this thing called life.

You know that time in your life where you think, one day I'll have time... when I'm no longer an EFY coordinator, when I graduate, when (fill in the blank). I am coming to the stark reality that that time will never come. Life never slows down, if anything it gets more and more jammed packed. The days of coming home from school and playing outside on the swing set are a thing of the past.

EFY is officially over. I was so excited to have time again. Time to clean my car, time to organize my room, time to train for St George. I got back, created my first to-do list of being back and was shocked how it just kept growing and growing. Two pages later, i realized I needed a time-turner (Harry Potter Style). I had this misconception that life would be less busy after EFY, but I am coming to find out that it is actually more busy.

All of this is to say that there are so many things I want to write about, to document in my life. The lessons I learned this summer, the shock of going from taking care of everyone to being taken care off, starting school, becoming a supervisor at work, training for the St. George Marathon, and all the tender mercies I have seen in my life...but there is just no time. 

Last night as I felt overly exhausted I hit meltdown point- the point where my body was exhausted and I had forgotten to eat dinner once again, which wasn't smart with running and swimming, and I just felt overwhelmed. I had homework standing between me and my bed, a 5:15 am wake up call to do the canyon run with mary, and an 8:00 am to 8:30 pm day on campus staring me in the face. I couldn't handle it, there was too much to do, too much I wanted to do, needed to do, and all I wanted to do was take a day off. I melted down to my roommates (no, there were no tears involve). It was just too much.

Ironic, because earlier in the day I had a conversation with a friend how we can't do it alone, how it is only through the help of our Savior and the Atonement. We talked about how often we want to be perfect now, we set lofty goals and somehow expect we can accomplish them all by tomorrow. 

I am amazed constantly how aware Heavenly Father is of me. He gave me the extra hour I needed. Our staff meeting was canceled today, meaning I had one more hour to get my homework done. I was able to focus and get done what I needed in half the time i thought it would take me. I was able to take a moment and do something I wanted to do. document my life. 

Is my body still exhausted? oh yes. I may or may not have dozed off at work while listening to one of the associates calls- he woke me up. embarrassing? slightly. does my backpack still weigh more than i do? yes. do i somehow feel like I can make it through today- yes! and the best news of all...we have a three day weekend.

this is my reminder to myself to just take life one day at a time. and know its never going to stop, so you just have to do your best and live life to the fullest.

now back to the old grind. 

pointless

sometimes i find thing hysterical at inappropriate times.

meet today. i am at work when an associate comes and says they have a caller who wants to speak to a supervisor. I take the call. He was trying to pay tuition with a Visa. I explained that unfortunately we dont accept Visa for tuition but he can use any other credit card, or use an e-check for free. He didn't particularly like that answer but was very courteous anyway. He explained how he was bummed because he gets points on his card for paying tuition. I sympathized, and he then went on to say something along the lines of, "well i guess the visa is pointless then"... i laughed on the phone as he was expressed his sadness. pointless. without points. his card didnt work so he wasn't getting points. he was punny and he didnt even realize it. and i chuckled- sorry for the inappropriate timing.

dear puns. thank you for making life so much better.

so blessed.

At the beginning of the Summer Kayla, Jenna, and I started a "Tender Mercies" Journal. We were inspired by Elder Eyring's words:

We had been seeing tender mercies left and right, and didn't want to forget them. Plus it would be a way to remember our summers in a different light.

I am so amazed at the number of blessings and tender mercies in my life. This summer I had experience after experience that testified to me that my Heavenly Father was aware of me and cared, even about the little things.

The day I left for efy I was exhausted. I had gotten 4 hours of sleep, with a week of restlessness before, and had a middle seat on the plane. Meaning I would be a bobbing mess the whole flight. (i am a head bobber. it is bad!) we are sitting there before the plane takes off and the people on either side of me are talking. they were friends. when the one sitting in the window seat asked if I would like to trade them seats. It was a miracle. I was able to rest my head against the plane and was out like a light the whole way to Minnesota. We then got a free upgrade on our rental car which allowed us to have cruise control for the whole summer- which when you have 9 road trips makes a huge difference. When we got to the university we parked outside the dorms and went on a campus tour with our contact. we came out later to see a parking ticket on out car. Not a minute after we looked at the ticket, the officer who wrote it came by. He talked to us for a moment. We told him we weren't aware we couldn't park there and that we were with efy. He told us how, while he doesn't agree with all our beliefs, efy was the best camp they have all summer, and he loves us. At which point he tore up the ticket.

that was just one day. the whole summer was like that. correction. My whole life IS like that. At times I feel like it's not fair. Why am I so blessed?

I have an amazing family. Not only do we love each other, but they are the funniest and so great to be around. I have a job, and a good job. I have amazing friends and people in my life that make me want to be better because of their examples. I have a body that works. i am SO BLESSED, and so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me and cares about the small things in my life.