Christmas 2010

Okay, so techincally it's the day after Christmas so maybe I shouldn't be writing anything with 'Christmas' in the title, but I'm going to anyway. I guess this is my post to sum up the holiday season.

1. First time at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
2. Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert with David Archuleta
3. Patino family Christmas party
4. Awesome work Christmas party with great prizes and food
5. Got to go to my cousin's sealing in the Mount Timpanogas Temple
6. Bought a new computer with a webcam on Christmas eve which allowed my family to speak to my brother in Spain serving in the Navy on Christmas day (face to face) ;)
7. Spent my first Christmas in Utah with all the single kids in my family and my parents and went to see the Temple Square lights with them.

I would say all in all it was a pretty successful Christmas season. I don't have a lot of pictures, but here's what I took:


My niece Maya opening presents when we opened some presents at Thanksgiving



My nephew Asher opening a gift at Thanksgiving.

 

Kristy and Clark toasting at the work Christmas party



Kristy, Janna, and I at the work Christmas party



Janna and Kristy showing us the yummy food. Haha.



My cousin Ric and his new bride.



Sunday Will Come

Lately I have felt the reality of trials. I have seen them all around me in the lives of the people I love. I have felt them in my own life as a reminder that the adversary never sleeps and never takes a break, especially in those moments when we can be our happiest. Anyway, today as I went to church and the first presidency Christmas devotional the thought that I kept hearing was "Sunday will come" from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk a few years ago in general conference. That talk has been a saving force so many times as it has filled me with hope when I have felt hopeless. Specifically these lines:

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

I know for everyone I love, for me, and for all of us, Sunday will come. In those moments of despair Sunday will come over and over again.

The View From Above (A poem about reaching for more)

I know two posts in one day is pretty ambitious, but I have been wanting to post my latest poem on here since I finished it. I don't know why I was so excited about this one compared to the others, but I was. So here goes:

The View From Above

Weak are the wings that do not fly,
For they know not the strength of the wind.
But how heavy the heart that will not try,
How stubborn the will that won’t bend.

Afraid of what I cannot see,
Wondering if I even know how.
So much to do, someone to be
The time to act is now.

The one who leaps with faith inside
Will feel the force that lifts.
No longer a soul seeking to hide,
But one who seeks life’s gifts.

There are things we cannot view
From the cold hard ground below;
Only in doing something new
Are we given the room to grow.

It may seem impossible to begin,
But what else are wings for?
Than to use the power within
To spread our wings and soar.

I Am a Writer!

Okay, so last week I found an amazing blog post on twitter (I can't help it, I'm on it for work all day long). Anyway, this woman (Brown Eyed is her blogger name) was talking about the situation many of us writers encounter at a party. The typical conversation goes something like this, "So where do you work?" or "What do you do for a living?" This blogger then refers to the reaction of many of those who are writers. She so clearly expresses the thoughts of a professional writer who somehow feels like writing isn't a real profession or how as a writer, people tend to "play down" writing as a hobbie rather than a profession. I don't know if I could call myself a professional writer, but I know someday I want to be. Someday, I want to inspire people through my writing. I feel I can relate a lot to this blog post I read because although writing may not be my profession right now, it is one of my passions in life and I would say we are denying ourselves of something if we are not true to our passions and our talents. So thank you Brown Eyed for reminding me to be proud to be a writer.

To read Brown Eyed's blog post Click Here

I LOVE MOVIES! (Why "Morning Glory" Inspired Me)

Yesterday, I went to see Morning Glory. It had everything I could ever want in a movie. I took a journey with Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) as she proved to withstand defeat after defeat when any normal person would quit. She believed in herself and in her dream when literally NO ONE else did. She inspired me! She made me want to dare to dream and go for it full speed ahead.

And I realized after watching Morning Glory, how much movies really mean to me and as crazy as it sounds, how much movies are therapy for me. My friend described it to me well when she said, "you don't watch movies like other people do." I appreciate the details of the movie, I pull the actors out of their characters sometimes and marvel at their ability to portray a character so effortlessly. I am overjoyed by the ability of great writers and I always find my favorite songs from a scene in a movie. If I'm having a bad day, a great movie can honestly turn everything around, even for just a little while. I get more excited about movies than a lot of things.

Some might say it's pathetic to love movies so much or to sometimes make them more real in my mind than they are in actuality, but I realized just like other people love dance, or reading, or camping, or any other "more respected" interests, I love movies! I love the orchestration of music, acting, words, and emotion coming together to give me an experience to invigorate all of my senses. Who could ask for more? And it's not that I don't love music, dancing, reading, and a number of other things. I have just been reminded of my love for movies more recently. :)

P.S. Go see Morning Glory! It's funny, inspiring, entertaining, and fun! :)

Birthday #25

Okay so about a week ago on November 1st I had my 25th birthday. While some may think 25 is incredibly young, I don't feel all that young. I mean 19 felt young. What about being halfway through my 20s is young? I think if I could stay at 25 that would be okay, but it's the getting older and older part that I don't look forward to. Anyway, it was actually a pretty great birthday as far as my birthdays go. Okay, yes, I am going to make a list.

Why My Birthday Was Fun (and not in any particular order):

1. Dinner with friends
2. Dinner with family
3. New Car Stereo
4. Eating lunch at Plates & Palates
5. Watching Secretariat (LOVED this movie!)
6. Bowling with my ward at FHE
7. All the phone calls, texts, and facebook posts

Thanks everyone for a spectacular birthday! :)

Waiting for Superman

Last Thursday I went to see the new documentary, Waiting for Superman. I, like I think many people will, felt completely anchored to the hopes and dreams of the children featured in the movie. I will admit I cried a little just wanting for these kids to reach their potential through the avenue of attending great schools. It made me think a lot about my own education and how good it actually was. Before BYU I'm not sure it was all that amazing, but I would say I came out educated. :) But honestly, I just thought to myself how I want to earn a lot of money so I can afford to send my kids to schools that will push them to learn in ways many of us never experienced in our own education. Anyway, I highly recommend the movie! If nothing else, it will make you think.

Waiting for Superman Trailer