Reflection time...

So today was the last and final day of the semester.  I seriously cannot believe how fast this winter semester flew by!  Winter semesters usually seem to last FOREVER to me.  But everything is packed, much has been stored, and now I'm just waiting to get a flight to Holland so the summer can really begin!  I decided to go back because Christian will leave on his mission at the end of the year, so this is our last summer together as a family before we all split up for real.

So I've decided that I really need to be better at blogging, because this is basically my journal, and we've been instructed to keep a journal, but I am just AWFUL at that.  And what really kills me is that we're told to do it everyday, but sometimes I just don't feel like I have something interesting to write, you know?  So what would I have to write about?  Well, when Nathalie and I were visiting teaching on Sunday, Nathalie said that a friend of hers said that when he was on his mission, he would always right something the Lord did to bless him that day, and he would recognize this blessing and write it down in his journal.  I thought that was such a marvelous idea!  Because honestly, we get blessed by the Lord everyday, so it shouldn't be hard, right?

So today, I was blessed because I got all of my essay stuff for English turned in on time, and was still able to go home, finish packing, and get my entire apartment cleaned.  The Lord really blessed me with the presence of my mother, because it would not have been possible without her.  She cleaned almost the entire kitchen for me while I worked on making my room spotless, and I am so grateful for that.  I don't know what I would have done without her.  Having her here during finals has been such a blessing, because she's been able to help me get my things put into storage for the summer, and she's been so sweet, buying me food and treats and goodies, and basically just spoiling me ;)  Of course I don't mind, but she doesn't have to do that, and I really know she loves me :)

I'm also grateful for Sue, my tia's sister, who was willing to store all of my stuff in her house for the entire summer.  She's never even met me, but just on Kathy's word she was willing to take all of my crap, and let me tell you, there is a lot of it.  It's no small favor, what she's doing, and I'm so grateful for her, she is a lifesaver.

I'm also grateful for my Uncle Ivan and Aunt Lori, whose house I'm at right now as I type this.  They just let my mom and I come tonight, and had everything set up for us to be comfortable.  And I might end up having to be here until the end of next week, and they are willing to let me stay for that entire time.  I mean, I know they're family, but still, they are so kind for letting this happen.

Basically, the Lord has just blessed me with so many great people in my life.  I don't know how I would get through this world without all of the amazing people I'm surrounded by.

He even blesses me in seemingly insignificant ways.  For instance, last night my mom and I got back from Fruit Heights really really late at night, and we had to try and find parking, which if you know where I live, is almost IMPOSSIBLE.  However, not far from my complex there was a huge spot open big enough for us to park our ginormous truck there.  At 11:00 at night.  You may not understand how big of a deal that is, but that is HUGE.  We didn't have to drive around looking for parking, and we didn't have to walk very far to get back to the apartment.  It was really such a huge blessing for us.

Anyway, it's late, and I'm exhausted after finals and all of the cleaning we did today, so it is time for me to hit the hay.  I hope you all can recognize the blessings the Lord has given you, especially at this Easter time as we remember His ultimate sacrifice for us.  Goodnight, everyone.

What the what?!

Soooooo...DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE MONEY BLOGGING?!  And I mean a TON of money.  A girl in my English class today gave a presentation on Mormon Mommy Blogging, and this one lady makes so much from advertising on her blog that her husband was able to quit his job.  THAT IS INSANE.  You guys, I NEED TO GET IN ON THIS.  How do I make my blog awesome enough to make money off of it?

Also, did you know blogging is a GREAT way to procrastinate writing an eight-page paper?  Because it is!

Oh man...

...it's been a LONG while since I've written on here.  I can't believe it's April already.  There's only a week and a half of classes left, and then 2 reading days and then finals.  This has been the fastest winter semester I've ever had, which isn't a bad thing at all.  I honestly think it's because of all of my ballroom classes, they've kept me going all semester long :)  It's been really nice, needless to say.

So a lot has happened since I last wrote on here.  I quit/got fired from my custodial job, which has been super sweet.  It's been nice not having to leave my apartment by 4 AM haha.  I had DanceSport in February, and I did pretty well this semester.  I got to the quarter finals in Rumba and Waltz (competing a level up) and got to the finals for Quickstep and Triple Swing :)  And then I got a 92 on my Medals Exam for Latin, and a 95 for Triple Swing and Standard, which is basically like getting a 100, so I was pretty proud of myself.  I've made ballroom kind of like my minor; I'm not actually doing the ballroom dance minor, but I have to have 8-9 credit hours of classes outside of history and the humanities for my major, so I just decided to make them ballroom classes.  So I'll have three ballroom classes a semester for the rest of college, and I'm way excited about that idea :)  I'll actually be taking a class where I'll learn how to teach social dance in the fall, and hopefully I'll get to be a TA for a 180 or 280 class in the winter!  I'm really hoping that works out, and I'm REALLY hoping I'll be able to get onto one of the teams next year.  I think I'll just have to practice stuff over the summer and make sure I get into pretty good shape so I'm ready to go when I come back to school in August.

So yesterday during Conference my grandma passed away.  She was 96 years old and had been dying for years, basically.  We're glad she's no longer in pain and that she can once again be with my grandpa.  We know she's a lot happier where she is now.  I got permission to miss class from my teachers, so I'll get to go to the funeral on Saturday, which will be kind of nice, I'll get to see my parents and my two younger brothers, and I'll get to be in Arizona, which is MUCH warmer than Utah is right now, I'm sure.  We'll probably get to see some old family friends, too, which should be fun.

Anyway, that's about all for now.  I think I've pretty much summed the last couple of months up pretty well.  Basically, I'll finish out the semester, and then I'll fly out to Holland for the summer.  I wasn't sure if I would go there right away or if I would go to California and work for a couple of months, but then I realized that Christian graduates next month and he comes to the States right after to save up for his mission at the end of the year, so if I waited our family wouldn't be all together at all this summer, so I decided we should all have one last summer together before he leaves on his mission :)  On that final note, ta-ta for now!

Blah Blah Blah

So it's been a little over a month since I've written on here.  Honestly, I haven't really been thinking about it.  Life has been kind of crazy since school started.  I'm working my 4:30-7:30 AM custodial job, and taking 16.5 credits at school, which includes choir (which takes up extra time outside of class) and dance (which also requires practice time outside of class).  With my early job, I have to try and be in bed by 8:30, which makes me feel like the lamest college student in the world haha.  The weekends I can stay up or whatever, but then my schedule can get messed up, like it is tonight.  Mondays I have class from 10-4 straight, which kind of sucks, but Tuesdays I don't have too much going on, so I can just go to bed super early tomorrow night and hopefully everything will be back to normal.

Goodness, how boring do I sound?  That's what happens when you work 15 hours a week and take 16.5 credits.  But anyway, not too much has been going on lately.  Yesterday Chelsea and I went to a dance concert, and then we ended up hanging out for the rest of the evening.  It was nice, because I hadn't seen her since before finals, and she's my bestie, so I'd missed her.  I also bought some new ballroom pumps for my standard class, which makes me really excited :)  I'm taking three ballroom classes, and I've discovered that Latin dance is not my thing haha.  I'm definitely more of a standard dancer.  But it makes school really fun, which I need for winter semester.

So today a bottle of hazelnut syrup fell out of one of the closets in the hallway when I was getting something, and the bottle broke and syrup got all over the carpet.  Nathalie and I cleaned up what we could, but I'm hoping I didn't totally destroy the carpet, because that would just be more money that I don't have.  For the record, hazelnut smells nasty.

Anyway, I've got to go and get my laundry and try to get everything ready for tomorrow.  I get to go to the dentist and get two small fillings, because I have the worst teeth in the WORLD.  And then I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out sometime in the next few months, since one is actually starting to grow in, and I just don't have room in my mouth for them (even my big mouth isn't big enough).  But yeah, peace out, followers (all six of you).

Christmas time is here...

Okay, so Christmas time has been here, but honestly, I haven't really felt the Christmas spirit too much this season.  I think it mostly has to do with the fact that I wasn't with my family for the holidays this year, so it just wasn't the same.  To be fair, it's not bad being back in California.  It's nice being back home, and the Troub's have been great, but without my own family, it's just not the same.

I did have a good Christmas day, though.  My parents were awesome and got me a 64 GB 4th Generation iPod touch, which has a microphone and camera, which is way nice :)  I won't really be taking it anywhere with me until I buy a case and screen protector for it, though, I don't want it to get scratched up.  Kathy was really funny when she wrapped it, she put it in about five or six different boxes all inside of each other to try and mask what it was from me.  I got some great new clothes, consisting of a cute black skirt, the most adorable dress you've ever seen, and black tights with designs on them.  Then I got a Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants/Pearl of Great Price in Russian!  Honestly, the scriptures in Russian are kind of daunting.  They remind me of how little Russian I actually know, but hopefully they'll make me aspire to work harder.  I also got some cute German pottery; they are a tea cup and a plate with musical instruments all over them.  My mom said that I'm not actually supposed to use them, that they're just a collector's item, so that's just more stuff I have to carry around with me ;)  But I do like it.  I got a cute little keychain attachment with the Dutch colors on it.  Then from Santa I got a TON of gummy bears, which was nice since I was running low on those, and some awesome toe socks :)

So basically, I had a good haul this year :)  But let's get real, people.  Christmas isn't about our awesome presents.  In my last post I already talked about the true reason for the holiday, and that we should focus on the Savior.  I know that I myself did not do this so much.  During the Christmas concert it was much easier, because we had beautiful music to invite the Spirit and thoughts of the Savior, but then finals hit, and life became hectic, and then it was time for vacation.  I've never been super good at keeping the Savior in mind during Christmas time, and this year was definitely an improvement for me, but I still wish I had thought about Him more, especially this week, but I've just been so lazy and embracing the fact that there is no school right now that my head and heart haven't been in the right place.  And it isn't just the Christmas season I've been slacking in this, but in general I don't think about the Savior enough in my life like I should.  This is definitely something for me to improve on.  A New Year's resolution, maybe?

I am so grateful for my life.  I have been given so many wonderful opportunities, and have been blessed with so many awesome people in my life.  This school year has been so great thus far, and I hope I have at least as good of a semester this winter as I did in the fall, if not better.  Strangely enough, I'm looking forward to getting back to school (I say that now, but halfway through January I'll be begging for my next break haha).  I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday season!  I love you all :)

Ahhh...

It is officially the end of the semester.  Words cannot describe how happy I am to be done with it.  Don't get me wrong, I've had a blast this semester, what with all of the choir stuff I've had going on, and DanceSport last month, but I'm so ready to move on to next semester.  I'm sooooooo glad to be done with Islamic Humanities, because that class is the devil.  Finals were killer this semester, not gonna lie.  Bro. Moore, my Pearl of Great Price teacher, was way nice and gave me a better grade than I should have gotten.  When I asked him about it, he said, "I'm cutting you a break.  It's Christmas."  Thank goodness for the holiday spirit and cheer, right?  ;)for break.

Next semester is going to be amazing.  Four dance classes, more choir, and just awesomeness all around.  I am so stoked to get started on it.  I'm very determined to do well, definitely better than I did this semester.  I have a feeling Russian is going to be more intense than it's ever been, so I need to step up my game and be prepared for that.  I am excited to continue with Women's Chorus and working with the Men's Chorus.  I'm excited to meet new people.  I've already met a ton of fantastic people this semester, and I feel blessed to have those people in my life :)  The only thing casting a shadow on this upcoming semester is the burning of the Provo Tabernacle today :(  It is seriously a travesty what happened.  That building was one of my favorites in Provo, and I have great memories of performing amazing concerts there.  We had one scheduled there for next month, and also the Women's Chorus 50th Anniversary Concert in March, which now has to be moved to April 1 in the de Jong on campus, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is still very sad.  The tabernacle was so special, and I hope the city puts out the money to renovate and fix it.

In other news, I will be in California in less than 24 hours :)  I am definitely excited to get to go home for break.  I've been back a few times since Christmas 2008, but only for a few days at a time, so it will be nice to have two full weeks there.  I can't wait to see people I haven't seen in two years, and to get to go back to San Francisco.  Hopefully Nathalie will fly out for a few days and Kathy and I can show her around.  It is definitely my favorite city in America.

The only thing that will be weird about break this year is that it will be the first Christmas/New Year's I spend without my family.  It will be sad, but I know we'll be thinking of each other.

I just want everyone to think about the true meaning of Christmas, which is the Savior.  This is the time we celebrate his birth, his willingness to come to Earth and atone for all of our sins, and the willingness of our Heavenly Father to send His Only Begotten to be sacrificed.  We are truly loved by our Father in Heaven and the Savior.  We sang the most GORGEOUS arrangement of "Silent Night" for our Christmas concert this semester, and for the first time I really payed attention to the words of the song.  "Jesus, Lord at they birth...Christ the Savior is born."  Those words have such a marvelous meaning.  Christ was our Savior from the beginning.  There was no other who could do what He did for us.  I learned in Bro. Moore's class that even if Christ knew that only one person on the earth would take advantage of the Atonement, He still would have suffered for every single person's sins, just for that one person.  That is so amazing.  I hope we can all have a spirit of gratitude for the Savior's sacrifice this semester, for He is the reason for the season, so they say.

Anyway, it's almost 4 AM, and I'm in the process of getting laundry done and cleaning my room/bathroom before I leave.  I've got a few errands to run in the morning, unfortunately, but hopefully what I have left won't take too long.  I'll probably write at least once during the break.  I'm kind of starting to like this blogging thing, it's a MUCH easier way of keeping a journal.  Plus, I know you're all just dying to know what's going on in my life ;)  Until next time...

Sooooooo...

So it's almost 2:30 AM right now, and I am still awake trying to do Russian homework.  Next semester I am making a vow that I won't be an idiot like I was this semester and wait until the last minute to do crap.  My brain is about to explode.  And I am officially starting my new job today, which means that I have work at 5:00, which means I have to leave my apartment in two hours so I can walk to campus.  Hopefully a lack of traffic will help me in my journey.  I need to make sure I eat breakfast so I can have some kind of brain energy for my Russian quiz today, and then I have to write two small papers for my Islamic humanities class (the devil in disguise), and then go to Russian choir, and then go to Islamic humanities (and probably fall asleep in Islamic humanities), and then I get to go home!  I think.  That's the plan right now, at least.

However, my day will end nice and lovely, since my ward is going to go to Temple Square tonight to look at the Christmas lights :)  I haven't done this since my freshman year, so I'm really really excited to go!

The fact that it's now 2:31 AM means that it is officially the last day of classes for the winter semester.  That absolutely boggles my mind.  I mean, I know we all get to a point where we think the semester could not possibly move any slower, but then Thanksgiving hits and it's all downhill from there.  I have been so incredibly blessed with all sorts of amazing opportunities this semester.  I've met so many great people that have changed my life, and I don't know what my life would be without them in it now :)  I'm hoping next semester is as good as this semester has been, because I have enjoyed myself terribly.  I think next semester will be a little crazier than this semester, since I'll actually have a full-time job, and I'll be taking about 16.5 credits or so, but I think it will be very fulfilling.  Granted, 3.5 of those credits consist of dance and choir, so I don't think it'll be that bad.  I am definitely looking forward to it, which is weird for me, because winter semester is my least favorite time of the year, since there is an almost complete lack of breaks (only two three-day weekends?  C'mon, BYU!).  But I am way excited for life :)  I know I already said this, but I can't believe how blessed I am in my life.  I've been looking at all of what God has given me this semester, and I am truly a beloved Daughter of God :)

Anyway, it's now 2:37, and I still have homework.  This is a really really good example of why it is bad to procrastinate...