Search for Improvement

Week two and going strong with my resolutions. I'm so proud of my little self for blogging yet again. Also, in keeping with my other 2 New Year goals I have joined the BYU fitness classes and made 3 meals this week. Whoooot whoot! I just can't help but give myself a verbal pat on the back here. (Go me!) Alright, on with the actual blog post.

Today in Church an interesting concept was brought up. Apparently Lorenzo Snow once mentioned something along the line of "The whole purpose of the gospel is improvement". This is actually something I've mulled over before in moments of deep pondering (often occurring while trying to fall asleep or taking a shower).  Improvement or progression (as I have always thought of it) really is the driving force behind my religion and my life. Why am I on earth if not for a purpose? If there is none, you and I are just floundering through life.

Of course, I know there are some that may disagree with me, but I choose to believe there is a higher call and goal in us being here. Thus, one of my favorite aspects of my church is the structure of the whole thing. We believe in plans, laws, and ultimately a higher purpose that is achieved through daily doing small and simple things. In short, there is a goal I'm always working towards, and this goal changes the decisions I make and who I become. Isn't the purpose of religion to teach us and thus shape us? This sort of thing just makes sense, for those things that truly matter to us forever change us. Of course, we are not perfected instantly (or anytime soon thereafter). However, as long as were trying to better live the gospel, improvement and progression of self are inevitable.

Now, most of my posts wont be so spiritual in nature (I'm more prone to write about mundane life happenings and cute baby animals), but this is something I wanted to write out so I could think it though. Take of it what you will, but since no one reads my blog I feel like this was more of a journal entry rather then a religious statement. Just as well since this is more rambling thought then a well thought out essay. Until next time.

Starting the New Year and Remembering the Old

Well here we are again. I am the saddest blogger ever. Of course, I KNEW blogging would be hard to stay on top of, but you think I could do a little bit better then I am. To solve this predicament, one of my New Year resolutions is to blog once a week (along with cooking 4 meals a week and working out 3 times a week). Now, I know many of you may be rolling your eyes saying "We haven't heard THAT one before" but I am dead serious. I will be a cool hip blogger gosh darn it! Plus, I'm not too shabby at keeping resolutions because I try to keep them manageable, specific, and measurable. So, to those very very very few readers that are seeing this post PLEASE help keep me on top of things. If you don't see a blog one week, I want a very angry text sent my way demanding more awesomeness from me. Got it?

Okay, onward with the first blog of the new year!

2012 was a great year. Here is a quick overview and many pictures of major things that happened this year:

Stephen graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and placed 4th in the Nation in the Hearst Journalism Contest. I'm so proud of him. I did not graduate, so don't be fooled by my wearing a cap and gown. That was just for fun!

I ran my very first 5k down in sunny California (and rocked it)! Thank you Mallory Andersen for being the best running buddy this summer. Couldn't have done it without you. 

Went to the GIANT Tanner family reunion. We had a great time meeting and visiting everyone there.

We went camping with some old friends in Moab. It was quite an adventure hiking and "white water" rafting.

We visited Hawaii for a week to part celebrate our 1 year anniversary and part have a wonderful vacation with Grannie Annie and Papi. It was PARADISE! I went surfing and snorkeling for the first time and really got to soak up the sun. I can't wait to go again this summer. I'm one very spoiled girl.

I started a new job on campus working as a nutrition consultant, moved into a new apartment, and finished 2 more semesters in the dietetics program (only 1 more to go)! I'm loving every minute of both school and work.

Stephen turned 25 and I turned 21

We went to some beautiful weddings of some dear friends and family.

My parents and siblings came up to visit me in college. I was one happy girl.

We spent a lovely Thanksgiving in Carlsbad with Stephen's family.

And an equally lovely Christmas down in Gilmer with mine. 

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to looking towards an even more wonderful 2013.

182nd General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Hello again blog-sphere! After blogging it up on my work blog, I realized how much I enjoy blogging. (Wow...I just said "blog" four times in the last sentence). So, I've changed a few things in my life to make it easier to write on here. Onward with the 7493 attempt at starting this blog up.

General Conference in October is one my favorite times of the year. The older I get, the more excited I am to hear all the talks. Being able to lounge on the coach on a cool autumn morning, snuggled up in sweats will snacking on trail mix, AND watching some of the most powerful spiritual talks of the year is absolutely lovely.

This conference started of with a doozy of an announcement: worthy men as young as 18 and women as young as 19 can now serve missions!!! My friends were freaking out, people on TV were freaking out, and I was DEFINITELY freaking out!! I immediately texted my friends, my baby brother, and called my mom.  I mean, there are already memes galore about this announcement. This is some pretty big news, especially for my family. Palmer is 18 at BYU-I and could leave on a mission NOW if he wanted to (and I think he wants to). True, I will be sad to see my brother leave earlier then I anticipated, but I am so excited for him to have this option to serve early. I think lowering the age requirements (especially from 21 to 19 for women) will definitely strengthen the missionary effort. What a glorious announcement and work to go forth!

On to the talks. Can I just say incredible. First off, Holland. All I can say is "Wow". Seriously though, that was so powerful. It was just like, "Do you love God and Christ? Well then, prove it!" I love how he takes the scriptures which can be so distant and hard sounding and apply it to real people full of emotion. I cried, like, 3 separate times during that talk and it wasn't even a sad topic! Seriously, one of my favorite speakers ever and probably my favorite talk. Robert D Hales has a similar talk, one about being a Christian and applying what the disciples of old did to what we need to do today. Apparently, I need to considered myself called as a witness of this church and the divinity.

Another theme of this conference: death. I feel as if EVERYONE has made mention to the frailty of mortality and understanding the saving power which allows us to receive forgiveness and see our loved ones again. It's just so sad and depressing and SCARY! What, is there some sort of war about to happen? We send our young men off to serve missions in time for them to come back and fight in some sort of WWIII? I'm trying to keep a positive outlook but that topic can be so foreboding.

Other topics (and promptings) I noted:

• Missionary Work. Mentioned a lot. 
• Pray to receive revelation and answers to prayers. 
• Temple Work - I need to go more. 
• Ancestory Work - I need to do more of that too. 
• CHILDREN and families. Lets make ours strong, happy, and healthy family.
• Positive attitudes are a choice
• Recognize what matters and do those things. Prioritize. Live with no regrets
• Faith. That's some important stuff. We learn by study AND faith. 
• Testimony vs Conversion
• Together we can make a difference. Also, honey has all the nutrients to sustain life? That was an interesting statement on nutrition. Gotta ask my professor's about that one. 
• Receiving comfort/following the HG
• Serve others - observe and preserve
• I'm a Mormon. I know it, I live it, and I love it.  
• Richard G. Scott really misses and LOVES his wife Jeannine. He always mentions her goodness. I hope someday our marriage is that strong. Working on it :)
• Heavenly Father loves us and watches over us 
• This gospel IS real and true, and our leaders receive direct revelation from on high.

Perhaps my most favorite thing about conference is the uplifted feeling in my heart and house. I love this church. Now, on to make chicken and dumplings for dinner. Yum, yum.

Why I'm Beautiful

There are days where you don't feel attractive. This has been a week of that. Every time I look in the mirror I hear a negative comment pop in my head. And THAT is not acceptable, because I am a daughter of God and he made me beautiful. I don't need to talk myself down. What does that accomplish? Beauty is a divine quality that is bestowed to each of us, and I want to show that am I thankful for those beautiful qualities I do have.

Reasons I'm Beautiful

• I make an effort to smile at others, especially those that look like they need it.
• If someone does something mean or rude, I try not to take it as a personal insult or say "they're a jerk" but instead attribute it to outside forces. (He was probably running late. They may have just failed a really important test. She probably is really nervous about something going on in her family). We all have our less then shining moments after all.
• My eyes change colors from blue to green to match what I wear.
• I work hard and try to do so joyfully.
• I love the Lord and I love the gospel.
• My nose looks like a little button.
• I truly care about others and choose not to hold grudges. 
• I can make a baby laugh by making funny faces.
• My mother is beautiful so I've got to get some of her looks.
• I am able to see the good in every situation. 

To quote a girl from school, "I'm beautiful because I say so, not because someone told me."
And guess what? You're beautiful too.

what's a girl to do?

Alrighty. The goal is to blog and a blogging I go. There's just one slight snare in this plan. My digital camera is broken. Kaputt, finite, done for! Every picture it takes is a fuzzy mess. See, right now I would insert a picture of me making a sad face while holding my camera but alas, this can not be done. So in short, my blogging is doomed to be boring for a while. Le sigh. To cheer myself up, I've inserted a picture of a VEWWWY cute baby seal and a baby shaving.

Now, what was the point of this blog entry? Apparently to find some excuse for my lack of blogging and complain to the 2 people that read this blog. WHOOOOOOO!!! Hope you guys enjoyed ;)

An attitude of grattitude

I've been feeling kinda down and plain overwhelmed the last couple of weeks. So I asked myself, "Erica, why are you unhappy?" I came to the conclusion that I don't have any real reason not to be happy. Apparently I am in need to look at the blessings in my life with open eyes. Each day on Facebook, I am posting something I feel particularly thankful for. It's hard to see your life as gray when your focusing on the light and good. And there is SO much good to be enjoyed.

Saturday Synopsis

A  Somewhat Mundane Day in the Life of a Beautiful Couple.

Woke up at Stephen's grandma's house freezing cold.

Somehow Stephen seemed to have stolen the comforter in the middle of the night :/

...Just imagine this in reverse.

Went to the SLC temple for my first live session. AND Stephen and I were the witness couple. I was terrified but it turned out to be a wonderful experience. 

Bonus good news tidbit: Stephen and I ordered Chinese takeout. Why? Because we could. Yum, yum, yum!

World's worst failed attempt at making chocolate chip cookies ever!!! I felt like a  failure of a dietitian. I mean, my MAJOR is food. You think I could handle making Nestle Toll-house cookies. 

Guess who decided to be a cat for Halloween?

Super exciting right? Mundane or not, it was one of many perfect Saturdays.

 I love my life!