Twenty

"I am twenty."

That's all I wrote in my journal yesterday.
I guess I am in shock a little bit. 

I know that's not all that old or anything but I am FINALLY out of my teens. 

So it's kind of a big deal! 

I have been twenty for about forty hours. 

Gooood stuff!

I am excited for this year.

It will be good.

But, to be completely honest I am having somewhat of a hard time dealing with being twenty. 

I am not really sure why it's hitting me so hard. 

But here's a quote that I found the other day that really helped and is just really good.

It says, "I have learned that I really do have control to a great degree over my circumstances. 

If I don't like them, I've found there are certain things I can do to change them. 

If I want to move to higher ground, if I want to have more positive experiences, I must think about life in positive terms, not dwell on the negative." --M. Russell Ballard

So, I am going to write twenty things that I have been very grateful for in the past year. 

1. My parents

They have been there for me a TON in my first couple of years of college. 

Always ready to give me advice and support me in my decisions. 

And just talk to me when that's all I need.

2. My siblings

I have so much fun when I go home and my family always makes me feel welcome again.

Also they have been very kind as to write me letters while I'm away. 

3. My sister Helena

Helena talks to me through my problems and she also asks me for advice with things she is dealing with which makes me feel good. :]

4. My best friend Jasmine

Jazz and I are SUPER different but we get along really well. 

Jazz has helped me learn to be crazy and just laugh through things. 

And whenever I am in a bad mood she does little things to cheer me up. 

She has taught me a lot and I love that she is also now my roommate and we get to have sleepovers/camp outs EVERY night cause we live in a little TINY room (called 'the cave') with two beds and sooo many clothes that we are afraid they will soon attack us or explode throughout the entire room.

5. My friend Sterling

He knows how to make me smile. And I have learned a lot from him.

We have had some gooood chats.

6. My roommates

I moved in with four girls who all knew each other from high school. 

To be honest I was SCARED OUT OF MY  MIND!

And the first couple of weeks I was SUPER quite but these girls made sure to invite me to things and include me in the things that they did and we soon got to know each other and let me tell you, we have a heck of a lot of fun together! 

7. Institute

My second semester of college I didn't take any institute classes and it was not too great. 

The last two semesters I have taken at least two classes and I love it! 

Right now I am taking a class about the first half of the Book of Mormon, a class about the 

Teachings of the Modern Day Prophets, and a class about the Hymns.

I love them all and I learn so much whenever I go. 

It has really helped me build my testimony and come closer to the my Heavenly Father. 

8. My first motorcycle ride

My friend Ben Patterson took me on my very first ride on a motorcycle and it was lots of fun and 

I felt super cool! :] 

I felt like everyone was looking at us riding around and thinking we were really cool and then 

I realized that I don't usually think that of people when they are riding around on their motorcycles but 

I still like to think that I looked cool on the back of the motorcycle! 

9. Spanish

I made it into Spanish 201 after not taking Spanish for two and a half years and 

I LOVE it!

I forgot how much I love the Spanish language and

I am so happy to be learning it again. 

10. Utah

I went to Utah twice in the past year. 

The first time was to go to General Conference with Kylie Hassell and the Tenney boys 

(Preston, Edwin, and Darrell).

This is where I met one of my future roommates, Kylie! 

And I got to see my grandparents while they were on their mission in Temple Square. 

This was super fun because I got them ALL TO MYSELF for a little bit. :]

And the second time was with Orson, Angus, Helena, and Jasmine.

We went to Utah/Idaho on a long road trip and I learned that 

I can drive more than two consecutive hours and we got to visit lots of family and take TONS of fun pictures! 

11. My camera

I got a new camera on Black Friday this past year and 

I was super excited about it and then we were waiting in line and 

Jasmine saw that someone had put the same camera down before buying it...except for this one was RED! Which is my all time favorite color. 

So I got a red camera and it has taken more pictures than 

I can count in the past three months. Thank you camera for many memories. :]

12. Cute clothes/shoes

Jasmine and I have a combined wardrobe so it makes for lots and lots of cute clothes.

I love picking out outfits and then having cute shoes to match and all that fun stuff. 

And I love finding cute clothes and shoes on sale. :] 

I got a pair of shoes a little bit ago and they are so cute that 

I just can't help looking at them lots and lots whenever I wear them.

(I'll put a picture up sometime...)

13. Interesting Classes

So I need to be better at picking my classes but 

I have had some good ones in the past year. 

Some of my favorites have been Psychology, 

Developmental Psychology, World Religions, and Public Speaking. 

I like when learning is enjoyable and these classes helped a lot with that. 

 Oh, and Spanish but I talked about that earlier. 

14. Missionaries

I have a couple friends out on missions and they are very good examples to me in the dedication that they have.

And the faith that they have.
And of course it is fun to get letters in the mail! 

15. Cute sister-in-laws--

I now have two sister-in-laws and they are cute and fun! 

On my birthday I was talking to my mom and she asked me if my brother 

Neal called me and I said "No, but Nikki texted me." 

And then she asked if my brother E.B. called and I said 

"No, but Jackie texted me." Haha. Thank goodness for brothers with sweet wives. :] 

And Nikki is super skilled and makes way cute hats and she made me one and sent it to me in the mail. 

It was beyond exciting to get it and it is my all time favorite hat! 

16. Phones/Skype/Chatting

I am super grateful for all the different forms of communication we have these days. 

I love long phone conversations and fun web chats.

I remember dreaming about seeing the person

I was talking to on the phone and now I can do that...weird (and awesome)! Haha. 

17. Blogs

Blogging helps me let people know what is going on in my life 

AND I love reading other people's blogs. 

They are so fun and creative. :]

18. Learning about myself

I have been learning to analyze myself and define myself. 

I am not quite to defining myself...it has been harder than 

I thought it would be but I am learning lots about me and what I want in life.

It's gooood. 

19. Changing my major

I changed my major from Elementary and Special Education to Psychology.

I am not sure if I will stick with that as my major yet but I am thinking that I want to go into either Occupational Therapy or Recreational Therapy.

So we'll see where my life heads.

20. And last but not even close to least...THE GOSPEL

I am so grateful for the gospel and all that I have learned this past year. 

And that my testimony has been strengthened. 

I am grateful for the love that my Heavenly Father shows me in so many different ways. 

Through music, through my friends, through my family, and through my church leaders. 

I am grateful for the scriptures and what 

 I am able to learn from them when I take the time and really read and ponder them. 

I am grateful for the teachings of the modern day Prophets and Apostles and for the hymns.

I am grateful for the organizations that are set up through the church like institute and seminary.  

I am grateful for the Restoration of the gospel and that we have the Priesthood on the earth again. 

I have been blessed by the power of the priesthood so many times in the past year.

I am also grateful for the power of the Atonement. 

There are so many things to be grateful for in the gospel.

In the Hymn With All the Power of Heart and Tongue it says, 

"I'll sing thy truth and mercy, Lord;

I'll sing the wonders of thy word. 

Not all thy works and names below

So much thy power and glory show."

I know that there is no way that 

I am able to thank the Lord for all that he has done for me because there is so much. 

But I am grateful and hope to always be able to recognize the guiding hands of the 

Lord and the presence of the arms of His love in my life.

Twenty will be a good year. :] 

Just like nineteen was!

I am going to make it that way with a positive attitude and a smile on my face!

"It's even enough to smile when life goes along like a song, but the [woman] who's worthwhile is the [woman] who can smile when everything goes dead wrong."

(Not to say that everything is going to go dead wrong but hey, if it does I will find a way to smile through it!)

"Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass, 

It's about learning how to dance in the rain!"