Happiness day 32

I love life!
I love being married!

I love coming home to MY apartment, and MY husband!
I love my family!

I love rice krispee treats!













I love public health!
I love chronic disease prevention!
I love my kitchen aid!

I love my toaster oven!
I love BYU!
I love being married!


















I love life!

Happiness Day 12-31

There is much to be happy about!!

1.) I'm getting married! In 23 days, I'm getting marred for time and all eternity to the love of my life in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

2.) I get to see my family, because I'm getting married. Everyone is coming out and I can't wait to see everyone. I love them all.

3.) Tomorrow is my last day of classes, then finals, then I'm getting married.

4.) I have a great job that works with my school schedule and lets me make money.

5.) I have the opportunity to go to school and wonderful grandparents who help me get through school. I am so grateful for everything they do for me.

6.) I have wonderful examples in my life and a great support system. They are willing to help me through everything.

7.) I live in a great apartment complex where I have made wonderful life long friends, get to have a great roomie, met my soon to be husband, and get to be part of a great ward with a wonderful, supportive bishopric.

8.) I live close to my family so I can see them pretty much whenever I want.

9.) I finally get to go through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple on December 29th to receive my endowments.

10.) I am marrying into a great family and am going to have wonderful in-laws that care about me.

11.) I have been able to plan my wedding mostly stress free and am pretty much all done!!

12.) Kyle and I both found people to by our contracts!! That means we don't have to worry about paying extra rent.

13.) We were able to find a cute little apartment not too far from campus for only $500 a month. It even has two bedrooms.

14.) I'm healthy.

15.) I got to see my Daddy over Thanksgiving. I miss him when he's in Alaska for 5 months.

16.) I have a dance class with my cousin, so I get to see him twice a week.

17.) I get to see the beautiful, wonderful, amazing girls that I RA'd for on Thursday.

18.) I'm going to have a washer and dryer in my apartment.

19.) I've never gone hungry and have always had clothes to wear.

20.) Did I mention I'm marrying the best guy ever? He is so great. He loves me, he thinks I'm beautiful, he's going to school so he can support our family, he takes care of me, and he'd do anything for me. He's amazing and I love him!!!!

Happiness Day 11: A Weekend of Wonderful

It's been a long time, but there are so many things for me to be happy about this past week and this weekend.

On Tuesday, my family came up and stayed the night with me. Xander has a doctor's appointment on Wednesday so they came up Tuesday night (after I got scuba certified!!!!) we went to temple square, saw Jonathan and Marcie and then they spent the night at my apartment. It was so much fun. Then Wednesday we went up to Daniel and Alice's and then saw How To Train Your Dragon. So much fun. They're coming up again this coming weekend and I'm so excited. I love to see the family.



Friday I had the opportunity of going to my Bishop's cabin with my ward and spend Friday and Saturday there. It was such a wonderful opportunity. I made great friends with people in my ward, got to witness the beauty of the Earth, and have such a great time. I sat around the camp fire, went swimming in the lake, went 4-wheeling, and it really made me miss Kotzebue. It was so wonderful, and so beautiful. Saturday afternoon there was a huge rain storm which I love, so everything was well worth it.

Saturday night was the ward temple trip. We went to the Provo temple, and although we were able to get in and out really fast, it was such a great experience. I love going to the temple and can't wait to go to the Salt Lake temple with Trevor next weekend.

Today was fast Sunday, which is wonderful in and of itself, but then we also had choir practice and will have break-the-fast later. I love going to choir. I love the songs that we are singing and I love the friends I have made there and the spirit that I feel. We're singing in church on Sunday and I'm really excited. We're singing an arrangement of "I Love the Lord" and it is so beautiful. I am going to share the words with you, because I love them so much.

I love the Lord. In him my soul delights.
Upon his word, I ponder day and night.
He's heard my cry, brought visions to my sleep,
And kept me safe o'er deserts and the deep.
He's filled my heart with his consuming love,
And borne me high on wings of his great dove.

Yet oft I groan,"O wretched man am I!"
My flesh is weak and I'm encompassed by
A world of sin, which holds me in its thrall,
If I give in and to temptations fall.
Then strength grows slack, I waste in sorrow's vale.
My peace destroyed, my enemies prevail.

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin.
Rejoice, my heart! And let me praise again
The Lord my God, who is my rock and stay
To keep me strict upon his straight, plain way.
O let me shake at the first sight of sin
And thus escape my foes without and in.


I love the Lord, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to sing praises to him. I love the spirit that the Lord gives to me and the help he gives me throughout my life. I am so grateful to be in a place where I can feel the spirit. I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the opportunity I have to repent so I can live with my Heavenly Father again. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with the life I have so that I may have these experiences and be blesses with a wonderful family and friends. I love you all.

Happiness Day 10: Fudgesicle Face

So, this didn't start out as something that made me necessarily happy, but as the last 10 minutes or so has progressed, it has made me quite happy.

Today, while we were eating Fudgesicles, mom noticed that hers looked like it had a face. So, she hung up the phone, made me take a picture of it, and then posted it to Facebook. Then, for the last 10 minutes, every time she looks at it, she laughs. It just makes her so happy that her Fudgesicle looks like a face. And her laughing continuously makes me very happy. So here it is, Fudgesicle Face.

Happiness Day 9: Just One of Those Days

Today was a particularly hard day. Nothing in particular to talk about, but nothing seemed to go right. So, I decided that today would be one of the most important days to blog. Because it's a day, that a first glance, doesn't seem very good. But take a closer look, and I realize that it wasn't all that bad. So here's 10 things to prove that today wasn't an all bad day.

First off, a simple text from my mom, telling me she couldn't wait until Friday so she could see me. Something little, but something that was really appreciated when having a rough day.

Second, a hello from my dad, just to say he sent me a package and that he loves me.

Third, a message from my mother, even though I was in class and couldn't answer, to say she was thinking about me.

Forth, getting to be outside. Although I was annoyed that I had to walk back to my apartment in between classes to get something I forgot, it was a beautiful day, and it would be a shame to go without recognizing that.

Fifth, getting a phone call from a friend that I haven't heard from since we parted ways for the summer. The day I needed a hug the most, the guy I go to for hugs couldn't give me one, so he called me instead, and it was so good to hear from him!! I'm so excited for him to go on his mission!!! He leaves in a week!! Crazy.

Sixth, skyping with a great friend!! Even with nothing to say, we can talk for forever and it was great to see her beautiful face!!

Seventh, hanging out with friends, even if it's just for 45 minutes. Having fun and laughing makes up for everything.

Eighth, realizing that my family is only a 2 1/2 hour drive away and that I'm going to see them in less than 2 short days!! I'm so glad that they are so close and that I can go home anytime that I want and that I'll have a place to stay.

Ninth, knowing that even if I can't make the 2 1/2 hour drive, I can always make a 10 minute drive to see Kali, a 20 minute drive to see Audrey, or a 45 minute drive to see Daniel and Alice. Whether they're blood related or not, I know I have family that cares about me!!

Tenth, knowing that people care enough about me to give me a ride home so I don't have to walk alone in the dark, even if it is about 2 blocks away.

And Eleventh, just for good measure, realizing I have much to be grateful for.

Life is hard, but it's worth it. I love it!! Like a good friend said in her latest blog, "Beauty is all around us. Not recognizing it doesn't make it any less beautiful, it just excludes us from its adventures. Your life may be what you make it, but life has already made itself beautiful for you. All you need to do is take it and then say "thank you" by making someone else's life a little more beautiful."

Take a minute to read her post, it really is amazing.

http://christineinchicago.blogspot.com/2010/07/cliche-station.html

I love you all!!!

Happiness Day 8: Dinner with friends

It has been brought to my attention that I have not blogged in about a week. Oops. Well, because of that I decided to change my rules. I am going to continue to TRY to blog everyday, but when I miss a day, I'll just continue on to the next day. So, by the end I won't have 365 consecutive days of happiness, but I will have 365 days of happiness.

So, last weekend was one of my best friends birthdays, and I happened to be out of town visiting my wonderful family. So, I decided to make up for that by having dinner at my house with some of our friends. I'm making tacos, and I even bakes a cake!!! (I know what you're thinking. Rachel??? Bake??? But yes I did :)

So, I actually haven't had the dinner yet so I can't post any pictures. I will after we're done. But, I am so happy to have such wonderful friends. I love the time I get to spend with them and I am so glad that they are in my life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERYNN!!!!

Happiness Day 7: Shopping at the Long's Food Storage!!!

Today I had to go up to Salt Lake to grab some things from my brothers house. Right before I was about to leave, my sister-in-law asked if I needed any food, which at first I turned down, but after thinking about it, I thought, why not take some extra food storage so I don't have to buy it!!!?!?!?! CHaching!!!

So, after looking through their food I ended up with 3 cans of peaches, 5 cans of tuna, about 8 cans of spaghetti sauce (big cans), peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and a box of cheerios!!! HOORAY!!! I can eat for quite a while with all of that stuff!!!

Thanks DeeDee and Alice!!! I love you!!!