Christmas Adventures

I haven't been very consistent about blogging lately. So, I'm going to make a series of posts about my Christmas break (so far)!!!

Brrrr!!!! That's how I've felt about the cold, snowy weather lately!!!! But it sure is pretty!!!

Our Christmas display in our apartment

My Nativity set that Grandma & Grandpa Winters bought for me while in Mexico

Nativity & Lights

Missing

I hate missing people I love during the Christmas season!!! And even though we're only parted for a short time, it still makes me a little bit grumpy. I can't imagine what it's like to be parted for a long time... But I'm looking forward to my birthday when I'll play with one of them!!!! I really don't want my vacation to end, but I am kind of really looking forward to January 4th....

Lyssa

In costume for her high school's production of "Hello, Dolly" last week

I love my baby sister!!!!!!!! Alyssa is 7 years younger than me and 5 years younger than Brad--a surprise addition to our family. I remember putting my head on Mom's tummy waiting to feel Lyssa move around inside. When she was born, I was so excited and wanted her all to myself. Unfortunately, when they came home from the hospital, I was sick and wasn't allowed to hold Lyssa for a few devastatingly upsetting days. :) Lyssa is my favorite and only sister. In some ways I helped raise her, and I love to see her learn, grow and progress. She is a very fun loving, talented, goofy, thoughtful, happy, spiritual, intelligent girl who I am proud to call my sister. I am so grateful to have her in my life!!!

What a cutie!!! :)

Leaders

I am grateful for inspired leaders who give wise council.

Worth it

Sometimes it's worth taking a risk, even if the potential to experience incredible hurt or disappointment exists. Do I have trepidations? Yes. But the potential for good in the experience outweighs any possible negative effects. I'm taking a leap of faith, trusting that I will not fall but fly.

1st SNOW!!!!

When the weather is like this, I am grateful for hot chocolate, indoor heating, rain-boots, new coats, and soft warm blankets!!! :)

 \

Kim and Brownies

I'm super duper grateful for Kim and our friendship. And I'm glad for the brownie sundae we made: brownies topped with ice cream and adorned with more brownies! Made me happy!!! :)

Love

"Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -melody Beattie

I am grateful for friends and family who help me talk through the problems and challenges in my life--and who still love me despite my weaknesses and fears.

The Gratitude Experience

When my parents first got divorced, a friend told me about a gratitude journal which they kept. Everyday my friend wrote down simple things that she was grateful for. I thought it was a good idea, so for several months I kept a gratitude journal. It made a big difference in my life at the time. It helped give me perspective on my life, and helped me recognize all of the blessings I take for granted.
It seems like everyone is posting the things they're grateful for on facebook this month. I don't particularly want to post my thoughts on such a public forum, however I do think it's a good idea. Starting today I'll try write one thing that I'm grateful for every day for the rest of November.

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."  -John Milton

I'm grateful for wonderful friends who understand me and are there for me. I'm grateful for conversations over tea, long walks in the park, movie nights, dinners cooked and shared together, adventures, bike rides, frozen yogurt or hot chocolate, notes, pavlova, experiences, stories, and hugs. I'm grateful for friends who I can laugh with, cry with, be sad with, and share with. I'm grateful for friends who see me for who I am and love me anyway. I have the most incredible friends who inspire me every day to become a better person. I'm grateful for their courage and cheerfulness when faced with hard things.

The Prince's Dog

First Frost of 2012

"There is an old Welsh story from the 13th century about a prince who returned home to find his dog with blood dripping down its face. The man rushed inside and, to his horror, saw that his baby boy was missing and his cradle overturned. In anger the prince pulled out his sword and killed his dog. Shortly thereafter, he heard the cry of his son—the babe was alive! By the infant’s side lay a dead wolf. The dog had, in reality, defended the prince’s baby from a murderous wolf.

Though this story is dramatic, it demonstrates a point. It opens the possibility that the story we tell ourselves about why others behave a certain way does not always agree with the facts—sometimes we don’t even want to know the facts. We would rather feel self-justified in our anger by holding onto our bitterness and resentment. Sometimes these grudges can last months or years. Sometimes they can last a lifetime...

None of us is without sin. Every one of us makes mistakes, including you and me. We have all been wounded. We all have wounded others." (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Ensign Oct 2012)

There was a time in my life when I was angry and upset at someone who I loved who had hurt me. I questioned my friendship with this person, I questioned my world paradigm, and I questioned my belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I felt taken advantage of, and I felt that everything I had ever taken for granted was a lie. I felt betrayed and my world seemed to be crumbling around me.
At this point, I realized that I had the choice to give up on everything my parents had taught me, or to find out if it was true. I knew that the only way to find out if what I had been taught before was true, was to really truly live it. I experimented with the word of God by really striving to feel the spirit at church meetings, I delved into the scriptures like never before, I tried to live the commandments, and I prayed to my Heavenly Father in a more personal way than ever before. Although it did not come all at once, I gained a testimony for myself that the church is true. Perhaps even more importantly, I felt the love of God in my life and I knew that He was there for me and always will be there for me.
Shortly afterwards, I realized that I was still very angry at the person who I felt had destroyed my life. I felt bitter and resented this person for what they did to me. I felt that I would never trust them again, nor would I ever have a relationship with them again. Although I hid it from those around me, my hurt and anger ate away at my heart. Finally, rather reluctantly, I realized that I had to change. I didn't have the power to change the heart of the person who had hurt me, but I did have the power to change my own heart through the Savior's atonement.
My journey for forgiveness did not come overnight. I had to work harder than I ever had before to understand and apply the gospel in my personal life. Ultimately, I had to place my faith in the Savior, who's atonement helped me to shift my paradigm. I worked on forgiveness for four years. One fall, I had the opportunity to sing in a choir which sang a lovely arrangement of the prayer of Saint Francis. As I sang this song during practice, I felt healing begin to take place in my heart. When we performed the song, I had to stop singing in the middle because I couldn't stop crying at the realization that I forgave this person with my whole heart.
I would like to be able to say that I was perfect after that experience, but unfortunately that would be a lie. I still sometimes feel hurt by the same person, and I still sometimes feel angry. I still have to work at maintaining the feeling of forgiveness towards them. However, these feelings don't last and they don't fester away at my heart. When I start feeling that way, I remember the many blessings in my life, and I am able to put things back in perspective.  I remember how it felt to feel honest forgiveness for this person, and I remember that the Savior is still there for me. It is still a journey of healing, and honestly it will probably be something that I will have to work at maintaining for the rest of my life. But I have felt and continue to feel the miraculous healing that the atonement of Jesus Christ  can have in my individual life.


Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.
Where there is injury, thy Pardon, Lord.
Where there is doubt, let there be Faith.

Oh Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.
Where there is despair, let me bring Hope.
Where there is darkness, let there be Light.
Where there is sadness, let there be Joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek:
To be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved, as to love.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow Love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.

And it's in dying that we are born 
To eternal life, to eternal life.
Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.
An instrument of thy Peace. Amen.

-St. Francis

My View

The view of fall from my apartment

The colorful leaves, rain, and the mountains shrouded in clouds remind me of Switzerland...

St. George Trip

Went to St. George on Tuesday night with a couple exercise science professors (Dr. Vehrs, Dr. Myrer, Dr. George) and some students. We went to do research and a service/study at the Huntsman World Senior Games held every year in St. George. We took three BYU vans, stayed with host families and drove back Thursday night. 7:30am-4pm we spent at the games. Part of our group helped Dr. Vehrs with an ultrasound on the carotid artery. This was probably the most popular booth at the health fair held at the games, as a $700 test was free. There were seniors lined up for hours just to get an appointment.
I helped with the other research project, which was a postural assessment before and after doing corrective exercises using the Egoscue method. We took photos with a special app on the ipod which will calculate differences in posture between the pre and post photos.
I LOVED getting to chat with and work with the seniors. They were really great and so sweet. A 72 year old woman taught a couple of us how to do head stands, which she demonstrated quite proficiently. I worked with a wonderful older man who is a springboard diver. His wife is a professional singer and they travel all over the US and Canada performing for seniors in nursing homes. Watching the seniors who were still so full of life but also full of experiences made me want to be a better person, to try a little harder, love a little bit deeper, and just to keep going when the going gets tough.
I wish I had more (and better) photos that captured the experience better.

Walking on Dixie Rock with part of our group of BYU students:

 Seniors:

Group Photo:

Happenings

God is good! In the right place at the right time today. Just what I needed, and I hope it helped.
Loved seeing Susie at Smith's today. Made me happy. :D

Recent(ish) happenings in the land of Provo:

I love Bishop and Sister Nelson!!!!!

With much regret, finally retired my trusty backpack this semester. It served Sister Lehmann her entire mission, she then bequeathed it to me, it served me my whole mission, then I came home and it served me for nearly 2 years for school. With a broken zipper, tearing at the top, and holes in the bottom, I reluctantly consented to buy a new one. Bought the same brand. 

 Kerry Sjoberg, my wee little Scottish companion came to visit in August!!! Had a party! Soooo good to see her and meet her family.

Blue skies and rolling clouds

First live BYU game EVER! Actually, first college football game EVER! BYU vs. Hawaii. Won 47-0. Booyah! Probably won't go to another game...unless a cute boy is paying. Too long and too stop and go. Soccer & basketball are more my thing. BUT I loved going with Cathryn!!!! We danced, ate kettle corn, drank juice (which we snuck in), ran into a couple friends (Holli, Hannah & smiley baby), and enjoyed the bike ride there and back.

We found Waldo!!! We also found Jesus! Seriously, we found the actor playing Jesus in the New Testament films!!! Long hair, beard, t-shirt & jeans. Wanted to take a picture, but decided against it. So we got a pic with Waldo instead.

Pretty much my favorite thing!!!!

 Double rainbow. Healing.

Rain

Rode my bike home in the rain today. It's refreshing to see the world get washed clean again. Sometimes I need that feeling in my life.

Bicycles and Life

 

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."

-Albert Einstein

This is how I feel sometimes about my life!!! It can definitely be a balancing act, and sometimes I don't know how I' can do everything that needs to be done!

Sometimes...

"Solitude" by Helenka Wierzbicki

Sometimes life feels very lonely. I have lots of great friends, interests, responsibilities, roommates....but sometimes no matter how full my day is, no matter how many friends I've seen, I come home at the end of the day and feel alone. I feel a little bit guilty about feeling that way, because I really have no right or reason to, but sometimes I do. Life just rolls on by, and sometimes I feel small and insignificant. Yeah sure, I would be missed if I wasn't here--for a little while. But then life would continue on and people would move on quickly filling the empty space I once filled with other things....
I guess everyone moves on...
But sometimes it makes me sad. Especially when they're still here in body but they've built a wall around themselves and I don't know how to get back in.
They say time heals all things. But it doesn't always make it better the way you imagine, want, or hope.
Well, tomorrow is a new day for me to try again.

Time for a really cheesy, crappy movie and hot chocolate!!!! If only Kim were here to enjoy with me... :)

"Do one thing everyday that scares you." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Today, I began to learn something that has been on my bucket list for a very long time. Since it's (sort of) my last semester, I decided to take two fun classes--classes that will be challenging but fun, classes that are teaching me things I've wanted to learn for a long time. One of those classes is....

SCUBA DIVING!!!!!!!!!! :)

Only one problem: I am terrified of going underwater for longer than a few seconds!!!!!!

When I was a kid, our parents signed us up for swimming lessons. I did ok, but I discovered that I don't like putting my face in water. So I didn't try very hard in swimming and I didn't get very far before giving up. Last summer I had a swimming lesson with my friend Annie in order to help me overcome my fear of putting my face in the water. It helped a lot, but I haven't swam enough laps to completely overcome the fear. However, this semester in my scuba diving class I have 3 goals (not necessarily in this order):

1. Overcome my fear of going underwater
2. Have fun scuba diving
3. Swim with the fishes in the deep blue sea!!! :)

Eleanor Roosevelt was a wise woman in suggesting that we do one thing everyday that scares us, because that's how we grow and overcome our fears.

Today in class I did all right--only one really big panic attack on my part. I didn't like the part where we had to fill our goggles with water then get the water out by blowing air out of our nose. Closing my eyes (because of contacts) and feeling the water in my goggles made me freak out just a wee bit. I think that will be the hardest skill for me to develop, but it's an important one!

Luckily my scuba instructors, my partner and my classmates were EXTREMELY patient with me. I felt bad slowing them down--especially since I was the only one who struggled that much. But I felt much more comfortable by the end of the day. I could do all the skills well except for the filling up my goggles with water one. I'm confident that I'll get it down, and I'll be ok! 

Neil Gaiman said,  "Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly." Or in my case, you swim!!!! :)

Me someday!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Food Blog

I finally decided I need to keep better track of my recipes, especially new ones that I try. So, I created this fun food blog. It's possible that I will eventually create a joint food blog with my brother, Brad, who is a great cook. But for now, here's the link to my food blog!

http://natinthehatishappy.wordpress.com/

I appreciate good music and most of all good friends!!!

I seriously don't know what I would do without such incredible and inspiring friends. Saying goodbye to Elizabeth and Bethany today (both are moving on to the next thing God wants them to do) was hard for me. But it really got me thinking about how much I appreciate them and the other good friends in my life.

That being said, I was kinda feeling super cranky after church. So then I really appreciated Cathryn's invitation to see a special tour of the new Brigham City Temple. Cathryn works for the church on interior design for Temples, so there was a tour for her & her coworkers & family. No big deal, right? Anyway, I appreciated being her sister for the day. ;)
The Temple as well as the Sunday school lesson today (on Captain Moroni) made me realize that I haven't been to the Temple in a few weeks and that is really leaving a big empty spot in my life. I need my regular time in the Temple in order to be replenished spiritually because sometimes my life feels very draining.
The Brigham City Temple is absolutely incredible! It's the 5th Temple done in the historical style, and the detail in the interior is absolutely incredible!!! Beautiful stained glass windows, intricate woodworking, the paintings (there's an original Minerva Teichert painting and a couple reproductions of her work, two paintings by President Packer, as well as other beautiful originals), the Native American history with the church in Brigham City, and peaches are just a couple of the many little details that make that Temple really special.
Anyway, that experience and talking with Cathryn were what I needed in order to lift my mood and help replenish my spirit. The spirit in the Temple amazes me--this Temple hasn't even been dedicated yet, but it still lifted me up. I'm so glad that I can talk with Cathryn about anything on my mind! And I'm glad I can vent and she'll listen to me just talk.
This morning Mormon Tabernacle Choir helped me de-stress enough to function at church without anyone seeing the weight on my shoulders. Now, after what turned out to be a really good day, my Sara Bareilles radio station on pandora is just what I need to wind down for bed.
Speaking of bed, it's super late and I have to wake up bright and early for work. So good night, and thanks for being my friend!!!

The Incredible Bradman

What does my brother Brad have in common with Batman? He's a self made talented, creative genius!!! This is a song he wrote today, just for fun.

I LOVE having my brother around!!! :)

Did you know...

• Did you know that the body is comprised of over 600 muscles?
• Did you know that 40-50% of our body weight is pure muscle?

Isn't the human body incredible and awesome (as in awe-inspiring)?

My Cathryn Friend

I love this girl!!!!

My Beautiful Family!!!

Mom, Lyssa, Me, Brad 

Pedicures!!!!!!!!!

 Me, Mom and Alyssa went and got lovely pedicures together!!! It was Mom & Alyssa's first time getting pedicures, and it was hilarious! Mom & Lyssa are both super ticklish and they kept giggling and their feet kept jerking around. It was so funny to watch! But they are both excited about their cute toenails and soft feet now!!! Plus we got super cute flowers! :)

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy!!!

My brother Brad and his friends jamming Jazz on the porch.

They sounded fantastic!!! I have a super talented brother (he's on the guitar)!!!

We had some friends over and we ate ice cream, brownies & fruit and just enjoyed the music, the company and beautiful weather. I wish every day could be like this!!!