Life is Definitely an Adventure

I know I don't post like I should or even want to, but it seems that I find things that fill my time.  Plus, I don't have any really fun adventures to share with everyone.  I do check my friends' blogs at least once a week and I decided I should do my duty and update everyone on my life. 

School-
Yes, school.  I started working on the ol' B.S. degree last January.  I'm enrolled this Fall in 11 credits and its pretty much KILLING me.  I work an average of about 10 hours a day and then I spend 6-7 hours a night on homework.  When I went to college originally, I could function on 4 hours of sleep and still be somewhat coherent to what was going on in my life.  Now, I can't do that.  I keep getting told its because I'm old, but I don't feel that old, but when the alarm goes off at 5 a.m. for work, I'm feeling it.  I'm enrolled in a Humanities class, a Critical Writing class, a Religion class, and a Science class.  The one I'm enjoying the most is the Science class.  It is a class about natural disasters.  I have always found them fascinating, so its been enjoyable.  The only problem is all of the websites we are required to use are shut down because of the Government being shut down.  Gotta love the U.S. Government.  The class that gives me the most trepidation is the Critical Writing class.  I have always been able to write a letter or talk to people in writing, but I've never been a great author of papers longer than a page and a half.  That's going to have to change since I have a 20 page paper to do for my final in the class.  Its pretty intense so far, but I have to say that I'm learning a lot.  That's a good thing.  So, here we go, another semester to conquer :)

Home-
Well, owning a home has been an adventure.  Someone once told me its a money pit.  Never believed it until I actually owned one.  Its insane the amount of work it takes to keep a home up and running.  The people that owned my home previously nickel and dimed everything, so nothing was ever fixed properly.  I'm finding that out as time goes on.  I need to replace my sewer line at the cost of around $6,000.  My stove is going out, same with the dishwasher.  I just keep praying that everything continues to work.  I had a roommate move out in January and money has been extremely tight.  I keep praying for a roommate, so I can get the things fixed that I need to, but to no avail.  Its been a difficult and learning experience.  I just keep hoping things will continue to work out. 

Church-
Well, I go to Church every Sunday.  I currently play the organ and play the piano for the choir.  Nothing really new, just the same ol' stuff. 

Dating-
Well, this doesn't happen.  Moving on . . . .

Work-
Work has been really crazy.  Our administration decided a few months ago to combine the Registration and the Admissions office into one office.  With that, came added responsibilities, on top of the responsibilities I currently have.  I'm still running the admissions processes for domestic and international students, but I have also been learning the international processes once they are in the country.  I am also learning how the registration process works and trying to figure that all out.  Then I have been assigned the customer service portion, which makes me the supervisor over all of the student employees.  It has been a period of flux, and I'm trying to keep my head up, but I feel like I'm drowning at the same time.  So, I keep hoping that my Heavenly Father will give me the stamina to keep going. 

So, there's my life in a nutshell.  I'm posting some pictures so you can see what I've been up to :)

 Baby blankets that I made.  I have made around 6 sets of these this Summer.  Everyone seems to be having babies.  Nothing wrong with that, I enjoy making them :)

 I had the opportunity to go on a quilting retreat this August.  It was in Tetonia, ID.  You can see the Idaho side of the Tetons from the front porch of the place we stayed.  It was so much fun.  There were 10 of us and we quilted late, slept in and just enjoyed each other's company :)

 I had fun doing some canning before school started.  I made salsa from my parents tomatoes and then I canned peaches that a friend brought over to me.  I love having stuff I've bottled.  I know its good :)

This is a watercolor quilt I made.  It was a fun project to do.  Now to finish it up and hang it up. 

Fun at the Ball Park

So, the beginning of June, I had the opportunity to go to the Bee's game with my really good friends.  I finally pulled out my camera and go shots of two of the sweetest girls.  I loved playing with them, watching the game and just having a great time with friends.  I hope to do it again soon :)

 Found the sweetest lady who was making balloon animals for the kids.  The girls wanted hats and she graciously obliged them.  I love this shot.  They are so sweet. 

 It was mustache appreciation night at the ball park.  It was fun putting them on the girls :)

Had my first bratwurst at the game.  It was delicious :)

Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches, I feel its only right to express my gratitude for things in my life.  I have a lot to be grateful for, but sometimes in the thick of things, I tend to forget.  So, here's my list of gratitude this year:

First and foremost, I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Over the past year, I've been trying to become more like Him and I've been trying to get a more personal relationship with Him.  I have read the talk from the May 2012 General Conference that talks about being being converted to the Gospel versus the Church.  I have taken that to heart and am trying to be better.  I think by strengthening that relationship with my Savior, I can become that solid, converted member.  I hope to continue to improve myself.

Second, I am grateful for my family.  I probably don't show it a whole lot, but I am grateful for them and the fact that they still love me, after all of these years.  They are all great people!  I have had so many wonderful adventures and hope to have many more through the years.

Third, I am grateful for the possessions I have been blessed with.  I have a beautiful home and a vehicle to name a few.  There is so much work to all of it, but in the end, its all worth it.  For that, I am grateful.  I am grateful for the value of work and the fact that I am not afraid to work.  I have my parents to thank for that.  :)

Fourth, I am grateful for my job.  I have had some rough spots of late, but I feel that the lessons and principles I have learned over the last year in my job have given me a depth that I don't think would have been possible anywhere else.  Although I haven't liked every moment of it, I am grateful for my work and the people I have an opportunity to work with.  Its been a great blessing in my life.

Fifth, I am grateful for friends.  I have been blessed with some great ones, other have left my life.  I am grateful for all of the impacts they have had, negative or positive.  I believe that every person comes into my life for a reason, to teach me, to inspire me, and to support me through the thick and thin.  Friends have been hard to come by sometimes, but I have been blessed profusely with those people that have come into my life.

Sixth, I am grateful to live in the United States of America.  Yeah, its true, life hasn't been bliss here, but I have so many freedoms that many don't have.  I hope not to be one of those complacent Americans that take everything for granted.  I have the freedom to vote, to work, to own property, to speak my mind, to practice my religion.  What a blessing it is to be a citizen of this great land!!

Seventh, I am grateful for my life.  There have been extreme cases of health issues and much sorrow in my life.  I still have some of those health problems, where others have disappeared.  I am grateful to be alive, to be able to enjoy the sunshine.  I have so much to enjoy and many opportunities to enjoy it.

So, this is just a small list.  But I am grateful for everything my Heavenly Father has blessed me with and continues to bless me with.  Looking back, my life hasn't turned out how I planned it, but it has turned out how my Heavenly Father planned it.  I hope I am able to continue going in the direction I need to go.  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Registered

So, I registered for classes to start my Bachelor's degree.  BYU-Idaho has a program that will allow me to use my AAS degree I earned from LDS Business College and will let me apply for an Applied Management BS degree.  I decided to start small (since its been 9 years since I've been in school) and I'm only registered for 9 credit hours.  I'll be taking a Science, Math, History and an orientation course.  Needless to say, its slightly nerve-wracking, but its the right choice for me right now.  I'm grateful for a boss that has encouraged me to go and get my Bachelor's degree.  I think she is very wise in the fact that it is probably the best time to do it.  So, as of now, I am an official BYU-I student with classes set to begin January 7.  Here we go!  :)

No, I never have pictures, except today

Sorry to everyone that reads my blog and how boring it is.  I usually never take pictures.  I do have some to share today.  I hope everyone enjoys :)

My friends, Liz, Jackie, Cathy and I went to the Brigham City Temple Open House.  It was lots of fun.  This is the first open house I've been to since I've received my own endowments, so it made more sense and I was able to enjoy the beauty of it all the more.  I was grateful for the invitation and the opportunity to spend time with friends.

I went camping in July with my family to Fish Lake, UT.  It was a blast with my brothers and my good friend, Paul.  It rained 6 of the 8 days we were up there, so everything was green and lovely, and of course, I didn't take the camera out much.  I need to be better at that.  Here are some shots of Twin Creeks that feeds Fish Lake and pictures of the Lake itself.  I love it up there.

Then in August, I went fishing with my Dad, my friend Liz and Jason (He's my coworker and good friend Tamra's husband.  They happened to be up there camping when we went fishing.  It worked out well for all parties).  Most of the pictures are of Liz trying to bait her hook and her cleaning her fish.  Jason caught the biggest fish that day, so I snapped a picture of that as well.

Overall, life has been good.  Sorry for the lack of posts.  I will try to be better.  :)

Stress . . . you can have it!

Let's just say life has been stressful of late, some of which I cannot talk about at this point in time, but may expand at a future date.

When I was listening to General Conference this past April, I really enjoyed President Eyring's talk about trials.  The thought came to my mind that I've been living comfortably and haven't had any major trials of late.  Boy, I will never have that frame of mind again :)

My home life switched around quite a bit and its been an adjustment for me, but not a huge one.  Gibby moved out and left a huge void in my life.  I did have another roommate move in a few days later and she's been wonderful.  Her name is Natasha and we met in my ward.  She's a sweetheart and has helped me in a lot of ways.  But with any change, there comes adjustments.  They haven't been bad, but I think because everything else in my life was seeming to fall apart, it was accentuated a whole lot more.  I'm grateful for Gibby and the wonderful things she taught me.  I'm really grateful for Natasha and her big heart and compassionate spirit.

Going back to school is freaking me out.  When I graduated from the BC, I figured I was done with school for the rest of my life.  The Lord has other plans for me and I found an amazing program at BYU-Idaho that will take my AAS degree and transfer it directly into their BS program.  Its called the Applied Management degree and I am starting Winter 2013.  I am still taking a Math class this Fall, because I will have to take three Math courses to accomplish the MAT 108 requirement.  I am excited for the adventure, but I'm walking cautiously as well.  Its been over 8 years since I graduated from the BC and I have lost my study skills I had in school.  So, here's relearning how to be a student.

So, the moral of the story, don't ever think you're life is too comfortable or too stress free, because there will be opportunities for you to learn and grow.  I can say I've learned a lot and am grateful for the opportunities, but I will definitely be more grateful when its behind me and I can walk away stronger than before.  Yeah, I totally got this :)

Going Back

So after many a prayers, many discussions with a very wise boss and mentor and discussions with a very wise roommate . . . I've decided to go back to school this Fall.  I can take all prerequisites at the BC for free, with the cost of books and I may be able to get my bachelor's for free as well.  We shall see, but for now I'm registered for a Math class.  Its been 11 years since I've been in a math class, so wish me luck!

To go or not to go . . . that is the question

So, I've been asked by both of my bosses and have received countless other questions about the fact that I should consider going back to school. The problem with me . . . .I absolutely and utterly hate school. I love learning and doing things on my own time, but the thought of going to school, having homework and tests absolutely scares me to death. My biggest fear though, by far, is math. There is not words to describe how dumb I am when it comes to math or science. I just don't get it, no matter how hard I study or pray. My brain is just not wired for it. I haven't taken math since I was a junior in high school, so I would have to start at the very beginning. As you can tell by my ramblings, its intimidating.

With that said, the good part is that I can take classes at the BC for free since I work here and hopefully get my prerequisites out of the way. I've also been thinking about getting my Bachelor's online. I am so busy most of the time, I don't think I would have the time to go and sit in a classroom. I found a program at BYU-Idaho that is Marriage and Family Studies and it has as little math and science as I could find and it could interest me. I just haven't though too hard about it because I'm nervous about it.

What do you think I should do? Do you have suggestions? Any words of wisdom would be wonderful.

My addiction to Quilting

My name is Dawn and I'm addicted to quilting! I have been doing the quilting thing for about 4 years and I absolutely love it! The hard part about quilting is the cost associated with it. Fabric runs about $10 a yard, so a queen sized quilt could cost up to $600 including quilting costs.

My New Year's Resolution was to complete all of my started projects and finish them. I have about 14-18 projects going and I figured it would just save me money to finish what I have and then start new projects. That Resolution lasted 3 weeks until I found something I could not do without. I had gotten an extra paycheck in December which allowed me to splurge a bit, so I did.

My solution to my quilting addiction . . . find a rich man to support me in my habit :)

All the happenings

Sorry I haven't been really good at posting anything lately. Life has been as crazy as normal, but here's the run down of the past couple of months.

Ethan is HOME!!! I am so happy to have my youngest brother home from his mission. He was an incredible missionary and was able to teach the Gospel to many. Its just nice to have him here. He adjusted quite well actually. His second day home, he had a cell phone, a job and a registered car. I love him dearly and I am so proud of him for his accomplishments.

I now have 2 roommates living with me. They are wonderful ladies and I love them dearly. I am learning a lot though. I will readily admit that I have OCD when it comes to my house being clean. Its amazing how cluttered it can get with three people living there instead of just me. I'm learning to not sweat the small stuff and just enjoy the company. Its been great fun.

I am taking an institute class. I haven't taken an institute class since I was in college. It seems like forever actually, but I am really enjoying the class. Its a Doctrine and Covenants class and my instructor is awesome. Its nice having a lesson that I'm not teaching from someone so knowledgeable about the Gospel. Its a nice uplift for the week.

I am still teaching Gospel Doctrine in my ward. Scary calling, but I think I may be getting the hang of it. I've been praying to find a way to really study my scriptures and Heavenly Father provided :) My team teacher moved out this week, so I'm alone now. I'm hoping that they'll call someone soon. Its nice having someone to help. I also play the piano for the choir. Its not a calling, they just can't find anyone else to do it, so I do it. There are plenty of people in my ward that can play the piano, they just choose not to let us know :)

I've decided that I need a budget. I've never really had to worry about home repairs or the likes, so I just have spent money. I've realized though that if anything big happened, I wouldn't have any money to pay to get things fixed. I need to change that, so starting today, I'm going to make sure that I budget my money. It just needs to happen. :)

That's about it with me. I do lead a very boring life, but I also lead a very good life. The Lord has been good to me and I have nothing to complain about.

Getting caught up :)

I have two roommates moving into the house with me, which will make finances a whole lot easier. I have some pretty large expenses coming up, so this will be a great blessing in my life :)

I got my back fixed after really throwing it out last week. I contorted my pelvis enough that I made my right leg a half an inch shorter than my left leg. I was flat on my back for about 3 days until I was able to make it into the chiropractor and get myself adjusted. A lot of people think chiropractors are a crock, but I absolutely love chiropractors. They always make things better :)

My youngest brother is getting home from his mission on August 8th! I can hardly wait to see him. He's been such a great support of me and my life. He's never made me feel less of a person because of choices I make or things I do. He's always shown love and support, even while on his mission. I'm excited to have him back home :)

That's my life. Lots of good things going on and I'm blessed. I need to start taking my camera places so I can get pictures.

Vacation has been canceled

I'm so bummed, but we had to cancel our vacation in June, so now it looks like it won't be until August until I get some time off of work. I haven't had any time off since Ethan left on his mission and he's coming home in August. I just keep thinking how pathetic I am that I don't take time off, but then I remember that I have absolutely no money and couldn't go anywhere, even if I wanted to. So, hopefully I can take some time off and enjoy my yard or something :)

I NEED A VACATION!!!

I am completely burned out and need a vacation!!

Singles Ward and lots of changes

Its been a long time since I've posted. There's not been a whole lot going on in my life, just the usual work and working on my yard this spring. The biggest change by far has been to the YSA program in the Church. I'm so grateful for the changes as far as there has never been a really organized program for YSA in the Church. We have student wards, singles wards or activities in family wards, but nothing really solid. These changes that were made were definitely a long time coming and I'm hoping that the changes will work.

Basically, all of the student wards have been dissolved. You attend church based on your geographical area. So, if you are a student, you just attend the ward where you are currently living. It leaves you two options: you attend your Family Ward or the YSA ward that you are assigned. Ward hopping should hopefully be a thing of the past. The Church Leaders have mentioned many times that you go to Church to worship and not to socialize. It is not appropriate to go to a ward based on if you're friends are there.

They have created YSA stakes and wards under those stakes. My Stake is the Taylorsville YSA Stake and my ward the Granger 2nd YSA Ward. We had our first meeting as a ward yesterday. I am optimistic. I just hope they keep me busy. I've only attended singles wards where there were between 40-60 active people, so your opportunities for callings and serving was much greater than in bigger wards. My ward has about 150 active people but around 400 records. Our goal is to find these people are bring them back to the Church. We have a lot of work to do, but I have a feeling that things will work out because this is an inspired program.

So, this by far is the biggest thing in my life. I'm just enjoying life and trying to make things work. I am still looking for piano students, so if you know of anyone, let me know :)

Life is Good!

I just wanted to apologize for the negative tone of my recent blog posts. Sometimes, you need to take a step back from all the bad things that are happening in your life to see the positive. I have finally taken that step back and I'm realizing how truly blessed I am. I have a home, I have my health, I have a family that supports me and I have friends. Things stink sometimes, but that's part of our mortal experience and I for one am grateful for taking this step back that I can realize that it is truly for my good. :)

Thank you for all of you who support me and love me, even when I'm negative and ornery :)

Becoming Better

So, I'm going to be better and look at how I can change to become the person I'm meant to be. I'm tired of people dictating to me how I need to act and where I should be in my life.

I am Dawn and I can do this :)

To my friends that read this blog, I hope you all know how much I love you and how grateful I am for all of your support. Sometimes life stinks, but its people that give their love and support to you in those times when you realize who your true friends are. Love you all!! :)

Things Happen for a Reason

There has been so much drama in my life, and I'm really so very tired of it. Its amazing to me how when you're doing everything possible to make the right choices and do what you're supposed to do, things around you seem to fall apart. I'm actually starting to feel like I did growing up in my ward. There are falsehoods and gossip and I'm generally feeling like a pariah in my ward and at work. Its really hard to see what good can come from all of this drama, but I'm trying to remain optimistic at the same time. I know that my Heavenly Father won't leave me alone to fight this battle, but sometimes, I feel very, very alone. So, I have to remember that things happen for a reason and I usually end up stronger for it.

Wanted: Piano Students

I am trying to make ends meet and am seeking more piano students. I'm charging $40 a month for 30 minute lessons once a week. I have been teaching the piano for 12 years and would love the opportunity to teach others the joys of playing the piano. If you know of anyone that's looking for someone to teach them lessons, please send them my way. I teach all ages and love doing it!

Pictures of the House and Other Such Nonsense

So, here are some more pictures of the house and the decorations. I hope you enjoy

This is my family room. Its a little cluttered right now because we needed to make room for the Christmas Tree.

Isn't it beautiful??? My family goes out every year to cut down Christmas Trees. This tree is the real deal and made my house smell wonderful :)

This is my fireplace right now. I'm in the process of figuring out how to make it usable. Right now, it was wired to become a gas fireplace, but I would definitely prefer a wood burning kind, so we'll see what the future brings :)

This is the front of the house. I thought it looked pretty with all of the snow and icicles :)

So, life has been interesting of late. I am looking for an additional roommate, and its been really hard. I'm looking for a second job so I can make other changes around the house and work at the BC has been pretty intense. All in all though, things are going well and I am so truly blessed by my Heavenly Father. I couldn't ask for more than I've received.

If anyone that reads my blog knows of someone looking for a place to live, please send them my way. I'm pretty desperate at this point.

Christmas

So, can I just say how much I love decorating the inside of my house for Christmas. My family and I went out to the hills of Nevada and cut down trees, like we do every year and I got a beautiful, big tree. I could never do anything huge when I lived in my apartment. It smells so good and I'm loving having a big tree in my family room.

I have realized a lot how many people really expect you to buy them gifts for Christmas, even people that you really have no contact with. It kinda blows my mind to be honest with you. I am completely broke this year and haven't been able to do things like I've done in the past. Although Christmas will be small, its not the reason we celebrate it. The best gift of all has already been given to us through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christmas this year has been rough without my brother, Ethan, around. How much I miss that kid and can't wait for August to come, so we can play. We've also added a new member to our family this year and I'm wondering how he's going to feel about Christmas in my family. He tells us constantly that we're weird. Family dynamics are definitely different this year.

But, with everything else, I love this time of year, with the music, the cheerfulness of people, the love that seems to permeate everything. I love Christmas!!