Sunday, February 21, 2010

Personal History Jar Questions 150, 441, 324

Today the theme in Sacrament Meeting was Home and Family. We had some great talks. One of the things that was talked about was preparing for future family. A few things that were brought up:
  • Prepare for responsibility. You will have it. Take responsibility for your actions, learn to be responsible for what you have and what you are in charge of. Because soon you will be responsible for a lot more.
  • Prepare for pressure. Life doesn't get easier as you go along. That's just the way it is. It may seem to get easier as you become accustomed to the pressure, but the pressure doesn't go away. Don't hang on the the promise of college graduation and think it's going to be easy street from there. We live with pressure, and if you don't learn to handle it and be happy you won't be happy.
  • Learn to talk to, rely on and love the Lord. He's there to help! When you realize you're not alone and go to Him and can keep that in mind, you will have comfort and be able to hurdle anything life throws at you.
  • Learn to take the focus off yourself. Right now is a very self-oriented time. "Satan doesn't care what you think about yourself, so long as you keep thinking about yourself." If you find ways to focus on others during this me-centered college time, it will become a habit and will bless your life. This isn't to say you don't need some me time sometimes, but me time shouldn't be all the time.
  • Learn to be grateful. Being grateful automatically makes you think about the good. If you can find something to be grateful for to a person you don't like much, you'll have started thinking about good things about that person. If you can think of one thing to be thankful to God for about your day, you will have started thinking about the good things about your day.
  • Be in the world AND not of the world. Don't just "hunker down" and wait for sin to blow over. Be active, be involved. Make the world a better place. But don't fall for this "I must be tolerant of everything" viewpoint so many people have today. The speaker talked about a girl who got herself in trouble because she didn't want to "judge" her boyfriend. She ended up going with him while a drug deal went down and got herself in trouble. Her excuse was "I didn't do the drugs, and thank heaven I didn't judge him!" So many times we're afraid to judge sin as sin! It doesn't mean we have to judge the person as "a bad person," just a person who sins! Just because you like the person doesn't mean you have to like the sin.
All right, on to the questions. I decided to switch this up and do random numbers of questions to try and get a variety.

Question 150: Do you have a testimony? Write down the things you do believe and you know are true?

I do have a testimony. I know that God lives and loves His children, and me. He knows me personally and wants the best for me. He knows what he's doing and I see so much evidence of that every day! He has a plan for us to be happy, and all of His commandments are to make us happy. He has prophets on the Earth today, the most recent being Thomas S. Monson. Revelation continues today, God still speaks. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's gospel restored in it's entirety. I love God, and I know He loves me.

Question 441:What instrument do you wish you could play and why?

I wish I could play the flute and the guitar. The flute is so beautiful and folksy, and yet it can be in marching bands and other types of bands. I love how pretty it sounds when Janette plays it. I wish I could play the guitar because you can sing and accompany yourself. I've always admired teachers who could sing with their classes and play along on the guitar. You could do that on the piano, but a lot of schools don't have a piano and a guitar is portable.

Question 325: What was your least favorite subject in school? What was your favorite?


Growing up, at least in elementary school, I don't think I had a least favorite subject. In high school, because it got harder, I think Chemistry and Calculus were in a way my least favorite, but they were all tough. My favorite subject has always been music. Music in Elementary School, and Choir and Orchestra in High School and Jr. High.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Personal History Jar Questions 1, 2, 3

Yesterday was the last day of my solo teaching. I'd post pictures of my students, but I think that's illegal. XP

I'm really going to miss Wasatch. The teachers are really great, I really feel like I have a connection with the school because of Mommy having taught there. Jane, the secretary, even found an old letter of recommendation for Mommy when she was cleaning old files and gave it to me! And my mentor teacher and I are great friends, which just makes everything better.

Today Janette was doing a friend's hair for Preference and used me as a guinea pig. XD She took pics, I'll have to see if I can get them from her and post them. She did a BEAUTIFUL half-updo on me, all curled with rhinestones in it and ULTRA glittery hair spray (Seriously, two sprays of this and I'm STILL having glitter come off every time I shake my head). It only took her 35 minutes to do the whole thing! Anyway, when her friend came she did an even more amazing job on her! Janette has a real talent.

Okay! I have these Personal History Jar Questions to help me hopefully journal/blog/update SOMETHING more. So! Questions 1-3 today!

Question 1: Are there any family heirlooms in your possession? Tell about them and how you came to acquire them.

Well, I don't really have anything right now, because parents and grandparents aren't gone yet. XP I don't even know what I "should" get. *shrug* I do have this peach and cream teddy bear I got from Grandpa Bell's house when they were selling his posessions, and a little chair that I think is from my Mom. I have a special little cupboard that I think Grandpa Bell made that was given to me by my Mom (I think). I have some quilts from various people, both sides of the family. I have a blue bowl that was designated to be a family heirloom, and a little round box with angels on it from Grandma Rene (I can't remember who it belonged to before that).

Question 2: Are you involved in any clubs or extracurricular activities?

Not really, now. Student Teaching has been eating up all my time. In my spare time I like to read and daydream, usually I get home in time to plan and fall into bed. I like to dress up and to go to the mall with Janette and Alicia. I love to just spend time with family, and I'd like to start cooking a bit more.

Question 3: Describe each member of your family.

Okay, here goes! XD Hope I don't end up inadvertently offending anyone. This is just from what I see or remember or...yeah. This is supposed to be FUN!

Immediate Family

Daddy: Patient, easygoing, loyal. Totally trustworthy. Solid, not the solid that means "cool," but solid...like steady and reliable.

Mommy: Changeable, creative, ULTRA-caring, senstitive, willing, helpful, clean, worryful, loving.

Andrew: A-MA-ZING. Inspiration, growth, funny.

Janette: Miss Personality to the MAX! Makes everywhere you go with her fun. Smiley. Boisterous, tomboy-ish and yet feminine, sort of like Jo in Little Women. Unafraid. Successful. Smart. Talented. A leader. Condfidante. A peacemaker.

Rebecca: Like me. Reader, a bit moody, quiet, mysterious, pokey, beautiful, flexible, serving.

Gordon: Really growing! Troubled, tempermental, teen (ha!), handsome, proud, forgetful, distracted, smart.

Catherine: The baby. Growing just too fast. Beautiful, artistic, flowing, floating, hugs and smiles, fashionista.

Grandmas and Grandpas

Grandma Rene: Patient, near-saint, pusher, wise, optimistic, fixer, good listener, tickles backs, caring

Grandpa Fuja: Attention-liker, sensitive, likes to learn and show knowledge, always needs to be "in the know," can't keep a secret (XD), phone dialer, football obsessed (sports obsessed), food lover and talker.

Grandma Bowns: Sensitive, lonely sometimes, loves company, talker and laugher, fun mom.

Extended

Randy: talker, a little intimidating, teaser, opinion sharer.
Jennifer: fashion setter, great seamstress, involved.
Shayna: Sporty, good mom.
Shantel: Grounded, creative, lucky, finding her feet, fun.
Sharielle: Pretty, impressionable.
Jameson: talkative, opinionated, likes attention and praise.
Alexa: CUTE, princess.

Danette: Fit, care, chill.
Paul: Funny, eyes like Daddy's, talented.
Madison: late-night whispers, fun stories, thoughtful.
Rachel: Talented, athletic, laughing.
Kenya: Tan (!), runner, trampoline-jumper.
Erin: Petite doll, smiley
Matt: Fun boy, friend
Jacob: Conscientious, serious, boy of few words

Tannin: Serious, sensitive, perfectionist, thought-provoking, fun, caring, educational adviser
Megan: Small, bacon-lover, creative, smart, patient, loving
Tayton: SMART, Thomas train-lover, verbal master, curious, thinker, laugher, toe-runner
Hunter: "I WANT!" (ha), fun, dancer, tackler, sporty
Cumorah: knows what she wants, little doll, smiler, has me wrapped around her finger
?: Don't know yet!

Daniel: Confidante, piano-teacher, late nights and sleepovers, the smartest guy I know, patient, an AMAZING laugh that makes me want to laugh too, board game master, nintendo player, ping pong champion, mask scarer, advisor, strappy-shoe buyer.
Wendy: Caring, friend, girl-talk advisor (XD), lovely, so fun
Spencer: Tiny cousin, BIG cousin, funny-face maker, laughter machine, dancer, toddler

Diane and Karen: Barbie players, self-esteem boosters.

Phew! Well, that's about it! I couldn't get EVERYBODY, because the list would be WAY long, but I think I got most of the extended family.

Love you all!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

formspring.me

I'm bored. Ask me anything! http://formspring.me/xeniphb

formspring.me

What was the last book you read?

I'm guessing my school's literacy protocol doesn't count. XD Thursday I read a bunch of children's books to my students (it being our valentines day party and all) and really liked one called "Guess How Much I Love You" and one called "My Love for You." As for "grown up" books? About a week ago I read a book called "A School for Sorcery." It was REALLY cool! You don't have a Hogwarts vibe going on, which I thought you would, and it has some AMAZING twists to it. The beginning wasn't immediately compelling, but it kept me going. ^_^

Ask me anything

Thursday, February 11, 2010