Food for Thought...

I have a lot on my mind tonight.

So bear with me as I unload to the blogging world...

Today I read this book.

If you know me at all you know two things about me.

1. I LOVE to read.

And 2. I am a HOPELESS romantic.

But a couple of months ago, I decided to take a break from my hopeless romance novels , yes hopeless, and enjoy the real world.

And not just enjoy the real world, but actually live in it.

A really good decision on my part.

I'll expand on that in a moment.

Being home for Christmas Break I have been extra LAZY. 

With a capital "L".

It has been great and very much needed. 

And I picked up a couple of books to read.

Not too sappy on the romance.

Mostly suspense and self growth lds fiction novels.

Love it. 

The one I read today was about a girl who got her heart broken after ending her engagement a week before the wedding.

Basically the book goes on about how she gets out of her funk and discovers who she really is.

It left me with a lot of food for thought. 

[Funny how I take such deep life lessons out of a silly fictional novel, right? Laugh if you will.]

Her dad challenges her to write a thank you note every week for a year to someone different so that she can be aware of the good in her life.

So...I'm thinking about doing that.

And I was thinking about maybe sharing it here on my blog?

I don't know; I'm still debating on that.

I suppose if its too personal I'll keep it to myself.

Anyways, my mom and I were talking yesterday about these books.

And I learned something.

I love my life.

Ha, silly realization right?

Well, let me expound on that. 

In junior high, my 9th grade year I hit a particular low in my life.

And the way I escaped was through my books.

Since that time books have become my "get away from the world and everyone in it" thing.

After finishing the first book I've read in months yesterday, I was left feeling very empty.

Weird.

I hated that my book had ended and all I could think was I needed another one.

Dumb.

Now don't get me wrong, I still love to read and I love having something that gives me the chance to just be in my own little world.

An escape from the real world, if you will.

But when its all said and done, I really like MY life.

I love the people in it, I love the story I'm making and the power that I have to change my life for better or for worse.

I love the tender mercies of the Lord.

You know what I'm talking about?

Those moments when the Lord taps you kindly on the shoulder, or throws a shoe at your head [use your imagination...] to remind you what a blessed life you live?

Maybe its just me getting a shoe thrown at them.

Tonight my parents and I sat in my basement and wrapped Christmas presents.

I've realized the older I get, that there are definitely pro's and con's to growing up.

But as I sat in my basement tonight in sweats, watching "Elf", and wrapping presents with two of the biggest heros in my life,

I could definitely see the pro's to being an adult.

The older I get the more I appreciate these little moments.

I really like the times where I just get to be with the people I love, but I love the moments when I'm sitting there and am filled with so much love, gratitude, and appreciation for the life I have. 

Sometimes I have to fight back the tears.

How did I get so lucky?

I'll never know, but I can't express enough appreciation to my Heavenly Father for all he has given me in my life.

Who knows what life will bring.

It scares me to think of the potential heart ache, pain, and misery that I could experience.

But I'm equally excited for the happiness and the multiple life changing opportunities that I know are surely able to balance out, if not completely overpower, the hard times in my life! 

So, here's to loving your own life and to the beginning of a gratitude letter journal blog of sorts.

Jensen Family Christmas Party

I absolutely LOVE the Christmas season.

Its always been my favorite time of the year.

I like presents, of course, who doesn't?

But I love all the family parties.

I have such a great family.

I may be a little biased, whatever.

But one of the highlights of this time is my Jensen Family Christmas Party.

Its so great.

We get together every year, extended family and all.

My dad's cousins and their kids are all their.

Have I mentioned that I love it?

We have this tradition where Santa brings his big red bag and drops it on the porch of the house we are at and it has presents for all of the kids under 18 or still in high school.

And then we do an adult 10 dollar present exchange.

We eat lots of food, and talk.

I love it.

This year it was at my parents house in Bountiful.

So I went up for a couple of hours and hung out with the fam.

Here are some pictures from the party

My mom is super creative.

She hung all these balls all around the house in corners, it looked so good.

Our Christmas tree...not a very good picture. 

Megs and I

My aunt Julie, my mother, and my cousin Chelsie

My cousin Jodi and cousin in law Meg

Aunt Jeanne, Aunt Linda, and cousin Ryan

My cousin's adorable daughter. 

Trevy

Cousin in law Clark and uncle David

Daddy and I.

Its like pulling teeth trying to get him to smile with me. 

Mother and I

Pretty faces Meg

My other cousin's adorable daughter.

The little kids were so excited about Santa dropping off his bag.

I loved it!

She's a princess and so pretty.

Haha or so she told me.

Tyler was so excited when his mom Meg got a present too.

He started jumping up and down and gave her a huge hug! 

I was laughing so hard.

I love my family. 

They are so great.

Where would I be without them?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Savior of the World

My roommate Hannah is in the Savior of the World that goes on at the conference center.

So Saturday night Jarom and my family and I all went to go see it.

We went to dinner beforehand at P.f. Changs-so good!

 Then went and watched the production.

It was really good. 

I've seen it before years ago.

Yesterday I taught Relief Society on becoming a disciple.

And I just was reminded of my testimony of my Savior.

I know He lives.

And I know He wants the best for us.

I know He is there through all my pain and sorrow and its so comforting to know that I never have to go through this life alone.

I am so eternally grateful for my Savior and all He has done for me

Giving Thanks

 Since everyone else is posting about Thanksgiving, I thought maybe I should too.

Last Saturday I went and spent the day in Logan with one of my friends and his family.

Later that night after we had finished playing games his mom suggested that we go around and say something we are grateful for.

It was kind of neat to be a part of.

I know the guy really well, but not his family so much.

And I was very touched as I sat and listened to them express their gratitude for each other and the blessings the Lord has brought into their lives.

As I was sitting there just soaking in the spirit of thanksgiving, I thought a lot about the things I am grateful for.

This year, this moment in my life, I am most grateful for the people my Heavenly Father has sent into my life.

I have been incredibly blessed with these amazing people that have just added so much joy and happiness to my life.

I have always loved my family.

Not just my small family, but extended too.

Its not super big compared to most, but we are a close knit family and stick together through the thick and thin.

I would say that we have been through a fair amount and have easily discovered that family is what makes everything better. 

Over a year ago I moved into an apartment full of girls I had never met before and now just about 15 months later they have become my best friends. 

They have blessed my life in ways that I don't think they'll ever truly be able to understand.

They came into my life when I needed friendship and people that would love me and except me.

They have held me up and comforted me through some emotional ups and downs that I wouldn't have been able to go through alone.

I'm grateful for Jarom, Heather, Chelsea, Nichole, Hayley. 

I'm grateful for the way they love me regardless of my faults.

For the way that they care about my life and my problems.

I'm grateful for the way that they have been there for me when I needed them most.

And even though Jarom is the only one I see consistently, I know that those other girls are there if I need them.

I think that just by reflecting on the people in my life, it has strengthened my testimony of my Heavenly Fathers love and awareness of me.

I know he cares about me.

That he wants me to be happy.

That he is doing everything he can on his part to help me get through this life.

And that is by sending me incredible people to help me through my life.

How grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father.

Here are a couple of pictures from my thanksgiving break:

Sometimes I like to take pictures of myself while driving to Logan...

Hope everyone had a good break!