Missionaries whom I love!

Just had to post really quick about my most recent district! It started out as a threesome with Elders Smith, Fenn, and Parke. Then a week later, Elder House came into the MTC and a week after that, He was put in our district! So now we have four amazing missionaries to work with right now. Each one brings something different to the classroom. Elder Smith brings in the comic relief with jokes like "mais ou menos" and "we shuparred." (As me what they mean later.) Elder Parke has just brought so much spirit and love, despite his sometimes sadness and homesickness. He just makes us smile every time we see Him. Elder Fenn is so dedicated and sincere and is just one of the most amazing missionaries I've ever met! He's hardworking and just seems to really understand what being a missionary and teaching to investigator needs is all about. Elder House is very well versed in the doctrine and has a great knack for leadership as well. He is kind and caring and concerned for others and doing what's right. They all are, actually!  We've been working with them on making sure each Elder has an equal amount of time to speak during the lessons and it's been great to see those who tend to speak the language better step aside humbly so their learning companions can have just as equal an opportunity for growth and learning. I just feel so much love for these missionaries and wish so badly that I could go out with them into the field. Perhaps someday, I'll be sending Elders out of "my own." Ha, but that's a long ways away. Until then, I feel so content and happy working with such missionaries full of spirit, love, dedication, and service. Ha, if I could just spend time with them all day, I would, but that definitely would not be a good use of the Lord's time, lol. Elder Smith is leaving us this week, which will be very sad! but it will be good for him since He'll be going to the Missionary Training Center down in Brazil. He'll have a great experience there! I just wish I could express how much I love this work and being so closely involved with the servants of God five days a week. It's such a blessing to be a teacher and I pray this period of my life goes slowly... ever so slowly... for it will last only a short while before I need to be moving on to different jobs and stages of my life. Until that happens, I will keep loving and working with these missionaries. How wonderful they are! If only I could be half as amazing as they are, lol!

Visiting Teaching and beyond!

So, we got to do some real service this week for the girl we visit teach: Katalin. Jessica (my companion) and I LOVED having someone actually ask us for help with something for a change, so we jumped  at the opportunity to help Katalin decorate the cultural hall for her 200+ person mission reunion. It was so fun to go there and put our artistic eyes to good use. Jessica is a big fan of interior decorating and I'm an art major, so between the two of us we were able to arrange the room and set up some nice table displays. Katalin spent hours creating these fun little circle fans made of paper which she gave us to arrange in what is hopefully an aesthetic manner. Here's how some of it turned out!

That's Katalin working away.

and Jessica posing next to the wall decoration.

and sort of the overall room. I had to leave before everything was finished
to go to work, but it was still so fun to help out

Let this be a lesson to all you visiting teachees out there. We visiting teachers are HAPPY to help, and we'll do a good job of it, too! :)

Happy October!

A quick sketch done during class to get you in the mood for the season:

Happy Autumn-time!

BYU football 2012!

So, BYU football is probably the only sport that I really go out of my way to watch. I LOVE BYU football and this year I made the dumb mistake of NOT getting an All Sports Pass. Why?  I have no idea... okay, well I do, I thought I'd try and save money by buying my tickets individually for 10 dollars instead of spending over $100 just for six games. It was a good idea, in that I did actually save money, but not so useful in that it was a lot of work to try to track down tickets to every game. In the end I only ended up getting to go to a few for lack of tickets finds, but those few games I went to (even though we lost most of them) were still such a highlight!  It's just feeling of being at a football game! The cool air, the band playing, the friends surrounding you, the shouting and cheering, just the overall feeling of autumn in the air. It's just so fun! Not to mention watching my favorite team beat their opponents (or not) soundly! Here are some snapshots from the most recent game! I LOVED how the fan sections came color coded and couldn't help but take some pictures!

Go BYU Cougars!

Thankfuls

Due to my new situation in life: new apartment, new roommates, new classes, upcoming graduation, etc. I have been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety. Sometimes it causes me to think negatively when I have no real reason to. So, in an effort to pep myself up, I have decided it is time to start counting my blessings. I will start with writing down the things I am thankful for today!
Today I am thankful I was able to work with my missionaries and have fun learning Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns, and making a lesson plan for Elison. It was fun to spend time with them, and even have our study outside where the whether was pleasant and cool.
I also got to go on a three mile run this morning before work. It was hard, but it felt great!
I went to dinner with a friend from my old apartment complex: Valerie. She is one of the funniest people. She works as a locksmith and always brings home the most entertaining stories about the most mundane of chores. Today's story was about changing the big heavy thing that makes doors close smoothly in public buildings (the spring-loaded thing on top). Apparently they are about seven pounds (which can be a lot for a woman of about 5 feet, especially if it has to be lifted above her head.) As she was unscrewing the last screw from its place, the spring bounced back and sent her flying off her 2 step stool and itself flying in the other direction. Thankfully she landed on her feet! It could have been a pretty dangerous situation, but she laughed about how silly she must have looked. One thing I can learn from Valerie, is that even in the simplest of jobs-like being a locksmith-you can find happiness in what you do. She continued to tell me all sorts of stories about her co-workers who pull jokes on her and all the fun they make in their office.  I am thankful for her positive example and will look for more opportunities to find and make fun in my situations. After all, people enjoy being around you much more when you are positive and happy!
I got to talk to my family on the phone today, as it was my Mom's birthday. There is no one as amazing as my Mom! If I could write about her greatness, it would take up an entire blog devoted just to her!  She was sick today unfortunately, but answered as cheerfully as ever when I called. I can always count on my Mom to lift my mood! I listen while the put me on speaker phone and sang Happy Birthday to her and felt happy to have such a fun family. :)
Lastly, I talked to a friend of mine from my mission, sometimes I call him "Georgia-boy" since that is where He is from.  He is the kind of person who always listens and inspires me to think positively and trust in Heavenly Father, so I was thankful, as usual, for his kind words and simple testimony of the love our Father in Heaven has for us and his desire to answer our prayers. He wants us to be happy. Sometimes I forget this! But I'm thankful for the people in my life who remind me!
Now that my day is through, I'm thankful I had the chance to reflect on the people and events that make my life great! Hopefully I can adapt this positive attitude and think more of my blessings so that I can be a more happy person! :)

First Rodeo!

Hey!! I got to go to my first rodeo!  I had no idea it would be so fun to watch!  I went with my awesome new roommates: Kallie, Nicki, and Amanda. (three of the five) We all got dressed up in our best cow-girl impersonation get-ups and watched the horse races, calf roping, and bull riding. It was pretty darn cool! I can't believe I've never been to one of those before!!

Yee haw!

Leaf Bug

So today while I was doing my homework outside, enjoying the lovely weather, I happened upon the strangest but coolest little creature: a leaf bug! More specifically, a Tettigoniidae, aka, a Katydid! I suppose it was scared stiff to have me staring so closely at it and putting my camera in its face, but it was kind enough to pose for a picture. I enjoyed conversing with the thing for a few minutes before returning my attention to my homework. I even nerdishly took a little video of him (or her) walking on the grass.  She was so light on her feet that I had to study her more.

Oh, and she may very well be a He, but with a name like KATYdid, you never can tell. ;)