New Year's Eve

So it's finally come! The New Year! 2010 It's amazing how fast time flies....

Let's think back to what has happened in the last year....

I've gone to school. (I'm now officially a sophomore)

Pretty much all my friends went on missions. (and lots of them are half way done)

I moved home.

Melissa got engaged and married.

Colette got engaged and married.

Nikelle got engaged and married.

OH we can't forget Brittany got married!

The twins are in Junior High.

Matt and Kyoko had a baby!

Have new roommates.

I MET JAMES! (that's a great one!)

Yeah... that's all I can think of right now.

Anyways, I wanted to first add on something to my goals list...

6. Journal

I use to keep a journal... really well too. Almost insanely well. From 5th grade till about 8th grade I wrote at least 5 times a month... And then 9th grade until half way through my senior year in high school... I wrote every day. Didn't miss (usually) a single one. I have tons of journals to prove it.

But one day I just decided... I was sick of writing everything down. I don't know if it was that I hated writing something and going back and reading it and thinking "what? I don't know why I even cared to write that." or if my hand just hurt. I don't know. But I stopped writing. I slowly wrote more when I got into college. And tried really hard last Spring to start writing again. But It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. So my goal is to try to write. Not necessarily every day. But when I can. When I have something worth writing.

I left my journal in Logan though... so I may be writing stuff on here. Just so I can.

And that is that goal.

Now. I know I told you I was going to finish the BoM so I could start over again at the new year... but I am still 5 books and half another book away from finishing... and the New Year is in less than 12 hours.. so.. I'm just gonna have to push them in to the next year. BUT I will start again once I'm done and continue to read.

I tried. Not as hard as I know I could have. But at least I haven't given up.

OH! That reminds me. Did I talk about trying to get a job at all? yeah yeah I looked. So, I kinda applied for one and kinda had an interview for it a few weeks ago. And he told me that I pretty much had it, but he had to check some things first and that he would let me know on Monday (which was 4 days ago...) however... I'm thinking about it... and I'm gonna hope that he is talking about this following Monday. If so... that would be nice.

It would be really nice to have a job. Make some money. Start saving. Be able to buy things. Oh yeah... it would be really nice.

I had a little break down yesterday because of all this crap (job and a few other things on my mind) and I snapped out of it when I woke up (which I knew I would... I always do) but I have to say... It's really hard being optimistic all the time.. (It may not look like I'm always optimistic from my blogs... but that's only because I only usually write when I'm having a bad day) But I'm changing that. I won't write when I feel like crap. I'll write when I feel I need to. Whatever the mood is!

So yeah... I'm sitting here trying to think of some kind of quote that I can start the new year out with... and this one always pops in my mind. It might seem stupid to some or not make sense or whatnot but I really like it and it has a point.

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

I heard it from NCIS. I know I know.. what a dumb place to hear a quote.. but I really like it. And I like to remind myself of this as I walk through life.

So I guess that's all I have for now. I'll talk to you again next year!

The Beauty of Nature

So I'd like to start to day with the reminder of goal number 1. I need to finish before I can start over.

Well, I usually read during sacrament (no offense to my ward... it's just hard to concentrate on people I don't know....)

This great day I started reading in sunday school. I listened too... I promise. It was a good lesson on being a law biding citizen. ANYWAYS... I open my scriptures to Alma 38. I was so excited cause I KNEW that I would finish Alma today (which by the way... has taken me 3 months!!!!). So I start to read... and about 4 versus in I stop.. Cause I have all these things going through my mind and I just can't concentrate!! It was ridiculous! I had so many things going through my mind that I just wanted to go away.

So I had to get my thoughts straight.. Usually when I do that, i randomly open my scriptures and read whatever is there. Well, I open my BoM and it opens to the Index... in the J's to be exact.

But it wasn't where I opened it to that I noticed... It was what I had placed in there...

You see.. a few weeks back, I was up at the institute building and my roommate was there too. We had an hour before our class so we were walking around outside. It was a nice day. And the leaves outside were gorgeous. We had walked passed a tree when she said "look!!! That is like the most perfect leaf EVER!" So she picked it off the tree. She found a few more pretty leaves and soon she a had a collection. I looked in at the tree and though "Fall leaves are so pretty...."

When something caught my eye.... a leaf. But not just any leaf... this was a very special leaf..

It was in the shape of a heart.

So I plucked it off the tree. Just the one. And I held on to it carefully. I stuck it in my scriptures in a random page... and that was the last of it.

I had completely forgotten about it. Until today.

When I opened to that page and saw that most perfect heart shaped leaf... it made me think...

"It's moments like this that remind me that God loves me."

I don't know how many of you know this... but Colette and I have a pinecone that hangs from our ceiling. You may think it's dumb... but it really truly is... the best thing I've ever owned. It's the perfect Pinecone... and every day it reminds me that God loves me.

Also... about two months ago... Colette came across a rock on the ground... a heart shaped rock.

You may think it's stupid... But I appreciate the daily reminders I get from my Heavenly Father.

People need to start slowing down their fast track lives... and just take a look around. The signs of God are all around us.

THE SNOW! After church today... we had a linger longer.. But I decided I didn't really want to go. My roommates wanted to stay. So my first thought was "yes! snow!" I told them I was going to head home.. they insisted they drive me home. I told them I was fine. And after about 5 minutes of back and forth 'arguing'... I started my walk home.. Oh how perfect it was. And not nearly as cold as expected.

It was perfect. And I loved every bit of it.

God Loves Me. And He reminds me every day.

A New Year Is Coming

Dear ... well.. whoever,

Sorry I haven't been writing lately. If I'm going to have a blog, I should probably write more often. I mean, I'm on the computer enough that I could easily write SOMETHING everyday. But I guess the real important thing is that at least I write eventually.

Lucky for you, I actually have a plan on what I want to talk about!! I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I decided that this year I want to make some New Year's Resolutions! I'm not sure I've ever really made some before. I'm sure I've said "Oh yeah... I'll try to be better at this." or, "I'll do this such and such thing less." But when it really comes down to it... I've never really WRITTEN DOWN my New Year's Resolutions before.

So I may not have everything I plan on... resoluting? resolating? hmmm who knows. But I'm sure you get it.. I won't have all my goals down in this one blog, but I do promise to eventually write them all down. I looked to see if there was some sort of gadget that would allow me to write them down on the side by all those other dodads... There wasn't... but I'll figure it out.

So I'll finally start out. I want you to know that the order I write these down does not automatically mark their importance. I'm just writing as they come to mind. All of my goals are equally as important (some are just harder than others). But with the will power, I can do anything.

: G o a l s :

1. Daily Scripture Reading.

I know this is a typical "mormon" goal. But I don't really care about other people. Well, at least about being like everyone else. I'm not all about the stereotypical anythings. I am Emily and I hope everyone realizes that. I do what I do because I choose to, not because every one else does it. I'm not a "follower" of peer pressure.

Back to my goal... I've been trying since about February/March of 2009 to read every day. I even have a reading chart I found that I printed off and leave in my scriptures to mark off. I'm doing pretty dang good if I must say so myself. But.. I had planned on finishing the BoM last July and.. well, If I read at least 3 chapters a day from now till December 31st.. I should finish. (I hope to finish before so I can start the year off completely new).

2. Do Good In School.

I know that's a pretty broad one... but let me give a more detailed idea of what I'm thinking. Last year I averaged a 3.0, which when I tell people, they keep telling me that's really great... So I'm going to say right here and now (sorry if I offend anyone) but I was a 4.0 student all my life... so averaging a 3.0 is a failure for me. I'm sure (or at least pray) that I have raised it some this semester. But not nearly as much as I wanted to. The funny thing is that college isn't hard. I mean, I'm sure it is for some people... but I've just always done great in school. No matter the subject. My problem is the lack of caring to do homework and studying. That's my weakness. So my REAL goal here is to do every homework assignment and even extra credit (needed or not) plus study... big time study for every test. I'm not expecting to Ace every class (even though I see no reason to not be able to) but I don't want any more C's. So what ever you want to call this goal... that's the gist of it.

3. Be Organized.

So if you know me... I'm quite the organized person. But I'd love to become more organized. Maybe a better would to say is... not to procrastinate? I don't hold things off as bad as I use to.. so maybe I'm trying to say that I would like to be able to plan ahead. I want to be one of those people who have to "squeeze something into my week". Not really of course. I don't plan on ever being that busy (even though I know no one plans on being totally "busy"). But I'd like to be able to start out every week with an idea of what's going on. The more organized and planned I am... the less stress I have. Stress is no fun. Why would anyone every want stress? So yeah... I think it's a great goal.

4. Budget.

I remember my Senior Year in high school, they made it a requirement to take a Financial Literacy class. At first I thought it was so dumb and so did everyone else. I got into the class and... It's probably one of the only classes that I can think of that I ACTUALLY learned something. Of course I learned Math... and English.. and other such things. But I left my senior year with a good amount of money saved up for several different areas of life. Then I got a speeding ticket... which pretty much depleted me of all that I had just saved.. I don't have a job right now. But I'm trying. And when I get one, I hope to have a great system down to budgeting my money. I don't want to be a poor student who depends entirely on her parents. I love my parents and they know I love them and I appreciate everything they've done for me. But I feel horrible taking their hard earned money every month to pay for rent and food. So... I budgeted great 2 years ago... I could do it again. And even better. Cause I'll have a job..

That's right ... I WILL have a job.

I know I had more... But alas... I didn't write them down until now... so... I forgot. But like I said before. There is no way I'll have everything down in this own blog. It'll take time. I mean... I have a little less than a month to come up with more! And even after that... New Year's Resolutions aren't JUST for the beginning of the New Year. You can make goals any time you want. You just need to stick to them. That's the thing I think people have the hardest time with it. Saying they'll do something... but just doing what they usually do anyways.

I've been told once that you can't make a goal, do it once, and expect it to be easier for you to do forever more. It takes time and energy. But the harder you try and the more often you try, it'll be easier. I promise. You just can't give up.

:) which brings me to something...

4. Never Give Up.

I think this one speaks for itself.

And now I leave you... but I'll be back. I have more goals to tell you about! (if I can remember them that is..)