my nieces like to steal my phone and take super artistic photos.

+ i love my flannel.

it recently ripped on the elbow

(because it's ridiculously & perfectly soft & worn),

so it's time to explore my local thrift shops.

+ i'm getting really good at taking power naps in between jobs.

+ speaking of, the irony:

at one job i smell like fetal pigs,

and at the other i smell like all of the good smells.

also, i love working for bath & body.

it really is a blast, and i never thought i'd say that about retail.

+ because of the holiday craziness, i had about $100 dollars extra this week.

should have saved it, but i got home tonight and spent about $175 of it...

i can't say no to free shipping.

i don't even care.

i deserve it.

+ i've had a few really interesting conversations about being mormon since i've been here.

by interesting, i mean hilarious and slightly concerning.

also, i should tell you about the differences in the single's ward. 

oh my.

+ i'm constantly too tired to do/say/write anything coherently.

except think about where i need to travel asap.

+ i want a puppy.

how do people buy homes and live in them for 30 years? 

that's something i really cannot even fathom. now, or ever, it seems like.

that's a huge commitment! 

being somewhere, and really being there (to maintain sanity) forever.

i'm not good at being somewhere. maybe i'm better than i think?

but i just really want to be everywhere right now.

i got these moccs in west yellowstone, where i would kill to be right now. but they take me on errands in the beautiful fall weather (even though i'd like a bit of utah fall too), and they take me to the playground with my niece.

in high school, whenever i needed to chill out and calm down, i would go swing.

sometimes with friends, sometimes by myself.

it still helps. there's something weirdly reflective about swinging at a park.

and that day i thought about being.

and i'm really glad i can be here right now.

best sunday

I was five minutes late to church this morning.

That hasn't happened before (and shouldn't since my ward doesn't start until 2:30),

but I walked in at the awkward point when the hymn wasn't over,

but I still hadn't sat down when the prayer began. 

So I sat by myself and I was feeling really awkward about it because there were

four rows of people behind me sitting by themselves also.

But then we were singing and the fire alarm went off.

A few verses in we decided we should maybe go outside.

And then the firetruck showed up, which was really exciting for some little boys hanging around.

It was pretty chilly outside, but SO beautiful. 

When the angry elf firemen left 15 minutes later, the alarm was still blaring.

I still don't know why they left? I guess it wasn't their problem.

We decided to finish the Sacrament and then head to the bishops house to have food early. 

You know we were all excited about that.

We gathered under some trees in the parking lot and stood in fake pew rows, 

and it was kind of awesome.

We were reminded that we would probably never have sacrament in the parking lot again.

That's true, but I wish it wasn't, because it was perfect.

And then I read Austenland tonight which gave me maybe one too many feels, but that's fine.

I would like to clarify that missing church was not cause for the best Sunday, but you know it helped a little. 

It was just a really great fall day.

sunday

+ it's possible to have a testimony without living it. but don't. now is the time to become truly converted. and then we converted again and again and again. (oscarson)

+ it's hard to endure with a weak testimony. gotsta get my spirit in shape. (maynes)

+ satan will use guilt to lure you into his "power." you know you have a guilty conscious, so watch out. we all need the atonement. share truths every day. (scott)

*commercial break to wonder if any man will speak about me like pres. monson does of frances. prolly not. 

+ do not rebel, but question and learn and discuss. do good things and never underestimate your power. also, i would like for my house to be more than "grandma's house." that felt weird to me. (cook)

+ this is exactly what i wrote in my journal: attend all your mtgs, yo. even lame YSA stuff... (hamilton)

+ we don't know everything. priesthood holders need to ask women for help with more than food and babysitting. we know stuff. (andersen)

+ make sure you have a personal, spiritual experience with material before teaching it. (mcconkie)

+ the aging process is a gift. this Gospel is a gospel of Christ's love. (nelson)

there were a few things i didn't share, but that i really appreciated feeling & hearing at this point in my life. i feel reassured, and also something else that i can't quite put my finger on. can you be sad about being relieved about something? i don't know. maybe we'll talk about those things one day.

but do you ever get really sad when the prophet is all "see ya in six months" and you realize the countdown started over and that's a long time? oh.

maybe it's just cause i have to wait that long for cinnamon rolls. ours were pumpkin.

1 & 2

we already know how much i loved what i learned from elder hales.
these are a few of my favorite insights mostly from saturday:

+ exercise roles in relationships righteously & awesomely. aka, be the best daughter, sister, aunt, friend ever. (stephens)

+ gratitude is a spiritual gift, but we have to practice it to gain it. (bednar)

+ members of the Church are not perfect. the culture is not perfect. but Christ and His Gospel are perfect & His doctrine is pure. there is a place for everyone in the Church, but in this case, we need to practice what we preach. (uchtdorf)

+ seek truth & righteousness. and if you have to do that by listening to your heart instead of everyone around you, that is okay. (packer)

+ we need to be good, y'all. so so good. and kind, compassionate, respectful, understanding to all. we are commanded to. and we are trying to be like our Savior who is perfect in all those things, so why would we not? i have a problem with thinking and being not those things to people who are not good to other people. it's an issue. all relationships require work, so have the companionship of the Holy Ghost always. (christofferson, eyring, oaks)

+ pray for others. for everyone, but especially local missionaries, my friends on missions, and those currently being converted. i say that because we all are being converted, whether we are baptized or not! (nielsen)

+ more compassion! never lose faith. listen to your body & heart & mind & spirit. seek treatment and advice.  
so maybe i should go back to therapy... charity never faileth. (holland)

+ sharing the gospel should be easy because it's our life! make it simple, make is comfortable. by being myself, i should be sharing the gospel constantly. (ballard)