if life was a chick flick

do you ever find yourself playing out how things would work out if your life was a chick flick? I realize I do it ALL the time. oh brother- break-ups bring this out especially. My thoughts: He will realize he misses me soooo much and cant live without me and come and throw pebbles at my window and confess his love to me and life will be perfect. I am sad (or possibly happy) to say that this has yet to happen. The closest I came was once a boy drove over to my apt after a fight/break up and texted me to come down (not quite pebbles) and life was close to perfect.

i am proud to say that I am not the only one. This week at work I was talking to a friend and he played out how my life would work out. It was nothing short of a chick flick ending. I just smiled and chuckled slightly as I told him how there was NO way that would actually happen. But they are fun to think up, it is fun to slightly hope that life will play out perfectly and be nothing short of a movie script ending. So my walks home from work will continue to be filled of day dreams- as I head back to reality.

life without family?

Hall Family- Circa 2011

 I dont know how people survive being away from family. I have been so blessed to have family nearby for my whole college experience. Over the summer there was a moment where everyone was thinking of moving away. Matt and Keri to Micronesia and Becca to... somewhere besides provo. To say I was praying they would stay was an understatement. I didn't know what I would do without them. I am so grateful to have family so close. (Unfortunately, Becca and Jeff did end up moving to St. Louis in December).

Today I woke up feeling sad, lonely, and overwhelmed. I had just moved apartments and even though I was in the same apartment complex I was wishing I hadn't made the change. Mainly because I have realized I hate change- even though it always ends up better in the end- I always have a brief moment at the beginning where I don't want the change. I was feeling like everything that I had wanted, and thought was good in my life, was in fact not what I wanted. I wanted to rewind my life and stay stagnant. no bueno. So for the first time in a very long time I called my mom in hopes of advice. (I tend to be pretty independent, so I will call and update, but no so much a "what should I do" call). Voicemail. So I called Keri. 15 minutes later I was sitting talking with Keri as she fed me french toast. She hugged me, told me everything would be okay, and offered to help. I was so extremely grateful to have her there.

It ended up being a tender mercy that I was there because their basement flooded and I was able to help suck up water with their carpet cleaner. It was surprisingly therapeutic to drag the vacuum like cleaner across the carpet. We had to empty it 8 times, and we were still pulling up water. The joys of having a home, and leaving a hose on all night pointed towards house. Poor Matt and Keri can't catch a break. Helping them helped me to get outside of myself and stop thinking about my problems. Oh how I love service- and how I love family!

Goodbye Winter Semester

Finals are done. and I am sad. weird, right? This last semester I had the perfect schedule. It was the perfect mix of work, school, and social. My classes were engaging and insightful, but the work load was extremely manageable. I didn't want it to end- im the weirdest.

But the exciting things that the end of the semester brings...

• playing with friends all the time because people dont have as much homework
• beautiful weather
• hiking- yay utah mountains
• earning more money because im working more hours
• a new apartment
• and EFY is just around the corner!!!

random tidbits.

* the apartment we are moving to flooded last night- our ward is amazing and with one call we were all there to help. it was good hands on training for how to manage the duplex, but also slightly terrifying.

*we watched rigolleto last night- oh my childhood.

*a man came into the window at work obviously not clean shaven. When I told him we couldn't help him he was bewildered "this isn't clean shaven" ...no sir- you have two centimeters of growth- obviously you didn't shave today! I gave him the option to call in, and gave him our phone number. He then stood at the window and called. huh? what are you thinking...hmph. i eventually shut my window- awkward.

*we had a power outage at work today. slightly exciting. im five.

*running on monday- i tripped. oh if only it was just a trip- my toe caught and there was no saving it. I harnessed my inner secret agent skills and somehow was able to sneak one more step in before rolling out of it onto the grass (instead of concrete driveway) I was up in seconds continuing on the run. pride- left on the grass.

61 reasons I love Catherine Ann Daines Hall

 When you are a mother, you are never really alone 

in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, 

once for herself and once for her child.  

~Sophia Lore

Happy birthday to my wonderful mother. She is the big 6-1. So obviously I had to list 61 reasons I love her...

1. She raised me.
2. She cooks me yummy food.
3. She loves me unconditionally.
4. She cares about all of her children... a lot!
5. She will let me vent to her- and then give great insight.
6. She is full of wisdom.
7. She has a strong testimony.
8. She loves to play games, and is competitive when necessary.
9. She plays with my hair when I'm sick.
10. She allows me to make mistakes.
11. She doesn't laugh during movies (which makes me feel better when I dont)
12. She is kind to everyone around her.
13. She is forgiving- there are many times I have knocked on my parents bedroom door to apologize after being a punk kid.
14. She is rational, and understanding. When I crashed the car one morning leaving for seminary they simply said "It's okay, go to seminary, we will take car of the car later"
15. She is a great road trip buddy.
16. She tries her hardest, but is human, which is nice to know I don't have to be perfect.
17. She is a social butterfly.
18. She acts younger than she is. She likes to play with the young couples in the ward.
19. She gets excited to hear about my dates
20. She reminds us she loves us often.
21. She will take me to get pedicures- best mother daughter boding ever
22. She is very generous
23. She is a planner- christmas break is always very organized
24. She was the best substitute teacher when I was a little kid
25. She is a beach bum
26. She is hysterical- but for real
27. She tells great stories
28. She is a great example to me
29. She loves my father a lot
30. She listens to books on tape while she cleans. I feel at home when I hear stories of Mrs Polifax.
31. She makes the house beautiful for whenever we come home
32. She makes our house magical at Christmas
33. She is frugal, and good with money
34. She taught emotional regulation- to a point
35. She cries. and has passed that on to me.
36. She worries because she cares
37. She lets us have bon fires even though she hates the pile of wood
38. She lets my dad ski and bike even though he has broken himself many times
39. She is a great teacher
40. She is an example to me of fulfilling church callings
41. She encourages me to go on adventures and live my life
42. She went on a date the week my dad proposed... i think she is the funniest
43. She sends me sweet cards for the holidays
44. She owns at Dr. Mario
45. She will stay up until the wee hours of the morning talking with us and playing games
46. She serves those around her
47. She taught me self reliance
48. She takes care of me when I am sick
49. She encourages us to be healthy and will buy us new running shoes
50. She is the cutest
51. She has beautiful handwriting.
52. She will buy us tickets to come home for the holidays
53. She stays in touch with people (to the best of her ability)
54. She would call people for me when I was too scared
55. She drove me everywhere when I was younger
56. She came to all my soccer games, dance recitals, choir concerts, musicals, etc
57. She is active in the community
58. She would get me chocolate and rent a movie after I had to get shots
59. She always helps out with things at school
60. She helped me with my quilt- especially the not fun parts. basting is the devil
61. Because she is righteous I get to be with her FOREVER!

a night of history.

"There is a history in all men's lives."

William Shakespeare

"The universe is made up of stories, not atoms"

Muriel Rukeyser

this semester has been wonderful. i dont know how many times I have said it- but it is the truth. The work load has been extremely manageable and the classes insightful. This meant that while life got busy I was never stressed per say. Today I felt stress. I didn't like it.

I was sitting in Family Finance thinking of all I wanted/needed to accomplish today and was feeling my level of anxiety rise and happiness plummet. I had over booked myself and hadn't left time to work on a project that is due tomorrow. I sat there pondering my day and decided that I would miss my next class for "mental health" purposes. I always hate skipping a class- after all I am paying to learn, I might as well get the most out of it. But I couldn't handle being on campus. As i walked home I called my mom to say hi and check in. I told her how I was skipping my next class and went into all I had to do. As I listened to myself tell her the day that was ahead and what I needed to accomplish I realized that it wasn't that bad at all. So I instantly started to psycho-analyze myself. (I blame my major/minor for this). I immediately put it together. I hadn't slept well the night before and I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and my stomach was rumbling like crazy. It is amazing how our physical needs can affect our mood. I realized what was wrong and I was able to fix it. I came home, ate lunch, took a short 20 minute nap, and life seemed so much better. I was able to multi-task which made it even better. (Thank you Laurel for letting our friend date include going to the grocery store and watching me cook chicken). 

I came to a clear realization during the day where my priorities lie. I love people, and they are an important part of my life. The day that was supposed to be stressful, turned out to be quite enjoyable- not because I got everything done, but because I had meaningful conversations with friends. Laurel came over and we caught up as I made dinner, Mary and I went on a run and talked about everything (side note: we registered for the st. george marathon today- fingers crossed that we get in), dinner group was wonderful because everyone (minus holly) was able to come, and fhe was great. The night ended with a 5 hour conversation about dating histories. I now know Mitch and Ben much, MUCH better. As we sat there talking my mind would briefly wander to the project still looming over head. It would quickly dissipate as I focused on the people in front of me. My homework would get done, even if it meant not getting to bed until 3, but I didn't know when an opportunity to talk to them like this would come again. We had to move the conversation outside at midnight, and it continued in the cool spring night on the steps. It was perfect.

I feel like I have learned this last semester the importance of how we treat people, and the importance of being present. It is so easy to talk to someone while thinking of everything else you could be doing at that moment. People can tell when you aren't completely engaged in the conversation. It's the worst to be talking to someone who you can tell is just waiting to slip away- or the person who is constantly thinking of what they can say rather than listening to hear. Steven R. Covey put it perfectly when he said "seek first to understand, then to be understood." so my goal. to make people feel like they are my number one priority when i talk to them.

He is Risen

If you have an extra 7 minutes- this video depicts the last days of Christ's life and his resurrection. I love the hope that comes from Easter. Because Christ conquered death we are able to live with our father in heaven once again. He is my Savior. I know that he suffered for my sins and has felt my pain.

Church today was perfect. It happened to work out that fast and testimony meeting fell on the same day. I loved it because it meant I was able to listen to my peers and friends bare their testimony about Christ. While some testimony meetings will have an array of topics this one was centered purely around Christ and the Easter season. perfection.

Holidays are normally spent with family- however, matt and keri made the trek up to Logan to spend Easter with her family. My plan was to go to our ward "Break the fast" but Elyse, a girl I have become friends with in my Moral Foundations class invited me to join her and her husband for Easter dinner. It was amazing, and so kind of them.

It made me think- am I being a good friend to those around me? do I look out for people? It was something so little- just dinner- but it meant the world to me.

Easter was topped off with singing at the retirement home again. This time I got to talk to James, an old man from Mississippi. He was great- and left me with some wonderful words of wisdom. his simple advice was "Be Good" (said in his southern drawl). In a world that is constantly becoming more wicked, be good. it was simple but profound.

random tidbits.

coming home I talked with Kayla and Jenna in Kayla's hammock. We talked and I pushed them back and forth- when all of a sudden we heard a crack. Our eyes simultaneously looked at the hook then back at each other before they came crashing to the ground. luckily no serious injury was sustained except for the fact that the screw flew into jenna cutting her head. it was hysterical and terrifying all at the same time.

we watched prince of egypt and ate pie- i feel asleep. best. hostess. ever.

a saturday to kill the energizer bunny...

today was the day that just kept going. it was perfect. crazy- but I love the feeling of fulfillment you get at the end of a long day.

the day in list form.

7 am. Run 7 miles with Mary. Freeze, but because of said freezing feel absolutely no pain while running. defrosting was not the greatest. it was a pain in the knee. badumbchu.

9 am. Ward temple trip. complete with costco muffins before hand. oh the joy of free breakfast. i was still trying to thaw from the run.

11 am. Shopping. target style. I got the pants I had borrowed the night before.

noon. Baseball game with the lovely Brittnye Perry. Dave pitched 5 minutes after I had to leave.

2 pm. kayla's bridal shower. i stopped in long enough to say "I love you" and "Congratulations" before I had to run.

2:30 pm. Helping at Matt and Keri's. Today was another one of those days that I am blown away by the generosity of those around me, and the dear friends I have. 17 people from the ward came to help- it was amazing. We painted trim, and ceilings, and primed walls. Dry wall was put up, a deck fixed, windows washed, and lighting fixtures replaced. Keri said thank you by feeding us amazing Mexican Food. Oh how wonderful it tasted.

9:00 pm. Late night bike ride with people in the ward. While at M&K's they set me up on Matt's single speed bike so I could borrow it. It is a beautiful bike, and speedy. Meaning I was dying on the ride because I wanted to go super fast. dumb competitive nature. Patience and long suffering are things I need to work on.

10:30 pm. hot chocolate and talking.

11:45 pm. bed.

my thought on character for the day: being a hard worker is a very important trait. The nice thing about have people come and help is that it allows my family to meet the people I am surrounded by- and therefore my sister-in-law likes to point out "possible marriage candidates." it is amazing how directly correlated hard work is to them being chosen. Life is short- and to just muddle around isn't the way to live. give a hundred percent in everything you do. I wish I could say i was perfect at this- and heaven knows I am so far from where I can be, but i think through constant effort to really work hard we can get so much more from this life.

the end.

a European escape to the humane world.

i have important news. I wore skinny jeans for the very first time in public tonight. It was a very big day in my life. VERY BIG.

why would I do such a thing you ask? well folks, it was for a "European" date. and what european doesn't wear skinny jeans? My roommate Kristen was a doll and let me borrow her pair. The date was great- full of finger painting, reliving childhood, and wonderful italian food from Macaroni Grill. but probably my favorite part was talking about the humane and inhumane world at dinner.

word of caution. don't get me started on this topic because I could talk about it for forever.

but we talked. and it was great. second date material? ehh probably not. did i care? not at all. so what is this human/inhumane stuff?

well folks it all starts when you have a thought to do good. "I should wash the dishes" or "I should say hi to that person, they seem lonely." When we have these thoughts- you have two options. do it or don't. this is moral agency. we are not forced to do anything. but as soon as we go against our conscious we enter the inhumane world. The inhumane world is full of a different quality of emotion. we justify, we blame, we elevate our needs about others, we cope with our situation. We do anything we can to make ourself feel better for not doing what we had the impression we should do. But when we act according to our conscious we have a whole different experience. we are able to see clearly, we have hope, we are selfless.

I love having mountains so close. I find a peace that comes from them. There is a clarity that I feel when I remove myself from the world I know and go hiking or on a drive into the mountains. As I look down at the valley it seems to put everything into perspective. My life isn't as hard as I might think, and my trials seem so small. I look out on everyone else in the world and wonder what their stories are. They are all people with their own lives, their own hopes and dreams, and worries.

The inhumane views people as problems but the humane views people as people. Staying in the humane world allows you to connect with another person on a deeper level. I have been trying to implement this at work, and I would be lying if I said I was great at it. I still get frustrated with the moms calling in, when really they are just doing their best to help those they love. But as you look at people for what they really are- another human being- you treat them differently, and better.

my suggestion for the day. read "Leadership and Self-deception" It is amazing!

ps i am listening to this song while writing this- and absolutely LOVE it.

random tidbits.

*talking to family on the phone, even if just for a moment is perfect. Older sisters are the best. and older brothers are comical when it comes to dating.

* i love being productive with friends. Rather than just sitting around talking on the couch- go for a run. or in todays case. go to the gym. I got to catch up with the lovely Sarah Johnson while ellipticalling it up at Gold's.

*naps are heavenly.

* this morning was a blizzard walking to school. and was beautiful at night. dear utah, you are messed up.

* after the date it was off to a friend's apartment for an Easter Party. there was cookie dough- i was in heaven. It was also just perfect to get to sit and talk to friends in the ward and laugh. i am very glad I decided to stay another year.

the wisdom of age.

Last winter I took one of the best classes at BYU. I was very wary going into in- it was called "Adult Development and Aging in the Family." It sounded boring and very.. stiff for lack of a better word. The class was anything but those things but talked about making the most of life and embracing the years as the come. Yes, we talked about physical decline and what changes you see in each system- but that wasn't the focus. Our teacher wanted us to go into the world with a new view towards the elderly.

Last sunday I was able to go sing at Jamestown Retirement home. A group goes on Sundays and just sings hymns. its perfect. for part of it the boys sing so the girls can go talk to the residents sitting and listening and then we switch. I met a wonderful woman named Gladys. She was a character. The first date with her husband was a blind date and she had, with make-up, blacked out her teeth and ratted her hair. She said she opened the door and was just sick. They were engaged 13 days later. I instantly fell in love with her. I wanted to know her whole life story. I wanted to know what she had experienced with a husband in the military. I wanted to hear her adventures, and hear what wisdom she had.

Today Nikki and I were able to go and visit. (Nikki had fallen in love with a woman named Garnet and was going to play the piano for her). Unfortunately Gladys was busy talking with her old visiting teacher. She is a popular girl. We were able to stop in and talk to her for just a moment. A picture of her when she was 22 was hung on the wall. She was beautiful. While the picture depicted a women who looked flawless, the Gladys I saw sitting on the couch was just as beautiful, if not more. Her wrinkles showed the life and experience she had had. She had raised a family. She had laughed. She had lived. and that was more beautiful than the picture on the wall.

I think in the world we live in we often forget the respect that other cultures give the elderly. They have so much wisdom- and we leave that untapped. There is wisdom that comes just from experiencing life.

Other Random Tidbits.
*I got a job managing the duplex I will live at today. That means that my rent is severely discounted as my compensation. It is such a blessing. I feel like everything in my life is falling into place. Dear bottom, dont fall out. please. thanks, Ellie.

*I went with a group in the ward and played Ultimate Frisbee tonight. it was so fun, and the boys actually passed to the girls. good work boys.

*After Frisbee we played ticket to ride at the Langley downstairs. It was fun, minus the cheating that ensued. I come from a family that takes board games very seriously. We have fun, but the best strategy is always figured out. And cheating is unheard of. I sat there frustrated that we weren't playing the way we were supposed to, and then realized I was being dumb. The point was to have fun and to spend time together- not to win the game.

and then I keeeck her sir-

why the title of this post? I have absolutely no idea. but for real- it is all that was going through my head as I tried to think of a title. So folks- there is your Anastasia quote for the day.

Today was a wonderful. very normal day. work was good. class, wonderful per usual. walking home with Winston was grand- and full of chuckling/laughing.

hmph- I am struggling to write this post. I will just try to power through. I apologize for the a) boringness and b) randomness.

but today I left early from my night class- i have a confession, I cant stand my professor. As a person I am sure he is wonderful, however, as a teacher... he just doesn't teach the way I learn. So I left the stuffy classroom, for a brief walk in the beautiful weather before entering a stuffy gym. 20 miles on the bike later- i left sweaty and invigorated. So what does one do? well the go for a run of course. Mary and I laced up our shoes and conquered the provo river trail for 3.5 miles. I guess that is where the title comes from. I kicked my butt today.

The rest of the night was supporting friends in the MDT showcase with Kayla and Jackie. It was phenomenal, and makes me wish I had more musical talent. I loved doing musicals in high school- and I absolutely love watching performances- i just wish I was still able to be a part of it. Well that's a dumb thought- if I want to be a part of it i just have to put forth the time and effort. It is my own fault it isn't a priority in my life.

But my thoughts on character for today. We live in a world of excuses. Reasons why we can't do something. When in fact I know that I am very good at making time for those things that are important to me- as I am sure others are. We come up with justifications for our actions- which is just a way of teaching ourselves we don't need to change. (I think I talked about this before) but as I look at my actions there is always an excuse for when I misbehave. I was tired, hungry, stress... no no- people are people and deserve to be treated as such no matter the state of our physical needs.

The end of my rant. go out and be active. only 7 miles left to bike for the Lazy Man...woowhoO!

defining moments

In class last week we talked about defining moments. Moments in our life that have changed us. We had the assignment to write a paper discussing three of these moments in our life. Well folks. Today I wrote that paper.

As I first thought about what three moments have "defined" me- What moments have made me the person I am today- I had the thought that it isn't just a moment, but it is the everyday decisions in life that shape us. It is just normal life and our surroundings- but as I took time to examine my life I found that, while yes it is those small decisions, there were also large events that really have helped to mold me into who I am.

I sat there typing these moments- and started bawling. Im not talking a small tear trickling down, but the flood gates were opened. I typed through the tears as I realized how grateful I am for these moments however hard they were at the time. It is through our trials that we have to make a choice. How are we going to handle the situation before us. Are we going to face it with faith or with fear? Are we going to let it make us better or bitter? I don't know if I have ever pumped out a paper faster than I did with that one- I had to take occasional breaks to stop being such a blubber ball and gain composure. I am also very grateful I wrote the paper and not while I was in the library- oh what a sight I would have been.

That reminds me of a time freshman year when I wrote a paper for one of my religion classes. I was not so smart that time, and was in the library. As I wrote my paper tears started to trickle down my face- I am grateful that time was not to the same level of intensity. But honestly- who cries while they write papers?

This girl.

Other random tidbits of life.
* J.W. Marriott spoke at devotional today- or I guess it was technically a forum.
*An old friend came to apologize for something that happened ages ago. It was water under the bridge but it was so kind of him, and my level of respect for him increased significantly.
*I am still obsessed with my Integrity class.
*I finally got to catch up with the beautiful Megan Adams. She just got an internship in LA for the summer- I have missed not working with that girl, and will miss her this summer.
* After all my griping about not feeling appreciated at work. and my grumbling and bad attitude. today I felt very appreciated at my end of semester supervisor interview. It was a blessing.

for the love of people.

I love people. When people ask the questions what do you like to do- often times among my answer is the fact that I spend most of my free time with people. Over the weekend both my roommates were gone and I hated having a quiet house. I love hearing their life stories, their hopes and dreams, their fears, I love it all.

Today was a great day because of people. I owed a friend money because of a gift we went together on- which was a perfect excuse to stop by. We sat on the couch and just talked and caught up on life before I had to leave. As I walked outside there was a group of people gathered talking. 30 minutes later I was back on track to go home.

The night was filled with FHE. (more people). We had an egg drop competition because of the easter season. I remember doing it in High School physics. Where before my head was full of ideas this time I was I was blank. Our design was a little... mismatched to say the least. It was a fun FHE, which went long. Very long. I was meeting people to go swim laps at 8 45, and we didn't finish until 8 50. I would run back to my room and start getting ready when there was a quick break. Such a good mom. right?

Swimming was perfect. I just love it- unfortunately the pool closed on lap 30 of the 33 we were aiming for. It was the worstest- they blew the whistle and I just wanted to keep going. But i stopped. after all I dont like it when people come to the window after we are closed- so I figured I shouldn't keep swimming when they are "closed". It just means that tomorrow will be a very VERY early morning. We have decided to wake up and go right at 6 to finish out last laps. wish me luck.

so my musings about life and people. i have noticed in my life that I like myself the best, or am most myself, around those people I know like me. The people who get excited to see me. It is these people that I know aren't judging me based on what silly thing I say or do. There are those friends who make me wonder sometime- and it is around them that I feel like I am trying so hard for their approval. I try extra hard to make a funny joke, which then isn't funny. Or I try to make myself sound thoughtful, and it comes out all wrong. Why is that? Why do I need everyone to like me? Well folks- it is because I like people. But it makes me questions myself- how do I make people feel? do I make them feel loved? comfortable? at ease? do people feel like they must fight for my approval? I hope this is not the case. And I hope I can stop worrying about whether or not people like me so I can just be myself.

That's all for today.

does life get any better?

day two of general conference. oh the love I have for conference weekend. It was back to the langley to watch. I love being edified by the leaders of the church. I sat there pen in hand furiously scribbling down notes, thoughts, and things I could improve.

President Uchtdorf gave an amazing talk on not judging. His simple two word sermon was simply "STOP IT" He shared with us a bumper sticker he had seen that had said "Don't judge me because I sin differently than you" I sat there thinking of my own life. I am soo very far from perfect- but yet at times I judge other people. I made a conscious decision that I was going to take his advice and stop it. After all how hard could it be. I am sad to say I didn't even make it a day. It was the second session and I sat there watching people play on their phones in front of me, and I was getting so frustrated and judging them. I had heard just hours before how we shouldn't judge and I had decided I was going to implement that into my life- and here I was judging them just a little bit later.

I feel like in life it so easy to say you are going to change, or to change outward things. It is easier to change what you say, or how much you exercise, but it is so hard to change the way you think. It is so ingrained into who we are- how do we do it? I think it starts with small steps. You dont say anything judgmental. You call yourself out when you think it, and make yourself compliment the person. You look for the good. And then hopefully with time, and with heavenly father's help you get to the point where it doesnt even cross your mind. It is amazing how many time I say Im going to look for the good, and how the worth of souls is so important- but how easily the natural man slips in.

I love 1 John 4. It talks all about love- it mentions how God is in all of us, and later says those who say they love God and dont love their neighbor our liars. If you think about it- we are all heavenly father children, and therefore we have a part of him in us- plus we have his spirit to be with us. Cali and I talked one night in Stratford upon Avon about how we need to look for the bit of heavenly father in those people we struggle with. It is so true- and so hard at times.

the rest of the day though was perfect. our ward is wonderful. the boys at the langley house made lunch for us all- and the ward just sat there eating and talking in between sessions. After conference we went to a friend's house and played games (hand and foot) while some people made dough for soft pretzels. We twisted our pretzels and then a group of us were off to sing at Jamestown retirement home. I fell in love with the elderly people there. They would sing along and smile back. I made a friend in Gladys. She was amazing. We talked and it was perfect. I couldn't get enough- and felt such joy being there. We came home to freshly baked soft pretzels and sat around talking until it was time to head home and go to bed. I came home as happy as could be and then was surprised by a visit from friends from the Colony (jenny and sarah). It was great to catch up with them and hear about their life for the last little while. Life is just so wonderful- i am so grateful.