Progess?

Well, I have learned much about me the past couple days and about these goals.

1. Getting 8 hours of sleep is hard. Nevertheless, it is still my goal.
2. Making eating an event is even harder, especially with working full-time and going to school full-time, but I have had some success.
3. The more I talk about this to others, the more support I have :) Turns out I have a brother and sister-in-law who are training for a triathlon. My brother keeps on following up. Its awesome.
4. I feel really guilty if someone bakes me something and I don't try it because of the sugar content. I will be a little more relaxed with that so I don't hurt anyone's feelings... I will take a small bite :)

Also, I have had some fun being healthy!

I am working out a new gym and enjoyed it today. Yay!

We'll see how this week goes.

Lifestyle Turn-Around

I had an epic summer... I worked out 45 - 120 minutes everyday, ate extremely healthy, got 8 hours of a sleep a night... I was on top of it all.

Since school has started I feel like this has entirely swapped and I want to go back.

So I have a goal currently called "lifestyle turn-around." Basically, I want to turn-around and go back to how I was during the summer time, and maybe even approve on that.

I know that I am much more likely to do something if I become accountable to someone. Well, I guess I am now accountable to the blogging world :)

September 21-24 will be my prep days for this turn-around. I will get my life in order enough (homework and such) in order to make these changes. Here are the goals for September 25 - October 16. At that point I will reevaluate my progress and goals and move on to the next couple weeks. (Also at that point I go on a work trip... I will need to make goals for that as well).


Anyways, so there is argument about how long a habit takes to form... 18 to 256 days. This psych blog states about 66 days on average. Well, we'll see about that. I was able to make me summer practices habits during the summer time when I was only working, let's try to create a habit for my school schedule.

My start-up goals go as following:

Exercise at least 30 minutes per day (excluding Sunday).
Get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
No white sugars.
Eating must be an event in itself (no eating while working or doing homework).

So there you have it. This isn't up to the same level yet as my summer routine, but for the first couple weeks this will help me start preparing for the next steps.

I also must post at least once a week on my progress.

Wish me luck! :)

"The child-driven education"

I am absolutely loving my classes this semester!

In my Top of Utah Deaf Education class today we watched this video (very worth the length the video):

Theme: "If children want to learn, education happens"

Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education | Video on TED.com

Law of Tithing

I have a testimony of tithing, and I know of the very real blessings that can come from living this law.

What is the law of tithing?

To voluntarily give one tenth of one's income to God's work.

In Malachi 3:8-10 it states, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and PROVE ME NOW HEREWITH, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not OPEN YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING, THAT THERE SHALL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT." (emphasis added).

Paying tithing gives the Lord an opportunity to bless us that much more. By giving back to the Lord, what is obviously already His, He blesses us that much more.

I love that this scripture says "prove me." I know that if you try paying your tithing, proving the Lord, that the blessings will come. They have for me, especially recently.

For those of you who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

What is done with the tithing that Mormons pay? Answer on Mormon.org

Why are Mormons asked to donate 10% of their income to their Church? Answer on Mormon.org

Awesome talk on tithing by Elder Carl B. Pratt: Video on LDS.org

Another awesome talk by Elder Robert D. Hales: Article on LDS.org

"Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord's laws and commandments." - Elder Robert D. Hales

I know blessings come from paying your tithing. I feel that as I pay my tithing I can have the confidence to move forward with faith, knowing that I will be taken care of. I have been blessed to never have had extreme financial needs that the Lord did no't help me fulfill. In fact, I have never had small financial needs that the Lord did not help me fulfill. I am not rich, but I am not in want, and I do feel rich in blessings.

I may not always be so financially blessed as I am now - the Lord may want to try my faith sometime - but I know that it will all work out in the end.

I love tithing.

Bowen Farm's Produce

I was driving today on Center Street in Orem, just East of Smith's. 

On the South side of the street there was a local produce stand.

I think the name was Bowen Farm's Produce... 

Nevertheless, I had a blast there!

How can you have a blast at a produce stand? Well, you pick the produce yourself!

I walked around and found what I wanted, picked how much and then paid for it.

They had a pretty big selection... corn, eggplants, cucumbers, many types of beans, sweet and spicy peppers, melons, etc.

Plus the produce was so cheap!! For my big bunch of food I only paid about $4.50.

I highly recommend it. Plus, the couple running the place were so cute and nice! :)

Small Blunder

So I am an avid lover of the Reader's Digest. Not avid reader, even though under some definitions of the word I guess that could work...

Anyways, I was reading a copy of it from February 2009 that happened to be in my parents' stack of magazines.

Here is a marvelous story I happened upon:

"The New York Times recalled a rather embarrassing event that reportedly occurred some 40 years ago to Britain's then foreign secretary, George Brown. In Peru for a reception, and quite intoxicated, Brown invited a guest in flowing purple robes to dance, but he was rebuffed. 'First you are drunk,' the guest is said to have replied. 'Second, this is not a waltz; it is the Peruvian national anthem. And third, I am not a woman; I am the Cardinal Archbishop of Lima.'"

Ah Reader's Digest, you have pleased me again :)

I can hear the bells!

Yes all, my dear friend Cara got married last weekend.

I couldn't be happier for her and Andrew. 

Plus, the wedding was spectacular!

Here is a little sneak peak of the wedding festivities :)

Cute bird cage centerpieces. So Cara.

The outdoor reception. You can see the wishing well in the background.

The DELICIOUS professional cupcakes. Well I thought they were professionally done because they looked and tasted like it. Turns out that Cara's mom made them. Great job!!

The cupcakes displayed on the dessert table.

The beautiful Jenna and I.

The lovely Emma and I. (Again, love the outfit :)

The very talented photographers. And their very amazing cameras!

Cutting the cake. Don't you just LOVE Cara's dress! So gorgeous!

Posing for the camera.. obviously not mine.

All the single ladies...

I am pretty sure this is when I knocked the bouquet from her hands...

Woo!! I finally caught the bouquet!! Hello men, bring on the marriage!

The bouquet that I caught. I absolutely love it!

Notice the blue feathers.

Once upon a time they were holding sparklers...

Um... Andrew just prepping for the Haunted Mansion ride...

Married!! FINALLY!! They are such a beautiful couple and I love them so much!!

I love the grandparents here and the nephews. Cute :)

Cara and Andrew with Cara's nieces outside the temple.

Trevor and Mike at lunch.

Lisa and her monstrous taco salad. 

I love you girls! And THANK YOU so much Claybaughs for letting me join you for lunch! 

Can I just say, the Claybaughs have such cute kids!! I just love this picture.

Everything for the wedding turned out brilliant and I again want to thank the Claybaughs for letting me join them for many of the wedding festivities. I love you all.

Cara and Andrew, you two are just wonderful and I wish you every happiness :)

21

Recently I celebrated my 21st birthday.

I want to thank my family for the awesome party that they had for me and for all my friends who wished me happy birthday! Thank you all!! :)

My super cute and extra super delicious cake.

Getting ready to blow out the candles...

One of my nieces eating cake.

Don't you love the poses kids come up with when you take out a camera?

Another niece enjoying her birthday cake (it was her birthday as well! Happy birthday!)

Some of the gang :)  Oh, and Mom thank you for the sherbet ice cream!

Me with my AWESOME parents!!

I love you both so much!! :)

My nephew asked me to take this picture, which is funny because this kid  loves everything army and downs meat and Tabasco sauce like its nobody's business. A true man. 

Again, thank you so much for all the birthday wishes! I appreciate the visits, calls, texts, and facebook posts. I love you all!!

Mesa Verde National Park Road Trip

Well, welcome home Elder and Sister Jenkins!!

My parents finished up their mission in the Uttica, New York Mission (they served in Albany) recently. They vacationed some as they traveled home from two years of dedicated service. I am so grateful to them for their example :)

My brother Mark and I drove down to meet them in Cortez, Colorado. We had an excellent time reuniting with my parents and enjoying Cortez as well as Mesa Verde National Park.

Sadly, most of the pictures taken were on my mother's camera, so I will have to get those later. But here are some of mine!

Eating at Tequila's Mexican Restaurant in Cortez, Colorado 

Look at our massive pile of food! We had a giant pig pot filled with piles of meat.

Our meat-filled pig.

Our skillet of chicken and shrimp goodness.

And if you ever go to this restaurant, get the fried ice cream! YUMMY!

The sunrise when my father and I went running at 6 AM :)

At "Hole in the Wall" on the drive home. My brother feeding an ostrich over the fence.

A video of him feeding the ostrich. It was attacking the tree!

I don't know if you can see it, but the "BIGFOOT" sign is pointing to a bunny hopping around in the grass.

Golfer guy made out of golf clubs.

Epic "Home N''the Rock" sign.

That is one big bull!

Look above the "K"... Hole in the Rock is known for the houses built into the rock... above the "K" is a chimney.

The trip was a lot of fun! More pictures will be coming soon!!