Happy Thankmas- Hall Style

So i am attempting to be better at blogging. Im just not that good at it...So here is my life for the past monthish-

I got to go home for thanksgiving! and it was absolutely wonderful! It was a nice break from reality and so nice to see family and have home cooked meals! (Easy mac can only hold you for so long) We did back to back holidays with Thanksgiving on Thursday and then Christmas on Saturday! and it wasnt just a little Christmas, but full out christmas with monkey break and a dart gun fight. So i will have at least 2 christmases, not to mention the little celebrations! Tis the season!

Things I am Thankful for...
*family
*late night talks with friends
*pretty views
*having a car
*music
*cell phones so we can call people who are far away
*airplanes
*opportunities to learn and grow
*indoor pluming
*the gospel
*mormonmessages.com
*work- for the money and the people
*a healthy body

The list goes on and on, but i am just so grateful for my life and all the people in it!

Funny Story of the Week:
Recently when falling asleep, I confuse dreams with reality. Example- trying to explain to my roommate that the ceiling was flashing, or checking to make sure someone wasnt wrapping the room. wierd, i know. However, Sunday night reached a whole new level. I had a dream that I was pushing my nephew in a grocery cart, and doing the thing where you let go and then run after them. Except i was on an extremely steep hill, after letting go i realized how unintelligent that idea was so i lunged to catch him before it was too late. I woke up as i was hurdling towards my desk. Extremely confused, I realized i had been dreaming and had launched myself out of my bed. However, it was too late. With momentum working against me, there was no way of stopping. Futile attempts were made to stop myself with my hands, but they found the gap between the bed and desk, so with a loud thud my face found my desk. Luckily no serious damage was done, a swollen mouth (that luckily went down by morning) and a sweet scab on my chin. Needless to say, i was scared to go to bed on Monday

So a few months a go i finally wrote down my bucket list. Right now is is totaling 109 items. But i have decided to make a Bucket List journal where, when i finish something, i write down the experience and such..im way excited! The biggest thing on the list to complete right now is the Salt Lake City Marathon on April 16th. oh boy!

Other than that life has been fairly normal, but wonderful!

Dear Fall, I love you.

I love fall. With a passion. The cool weather that allows you to break out your scarves and jackets. The changing colors that make the mountains look like they are on fire. The smell of leaves. I love it all.

Today was a perfect. My morning class was canceled so I wasn't rushed to class. I had time to just enjoy the walk to school. I studied for a test in a room where the sun was actually shining, unlike the cave that is known as the second floor of the library. I then made my way over to the Marriott Center for the weekly Tuesday devotional where I rediscovered my love of people watching. Walking in front of me was a couple who were kicking the leaves as they walked through. Closer to the building a mom played with her two little kids in the leaves. It was perfect. She was throwing the leaves in the air while the two little girls laughed. It brought be back to the days or racking leaves just to jump in the massive piles.

I then got to spend a wonderful hour with the lovely Calianne Jex who seems to be almost impossible to see. I love that girl. Morale of the story. It was a winner of a day.

Living Life

"Today I refuse to spend time worrying about what might happen. I am going to spend my time making things happen. Today I will not imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different. I will make a success with what material I have." – Elder John Longden

Do you ever find a song that makes you just so happy to be alive, and makes you want to go out and do everything you always have wanted to do? I went to a concert last weekend where it seemed like every song was written just for me. It was amazing! Im sure I looked ridiculous sitting there wide eyed soaking everything in. I have since downloaded the songs from iTunes and have listened to them every morning while getting ready. What are these amazing songs you ask? The two that top the list were by Jesse Funk and are called "Not Everybody Lives" and "No More Rainy Days." Both songs talk about living life to the fullest, to take the chances placed in front of you, to face your fears, and to stop saying one day. You never know what will happen. What if tomorrow never came? Would there be things you wish you'd have said, things you should have done but kept putting off?

I feel like sometimes I have this problem of always looking ahead. It is October and I'm already as excited as can be for Christmas (yes, i am one of those). While this is great, and people view you as always being excited, Im sometimes scared that I miss some of the best times in life because Im always looking forward to the future. We only have one life to live. I will never have October 30, 2010 back.

So I am making a goal. A creed, one might say. To live each day. To not regret, to not wish away my life. To live in the moment. (disclaimer: This does not mean I don't plan for the future, or will stop being excited for Christmas...it just means I will stop hating Thanksgiving)