Be happy with who you are.

 

You are beautiful the way you are :)

Less than one month

In less than one month:
-School will be over for a year and a half
-My 21st birthday will appear
-I will be packing for a year and a half long excursion to the beautiful land of 10,000 lakes
-I will move out of my apartment
-I will no longer have to worry about grades
-I will say goodbye to my lovely friends and family
-I will enter the Missionary Training Center
-I get to wear a name badge representing my Savior
-My stress level will quadruple along with my happiness level
-My main focus will be the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ
-I will learn even more about the gospel and teach it to others who don't know!

----I WILL OFFICIALLY BE CALLED AS A MISSIONARY FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS.
In less than a month, people will refer to me as "Sister Owens"
Please, just help me get through these last few weeks of school.... then hard times and happy times await!

I. CAN. NOT. EVEN. WAIT.

The Land of 10,000 lakes

I obviously can't stop thinking about leaving on my mission--especially during this lame time with school and no spring break.  So I wikipedia'd Minnesota and came to find these interesting facts:
1. Minnesota means "sky-tinted water" in Dakota
2. Minnesota is known for its relatively mixed social and political orientations, and has a high rate of civic participation and voter turnout.
3. Minnesota ranks among the most healthiest states, and has a highly literate population.
4. Minnesotans have low rates of premature death, infant mortality, cardiovascular disease, and occupational facilities, long life expectancies, and a high rate of health insurance. 
5. Minnesota is known for a politically active citizenry--high voter turnout.
I just love this place already.  I am so very excited. I honestly can't wait any longer! I'm scared out of my mind, but I know it will be the best experience I will need for my future family.  Oh boy! I love the gospel! I love Minnesota! I love recreation (which there is a lot of in Minnesota--whoo whoo!!).

 This picture is beautiful. I like it just because.

Women are awesome: And other things you (men) need to know.

So recently I had a very good discussion with my roommates about how women are looked down upon and treated horribly in a lot of societies.  It's easy to see in our society as well, although they are disrespected in different ways.  I started reading this book called "Half the Sky." It's about women oppression throughout the world.  It has horrible accounts of women who have been mistreated and their lives in general.  It really opened my eyes to a lot... There is nothing that bothers me more than to see or hear a man mistreat or demean a women in any way.  Pornography is one of those ways.  I can't stand the fact that women are being treated and used as objects rather than people and it bugs me that some women only see themselves as making a difference in the world through their looks.  There is so much more to you than your body! Elder Ballard in a talk I loved said this:

"It is, unfortunately, all too easy to illustrate the confusion and distortion of womanhood in contemporary society. Immodest, immoral, intemperate women jam the airwaves, monopolize magazines, and slink across movie screens—all while being celebrated by the world... Popular culture today often makes women look silly, inconsequential, mindless, and powerless. It objectifies them and disrespects them and then suggests that they are able to leave their mark on mankind only by seduction—easily the most pervasively dangerous message the adversary sends to women about themselves."

Our society almost always celebrates women's sensual side rather than who they truly are as daughters of God.  The misconception and demeaning of women is honestly the one thing that makes my blood boil the most! So, to all you women out there--YOU ARE DAUGHTERS OF GOD. You have every right to be treated fairly.  This quote by President Hinckley will wrap up my rant nicely: 

"There are some men who, in a spirit of arrogance, think they are superior to women. They do not seem to realize that they would not exist but for the mother who gave them birth. When they assert their superiority they demean her...Every woman is a daughter of God. You cannot offend her without offending Him."  

In conclusion, boys/men-don't you dare think about mistreating a women/girl.  You will have to answer to Him. Whenever I am frustrated or feeling the burden of having to be what society says I should be I listen to this song and it puts everything into perspective.  See yourself as your Father in Heaven sees you.  You are important to Him.

On a funny note, my roommate (thanks Taryn) shared with us these funny emails she had from several years ago and they fit so nicely with my rant:

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and
3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play
two sports
and either take music or dance classes.  They will also attend cubs, brownies, sea cadets or similar.

There is no fast food.

Each man must:
take care of his 3 children,
keep his assigned house clean,
correct all homework,
and complete science projects,
also, cook, do laundry,
and pay a list of 'pretend' bills
with not enough money.

In addition, each man
will have to budget in money
for groceries each week.

Eac h man
must remember the birthdays
of all their friends and relatives,
and send cards out
on time--no emailing.

Each man must also
take each child to a doctor's appointment,
a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.

He must make
one unscheduled and inconvenient
visit per child
to A & E 

He must also
make gingerbread men or choc chip cakes
for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for
decorating his own assigned house,
planting flowers outside
and keeping it presentable
at all times.

The men will only
have access to television
when the kids are asleep
and all chores are done.

The men must
shave their legs,
wear makeup daily,
adorn  themselves  with jewellery,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,
keep fingernails polished
and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks,
the men will have to endure severe abdominal pain, persistent lower back aches,
and have extreme, unexplained mood swings, but never once complain or
slow down from other duties.

They must attend
weekly school meetings, concerts & plays, church, and find time
at least once a week, to spend the afternoon 
in the park or a similar setting.

They will need to
read a book to the kids
each night and in the morning,
feed them, dress them,
brush their teeth and
comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: 
each child's birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size, teachers name, best friends name and doctor's name.
Also the child's weight at birth, 
time of birth,
and length of labor,
each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear and
what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island
based on performance.
The last man wins only if...
he still has enough energy
to be intimate with his spouse
at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win,
he can play the game over and over
and over again for the next 18-25 years
eventually earning the right
To be called Mother!

And my personal Favorite: 

Woman has Man in it;

Mrs. Has Mr . In it;

Female has Male in it;

She has He in it;

Madam has Adam in it;

Okay, it all makes sense now...

I never looked at it this way before:

MEN tal illness

MEN strual cramps

MEN tal breakdown

MEN opause

GUY ne cologist

AND .

When we have REAL trouble, it's a

HIS terectomy .

Ever notice how all of women's problems start with MEN?

And to top it all off: this is what I want to be able to say to my spouse when we are old:

"In our old age my beloved companion said to me quietly one evening, 'You have always given me wings to fly, and I have loved you for it.'" -President Hinckley

(aren't they adorable?!)

The. End.

Story of My Life

Enough Said.

B-dizzle

So, my best friend and roommate got her mission call last night and she's heading to this lovely paradise...

San Diego, CA Mormon battalion site :) and she gets to wear this half the time: 

and she'll be that sassy as well! hahaha

I'm so proud of Britt and her choice to serve. She'll seriously make the best missionary ever! Who would've thought 7 years ago that we would both be serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?! I'm so excited for her! She's gonna rock it! 

 We've been through a lot together and I'm so excited for our next adventures! love you britt!!! :) GOOD LUCK IN CA!!!

Courage

Wow, I've been blogging a lot lately... sorry.  Anyway, this week has been one of those hectic weeks where I have felt I've had no time.  This quote always came to mind when I felt like I hadn't gotten everything done I needed to that day.  It really helped put things in perspective because nobody is perfect and not everything is always going to go according to plan.

There is hope.  If it doesn't work today, have the courage to try again tomorrow.

Sometimes....

....I think I have a bad day, then I see this and realize my life is good.  However, funny story, today I was eating at the creamery with my mom and niece and I ordered a hamburger.  I went and got a Mayo packet and tore open the side of it.  As I was about to sit down I started squeezing the packet to get the Mayo to come out and Lo and Behold----It sprayed EVERYWHERE including my mom's face, and three unlucky innocent customers sitting right behind her.  I felt horrible (but it was hysterical!) Luckily, they were good sports about it.  I'm glad it happened today because it gave me something to laugh about! And then I see this picture and it makes me laugh even more!

P.S. I was reading in my scriptures this morning about tender mercies.  As I tried to notice all the tender mercies today (too many to even count I might add) I know for a fact He was aware of me today and knew I needed a funny moment to lighten my spirits. Thank you flying mayo for changing my mood

Thumbs up for Rock and Roll

So in one of my classes we watched this video.. most people had seen it, but I never have! And I love it! So I'm sharing it with all of you if you haven't seen it. This little boy is my hero.  "Believe in Yourself!" wise words, little buddy, wise words.

Never Been Happier

So even though it is way past my bedtime, I am having a hard time trying to fall asleep.  Therefore I have chosen to consume my time with looking at Minnesota pictures and dreaming about how in 99 days I will be entering the MTC and in 120 days I will hopefully be stepping foot in the beautiful land of Minnesota (where I will pretend I am in a place as warm as Florida)

 YES! Hopefully the cold doesn't keep me out!

 This lil' beaut was born in Minnesota. Now I know when she was saying "There's no place like home" she really meant Minnesota

 It just seems like such a happy place! I sure hope I get to see lots of those barns smiling right back at me!

And...the snow...

 Beautiful

 

Here's the video I wanted to post last week, but it wasn't really working. Welp, it's working now! I love my friends. I don't know where I'd be without them.  

And to top it all off, I get to work with this lovely lady every Saturday afternoon.  And yes folks, she does wear those glasses as a fashion statement. All the time. (just joking) She's totally stylin. But, it's fun to work with such an awesome girl! She's hilarious and so is her blog. 

My Next Adventure!

 I decided to serve a mission and got my call yesterday! (Whoo whoo!) Any guesses where I'll be serving?? Here are a few facts about the best state in the US:

FACT: I'm going to the 21st most populated state in the US
FACT: State Nickname=The Golfer State, The North Star State
FACT: State beverage=Milk
FACT: State Muffin=blueberry
FACT: The Largest Mall in American is located here (good thing I LOVE to shop...not...but cool fact nonetheless!)
FACT:  It's home to the oldest continuously running theater (Old Log Theater) and the largest dinner theater (Chanhassan Dinner Theater) in the country.
FACT: has more golfers per capita than any other city in the country (shout out to my big brother Nate! He'll love this fact!)
FACT: The first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant in the United States were done at the University of-----------.
FACT: The stapler was invented here.
FACT: The first Intercollegiate Basketball game was played here on February 9,1895
FACT: The first Automatic Pop-up toaster was marketed in June 1926 by McGraw Electric Co. here under the name Toastmaster. The retail price was $13.50 (Thank goodness we have toasters!)
FACT: The coldest temperature recorded in this state is -60 F (I'm gonna DIE! not really but MAYBE!)
FACT: I have been called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!

It was such a neat experience opening that call and knowing that I will be spending 18 months serving the Lord and serving the people in Minnesota.  I honestly can't wait to go and teach the gospel to those who don't know the truth. It'll be such an amazing experience.  I'll have to brace the cold, but I think I can do it! The first thing I thought of when I read the call was the movie "New in Town." It came out a while ago but it's pretty funny and I sure hope I come home with an accent of sorts. I couldn't find any clips from it but when I do I'll be sure to share! Anyway, a few friends and family came to support me and it was so overwhelming to be surrounded by such good examples and influences in my life.  I am so blessed!!!

k my other video of all the other peeps that were is not working... frustrating, however, I'm so grateful for all the support and love from everyone who has encouraged me to do this.  I feel SO blessed. Thanks to all of you!

2012.

So I can't believe 2011 is over. So much happened this past year and I feel like it was all a dream.  I'm excited for the new year though and I always love setting new goals (even if they don't last very long...).  I have a great feeling about this next year! So Britt's day of birth--the big 2-1--was on New Years Eve so we celebrated with a lil cake and had some good laughs.  It was a nice fun night.  I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends.  They are such good examples to me and I couldn't have asked for more Christlike influences in my life.  They make me laugh every day and keep me grounded.  I never have to worry about offending them and I'm pretty sure I've never fought with any of them.  They truly make me want to be a better person and they make me a better person just by the way they live.  I love 'em! Anywho, here's some fun pics (that I took with my new camera) from the past little while. Aren't my friends so cool????

Kate and Kim :) 

 The best present anyone could ask for! Psych T-Shirt!

 Doin a little Titanic??

 Love her!

 Cuties

 Happy Birthday Brittany!

 Roxberry run :)

My roommates are so good looking

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! GO 2012!!!

Reminiscing.

I saw this on pinterest (totally obsessed) and it reminded me of when I was young.  My brothers thought it was hysterical to tell me I was adopted and I would argue back and forth non stop with them that I wasn't--because I totally knew I wasn't.... Finally I HAD to ask my mom if what they were telling me was true because I started to wonder: Me: "Mom, was I adopted?" Mom: "Yes." WHAT?!?! Of course I wasn't, but my whole family had me convinced that I was.  They were all in on the little joke. ha. very funny. I was a little scarred, but eventually got over it.  I'm completely normal now (just have a few trust issues can you blame me????). Anyway, I thought this was hilarious. Enjoy :)

Can you say Black Friday???? (Talk about scary...)

So last night my sister-in-law and I decided to participate in one of the most exciting events of the year--BLACK FRIDAY. It was our first times and we started early at 9 o clock pm. Actually we got in the Toys R Us line at approximately 8:41 p.m. It was a long one! We finally got into the store around 10 pm. Cherise and I had mapped out what stores we'd hit and the plan was to have one person automatically go stand in the check out line cuz it gets crazy while the other one shops :) Toys R Us's line was INSANE inside. It wrapped all around the inside of the store. But, I did my duty and stood in line while Cherise found some awesome stuff for the children :) My lovely mother was a trooper and was our chauffeur for the evening. She drove us to all the stores and dropped us off. We went to Shopko which wasn't nearly as bad as Toys R Us in which I searched for the seasons of Psych, but came out empty handed..... Anyway, long story short we went to Target, and Wal Mart and drove by Best Buy (there was still a line out the door an hour and a half later...so no, we did not attempt to get in...) And still no luck with Psych, but I'll find it somewhere! :) (Actually my mother got it for me for Christmas I think...hehe) Wow. I feel like I'm five right now. Well I'm going to get back to work but here's a few entertaining photos from Black Friday