Pete took care of me, so did Braeden in the morning. I texted him when I woke up, and within 10 minutes he was over at my apartment, holding me while I cried. If that's not a true friend, then there is no such thing.

9. I got to have a pizza party with Jannette! She really does put up with me, and I love her for it. We hadn't gotten to really talk since before the break, so catching up and just spending time together was a blast. I enjoy her.

10. Also, I got to go get smoothies with Mandie and then dye her hair. She and I struggled last semester with finding time to do things together, and our friendship suffered a bit. It was nice to not just meet up on campus for a quick bite and then run, but to get to sit and talk to each other and really just enjoy each other's company like the good ol' days.

11. I got a parking citation. I was parked in the only parking lot in front of the building for my interview, and I come out and I have a nice little piece of paper on my windshield! But thankfully, there was no fine. So it is okay, but my heart still dropped when I saw it.

12. So this hasn't happened yet, but it is on the agenda so it is okay to share in this blog! I am going to be taking the truck back to Texas to pick up my car, and even though I just saw my family less than a week ago, I am going through withdrawals. I love them way too much.

13. I love hot tubbing. I don't get to do it very often, but I am a huge fan of it! Before school started, Nicole, Lauren and I went hot tubbing, and it was amazing. We should probably go again sometime.

14. And last but not least, home teachers are the best. One of mine picked me up from the airport, and I am so grateful that he was willing to do that. Then on Sunday Dani and I were able to go and visit our home teachers, and they are just rockin' men. I appreciate them a lot.

Basically, even though there are some not-so-great things that happen, there are always more good things that happen, if you look hard enough. Every day I have been blessed by numerous people that love me and make time for me, and I am so grateful for my loving Heavenly Father who has blessed me with these people, these opportunities, and these lessons.

A-B-Cs of my Past Three Weeks

Let's play the ABC song for what has been happening in my life as of lately.

Almost. 2013 is almost over. Halle-freaking-lujah.

Basketball. Over Thanksgiving break, I got to play some ball with my siblings, and it was a super good time. I love my family.

California. I will be there for Christmas. Be jealous. 

Despicable Me. I got to have a back to back showing of Despicable me 1 and 2, and it was such a good time. Great friends, great movies.

Elk. I hit an elk driving home from Utah, and the elk definitely destroyed my car.

Funny. My roommates think it's funny to lock me out and make me dance/sing in order to be allowed back into the apartment.

Games. This is one of my favorite things to do. I love love love going home and playing games with the family. 

Hugging. I hugged a stranger. I thought it was my friend Mandie, but definitely not. 

Institute. Somehow Jannette and I both missed the memo that institute was canceled, so we picked up a pizza and caught up instead.

Jigs. Freestyle dancing in the kitchen happens more often than it should in my apartment.

Kristin. Every Thursday Kristin and I have dinner together and watch a show. It is the perfect way to keep in touch with a loved one throughout the semester! I love this tradition.

Life. I love life. Lots is going on, decisions are being made and life is moving forward, and I am loving it all. (Even if sometimes I feel that my life is a joke sometimes. The big man upstairs has a sense of humor. Good thing I do too.)

Mashed potatoes. My mom is the best cook in the world. And my grandma. And for Thanksgiving, she made two things of mashed potatoes. Ashleigh and I battled for them. 

Nightmares. I have had nightmares every single night this week, and it is always a continuation of the night before.

Oy vey. Sometimes, all you need is to be held. Stress has finally caught up to me today, and I just need some quality time.

Projects. I have had projects and presentations due every day since Thanksgiving break, so two week's worth. It may not sound like a lot, but it is grueling. 

Quiet. When the weather gets snowy, the town gets quiet. I love walking down the streets and being able to actually hear myself think, along with the soft crunching of the snow.

Robert. I love my brother. He has been out on his mission for almost 9 months now! He is rocking it!

Stupid. It is stupid how much I love Taco Bell. And it doesn't help that Dani loves it too and helps me feed my addiction. 

TV. I get paid to watch TV. (Meaning I am a research assistant, and we are currently doing research on the popular TV show "Pretty Little Liars." Best job ever.)

Up. It's so easy to look around or even down in life, and as I remember to look up, things make so much more sense. 

Vacuum. Yeah, this needs to be a part of my life. I cleaned my room today, but we have cleaning checks on Saturday so... I need to jump on that.

Walks. I absolutely love walks. Over the break I walked the dogs with my mom, which was soooo good. And the stars were absolutely gorgeous!

X-treme. I got locked out of my apartment, so I had to climb through the window. It made me feel extremely satisfied that not even a locked door could keep me out. Ninjamode.

Yes. Yes I do need to go to bed.

Zipper. I zipped up my hair in my jacket about a billion times this week. I either need to chop it off, pull it up, or wear hoodies.

Sweet 'N' Simple

What represents me? How do I define myself? Who is Lindsey Hanna?

I have pondered quite a bit on these questions lately. For a school project, I was asked to pick 3 to 4 items that define me. They were to represent who I am and what I am. They are to portray me and my culture. After much thought, I have come up with four items that I think can give you a pretty good idea of who Lindsey Hanna is.

First are my scriptures. 

I chose my scriptures, because they represent my faith, my morals, my character. They represent what I stand for, who I truly am at my core. They define how I try to live my life, and what I am striving to do and become. One of my favorite scriptures is Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." I am trying to be a good person. I know I am of divine worth, I know I am a priceless daughter of the Creator of the Universe. Above all, THAT defines me, and what I want to be.

Second is my phone.

I chose my phone for a couple of reasons. One, to represent the "now" world we live in, that I am a part of. I have endless access at my fingertips. This has shaped my life to be fast-paced, always on the go. If I am not doing something, I am "wasting time." Second, I am connected. I very much identify myself and define myself by those I am closest to. I am miles and miles from my family, but with my phone I am able to keep up with them, and to tell them things about my life, and hear about things in theirs. I am also able to reach my friends on my phone, and access Facebook to catch up on people I haven't had contact with in a while. I am a people person. One of the worst things that I feel could happen to me is getting stuck in a lonely office job for years on end. I am shaped and molded by those closet to me.

Third are my running shoes.

I chose these for an interesting reason. I am not a runner. I have never particularly enjoyed running. But I do enjoy trying new things, and achieving goals. These shoes define me because they represent hard work, trying new things, and going places. I have had a wonderful life, even though I have had a decent amount of trials. I am who I am because I try. Because I work at the hard things that come up, whether I enjoy it or not. I go running at least twice a week not because I love it, but because I want to love it, and I want to work hard at a weakness that I have. 

Fourth is my key.

I chose a key because I really enjoy locking my roommates out. We have a fascination with locking each other out when one leaves without their key, and then you open the window and make them do a ridiculous dance, the truffle shuffle, or sing very loudly in order to re-enter the apartment. I love fun. I love pranking. I very much enjoy the simple things in life that make me laugh or smile, and the key represents something that to most people would just be a device to get into a building/room, but for me it unlocks countless opportunities. 

I was trying to come up for a title for this blog, it is supposed to be a "label" that sums me up. I have thought long and hard about it, and I finally decided on "sweet 'n' simple." I think life is such a tender and sweet experience that I am a part of, I try to gain as much as I can from each day and each experience. Simple, because there is simply not a single word or phrase that can describe me or who I truly am. I am Lindsey Hanna. Sweet 'n' simple. 

Cheesy Pick-up Lines

Today, I came home from class and face planted on the couch, grateful the day was finally over... only to realize... IT'S ONLY MONDAY.

But that's okay.

Because lots of good things happened today.

For starters, I am now a working woman! I got all signed up for my job today, and by job, I mean research assistant... and by research assistant, I mean I watch a TV show and break it down into various health things (drugs, sex, alcohol, etc...). I'm not complaining though!

While I was getting signed up for the job, I got to chat it up with my friend from freshman year, so that was pretty great too. I love to talk. I also got to have lunch with one of my best friends from back home, which is a miracle because our schedules are so opposite, it's not even funny!

But enough small talk. Let's get to the exciting part. Here is the most memorable part of my Monday:

So I am sitting in the library, in my usual spot, headphones in and cranking out a paper for one of my classes, when I get a tap on the shoulder from a guy. Here is the conversation that followed:

Guy: Hello! I am doing a survey about cheesy pick-up lines. Do you have a minute?

Me: Haha sure

Guy: Perfect. Do you have much experience with pick-up lines?

Me: I mean I know a few, but I haven't experienced them per say

Guy: Okay, well let me give you three, and you tell me what you think. The first one is, 'Are you from Tennessee, because you are the only 10 I see!'

Me: haha okay, next one?

Guy: Are you tired, because you have been running through my mind all day!

Me: haha...

Guy: and the last one, 'hey I am doing a survey about cheesy pick-up lines'

Me: hahaha oh.... I see what you did there!

Guy: haha, I'm *insert name here*

Me: Nice to meet you, I'm Lindsey

Guy: Are you currently taking applications for a boyfriend?

Me:...uh... what?

Guy: Are you taking applications for a boyfriend right now?

Me: ....*awkward laugh*...

Guy: Well it was nice to meet you! 

Oh yeah. This actually happened. I think this guy wins an A for Effort, and I get an A+ for awkward.

On the bright side... Only 10 days until I drive home for Thanksgiving, 34 days until classes are over, and 43 days until Christmas! 

Happy Monday!

A Week of Wins

So... some things this week were less than ideal. But, for every down, there were a few ups! Here are some wins from a potentially loserific week:

• I finished my time consuming block class, and I picked up 2 new classes I love!

• Dani got me Chick-fil-a for dinner one night (and for those of you who don't know, this is one of the ways to my heart <3)

• I went to the farmer's market with Kristin, Aubrey, and Jordan and got some amazing peaches and delicious salsa! I love those girls :)

• Jannette and I may or may not have had a girls night with an exceptionally humorous trip to Smiths, and excessive amount of food, and an excellent bonding time

• I got to go hiking with one of my bestest friends. We started out on a trail and hiking up, but we found a path of rocks we couldn't resist, and so we climbed a good way up those, which was very exciting! Coming down was a lot harder, and I struggled.... but it was absolutely beautiful! I wish I had a picture of the mountains and colorful trees to post, but this video will have to suffice!

• I got to ride with Dani on her motorcycle and go play frisbee at the park. I started out atrocious, but luckily I redeemed myself by the end.... and she and Ben may have also made some dang good cinnamon rolls with pumpkin spice icing on top, that was definitely a plus as well!

• I spent some good quality time with Nicole shopping, and any time with Nicole also entails an ab workout from laughing, so we killed two birds with one stone!

• I also may or may not have gotten this picture from my sister, with a text that said, "Hope your day is looking as sexy as me ;)" ...yep. My family stinkin' rocks!

• My MCOM teacher actually thinks I am a good writer, (Which is monumental because the last writing teacher I had trashed my self-esteem) and I finished up a stressful block class, and picked up 2 awesome ones for the rest of the semester!

• I may or may not have a friend driving home with me for Thanksgiving and staying with me and my family! (fingers crossed!)

• I finally got past my stupid security questions for my iTunes account, and was able to buy this song. My friend Ross introduced me to it a few weeks ago after our 5k, and I am borderline obsessed with it

And the best news is, this week isn't even over! I also get to have breakfast with some friends, go shooting, make a movie for class, support 3 friends at their half marathon, go to stake conference, go answer questions for future London study abroaders, and in between all of that I am sure many other fun things will happen.

Basically, this week has the potential to be one of the lamest weeks... but it has turned out to be a very successful one! I have to best roommates in the world (and they have the best boyfriends), the best friends in the world, and the best family in the world. :)

Hands

The inspiration for this post came during this past summer at Subway, when my brother Elliot and I were comparing our hand sizes. I have some pretty small hands for an adult human being, and his hands are large.

Left: Elliot's index finger    Rightt: my index finger

Left: my pinky               Right: his pinky 

Left: my index finger           Right: his pinky

Left: his thumb                Right: my thumb

My hand on his hand

Left: my hand span       Right: his hand span

In Church today we were talking about service, and how we are the hands of God. My mind wandered to this incident, and the comparison of Elliot's and my hands. I was laughing about the huge difference in our sizes, and then I shifted my thoughts to us as spiritual hands.

Our spiritual hands our similar in the sense that we each have:

• A thumb(s up) to share support and encouragement with each other. 
• An index finger to point people in the right direction
• A middle finger for snapping, to get the attention of those around us
• A ring finger with a vein that runs directly to our heart, a.k.a. passion and emotion
• A pinky for promises and covenants, to keep our word and be someone others can rely on

Elliot and I compared our hands, examining each little part, laughing at the major differences in our hands, even though both consisted of a thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky, knuckles, palm, etc... Depending on the occasion, his hands might be more suited for the job. If we needed to grab something that slid in-between seats, my hands would be much more suited to reach in and grab the item. If we were needing to carry something large, his hands would be much more able to do so than mine.

What if I based my worth on how well my hands could accomplish what his hands can accomplish? If I was determined to open every jar, have the same sized handfuls, or be the ultimate winner at thumb wars. I would be a very sad person. It sounds silly that I would obsess over my hands being able to do the same as his hands, when mine are capable of just as many things, just different things. 

Why do we do this with us as spiritual hands? Why do we get so worked up over being able to do the same things as others around us, when our spiritual hands are different sizes? We are all important. All of us are God's hands, because we are all needed to do very individual and unique jobs, that others simply cannot do. 

I am God's hands. You are God's hands. WE are God's hands. Let's stop comparing and worrying. Nothing is wrong with your hands, unless they are idle. Use them. Let's make a difference.

If Only They Knew

I am a Health Education major. I am in my last year of classes, and this year I have been going into high schools and middle schools to observe health classes to learn how to teach and such. I am in middle schools this week and last week, and the unit that is being taught right now is nutrition and fitness.

I was observing a first period health class, and a discussion was going on about weigh gain, weight loss, and weight management. The teacher asked the class how they could lose weight, and almost unanimously the class answered, "anorexia." I was pretty disturbed by that, but the teacher shut that down and moved on.

Well, in the second period class, same discussion going on, same question comes up, and once again the class answered, "anorexia." Are you serious? I stayed for one more class period, where the same scenario took place.

I was thoroughly disgusted. These are children! Thirteen year old children, and they are all shouting out that anorexia is the answer to weight loss. And it wasn't only one or two students in each class, it was 3 out of 3 health classes.

Today, I observed a different teacher, and different students. This teacher asked me to grade some assignments for her, and I started doing so, mindlessly making sure everything was filled out. About 12 papers in, I noticed a word in all caps, "BULIMIA." I looked to see what the question was:

"What is an effective way to manage your weight?"

Manage your weight. Not even lose weight, but just to manage it. Shocked, I counted it wrong and wrote a little note about how that is unhealthy and dangerous. Next paper, same thing. I was floored! I finished grading and went back through the first half I had already graded, and about half of the class answered that bulimia was an effective way to manage your weight.

Who is teaching these children to destroy their bodies for the sake of a mirror? Who is telling them that it is okay to damage yourself physically and starve yourself in order to have a gap between your thighs? or to see your hip bones? Or to lose the bit of fat around your abdomen?

What about the emotional and mental scarring that comes from eating disorders? What about the strong disdain towards their bodies no matter how much weight they lose? What about the fatigue and inability to concentrate? What about the possibility of sickness, disease, hospitalization, and even death?

Why do the children not know that depression almost always accompanies an eating disorder? Why are they not informed that they can have their own personal "perfect" body by feeding it the proper nutrients and exercising? Why do they not know that happiness is not found in a reflection?

If only these sweet children could know how serious eating disorders are, and how dangerous they are spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Starving yourself or throwing up will NOT give you your desired effect. It will actually destroy what self confidence you do have.

Please, teach these children. If you have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, siblings, or any interaction with young people, correct this misperception.

That is all.

I Would Rather...

I am a month into my last year of college, and my motivation is not really happening. I have loads of reading to finish before tomorrow, but there are so many things I would rather be doing right now.

I would rather...

• go for a walk
• watch a movie
• talk
• get on youtube
• start a TV show
• sleep
• write a blog post
• draw a picture
• rent a puppy
• play pool/ping pong
• go grocery shopping
• dye my hair
• invent another language
• have a dance party
• go star gazing
• paint a picture
• watch grass grow
• organize my clothes by color
• go swimming
• make something
• hike a mountain
• smell candles
• do laundry
• move to the Lake District in England
• jump on a trampoline

Basically... I don't want to do my reading. 

Surprise Drowning

Do you ever have one of those days, where everything is just perfect. Nothing life changing really happens, but it is one of the best days ever? Monday was one of those days for me.

I was on Facebook that morning, and I saw that one of my best friend's (Shayla's) status was saying that she wanted to go fishing! Well, we had already planned on hanging out, so I asked her if she was serious about wanting, (which she was!) so I grabbed our fishing stuff and headed over!

We drove out to Buffalo Springs with a bit of a detour because my darn phone took us a few miles off course, but with her phone we made it there! We spent a good few hours fishing, but didn't even have any nibbles! We had switched locations 3 times, but nothing. It was still lots of fun just talking and enjoying the serenity of the lake.

Eventually we got in the lake to cool off and goofed off there. We had rock throwing contests, fun with the mud, trying to race, and just talking and enjoying each other's company. :) Shayla is great. She is one of my favorite people. She is always so positive and hopeful, and I was not expecting to catch any fish after we swam, because we had had no luck aaaaaall day, but she was determined to catch one that day!

So! We dried off and drove a bit farther around the lake, and found the Crappie house, and went in there to have our final fishing experience.

We were sitting there chatting, and we noticed that her line was slowly wandering towards me, and she reeled it up and found this little guy!

That was the first catch of the day, and granted it wasn't a fish, it was terribly exciting! After that, we caught a few more fishes and crawdad things, each one filled with it's own excitement and joy.

She was sad because this fishy was bleeding

 Finally called it a day and headed home!

We cleaned up at her house and went out to dinner at Taco Bell, and let me tell you, I was pretty sure I was going to choke and die from laughing so hard! For example, we were talking about snorkeling, and this was her comment:
"I don't even like snorkeling! It's like surprise drowning! You are swimming around looking at things and then water goes over the top of your tube and then you're choking."
It was the most unique outlook I have ever heard on snorkeling, but she did have a point!

Afterwards we went back to her place and watched a movie and then talked for a bit, until I finally headed home back to Levelland. I know this post doesn't quite do the day justice, but I figured it was blog-worthy. :)

I Know...

I have had many unanswered questions lately. Many doubts and fears and concerns. Some that are legitimate, and some that may be all in my head. Regardless, they have caused some serious heartache and uneasiness in my mind. I have been searching for answers and guidance, and I was flipping through my journal, and I found my notes for the most recent General Conference, and a line I wrote down jumped out at me. It is from Elder Holland's talk, and it said,

"What we know will ALWAYS trump what we don't know." 

There are many things I don't know. Or that I am unsure about. Or that make me nervous to wonder about. But, there are a few things I do know. And they most definitely trump what I don't know. Here are a few things that were confirmed to me this week.

1. I know that Heavenly Father will always answer my prayers in the way that I need them to be answered. It may not be how I want or what I want, but it is what I NEED.

2. I know that daily scripture study and sincere prayer can bring true peace no matter what is weighing heavy on my heart or on my mind.

3. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord, and that going there increases my inspiration and refocuses me on true happiness and an eternal perspective.

4. I know that if I go to church with a humble spirit and ready to learn, I can receive answers to these questions, or at least comfort that the answer is coming soon and the outcome will be okay.

5. I know that Heavenly Father is looking out for me. Every day all day He blesses me with tender mercies, whether I am worthy of them or not. He has blessed me with wonderful friends that check on me and talk to me about my thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams. They have made time for me in their busy schedules, and I am so grateful that they are in tune with the spirit and know that I am in need and give me the love and attention that I know Christ would give if he were here.

6. I know that families can be eternal, and that I need to be an active member of my own, every day. Though I am excited to start my own family someday, I cannot neglect the duties I have to my family I have already been blessed to be born into.

So, I know the important things. I don't know the details of my life that feel pressing and urgent to know now, but I do know that in order to get those answers when I truly need them, I need to stay close to the spirit and keep my priorities in order. To be kind and patient, and continue working to be the woman I am intended to come.

And in case I haven't made much sense, or haven't stirred something within you, here is a video that can do just that! An old roommate showed it to me in a time of distress, and it is perfect to watch in those moments. Or in sad moments. Or happy moments. Or really any time. Like now. Enjoy :)

Hearts

Hearts are an interesting part of the human body. A heart is the only instrument that still works even when it is broken. Hearts can be hardened, softened, broken, healed, given away, stolen, heavy, light, empty or full. Hearts are the vital organ that pump blood to the rest of the body, giving the body warmth and life.

Different people can have different places in your heart, some will stay and take over more of your heart, while others will leave, and sometimes take that part of your heart with them. I have many people embedded so deeply in my heart, that they cannot possibly leave without taking a huge part of it with them, whether they want it or not.

I am a very sensitive girl. I am very much lead by my heart and my feelings, moreso than logic and thoughts. My heart has taken a beating throughout my life, as I am sure most people's have; yet it still beats, it still loves, and it still feels. Sometimes I feel that being emotional is a weakness. And maybe sometimes it is. But I also feel like it is a strength.

I am a believer. A dreamer. A hoper. Hoping is courageous. When one hopes, they put their heart and soul on the line, and take a chance. They reach for things they want, knowing good and well that sometimes those things may be out of reach. That is scary. It takes courage. But in my opinion, it is totally worth it.

I love putting my heart into everything. It may cause some tears here and there, some pain and sorrow, but at least I can say I tried. That I lived and that I loved. My heart contains some scar tissue, but it is still beating, still loving, and still hoping. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Words to Live By

In need of an inspiring quote? 

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Enjoy. :)