It's not easy being grown up

As a matter of fact, it's tough. One of my favorite videos from when I was a little girl was the The Little People: Grown Up video. I can't find a clip of it ANYWHERE online, but I swear to you that it does exist.

 These two little kids wake up early on a Saturday morning and their parents are still sleeping so they dress up the dog and the cat and make their pets become the children and they become the grown ups. I remember the songs that they sing. They go to the "store" to buy "groceries" and they sing about "People doin' their shopping, doin' their shopping..." One of the songs they sing is about how "It's not easy, being grown up, It's not easy; In fact, it's tough. It's not easy being grown up, as a matter of fact - It's tough!" Wise words INDEED. Do you ever just want to be a kid again?

Summer classes are absolutely LOVELY. However, they are sometimes 2.5 hours long and it takes forever for that bell to ring. I am sitting here in class and all I want to do is play THIS game on my little computer.

Jace and I LOVED this stupid game. I have no idea why.












Also I loved THIS game: Catz. Yes, with a Z. My mother would not let us have actual pets, so I had my virtual kitty. Welcome to generation Y2K. I named my first cat Dudley after the Harry Potter Character.

My personal favorite was the upgrade from Catz...a little game called Babyz.

They were not all mindless games. I LOVED Carmen San Diego where you had to go around the world and catch the criminals. It was the WORST when you knew who the bad guy was, but you did not have enough information to get your "warrant" to capture them. The theme song was also rather peppy.

Does anybody remember the The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis? AWESOME game.

As I grew a little older I was bit by the "Barbie Bug." My favorite computer games were the Barbie Mystery ones. The mystery of the carnival caper was THE BEST. I remember the creepy person dressed in black that you were trying to catch. While looking for clues he would randomly show up. I would tell Melissa Sprague "Princess, Scream when you see the man in black so I know he is here." After we became all too cool for REAL barbies we went to the computer. It was much more edgy and challenging.

The gymnastics game was the most fun! It was also so hard. I spent forever trying to push all the right buttons on the keyboard to the master the hardest gymnastic moves.

OF COURSE I always had to beat Riley at THIS game: good ol' Mario Teaches Typing

I remember the days when we had a Super Nintendo. I LOVED the Disney games, especially Aladin. My favorite was the bonus level where you got to ride the magic carpet. That was the only level with Jasmin and you had the awsome opportunity of getting all the sparkling diamonds in the sky. I also always wanted my brothers to get me to the Genie levels because those ones were SO MUCH fun.

Ninja Turtles was a great game because there are four of them and we could all play together. I still remember the day that Bryan DeLay and I beat that game. Most of the time though the nintendo was occupied so I had to play my own little SuperGameBoy. This was my game of choice.

I was OK with the nintendo being occupied by my brothers most of the time because once we got rid of our Super Nintendo and plugged in the N64 things got a little too complicated for me. I mostly just became a cheerleader at that point for Riley and Jace as they saved princess Zelda and beat Bowzer. I did love Animal Farm and Donkey Kong though. Especially this girl...

 

She was so little and I felt such a kinship with her. She could also fly around all helicopter like with her sweet piggytales. SO cool.















When my brothers were NOT playing the nintendo and the TV was free I would watch THIS...over and over and over and over and over....

Also: Remember THESE precious little gems from my childhood?

Most of my days were spent karate chopping around the house at Kimberly the Pink Ranger with Jace as my trusty Red Ranger buddy.



When the Olsen twins were not blasting from my boom box I was listening to one of these four groups...

Not everything about my childhood was technological. I LOVED my little books. Some of my favorite where THESE ones.

And when I got a little bit older...

If you had several pairs of these you were about as classy as you could possibly get...

The bigger the bow, the brighter the scrunchie, the better...

The most adorable thing you could wear as a little girl was a jump suit that your aunt Kelle made you...

So here's to the 1990's, Friends. This was quite possible the best area in the history of all time. When you could wear as much neon as you wanted...when Mr. Roger was everybody's neighbor...when Reading Rabbit was the most exciting thing at school and Recess was the most exciting TV show at home...when the words Disney Princess actually meant something...when 'Cabbage Patch' was not a place where you went to pick cabbage...when "Good Burger" was a place where Kenon and Kell worked.

I was talking to my big brother last night and he was telling me that he is in charge of Ward Prayer, so he came up with these little get to know you sheets for everyone to fill out. One of the questions he put on the sheet was "If you were a Care Bear, what would your name be and what sign would you have on your stomach?" People responded with answers such as "I am not a bear." "Why would I have a sign on my stomach if I were a bear?" and "What are you talking about?" This is seriously sad.

Yay for awesome childhoods.

"Surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful."

I love conference. The end. It is SO inspiring and uplifting and wonderful. It is the best Holiday of the whole year. I do mean "Holiday" because it is one of the four days a year I actually get off : D My favorite talk was from Elder Jeffery R. Holland.

I like this talk for many reasons. I think it is something most people in the church and outside of the church need to hear. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we often refer to ourselves as the first in the Vineyard; the first ones hired. This is true! We have so many blessings. We were born in the dispensation of times and we have the fullness of the gospel. I think it can be applied alone to those already inside of the church as well. There are varying degrees inside the church.

At the time of conference I was feeling a little bit like those waiting along the streets of Jerusalem for work until the later hours of the day. There are unanswered prayers and blessings that I feel like I deserve and am qualified for, but can't seem to make happen in my life. At times I feel like saying "HEY! Why was he hired instead of me? I have been standing here longer and I am a better worker and I need work too! What is so special about him that he was chosen for the job?"

This is such a sweet reminder that the Lord will never leave us alone in the end. We may have to wait until the 11th hour...and the 59th minute...but he WILL provide.

As Elder Holland was speaking I pictured the Savior going into the city to hire workers in the morning and the early hours of the day, knowing that he could only hire a certain number. He must have been heartbroken to see all the faces of those looking for work that he could not take with him at that time. Their eyes must have pleaded with him to give them a job. I  know that feeling because I went down to the conference center to try and find a ticket for the Saturday afternoon session because my district of missionaries was singing in the choir. The scriptures don't say this, but I can imagine it because it is a nice thought, but I think that he would have told them with tear filled eyes, "Don't worry. I will come back. Wait here for me. I promise I will be back for you." He may have come and gone several times, but in the end they were all taken care of.  He will come back for you.

I love this quote:  I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines...His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there.

You're So Vein

A good friend sent me this video and said that it reminded her of me.

Apparently I am in good company (with Miss Glinda the Good herself), because I have the same problem. Don't try to deny it. The proof is in the pictures.

HAHAHA! Now all you will ever see when you look at pictures of me is a vein. That's OK. Apparently you need them to live. They take blood to your heart or something important like that ; ) 

I also have a bit of a lisp - and sometimes when I don't where my contacts a lazy eye. I honestly remember watching the video from when I was in the Jr. Miss Pageant and suddenly bursting into tears because I realized that I have a lisp...and a giant vein that divides my face in half. Don't laugh. It was a very traumatic moment at the time. Welcome to being yourslef, Katelyn Michael. I think I had been living in denial for 17 years of my life. 

The point is - everyone has things that they wish they could change about themself. There are two types of imperfections: The ones that you can change and make better and the ones that you cannot because that is the way you are genetically programed to be. If you are bitter and upset about the things that you CAN change, you are foolish because you can change them! If you are bitter and upset about the things that you cannot change, you are foolish because you cannot change them. 

This is true of everything in life, not just physical attributes. I was talking to a friend last night about how almost one year later - yes, I am openly admitting online that next month I will reach my one year home form the mission mark, I still feel awkward at times. Not that I want to be in the mission field or am stuck in the mission, although I do miss it dearly. I just have never felt as put together and on top of things and in control as I did before my mission. 

I think it is because I have been stuck in a constant phase of transitioning - transitioning from the mission field to being home, transitioning from home back to BYU, trying to transition into Grad School and work. It has never stopped. I think I came to a life changing epiphany last night: the imperfections of life never go away once you become an adult. The transitions never stop. That is what life is: A constant phase of transitioning and dealing with trials and imperfections. 

I heard the following quote form Gordon B. Hinckley years ago. It says...

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.


"Life is like an old-time rail journey — delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."


At first I thought to myself, WHAT A DEPRESSING THOUGHT! President Hinckley was an eternal optimist. How can he think like that? Now, years later, I realize how truly prophetic his words are. The scriptures tell us that we are meant to have joy, but that is all eventual. Along the way we will have a lot of hard times. The gospel is meant to help us through the hard times, and not to take them away. 


We are not meant to live in ignorance and be happy go lucky like I was before my mission. We are here to experience things and go through trials. I guess we should all just accept that and move on and help each other. Happiness is not living trial or stress free. It is knowing that even in your trials God loves you and everything will be alright in the end. Come what may love and love it, right? 

Of Nuns and Gospel and All Things Awesome...

I think I am going to take a social dance class next semester before I graduate. Wouldn't that be fun? I want to be able to DANCE. I want to shake my thang like little miss Gladys Knight...

She is so cool! I wish I had that kind of soul. My dream is to turn on General Conference and see her leading the MOTAB choir in a gospel number. Praises to God as they were meant to be sung! 

Ever since I lived in the south I have fallen in love with Gospel music. It is my favorite. I want to be able to belt it out like miss Lauren Hill does in Sister Act: Back in the habit.  Check it out. 

Speaking of Sister Act: Remember how adorable this is? Besides gospel music, nuns are another fascination of mine. I am not even joking. I think they are the most festive and adorable people ever. Mostly that is because I love Sister Act, The Sound of Music, and The Trouble With Angles...all excellent movies and all about nuns. I am sure real nuns are nothing like they are portrayed in the movies. Still....I would give anything to travel to New York and see Miss Raven Symone in Sister Act on Broadway.

Since I probably won't be able to do that I will just enjoy the movie - and watch Gladys and Dancing with the Stars. I have not been an avid follower of the show in the past, but the season primer on Monday was absolutely AMAZING. Which brings me back to my original point: I want to dance. Look how charming these men are! 

and this adorable little Brit

They are all awesome, right? Might I remind you that this is week one. Yeah. I want to dance like them.

Nostalgia

For some reason my friend and I got to talking the other day about our childhood and she asked me to tell her some stories from when I was a little girl. She didn't actually believe that a place so idealistic as Royal City, Washington and family events so incredible as Sunday nights at Pa and Grandma Jean's house actually exist - mini corn dogs and all. After that conversation my heart just ached to go home. I miss it so much. Spring is such a beautiful time of year on the farm. I will probably not marry a farmer and therefore am doomed to live in the city my entire life, but I am so thankful for my country roots...

This will always be home

They will always be home...

I even miss this place - free soda and gasoline most of all. Which of course, isn't really free. I just am not the one that pays for it. 

Sometimes I even miss this place

I have been so nostalgic as of late. I REALLY miss this place too...

More specifically I miss THIS place... 

AND this place...

Most of all THIS place...

The sad part is I don't think that I am really nostalgic for the actual people or places, although I love them dearly and they may help some. I am nostalgic for times. Times of my past that won't come again.

I want to actually be a little girl running around barefoot in the fields again.

I miss fishing and picking cherries and playing No Bears Are Out Tonight.

I want to be a missionary, sweating bullets in the blasted Houston humidity again.

I miss the thunderstorms and the Southern hospitality, and the beautiful sea of blue bonnets. 

Soon I will be done at BYU and miss the good ol' days of being at The Y. Everyone should just enjoy whatever time of life they are in. It is special and unique and it will never come again. Be happy now and cherish you life where ever you are along the path.