4.5

the number of times i have caught a bouquet at a wedding.

first time: at linn therese and rolf henden's wedding in 2002 (? - can't exactly remember the year)

second time: at maria and christoffer andersen's wedding in 2007

third time: at cecilia and åsmund wie's wedding in 2009

third and a half time: at ariel and steve martin's wedding in 2010 (shared w lynne)

fourth and a half time: at rachelle and brad tilley's wedding in 2010

so there you have it. 5.5 is the charm???

happiness?

i am no longer the owner of empty boxes, clothes/jewelry i don't wear, or outdated receipts and various documents.

my thanksgiving break was delightful. here's what i did on my mental list:

gym – exercised in my apt. so it counts. kinda.

temple – not during official break, but since i was still on break yesterday it also counts. kinda.

(and boy am i glad i went then... read more in a future blogpost)

clean – every single room (well, the ones we spend time in) in our apt was cleaned.

organize – yes yes yes!!! every single thing i own was organized, and it took all break. worth it!

read – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (book and movie - true story worth knowing)

tv/movies – basically watched seasons 1-4.5 of the office. laughed out loud multiple times a day.

walks – biked to the store once and thought my face was going to freeze off, so no.

thanksgiving meal – chicken breast (huge, so lasted two days), stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, green beans, rolls, and homemade pumpkin pie. delicioso.

sleep – thankfully yes. a lot.

did i do homework? no. should i have? yes, but no. this break was most needed. for relaxing and feeling good about myself and my life. and rarely does homework do that for me. i feel organized, and that can, and will, help me do my homework for the next two weeks, so i'm good.

do i feel good about myself and my life? or a better question:

am i happy?

for the past little while, or actually most of this semester i have been attending a

looooooooooooooooooooong pity party, with myself as the only attendee. this is never healthy. short pity parties, i have found, can be very healthy. but get on with your life! i have not gotten on with my life, nor do i want to. because guess what? pity parties are more enjoyable than getting on with life. but i have to. i have to choose to be happy.

president uchtdorf gave this talk in the general young women meeting for april 2010 conference. in it he said:

"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life's story will develop."

i am not reacting to my adversity in accordance with the life story i seek after. this reaction belongs in a different life story, someone else's perhaps, but not mine.

so i have a choice. in fact, i have multiple. what all of them are i know not. but i know that my reaction and attitude needs to change.

because i want to be this –––>

happy.

so that's my goal, and i'm working on how to get there.

my conclusion: happiness is a choice. so i'm choosing it.

wow dude.

i used to say this all the time. wowdude. and it's time to start using it again, because wowdude.

average hours of sleep for the past 3.5 weeks: 5 hours (or less)

# of times at the gym: 0

# of times exercising: 3

chocolate eaten: 500 (probably)

times waking up between 4:40 and 6 am: 18

lesson plans written: 22 (with 4 more to go)

i am on the verge of dying. with work, calling, and class assignments i literally have no time to finish everything. don't get me wrong, though, i have LOVED being in the practicum, but oh so glad it's almost over.

there is light at the end of the tunnel! three more days in the practicum, and on tuesday at 9 am starts my week long thanksgiving break! i cannot remember being this excited about something ever. even the fact that AMOS LEE IS COMING TO SLC!!!!! cannot top my excitement for this needed and long-awaited break.

oh, yeah, AMOS LEE IS COMING TO SLC!! feb 1, dani and i are SO there!

back to my thanksgiving break. i'm staying in p-town baby! and although i love and adore my room mates to death, i am welcoming with arm as outstretched as they can get being all alone in our apt. 9 am on tuesday i will come home, and NAP for as long as i want - i don't care if i wake up ay 6 pm and can't fall asleep until 4 am. because, guess what? I CAN!

i have a long mental list of things to do - here are some:

-go to the gym (finally)

-go to the temple

-clean

-go through and organize all my junk

-read

-watch tv/movies

-take walks

-make myself a thanksgiving meal

-oh, and SLEEP!!

and i guess i should work on some school assignments - in fact, i'm planning on doing a little each day. so there it is. the best thanksgiving ever.

in other news, i still check facebook only once a day. i've been watching a lot of my name is earl, but it's funny, so ok. ;)

i wish i had time to come up with more exciting things to report, but i have to get back to lesson planning, so it will have to wait.

until thanksgiving break,

peach out.

image from: http://mychinaconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel.jpg

fave month over.

october. over. weird. today is halloween, and i had to write something - although it has to be short, because i have to sleep. now. actually 6 hours ago. my room mate and i just gave ourselves a bedtime for this week - 11 pm - because it is needed. this past week was my practicum, and it has been the most sleepless week of my life. this cannot happen again.

obviously i'm not a very good blogger, but hopefully that can change sometime soon.

i only check fb once a day, so i feel accomplished in my technology cleansing goal. i could do better on the tv, but sometimes i just want/need to watch my name is earl. :)

my next goal is about nutrition, because i am forced to have a nutrition goal for my health class this week. i think it's basically exercising (any kind) 4/7 days (so that leaves mon-thurs) for me since the class is on thursday. and my prof also gave us a list of eating goals, and i'm supposed to pick one. so anyway, when i look at that, hopefully tomorrow, i will write down my specific goals.

this is good. i like it.

good weekend. good halloween. can't believe it's over.

well. welcome november.

what the hfac happened to fall??

today it snowed.

i don't understand.

one day it was summer, HALF A DAY it was fall, and now it's winter?!?! no.

no. no. no.

anyway, i'll get over it.

also today: i had my first day in the practicum. this means that i spent the day in a 2nd grade classroom, and will be doing it every day for the next four weeks. it was awesome. i was nervous, but then i met the students. and then i wasn't. now i'm just excited. more to come..

my technology cleansing is going well. i have only been on facebook once a day (proud). and on saturday i wasn't even on it at all. :) as for tv.. well, i have to admit i have watched 3-4 episodes of my name is earl. BUT. it's been while i've been eating or doing other things. like cleaning my room. however, i did it before i was done with whatever i had to do. so, it's kinda not ok, but it's kinda ok. i also watched a french movie called the chorus (must see!!) while preparing for my introductory lesson in 2nd grade. and i watched the bodyguard while grading exams for my norwegian class today. so i feel like i'm doing well, but could be doing better. still a couple of more days (or only one?) until a week has passed, so we'll see if i can do better by then.

wow. so much more i want to/need to write about, but it will/have to wait.

as for the snow. i like my winter coat. but i don't like the snow.

image from: http://bozena.typepad.com/im_not_sure_yet/images/2007/12/06/ice.jpg

day one.

tv/movies: none

facebook: once (and what a downer that was - it took me 5 seconds to check that i had no red number in the top left corner)

i'm doing good.

i love tv.

you know those days where you hate everything about your life but when you actually think about it you're just regretting things you've done or haven't done? well, today is one of those days.

i love tv. i have been watching excessive amounts of it since i was a child. tv shows that i have watched every single episode of, or am in the process of completing, include, but are not limited to:

• dawson's creek
• buffy - the vampire slayer
• angel
• prison break
• greek
• glee
• bones
• my name is earl
• the office

this is a problem when i watch tv instead of doing my homework. i have been known to spend 6 hours (or more) in one day on a show. or sometimes a whole night. i have a problem.

i have a tendency to want to escape my own reality and into a fictional one in form of a tv show. (this is way less emo than it sounds btw.) i become obsessed and am the first to admit it. i will never stop, but i can regulate.

i'm trying something here. and it's bearing my soul and some of my inner secrets to the world (more figuratively than literally, since few of the 6 billion people in the world read this). i will make an action plan for myself. the goal is to reach my fullest potential. this is also my reward and motivation. the plan is called: lene=awesome.

no one is perfect, and they won't be in this life. i am included in this, so i shouldn't expect perfection of myself. if i don't succeed (which is not the same as fail btw) i will simply try again. every week i will post a new personal goal and track my success. only one goal at a time, and a week to try and master it. i can do it. (because i'm a strong, independent woman. - name that movie. (twilight))

goal 1: technology cleansing

i will only watch tv or movies when i have done the work i need to do for the day.

i will only check facebook once a day.

starting now.

yes.

fave.

october.

today is october 1st. 1 month ago i started this blog. 6 entries in 1 month is nothing to brag about, so i've decided to be more diligent at blogging. few people read this blog, and the ones that do (at least so far - who knows when i'll catch a break and become a world famous blogger?) are family and friends, so it's ok for me to get a little personal.

and that's exactly what i haven't been. personal. i realized that i am holding back, and that is something i struggle with. opening up. letting people in. and since i want to change this, why not start by sharing a little more of myself here on my blog.

october is my favorite month. the leaves. ah, the colors. the crisp, fresh air is my second favorite part about october, and fall in general. it's still summer weather here in provo so it hasn't really been feeling like fall yet. but i have faith. halloween is just around the corner. ah, halloween! i cannot WAIT!

i used to want to get married in october. once, while in stockholm, and the temple, i went to this outlet mall (kinda) by the temple and i saw a wedding picture of this couple standing on one side of a pond with the photographer on the other side, and the ENTIRE scene surrounding them was filled with red, orange, and yellow trees and leaves. it was breath-taking, and since was my dream wedding picture.

however, now i realize that august is the month for me. reasons will probably be described in the blogpost where i reveal all my wedding plans.

how's that for being more open? clearly i still have a long way to go. but it's been fun. and there's more to come.

so much more.

image from: http://a3.vox.com/6a00f48d098900000100fad6ae7e130005-500pi

halloween.

my favorite holiday. coming up in 32 days. except I will be celebrating it in 30. also. i know my costume. i had to check with another person before i could be certain. just be excited.

so blessed.

i am blessed with the most amazing people in my life. i have a family that loves me and friends that support me. this weekend was very special for me and i was surrounded by loved ones. there are few words, if any, that can describe how much these beautiful people mean to me. i love them more than anything, and sometimes i forget how much. sometimes it hits me how much love i have for the people in my life, and how much i appreciate them. so to anyone of my dear friends reading this, i love you. and i thank you for being in my life.

school=stress

i love school. and i love my major. it's only the third week of the semester, and i already feel i have learned a semester's worth of knowledge. but i love it! most of what i am learning is very fascinating and it's been wonderful to finally study something that applies to what i want to do - teach. not that physical science and civ 201 weren't great classes (i'm being a little sarcastic), but i feel like my college career has a purpose now.

with all this said though, i am a little stressed. there is a lot to do. reading. assignments. and in addition to my demanding classes, i also have my job and my calling. however, don't misunderstand. i am superhappy and

enjoying every day. today i was finally able to update my planner with all the assignments and get an overview of what this semester will bring. that feels good. i feel a little more accomplished.

also. for the first time in the history of lene i plan on getting ahead on my homework this weekend. we shall see.

image from: http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?contractUrl=2&language=enUS&family=creative&p=stressed%20student&assetType=image

i love the law.

still dreaming about the hot fishermen at pike place market, i am fully back in provo - homework and all. more on my seattle adventures to come..

but one thing needs to be mentioned when i still have some rage in me.

monday night, 12 am: sarie (my lovely and beautiful room mate who picked me up from the airport) and i arrived at our place of residence. we wanted to park the car in the parking spot that we (read: sarie) have paid for. but alas we could not. why you ask? oh, just because someone (a girl) had parked IN FRONT OF the ONLY entrance to our parking garage underneath the building!!! really??? i thought to myself. really???? well, i wrote a mean note and put it on the windshield. but then decided that just was just and punishment was in order (in addition to the harsh words on my note), so i called a number, then another, and soon found myself talking to a police officer and a parking enforcement man outside our building.

after a failed attempt, by the police officer, at trying to locate the girl at the address that was connected to the license plate (because she no longer lived there), a phone number was finally obtained and the perpetrator came running in her pj's.

she removed her car, and followed by both law enforcers, drove to her current living abode, where she, i hope, got a hefty fine, and a good ol' "talking to".

sarie and i, one hour after we arrived at home, crawled into bed and slept a measly 5 hours before our 8 o'clock class today.

you might say that we should have just found another parking spot, and let it be. but what kind of message does that send to society? that illegality is ok? no sir, i would never! and the fact that i saw the same red car, with the same brunette circle the block 5 times looking for a parking spot, only enforced my decision of making wrong right.

hello seattle.

a few minutes away from leaving to the airport. going to seattle. carrie foxy here i come! :)

weekend of fun in the city.

image from: http://www.normalityrestored.com/

fall.

so here it is. my first blog post ever. it's september 1, but technically the 2nd. however. a new day (or date) for me doesn't start until i go to sleep and then wake up, so it's september 1. the first day of fall. (because we all know that september is a fall month.) and i thought it appropriate to write my first blog post on the first day of fall, which is my favorite season.

it is the first week of my last fall semester on the byu campus. it is the first semester where i will be teaching in a classroom. it is the first time i am staying in a ward for more than a year. it is the start of the last school year before i will turn 25, and i will officially call myself an adult. i feel like this semester will be fabulous, so i am pretty sure i will have lots of sweet stuff to write about in this blog.

i am excited. :)

image from: http://michiganindia.mibazaar.com/2007/08/fall-colors-blue-ridge-parkway.html