Day 13- My 5 Favorite Books and Why.

Um....okay, so I really don't know what has happened to me. When I was younger I used to love reading. I use to read all the time, whenever and wherever I could. I hate to admit this....but even sometimes in church. Anyway, that being said this post is going to be really difficult. I feel that I have read a substantial amount of books and there are even more on my list that I want to read. But, we'll see how this goes.
First of all I would like to say that...

 

The Scriptures

I know that this picture is of The Book of Mormon but The Bible is included in that as well. The scriptures are my rock. Those and prayer are the things that I turn to when I need to get through a hard time. There are so many insights into my life that I gain from the scriptures. They make me want to improve and bet a better person, the kind of person I know that Christ and Heavenly Father want me to be.

However, I have a feeling that this post is meant to be about more secular books so here it goes....

1.

 

 Pride and Prejudice

The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I was 16 and from then on it has definitely been my fav! As cliche as it sounds I think a large part of it stems from the fact that I can identify with the character of Elizabeth Bennett. Not necessarily on the whole getting married thing but just on how she interacts with people. I mean you see right off from the beginning she judges Mr. Darcy and he does the same to her. But then after they get to know each other they realize that the other isn't as bad as they initially thought. That has definitely been my experience in life. I am very quick to make snap judgments about people sometimes but then after I get to know someone my opinions change and I realize that the person isn't as bad as I thought and that it can develop into a relationship that is extremely enjoyable.

2.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic book and one that I enjoyed immensely. I think part of it is because of the character of Atticus Finch. I love that in this book he defends the case of the poor black family against the hillbilly white family...which at the time that the book was set would have been totally unacceptable. I love that he's a character with character, that is willing to stand up for what is right and serve someone and help those that really need it. I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for sounding like some "bleeding heart liberal" but in my opinion it is up to each and every one of us to help those that we can when we can...no matter what. We need to help each other out for the betterment of society. Harper Lee put that message into this book and it's messages like that that have led me to want to become a  Social Worker.

3.

The Work and the Glory

Okay, So I know that this isn't exactly one book....more like nine. But I think I can get away with it. I bucked reading these books a lot when I was younger, probably because Mom tried to force feed them to us when I was like six or seven, but I gave them a shot when I was 14 or 15 and was presently surprised by what I found. I loved these books and all that it taught me about the early days of the church. From it I get a greater sense of what those early saints went through for their faith and a greater appreciation that they did so that I can have the gospel in my life today. And the fact that it was written in terms of a fictional family that you grow to know and love as you read the books doesn't hurt either. : )

4.

Harry Potter

Ok, really, I ask you, what kind of twenty-something would I be if I didn't list Harry Potter as one of my favorite books. I read The Sorcerer's Stone when I was 11 and ever since I read that first installment I have greatly enjoyed the series. At 11 there was something cool and fun and lighthearted about believing that maybe there was another world out there where magic actually existed. I knew it really didn't but Harry Potter helped me to use my imagination to it's full extent, it allowed me to dream. And it did and will for many people. Harry Potter is something that changed children's literature. It has become iconic...especially for my generation because we were that age group that Rowling was writing for. Just Sunday I was sitting in Sunday School and we were talking about Jews vs. Samaritans and what the difference was and some kid pipes up and says "To the Jews the Samaritans were like...mudbloods." and everyone started to laugh at the reference and we all immediately knew what he was talking about. Or today I was sunbathing with Lacey and the wind kept kicking up and we decided that we needed a deluminator...except for wind. Or amongst my group of friends we'll sometimes starts "duels" using spells from the books. Or last year when Ariel and Lacey were feeling too lazy to get something for themselves they would say "Accio (fill in the blank)" and the other would get up and get it for them and when Jenny tried to do it and no one got anything for her we teased her about being a "squib" and she would get so angry. And it will endure for generations to come. Years from now when my children read those books I will be able to look at them and say "I remember when those books came out. I remember waiting for the next installment, the midnight parties for the books and premieres for the movies... I remember that." And...that was a rant. haha

5.

Jesus the Christ

I read this book about a year ago. And it is so good! I loved getting to read about the life of the Savior! It was so enlightening to get a bit of historical background on what was going on at the time of Christ's birth, ministry, and crucifixion! It helped me to gain a greater appreciation for our Savior and what he went through to perform the atonement in our behalf.

Day 12- Write a Poem to Someone You Love

Seriously? I'm really not the poetic type.

You lift me when I fall
And you really don't mind at all.
You cheer me up when I'm down
You create a smile from a frown.
You make me laugh when I don't want to breathe
You calm me down when I want to seethe.
You make me want to reach for more
That is why it's you I adore.
I love you more than I ever thought possible
And for you I'll always be thankful.

So there you go. I gave it my best effort. This really isn't written to one person specifically but I guess this is more about the qualities I the people that I love (which there are a lot of) possess. In thinking about it this poem could be given to any one of my family members or friends. I have been blessed by the Lord to have some pretty awesome people in my life. People who make me want to be a better person and are really there for me when I need them. And every day when I kneel down to pray I thank the Lord that He has brought them into my life.

Day 11- A Bucket List of Things You Want to Do Before You Die

Thankfully, I've had a bucket list since I was 16! So that makes this one really easy! If you're really all that interested you can access said list on my facebook! Ha! Done and done.
Now, on to other things that have been going on in the life of Felicia...which as you will be presently surprised is...not a whole lot.
Thursday was the last day of finals for BYU and also my commencement! AHHHH!!! To think after nearly 5 years it finally came! My graduation from college! It was pretty cool. We got to have Elder Richard G. Scott address us. He spoke a lot to us about the force for good that we can be in the world...especially with the educations that we received and how we shouldn't give up even when times are tough. It was really cool to hear. Then Friday was my actual convocation...where my specific college met and they called our name and we got walk across the stage and receive our degrees. Pretty cool beans if you ask me. At my convocation my old Forming Marital Relationships professor Dr. Busby spoke to us about not being "too expert" in the home....especially since our degrees are in family science. He mentioned that a lot of times our families don't want someone to talk down to them in an expert voice but that they just want someone who will get down and fight in the trenches with them. A good reminder I think. After my convocation Mom and Dad insisted on snapping some pics so look for some of those to come. And that was pretty much it for my awesome weekend! I think Friday night Jim taught me how to play Chess. I was pretty excited about that since I've been wanting to learn to play for a while. Oh, and Saturday I went shopping with Jessica after work and I ended up buying myself a miniature wooden crossbow! It's pretty tight. And that night my lovely roommates and friends took me out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner to celebrate my graduation! All in all a pretty great weekend if I do say so myself.
Saturday was move out day at the 'Hood and so now the number of people out and about is shockingly small. That should change this week with the start of Spring classes at BYU but the number still won't be too big even with that. Which, I don't mind too much since I do better in smaller groups of people where I can actually get to know people. Hopefully, this summer will turn out as perfectly as last summer did but we shall see. Hanging out with the peeps tonight was pretty fun though.
Speaking of peeps though.... I told this story to Mom and Dad while they were here for graduation and I know that they'd be utterly disappointed if this wasn't documented in some measure. So, about a month ago Jim and T and I were sitting around on a Friday night contemplating activities when Jim mentioned that he'd always wondered if you could stick Peeps to like a wall or something if you heated up the bottom. We contemplated the idea for a little bit, decided it was worth a try, and then promptly went and collected our friends and went and bought PVC pipe so that we could make marshmallow blow darts guns instead. Well two weeks ago my friend Dan "Chaps" and I decided that Peeps were a go. So that Thursday night Chaps and T and I went to the store and bought a bunch of boxes of Peeps at the amazingly low price of $1/box. We went back to the Hood and grabbed some friends including Ryan, Lacey, Lisa, and Colin and proceeded to not exactly heat the bottom of the Peeps up and stick them to things....but light them on fire. They burned a'ight on there own, but then we soaked them in finger nail polish remover and they lit up even better. Then T decided we should see what they would do if we soaked them in gas. Seemed like a good idea. So we bought some gas and proceeded to soak some Peeps in it. Everything was going great until the gas ate through the plastic cup T had used for the soaking and we ended up with gas all over the back lot where the burning was taking place. Well, at that point of course the only option we had was to light the thing on fire...so T did. Wow did it go up...and it singed the hairs off T's arm. haha I think Lisa did take some pictures so I'll have to see if I can rip them off her facebook and post them here for reference however, at this point I neither have the time or the motivation as I am at work. So yeah, there's an update on my adventures! :D And that's about all this kid wrote.

Day 10- Songs you listen to you when you're happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

Mmmmkay....
So I know it's been a while since my last post. And that was kind of the whole point of the "30 Days of Blogging" thing...to get me to do it more regularly, but what can I say? April has just been an extremely crazy month and it has gone by so friggin fast it's ridic-uh-lus. There will be a short follow up post containing a bit of an explanation. And...if I don't get around to that then I guess you'll live.Now back to the business of this 30 Days of Blogging thing. You know what this post is supposed to contain from the title and let me tell you what, this is going to be really hard for me because as I already stated in my first post I have an extremely eclectic taste in music.
For starters, I will tell you that I do believe Starlight by Muse might be my favorite song of all time.

As for this category business....

When I'm happy it might be something akin to...

Perfect Day by Lady Antebellum

Because it reminds me of last summer and days spent chilling with my peeps wasting time by the Provo River.

or it might be...

Extraordinary by Mandy Moore

Because it's kind of empowering and makes me feel confident....like I can do anything!

or it could be...

The First Single by The Format

Because it reminds me of good times working at Blockbuster and that sometimes you just need to get over yourself.

When I'm sad I might listen to...
Hurt- by Johnny Cash

Because sometimes I just need to be sad and wallow.

Just a Dream by Nelly

Because I can really relate to the confusion that he talks about and wondering what's going to happen. Not necessarily with relationships but just with life in general.

The Scientist by Coldplay

Because Coldplay is awesome...and it's a blend of the previous two.

When I'm bored...
These Are My People by Rodney Atkins

Because he sounds totally happy with the life he has been given. 

Do You Believe in Magic? by The Loving Spoonful

Because sometime you just can't beat oldies.

3 am by Matchbox 20

Because it makes me think of my childhood.

When I'm hyped....

Better Life by Keith Urban

Because it reminds me that you live the life you want to lead. Again not just about relationships but just life.

Club Can't Handle Me Right Now- Flo Ridda

Because it has a great beat and the lyrics aren't totally morally repugnant.

That Green Gentleman by Panic! At the Disco

Because things change...and that's okay.

When I'm mad...
Johnny Cash by Jason Aldean

Because sometimes I get fed up.

Hot N Cold by Katy Perry

Because sometimes relationships suck!
(side note: when I looked this up I totally found another video of a spoof she did on this song with Elmo for Sesame Street! haha)

Let It Happen by Jimmy Eat World

Because sometimes people refuse to take responsibility for themselves.

And there you have it!
P.S. this actually took me a substantial amount of time...at least 1.5hrs.

Day 9- Something you're proud of in the last few days.

My Job!

Okay, so I must admit that this was kind of a hard thing to think about just because I couldn't really think of anything momentous happening in the last week or so....just life.

But then thinking about it, I really am proud of the work that I do currently and proud of the work that I will be doing in the future as a Social Worker.

I'm proud of that fact that right now and when I eventually graduate with my MSW that I will be devoting my life to helping people who can't necessarily help themselves! There is something satisfying about knowing that you've had the power to affect a change for good in someone's life. That you've made things a little easier for them...done the work that the Lord would do. It definitely increases my capacity to love and become tolerant of others every day!

Day 8- List of Short Term Goals for this Month and Why

Ok! So I know I'm extremely behind but what can I say? Thing got a little crazy this last weekend with Conference and other plans.
Friday I hit this place called Sammy's for dinner with Lisa and our friend Casey. It was kind of an adventure because first we were just going to go to this soup and salad place, Zupas. But then while were in line there I remembered this amazing sandwich shop called Hickory Kist that I went to about a month or so ago so we drove over there only to find out that they close at 6pm....seriously. On a Friday night? In a college town? I don't know how they expect to turn a profit. Anyway, so we were still in search of food when we walked around the corner and there was Sammy's looking pleasant and rather non-busy which is quite impressive since it is always busy. See, Sammy's is known in the Provo area for having amazing shakes....they put a whole piece of pie in each one. So yes, that was tasty, and then after that we went back to the G-hood (my apt complex is called Glenwood but in P-town it is more commonly referred to as GlenHood) and met up with the usual group of peeps for night games (capture the flag, utlimate frisbee, etc. at the park). After night games were finished we went back and watched O Brother, Where Art Thou? which if you watch by yourself is kind of dumb, but if you watch it with a bunch of people is actually quite hilarious.
Saturday I woke up and watched the first session of conference, then Allen came over and we went to the store and bought stuff to make Nachos and we did that as a big group for lunch. We also watched the travel channel and saw this giant rubber band thing.  Basically, they attach you to a giant sling shot, then use a trailer to tow you backwards and then release and you bounce back and forth. It looked so cool! And, best part? This giant rubber band is conveniently located just a few miles north inside the Provo canyon. Guess who has a new idea for a summer activity?! After lunch we dispersed to watch the second session of conference then the girls and I went shopping while the guys went to Priesthood. Afterwards they all came back to my place and we had a little muffin party! Dee-lish! Then, a bunch of us went out to grab some substantial food, which was pretty fun but things seemed to be hitting a downward spiral as I headed off to work at 10pm.
Sunday morning I didn't even bother with going to sleep after work because I knew that I would wake up in time for conference if I had. Lisa had a bunch of people over for breakfast Sunday morning and then we tuned in for conference. Might I add though that at this point I had been awake for 24hrs straight and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I was struggling not to nod off during the first session. In between session Ashley and I headed over to Courtyard at Jamestown, an assisted living villa in south Provo. I have been volunteering there since last semester, but took a little break these past few months and am beginning to start going again. Ashley needs the volunteer hours for one of her classes. It was quite an enjoyable visit, as it usually is. I love the elderly! I love hearing all of their stories and their perspectives on things! : )
After Courtyard we headed back and caught the last session of conference. Then I took Ashley home and Lisa and I cleaned up a little bit after the morning's breakfast festivities. I finally worked in a little bit of a nap and then Lisa and I went for a drive up the canyon, to the Y and the temple. It was good to just talk to her and know that there is someone out there who feels the same way I do sometimes and knows what I'm going through. After that we headed back to the apts and hung out with Allen for a bit before I had to go to work. All in all it was a pretty great weekend! I loved all the conference talks on Service, especially President Eyring's and Elder Ballard's. I also really enjoyed the talk by Elders Oaks and Christofferson! So great! Like Christmas in April.
Anyway, now that I've updated back to this business of the 30 day Blog post.

Long term life goals!

'nough said.

But seriously some goals for this month:

Start to save money/put myself on a budget.

Be more consistent at my scripture reading.

Love everyone.

Help as many as I can.

Be a good friend. 

Make it through graduation.

Love my family as much as I can.

Let people know I really do appreciate them and am thankful that the Lord brought them into my life.