Livi's Logic #14

Just love everything you're doing.  It's what's happening, so enjoy it.  

My Body

Guys, I figured out my favorite gift.  It was the gift of a body.  My body.  Now, before you think I'm conceited and love my body or something like that (cause I've got plenty of problems with it, I promise!), let me explain to you a little about why I'm so happy with this gift.  

First of all, my body houses my spirit.  My personality, my ideas, everything I think about gets to happen because I have a body.  I get to feel.  I get to love.  I get to hurt.  If I didn't have a body I wouldn't be me (obviously...).

Second, my body works perfectly!  I get to hike, ride my bike, run, jump, play sports, walk, cook food, and the list could go on and on!  Would I love to be more athletic?  Certainly.  Am I grateful for what I have?  Definitely.  It just blows my mind how I can just work my body to the point of complete exhaustion, get a little rest, and go right back at it.  I'm so blessed!  

Finally, by having a body it means I chose Heavenly Father's plan during the war in heaven.  To me, that is the most significant part of having a body.  All of you reading this chose to come to earth and have a body!  You made the first biggest decision correctly!  I'm thankful everyday that I made that choice.  

Sometimes I focus on the negative parts of my body.  Most of the time I wish I was skinnier, or my muscles were more toned, or I had better skin, but when I'm thinking negatively, all I have to do is remember all of the amazing things my body can do!  How did I get so lucky to be given a body that functions properly and allows me to do so many things?! I mean, I can do this everyday:

I was gifted with this body, and I'm going to try to use it the best I can.  I'm going to take care of it.  I'm going to be grateful for it, and try to make my Heavenly Father proud by using it for what He would have me do.  Next time you're feeling down about your body, just think about all of the great and amazing things YOUR body can do! 

Don't Forget!

Dear Normal Livi,

   Please don't forget to screw your head on tomorrow.  Life will be better.

Sincerely,
  Frustrated Livi

Back to School

   Well, I'm back to school at BYU for my final year.  

We just finished our second week, and I'm feeling pretty comfortable again.  Let me tell ya though, those first 3 days were tough!  I know there's not that much distance between Cokeville, and Provo, but I was experiencing some culture shock!  There's people everywhere.  I don't know like anyone.  I can't ride my bike through all these cars.  It's so dang hot.  It was just a little bit of an adjustment.  When I got back home on Tuesday after school I was about to have a breakdown and I decided that I just had to get out of town for a while.  So, Tess and I hopped on our bikes and headed out to the lake via the Provo River Trail.  I really love that little trail, and it's super easy to access from the house I live in.  Getting out for a few hours was exactly what I needed.  I'm so glad I have my sis here who understands me and is willing to help me out.

   School is going super great though!  I loved it from my very first class!  I'm in Social Studies Methods, Science Methods, Literacy Methods (3-6), Math Methods (3-6), Integrating Technology, Practicum Seminar, and Beginner Tennis.  

They add up to a totally of 16.5 credits, and all of them are really interesting, exciting, and fun!  Along with it comes a pile of homework and reading, but so far I've been able to handle it because I'm really interested in it.  I really do love school.

   I started work up again at the Upholstery Shop, and of course it's going great!  We've made some cool things, eaten some delicious desserts, and had some good laughs.  I seriously work with some of the funnest people in Provo!  My bosses teach me something new everyday, and I'm so thankful for their patience with me.  I feel like they truly care about me and want me to learn all I can while working in their shop.

   I got a second job (huge answer to prayers!) as a tutor for a family.  One night the first week of school I was online for about an hour and a half looking for something super part time that I could do in the evenings.  I was thinking maybe cleaning someone's home or something, but I just couldn't find anything.  I had decided that the next day I was just going to go around to some businesses and see if they would take me on to do whatever they needed done.  Then in my math class my friend Jenica said that she didn't have time to tutor this family anymore and asked if I wanted to do it.  OF COURSE!  I was so excited and feel like it was a direct answer to my prayers.  Heavenly Father is always helping me out.  I really don't know what I did to deserve all of His help, but He just keeps giving it to me.  Anyways, I went out and met the family and everything and it's going to be a great situation.  They have a 3rd grader, 7th grader, and 8th grader who I tutor in math, and then a 4th grader that I tutor in reading.  They're the sweetest kids, and their parents are great!  This job is just perfect for me!

   College just wouldn't be college without fun!  So, we've tried to have plenty of it mixed in with all of our real life work and school stuff.  We've golfed and machete chopped pop cans, played volleyball, basketball, and kickball.  We went to the river rope swing.  We watched some BYU women's volleyball, and a football game.  

I'm a true believer in making the best of what you have.  Even though I would probably rather be enjoying a more summer-like life in Cokeville, I'm so glad and feel very blessed that I get to be here in Provo, studying at BYU, living with the amazing girls I live with, and socializing with some fun friends.  Life is just so, so good!

A Hike a Week

At the start of the summer I set a goal to do a hike a week, and it turned out to be one of my favorite things of summer!  I was lucky enough to never have to do any of them by myself, so that was great!  I didn't post the location with any of the photos, but here's my list of hikes :)

1. Top of the old life at Pine Creek

2. Rocky Peak

3. The ridge above Backdoor at Pine Creek

4. The first road on the left of Pine Creek Road, then up the mountain a ways after the trail ends :)

5. Trillium Falls Trail in Redwoods National Park in California

6. Grade Creek

7. The top of Waterfall at Pine Creek

8. The ridge to the west of Sam's Creek

9. From Cokeville to Bear Lake

10. Tri-State Monument--Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho

11. The mountain behind Child's house

12. Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado

13. Corral Creek Lake

14. The ridge west of Sam's Creek until we could see Hobble Creek 

15. Top of the lift at Pine Creek

16. Lake Alice

There ya have it, folks.  I don't even know if some of them were normal hikes that people actually do,  and we don't really know the names of them, but we did them.  Some were more adventurous.  Some were kind of idiodic.  Some were close to home.  Some tested our endurance limits.  Some we hurried to do, but we did it!  One.  Each.  Week.  16 weeks of summer.  16 weeks of happiness.  16 weeks of finding our own adventures.