Life update and a gratitude check.

So I have been busy, busy, BUSY with school and life, but it has been just fantastic. What have I been busy with, you may ask? Well, let me show you!

On Veterans Day (Yeah, remember that day so long ago?) I was able to hang out with my fam. We went to Maine street/ downtown Mesa for a look around. Did you know that they had an auction place there?!? I sure didn't!

After that, we went to this place(also on Maine street):

It was so cool! They sell their goods based on how much it weighs. It was so fun to walk around and see all of the cool things that they had there. I'm definitely gonna have to go back soon!

After that we went to a yarn store which was a tragedy because I RAN OUT of some of the yarn that I was using for my slippers and I can't find it any where! RIDICULOUS!!! Seriously! I went to several Michael's I went to Joann's I went to Wal-Mart I even went to Target and NONE of these places had the black and white yarn that I needed. Of course, they had two different kinds of brown and white, a blue and white, even a grey and white, but no black and white. Whatever. I'm over it. I just had to substitute with a white yarn and a black yarn that I knit together. *Sigh.* Let's just not mention this ever again...

ANYWAYS... so the weekend after wonderful Veteran's day, I went to a wedding reception in Peoria with my good friend Blake. It was ridiculously long and we may or may not have gotten lost 4 or 5 times, but we had lots of fun and afterwards we went to a place called Paragon to dance. This isn't like turn on a rap and we'll just jump up and down for a ridiculously long time... No. This is legit dancing. We danced the Salsa, the Meringue, the Cha Cha, the Rhumba, the Tango and East Coast Swing. I have to go for my dance class, but it was SO fun and it only costs $5 to get in with a dance class included at the beginning! If you like dancing or even want to learn how to dance AND live in the valley, you should definitely check it out! Google "Paragon dance Tempe" and click on the first link for details.

The very next day was the Gilbert Temple Groundbreaking. What a great experience and it was so fun to be there with my friends!

Afterwards, we went and played mini golf at Golfland and it was super fun, but let's just say that if you want to feel REALLY good about your golfing skills, you should definitely take me along... The highest that my friends got was a 55. Mine? Yeah... it was a 75. Awesome. It really was so fun, though!

I also went to... THE MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART I. (Dun dun dun!)

I loved it! Seriously! If you have not seen it, I would definitely recommend it! Also you should tell me when you're going so I can tag along... I would love to see it again! :)

So that's been my life so far, but it would be amiss if I just stopped there! It is nearly Thanksgiving and I have so much that I am thankful for! In Sacrament Meeting today there was a talk on gratitude and one of the speakers said this quote (I don't know who it's from please forgive me)

"Having gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it."

I loved that, so I decided that I should probably follow that advice.

1. I am grateful for my family. (Who isn't, right?) I seriously love them, though and I'm so happy to be sealed to them for eternity!

2. I am grateful for music. I love music! I am grateful when I hear good, clean music and right now I am especially grateful for Christmas music! 99.9 baby! :)

3. I am grateful for my ward. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly and consistently as I do in this ward. It also seems like I am meeting someone new each Sunday. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I love it!

4. I am grateful for my friends. I talk about them so much, so I'll just leave it at that.

5. I am thankful for missionary work. It has been such a blessing that I have been able to have a mini-mission while all of my close friends are all over the world serving their own mission. I love telling them what's going on and I LOVE reading their stories!

6. I am grateful for uncooked tortillas! Seriously! Go to Sam's Club or Costco (They're at both... that's how good they are!) and buy a package. Cook it. EAT! They are my favorite thing ever!

7. I'm grateful for my body. Isn't it weird that we don't fully appreciate something until we don't have it anymore?! I have been feeling sick the past week. You know, headaches, aches everywhere, sore throat... The whole deal. I am so grateful that I am able to get better!

I am so grateful for so much more, but I am also exhausted, so maybe you could help me out! Leave a comment and tell me what you are thankful for and why. It could be something serious... or not. It could be original... or not. Just let me know! :)

The attitude of gratitude.

I am so grateful for so much, but I want to write about what I'm most grateful for today and it's this...

Weird right?! I'm sure you're scratching your head and thinking, "Why the heck is this girl thankful for a jury summon?!" Well, to be honest, I'm not. Actually, when I got it in the mail about a month ago, it took me two days to have the courage to open it. Yeah...

So being the busy college student that I am, I kept wondering how on earth I was going to fit jury duty into my 7:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. schedule... and that's only for school! So today I called the number that tells me where I'm suppose to go, what I'm suppose to do, blah, blah, blah. Well, when I called I was informed that my group was dismissed! DISMISSED, I TELL YA!

I am so grateful for tender mercies that are a small reminder to me that my Heavenly Father does know and love me.

I'm am also so grateful for my sweet elderly neighbor who just called up my mom and asked if we wanted some bread that just came out of the oven... Yes, please and thank you!

Warning: The following pictures may cause covetous thoughts.

Don't say I didn't warn you!

What are you most recent thing that you are grateful for?

'Tis the season... and a weekend update.

Can I just start off by saying that I love my stake and I reeeaaally love my ward? Well. I do. This past weekend we had a MAG (Multi-area-group... or something like that...) activity. What did we do? We went to

Camp Lomia of course! I forgot how much I love that place...

You're probably sick of hearing about them, but Blake, Dayton and Jessica are my road trippin' buddies so of course we went up together! We listened to rap on the way up like the true gangsters we are (Hah!) and we all got ring pops on the way back. Yeah... we go to college.

Although it was pretty cold up there (Born and raised in Mesa, I'm kind of a cold wimp...) It was really beautiful! The leaves actually change colors! I love it!

On Monday, for FHE my ward hosted a Halloween party for the stake! Supreme dance party! It rocked!

This is me and my good friend Charlynn. She was a ringmaster (although some people thought she was Lady Gaga... What??) and I am Perry the Platypus. If you don't know who that is... well, first you should shed some tears and then you should watch this. Basically, he rocks.

What did you do this weekend?

As it is now November, I thought it'd be suiting if I started giving thanks for all that I have. It's never too early to start, right??

I am so grateful for the Gospel. I don't know where I'd be without it and I know for a fact that I would not be as happy as I am if I didn't have it in my life.

I am so grateful for missionaries. Having an older brother on a mission in Brazil (Who comes home in January! That was fast!), several friends on missions (and some that will be leaving soon), and a calling as a ward missionary, my heart has been filled with love for the missionaries. They do so much and it is so fun to read about many of their experiences and watch how it helps them grow in the Gospel.

What else am I grateful for? You just might have to wait and see...

What are you most grateful for?