About time

About a year and a half ago my sister posted this on her blog. I thought it was really cool. I thought it gave some interesting insights. So here it is!

8 Things I am passionate about
1. My faith
2. Making myself a better person in all ways possible
3. Entertainment (Films and video games)
4. Reading
5. Beauty tips
6. Baking
7. Education
8. Traveling

8 Things I want to do before I die
1. Finish writing a book
2. Make my own clothing
3. Beat all the Final Fantasy video games
4. Learn to play an instrument
5. Go to Ireland
6. Read either a Dumas or Hugo novel in French
7. Work or live overseas
8. Be able to dance

8 Books I have read recently
1. Confessions of Saint Augustine
2. Heart of Darkness
3. As I Lay Dying
4. The Awakening
5. Death in Venice
6. The Metamorphosis
7. Daisy Miller
8. The Three Musketeers (the only book on this list that was NOT required for school)

8 Things I often say
1. What the fish
2. What the crap
3. Mince (darn in French)
4. I have no clue
5. It's going to be an all-nighter
6. Super (but in French with the emphasis on the ending)
7. I need to make a list
8. Huzzah

8 Things that attract me to friends
1. Someone who appreciates what a dork I am
2. Intelligent conversation
3. Good listener
4. Spiritual conversation
5. Make me laugh
6. Encourage me to be more adventurous
7. Loyalty and unselfishness
8. Value my friendship as much as I value theirs

8 Songs and Albums I could listen to over and over again
1. Black Mirror - Arcade Fire
2. Funeral - Arcade Fire
3. Om Shanti Om soundtrack
4. Amelie soundtrack
5. Gladiator soundtrack
6. Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads
7. Best of David Bowie
8. Eyes Open - Snow Patrol

8 Things I learned this year
1. The best way to plan for tomorrow is to start today
2. I can live without sweets
3. I have become a lot more conservative since coming to college
4. With health it is important to start young
5. I need to learn how to do genealogy
6. I need to study and pay more heed to the words of Latter-Day prophets
7. The importance of budgeting
8. Ebay is amazing

8 Random things about me
1. I'm not terribly afraid of heights but being on a ladder scares the crap out of me
2. Two things I never wanted to do were continue French and be a teacher. I am majoring in French Teaching and very excited about the future.
3. I am extremely awkward to the amusement of my family. Don't believe me? Ask Justin, he's keeping track.
4. My favorite Harry Potter is the Prisoner of Azkaban.
5. I was ridiculously picky as a child.
6. I always eat my candy by color. I start with my least favorite and always finish with the red.
7. I love Bollywood movies.
8. I wake up at 4:15am every weekday.

A new month... a new goal

Well, I was successful with my February goal. An interesting thing to note was although I ate sweets it was not very satisfying. I just did not feel healthy eating 1/4 of the sweets I had back in January. Not that I'm about to go all health freak on anyone. I'm still me and I don't think that is possible. However, I plan on reducing my sweets intake. Maybe a dessert 2 or 3 times a week.

To continue with this healthiness I plan on working on another aspect where I fail: exercise. I have been blessed up to this point in my life. I've always been tiny and never seriously had to worry about my weight. I have abused that blessing by stuffing my face with sweets. While the rest of family was dieting and trying to be healthier I was hoarding sweets I hid throughout the house.

I may not have the weight to show for all the crap I've eaten (yet) but I am not flexible at all. I can't reach down and touch my toes. This has become evident from doing easy pilates and simple stretches.

Also, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. It's far into the future but as I think of my sister I've begun thinking about my own possible children. Besides lessons I think they need to know I've been thinking what kind of example I'm going to set. In studying the scriptures and the words of the prophets I've realized what a wonderful but very important responsibility motherhood is. I want to be able to teach with words but sometimes through example is the stronger. How can I expect my children to be healthy and fit if I don't make an effort to show them the way?

Well, that was a very long winded way of saying I plan on exercising everyday for this month. In some way I believe this will be more difficult than withholding sweets. It's easier to restrain than to put forth effort. I've worked up exercising and I have a plan set up.

Weekdays: Start with a jogging warm up. Stretch spine and legs. Alternate between yoga and pilates every other day.
Once a week: Work out at gym with Aubrey
Weekends: Morning jog (in an attempt to establish a sleep schedule I'm trying to wake up between 6-7am on the weekends) then one of my dance aerobic dvds.

Whew. That's a lot but it comes down to about 30 minutes each day. If I spend 30 minutes wasting my time on the internet I can surely find 30 minutes to exercise.

Wish me luck!

Guess what is kicking my butt...

Midterms everyday. Man, it's only been two days and I have three more to go but I am exhausted. I think the worst part isn't the tests but the tests and homework. It is 9:15pm right now. I have just gotten home from the testing center and I haven't even started my homework. My schedule for the night? Study for English midterm, Book of Mormon reading, French essay, History reading, Science reading, and French reading. Sadly, I have to do all the reading as I will be having quizzes on them tomorrow. Sigh. Guess my plans to get back on a sleep schedule will be postponed for another week.

Also Bollyrobics is kicking my behind. Especially the shimmy. I only did the warm up section of the DVD but I was exhausted and sore. They always make it looks so easy. I am determined to succeed. A weird thing though... with the shimmy you start out moving your shoulders back and forth slowly my back or something makes this weird noise that sounds hollow. Is that normal?

There and back again...

This month I set myself a goal that will most likely surprise some people. This month I am eating no sweets. That includes candy, ice cream, desserts, cookies, chips, and extremely sugary cereals. Basically, my entire diet. It's been three week so far and I have been successful. But man, it has been hard. The first week all I could think of all that I could not eat. Once the first week it became a lot easier. I was surprised that on Valentine's Day the one day I could eat candy I really did not eat all that much. I expected to gorge myself and I bought lots of candy but I did not fill the urge to eat a lot.

The worst was Wednesday night. It has been chocolate week at the Cannon Center and Wednesday night was chocolate dessert night. There was a chocolate fountain and delicious chocolate deserts from different restaurants on campus. Of course, the one month I'm not eating sweets coincides with chocolate week. I came so close to breaking at that moment and eating a chocolate cake. However, as I began thinking seriously I knew that if I broke so close to the end I would seriously regret it. I could try and compensate but I would only be thinking just how close I came and failed because I could not control my desires.

This experience first started out as a test of my self control. Basically, I wanted to see if I could do this. However, that night at the Cannon Center I realized it had become more than a test of self control. I was proving my dedication to myself and showing my Father I could do it. One thing I've always had repeatedly testified to me that I need to be specifically aware of my desires and to control them. Well, I have a great desire for sweets. I was proving I could withhold my desires to my Father on a small level. If I broke at the Cannon Center not only would I have been disappointed but my Father would have been disappointed in me. What message was I sending Him if I could not withstand the temptation of sweets for a trial period of a month? What was that saying of my control of my desires in general?

So I did not quit that night. I stuck with my yogurt and granola for dessert. But I don't regret my decision at all. I felt strengthened towards my resolve and I could feel my Father's approval in me. I have learned a lot about myself and withstanding temptation this month and I have been so grateful that I have been edified in so many ways from something so simple.

What I have learned from the holidays

Reflecting on the past few days (and my life) I've learned a lot about what I want in life and during the holidays.

1. I don't EVER want to live in a museum. I want a home where I don't have to tip toe around everything. I want a home where I can feel comfortable to be me in.

2. Holidays should be holidays. It should feel different from a normal day. I want decorations and traditions.

3. Even if there are no presents to open something special should still be done on Christmas morning such as a special breakfast.

4. Holidays and vacations should be about having relaxation and fun. If not then I need to make changes so that they are.

There are quite a bit more things on the list but I won't include them here. This is only a sampler of how I envision my future.

A little more than coincidence methinks...

It is only Wednesday and so far it has been a weird week. A good kind of weird though.

First off, in a short while I'll be moving from Wyview to Helaman Halls. I am very excited. It is more expensive but closer to campus and I think it'll be easier to socialize. However, I know have an even better reason to happy about the move. On Monday I remembered that my childhood friend Jaymasin lived in Helaman. I've tried to see to meet up with friends at least once this semester but she was one I have not yet met up with. So I emailed her to ask her in what building she lived in. Turns out it is the same building I am moving into. I ask her what floor. It's the same floor even. Since she knows the people on her floor I ask her a little bit about who my new roommate will be. Her response? My roommate is only three doors down her room! How crazy is that?

Now onto coincidence #2. After talking with Sarah and Justin last week I've decided to see if I could become a TA. Well I have been working really hard to overcome my fear and nervousness and to email my teacher. I also decided to email a French professor who I met in Paris and am friends with. I'll admit I stressed over the email and wrote about a million drafts. Today I decided that after I ate lunch I was going to send that email.

At lunch I differed from my lunch routine and ate outside. After I finished instead of going to class I decided to get a candy bar from Twilight Zone. As I held open the door for the person behind me I heard my name. I looked and there was the Professor Lee, the professor I was trying the email too. We had a very nice chat. Two important things came from our discussion. First, he told me to stop by his office anytime if I needed anything and that I was welcome to come by his home. Second, I told him my major. Because the department assigns a faculty mentor when I declare my major he said he's going to have my name put on his list of student.

Again, how crazy is that?

Score one for Amy!

I am sleep deprived but really happy. Why? I had a French oral exam today. That may be a weird thing to be happy about but I am. Why? Because I rocked. For the first time in a long time I felt comfortable speaking French. I made a few mistakes but nothing too major. I even switched tenses successfully!

What made me happiest was after the exam. My teacher M. Murdock asked what my major was. I told him I was possibly considering French. His response? He encouraged it and said I was definitely good enough in French. It has been so long since I felt good about myself in French.

Man, I feel great.