Personal Happiness project: week 9 & 10

So we've moved! We're all unpacked too but things are still on the floor next to the walls because we need more storage and furniture. We also haven't had internet this whole time which is why I haven't been updating my blog. So this week is two posts in one to get us caught up!

 

Last week's challenge was "Ignite your passions." At the beginning of the week, it seemed that everyone else around me was being helpful by igniting my anger passions! (smog guy, moving drama, etc.) But! Last Saturday, before the week was up, I went to the pottery studio and threw for like 8 hours. My passions are burnt out. I was trying to use up the rest of my clay because the clay bags got holes in them during the move. About 15-20 pounds of clay later, I have three pots. My arms ached and my whole body hurt. (*sneeze* ow my bones!) I still need to trim them sometime this week. I'm feeling fine now, but Saturday was like taking my passion and dousing it with gasoline.

In other news, I've been trying to do more interior design stuff and got a catalog for an interior design correspondence course. As fun as it sounds, I probably won't do it for a while because it's a lot of money and I want to see if I'm even good at interior design first. But we got a catalog in the mail for community classes from UVU! Definitely going to do a bunch of those. Super excited. Especially since they have a carpentry class, which is something Kyle has been wanting to do for a while now. So, we'll be busy!

Anyway, this week's challenge is "Jump through your comfort zone." I guess step one for this one is figuring out what things make me uncomfortable and how to get over those. Things that top the list are talking to strangers and talking in public. Strangers are now my neighbors and people at church. Maybe I will go to that activity this week to meet more people. Then they can get to know how fantastic I am! :)

And here's a spiritual thought because it's been on my mind lately. Have a great week!

previous week's challenge

Personal Happiness project: week 8

This week's challenge won't be much of a challenge at all, which is good because we're packing and moving and going out of town and really really busy. The goal is to "Hug often. Help others." While the hugging bit won't bring immediate happiness as we'll be saying goodbye to a great group of friends, I'm glad to have acquired such fantastic friendships that will hopefully last forever, and that makes me happy. As a cheesy yearbook entry declared, "Don't cry cuz it's over, smile cuz it happened!!!" or whatever. Luckily we'll only be twenty minutes away so we can still go on group dates and hang outs.

The other aspect of the goal is to help others. I am sure to be in debt to a lot of people as we move and clean this week. Hopefully I will be able to step back and think about what other people need and serve them. Last night for Family Home Evening with a group of friends the lesson was about temples. Temples are great because we get to learn and be in Heavenly Father's house. I hope that we'll be able to attend the temple sometime this week or next week to remember the blessings promised to us and serve others there who cannot be there for themselves.



Hug often and help others. May be a hug is the best way to help someone! Anyway, this week will be bittersweet with goodbyes and new beginnings. Here's to hoping we make it through in one piece!

previous week's challenge

Camping in the rain

We had a lot of fun at the ward camping trip! I'm really glad that we went. It was pouring rain on our way up there (see video below) and was stormy all night, which was great for keeping the bugs away. We enjoyed it (and especially enjoyed sleeping in our own bed the next night). Here are some pictures to document our interaction with nature!

Good morning!

Our campsite

Aannnd...We signed our contract for our new apartment and got our keys! This next week is going to be crazy busy!

Personal Happiness project: week 7

Ugh, I am so tired this week. My brother was in town and staying in our house (read: our bedroom) until Tuesday, which explains my tardiness in writing. It has been really hot lately also, like 80 degrees at night, and there may have been another wildfire nearby. Anyway, whine-time done.

This week's challenge is "Go outside and observe nature. Give." Oh! Follow-up about last week's challenge: We decided on an apartment and are signing the contract today! I think I (and Kyle) did a good job feeling our emotions as we looked at apartments. We were deciding between an apartment in Provo and an apartment in Pleasant Grove. Well, technically two in Pleasant Grove but they were both in the same 4-plex and we had only seen one. The PG apartment was available now, whereas the Provo apartment was not available until the 28th. Our current contract ends on the 23rd, so that decided the city. On Tuesday, we looked at the other apartment in PG and decided we liked first one we saw and are signing the contract today.

I'm excited about it but scared to be committed to something (yes, I am the committment-phobe in the marriage). But we both feel really good about it and I think the neighbors are nice. It will be an adventure! It's the second move in our marriage, but this one is scarier because we're leaving behind some really good friends. They'll only be like 20 minutes away, but we had a hard time keeping in contact with people who lived just down the street! Luckily I'll be moving with my buddy Kyle so it won't be lonely :)

Anyway, so this week I will work on observing nature as I'm packing up and moving. Our ward is having a campout this weekend, which will be totally fun and a great chance to observe the world that Heavenly Father created for us through His son Jesus Christ. I will also try to be unselfish as I'm moving and give to those around me. This one will be tough because our current apartment is so small that I've already pared our belongings down pretty well. Maybe I'll focus on serving others since we'll be the recipients of lots of service when we move next week. We'll see how things go. Have a great week!

previous week's challenge

So excited!

I got a bike! I'm really happy! It needs some repairs and tuning up but it is great and it is mine and I love it! Pictures to come :)

Personal Happiness project: week 6

 
Nothing much has been happening this past week. Well, I guess stuff has happened. We went to a HumorU show and a show at a small independent theatre ("The Complete Works of Shakespeare Abridged"--if you haven't seen it, do. It's hilarious!). My work schedule for the fall has been finalized and our application for an apartment in Provo is being looked over. Oh and I started making a tiered treat stand with plates and candlestick holders. It's going to be really cute when it's done! And I cleaned tidied our apartment. So...I guess that's my definition of "nothing."

I've been running and stretching {almost} daily! Since I started running over a month ago, my mile time started at 9:27 then peaked at 10:09 then was 9:41 today (my fastest time was 9:13!) So while my time hasn't been improving much since when I started, my heart rate (beats per minute) has been decreasing, which is a more important indicator of heart improvement for me. I'm looking forward to when my mile is under 8 minutes and I'm not dying at the end of it!

Anyway, this week's challenge is "Feel your emotions. Face fear." I think acknowledging my emotions and what is triggering them will be my focus this week. For instance, I've noticed that I get really upset with myself when I spend a lot of time doing nothing--like Facebook--on the computer. So I've been trying to not get on the computer as much when I'm at home to alleviate the potentiality of a time-vortex eating my day. Hopefully, more productivity=me being less upset=win for everyone.

As for fear-facing, that may come if our application is accepted and we have the option to sign a lease for an apartment. I don't really want to stay in Provo since neither of us work in Provo. But maybe there is a reason we are supposed to stay? Throughout the apartment searching process I have been trying to feel my emotional reaction to different places. So far there have been only subtle bad feelings but nothing that feels right. We're looking at another apartment tomorrow and I hope I get some sort of feeling about it. Otherwise Provo may be it.

previous week's challenge