Call all that you want, but theres no one home, and you're not gonna reach my telephone...

Oh Lady Gaga...I just love her. If you have no idea what the title of this post means please watch HERE and come out from under that rock you've been hiding under. Sometimes cell phones are annoying. Sometimes all you want to do is throw it as far away as possible, so nobody knows where you are. BUT, then there are those times when you are beside yourself and all you want to do is talk to your mom, and you know you can reach her because she has her cellular device, and you can talk to her right that second and it's allll better. Today I am grateful for my cell phone, and that my mom still picks up when I call. :)

And yes, Lady Gaga is completely insane, but she gets me every time.

Come Fly With Me, Come Fly, Let's Fly Away...

Linds, Trav, and Colston flew back to Austin this morning. It was so fun to have them here for the weekend. I still don't quite know how to deal with going from seeing my sister Lindsey just about every other day, for pretty much my whole life, to only getting to see her a few times a year. I don't appreciate the 1,400 miles that are between us. I'll take whatever I can get though! Today I am grateful for airplanes. For bringing this lil' guy to me this weekend...

Don't judge the phone pic. Isn't he adorable? He is a little fireball, and I love every ounce of him.

Saturday Sweat Fest

If you didn't know I'm somewhat of a health nut/exercise addict. Read HERE for more info on that.
My Saturday workout today went a little something like this...

Janae's Spin Class (Oh how I love both Janae, and her class. Love. Love. LOVE.)

30 mins on the elliptical
45 mins of lifting

It felt GREAT today. Some days are rough, and it's hard to get to the gym but it always feels SO good after. Exercise is what keeps me sane. It is what gets my mind off of all the craziness. This past month has been really rough on me because I haven't been able to work out as hard as I'm used to due to the torn tendon in my foot. I am pretty much only able to do the elliptical, and spin as of right now. I was thinking today how not being able to do my normal routine has made me really grateful for good health and what I can do. Exercise is something that I need in my life and I don't know what I'd do without it. Today I am grateful for exercise. I may not always be so enthused about working out, but I feel so good when I do.

Where can I turn for peace?

I had a bishop a few years ago who challenged us as a ward to do what he called, "The List." It was a list of what we should be doing on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to have the spirit with us. The breakdown was something like this...

Daily:
Kneel in prayer morning and night
Study the Scriptures
Read a conference talk

Weekly:
Attend all church meetings
Write in Journal
Spend time serving, doing your calling 

Monthly:
Attend the temple
Read Patriarchal blessing
Do home and visiting teaching

I took the challenge from the bishop and tried to implement these practices into my life and I really feel like I grew, and my testimony was strengthened more than it had ever been up to that point. I have maintained these habits, and I am so grateful for them. During this time I decided that I needed to try and read my scriptures in the morning, so I could have a better start to my day, and hopefully begin with the spirit as my companion. I now love to read my scriptures while I am eating my breakfast. I have really grown to love doing this. I mean who doesn't love breakfast already...add in some spiritual nourishment and you're golden.

Today I was eating my lunch and I was starting to stress about somethings that I am going through and have on my mind. I started to get that helpless/hopeless feeling that Satan throws as us to try and bring us down, and I looked up and my scriptures were still open from where I had been reading earlier that morning. A rush of calm came over me and I was instantly wanting to read and feel that peace. I have been studying the topic of light, and it has been fascinating. I truly believe that satan wants us to feel dark and alone, but the second we let even a glimmer of Christ into our lives the light that comes with the spirit will flood through all the darkness. Today I am grateful for my scriptures and the peace they bring. I have sincerely grown to love them and the truths they teach.

When You're the Best of Friends

Tonight I was able to go to dinner with some friends that I have had for over 10 years. Amazing. That is a long time. Benita and I met up with Chels, Ally, and Emmie and It was SO fun. So good to see them, laugh and catch up. Way to get us all together Chels, cheers to you. I wished I had a photo now...oops. On the way home I was thinking about how blessed I have been my whole life to have AWESOME friends. So, today I am grateful for friends. We all know I can be straight up crazy at times, and I have always been so lucky to have people close to me that love me for who I am, crazy or not. I consider it one of my greatest blessings in life. Thank you for being such good friends to me.

I have pretty amazing friends.

The Music of My Heart

As I am sitting here doing some work on my computer I have my Itunes playing and some songs that come on just instantly lift my mood. It made me realize that today I am grateful for music. It is such a big part of my life. I have always had an obsession with finding new music. I don't know if that comes from dancing all my life and loving moving to music, and now loving to workout to all my favorite songs. I think I love it because sometimes it can say exactly what is coming from your heart when you don't really know how to put it in to words. It can evoke such strong emotions and memories and I love that.

I feel this way with church music. I'm always so touched by the spirit when I hear our whole congregation singing my favorite hymns. I will almost always be brought to tears when I hear THIS song.

I will always want to get up and dance when I hear THIS song.

I will always start laughing when I hear THIS song.

I will always think of my dad when I hear THIS song.

THIS song is keeping me going at the gym for the past month-ish. 

My current new favorite is THIS song...or maybe THIS one. I think I like too many to pick just one.

I think THIS song will be one of my all time favorites forever.

What would I do without this little gem? I have NO idea.

I could go on and on and on. I really could. I think that my love for music has also created in me a love for silence and the time to ponder with out noise. As much as I love to roll down my windows and let the music blare while i sing my little heart out, (thinking i can sing of course,) I sometimes love to drive in silence just as much to be able to have the time to just think and ponder.

For Christmas I got a guitar, and I've LOVED learning to be able to play and make my own music. There is something therapeutic about it to me.

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day.

Today I am grateful for the Sunshine. I have a hard time with this whole winter business. I like warmth and sunshine and tan skin...

You know...the kind of sunshine where you have to wear a hat and glasses because it's just so pleasant and sunny. Can you tell I'm missing the warmth of summer already? True story. Today was a very sunny day, and I loved it. Trying to soak up all the Vitamin D that I can before we go in to hibernation mode.