One thing at a time.

I am happy to say that my cold is slowly disappearing!! Today I have felt the most amazing I have felt in the last three weeks!! I'm so blessed, too, because today I was singing in sacrament meeting, so I needed my voice at its utmost best today. And the musical number was absolutely beautiful!! We sang "If The Savior Stood Beside Me" and I am soo grateful for my friends who accompanied me on the piano and flute! It was a wonderful experience and it really brought the Spirit.

Yesterday, my aunt and uncle were able to be sealed to their newly adopted daughter, and I was lucky enough to be able to go. It was such a beautiful experience and I am so glad that I got to be there. It was a special experience.

During sacrament meeting, the speakers talked about challenges. One speaker said that God teaches us during small challenges to help us during bigger challenges. I really liked this. Because it is really true. He teaches us line upon line, precept on precept. And it only makes sense that He teaches us during small challenges how to deal with our bigger challenges.

For example, I recently FINALLY have almost finishing getting over biting my nails!! I've been working on this for YEARS! And only in the last few weeks have I super focused on my goal, and made it work! I don't know why it has taken me so long, and of course, I'm going to have to focus on it really hard if I want to make sure that I don't bite my nails again, but I'm sure that I can do it. For the first time in a long time, I actually have nails, and I am SO determined to keep them.

Anyway, looking back at my experience with biting my nails, I can learn lots of things. One thing I have learned is that sometimes you just have to keep. trying. I have tried so many things over the years, and they haven't always worked. So many times, I have wanted to give up. Sometimes, I did. I thought, "This is too hard. This is impossible. I can't do it." And I stopped for a time. And then I would want to try again. And it was a giant roller coaster of ups and downs. I kept going, kept trying.

As I have thought about this, I've decided that this can apply to many things in life, and I want to try to apply it in my life better. Right now, I am struggling at work. I think it's because I have had a lot of influx and outflow of children in my classroom, and so they dynamic of my room has been changing every week, so the kids are probably going a little nuts. Frankly, I understand where they're coming from. I also am going a little nuts. It has been a crazy couple of weeks, and I am not sure how the next couple of weeks are going to go, but I am certain that as I focus on one thing at a time, and as I focus on making sure that my kiddos understand that I love them, I think that the next few weeks will be better.

I know that I can't do this alone. I think one thing that has made it difficult these last few weeks is that I haven't exactly been asking for as much help as I've needed. I'm going to try better this week to improve at asking for help when I need it–and even before I need it.

One of the speakers in sacrament meeting today shared this quote, and I needed its reminder today. Honestly, these last few weeks, I have wanted to quit my job. It has been way hard and very taxing on my body & soul. I have thought that I can't do this and that I'm not cut out for it. But I have kept going because I don't have anything else to do right now. My friend this weekend told me that I can do this! She believes in me, and she thinks I am cut out for this. She said it gets easier with time, and I hope she's right (she is). I just need to remember to focus on one thing at a time. Which is really how I have been getting over biting my nails–one nail at a time. Who knew such a small trial would impact how I get through much bigger trials? God sure did. I'm glad that He is on my side because with Him, I will not become lost. 

Have a wonderful week! God loves you, and so do I! 

Xoxo

Mattie

Letter of gratitude and love.

Dear Reader,
If you're reading this, this either means that you are either a friend, or a family member, or a nice random person who follows my blog. [If you're the latter, thank you so much! :)]

Today is Saturday August 22nd, 2015. I know it's late, but I realized earlier today that this weekend is my last weekend at home!! I move out next Wednesday.  You may question: Am I super excited? Can I wait? Am I a little sad? (Answers to come shortly)

Before I go, I have to say something (I was going to post this Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, but I couldn't wait).

18 years is a long time. I've lived in five homes, two of which were in Provo when I was little, and two of which were in Orem up until I was 14 years old. The most recent home is here in Lehi. Though I do not really remember the homes in Provo, I most definitely remember the Orem homes and, obviously, Lehi. I've been to four schools, two of which were in Orem and two of which were here in Lehi.

In all that time, I have met so many people. They have all taught me so many things. If you would like to read a detailed version of my gratitude for people in my life, click here. I should mention that it is literally detailed. It is way, way, waaay long, and if you don't want to read it after you look at it, I don't blame you. But just in case you want to, it is there for you.

Now–I am so, so, so grateful for everyone in my home neighborhoods–both Lehi and Orem. I have learned so much and grown so much because of all of the people that I have come in contact with. Everyone has taught me a valuable lesson, whether they knew it or not–whether I knew it or not. I have had so many angels in my life, especially within the last three or so years. They have been anchors and strengths to me, and I'm so grateful for them. I never knew that so many people could touch my life in so many different ways, but it's possible. <3

I have never felt so much love for all of my friends and family until now. There are so many things I'm going to miss.

I'm going to miss getting together with my girl friends whenever a school dance was coming up and having a movie night. We had such fun!! I love those girls so much!!
I'm going to miss getting to be around my family all the time.
I'm going to miss getting to watch Porter and Lander grow up.
I'm going to miss lunchtime. I pretty much was a bouncy ball, traveling to friends because I wanted to see them and I missed them. (Also because I was literally bouncy. It's so much fun!)
I'm going to miss young women's. I love those girls so, so much!! They're all such sweethearts and they're going to be amazing mothers someday. <3
I'm going to miss seeing my friends every day/every other day. You get used to seeing them so often very fast, and when it's suddenly not happening, your world turns upside down. It's quite disconcerting.
I'm going to miss knowing people everywhere I go, or mostly everywhere I go. BYU is a big school, and I'm probably not going to see people that I currently know all that often, so I'm going to need to make new friends (which is hard for me. Please pray for me).
I'm going to miss my dad's weird sense of humor.
I'm going to miss all the times that all of us kids get along together, and we watch a movie, or quote a movie together, or have a singing/dancing session/marathon, or when we just talked and laughed.
I'm going to miss babysitting all the cute kids in my ward. They're so cute and I always enjoy watching them because they're so cute!!! I'm going to miss that.
Most of all, I'm going to miss having my mom around.
I'm going to miss her always being right there for me when I need her.

To answer your questions: Yes, I'm super excited, and yes, I can't wait, but yes, I'm a little sad.

Life is going to change so much for me in a few days.

Sometimes I'm ready for it.

Right now?

Right now, I'm going to miss what I have now, but yes–I am excited. Though I will be having to adjust to new changes, there is one thing that I do not have to adjust to. Because one thing that is never going to change ever is my Savior. He will always be with me. He will always be there for me, and He is always going to love me. I know that I don't have to get through this without Him, and I'm so grateful for that. I love Him so much and I know that He loves me.

Thank you for always being there. Thanks for reading, thanks for being supportive, thanks for the love, and thanks for being my friend. Please, don't ever forget me. I'm always here for you, even if we never talk. Thanks for everything. <3

Love,
Mattie

Keeping the Sabbath day holy with our families.

Today in Relief Society we talked about how to keep the Sabbath day holy more fully. We talked about a lot of different things, like how we should prepare on Saturday so that Sunday is less stressful. We also talked about how the Sabbath day was made for man–it's a gift from God to us. We also talked about how oftentimes we talk about what we can't do on the Sabbath. We should start talking about the things we can do. We can spend more time with family, and we can spend more time studying our scriptures. Some of the ladies talked about how they play games with their families. Yes we can't do some things, but we choose not to do those things. Sunday is a day of rest from the world. I think that that means that we should spend time with our families...I'm trying to think of a way to say this, but I can't figure it out...I'm trying to say that spending time with our families is opposite of what the world wants us to do, especially on Sundays. Families are important to us. They're a central part of the Plan of Salvation. 

Sundays are important. It's important to go to church, to remember our covenants with the Lord. Sundays should be spent resting, remembering our Savior, and building our relationships with our family, and with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We get to be with our families forever. We should spend time learning to love them more. 

The Lord loves us so much that He gave us a day of rest from the rest of the week. I don't know about you, but my weeks are full of stuff–I'm always so busy doing things. It is so nice to be able to relax on Sunday, not having to worry about anything that I usually do during the week. I'm so grateful for the Sabbath day, and I'm so grateful that I get to spend time with my family on Sundays. (At least for now. I don't know what I'll do on Sundays when I'm off at college...Well, we'll see how that goes, I guess.) I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father gave us a day of rest. If I didn't have Sundays to rest, I think I'd be run a lot more ragged than I am. It's nice to have a day where I don't have to worry about what I did last week, or what I'll be doing this upcoming week. I'm so grateful that I have a loving Heavenly Father who cares about me and wants me not only to succeed, try, and try again, but also to rest, so He gave me a day to rest from six days of successes, trials, and errors. 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!! I'm so grateful for my daddy and for his example to me of how my future husband should treat me. I'm so grateful for all of the father figures in my life—my grandpas, my uncles, and all of the men who have taught me that a man treats his wife as his equal, and loves and cherishes her beyond comprehension. I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father, who sent His Son to die for us so that we can return to live with Him. I'm so thankful for my Savior, and for His example of how we should respect and love our Heavenly Father and our mothers. I'm so thankful that I have so many good examples of great men in my life. I love them all and am so grateful for their examples and that they have been there for me throughout my life. I know this Church is true. I know that families are a central part of Heavenly Father's plan, and I know that fathers and mothers have equal but separate roles in the family. I'm so thankful for my family, and I'm so thankful that we get to be together forever. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Forever families.

I am so grateful for my family. I am so grateful that I can live with my family forever because of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He died and was resurrected so that we can all live forever with our families.

This sweet boy is my little brother forever!! And I am so thankful for him!! :)