Pondering... and Praying

I have been thinking a lot recently about random things:

I thought this was cool. I saw it on Pinterest.

God is eagerly  waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, Just as he always has, But he can’t if you do not pray, And he can’t if you do not dream. In short, he can’t if you don’t believe. - Elder Jeffery R. Holland
I can't wait to go home.

• I know the last time I went home over winter break I probably wasn't the best child. I argued with my siblings and I was spoiled with the best Christmas present ever (my Ukulele)
• When I go home for this 4 month break I hope to be a better daughter and sister. I really need to work on my patience. I don't want to be known as the awful sister/daughter. I want to appreciate my family in person as I have learned to appreciate them whilst being away.
• I am looking forward to seeing my special ed friends in my mom's class.
• The other day, Jordan called me crying because he misses me so much. I wanted to cry too. I can't wait to see him and my other friends. I can't wait to be a Special Education teacher because I know I will love them and enjoy my job, as tough as it will be sometimes. I can't wait to see the joy that comes from my life as a teacher to such innocent souls. They are seriously the best

The gospel is amazing.

• I have been having a hard time enjoying church while in college. I miss being in young women's and having older women teach me amazing things. Now that I am a young adult it is hard to take those my same age seriously. Its really hard but I am trying my best. 
• I love my Book of Mormon class.
• My professor Dr. Marsh is seriously the best. I have learned things I have never even thought about before. I have come to appreciate the prophets and the BoM so much more since being in his class. I hope I can have him for all of my religion classes in the future. He is seriously the best.
• I really want to study the Doctrine and Covenants and LDS history



Book of Mormon Reading Chart

• Ever since starting my BoM classes I have learned a lot about church history that I had never thought about before. I am ashamed to say that I have never read the whole D and C and I know that so many of my questions will be answered once I read it. 
• The history of the church is so fasinating and I really want to learn more
• I think it would be really awesome to read the whole Book of Mormon with my siblings in say like a week. I just want to sit down and read for hours just rotating every few pages. I think it would be so awesome. I know that by doing this I will be able to grow so much with my family. We've read the BoM many times before as a family but it has taken at least a year of family scripture study to go through the whole thing. I really want to get into the habit of family scripture study when I get home so that it will help me and my family become regular in study while I am away. I also want to have real FHE every Monday. We need to do spiritual and fun things every week. I think these are really important to do so that when I have my own family, I will already be in the habit.

Praying

• School is really tough on me right now.
• Ever since I had Shingles it has been hard getting back into my classes.
• I would rather not go to them at all. 
• I love what I learn in my classes but its hard for me to get there in the first place
• right now I have so much on my plate. I have major assignments and tests in many of my classes over the next last few weeks of school and I don't know how I am going to manage. There is just so much for me to do. I am trying not to stress out too much because I don't want to get sick.
• I just need to pray for the strength to stay healthy and not stress out so that I can handle finishing all my school work. I like being productive but it can be really difficult sometimes. I know with God's help I can do anything!

I'm Basically a Chef

Um so today I took a really long nap and I woke up and was inspired to make the most amazing creations of food ever. Ok well I actually just found the recipe for one of them on Pinterest and it looked good so I made it.

They turned out delicious. Be Jealous

Banana Scones

Ingredients
2 cups flour (I used wheat)
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup mashed banana
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
Vanilla sugar (or table sugar)
Instructions
1.     Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and prepare a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper.
2.     In the bowl of a food processor, combine the dry ingredients. Pulse in the cold butter.
3.     In a separate bowl combine the banana, heavy cream and egg and mix them together well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and Pulse until the dough comes together well.
4.     Turn out onto a floured surface and gently form into a disc. Slice into 8 scones.
5.     Put the scones on the prepared sheet pan and rub the top of each with some of the heavy cream (or milk), and then sprinkle with sugar.
6.     Bake the scones at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let cool and Enjoy!

BUT first I made this for dinner!
I just got left over taco meat. Some black beans. Pepper Jack Cheese. And Cheddar Cheese. I just randomly but that stuff in the the green bell pepper and this masterpiece was made. It was freaking good!

This Summer

I am still contemplating why I even write in this thing. It's probably because it's easier than keeping my journal but at the same time... I probably should feel the need to be more private. I don't know. And I don't really care. Anyways... I am absolutely excited for this summer! Mid-July I will be going camping with my family in the beautiful Yosemite Valley! I can't wait. I don't really like feeling dirty and such but Yosemite is probably the most gorgeous place I have ever seen. If you have not had the chance to go there I definitely recommend going there.

Half dome in Yosemite. Can't wait to see it again!

Every summer my family goes camping. Thinking back on it, it's probably one of the best times of the entire year. In my family there is way too many of us so it gets kind of crazy and we don't get along so well all the time but it's still nice to get together every year and do this.
I know I keep talking about how excited I am to go home so this is another one of those rants. I know it's going to be crazy and there will be stupid fights but I really have appreciated more what I am missing out on. All my life I have lived in the same place and now that I am away for so long, it really makes me miss all that I had growing up. It's crazy how quickly my life has come to where it is now. What makes me really kind of scared is going home and having so many of my childhood friends gone on missions. Its so crazy. I don't think its going to hit me all that has changed until I go home.
I am still trying to find a way home after the semester. Well kind of... Technically I have a ride now but they aren't leaving until the Sunday after school is done. I don't really want to wait that much longer but if that is the only option I have, I will be fine with that.
Another thing I need to figure out is what to do with all the stuff I am not taking back home. I might leave it at my cousin's or sister's or something. Eh, it will all work out. Right?
Anyhow, I have work and stuff that I should start so ya. I got really behind last week and if I want to get paid a decent amount next paycheck I should probably get to it.
Peace!

Dancing Queen

This weekend there was a winter semi-formal dance for the people living in Heritage Halls and Wyview. Lets just say that I can get down. I'm a fantastic dancer... not really but I can have fun! I didn't have a date so I just went with a group of girls solo. It was still so fun! They had games, food, and pretty good music. They had cheesecake! And they played the Wobble.... so pretty much that right there made it one of the greatest dances I've been to.
I also wore this really awesome dress that my mom made for me. It's comfy and worked with the whole semi-formal thing. Pictures below.
It was a bummer that there was a time change this morning because we also had stake conference so I had to get up even earlier than normal. And after a crazy night last night... that wasn't so fun to get up early.
I don't really know what to write about now...
I was sick this week so I laid in bed most of the week. I hate it. I just got over shingles and now I have to get over a cold! What is wrong with my body? Anyways... I have a test tomorrow that I've barely studied for and barely gone to classes for because I've been sick most of the last three weeks. AWESOME. Hopefully I still do alright. I'm hoping for at least a B... I got an A- on the last one which is pretty good. We'll see. I also have an essay due that I was supposed to do already but my teacher is being lenient because she knows I've been sick... but I still should have turned it in already. Hopefully she's okay with me turning it in tomorrow night because that's probably going to happen. I also have not worked very many hours because I've been sick and tired. Hopefully I don't get fired because I haven't been returning work to the professor I work for lately. He should understand and I hope to get 15 hours or more in this week because I have a little bit more time. I just need to get down to business and get stuff done. I need to stop letting my sicknesses hold me back. I need to get through this semester and stop complaining. I want it to be over with because I just really want to go home but there is nothing I can do but to just endure. If I pray for comfort these next 6 and 1/2 weeks I know I can make it. I can do this!
Well enough with the ranting. I should study or sleep or something so I will peace out for now.

Me and Crystal at the dance

my beautiful dress made by my mother
excuse the mess in the background :)

BYU Vocal Point covers Call Me, Maybe

This is hilarious! This girl tackles Jon Rose from BYU's Vocal Point for his number! The show was amazing by the way and this was one of the more exciting parts of it.
 http://youtu.be/LL6VNaMFn6M

Take Me To Disneyland

Recently I have had the most overwhelming urge to go to Disneyland in Anaheim California. I have only gone I think twice in the past 4 or 5 years. It is so sad. I think I am going to cry. I really miss it so much! Ever since I was in like 4th or 5th grade I had a Disneyland Annual Pass until about 7th or 8th grade. So that was a good 3 or 4 years that I had a pass. It was so much fun and I have so many fond memories of going to Disneyland every month. I have totally been deprived the last few years though. I am determined to get a pass when I go home after this semester. I know it will only be good for like a month but I am hoping to at least go 5-8 times before I come back in the fall.
I just really miss it so much. I know it has changed a lot since the last couple times I have gone so I am really looking forward to going again. I just need my Disney fill so that I don't kill myself over summer.

 Disneyland is truly magical. It makes me so happy because it has so much adventure and fun everywhere. It has totally become way expensive but now that I think about it, if I get an annual pass, it will totally be worth every cent. I just need to save up enough to pay for it. It should work out though. I am not going to buy any clothes or anything if that helps. I wish I could go on my birthday this year but I think my pass will already be blocked... we'll see. At least if I go that week I will be happy. I was going to get a pass last year but then they raised the price $70 and I didn't have that kind of money. Now that I have a job, I can hopefully save up and manage my money better. This is so worth it though. I have not had the joy of Disneyland in way too long. I need to figure out how to drive on the freeway without getting scared so that I can take myself because my mom has to work and won't be able to go with me every time I will want to. Hopefully I can find some friends to go with also. Ah I am so excited. I know it will all work out. I deserve a Disney year! Especially after a hard first year of college, this is the kind of break I will need this summer. 4 months home will be too long without some Disney fun! I can't wait to go home now!

UPDATE: I was listening to Disney music while I was doing my homework and I almost cried. I seriously need to go to Disneyland like right now! I just can't contain myself. I will officially be buying my pass next week even though I won't be able to use it until May. I am going to save all the money I earn just so I can afford gas/paying for my pass. I seriously better go at least once a week in May, if I don't, I will be so sad. It just needs to happen.

Its Been a Great Day

So, I went on a double date yesterday with some friends. It was really fun! We saw this musical called "The Civil War" it was actually really good. I'd never even heard of it before but the music was pretty modern and the performers did a pretty great job.
Last night I went and saw BYU's Vocal Point with my roommate Lauren. Oh my goodness, they were so amazing! I just can't get over it. I saw them last August with my mom and cousins. I just must have forgot. haha. I loved it. Agh and a few of them are really cute! I wish I actually knew them so that I could maybe get to know them better if you know what I mean. Me and Lauren stayed for like an hour after and  sat across from where they were signing autographs, staring. We are kinda pathetic, but it was so worth it. Their voices literally make me swoon. To top it all off, they look really good in a button up shirt and tie. I just can't get over it!

Well, we finally worked up the courage to ask the cutest one, Trevor Johnson, for a picture! We are so height compatible. I mean look! We already look pretty darn good together... minus Lauren... even though I love her to death... I'm the one who is single!
Church tomorrow... TTYL