Baby Steps Week #2

If I were to give myself a grade for last week and getting to bed on time, I'd have to give myself 50%. Let's not figure out what grade that acutally is....I think the word "failure" is a little too harsh sometimes. I'm just going to do better this week. But along with this week, I'm going to add another baby step.

I've debated on what I really want to cut out/add. And I think that sleep and exercise go hand in hand. SO my goal is to exercise 6 times this week. I don't care if that's running or Wii Fit or whatever... i'm going to do it. (I'm giving myself Sunday off.... :) ) I figure if I can do it for 6 days then going down to 4 or 5 on a regular basis will be easy. I know I can do this.

Rules for this week:

1: Exercise must be completed before 10 p.m. so that I can get to bed on time.

2: I'm going to try and exercise 20-30 mins... no stopping until then

3: Try to talk to my mom and see if a certain time to exercise works for her.... you know, there is power in numbers!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." -Jim Ryun

A warning to you all...

So pretty sure that I'm sick of getting on my blog and seeing that I'm the ONLY ONE that's updating anything. So you all can keep up on my life but i have NO CLUE what's going on in yours. Sure, i could pick up the phone and call you all, but seeing pictures is so much better. So here is my threat (especially to you Becca and Kylee). If you don't update soon... so help me I WILL come after you (and your twins Becks!) Come on, you don't have like 30 minutes to update a little and throw some pictures up..... OK, I'm done venting now. I just had to get that off on my chest!

Baby Steps Week #1

I want to be a good mom. I want to be around for a long time. I want to be able to get up and go outside and run with them without having to stop every 5 minutes to take my inhalor. But for right now, since I don't have kids, I simply want to make it up the RB "stairs of death" without passing out at the top. In order to accomplish this goal, I'm taking little steps and tasks each week to focus on and change in my life so that I can be healthy and ENTERGETIC.

And I've decided what my first goal is...

And, for me, it's a big one.

You see, for any of you have lived with me or have had the pleasure of being present at the time that yours truly awakes from her beauty sleep, you all know how pleasant I can be. Actually, I'm more like the beast than sleeping beauty.... (And yes I realize I'm mixing my Disney classics....so sue me.... I don't mean that literally Joe). I think part of the problem is that I don't think that sleep is as important and urgent at 1:00 A.M. as I do at 6:00 A.M. So, to fix this problem I'm setting a goal this week to get to bed by 11:00 P.M. every school night.

To do this, I'm outlining a few baby steps for me to work at this week:

1: Accomplish as much work at school as I can. Use my time wisely and don't waste it. (Good, full nights of sleep will also help me to stay awake during school and study periods.)

2: No TV at home or school until all homework is finished.

3: I'm grounding myself to my room after 10 P.M. I need to use this time to check last minute assignments, get ready for bed, and read scriptures/say prayers.

Hopefully this little habit will help me with a lot of areas in my life, but I think it's my first step to a healthy, happy life! Wish me luck!

Now on the other side of the world....

Here is my latest letter from Hudson (with a few editoral comments for fun!)

"General Conference was awesome!!!! I loved being able to sit and be spiritually fed for 10 plus hours!!!! (I wish that i could be that enthusiastic about it) It was like Christmas come early."

Obviously he is really excited about conference here.... he claims he was only asleep for like 10 minutes.... right!

"A lot of people have asked me what my favorite talk was but honestly that is a really hard question. I don't know if I have a favorite talk because so many of them were so great. However I think my most favorite part of conference weekend here for us was that we got to watch the special on the life of President Monson. I knew he was a great amazing guy but after watching the little documentary I had a spiritual reconfirmation of just how great he is. I loved how at the end of the documentary they ask him something along the lines of what makes him most happy. His answer was really powerful to me. He said, 'Ï loved to listen and act upon the promptings of the spirit just to find out later that acting upon the promptings was an answer to someone's prayers.' To me that reheiterated the importance of listening and immediately reacting to the promptings of the spirit. And also I love how at the end of the statement it says, 'prayers' because it just goes to show that we don't always get an answer right from our first prayer to our Heavenly Father. It, most of the time, takes prayers and not just one prayer. I was just truely touched and inspired by the love of President Monson. It made me want to do everything I can to become like him. "

This past week are so, all the elders had to get flu shots and fun medical stuff so that they don't get sick. Elder Gunther told me that he was watching the shot go in the whole time and actually asked the guy if he could do it himself to "practice" for later in life. While all the other elders were passing out at the thought of needles, Elder Gunther could not take his eyes of the thing.

And on a more funny note:

"So to start off the letter I'm going to tell you of a prank Elder Woodland pulled on me this week. So on Tuesday, it was just like any other morning. However as we were leaving after lunch to go contact on the street my companion said, 'Elder Gunther I feel change coming on.' I then said, 'What do you mean? Transfers aren't for like another 4 weeks.' Then he said, 'I don't know I just feel change coming on.' I then just blew it off. We then went outside and contacted most of the day. Then around 6 at night the AP's called and wanted to talk to my companion. That was a little strange and they talked to him for about 10 minutes. I, after he finished, asked him what they said. He said they were just double checking his passport information so he can get his second passport. I didn't believe him cause he was acting weird and because there is an office elder that usual does that stuff. I grilled him some more on it but then accepted his answer. After English club though Elder Harker, who is the person that usually checks on things like passport stuff, called my companion and talked for a sec. I followed my companion around to see if I could get what they were talking about. Now at the end of the his conversation, little did I know that Elder Harker had already hung up, my companion said, "Wait so will there be room for all three of them?" Then after that, as I thought, I thought he was totally moving because in my mind 3 meant 3 things of baggage. I grilled my companion some more to tell me were he was going. He then said, 'Ok fine. I'm going to Belarus next Thursday and Elder Armstrong is going to be my companion.' When I heard this I was so sad. I really like Elder Woodland and I really wanted to have at least 3 transfers with him. We left the branch in silence because I was feeling 'in the gulf of misery and endless woe.' (I think Elder Gunther is a little melodramatic somtetimes) I sat on the transport all the way home just thinking of how much was going to change. I texted the AP's and asked them if I could know who my new companion was going to be and if I was still going to be in Ryazan or if I was going somewhere else. They didn't text me back though so I just thought they were finalizing everthing with president. After we got off the transport I called the AP's but they didn't answer. So we finished walking home. I can't tell you how depressed I was lol. When we got home the APs called me and I said to him, 'Did you get my text?' He said, 'Ya.' I then asked him who my new comp was going to be. He said what do you mean. I then said it's ok you can tell me. Elder Woodland told me everything. He then said He told you what. I said, 'That he is going to Belarus.' By this time the AP had no idea what I was talking about. He said, 'Elder Gunther I honestly am really confused.' Then it hit me as I looked into the smiling face of my companion. He had pulled a prank on me. And as soon as he realized I figured it out he ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I just started laughing and kind of explained everything to the AP but he still didn't get it and I felt really stupid that I had been had by my companion. I felt a lot better afterwords though knowing that Elder Woodland and I will still be companions at least for another 4 weeks hopefully more though.
This is a picture of Elder Gunther and Elder Woodland with their newest investigators. They are 7th-Day Adventists and are putting up some very interesting questions for these two to answer. They seem to be doing a great job and love teaching Sergay and his daughter Anna.

Along with quilting and cooking, Elder Gunther has also been learning how to play the guitar in his "down time." I don't really know if he ever has down time, but I just can't believe all the stuff he is learning over there. It's amazing and he's just so darn cute eh?

Ok, so i hoped you all enjoyed that. It's so cool how Elder Gunther is really starting to write well and is so decriptive. Mr. Weyand (our 12th grade English teacher) would be so proud of him. It's actually funny to see that he is starting to write more "scripturally" and talks so much like a missionary. I'm so proud of him.... 8 months and 3 weeks left!!!

Now the fun can really begin!

I did it, I did it, I did it... YAY! (Dora the Explorer, for those of you that are less educated in the art of children's programs) What did i do, you might ask? Just keep reading and you figure it out. Monday i was sitting in class, bored out of my mind, and decided to check my e-mail. Not a good idea.... there, just sitting innocently in my inbox was a message that I had been dreading/awaiting. It was from the Communications Department here at BYU telling me that my acceptance/denial letter was waiting for me in the Comms office. I coud pick it up at any time... except for the fact that I had classes it 3:00. Needless to say, it was a very long couple of hours as i anxiously waited for classes to end.

Note: It crossed my mind as I was saying several prayers that it's funny how i found myself wanting to pray that the words on my letter would be good (meaning that i got in). I almost wanted to as Him that if I had gotten denied, that He would change the words to "accepted." I realized that I don't think it words that way. After all that we can do, then we will be rewarded. I changed my prayers to ask Him to help me receive a confirmation that whatever the answer may be, that I may find peace in it.

So at 3:00 I almost RAN to the Comms building to get my letter. The secretary placed the letter in my shaky hands and i headed out of the building. I walked around for a couple of minutes to find a quiet, secluded spot where i could open the letter that felt SO heavy in my hand. I found a spot, sat down, took my inhaler (because I was freaking out a bit) and opened the letter by myself.... except for the fact that my mom made me call her while I opened it.

The first words in the letter: CONGRATULATIONS!

Oh what a relief this is. I have hated telling people that I am a pre-communications major and that I still don't know FOR SURE what I'm going to be doing with my life, but now I know! I am Beth Walker: newest Broadcast Journalism Major at BYU.