I know we all ought to feel the "Christmas Spirit" all year round, and I know we can. I think part of the reason why it is EASIER to feel the spirit of the love of Christ at Christmastime is because every where you go, people are singing about Christ's birth and what He did and many people are trying to do what He did by serving people who are especially in need at this time. It's really quite amazing that it happens, but I'm so grateful that it does.
As I've served my grandma this past year and a half, I truly learned a lot, including how much I can handle emotionally. I am grateful for the ward that I moved into in Provo. It is exactly what I need to heal emotionally and fill up my bucket so I can once again serve as I desire to serve. Tonight some friends and I went caroling to a few houses in the neighborhood. One man opened the door and as we started singing, he got a big smile on his face. As we finished and began to leave, he said that we really made his day. It felt so good to have done something so simple like that and see with his smile how much it brightened him. I hope that even with my lack of money I can brighten other people's days in simple ways. I know that it will help me just as much as it will help them.
So, this week I'm turning 27. I don't feel 27. Am I really 27? Yep, the math doesn't lie. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I've mostly come to terms with my age, but I still have a deep fear that being 27, graduated with a full-time job, a little bigger in size, and a little awkward, crazy, or weird sometimes will intimidate and/or repulse and/or otherwise be unattractive to guys that I meet that I might want to go on dates with. Really, all I want is to get married and have my own family. I love my preschoolers, but I worry that I might tire myself out before I even have my own kids. I also worry that if I get too old, I won't be able to safely have my own kids or have kids at all. Many people I know have had a hard time, so it's something else I think about.
But worrying and stressing about all that isn't very helpful, so I'm going with Plan B... or is it Plan C or D? I don't know, but that's what I'm doing. It's been quite an adventure. These past 8 years have been filled with so many great memories made with family and friends. I've been greatly blessed. Since I'm 27, here is a list of 27 things I've done in the past 8 years in my "Plan B" adventure.
1. Gone to Nauvoo 4 times- Semester at Nauvoo (BYU Nauvoo), EFY as a counselor (with my sister), Nauvoo Pageant as backstage Family Support and Family Cast.
2. Skydiving with one of my best friends Kristen.
3. Drove a manual transmission car in a "race" with the emergency brake still on. (I lost, of course. And there is a video of it on facebook, actually.)
4. Graduated from BYU with a Bachelor's degree in Marriage, Family, Human Development
5. Read over 20 non-school related books.
6. Hiked Mt. Timpanogoes
7. Hiked to about 10 or more different waterfalls (many multiple times)
8. Watched the play Wicked with two of my siblings
9. Became an Assistant Teacher at Head Start Preschool
10. Bought my dream car- VW Jetta
11. Made at least a dozen slideshows for friends and family of our fun times together
12. Endowed in the temple
13. Served as a missionary for a total of 4 weeks via the Nauvoo Pageant
14. Pet a real kangaroo
15. Got a perm (yeah, my hair is normally straight for those who didn't know)
16. Got hit by rock fall on a hike, which directly hit my teeth and no other part of my face (a miracle). Resulted in a shattered tooth and a kind of cracked canine tooth and some chips of other teeth. Got a retainer and I lost it on Mt. Timp. Got another retainer. Finally got a tooth implant, yay! Eventually got the chips repaired as well.
17. Got wisdom teeth removed and was awake during the whole procedure and could feel a lot of it. Had to do it in two parts because of that fact. After the first procedure I couldn't open my jaw more than half an inch for almost two weeks, so I ate baby food and other things that didn't require ANY chewing at all. Soooo glad that it wasn't permanent!!
18. Made 2 music videos. One with my roommates on a St. Patrick's Day to the song Ultimate and I called it The Ultimate Music Video (Not). It happens to still be on facebook. The other one was to "All The Single Ladies" on a Valentine's day with a couple of my roommates, my sister, and a guy friend. That one is NOT on facebook as far as I know.
19. I've eaten "crack" and have gotten "cronked" Ask my family.
20. I planted strawberry plants and had them in my very own garden for a year and a half.
21. Was an EFY counselor for 3 summers
22. Went to Niagara Falls
23. Touched the Nauvoo bell... I mean the REAL Nauvoo bell, you know, the one that is up in the tower of the temple at this very moment? Yeah, that one. :)
24. Shook Elder Richard G. Scott's hand
25. Learned how to make my infamous cinnamon rolls
26. Sang a solo in front of over 200 people (EFY theme song 2006)
27. Got a season pass for Disneyland even though I lived in UT. Went just enough times to make it worth it money wise, but made some amazing memories with my family. One being my siblings and I sitting lightest to heaviest in the boat for Splash Mountain. Each drop we came to, even the little dips, we got not one, but two waves hitting us, the second one always bigger. Needless to say, the final drop was EPIC. We ALL came off completely soaked. We managed to repeat the experience on another visit with my dad. It was awesome.
Here are some pictures:
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| Home for Thanksgiving |
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| Christmas at my new place! |
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| All of my Christmas houses are out this year |
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| Friends in my new ward! |
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| Paparazzi for my ward's Academy Night |
