Saturday, September 6, 2008

Just For Holly!!


My room!!

So I hope everyone hasnt given up on me yet!!! I am making and update just for you Holly!! We have now hit our 2 months and a few days mark and I can not tell if it has gone by super fast or super slow!! Now that school has started it feels like the days can drag on but they weeks fly by! Go figure!!! My life has been made complete with the incorporation of technology in my day! Today I watched the BYU game on one computer while emailing my friend at the game about every two seconds (she has a sweet phone where I can email her and she receives it as a text) on another computer, talked to my friends on facebook, texted some friends on my cell phone, and finished it off by talking to my brother on the vontage phone!! Well i guess you could say I'm addicted!! Who says you cant multi-task!!

So here is how my average day goes. I wake up at 6 a.m., go downstairs to pick up a taxi to go to early morning seminary at 6:45, go to school till 3:10, come home and go running with my friend Tearsa, get back eat dinner, do about 15 min. of homework, and head to bed! I am loving life...15 min of homework a night!!! Life is chill!! (knock on wood)


Our Friends from School

This weekend my friend (who is the bomb!!!) and I went to hang out with some guy church friends who we met at a church activity! Only one of them spoke English so we had a lot of fun playing charades! They have given us portuguese nicknames. I am Mandinjheea! (yeah i have no idea how to pronounce it/kind of depressing I cant even pronounce my own name...oh well) and Jess is Jeeha or something like that! They are determined to turn us into Brazilians so they are working on getting our portuguese down and trying to convince us to ride the buses...yeah not happening!! One of the guys plays the guitar and was singin American songs and it felt like we were home for a second!!

Jess and I

So to sum up... my last few months have been probably every emotion possible but mostly fun. I have had more time than ever in my life to study my scriptures and strengthen my own testimomy and draw closer to my Savior. I feel like I have been stretched just about as far as I can be stretched but the Lord has always been there to fill in the gaps. I have a new favorite scripture which I see working in my life everyday:

Alma 13: 28

"But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering"

This scripture has brought me much comfort to know that when the Lord gives us challenges he also prepares the way for us to overcome them. It reminds me of the scripture D&C 122:7 when Joseph is told that all his trials shall give him experience and shall be for his own good.
It also reminds me of a quote from Brigham Young:

"Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presene of their Lord. Every trial and experiene you have passed throught is essential for your salvation"

I love this quote because it reminds me that every time I am going throught a trial that I am just becoming more prepared to be in my Saviors presence and I am being better prepared to enjoy eternal life.

Wow I really didn't mean for this to be so long and I promise Holly from now on I will be much better at updating my blog! Have a good week!

p.s. for everyone wondering my parents are amazing and blow my mind!! My mom speaks so well (or at least I think from what i can tell but everyone seems to understand her...maybe there just nice...just kidding mom) and my Dad somehow manages to find time for all of us imbetween answering his 4 different cell phones!!



p.s.s GOOOO COUGS!!!!

5 comments:

Annie said...

Oh my goodness, I absolutely love you! It took ya long enough, haha :). You Email/Text your friends but not even your favorite cousin? I'll be expecting that phone call this week for sure then! It's been hard, but I guess I'm just going to have to survive without her. Just when I need your hug, I can't get it, :(. I love and miss you!!!!!!

Nicole said...

Yea!! You updated! I love you!! Keep it up;)

Rach said...

hey amanda, this is Todd and Joy's friend Rachel...you met me at their wedding and then when I was prego with Lily and you felt her move around:) I found your blog via Joy and its great to see you are enjoying yourself. I always wanted to move to somewhere far away and differnt during highschool to experience a different culture...so i am basically jealous! have so much fun

Joy Elizabeth Jackson said...

Finally! To be honest, I gave up hope. :) I know you are just being nice saying you are having fun, because I know you miss us way too much to have any fun at all! We sure missed you guys when we went to Utah. I was depressed the whole time. Zack slept in your room! He liked the ceiling fan. Anyway, we love you and keep up the blog!

Leila said...

Amanda, how fun to read your blog and find out all the things you are doing and learning! You are having way too much fun! I thought we were supposed to write and cheer you up, but when you write that you only do 15 minutes of homework, it sounds like you are ahead of the game and much too smart. Just think of how fun it will be to be a BYU sophmore instead of a freshman because of how smart you are! I love you! Onwarad and Upward! Grandma Horne