Decisions, Decisions

So, I need to just write my thoughts out, not necessarily for advice or for your gee-whiz factor, but it usually seems to help to 'talk' it out sometimes...

I've been thinking a lot about going back to school lately. Funny since my mom just graduated and we all laughed about none of us ever doing the school thing again. It's always been on the back of mind since I got accepted into the Dance/Movement Therapy masters program in Colorado. For those who don't know, I ended up rejecting that offer to move home since I felt like that's where the Lord needed/wanted me. It wasn't TOO heartbreaking though...while I was at the interview in the school, I just didn't feel right and I realized that that wasn't what the Lord wanted me to do, so it's not like it was a hard decision, but still a desire of mine to get a masters degree.

I've always thought that I would, growing up...not sure why, exactly, but I always have. The problem is, is I don't really know what I would get it in. There isn't a dance/movement therapy program here and I still feel like this is where I need to be for various reasons, so whatever program I do should probably be local. I've thought of doing online classes, however, my learning style is definitely not reading and absorbing...its more visual and auditory, for sure, so being in a classroom is important to me. But that runs in to fitting it in while still working full time and maintaining some what of a social life. I can't work less because I need to pay for it, for sure, and I need to be active in church for my sanity and because well...it's not an option not to be :)

So the next question is, what would I major in? It's so weird to feel like I need to go back to school but have no idea what to go in to. I thought for a long time that I would like to go in to Conflict Resolution and Mediation. SMU has a good program that I could try to get in to. There is a fast track certificate program to where I could do that and still be a certified mediator in the court system, but no degree...kind of a bummer if you ask me. I think it's a 2 year program. To get my degree would be 3 or 4. I cant remember. Either way, I'm still not really crazy about going that direction. I was at one point, but that's kind of gone now and I'm not sure what else to consider at this point.

Where is all of this coming from, you ask? I've been talking about it with Amy for months now. I had kind of given up on it for a while, thinking, I have a job that I enjoy, so I'm good to go. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like I can amount to so much more than what I have amounted to. And I expect myself to reach my full potential, educationally...I just don't know which route to take. I was asked to give a talk on the importance of education on Sunday which was kind of funnily ironic and Adam asked me how my masters education pursuance (haha I don't feel like that's the right word..) was coming along, yesterday...it's coming at me from all angles! :)

Anyway, lots and lots to think about. I don't really want to go into the counseling field, but I THINK i would really enjoy working with Psych patients. Amy told me at one point that they were maybe looking for an activities director for the psych unit there which would be fun. But who knows...

There you have it. This is where my brain has been for the past few months...and dreaming about the GRE...ew lol :) XOXO

Let the Good Times Roll

Guess who is the newest college graduate in our family?!?!? BOOYAH! Congrats Mom! I'm so excited for you. You've worked really hard and put a lot of hard work, sweat and tears into getting your degree. I can speak for all of us by saying that we are SO proud of you and SO happy that you are done :) The party was definitely good times! Look how fancy she is at our makeshift graduation ceremony...I just love my crazy family :) Unfortunately, this picture was taken about 20 times to try to get one without someone's eyes being close, but its the best you're going to get. Love, love, love you guys!

This weekend, my mom, sister, Amy and I went to Time Out For Women. Its like the mini equivalent of the Women's Conference that BYU puts on every summer. It was so fun to be there! Lots of fantastic messages and performing artists. There is a famous LDS pianist/songwriter, Michael McLean and he sings this song about adoption and its so fantasticly amazing. I know a few of my close friends who have walked the road of adoption and I cant imagine having to give up my baby. I guess it's a little easier knowing that you are giving them up for the opportunity to be in an environment with better opportunities and such. Still, I know it wasn't easy for any of them. At any rate, this is such a tender song and I love it :) He wrote it for a girl that was pregnant and decided adoption was the road she was going to take and she asked him to write a song to convey her feelings and emotions about the situation.


Fantastic, yeah? My favorite speaker was Brad Wilcox (all the others were fantastic, but he was either my Stake President or one of my professors at BYU...I can't remember) so, I have soft spot for him :). He talked about the scripture in 2 Nephi 25:23 that says, "For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He focused on the '...after all we can do' portion. He broke it down one word at a time and really focused on what this phrase means. At the end, he focused on the WE part of that phrase. He didn't use 'we' as all of us, God's children, but 'we' as me and Jesus Christ. That through the Atonement, He has made up all of the difference between each of us and our Heavenly Father so that we can return to live in His presence again. That, if we go through life, hand in hand, with Jesus Christ, and do what is required of us, each of us can make it back to Heavenly Father. I wont get more in to it because it got pretty deep/intense in an awesome way, but it was fantastic, nonetheless. Loved it! I'm definitely thankful for all of the knowledge that I have and the testimony that I have been able to develop throughout my life. I couldn't make it through much without the help of my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and Holy Ghost. I love them :) And I love y'all! For now, I'm out. I hope y'all have a fantastical rest of your weekend and all that jazz :)