Gratitude Given

Today, I am thankful for college. More specifically the opportunity I have to go to school and learn about the field I want to go into, and prepare to enter that work force.

I've been temping at a property management company this week and it affirms to me more than ever that I want to work with words. I hate sitting all day answering phones and appeasing tenants. I'm bored here, straight up. While I appreciate the experience (and mula) this job has given me, I know I'm not at the right place.

Hopefully I can stick it out and make it all the way to New York! Maybe one day you won't be reading my words on a screen, but holding them in your hands, on paper.

I am thankful for...

the miracle of human flight that lets me be home with my family for Thanksgiving. Yesterday, I was sitting in an airport in Salt Lake City, and now I am typing from the comfort of my own bed.

Every time I get on a plane, I feel like I'm taking part of something amazing. I know that I'm literally going to be flying through the clouds. I'm thankful that I can take a 2 hour flight instead of a 16 hour drive to get home. It's so cool!

Rules for my Unborn Son

I recently stumbled upon this website, Rules for my Unborn Son. This guy writes advice for his unborn child while he is still "young and cool". Some of them are pretty funny...

398. If you want to know what makes you unique, sit for a caricature.

388. If you don't know what a knob does, don't fool with it.

360. Never under any circumstances ask a woman if she is pregnant.

333. Bodysurf.

291. Don't stare. People-watch.

I've decided to write down some rules for my unborn daughter.

1. Never rat your hair to gain height or to make a poof. I will not help you brush it out if you get into a tangle.

2. Though you may be funnier than those around you, don't tell them that. Odds are they won't like that very much.

3. You will watch black and white movies. They are a necessity of any education.

4. Though you may not like to read, you will like that I read to you.

5. Though I expect you to love your father, I expect you to love me a little bit more.

6. You will spend at least 4 Saturdays of your life watching Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth with me.

7. Take your mom out to lunch once in a while, she'll love it.

8. Remember it's not cheating, it's called utilizing your resources.

9. It's not stalking if it shows up in your News Feed.

10. If you are a younger sibling, you will choose the same topic as they did so we can recycle projects. Momma's a busy girl, sweetie.

11. If you are smart (you will be) don't go around rubbing it in everyone's faces, flashing your early acceptance into Stanford, your high grade on essay tests etc. It's obnoxious and no one will like you and will talk behind your back. Can you tell I knew a girl?

I'm also thankful for...

...good books. Books with characters you can fall in love with, books with characters you can relate to, books that make you laugh, books that make you cry, books that make you feel like you can do anything.

I love the written word, always have, always will. I'm thankful for a mother that read to me as a little girl and passed on her love of literature to me.

I spent most of Sunday watching the A&E version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, it reminded me how much I love it and the story. I just giggle and giggle whenever I watch it. I'm so blessed to have the ability to read, and read well. I guess that class for slow readers in 1st grade paid off. Look at me now!!

One of my favorite sections of the movie...

FHE

We tie-dyed shirts for Family Home Evening last night. I think mine turned out pretty cool!

I'm also thankful for...

learning. For example I learned how to make this delicious zesty meatball soup in my cooking class a couple weeks ago. I made it last night and it was fabulous! :)

Today I am thankful for...

My mother, who taught me handy tricks in memorizing scriptures my freshman year of seminary.

For part of my midterm in Old Testament, we have to choose 15 scripture verses to memorize. We need to have them memorized by Monday. I've done 4. I do this to myself, don't I?

UPDATE: I got a 59 out of 60 on my mastery test. :)

Montage

This was my 3rd and favorite visual media project so far. We had to combine at least 2 images in Photoshop and apply text to the image as well. I love black and white vintage photography, so I loved this!!

Masquerade!

This was my second project in Visual Media, creating a flyer for a benefit of some sort. All details were left up to us. Looking back now, it's not my favorite. I love the pictures and the purple background but other than that, not so much...

In this month of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for...

My Family. ( Is it sad that this is our most recent picture together?)

Ponderings

I've been thinking a lot about myself lately. More specifically the way I perceive others, and how they perceive me.

In my Old Testament class yesterday, my teacher put a slide up about our dueling natures. Mainly, the natural man vs. the child of God.

He asked questions like , " Why do I hate and gossip when I fully believe in the power of love?" and " Why do I fail to forgive others when they hurt me, when I expect to be forgiven when I hurt them?"

It made me think. It was a humbling experience. What am I doing? How am I acting? Do I expect things of others that I am not willing to do myself?

I've never thought myself to be a hypocrite. Thinking that that might be where I am heading is a sobering thought.

I'm thankful for the Lord that places things in our path when we need them the most. It's sobering to think that you might be sliding into the realm of the natural man. I am not a natural woman. I am a daughter of our Heavenly Father, and as such I have limitless potential that I need to remember. I can do better. I will do better.

"The door to peace is open. I will pass through by choosing to follow the master, rather than the enemy of the soul.' - My Old Testament teacher, he's pretty legit.