Thanks for a Wonderful Birthday!



Happy Birthday



Thank you to everyone who made me birthday so great!  It was the best birthday I have ever had.  I loved the letters and emails that I received.

Breakfast in Bed




My day started off with breakfast in bed, cooked with love by my darling roommate, Jeniel.  That was a first for me!  I had never had breakfast in bed before.  I then found my room decorated with notes of love and things I have accomplished. 

Before church, Jeniel sang a song and played the guitar. She had rewritten the lyrics for me for my birthday.  It was BEAUTIFUL and almost made me cry! 

I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting and I spoke about the Sacrament.  It added some stress to my weekend but it ended up being a blessing.

I have the best parents!



I have the best brother and friends!

I have the best roommate!

That evening I had a yummy dinner with my family and some friends.  We played games and had a great time!  I feel very blessed to have been born at such a time that I could be with my wonderful family and meet the amazing friends that I have.  I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for the blessings He has given me. 





Katherine's Birthday Wish . . .

My birthday is in a couple of weeks and I have a birthday wish.  One of my most favorite things in the world is getting a letter or note from someone I love.  So for my birthday this year will you write me a letter?

And in that letter will you tell me what you appreciate or admire about me, what you see as my strengths, how I have helped you or influenced your life, something you have learned from me, a memory you have of me, or anything else you want to tell me.  And also, will you give me some advice, perhaps about a weakness you have observed or something else you think I can change and improve upon. 

You can make it long or short, simple or cute.  You can type it and email it to me, print it and mail it, or go the extra mile and hand write it!

(This whole thing is OPTIONAL.  I'm not going to make anyone do it. :o) 

I just wanted to do something different for my birthday this year.  Thanks for helping me make it more meaningful and memorable and for making all of my dreams come true!  It is a great blessing to have you in my life.  Yes, YOU!  You are the best family and friends anyone could ask for!

I love you all!

Love,
Katherine

Easter Egg Wars

Easter was a wonderful day!  Because next week is Stake Conference, it was fast sunday.  It was special to have Fast and Testimony meeting on Easter.  I got up and bore my testimony.  I talked about how this morning on the classical radio station they played the "Hallelujah" chorus.  Hallelujah is the perfect word to describe Easter.  I also talked about feeling Heavenly Father's love the Savior's love and how I can show my love for them.  One of the best ways is through service.  I went to the stake service project yesterday and we were clearing a lot of overgrowth from a big ditch to help prevent flooding.  It was rather complicated to find places to actually pull the branches out of the ditch.  I was working with on of the counselor's in the Bishopric and he just kept saying, "Do your best.  Whatever you think is best."  I learned from that experiece that even though we didn't clear the whole ditch, and even though it wasn't perfect, we did make a difference.  Every effort we make to serve anyone and build Heavenly Father's Kingdom in any way DOES make a difference.

That afternoon I tried to be more social.  We had a ward "Break the Fast" and several of us ended up just stitting around and talking for two hours.  A little later we invited people over to our apartment to decorate Easter Eggs.  That was a lot of fun to bring back childhood memories and get the creative juices flowing. 



Egg War!  I think I lost this one.



I then experienced a new "first" to add to my list of things I've done for the first time.  Egg wars!  I had never done egg wars before.  It is a much more exciting way to crack a hard boiled egg.  So you each hold an egg with the "pointy" end forward and on the count of three you smack the eggs together.  The one egg that doesn't crack wins!  Then you can turn the eggs around and do it again on the other end or the side.  Kind of fun!  he he he

The Plan of Salvation (we didn't plan this :o)



After that a group of us went to another apartment to play games.  All in all it was a great day, filled with the spirit, remembering the Savior, and spending time with great people.  That is what this life is all about: building relationships with people.  As we come closer to other people, we also come closer to Christ.  What a great Easter!





Conquered Clinic!

I finished my university clinic work!  This is a HUGE step and a big relief since clinic was so stressful for me.  Wow!  I made it!  There is still A LOT left to do (one more term of classes, two internships, and a thesis) but I have accomplished a lot and I haven't given up! 

When I came home I found this sweet surprise . . .

My roommate, Jeniel had "heart attacked" my room.  My floor and bed were covered with hearts and showered with "kisses" and mints and there was a sweet note congratulating me on my accomplishment.

That really meant a lot to me.  I almost cried when I saw it.  Thank you so much, Jeniel!

To celebrate finishing clinic we went to the BYU creamery to get a kids meal (they are cheap and yummy, especially the fries!).  This was kind of ironic since my building is right across the street from the creamery.  You would think I would want to get away!

That night we went to a Jon Schmidt piano concert with some friends.  As I listened to the music I was thinking about how far I have come.  A year ago I never thought I would see light at the end of the tunnel and I was looking for any excuse to quit this program.  But I never did give up.  I am still working hard and I keep thinking how good it is going to feel when I finish!

California Road Trip!

My roommate Jeniel and I made a quick trip down to San Diego! One of her mission companions was getting married. Jeniel asked me, "Hey, do you want to go to California?" I don't know if she was expecting me to take her up on that but I said. "Sure!" I didn't want her driving down there alone. Plus I have a fabulous cousin in the area so she wouldn't have to stay in a hotel. So with some planning and a lot of homework cramming (and not getting much sleep the week before) we were off to the sunny state of California! To keep this story short, I will list a few of my favorite moments on the trip:

• Singing in the car! We tried to learn the lyrics to a few songs (Life is a Highway, Defying Gravity, Si Vas Para Chile, the "Potato" song :o)
• Doing a session in the San Diego Temple with Jeniel. That temple is so gorgeous and it was so wonderful to be there with a great friend. I love the temple!
• Seeing my cousin, Janine! I love her so much. She is one of my most favorite people in the WORLD! We were hardly around to see her and the family. But we were so grateful for their kindness in letting us stay with them in the beautiful house. Thanks Janine, Paul, Paul, and Carlie!
• Taking jumping pictures on the beach (lots of good laughs)
• Having a "reflecting moment" at a reflecting pool in Balboa park one night. I love meaningful conversations with a close friend.
• Listening to "Narnia" in the car

A special thanks to "Vinnie", Jeniel's faithful car who got us there and back safely without any problems. (No, I am not texting and driving in this picture. Even though I do look "intexticated." We were safely stopped in a parking lot trying to set the GPS to find the nearest Costco or Maverick to fill up . . . This was a common occurance during the trip.)  I was also very grateful for the GPS and internet on our phones.  Without that we would have been lost and confused a lot more.  Thank goodness for technology!  I'm grateful for opportunities to go new places, see new things, gain experience, and strengthen friendships! 

just another Manic Monday

Mondays are really stressful for me this semester because of my clinic schedule, classes, etc. The stress of Monday spills over into Sunday night as I dread the next day.

In my scripture study today I read the scripture D&C 38:30
"I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms . . . if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."

If I take the time on Friday to prepare for Monday, then I won't fear it so much. Preparation dispels fear and strengthens faith. The way to prepare is to "treasure up wisdom" through studying, pondering, and gaining knowledge and understanding. This applies to spiritual and temporal preparation. Both will help rid my mind of fear and bring confidence and faith as I face Monday Madness.

A little tender mercy

As I was walking into my building on campus at 7:45 a.m. with a banana peel in my hand from my breakfast on-the-go, a guy was walking out the door. He looked at me and said, "Hi, how are you?" as he waited so he could hold open the door for me. I thanked him. He then said, "I hope you have a great day!"

I have never seen this person before. He was just being nice and I really felt his sincerity. It made my day! I felt the Spirit and the love of Heavenly Father through the kindness and optimism of another one of His children.