My Sphere of Action

Okay I don't know how many who read this do visiting teaching, but I went and did mine last night and it left me thinking. (oh if you don't know what visiting teaching is basically it is a wonderful chance for women from the church to look out for each other and to teach (me in particular) to get out of our comfort zone) Well the message this month was on an EXTENSIVE SPHERE OF ACTION, and it talked about how we as women can impact the world. At least that is where the conversation between the women I get to visit with went and it was really interesting. We talked about how we can impact those outside of our home and within it. The most interesting part to me was when we talked about how much a smile can change someones day..

 this blog is awesome

I am very shy and if I see someone walking down the hallway in the opposite direction as me and coming towards me I tend to look down or out the window or to pull out my phone and pretend to text just to avoid eye contact. I feel like a weirdo smiling at every person I see and I am just sure people think "what's wrong with her?" but last night I was told a very moving story about how something as simple as a smile changed someone else's life. So here is my new goal/challenge to the blogosphere. You have an incredible influence so try it out and smile see how much it changes your day even if you never know if you impact anyone else. if a bunch of us are running around smiling then each of us will look like less of an idiot. I'm going to try to extend my sphere of action. Who's with me?

Christmas Spirit

Okay so I realize that my last post was also about Christmas, but it is just so wonderful and I had such a great Christmassy day that I have to post about it...
Last Sunday after Church I went out to my Grandma and Grandpa Oviatt's to spend some time with them and if that visit didn't scream Christmas I don't know what does. First they fed me beef and barley soup with home made baking powder biscuits (okay i realize not particularly christmassy, but warm soup- winter.. you see my connection?). Then my Gramps and I sat down and watched the old Christmas Carol movie (I did sleep through part of it, but enjoyed what I saw) Then G-ma started to teach me how to make Christmas Chocolates. the caramel turtles kind. They were delicious and so fun to start to learn although I would like to learn more in depth and about more kinds of chocolates! Then we pulled out their mini tree and decorations and all my Grandpa's singing dancing Christmas things and had a blast doing that!

Isn't my G-ma the Cutest! and she knows every trick in the book! in fact i think she wrote the book

It has been so much fun for me being up in Edmonton and getting to know my grandparents on this side of my family so much better! They are some of the most wonderful people I know and do everything that they can to help take care of me while I am up here. Any problem I have I know they are 100% willing to help solve. 

After being at the G-rents I went home/ across the alley and watched the Christmas devotional which was absolutely wonderful! It is so amazing to be able to hear the voice of God through His prophets and to know of His love and concern for each of us here on earth. The Christmas season is a wonderful reminder of His Son and the life He lived while here. 

So all in all it was a very Christmassy day. I think I may have even watched a Christmas movie after that but I am not completely certain. Although I almost forgot to mention that the night before we had our ward "Ugly Christmas Sweater" Party which was so much fun and such good food! I can already feel myself gaining my allotted Christmas weight EEK! And after the party a big group of people went SKATING! Have I ever mentioned how much I love skating! my friend/ roommate was trying unsuccessfully to teach me to do the crossover backwards thing, but I am going to continue trying. 

SO all in all it wasn't just a Christmas day, but a Christmas weekend! How wonderful. AND only one more week of finals then I get to go home for 2 weeks! So many fun plans involving family and friends and giving and oh i am just so excited! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December 1st!

Okay first off yes I do know it is the 2nd today, but yesterday was the first and it put me in such a great mood that I just decided it needed to be blogged about. I don't know about you, but I LOVE Christmas! I have been listening to Christmas music since the weekend of November 11th because I was coming home and found a radio station that plays it ALL the time. Since then I have found another so I don't even have to listen to commercials! It is so great, and yesterday when I woke up and realized it was December 1st I was so excited and honestly was just in a giggle randomly and smile all the time mood all day. 

One thing I don't like about Christmas is how much people don't focus on the true meaning of it. I know not everyone believes in Jesus Christ and so that part doesn't seem to apply, but even if you don't celebrate the birth of that Baby and the amazing gift it is I feel like everyone should recognize the beauty and spirit of Christmas. I have been trying to think of a way to make Christmas seem more special to me and come up with a bunch of different ideas, but most of them have fallen through. So I decided to start somewhat small this year and work my way up in years to come. I have decided that everyday starting yesterday and going to Christmas I am going to try to do something for someone else. Doesn't have to be big, but just something to remind me that there are other people in the world and to try to remind me about Christmas and how wonderful it is!

Join me if you wish try consciously to do something for someone else every day then take a calendar and check off the days that you did it just as a little reminder! 

Just as a side note, does anyone ever wonder about something in the past and how it would have turned out if maybe you hadn't said something, or maybe if you had? Me neither... 

Newest Nephew!

On October 1, 2011 little Ayden James Cosgrove was born. Here are a few photos of my darling little nephew

Pyper showing her new Cousin her fairy toy

The three cousins!

It was so much fun for me growing up with my cousins who were all close in age. I'm so excited to continue watching these kids grow up together. Pyper absolutely loves Ayden it is so cute to watch them together. I just love going home and spending time with them. He is such a sweet baby and he smiles all the time except when he is sleeping (which is most of the time) but its nice to just hold him while he sleeps. Such a sweet baby! I have decided that I love having a niece and two nephews. They are so fun to play with and I don't have to be the parent or discipline the kids. I just love them so much and am really the luckiest "AUNTIE CHLO" in the world!

studying.. who does that?

Certainly not me right now...
Do you ever get in those moods when you just can't study. you know you should and that if you could just get yourself started you could get completely absorbed and do some amazing cramming. BUT for some reason sitting down and reading those notes seems to do nothing. This is me right now.  I open the page and look at it and yet nothing (and I really mean nothing) is sticking in my head. Lucky me to get a brain block when I have a major test wednesday. I think it is made harder because I got a test back today and didn't do quite as well as I would have like. I did better than I thought, but it still wasn't what I wanted. I hate when I feel like I know the information and yet for some reason it just doesn't come out on paper.

I have a question for the blogosphere: How am I supposed to balance enjoying life, and getting good grades?
I have always been a bit of a nerd and done well in school, but I have also loved life and been involved in many things. At the beginning of this school year I was working SO hard! I did nothing but study, had very few friends and basically did was a hermit. and I hated my life. Lately I have been trying to be a bit more balanced. I go out, I've made some great friends, but I also am trying very hard in school. I didn't feel like this new socializing was impacting my school work, until I got this test back today. I don't know that I would have done any better than I did if I hadn't gone out so much, but I have started to wonder because my grade was quite a bit lower than other girls who I usually can match. So what do I do? just take it as this one test and wait and see what happens? or go back to locking myself in my room?

upcoming posts

There are a few things (well mostly just one thing) I have been wanting to blog about and I thought "hey today would be perfect!" however I forgot my camera cord at home so I couldn't put up the necessary pictures to tell the story but as a little sneak preview it has to do with the newest member of my family!

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving! well i guess technically that isn't till Monday, but we are doing dinner today so it is my thanksgiving. In some ways it doesn't really seem like anything particularly special because most of my family won't be coming to dinner which makes me sad. I miss the days when everyone liked everyone else and wasn't across the country, but hopefully we will all fix that soon. BUT it is a wonderful time to recognize all the blessings and great things in our lives! Here is my list:
1. my family: parents and step parents, brothers, sisters, niece and nephews, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and all the people who came before me and care about me.
2. the gospel: I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It impacts every aspect of my life and I know that I am happiest when I am living the teachings of it. I don't like to think about who, and where I would be without it.
3. my program: it was such a pain to get into, and it is so hard now, but I love it! I know it is where I am supposed to be and I am so grateful for all I have learned to get me to this point. AND a big thanks to all the people standing behind me telling me I can do it!
4. my roommates: of course there are small things that aren't great, but in general we all get along and haven't had any big problems which is great.
5. my friends: I have a very close group of friends that I have grown up with and they mean so much to me. It is crazy being separate from them but we are still close. Most of "my boys" are out on missions right now and I am so proud of them. they are such great examples to me!.
This is just a simplified list, but if you look around there are so many more things to be thankful for. like the sun, flowers, nice people on the bus, a warm jacket... the list can go on and on. Every morning I wake up and think about the things I am grateful for and it makes getting out of bed so much better! sometimes I include things like the fact that I get to wear scrubs today haha (its truly a wonderful thing) "

"Count your many blessings name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done!"

Small Things

The other day I had the best day ever! And nothing major happened, but there were just a bunch of wonderful little things that made me feel like the world was just poised for me to take it. So I thought I would share my day with the blogosphere and hopefully encourage you to notice the small perfections in your life

1. Ran into my "bus buddy" who I have been missing lately. Even though he didn't ride the bus it was so fun to see him!

2. Got a few tests back and did pretty well on them. Not a huge deal, but it was like someone saying, "hey i know this program is hard but you can do it!"

3. I walked out of the building and right away as I go through the doors there was the bus. No running for it hoping to catch it, no waiting 15 minutes, just RIGHT THERE! how beautiful

4. one of my wonderful friends in my program and I decided to celebrate surviving the first 3 weeks by stopping at an adorable little cupcake shop we always just ride by on the bus. Delicious!

5. While we were in the shop I was secretly kind of thinking that it would be unfortunate because we would need to sit and wait for the next bus to go by (still would have been worth it!) BUT much to my surprise, we walk out the door, look to our left and there is our bus again! wait to go #9

6. I went home and rather than jumping right into homework I decided to start of my weekend with relaxation and made popcorn and watched Singing in the Rain. If you haven't seen it you really need to because it just makes you feel good inside!

7. After watching that movie it was a struggle for me to sit still, so I didn't! Tannis and I sang and "tap danced" in the kitchen while Mallory thought we were a couple of crazy people, but it was so good!

So if you are having a tough time I know how you feel, but watch out because some day soon there will be a day when all the little things seem to work in your favor. Remember that day, write it down, and relish in it!