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...