Last night was a good night. I’d just spent the entire day starting and finishing a book required for one of my classes. Finally, when I was done with that and all the other activities, Joe and I went out on a walk. It was actually warm, the sidewalks didn’t have snow on them and the sky was clear. We went out the the amplitheatre and looked at stars and talked until we got too cold.

And today the fuming winds dropped another good half a foot on us.

I never remember this much snow. I haven’t seen bare ground in ages–I’m stuck looking at fields of white. I have been generally opposed to winter in the past, and this winter, it just seems to keep coming and coming. Not too fun, but…

I was walking home from Joe’s one day, and it was snowing. It was around 10, but I remember thinking how light it was, and how beautiful it was. I helped someone push their car out, and just stood and thought–it was a beautiful night. I’ve come out of my basement apartment in the morning, only to discover the trees covered with fresh snow. It’s beautiful. I’ve watched the skies change from grey to white to blue, felt the bright sun, felt the cold that sometimes chills me to the bone, at other times just leaves me feeling a little more alive. And I really think I’m actually starting to enjoy winter. Maybe too much of something isn’t a bad thing.

But at the same time, it took me almost an hour to un-stick my car from the foot and half of snow and ice on top of and around it.

I realized that I am a cheap person. The only stuff I will spend money on, is if I can see myself using it for 20 years, and then only if it is still relatively cheap and useful. Hence I often have a hard time justifying buying music, books, and movies.

Book are easy to obtain for free. Go sign up with your local library. I did and it usually has all the books I want to read. I will buy some books, if I see the point in re-reading them. But for a lot of casual reading, the library works fine.

And luckily for me, the Internet provides all my movie and music needs. Well, not entirely, but it does do a lot. For music, go to pandora.com. I love it. I can pick a type of music I like, and listen to it. They introduce me to new songs and artists, and provide tons of music info. Cons–I can’t pick a specific song to listen too, repeat a song I really like, and the streaming sometimes gets off on my internet connection.

Movies are a bit trickier. I start with alluc.org. They list links to movies, TV shows, and the like. After I can find a link, I can either stream it or, using veoh (see veoh.com), download it. Cons are: there is no quality to any movie, I’m not sure of the legality, and they don’t have everything. I usually use it for TV shows, like the BBC Robin Hood.

Went home for the weekend, and with my Mom I planned more wedding stuff. Menu changed, colors changed, and I bought a dress. We looked at food stuff, and now we are getting fruit bars, chicken puffs, and a fruit and veggie tray. I think I want cheese too. You can’t have too much cheese. I looked at napkins and based on napkin colors changed my colors to sage and cranberry. I think I will do all the decorations in sage, and have burgandy and white flowers. It sounds pretty to me.

The dress was quite interesting. I tried on formal dresses, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. After hours of shopping with mom and Heather, I found a mid-calf white skirt, and lace top. Not formal at all, but definitely more me.

So all the frills of getting married are coming along. I don’t care all that much, I’m just really excited to marry Joe. He came over last night, and my happiness level went up a couple of notches. I am really in love with him.

Today, I’ve been going and going for quite a while and I thought, I should take a break and do such wasteful things as watch a movie. Then I thought why? I’ve read before that the mind doesn’t actually need rest, but it does need change. If you think about life, you shouldn’t ever stop to take a break, at least not mentally, but simply change what you are doing. We are able to accomplish more in life.

As of lately I’ve been depressed for no reason. I look at my life and I have everything–a great guy, a job, and I’m enjoying school. I’ve been pondering why I would feel depressed, and why I would also feel happy.

This morning, I was trying to write down what I should do to fully enjoy life. This is what I wrote.

I am my best self/I walk where the Lord wills/I fill my soul with loving-kindness/I seize every moment now/I live in beauty

It was nice, but I also felt like it really wasn’t what I was look for. After I wrote it, I started my scripture study and realized where I went wrong. Christ was not there.

No matter how hard I try, no matter how much I do, I cannot be perfect. I will fail at everything I do. The purpose of life is not how much we accomplish, how good we are at things, how we spend our time, the people we meet, or anything you can quantify. Anything  you can quantify will not measure up to what you could have done. We are all imperfect

Except for Christ. He did all He could do. And because of who He was, through Him we are able to be saved, and everything that didn’t measure up is brought up through His atonement. If I am to do one thing while I live, it is to know Christ, for it is only through Him that life has any purpose.

Life is not about anything quantitative, but it is about learning, growing and living in Christ. I rewrote what I need to do in life.

I am filled with faith in Christ/I repent daily of my sins/I remember and keep my covenants/I seek and follow the Holy Ghost/I will continue always, following the example of Christ 

Once again I found myself looking at the plan for the remainder of my college career. At first I was going an extra summer but with a wedding this summer I’ve looked at it one more time and found I really didn’t need to. With 17 credits this semester and the Fall and Spring of next year, I will be done with my bachelor’s degree. So school is all set for me, with the end very near in sight.

I’ve also been thinking about work, which is a lot less easy to plan. I’m currently working with a professor, and that should continue through the rest of the time I’m in school. Depending on how many hours I get, I might just work that job full time over the summer, or get a second job. One problem is I do have a couple weeks where I’m planning to get married. So we will see.

I have never planned my wedding before. A lot of girls seems to plan their wedding before they actually start dating, but I never saw much of a point. So now the time has come that I am actually going to get married, and I have to plan my wedding.

It’s quite interesting, because I have to think of every little thing I want or don’t want. I’ve thought of not doing a reception, but then decided to do a simple one. I’ve thought about a dress, flowers, photography, food, colors, when, where, etc.

And I actually have a semblance of wedding plans. Colors are white and green with a pink accent, reception will be held the night before in my parent’s back yard, with pie and ice cream, and a lot of flowers ordered wholesale, and put together with help of family. I want a semi-formal white dress, or anything I can get for cheap and like. I’ll have a photographer, but only for an hour at the reception, and right after the wedding. No more than an hour and a half, and even that might be excessive. And the date is set for May 14th, most likely at the Mtn. Timpanogos Temple.

I really like to snowshoe. I have snowshoes, and both a sister and fiance to go with. I usually have Saturdays, and other afternoons completely free to go. I try and go whenever I can.

So this weekend was no different. I had both Saturday and Monday free, so I tried to go snowshoeing. However, I also tried to drive my Honda Civic. My small, old car decided it would rather get stuck then let us go snowshoeing.

On Saturday we drove up the canyon, and parked, and realized we might want to go someplace different. Then we tried to get the car out. Joe went and stole a snow-shovel from another truck, and we slowly dug the car out, and finally got back on the road. Didn’t end up going at all.

Monday we tried again. It snowed a lot Monday, so I attempted to drive up a hill, and only made it half-way before having to back down the hill. We still got up to the small canyon and started up only to get stuck about 100 meters later. So we came back and just went outside and played in the snow.

I think I will go snowshoeing more when I actually might get a car that can travel in snow. I’ve still made it out a bunch, and I’ve got pictures to prove it.

Hello. So due to many facts, most of which I am unsure of, I am once again starting a blog. I have had many blogs before, but have deleted all of them. I’m giving it one more go.

So, just so you know, I am a 19 year old college student studying Horticulture. I love everything about gardening (hence the major), and also love other outdoor activities including hiking, camping, and currently because of the several feet of snow outside, snowshoeing. I am currently engaged to Joe, who is the best ever, and we are getting married May 15. I’m working as a TA and research assistant. I also love reading, yoga, and waking up early.