An attitude of gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. :) 

I hope that this day has been a blessed one filled with family, friends, and of course, food. 

Thanksgiving serves as a time to remember all that we have and just how much we have been blessed with. We are forever indebted to our loving Heavenly Father for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. 

President Thomas S. Monson said:

"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

Recognizing the good and counting the blessings in our lives will humble us and cause us to become more Christlike. I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for a few things. 

1. I am grateful for the gospel of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for each and one of us. I am grateful for the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I am grateful for the power of prayer and the opportunity I have to speak directly to my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for ancient and modern prophets who serve as mouth pieces of the Lord on this earth. For more information on this religion and knowledge that I am so grateful for, check out the "What I Believe" tab above. :)

2. I am grateful for my family. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful, supportive family unit. I am grateful for my hard-working, intelligent, kind, encouraging father; my compassionate, talented, selfless, caring, fun mother; a older sister who gives me advice, makes me laugh more than anyone else, and is a great example to me and my caring, funny, kind brother-in-law; a younger sister who is so talented, dedicated, sweet, fun, and hysterical; and last but certainly not least, a baby brother who is so musical, funny,  kind, and intelligent. Not to mention my fantastic extended family who support, encourage, and love me. 

3. I am grateful for my friends! I am so blessed to have a hysterical, fun-loving, considerate and understanding roommate (and twin). I am thankful for all my friends that I've had from when I was a baby to today in college. Where would I be without them? They all keep me sane and heck, they must be true friends if they can put up with me and all my craziness and obnoixousness (yes, I just made that word up). 

There are many more, I just couldn't post a million pictures of all the fabulous people I'm friends with. <3 

4. I am so grateful for music! There is a power and sacredness in music. I am grateful for the talents I have been blessed with and the ability I have to make music. I am so grateful for beautiful pianos from Steinways to the little keyboard I have in my dorm. While I play the piano, I feel the Spirit without fail and am overcome with feelings of peace. 

5. I am grateful for BYU. What an amazing university I am fortunate enough to attend. From the gorgeous campus to the wonderful professors, the great atmosphere and spirit to all the knowledge I learn... it truly is one of my favorite places on earth. Thanks to all those who make my education their possible. Oh, and I am grateful for BYU football. 

6. I am grateful for so many other little things that make me happy: 

Goldfish, muffins, eye shadow, dangly earrings, my phone, my laptop, my bed, my rain boots, chocolate, Graham Canyon ice cream, hot cocoa, waffles, rainy days, Christmas music, books, Skype, anatomy, smiling, the color blue, the mountains, Disney movies, music, and princesses, stickers, laughing, running, Jamba Juice, and many, many, many other things. 

Today, take time to be grateful for who and what you have in your life. But don't let your attitude of gratitude end on November 23. Keep that spirit in your heart and you'll be blessed and amazed at what a difference it makes. 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory 

Living the dream

Hey guys! 

So this Wednesday was my anatomy lab final! I survived, got a decent grade, and now I am totally free!! I have 8 extra hours in the week now, and it is fabulous! I'm not going to lie, I will miss it. Anatomy was one of the most interesting, enjoyable, and fun classes I've taken. It was also one of the most demanding ones. I highly recommend that class if you are at all interested in the human body. It is very rewarding. If you think about it, we are created in God's own image (see Genesis 1:27). Essentially, then, anatomy isn't just the study of the human body, it's the study of the gods! Pretty cool! Heavenly Father designed our bodies absolutely perfectly and brilliantly. For example, you have a vein in your leg called the great saphenous vein that is really unnecessary for blood circulation. You have other veins that are more vital in circulation of your legs. However, it is often removed and used for coronary artery bypasses. Heavenly Father essentially gave us this “spare part” that could be used elsewhere. The complexity and plasticity of the human body is a huge testament of just how valuable our bodies are. 

The rest of my week has been super relaxing!! I loved it. All my tests and assignments are done until after Thanksgiving so I'm smooth sailing until the break. :)

Friday night I got to hang out with my fabulous friend Angie! We went barn dancing at a real live barn! It was the cutest place and we learned some fun country dances accompanied by a live folk band! It was way fun! Then, we went to visit some of her summer friends. We had a major jam session--Angie on the uke, me on the piano, and her friend rocking the guitar. It was a blast. We made a midnight run to In-N-Out (I'd never been before and it was pretty good!). We, of course, had to do some red light dancing. It was seriously so fun. 

On Friday I had a really neat experience with the power of prayer. I testify to you that our loving Heavenly Father hears and answers each and every one of our prayers. I know this because He has heard and answered all of mine. I am so blessed to have this direct line of communication with my Heavenly Father. 

Saturday morning, I went and played tennis with some of my friends. It's always a lot of fun with those crazy boys. But I love it. Saturday night I went out to dinner at Culvers with some friends and went bowling. 

Today Sarah and I performed a special musical number in church! Then we had an awesome lesson in Relief Society about the importance of raising your children in the truth and light of the gospel. Obviously, I don't have any children and don't plan to anytime soon. However, it made me start thinking about my parents. They are absolutely wonderful. They have done such a great job of raising me and my siblings to have strong testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So much of my success can be attributed back to their great examples and important lessons they taught me and my siblings at a young age. Being in college, you realize just how much your parents do for you. I am so grateful for my hard-working father who always encourages me to do the very best I can. I am blessed to have a wonderful, caring, kind, compassionate mother who is always willing to listen to me and help me. They are both the epitome of selfless service and devotion to the Lord. I would not be the person I am today without them. 

Take time to thank your parents this week. Especially with Thanksgiving approaching (which I am stoked for). 

Hakuna matata,
Mallory 

Just a thought...

On campus, on the hour, the bell tower chimes out the first line of "Come, Come Ye Saints". I hadn't really paid much attention to it before. I knew that it played. But I hadn't given it much thought. Today as I was headed home for the day, I heard the bells ring, notifying me that it was 1 o'clock. Then I started thinking about it.

 I've come to two conclusions about why they play that song:

1. It is a constant reminder of our heritage as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The pioneers traveled across the plains to come to the great state of Utah. This song is their anthem. They sacrificed all that they had--their material belongings, their homes, their friends, some even their lives. They did it so they could come to the West and be able to freely worship God. They made so many sacrifices so that we could have the true and restored gospel of Jesus Christ today. Likewise, there were so many people who sacrificed their time, energy, and money to fund Brigham Young University. What a beautiful and sacred campus we have today because of their efforts. We need to constantly be reminded of those who came before us. We owe so much to them.

2. As the bells ring out, I find myself, subconsciously, saying the words in time with the song. "Come, come, ye saints, no toil nor labor fear; but with joy wend your way". I know personally, I could use that constant hourly reminder. Don't worry about anything! No work is too hard, nothing is impossible through Christ. Rather, joyfully travel through your day, knowing that He is always watching and guiding you..

Kinda cool if you think about it. I am grateful that I have the knowledge of the true gospel (check out the "What I Believe" tab above for clarification).  I am so fortunate to attend BYU. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday evening! 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory 

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS

Okay, I know that Christmas is still 45 days away. But it really is beginning to look like Christmas. Why, might you ask? 

IT SNOWED. Like legit, sticky, perfectly fluffy and purely white SNOW. It is beautiful! 

I know that it's not that exciting for the native Utes, and the novelty will wear off super fast. But for me, it is magical! 

This past week was so busy with 4 midterms! But I survived and did really well! I can finally breathe again (until I think about the fact that I have an anatomy lab final next week...terrifying thought). 

Tonight I took a much needed break and went to the BYU basketball game (which we won 81-66) with some of my friends. It was a total blast! 

Derek, Tyler, me, and Cole (yes, I look atrocious. It happens). 

Then, Derek, Ty, Sarah and I made hot chocolate! So yummy! 

 Disney Princess cups! <3 

Absolute favorite picture. In. The. World. 

 Roomie love! 

We look terrifyingly similar.  

 Photo bombers!! 

 Trying to get Tyler in the middle... ;) 

Love her! 

Sorry for the excessive amount of pictures. We just had to capture all the moments! <3 I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends. 

Hakuna matata, 

Mallory

Halloween Happenings

It is a beautiful, sunny, perfect fall afternoon in Provo. Seriously, Utah in the fall is gorgeous. 

This past week was Halloween! I have the best mother in the world who sent me some Halloween and fall decorations! Our door looked stellar and we colored these cute scarecrows she sent! 

On Halloween night, I went with some friends from my ward to go trick-or-treating (you are never too old to dress up and get free candy. Let's be honest.) I dressed up like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter! It was super fun! After we went trick-or-treating and handed out some candy, me and some of my friends had a jam session just for kicks and giggles. Then we went to a Halloween dance-off. It was interesting... to say the least. 

 Some of the best girls! 

 Love them! <3 

Tyler! 

Oh, and I got to see my fabulous sister this past week. I love her! <3 

I went to my anatomy lab this morning, a review for American Heritage, went for a run, and took my anatomy mid-term (which I got a 99/100 on. I was pretty dang excited.)

Anyway, hope you're having a fabulous Saturday. 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory 

When life hands you lemons...

I am not a morning person. I never have been. So when 7 a.m. rolled around and my alarm screeched, interrupting my peaceful sleep, I was not exactly thrilled. 

Feeling particularly stressed this morning and, I'm not going to lie, a little grumpy, I went to breakfast at the Cannon in between my loads of laundry. As I leaned down to get a tray, I heard a voice exclaim "good morning!". I didn't think the greeting was directed to me, so I was surprised when I turned around to see a guy standing there, just smiling at me. I replied "good morning", and seeing he was still standing there, politely asked how he was. "Fantastic!" He replied. I laughed as we made our way to get some oatmeal. He made small talk with me and his friend about the great food, and how it was a good way to start the day. As he left, he informed me "today is going to be a GREAT day". I watched him as he continued to each station, talking to and joking with the servers. As I scooped my oatmeal, I commented to one of the servers "I'm not sure how he's so excited this morning." She shrugged and replied "hey, a positive attitude makes a difference". 

To this kid, he was probably just being himself and didn't think anything of the encounter. But for me, it got me thinking. Yes, I have one million reasons to be stressed, grumpy, negative, and ultimately unhappy. But I also have about one bajillion reasons to be happy. There is so much more good in the world if we allow ourselves to find it. Life is a lot better when the glass is half-full, not half-empty. Optimism makes a huge difference. You get out of a situation what you put into it. If you look at life from a positive perspective, you'll be much happier. 

Life is hard. I won't lie to you and tell you it's easy or filled with rainbows and sunshine all the time because it's not. It's a long, difficult, trying journey. But finding joy along the way is just as important as enduring it. In fact, it will make life so much easier. 

And while we each have our own individual struggles, we cannot forget that everyone else experiences them too! Remember that every person you meet is a child of God. Treat them as such. No one is perfect. We are all human. We all make mistakes. But forgiveness is key to happiness. 

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

-John Watson 

Today, try and find the good in life. Be optimistic. Count your blessings, and thank Heavenly Father for the good rather than complaining about the bad. Make someone feel loved. Make a new friend. Life is beautiful. I know I say that all the time, but it really is. We are so blessed. 

Halloween pictures coming soon!! 

Hakuna matata,

Mallory