Lean Not On Thine Own Understanding!

Hello Friends!

I had an experience yesterday that has helped me so much. I hope by sharing this with you, it might help someone else have a change of view for the good! So here is how the story goes!

I was at school and in class as usual. My branding class was just about over and I was talking to some friends in my class about how stressful our major is and how unknown and frustrating our futures look like. We don't know if we get formally accepted in the program and not sure what we need to do to get there because our department is making a lot of changes right now because of the growing class size at UVU and change in Art of Directors etc.

In our classes this is always the topic of concern among us graphic design hopefuls. I tend to leave frustrated and not motivated because of the mood of the group as a whole. Yesterday in particular I was talking to this guy in my class, he seems to be having a tougher time about things seeing he is in his thirties, married and has a child so his need to get in the program is important so he can provide for his family without delay. As I can relate to the issues it is just hard to talk to him about anything because he is so negative. We ended up talking about other stuff such as the current government situation, school, and just struggles in general (Well he did most the talking) :)

As I was leaving to walk to my car and go home, I was feeling quite down and worried about my life and the situation I find myself in. I don't know what is going to happen with the program and I need to find a way to support myself financially to pay for health insurance etc. However, in the moment as I was walking to my car I had this scripture come to mind that has not left me since.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean NOT unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." 

--Proverb 3:5-6

In my time of worry and thinking how will I ever be able to do all this I need to in life, over and over as I walked to the car. I instantly thought after hearing this scripture, I knew that the answer is I won't if I try to do it on my own but if I am able to give all I can and recognize the Lord in all I do I WILL be able to do all things through him!

I will make it through school.

I will find a way to pay all my bills.

I will be able to start a family someday.

I can be happy while going through life!

I can do ALL things with the help of the Lord!

This is great news and I am grateful for this experience I had.

Know that no matter what YOU are going through, turn to your Lord and he will help you in all you do. Don't give up!

He knows what you should be doing even if you you don't know or are unsure. So let HIM do the guiding and life will be so much more simple and happier! 

Penny For A Thought

I really have just been noticing that I am in control of my life. When I do stuff to further things going on things get done but when I put them off they don't...It feels a lot beter to get things done and do things that I know I will need to do soon. That way I am improving my life and not just sitting still. I am not talking big I am just thinking simple things such as doing the dishes right away or paying a bill that isn't quite due yet. Just a thought.

AM

Art History isn't so bad after all...

Just wanted to say I totally got a 98% on my first Art History test which is amazing!!! This was a very intense test that required a lot of studying and preparation. I was told every day in class that it would not be an easy test from my teacher and students who had already had her. So I am very excited about the results :) Let's hope for that on the next test. My teacher is wonderful which is good cause I don't really like history classes!!

AM

3 months till we meet again!

I sure do miss these sweet little girls! They are so cute!! I just want to give them a hug! haha They are so fun to play with! I love you girls!

PS - They really love Kate :) I think this was around her birthday or a day they were going to see her!

I am alive!

I haven't posted in a really long time. :( But don't worry I recently found the desire to write more regularly.  I have been keeping myself really busy with school and work. I learned something in school recently that I think will make a difference on me forever.

I am going to school to be a graphic designer and for the longest time I would say that I am not an artist and that I couldn't draw, paint, photograph, etc. I simply just wanted to do art on the computer and be a graphic designer.

Well... I was so wrong and I am so glad I realized it at the earlier stages of school. Last semester I took Drawing 1 and I was terrified to take that class. I hadn't been in a drawing class since 8th grade. I used to love drawing but then I felt like I was not good as the peers in my class and I gave it up even through high school. I have such a passion for art and music I had to choose between art and choir. I chose choir which I am happy with! I just wish I wouldn't have so easily given up art. I did take one commercial art class in high school and absolutely loved loved it! I also took interior design in high school and at BYU!

A year ago I figured out that I have this huge passion for art still and I always will. I mean I love making posters and other such things that just  got me so excited and now I get to do art everyday. And the best part is that is why I am in school so that I can learn all sorts of art I took drawing and sculpture last semester and photography this semester and they are so out of my comfort zone but that is why they are so great! I get to learn new things and explore even more than just doing art on the computer.

I look forward to the rest of my schooling and I am not sure where life is going to take me but I am sure excited to see where these passions go! I have a music minor from BYU and now I am getting a art degree at UVU! Couldn't be happier about it! Except the costs of school of course... :) But i think it will be so worth it in the end!

I would love to share my art with everyone especially you all. So I started a new blog just for my art and music passions.  I am also using this as a way to build an online portfolio for when I want a creative but not limited to art job! I am going to do better on this personal blog and keep up the work on my other one. I have a lot of art projects I have done that I can't wait to share. You should check it out and follow my other blog too!

ampart.wordpress.com

Is there something you would like to try that is new? Something you are scared to do? Go out there and get your feet wet! It will be worth it!

AM

Melissa's Half Birthday!

In honor of Melissa's half birthday (yesterday) here is the cutest video I have from a couple of years ago! Enjoy! Starring Megan Baron. I love you Miss!

Week 1 Report / Week 2 Schedule

Week 1:

Week one was a huge success! It felt good to run again. I was sore all week but I just lived with it. I pushed myself on the 3 mile run more than I normally would. It is usually easy for me to just do 3 miles but this time I had a time restraint so I pushed myself very hard. :) It felt great! I burned a lot of calories and got some energy out!

Week 2:

We will see if I can keep this up! I hope by reporting it I will feel more pressure :)

Week

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Friday

Sat

Sun

Total Miles Run

2

Rest

2 miles

Rest

3 miles

CT or Rest

4 miles

2.5 easy miles

11.5 miles

PS- I have been switching my Sunday and Monday runs :)

LOVE!!

Cutest Valentines I have ever gotten!! Made with so much love and thought!! I love you Eliza and Abigail! You made the day so much better!! I truly felt the love!

Running Goal Attempt #Billion/ Recommittment

I really want to get back into running again but I just can't seem to ever find the time to. So I am going to attempt to start-up a program this week. I am only going to look at one week at a time so I don't feel so overwhelmed by the over all picture. This can be really good for me and we will see how it goes. I really hope I can last for more than just a couple days or weeks. I want to finish the 12 week program so I can run in a race :) We will see how what happens! Wish me luck! :) I will post updates hopefully if I can find the discpline to actually do it this time...

Week	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Friday	Sat	Sun	Total Miles Run
1	Rest	2 miles	Rest	2.5 miles	Rest	3 miles	2 easy miles	9.5 miles

Goodbye 2011!

Alright folks, here is a list that I created with my top most memorable and favorite parts of 2011! I am sure I missed some things but here it is.

#10 Season tickets to BYU football games! This was so much fun. It was the first time I ever really went to games. I got to sit by some of my favorite people I have met at BYU. <3

#9 The Sundance Sound of Music play with my family. I love this movie so much and the play was very good too. It was a highlight of the summer not to mention a great way to celebrate near my birthday.

#8 When I think back to the year some of my most treasured memories is all the fun times I had with friends. I am so grateful for all of my friends. Special shout out to: Charla, Sara, Noelle Rader (Love you girl and miss you!!), Ambar who is home from Japan!!, Marianna, Matt A., Drake, Alicia Cicion, Joe W., Brenda, and many more!

#7 Weddings for Melissa, Andrew, and Liz. Some of the people very close and dear to my heart got married this year. I had a blast at all of their weddings and enjoyed seeing each of them so happy. Although, I have to say Liz’s was the most fun considering the cute guys that were there :) LOL!

#6 One of the best things that happened this year but one of the hardest was Ailli going on her mission. I am so close to her and see her so much. It was hard to let her go. But I am so grateful for all the time we got to spend together in Jan. before she left. I am so excited for her to come back this year and will for sure be a highlight of 2012!

#5 I had a wonderful vacation with my sweet niece Kate, nephew Josh, Laurel, and Steve this was seriously so much fun. We stayed with Laurel’s sisters family and they were so fun and nice to me. I got to know Julia and that was wonderful. I enjoyed Disneyland but not near as much as just relaxing and getting know some really awesome people!! I love you Steve and Laurel!

#4 I just got a new car! Toyota Corolla 2010!! Need I say more? :)
#3 I am in love BYU Vocal Point and I got to see a lot of them this year. It made me very happy and still does. I love their music so much. I already have my tickets for several concerts this year! So excited! I love VP!!!!

#2 This year was significant because I graduated from BYU it felt like it would never happen and now it feels like forever ago! It was the biggest accomplishment thus far in my life so it feels great!

#1 The best part of my whole was the new relationship I have gained with my friend Charla. We do everything together and she is always there for me. She is a great friend. We have been through a lot together and she is an awesome cook. hehe

Did you know that...

I learned about this in one of my classes and I thought that I would share. It has been very helpful to know.

When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness.

Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week?

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are:

Monday- Blue

Tuesday- Green

Thursday- Red

Friday- White

Saturday- Yellow

So if today was Thursday, ou would want red twist tie - not white which is Friday's (almost a week old)!

The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember.

I found this to be very interesting. I have never really noticed that they meant anything significant. And now you know you can get fresh bread every time you go grocery shopping! Enjoy!

Meeting Vocal Point!!

I got to meet the members of Vocal Point at a performance they had at BYU. I have been in love with them for a long time now. Ever since I started at BYU almost 5 years ago. They are such good singers and they inspire me every time I listen (everyday pretty much :) )

My favorite member is Mckay Crockett he sings Tenor 1. He has been in it basically the whole time I was in school at BYU. He has a wonderful voice and arranges a lot of the music for the group.

I have a picture to show proof I met them. It shows how awesome these guys are. They took the time to take a picture with every single person that wanted and did autographs for little kids. It was really sweet and shows how much they care about their fans.

BYU Vocal Point

BYU Vocal Point is singing on the The Sing Off and have made it to the next round. This is a video of their most recent performance on the show. It is on Monday nights. I thought I would post this for people who don't have time to watch the whole show. They are doing great and I am a HUGE fan!

I am very excited I just got my tickets today for their concert in Provo. I am very excited and can't wait. There are still tickets if anyone else wants to go. You can get tickets at coveycenter.org it is going to be fantastic. I am going with four of my friends.

Ice Blocking (Ice Laughing!)

I went ice blocking in the Rock Canyon Park with my awesome friend Charla and my roommate Chrissy and her friends. It was super fun and a good way to relax and have fun. Charla and I had a blast and loved every minute of it. She won all the races and then we spent half the time perfecting our train. We made it to the bottom still on the ice I will have you know. It was great to spend time with Charla!

Do What is Right

Doing what is right can be very difficult sometimes and very challenging. But no matter what it takes I have learned today I need to just do what I feel is right and my life will move on! Even though it is so hard doing what is right is the best option. I feel so happy for today. I had a break through did something that needed to be done. Such a great feeling to have the weight lifted :)

More School or No?

I have been thinking about it and I think it would be great to do more school but there are so many factors and I don't really know anything about it. Can you help me out? What exactly is a Master's Degree? Where should I go? How do I pay for it? Are online schools good? What should I study I was thinking about a teaching degree?? Is it weird to get an Associate Degree after getting a Bachelor's? I was thinking about just getting an Office Management Associate's degree because I love organizing and really like working in offices and I get to learn computer programs to help me. Do you think this would be a good option? If you know the answer to any of these you should let me know! I am confused by so many choices. Especially my bros should know what is good :)

Dating Takes a LOT of Faith and Patience

So I have not been asked on very many dates in the last year...I would say two or three which is sad. But last week I went on three dates and this week I went on three dates with multiple guys but a couple repeated. This was very intense and random to me but I loved it. The only part I don't like is nothing really worked out with any of the guys and so I am stuck at point A again. Sometimes it feels like I will never find that forever but no rush is needed when we are talking about eternity.

Dating can be super awkward.

Dating can be super fun.

Dating can be non-existent

Dating can be frustrating.

Dating can be embarrassing.

Dating can be an adventure!

With so many up and downs...I would just like to say I would love it if I did not have to worry about Dating ever again. Unfortunately that is not the case so I will enjoy it while I can!

New Baby Has Arrived!! :)

drum roll please!! I have a new niece and her name is

Liliana Alice Piccolo

I think her name is very lovely! I got to hold her on the day she was born. It was very awesome and peaceful to hold her in my arms although the first time I held her I had no clue what her name was going to be :) She is my brother Stephen and sister-in-law Laurel's baby. She is their 3rd child. Congrats bro and sis on your beautiful new daughter. I am so excited to have her in our family now.

The picture of me holding her is when she is just hours old. Enjoy!

It is the most wonderful time of the year!! ... no not Christmas!

Fourth of July is one of my very favorite holidays for sure in the top 3 if not the 1st. I love all of the things that go on BBQ with family and friends, parade, running in the Freedom Run, swimming, FIREWORKS, watching movies, the sun beaming, and eating lots of ice cream treats!! My favorite! :)

I would take a day in the sun over a day in the snow any day! (I am my mama's daughter after all) It can get way too hot to bear but there are so many enjoyable ways to fix that! Swimming, delicious drinks (especially water), and so many other things.

I have not had a spontaneous water fight in years but they are the best thing ever! :) So if you are around me where this is possible give it a try if I don't beat you to it! :)

Even though I did not feel very well last night and decided to miss the fireworks I had a great holiday and wouldn't have changed it for anything!! IT was wonderful thank you for everyone who made it so much better by being there for part of it. :)

Just the Beginning

I have now been exercising more regularly. I am trying to get ready for the Freedom Run 5K this year! I usually just run it. This year I want to do my best time and do it faster and feel like I am more in health and not dying during the race :)

So yesterday I ran 3.25 miles on an average of 11:20 minutes. This seems very slow but pretty good for a starting point.

My goal is 8:45 minute miles. :)

Any tips to improve my time or motivate me would be great!

Also anyone whoever wants to run with me would be awesome!