Resolutions

I noticed something about the word "Resolutions"...it is a combination of the word, or rather a prefix re-, meaning to do again, and "solutions" meaning to solve. This time of year gives us a chance to look at our lives and try to re-solve problems we have been working on. It truly is a wonderful thing. As I have began this year, as well as a new term at school, I have decided that I am going to work on some new solutions to different problems I face.

I am going to record them here and do monthly updates on on each one, to hold myself accountable.

1. Complete my new year's resolutions..all of them.

2. Get A's in my classes this term.

3. Save religiously for London.

4. Read a non-academic book every night before bed.

5. Write in my journal daily

6. Be more consistent in my scripture study

7. Practice guitar weekly

8. Set aside one day a moth to write for non-school purposes.

9. Make a new meals from my cookbooks for someone else at least once a month.

10. Go to the gym at least 5 days a week, when available, run by myself other times.
11. Be on time to work everyday.
12. Be in bed by 8:30 on school nights.
13. Make a new friend on a regular basis.
14. Treat myself.
15. Smile everyday and be classy.

So there you have it. Those are my New Year's resolutions. These are things I want to do this year and I will do them. I want to be a better person and what better way than to set goals to achieve.
'Till next time.
H.

Ready, Set, BREAK!

My winter break is coming to a close. it was fabulous. it was real. it was really fabulous!

I don't have words for how great it was to spend time with my family, be done with school for a while, sleep in, party with my friends, and have practically no responsibility. 

My mother made me food...good food, my siblings spent time with me, and my friends were so fun to be with!

Provo is great, don't get me wrong, but every once in a while there comes a time where a break from everything in your routine is necessary. 

After my visit with my family in the Seattle area, I traveled home to Battle Ground to spend an entire week with my loved ones. 

My first order of business was to have Christmas. Last Sunday my family got up went to church (which was WONDERFUL) and then came home to do the regular Christmas stuff...presents and such. 

I had a great Christmas! 

Next, after Christmas was time to spend some time with friends. I was able to continue a great tradition with two of my great friends here in Battle Ground. When we get together we go to Taco Bell and talk for what sometimes ends up being hours. Then we went to the three dollar theater and watched Footloose (which is way good BTW) and then ended the night with ice cream :)

The next day was a day that I had set aside to spend with my 15 year old sister. We went shopping :) She loves it and I needed to go, so it was a win-win. I got some new clothes for school, and she found a cute outfit for the dance she was going to go  to. 

Wednesday was a low day, I just hung out at home and read some of my book, and then went to a sleepover with some of my best friends! we sat and talked for hours, catching up on life and dreaming of the future, as we usually do.

Thursday was not too crazy, I came home from the sleepover and slept  until about 4 in the afternoon. I was then woken up and I got to go on a daddy-daughter date :) He took me to Sherlock Holmes...another FABULOUS movie by the way! 

By Friday, I was almost to my birthday, but had no big plans until the evening. I stayed at home, did my hair, and played games with my brother. Then one of my friends came and picked me up and we went to join the rest of our friends at Applebee's for my birthday dinner, which was so good and so fun! 

after dinner a few of us decided we wanted to go to the movies...again. So we decided on Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I had already seen it, but no one else had and it was good enough that I would pay 3 dollars to see it. Me and another one of my friends ran to the grocery store first to buy some snacks, and then met the rest of the group at the theater. We enjoyed the movie, and then headed home.

The next day was my birthday. The Facebook notifications started early early  and my family came in singing to wake me and get me up for breakfast. Biscuits and smoothies (yum)

after breakfast, I hung out at home for a while, got ready for the day and then went to the store with the parental units. We bought some snacks for later that night and I finally got some Christmas gifts for them..I know I suck haha

Later that evening my GREAT roommate, Julie, came over and we watched North & South, ate food, exchanged gifts, and talked about boys :) We've missed each other, but will soon be re-united!

After Julie left, I rang in the new year with my sister watching old Star Trek episodes and drinking slushies..it was great. 

the next day was Sunday. My mom had asked if I could sing in church, and was given permission. I sang in church and then enjoyed the rest of the meetings. 

Today is my last day in the Vancouver area and I have spent the day packing. Which is a battle in and of its self. My bag had to be under 50 pounds or it was another 30 dollars to check it. what a pain. But with the help of my parents and heavy carry-on bags, I was able to get my bag under the weight limit. 

Happy travels, I am off to the airport. 

I Mustache You A Question....

This year for Christmas break I have split my time between two households, and not the Capulet's and Montegue's...The Smith's and the Rambert's.

For the first part of my break I am spending time in the northern part of Washington. Tonight is when the Smith and Holden side of the family celebrate their Christmas festivities. This year, I have gotten a few pre-Christmas gifts, My step-mom made me a head/ear warmer and some headbands, as well as my favorite gift, a pack of black card-stock mustaches. I have 12 of them, and they are rad.

Let the adventures begin.

Of course my siblings got jealous that I had such awesome facial hair, so they wanted to join in the fun.

Best. Christmas. Ever.

Solitude

It the first night that I will be staying in this apartment all on my lonesome. I will then be alone for the next three days (Something that has never happened...here or at home). Having Kimmy here has been really fun, and I am sad to see her go. We've hit rock bottom together, and now she gets to go home to her family and I get to pull myself out of the spiral, all by myself....eh well. I figure this time will give me some good self reflection time. I will be able to have time just for me, to better myself and to dream.

I will be working this week, until I leave, and there are a few lone souls staying behind as well, so it's not like I will be completely separated from society, but Provo kind of turns into a ghost town at this time.

I get to look forward to a really fun Christmas break and to be honest, that is probably the only thing that is going to get me through.

So let the countdown begin!

This week I decided I was going to get some good self projects done. I am going to work on a story, which the solitude may help with, and I am going to apply for scholarships for my study abroad...and I will probably play guitar. The more I think about the next few days, the more I am looking forward to them. I will have a chance few people have...to be on my own for three whole days...yeah, it's all about my attitude. As long as I can keep myself from the couch and my bed for too long, I will be able to be productive!

yay life!

Anyway, I will try and post about the next three days, giving myself some kind of responsibility. I figure if I am responsible to come back and report, I will find something to do...an entire post about sitting on my butt all day won't be very fun to read...or write.

So here it goes!

The End of One is the Beginning of Another

It is the end of the semester. I will be flying home in Five days. These next few days will be devoted to the following:

Relaxation

Boredom

Working

Eating leftovers religiously

Writing

Reading for pleasure (I know, what a concept)

trying not to cry because of Julie not being in my life...

and

Maybe some guitar

As I sit here and I contemplate all the things I will get to do this weekend, and the upcoming beautiful break, I can't help but think about the past semester. It has been quite the ride. I have laughed, and cried, Laughed till I cried, slept, stressed, prayed, learned, and loved. 

I know impressive right?

I figured I would write a little list of all the things I have learned this term as well as a list of goals that correlate with those things. 

1. Grades are not the end-all. Granted, they are important, they don't determine what kind of person you are. I had too many cry sessions with my mom about grades this term. My goal: Next term will be about learning, not about getting the best grades. 

2. Roommate can be the greatest family around. My roommates are seriously some of the best girls I have ever met. I feel a bit bad because I don't think I got to know them as well as I could have. Goal: Next term I will focus on serving my roommates and loving them as my own family and have roommate dates. 

3. Dating is not an essential piece of life to guaranteed happiness. I didn't go on one date this term. not a single one, and you know what? I still know how to smile. yes, there were days that I was sad about it, and i did call my mom to cry about it, but really when it comes down to it, being single is a privilege!!...my roommate wrote a paper about it so don't argue, it's fact. but in all seriousness, I have learned that dating isn't the key to happiness. Goal: focus on bettering myself next term, boys can wait, I can't. 

4. Laughing until you cry about something that isn't that funny is some of the best medicine. Julie and I had some really good times this term, laughing about silly things and events we made up in our heads. We always felt so much better about each other, ourselves, and life in general after a good laugh fest. Goal: Laugh about silly things, life is too short to be serious all the time. 

5. Hard classes are hard. This seems dumb, but when someone tells you a class is going to be hard, it probably will be. Especially when that someone is your mother and she knows you really well. This term I took Latin. It was the hardest thing I have ever taken! I did my best and I don't know if I passed, but I learned in that class, I learned that I can survive hard and painful things. Goal: work hard and take advice from my mother. 

6. My mother is always right. With out fail, she always knows exactly how things are going to turn out, and how to fix them when I screw up. She is great and I'm lucky to have her. Goal: call her more often and heed her advice. 

7. I can do hard things. Latin was one of many hard things that I accomplished this term. I had a hard time with some people in my life, but I overcame it and our relationship couldn't be better. Having to struggle with people I consider friends is hard, especially when you rely on them so much, but I was able to do it. Goal: tell myself everyday that I CAN do hard things, I've done it. 

8. Life gets hard sometimes, but it ALWAYS gets better. this is self explanatory. Goal: relax and breathe, everything is going to be fine.

9. A clean apartment makes for happy friends. I have never been considered a clean person. My room at home was never clean, and I rarely made my bed. This term though I discovered something...I really do like getting into a made bed, I like it when I don't trip in the morning, and yeah, having a place for everything is convenient when looking for that really important paper. Goal: make my bed everyday and clean my room and bathroom once a week. 

10. managing money is harder than it looks. I have a hard time with money. I have been working this term and so I have had a constant income, which means extra spending money, and money that should go into savings. Goal: save more than I spend. 

11. No amount of ice cream, chips, soda, pizza, or dare i say it,...Taco Bell will make you feel better than a good hard work out on a rough day. Going to the gym or running for a few hours always makes me feel better, so why do I dread it and put it off so much? Goal: work out everyday and cut the junk.

12. It's okay to take time for yourself. I took myself out on two or three me dates this term. I went to a concert, walked to the temple, bought myself frozen yogurt and start gazed. Before I would do this for myself I would feel guilty about avoiding other things, but I always felt better about everything after doing this. I even got dressed up for  myself. Goal: do a self date every month, at least once. 

13. Friends are a gift, cherish them. I have some really really great friends here at school. People I would trust my first born child with...okay maybe not all of them, but I respect and honor the people I have met here. They are outstanding individuals who teach me and give me so much. Goal: cherish them more, tell them how much they mean to me, and spend time with them. 

14. Balance. This term has been a hard experiment. It was my first real term (summer was fun, but a joke comparatively) and I was working 20 hours a week, as well as taking hard classes. I learned that a balanced life complete with sleep, friends, work, school, and church is hard, but rewarding. Goal:continue the things I've learned to do, and still give myself time for me. 

15. IF this term has taught me anything, it's that God loves me and knows who I am.  I feel like I knew this before, but I had the greatest reaffirmation of this. When I was having a hard day and just needed to cry, I felt his love for me. He had me go through some of the hardest things I've ever had to face, but he didn't do it without giving me hope and peace of mind. I even figured some major things out about myself and my role as a daughter of God and instrument in His hands. My love for my Savior and Heavenly father has increased substantially. I love them both with all my heart and I trust them. I cannot do anything without them, but they are always there to listen and help me up. Goal: Go to the temple regularly and read my scriptures daily to continue this relationship. 

The End of this term is a great opportunity to look at my life and re-adjust before the frenzy of next term hits. Gotta love new beginnings :)

To Public Restroom users Everywhere,

As many of you know, I have been working as an early morning custodian for the past school term. I wake up every morning at 3:30 am and trudge across the parking lot to clean various areas of a building on campus. This week I was assigned to bathrooms. male and female. Today, as I worked through my daily routine, I discovered some things that have inspired this post.

I will first address the Men in this world:

1. Yes, Women do see your side of the bathroom facilities. We get to clean them, please stop scarring us.
2. There is no circumstance under which a LEMON BAR [or any other kind of dessert for that matter] is an acceptable bathroom companion. I think you may have figured this out when someone else walked in, and you realized how very strange it would be to come out of the stall with dessert. Next time, please man up and either eat it before you go in or take the taunting laughter that may ensue after walking out with it. The TP dispenser is no place for such an item.
3. Explosions need to be contained. No, the stall wall does not constitute a suitable container. Even NASA knows this.
4. Romans invented this thing called indoor plumbing...its useful, and most of the world uses it. Pleas join them. The floor is no place to do your business, and my shoes should not stick to the floor.
5. I would like to share with you a simple phrase my mother used to potty train my brothers.
       "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie"
If three year old's can master this concept I'm sure you can too.
6. Why is your mirror always dirtier than the women's...is there a secret life of the American male insight we should know about? I don't understand.

And now, Women:
You would think the women's bathrooms would be much cleaner, but honestly it depends on the day.

1. Women, men clean your bathrooms too. My co-workers would appreciate it if you would keep that in mind.
2. Chairs? Really, as if one seat wasn't enough, there is almost always another chair in the stalls big enough for them. And I thought my guy friends were kidding when referring to woman needing spotters { an attempt to explain them always going in pairs.}
3. The little white boxes inside the stalls are NOT, and I repeat, NOT for Chocolate milk bottles. This goes up there with the Lemon bar instance. WHY?
4. You know those shiny levers above the toilet? It's not there for decoration, though I do admit I keep it in mint condition. USE IT.
5. Paper towels are for drying your hands...not for confetti. Besides, shredding paper is for home and office settings, not bathrooms.
6. The week elementary school kids were using the bathrooms, they had never been cleaner.....does anyone else see the problem here?

I think sometimes both men and women forget that other people see what they left behind. This confuses me because it is called a PUBLIC restroom for a reason. I can say that this job has given me many laughing experiences, as well as many moments of "plug -your-nose-close-your-eyes-cringe-and-do-it!". I understand that sometimes bathrooms are a places to do what would otherwise be considered socially detrimental, but it is still public and people still have to clean it up. So please, next time you are in a public restroom, be mindful of the poor college kid that will probably have to come in the next day in the wee hours of the morning.

Thank you,
A confused, slightly entertained, but mostly disgusted,
Me

Update of The Century

I realized today as I was reading through other people's blogs and wondering what was up with some of the people I follow, that I haven't written in a REALLY long time! So I figured "Hey, I'm just sitting here, I may as well write a little."
Recently I finished my first term at BYU. It was AMAZING! I met so many people, learned so much and I have grown as a person.
I had some of the greatest roommates for this first term. They were seriously so great! I can't even imagine how I could have been blessed with better girls. We all had such differing personalities but we meshed so well. We had pretty much every stereotype in our room! the Sporty one, the Drama Queen, The Quiet Shy one, The Motherly one, the Molly-Mormon, and of course The incredibly smart one. We had so much fun together, and we learned a lot from each other. I will be sad that we aren't living together in the Fall but we will get together...at least once. have some belongings that some of them left behind! :)

Outside of our room, I met so many great people from our ward. My FHE group was full of great people, funny and so unique. we enjoyed spending time together and laughing together. There were several times we had the FHE boys over for food...I've come to realize they REALLY like that!

Then there were the people I met outside of my ward and even outside of my apartment complex. People from my classes, from NSO and mutual friends of others who touched my life in a way i can't even begin to describe. Their influence will be with me for a long time. I love friends and new ones make me happy. I feel like I've been blessed to have met all the people I have and hope that I will be able to continue these new friendships throughout the rest of my time at BYU and my life.
Classes this term were not terribly difficult though I had some trouble staying focused with all the fun stuff going on- ALL THE TIME!

 I was taking an English class, Doctrine and Covenants, Jogging, and Choir. All of my classes were really enjoyable and I've learned so much. I took my jogging class in hopes of having something that would force me to exercise. It kicked my butt! The first couple of weeks I seriously thought I was going to die. We didn't even run very far but I was really out of shape...well I was in a shape alright but it was not one meant for running. Anyway, I worked hard and now I am running almost everyday, and loving it! I get runner's high and feel SO good afterward.
Choir was a good class to take, it was in the afternoon and it was all about something I love. It was a great way to end my day. I learned that I have a great range as an alto since my soprano range is pretty much dead due to lack of use. IT was a great experience and I may go back and take it again in the fall. Our instructor gave his summer students an open invitation for Fall.
Doctrine and Covenants was the class I was most nervous about. I've hear scary things about the work load of BYU religion classes, but it wasn't so bad. there was quite a bit of reading but I managed to do well with assignments and tests.
Learning in an environment like BYU's campus is such a great change from the environment at Clark. The spirit is everywhere and its easy to make connections to both the gospel and real life application. The learning done at BYU isn't busy work, it is teaching life skills that will benefit me forever!
outside of classes and friends, I learned a lot about who I am and what I have to offer this world. I was forced out of my comfort zones on numerous occasions to help me grow and learn. some of these experiences were fun, like preforming with a good friend of mine in our ward talent/variety show. I learned a piece of music on the piano and then we sang together. I have never played the piano in front of a group of people and my hands were shaking so bad it was hard to keep them on the keys, but I knew that I was going to be fine. I had a good friend next to me on the piano bench and great friends in the audience. I knew that no matter what happened I would still be Hannah. It ended up being a great performance, something I hope to continue doing.
Some of these experiences were not so pleasant, but I still had someone to help me along.
I had a talk with my friend David about life and the challenges that we face. I was frustrated because I felt like my efforts were fruitless. I wasn't getting anywhere. He looked at me in the face and told me that obviously there was some good coming out of my efforts because I was still trying. I didn't have faith in the Faith that I had. I couldn't see it like that and it took someone else looking in to show me.

I have a testimony of the next life. I know that there is something else after this world. I have been attending the temple in Provo and it is a wonderful place. The work that is done there helps others, without the ability, to continue on in their eternal progression.  The way the Lord has orchestrated that is amazing.
Overall my experience at BYU has been so great. I can hardly wait to go back and try it again. I already know I have a great roommate, at least one. And I know I have a great support system already there :)

.

I LOVE COLLEGE!!!