Weekend Trip!

So Sam and I went on a little vacation to St. George for the break between semesters. We spent a few days in St. George, and even went to Vegas! I was born in Vegas, so it was fun to go back, but I don't know that I'd ever go again. It was one of those experiences you're glad you had, but that you probably wouldn't want to repeat. But it was fun, I promise. Here's some pictures for proof!

This is Sam and I going out to the pool on the first night there. It was a pretty sweet setup, and we were excited!


Sam and I had a fashion photo hour while in the hot tub. This is just a glimpse into the fun we had...


The St. George Temple! We hit up 2 temples in one day (this one and the Vegas temple). It was pretty great, to say the least.


We had a fashion photo hour at the temple too. Wait, who am I kidding? We have fashion photo hours everywhere we go. I love this picture.


The Las Vegas Temple! I loved this one too. I love all the temples, though. :)


Another cool shot of the temple. Gotta love it.


This is in the Bellagio. There was this awesome garden. Funny thing was, none of the plants were planted in the ground! After looking closely, I noticed that all the flowers were just sitting in pots, all really close together. Interesting. I guess it makes ground keeping a lot easier though...


And last but not least, probably my favorite sign from the whole trip. When I saw this sign coming into Vegas, I laughed for about 10 minutes (no really, ask Sam). I had to get a shot of it coming out.

Although not the best, you can still kinda tell what it says. For those of you who can't tell, it says: "If Christ Be For You, Who Be Against You?" Made my life.

Overall, a fun trip, and a great excuse to get out of Provo before we started school again. Now it's back to the grindstone!

A Social Experiment

I've been thinking about social experiments lately. I was involved in one a bit ago, and it was rather entertaining. My roommate and I stood in an elevator for about a half an hour and did things that people wouldn't normally do in an elevator. For example, I stood by the numbers and waited for someone to get on. When anyone got on, I'd ask them what floor they wanted, and then I'd ask them if they were sure. Then I'd spend the entire elevator ride trying to convince them that it wasn't the floor that they wanted.

In this spirit, it was yesterday as it was snowing that I thought of this idea. I wonder what people would do if you tried to creep under the umbrella that they were holding. At first, I pictured myself trying to get under the back of someone's umbrella. But as I considered it more, I realized that people hold umbrellas mostly to the side and forward, taking either the back left or right of their umbrella for themselves, which makes creeping under the back almost completely impossible. This leaves pretty much only one option left: to simply stand and/or walk next to them under their umbrella. While not quite AS strange as trying to get under the back, it could still be rather disconcerting for some people.

Which, as anyone who knows me even a little bit knows, makes me incredibly happy. I thrive on making people feel awkward. And so, I hope to take this idea and use it as soon as is humanly possible.

Unnecessary?

Working as a secretary in the Math Lab, I've come to realize characteristics and habits of people in general. Or at least, as Americans, BYU students, college students, or however you want to classify them.

For example, we provide services like a pencil sharpener, 3-hole punch, stapler, tape, etc. On occasion, our stapler runs out of staples. This is where the problem becomes apparent. Some people, rather than asking for staples, simply ask for a new stapler, one that has staples in it. Really? Every time this happens, I can't believe it. And, surprisingly, it happens quite often.

Here's another example. We check out books and calculators. When someone wants to check out a calculator, we ask if they want a graphing calculator (the really nice fancy-schmancy kind) or a scientific calculator (the less fancy kind, but that still works very well, and does more than most students need anyway). I can always tell when people DON'T need a graphing calculator. When I ask they think for a second and say, "Ummmmmmm......graphing." If you have to think about it that long, you don't need it.

This is what it comes down to: we can't stand not having the best of the best, and if something breaks or malfunctions, we don't think to take the time to try to find the problem, let alone try and fix it. Growing up, I almost never had the luxury of having the best of anything. And if something broke, we fixed it or learned how to deal without it. The General Authorities have been warning us for the past 2 General Conferences at least that we need to learn to do without, to make things last, etc.

I always get emails about how we should prepare food storage, get ready for huge natural disasters and economic crashes, and I hate them. That's not what this is. This is a call to people to learn how to be self-sufficient, and how to not be so...snobby is the wrong word. But it really bothers me that people always have to have the newest of everything. I don't know the word to describe it. Living simply has always been my preferred way of life. I think things would be so much easier if we all learned how to live with what we have, to appreciate things, and that we don't have to have everything.

Just a thought.

Change

Something I've learned recently is how fast life can change directions on you. You don't even see it coming, and then, BAM! Something happens that changes everything you thought you had planned. It can happen in a matter of seconds, and in those few seconds--your life changes completely.

In times like these, I think there are a few options of what to do. One, you can make a rash decision. Thinking that because things have changed so quickly, you must likewise react quickly. Without considering the consequences, all reason goes out the window and the first thing that comes to your mind, you do.

I do not suggest option number one.

I don't know how many other options there are. I'm just going to shoot straight to the point, though. Making decisions about change is not easy. I can't think of anyone who really enjoys large changes in their lives. This post makes me think a lot about a blog post I read a long time ago, that I still think about to this day. I'd recommend reading it. You can read it here. (Just click on the word here) I don't know this guy, but he's a friend of a friend. And I think that his advice is priceless.

As of late, I made a decision that has affected me greatly. It was a decision I didn't want to make. Inaction had lasted me for only so long. I waited for inspiration. I asked for it for a long time. And I've learned something. Sometimes the Lord waits for you to do something first. I took action. I had a plan. I knew exactly what to say, what to do. And then I chickened out. I called up my home teacher and asked him for a blessing. He came over, and from the moment he started to speak, I knew what I had to do. And as soon as he had left, I did what it was that I needed to do. I didn't wait until I had time to start doubting what I knew. And although it was hard, and had an outcome of which I was fairly certain, but didn't want to happen, I know it was the right thing.

I listened to a talk the other day by Elder Dallin H. Oakes about timing. He said how sometimes, we do the right things at the wrong time. Because of this, we may feel like the thing that we knew was right was wrong, when in all reality, it actually wasn't. It just wasn't the right time for it. I think this may be the case with my situation. I feel like where I was was right. So right. But it just isn't the right time. I don't know when the right time will be, or if it will even come. But I do know one thing: the Lord will lead me to do the right thing, at the right time, and He will let me know when it is. And that's what gets me through this day, and the next day, and every day after that. My faith.

Reasons to Smile:

--When I walked home last night, it wasn't that cold, even though I totally expected it to be.

--I went to the Senior Recital of a friend last night, and the music was amazing. As was the company.

--I'm done with my Medals exams.

--Because I can.

--I had orange juice yesterday. I love juice.

--The semester is almost over!

--It was snowing earlier today, but now the sun is out and it's warm outside.

--I played a wicked awesome April Fool's trick on a friend today. Although short-lived, quite hilarious.

--I'm listening to Michael Bublé. Enough said.

--My parents, sisters, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew will all be in town this weekend. I couldn't be happier about that.

--General Conference is this weekend. What could make me smile more than the opportunity to get direct counsel from men chosen and inspired by God?

--I get to spend much of my free time with an amazing person. It blows my mind how lucky I am to have him around.

The funny thing is, at the end of each of those, I wanted to put a smiley face - :)

I really am smiling. This list doesn't even scratch the surface, but I figured I'd share. I hope you can find something(s) that made you smile today.