Follow up Post: Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts

I started out at Youthtrack as an on-call employee. Just getting shifts here and there, filling in when I was needed. I was averaging about 16 hours a week. It was a good work load between that and school. However, eventually I wanted to move into a full time position. Little did I know, that opportunity would present itself entering finals week. I was stressing my Stats final (that class determined whether I was going to graduate in the Spring or next Fall) amongst my other finals, and I more than doubled my hours at work. Mind you my new schedule consisted of working graves. So that meant staying up all night and then heading to my various tests shortly after.  Prayers, Faith, and Cadbury Eggs are what got me through it. Oh yeah and studying my butt off :) Thankfully I ended up doing well on all of my finals and pulling decent grades. Woot woot! It is now Christmas Break (it has been for about a week actually) and I'm definitely enjoying the time away from school. Sadly, I have to work Christmas Eve and I work at midnight on the 26th so I'm not able to go home for Christmas. Thankfully Britt and Brad are only 2 hours away so I'm going to spend Christmas with them and the kiddos. This is the first Christmas that I'm not able to go home for so it's kind of weird. But watching the kids open their presents and seeing their excitement will be fun. I'm just glad I don't have to spend it alone :) I was able to make some time to play this past month or so. Here are some pictures from our various festivities.


Our fireplace- we made these cute stockings ourselves


Making gingerbread houses-this our cute new roommate Leah aka Kassie's replacement


Ugly Sweater Party-Yes, my sweater does indeed have a cat on it. Due to all of the couples that attended we had to put the mistletoe on a stick, so we could be in control of who/when people kissed. I kind of love these girls a lot.

Workin Girl

I wrote this post a little over a month ago but never published it. It pretty well sums up what I have been doing since I last blogged

Where are you doing your practicum? What are you doing after graduation? These 2 seemly simple questions have been occupying my thoughts for a long time now. The more I thought about them, the more stressed out I got. My classes have been difficult this semester. Which makes sense because I'm graduating (hopefully) in May and they are upper division classes. My Pre-Practicum class was especially stressing me out, mostly because these 2 previously stated questions were being asked every time I went to class. I had no idea what the future held for me. One of our assignments was to visit an agency and then present the information we found. My group chose to present on Youthtrack-Utah (mostly because all of the "good" agencies were already taken). We met with Kevin Barlow the clinical director, and he gave us some very valuable information. It got me thinking about doing my practicum there. After all it was a paid practicum and it would help me get my foot in the door. I decided to apply and just give it a shot. I got the job, and I started last week. I am a youth counselor for adolescent sex offenders. So far it is going quite well. It was a little overwhelming at first but I'm starting to get used to it. My schedule got a lot more hectic, especially with trying to finish up my classes this semester. I'm hoping next semester things will calm down a little, because I won't be in nearly as many classes.

I Love You This Big

If my life were a soundtrack the song currently on repeat would be, "I Love You This Big" by Scotty McCreery. I absolutely love this song, and it's how I would describe my life right now. School is going well, I have amazing friends and family, and I'm just really content with my life. Here is a little recap of what has been going on in my life: October 14th- Jen and I went to Blackfoot for the weekend. Britt needed some help getting her house ready before she had the baby (Which he will be here tomorrow! Can't wait to meet him). It was nice to have some sisterly time. We also met up with Katie Wilding at Dave's Famous BBQ for dinner. It was great catching up with her, it had been ages! October 21st- Kassie Law became Kassie Christian. Kass and Kyle got married in the Logan temple at noon and had a luncheon at Copper Mill after. The next day Marz, Katie, and I drove to Ogden to pick up their wedding video and then headed over to Boise for the reception. We were all excited for a road trip, but none of us could have guessed how exciting it would actually be! Just past Snowville we got a flat tire. The next (actual) town was Burley, which happened to be 67 miles away. About 30 miles in, we saw a big sign at a dinky gas station in Sublett that says they fix truck and car tires. Excitedly we pulled in, anxious to get rid of the donut. There were lamas outside, and the sign on the door read "Beware of Rattlesnakes." This should've stopped us... but it didn't. We trudged in, and while I went to the bathroom Marz and Katie talked to the gas station attendant. Come to find out, the sign meant you could get your tire fixed in Burley, 37 miles away. WHAT?! So stupid! And the lady acted like we were total idiots for not knowing that's what it was advertising. Weird! Being the polite person I am, as I was walking out the door I turned to the woman and said "Thanks!" She whirled around and yelled "You're welcome freeloader!" To which I replied "I will go get my wallet." And she grumbled "No, you won't." So, I proved her right and didn't go get it. Ha the next hour Marz, Katie, and I laughed about how we felt like we were in the Twilight Zone. Over an hour later we arrived in Burley and got our tire fixed. After that it was smooth sailing... until we pulled into Boise. We had reservations at Hotel 43, which happened to be near BSU's football stadium. Due to all of our delays we pulled into town right as the game got out. It took us over an hour to go 3 miles. Poor Kate who had been driving the whole time was beyond frustrated. A car full of college boys next to us were trying to flirt with us. Marz waved to them from the backseat right as Katie flipped them off. The boys freaked and were like "What?! Are you serious?!" Haha it was hilarious! Good little Katie had never flipped someone off before and instantly felt terrible. We finally got to our hotel, checked in, got ready, and hurried to the reception. Sadly, we were almost an hour late. However, once we were there we had a great time and were able to celebrate with the happy couple. October 28- Orie had a cowboy in his ward that he wanted to set me up with. So, we doubled with Jen and Orie. We had dinner, carved pumpkins, and doorbell ditched them. It was pretty fun, and the fact that he had a gorgeous truck was an added bonus :) The next day I went shopping with Jen and Orie in Layton and Ogden to find engagement picture outfits. It was a LONG day. That night Kate and I ate Chick-fila and watched Titanic. Ha it sounds kind of pathetic but it was actually just what I needed after a long day. And then for Halloween the roomies and I carved pumpkins before I left for stats. After we invited people over, ate a pumpkin shaped pizza, and watched "When I Stranger Calls." I also went to Chris and Tari's party for awhile. We played an intense game of ultimate spoons. It was good to see them and catch up. I miss living with them! Wow this has turned into a novel so I will stop now... But here are some pictures :)


Our true feelings about Kyle STEALING Kass from us.

   
We successfully change it all by ourselves!


In the creepy gas station, instead of a mirror (in the bathroom) they had this.


This is how we felt after sitting in traffic for over an hour to go 3 miles.


The roomies waiting outside the temple... Aren't we cute?!

Count Your Blessings

Lately I have felt like kind of a downer. Something good can happen and then instantly I'm like "Oh well this isn't going quite right. Or I wish I had so and so's life, things seem to be going perfectly for them." However, you never know what someone else is going through. I have to sing the hymn "Count Your Blessings" to remind myself that I have so much to be grateful for. "So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged; God is over all. Count your many blessings; angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey's end. Count your many blessings, name them one by one."

My Blessings:
1. Supportive Family
2. Great relationships with my family/friends
3. Health
4. Education I'm receiving
5.I'm doing really well in school
6. Warm house to live in
7. Clothes to wear
8. Car to drive
9. Food to eat 
10. And most importantly THE GOSPEL IN MY LIFE!

The First of The Lasts

I am a Senior in college and will be graduating in the spring. It's crazy to think that I only have one more semester after this one. I honestly can't picture a time in my life when I won't be in school, the thought boggles my mind. A couple weeks ago I was dancing with a boy at country swing and he asked how long I have lived here. I then replied "Umm a little over 3 years." In which his response was "Oh! I didn't realize you were THAT old." His jaw was also on the floor. Haha I just had to laugh, because I don't feel that old. I guess I still picture myself as the young, awkward Freshman that I used to be. This past week was Homecoming Week. I always look forward to this week because of the fun activities. The ones I attended are listed below: 

Homecoming Week Festivities 

Monday: Paint Dance 

Tuesday: Free Aggie Ice Cream 

Wednesday: Mr. USU 

Friday: Rodeo and True Aggie Night 

Saturday: Homecoming Parade and Football Game  

         

                  After the Paint Dance

         Mr. Diversity was crowned Mr. USU 

He won the crowd over with his version of "Forget You"

        Utah State broke the Guinness Book of 

         World Records for longest Kissing Chain. 

    Sadly none of us participated... But we were there!

             Us cute girls at the Parade!

Minus the Aggies losing by 1 in double overtime; the whole week was quite perfect. I will definitely miss moments like these. I guess I will just have to live in Logan my whole life and participate as alumni :)

Just A Thought

In my "Children in Middle Childhood Years" class yesterday we were talking about cognition. We were discussing equilibrium and disequilibrium. Equilibrium is "A state of being able to address new events using existing schemes." Disequilibrium is the opposite of that, or in other words "A state of being unable to address new events with existing schemes." Children in this age range are really starting to develop new skills, and are starting to understand the world around them. Disequilibrium helps them do this. It pulls us out of our comfort zones and forces us to try new things. My professor said something that really hit me. She said, "You need to do something that scares you to death every single day." It got me thinking about myself. Sometimes I think I relish a little too much in my comfort zones. I tend to not like change, and fight it as much as possible. I have my normal routine that I enjoy. Mondays: FHE, Tuesdays: Taco Tuesday/Gym Wednesday: Pie Night/Country Swing Thursday: Night In/Homework and the weekends vary but usually consist of hanging out with the same people. I honestly can't say that I do something that scares me to death every single day. I don't want to look back on my life and have regrets. I want to live life to the fullest. There's a song on Lady Antebellum's new cd called "Friday Night." My favorite line in it says, "We can rock together let the good times roll forever. Fill up our cup make a memory drink it up. I don't wanna miss another minute." I don't want to miss another minute either. I can learn to step outside of my comfort zone, and embrace all that life has to offer; or I can stay in my comfort zone and always wonder what might have been. I choose to step outside of my comfort zone.

A Change of Heart

"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering." President Monson.      This quote is written on a tile I have in my room. I read it daily to be reminded of its truth. I just have to focus on making it through today... Anyone that has talked to me this past week knows that I have been struggling. There has been so much drama, and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been handling it as well as I should have been. When a person that you cared a lot about betrays you, it's hard to just let go and move on. I want him to hurt as much as I've been hurting. I want him to see that he was in the wrong and apologize... But most of all I want him to care. I want him to care I'm not apart of his life anymore. I want him to care that his girlfriend makes my life Hell. I want him to care that I've been struggling. However, the fact of the matter is he doesn't! I suppose if he did, we wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. And as much as I want to beat them both, I have realized that I need to be the bigger person and keep my dignity. I can't control what they do, but I can control how I deal with them... And I'm sick of them making me miserable. I need to hold my head high and walk with the knowledge that I deserve better then what they are subjecting me to... Thankfully through it all my family and friends have been there for me. They are all so great and their support has meant more to me then I think they even realize. I truly am blessed! 

Learning to think with our heads and our hearts... Not other body parts

The dating scene is such a complicated mess. It causes a lot of drama and feelings can get really hurt. To the point that you don't care to even speak to the other person again. As you may have guessed that is how I'm feeling right now. Boys suck pure and simple :) What was supposed to be a celebration for Jake's birthday, ended in tears and the need to watch the junk punching on "What Happens In Vegas" over and over again. Sometimes I wish boys would stop thinking with their "little brain." The boy I was liking and had invited to said party, was all over my sister's roommate. Yes, in front of me! Not being able to bare it any longer I headed for the gym. And as most people know I'm the type to confront things head on. So I texted him and we were talking about the whole situation. He then proceeds to tell me he likes me. WOW! What a funny way to show it! He wanted to talk, and I said we could after I ran off my steam. What did he do while I was running? OH YEP CUDDLING AND HOLDING HANDS! Needless to say I have swore many times tonight, but I think Jessica Andrews says it best though, in her song "More to Me Than You"

I spent years all this time 
Thinking I was better off cause you were mine 
You always said it was your way or the highway 
So I'm shiftin my life into drive
 I'm getting out kissing the past good-bye
 Like Toby said, "How do you like me now?"
 This conversation has run dry 
And I keep telling myself 


Oooooo, oooooo, oooooo
 Oooooo, oooooo, oooooo 
There's more to me than you


 Oooooo, oooooo
 Don't underestimate what I can do
 Well I'm alright, it's okay I know I'll make it through
 Cause there's more to me than you


 I'm not saying I'm battered and bruised
But I might as well be with the words you used
I believe in myself, that makes me stronger
Things changed and so have I
 I'm gonna make hay while the sun still shines
You can clip my wings, but I'm still gonna fly
 I'm on my own and on my way
 And I keep telling myself

Oooooo, oooooo, oooooo
There's more to me than you

There was always something that meant more to you than me
 And I'm just sorry it's taking this for you to see

Oooooo, oooooo, oooooo
There's more to me than you

There's more to me than you

The Queen Within

I think it is human nature to be hard on ourselves, especially women. We always seem to find room for improve. Not that it's a bad thing, it can help us grow and become a better person. However, I think we sometimes have a tendency to be too hard on ourselves. When we are too critical simple tasks can seem monumental, causing as to feel like we don't measure up. We start to question why things aren't working out; or we wonder what is wrong with us. In the book "I Hope You Know How Much I Love You!" by John Bytheway, there is a section about contentment where he quotes Marjorie Pay Hinckley, "We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at the pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are." He goes on to say, "Being content allows you to be yourself. It means you can stop comparing yourself and stop competing with the other people around you. I'm convinced that contentment is a spiritual gift, while competition is a man-made distraction from what is really important." For my birthday Kassie got me this necklace from Lucky Feather.

The Queen Within- Wear this necklace and be your own crowning glory. Whenever I wear this necklace I am reminded that I am a daughter of God, that has an important role to play. I think we all need to be reminded of our worth at times.
"Heart Tappings- There are moments in your life when it feels like your spirit is tapping on your heart just to remind you why you still exist...
I exist to love my family and enjoy their love in return.
I exist because my Savior has a job for me to do, on this Earth, and I'm not finished yet.
I exist because I want to change others lives with my job.
 I exist because I have a body that works and allows me to feel sun on my shoulders and wind on my face.
 I exist because I am going to be a mother one day.
I exist because I want to make every ordinary moment be extraordinary. And now I take a deep breath, close my eyes... And those harder days don't feel as hard. Thank you Heavenly Father...Now I remember (Taken from Jennie Newbold's blog).

The List

Last night Elder Bednar held a fireside for the Logan YSA wards. It was all question and answer, which is rare for a Quorum of the Twelve to address us that way. It was interesting to hear my peers' questions. The first question that was posed was how he and his wife strengthen their relationship and understood each other. Elder Bednar started off by saying that you should give up on trying to understand each other. Men and women are different. Don't play mind games or try to change each other. Your differences are divinely designed. You don't have to think the same on everything. Prize and value your differences; together you can become whole. He also talked about how you don't find the right person you create it. He also strongly discouraged having "A List." He said it was such an arrogant thing to have. He brought up the fact we need to be more concerned with being the right person; and doing good rather than be focused on whether our future spouse will be. As I was sitting there I thought about the list that I had made the previous year. I haven't looked at it in a long time, but after going to this fireside I decided to pull it out. Here is my list

My Checklist- What I Want in a Man
1. He must be a worthy member of the church-preferably a returned missionary
2. He must have ambition and be able to provide for a family
3. He must have some country in him. He doesn't have to be a total hick but he needs to like the outdoors
4. He needs to make me laugh, and understand my humor
5. I need to feel secure when he's around. Like he won't dump me for the next girl
6. He needs to be a gentleman. He needs to open doors and pay for most of the dates
7. He needs to come from a good family
8. I need to be able to trust him
9. We shouldn't argue a lot

What I Don't Want in a Man
1. ABSOLUTELY NO PLAYERS! If he flirts with my friends he's gone
2. A man who doesn't put any effort into the relationship
3. A guy who isn't a wimp. He shouldn't complain or cry over every little thing
4. A man who believes cow tipping is real
5. A guy who gets upset easily. I shouldn't have to constantly be worried if he's mad at me

While I was looking over my list I had to laugh. Reading some of the things I had listed, reminded me of what I was going through when I originally wrote it. I remembered how much I was struggling/hating boys at the time. Now when I read it I am able to see how much I've grown and changed since then. It's amazing how different your perspective can be in one single year. Granted my list wasn't all bad. There were several good aspects to it. I truly do want a worthy member of the church whom I can trust. Elder Bednar advised to pick a few and strive to do them as well. One of my redeeming things I had on "The List" was what I needed to do in order to get a good man. On the bright side, I got at least one part right!

What I Need to do
1. Don't like a guy just because he likes me
2. Continue to be worthy
3. Be comfortable in my own skin
4. Maintain an upbeat attitude
5. Be willing to try new things
6. Don't kiss every guy

My list has now been destroyed, which is probably for the best. I don't need to focus on finding "Mr. Right." Besides, I'm enjoying my single years, maybe a little too much :)

Love Done Gone

Billy Currington's song "Love Done Gone" pretty much sums up my summer. Not the words to the song per say just the title. This summer has gone by so fast! It has been wedding after wedding hence this is where "Love" comes in. The "Done" part applies to the fact that most of them are now over. Alright fine 2 of the 3 weddings are over. However, the next wedding isn't until the end of October so we have a little bit of time to breathe. The "Gone" part is because quite a few of my friends are either now married, getting married, or leaving. They've moved on with their lives. And though they will still be apart of my life, it won't be the same. Not that I'm not happy for them! Because I truly am! They have chosen great guys that match all of their personalities really well. Honestly I couldn't have picked better guys for them to marry... Maddy got married in Cedar on June 3rd. Katie and I were both bridesmaids. It was so good to spend some time in Cedar this summer and catch up with everyone. Katie's mom made our bridesmaids dresses and they turned out so great! Ali got married on July 14th in the Mount Timpanogos temple. Jen and Austin were able to attend the ceremony. Kate and I sat outside and watched some of Ali's cousins. Ali was so giddy the whole day! You just couldn't help but smile because you could see how happy she was. That brings us now to Kassie. Kyle one of my friends from Cedar that I have known for a very long time, (I believe since the 5th grade) moved to Logan at the beginning of the summer. He came up here to find a job, and attend classes at Utah State in the fall. Since he didn't know anyone and the kind person that I am, I invited him to come to Taco Tuesday with my friends and I. He met Kassie and they pretty much have been inseparable ever since. He proposed on August 6th and they are getting married during fall break on October 21st. When Kyle first told me he was interested in Kassie (mind you this was before their 1st date) I pegged that they would be engaged by the end of summer and get married during fall break. I was right on both accounts :) Even after they set their wedding date to December 30th I told them that was all great and wonderful but it wasn't going to happen. Not 3 weeks later they came back to me and said "Jod, umm you were right. We decided to move up the wedding date..." So basically the moral of the story is I'm always right :) Haha! Oh and as far as my friends leaving me, Spencer leaves for his mission tomorrow! He's going to Brazil. He is going to be such a great missionary and I'm so happy for him! Jen and Tyler are moving to Argentina at the end of the week. Tyler got an offer to play basketball there. They are kind of nervous but excited for this new adventure! It will be weird to not have them around anymore. Aggie basketball games just won't be the same... As for me, I have been attending mission prep this summer and I have started on my papers. So who knows I might be "Gone" soon too! It's still up in the air right now though. I'm entering my Senior year of college and I'm not sure whether or not I should take time off to go on a mission or maybe go after I graduate. They are both such good things and I'm sure no matter what I choose it will be great! It's just a matter of deciding. As of right now, I will be attending classes in the fall. I just finished up my summer classes last week and next semester starts in a little over 2 weeks. I'm excited/nervous to see what the future holds for me!

Maddy and all of her lovely bridesmaids

Posing outside the temple at Rob and Ali's wedding

           Kassie and Kyle on the day they got engaged! 

Kassie's 21st Birthday Bash!

Kassie turned 21 over Christmas break but I decided to throw her a party once everyone got back to Logan for the new semester. It was good to see everyone after the long holiday. We started the festivities off by going to Roadhouse. Yes, we made Kassie ride in the saddle even though she was extremely embarrassed! Haha we are such good friends! After we headed to my apartment for games and of course cake and ice cream. And a 21st birthday party wouldn't be complete without doing shots... So, we did some Dr. Pepper shots! Ha I should have known not to sit next to Kass while doing them. She started laughing which of course made me laugh and well it caused Dr. Pepper to shoot out my nose! Ha it was slightly embarrassing. After making a fool of myself doing shots I decided to stick to my strong suites and play Just Dance 2. Ah such a fun game! I even danced in my high heeled boots. Yeah I'm a champ :) We finished the night off by playing Snorta. Best game ever! You get to make animal noises and make a fool of yourself. Both attributes make for an amazing time! Kassie's 21 birthday bash=Huge Success!

Roadhouse!

Kass and I doing shots

the whole group

my sweet dance moves...Austin is alright I guess.

New Year- No Fear

It's hard to believe that it is already 2011. It has been exact one year today, since I broke my arm sledding. I have had some anxiety about today. My mom swore she was going to wrap me up in bubble wrap and lock me inside the house... I had other plans though. To commemorate the moment I decided to go sledding! Some might think "Wow what a terrible idea!" My parents fit into this category. However, I needed to get over my fear of sledding, and I couldn't think of a better way to do it then on the anniversary of my accident. I'm not going to lie I was nervous. After all, the last time I had done this I suffered a painful injury. To calm my nerves I started cracking jokes. I turned to my mom and said "Wouldn't it be kind of funny if I broke my right arm today? I'm sure Dr. Delcore would love to see my smiling face again!" Oddly enough she didn't find humor in it. When I got to the top of the hill to sled down I started shaking, and the kind sister that I am, made Bryce sit in front. By the third time down the hill I didn't even scream :) I found that I really do love sledding. Just because I had one bad experience doesn't mean the rest will be. I was able to overcome my fear and put last year's events behind me. All I can say is bring on 2011, I am ready for you!

Sledding last year-Right after hitting the tree and breaking my arm

Sledding this year!