Surgery Time!

Well the day has finally arrived. (at least it will have arrived in T-110 hours) After four years of sinus infections every few months, 7 sessions of antibiotics, a gazillion nose sprays, 5 CAT Scans, a sinus flush (which happens to be the sickest thing in the world), an MRI, and a partridge in a pear tree, they're finally fixing my stinkin sinuses! The surgery is non-invasive, but painful, they're going up through my nose to remove a mass (cyst, fungal mass or tumor) in my right maxiliary sinus. Pretty gross stuff eh? And all I have to worry about is 6 weeks of cloudy with a chance of headaches, 40% chance of severe bleeding, and .1% chance of brain damage or eye damage. comforting, i know. The bad thing is that I have to miss halloween =/ I'm kinda bummed. When people ask me what I'm gonna be, I'm like "a recovering surgery patient." ("Oh... clever!"). I'll be chillin at Uncle Bruce and Aunt Deb's house, missing some school, and hopefully getting to read some Hunger Games, which I hear is pretty darn good.

I'm about centimeters away from deciding my major... My top three are biology education, elementary education, and Family and Consumer Science Education. And frankly, I'm pretty sure I'd be happy doing all three of these things... I just have to figure out which one I'd be the MOST happy doing. And while the few who read this will be spending much consideration about the thought process I'm going through to pick one, it helps me to right it down, and just sort it through my head.

• Biology ed- I want to work with teenagers more than I want to work with kids. I like being passionate about something, and it definitely appeals to me that biology isn't going to be an elective sluff class like Family & Consumer science might be. I'm not super stoked to take chemistry and physics classes (I really hate both of them...), but I really like biology! It's the longest of the three majors. I also would love love LOVE to get a PhD after my kids are all grown up and be a college professor & be a wildlife biologist on the side. That's pretty much my dream job.
• Elementary Ed- I love kids. a lot. I love the idea of making my classroom all colorful and creative and making little name tags and everything that goes along with being an elementary ed teacher. I would like working with teenagers more than kids though. I love kids, but I can be impatient sometimes. Also, everyone and their mom does elementary education. Kinda want to be different.
  
• Family & consumer science- pretty much, this would be the funnest job ever. I would get to learn about things that are way fun, things I'm going to use in my future home, and work with teenagers. However, when I took this in middle school, all the kids who took it were like the kids who just wanted an easy grade. I want to make kids passionate about what they're learning about, and if I get all the dumb jocks and cheerleaders in the class I might puke.

And that is all I have to say about that.

JDRF

A poem, I wrote to raise money for JDRF:

The time is upon us! The time is at hand!

Send out the word- across all the land!

Tell sisters and brothers- cousins and aunts!

Your great great grandmothers with stretchy old pants!

There are children in need, all over the world.

Whose voices- to everyone- need to be heard!

They ve gotten together with friends and family

For the futures of all, they d like to guarantee.

There are people who re walking. They re marching to say:

We don t like how diabetes treats people this way!

It s monstrous! It s evil! It makes people mad!

It affects lots of families- it makes people sad!

In fact, my dear friend, did you know? Listen here:

Over 15,000 children are diagnosed each year.

That s the US alone! I can tell you firsthand,

It's time to get up! Off your seats! Make a stand!

So today, my dear friend, all I will ask of you

Open your piggy bank, see what you can do

Even if just a dollar- a dollar! my friend,

Every cent helps diabetes come to an end.

Pass this message along, help us to ensure

Diabetes is conquered! Help JDRF find a cure!

Can I just say something?

Ok, just throwin this out there, but isn't it kinda perfect how we have patriarchal blessings, a savior who knows everything we've gone through, a Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us individually and unconditionally, latter-day prophets who can tell us what God wants us to know, and the Holy Ghost to guide us through our lives? Not gonna lie, I am a worry wart. I worry about everything, even when somethings up to 2 years in advance. I've been worrying about pretty much anything and everything there is to worry about in the last 2 weeks... and yet, everything is going to be ok. If we have faith that Heavenly Father will guide us through every trial that we will have in our lives, what have we to worry about? Looking through the eternal perspective is hard for me, but the few times I've been able to take a glimpse into the "big picture", I've been amazed at how trivial everything that I have concerns about on a day-to-day basis is. So this is a wake up call, Elise, stop worrying. Life is beautiful- enjoy the ride.

Tailbone misery

I broke my tailbone playing broom ball. It sucks. That is all I have to say about that.

I love getting missionary letters!

School is getting busy! I had a calculus test last week, that I didn't do so good on, even after studying for hours on end. I have an American Heritage and Doctrine and Covenants test this week. SWEET.

General Conference is in one week! I am stoked! I don't know where I'm watching it yet, but it will be joyous!

I got called to be the Relief Society Secretary. It is a little weird, because all the other members of the presidency are seniors and graduating and know what their majors are, and they have lives, and I am just a baby sophomore... and lost in life, but it will be great. I hope it will be a good opportunity to meet other people in the ward.

I didn't get to run in the JDRF run, because I had the tailbone break. Huge bummer, I was really looking forward to it.

I am turning 20 in 15 days!! that is 2 decades old!! I'm an oldy!! No more teenage hooliganisms for me. :(

I just killed a fly in my house!! joy! :)

I pretty much spent the entire weekend laying on my bed like a diseased person with polio eating fred's cabin bars, which are DELICIOUS but sooo not good for you. :) how sweet life is.

Quote from my psychology textbook: "A pinch on the cheek can be pleasant or unpleasant, depending on who administers it, under what circumstances, and to which set of cheeks." haha.

I am listening to christmas music right now! And I love it! Particularly "It's Christmas Time" by the carpenters which I used to dance around the house with my sisters and my dad when i was a child!! :)

There are CALIFORNIA QUAILS OUTSIDE OUR APARTMENT ALMOST EVERY DAY!! I LOVE them. so much.

My family just thrives! Emily is signing, Brookelyn is being trampled on by 4th graders getting onto the bus, Lauren is in the school play as a graffiti woman, Nicole makes up funny status and takes weird pictures of herself, and Rachel is coming to BYU in less than a year!! My mom just turned 28, congrats to her in her young age. and my dad is just super duper!

Last weekend I got in a food fight. It was planned, for my friend Heather Christensen's birthday. Quite delightful. Except for the fact that my shower got clogged with chow mein, and it created a muddy tub of death and chocolate.

I love chick-fil-a! and my roommates! and our really clean house! and the fact that i have a broken tailbone (PSYCH. lies.)

that is all i have to say about that. (-Forrest Gump)

How Firm a Foundation!

Today we had regional conference at the Marriot center with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, President Boyd K. Packer, Julie B. Beck, and Steven E. Snow of the Seventy. The talks were FANTASTIC. It was almost like general conference, but 10 times more intimate. Both Sister Beck and President Packer didn't use the teleprompter at all, and just were kinda wingin' it, which was great. The night before we had the adult session of stake conference, where our Stake President, President Todd, spoke as well as Elder Rudd, a 93-year old who worked for the church distribution center, and did like a gazillion other things for the church. Here are my favorite quotes from all the talks:

• Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a mighty battle. -Plato
• You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough. -Elder Rudd
• To be perfected in Christ means to have faith to rid their self the desire to do wrong. -President Todd
• Parable of the Windshield & Rearview mirror: In life we are driving along and have our windshield and our rearview mirror. The rearview mirror is only to be looked in when we need to learn from the past. We should always look ahead in life through our windshield, having faith in the savior. Looking through the rearview mirror leads to regression in life. -President Todd
• (15 min before the meeting was supposed to start) The meeting really began when President Packer entered. Let's try to keep it a little quieter, and reverent. - Jeffrey R. Holland
• Testimonies must be continuously renewed with spiritual experience. We can't just rely on past experiences. -Steven E. Snow
• In order for faith to be powerful, we must have obedience & righteousness. -Julie B. Beck
• We fought in heaven the opportunity to have a difficult experience on Earth. - Julie B. Beck
• Faith is longer lasting and more nourished when there is a family together calling upon it. - Jeffrey R. Holland
• I didn't serve well because I was experienced, I served well because I was called. -Boyd K Packer

(these are not actually quotes that I heard in the conference, but quotes that I just really like :)

• "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." (Mother Theresa)
• "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." (Mother Theresa)
• "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."(Ghandi)
• "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway" (Mother Theresa)
• "Don’t spend another minute being angry about yesterday. Free him and you free yourself." (Forever Strong)
• "If its just you alone, you’re not as much of a threat" (Luna Lovegood)
• "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." -Abraham Lincoln
• "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." (Elie Wiesel)
• "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." (Elie Wiesel)
• "Even the largest ocean cannot sink the smallest ship- unless water gets inside"
• "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic."
• We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
• “I always think that the best booster to self-esteem is not reciting a bunch of aphorisms about self-worth, but actually going out in the world and doing something that makes you feel valued, whether that is putting more into your work, deciding to get that master's degree, becoming involved in a volunteer organization, pursuing your love of painting, etc.” –Dear Prudie
• "Come what may, and love it" (Joseph B Wirthlin)

krista. roy. jae-elrena what?

krista
kristttaaaaa???
kristaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
i am trying to get your attention but you are diligently typingon your computerrrr :)
lkjf;lksjf;lkjdsf;lkjsf;lkjs;kljsd;lkjdsl;js;lkjdslk;jsd;lkjsd;lkjl;kjs;lkj

Youtube.

Ok. Since you don't have TV when you're in college... you usually just spend your life watching youtube. youtube rocks! Here are some of my all-time favorite you-tube's:

FUNNY:
Tracy: My push up bra will help me get my man. You might just have to shield the bottom of the screen because there is a little bit of cleavage, but, this lady is just hilarious...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtkU2ch0sRI

All the Single Ladies Gone Wrong. Not even what you were expecting. I cry with laughter. every. single. time.

Charlie Bit Me- Auto Tune. Better than the original.

Horton Hears A Who. From the movie, I showed this to Kris one time, and she's probably watched it over 50 times and still laughs...

Bedroom Intruder Song. Not worth $1.29 on itunes, but worth quoting every single day, haha.

Poor Unfortunate Souls.

Blake and Elise's Chin Musical. Biased, because I made it

Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue. Great song, hilarious music video.

You Know How to Wiggle, Who's Line is it Anyway? One of the appropriate ones, that I used to watch over and over when I was a kid.

The Sound of Music. One day, I want to do this.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes. Hahaha

All the Single Ladies- Glee. Works every time.

CUTE

Mario Kart Love Song. Weird, but really funny.

Jessica's Daily Affirmations. Do this every day, for a happy life.

I'm Yours on the Ukelele. Impressive, and adorable. Watch is facial expressions, haha.

Chipmunks Around the World. This is from my childhood, and I love it :)

INSPIRATIONAL

Unleashing the Dormant Spirit, by F. Enzio Busche. My dad showed this to me once, and it has always stuck with me.

Testimony of the Book of Mormon by Jeffrey R. Holland