Happy--Snowsheoing--Birthday!

The one thing my mother wanted to do for her birthday was to snowshoe!

My mother has taught me many things over the course of my life, one of the them being the beauty and therapeutic power of nature. She loves the mountains. She loves the sun. And she loves moving her feet. I think it's only appropriate that we went out on a nature walk to celebrate another year of her life.

The sun was shining and the snow looked like this^^

(potato chips as my dad referenced)

This picture encompasses a lot about my mother. 

Her motto: "I will live with grace and dignity!"

Her face says it all.

Don't you just love his curly beard?

           

When my mother is in her element^^

 It's harder to get a cute picture with Koda than it looks:)

the bun^

Living at home has been rather difficult at times, 

but with afternoons such as these, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 

my dad is such a goof!

photo cred: Liza Jane! 

Change of seasons! 

Needless to say, he was a happy pup.

 Would you look at his puppy eyes! 

Happy Birthday Mother, I love you!! 

You are the most beautiful, loving angel in my life. 

Thank you for sharing a piece of you in all of us girls! I look at my sisters and believe they are the most loving, hardworking, dedicated, beautiful, bright individuals I know. It's you that is shining in them, in us, and I couldn't be more grateful! I love you! 

Here's to a better year ahead!  

yoga

one word: yoga. 

I realized something the other day...my hobbies disappeared. 

painting? running? triathlons? socializing? volunteering?

Where did they go?

Other than people watching, my hobbies are pretty limited. That's why I got a hot yoga pass at

  Power Yoga in downtown Salt Lake. That's right. Hot yoga.

Don't judge too quickly. I know what you're thinking. Hot yoga applies only to those morally opposed to meat and traditional gyms. 

Not true. 

No, I'm not vegan. Yes, I have a gym pass. No, I'm not super limber. No, I do not have a cute tattoo of a butterfly or crescent moon on my ankle or lower back. But I am converted to this therapeutic form of exercise.

I've been several times, and each time I exit the room, I feel cleansed and uplifted. It's rather a neat experience. Two dozen bodies packed in this hole-in-the-wall apartment, releasing stressful, negative energy in return for positive, empowering energy--all the while sweating, profusely.  

It's funny, after only an hour of sweating and chanting together, these strangers don't feel like strangers anymore. 

After dozens of animal-like poses and stretches, I introduce to you a new woman. 

Okay, not really, but it still feels really great.

Namaste. 

dear chelsea,

I love letters. There is something special about writing your feelings and thoughts down for someone else to read and reread, time and time again. Letters have a way of bringing people together, like Noah and Allie in the Notebook, or on a more serious note, bringing light to dark situations as with Anne Frank and her diary, five notebooks and more than 300 hand-written loose pages. Words are powerful and seem to tangiblize love, hope, heartache, and history like nothing else can.

It's more than just the letter part that gets me; it's the power of words of affirmation. Not only do I receive love in this fashion, but I give love this way. Many who know me, may have a note or two from me lying around because I can't seem to more adequately describe my feelings and gratitude for them than through a good 'ole handwritten letter.

On this note, with resolutions resurfacing and the time to self-evaluate, I decided to write myself a letter for once. A letter using the shortcomings and lessons of last year for a better, more promising year ahead. Here I go, tangibilizing my thoughts and goals for the new year.

---

January 5, 2014

Dearest Self,

I'm going to be honest and frank with you because I love you. Obviously this year has been a roller coaster of a year. Situations and feelings you never thought would impede on your path, did. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the months of sadness and disappointment. But, you are not your trials, and you're definitely not this depression that has phased you temporarily. 

What you're missing is that eagerness to laugh way too hard and love way too often that you once possessed as a child. Remember as a child, your curiosity and love for all things imaginative. Those made up commercials and dances in the unfinished basement with your sisters. The time when you and Rachel saw your first baboon at the zoo and spent the remainder of the afternoon rolling in laughter at the creativity of God's creations. Or that easiness to use service as a coping skill for when life goes any which way but you're own.  You have missed that. That love for the simple and the easiness to laugh and feel. 

You are loved, fiercely, by many. And saying that, you have so much to be grateful for. Don't forget.

Because happiness and sanity were such a battle this past year, I want you to change a few things for the coming year. I want you to be happy.

Try these few (15!) suggestions for a stronger year:

#1 Be present. When fear and doubt start to intrude, kick them out. They are not welcome in your life. They take away any happiness or sense of peace you have. As Elder Holland said (speaking of fidelity), "Like thieves in the night, unwelcome thoughts can and do seek entrance to our mind. Bet we don't have to throw open the door, serve them tea and crumpets, and then tell them where the silverware is kept! Throw the rascals out!" Fear/doubt/anxiety can be such rascals. 

#2 Look for the good in others. I know it can be hard to love others when you are struggling to love yourself. So #2a, love yourself, so you can better see the good in others. Just like you, everyone struggles. Take no place in judging or belittling others, for you never completely know the story, their story. 

#3 Find a new trade. Your Christmas Blanket for Nick this year was endearing but far from well done:). You could start here, sewing, or better yet, cooking is a great skill that will bless you and the lives of those around you for good. 
        *Great news: you are living with your mother, temporarily, maybe she could help you.

#4 Daily scripture study. Spiritual health is just as important as physical health. 

#5 Exercise five times a week. Living at home has been hard, but one pleasant perk is the gym pass you have with your mother. Go to the gym. The endorphins you so regularly felt throughout high school and the first few years of college from running have long disappeared. Get those back. Early mornings mean happier evenings. 

#6 Volunteer at the local hospital. 

#7 Clean your room, often. A clean room makes for a better sanctuary. 
    *Besides, there a few things better in this world than sliding into a bed with fresh, clean sheets.

#8 Meditate 10 minutes every day (preferably in the morning). 

#9 Wear more bows, braids, and buns in your hair. Why? It's fun.

#10 Act and don't be acted upon. You have a tendency to be indecisive and passive when a decision is on the line. Don't be afraid to take a step in the dark. As Lemony Snicket said:
            "If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting the rest of our lives."

#11 Travel to a new place you've never been before. 

#12 Plant a garden good enough to eat.

#13 Start painting, again. You make this resolution every year but have yet to actually do it! This is the year, Chelsea. It brought you so much joy and it's oh so relaxing. Remember that (awful!) semester after you and Tyler broke up. You don't need to think twice about it now, but do recall that one thing that really brightened things up--art! Lots of it. You would spend hours every day painting and sketching and oh how you loved it. 

#14 Document your life: journal, photography, and blog posts. After that dark moment many months ago, you stopped writing in your journal in attempt to forget this lapse in time. That's silly and ridiculous. Writing is therapeutic. Pain is just as important as happiness. It brings empathy and credibility to those in need. 

#15 Last, but not least, progress in your romantic relationships. And, need I say, progress on your own time. I'm not saying you must marry by a certain date (because enough people are telling you that:). I'm saying progress. Make goals. Be (consistently) happy. The danger comes with comparison. Avoid comparison like the plague it is...it never made anyone very happy anyway.

A quote you love:

 "I'm not the silly romantic you think. I don't want the heavens or shooting stars. I don't want diamonds or gold. I have those things already (but I really don't:)). I want, no need, a steady hand. A kind soul. I want to fall asleep, and wake, knowing my heart is safe. I want to love, and be loved. That's all."

                                                                                                                           -Shana Abe

Chelsea, you've come so far. I'm very proud of you and I'm excited about the lessons you have learned this year and how it will change your framework for the next. Above all these goals, be kind to yourself. You are doing well and no one can tell you otherwise. Any time you begin to worry about your whereabouts, take a moment to stop. breathe. and look to others. 

As Gordon B. Hinckley said,

"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make." 

Keep your chin up. You are doing better than you think you are! 

Here's to a better, more eventful year ahead.

Sincerely,

Your dearest friend

Cheers, friends, to a brighter year!