Thankful...

I know Thanksgiving is coming up next week, but that's not what prompted this, I actually keep forgetting that Thanksgiving is so close, though I am way excited about it! Yay for yummy food. I just haven't expressed my gratitude for all the many wonderful blessings the Lord, in his mercy, has given me.

The very first thing on my list is the true gospel of Jesus Christ that was restored to this earth by His prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr. I cannot imagine, nor do I wish to, the nothingness that would be my life without this gospel and the Atonement that only the Lord could have brought to pass with His perfect life. It has, more than anything else, made me who I am. I do not always live it like I should, but I have a solid testimony that is so very true and I am striving to do better with all that I have and am, and picking myself up each time I fall to start over again.

I am so incredibly blessed with my amazing and wonderful family. I thought I had a normal family growing up, but the older I get, the more I realize that it's not normal, thank goodness for that! My parents are so in love and committed to each other and their children and I know they're not perfect but they are sooo very good and I love them and everything they've taught me. I have three beautiful, amazing, talented sisters, each in her own way, that teach me all the time how to be the best I can be and who I can call on whenever I need help, even if it's something like coloring my hair, picture stuff, pep talks, massages, or whatever. My brother is the best brother a girl could ask for, he's always strived to be worthy of the priesthood that he holds and stays firmly planted in the gospel, he's always quick with a funny joke to lift my spirits when I'm in a funk. He married a wonderful woman, she's the perfect sister-in-law for us and thank goodness she has a bountiful supply of patience, cuz if you know us Higginbotham's, you know she needs it! :D And I don't have enough words to describe the wonderful child that is their daughter. She lights up my life!! Whenever I need to forget my worries and stressful situations, I can hear her say "Neanie, Neanie!" and it works every time. My grandmother amazes me with her energy and time and devotion she spends on serving so many people. She is 82 and does more in a day than I can do in a week! She takes care of me every time I try to do something for her. I won't go into details for the rest of my relatives (including all those friends that I've adopted into my family!) but I wouldn't be the woman I am without them, and I could write sheets and sheets on these people.

I have been blessed to acquire so much knowledge in the education world, the Lord is helping me survive my graduate classes and learn more each day about the workings of the body, His creation, and the details that go into the movement we use to function throughout our day without a second thought. I know we have so much more to learn about how the body works, both on the micro- and the macro-level, but the more I learn, the more it is a testimony to me that we were made by a Supreme Creator, He knew what He was doing and it wasn't by chance in the least. And I don't know all the details of how He did it, or even all the details of the finished product, but I love learning more about it and understanding the intricacies that are involved. I struggle with so many things that hinder me in this progress, procrastination being near, if not at, the top of the list, but with the Lord's help and by His will, I can and will finish this course that I've started on.

I could continue on and on and on with all that I have been blessed with, these are not the least nor the entire list by far. I know that I am nothing and God is everything, my stupid pride does get in the way a lot of the time, but I give the glory to God for any good that I have ever accomplished in my life, He is my Father, Christ is my brother, and I cannot, nor will I deny the truths that I know!

Graduate School

Sooo, yes, it's been over a year since I updated! I would say it's because my life hasn't been exciting and it's been very boring, yeah right! ;) Anyone who halfway knows me knows that's a lie! The most exciting thing that's happened is that I started grad school a few weeks ago. I am currently a Master's of Exercise Science student at GSU.

And yes, I'm still excited, and loving it for the most part. But here's the deal...I'm a worrier....a BIG worrier, not about others so much, I tend to believe the positive and be an optimist when it comes to them, but when it comes to me....it's worst case scenario, like, worse, worse, worst. Worried that I'm not gonna be right, that I can't do it, that I'll make a fool of myself, that I'll be so completely bad that I'll never recover....yeah, I know, not true.

But then I also know, logically, that it's not as bad as I think it'll be, but until I actually get to the event I'm worrying about, I stress and worry and yeah....and to add to that in a school setting, I'm a procastinator, which I think stems from the worrying part, cuz if it's something I know how to do, no problem, I get it done, if it's got a deadline atleast. And yes, I'm worried, stressed and nothing logically that I know, which is true, is gonna get rid of this feeling until I get through all my classes. So yes, I just signed myself up for two years of incredible stress, plus another 3-4 for a PhD. Yuck, what was I thinking? :) But I also know I'll make it through and be fine, this is just how I am! Always have been, though I'm pretty good at hiding it from most people. But yes, I do like being in class and learning and all that (though definitely not like being on a student budget again - yes, another worry!). And I definitely like having a student schedule and not feeling like I don't have a life outside of work.

Other than that, all my friends are having babies and I'm loving it! Most are here in Atlanta which is great for me cuz I get to see them more often! Life's good and the gospel's true! Oh, just remembered another big event, I got released from Activity Co-chair in the single's ward, after 1 1/2 years or so, and don't have anything else currently (though I'm sure that will change soon). Kinda went through an identity crisis at first, but I did have my first thing I could say I could help out with and not have planning/preparing for an activity conflict with the other day, which was awesome! :)

 So I babysat my niece Sat. She's awesome and I love her! We had a ton of fun, I took her for a walk, then drove up to see some co-workers at the office, and she tried all day to open doors. Here's some pics from our adventures (of course I didn't take any that were incriminating or they wouldn't let me babysit again)!

 What a snickerdoodle!! :)