My Christmas Wish

As I've gotten older, my attitude toward Christmas has been humbled and changed. As circumstances have separated my family by distances from three hours to halfway across the world,  I have learned that no amount of presents can make up for the lack of family. It took calls from Afghanistan and near death experiences for me to learn that holidays are far more than presents and decorations. I only wish that one day, I could have a Christmas without receiving gifts or feeling the expectations of giving the right ones. I wish that the Spirit of Christ wouldn't be pushed away by the desires of our selfish hearts. This Christmas, I realized just how little presents mean to me. I realize just how much I want to help anyone and everyone I can. Maybe someday I will be able to make this Christmas wish of mine real; to spend my Christmas day not opening gifts, but giving them to those who need them more than I. Sure, spending the morning opening presents and drinking egg nog was great. But the highlight of this Christmas was helping a family in need. It was spending Christmas Eve looking at pictures with my family and playing games. It was remembering the Savior, Jesus Christ, and honoring His birth. It was sitting by the fireplace and racing to put the nativity puzzle together. It was relaxing in front of the Christmas tree and reading my journal, looking back on what I've learned in years past. It was having my family together at last. One of the best so far? No doubt! 

You Live and You Learn

I can hardly bring myself to believe this semester has come to a close. In some ways, it's been the longest four months of my life!!! But in others, it seems like I was just barely unpacking my boxes into my new apartment and ready for new adventures. I strongly believe that if you don't learn from the lessons in life, you have to live them again. So I've made a list (big surprise) of the things I've learned this semester. Enjoy!!

• Humility is one of the most important attributes to have. It is also one of the most rare.
• Patience doesn't mean enduring. It means enduring well.
• I fail at having patience.
• It's okay to admit you messed up.
• The best way to make a problem grow is complain about it. Trust me, I would know.
• Sanpete County definitely isn't Sevier County, but it's a lot more beautiful than I ever allowed myself to believe.
• Having peace, solitude, and personal time is ESSENTIAL to survival.
• True friends are hard to find and always where you least expect them.
• The friendships that matter most don't die from distance, whether it's Ukraine, Cedar City, Salt Lake, or two blocks away.
• You can't fix imperfections unless you accept that they're there.
• Environment makes or breaks you.
• Guitar is A LOT harder than I ever imagined.
• Success isn't getting straight A's. It's doing your best.
• Just because you can say something, doesn't mean you should.
• Most of the population lives in a mentality of "ignorance is bliss".
• Reading your scriptures and saying your prayers every day DOES make life easier.
• I CANNOT WAIT TO GO ON A MISSION!!!!
• As if I didn't know it before, but my family is EVERYTHING.
• My Mom, Pa, Jake, and Abby are my greatest heroes.
• Sometimes it it next to impossible to make yourself like something you don't.
• As hard as you might try, there are somethings you will inevitably change because of the people you're around.
• I'm a hopeless romantic.
• Those who think they know everything know nothing and those who think they know nothing have it all.
• I really really like making lists.
• If you think you are, you're probably right. 
• Success isn't the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.
• Blogging is a bigger failure than I expected.
• Standing up for myself and being assertive is something I don't think I will ever master.
• There is nothing that makes me more proud than watching my friends go on missions.
• Saying nothing can say it all. You don't have to speak to be heard,but that doesn't mean it's the best form of communication.
• I cherish the quiet more than I ever thought I would.
• There is a fine line between confidence and conceitedness.
• It's not always the thought that counts.
• I better get used to marriage because there's plenty more to come.
• As soon as you think you understand, everything will change.
• Happiness isn't about smiling or saying how great life is. It's about peace and content in your heart.
• God made us unique for a reason. We'll never be truly happy until we find that uniqueness, accept it, and flourish in it.
• Not caring what other people think is very hard, but essential to personal growth.
• "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"-Leonardo Da Vinci
• Regret will give you nothing but heartache.
• Sometimes being happy takes a conscious effort. But's it's worth it!