Why the Laugh?

I don't know what it is about cat videos that make me laugh so hard.

I don't even like cats, but for some odd reason I find cat videos hilarious.

I'm odd, I know.

Here is a video that I have watched well-over 30 times just today.

These days, I appreciate laughing more than ever.

It's comforting.

So, make sure you watch the whole thing and have your volume turned up.

To Live...

Sometimes I think I get too caught up in the moment.

I get too stressed with school, responsibilities, the future... that I forget about the big picture.

I forget just how blessed my life is. How blessed I am to have the opportunity to know who I know.

To have the friends and family that I have, the opportunities given to me. I could go on & on.

As important as being responsible and getting things done is, I think it is just as important

to look at the big picture and understand your life as a whole.

We may stress about jobs, majors, money, etc. But this life wasn't meant for us to suffer from worry.

There are things that we can control, and things out of our control.

I think that enjoying your life and actually living it is just as important as the normal responsibilities.

How sad would it be to one day look back and think, 

"I wish I would have laughed more, spent more time with the ones I love, taken that vacation I've always dreamed of, spending the couple extra dollars on that dessert I really wanted at that restaurant, spent more time growing as a person spiritually, individually... helping others with even the most simple tasks."

Even though sometimes I get so caught up in stress and worries, there are always things to bring my mind back to what is most important.

For example, after my Stats class today, I stopped to use the restroom. As I closed the stall door, I saw that someone had left a note saying, "Show your smile, because it's beautiful."

Now, as cheesy as that is, it could have changed someone's day.

Someone else wrote below it on the same paper, "Thank you. I needed that."

Someone actually took the time to respond to the note with a "thank you", and the odds of the person who wrote that note in the first place is extremely slim

.

It's the simple things in life that really are the most precious.

It's the simple things that make us not just routine-based creatures.

Instead of just going through the motions of life, the small things are what make us live it.

Tonight, I got in the jacuzzi with Madison, his roommate Dustin, and my roommate Lauren.

It started to lightly rain and the wind was slightly blowing, and I decided to get my hair wet.

(That may sound weird that I would even mention that, 

but you have to understand I never get my hair wet in public spas, so it was a rare thing for me).

I just decided to not worry about anything, and completely relax. 

All of us sat and talked and enjoyed the weather. Light rain is the perfect jacuzzi weather, in my opinion.

We had the pool area to ourselves, and that never happens either, so I was enjoying every minute of it.

Then these 3 guys walked through the gate and got in, but never said a word.

I then saw them start to sign to one another and I suddenly got really excited.

You see, I never get to use my knowledge of sign language anymore, and it makes me sad.

I love sign language, and I wish I had the opportunity to sign more.

Madison told me to talk to them, but I got a little nervous. I haven't signed in almost a year.

But I got myself to do it, and it was so nice.

I surprised myself with how much I actually remembered, which was a lot.

I then became the translator in the hot tub between everyone. 3 deaf guys, and a group of hearing friends.

We had about a 25-30 minute conversation and just enjoyed the company, and I felt this sense of peace.

We said goodbye and went our own ways, but that small experience just made me think...

This life is full of so many small experiences and details that we just overlook.

I hope I become more aware of these throughout my life, because I think that if I were to really remember and take in those moments, this life is going to be even better than I had expected.

Peter Pan said it best... To live would be an awfully big adventure.

Tomato Basil Parmesan

This week, I decided to be extra organized. I planned out my dinners for the week.

So, since I absolutely love and deeply appreciate Pinterest, I decided to stick with one of their recipes.

I made the most legit soup I've ever made, and it was DELICIOUS.

I'm a huge fan of Tomato Basil soup, but I'd never had it with Parmesan cheese added.

I was so proud of myself, and I learned what a "roux" was, apparently.

I love soup.

I just love how it offers so many different flavors in just one little meal.

And there ain't nothin like a cup of soup when it's a little chilly outside, we can all agree on that one.

So, take my advice and make the soup. It's pretty delicious and I have tons of left-overs.

Which is perfect for a poor little college student like myself!

Here's the recipe:

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup Recipe

Major Problems

By the title, I didn't mean I have major problems...

I meant I've been having "Major" problems, meaning I've had a pretty hard

time deciding what I want to major in. I'm still not 100% sure to be honest.

But I've been really looking into things and trying to figure out.

People say, "Oh don't stress too much about it, you've got time" Um... not really, no I don't.

I don't want to stress and take all of these classes that in the end I didn't even need.

So, I've now met with different advisers from different departments that I've been interested in.

Nursing has been on my mind a lot. I thought that was it, I was going to push myself past my

limit and get that nursing degree because it's such a great job to have.

But then suddenly, this other major option has been coming up  a lot.

Family Life- with maybe an emphasis in Human Development or just Family.

I know that career options for this major aren't very broad, unless you get a Masters degree.

Who knows- maybe I'll end up in Grad School someday.

I'm currently taking an SFL100 class "Strengthening Marriage and Family" and I love it.

I love learning about families, patterns, how to deal with common problems in the family, etc.

I find it very helpful and so interesting. It covers so many things and I just love it.

The program is a lot shorter than Nursing, and it could easily lead to nursing eventually, if I choose to.

This morning, I made an appointment to talk with a Nursing counselor and to be honest, 

I didn't feel that good about it after. I was told that my GPA is way too low, that I would need to just take

classes to boost my overall GPAwhich would take about 2 major semesters and a term. At least.

And then I can maybe apply to the program to be considered. I said "Ok, I can do that".

Then I realized I'd have to keep about an A average all the time to be considered competitive.

Which I could try and accomplish, but the classes are anatomy, chemistry, organic chemistry, etc.

People, let me just tell you I am sucky in these subjects (pardon my language).

So I could push and practically kill myself with stress and anxiety trying to get A's in all of these classes

plus even more classes like this for the next 2 years of my life, apply for the program, and not get in?

Then have to retake those classes and try and boost my GPA even more.

Or if I was accepted, the program is three years and the classes are similar plus I would have to have experience at hospitals, which is completely fine with me.

But I've heard from many people, surprisingly, that a lot of BYU nursing graduates aren't getting jobs very easily due to the program. It is very "textbook" concentrated, if that makes sense.

So social skills are lacking, and common knowledge of how to act is not very high on their list.

(I'm not making this up, there is an article about it, and I've heard from so many people that this is the case)

But the reality is, I don't exactly have very much interest in any of these classes. So what do I do?

Now, with Family Life, the program is shorter, and interests me with the classes.

I'd enjoy my college career. I could graduate faster, and if I ever have to move, I won't be tied down to one place for the next 6 years of my life. Which is comforting to me.

But as I spoke to the advisement desk, they told me that they had been having the exact discussion earlier that day. There was a girl who worked there that was in the exact position as me.

This major can actually lead to nursing. What a lot of jobs are concerned about is it you have a degree.

Even nursing jobs look for degrees in anything to be honest.

If I graduate from this program, I would have a degree, and if I still wanted to pursue nursing,

I could apply to a nursing school or even the nursing department at BYU 

(I don't think I would apply to BYU to be honest).

Then the nursing program at a "specified" school is much more direct and all-around.

Plus, it would on average only be 2 years.

So the amount of time I would be in school is the same, but I'd be a lot more "free" in Family Life.

And who knows, maybe in a couple years, 

I'll find a really good, stable job and I don't want to do nursing anymore.

If only we could tell the future. Wouldn't that be nice? hah. 

I guess I'm just really excited to feel this good about a major, finally.

I signed up for a meeting on Monday to find more out about it before I make any decisions, but

I feel good. I feel good.