Papers, papers, and more papers.

That pretty much sums up my life at the moment. The semester ends in about 5 weeks, and I am looking forward to the break that follows it. We are moving back to NC over Christmas break for 6 months while Derrick chooses a law school. So after all those papers are finished, packing will begin.

Birthday Festivities!

October is my favorite month.. I love fall colors, fall flavors, and it ends with my BIRTHDAY! On the 30th of October I turned 29. There was much celebrating all month long!

To celebrate, Marin and I had the most amazing apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory one night. This pic came from my phone, not the best. We went for a nice walk, and played with all the wondrous toys like children at Blikenstaff's, (Which quit selling Cheerwine! Shame on them!)

There was a surprise party on the 27. I had no make-up on, and I was wearing old clothes! HAHAHA! I guess it wouldn't be a surprise if I was prepared for it. We all played laser tag, ate cake, and just had a great time chatting and catching up.

Derrick took me to Outback on the 29th.. And then Christine and I went to get a fancy pumpkin hot chocolate from Starbucks later that night.

Finally, on the 30th, my actually birthday. Derrick made chicken pot pie, Marin made an AMAZING pumpkin cake! The Heywood's had dinner with us, and then a few people came over for cake. Listening to Marin's kids sing Happy Birthday was the cutest highlight of the night. She has adorable kids. Her son even helped me blow out my candles!

With all of the celebrating, it's not hard to see that I am very very spoiled! My favorite part of everything was getting to spend so much time with my fabulous friends. I am very grateful that I have so many wonderful people to share life with! Thanks to all you that made October fun! It's going to be a great year.

Nothing out of the Ordinary...

Sometimes I think that I need to have something of value or exciting to say before I blog. Well, I have nothing exciting to say, and there is nothing out of the ordinary going on. The past couple months have been filled with school work: essays, math equations, and more reading than I could have imagined. But, I am making progress. Although, I comprehend daily that there is still so much I need to learn, I am starting feel a sense of accomplishment in small areas.

Derrick's last semester at BYU is bitter sweet. The finish line is within his grasp, but not without work to get there. He is putting the finishing touches on his law school applications, and getting those in. (arms crossed!)

October brings fall. YEY!! I love the smells, and the treats of fall! I also have a few movies I watch in October that help me get in the mood for Halloween, and fall. They are:

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! What better way to spark a mood than Charlie Brown!

The Goonies: I love this tale of mischievous kids saving the day!

Hocus Pocus: Yes, it's cheesy. But it's also a lot of fun, and makes me smile.

Arsenic and Old Lace: Jimmy Stewart at his finest! Two sweet little old ladies have a secret hidden in the basement.. It's very funny, and perfect for fall.

The Addams Family: Again, it's cheesy. But it's a fond memory from childhood, and puts a smile on my face. Everyone needs a reminder every now that every family is unique. (and maybe we are not as weird as we think we are.)

Corpse Bride: I love the animation, the music, and the story. I find myself singing along. I like the implication of more joy to be had in the next life.

Sleepy Hollow: You know the one, with Johnny Depp. It's not too scary. I enjoy classic folklore and it's well done here.

The Others: A good ghost story. I've seen a million times, and I still like it.

These are just the highlights. I have more that I love to watch, and talk about. Movies are always apart of my holiday traditions. What are your favorite fall movies, or fall traditions?

The Anniversary edition..

On August 8, Derrick and I celebrated our 4th anniversary. WOW 4 years! I'm not gonna lie; it's been a challenging road. There have been moments of frustration, but many more moments of joy. We have had hard times and we have had good times. Through it all, I am blessed to say that Derrick has led our home with love, Christ centered decisions, and respect for me and my feelings. We are equal partners, and he treats me as such!

There has been much to learn over the past 4 years. I would like to share a few of the things I have discovered to be the most important.

1. Prayer: Personally and as a couple. When Derrick was in China I missed our prayers together the most. I really believe that prayer is the best way to ensure our efforts are unified. Through praying together, we have been better able to work together on family goals. I have been made more aware of Derrick needs because of this. My personal prayers on Derrick's behalf have softened my heart on many occasions and made known to me what I can do to show more love for him and support to him in his endeavors. It also helps us keep Christ centered in our home.
2. Pride has no place in marriage: This has been a hard lesson for me. I love Derrick and I want him to be happy, but its been a hard thing learning that it's ok if I am not right. It's even ok if I am and he thinks I am not. I have learned when I put aside my pride, we get to the heart of every matter quickly, and the resolution comes close after.
3. Change is essential: I have learned when I want to see something in Derrick change if I try to change that in myself, I soon forget what I wanted to see changed in the first place.
4. "Be quick to forgive and slow to remember": This advice was given to us by our branch president, President Webb, when we told him we wanted to get married. It has been such a blessing in our home. I have noticed by practicing this we are both quick to apologize now. I also believe that this principle is key to avoiding deep rooted problems and resentment.
5. Have Compassion: Compassion for our spouses can help us be more selfless and less prideful. When I have compassion for Derrick, I can really feel Christ's love for him. I also have a greater determination to see him happy. Compassion also increases our capacity for forgive and forget.
6. Laugh!: I love that we can laugh together. I think its just as important as working together. I love when I am angry, Derrick does his best to make me laugh. I can't be angry and laughing at the same time! Its a great way to ease tension, and a great way to spend our day.
7. DATE: Derrick is so good at taking me on dates. There have been very few weeks when he hasn't been able to make time for it. Often, they are cheap, but I love the cheap ones. We have so much fun together. I feel so special when he makes time to just focus on me, and our relationship. We don't talk about school or deadlines. It's very nice.

I could go on for hours. At any given moment, my thoughts about these subjects may change, and I might place greater value on another quality that I didn't list today. I'm always reading and looking for new ways to approach our relationship. Some of my favorite articles on marriage are Your Marriage and the Sermon on the Mount, and Agency and Love in Marriage. (Read them, you won't regret it!) I know that we are still growing, and still learning. I also know that as we continue to strive to center our lives and our marriage around Christ our efforts will be blessed. I am so grateful to be married to Derrick and share the journey of life and eternity with him!

The Yearly Update

So, its been a YEAR... A whole year since my last post.. I just wanted to mention that we are indeed ALIVE. Derrick made it through the LSAT with flying colors. He is now turning his attention to Law School applications and graduation in December.. Where will we go? Its exciting to look at the schools and their housing and think about where we will be next.
Now on to the important part... ME.. hahaha... (no really, its what Sydney is reading for)...
I am going to school. Yes, as of Aug 24th I will officially be a college freshmen. SLCC has an online AS of Sociology. So no matter where Derrick and I end up I'll be able to continue the program. I will be looking at four year schools when we find out where D ends up.
I am still unemployed so I am trying to stay productive. I fill my hours and days with wonderful friends. Where would I be with out the Heywoods? Marin lets me just pop over and hang out unannounced. (I don't even think Marin knows this blog exists). Derrick has been home this summer so we have been taking a few day trips here and there. The Orem Library occupies at least one day of our week. (I have never been so in love with a Library in all of my life.) I am also privileged to spend two days a week at the Provo Utah Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (You can read more about temples here.) Its the most wonderful assignment I have ever had. The Provo Temple has been closed for the past 3 weeks. But it reopens this week! YEY!
A little plug for health: I have been reading lots and lots of books about health. The what, when and how of eating and the many schools of thought regarding the fore mentioned is the subject of so many books that it can be a daunting task to learn everything. We are adapting and changing our eating habits to what we feel is healthy. (I am a big fan of the GI index)
My new philosophy is Fat and Fit which means being the healthiest I can no matter the weight. I have spent the past four years trying to lose weight with no success for various reason. I want to love my body and myself the way I am. If that means I am Curvy, well then I love CURVES! Its a challenge being curvy; shopping for clothes can be so frustrating and often depressing. Pictures are often scary. People are very opinionated; everyone knows what I should do to lose weight. But I just want to be loved the way I am for who God created me to be. I am so blessed with friends and family, and especially a dear husband who love me and think I am beautiful regardless of what any fashion magazine says. So I say to world: LOVE YOURSELF FIRST, and strive to be as healthy as you can, learn from everything and everyone, and I believe that we will become what we want to be. And who knows, with all the work it takes being healthy, in a few years I might even reach that weght goal.