"It is cold and gray like a fat, dead pigeon." - Gilmore Girls

It's snowing outside right now. Weather.com says it's raining, but someone in their office must be color blind because the stuff falling from the sky is obviously white. And frozen. The website also says "33 degrees-feels like 23 degrees." Whatever that means. Wasn't it Brian Regan who said if it feels like 23 degrees outside than it IS 23 degrees outside? I agree. Obama is going to win this election, and apparently if you want to receive an absentee ballot you have to send in for it 4 years ahead of time. I have a 10 page paper to write and a huge empirical project in my stats class that I need to start. I hate stats. It's probably the worst class I've ever taken. Who wants to be statistician? I can't even say the word "statistician" let alone do the math. There are dirty dishes in my sink. I haven't showered yet. It gets dark in Utah at noon now. I hate all of these things. So, in order to get myself in the studying mood I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies for a friend of mine. I got the recipe out of a cookbook that Shelby sent to me. I figured since the cookbook was a gift, the best way to thank Shelby would be to make some cookies and give them as a gift to someone else. Don't you love service? It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, Shelby! =) It really is a fun cookbook. Plus, I received this cookbook in the mail the day my uncle passed away. It was a bright spot in a pretty lousy day. in fact, it was a bright spot in a pretty lousy week, to be honest. The timing was perfect. I put some pictures on this post of things that made my lousy week more manageable. I really think it's so important to be grateful for the small things we enjoy, try our very best to do the right things, and put all the hard stuff we deal with during the week in the Lord's hands.
Below is a picture of the cookbook Shelby sent and of my collection of flour. I guess I really do have a hobby now that I collect flour. Don't worry, I have unbleached all-purpose flour as well. I don't have cake or pastry flour, though. Dangit.
I had the opportunity to make the sacrament bread this past Sunday. I had so much fun making the bread, and since my ward is only about 15 members strong I had a lot left over to bring home and use for sandwiches and toast. By the way, kneading dough for 15 minutes is an excellent way to relieve stress. I might start making bread once a week for that reason alone. Two or three times during finals week.

These shoes are like sweaters for my feet! I love them and have been wearing them all week. My feet are very happy. =) Can you picture all the wonderful desserts that can be made with this baking chocolate? I'm going to make one this week. I haven't decided exactly what I'm going to make, but stay tuned.
A lot of things went wrong this past week and this picture below was just one of my many failed attempts. I attempted to make pumpkin pie. The crust turned out perfect, but for some reason the filling would not set. The recipe said to leave it in the oven for 60 minutes and I did. Then I had to add another 20 minutes. And then another 20 minutes. And then another 20 minutes. And then I had to go to church and throw my pie away. Wah, wah, wah. This brings to mind, yet again, the words of President Uchtdorf when he said "What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. So what if the eggs are greasy or the toast is burned? Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside." So I failed several times this week. No big deal. I tried my best...and I will most definitely try again. That is what matters.One of my very favorite talks during conference was Elder Cook's talk "Hope Ya Know, We Had A Hard Time." I read it whenever I get feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. I read parts of it throughout this week and it made such a difference. My heart breaks everytime I read about Bathsheba Smith when she wrote “My last act in that precious spot was to tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart I gently closed the door and faced an unknown future, faced it with faith in God and with no less assurance of the ultimate establishment of the Gospel in the West and of its true enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.” I feel so humbled every time I read about those valiant saints who made the journey across the nation to be able to peacefully worship their Lord. I start to realize that however hard I may think that my week is, they had it so much harder. I can go to the temple to do baptisms whenever I want. I don't have to give up my dishes and china to build a temple. I have three temples within about 15-20 minutes from me. I don't have to leave my home and walk across a whole nation to be able to worship how I please. Do I face an unknown future like Sister Smith? Sometimes it sure feels like it. I know that if the pioneers were able to face the unknown with faith in God while going through all the trials and tribulations that they went through, there is no good reason why I can't do the same. I have so very many luxuries that the pioneers never had. This time of life is really not all that easy. I've had people say to me that they wish they could go back to being my age because they felt so free and happy-go-lucky. I say go for it, and we'll see how you really feel. It's not always as easy as some people might think. I'm not saying life gets easier as we get older. I'm positive it gets more difficult, but it isn't like this time of life is a breeze, either. There are a lot of unknown's and important decisions to be made in what seems like a short amount of time. The best thing for me to remember comes from Elder Cook's talk when he said "I testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the trials and hardships that any of us will encounter in this life. At times when we may feel to say, “Hope you know, I had a hard time,” we can be assured that He is there and we are safe in His loving arms." It really is so comforting to know that Christ felt the pain that we feel. He can relate to us no matter what our situation may be, and He loves us.
One other thing that has helped me to feel better about this week has been service. I have had the opportunity to serve others in small ways, and there have been several people who have served me in big and small ways. I can say for a fact that there is no better feeling than the feeling of knowing you have brightened someone's day. The happiness charity can bring to us cannot be compared to any other kind of happiness. Sometimes it seems like we don't have the time to serve others. I have been guilty of focusing on what I have to get done even when I knew I should be serving others. President Monson said this when he was asked about what he would want from the saints on his birthday, "Find someone who is having a hard time, . . . and do something for them." Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. This is absolutley the perfect time of year to get into the habit of serving others and expressing our gratitude to the Lord. =)