Some Enjoyments

So far this week I have enjoyed-

• a long phone chat with the bestie
• quality time with Cowboy
• wearing purple tights
• chicken bacon tacos
• Japanese class
• close parking
• sunrises in shades of cotton candy pink, sherbet orange, with robin egg blue
• light snow falling that looked like glitter
• wearing boots

Ponderings To Musings

Sometimes I watch reality TV. The other day I was watching Giuliana and Bill (confession here not the first time I have watched it and I like it) They are actively enduring the challenge of infertility. At the end of the episode I watched they found out the latest treat they had done didn't result in a pregnancy, this is what Bill said to Gulianna and it has just stuck with me. "It'll be all right in the end and if it's not all right it's not the end."

"I found that I don't need a lover to have love in my life- I need me." This one is from Jenny McCarthy. I saw part of her interview with Oprah and Oprah asked her about her break-up with Jim Carey. The above quote is similar to her response. She discussed some of the lessons she learned. One of the biggest ones she said was that she really learned that she didn't need to have a lover to have love in her life, she really needed to love herself and that there are many many people in her life to love. I found this insightful. Lately, I have been asked a lot about how my "lovelife" is and after hearing her response I have been pondering the two things together. Having love in our lives is essential. Love, happiness and enjoying life definitely go hand and hand.

I'd Rather Be At The Beach

Lately, I have the beach on mind. I am done done done with this winter bitter cold. Now, I don't complain on here often, but I am going to about the current weather. Don't get be wrong I love the fall, but winter...hmm...I prefer the warm weather. As I walk in the cold I picture one of my favorite places in the Philippines and try and feel the warm of that place. And sometimes it does work and I can endure the cold :)

Back to School

Yesterday was the first day of spring semester. This semester is going to be a great one, but also a weird one. I only have one class within my major- opposite of last semester when they all were. I like the variety, but I miss my peeps from HM. My Japanese class is exciting! I have it four days a week, which I like. Today we learned four characters. We are going to learn four each day until the end of January. A little intense, but after the eight-week MTC language immersion style/program I think it will turn out for the best. That experience helped me with many things- one of them is I now know how I learn a language and how to best study and use what I am learning. I am excited for this adventure! I know awesome things are going to come to pass these next few months in all things! Masaya Ang Aking Puso :) mapayapa

A Sweet Email

Today while checking my email I came across an email from my brother Turner. This picture was an attachment in the message. He knows how much I like bulldogs and how badly I want one. I am grateful for Tee and love him much much! Thanks Tee for the sweet message and fun picture! I love you!

Namimiss Ko Kayo

Recently I have been missing extra extra people I know from the mission. All of my mission pictures are not yet digital- so the pictures below are ones from my co-Laoag missionaries. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to serve a full-time mission and that I was able to serve in the Philippines. On Friday night I was blessed to chat with five of my Filipino co-missionaries on facebook all at the same time. I miss them! I am grateful for the technology that allows them to seem so close.

The top picture is after I received my trainer (nanay) with my batch and her nanay. Sister Miguela was a lot of fun! I learned many things in our short six weeks together. The below picture is of Sister Fuentes (who later became my companion), my nanay, and my anak (trainee) Sister Alburo.

This is a tricycle. If we weren't walking we took these. I miss the easiness of getting around the city.

This is one of my favorites! We loved the mentos power gum. Here we are posing with it in front of the mission home, right down the street from our house. (Hancock another anak of mine, Fuentes who was my current companion at the time, and Kahalan- batch of Sister Fuentes and I)
This picture is of Sister Fuentes and I at my last district meeting before returning home. It happened to be two days after my birthday so we had to have cake! This is another one of my favorite pictures! I hope to soon have all my mission pictures digital. I'm glad that I have them though even if they're not at least I have them in a big book and get to enjoy them :)
Masaya Ang Aking Puso :)

Ang Pinakamaganda Ay Darating Pa

"Look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I am excited and looking forward to this new year! A new year brings new adventures, challenges, and blessings. I know the best is yet to come- ang pinakamaganda ay darating pa! I have hope. I have a handful of things I am thinking about. And a handful of things that I will be doing to make this year one of the best. This year I am hoping and working on many things- an increase in understanding and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, good intestinal health, finishing up my bachelor's degree, an internship, and, expanding my floral skills. These are just a handful. Here is to a year of adventures, challenges, blessings, and becoming more of the woman God wants me to be.