Simple Pleasures

Some things just make me smile. They're so silly and simple sometimes. But sometimes those things are the best things. Small and simple things, right? (How many times can I say things, eh?) Some of these things that make me happy I'll link to if you want to see too...

This week I added my Halloween stations to my Pandora mix. Some Halloween songs are so silly. And others are kind of clever. It's fun. My favorite is Monster Mash. But pretty much anything from The Nightmare Before Christmas is also fun. And I can't help but smile at the advice of the Witch Doctor.

While listening to a different Michael Buble song, I thought of a Christmas song of his that I LOVE. So I listened to it. Yes, I listen to Christmas music whenever I feel like it. It makes me happy.

Also related to my Pandora time (hey, I scanned and indexed documents for four hours—music helps me through), I heard this amazing commercial at least half a dozen times. And I've heard it before. And every time I hear it, I smile. I think it's hilarious.

It's my roommate's birthday and so another roommate decorated. It's fun to have that up. But also, since we're discussing simple everyday type pleasures, you should know that our living room walls are the best all the time. Because three of them are covered in scrapbook paper as wallpaper. Which is so much fun, and much cuter than boring white walls.

In my forensic linguistics class, we had a teleconference with a lawyer who studied linguistics here before law school. We had to prepare questions in advance and then the professor called on specific people to ask their questions. I got called on first today. And Mr. Lawyer guy said it was an excellent question. I felt smart for a minute.

As I was walking to class this afternoon, I loved looking at the mountains. The clouds were low, covering the top part of the mountains, and rain had deepened the wonderful fall colors. It was gorgeous. I really can't get over how gorgeous it was!

And speaking of mountains, I love Homecoming Week because the Y is all lit up. I love that!

So there's a glimpse of today's simple pleasures!

October, how do I love thee?

I don't know if you know this, but I LOVE October. Like true love. Love. Top five reasons for this:

1. It's FALL! I love Fall. I love Fall colors: red, orange, yellow–rich, golden fall colors. I love Fall weather–it's cool, but not cold. You can wear sweaters. Fall-colored sweaters are most desirable. And scarves. I love scarves. And then the leaves on the trees are all changing and the mountains get colorful and it's just gorgeous! Fall weather, fall clothes, fall colors, fall mountains. Can it get better?

2. It's GENERAL CONFERENCE! I love General Conference. What's better than listening to God's chosen servants all weekend? And with General Conference weekend comes mission reunion time. And that's always fun.

3. It's PUMPKIN TIME! Oh. My. Word. I. Love. Pumpkins. Pumpkin decor, pumpkin color, pumpkin carving, pumpkin baked goods. Especially the latter. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting...yep, started with that one yesterday. I love pumpkins. And carving pumpkins is strangely delightful. I love the feel of the guts in my hands. I might be weird.

4. It's HALLOWEEN! I used to dislike Halloween. I'm not one for scary stuff, and you can only take so much candy. But I've had some dang fun Halloweens since coming to BYU, including seeing The Nightmare Before Christmas and making homemade root beer with friends one year and throwing an awesome Halloween party another year with my famous Mark Boothe pumpkin. And there was Freddy the ghost sweeping across our living room. Plus that year at SHA, we drew a haunted house and we cut out pictures of everybody and included them...yep, better include that picture below too. :)

Mark Boothe pumpkin

Freddy the Ghost

SHAtastic Halloween

See? Lots of good Halloween times. This year? We'll see.

5. It's the beginning of the end. I also love October because not only is October itself awesome, but then right after that, we get November, which includes Thanksgiving. Then December, which includes Christmas. Basically October marks the beginning of the holiday season, which is my favorite.

See there, five excellent reasons for why I love this blessed month. May it bring you joy as well.

P.S. This is my 100th post?!! Wowzers. Cool beans. Happy day!

Hurricanes

Seven years ago, I was in my senior year of high school. I had a government class which I liked quite well. My teacher really liked talking about current events, and we started class each day talking about them. Sometimes half or more of the class period would go by quickly as we discussed them. We also had assignments to read newspaper articles. One of the assignments, as I recall, required following a particular story for a week or so. I remember there needed to be a series of articles. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. For days I read articles about the devastation it brought. We talked about what was happening in class too. For probably the first time since September 11, I was invested in the news. I read about the levees, the flooding, the looting. I watched the news and saw the thousands of people seeking shelter in the Superdome. I learned a lot about Katrina and New Orleans, as much as I could. And I thought time and again, "Who on earth would ever want to live there?"

On April 1, 2009, I arrived in New Orleans as a new missionary. God does have a sense of humor.

Today, August 29, 2012, Hurricane Isaac is dumping on my beloved Southeast Louisiana. For the past few days, I've been reading articles, checking my friends' Facebook updates, and watching and waiting for Isaac to hit. Today I've been reading even more articles. My Google News page is an open tab and I refresh it frequently to see what's new. Since I started writing this, Isaac's been downgraded to a tropical storm. My favorite mission area, Houma, which has been in the eye of the storm for much of the day, is now getting rain, showing that Isaac's moving on, slowly. I keep checking for Facebook updates. I even looked on Twitter to get some updates on New Orleans. It's funny to think how invested I was in Katrina seven years ago. My head was fascinated, but my heart wasn't there. Now it is. So I'm praying for my dear friends. 

It's funny how things change in seven years. And how they stay the same. 

A Look Back on the Semester

Well, I made it through my one and only summer term of school as a BYU student. Technically, I took calculus at BYU-I over the summer when I was in high school, but that's a little different. This term I had Spanish 205, Pearl of Great Price, my internship, and work. It was a little CRAZY. Definitely kept me busy.

Pearl of Great Price was supposed to be my easy/good class. And it sort of was. I enjoyed class for the most part. But I didn't like the tests very much. They were multiple choice and tricky. And I'm a good test taker, so if they're tricky for me, that's just mean. So I may lose my religious 4.0 with that class, but oh well. I tried.  

I was super worried about Spanish. The previous semester of Spanish was only mediocre and I was scared about being in class for two hours daily. Plus my teacher is in my ward, and I thought that could be incredibly awkward. Turns out it was incredibly awesome. I actually felt that my time in class was useful this semester. I always felt before that by the time I figured out what we were supposed to be practicing/working on, the teacher would move on. This semester that never happened. I also don't really love all the games we play...I decided that I had to make the decision to enjoy them, or at least participate without complaint. There were a few times I really didn't want to, but I made it through it. And some of the games were actually really fun. I'm a big fan of reverse charades, where the team acts it out and one person guesses. I have a flair for the theatrics. My test scores were higher than I had in previous semesters. I improved in writing in Spanish a lot. We had a small class and I talked a lot more than I have in probably any other class ever. For the most part, two hours of class didn't seem too long (miracle!). There were only a couple days that seemed to drag terribly. We didn't manage to make it through a semester without having to look at Frida Kahlo's paintings, but you can't win them all. We had to read an 80 page play, La Dama del Alba. I was really worried about that. That is extensive reading. Normally the short readings we have quizzes on take me a long time to read, and so reading 30 pages in a day didn't sound very plausible. Well, it went okay. I obviously didn't get every word, but I understood way better than expected and I actually really enjoyed reading it. How 'bout dem apples?! So Spanish was great. I loved my teacher and it was just funny sometimes as we balanced the teacher/friend from ward thing. Another girl in the ward was in the class too, so basically we made up a third of the class. We drove to school together and it was just great. Plus, who gets to text their teacher after taking a test and say something confused me and have her text back and say you did really well anyway? Basically it was a great final semester of Spanish. I'm kind of sad that I can't continue even. I mean, I could if I really wanted to, I guess. But I'd have a super heavy load for my last semester and I'd probably want to die. I think it's better to end on a happy note.

Internship. Great times. Sometimes I was so exhausted and it was hard. Other times it was super exciting to see how much my students had progressed. One day near the end of the semester, I was tutoring and my student just talked a lot and she asked me questions and conversed freely. I was thrilled that she was doing so well. I thought back to our first meeting where I'd ask the questions and get short answers, and now she's the one directing the conversation. How did that happen? It was awesome! It definitely was an interesting experience this semester. I do enjoy working with the students individually like that. I really admire them for coming so far to learn English in such a different environment and culture. I'd be scared to death. Occasionally they felt some homesickness. Some of them had some difficult trials. It was interesting tutoring a couple times, because I had to be more of a friend/listening ear/counselor when they were homesick or when one of their friends died. It was hard to see them struggle, but it was amazing how well they did. 

I've been done with the semester for a couple days now, and I feel kind of weird, like I should be doing something. Don't I have homework? It's kind of freaking me out. I stayed pretty busy cleaning several places lately, but now what? I pulled out a book my grandparents got me for Christmas, called The Language Wars. It's a linguistic book, haha. Next week is Education Week and all my coworkers are taking some time off, so I'll be working full time for a few days at least. And I guess I just need to enjoy this break before diving in to my last semester! Perhaps I'll do a preview of my classes in the next couple weeks. I'll have plenty of time to blog if I want to. Until next time, be fabulous!

The Box

Once upon a time, a guy in my ward, Adam, broke his finger. I made him cookies and took them to his apartment. I had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for him, but also had Jello cookies I was going to take to another apartment. Well, I never made it to that other apartment. I stayed and talked with Adam and a couple of his roommates. And they ate the Jello cookies. And they liked them. And I liked these people who became known as "The Box." But sadly, I didn't hang out with them very much.

Then summer came. The group I hung out with the most frequently all disappeared to various parts of the world. So I needed new friends. My roommate, Kathi, was part of The Box, so I joined her. These great men took me in and it's been great. We are in the same FHE group, dinner group, and a couple of the roommates are even my home teachers. I like it. 

The Box is great. They've introduced me to Nacho Libre, Lost, and Batman. My world will never be the same. I love it. Also, this whole dinner group thing is awesome. Why have I never done it before? This I just don't know. The members of The Box have really helped me a lot this summer. I'm really grateful for them. There's been a lot of laughter. Lots of quotes. Lots of memories. And where else would I get to hear a great debate about who would win in a face-off between Darth Vader and Batman?

Oregon

So...a couple weeks ago my family went to Oregon for Grandma's funeral. It was actually a pretty good trip! Mom, Hannah, and I went up together and then on the way back it was all five of us. A little crowded, but we made it. It was a very long drive. Thirteen hours there, fifteen back (we took the boys to Pocatello, then a friend of Jord met us there to pick them up...if he hadn't done that, it'd have been a good 17 hours). I hadn't been to Medford in years, so it was fun to go again. On the way there, we got to drive down the cliffs of insanity. Seriously, the road is crazy. It's not particularly wide, pretty much a straight drop down off the mountain, and no guardrails. And there was construction. Fun times. We also had a little adventure with a deer on the way back. Fortunately, dad had slowed significantly when he saw it on the side of the road. Anyway, we traveled safely and the scenery in Oregon is absolutely gorgeous. So green and luscious!

As for our time not spent on the road, it was really nice. I haven't seen some of my cousins in many years, so it was fun. Almost everybody was there. Even my cousin who currently lives in Austria! We were missing one on a mission in Brazil, one in China for a family reunion, and one in Canada, but pretty much, this picture is everyone. All the women wore scarves that belonged to Grandma. I wear several of her scarves frequently anyway, so that was fun for me! I love scarves. :)
The funeral was really nice. It was very pleasant and our musical numbers came together pretty well. Hannah and I sang a duet called "Beyond the Sunset," which is a beautiful song, but when I first listened to it, I got pretty emotional, so I was worried about being able to sing it. But it worked out and we sounded great. So all was well.
We spent a few hours telling stories about Grandma and then a few more hours having Grandpa tell stories. He's the best storyteller I know. I absolutely love his stories. Especially his cowboy ones...or the ones that start "When I was a little girl..." So it was a nice trip! I'm grateful I was able to go and participate and see everyone!

My Grandma

My Beautiful Grandmother 

All week I've had my grandmother on my mind, so today I'm going to blog about her and say a little of what I've been thinking about. I feel really scattered, though, so hopefully I can make some sense of it. For those of you who aren't family and don't know, Grandma is dying. She has Alzheimer's and is in the final stages, where her body is just shutting down. You can read a little more about it if you'd like, here. Since Wednesday or Thursday, every time my phone vibrates, I expect it to be my mom telling me she's passed away. I've had a lot of phantom vibrations too. It's kind of ridiculous actually. It's interesting to me how I've reacted these last few days. This is my first grandparent to die, but I honestly expected her to die several years ago. I've said goodbye several times. When I left on my mission, I didn't expect to see her again in this mortal life. She told me, "Always remember we love you." Right before I left, she fell and broke her hip. She was put on hospice, expected to die within six months. She didn't. It's been over three years since then.

I think of what I've learned from Grandma. We had a girl cousin sleepover at Grandma's once. She talked to us about the importance of modesty and preparing to go to the temple. She's always been a wonderful example of temple worship and family history work. The first time I went to do baptisms for the dead, I was a little nervous, but she was there with me. I got to do family names she had prepared. That was a special experience. Today I thought about who will be waiting to greet Grandma, and I first thought about her sister and parents, then thought of all the people who will want to thank her for her work in their behalf. She'll receive a warm reception, I think.

Grandma is from Sweden, and she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there, one of two members in her town. She came to America and married my grandfather in the temple, and has always shown great dedication to the Lord and His Church. It was so engrained in her, that things of a spiritual nature were some of the last things to go. (My mom wrote about one experience about that here.) She even acted as a visiting teacher of sorts when she first got to the Homestead.

I never expected Grandma to live this long in her condition. It's been so hard to see her deteriorate. I'm not even there often. My mom has been a wonderful example to me, visiting her faithfully, and even more, my Grandpa. Grandpa goes to sit with Grandma every day, all day. He fed her, he helps move her, tries to keep her comfortable, he does everything he can. He has been an incredible example of love and service. I honestly think their love story is the greatest story ever told. He has shown what it means to truly love.

Like I said, I've said goodbye to my grandma several times already, and because of the Alzheimer's, she's been mostly gone for a long time. So this week, I was a little surprised just how teary I have been. But it makes sense. There is still a sense of loss, there is still the pain of seeing her suffer for so long. I think that might be the hardest part, seeing her go from forgetting things, to breaking her hip and being unable to walk, to being bedridden, and now unable to eat or drink. I want her to be released from the pain. It's still hard and sad, but it'll be a happy thing too. I'm so grateful for our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. Today during the sacrament at church, I read several Easter hymns. I was struck by these lyrics from O Savior, Thou Who Wearest A Crown: "No more can Satan harm us, Tho long the fight may be, Nor fear of death alarm us; We live, O Lord, thru thee." My grandma has had a long fight, she's fought it well. She can't be harmed by Satan, and there is no need to fear death. We will all live again. And I look forward to getting to know her again, getting to know the real Grandma who has been gone so long.

Dear Grandma, I love you. Thank you for what you've taught me and for your love. Thank you for your testimony and dedication. You are a great woman. I'm proud to share your middle name. I love you! Love, Brooke