Well...where to start would be the question. I don't think I have ever cram packed so many things into one week ever in my life, especially without getting any real work done. Although I did do some reading and writing for papers and classes so at least that is a step in the right direction I guess. I guess I will start like I always do at the beginning of the week with Monday. It was insanity trying to pay attention to all my classes knowing that I would be going home in a few hours, seeing my family for the first time in months. I think I barely took anything in at all and if I did it came at tremendous personal effort and concentration. But somehow I made it through and then sat outside surround by my posse of roommates plus Jared DeLamar Jensen to see me off. You would have thought I was leaving for a mission or something the way I was surrounded, or at least for some extensive foreign traveling or something. But I guess my roommates are just cool like that, plus it gave me something to do while I (impatiently) waited for Aunt Julie to come pick me up. Not that it really mattered all I did was go to her house and do laundry for several hours anyway and of course I forgot my boarding pass in my apartment and so had to come back and get it. I mean, when does everything go perfectly when you most want it to? But the thing was that I really didn't care because I was so excited to finally just be going home. Something all my other roommates had already done or home had come to them with moms and dads visiting or flying home to rip open mission calls or for working or because Samuel just can or because Jared (not the same one mentioned above) already lives up here anyway. Home is such an interesting word though. You can't truly realize how much it takes in your life until you move away and then start having to do everything on your own, guessing at how things are supposed to work and turn out and getting it terribly wrong most the time. But what can you do? Just pressing on with a smile and laughing at yourself is the most tremendous thing. A sense of humor goes a long ways in surviving away from home and its only when I lost it that I have every truly had difficulty struggling through it. I got home around 11ish - midnight. It felt so weird to be home...like an alien world that was somewhat strangely familiar still. It didn't help that all the rooms had been moved around and my bed had ceased to exist. Plus they were all painted new colors that were really cool, I never got to do that (not that Im bitter or anything haha). Tuesday morning was get up off of fourish hours of sleep and head to the temple day (Sterling's idea). It was awesome though, the temple always is. And completely worth starting my week of utter sleep deprivation. It also kept up my goal of going to the temple once a week to do baptisms, plus it was with some of the same group of people who had gone with me over the summer. It just felt incredibly right to do. After that I had to go home to help my mom make salsa, from which I learned the art of chopping green onions, various peppers, and all sorts of other useful skills that I just won't be able to practice because all of that stuff is so expensive. Being healthy is really quite pricey, junk food is cheap. I got to just talk to my mom for hours on Tuesday though and that was good. We caught up on everything that had been going on and what was going good and not so good. I spent almost all of Tuesday day at home after that messing around with siblings or my parents or whatever. Just enjoying life and that fun that it brings. Collett and Biehl did come visit me for awhile and we talked and joked and had fun. That night was Ty Hancock's birthday party which was a complete blast because I finally got to see some of my friends who I have missed the most. It reminded me of the fact that I was extremely blessed with friends in high school, like extremely so. I took for granted the fact that I had such a huge close-knit group of friends that were always there for me and loved me despite all my quirks. And helped me to live the standards...and then I got to college and heard the horror stories of people from Texas and California who were the only Mormons in their entire high school and so had almost no friends and so had to struggle through everything on their own. I was beyond blessed with my group of friends from Moutain View High School in Mesa, Arizona. And I am so greatful for that. Anyway, at the party we had a blast playing random games like Catchphrase, the adverb game (me new all time favorite group game), "this is a solemn and serious occasion." Just talking and laughing and joking and getting Aubrey to ride a motorcycle and eating and poking and whatever else we did that night. It was just complete fun where everyone let loose and was not embarrassed of acting out or speaking up. Wednesday was Ihop breakfast day. Good stuff. Thanks for Collett and Biehl here for ditching school, it really did make my day to talk to and see you guys again. After that we ran and visited some Moutain View teachers because they are just awesome like that. Then we went to my house and played Quelf and had pizza. Sorry goes to my mom here for not forewarning her...but they all wanted to do something and I had to go home so I just brought them all with me. Thanks for being so understanding and accepting though. Wednesday night was the interesting party with the house burning down. Nothing can quite add excitement like that. Thursday was Thanksgiving and Im stealing your idea Aubrey from Britney Peterson. So I guess Im technically stealing it from her.
Im thankful for a family who loves and cares about me and accepts me despite all my quirks and faults. They understand me and know when to give me room or when to rush in and give me the biggest hugs. Their smiles and humor make my life so much better.
Im thankful I got to go home for Thanksgiving, I have been really wanting to for a very long time. Just hearing people's voices over the phone is not enough, I needed to actually see them and talk to them face-to-face. So thanks goes to Mom and Dad here to for buying my plane tickets so that I could make it home.
Im thankful for my amazing friends, both up here at BYU and those that I made in Mesa. They lift me up to become the best that I can be. They know how to cheer me up when I am down, how to keep me laughing when Im happy, and how to make me stretch to do the impossible.
Im thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows me individually and sent His only Begotten Son to die for me personally so that I could return to live with Him. That takes a love beyond compare that I cannot fully comprehend but hope to someday.
Im thankful for temples and the sweet spirit that they add to my life.
Im thankful for BYU and the education that I am receiving. Even if it does take me to the brink of insanity to learn it all, I love learning and gaining a greater understanding of the world around me and how it all works and how everything fits together.
Im thankful for music and the way that it can move me. Im thankful for the cello and the huge role that it has played in shaping me into who I am now.
Im thankful for random adventures, long night chats, game nights, movie nights, birthday parties, church meetings and outings, and all other events that fill up my time with wholesome and fun activites.
Im thankful for work and being able to clear my mind out while doing it. Im thankful for the money that I make that I can put towards my mission that I earn from it.
Finally, Im thankful for all those who have played a role in shaping my life and making me into who I am today. Many of you don't know who you are or what a major role you played, but it was huge.
So that is my Thanksgiving post. Oh...final, final thanks...Im thankful for life and all the joy that it brings. Smiles, laughter, puppy dogs, friends, Cheerios, ice cream...we have to live an actual human life in order to enjoy each of these and Im so thankful for that gift that I have been given in having one. Thanksgiving I got to see most of my extended family again which was just grand. I miss those Sunday gatherings a lot, more so than I ever thought I truly could. It was nice to have a review of what it felt like. Friday was Black Friday and all that entails. The crazy hectic shopping frenzy that is nonetheless fun and exciting. Friday, another one of my friends got his mission call. Trevor is going to South Carolina. It is so weird to watch them all get excited and pumped to go...Im still waiting to get to the right age to be able to do that. Friday night was family night and we played some Uno Attack. Great game. Especially for the competitive and those that like some sort of justice in the world in watching the person who only has one card left suddenly end up with like 20. I crashed then from complete exhaustion, and slept for 9 hours to amke up for playing so hard all week. Saturday was come home day...or my other home anyway. Its so weird having to deal with the dichotomy of two homes. Home is where the heart is, right? But what if your heart is stuck in two places? What happens then? Home is with my family, but home is also where I live and work and breathe and enjoy life. Home is where I will always be accepted for me but that happens in both places too. Home is home. But which one is really home? I don't know the answer to that anymore. A few months ago I would have answered 1727 N Ashbrook Circle in a heartbeat...but those days are over having moved out and establish myself in 118 Shipp Hall. But its not completely home either becuse its lacking the people that I grew up with and get to spend eternity with. I guess Ill just have to be satisfied with two homes for now.
Song of the week: "Just Dance" by Gaga something. Ok, so the song is actually really stupid but what the message of the song says to me is just live life the way you are supposed to. Don't let anyone tell you different. Be you and let the world deal with it. Don't change for the sake of gaining the admiration or jealousy of others, be who you are and don't let anyone but the Lord change you.
Thought of the week: "Be grateful for everything. Its what makes you, you"
Picture(s) of the week (sorry I just couldn't put one!):
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