Turkey Day!!

I absolutely love the holiday season! My parents drove up yesterday and took my brother and I skiing! It was incredible for preseason snow.  It was a tad bit icy and I had a hard time skiing down the slopes at first, but I found out that after 3 and 1/2 years of not skiing, I've still got it :) I may not be as good as my parents, but I'm getting there! I am exhausted though.  Skiing keeps you in shape! I was glad to ski, but I'm not going to lie, finally taking off all my snow gear afterwards felt great.  I can't wait for the rest of the mountain resorts to open up and ski on some fresh powder! :) Maybe I will survive the snow!

Today was incredible! I slept in until about 11 after my intense day yesterday and then my dad picked me up and took me to my cousins house for Thanksgiving.  I played with all my little cousins before lunch and loved it.  We jumped on the trampoline and had tickle fights galore.  Then, the food was ready and we feasted! The food was so freaking good! I was full after only one plate, but I made room for chocolate pie and pumpkin cheese cake! My family bonded and it was great.  We are all currently either on a computer or looking through ads for Black Friday! I love this! We'll all be staying up all night and then shopping for all the good deals. I can't wait! Although I must admit, I miss Taylor, but being with my family is what I needed more than anything! I am so blessed to have them!

Finding Joy During Trials

My time here seems to both be flying by and dragging on.  I have recently met an incredible young man and couldn't be happier, but my grades are another story.  It's harder than I would've expected here at BYU.  The more I think about it though, the more I remember, everyone here was the top of their class.  Everyone here had amazing grades, did hundreds of hours of service and worked extremely hard to make it to where they are now.  I just don't want to let people down.  However, despite my struggles, God still reminds me I am loved.  Taylor stopped by today and brought me Jamba Juice because he knew I was sick and then had his sister drop me off soup, ice cream and hot chocolate.  It was the sweetest thing ever and it brightened my day.  I also find myself feeling down at times and my brother will call and talk to me and cheer me up or a much needed phone call from my cousin Kaylyn always puts a big smile on my face.  I guess what I'm learning is, life will always present challenges, but I just have to remember that God loves me and wants me to succeed.  There's a reason for everything that happens, and it's not always easy to accept it, but it is worth it to always trust in God.  As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."

Also, Thanksgiving is coming up! My parents are driving up to visit me and my brother, since my lucky little sister gets to go to Hawaii for marching band! I'm so excited to see them though! It's amazing how much you miss your parents once you move out! But I can't wait to show them how much I've learned and grown up.  Hopefully they'll agree with me when I say I've grown up! :p I also can't wait for the delicious Thanksgiving dinner! Ah, it's going to be so yummy compared to my cheap meals I normally eat! Overall, life is good.  Hard? Yes! Worth it? Of course!