Give Thanks

I haven't posted in.....a long time, so I'm going to include pictures of my Halloween and Thanksgiving while I talk about Christmas. 

So, it's the most wonderful time of the year! And congrats! You've made it through Halloween and the nearly unbearable, here-let-me-give-you-three-days-of-relaxation-then-throw-you-back-to-the-dogs Thanksgiving break. Now you just have to do really well on those final projects and tests. Just two of the most important weeks in the semester to go! You got this.  

Uh huh. At this point in the semester, I'm usually plodding along through my classes and projects and study goals with my eyes focused on the day that I get to pack up, drive home, and be DONE with college (at least for a couple weeks).

Procrastination becomes my best friend this time of year. Exhibit A: this blog post.  I should be working on that final story for Comms 321 or compiling photos for my VAPHO 116 slideshow, but instead, it just makes more sense to be typing this post.  

Costume idea courtesy of Lauren Conrad

I was Mary Poppins for Halloween. Had a blast with my roommates and friends.

Okay. I was lucky enough to get through September, October, and November without getting sick even once.

Then spent four days with my family over Thanksgiving break, sequestered in one location with my dear, sick little brother, whom I love. By the end of that week, both my mother and sister were sniffling and complaining of sore throats and coughs.

I was fine, though. Scotch.Tape. So dang clear of anything.

I honestly didn't even think about the potential for getting sick.  In my brain, the world was fine and sickness wasn't even a real word, let alone an actual state of being.

Monday came, and with it, school, and work, and the gym! I had a great day--got lots of stuff done at work, was on top of classes, went the extra mile at the gym.  Literally, haha.

Woke up Tuesday morning feeling like the world was coming to an end.                                                                                                                              

Met some Alpaca over Thanksgiving

Long story short, I've spent the last few days continuing to feel as if the world is coming to an end, and I've come to one conclusion: someone really needs to figure out a way to eradicate the cold. 

Kidding! My one, real conclusion is this: I have many things to be thankful for.

Waking up every morning, feeling slightly better with each day that goes by, has helped me appreciate all that I have. I don't have to be sick like this every day like those that are battling cancer and other serious illnesses do. And from that realization spreads a gratitude for everything else in my life.  Family, friends, a job, school, technology, pillows, music, showers, lotion. Medication.You get the idea. I've even become somewhat grateful for this cold because of what it's helped me recognize and appreciate in my life.  

I know everything I have has been given to me by a loving Father in Heaven. I don't deserve what I have, but I can be thankful and recognize His hand in my life.

So let's give thanks for all that we do have, the good and the not so good. Look on the bright side in whatever you're faced with, find ways to serve and love others, and remember that this Christmas season is about our Savior Jesus Christ and the gift he gave all of us. 

XO.

Lauren

 

Introductions

This is me

I'm kind of new to this.  And, as you can tell from my blog's name, I don't really know what I'm doing.  Introductions are always a good place to start, right?  Okay. Hi, I'm Lauren, and a few weeks ago, I started my junior year of college.  

The purpose of a blog is to share.  Share new experiences, funny stories, inspiring moments, and all that jazz.  Right now, my newest experience is Junior year.  It's only been four weeks, but college has a way of blurring the days and simultaneously flicking through them like clicking through television channels.  They go by quickly.  I can't even remember what I was doing yesterday because I'm so focused on what's happening today and what I need to do tomorrow. 

Anyway, it's a new semester, a new job, new classes, new friends to make.  Lots of newness.  

I'm a daughter, an older sister, a roommate, and a girl who's just trying to figure life out.  I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and its message of truth, healing, and joy.  I am addicted to tennis and adore the piano (both playing and listening).  Books are the best things in the world.  Photography is fun.  I hate running but do it anyway because it's "healthy."  Fruit desserts are the best and seafood is glorious.  So is pasta.  I can sort of paint and draw.  

Sometimes I can feel lost or confused about the direction my life is going. Sometimes I feel more like I'm floating along through life without actively making decisions or pursuing my dreams. But, at the end of the day, I know exactly what I'm doing and where my life is headed.  I have lots of clues about my purpose, my goals, my dreams, and my future (it's called the gospel of Jesus Christ), and the realizations keep on coming.  As I take life on one day at a time, I want to share those realizations with as many people as I can.

XO

Lauren