BYU-I Round 2

Rexburg, I've arrived!

This Season is Looking Purtier Every Day

These next couple weeks are going to be pretty incredible-not for Christmas...but because of Christmas. Due to this splendorous holiday my older brother Adam will be coming home tomorrow evening, my older sister Jessica will be coming home in a week, and Matt and Jaimie will be driving up from Georgia next week as well! 

It's interesting to think that each person has their own individual love that is felt towards them. I love both Matt and Adam, but it doesn't mean I love them for the same reasons. Oh love. It's such a powerful four lettered word. Huh, I accidentally spelt word as world in the last sentence, but changed it for grammer's sake; but think about it: It's such a powerful four lettered world. When your in love, your in a world completely different than when your out of it. I know I feel mountains different when I'm eating a delicious food, walking down the streets of Downtown Fredericksburg, hanging out with the YSA, being with my family, or making something new than when I'm just by myself finding things to do. I feel like love is a state of being that one can easily jump into at any moment of the day.

Haha, well there's my thought for the day. It is really quite intriguing once you start to think about it. Then like bubbles I feel the different loves can start layering and building on each other. That's when you experience those euphoric, shout out to the world "I love life" moments.

In such cases it's easily to believe that love can never end. 

This weekend the young singles adults are going to see the Nutcracker in Richmond for a branch activity. They've counted that around 45 members are going to be there. For an activity of ours, that's incredible! We're just going to take that theater over. One thing I like about the Nutcracker is that no matter how many times you've seen it before, it doesn't get old. It's like your favorite old sweater, shoot it's like Christmas songs! Just instilling that seasonal excitement within you so much that you can't help but smile the entire time. Being able to watch it with all my friends, and Adam, I sincerely cannot wait.

Life is a Flirt

I tell you what, going to church sure does some amazing things to a girl. I really didn't want to go today. Point blank answer. I had a lesson to teach that I didn't prepare for and overall I was just feeling icky for some reason. I figured using the wedding and the preparation for the  reception and what not would be a perfect and understandable excuse for not going. Oh but did the Lord have something else planned entirely different. 

With faith and dragging confidence I went to church-picked up the fantastic Kelly, got to hear the first act of Swan Lake on the way there, then out of the blue while I was just setting my stuff down on the pew, Becca walks up behind me and asks if I'd be willing to lead the music during sacrament today. I knew how so I said sure, but then...I got to fulfill a childhood dream I didn't realize I'd forgotten about until it was staring right at me. After 15 years of waiting...I finally got to change the numbers on the wall for the hymns we were to sing. Don't ask me why, but something about those ladies who got to mysteriously pull numbers out of no where, change the numbers out so smoothly for the songs, then make them disappear again, I was captivated and couldn't wait until I got my chance. Of course, this would be that incredible day. Your probably laughing at my silly childhood dream, but I'll tell you what, I can live happier knowing that a forgotten bucket list item has been crossed off. 

Waving my hand around in sacrament was actually really enjoyable too. It'll be a first of many I hope; just as long as those songs don't trip me up with their silly fermatas. Not only did I get to sit near the incredibly fun new return missionary whose only three weeks green, but I was able to bear my testimony about the importance of temples and how their multiple effects on me this past month has made me eager than ever to prepare myself to be able to enter into those beautiful houses of God. Haha, as Mom said in one of our recent conversations, "Most girls now-in-days go to the temple to get married, but you want to get married so you can go to the temple." Don't get me wrong, I will be marrying for all the right reason to, I'm not dumb, but I do feel I will be indebted to my future husband for taking me to a place I've dreamed about my whole life. 

Sunday school was wonderful as always, but my lesson in Relief Society turned out far better than I imagined-meaning I didn't have to leave 15 minutes at the end of class for testimonies. In fact, we went over time and had to skip the closing song. The nice thing about Relief Society is that the Sisters do just about as much teaching as the teacher does. Participation in class will make the difference between an unforgettable spiritual experience and just another lesson about gratitude. I love our little branch so much. Staying there long enough has really changed my ideals about what a singles branch is about. Reckon I haven't even been there a full year combined, but the people and the experiences your able to share with them truly make each of them remarkable. I wish never to forget them for the rest of my life.

Just going to church has totally straightened all my emotions out. I feel 100% about the issues I was having trouble with and I'm confident about the positions I need to take. However I'm still undecided about school. I was looking at housing and classes and trying to feel if going back out there is the right thing. A thought came to my mind while looking around on the BYU-I website: that if it was the right place to go the first time, why would it have become a bad decision now? I don't feel there is a bad outcome of staying home or going back out to school, but I am likely to gain something important if I'm willing to put my heart into either situation. Oh life, you tease and tickle me so. I tell you what, life is a flirt. It's a good thing I grew up in a house of flirts and are one to or else this whole life ordeal would be a lot more confusing.

Christmas Blessing #1

The Lord has in an unmeasurable amount blessed my life lately these past few days; however the text I got from my brother-in-law this morning would have to top anything since Georgia.

JESSICA IS COMING HOME BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

 The idea of her coming home early seemed to be an irrational hope, but now it has turned into an unbelievable dream! That means that all the Stokes kids as well as two new spouses are going to be together for Christmas. This will be the first time that our entire new family will be together. Haha, it's an odd thought to slowly be adding new members to our family, but Ross and Jaimie are incredible people; it'd be hard to imagine our family without them. This is the perfect news to start out the Christmas season. Happy Holidays everyone! Please be thankful for your family, they're the few people we know we'll be with after this life on earth. Love them and don't ever think different or stray from that love.