Trip to the Grocery Store

I am feeling like a champion right now. We did a grocery trip tonight and let me say it was quite successful! By checking the Maceys (where we get our groceries) flier in advance I was able to make a list of the foods that I like that are on sell and thus plan on what to get in advance and how much it would cost. Here is what I got:

-4 cans of tuna $2.36
-toilet paper $3.79
-2 boxes of pasta $1.76
-whole wheat bread $1.99
-2 cans peaches $1.76
-2 cans pears $1.76
-2 cans pineapple $1.38
-2 cans chicken breasts $3.00
-cheese $4.69
-4 apples $1.00
-4 bananas $1.00
-bag of mini carrots $1.59
-2 cucumbers $1.00

To the extent of my knowledge, I think those are all pretty good deals! All that food I bought will last me a long time! I won't have to do any major shopping for a while. I am quite excited about it! I am glad that my Mom could teach me the value of planning ahead and always checking what is on sale. Good budgeting skills are essential for me both as a college student and as a wife and mother. I am glad that I am taking the time to learn them now.

Uploaded Some Pictures

This is my "Yea I am done anatomy lab!!!" smile. 

Burgundy is such a good friend! She gave me a card and some chocolate bars one day after studying.

I got to spend the night at Katelyn's apartment! It is a really nice apartment. Katelyn has her room decorated fit for pinterest. It is really cute. 

She may be more mature and confident but one thing remains the same: her love for popcorn and pork n' beans! 

I miss her so much already! It was harder to come back from thanksgiving than I think it was to leave in the first place. 

It snowed one morning. . . I don't miss the cold at all. I went running today in shorts and a t-shirt! haha couldn't do that if I was at home. 

("Open up one a day & know I love you in every way" a pill container with each one filled with a little treat and a note) 

Sorry everyone to burst your bubble but the prize for the most amazing mom award goes to me! She snuck this thoughtful beauty into my luggage for me to find when I got back to school. Did I cry? Yes. Did it make me really miss my family? Yes. Did it make me want to be a better person? Yes. How thoughtful is my mom? She is amazing. I don't know how she comes up with the things she does but she sure knows how to hit the spot! I love her so much. 

American Thanksgiving in Canada

It was so good to come home for Thanksgiving. I really needed to both have a break from school and see my family! It is going to be hard to go back tomorrow knowing how many assignments and tests that are waiting for me. Good thing it is only a few weeks then home again for Christmas!

I came home with Jorden Campbell, his wife Donna, their baby Elise, and Saydi. I will briefly summarize the week. I have started to keep a journal again so my posts will probably more consist of pictures and brief posts as I am trying to get better at journal writing.

Tuesday- left Provo @9 am made it home at 8:30 pm

Wednesday- relaxed at home, did some homework, helped my mom, pretty much had a chill day. It was nice to relax!

Thursday- did some homework in the morning and then in the afternoon we went to Lethbridge where I did a bit of shopping, and I got to stay with Katelyn! Katelyn and I went to her college class, saw Grandma and Grandpa Hartley, and just had fun together!

Friday- we sold our steers so Katelyn and I met Travis at Balog Auction to watch them sell, went to A&W for lunch, came home, visited Jennie-Rae and her family, went to Alumni, hung out with Katie

Saturday- relaxed in the morning, had lunch with the family (we fondued!), went to town to visit Katie and Liz, had thanksgiving dinner at our house with Aunt Ginny, Uncle Ken, Jamie, and Grandma and Grandpa Neilson.

And that sums up my week in Canada. It was so fun and definitely worth the 12 hour drive!

Sure wish next Tuesday would hurry up and get here. I miss my family! 

P.S. Almost done the first draft of my research paper! I have been working on it all day. On monday I plan to do my final draft. By doing this I will have no homework the entire Thanksgiving break! Wahoo! 

Bitter Sweet

My anatomy lab is over!!!! I am so relieved. I was so nervous for the final . . . but it is finally over. I studied hard and am ok with the results. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to take this class. I learned so much about the body. It is truly a miracle and I am so grateful for it. I am so proud that I could make it through it. It wasn't easy but with determination and dedication I was able to do quite well. I took a minute to think about it. The anatomy lab manual has 88 pages and there an average of 15 terms per page. That comes to just over 1300 terms! Wow. The fact that I could remember all of those terms, how to spell them, and their location is clear proof of the miracle of the human brain! I am so grateful for the ability I have to learn and gain knowledge. I hope that I can always take of my body so that I can continue to learn. I hope that I can continue to use this amazing gift my father in heaven has given me. 

Here is a picture of our lab section! I had awesome TAs. Kurtis (on the left in the blue shirt) is a pre-med student. He is SO smart! James (on the right with his hands in his pocket) is in the nursing program and has been an anatomy TA for 2 years now so he knows a lot as well. I loved all of the open lab TAs. Most of them are either pre-med students or another health related major. They are all SO SO SO smart! I learned so much from all of them. I am so glad I took this class! I loved it and learned so much. Although it was a ton of work I will miss it. 

This week has been a busy one with several big assignments: 10 page research paper, chemistry test, and anatomy lab final. Luckily, the chemistry test closes on monday so I haven't been studying to much for it, as I plan to study over the weekend and take it on monday. That way I can focus on my anatomy lab final. I am really nervous for my anatomy lab final! I have studied hard for it, but it is one of those things where studying sometimes doesn't matter so to speak. For example, I studied so hard for the midterm, but my nervous took over and I didn't do near as well as I know I could have! I think the main thing for this final is just to relax. In open lab the TAs tell me just to relax because I know it. I will be so happy when it is over with! Although I will have so much more free time when it is over, I am actually really sad for it to end. It was a really awesome experience and I will miss it.

My research paper is due the first day after Thanksgiving break. I plan on having it done on tuesday before I go home so that I don't have to worry about it all during the break. I can't wait to go home! I really need a break from school because I am starting to feel really worn out. I think everyone is. Especially those in anatomy, when you go into the open labs or down the hallway you can just feel the stress emulating from everyone. It is crazy. I can't wait to see my family! I miss them so much and I am really looking forward to spending the weekend with them! I am so glad I have the opportunity to go home.

Here are some pictures that I just uploaded from my camera that I need to share.
                                 

Friday night we went to the basketball game. BYU won. Lexy really likes basketball to and is always telling me the latest NBA news. 

The half time show were these ladies. . . the crazy thing is they are between 60 and 94 years old! Yup thats right! It was hilarious! They were actually pretty good. I guess they always do a half time every year for the first game. At the very end a lady in her 90s did the splits! 

Yesterday I got to open up another gift from my "24 Hour Home Sick Kit"! I was almost ready for bed and was getting all of my stuff ready for the morning. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, stressed, and tired as I anticipated all of the things I had to do the next day when it suddenly remembered "It is the 13th! I get to open a present!" I pretty much ran to get it! I was so excited. It was just what I needed. A beautiful book filled with inspirational quotes. Yup, I cried. Thanks Mom! 

Just two of the multiple quotes. 

Today I had a really good experience. The day started out at 5:30 am to be to open lab at 7:00 am. I know this sounds crazy but let me put it into perspective for you. 43 people can be in open lab at one time, this morning their was 15. Less people, more TA help and more chance to look at specimen/cadavers. The TAs in the morning, in my opinion, are the best ones which is also a bonus. It is really beneficial to go this early especially when studying for the final! I have it at 7:00 am tomorrow and friday as well. I will catch up on my sleep sometime! :D Anyways back to today. I had open lab early, then classes at 8,10,12, a review session at 3, and chemistry study group at 5:30. Thus I was to be at campus all day. It was a long day. By the time 4:00 o'clock hit I was in need of some down time until the chemistry review. I felt like I should go and do a stop and serve. This is a program offered by Y-Serve where you simply go to the Y-Serve office and they have a simple project set up for students to do. Today it was writing motivational notes to people affected by Hurricane Sandy. I decided to go and do it, as I have really been feeling the need to serve lately. As I was doing it a girl came into the office carrying what I recognized as one of the dietetics after school program bags. Because I participated in this program, I began a conversation with her. Turns out, she is one of the girls who replaced me and my partner. She had many questions about the school and children which I was able to answer and give her advice. She then noticed my Chem 101 textbook and we figured out we were in the same class. I asked her how she liked it and she told me how frustrated she was with it, and how she had gotten low scores on all of the tests and was most likely going to have to take the class again inorder to get into the program. I told her that I was doing really well in the class l and knew the material very well and would be more than happy to help her with it. She looked so relieved when I told her that, as she was really feeling very frustrated and stressed about it. I don't know if she will call me or not but I feel really blessed for having run into her today. I feel like she needed to hear what I had to say. She knows I  am willing to help her, now the rest is up to her I guess. I hope I can have the opportunity to help her. Chemistry can be really frustrating especially since our teacher isn't the best at explaining things. I am so glad that I could go and do the stop and serve today, and that I could meet and talk to Rebecca (that is her name). It made my entire day. 

I have really enjoyed teaching people lately. In both my anatomy and chemistry study group I am almost always the one to take charge and answer questions and reteach concepts. I like it because I feel like I am truly helping the other kids understand and that makes me feel good. It also helps to know what I need to understand more. I know most of the credit goes to my high school teachers which I am so grateful for! I really love teaching people and think I have a natural ability for it. It is something I want to continue to develop. 

That is all for now. Next time I blog I will be done the anatomy lab final!!! Wahooo! Can't wait! 

Friday

Today. . . 

I got up at 5:30am. Open lab at 7:00am is worth getting up early. Less people=more cadaver time for me. 

It snowed! It began as rain then changed to snow. It has been doing it all day. I love it! 

I wish I had listened to my Mom and brought an umbrella and gumboots! Good thing I am going home soon. 

I saw President Uchtdorf today!  He came to do a speech to the navy students and then was in the WILK a while after. My entire writing class left in pursuit to find him and hopefully get a handshake. However, we only saw him and didn't quite get close enough to shake his hand. It was crazy to see him. It caused all sorts of emotions. 

I had my last anatomy lab quiz! Next week is the final! Pretty much scared to death for it. 

Got to study with Annie! We have a psychology test tomorrow. Love that girl. We drank hot chocolate, listened to Christmas music, and watched some good Youtube videos during breaks. 

Tonight is the first official basketball game! 

Pretty excited about it.

Got lots to do this weekend. Tests, papers, it just never ends. 

I get to go home soon! 

I love my sister and miss her so much! Yesterday in psychology we talked about twins, ya I teared up! 

Got to go to the Temple last night with my ward. It took 2.5 hrs! It was soooo busy! It really made me appreciate the priesthood. I am so grateful for the worthy priesthood holders in my ward that could come to the Temple with us to both baptize and confirm. I am used to older gentleman doing it. It was different having the RMs doing it. There were also several young couples working. They looked so happy. I loved observing the girls. They are so amazing! I want to be like that. More specifically, I want to have the confidence they have. I know it comes through understanding who I am, and what my mission is. 

And that is just a little bit about my day. 

Teach, Lead, Guide

Since so many of my FHE family are preparing to serve missions (guys and girls) FHE tonight focused on missionary work. I was asked to teach half of the first discussion along with Levi. I was terrified! Not only was I already not very confident in the material but also there are half a dozen RMs in my group. I felt slightly inadequate to say the least. Prior to beginning I was talking to Levi telling him how nervous I was and that he should just teach the whole thing because he knew what he was doing (he is an RM) and is a way better teacher than I. He didn't say anything at first. He just looked at me. Finally he sincerely said, "I don't teach anything. I am not going to teach anything at all tonight. The Spirit is going to do all of the teaching. If you teach with the Spirit you have nothing to worry about." Nothing else was said and FHE commenced. Levi went first. He did amazing as all RMs do--speaking with confidence, and surety. The spirit was evidently in the room. 

During his lesson I kept praying to have the spirit with me when I taught and that my nervous would be calm. I can't tell you how nervous I was. Everyone is just so much more experienced than I am and I am often very intimated by them. Levi finished his segment and then passed it onto me. My mouth opened and I slowly began. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I remember how I felt. I could feel the spirit in the room as I taught, I could feel him helping me know what to say. It was amazing. I know my lesson wasn't perfect or anywhere close to the scale of Levi's but I know that the spirit was present, and that others felt it to. When I was done I just felt so excited like "so this is what missionaries feel like!" It got me so excited about missionary work. In fact, the whole night did. Hearing all of the RMs talk about their missions and bare testimony was very powerful to me. I am not saying that I am going to start my mission papers tomorrow or anything, but the thought definitely entered my mind.

 After the prophets announcement I briefly considered it but not to the depth I should have thinking that it just wasn't for me. Experiences I have had lately are slowly changing my mind and I find myself more open to serving a mission. I don't know. I really need to think, ponder, and pray about it. It is a huge decision. My patriarchal blessing says that I have the ability to "teach, lead, and guide". As I was teaching tonight that phrase popped into my head and it really hit me. I want to become a better teacher and leader. I want to be more confident in teaching. I love to teach and lead people. I love studying with other people, especially with study groups, because it allows me the opportunity to lead and teach.  One of my TAs even complimented me on my teaching ability, saying that I would be a really good TA. I hope that I can work on this gift. I want to be more confident in Gospel teaching and leading. Both my parents are such good examples of this and I hope that I can follow in their footsteps. The Lord needs me to be a leader and a teacher. I don't know exactly how or when but I do know that I need to be ready. I know that as I work on these skills that the Lord will give me opportunities to exercise them. I plan to really ponder serving a mission in these coming weeks. Right now I feel it may very well be a possibility but there is much to think and pray about. For now, I am grateful for the opportunity I had tonight to teach by the spirit. It truly makes all the difference. 

Sunday Afternoon

Meet Tylie and Makayla. Two of the nicest girls ever! They are from Idaho Falls and I am so blessed to be friends with them. They live in the complex beside mine. I met them during new student orientation and have done multiple things with them ever since. They are great girls and I am glad our paths crossed when they did. 

We walked to the Temple together today for the second time. It was beautiful. 

Yesterday we went to Target and came home with these babies! Haha aren't they sweet? 

Lexy, Saydi, and I 

Our shower started leaking again for the 3rd time!!!! Luckily, it mostly all leaks directly into the toilet so that it doesn't make to much of a mess. Maintenance said that it was all fixed but I guess not. Kiki is supposed to be calling them tomorrow so hopefully it will get fixed for good. 

Yesterday was hard. While reading my sisters blog I got so homesick for her, my family, and just home in general! I couldn't stop the tears from coming. I love my family so much and it is really hard being away from them. So many changes are happening. Katelyn is preparing for her mission, Grandma and Grandpa Hartley's health is rapidly declining. From talking to Katelyn and reading her blog, I can see that she is changing so much. And it kills me to not be there with her.  I love her so much. She is a great example to me. When I talk to Travis as well I see how he is changing to. College does that to you I guess, as we are all changing. I love my family and can't wait to see them at Thanksgiving! 

Find the Wounded Among You

I just got back from my first visiting teaching workshop. It was so uplifting. You know that feeling when you just went to go out and hug everybody and tell them they are amazing? That is how I feel right now. The morning started out with waffels which is always a success. Then Sister Bennion from the Stake Relief Society spoke to us. She is an amazing woman who has been through so much! She was abused as a child, as her dad was a heavy alcoholic who eventually committed suicide, her first husband left her for someone else, and two of her kids headed down the wrong path. She told us her story and then related of the special people in her life who helped her along the way. All of which she hardly knew but yet were open to the spirit and knew that she needed help. Her overall message was to "find the wounded among you" because they are everywhere. We then did an activity where we anonymously wrote down our biggest challenge right now and then put them in a bag and she read them aloud. It was eye opening to see all of the challenges that people are going through right in our Relief Society. Many feel lonely, confused about the future, and are part of broken and/or struggling families. Moreover, their are people everywhere that I can help! The main message I got from the conference was how important it is to be open to the spirit and seek out people to help because I can make a difference! I hope I can live my life in such a way where I don't worry about myself, but rather seek out those I can serve. I know that as I do this I will experience true joy.

 I went for a 4 mile run this morning! It felt good. 

I hope that I can put 110% into everything I do. Everyday. 

B.U.S.Y?

Katelyn just shared this article with me. It really made me think. How does this apply to me right now? In other words, I feel so busy all of the time with school work and activities that it is often hard to have time to myself to sit, ponder, and reflect. I feel like I am being busy with good things like school work and homework, for these things have to be done and I can't just not do them. However, I know that by being better organized I will be able to be more efficient and consequently make more room for the Savior in my life.  

 

Satan Called a Worldwide Convention.

Prayers and reflections from an Irish web designer in Galway

In his opening address to his evil angels, Satan said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.

So, let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work!

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes. Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so the husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. Ha! That will fragment those families quickly!

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions.

"Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Does "busy" mean:

B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

I love this excerpt from a BYU-Idaho devotional given by Elder Douglas L. Callister that my anatomy professor sent to all of her students. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to study anatomy. There is not a day when I leave lecture or lab that I don't silently give thanks to God for the miraculous gift he has given me--my body.

Recognizing the Lord’s Hand

Naturalism’s explanations of the origins of life and the miracle of our bodies often appear convoluted when placed side by side with the simple truths of the revealed word and divine scripture.

With its 107 million cells, connected to the brain by over 1 million neurons, the eye is more perfect than any camera ever invented. It caused Charles Darwin to humbly admit, “That the eye with all its inimitable contrivances … could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest sense.” ¹

The Psalmist wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1). Such a foolish disbeliever ought to look at his hands. Seventy muscles contribute to hand movements. Much of the rest of the body is devoted to optimizing the complex function of the hand. There are no muscles in the fingers. The sole purpose of the forearm, its muscles and bones, is to move and position the hand.

To observe a miracle, look at a baby’s creased hand. Its initial movements are uncontrolled. Shortly after the child’s birth, the hand will be able to grasp, curl, push, lift, sense hot and cold, respond to pain by withdrawing, heal itself, and display great strength and extraordinary sensitivity. These hands will be used thousands of times each day without forethought.

Your miraculous thumb is controlled by nine individual muscles and three major hand nerves. Sir Isaac Newton is reported to have said: “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.” ²

Paul Brand, renowned orthopedic hand surgeon, wrote: “We use our hands for the most wonderful activities: art, music, writing, healing, touching. Some people go to concerts and athletic events to watch the performance; I go to watch hands. For me, a piano performance is a ballet of fingers—a glorious flourish of ligaments and joints, tendons, nerves, and muscles.” ³

The infant Son of Man once possessed tiny hands. His hands, too, grew to accomplish their intended purposes. He used them to touch and heal the blind and infirm. His hands threw the money changers out of the temple. His hands reached upward in prayer, outward in blessing, and downward from the cross.

The fool proclaims in his heart that there is no God, but our eyes, hands, hearts, and souls unhesitatingly testify to the contrary.

One of my brothers is a physician. During medical school he was assigned to study anatomy in companionship with an agnostic. Their education eventually required that the two of them carefully examine and dissect a cadaver. They studied the incredibly complex yet harmonious systems of the body. They noted the body’s power to correct its own deficiencies and to send healing antibodies to the place of injury or infection. They learned of over 150 trillion cells within the body. If set end-to-end, these cells would encircle the earth more than 200 times. Today medical students learn of more than 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) of DNA in one human body. My brother and his fellow student learned of a brain that continually receives signals from 130 million light receptors in the eyes, 24,000 hearing receptors in the ears, 10,000 taste buds, and hundreds of thousands of receptors in the skin, with specialized commissions to recognize touch, vibration, cold, heat, and pain. My brother and his friend became silent as they contemplated the miracle they were examining. Sensing the moment was right, my brother challenged: “Coincidence is a marvelous thing, isn’t it?” His agnostic classmate responded, “You win.”

This earth departs from its orbit of the sun by only one-ninth of an inch (2.82 mm) every 18 miles (29 km). If, instead, it changed by one-tenth of an inch (2.54 mm) every 18 miles, we would all freeze to death. If it changed by one-eighth of an inch (3.18 mm), we would all be incinerated.⁴ Did this all happen by accident?

Alma spoke to us, as well as to Korihor, testifying, “Yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” (Alma 30:44).

The doubter requires too much of us when he asks us to believe that the miracles of eyes and hands and DNA and order in the universe all happened by chance. The passage of time, even long intervals of time, is not a “cause” and provides no answers without an intelligent designer.

The evidence of Heavenly Father’s existence is everywhere: in every newborn babe and in every system, part, and parcel of the unending and orderly universe, including our own bodies. He is evidenced in every sunset, work of art, and passage of music, all of which He has provided to gladden the heart and bring beauty to our lives. Richard Swinburne said: “God paints with a big brush from a large paintbox and he has no need to be stingy with the paint he uses to paint a beautiful universe.” ⁵

It is not possible to contemplate the immeasurable vacuum and purposelessness that would exist in our lives if He were not there. We would regret the passing of every day and the passing of every loved one, knowing that neither time nor relationships could be extended. We would approach the autumn and then the winter years of life with crescendoing fear. Every day of our lives we should thank Him that He is there and that this life is not all there is.