Advice from Elder Busche

I had a friend show me this video the other day, and I've watched it several times since. I just think it's so powerful. It's the basic principles of the gospel that we need to remember. Take the time to watch it, and really listen to the words. You won't regret it I promise!!

one of THOSE nights...

So, I just returned home from the gym with full intentions of making myself some dinner...
{looking through the fridge/cupboards/freezer}
What sounded best?
cold cereal.
What did I end up with?

One of my favorite cereal combos.
This is where I can hear my mom saying...."oooh meggie, I wish I was there to feed you"
But, no worries mom. This was by choice.
I LOVE cold cereal. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
Sometimes I get excited to go to bed because I know I get to wake up and have cereal.
Yes, I'm a total nerd.
But, you have to agree. Sometimes cereal just sounds better than anything else!

Decisions Decisions

So, I was talking to a good friend Brad yesterday, and he the topic of "what we were doing with our lives," came up, as it frequently does around these parts. He and I were joking about how we're sick of having to be so dang responsible all the time...(or at least try to be)...Anyways, he said something along the lines of how this is the "decade of decisions," in our lives. I'm not quite sure where that came from, but I think it's true. A this point in our lives we have to make so many decisions that can determine where our lives will go.

Let me just tell you. I HATE (all caps necessary) making decisions. This is my favorite game to play...
person: Megan where do you want to go eat dinner
me: ummm, I don't care where do you want to go
person: you say that every time
me: I know. I do care, but I just hate deciding. Give me your top three choices.
person: A, B, & C.
me: much easier. No, No, and Yes.
person: you're a pain
me: I know.

If only all of life's decisions could be made in this way. I think I'd do a lot better.

Heavenly Father: Megan do you want to go back to school and get a masters?
me: ummm, that sounds good. Which program?
Heavenly Father: You can choose A, B, or C
me: I pick C. Done.

Heavenly Father: Megan do you want to get married?
Me: Yep, who should I marry.
Heavenly Father: you can marry A, B, or C.
Me: I pick A.

hmmm....if only....don't worry I know this isn't how it's supposed to be. A girl can dream?
As for now. I'm looking up graduate programs, trying to decide if I want to put the time, money, and effort into going back for another degree. AND trying to see if there is one that is beckoning my name...this is rough.

ummm hmmm....

Tomorrow I get my hair done.
Why is that the BEST feeling ever?
Can I get an AMEN?

A weekend away...

Confession: I totally stole this pic from my sister Nichole's Blog because I was AWFUL at taking pictures this weekend! Thanks Nic ;)

I had such a fun weekend in Arizona with the family. We ate, played games, went to a movie, shopped, laughed, baptized and ate some more. The main purpose of the trip was to see my sweet nephew Bryson get baptized. I still can't believe he is 8! He is so adorable. I just love him.

My Highlights from the weekend:
- Shopping! Benita, Roxy and I have been trying really hard not to shop this month, so it was fun to get to go and find some new clothes.
- Game Night. I always love playing games with the fam. (My mom pretending she's just an innocent bystander in EVERY game and then crushing us...Arsenic.)
- The Ugly Sweater. My family got into a discussion about how for our this year's Christmas party we're going to have an ugly sweater party. Makes for great photos, and an all around good time. Well in the midst of deciding where we are going to come up with these ugly sweaters, my mom comes out with the fact that she has held on to one. We of course made her go get it and we all tried it on. FANTASTIC mom. FANTASTIC.
- Confessions of a Shopaholic. On Valentines Day we decided to go see a movie and the movie of choice ended up being Confessions of a Shopaholic. All of us girls have read the book, and they guys humored us. Those of you who've seen it will note the reference to the green scarf...Well, I happened to be wearing a green scarf when we went to see it, and it turned into this huge joke about how I was a fanatic that dressed up for the movie. (Think Harry Potter/Twilight/Lord of the Rings followers.) I'm glad I could provide some laughable material for the family.
-Bryson's Baptism. A great event with a delicious Brunch to follow. The Barney Fam knows how to host a party!
-Headband Making. Kiley and I spent Sunday night pulling at our creative sides. We had so much fun making headbands and they turned out really cute!
- Sunday dinner. This is one thing I miss SO much about having my family close all the time. I LOVE Sunday dinner's at home. My mom and dad did an excellent job of making my Sunday Dinner at home a delicious feast.
- Just being with the family. I wished everyone could have been there, but it was very fun regardless. I just love my family SO much. I love it when we're all jam packed at a noisy restaurant table, talking, laughing and having a good time. I love it when we play games and everyone's secret competitive side comes out. I love it when we're cooking and laughing together in the kitchen. I just LOVE all of it. Thanks mom and dad for letting us come barge in on you for a great weekend home! xoxoxo

my LOVE day

L - Love. Obviously. I get a whole day to think about and celebrate my word of the year. I got to spend the day with my family, the people I love the most. For those of you who I did get to see today. I love you again! For those of you who I didn't get to see, I LOVE YOU!!

O - Overdone. As was previously mentioned today was a free day. My indulgences went as follows. 15 Peanut M&M's, 1 Chocolate covered cinnamon bear, 1 cinnamon roll, 1 slice of Nichole's banana bread, 1/2 of a sugar cookie, 4 nibs, 10 mike n' ikes, and a piece of a chocolate chip cookie at Paradise Bakery. How do I feel about all of this. GROSS. Yeah they were all good and everything, but I regret it all. I hate feeling like I've eaten crap all day, (which clearly I have). I'm more than excited to going back to no sugar, no candy, no treats. Indulgence day was good for me, a reminder of how I hate feeling.

V- Very Proud. Very proud of my adorable nephew Bryson that is. He was baptized this morning! I love this little guy. I'm not kidding, he has to be one of the sweetest kids I know. So full of smiles all the time. He has one of those super contagious smiles that goes from ear to ear. I just love him. We even have a secret handshake. I love being reminded about the baptismal coventants, and why I believe in the church.

E - Eeeeeeerrrrrk. That is the sound of a car slamming on it's breaks. Slowing down you know...why? Because I hate that the time home always goes by so fast. I don't want to go home already. I heard it's snowing there...and y'all know how i feel about the snow...

V-day = Free Day

I have successfully not eaten candy/treats/sugar since Dec 26th.
Lisa and I have declared tomorrow a free day.
I already have an agenda.
It goes as follows...

Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears

Cherry Juju Hearts

One of Mom's Homade Cinnamon Roll

and my favorite...Peanut M&M's

I'm sure i'll be sick. I'm sure I'll regret it. I'm sure I'll be glad Sunday's back on the bandwagon...but it all sounds DEeeeeelicious right now.

Home Sweet Home

I'm HOME right now.
With people that I LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Today we SHOPPED.
Enjoyed WARM WEATHER.
Made Valentines SUGAR COOKIES.
Ate ROSATTI'S.
Talked BLOGS.
RELAXED.
Now I need to SLEEP.
For tomorrow I have to RUN 13 miles.
...and SHOP some more of course.

My Word

Not as in "oh, my word!" Just, my word. I've had several friends tell me that they choose a word or a theme for the year. Something they always try to have in the back of their mind. Something they can stand by. A reminder of something they want to work on, and use to help improve themselves. I thought this was an awesome idea, so I went ahead and took the liberty of copying it.

I have been thinking about it for the past few weeks, and finally came to the decision of what I want my word to be.

And it is...drumroll please...LOVE.

I have been thinking about the things that I want to improve and change in my life and almost all of them can be tied to LOVE. I think of the people in my life that I really look up to and strive to be like and all of them posses the same quality. You genuinely feel like they LOVE you whenever you come in contact with them. It is not a front. It is genuine LOVE. Because of the LOVE they have for others they are so willing to serve at any chance they get. It doesn't matter if you like them because they are going to LOVE you anyways. It doesn't matter if you just cut them off in traffic, if you didn't follow through with your plans, or if you aren't being especially nice cause they'll still LOVE you. I want to develop this quality. Bear with me, cause I'm sure some of you reading are thinking..."oh we'll see Megs...we'll just wait and see," But maybe show me some LOVE too as I try real hard, k?

p.s. ooh...and maybe with my word of the year being LOVE this will be my year to find the smokin' hot man of my dreams and fall in LOVE....I'll keep you posted on that one too ;)

p.p.s. please note how obsessed I am with the above photo. Fireworks + LOVE = best picture ever.

Also...I LOVE you all.

Nothin' but the girls...ah ah ah ah....ah ah ah ah....

(Title explanation: It's a song by the Ting Ting's. And I love it.)


Last Friday I went to dinner with Benita, Lisa, Kate, and Jenna. Boy do I love those girls. We went to Zupas, which I also love, followed up by some Maverik frozen yogurt...all good things. It was SO much fun to just sit and talk. We were surrounded by tables full of boring people, who were glad we happened to be there to provide for them some entertainment. I only pass this judgement because they all stared at us and listened to our conversations the whole time. We found it quite funny...and a little bit creepy. We laughed the ENTIRE time. So much fun. I love this series of photos. I was trying to get them to smile for me for a picture right at the moment that Lisa and Kate discovered a little somethin' somethin' in Ben's teeth. We were all laughing pretty hard, and yet I still managed to snap some photos.

It's so much fun to keep in touch with the people you love. Thanks for the good time girlies!! xoxoxo