Stuck in a Rut?

Lately, I have lacked motivation big time.  I don't know what it is, I'm stuck in a rut.  I miss my family and friends. I wake up in the morning, and it feels like I haven't slept all night.  I go to work, and I can't wait to get home.  I cook dinner, but I look for the fastest ways to do all of these things.  You know what I am lacking?  Passion.  For everything.  I don't know if it's just me, but this happens to me every now and again, and I have to evaluate what I am doing and what needs to change, and when I do, suddenly all is right in the world again.  You see, I know that I have no one to blame but myself.  I've let myself get lazy and complacent.  It's something that I fall into easily.  Patterns that I get into and it takes me awhile to realize just what I am doing to myself.  So, here's a few things that I know I need to change, and while I'm still struggling to get myself out of this rut, I've noticed some huge changes in the way that I feel since I've been doing them.  If you find yourself in a similar situation, may I suggest that you do a few of these things as well!

• Do something you love. Simple enough, right?  Wrong.  So often we get caught up in the things that we have to do, and we forget to make time for the things that we like to do.  For me, these activities include reading, enjoying nature, and creating something, whether it be a painting, something for my home, or a pretty meal, they make me happy.  
• Get Physical.  Something we all can do more of.  I got so caught up in work this summer, and I'm embarrassed to say my workout regimen was almost nonexistent.  Sometimes we fall off the wagon, and that's okay!  Everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days... yeah. That just happened.  I quoted Hannah Montana, loud and proud. Anyway, exercise doesn't have to be running 3 miles and lifting weights.  There are so many forms of exercise that you can do, and I promise you can find something you love.  Here are some things I love to do, and you might too.  Yoga is a great way to sculpt, tone, burn fat, etc.  I absolutely love Yoga!  And no, it is not easy, pretty much anyone who has taken a class will tell you that.  Rock Climbing is also a great form of exercise.  And it is so much fun!  Hiking, biking, swimming, (laps of course.  Walking in a pool isn't really exercise) dancing, tumbling, etc.  These are all great forms of exercise, and they don't require going to a gym ore even spending lots of money on memberships.  Find something you love to do, and then do it a lot!
• Sleep.  Something we all need more of, amirite?!  Jason and I are total night owls.  We love to stay up late and watch movies together.  It is so bad for your health when you don't get enough sleep!  So, Jason and I have been making a goal to go to bed at 11 every night, and so far it has made a huge difference.  I know 11 isn't early to some people, but for us it is!  Baby steps.  Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.  That is the absolute truth.  If you can get into a good sleeping habit, it will make all the difference in the world.  
• Drink water.  I may be the only person who has trouble doing this, but I have a feeling that I'm not.  A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in half, and that's how many ounces you should be drinking per day.  If you're working out a lot, you're going to need more than that.  It's so important to be well hydrated, and I'm sure we've all heard this a million times, so I wont bring up the millions of statistics and articles about the importance on this topic.  Just drink water, okay?  
• Serve others.  I would be lying if I said I am perfect at this, and most of the time if I am assigned to visit someone or help somebody I don't know, my first thought is, why me? I don't have time for this. blah blah blah, selfish selfish selfish.  However, every single time I serve someone else and get outside myself, I feel so grateful and humbled and put in my place.  That is what life is about, guys.  This week I had the opportunity to visit some investigators with the sister missionaries, and I cannot tell you the light and joy that it brought me.  I was able to see people changing, their testimonies beginning to grow, and their happiness was evident.  I was so touched, and I felt like a big jerk because of my attitude before I went.  Luckily, life is about learning and growing, and I think I learned my lesson.  

Since I have been doing these things, I have noticed the hugest difference in the way I feel, in the amount of time I have in the day and how much I am able to accomplish, and ultimately, my happiness.  There's always room to improve and grow, and these are simple ways in which I have improved in my own life, and I'm grateful that we are always given the chance to improve ourselves for the better.  Namaste.  Can you tell I've been really into Yoga lately?  I'm curious, what things have you done to increase motivation and happiness in your life?

P.S.  We are getting a dog.... and I couldn't be more excited!!!  

Independence Day

This fourth of July was one for the books.  It was the first time Jason and I were able to celebrate it together, so that made it so special for me!  Last year, we were doing the whole long distance thing.  This year, we had planned to go to the beach, but since there was a hurricane headed straight for us, we decided to spend our fourth somewhere else.  We decided to go to Ashville.  It is about 3 hours away from Charlotte, and we both have been wanting to go there since we moved here.  Why Ashville, you ask?  Well, it is the home of the Vanderbilt Mansion, or otherwise known as the Biltmore Estate.  Anyone who loves art, history, nature, architecture, culture, etc. would absolutely love visiting the Biltmore!  I highly recommend it to anyone.

We spent all day looking around, and we were even mischievous and slinked into parts of the house that weren't for public viewing.... oops!  Really, I don't feel bad about it at all though... I'm the most curious little thing there ever was.  One time I was visiting Nauvoo and we were in Lucy Mack Smith's house, and I opened a drawer in her bedroom and I found a falling apart, hand written journal!  I was so excited!  I showed my Dad and he told me not to touch it, then he told the ladies who worked in the house and they sounded alarmed and they took care of it... ahhhh I just wanted to read it so badly!  I'm too curious for my own good.  Anyway, they didn't let us take pictures of the inside of the house, but the furniture and the art is absolutely gorgeous.  There was still clothing in the closets, and I was in heaven.  The library?  Don't even get me started on the library!  It is filled with thousands of first edition books that are hundreds of years old, and they were like... the prettiest books that I've ever seen!  Picture the library on Beauty and the Beast, only better.  And did I mention it is the largest home in the U.S?  If ever you get the chance to go to the Biltmore, GO!  Jason and I had such a great time!

After we were done with the inside of the house, we explored the gardens and the grounds, and then we went to the winery and they had free wine tasting!  Cool right?  Except we don't drink.... Luckily for us, they had fresh squeezed grape juice, so we took advantage of that.  We sat in the park and people watched, and everytime I saw a dog, I ran over to pet it.  It was just such a good day.  Then we went to dinner at Cedric's and we were able to sit out on the patio of the restaurant and watch the fireworks that the Biltmore puts on every year.  It was so magical.  I love America so much, and I am so incredibly blessed to live here!  On Sunday at church when we sang the National Anthem, it brought tears to my eyes as I thought of our history and those who came before us.  So many people have sacrificed for our freedom, and there aren't words to describe my gratitude for them!  If I know anything, I know that this is truly a blessed land, and that we are in fact, "one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all."  I love my country.  God Bless the U.S.A.

Smart Phones, Dumb People

As all of you know, I moved from Utah to North Carolina last week.  I haven't even been here for a full week yet, but my loneliness is apparent to me.  I am not an introvert, so being alone isn't my most favorite thing in the world.  I gain my energy from people, friends, family, conversation.  These are the things that I live for, the things that keep me going.  I had a complete breakdown the other day, and I could tell Jason's thoughts were.... 'uh.... what do I do?' haha it was like a cry fest, guys.  The waterworks were on, and they weren't stopping, no matter how hard I tried!  You know how when you're really emotional, but you're composed, and someone asks you "what's wrong?" or shows the slightest amount of sympathy for you, and you just lose it?  That's exactly how it was.  Even though I'm sure Jason felt a little helpless and confused by my sudden sob attack, he was sweet and comforted me and helped me feel better.  I'm so grateful for a supportive and loving husband! I'm also especially grateful for some of my close friends that have helped me immensely, and they don't even know it.  My dear friends Sarah and Kirsten have helped me a lot as I've been out here, whether it be a phone call or a quick text checking up on me, their support has been so appreciated, and it's little things like that, that make a world of difference.  They are so sweet and caring, and they are so helpful because they've both been here before.  They have both felt this loneliness, and they have been genuinely concerned about me.  Personal connection and authenticity is something that we are beginning to lose as a society, but I'm glad to say that I have friends and family that haven't lost that.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how truly flat social media is when it comes to the deep relationships that I have gained over the years.  I never noticed how much my phone has been hindering my relationships until I came out here. Between Jason being gone all day and me not having a job yet, and not knowing a soul out here in North Carolina, I have spent a lot of time on my phone (and at Target.) Me being on my phone is nothing new to North Carolina, it's been in the works since I even got a cell phone. I've become so reliant on social media to keep me entertained, that I have missed opportunities to get to know someone, to get outside myself, and see the beauty around me, all because I'm too focused on my cell phone.  It's a serious problem that I have failed to recognize, but it's real, and I'm guessing that most of you can relate. 

Remember when you were a little kid, and the first thing you did when you got home from school was rush outside to play with your friends?  When sitting at home was the most boring thing in the world and the question your mom heard about 100 times in the hour that you had nothing to do but watch T.V. was, "I'm bored mom!"  When you and your friends would go on adventures, get into trouble, and the neighbors always called your parents and told them how rotten you were being?  When the only games you could play were Uno, go-fish, and the ones that you made up with your friends?  This is the childhood that I remember.

Remember these guys?  Was your childhood something similar to theirs?  I know that mine was.  These kids are much different from the kids today.  Where did it all change?  It all started with Nintendo, and it has only declined from there.  Technology has over-run everyone, including children.  As I walk through the grocery store, instead of siblings annoying the heck out of their mom and running around the grocery store pretending to shoot guns, I see children sitting on their individual ipads, or even worse, their very own cell phones.  Sure, their mom can get her grocery shopping done much easier with quiet, well behaved children, but where is their childhood?  They are losing it.  They are losing it to games, social media, fake friends.  And what do they do when they get home?  They sit and watch T.V. and play more games.  Year after year I notice the decline in children playing outside, and it breaks my heart!  I remember being a kid and being able to run outside if I had nothing to do, and BAM!  Instant friends and instant fun.  We used our imaginations, we played games, we had social skills.

Now we are seeing more of this:

And less of this.

Adults aren't much better either.  

Instead of talking with one another, we exclude ourselves from people and conversation, and we converse online.  We're constantly looking at our phones, and we fail to see the endless opportunities surrounding us.  We fail to see the beauty in the world.  We fail to make those most important to us, feel important.  Lets turn it around, because in reality, we are both the problem and the solution.

Lets make our lives look more like this:

"We're becoming a generation of idiots: smart phones, and dumb people." I watched this incredible video this week that describes my feelings perfectly, I honestly couldn't have said it better myself.  After watching this video, Jason and I made a pact that we were going to put our phones away, and live in the moment.  I hope that you all take the advice in this video like I have. Our phones are meant to be our servants, not our masters. When you watch this video, I'm sure it will make you want to "look up."

What a Wonderful World

T minus 2 days until I'm a Mrs.  Can you believe it?!  I can't.  It feels like just yesterday that I was playing on the playground with my classmates, and the only thing I had to worry about in the world was whether or not my dress would flip up over my head while playing red rover.  And no, that analogy was not made up... It actually happened.  To this day, I fear tripping in dresses.  Anyway, as far as life goes, time flies.  It's a beautiful and terrible thing, time.  One minute you're just a little kid, and the next minute you're an adult.  Sometimes I mourn my childhood being over, because my childhood was amazing.  I have 6 brothers who I have grown up with and they have been by my side through everything!  They have always had my back.  I also have 2 parents who have adored me and taken care of me my whole life.  They have been there for me through thick and thin.  That makes for a wonderful childhood.  Since it was my birthday on Monday, here's a little birthday throwback.. enjoy.

Now that I am grown (kind of), I reflect back on my life, both the bad and the good, and I think to myself, in the words of Louis Armstrong, "what a wonderful world!"  I only hope that one day, when I bring children into this world, I can teach them all that my parents have taught me, and I can provide a beautiful childhood for them, like my parents did for me.  I hope that they are best friends with their siblings, the way that I am with mine, and that no matter what they are going through, they know that they can talk to Jason and I, and that we are always on their side.

I don't mean to get too mushy, but I am so incredibly grateful for this world that we live in, and that God cared enough for all of us, to make it so beautiful.  Life isn't perfect, I know that as much as anyone else, and sometimes life kind of stinks, but one thing that holds true: we are incredibly blessed.  Every. Single. One of us.  No matter what we may be going through, no matter the heart ache and hardships, when we count our blessings it is incredibly humbling to realize just how lucky we are, and how much good there is in our lives.  Speaking of good in our lives, did you guys know I'm getting married in 2 days?  Yeah, pretty sure everyone knows.

This week has been absolutely crazy in preparation for the wedding!

Last weekend, Jason and I moved all our things into our own little space, and after hours and hours of hard work, we finally made it a little place to call our temporary home.  I love it!  And so does Jason.  We have watched way too many episodes of F R I E N D S this week, now that we have our own little entertainment center and the comfiest couch that there ever was!  Everything is a work in progress, but here's a picture of our bedroom so far.  I love it, and I can't wait to continue to add to it!

Also, Each of us had our Bachelor/Bachelorette parties.  I wont go into detail about mine, but it was so much fun!  I got some amazing things from my dearest friends, and I'm so grateful to my lovely Nikki, Shydi, and Caitlyn for throwing me such a fun party.  My mother-in-law Mary also threw a shower for me with all of Jason's side of the family.  I'm going to highlight one gift that Jason's grandma, Dixie, got for us.  Guys!  She got us a Dyson Ball!  I'm obsessed with it.  The first thing I did when I got home was vacuum the entire house, and can I just say, the hype about this vacuum is true.  Go get one.  They are incredible!  Also, can I just say, I'm marrying into an amazing family?!  Working in a salon, I have heard countless stories about people's in-laws.  To say the least, I was terrified to get in-laws!  My in-laws are amazing, and I am so blessed to be able to say that.

My Birthday kick started this week, and Jason was so sweet to me.  The day started as any other.  I went to school, ran some errands, and went home.  Jason told me to be ready by 7:30, so at 7:30, Jason came to get me, and he took me to Thanksgiving Point for dinner.  Then, he blindfolded me and marched me all over the place!  I looked absolutely ridiculous... Picture me in a dress and heels with a pink skull blindfold over my eyes, and me tripping all over the place.  Now picture Jason letting go of my arm and laughing and taking pictures of a little defenseless me.  It was a good time.  He walked me around for what seemed like forever And finally, he took my blindfold off.  When I too my blindfold off, standing there were some of my best friends from hair school.  They were holding a cake with candles and a million gifts for me.  They then read me a list of "22 favorite single Sheree moments."  It was hilarious and touching and I cried a little bit.  Jason is so thoughtful and caring to have helped plan this little mini party, and I was so grateful for all of my friends.

Another key moment this week was yesterday.  Yesterday I did something monumental in my life.  I went to the LDS Mount Timpanogos Temple.  It was beautiful and sacred and amazing and utterly indescribable.  It was so lovely to be there with my parents, Jason, and Jason's Dad and step Mom.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

As this week comes to a close, and my wedding day gets nearer, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  As I open this next chapter of my life, I am so excited to be sharing my life with Jason, and I am so grateful for the wonderful life that I have lived thus far.  To end, I just want to say, "what a wonderful world!"

 Also, look how cute Jason is!  I want a puppy...