Cameras

I had a lot of fun over Thanksgiving Break taking pictures with my camera. I love being able to capture a moment in time by taking a picture. It's so great to be able to go back and see what people looked like and what we did. It also helps when I have cute kids as subjects :)

One of my nephews in particular really enjoyed getting his picture taken.

My niece got in on the fun too...

We had fun in Old Town Alexandria one night...

and took pictures to keep ourselves entertained.

the night was ended with a stop at Cosi, one of my favorite places. How many places can you cook s'mores at your table?

Criminal Minds

A couple summers ago I found myself addicted. Every chance I could get I would watch old episodes online. I watched Criminal Minds while I cleaned. I watched it while I ate. I watched it while I sewed a quilt (I had a productive summer once). Point being, I love Criminal Minds. It sounds dark, some people think it's scary. But I love it. A lot. I used to fall asleep watching it and that does some funny things to your dreams that I wouldn't necessarily recommend. But I do love the characters and I love the mystery and suspense. I've been pretty busy this semester, especially the past couple weeks. But a couple days ago I found myself watching an episode for the first time in a couple months, and I fell in love all over again. It's been a struggle forcing myself to not watch any more until I get a better handle on school work. Until then. I'll just be wishing I was watching these guys...

facebook

I'm going to go against the grain and say how grateful I am for facebook tonight. I'm grateful that I can hear news about families in my home ward. Even though I'm not there now, when I eventually do go back I won't be totally out of the loop. I can see pictures of friends and family members and see the things that make them happy when I can't be with them. And I really love that I can hear all the places where people are getting called to serve as missionaries. Without facebook it would be really hard to do all these things.

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music! I've been at my sister's house all week and she's been trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Every time we get in the car she turns on a station playing Christmas music. My nephews were a little annoyed that we couldn't listen to "normal" music, but I love it. I love how listening to music really gets me into the Christmas spirit and season. I have memories of when I was a child and we would turn Christmas music on in our family room and it would play really loud on the stereo and go throughout the whole house. I love Christmas time!

Savior of the World

Last night I went with some friends in my ward to the conference center in Salt Lake to see the show, Savior of the World. I hadn't been to it before but I had heard good things about it. Before intermission the show focuses on events leading up to Christ's birth and after intermission it focuses on events after Christ's resurrection. I thought it was interesting that the show is called Savior of the World, yet Jesus wasn't really a character. I thought there would be more about his life and ministry. The show was still good, but not exactly what I was expecting. It was a nice break from doing school work though and a reminder of the Christmas season that is quickly approaching.

The Middle

One of my favorite shows is The Middle. I love so many things about it. I love Patricia Heaton and her character. I love that it's a slightly more realistic show than most. I love how funny it is. I love how things in the end always seem to be okay even if they didn't work out the way planned, which is how life should be approached. I love that it's only a 30 minute show so I don't feel as guilty about watching it when I should be doing homework instead. And I love Brick. A lot. How could you not?

Election Day

I'm really excited to see the results of the election this year. My family is really big into politics and my brother in law works in Washington D.C. He's been working on a campaign team for the past 72 hours and is very involved with the election. My sister is so nervous, she insisted that her brother and sister in laws join her to watch the news because her husband (my brother in law) won't be home until really late.

Who will it be? This is a big year. I can't wait to know who will be the President of our country for the next four years. Regardless of who wins, I hope they have the best interests of our country at heart.

Serendipity

This weekend I watched the movie Serendipity with my roommates. I hadn't seen it in ages, but I just remembered liking it. I've been kind of on a "girl movie" kick as my guy friend likes to call them. It drives him crazy, but I've realized that I really love them. I love movies that are clean, hopeful, and make me feel good. Or really sad. Because everyone needs a good cry occasionally, right?

As I was watching Serendipity though, I began to wonder about my life. I am not married yet, but have I crossed paths with my future spouse before? What if we've had a class together? Have I sat by him in the library? I know that there is no true thing as a one and only soul mate. I know that I could marry anyone. But it's interesting to wonder and think about who my husband will be. But maybe that's just me.

Who wouldn't want a cute love story like this?

Horrifying Ad

Here is the terrifying texting ad that I talked about in class last week. I don't know how anyone could text and drive after watching this.

Cell Phones

I was reminded of something as I hung up my third phone call for the day with a family member, and ti wasn't even 11am yet. Imagine what it was like the days before cell phones...College would be such a totally different experience! When my sister was here at BYU she didn't have a cell phone. She called my parents every so often on the landline phone in her apartment kitchen.

I don't even know the last time I used one of those guys! How restricting to only be able to talk to someone while you're in your kitchen. I have many memories of my mom stretching the phone cord as far as possible while she would try to talk on the phone and do things around the house at the same time. Now there are also cordless phones, but cell phones take the cake. You can be anywhere and call anyone! Also, long distance calls are much more manageable and texts can also make long distance relationships easier to keep up with.

While cell phones may be distracting and cause disruptions, I love them for so many reasons. I love how easy it is to call family members, share pictures, send emails, and receive quick messages from loved ones. I don't know what I would do with my phone, not because I'm addicted to it, but because it keeps me connected with so many people that otherwise I would not be able to hear from as often. Today I was able to talk to my mom, dad, sister, brother in law, 3 nephews, and a niece. All because of my cell phone :)

Daughters of God

I watched this video yesterday morning and loved it. How wonderful it is to know that we are daughters of a kind, loving Heavenly Father. This video inspires me as I see all of these women in the world who are strong and good. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have that I am a child of God and that He loves me. It hurts to see how many women in the world don't know or remember this truth. But it is a truth and we are all precious to Him. What an uplifting message.

Talent

My roommate showed me a video on youtube awhile ago of these two girls singing. I think they are so talented and have beautiful voices. It's impressive how talented children can be and I'm glad we have youtube to share all the talents people have. They have a lot of songs I like, but this one is one of my favorites :)

Modesty

http://www.beautyredefined.net/modest-is-hottest-the-revealing-truth/

I thought this article was really interesting to read. Especially because we've been discussing images in the media and the portrayal of women. I happened to be out running errands with a friend yesterday and we saw the store, Sexy Modest and decided to look inside. It was really nice inside, but kind of expensive and didn't seem to be worth it. I'm glad that there are people though that care about being modest and promoting modesty.

Taken 2

I went and saw Taken 2 on opening night with a bunch of people in my ward. I realized that I must be getting older because we were all excited that instead of a midnight showing, it was a 10 p.m. showing. Or maybe we're all just tired college students....Either way, I really enjoyed the movie. Especially because I went to Turkey this summer and so I recognized some of the sites from when I was there. I thought the movie was super entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat :)

A Heavy Heart

Sometimes life can be really hard. One time in high school, I read a blog post my cousin had posted. She shared a story about a baby girl who had received a heart transplant but within a few days of receiving her new heart, passed away. I was in shock as I read the blog of this little girl's family as I went back and read about all the hardships they endured with their daughter and her broken heart. As I read and read this blog, I realized how strong her mother was. She had so much faith. They had witnessed miracles. Their family was an inspiration to me and inspired me to become better.

I soon realized there is a heart community out there. One of strength, support, and resiliency. I found other "Heart Mom" blogs and began reading about their experiences. Their blogs shared a common theme of growing through your trials. Inspiration and strength oozed from their posts. I began to have my favorite blogs that I would check up on. I watched these babies with broken hearts grow and also suffer. I found myself thinking about these kids or praying for them when I read they were about to go in for a surgery or having a complication.

A couple days ago I woke up early to do homework, but instead found myself looking at blogs. I was shocked when I came across a blog asking readers to pray for Mia, another little girl who's blog I have read. When Mia was 4 months old she received a heart transplant. This year she turned 4. Last week I had read Mia's mom's post saying how excited they were to go to Disney World for Mia's Make a Wish trip. I found out though that instead of enjoying that vacation, they found themselves in the hospital hours after landing in Florida. Mia never made it to the park.

It was discovered that Mia's body was rejecting her heart. She was put on life support and Monday morning her family removed her from it. I was so surprised when I found this out because I had been reading Mia's blog for awhile and this rejection came out of the blue. I found myself crying thinking about how much pain her parents and siblings and other family members must be going through right now.

Life is hard. Especially for Mia's family right now, emotionally and financially. There has been a fund set up to help her family out with the financial issues. If you feel so inclined to donate or want to share the story, here is a link:

http://www.giveforward.com/achangeofheart

My Sister's Keeper

After reading My Sister’s Keeper, I felt very blessed for my life thus far. I recognized how quickly things can change within your family. Though my family was healthy at that point, I understood any day that could quickly change. Each day we have on this Earth is a blessing from our Heavenly Father. This book also inspired me to become a better person. I wanted to love everyone around me and find ways to help those in need. With my blessings, I can help other people with their weaknesses or in their trying times. I also felt a desire to show my family how much I love them. Not only could our time be cut short, but it’s important to show that love and devotion to family right now, when it matters. I don’t want to have any regrets with relationships I’ve had with family members and I want all members of my family to know and feel how much I love them.

Learning Suite

This morning I needed to get on learning suite to access slides for a class. For some reason, it wouldn't let me look at the slides and kept bringing up an error page. It had me worried because I really needed to view those slides. I realized how ridiculous it is how much I rely on looking at slides online from teachers. If people used to do college without computers and learning suite, I should be able to also. But I love being able to go back and look at slides to study and do homework. It's frustrating though when it doesn't work....

I love technology!

I was on lds.org today and noticed there was a page to invite others to watch General Conference. The page has links to put up banners, videos, and widgets on any social media site. I love that the church knows how important technology is and uses it to share messages of the gospel. It makes it so easy to show others what you believe and that you are supportive of those beliefs. Personally, I'm so excited for conference this weekend and can't wait to hear all the great and uplifting messages that will be shared!

Facebook Events

Something that I really love about Facebook is events. First of all, it makes you feel more popular than you really are. I'm invited to plenty of events that I could care less about or that people could care less if I showed up to them. But for the events that I do actually want to go to it's super nice. It's an easy way to have access to the time and address you need to get to. There have been many times that I can't remember what time something is and I just have to log on facebook to see what it is. Also, I can see who else is going and if I want to I can talk to them about coordinating rides and other things. Facebook does have it's perks :)

Annie

The other night my friend and I decided we wanted to watch a movie until we fell asleep. After debating between movies, we settled on Annie. I love that movie! When I was younger, I mostly watched the newer version. But now that I'm older and have seen both versions, I've realized that I love the older version more. I love all the acrobatics in the beginning and I wish I could do everything those little kids can do.

mormon.org

I love Mormon Messages! I find the people so inspiring. I hope someday to have the faith and strength these people have. My favorite "I'm a Mormon" video is this one, Jenny. I try to find the positive in every situation and she does this so beautifully. Even if I'm in a difficult situation, I know I can do all things because of Christ.

Jerusalem, if I forget you...

Something that I have been keeping up with recently in the news is what is going on in the Middle East. For those of you who don't know, a film "Innocence of Muslims" has sparked some protests and violence in the Middle East. This subject is interesting to me because I spent this past summer living in Jerusalem through the BYU study abroad program. It breaks my heart to think of all the people this film is affecting. I want the United States to think of Muslims and others in the Middle East the way that I think of them. I met some of the nicest, loving, and most spiritual people I have ever known in my life during the time I spent in Jerusalem.

                                        Pray for peace in Jerusalem.

Smart Kids

I bet there are a lot of us who find ourselves having to explain to older family members how to do something on the computer or fix something with the TV. My poor mom just doesn't quite have the technology gene, especially when it comes to computers. But somehow, my niece and nephews are able to do things my parents can't do. Is it all learned behavior? Is it really that easy or are children actually born with some abilities that older adults were not born with? It seems to come so naturally for little kids.

I'm really grateful for the technology I have in my life though. With it I am able to communicate with family that is far away, I can watch or listen to any conference talk, and I can learn about essentially anything on the internet.

My 18 month old niece playing a game on my phone

My confused mom with a camera

Les Mis

I am a lover of music. There is not much music that I don't enjoy listening to and many times I fall asleep listening to music. Recently, I've been listening to the Les Mis soundtrack as I fall asleep. I LOVE this soundtrack. And I'm super excited for the movie to come out in December. If you haven't seen the trailer, you can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVUk-BRZVAM

I love the characters and the passion in the story and it excites me about history. Through this story I have had a desire to learn more about the French Revolution. I love when I find a movie or book that inspires me to learn more about a subject. Hopefully Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried have what it takes to pull it off. What do you think?