See you soon

To all my ladies-this one's for you.

So this summer has easily been the oddest summer of my life. At times it has been extraordinary and then sometimes absolutely boring.  It's been filled with lifetime adventures accompanied by the most bitter of goodbyes. The concept of time has challenged me leaving me hungry, exhausted, excited, and worried all at the same time (is that even possible?). It's been filled with adult responsibilities but teenager awkwardness and the lack of ability to find a happy medium of the two. But ya know, sometimes life just goes that way and more than ever I've just realized the only way you can handle those hard times in life is to simply keep moving. Now as a to-be Freshman in college the word "moving" not only is a mental action but now a physical action as well. As I'm starting to pack up my room and leave to a foreign town (pretty good description for ptown wouldn't you say? haha) I can't help but reminisce on all the amazing people and experiences that I'm forced to move from. Now that may sound melancholy and slightly depressing, which at times feels that way, more than anything I feel grateful and blessed.

Everybody graduates and everyone moves on, but I can't help but think that our graduating class was a little bit different. We no longer had the easy summer that everyone told us we would have. The boys in our grade have been the most bold and brave as nearly all of them took on the calling to leave for their LDS missions straight out of high school. Which to this day, I am amazed that they took on that challenge with such faith and grace. Me on the other hand.. I struggled. I struggled watching the boys that I've grown up with and love the very most leave so quickly. I felt like I was forced to grow up and become an adult without knowing how to be one. Now I can only imagine what our boys were forced to do as they each took on such a high responsibility at such a young age, and I forever will admire them for their faith and service, but this entry isn't actually for them. It's actually for the girls. For the girls who have been supportive to the boys, to each other, and stayed positive and patient as our male population gets lower and lower haha. They are the ones who have kept me grounded and have constantly reassured me that everything will be okay. This summer has been focused on the countless "see you soons" to the boys we love, but in all honesty, the important and sincere "see you soon" goes out to these lovely ladies. The girls I've grown up and have experienced some of my greatest and worst days with. To the girls who have given me more than I could ever express, this one's for you.

First off, thank you. And I know that's a broad statement that feels redundant, but that's honestly the best thing I can say! Thank you to all the girls for making me laugh, teaching me some of the most important lessons in my life, strengthening my testimony, supporting me in my hardest times, and helping me get to where I am today. These girls I've grown up with are easily one of my greatest blessings in my life and I will forever be impacted by their amazing examples. They are all beautiful and unique and I have NO doubt that they all will change the world in numerous way. These girls make it  easy to want to be a good person, make good decisions, be brave in a crazy world, and hold to the Gospel with my full heart. They push me to be a better person every day, help me handle my hardest trials, and constantly remind me that the heart of life is always good. I love them all so much and sometimes wonder how in the world I got sooo lucky.

Now as some of the hardest goodbyes of the summer have begun (freak, I tear up just writing that), I just wanted to wish all these lovely girls good luck on this next chapter of their lives. And most importantly that I will always remember and love the girls who have gotten me to this point. Obviously this isn't the end!... but clearly life changes and we are all starting our own brand new adventures without being by each others side 24/7. To the girl who gets cramped hands... Thank you for teaching me patience and how to always look for the good in others. To the girl who hates tiny black dots... Thank you for teaching me to be silly and how to work hard. To the girl who loves pickles... Thank for teaching me how to be passionate and how to be willing to forgive others and myself. To the girl who tends to have crumbs on her... Thank you for teaching me how to look at life in a beautiful and hopeful light. To the girl who hates feet... Thank you for teaching me that laughter is key to getting through bad days.. and Diet Coke. And to every other single girl... Thank you for teaching me how to live my life to the fullest and helping me understand that some of the greatest things in life aren't things... They're Toliet papering memories, good DC's, lunches where you pee your pants, hikes that go downhill (literally), dance parties where you "wind it up", classes where you laugh your head off, waffle dinners, and those clicking moments where you know that everything in life is absolutely worth it just because you have a good friends.

As hard and strange as this summer has been, I'm so grateful for the time I got to spend with my girls. These ladies are going to change the world, so be ready...

To all my girls--Go have the time of your life on this new adventure. Be Bold. Be lovely. Be Brave. Be Faithful. Be Fearless. I love you all!

oh, and see you soon. 

Love always,
Lauren

Be Unique

It's now been a week since I ended my internship in LA and I can't stop thinking about how different it is going from one place to another. I learned a lot during my stay in California whether it was about life or about business. There's one thing, though, that I can't get off my mind. As I watched and learned from people around me in West Hollywood, I began to understand that being different isn't something to be ashamed of, it's something to be celebrated. Every single person in that office was unique, yet they were and are incredibly successful because of it. No matter what their background consisted of, they contributed their best to the company and made a difference in others lives.

I think it's important, especially for the transition I'm experiencing in life, to remember that uniqueness isn't a flaw. Being who you are for the reasons you want, make you attractive to the world, especially when you are confident in that identity. I always struggle, like Kate said with comparing myself to others, but really, what's there to compare? Every individual was made differently so why would you try to mold yourself into something you're not? I know it's a lot easier said than done, but constantly thinking about cherishing your uniqueness is at least a step in a positive direction.
I also learned that judgement blurs your interpretation of a human being. Judging others based on first impressions is a poor way to understand what a person is about. Keeping an open mind throughout our lives allows us to gain knowledge about people and experiences we otherwise wouldn't have learned from. Not to mention it makes life easier and more enjoyable. ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. I write these words mostly for myself so that I can soak them up and better apply them to my life. However, I challenge everyone to appreciate who they are and live judgment free more often. I promise, you'll learn from it.

"A mind that is stretched by an experience can never go back to its old dimensions."- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

-Annika

forget you not

I think this post is a little more for me than for anybody else, ha just like all my recent ones were I guess...but it's fine ya? k cool.

Lately, well randomly lately, I've needed this pep talk more than ever. i think that i'm feeling this way because of this weird stage of life that i'm in. this limbo. this place in life where i feel like i don't belong anywhere yet. the place between college and high school haha. 

I often find myself getting caught up in thinking about college and my role at the U next year and i start to worry and over-think things a lot...like most girls, right? so i'm normal? k cool. 

so basically my biggest struggle and worry right now is about....myself. 

i know that we're taught to love ourselves and to keep our confidence high, but i really believe that no one girl is constantly feeling that way 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. there's no way. but hey, if you're reading this right now and you are that one person, make sure to hit me up and let me know of your secrets:)

i think the whole reason why i'm starting to feel down on myself lately is because i'm constantly worrying about all of the girls i'm going to be comparing myself to next year. is that good for myself? of course not! do i still do it? duhhhh. unfortunately, i'm an 18 year old girl who sees her weaknesses more often then her own strengths. i know i don't have a flippin victoria secret model body. i know i'm not the most outgoing person. i know i'm not the prettiest person in the world. i know that my confidence doesn't shine like it should. i know that i make mistakes. and i know that i'm not that perfect girl that i wish i was. 

see and i know that Satan is just trying to get me down, i know that. i really do. i try to fight him off everyday but he knows right when and where to cut me down. he knows my weaknesses and chooses to put them right out in front of my eyes everyday. i know that. i'm not dumb haha. ahh i just really dislike him...you know what though, sometimes knowing that he is behind it all just doesn't help me move past it. and this is one of those nights! 

but you know what does help me move past it? praying to my Heavenly Father. he on the other hand, knows my strengths and knows my potential. in all honesty, a tiny tiny tiny part of me gets excited for these "confidence-lacking sessions" because i know that i can sincerely pray to Him for help. He knows exactly what i need and He knows exactly how to help me. He sends me wonderful friends and family to lift me up down here on earth- i really do feel so lucky for all of the relationships i have here. He sends us so many tools to help us get where we need to be, we just need to use them. He provides so much comfort and peace, that we just need to accept it and believe what He is trying to tell us. He knows i'm His daughter and He knows me better than anybody else. and He knew that i needed to hear my favorite speaker ever, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, give this talk. So as i was just pulling up YouTube on my laptop, this was the first video I saw. 

Forget Me Not - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

so learn to be patient with yourself and learn to love yourself. stop comparing and just live for you. you don't owe anybody anything and you for sure don't owe anybody your faults or your jealousy. surround yourself with good people who help you feel of your divine worth. anybody else that doesn't, isn't worth your time. know that Satan is only here to bring you down and the only thing that is true about his words is what you start to make yourself believe. it's our choice to believe the one person that lives to tear us down...or the one that died to bring us up. 

kinda sappy...but oh well!

just enjoy it babe!


love,
moss