lessons learned from college basketball

lesson number one: i officially declare it safe to assume that all questions asked by Devin during a basketball game are rhetorical. he doesn't actually want me to answer them. at least i hope he's not expecting me to know why they keep letting that one guy take shots, and why that foul didn't get called...


lesson number two: it is perfectly satisfying to do something as mindless as watch a college MWC tournament championship game. it is also slightly more entertaining than i expected. and i'm not just saying that because it's funny to watch devin yell at the TV and sit up really fast and intently when it gets intense. i'm saying it because i may be starting to legitimately enjoy watching basketball. too bad the season is basically over, right?


these are valuable lessons, but i must say, i really did enjoy watching that game. SDSU deserved the win. they definitely played like champions. BYU was tired and sloppy, but i don't blame them. Freddette looked a horrible combination of ticked and exhausted, and i don't think he sat down once the whole game. I don't think I could go an entire championship game after a 52-point record game the night before either, so I think the cougs had a respectable loss, and they'll do better Thursday in the NCAA tournament. right? right. positive affirmations.


speaking of positive affirmations, here's a funny video that's been floating around lately. this little girl may be my hero. i should start my day like this every morning:

you'll never be the same. but in a good way, right? isn't she the cutest thing? i love it. with mornings like these, you're bound to have a good day.

speaking of good days... mine wasn't. well. that's a lie. it started out fun.

went wedding dress shopping, take 2 this morning. alli and kayla didn't end up coming, so it was the 4 of us again. we went to Allyse's, where my friend Kelsey was our consultant, and she was amazing! I wasn't expecting much from there, just because it's, well, Allyse's, but I was surprised to find that I legitimately liked every dress I tried on. It was really hard to pick favorites! I narrowed it down to 3 or 4 that were definitely promising, but only 2 are reasonably priced, especially when you start adding on brooches and alterations... so that's a bummer dude, but oh well. I'm wearing it ONCE. It doesn't need to cost 1000 dollars to look pretty for 6 hours. I just can't justify that. Half that cost is still questionable to me. Oh well.

After that, i had to go straight to work.

Then my phone BUSTED. i didn't to ANYTHING. the touch screen just fully gave out. and now, all that happens is the keys light up, and it vibrates when i get messages. but i can't see the screen. i can't touch any buttons... it's ridiculous. i can send in a refurbished phone, but it will take at least a week. AWESOME.

also... it is THE WORST POSSIBlE TIME TO BE PHONE-LESS. I just got a new job, with that cell number being my primary contact number. ALSO, i'm getting married. do you know what kind of cell phone use that requires? a lot. constant phone calls. to everyone. family, friends, shops, everyone. it's pretty hectic.

ANYWAY... here's my virtual soap box for the day:

it's been rough lately. i had a long talk with devin last night about how hard everything is and how overwhelmed i feel, and he did (as he always does) an amazing job of reminding me why we're doing it, and helping me to relax and take things one step at a time. he talks me back down so quickly and effortlessly, i'm beginning to wonder what kind of research he has done on me -- it's like he knows exactly what i'm thinking. i don't even have to say it. he's amazing. there is truly no other words to describe it. i'm sooo lucky to have him. he saves me every day!

so i'm stressed.

my phone breaks.

i have a new job.

i have an existing job.

i'm trying to pay for ALL SORTS of things (rent, furniture, wedding, new phone...)

that is a LOT to take in.

so here i am, driving to Devin's (he moved to his parents today, and will be there until a couple weeks before the wedding, when he'll move into our apartment.) from the mall, where i had just been at the very unhelpful AT&T store.

i'm at the light, and there is a man standing on the corner holding a cardboard sign. all i can make out is something about 6 kids at home and something about an ex-wife...?

i'll be honest. normally, i ignore that kind of stuff. homeless people are kind of shady, and anyone can fake homelessness to get extra money. it's just always been an iffy situation that i prefer not to get involved with. at least not on this end, the whole... people on the side of the road, or by the wal-mart exits looking dirty and sad...

but this man looked humiliated. he looked so embarrassed and helpless and devastated. like he couldn't believe his life had lead him to that point. he had THE MOST ADORABLE yellow lab with him. the dog had a tennis ball and was SO happy.  the man was playing fetch with the dog, and the dog was LOVING it. i have literally never seen such a happy dog in my life, and i am the owner of the two most buzzed animals on the planet. it was adorable.

two thoughts came to my mind:

1. the dog was clueless. i got kind of jealous at first. that dog was so sincerely happy, and had no cares. no idea what was going on. just playing fetch, having a good time. why can't we be like that? even a dog can be happy in the worst of times.

2. i was immediately humbled. here i am, all ticked off about my cell phone not working, and the stress of planning my dream wedding to the love of my life, and the 2 amazing jobs i have... and here is a man. an adult. resorting to this? standing on the side of the road asking for some extra cash? who am i to complain about my circumstances? who am i to say i don't have enough, or i'm not happy with what i have? who am i to be so selfish? i was 2 or 3 lanes over from him, or else i would have given him my whole wallet (it would have been a first) but i was so so glad to see a car quickly roll by, and shortly after watch him shove a wad of bills into his jacket pocket. i broke down and cried right there. feeling like an idiot. i'm not a cry-er. i hardly EVER cry. seriously. but i think it was just maybe everything that has been stressing me out for so long, and worrying me and keeping me up at night... it was all gone. and i felt sooo humbled. i spent the rest of the drive containing myself, and said a quick prayer in dev's driveway before going inside.

The Lord knew I needed that. I could be more grateful. It's the little things, you know? What a huge help. I never would have expected that the Lord would help me relieve my stress in such a way, but he did. It worked wonders. I love tender mercies like that throughout my days. There are a million scriptures that come to my mind when i think of this scenario, but first and foremost, is when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only the service of your God.

After watching the game, Vicki made some great french toast, and then Devin and I watched a couple episodes of the office before I had to go back to work for a meeting. Meeting went well. Excited to practice the new things we've learned. Loving my job, as always.

Today was good, then hard, then good again. So, I'd say we're progressing.


day 23: a picture of my favorite book:

but we already knew that. (want this cover sooo bad)
always has been, always will be.
if you haven't read to kill a mockingbird, borrow a copy from me. i have 6 (so far). it will change your life.

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D&C 4:2 "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day."