For the longest time... whoooooooaaaa...

I thought I would give a quick update. I keep meaning to write a nice long post, and then find something else that needs getting done. But things are going great here in Tallahassee. The past few weeks have been interesting. I'm not sure I could have anticipated the types of experiences I would have here.

My classes are everything I could hope for. Each project we're assigned is a delight, and no exaggeration. Last week I had to make an MP3 player using Flash animation. From design to programming, the Wednesday I spent on the project was enormously relaxing. The rain was pouring outside, giving my room the dawn-like, soft morning glow that hits the sky just before the sunrise colors break the horizon.

I've always loved the rain. When I was a little girl I rearranged my room so that my bed was flush against the large double window in my bedroom just so I could watch the thunder showers. I always felt safe in our house, but I would get the biggest thrill watching the pine tree outside my window sway as though it would snap in two from the wind. Curled up with a good book... such is an ideal day for a Ventura. We're kind of nerds. I think we're okay with that.

All else seems to be going well. I mentioned earlier it had been interesting. I'm a bit private and the idea of bearing my soul for all the internet to see doesn't really appeal to me. But suffice it to say, I'm pleased with how I've handled things. I've never been one prone to melancholy. A day or two of feeling sorry for oneself is more than enough. I've noticed, too, that when I'm down I like to bake, particularly if it means inviting people over to enjoy what I've baked. It's both productive and gives me the opportunity to lift someone else's spirit. For that reason I'm terribly grateful for two parents that taught me how to truly enjoy food: for and in the company of others.

Conference, of course, was wonderful. The dear institute director provided a dutch oven lunch for all the YSAs between the Saturday sessions. He made everything himself (except for the rolls) and it was delicious! Dessert was a blackberry cobbler... there was a bit of difficulty staying awake during the second session after such a satisfying meal. Brother B (our institute director) had his whole family there and upon his suggestion I ran to the local CVS to pick up some playing cards. He, a few of his kids, and some of the other YSAs played Scum for a good while before the second session. Brother B. is extremely competitive... but was still the Scum (if you haven't played... well, if you're the Scum you're LOSING). Needless to say the smack talk was flying at that table!

One aspect of conference that I've found both interesting and uplifting is the balance that seems to strike amongst the talks. Some talks seem to be the swift kick in the pants I think we all sometimes need while the next may be the Balm of Gilead we were also seeking. In the course of one session you feel the extremes of both. In everything I think it's a testament to how much the Lord loves each of His children; how deeply He desires us to just do the right things and return to live with Him, and still how intrinsically He knows our aches and pains.

A good weekend and a good week ahead. I'll try and do better posting. :-)

Word.

I saw this on my sister's blog. Ha, ha, I agree!

Your Word is "Think"

You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations. And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in. You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now. When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.

What's Your Word?

Thankful

My favorite definition (courtesy of Webster): Impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it; grateful.

I have been infintely blessed in my life, to which I will be eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for the life He has given me. In no particular order, I am most grateful for:

-My parents: for teaching me to love reading and learning, for teaching me the gospel and loving it, for listening, for calling at random times
-My big brothers: for being protective, but not necessarily wanting to admit it
-My big sisters: for setting such beautiful examples of what I want to be
-My brothers-in-law: for being amazing to my sisters, being such wonderful fathers to my nieces and nephews, and giving me hope that there are honrable, preferably available, men out there...
-Good friends
-Books, reading, the smell of a new book, the smell of an old favorite, the excitement of a new story, the cozy familiar of an old story, the beauty of the right words in the right place at the right moment, the clever dialogue, the well-placed joke, and the never-ending joy I get when I have time to enjoy it all!
-My laptop
-My notebook, pens and paper, lists, Sharpies, Crayola Crayons and Markers, dry erase boards
-hobbies, crocheting, sewing, crafting, writing random thoughts, blogging, reading the news, watching the news, debating topics with good friends
-being easy going: this is kind of random, but I usually don't get worked up about stuff. I get along with just about anyone (there have been some very few EXTREME exceptions, one of which I'll blog about later because it's just too funny to keep to myself). I enjoy being in a diverse group. Last night I had the pleasure of enjoying such a group over the longest game of Settlers of Catan I have ever played in my life (4 hours). All ages, backgrounds, and differing viewpoints. We laughed a lot and just generally enjoyed each other. I've met people over the years that just can't get along with certain types of people, girls who didn't get along with roommates, etc. What a miserable way to live!
-the internet, facebook, Google in all its awesomeness, the fact that I can still access the BYU library from Tallahassee, online news access
-Adobe: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash Animation, Dreamweaver, seriously, how cool is this technology that is at our fingertips? How lucky/blessed are we to live in such a time!
-the ability to write well, quickly, and, strangely, better when under pressure
-Photography, my camera, still moments of life
-my cousins and their blogs: growing up in GA I didn't have much contact with my cousins in UT and over the past year or so it has been sucha blast to reacquaint myself with them through their blogs :-)
-my grandparents, my heritage, their stories, their lives, their memories, their hugs and kisses, their homes, their food, their children
-... and surely many more things that I have failed to mention!