FINALLY :) ..I have returned!

Okay, this is going to have to be quick! BUT I've put it off for way too long!
[...hahaha okay.. wasn't so quick and is quite lengthy but worth it! ]


LIFE HAS BEEN WAY TOO WONDERFUL!!!

so.. I'm going to try to share with you all the things have have made me so so happy the last two months! 


ready,
     set, 
         GO :)


lets start at the beginning. the first month of 2 0 1 1  :)
[okay, pullin' out the journal]


one. I absolutely love the Doctorine and Covenants. does anyone else just think that they are the most amazing things to read ever?  i have just felt SO blessed as i have learned SO much from these incredible, modern revelations.  in reading them, i have truly been guided to make necessary changes in my life that are day by day, bringing me closer to Christ and to living a life in accordance with His.  i have gained such a testimony of Joseph Smith being a true prophet.  i have learned so much about the history of our church, and the future to look forward to.  i have been awestruck at how much more meaning the scriptures have had for me, and how much i have learned the past three months.  it is absolutely incredible.  i am SO grateful for the opportunity we have to come here to earth to learn and become like Christ.  we all have His power and light within us.  it is His Spirit.  the same Spirit that created this world.  we have the capability to, because of Him, be like Him one day, and do these same things.  
--okay, i'm sorry but i could go on and on.  this gospel is too amazing.  i definitely recommend all to read the doctorine&covenants.  it truly is of God and is the perfect addition to the Book of Mormon.  i have begun a feasting frenzy on the words of God ever since.  there is SO much to learn about this gospel--i've been a member my whole life, but i feel like i'm FINALLY getting deeper.  the surface is beautiful and is the perfect place to start, but when you immerse yourself into the depths, you will be forever changed.  you won't ever want to stop.  and it will extend into your school studies.  i'm telling you.  i sit in my microbiology, and my nutrition classes, and my chemistry classes and just think--He is truly in all of this.  He is "over all, and in all, and through all" [d&c 63:59] He is the light and power of the moon, the stars, the sun..which gives life to all living things.  we could not live without it.  and from dear nate's last letter, he added right to that: "[it] is part of our spiritual DNA... the purpose of the Holy Ghost is to INFLUENCE the light of Christ that is in us, to tell us what's true. -this is why us missionaries need to have the Holy Ghost when we are teaching people! -there is only one way to unlock our spiritual knowledge that is in us [we are all born with this knowledge] and that is through the Holy Ghost... if we are teaching without the Holy Ghost, that knowledge will not be unlocked" (February 17th). 



two.  my birthday weekend my lovely parents came down! i am so grateful for family!!! and my parents are the best! i wouldn't have wanted to spend my b-day with anyone else!   Woohoo for being 20 years old! 

[celebration with my roomies!

thanks for the cake si-si!]

  
three.  while they were there, my mom had us watch the hallmark movie : The Lost Valentine... LOVED IT! okay, so i seriously had tears streaming down my face!!!  it was the cutest little story about this girl and boy who fell in love and spent the happiest year of marriage together, [don't worry, it was in the 50's so they had the cutest clothes, and danced on the porch, oh..and the adorable couple had the time of their lives fixing up a practically abandoned home and planting a garden, and had the cutest water fight.. yeah.. i know.. but it was SO. CUTE.] but after a year was up, he had to go off to fight in WWII.  He -to all of our devastation- went MIA when his plane went down in the pacific.  The movie is all about the wife[betty white], 65 years later, telling her story, and through the help of the reporter[jennifer love hewitt], she finally finds out what happened to her husband!  oh! and after the husband went off to war, she found she was pregnant with a child.. so of course the handsome grandson[sean faris..yeah] and the reporter have to have a little romance along the way!  

--um..to die for right??

--their heart breaking goodbye [sniffle]

--isn't she to die for??

it was the cutest thing ever!!! so..after this movie..i was in love with red lipstick and the classy-ness of the 50's .. i wanted to start dressing like that adorable girl!  soo.. that brings me to my next topic:

four.  going out with the girls, all dressed up and all in a lipstick phase! yay for red! :)

--i even wore my great grandma's CLIP ON [yess] pearl earrings! --several times the past few weeks actually. ha i'm tellin' ya, that movie really got me into the old school stuff :)  

five.  okay, speaking of valentines.. can i please tell you about mine? cutie pie asian, skylar -from my and sierra's institute- was going to grace kylie with a date.  he went all out and the main plan was to teach her how to cook delicious chinese food in our very own apartment :) ..SO he made it very clear that i needed to be out of here! haha i forgot to eat before i left, so my valentines dinner was a salad i made at Harmons, in my car, outside of the computer center. HAHA ..but seriously.. i was SO content!!  i had the best view of the temple, i was listening to the cd nate made me, and i just felt so blessed.  i couldn't help but be happy.  --and two people blessed my life on valentines day: Patricia Barnes sent me a card that meant so much to me. it came at a time of great need [a little before valentines] and was such a blessing. & Nate sent me the best package with the cutest card, and a gift that meant so much to me: a hymn book in Spanish.  Nate is so in love with the language.  and i have heard so many people talk about how how it is so much more beautiful for them than english -especially in church.. there are just more descriptive, passionate, words with more specific meanings. -which apparently is more inspiring for people.  i really want to become more acquainted with the language and see this for myself :) - but i just thought that was the best gift!  


six.  i have successfully completely a week of NO nielson's, working out every day, running 4x, and eating healthy! yay yay yay. 


seven.  i have been trying to go to bed early, and wake up early.. it feels so good. but lately its been hard when my cute roommates are tempting me to go out and have some late night fun! haha :) it has been very fun though!  i love you girls!

  






makes sense why i'm so happy, right? :)






sincerely, madi jane <3