Friday, December 30, 2011

I've been lazy...

I apologize for being so behind in my posting. I think I kinda needed a break from everything that reminded me of work...which included this blog. Although this was more pleasant work, it was still work, and I was burnt out after finals week. But after the long break, I'm back (haha at least for the moment). Anyway, I found this article in the newspaper called, "Proven Stress Management Techniques" and I thought I'd share it with you since it seemed sorta relevant to this post. 

BREATH, BREATH, BREATH,
take a deep cleansing breath as often as you
can remember to, maybe even learn a
breathing exercise


BE THANKFUL for something every day, say 
them out loud, write them down, keep a
list, post them on your refrigerator
In winter, do just a little bit less
Spend less, agree to spend less,
tell others you are spending less
Eat a little less food, coffee, alcohol
Get a house plant
Drink more water
Exercise, endorphins help you feel better


Put full spectrum light bulb in your home
Stretch a little, learn a little yoga, or tia chi


Meditate
Get a massage 
Play a game, do a puzzle
Buy flowers
Go for a walk
Watch your favorite movie
Tell a joke, LAUGH, SMILE
it's good for you and your brain
Spread good cheer
Do something small for someone else
SMILE as often as you can


Sing a song. hummmmm
Tone Ahhhhhhh and Ohhhhhhh
Read a book
Take a short nap


Pet your cat or dog
Get a haircut or your nails done


Go fishing


Use aromatherapy
Dress warm
Take a bath
Play good music
Go out and just watch nature
Look at the stars
Write in a journal
Draw, paint, create


Make something
Clean a little, organize a little
Day dream a little 
Call a friend or relative and say "Hi"   

Sunday, December 18, 2011

My Christmas Message to You



 Just as with the family in this video, too often I see people that become so consumed with the materialistic things of Christmas, even to the point where they'll fight and tackle each other in the stores on black friday just to buy presents for everyone. Don't get me wrong, giving gifts is a wonderful thing, but not when it consumes us in a manner like that. I'm sure one time or another we've all be caught up in this Spirit of Christmas, but is that really what we want this holiday season to be about? 

Since I had brain surgery on the 23rd of December, I was still in the hospital over Christmas last year. People came and visited the children in the hospital on that day, but because I was in the Adult Neuro ICU, nobody came. 

Then, just as the sun was beginning to set, a man holding an acoustic guitar quietly walked into my hospital room. He asked my parents if he could sing a quite Christmas hymn to me. 

As he began to sing The Little Drummer Boy, a quiet, peaceful Spirit filled the entire room. The love surrounding us was indescribable and I had never felt anything like it before. 

Looking back on this experience, I realized this was the first time that I truly felt the Spirit of Christ. He did not come dressed up as Santa Claus to bring me presents or gifts, because he knew that's not what Christmas is really about. He carried the Spirit of Christ with him, and I am so grateful that I was blessed enough to have it shared with me. 

So here's my message to you: As you go home this Christmas, I encourage you to instead be filled with the Spirit of Christ, bringing peace, love, joy, comfort, warmth, and happiness to all this season. 
Merry Christmas.  :) 

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Awkward and Awesome Saturday....but not.

So I know today was supposed to be Awkward and Awesome Saturday, but I was too busy studying for finals this week and therefore didn't have time to keep track of Awkward and Awesome experiences that occurred during the week. I know this is the second week I haven't posted an Awkward and Awesome list and I'm sorry, I promise they'll be back soon! But for the meantime, I thought I'd leave all ya guys out there with a little advice on how to not make things awkward with girls. You can thank me later.  :)


Friday, December 16, 2011

Guess What I Got...

Today was the best day ever. 

I finished my first semester of college....

AND...

wait for it, wait for it...

I GOT A CELLO!!!!!!

I haven't started lessons yet, but after about three or four hours of just playing around, I can already play the hymn,   "I Stand All Amazed"

Well sorta, but it still sounds pretty awful. 

I'd post a video of it, but I decided as an early Christmas present I'd save you from that. Yes, you're very welcome :) 

P.S. Thank you roommates for putting up with all my practicing! I promise I'll get better soon. :) 

Keep Smiling



The Value of a Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It reaches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory sometimes lasts a lifetime. 

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and no one is so poor but that he can not be made richer by it. 

A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged. A smile is sunshine to the sad, and is nature's best antidote for trouble. 

Yet, it cannot be bought, begged, or borrowed or stolen, for it is of no value to anyone until given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as no one needs a smile as much as he who has no more to give. 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I Have Been Changed

Today was the last day of classes. Well yesterday was too since my classes are on alternating days, but that's beside the point. At the end of each class, I noticed that people were walking up to the professors and thanking them for the wonderful semester. 

A big goal of mine this semester is to be 100% honest. I realized that before coming here to BYU, I never told big lies, but I had fallen into the habit of telling "little white lies".  I never thought it was a big deal, but let me tell ya, ever since I stopped, I have noticed a huge difference in my life. 

It's so refreshing
So uplifting

My integrity is worth so much more than the little white lies I used to subconsciously say. 

Anyway, back to my story. Let's just say I did not enjoy some of my professors this semester. They caused me a lot of stress, lack of sleep, and frustration. In my old self, I would have walked up to them and thanked them for the great semester. But I could no longer bring myself to do this, because it wasn't the truth. So instead I walked out of the classroom.

 But then today, I experienced something I have never experienced before. 

I had one professor this semester who changed my life. His name is Larry Nelson and although BYU lables him as teaching Human Development, in reality he teaches life lessons. Dr. Nelson taught me the woman, the wife, and the mother I want to be. He also taught me the type of man I want to marry someday. I have never felt the Spirit so strong as I did during some of his lectures. He is an amazing man, and a huge mentor in my life. 

It just so happened that his class ended up being my very last class for this semester. As I sat listening to his final lecture, I kept looking at the clock praying that the time would pass slower because I did not want this class to end. I loved Dr. Nelson so much and I my admiration for him was indescribable. Half way through class, tears started to run down my cheeks and a large lump formed in my throat. I felt like a was losing someone that meant so much to me. I know he wasn't dying or anything like that, but that's how I felt. 

At the end of class, I rose from my seat and carried myself to the front of the large lecture hall, trying to regain my composure. As I waited in line to address him, I could feel my emotions building up inside of me. Finally it was my turn to talk to him. 

Tears came out before words could. 

He grabbed my hand and said "thank you" as I tried to gain enough composure to say something. I was finally able to say a few words to him and he thanked me again. 

Walking to the exit of the auditorium was one of the longest walks I have ever walked. 

I didn't want to leave.
 I wanted to just stay there forever. 

As I left the building, tears continued to flow down my cheeks. I'm sure what I have written on here can't even begin to describe this experience for me, although I wish it could. I wish I could convey to you the impact he had on me. 

But that can only be experienced, not told of

Going back to the whole honesty thing, as I was contemplating back on this experience later tonight, I realized that because I had been completely honest with myself and others, my sincere words to him resonated with such greater power than I have ever experienced or felt before. I learned that when you are always 100 % honest, the power of your words can be indescribable. You will never feel something so powerful and impacting than when expressing the truth from the deepest part of your soul. 

I have been changed. 

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Awkward and Awesome Saturday!!

Awkward:
  • My voice cracking while talking to a guy. I didn't even know it was possible for a girl's voice to crack! It was so odd, so random, and so embarrassing. 
  • When two girls told me I just took their machine at the gym. Apparently when someone is standing five feet away from a weight machine, you're supposed to know that means they are using it. Whaaat? 
  • Walking across campus to the gym in my workout clothes while everyone stares at me. It's like they were saying, "Why are you walking? You're in work out clothes! Run girl, run!" 
  • The amount of people I pass everyday that I recognize from my ward, but have no idea what their name is. 
  • The fact that I went four days without showering. And worked out three times within those four days. I'm pretty sure that's a record. And disgusting. 
  • Being sung "Happy Birthday" to, especially when everyone was on a different key. 
  • Getting a terrible bloody nose while walking to class. 
  • Getting a second terrible bloody nose (the same day might I add) while talking trying to talk to a guy friend. 
  • Getting a third stinkin' bloody nose while trying to write this blog post!
  • Volunteering in front of my chemistry class. A couple reasons why this was awkward:
    • I had come straight from the gym so I looked gross and was in work out clothes.
    • There was about 100-150 people in the audience.
    • The task was to race against another guy to solve a problem on the board and my half of the classroom was allowed to help me. But, there were two ways to solve the problem, and I was taking the other route than the people trying to help me in the audience. So as you can imagine, it all became very confusing and I think we lost. But I still got a candy bar for trying, which was definitely the only awesome part out of this very awkward experience.  
  • As a result of having no food in my kitchen after coming back from thanksgiving break, on Monday I ate: three cookies, two slices of pumpkin pie, top ramen, and taco bell. Don't worry I went grocery shopping that night. 
  • Trying to drive to the Walmart ten minutes away, and ending up at the Walmart at least a half an hour away. 
  • The fact that I have so many more awkward's this week than awesome's. 
Awesome:
  • Losing my cell phone (not awesome) but then finding a girl's debit card in the parking lot and being able to find and return it to her.
  • Finding my cell phone about an hour later. The power of prayer is real my people. 
  • Sipping on hot chocolate during my Book of Mormon class in my new thermos I got for my birthday. 
  • Getting ahead two chemistry assignments. That never happens. 
  • All the food I now have in my kitchen. (The not awesome part about it is how much it cost) 
  • My roommate's bed. Okay I know that sounds wrong, but let me explain. She recently got a bed heater, which is one of my loves in this life. You can probably guess where I've been taking all of my naps :) 
  • The fact that within 3 hours thursday night, I went to a bridal shower, a game night, and a birthday party. I was only invited to the game night. 

Thursday, December 1, 2011

To Name or Not to Name. . .

So....if you haven't figured this out yet, my name is Emily. I have struggled with this name for many years now, because of the sole fact that there are too dang many of us. My name was #1 for many years in a row surrounding my birth year, so as a result I have always been surrounded with Emily's: my best friend from high school, my roommate here at college, the seven of us in one class....you get the point. Anyways, I've always promised myself that when I had kids, I would not give them wacked out names, but they also would be unique (aka not on the Top 10 list). With that said, I have always loved the names Chloe and Lily, and just recently I have fallen in love with the name Ava. So of course it would be my luck that on MSN today, they came out with a list of the Top 10 baby names for 2011 and of course, Chloe, Lily, and Ava are not only all on it, but right stinkin next to each other (see below). 
Girls                               Boys
Sophia                                    Aiden
Emma                                    Jackson
Isabella                                Mason 
Olivia                                    Liam 
Ava                                       Jacob
Lily                                       Jayden
Chloe                                     Ethan
Madison                                 Noah
So what do I do? Forget the names and come up with new ones? Or do I get past my dislike for popular names and just go forward with them because I think they're beautiful names? Of course my husband's opinion will matter, and I know I may not even have girls and this may never be a problem, but it's still something I think about. So what do you think? Suggestions and advice are welcome.