This ain't a fairytale...

There have just been a few events lately (hope you notice the sarcasm there) that help me realize that life isn't perfect and that I can't just allow myself to be a damsel in distress.  I need to stand my ground and face a future where my problems won't be solved by a knight in shining armor and his "white horse" galloping into view.  Although I am a divine princess, that doesn't mean happily ever after is right around the corner or that true love or love at first sight will pop up at what I consider to be the theatrical, most opportune moment.  There is no guarantee that I will be swept off my feet.  I need to learn to say no and to be by myself.  I can be stronger.

White Horse by Taylor Swift

A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans

Personality Patterns

I love getting ideas from my co-worker Brittany and her blog and she had a post a while ago that had her personality test results.  It was fascinating and I thought others might be interested in taking the test as well.  Here is the personality test and here is the link to her blog.  The following are my results!  Have fun!

 

 Understanding

You are willing to take the time to find out what's going on with other people, especially if they're in distress. You're a good listener, you don't criticize, and you offer unbiased, respectful, honest advice when it's requested. With a high score on the "understanding" trait, it is likely that you are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

You don't feel the need to impose your standards on others or say things that, even though true, cause pain.

Passionate

You are in touch with your emotions, and sometimes you react before you think. The good news: you don't tamp down your feelings. The bad news: you sometimes say or do things that you later wish you could take back.

You do not live your life on an even keel; you do not go for long periods without experiencing some mood swings.

Aesthetic

You appreciate art, beauty, and design; you know that they are not superficial but absolutely crucial to living the good life. You have good taste, and you're proud of it. Those with a high score on the "aesthetic" trait are often employed in literary or artistic professions, enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about the arts, reading, and travel.

You don't think it's pretentious to be moved by art and beauty. You're not one of those who believe it doesn't matter what something looks like as long as it does its job.

Organized

You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it's the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it's only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you're not satisfied until you reach it.

You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don't understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.

Innovative

You come up with a lot of ideas; if one doesn't work out, there's always another waiting in the wings. You often have interesting solutions to difficult problems. You're practically a one-person brainstorming session.

You are less interested changing the world than in dealing with things as they are. Unlike those who spend all their time trying to solve problems, you prefer to zero in on things that work and stick with them.

Creative

You are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high score on the "creative" trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly non-fiction.

You do not shun abstractions and concepts in favor of the concrete and tangible.

Competent

You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges.

You are not a "que sera sera" type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.

Astute

You are a quick study. You generally don't need to have things explained to you more than once. When presented with a problem, you will often have an instant understanding of where to look for the solution.

You do not take your sweet time when presented with a new task to complete or problem to solve. You don't avoid assignments that require you to learn new skills.

Intellectual

You are thoughtful, rational, and comfortable in the world of ideas. People find you interesting to talk to. You're the living embodiment of the saying "You learn something new every day." In general, those with a high score on the "intellectual" trait are employed in such fields as teaching and research, and are enthusiastic about reading, foreign films, and classical music.

You do not avoid abstract conversation, experimenting with new ideas, or studying new things. It bores you to stick to the straight and narrow of what you already know.

Original

You are constantly coming up with new ideas. For you, the world as it exists is just a jumping-off place; what's going on inside your mind is often more interesting than what's going on outside.

You don't feel that the road to success is to be a realist and stick to the program; you never stop yourself from coming up with new ideas or telling the world what you're thinking about.

Ballroom Bliss

I DID IT!!!!  I competed in Ballroom at BYU and made it to the semi-finals!  And then to the finals!  And finished with 4th place!!!!

It has been a far off dream of mine to be on the Ballroom Dance Team at BYU and time was always lacking to even pursue the dream.  But this semester I enrolled in Dance 184, Standard Beginning Ballroom.  We had a mock Dancesport event, and my partner and I waltzed our way into 4th place out of 76 couples!  Honestly, I was shocked.  I thought we had been cut by semi-finals, but I just missed our number in the new heat announcement and my partner pulled me out on to the dance floor.  In between heats, my teacher, Chelsie Wilde, would give us pointers about what to improve.  During the heat, I could hear Chelsie and my former roommate, Kim Acerson (also a teacher and member of the BYU Ballroom Tour team for years), cheering for us by name as we passed the teachers and announcer on the floor.  They cheered us into placing!

Not me.  This is Brock, Kim's last partner, in a BYU Ballroom Tour performance with other members of the team.

My first ballroom competition experience was a success.  Cross your fingers for the real Dancesport competition!

Steven is Coming Home!

I'm SO. SUPER. D. DUPER. EXCITED!!!!!  My brother, who I haven't seen in over 2 years and 9 months, is arriving home from serving a mission NEXT WEEK!  The reason for the long period of separation is simple: service for the church.  But remember it was voluntary!  I left to serve a mission in Connecticut in January of 2009 for a period of 18 months, and he left to serve a mission in California for a period of 24 months in October of the same year.  Sniff.  Although I miss him now, he's coming home, and we had great times emailing each other during our mission overlap and talking over the phone with three-way calling with our family on Mother's Day and Christmas.

I'm STOKED!

See the sidebar for information about when and where he is reporting in church.-->