RSVP please.

I'm taking a break from anatomy and I thought I would share this gem with you. Written in the margin of my anatomy notebook was this: "Everybody is invited to think."

And you are. So please do.

Think about stuff. Think about your family. Think about the words you say. Think about the things you do. Think about your attitude. Think about your blessings in life. Think about the opportunities of life. Think about love. Think about beauty. Think about nature. Think about all the wonderful things in life. Think about the answers we have to life's great questions. (If you're still thinking about them, go here.)

But please. Start thinking. And appreciating.

what are YOU thankful for?

What I am thankful for today:
1. for the Church. and the Atonement.

2. for real salt lake winning the mls cup. for being the underdogs and for fighting their way to the top.

3. for friends to be nervous and scream and celebrate with when we do win.

4. for delicious food to fuel frenzied enthusiasm.

5. for being able to find the hilarity in having a dating seminar during sunday school instead of a lesson

6. for vacation days and short school days

7. for a cozy bed that is warm and snuggly.

8. for gchat. and skype.

9. for hopes and dreams and plans and wishes and goals.

10. for people with whom i can share all the hopes and dreams and plans and wishes and goals

"Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." Deni Waitley

This one hits home.

Does this resonate with anyone else?

Because it sure struck a chord with me.

Oh happy day.

I bought Christmas presents today!! It was thrilling. And, I thought about posting a picture of the things I got just because I think they are pretty rad. BUT you will just have to wait the 37 days until Christmas to find out.

And I am excited to see this tree:

Oh, the memories of Christmas caroling in NYC. And the bitter bitter cold wind. I don't miss that part.

I love candid photos.

Found this little gem. Isn't it precious how the love just ooooozes off the page?

Personally, I think it would be a lot cuter if the lady on the left wasn't staring at C and J.

Oh well. you get what you get and you don't get upset. :)

'Tis the season, I suppose.

It is almost Thanksgiving. And I'm starting to think I need to start taking a healthy dose of gratitude every day. Sometimes being a grump is so strangely satisfying that it is hard to get out of the slump.

I should be grateful I have at least one exam every week because it gives me more points to help my grade (theoretically speaking).

I should be grateful for the long hours at work despite the slowness because it means a bigger paycheck with less stress.

I should be grateful for my education because it is almost over and I am starting to get the feeling I might actually miss it.

I should be grateful for my busy days because it means I am actually doing something with my time (and hopefully those things are worthwhile)

I should be grateful for the time I get to spend with friends because very soon we will all be doing different things with our lives and going in different directions.

I should be grateful for planes that can fly me home for Christmas because it means I do not have to take a 176 hour train ride or 5 day bus ride.

I should be grateful for this blog because it gives me SOME PLACE TO RAMBLE on about things and not waste someone else's time by making them listen to me.

I am grateful for family and soon-to-be-family.

I am grateful for winter. Because it makes springtime even better.

I am grateful for photographers who can capture the incredible beauty of the world we live in. And make us realize how precious the little moments are.

I am grateful for twinkly lights, pumpkin rolls and hot chocolate. Because being happy inside makes you happy on the outside and then the happiness spreads like warmth.

I am grateful for professors who tell you everything they are asking about on their exams. Because it is nice to know that they aren't trying to kill you and that they want you to do well.

I am grateful for fashion. And the pops of color that have been carried over from summer. And ruffles. For some reason, I really like the femininity they create.

I am grateful for the Honor Code. For the ways it helps us be better.

I am grateful for weekdays. They make the weekends so much better.

I am grateful for bloggers who are willing to share their creativity and imagination with the world.

I am grateful for emails from across the world. Because somehow reading someone's words brings them that much closer. Even when they are really FAR AWAY.

I am grateful for my best friend.

And, I am grateful for hope. Because sometimes things get overwhelming. And that is okay. Because I can handle it. At least, that's what I keep telling myself. Maybe if I keep repeating it, one day I will believe it.

I guess that's enough gratitude for the day. I apologize if you made it to the end of this post. I think I needed to write this more than anyone else needs to read it.

Maybe next time I will just make a thankfulness tree like this one:

I'm having writer's block. So you get pictures instead...

I want this dress:

I've been staring at it longingly since the beginning of May. Too bad I don't have $4000 just laying around that I can spend on a dress I will only wear once.

sunshine and stormy clouds.

Some days are like rainbows and puffy clouds - filled with imagination and adventure and beauty and hope. But sometimes there are dark grey ominous clouds that bring in the storms that make the day seem bleak and sad. And so these thunderstorms have a bit of a reputation that makes them most unwelcome, unpleasant and rejected. I guess I kinda learned today that sometimes stormy clouds like this aren't as terrible as they seem. They bring the rain that washes all the dirt and gloom away. And then the world is beautiful again.

And so amidst days with sunshine and days with storms, I would just like to say I am grateful for ending stormy nights on a good note. And for the beauty that comes afterwards.

I did it.

In story form:

My Fight For Freedom:
How Facebook Sucked My Life Away

Dear World,

I did it. The feeling right now is incredible. Liberation + no more temptation = a feeling of elation. Today at 11:07 a.m., on the 2nd floor of the HBLL, I deleted my facebook. And let me tell you, the result has been wonderful. Even before the actual deletion, I was on such a high from deciding to do it that I paid attention in all of my classes - the whole time. And enjoyed them.

I've had a couple friends ask me why I did it. Here are a few of my reasons: A) I'm addicted to it. I can't control myself - in both how often I log on and how much time I spend each time I log on. It takes up so much of my time -- time that is supposedly valuable, but that I'm not valuing very much if I'm spending it all online. B) I'd rather have a relationship with real people instead of a machine. C) I'm pretty sure my real friends are the ones who have my cell phone number. The rest are all just the victims of innocent stalking. And I'll sacrifice them for a real conversation with a real person. D) I still have an email and a cell phone and skype and a blog. Despite what it looks like, I'm not ostracizing myself from the rest of the world.

I have had my facebook for over 5 years. I got facebook when you had to be invited to have a facebook. Back when they didn't have an inbox, or a news feed, or quizzes, or put photo albums up or chat. Or a lot of stuff. Back when this guy was the logo of facebook:

And at first, it was a fun, easy way to connect with your friends without feeling like you're sending an intrusive email. And if you didn't have a cell phone, it was quick and easy. And had fewer numbers to remember.

But it soon escalated. To the point where I was/am addicted. This I will freely admit. I would check it not once or twice a day. More like once or twice an hour. And after an hour of being on it in the library, or at work, I'd finally get off and not be able to remember the things I needed to accomplish for the day. I was more interested in seeing people's lives and critiquing them and feeling involved from afar instead of being real friends.

I liked what this man wrote in a NYtimes article (Feb. 9, 2009) about the whole "25 things" fad that went around at the start of this year :

"The idea that real intimacy is achieved by telling 25 people about the first time you saw a horse or the name of your kindergarten boyfriend is, admittedly, worthy of ridicule. But in her refusal to participate, Ms. B may have unwittingly touched upon the very thing that makes the exercise so appealing: the fact that we can learn intimate details of a person's life without actually having to interact with them. 'I've gotten 25 random things notices from people that absolutely fascinated me," said Mr. C, the actor. 'But I'm pretty certain I wouldn't want to be stuck on a bus with them telling me these things.'"

And as much as I love stalking people and seeing pictures, I'd rather be taking the pictures or be in them instead of just looking at them. I did have the hardest time convincing myself to delete it. I've actually been considering it for a couple months now. And when I actually told someone I was going to do it. I told them I was going to delete it tomorrow. But then I talked to someone else about it and he said to do it right now -as in: as-soon-as-we-sit-down-at-the-table-in-the-library-now. So we did. And I honestly am glad I did. I'm glad I have my life back. Or at least the chance to have one.

From the same article as above: "'Whatever happened to talking to people face-to-face?' she wrote in an e-mail message. 'Since when do we have to give our friends synopses or overviews of our lives? Anyone who wants to know 25 things about me can call me
or ask me.'"

And that's pretty much how I feel now. If you really care about me and want to know about my life, you can have my cell phone number. And we can talk about it.

two balls or three?

So this girl brought her son to class today. I think he is maybe 1? 1 and a half? Doesn't really matter, I guess. He is so stinkin' cute. And of course I can't pay attention now when he is sitting on the ground next to me making the funniest faces. It makes me want one of my own.

But then, he gets up and starts running around. And falls down. And starts crying. And I realize I really don't want one right now. Especially because I still have to go to classes and stuff. Poor girl. She's a saint for juggling classes and a baby. Literally. Juggling.

I can't juggle. I was never good at it.