GREAT week! Lots of fun and social things!

So this last week has been really pretty great! I have a huge (our second) pharm test tomorrow (Mon.), but despite that, I've been able to have a really fun, balanced week! Highlights include:

-Institute on Tues--I meet Jenny there (a friend from my ward in Provo), which is fun, and I love our teacher, Bro. Peterson, I always get so much out of his lessons. This week was focused on how it's okay to sin, that we are supposed to, we need to be weak so we can let Christ make us strong. A favorite scripture (now) that a girl shared was 2 Cor 12: 9-10, I believe.

-Soccer game on Wed--I am on our nursing class's intramural soccer team. And no, I've never really played soccer before in my life, other than YW's indoor and in gym class, but it's pretty fun! We usually get creamed, but it's definitely good exercise, and it's been fun to get to know more people in our class that are on the team.

-Swimming with TRAILS on Wed--I am in the ASL cohort in our class (service learning), and the site I got assigned to (my first choice, I feel very lucky) is TRAILS, which stands for Therapeutic Recreation and Independent Lifestyles. It's an activity program for spinal cord injury patients, so mostly paraplegics and quadriplegics. I've only helped at two activities, the kayaking/sailing camp last week, and then swimming this week, and it's been so fun so far. Really eye opening, as far as reminding me I have so much to be grateful for, specifically the use of my legs. This week at swimming I met a girl and her mom that came for the second time (swimming is a weekly activity), and the girl was in a wheelchair. Her mom told me that she had been in a hammock with some friends and it was between two brick pillars, and one of the pillars fell on them, and broke her neck. So she is paralyzed from just below her shoulders, down. She lost the back of her arms, so like her triceps, but she still has her biceps. So she can move her arms some, but her hands are paralyzed as well. She is fifteen years old, and used to play on two soccer teams and ran cross country. The accident happened last May, 2011. She is a beautiful girl, and it is so sad, so devastating to see these people, who have lost so much, and basically have to relearn how to live.
But at the same time, it is so neat to see them make something of their lives, despite their new disabilities. A couple of the participants were in the water doing laps all on their own, with just the use of their arms, it was pretty amazing. One older woman (probably in her fifties or early sixties) was at the same injury level as the young girl I described, and she had been paralyzed for 35 years. She was one of the swimmers doing laps on her own, and she had participated in the paralympics in swimming. Pretty inspiring people.
It certainly makes me grateful for my legs, and that I can use them, walk, run, do anything I want. They inspire me to use my legs more, to get out and exercise, to run, which is not my favorite thing to do. Because I know if I couldn't, I would probably give anything to be able to again.

-Shopping with Mom on Friday. She wanted to go to Kohl's, and she still doesn't drive herself, with her back and all, so she wanted me to take her. So I did, and she got a ton of stuff, and let me get some stuff too, which was super nice of her. So we both have all these new clothes, and it's so fun! Plus it was fun to shop with her. By the end she was not doing so good, she was in pain, and came home and laid down. But she's okay.

-Ward temple trip to Oquirrh Mtn.--honestly, one of the reasons I decided early in the week to go with the ward is I was hoping David Hall would be going too. I really want to get to know him better, especially since apparently he isn't dating anyone anymore. Sadly, he didn't go. But it was a great experience. Travis Hunsaker, from back in the Glenwood days, was there, going with his girlfriend, Rebecca, who is in the ward. I hadn't seen him since before I left on my mission, so it was so fun to see and catch up and reminisce with him. I rode with the two of them, as well as Rebecca's roommate, Nisha. She is darling, about to go on a mission, and is a nurse! So it was so great to talk about nursing, and missions and get to know her. Then at the temple I met another girl and guy, Julia, and John, who are also dating. Julia sat by me in RS today, she is fun to talk to, really nice.

-Church was really great today, as seems to be the case nearly every week, and just gets better each week. And when I say it's good, it's actually mostly because of the social aspect. Is that bad? I mean I love church and the Gospel, and things of the Spirit, but I love to be social, so when the social aspect of an activity is good, the whole activity is great. And each week I get to know more people, so church is getting more and more enjoyable. That's normal, right?
Today I got there just a couple min late (same as most weeks, sadly..), sat near the end of a bench in the back. Then this guy who was later than me sat by me on the end. I bore my testimony, which actually always seems to make church awesome, the weeks that I ever do. But after Sac. Mtg. he complimented me on it, and we got to know each other some. His name is Dave, and he is an accountant/auditor for Questar. He graduated a couple years ago with his masters, so I'm thinking he is about 27 ish. He was really nice, and good build, tall, built, which is great. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
Then after Sac. Mtg. I chatted with my new friend, Erin. She is in the PA program at the U. I met her my first Sunday, and we were both about to start school the next day. So we keep tabs on each other, if we are surviving, and give updates. She apparently has to take the exact same pharm class that I'm in now, same curriculum, so I was warning her about it today..ha. She is great, really cute girl. She left after we chatted though, she said she had too much studying to do, which I thought was too bad, that she would leave church to go study.
I sat in my normal (well, it is becoming my normal) spot, back row, second seat in. Rudy came in a few min later and sat next to me, on the end by the door. This is often his normal spot. We sat like this last week too. He is a cool guy, looks middle eastern almost, although today I would say he just looks really tan maybe. He's from Lubbock, TX, and is in grad school here at the U. He asked to be reminded of my name after the opening prayer today, and I was flattered that he remembered me and wanted to remember my name. He and I will joke a little during lessons sometimes (I say that like we have sat together in SS for ages, ha), and then after it was over today, I initiated conversation and we chatted for a few min. He is really fun to talk to, just really chill, really mature, but fun, guy. He is pretty petite, for my usual liking in a guy, but he's really cool. He always wears these huge brown boots under his pretty-fitted khaki pants. He's really scruffy and wears glasses, but he has really white teeth (I was noticing today). He's an attractive person, greatly because of his personality and the comments he makes in SS. But he's pretty good looking too. I don't think he's the one, too small, but it would be really fun to go out with him or hang out, become good friends. I was thinking today during SS, and laughed about it, that I know Sally would support the idea. She's all about inter-racial marriages. She thinks I should marry a Polynesian, because they are big.:)
I also sat behind Rebecca, from the temple trip yesterday, and she and I chatted some before SS started. She's really nice, I like her.
Then after SS, in RS, I went and sat behind Kristin (I forget her last name), who is so so nice. She was my first (and only that I can remember) friend when I went to that ward after my mission, when I was so awkward..she was so sweet to me. We got to chat for a min, and then cute Jamie Walker came over and sat by me to talk. She told me it had been a while since she had seen me, and how had I been? I thought that was so sweet to realize that, and to ask. She is darling, so gorgeous, and so kind. I got a calling last week, RS activities committee, which means I will be working under Jamie, which I was so excited to hear. I just love her. So we chatted for a few min, about what we had been doing. Then Liz Stitt came over to join, which was fun, she's always fun to have around. Slightly corky, but I love her.:)
Then left, and Julia, that I met at the temple yesterday, came and sat by me, like I said. So RS was great. Much socializing going on, which I love.
Then I headed upstairs to go get set apart. I was really glad for the excuse to stay after church, so as to get to know more people, maybe run into David Hall... on the way up I passed by Danny, this kid I met in SS last week. He comes to the same class I go to, the smaller one upstairs, and he sat on the other side of me last week (as Rudy). So I met him then. He's a fun kid. I passed by him and we made eye contact, and I was like, "How's it goin?" and then as I was almost turned the corner right there, he was like, "what was your name again?" or something, and I told him, but I was so flattered that he wanted to remember my name too. Gosh. He seems really fun too. He's always making comments and volunteering answers in SS. Also a little on the smaller build side. Bummer. These small guys, it's too bad.
Then as I went up, there was quite the line for the Bishop, so I hung out for a while. But eventually Jamie and Wendy came up, and we were all chatting about fasting, which was what the RS lesson was on, that Jamie taught. Liz chatted with us after a while, and then Jamie and Wendy left and Liz, Sam, and Carolyn? and I chatted (I just met the latter two right then). As we were all hanging out there, and I am sitting at the top of the stairs, who happens to walk up those same stairs by David Hall. The one and only. We looked at each other as he walked up and I smiled at him, a fairly big smile, I felt like. I didn't say anything, I think I may have been in the middle of talking with someone or something. But he smiled at me too, and that was fun.:)
I also talked to Amy Wilson for a min there as I waited for my turn. That was good too, talked about how Laurie is doing (she had Hodgkin's Lymphoma). She's doing well.
That was about it. I had to walk past David as I went in to be set apart, and again as I came out, but no words were exchanged. I feel like we could comfortably have a conversation at any time though.:)
Another thing though, there is this guy in the ward, who I guess is the new EQ pres, but his name is Nick Anderson, and he has struck me as someone I would really like to get to know. He seems quiet, but a great guy. I may or may not have facebook stalked him once before, and then again today. He's my kind of cute, has a really great smile. Seems to like outdoors, is a good build (even better than David, David is slightly on the thin side, but doable.). Anyway, I kept seeing him go by as I was waiting there by the Bishop's office, so he was on the mind. Plus, a couple Sundays ago when I asked Liz Stitt about David, and she told me he's dating someone, she then mentioned this same Nick Anderson, and asked if I knew him, and said, "You should get to know him. You really should get to know him." It was interesting. But I certainly wouldn't mind.
Anyway, now I'm home, and I've done my scripture study and now I'm writing in my journal, and it's a great sunday!

So yeah, been a great week. The thing is though, that I really think it's because I read and studied my scriptures more diligently this week than I have. I put scripture study more at the top of my priority list each day, to either read my scriptures before I did homework, or as soon as I got home or so. I also actually studied them more than just read them this week. I chose a study topic to study almost every day, and studied by topic, and it was so much more enjoyable than just reading! Well, reading is enjoyable too, but if that's all you do, which has been mostly all I would do for the last while, scripture study becomes kind of boring and just a thing to check off the list. But it's been so enjoyable to study by topic, and I've gotten so much out of it, I've been taking notes and everything.
So that, and just putting the Lord first in general, I truly believe, has made such a difference. I could've used the time to study both times, but two days this week I went to Institute, and to the temple, and for a session. And that is what I bore my testimony on today actually, that when we put the Lord first, He makes time in our lives for us to get done what we need to, especially when we are so busy. And I'm so grateful for that testimony. I did a lot of things this week, but I really tried to put the Lord first and include Him and things of the Spirit in my busy schedule, and it worked out really well, combined with the better scripture study. I was so blessed, and on top of that, I had such a fun, balanced week! I decided I need that, I need to do things. It keeps me more mentally and emotionally healthy and happy. It was a great week.:)