The Refiners Fire (Feb 22-27)

Monday for FHE we played a whole bunch of random games. One of them was picture telephone. Our picture did not turn out like the first one..

So last Sunday, we had a whole Harry Potter conversation on the Ward Council group text. We discovered Bishop is a Gryffindor (he was sorted last week) and that we are now referred to as "Gryffinward".

My favorite place on Campus is the art hallway. A lot of my friends are there and we just have a grand old time. We always notice that half of ward council is there so this time we took a picture and sent it to the group message asking where everyone else is. 

Bishop responded saying: "They're all hiding right behind you, underneath the invisibility cloak, of course. I ordered an extra large one from the distribution center. Mischief managed!"

Best. Bishop. Ever.

Wednesday we had a wonderful Valentines Relief Society activity. We made Valentines day bags and then wrote notes to each other!


That night an emergency RA meeting was called. We were all freaking out and preparing for the worst. Our boss starts talking about a dirty problem we are having on campus and how we need to fix it. 

Thats when they told us we FINALLY got new vacuums!!
Our vacuums before are known to not suck up anything and emit smoke and burning smells.
Yes.. we needed new vacuums. They are beautiful. 


After the meeting I went to the game room to study spanish with Kadee. We then FaceTimed Emma. Man that girl makes me happy!!!!

One of the ladies in the financial office always tells me to go watch the Disney short "Lambert the Sheepish Lion." I finally watched it. It brought me so much joy!

I ate a very Lambert family meal Thursday night. Quesadilla's and Salsa.

Friday Fuller House premiered. A tear may have fallen in the first episode.


In my Business Class we had a blogger guest speaker. Her name is Ashton and her dessert blog is somethingswanky.com

For extra credit we could make a dessert and then take a picture with it. So Cody and Jordan and I made the Ultimate Peanut Butter Popcorn. It is popcorn covered in white chocolate mixed with peanut butter and recees pieces and oreos. It is heavenly!
 

Saturday was my day to catch up. I worked on some homework and then Anna made Alex and I lunch! It was fun to get caught up with them.

I did some laundry, and went to Walmart to buy some essentials that I did not have. I then worked on cleaning my messy room, which was driving me crazy!

I went to dinner and then a few minutes after I got back home, Heidi called me telling me that Bishop invited us both over for dinner! I will never turn down a Rasmussen Dinner so off we went. They had a visitor named Kenoshia. She just got baptized a week ago and it was so much fun listening to her story. She only took the lessons for about a month but hearing and seeing how open she is to everything is incredible. 

She came up to meet some YSA's so we took her to the Institute Culture night! I love this activity. There are tables from all over the world with lots of delicious food!

After the activity Heidi and I watched Mockingjay Part 2. That is one of my favorite book series and I sat there thinking, "How have you not seen this yet!"

*******

This week I thought a lot about something from my Dante class. 

The idea that everything has two sides. 
In bono, and In malo. Good, and Bad.

Water
In bono: Baptism
In malo: Drowning

Doves
In bono: Holy Ghost
In malo: Lust

Netflix
In bono: So entertaining!
In malo: Time waster 

I watched this Mormon Message this week.

Trials
In malo: They hurt 
In bono: The help purify us and prepare us to meet God

"What will it matter what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior?"
-Linda S. Reeves

Refinement is one of the core values at SVU. 
I love the idea of becoming refined. 

I love that the video above is called "The Refiner's Fire." 

Fire:
In malo: It burns
In bono: It helps purify and shape 

I feel like I went through a little refiners fire this week. I learned a lot about relationships and communication. Everyone needs time to process the things in their life. We all need to decide what we want from others and ourselves.

But its so important to realize just how valuable good, strong relationships are. With family and with friends. 

I look at the people in my life and can't help but smile. I feel so overwhelmed and blessed with the people that have been placed in my path. They are here for a reason.

Im grateful for trials. I feel like I have grown a lot this week and have had a lot of spiritual conversations. I am so grateful for this gospel and know that when we struggle, Christ will always be right there.

Love yourself (Feb 15-21)

Saturday or Sunday of last week I realized that somethings in my life needed to change.

In honor of Valentines day, I thought I would do a week of things for me.

So I set some goals.

1. Dress for Success all week. Everyday I would wear something super cute and my hair would be done. I normally do this, but I really wanted to dress for me to make sure I felt good.

2. No Facebook. I really don't like Facebook and I constantly waste time scrolling mindlessly through the dumb articles and peoples posts. I realized that all that negativity was bringing me down.

3. 30 minutes at least of Religious Study. The time I was spending on Facebook could definitely be spent in my scriptures and the Ensign.

4. Finish a book for me. I just miss reading :) 

*****

So.. This was all a great plan.

But, last week ended up being one of the weirdest weeks.

We ended up having a snow storm Monday and classes were canceled. It was freezing and I still had to wake up early and work the dinning hall.. So I just dressed warm. It was my day to just hide and it was quite wonderful.

Kaylee and I were yelling out my window. I looked down and saw one track in the snow. I don't know what it could be. 

Tuesday we were having Friday classes to make up from the first snow day we had a few weeks ago. So that messed everyone up! I had a pretty rough day emotionally. I must say that I am very grateful for friends and my bishop who is just wonderful!

Wednesday was finally a normal day. I decided to wear my Young Women's medallion, along with my cute outfit. It reminded me that I am a daughter of God all day.

And here is my full outfit.

Thursday I got to wear my new shoes for the first time. I am in love with them and planning to buy like four more pairs. Or if someone wants to buy me some... I'm a 7.5.

Friday we had such a good forum! Michael Gibbons spoke on positivity. He talked a lot about how what we fill our lives with become our reality. 

I wore an outfit I have never worn. I quite liked it! 

Dinner was hilarious. I made Ethan and Cody take "Which Disney Princess Are You." Then all of us took "What is your Patronus" among many other funny quizzes. 

I had this feeling that I needed to go to the musical Friday night. I had a ticket for Saturday so I wasn't quite sure why. But I went and bought a ticket and walked in and saw one of my friends who I haven't been able to really talk to this semester. I sat down by her and she gave me a hug and started crying. She told me how happy she was that I was sitting next to her. It was such a cool experience.

The musical was beautiful again.

The best part of Saturday, was the fact that it was over 60 degrees. I covered someones lunch shift in the dinning hall than went to the mens lacrosse game. I know nothing about lacrosse and after watching one game I would like to announce that I still no nothing about lacrosse. 

I went to the closing night of Secret Garden and that was by far their best performance! Everyone was so good and the pacing was wonderful. I am now obsessed with all of the music. 

Sunday was raining but still pretty warm. 

Can I just mention again how amazing by Bishop is? He invited me over for dinner with his family. It was fajita night! It was so good to be with a family and to just feel their love. They are incredible. 

So here is my goal wrap up:
1. I loved getting dressed up everyday. I didn't always want to or have energy to, but when I felt good about what I was wearing, other people could feel my confidence. When you are confident in yourself, it definitely shines off of you.

2. I didn't completely cut out Facebook. But I cut down on it by probably 90%. I LOVED it. I focused energy and time on maybe other things. I recommend this to everyone. 

3. I wasn't able to do a full 30 minutes of study everyday, but I did it most of the week. It was amazing. Those 30 minutes were so full of peace and enlightenment. It was so important that I felt that this week.

4. Who was I kidding. I am behind in school reading. When was I going to finish a book for myself?

I have been thinking a lot this week about who I want to become and where I want to go in life. I took some big steps this week with friends and just understanding people. I was able to sit in on a lot of priesthood blessings for my girls this week. Those were incredible and always make me realize how special each and everyone one of us is. 



I still have a long way to go to figure out the direction I am supposed to go. But I can promise that Christ will be at the center of the whole journey.

When Something's Wick

"You give a living thing
A little chance to grow,
That's how you will know
If she is wick, she'll grow.
So grow to greet the morning,
Free from ground below.
When a thing is wick,
It has a will to grow and grow."

-Wick from The Secret Garden

This was one of those weeks that was just there. I am not quite sure what happened or what I did!

I remember the delicious food I had for lunch on Monday!

It was Mexican with this mango salsa. I turned it into a taco salad thing. 

It was so yummy!

FHE we played Minute to Win it games. I left early to run up and have cupcakes for Cody Roger's birthday!

Tuesday one of my friends posted this beautiful picture on Facebook.
What a great reminder that Christ is always there when we are not fully where we can be. 

Wednesday we had a wonderful picture done by Kaylin at the RA desk. 

Thursday was a crazy day. 

A few weeks back I put a joke on here about a plain bagel... People just say it and it makes me laugh! So John-John sent me the joke in emojis. I literally laughed out loud in class.

I started to feel really sick around lunch time. I took my Spanish Test and worked the dinning hall and then went and laid in bed for a bit.

It was also Laundry day!

And I knew I needed to call Camille. I sure miss her!

I had an RA meeting which ended in a group of us going to Cook-out. 

Yes.. I was sick and still went to Cook-out at 10pm.

Friday we had an amazing forum! We had three of our new professors speak one of which was Rachel Wilcox. She is the Presidents daughter and is a writing specialist but teaches history classes. She is pretty young and everyone loves her! Her talk was incredible. It was all about how God is in the "in between places" of our lives. It was beautiful.

That night I went to the opening night of The Secret Garden. I think I am the theatre departments number one fan! I love watching the amazing talent at SVU. This show did not disappoint. It was beautiful.

The quote at the beginning of this post is from one of my favorite songs in the show and one that I recognized from before.

 Mary has just found the Secret Garden but everything is dead. She is heartbroken and tells one of the garden keepers, Dickon, about the dead garden. He tells her, "Did you take a real close look at anything? The strongest roses will fair thrive on being neglected."

Then he sings the song called Wick.

Everything has a "wick" or a life about it.

This song stuck with me from the moment Brigham and Anna sang it at Forum.

We all have a wick inside of us. 

Sometimes it goes dark, but if we look close enough we can all thrive.

Sunday I got a wonderful gift from my friend Heidi!
After Ward Council she said "I made you Banana Bread! I just wanted you to know how much I love you and that I love that we are friends and you are in my life these past few months!"

It was the best. I really needed that!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

(Also congratulations Sam and Erica!)

Buena Vista VA Jan 31-Feb 9

This week I was overwhelmed with love for my tiny little town I call home.

I love the trees I see as I walk to campus. I love the sunsets and the deer that are always hiding. I love the sense of unity on our campus. I adore the people here and everything they have taught me. I love the train that whistles as it comes through town three or four times a day. I love the view from my window. I love the art hallway where I sit and do homework and talk to friends. I love the history and the cute houses that line the streets. I love the spirit that is felt here.

This is where I'm suppose to be.

And I love when I get that confirmation.

Monday someone posted this quote on Facebook:

"Our mortal life was never meant to be easy, or consistently pleasant."

-Thomas S. Monson 

I have found that to be quite true.

But we must have opposition and trials to grow, so of course it is not always going to be pleasant.

Tuesday I read conference talks for two hours. I crave the peace and spirit that their words testify of.

I sat and talked to one of my girls Tuesday night and she randomly said, "Lets go to Don Tequilas for dinner!"

I love this Mexican place. It is probably not the best, but I love it!

I now do room checks Tuesday nights which means all of the girls are usually in their rooms. So what usually can take me 15-20 minutes...takes me two hours! I sit and talk to them because they are so great!

I bought a Fitbit. We are madly in love and getting married. Everyone is welcome.


Thursday Kadee and I were on my bed talking and we looked out and saw a wonderful sunset. Virginia has been nailing sunsets lately.


Friday I was walking to class around 8:45am and I see this in front of me.
It looks like a witch is on the left, walking down to class. It made me laugh!


Friday night was the first night of SVU idol. 
After it ended, everyone (literally...basically everyone) at the school went to Cook-out. It was a lot of fun!


I think this is the cutest picture..except for the random guy.


Saturday I discovered my new love in life (sorry Fitbit). 


It was the second round of SVU Idol and I grabbed a whole bunch of my girls and we all went down. We had been sitting in my hall talking for quite a while so we all decided to go together. 



It was a lot of fun and one of my friends won! 
Well..everyone here is my friend! HAHA

After it was over Kadee came to my room with cookies and orange juice. She didn't leave till 1:30am. We laughed and cried and just talked about life. 
I love Kadee. I adore her.

I don't think I can express to you how much I love Sundays. Ward Council was good and my church meetings also went well. Relief Society was all about remembering who we are. It was wonderful.

I went to dinner where there was cake. 
Sorry Frozen Blueberries... I married Cake.


We threw it back to Freshman year and played Bannanagrams. It was awesome! Alex and Catherine played and then Genny came up and we all sat and talked for quite a while! I then talked to a lot of my girls and then went for a drive. 


I love Buena Vista.
I love SVU.
I love the people in my life.
I love the prophets.
I love this gospel.

Life is challenging and hard.
Life is funny.
Life is beautiful.

Though its hard, something amazing is always at the end.