Tuesday, August 24, 2010

college

The first three days of living on my own have been hard. I've never experienced homesickness before, but I do now. It seems like I can't concentrate in my classes, nor can I make any friends, because I seem so down and depressed. Added upon my homesickness is my desire to know what I want to be when I grow up. I get nervous every time I ponder about it. I switched my major from athletic training to general education, which cost me almost 300 more dollars extra in book fees because the Weber State bookstore won't give me a refund on my athletic training books, because I took the plastic off the books. Added upon all of that is my lack of a job and friends. searching for a part time job in our current economy is frustrating to say the least. the only way that I can get through college is to find a job to support myself. It's been a lonely three days for me. My dorm room is the worst prison cell on the face of the planet. It seems like a weightlifter had dropped a dozen 700 pound weights on my back, and I have to carry those around from class to class. I'm so scared, and there is only one piece of knowledge that will help me get through this: My knowledge of my savior's atonement. My elder brother, Jesus Christ, suffered the agonies of Gethsemane so that I can return to live to my Heavenly Father again. In the third chapter of Mosiah, seventh verse, we read, "And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people." Christ knows exactly how I feel right now. He suffered for it in the Atonement. I'll never be alone with His atonement in mind, and that goes for everyone. He knows what you have experienced, and He is anxious to help you.
I also found words of comfort in section 121 in the Doctrine and Covenants. Verse 7 and 8 read, "My son, peace be unto thy soul: thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." Later in the section it speaks of Job, the "perfect" man from the book of Job. We all know of his trials, he lost everything he had, and then lost even more. I am not yet as Job, so I guess I should stop complaining. I'll get through this. I know I will. Pray for me!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Last Day

Today is my last full day in Provo. It is my last day living in the place I've called home for 18 days. It is the last day I have the security of my home surrounding me. It is the last day that I will sleep in a comfortable queen sized bed, before moving to a less comfortable dorm sized bed. Needless to say I'm a bit nervous to set out on my own. I think the nervousness cancels out my excitement. I guess that's part of growing up though right?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Family Vacation 2010 Pictures













Family Vaction

Today I got home from my family vacation from Island Park. We left Sunday after my ordination as an Elder, then arrived at my aunt and uncle's house four hours later. we spent the night there, then woke up at 6:30 the following morning. Me, my sister, and my cousin saddled up her horses and helped my uncle round up his cattle. We spent all morning riding horses and rounding up cattle to send to a feeding farm so our fellow Americans can enjoy the privilege of eating meat. After our adventure as cowboys and cowgirls we began driving to the cabin we would stay in for three days. On the way we stopped at Mesa Falls.


After our brief intervention at Mesa Falls, we arrived at our cabin and hour later. Our first night consisted of board games, movies, and food. After our first night in very comfortable beds, we left to go to Yellowstone National Park. It was my fist time going there in almost 10 years. We drove around for hours, visiting various geysers, and watching the geysers spurt water swiftly out of the ground. Then almost immediately as the boiling water reacted with the air, it turned into steam. We even got to watch "old faithful" exploded with a very large geyser. In fact the largest in North America.



After our encounter with Old Faithful we drove another two hours, passing the most beautiful tress and lakes. When you looked at the lake, you couldn't tell when the lake ended and the sky begun. The sky and the mountains were reflected off the water, making the most beautiful image in the lake. On our two hour drive to the upper and lower falls we faced a herd of bison. They decided to ignore the masses of honking cars and walk into the road, backing up traffic for miles.

We finally made it past the bison and proceed to view the upper and lower falls of Yellowstone park. The upper waterfall was a swirling flurry of water, rushing down a 100 foot drop. The lower waterfall was comparable to my favorite waterfall, havasu falls in the grand canyon. The lower fall was at least double the height of its upper counterpart and at least double the ferocity and beauty.

After our visit to the two falls our trip to Yellowstone was over. We survived the herd of bison and the 5/8 of a mile hike to both the falls. we survived at least 6 hours in the car going only 10 miles an hour most of the time. Yellowstone is a beautiful place.

We drove back to our homely cabin and played more board games, then promptly went to sleep. Our eyelids were struggling to stay open after our third game of 1-100. We awoke this morning and drove home! That was my 2010 family vacation.