Especially Ellis

I can't believe that next week is Christmas! Another semester is over, another round of grades are in the books. Next semester will hopefully be my last until student teaching in August! I'm so excited to be so close to finishing my degree and earning my teaching certificate! I'm still praying and pondering about what comes after graduation. Brandon and I think we have a pretty good idea of what we will be doing and where we'll be living in the next few years, but we haven't yet figured out the details. So, more information on life after graduation will come over the next year or so..... I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on how 2018 has been so far, seeing as there are only a couple of weeks left in the year. Then I'll share some of my goals for 2019. In January, I decided to focus on faith and relationships for the year. My faith has been on a roller coaster these past few years: sometimes it's strong, sometimes it's weak. I have had experie...

Sorry dear blog for ignoring you! I had a busy semester, but it's all done now!

I am a few weeks into the Spring Semester, so I thought I should finally write about it! Haha I am crazy so I decided to take 18 credits (6 classes) this semester: ED 100 Linguistics and Education MATH 212 Math for Elementary Teachers ENG 270 Creative Writing ED 201 Intro to Education ED 204 Children's Literature GEOG 101 World Geography I'm also serving as secretary for my church's children's program, so you can definitely say I'm busy!  Hopefully I'll be able to survive this semester. It's interesting, though. Even though I'm super-busy, I magically have time to get things done and actually feel like I have a social life. I'm forced to interact with people more on a daily basis. So I'm slowly becoming more friendly and coming out of my shell again. I experience seasonal depression plus I'm introverted so this is kind of a big deal for me. I can be social but it takes work and drains me. I really like my "me time" and n...

My sister recently wrote an awesome post about life as a curvy cutie and all of the emotional turmoil that often brings. You can check out her post here:  https://djslifestory.blogspot.com/2018/01/being-plus-size-woman-self-esteem.html    Her post was so awesome and thought-provoking, and I could relate to a lot of what she had to say! That's why I decided to write a short response to her post and share it with y'all. My sister wrote a lot about how being a curvy cutie affected her social life, how she dressed, and how she felt about herself. Despite her challenges, she finds different ways to rise above them and be comfortable being unique. She's developed a style all her own, and let me just tell you, sometimes I want to raid her closet! I want to be like Denali when I grow up. I too can relate to self-esteem issues related to my size. I've always been bigger, even when I've been more physically fit. Add shyness and quietness, and that makes it harder to make ...

Last night, an important leader of my church passed away. His name was Thomas Spencer Monson, and he spent most of his life serving in the church in a variety of capacities, with his most recent responsibility being the prophet and president of the church. His life was one of service and love.  Below are just a few of the things that have impressed me when I think about Thomas S. Monson's life: Trust- Thomas S. Monson trusted in God and in His plan, even when things were rough. Honor- Thomas S. Monson honored his covenants and promises to God and others. Our Prophet- Thomas S. Monson met many people and he will always remain in our hearts. Mercy- Thomas S. Monson has met people of all walks of life and strived to be kind to those he meets. Altruistic- Thomas S. Monson served others without thought of reward. Strength- Although his health sharply declined toward the end of his life, Thomas S. Monson served to the best of his abilities. Military- Thomas S. Monson served in t...

Hi everyone and Happy 2018! I've enjoyed reading friend's posts about their goals and resolutions for this year. I have decided that I don't want to have a lot of resolutions this year, but I do want to have two focus words to outline my purpose for this year: faith and relationships. I chose faith because I want to increase my faith in God and also increase the faith and trust that I have in my family and friends. I also chose relationships because strengthening my faith and trust in God, family, and friends will improve my relationships with important people in my life. While my focus words will guide me throughout the course of the year as I set daily and weekly goals, I have set one goal related to each focus word that I hope to accomplish by the end of the year. Faith Goal: I will attend the temple at least two times by the end of 2018. Relationship Goal: I will go on a vacation to visit family and friends in the Lower 48 by the end of 2018. Overarching Goal: I...