3 letters!!!

So this morning when i awoke, haha, i walked into the kitchen. All of a sudden my eyes were drawn to a white rectangular shape on the counter, when my eyes zoomed in to the center of the shape, i read the name Samantha Bramall. "What?" my head exclaimed, and my heart started pounding as my flew over to the counter, and beheld the truth right before my eyes, two letters from Colten. When i opened one of them, there was actually two in it so really altogether 3 letters. It was pretty--dang--saweet. haha, He is doing very well, he strengthens my testimony just in a letter- what else are missionaries good for? haha. Just kidding. He really is quite an amazing kid though, I knew that before he left, but i realize it more and more everyday now that he is gone. I am so lucky just to have him in my life.

So he eats Bonku, which apparently is some sort of doughy stuff, that you dont chew. And you dip it in nut soup which apparently is really spicy. He is learning to like it i guess though.

Tonight was the Region football game and Tigers took first!!! :) wahoo!

It's crazy how much my life has changed in one year. How much i learned my Senior year, i can't even describe, its unreal. I have changed and grown so much that i feel like i hardly know who i was throughout most of high school. It's for the better, and most of us are always growing up, you can't really grow down, you can stop growing though which some adults definitely do, but like i said most of us are continually growing up and its a good thing, but kinda sad too as we pass through phases of life such as high school. I'm so glad I'm done with it, but it's kinda sad to think that its really done. I like it though, idk life right now for me is just So BitterSweet.

Faith Strong Enough

Good music, Good movies, Good Friends, Great Family, Good uplifting stuff feels so good right? But when a sad day comes along, and we are weakened, what really uplifts? sometimes chocolate. sometimes a girly movie. sometimes re-reading letters that you've recieved...:) haha. sometimes a nice book and a cup of hot chocolate.
However, what about when its a really bad day, or a bad week, or a bad month or even year?
Well, dont forget about a book you might have sitting by your bed. dont forget the knees which you were given to kneel on. I was reading chapter 19 in the relief society joseph smith book ya know, and the chapter is quite inspiring if you ask me, it really made me feel good. Joseph Smith said, "Stand Fast ye Saints of God, hold on a little longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are..."
He also said, "All difficulties which might and would cross our way must be surmounted. Though the soul be tried, the heart faint,and the hands hang down, we must not retrace our steps; there must be decision of character" I loved this because honestly, on that day when we feel like hope is lost, and were so far down there isn't a way back up, know that this is part of life, but you have to choose, make the decision of what kind of character you have, will i choose to stand fast, will I choose to fall to my knees? Will I choose to ask for help with faith strong enough to know i'll recieve it?
Joseph Smith again, " At that time the hearts of the widows and fatherless shall be comforted, and every tear shall be wiped from their faces. The trials they have had to pass through shall work together for their good, and prepare them for the society of those who have come up out of great tribulation, and have wahsed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
As hard as life can be, and trust me so many of you have gone through things that completely surpass what i've had to deal with in my life, but its only making each of us stronger. If we will make the choice to decide who we are, who we can become, and whether or not we will use the help already given to us by our Heavenly Father we will be made strong.
quotes are from "Teachings of Presidents of the church- Joseph Smith"

I dont know, i dont wanna sound preachy, but i had to write what i've learned this week, and whats the use in a blog if you can't read someones and maybe feel a little light spark within you.

Good News

Yesterday i got a tape and two letters from colten!!!!!!!! ya i freaked out. he sounds so different, but still so good. haha. So as of right now i'm on cloud 1500 haha. He is doing so good. Everything is just good idk, haha. ill blog more later. ta ta for now.

NO SLEEP

so yesterday, i went to the doctor and did not get any fun news at all. First of all, question, how would it make you feel if your doctor looked at your throat and looked away saying "oh girl..." shaking his head. Also, if he is doing a scoliosis check and feels your back and says "whoa!" not good. Also when he tells you you have to get 4 shots in your neck and shoulder. Not good. Not a real happy day yesterday. thanks to the shots and their soreness and my sick to my stomach feeling from just drinking freakin lemonade, i slept approximately 2-3 hours last night. ya. staring at the ceiling gets boring, and still doesn't make you fall asleep. I'm really tired. With how i feel right now, i am not excited to have kids, im still going to have some in the far far future, but this does not make me excited for the many sleepless nights ahead of me. shout out to all you moms who go through this for long periods of time, and then do it again with another child. You guys are amazing. Good news, i am gonna live everyone, just got some problemos gotta work out. literally, i have to work out for the rest of my life or else these probs could get worse so i'm prob gonna have to go to physical therapy. FUN. sidenote, when i broke my arm and had to do physical therapy i was so impatient and unwilling to do what the guy told me to that my arm still doesn't bend all the way completely straight so i think this is one of my many tests of patience that i will get throughout my life. FUN. WEll, since i can't sleep good during the day i think im gonna go get in bed and look at the ceiling some more, and then get ready for the day.

How is Colten?

Jesse commented that the rest of you would like to know. Well, he got sick over the weekend (wont go into detail) they run out of toilet paper often (wont go into detail) the power in their apartment (as well as in most of Ghana) has not been working, he hasn't gotten our packages yet, they are still at the mission home, he still hasn't gotten any of my regular letters i've sent either, and yet he is still working hard. I've probably missed some other things going on but it's ok i think you get the picture. He is having a hard time but i will post what he said at the end of the last email he wrote to me,and this tells me that he is tough and he will keep going:



"yesterday after church before we went out for the night, i was just in tears, i was having a rough time. i said a prayer and just asked him to help me out give me strength and help me be positive and concentrate on the work. the rest the night i was happy and pretty foucused on the work. i know that was totally the lords hand that got me thru the night. how grateful i am to know that wonderful power of prayer and that the lord truly is there to help me i just have to ask for it. we are so blessed to have this gospel and to have the power and strength that comes from it. its experiences like this that testify even more of its truthfulness to me. i love my savior so much. hope the week goes well for you. i'll talk to ya next week."


here are the pics he sent too...

Ok, Ok.

So after fridays post, I've been thinking. The thinking is caused from an extremely wonderful General Conference. Saturday's sessions were both wonderful, this morning's was wonderful, and i'm sure the last one will be. I've been thinking though that yes it is true that standing up for yourself is important. That part I do not feel bad about. But what i have learned from my experiences in the past week (up and downs with coworkers as well as customers...mostly downs) is that maybe there are better ways to go about it. I don't regret how i dealt with a co-worker this past week because the type of person that he is called for the type of confrontation that he got. However, one of the general authorities (i cant remember which one and my notes are downstairs and im upstairs so i dont really wanna go get em.. haha) said something to the effect of, when that moment comes, that contention occurs, that is when we step back, pray, and then follow Christ's example. So, I do feel bad about what i said when i freaked out about how i was treated, and so I do take that back, it's not my place to immediately get mad, I should just be thankful for the help that the one guy gave. (the one brought out one of the kids that snuck in)
My job is teaching me alot. The importance of respect, that I deserve it and that I am required to also give it. The importance of taking a stand, my whole life I've just been nice and sometimes i've let people just walk all over me, but not anymore. I'm grateful from this job that i've learned that i never wanna be a manager of anything again, which really is a blessing, saving me from possibly making the same mistake later. It's teaching me that I am maybe just not that kind of person. BUT, it's also teaching me that i can do whatever i put my mind to. Though I may struggle at times, I CAN do this, along with whatever else I choose to do in this life. It's teaching me patience. This job is also allowing me to talk with people, learn from them, and to learn to love them no matter who they are. I've had opportunities in this job to share my testimony with others, and that is a great blessing. So, though i may have complained, today Pres Monson talked about being grateful, living life now, and being happy, and I learned that rather than keep complaining and getting frustrated, I can take advantage of the good things in my job, i can be appreciative that I have a job, and I can always continue to learn from experiences I have in this job, and I'm so thankful that the Lord has never stopped teaching me- because I think if he had my life would be boring.

Sick and tired of stereotyping

Ok, so at work, one of my coworkers has made comments such as: "Ya when i talk to you i can tell your head is in the clouds and you usually don't know what im talking about" "I knew you'd panic if I did that" "I knew you probably would be too scared to handle it" OK. So. Confrontation occured, and he is no longer allowed to talk to me in that way, or basically pretty much to talk to me. So, then tonight at work, some little tweens snuck into a movie, and after much talking, many lies from them, and much convincing that no, im not stupid i do remember selling one person three tickets, and giving those tickets to other friends does not count, finally one girl said k well then can we get our money back and just leave? and so i said yes. WELL, one guy in the theater that they snuck into told me i was way too nice and then walked away, while another guy told me that what i should've done was just kicked them out. Excuse me, I do recall being asked to be the assistant manager, i do recall that tonight when i got ready I was the one who put on the button up collared shirt with the theater's logo on the front, I do recall that I am 18 years old (which may be young however,) and I can make MY own decisions about what to do with tweenage liars. Personally I think i did the right thing, whether or not others dont like it. I also know that i may be short, and i may be young, but this is my job, and i will do it how i want it done, (and how my boss mr moser would like it done) and so far he has not had any complaints, if he ever does he will tell me, and i will change, but right now could people please stop treating me with disrespect just because i may not "look" the part? For crying out loud, when unless their married, a lot of men that are 'nice' to me ask me when i get off work!! (thus the reason i wear a fake wedding ring to work)
Those reading this: have you ever experienced what i have- being stereotyped basically as a retard?
Have you ever just wanted to slap a coworker in the face? (im sure this one is common)
Please let me know, cuz i'm Sick And Tired of Being Stereotyped.

Also, thanks to all those of you who just love everyone regardless of who you might think they are or what they've done or whatever, I'll try to be more like you guys. I know this blog sounds pretty angry (cuz i am) but I just had to vent out my frustrations.

Well,

sorry about any confusion, what i meant was, nicole might move down in december but then again, she might in april:) ya never know? guess what? I dropped my math class!!! and ya know what? it felt pretty Darn Good. I know that maybe one day i will prob have to retake it, but at this point i dont care, i was too stressed, and now i feel better. it was a decision all my own (ok my mom had the idea) but i did it nonetheless and im proud of myself.