Tis' The Season to Be Thankful!

So its that time of year!! So many reasons to be thankful. Time with the family and a break from school! WOOHOOO!!! I think I've been in Idaho for far too long, I'm so ready to go back to Cali and enjoy my friends!! But one thing I never, ever understand is why my family is so against me keeping my friendships that I have had back home. They always tell me to "Cut the cord" and leave good ol' Murrieta, CA in the dust and move on to....Boise, Idaho? I don't quite understand. Aren't friends supposed to be there for you through hard times? They are people you are supposed to trust and share things with. And I would never give up my friendships for the WORLD!!! My best friend is the most beautiful person in the world. We have a weird obsession with cats, she loves Taylor Swift, and we love all the same things! She is my "soul mate" one would say ;) Beside the man of my dreams, she really is the best person in my life! So this Christmas season I am so very thankful for her. She has really helped me go through everything. Even though we have only been super close for about 2 years, I have never had to go through so many "adult" things in my life! So cheers to everything great in my friendship...Cats, Martinellis, Instagram, Twitter, knitting, Taylor Swift, Twilight, Harry Potter, gossip, Adele, random dancing, and everything else that is somewhat nerdy but extremely awesome to us in every single way!!

Count Your Blessings

I guess at this time in my life...I really let the world get the best of me. I get so stressed so easily and I get super emotional. But im a girl...what do ya expect?! ;) But one thing I wish I would remember is to remember what I have to be thankful for. So why not take this opportunity to make a list of all the things I have to be thankful for?!

-I have an amazing family whom I love so dearly
-I have a Heavenly Father who loves me so much
-I am getting an amazing education
-I may be a broke college student, but I still have food to eat and a place to live
-I have some awesome friends
-I have some mad creativity skills
-Its Christmas time...need i say more?!


I guess at times when you think you have the worst life ever... count your blessings. Being able to see the blessings in your life is one of the tender mercies that we experience day by day. So next time youre sad...remember a miracle! See what the Lord has done in your life! Think of a funny memory! And heck, crack open those scriptures and read about Nephi chopping someone's head off!!

The First Day of the Rest of My Life :)

9 months ago, I took my first missionary discussion. Long story short...I quickly fell in love with this religion, my parents weren't okay with it at all, so fast forward to now! I've had to wait to turn 18 to get baptized...and last Sunday was the day!! 

It was truly the best day of my life. It was the first time I had seen my man in 5 months, and he was able to baptize me! I could honestly go on for days about how amazing everything was, but the best part was the first time I saw him, it will be a memory that I will hold on to for the rest of my life. But to be honest, it was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. I was surrounded by a ton of people that I love and care for so very much, and all of the people who have helped me get to the point that I am today.

It wasn't until today that I truly realized how much being a part of this church means to me. I drove from California to Idaho over night last night. I spent 15 hours in a car with 3 other people. We drove from 10:30pm CA time to 2:30pm ID time. I usually have a easy time with traveling and with road trips, but I was upset about missing church...it sounds pathetic but I was looking forward to being able to enjoy church as a member for the first time. But it was out of my control, so I just decided to make the best of it. I wanted to do all I could to be a good person, I listened to my church music and read my scriptures. And then I slept most of the way. But for some reason when I got back to Boise, I was in such a terrible mood. I wanted to turn around and drive back to California, I didn't want to eat at the stupid school cafeteria. I could go on and on about all the things I was mad about. But at dinner my friend told me that there was ward prayer tonight, and it was the best opportunity for me to be happy! So I got myself all ready and went to ward prayer, and was automatically in such an amazing mood. I was able to feel what I felt a week ago, absolute bliss. 

At that very moment I knew I had made the best decision, a decision that will eternally make me happy. And I was able to feel the comfort that I did this for myself, and no one else. It was a decision I made on my own that is benefitting me immensely. I feel so blessed to be able to be sharing this with whoever is reading this. My life has changed so much, I have never been so happy. Life is Beautiful!! :)

Finding My Own Spirituality

So for those of you that don't know, next week I will enter the waters of baptism. I will be joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And I am SO EXCITED!! I was raised Lutheran, I was baptized Lutheran, and I lived a normal Lutheran life (which really isn't too different from any other christian's life). But the thing was...I was always raised to have my own beliefs and to stand up for what I believed in. My parents are amazing people, they have taught me so much and so many great values. But if there is one thing that you don't mess with...it's religion. Which is why I am in the worst possible situation now. My parents are against the LDS church. They think its a hoax and a lie. I could go on for days about every single thing they do not like. And you know what...thats completely fine with me! I am such an advocate for being your own person and having your own beliefs. I have grasped the fact that not everyone is going to believe in the same exact thing in this life. But when someone degrades my beliefs it really upsets me. So I wrote my parents a letter explaining to them what was happening. I honestly could not bring myself to tell them those words that they absolutely dread. I hate disappointing my parents or making them sad. But when I received the phone call after they read my letter, it was a lot worse than I had anticipated. My parents are livid about this, they are so disappointed in me, they think this church is the worst thing ever. They can't believe that i went against everything they had ever raised me to be....whatever that means. But the thing is...I don't know if they ever took me into consideration. Did they ever think about how what they say will effect me? Did they think to be respectful to my beliefs? I know I shouldn't be feeling sorry for myself, but I too am hurt. I'm really in such an awkward situation. But you know what, at the end of the day I must be able to reflect on my decisions and think...If I were standing before the Lord, would I be happy with my decisions? THAT is the single most important thing in this life. And I know that in order for me to be content with my decisions I must stand up for what I believe in.

Social Differences

Its hard being in college full of partiers when you are a straight edge 18 year old. Living in dorms and watching everyone stumble in drunk or high is a little difficult. And Im not going to lie...I feel a little left out at times. Its weird hanging out with your friends who tell drunken stories all the time and you have no clue what is going on. Don't get me wrong, my two best friends up here go out and I have no problem with the fact that they do like to party. Im always the person who is always willing to pick them up if they ever need a ride because I love my friends to death and never want anything bad to happen to them. But after countless nights of being one of probably 20 sober people at 12:20 AM, if not one of 20 people back in their room at this time, I began to think to myself and ponder the fact that I am choosing to not do these things because of my own personal values. And it does make me wonder if I will lose my friends or drift from them because I am not going out to parties with them. I want to be able to have the same amount of fun with them that they have with everyone else when they're drinking. And to me this is one of the thousands mysteries of life. I guess it is something that we will just have to wait and see, but I hope it all works out. I love diversity and love when I am able to be friends with a group of friends that aren't exactly like me. But I hope people feel the same about me.

Parental Control

What do you do when you "disobey" your parents, when you know its the right thing for you?

Well, this is the question of the year...honestly this all kills me. My life is in sorts right now, I know that getting baptized is what i truly want. But how can I face my parents at a time like this? Is it because my faith is little? Is it because I can't face their disappointment? Is it because I don't feel confident? These are questions that I constantly ask myself.

Why is it that everyone tries to put down your beliefs just because they are not the same as their's? Is it the abnormality of you making a positive change in your life? If there is one thing I wish my parents could understand...its that the church has made me such an incredible person. I have changed so much for the better in my life and I am truly happy, so why is it that they cant see that? I have countless sleepless nights worrying about how I will tell them and I still can't bring myself to doing it.

So I have decided to write them a letter. Writing is a way for me to have an outlet to my many problems. It helps me be able to interpret my feelings and emotions. I know that this is the only way I will be able to relay my message the way I want it to be told to them. I know that they cant belittle me and I am telling them what will happen. I know that this is the best way for me to let them know. And so my journey begins...

I know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of converts out there with a story like mine...if not worse. And I am so grateful for them, I am so happy that they have chose to make an amazing decision in their life and that they made a positive change. I believe that people should be truly happy, it doesn't matter if you're LDS, Lutheran, Catholic, or Baptist. All that matters is that at the end of the day you are happy with yourself and you are happy with your actions. To me, that is the most important.