Here I am on New Years Eve, just chillin by my lonesome.
And guess what.
In less than 2 hours, I can officially say that I'll see my best friend next year.
GAHHH!
Anywho, I'd just like to thank everyone who has stuck with me through this past year, it's funny how days seem to drag on, but years fly by. It just makes me glad that we can live forever. Although our time on this earth is limited, we'll still be able to live for eternity. I love that, and I'm so glad that I have the gospel in my life. Without it, I don't even want to know where I'd be.
Now for this new year, I'm going to make a resolution. Actually, let's not call it a resolution, because those never seem to stick. I'm going to call it my objective for 2014. And that objective is to enjoy every moment that I'm given. Whatever life throws at me, I'm going to get through it with a smile on my face and the Savior by my side.
I promised myself I would never do a cheesy post like this..
but here I am.
Christmas is in 4 days.
And I've always thought it was super lame when people complained about not having a significant other to kiss under the mistletoe, to go sledding with, to go to temple square with, etc.
That's what you hear being a white Mormon girl on any social networking site.
And that's not a bad thing.
Just the norm.
Aaaaaaand I miss my best friend.
THERE
I said it.
I miss him like crazy.
I think it's making me crazy, actually, because I've suddenly become capable of relating to that annoying Mariah Carey song, All I Want For Christmas is You..yeah it's a little sad. But I'm not here to tell a sob story, I just thought I'd clarify a few things.
For those of you who don't know, I'm waiting for a missionary.
I've had people ask me, since I haven't come out and said it officially or anything, but there it is!
His name is Adam, and he's my very best friend.
He's been gone for a little over 8 months now, which seriously feels so great.
But I won't lie to you, it's not easy.
I do get a lot of crap from friends and family that think I need to be "having fun" and going on adventures and living the college life, etc. (I'm not even waiting and not dating anyways, though..) "People can change a lot in 2 years", yeah I know. That's the beauty of it all though, isn't it?
Change is a necessity to life, and sometimes it's good, and other times it's not. Everybody says that you never know what could happen, which is 100% true. I've accepted that, and I know that things might not turn out exactly how I expect them to.
Does that sound familiar?
That's life.
We don't quit living life just because we don't know how things are going to turn out, we keep going, and keep the faith that things will work out the way they are meant to in the right time, as long as we are on the Lord's side. There's not that big of a difference, really, when it comes down to it.
Most people don't quite understand how it is to experience this, but that's not a bad thing. I know why I'm doing it, and the Lord knows why; and that's all that matters.
Anyways, I miss him. A lot. Especially during this Holiday season. But I've grown immensely in the past 8 months and I wouldn't trade this experience of growth in the both of us for anything. This is the right thing, and I'm so proud of the work he is doing, and the man he is becoming.
I also got to make this ^^^ adorable Christmas package for him. ♡♡
I'm sorry, I know I just barely posted yesterday, but it's just too good of a day to not post about! It's only 11am, but today is a special day! First of all, I just finished my first final! I felt pretty good about it, which can be a bad thing..but I'm going to take it as a good thing, because nothing can ruin my happiness right now! :)
Secondly, my best friend has been out in the mission field serving the Lord for a whole 8 MONTHS! Wow. Wow is all I can say right now! I can't believe that time is flying by so fast. Days feel like months, but the weeks fly by. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done, but I know for a fact that it's going to be so incredibly worth it. And to all of you fellow missionary girlfriends out there,KEEP WAITING.
You can do it!
♡♡♡♡
(Us last Christmas break at the Riverwoods ^^^)
I'm so excited to see this handsome boy of mine in 16 months!♡
And the most important reason today is such a wonderful day....(drumroll please)....
It's these goofballs birthday today!!!
Tyler and Andrew are a couple of the coolest cousins. I still see these two as little boys, and can't believe that Tyler is already 14 and Andrew is 15! GAHHH you two are making me feel so old! I'm so grateful to have them in my life, and I love them so much!
This past month has seriously FLOWN by. Actually..this past SEMESTER has flown by. It's crazy to think that I'm almost done with my first semester of college.
SO MUCH has happened, and I've learned SO MUCH. I honestly think I've learned more in these past 5 months living on my own than I ever have before.
Here are a few things I've learned:
You cannot (I repeat) CANNOT be a fence sitter. You have to choose what you're doing, and DO IT. If you don't make a choice, life will make a choice for you, and I can guarantee the result will not be what you want.
Don't settle. Ever. Don't even think about settling. Have high expectations for yourself. If you don't like the path you are on, get on a different one. If you're not happy with your life, do something about it. You have more control over your life than anybody else. So use it.
Don't be afraid to care. Care. Please, CARE. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot care too much. In fact, you should care. Carelessness is glorified in our world wayyyy too much.
Anyways, here are some of my adventures from this past month:
It was Thanksgiving a couple weeks ago! I got to spend some quality time with my favorite people.
HAPPY SPANKSGIVING! ^^^
I cut my hair!
It snowed AND I got a letter from Adam in the same day!
As an institute choir, we got to sing at Manti Seminary's morningside. I walked all the way across campus from my apartment to the institute building in below zero degree weather. That was arguably the worst decision of my life. I sure do love these quality people though.
This weekend, my roommates and I have been studying for finals nonstop. So we took a break and went sledding last night. We didn't exactly have a sled..or a hill, so we used a car hood and a road. I seriously love these girls so much. I've been blessed with these beautiful roommates!
To end this wonderful week, these beautiful girls and I all went to church together. ♡
Anyways, these past few weeks as well as this past semester have been a grand adventure, I've really come to know how blessed I truly am, and I've been able to recognize the Lord's hand in my everyday life. :)
I had a very abrupt realization today. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'll do my best.
I was sick of cleaning up everyone's messes in my apartment, but I knew if I just did the kitchen without complaint, I would be happier. As I was doing the dishes, something popped into my head. Christ cleans up my messes. Everyday. Even when I don't thank Him enough for it. He cleaned up everybody's messes. He does everyday. He suffered for each and every one of our mistakes, innumerable times. Without complaint. And most oftentimes, without a thank you. He is there for me even when I make wrong decisions, or don't give Him as much time as I should be giving to Him.
How selfish had I been for wanting something in return?
So selfish.
So UnChristlike.
Christ even asked His Father to forgive the people who nailed his hands and feet to the cross. The ones who spit at Him with disgust. Who relentlessly put Him under that excruciating pain. He took it upon Himself to make sure they were forgiven for the pain they inflicted.
He didn't give it a second thought.
Most times, as human beings, we expect that to forgive someone, we need lots and lots of time. Time to be able to heal from the pain brought upon by somebody else. When our Brother and Lord forgave those who were causing him so much pain, he was still in the midst of that pain.
But He forgave them.
Then and there.
Without hesitation.
I know that this is something that I should be working on with much more devotion; to be more Christlike. He loves me unconditionally, so much that He took upon Himself my sins, mistakes, hardships, pains, trials, burdens, and afflictions.
How powerful is that Love?
I will take it upon myself to become like Him: the perfect example. I challenge anyone reading this to do the same. Living in this day and age makes it difficult to lose yourself in the service and love of your fellow beings, but I know with all my heart that it is what will bring true happiness.
So many people say you shouldn't expect anything. "Have low expectations to avoid disappointment." Even William Shakespeare agreed: "Expectation is the root of all heartache."
I'm here to disagree.
I'm not saying that you should have extremely high and unrealistic expectations, but why not have the highest expectations possible? Without expectations, what would we do? We would settle. There is nothing worse than settling.
Expect big things from yourself.
Expect great things to come in your life.
Expect to be happy.
Robbing your life of expectation is the equivalent to robbing your life of hope.
Aren't expectations what give us hope?
Without expectation, we are without hope. Without hope, we are without drive. Without drive, we are without hard work. Without hard work, we are without valuable results. Without valuable results, we are without progression.
So is it fair to say that without expectation, we are stagnant?
Expectation brings about your hopes and dreams.
I'm not saying that our expectations will never be shot down, or that our hopes and dreams will always be fulfilled in the way we want. But when these dreams don't quite work out, when we fail, all that matters is that we get back up. Try again. Maybe fail again.
That's life.
Even though each expectation may not be fulfilled the way you had hoped, that's no reason to quit having them.
I mean, it's probably a good thing that not all of our high expectations happen. When I was little, I was convinced that one day I would be a famous singer and Disney Channel star. (we can now thank the heavens that that didn't happen.)
God has a funny way of showing us what our lives have in store for us, and sometimes, we come to that knowledge by failing. And failing again. And feeling disappointed. But we must keep trying; we must keep high expectations a part of our lives.
This video I found is a definite MUST WATCH for EVERYONE. Especially women and girls.
As human beings, we tend to see ourselves more negatively than positively. This really opened my eyes, and hopefully yours as well, to how often we sell ourselves short. Why are we so hard on ourselves?
It's October 22. Where the heck did October go?? Honestly this
month has gone by SO fast. Anyways, here are some of my October
highlights.
Before going home for Conference weekend, my roommates and I got to play in this hail storm! It's little things like these that remind me of the beauty of this life.
GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! On the 4th and 5th
of this month, we had the opportunity to listen to the Lord's words
through His called leaders of this Gospel. Let me tell you, it was
seriously incredible. One of my favorite talks was President Uchtdorf's
talk Come, Join with Us. He totally nailed it. "..please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.8
We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the
divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ." To read his entire talk, click here. To read, watch, or listen to any of the talks that were given in the October 2013 General Conference, click here.
On
October 10th, I got to finally say that my best friend has been out in
the mission field for 6 WHOLE months. 6 MONTHS ALREADY! I'm already a
quarter of the way done with this wait! Days seem to drag on, but
honestly the weeks fly by. I was so excited, I sent him a "happy six
months" package. He's such an amazing example to me, and I couldn't ask
for a better best friend. I can't believe I've already gone a whole
six months without him by my side. Just under 18 more to go! :)
Midterms
were last week..Let's just say I'm extremely thankful that most of them
are over. I totally aced my psych test though! I literally teared up
and almost hugged my professor when he handed the test back to me.
#winning
FALL BREAK was last week as well. So after those awful
midterms, I got to go home and chill with my crazy family for a few
days. That was definitely a relief. We had lots of sister time. :)
The break was definitely not long enough though.
Sister date!! ^^
Pumpkin Patch with this little squirt. ^^
I recorded a new cover! You can listen to it on my soundcloud profile by clicking here.
I'm
sure there will be many more highlights of October as it comes to a
close, but this is it for now! I hope you all have a wonderful rest of
the month; enjoy these beautiful autumn colors while they're still here!
One of my best friends showed me this video a while back, and I came across it this last week.
Please watch it, it's incredible.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet; there is so much to live for. Don't give up because you want to be noticed, or heard. You are loved, and you make a difference.
This world would be a different place without you. Nobody can fill the role that you fill.
There is so much to live for, and if you haven't found that to be true, find something worth living for. This life is truly an amazing thing, and you only get to live it here on this earth one time.
Wow. That about sums up today. Honestly I've never felt so loved. Like a ton of bricks, it hit me today how blessed I am. Today is my 19th birthday. Yep, the big 19! Holy cow, I really can't even believe how blessed I am.
Friday started out as a normal day, then around 1 o'clock, I decided to check the mail. I opened up the mailbox to find a letter and a package from my best friend in the whole world!
Elder Adam Grant Hunter sent me a birthday package.
I can't even describe the joy I felt in that moment. Then, I realized I needed to wait until Tuesday, my birthday, to open it. I took it up to my room, and just stared at it. It's pretty pathetic, but I have no self control. I made my roommate Hannah hide it in her room so I wouldn't rip it open any second. Then I was able to focus and actually do my homework. :)
(He's doing great, by the way. ^^^ Almost a quarter of the way there!)
Monday night came around, and I decided I wanted to open the package at midnight. I could NOT wait any longer. My roommates took me to WalMart around 11:15, and we got an Oreo ice cream cake and some candles. :)
We got home and Hannah put the candles in the cake. Finally, I looked at my clock, and it was midnight! Time to open the package that I'd been DYING to open. It took forever to get through all the tape, but at last, I got it open! He gave me a cute card, a letter, a little missionary folded paper thing, and a new pillow pet. He knows me too well. Ha he knows I'm in need of another cuddle buddy while he's gone. :)
I saved the letter to read for when I was alone. (bad idea bad idea bad idea) I guess you could say his letters make me crazy. (and by crazy I mean emotional) He's seriously the most adorable thing to ever happen to me. Oh how I love that missionary.
Anyways, before I get too carried away, my roommates and I ate the cake after that. Anything with oreos=heaven in my opinion. Then I decided I should probably go to bed!
This morning, I was awakened by a phone call. The one and only...wait for it.....
JARED KOTTER!
I'm pretty positive I sounded like a smoker, since I just woke up, but that's ok. It's just a good thing we're close. :) Honestly, this made my day 10 times better. Waking up to this wonderful boy's sweet phone call wishing me a happy birthday was just what I needed. Thanks Jared. :)
I skipped my first class of the day...I mean you only have a birthday once a year, may as well do what you want, right? So I got to sleep in, and let me tell you, it felt AMAZING.
I went to my other two classes, and while walking home, a good friend of mine saw me and decided we should go get some ice cream. After getting my roommates, we all went to the Malt Shoppe. Some people are seriously the nicest.
I had practice for Arise at 4:30, and that was so great. Arise is the institute choir here at Snow College, and it has been such a blessing in my everyday life. They made me get up on the stool in front of everyone while they sang Brother Boothe's rendition of Happy Birthday TWICE. Really. Twice. I was DYING. My face was so red. Ha at least that's over! We had a wonderful choir practice, and the spirit was so strong. I love that choir with all my heart, and I can testify that the Lord loves each and everyone of us.
To finish off my day, my Mom, Dad, and Sophi came down to Ephraim and took me to dinner. They even bought me a new set of scriptures, which I'm so stoked about! It was so nice of them. I really have the best parents out there.
I came home to a cute little baked treat from our neighbors Brooke and Maitlyn, Can I just say that these girls are the sweetest people out there? Honestly, they are such beautiful girls inside and out.
All day, I received text after text, instagram post after instagram post, and facebook posts after facebook posts wishing me a happy birthday. I couldn't believe how many people went out of their way to make my day wonderful.
Today got me thinking. Why do we have to wait for a special occasion to do something nice for someone? Everyday you're alive is a special occasion! I decided to make it my responsibility to treat everybody like it's their birthday, no matter the day of the year. Every single person deserves to feel loved, and not just on their birthday. So why shouldn't I go out of my way to make someone feel loved and special on any given day?? There's no point in waiting until there's an extraordinary reason to celebrate life. Everyday you're still breathing is a reason to be happy. I'm challenging everyone reading this to go out and make someone feel special. Anybody. It could be your best friend, your brother or sister, the girl you see walking to class everyday but haven't introduced yourself to yet.
Go out and make someone feel special, and in turn, you will feel special, too.
Thank you to all who made today such a wonderful day, I love you all. Seriously I am so blessed. The Lord's hand is everywhere. It's amazing really.
I also just found this video, which made my day 10,000 times better. All girls reading this, please watch and pass it along.
Another week has gone by in the college life, and let me tell you, I'M LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT. Honestly, I couldn't be more content with my life right now. My roommates and I get along so well, and I feel like we're already the best of friends. This week, I'm especially grateful for music. Music has had such a positive impact on my life. I recently made the institute choir here at Snow, Arise. We've only had a few practices so far, but every time I go, I can honestly feel the spirit so strong. I feel my Heavenly Father's love through His music and it's a way for me to connect with the Savior and my Father in Heaven. I couldn't imagine my life without music, and it's definitely helped me this past week to grow closer to The Lord. I'm also really thankful for my mother. She honestly knows the answers to EVERYTHING. I can call her up whenever I have a question, or whenever I just need to talk. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to make my killer Stir Fry last night. :) She has taught me so much, and I don't know where I would be without her. Love you, mom! Anyways, I want all of you to keep in mind that there is so much to be thankful for. God's hand is in everything, whether you choose to see it or not. He loves each and every one of us, and He has blessings in store for you. Just stay true to what you know, and He will never fail you. xoxo Love, Brookelle
I've decided to write a post every Thursday to talk about a few things I'm thankful for. After all, there is so much to be thankful for. This week, I'm extremely thankful for my amazing roommates. I was really nervous to come down to Snow all by myself, not knowing the girls I would be living with for the next school year, but honestly, it couldn't have worked out any better. We're already so close and having so much fun. I know Heavenly Father put us together for a reason. I'm also thankful for the scriptures. Namely the Book of Mormon. I've never been really good at staying on top of my scripture study, but since I've moved out and had to do things for myself, I've been so much better reading and studying my scriptures. I know that's why these past couple of weeks have been so amazing. When you have the Lord on your side, life is just plain better. It's almost as if you become a whole new person. Things don't always go your way; you'll still have hardships, but with the Lord, you can overcome anything. This one will be a little cliche, but it fits. I'm thankful for this new opportunity. I've been living on my own for almost two weeks now, and it's been such an eye opener. I've met so many amazing people these past couple weeks. I've learned so much (one thing being how to put out a kitchen fire). I've learned how to take chances; how to follow my heart. I've learned that life is about taking chances. What would life be without a little risk? Sometimes, life doesn't seem like it's going your way; but it is. It may now seem like it, but Heavenly Father knows what He's doing, and He'll never give you a trial that you can't overcome. Just remember what you're thankful for. When it comes down to it, this life is pretty amazing. We just have to be looking for the amazing. It's there. Happy Thursday!
It's crazy that all throughout childhood, everything leads up to "when I grow up.." And now.. it's actually happening! It's time to begin the next chapter! I have so many mixed feelings, which is expected. I'm moving down to Snow College this Saturday. By myself. I don't even know my roommates. I'll be completely on my own. I don't think it's really hit me yet. I'm so excited, yet so sad. I'm going to miss so many amazing people I've grown up with, and now it's time to set off in our separate directions. Goodbyes are here, but they are not forever.
My first real goodbye that I had to give was back in April. My very best friend left to serve the Lord for 2 years. 2 YEARS! It's been extremely hard without him by my side, but I know it will all be worth it. I love him so much, and I'm so proud of him.
His letters keep me sane.
In his last email, he told me that he was "jealous" of my uke, so he made his own.:)
Anyways, I could go on all day. I'll move on now. :)
I said some other goodbyes this Summer to the amazing boys that I am lucky enough to call my brothers. I don't know where I would be without them and their amazing examples. They are all out serving LDS missions, right now (except Skyler leaves in September).
Ben
Kolton
Skyler
Jory
Now for my amazing Sisterhood. I don't even know how to put into words how much these girls mean to me. Each and every one of them is so beautiful inside and out, and our friendship is so dear to me. I'm so sad to be without them, but I'm so excited to see where life takes these incredible girls. Our sisterhood is forever, so I'm not worried. :)
Ella and I have been best friends since the 7th grade. I don't know what I would have done without her friendship, she's truly incredible. She's going to have so much fun down at Dixie!
Rachel and I have had quite the history. :) Going from pretty much hating each other through childhood to becoming best friends in the 9th grade. :) She is such a strong and beautiful daughter of God, and she deserves the best. Hopefully she doesn't find a hubby at BYU this year! ;)
Kayci is the first person I go to when I need to talk. She has a real gift when it comes to giving advice and just listening to someone who needs to vent. She's going to have an amazing year at BYU this year. :)
Each one of my sisters are seriously so incredibly amazing. I can't wait until each of them find their eternal companions, because these guys are going to have to be incredible to be worthy for these girls. :)
The Brotherhood and Sisterhood.
Jared is one of my dearest friends. He's been such a great friend to me always, no matter the situation. He even took me to THE Ed Sheeran concert. I know, right? He's going to do amazing things in life.
And now for my amazing family. I know these goodbyes aren't forever, but that doesn't mean they aren't hard. I have such an amazing family; extended as well as immediate. I have received so much support from these people through everything. I can trust them with anything, and I love them all so much. I'm really glad families are forever. <3
My closest cousin, Josh, is one heck of a guy. We have been like two peas in a pod since he was born. I love him so much, and I couldn't imagine life without him! I always wished we lived in the same town, so we could have gone to school together, but we're still as close as ever.
My other cousins are such amazing kids. I'm so glad that I'm able to be as close with them as we are. :) Tyler and Andrew. These guys are total bosses.
My mom is such an incredible example to me. She is so honest in all that she does, and she always knows when I need to talk. I'm going to miss being around her so much, but I know she's only a phone call away. :) (and she hates pictures..so I have none with just her)
My sister, Britney, is one of my best friends. Even though we fight, I know I can always talk to her when I'm having a hard time. She's such a beautiful person, inside and out.
My daddio is such a great man. I'm so glad we got to spend so much time together during my softball years. He supports me in everything I do, even though he would rather be on the field than a choir concert. ;)
Aaaaand little Sophster. Sophi is seriously the light in my day, and I love her so much! She has been such a blessing in our family, I couldn't imagine life without this little bundle of craziness.
The beautiful thing about this life is that goodbyes aren't permanent. They aren't forever. I'm so thankful for these people and their positive influences on my life. I don't know where I would be without each and every one of them. This life is an adventure the whole way. I'm so ready to begin this new chapter of living; my adventure.
