Bring on the New!

For me, 2008 brought a flood of epiphanies. New year resolutions are in order!
I have been thinking about, you could say, everything.

Today I thought mostly about what I love.

I love my surroundings. There are three main things that contribute to my surroundings. Surrounding(s) Number One: Friends and Family. The recently past holiday season was packed full of family, family, family. It is such a new and exciting time for my family. All the kids are moved out of the house, there are new grandchildren, and no matter how much we are all growing older and seem to be growing apart, we will always be family and will always love to be surrounded by eachother. Friends. I have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for. But, you can never have to many. {Resolution number one: make new friends, meet new people.} Surrounding(s) Number Two: my apartment/bedroom. I adore creating, sprucing up, perfecting, decorating to kill, and finally indulging in a well-deserved final product. I would love to someday have the quaint home of my dreams to delight in with "Surrounding(s) Number One"; but also, I want everyone to grasp the sensational brain-wave of creating a haven for themselves and whomever else, right in their very own home, and cherishing it. This want of mine started small but has morphed itself into an impassioned craving and has caused my brain to tick and my heart to beat more rapidly than ever. Someday I will mass-create "Surrounding(s) Number Two" that I love and share them with the world, whether it be my own new business/shop or someone elses, that craving of mine will be quenched. {Resolution Number Two(which could take a few more new years to complete): Write down all of my new ideas to someday crown my craving.} ***Side Note: I utterly admire those who have had dreams similar to mine and first invisioned them then turned them into reality. Surrounding(s) Number Three: Mother Nature! Especially in the gloomiest stage of winter, I take for granted the beautiful mountains that circle around me. The snowcapped mountains, then the blanket of snow that lies on the valley floor, and even at times the drip drop of melting snow are all things to appreciate. Even the downcast days that seem to never end should not let my mood crumble. During the warmer months of the year, I like to take time to let myself be apart of nature and seriously try to absorb every warm sunray, every cool breeze. I love the sun, I love seasons, and am learning to have a new love and be grateful for silver clouds in the winter.

Another thing I love is books. Sadly, books haven't always been on my mind when I am thinking about things I love. Gladly, today they were! Books are my new found love. Mostly I love that there are so many! Old ones, thick ones, square ones, new ones, serious ones, funny ones, ones that tell stories, ones that are soley factual, ones with only pictures and the list goes on. It makes me happy that people, beginning so many years ago, started to write down things they saw, felt, knew, did, etc. and today we learn from them. We will never have time to know everything there is to know, but if we want to try, we can start by reading a book. {Resolution Number Three: Find out more about books and read them!}

There are bundles of things I love about excersizing. I love that when I do it consistently I actually want to eat healthier. I love doing it with friends. I love the outfits. I love that there are so many forms of it. I love having and accomplishing a goal. I love that when I do it in the morning it makes me have a more productive day; and when I do it at night I sleep better. I love that I can see results. I love my new hot bod and looking saucy in my new dress. Most of all, I love the way it makes me feel - confident and sexy. {Resolution Number Four and Five: Be consistant in excersizing. Run a half-marathon.}

Sometime in each person's life, they experience sorrow. This time could be short or long, once or many times, extreme or minuscule. I have had one of those times. Most people would wonder why that a time of sorrow is on my mind when I think of things I love. The reason is simple: My time of sorrow made me appreciate to the fullest the times of happiness, peace, and love; but more than that made me not want to go back. I am ready for a new happy self from the old not-so-happy self.

Relating somewhat to my previous love, I love my testimony. I love my church and the goodness it radiates. I love God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know that I, as well as every other church member, am imperfect, but the gospel itself is perfect and through it, and through Christ I can someday become perfect. It is all a marvelous plan. {Resolution Number Six: learn as much as I can to strengthen my knowledge and my testimony about the gospel.}

There is plentiful to love, wonderful new things to learn, beautiful dreams live.
Bring on the new!