Happy Halloween

It was fun to see how many people dressed up on campus today. Lots of cool costumes. Tonight was my night to make dinner. We had "dinner in a pumpkin". It turned out pretty well despite I had to cut off the top of the pumpkin because it was moldy. . . don't worry though it tasted fine.

It turned out delicious. Rice, hamburger, celery, onions, peppers, water chestnuts and cream of chicken soup cooked in a pumpkin for about 2 hours. I think it would be good with mushrooms as well but we didn't have any.

I toasted the pumpkin seeds to and they are SOOOO good! I love them.

My Mom sent the cups on my Halloween package. 

   

Happy Halloween! 

Roast Beef Dinner

For Sunday dinner today Lexy and I decided to make roast beef. It wasn't as good as my Mom's but I think it overall turned out well. Just as we were sitting down to eat Taylor and Levi (our FHE brothers and friends that are regular occurrences at our apartment) came by to home teach Lexy and Kiki because their regular home teachers have yet to present themselves. How nice are they? Of course we insisted that they stay and eat. Levi has even made dinner for all of us twice now. They are great guys and I am glad that we could be friends with them. I am grateful that although the priesthood isn't always physically in our apartment that I can have friends and good home teachers who I know will do for anything for me and I am so grateful to have these worthy priesthood holders in my life. 

Our Sunday dinner. Yummy! I tried making some of my Mom's squares for dessert to. They turned out ok but not near as good as my Moms! I have lots of room to improve. 

BYU in the Fall

Yesterday I got to open up another present from my 24 hour homesick kit. My Mom was truly inspired by picking that particular day. Yesterday was a hard day as I was missing home quite a bit. Luckily, my Mom had a special surprise for me that made all the difference. 

                             Our apartment is all ready for Halloween on wednesday. 

Lexy, Saydi, and I just returned from a walk. It is perfect weather right now. Not to mention it is beautiful! The pictures speak for themselves. I love it right now! Campus is breathtaking! 

The Glenwood parking lot 

"Home sweet home" at Glenwood. At least for now. 

Finally got a picture at the sign! Katelyn this is for you. 

Saydi and Lexy. Aren't they cute?

The Marriott Center looks especially beautiful with all of the trees surrounding it and up against the mountains. 

I am so grateful for this time of season. I love it. It reminds me everyday of God's love for me. My favorite time of the day is walking home from school and just enjoying all of Gods beauty. It shows me that his hand is everything. I hope I can always take time to notice and rejoice in the little things for they truly make all the difference. 

Facebook No More

I am starting a new goal. It is simple to say: "NO FACEBOOK". However, definitely hard to do. I have realized how much lately I go on facebook. I could do so many other wonderful things yet I waste my time looking insignificant things. My goal is to not go on Facebook for an entire week and see how it affects me. So to my family you can still facebook me and I will receive and email through hotmail that I can respond to without going on facebook. I am now! 

Report

Stressful week is officially over! But the bad news is that it starts again next week. I am trying not to think about that right now though and focus on these few days I have to relax a little.

Overall, I am very happy with how my paper, exams, and quiz went. Here are the results. I share them not to boast but rather to remind myself how hard I worked for these grades and to show that hard work indeed pays off.

Chemistry test 100%
Anatomy quiz 100%
Psychology paper 100%
Psychology test 80%

There is still much room for improvement especially in my psychology class. It is so hard for me to focus on that class for one main reason: it doesn't interest me. However, I really need to get an A in this class because right now I have a B- and it is holding my GPA way down. I am going to try hard to find something about it that I like to motivate me to work harder in it.

I got 100% on the psychology paper! I am so happy! This paper caused stress, anger, and yes even tears! Just ask Saydi. This paper was not a joyful experience in the least. Nonetheless, the multiple rewrites, rough drafts, and hours of research all payed off when my TA proclaimed mine was the best one yet and wanted a copy to show as an A paper. Ya that felt good! Here is a copy of it. The topic was "Can humans overcome the natural man? Are they a product of their genetics? environment? or biological factors?" This was hard because we could not use any gospel resources, the paper had to be 1 page, and there was 3 other subsections that we had to address. I know my paper isn't perfect by any means (Mr. Heninger would probably only give me an 80 on it I bet) and I know there is lots of room for improvement.

Melissa Hartley

Psych 111- Met with TA Kelsey

The Power to Override

Freedom of speech, religion, and association are all rights guaranteed under the constitution. However, what about freedom to oneself? Do individuals possess the power to override genetics and the environment? Or are they subject to a natural, animal like state? Using the frontal cortex, humans have the power to override the natural man; however, it is often difficult due to the constant interplay between genetics and the environment.

Metacognition is a gift unique to humans. Although humans are anatomically similar to animals, one specific structure establishes the difference: the frontal cortex. In humans it holds specific, precise, abilities. Two of them being complex decision making and personality. Although animals possess a frontal cortex, it lacks the size and complexity contained in humans. Moreover, humans have the ability to think and process thought like no other species on earth. If this structure were not exercised, humans would be no more than animals.

The capacity that humans have to think consciously is the key to avoiding the natural man. Through thinking consciously we can evaluate our successes and form goals. Both help to avoid being subject to the carnal world. Sadly, learned and habitual behaviors often inhibit our ability to think consciously. Addictions are perhaps the most prevalent among habitual behaviors. Examples include smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as well as less recognized ones such as overeating and bulimia. The frontal cortex is significantly affected from these activities. Because the frontal cortex houses our conscious thoughts, addictive behaviors such as the ones mentioned keep us from overcoming the natural man.

It is often overlooked that humans are made up of genes that code for certain behaviors. Moreover, when these genes interact with the environment certain behavior results. Luckily, through experience knowledge can be gained. More specifically, through having experiences that reveal our natural tendencies, we can understand more about our self. Consequently, we will know how to respond the next time. Our ability to make memories and learn (also in the frontal lobe) makes this possible. Tolman’s maze rats experiment is a prime example. On the tenth day the second group of rats found their way through the maze. (Tolman and Honzik, 1930) This shows that information learned and remembered can help up through situations that were at first impossible. In short, although humans are subject to their genes and the environment, it is still possible to overcome the natural man.

I’ll never forget my first experience with cadavers. My natural man took over leaving me nervous and scared. I couldn’t enjoy the experience because of these natural tendencies. My experience with cadavers here at BYU has been different. Since I have learned and remembered how to handle the situation, the experience has been rewarding rather than drastic. Malcolm Gladwell puts it that just because we don’t completely understand something at first, it is not out of our control. We have the ability to overcome natural urges through experience. (Gladwell, 2005) Because our genes interact with the environment, we have natural tendencies and urges; however, through the unique functions of the frontal cortex, power to override becomes possible and freedom to oneself results.

The other day I had a conference with my writing teacher to evaluate my progress and work so far. My teacher said she could definitely tell I was a farm girl because I work really hard. That comment made me feel good. She gave me a few things to work on but told me overall I was doing very well and that my papers were excellent! This made me feel good as well. Again I am so grateful for my high school teachers! Everything I am accomplishing now is because of them. Mr. Heninger, Mr. Janisko, and Mr. Quinton seriously have made such a difference! Thank you! 

In church the other day a speaker was saying how lucky we are to live at this time and be where we are. It is such an exciting time! With Mitt Romney running for president, the missionary age being lowered, temples dotting the earth, and family history work in full swing. The Lord is indeed hastening is work and it is starting to settle in how lucky I am to be living at this exciting time. The opportunities are endless. I hope and pray I can be an active participant and not be idle. There is so much I can do! 

I love my roommates! I especially love how organized we are! Cooking together is seriously the best thing ever! On tuesday we had lasagna, wednesday garlic chicken, and tonight Ben (kiki's boyfriend) is making us breakfast for dinner, tomorrow Levi and Taylor are cooking (our FHE brothers/friends that wanted to join in), and sunday we are having roast! It works so good! I love it!

Well I should get back to homework. Break is over I guess.

O and it snowed this morning! First snow fall. It was BEAUTIFUL! The mountains were gorgeous. 

O and I finally got my haircut today! It has been to long. There is a place in the bottom of the WILK that I got it done and I am happy with it. 

BYU basketball has started! Last night was the opener. It made me realize how much I love basketball! I miss Charlie and the team! Doings STATS was seriously the best thing of high school! Lexy really likes basketball to so it is going to be a great season. 

Ok I am really going to get back to homework now! :)

This is Life and I Love it!

Update: 

Last Sunday Kiki made us Thanksgiving dinner since it was Canadian Thanksgiving the week before. That Kiki really likes to cook is no understatement. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, funeral potatoes, buns, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, and banana cream pie. It was all really good. Kiki cooked and I cleaned as she went. It was a lot of fun and I am glad she could do it for us. 

I got to open up another present from my 24 hour emergency homesick kit! It really made me smile! 

We had two of these at home and they are a lot of fun. It is solar powered, so you place it in your window and when it is sunny the leaves move. It is amazing how fast they can get going by only a little sunlight. 

I know I have mentioned this a million times before but here it comes one more time. . . I HAVE THE BEST MOM EVER! Check out what she sent me for Halloween! 

This was on the top of the box and underneath was multiple of Halloween plastic baggies with a type of candy in them and a Halloween label. I posted just a few of them below. It was so fun! It was really neat to see how fitting some of them were! Examples: 

Rotten witches teeth--corn nuts 

Goblin Teeth--marshmallows

Witch warts--chocolate chips 

Broom sticks--cracker sticks 

Goblin Teeth--candy corn 

These are just a few examples of the many she sent me. My favorite one was Monster scabs--shreddies! That don't have shreddies in the US? Who would have thought? 

My Mom also sent Halloween socks for all of my roommates. They were pretty excited about them! She also sent Halloween decorations that I put up in the kitchen. My Mom is sure creative. I am so grateful for the special things she has done for me! 

This morning there was a knock at our door and when I answered no one was there but this little gem. Can I just say that Saydi and I have the best hometeachers ever! Not only did they make us muffins, but every sunday Talon finds us and asks how our week went and if we are doing ok. They are so thoughtful. I am so grateful to have good hometeachers! I know I can go to them if I ever need anything. 

As I mentioned last time this week has been a stressful one. I managed to finally finish my psychology paper after much stress, countless rewrites and a few tears. When I met with the TA she told me that it was the best paper she has seen yet and would like to keep a copy as an A paper! That comment made all of the rewrites and tears worth it! My 2nd Nephi test went well I think. I don't know the grade yet but I answered all of the questions fairly easily and am confident in my answers. I took the chemistry test today and dun dun dun I got 100%!!! I am so happy! I walked out of the testing center with the biggest grin on my face! This weekend I am studying for my Anatomy quiz and Psychology test and will take those on monday and wednesday of next week. After these two tests I should have a little bit of a break before they all start up again. Things don't seem to ever slow down though as my 10 page research paper is now in full swing. I haven't quite narrowed the topic yet but I am kind of excited about it. I think I will learn a lot from it. School has been going really well. I really enjoy all of my classes and the stuff I am learning. I recognize the eternal significance of it all and that makes it even more exciting! I particularly really love my anatomy class/lab. The human body is amazing! Today in lab we learned about the heart and it is all so fascinating! There is not one day when I  leave lecture or lab that I don't have a stronger conviction to exercise and eat healthy because I need to respect and protect my body. 

I have such a greater appreciation for my high school teachers! Right now, particularly Mr. Janisko and Mr. Quinton. In chemistry we are focusing on basic introductory material. All of which I learned in high school. Mr. Quinton gave me such a solid foundation! It amazes me how much I know and remember. Because of this, I am able to help out many of the students who are struggling and give them ways to remember things. Wednesday night I was studying with some friends for my chemistry test; however, most of the night it was me teaching them how I remember things and going over complicated concepts. I couldn't help but smile to myself as everything I taught them Mr. Quinton taught me. The same goes for Mr. Janisko for my anatomy class. In lecture I feel like I know so much more than everyone else about basic stuff. I am able to again help people I study with to learn and remember the concepts. What I think I am getting at is that education in Canada, especially in Alberta, is on such a higher level and standard than the US. Don't get me wrong people are really smart here, but I feel like my high school experience academic wise was more significant then theres. The material and everything goes so much more in depth. I am so glad that I went to school where I did. 

Tonight all of us minus Kiki went out to dinner at The Pizza Cafe. It was really good. I am glad that we could all do it together. I love my roommates! They are all such amazing girls and I am learning so much from them. 

I love God and know that his hand is definitely in my life each day. I am learning to recognize his presence more and more in both little and big things. 

There isn't anything much prettier than BYU campus in the Fall! It is gorgeous! With the mountains and all of the trees and the leaves. . . and the weather is still fairly hot though it is cold in the mornings and night. I love walking around campus and to and from my house because it is just so beautiful! I don't really know how to describe it other than it is beautiful and I love it! 

I am so glad that I can be attending BYU. It is an amazing place and I love it!  

Stressed

Anatomy mid term finally over with! What a relief. I feel good about it. All I can do now is hope for the best.

I am stressed right now. Next week I have an anatomy quiz, chemistry quiz, chemistry test, psychology test, psychology paper, 10 page research paper, anatomy lab quiz and a test on 2nd Nephi. I don't know how my roommates and others do it. Work, play and get such good grades! It is a mystery to me. I barely have enough time in the day to just get the bare minimum done. I don't know how they stay up till 1 or later almost every night and still manage to have energy the next day. Like I said earlier it is a mystery. I need to figure out how to use my time better I guess. Anyways I need to get back to work. I am not sure what I intended to get across in this post. Just know that I am stressed and don't want to be stressed and want to use my time better to not be stressed. There at least it has some meaning to it now.

Good Day

I finally made it to the Temple today. I have been wanting to go since I got here. I kept putting it off and putting it off claiming I had to much homework. It is a really busy Temple and most days it takes at least 2 hours to get through. When you are in college two hours is huge, that doesn't even include walking there and back. The best time to go is right when it opens--5:30 am. This week I finally made it a priority. I didn't have class until noon today, so it was the perfect day. I went to bed earlier than usual got up at 5:00 and made it to the Temple at 5:40. It is only a 15 to 20 minute walk so it isn't to bad.

I am so glad that I went! It felt so good to just sit and think. I felt Heavenly Father's love for me as well as confirmation to some questions I have been pondering. I know God has a mission for me to accomplish in this life and that I need to work hard each day to learn more about what God wants me to do and then work towards doing it. I am so glad that I could make the choice to go to the Temple this morning. It made the rest of my day so much better. I was happier, more focused, and consequently, noticed God's hand in my life in countless ways. I hope that I can make the Temple a priority. I hope I can go weekly. I know that by regularly attending the Temple my life will change for the better. 

A constant theme of the university devotionals lately is gratitude. Multiple speakers have encouraged a gratitude journal and focusing on the question "Have I seen God's hand in my life today?" I have really tried to do this daily and I have noticed an immense difference! One big thing I have noticed is that God puts people in my life everyday who help me to grow and learn that I wouldn't have done otherwise. One such example really struck me today. There is this girl in my anatomy class (a class of 250) and I always seem be in the same place as her. We go to the same open labs, review sessions, everything. At first she REALLY annoyed me. She is very vocal and smart; moreover, I found her very intimidating. However lately at open labs we have studied together and my opinion of her has totally changed. She has helped me to realize just how much I know and understand the concepts; we work very well together. I don't quite no how to explain it, but I know that God put her in my life because she was the only one who could teach me something about myself that I needed to know.  God truly is in my life each and everyday. As I take time to notice his hand in my life it helps me to realize the growth that is taking place, as well as weak areas that need strengthening or strong areas that I can share. Simply, I feel myself coming closer to Christ. 

Conference

The spirit of Halloween has reached Glenwood! Lexy found this mummy door idea on Pinterest and we decided it needed to be done. I did the first layer of streamers and Lexy and Saydi did the second layer. It turned out really good and we are all quite proud of it. It is fun to walk down the hall and see people's doors all decorated. It is kind of weird though because at home we decorate for Thanksgiving and then Halloween while here it is the opposite. 

Saydi's family came down this weekend. My Mom sent a package for me with them. I was so thrilled to get it! I love getting stuff from home. Not only did she send me the things I requested, but many other special things! I was thrilled to get homemade cookies and muffins as well as other food. It brought needed joy to my day! I am so grateful for my Mom! I love her so much and am so grateful for all that she does for me. 

I got to go to Conference!!!! I was pretty bummed that I couldn't go but then my friend Ashea had an extra ticket and invited me to go with her! It was an amazing experience, one I will never forget. The morning started out early--5:30. We just barely made it to the bus by 7:10 to ride to Sandy where there we boarded the trax to Salt Lake City. We went to the Saturday morning session. I loved every minute of it! I feel so blessed to be there when President Monson made the big announcement. Young men can now serve missions at age 18 and young women at age 19! Isn't that crazy? The last days are here and the Lord's work is steadily moving forward. I can't believe that I could start mission papers right now! It is mind boggling. Many people have asked me if I will go and the truth is that I have no idea. I hadn't really thought much about a mission but now I can't help but consider it. I know it would greatly bless my life and my families; however, I just don't know if now is the right time. I am going to take sometime to seriously ponder and pray about it. 

The group of us. Left to right. Ashea Hanna, Jeremy, Tyson, Phenix, and me. 

I am so glad that I could spend the day with them! 

The Salt Lake temple. BEAUTIFUL! It is crazy to think that the apostles and first presidency meet there weekly! 

Today I watched conference from the comfort of my apartment in my PJs. It was glorious. I watched conference, skyped my parents and Katelyn, napped, am now blogging, and plan to go to a game night with my ward, and then I have a meeting at 8. O ya and I made some good food! The above was my lunch. It was yummy! The applesauce looking stuff is humus. It was my first attempt making it and it turned out really good. It is just chickpeas blended with minced garlic, lemon juice, and a little oil. It was good to dip my vegetables in as well as my tortilla. I have been lucky so far to be eating really well while at school. My breakfasts are usually oatmeal or cream of wheat that Saydi and I make together, lunches are usually sandwich, vegetables, and yogurt, and supper I eat with my roommates. It works out really well. 

I have been reading a lot about dark chocolate and all of the health benefits associated with it. I decided to try it out. I melted some dark chocolate chips and dipped banana slices in it then let it freeze for an hour then ate it while I watched conference. It was good. 

And now a few words concerning conference. I love conference! I feel very uplifted with a better understanding of what God wants me to do. I love hearing all of the talks particularly apostles. They never cease to amaze me. I know they are all called of God with messages from God. The main message that kept repeating throughout conference for me was to listen to the spirit, don't delay its prompting and immediately act on them even when I am scared or it isn't convient. Another message that I felt was consistently echoed was that of serving others. I know that if I apply what I have learned in conference I will become more like Christ. I know he loves me; I know he has a plan for me. I pray I can be better.