SNOW!!!!

So, the snow is finally here! It was snowing for a while today and the snow was not sticking at all, but the snow persisted, and lo and behold, the snow stuck! Yeah! I actually really love the snow. I think it makes things look really pretty, especially out in nature. I like driving in it too. Its a fun challenge, but I don't like the scary factor. I feel I'm an ok driver in the snow... especially with my jimmy. Its got 4X4 on the fly, and it comes in handy. That car saved my life so many times in Rexburg... the capital of snow and ice for Idaho. It is a good reliable car, and I'm thankful for it.

This means that the official snow sport season has started for the Inland Northwest. Skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, and so much more! I am dumping my snowboard this year, and gunna try my hand at skiing. I really love snow sports, and I always leave the mountain pissed off after snow boarding. I've been boarding for years, and I still really suck! So I'm gunna try out skiing. I think I'll like it. Steven said that he would take me up this year and teach me. That'll be so sweet!

Not to mention the sledding and tubing ahead! It will be a great winter... although to be honest it feels like its been a short summer. I guess that's what living in Rexburg will do to ya.

There is one downside to the snow today... I still have not put up the Christmas light on the house. I always seem to be that person that is up on the roof putting up the lights in the snow storm. I really hope that his first cover will melt away just long enough for me to get the lights on the house, and deal with the inside stuff while its icy outside. I'm such a procrastinator!

I'm really thankful for the beautiful, and well-rounded four seasons that Spokane has. I love having a taste of each season, and seeing their beauty. Its so inspiring to me to watch the trees change every year. Its almost magic. I couldn't imagine living in a place where it is only one season all year round. I'm sure it would be convenient because of the consistency, but no excitement, and nothing to look forward to when it comes to the changes in nature. I love the four seasons!

Self-Induced Food Coma

Well, it's Thanksgiving, and believe it or not, I am working. It's not as bad as it sounds, and to even make it sound worse my family left me today to go eat at my uncles place in Idaho, leaving me all alone. Sounds pretty bad eh? Well, not so my dear reader...(you know who you are) I actually had a great morning wrestling with the ping pong table trying to get it set up for the days festivities, and getting ready to spend the early afternoon with Skylar and his family. It was really great of him to invite me over to have dinner with him and his family. They ate early in the day allowing me to be able to stuff my face and get to work on time. His family was amazing and really kind to (i didn't expect anything different) and I felt right at home. Played a little bump in the driveway with his cousins, and it was a little embarrassing seeing how i am almost 100% non-athletically inclined, and so I was kind of awkward with the ball. Nothing new, but it was fun. We stuffed our faces like the rest of the country, and loved every minute and calorie. I'm so thankful for Skylar and his friendship and hospitality towards me. He's a great Friend, and I really do appreciate him and his kindness. Awesome Friend!

But the time was short, and here I am back at the good old Davenport doing my job. It was not my first choice to work today, but I guess i just have to deal with it. First off, its dead. There are few calls coming in, and so its nice to not have much work, but at the same time painful. It is real easy to be upset at the situation and be grumpy, but i have taken a different stance on this one. I'm happy being here... although it is not the first door number I would have picked.

Life is good. Its not ever what I planned it to be, and I always seem to be ten steps behind in ever thing. But it is a good life, and I life that I cant complain about. It is such a blessing to being going to the school that I'm going to, and to be in the ward that I am in, having the friends that I have that care and love me, and treat me so well. My family is such a blessing. I love them to death! I am just so thankful to my father in heaven for the path that he has put me on, and for the desires I have to push me down that path. Its not easy, and it sucks to be blind sided by so many challenges and trials, but man life is good! I am just so thankful, and grateful. I just cant contain it. Its an amazing life, and I cant wait to live what the Lord has in store to me. Most of all I am thankful for my Father in Heaven, and for his guiding hand in my life. This is not a life that I have given to myself. This is a blessing by him, and the opportunities that I have had in my life have only come through him that I worship and love very much. I cant deny this, and fact that he is so real, and not just an idea or hope. He is real, and everything that happens in my life comes from him. It is truly a day of thanksgiving! Thank You!

Growing up sucks... but amazing!

So a three day weekend is the greatest. Its such a great time to just relax. Every time i have this big of a break from work, I always promise myself that I will do my laundry. I never do. I find myself actually wearing everything I have until there is nothin left for me to wear. Its a sad thing. When i was on the mish, I would refuse to clean the dishes, and so me and my companion would eat off of one side of the plate, and then eat off the other side later, thereby doubling our plates capacity. I know... nasty. But hey, it worked! After a while i got the cleaning bug, and have had one ever since. I guess it comes with t he realization that when you are on your own you have to do EVERYTHING. I know that this is nothing new, and that someone has told me that I would be responsible for myself someday, I guess I just never wanted to accept that. I have been kinda keeping tabs on my maturity lately believe it or not, and have watched me take up the mom and dad responsibilities, and slowly become and adult. Its a good feeling to be independent, but at the same time I loved having someone take care of me.

School was a great teacher of this, but being home, I have kind of got lazy. Not extremely lazy, just a little lax in my habits. Not to freak out the only person that reads this, but I am a clean freak. Not to be confused with a germ freak. I like things clean and organized. I love a clutter free house and things in their places. It makes me feel like I'm in control some how, and I work and play, and relax so much better when I'm in a clean environment. But here's the thing, I'm finding my teenage self coming out and wanting to throw my crap on the floor and be lazy. (which I've been doing lately. Don't tell anyone !) Its a good thing, but when it comes time to clean i hate it! It is not fun at all, and cleaning things up at the time the mess is made is much easier.

I'm pretty close to being an adult. One of my big wake up calls that I was growing up was when i was packing my stuff up to go home from school, and I have a whole box for medicine and first aid stuff. I HAVE MY OWN MEDICINE CABINET! How disgusting is that! I guess all there to do now is school, marriage and babies. Ew. Not yet at least.

I have to work this thanksgiving. I work from 3 to 11pm, and my family is going out of town for the weekend so i will be all alone. It sounds sad, but I'm not too disturbed. I'm gunna have an early thanksgiving dinner with Skylers family, and so at least I'll eat with someone.

I'm thankful for my life and the path that it is on. I'm thankful for the amazing chance that I have to chose for myself the things that I want to do, and be what I wanna be. Life is amazing, and it is anything i want it to be!

Time Management...

Finding a balance in my life is easy. I don't wanna sound cocky, but since there is nothing really going on in my life, it is easy to find that balance between work, play and rest. Well, today was one of those challenging days that tested the "balance" that I have seemed to have established. Working till 7am, sleeping till 8:30am, cleaning the church building till 9:45am then sleeping till 11am, then going to practice a special musical number at 12:00 for an hour, and an amazing and completely straight man date with Joe to Ming Wahs for lunch, was some what trying and exhausting! I was so tired by the time that I got home that I just collapsed till almost 7pm! It was amazing. Now being at work, its time for my quiet time.

Working the overnight shift can be pretty boring for some people... even me. I am a very social person. I love being around people and being in the spotlight. But this over night shift twice a week is a bit of a breather for me. It is a break from the craziness that goes on in this hotel, and to have some time to myself and get paid for it. I don't want to brag, but i feel like i am a pretty intellectual person, and I like to think about life. I spend a good time of my week contemplating about things and just having some Chathum time. It helps me to resolve my inner issues, and helps me be a better person.

I was asked this last week to give a talk in church this coming week, and was told to speak on any topic that I feel prompted to speak on. I have decided to speak on having joy and happiness throughout life. I want to talk about being happy and finding the joyful parts of life even during the hardships that we experience. This is a very close personal and sensitive issue for me. I have struggled with emotional issues for most of my life, and I have excepted these issues as one of the many trials in my life and treat it like anything else. I don't let myself become a victim of my depression, but embrace the challenge and rely on a higher power to sustain me, and not rely on myself. Through this trial, I have found the immense happiness that comes when I have changed my attitude to a happy disposition, and allow myself to be happy on the outside even though it may not match up with what is going on inside. So many blessings have come into my life by being happy about everything, and letting others know that I am a happy person. I am a thankful person. This has been the strongest part of my struggle to find joy in everything. Being thankful for everything... even the bad things has created true happiness... not just a front and fake smile. Being thankful has helped me find the light in the darkest times of my life. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for, whether it be for your family, friends, job, school, air, or sheep dogs... there is always something that you can be thankful for. I hope my talk turns out as good as it sounds in my head.

I know that this post has been random and all over the place, but oh well. Life goes on and I will write another post later, and maybe it will be a better one. I just I type what I feel, and hopefully I will create a more structured blog that will have a better flow. Until then... deal with it!

Dang, after today, I am thankful for sleep and beds. I have this sweet sleeping mask that covers my eyes while I sleep during the day. I stole it from my little sister. Its like this black velvet, and embroidered on the front in purple it says "beauty sleep." I am thankful for fact that I can sleep so well, and feel so good. Sometimes after a long day, I get into bed and just start freaking out because I love my bed so much, and it feels so good to be under the covers and not in an office in front of a computer screen. I love sleep, and I love amazing soft beds. Thank you bed, and thank you girly sleep mask!

I don't know when to take a break

So for the most part I'm a pretty chill person. I like to take things easy, but i am constantly finding myself uneasy, and eager to do something. I served my mission for two years, and every minute of that was planned out and very busy. I had my days planned out by the half hour, and i would plan my days weeks in advance. It was crazy to say the least. Now i have no agenda, and so i do what i want, when i want. But its kind of driving me crazy. I find that I really need to stay busy. I am always cleaning, organizing, working or playing. I find myself on the couch doing nothing less and less, and out and about more and more. Since I'm not in school, I do have alot of free time on my hands, and so its easy to be board and get into trouble... or just sleep all day. I'm not sure why i complain about work so much, cuz in all reality it is a good thing... mentally and financially. I couldn't imagine not having a job. I have a good friend that is jobless and doing all he can to get another job, and I just feel so bad for him, and figure that it must be so hard staying busy without work. But knowing him, he's probably busy with his own personal endeavors... he's pretty creative. If anyone can handle being without a job, its Joe. Work is ever so exciting,(lie) but i realize that there are a ton of people out there that would die for my job and pay, so i am grateful... not because of others, but because i am genuinely thankful for my employment. The Davenport rocks!

School is coming up here pretty soon. January 7th to be exact. I'm stoked to get back to Rexburg and party it up! I really miss that place, and being back at home makes me realize how much that place really means to me. I'm a psychology major at the moment with a pre-med emphasis. Its pretty cool, and more than anything I wanna get into med school and become a doctor. I don't strike most people as a doctor type, but i want to be one not because I'm smart(which I'm not) but because i have a genuine desire to help others. I'm sure all of the jaws will drop when i walk into my 10 year high school anniversary and tell people I'm a doctor. It'll be sweet. But even more sweeter knowing that I will be fulfilling a dream of mine. Going into medicine has not always been the plan. I always thought that I was too dumb to be a doctor, but after serving a mission and surviving the two hardest years of my life doing the most important work there is to do, I realize that I can do anything now. I know that a person like me will have to work extra hard at it, but i know that it will be that extra beneficial to me in the future and even more rewarding knowing that I am serving others and helping those in need every day. I'm only a sophomore in college, and i have a really long way to go, but for some reason i am ready for it, and not a bit discouraged at the fact that becoming a doctor is a long way off.

I've decided that I am going to end off each of my posts with something that I am thankful for. I am thankful for Panda Express. Man did I have an amazing plate of Madrine chicken today. I'm just not sure where I would go for nasty, cheep, yet delicious Chinese food if panda was not around. It is lame and simple, and almost gross, but man, I have eaten some really nasty things in my life, and so MSG filled panda express is amazing when you are just starving! Thank you Panda.

And so it begins...

So I'm pretty unfamiliar with the whole "blogging" thing. To be honest i have really never even read a blog before until today. I always knew what they were, but for some reason never was interested in then till now. I read my friend Joe's blog, and I became inspired! I work a ton in an office, and so i find myself with a great amount of time on my hands, enough to post a blog here or there.

Working is kind of my life right now. I work at The Davenport Hotel and Tower. I work in the call center talking on the phone all day making reservations and taking care of guest service requests. Its a real blast... for the most part. I guess my real motivation is the fact that I'm making money and staying busy. School is coming up real here in January, and so I'm trying to make as much as possible before going.

like a month ago i was so sick of being in Spokane, but I have made some amazing friends that have really helped me be happy and content with my life at the present moment. I am not happy about living back at home, but I know its temporary... these guys just make things so much fun, and I really have grown to love these new friends in such a short amount of time. Kelly is so freaking funny, and most times all we do is laugh together. Russanne and I have a very strange cell phone relationship that is going semi-creepy sometimes. Collin is a really cool and humble kid that really treats people great. He's one of those good friends to talk to. Steven is fun guy to hang out with and tell some good mission stories with (cuz most people get real sick of mission stories) Sky is going to school with me this coming January, and he is a blast to hang out with. I'm really excited to spend more time with him down there. Justin is good friend, and really the first person that I met when i started going to church in Spokane. These guys are great, and we spend a huge amount of time together. I really value my friends, and to have such good-hearted people as friends is such a blessing in my life. Joe is another good Friend of mine. We spend most of our time just texting each other... i know its kinda lame but whatever. He's a good friend, and hilarious friend to talk to. I really hope he can make it down to school this coming winter.

Other than that life is good. Just wanted to kind of get things going, and get the feel for this whole blogging thing. I think I'm gunna like it. I promise all my posts will not be this big! PEACE!