Be Happy

Since coming home from Salt Lake I have made so much headway on the things I've recently been dealing with. I was worried about boys, where to go to school, if I should serve a mission, where I should live....the list seems endless! But then here I am and I finally feel like I have some direction in my life. Heavenly Father just wants me to be happy and for all the right things to happen for me. He sent me people to help me, and for that I'm grateful. I still have a lot of decisions to make, but for right now I know that boys aren't necessarily going to be apart of that direction. What's good about that is I know it's the right thing and that this path will lead to the most happiness, though it may be hard at times, it certainly will be the path of righteousness!

Reminding Us of Heaven

 

I don't really think there is much more to say other than what a sweet heart she is!

Emma Jean Pollei

March 17th 2012, St. Patrick's Day

7 pounds 4 ounces

BUSY week ends BUSILY into another BUSY one!

If I'm not at Cheesecake Factory I'm at school, if I'm not doing either of those things I'm either at the JSMB or studying. Crazy how that is exactly how my life is prioritized right now. To top my busy week off its daylight savings today, in other words I lost an hour and slept way to long. How then do I have time for this? I don't, I just need to let my brain settle sometimes! How sad I was on Monday when I wrote all about the beautiful weather and somehow it didn't post on my blog.


It was really hard for me to go into work that day because the weather was so beautiful. So instead I went for a long walk before. I think that this week I have realized how much I have missed walking. London was really good for that. Friday night I had to walk from near the LDSBC to Cheesecake, because that is where they gave us a pass to park. Well it was quite a walk, didn't bother me, only I hoped that someone would also be parking there so I wouldn't be alone walking at midnight. Well turned out no one was parked over there. So I prepared myself for walking in the dark alone. Nicely enough one of the boys I work with, Cameron, offered to walk with me and I could drop him off in the avenues. Well we obviously got talking and there was some sort of connection because we couldn't stop. I know this happens often to me but man its just so cool every time. We talked walking to my car, talked driving him home, talked sitting in the car, decided we should just take a walk and talk, and that went on until I left the avenues at about 2:30am. Its nice to know I have someone to look forward to seeing at work, I mean I love Liza but man oh man she is a busy woman as well!
Today I got the sweetest text from my daddy, Oliver had made me a picture. I was so touched at how much he looks up to me. I cannot describe how much I love that little boy.

 I know I talk about him all the time but I am so blessed that he is in my life. I miss him and cannot help but tear up thinking of him and the things I am missing right now. I know I am supposed to be here in SLC and that I will be able to see him in the next year, but I never would have thought I would be missing so much of his life.

Perfect Moment

Ive been trying to be good at coming up with moments in my day where I saw the hand of my Heavenly Father. Today this was the easiest task because it was so present in my day! I had an interview with the Cheesecake Factory and I have landed myself with the position of cashier! I am so excited to start training and working. I feel so grown up and mature to begin a job like this. I am so proud to have gone from where I was to this spot. I am just so grateful and thankful to all my previous employers and the opportunities I have been given!

 

The second aspect of my day was on a more personal level. I am taking this class by a Brother Neilsen on Sales. I have had a hard time in this class because of all of the presentation. I have bad to sell different products and services to the class and I have had a hard to being prepared. I mentioned this to my teacher last week and so this week we had an opportunity to sell to one other person, he asked me if Id sell to him. I was extremely nervous. I knew that I had a hard time closing my conversations and finding their problems so I could meet them. Well with Brother Neilsens feedback I was able to really do well. He gave me some powerful feedback. Told me that it might be in my best interest to write things down, because he said he could tell I am a visual learner and need a pen and paper to feel that I am getting down all the information. I thought this was quite interesting because I have seen that in myself. I also was told that I should try harder to listen and not think about what to say next, then restate what they said so that I can better understand what is being said and to really be paying attention, this way I can find out how to help them and what benefits they are needing me to fill. What REALLY was the reason this experience made my night was something he said. He looked at me and told me that he had something that I really needed to hear. He said your brain operates at such a fast speed Sophie, but what you need to remember is to listen because "Sophie you are so intelligent". I nearly lost it. I was so touched! I really needed to hear that and I was so happy that he was saying it because he felt that was true, he didnt just say it because it was a nice thing to say, no he MEANT it! Best day ever. I am so grateful that I really earned the A he gave me. I know I deserved that grade entirely!

Family is Forever!

 

To my sweet siblings:

Annie:
Oh what a sweet young lady you are growing up to be. Every time I speak to you I am amazed in some way by you. How smart you are and how kind your heart is. I cannot express to you how much I adore you and admire your tender ways. I want you to know that your big sister loves you. I am so glad that we are going to be apart of a family forever. I am so happy to call you my sister. I wish I could take back every harsh word I said, but all I can say is I love you, and none of those things matter because of how we are now. I cannot wait to see you again here soon. Until then we will continue to text, and talk about boys ;) xx

Oliver:

It makes me really sad that all my memories I have of you wont necessarily be things you'll remember because you were six years old when I moved out of the house. Little man I have such a connection with you and it has been really tough being away from you. The best way I can describe our connection is how you acted when I came home from London. I saw your little face peek out the garage door and I knew I was home. You looked so happy. You went inside because you didn't want me to see you cry. I came in the house to give you a hug and you buried your head in my shoulder and sobbed. It was the most tender moment I have ever experienced. Whenever I come home you don't leave my side for days. I used to get cross with you, and often begged you to play with your sister but now when I visit all I want to do is spend every second of your childhood together. Oliver Christopher I love you. You are such a special boy to me and I will always treasure you. Dont worry we will have eternity to be best friends!

Benjamin:

How grateful I am that we are so close. I love that you laugh at my silly jokes, and then tell me Im so dumb two minutes later. I love that we can Facetime for hours and hours..to the point where I might as well be home. I love that we have similar likes and dislikes but at the same time find about a million things to fight about. I love that you are so driven and that you are such an example to me and annie and ollie. I cannot wait for us to be in the same state once again, because boy do I miss you brother! I love you soo soo much!! Continue being you, because that is the guy that makes me so happy to have as a brother. I really love you brother, and eternity will be such laughs with you by our sides! :)

Never Grow Up!

Yes, Im 20 years old and I still want to be 5. Today the weather was just perfect, so spending a few hours outside playing with Mindy's kids was exactly how I wanted to spend my time. How precious it is to be apart of their lives. How treasured those times are when they ask me to push them on the swings, or play catch, or to throw a ball at them while they swing and kick it as far as they can. How happy those moments made me, and of course having the sun out made the experience all the more enjoyable.

As the title of this post says, Never Grow Up. Well tonight we went and played at NickleCade, its an arcade place where everything is played with nickles instead of tokens, Man, it was SO fun! Ammon took me and Mikhail took a girl named Taylor. We all had a blast! Between the 4 of us we made like 2,000 tickets! We got a weird Pig haat, a blowup ax, some handcuffs, and a pretend cigar, as well as lots of candy! When we went and saw the movie Act of Valor we all took one thing in...i got to wear the pig hat. Wow the looks I got were classic. I was happy I could be a kid for the night and just have fun with my friends.

I know Ive quoted T-swift in past posts but I love her song that I have to post some of the lyrics! 
What truth is spoken in this song, and how much it hits so close to home with me.

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone
So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on
Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple

Kindred Spirits

A bosom friend - an intimate friend, you know - a really kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul.

-- Lucy Maud Montgomery

I am not sure how I ever came to deserve my best friend April, because she truly is the one I feel is my bosom friend, the friend I can confide my inmost soul to. A phrase I often hear from April is "I am such a horrible friend", well Ape-Ape I'm here to say otherwise! I truly feel you do all you can to be the best friend I could ask for.
April realizes that neither of us are great at distance and keeping our friendship strong, but she is always willing to do more, and that isnt limited to when we are far apart. When I had my wisdom teeth taken out April was there with supplies to heal, and the laughter to comfort me. When I turned 18 she spent the entire day with me doing the things I like to do, starting with my favorite drink from sonic and ending with movies! If you knew April then, you would understand how much she would rather be doing so many other things, but she gives in that department in our friendship, together she will watch movies. April forgave me when I dated the boy she liked. Although it was rough for  a while the two of us valued the friendship more than any boy! April was the first person I saw when coming home from a long six months in England. Moments after saying hello to my family there was a knock at the door, but there was no pause because our bond picked up right where it left off.
April is there through the good and the bad the happy and the sad. I have always treasured the letters we exchanged as young girls, and the thoughtful pictures on birthdays. She knows my likes and my dislikes. She understands me better than anyone could, sometimes I feel she even knows me better than I know myself.
Tonight though, at 2:30am I have to write because what truly takes the cake today is that from all the way in Ohio, she sends me a text telling how great I am and how beautiful I am and that SHE loves ME! I felt so much love. Here I am thinking she is an example to me and she goes and does yet another amazing thing for me, for how could she know I was having a rough night? In all the years we have been friends she has always been one for an early bedtime yet in Ohio she sent me that text at 3am not realizing the impact it will have on its recipient.
So to April Turner, thank you! Thank you for every little thing you have done for me. Thank you for the happiness you have brought to my life, for I know that I will always have someone I love that loves me equally as much! I hope that I have been able to be at least half as good of a friend as you have been to me! I cannot wait to grow old together and for our children to be friends, and for us to rock on the porch laughing about the good old days. Reminiscing on all the laughs and joy we shared!
Although Taylor's words were meant in a different context:

"Take me home where we met so many years before
We'll rock our babies on that very front porch
After all this time, you and I"

Its better to look up!

I was talking to a friend tonight on the phone, trying to reassure her that things will get better. I too have been having a rough patch, but looking back it doesn't seem as trying as I made it out to be. I instantly thought of a talk that Elder Cook gave in General Conference this last October. When looking down at the floor of an elevator he heard President Monson say "it is better to look up." What a powerful statement! In times of trial it is better to look up. In times of sadness it is better to look up. When overwhelmed it is better to look up!  

 

This picture isn't for me a time of sadness, it isn't a picture representing the fact that I was down but rather I was focusing my thought upward. Prayer for me is a way that I can look up and see an eternal perspective. I pray to my Heavenly Father because I know that He can take away my pains. I know that He will reach his hand out and comfort me. Why is that you may ask? Because I matter to Him. You matter to him! We are his children and He wants us to live in JOY!

"The Lord doesn't care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use - in His own way and for His holy purposes - those who incline their hearts to Him."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Rose Colored

  

How lucky am I to have friends that I can cling to? Everyday I am surprised by the people in my life. I am so blessed that I have people that have my back. and that they know I have theirs. For me I would rather have 100 friends than 1 best friend, to me all my friends are my best friends. They can be the hardest things but SO worth it and I am always glad to make new friends, even knowing the road ahead wont always be easy!

London's Calling

As much as I absolutely love the US I would give anything to go back to London. I miss my friends and my family! I make sure to keep in good contact, but even texting is hard when there's land and water separating you. London is such an exciting city. I have had such good times there. How lucky am I to have had the opportunity to travel and spend my time experiencing new things. I hope that it wont be long before I get to make new memories in one of my favorite places in the world.

Two Lovely Children

These two sweet children add laughter to my life. Last year when I was living in an apartment I felt the emptiness of not having kids around. Davis and Grace bring a smile to my face every day. What a joy it is to be able to live with them and to see them grow up.

A Beautiful Flower

In the song sung by Carla Bruni, Quelqu’un m’a dit, she sings:

On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose.
Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses.
Translation:
I’m told that our lives aren’t worth much,
They pass like an instant, like wilting roses.

The purpose of my blogging is to show how beautiful life is. A rose may wilt in an instant, but during that process are some of the most precious moments.