I heart Football

 

I'm a huge football fan. Not just any football though- I mostly just like BYU football. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was that football season was starting up and I'm super excited that a good portion of our games are on ESPN so I can stream them on my computer. Anyway, Good news for us- we won our first game against Ole Miss. I wasn't super impressed with our QB, but whateves- we still won!

Today in sunday school we were talking about enduring to the end and I was getting a little confused about what it really means to endure to the end. With the BYU football game in my recent memory, this analogy started forming.
Life is like a football game. We all have differing positions that change according to the coach or our surroundings, we rotate in and out of the game, we fumble, we blitz and the most obvious similarity is that we constantly get tackled. I occasionally feel like the game is a never ending series of 10 yard increments that usually end poorly (ie. with your face smashed into the ground with a pile of football players on top of you). At those moments it is easy to think- what's the point of getting up since I'm just going to get tackled and end up on the ground again. That's where endurance comes in.

True endurance has little to do with perfection. A football player who has a high level of endurance is one that never gives up no matter how many times he has been knocked down. Enduring is NOT escaping and avoiding resistance, nor is it never falling down, but rather it is facing our challenges head on and fighting even when it seems pointless.

The fighting however is not pointless. What we can't see from our point of view(whether it be on the ground or in the huddle or even on the line of playing) is that we are slowly working our way down the field to make the touch down.
As a team, our ultimate goal is to score a touch down, but only one person can really make the catch and actually score a touch down. The rest of the team is busy blocking or running or whatever the other players do, but it doesn't really matter. As long as your on the team- it doesn't matter who pulls off the amazing play, you still win. In life- it doesn't matter if you gain the ultimate goal of perfection or not, because Christ has already obtain that goal for you and as long as you remain on His team- you win.
It's just another reason to love football...it totally jives with the gospel! I'm grateful to be on Christ's team and I hope that I can remain worthy and proud to wear His jersey.
One of my friends shared this quote with me and I thought it fit in really well with this analogy. Ezra Taft Benson said this, "The final outcome is certain. The forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future will stand in this fight- AND how tall we will stand."

on with the rest of my life...

It's only been a couple weeks since I got back from Hawaii, but there has been so much packed into the last couple weeks...here are the highlights

• First I was set apart on Sunday as the relief society president. I feel motivated and at peace with it. I’m happy to help out where I can. I feel like this is mostly for me though. I feel like I’m going to learn a ton and I also could use the extra motivation to step up my game. I was looking at the roll and there are 33 girls on the list, but I only know 13 of them. Of those 13 there are only a few that I see every week. Kind of sad right? I was reading a quote today about leadership and it said something like, a leader is a person who gets a group to do something that they wouldn’t normally be able to do. So my goal is that for whatever time I’m able to serve I would like to increase that number, or at least get some of those people that are on that list to become more active. So here we go!!!

• This past week learned how to tie suturing knots. This whole year we have been learning important stuff, but it’s stuff like that that makes me realize that I’m actually going to be a PA. I’m not going to be a student forever…WEIRD! I only have 5 more months until I start rotations…really really weird!

• I have some pretty amazing friends! One of my closer friends here is from my class- she actually used to sit by me. Anyway we've been talking for a while about all the fresh fruit here in Virginia and how delicious it is. We decided several months ago that we wanted to go to some of the 'pick your own' farms here and get a ton of fruit this summer. So we did it-Yesterday we went to a strawberry farm. It was pretty hot, so we didn't stay too long-just long enough to pick a bucket full. I felt so domestic-it was great. I was going to make some strawberry jam, but I decided to wait and make some peach jam when the peaches are in season.

Vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I survived finals! I don't think I've ever been so relieved in my whole life.

The day I finished finals I flew to SLC. I spent a couple days with BJ and Becky and the kids…which was actually really fun. I had only planned to spend one day with them, but they asked me to stay and offered to pay for a bus ticket to Idaho Falls the following day…an offer I just couldn't refuse. I got to see Sara perform in her play and Josh play in his soccer game. They are such cute cute kids! Sara wrote me the cutest card that says, “ My ante is loveing and fun and I lik to play with her I love her.” How cute is that! I loved spending time with them.

After my adventures in Utah I spent the next week in Idaho Falls. It is always surprising to me how much of a home body I am. You would think since I moved across the country I would have outgrown that, but nope. I just love being home! There is just something about it that feels so right. Moral of the story is that it was a wonderful week.

Then…we went to Hawaii… So we flew out Friday afternoon and met up with Matt and Candace and Nate and Kelly in SLC. Then at LAX we met Joe and Naomi. From there we flew to Kauai. The traveling took pretty much the whole day.

The Condos were absolutely amazing. Our patio was right next to the pool which was extremely convenient especially after going to the beach and getting all sandy, we could just jump in the pool and be clean before we went inside.

Every night we either played games in groups or we had a big group activity. This was probably one of the highlights of the trip. Just to be all together and having fun. The only downside was that because of the time difference, but 9 pm we were all exhausted and could barely stay awake, but even with the shortened activities it was a great time.

Saturday, we drove to a nearby beach and attempted to hike but then we decided it it meant that we had to cross this passage of bright red water. It wasn't until after we watched Nate struggle to the other side that we decided it wasn't worth it. I love that Nate is usually the guinea pig in the family. What a good sport.

Sunday we went to church. Afterwards Becca and I walked down to the beach and saw a Monk Seal and just looked at the beautiful scenery. Man it was beautiful there.

Monday we spent a good portion of the morning at the beach boogy boarding and snorkeling. We came home and had lunch and then took off to go rope swinging. No one told me that in order to get to the rope swing you had to jump off this 20 foot waterfall. Oh man, it was one of those terrifying experiences that even when I was in the air I was thinking, I’m completely nuts. Usually you don’t have time to think things like that, but it was a long enough drop that I was actually thinking in the air. The rope swing was cool, but after both of those heart racing experiences I was ready to be done. Don't get me wrong, it was neat...but more of a once in a life time experience. I'm not much into the trying new things or trying scary things-life style. I'm more of a sure and steady type of gal so experiences like that aren't 'fun' for me, they're just exhausting. The only reason i do them is because of peer pressure (not so much the words but I didn't want to be the lone soul on the other side of the pond)

Tuesday we went on this ‘easy’ hike that turned out to be not so easy. Technically it was an easy hike, but in the middle of a boiling hot day, makes an easy hike turn into a very different experience.It took us 3 hours and by the end I was so done with hiking. The beach that we hiked to was pretty, but to be honest, it looked just as neat as the beach that was at the beginning of the hike. Mostly I like these kind of experiences cause it gives you tons of time to talk to people.

Wednesday I just kind of lounged at the pool and I read part of Harry Potter. It was nice to just be able to have a down day.

Thursday we went to the beach and did some more snorkeling. I am just flabbergasted at how many different types of fish there are. And I don’t understand why they are so colorful. Don’t get me wrong, they are absolutely beautiful, but why would evolution lead them to neon. Wouldn’t that make them easier targets…I don’t know, but they sure are beautiful. (That was kind of nerdy comment. I just want to clearify...it was a nerdy comment, I am not a nerdy person however.)

Friday we went Kayaking and we went to Secret Falls. Kayaking was a fun experience with mom and myself in the same kayak. We accidently cut off a ton of people and ran into a bunch more, but no worries. We kayaked to this swimming area where you could jump off the rocks. It was nothing like jumping off the waterfall on Monday, but it was still a jump. It was a classic family moment when Nate and Joe were having this little competition about who could do the more dangerous thing. So Joe dove in and Nate jumped from a higher ledge- it was decided that they were both winners. I just loved watching all the brothers interact and have fun. On the way back there was a bunch of splashing and good sibling bonding. The bad news in all of that is that I usually lose, which was the case here.

Saturday we had to pack up but before we officially left the island we went ziplinging. It sounds like it would have been scary, but it wasn’t especially compared to all the other things we did during the week. It was beautiful though and it was fun to be able to say that I ziplined for 1200 feet.

The flight back to the mainland was rough…it was through the night, which of course meant that I didn’t sleep very well at all…and then it was pretty much an all day adventure for me. I went to LAX, SLC, Chicago which is where my flight was canceled so I spent the night with Nate and Kelly. After a whole 24 hours of traveling I finally made it back safe and sound to Roanoke...phew.

Hotness

I only have a few minutes before class starts but I wanted to say that it has been SO hot here. I never really understood what people meant when they would talk about humidity making a difference and that 'hot' with humidity is so much worse than the Utah 'hot'. Well, it's true! It's been in the 80s the last few days here and although that might sound like it is comfortable, it's not. I walk outside for 5 minutes and I'm already sweaty and gross.

I realized this week what the humidity reminds me of. At theme parks when we would wait in line for the log ride (at Knott's Berry Farm) or pretty much any water ride at a theme park there would be those moments when you would feel this hot, sticky mist type of feeling. Where the air was palpable...yeah...that's pretty much Virginia-all the time. While some people can't wait for summer to come...I'm starting to think that I'm going to enjoy the waiting more than the actual summer.

On a totally unrelated note...this last week I started working out with my friend at her gym. It has been nice to be able to work out and not have to be in the boiling weather. Anyway, she's really into doing these full body work outs, so she'll run and then do arms and stuff. I've honestly never done arm work outs, and I realized...it is hard work. My arms have been sore for days and I all I did was bench press the bar. It's kind of pathetic, I know, but I have to start somewhere. By the end of the summer I'm going to be so buff...it's going to be great! :)

the update

Last weekend was General Conference. Sara Dunbabin came down from DC (where she just moved to) and she stayed the weekend with me. Probably my favorite part was a night before we would both fall asleep we would just talk. That is one thing I miss about sharing a room- don’t get me wrong. I LOVE having my own room, but I remember staying up late talking to Kait and Jamie and Hannah and Paige. What good times. Anyway, so pretty much the whole weekend we just watched conference. I had a big test on Monday so I spent some time studying, but other that we cooked a rump roast. It was my first time making a roast and boy are they easy. I just put it in the crock pot with a cup of beef bouillon and a can of cream of mushroom and cooked it. It was SO good! I showed her my classroom and the Roanoke Star…and that was about it.

School went well this week. The Pharm test went well. This last Friday I had my clinical experience with the hospitalist. It was such a good experience for me. Not that I would for sure work in a hospital, but I realized that I do know some stuff and I could just picture myself being a PA. School is stressful physically and emotionally and mentally and sometimes it is easy to wonder why I’m doing this, so it was nice to have the experiences where I see the end goal and I remember that I’m ultimately going to be helping people and it is going to be wonderful. Probably my favorite part was that I could look at the labs and rule out part of the differential diagnosis. I also realize that I don’t know much, but at least I could do that. That is another thing I’m learning- humility. I don’t know anything compared to these seasoned doctors and I need to be okay with that. Humility is painful, but I guess it is important.

Saturday I volunteered at the Virginia Tech Science Day for kids. Our table was the smell and taste table. Probably the coolest part of the hwole thing was the green onion test. You plug your nose and see if you can taste anything. Then you unplug your nose…and you can tell it is a green onion. SO cool. Most of your taste is actually your nose not your tongue- weird.

Sunday was wonderful. Everything was on charity this week. Let me rewind and say that last week in my journal I talked about service and how I was questioning my efficacy and the importance of my small acts of service. Anyway, so with that in mind when we were talking about service Sister Creamer came up to me after the meeting and said how much she appreciated that I bring food over to her and just visit with her since she has been sick (with cancer). Then in RS Amber was talking about how she was having a super overwhelming week and I had emailed her a couple times to check on her and how they always came at the right time and helped her feel like she could do it. It was just nice to know that those small things really do have an affect.

The other cool thing was Jason (the EQP) and I were talking and he said that was texting Dustin and talking about me…so I read the text and it said something like ‘ I hope a really strong guy moves into the ward because we are going to need an EQP when I move and I hope that he falls for Betsy and that Betsy falls for him.’ I don’t know exactly what prompted that conversation but it was really nice that he said that about me especially cause I don’t feel like I know him that well.

A quick addendum…today (Monday) is absolutely beautiful weather! I had a little break in between class so I went home and I clean the apartment and opened the windows and turned on Kenny G. Oh man, what a great day! It just reminded me of so many summer days in california...cleaning and then having a pool party afterwards.