I am not a fan of clowns....

You should have seen me on my first birthday... My mother threw the biggest party ever, she even hired 'cute' clowns to come and entertain. I spent the whole night crying, I have about 400 pictures that are witnesses to this. I believe there are a total of 2 pictures where I am not crying..

It's a good thing I like my friends, otherwise I would not put my fears aside and go to the circus (knowing there are about a thousand clowns per performance). I don't know what it was about this circus that captured me so much, I know it wasn't the clowns, but I had a lot of fun. I don't remember the last time I had been to one, but I did know that if I was going to go it had to be one of the best circuses in town. Nat and I had made a summer goal of going to the circus, but since the whole summer came and went and we did not find a single circus we had to settle for one in the middle of this month.

I don't know what was more entertaining, watching the heffalumps dance around and hold each other's tails or Natalie's face. If I remember correctly I think this was her first circus, which I guess explains why her eyes were huuuuge. Like a little kid at a candy store, I swear. Nat keeps me young, reminds me that I don't always have to be serious (a more recent development, in high school I was anything but serious)....

I know these pictures don't do justice to just how much fun we had but here goes anyway.

[Disclaimer: My camera really really sucks..]

What Nat sees when she thinks of an elephant...

This thing was legit. Seriously. 

More elephants. They had stars on their bum. Adorable.

Half zebra horsies, I thought they were awesome.

Those big nasty burly men carrying a light-post swing.

I wish I could have swung on it...

This made me sweat bullets. Just as Nat, I was freaking out.

Happy friends! man, my hair is getting long...

My best friend does this, every day.... How cool is she?!

Can she get any happier? I don't think so. 

Overall, it was a great weekend. I'm always grateful for the time Nat sacrifices to come play for a few days. Thank youuuuu!

So just like any other girl on this continent, I am hooked on Pinterest. Thank you Amy... Anyway, my sister and I decided to experiment a little. Now, I did not inherit the creativity my mother and sister have, so I took a simpler approach. Give me a recipe and I can follow it and end up with a decent result... Well, what else to do on a Sunday night than to bake some cookies.... for your dog. Haha. Good way to see if things on this website actually work. Tina and I were pretty content with the results... Take a look: 

Patiently waiting.....

Ignore the tired look, typical of Sunday nights

One very happy dog. 

Well, they turned out pretty good. And healthy too! All that goes in it are: oats, flour, peanut butter, some apple sauce and milk... Does that look like one spoiled dog to you? Yes, yes she is. 

Happy Wednesday to you all. Find a reason to smile. 

My Little Miracle

This is the definition of 'Miracle' in a regular dictionary: 

Miracle: miracle |ˈmirikəl|

noun-a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.- a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences

And this is what the Bible Dictionary says: 

"Miracles are and were a response to faith, and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith.

"It is important to notice the different names by which miracles are described. They are called signs, as being visible tokens of an invisible power; they are powers or mighty works, because they are the acts of One who is almighty; they are simply works, or the natural results of the Messiah's presence among men; they are wonders, marvels, because of the effect produced on those who saw them.

"Miracles are a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If miracles cease it is because faith has ceased."

I mentioned in my last post that I have been trying a bit harder than usual when it comes to school... Well, I feel like it is finally starting to pay off. Math has been one of the hardest things for me to study. Senior year in high school my graduation depended on my math grade, last year I had the hardest time. Again. I ended up missing a C by 3 points, resulting in me having to take the class again this year in order to make it to 1050. Those who know me pretty well (and even those who don't) know that I absolutely DETEST math. I hate it with a deep and burning passion....

[rewind a couple months]

While choosing classes I ran across an interesting scenario.

I know that the nursing program requires a very VERY high GPA during generals in order to make it through.... How high? well like 3.8 high. I know I struggled quite a bit last year. I was definitely not dedicated to school like I should have been. Now, now, I didn't get horrible grades but I didn't do as well as I should have. Push comes to shove, turns out that without retaking classes from last year I would need a 3.99 this year to make up the difference.....

After half a heart attack and a bit of hyperventilating I decided there was no way I could do that. I absolutely HAD to retake math. How in the world could I manage a 3.9? Maybe if I busted my tush on all my other subjects I might scrape by, but definitely not with math in the picture...

[aaaand we're back...]

I've had several tests and quizzes this week. All of which I've done relatively well. I have yet to find out about my Anthropology test but besides that I have averaged nothing under 90%....

A couple math tests  and a few quizzes have also been handed back...

Quiz 1: 5/5
Quiz 2: 5/5

TEST 1: 93%..... complete shocker.

and the result for the test I was stressing over this past week....

TEST 2: 99%..... may or may not have almost passed out.

I missed one point. Not even one QUESTION. There is NO way I could take all the credit, at all. I think part of being human is thinking that we succeed on our own. We forget that there is someone above that looks out for us, that places trials in our life for learning and growth and someone that pours out more blessings than we can even begin to imagine.

I am very grateful for the help of Heavenly Father. I know that without Him I would be knee-deep with school by this point. I have made a conscious  decision to let Him help me, I have chosen to do my ABSOLUTE best, then and only then, do I trust in leaving the rest to Him.

Let's not forget to see all the miracles in our lives. Whether little or big, a miracle is a miracle (anyone else think of Dr. Seuss with that one?). If we take the time necessary to see these life-changing experiences we will live a life full of gratitude and eternal perspective. 

So Are You To Me..

I think we often take our friends and family for granted. I know I definitely do. I am so SO lucky to have people there for me when I need them. Although running away from problems is never the answer, sometimes we have to take a step back and put things into perspective. This life is only a moment compared to the rest of eternity, it is amazing to think that the choices we make now will influence that. Whether it be choosing to do something stupid because we are mad or helping other's see their worth... It is all accounted for in the end.

I am grateful for a lot of reasons. I am thankful for my family for the support and love they give me. I am grateful for my sister, although she is a pain in my "tuckus" some days, I proud of her hard work with school and her caring nature. I hope she doesn't grow up like me :) I hope she sticks to her decisions and pursues her dreams.

I'm grateful for those words of advice. Sometimes there are things we don't want to hear when we are mad or disappointed but that's what our friends are for. They are cool-headed during the times when we are struggling, they see what were can't. I am grateful for those late night talks *hint, hint*. I am grateful for people I can run to.

Something else I take for granted: my calling. These poor girls have to put up with my shenanigans every week, and yet they do it without falling asleep in my class. I love it. They are always so willing to help out. Out of all the young women I definitely have the best group. The most obedient, the funniest and the sweetest. I feel bad that often times I don't prepare my lessons with enough time to make them truly great for my girls, but they are forgiving and patient... It seems like they like them, I haven't had any try to ditch or miss church. I am proud of them.

Although I feel like I have no room to complain about school (some don't have the opportunity to attend or some are taking 18.93483487q273642834034 credits..), it is often a challenge for me. I need to be better at putting in more effort. I have quite a bit of time to do the things I need to do. I just have a slight problem with procrastination. HOWEVER, I am quite proud of myself. I have not missed a single assignment. I make sure everything is turned in on time and that I'm at school when I am supposed to. I did miss one class last week but I will try my best not to let that happen again. A wise soul once told me that attendance influences whether you pass or not. You can do the assignments but if you don't understand the material it's definitely harder. Man, I have wise friends...

I hope we start this week with a prayer in our hearts and the desire to do the things we need to do. Let's not forget that there is a higher power. It is there to guide us, teach us, and bless us more than we can even imagine. Don't take anything for granted.

Until the next time I decide to blog :)

Fare thee well.

I'm feeling a bit awkward today...

You know when you have a song stuck in your head? Well I have this rare condition that makes it so i get both a song and a random word stuck in my head (I haven't officially been clinically diagnosed, it may or may not be contagious...). Yesterday's was James Taylor's song: Carolina On My Mind. The word was "prelude". I'm like a dictionary with a word of the day. Sometimes I have words stuck in my head that I didn't even know existed, until I look them up and realize, wow, this is a word.... Anyway, this all leads to my word of the day, "awkward". This might explain why I think everything is slightly uncomfortable today. 

Ready for some examples? Here goes: 

• That awkward moment when your leg starts shaking uncontrollably and someone asks if you're alright. (Am I the only one with this problem?)
• That awkward moment when you get sandwiched between two big guys.... that you don't even know.. (Do guys walk around with blinders? I mean really? I know I'm short, but not THAT short.
• coming out of the bathroom and completely crashing into someone running in. (I am happy to be blessed with awesome bladder control.)
• That awkward moment where you decide to go to UVU and you realize that you will see anyone and everyone you wanted to avoid from high school/ junior high. (Oh the joys of living in O-Town.)
• When I notice that Bill Nye is coming to UVU and I break out in his song.... out loud... 
• That awkward moment when you think someone is waving at you but really it's the person behind you... (I guess I like to think that I'm cooler than I really am.)
• That awkward moment when you sit RIGHT NEXT to someone instead of one seat over like every other normal human being. 
• That really, really awkward moment with yourself when you realize you have no idea what you want to do with your life. So many options, so little time... and so much $$$$ on tuition!!! Gahh. 

True stories. Try them out, guarantee you'll get a couple weird looks. Good news fellers, its only 10 a.m and all of this has happened to me. Now, we can take these moments and put them into the "glass is half empty" mode of thinking... OR we can go with "half full" and laugh at every single one! Except for the last one of course, that just makes me want to cry...

Have a lovely day! Oh and in the words of Ellen: "Be Kind to everyone" 

Moves Like Jagger...

There are very few things I really, really, really enjoy.

Here are a few:

One: sitting in the library... Don't ask me why cause heavens knows I don't go anywhere near a book or a shelf...or a bookshelf, but I do. Maybe it's because it is so quiet, I can listen to music and be in my own little world.... Oh, and because I can be a creep and watch people with their weird habits while they study/read/waste money on tuition by playing video games (not that I care or anything). I think I've decided that the more you try and hold a sneeze in, the dumber you look (just a random thought). Oh and that guy who is too lazy to tie his shoelace so he kicks it in front of him as he walks, has been walking around FOREVER....It's starting to bug. Maybe that should go into the "Things I really, really, really hate" post... Maybe another day.

Two: I like being at school. Notice I didn't just say I like school. It makes me feel smart, whether or not that's true is a toss-up but I don enjoy being here. I was pretty excited about my classes this year, except for the fact that I tend to have random 2-3 hour long breaks in between.. why did I do that? I don't really know but it has helped me get homework done.... and spend more time doing the above. (I almost said doing number one... but that would have just been awkward between me, myself and I.. Oh, and you.). This semester I am taking: music, humanities, anthropology-Idk how I feel about this class yet.. I'm thinking I might go into cultural anthropology, this monkey business is not really my thing- I'm sorry, apes, not monkeys-, math, health and of course institute.

Three: Making my mommy happy. If you don't know my mom you certainly don' t know that whatever she says, goes. No matter what. She could decide to paint the whole house blue with purple polka dots, and she would. I, fortunately, am lucky to have a mom with impeccable taste so I don't mind the changes she makes. The problem kinda comes in when I have 4 sections of math homework to do, reading, and a test... "Oh, but Kathy, you have an extra day to do homework, no school on Monday..." HA! yeah, that's what I thought too... Instead, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (sorry Big Guy), and Monday were spent remodeling my mom's business (pictures will come, promise). Although it was kind of a pain staying up so late painting, nailing, building, moving, painting, drilling, painting and hanging, I believe it was pretty much worth it. We aren't quite done yet but it looks good and my mom is happy. Which in turn makes the whole house happy.

Four: My best friend. Having her gone makes things kind of hard sometimes, she's the only one who really thinks I'm funny.. Or at least I like to think she does.. So, in order to make up for all the time she's gone at Snow College I save up all my best jokes for when she visits. Yaaaay!!! Glorious weekend this one will be, hopefully my mom doesn't have me trapped helping her finish setting things up at the business and I can go play with my bff. I don't know what we will be doing, but it will be fun. Dan-g it!

Well, seeing as I should probably work on all of that homework I am behind on I will cut things off here. I'm going to go find out where that girl got her watch... I want it.