You Said it Best When You Said...

"The only important thing is that you and I end up together."

Happy Birthday Jen!!

One of my new favorite people is leaving. 

Jen is leaving on her mission January 16, 2013. This semester is our last with her. And when we come back from the holidays she will be gone. As excited as I am for her to go onto this next great adventure; I am equally as upset at her for leaving us! Our apartment needs Jen. We need her love of all things BYU sports related, her ability to laugh at the ridiculousness that often takes place in our apartment, her desire to help out, that look she gives when you've said something just a little TOO ridiculous, just sitting and talking in our living room, her inevitable marriage to the star football player Cody Hoffman, and finally her love and kind heart she has brought and shared with each of us this semester. 


Allow me to introduce the future Sister Jennifer Johnson (in her own words). [My commentary is in blue]

Name: Jennifer Johnson [Double J or J-squared. I wish I had thought of those nicknames earlier!! 

Where you're serving: Knoxville, Tennessee [Heyyy. My neck of the woods. They are going to absolutely love this girl! She's basically a Southern Belle by association ;) ]

Favorite food: Fettuccine Alfredo or baguettes 

Favorite Candy: Twix Peanut Butter [Peanut butter.. can't ever go wrong there.]

Favorite color: Green, or purple, or navy, or coral

Favorite article of clothing: Sweaters and boots [She always looks cute though. #jealous]

Favorite scripture: 2 Nephi 4: 26-30 [

 26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

 27 And why should I ^ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to ^btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my ^cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I ^dangry because of mine enemy?

 28 Awake, my soul! No longer ^adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul.

 29 Do not ^aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

 30 Rejoice, O my ^aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the ^brock of my salvation.]

What you are most anxious about: Going somewhere I don't know anyone and being able to teach the gospel effectively

What you are most excited about: Sharing the happiness the gospel brings to me with others

Favorite childhood memory: Summers.  My best friend and I spent every day of every summer swimming and playing softball.

Favorite Memory from this semester: Football games and that time we all guessed when each other would get married. [Hahaha. I have that list saved.]

Major (in school): Communications

Thing you will miss most about BYU: The mountains, BYU sports, my (two)  friends, the best roommates ever [WE MISS YOU JEN]

Favorite athlete: ;) Novak Djokovic [Not Brandon Davies?]

Favorite BYU sport to watch: Football . . . and basketball

Favorite drink: Orange juice

Brief synopsis of why you want to serve/are serving: The gospel has given me so much happiness and has been the backbone of my entire life. I want to give others the chance to have that happiness and stability, and I feel like I owe the Lord so much and this is a way to serve Him.

And in the words of Apartment 112:

Kara: Jen is an amazing roommate! She is always willing to help out and is always so nice and fun to be around! Her personality makes her one of my favorite people to be with! She is so funny and always knows how to say just the right thing at the right time to crack anybody up! She may act tough, but I know she secretly has a soft side ;). I can see in the way she treats her friends and family how wonderful of a person she is! She cares about those around her, and I love just having conversations with her! I love her for her honesty and her ability to tell things how they are! She is real and I love that about her! There are so many favorite memories I have of Jen, but to name a few...first of all I love her facial expressions at people's absurd comments (not really a specific memory but still love the image)! I loved the time we started a movie late at night only to wake up realizing we had seen maybe only 5 minutes of the movie! I won't ever forget the time after the basketball game when Jen was driving us all home and a jerk of a man cut her off in the parking lot and she called him a "demon!" hahahaha Anytime spent with Jen is the best! I will miss her threats :) and especially when she yells because it doesn't happen hardly ever and just makes me smile! Jen is a wonderful friend that I love dearly and will miss a lot, but I know she will be a wonderful missionary!! I LOVE JEN!!!! :)

Genevieve:Jen is like an unexpected funny. Not in a bad way, in a refreshing way. You meet her and she is quiet but then you realize she has the absolute BEST sense of humor. Like I seriously never stop laughing when I'm with her and she doesn't do it to entertain others, she does it because she is just genuinely funny. She is just the best person...ever. Jen has become one of my closest friends. When she first moved in she was super quiet, but then I realized she is like an unexpected funny. Not in a bad way, in a refreshing way. You meet her and she is quiet but then you realize she has the absolute BEST sense of humor. Like I seriously never stop laughing when I'm with her and she doesn't do it to entertain others, she does it because she is just genuinely funny. She also has AMAZING taste is music. Seriously. And I'm obsessed with the way she dresses. Such good taste. I'm so glad that I could take last semester to get to know her because we have so much in common and she is one of the most fun people I've ever met. My favorite memories with Jen is watching duck dynasty with her, talking to her on our SLC trip and just being complete idiots and laughing with her in the apartment.  She is going to be the best missionary ever and Tennessee is so lucky to have her. Jen is one those people who come into your life and just make it better. She would bend over backwards to help you and is an overall awesome human. In conclusion she is just the best person...ever.

Jenna: JEN! I have been so happy that I have had the opportunity to meet and live with her! She is truly an amazing person! She is so FUNNY, and so fun to hang out with. I wish she wasn't leaving so we could get to know each other better. But the people of Tennessee I am sure really need her and her awesome personality and smile. :) I have decided She and I are like twins..our birthdays are only two days a part, she's going in the MTC on my birthday, our names (so similar), our loves (go Hawes!), practically everything!!! With the exceptions of hair and skin color! :) and I was being dead serious about how I want Jen, (Kate) and I should live together when we all get off our missions. I am going to miss her so much and I will most definitely miss her sense of humor! She really is the best and better not forget about me... or else. I love you Jen and I have LOVED being your roommate! 

Kate: Jen is such a great friend!  I will always remember that sleepover that Jen, Meg, Lizzy, and I had together on Jen's trampoline.  We had a great chat and would-you-rather-session as we looked at the stars.  The best part was when we woke up and we were all practically in a big pile on top of each other.  What a great time!

I remember when Jen and Meg and I were pretty weird together in 7th grade.  We made a "pet" out of my book cover and a dying balloon and named it Casper or Callie or something.  Then we toted it around and pretended like it was a cat for a couple of days. One of my favorite memories happened a couple of summers ago.  We were out scootering and Jen was pretty good at it so she went off a little jump.  I wanted to do the same thing, but I was too scared to.  Jen encouraged me to do it by convincing me that there was no way I could fall.  She said, "You'd have to try to fall".  I went off the jump on my scooter, and somehow I fell pretty badly.  I think we all about died laughing and then we saw that I was bleeding on my leg so we sat on the curb and Meg got out her first aid kit to bandage me up.  And some "gangsters" walked past us as we sat there on the curb. 

Sophia (Me): Jen, Jen, Jen. Jen, is one of my all time favorite roommates. She is funny, kind, sweet and easy to talk to. She is breaking my heart by going on a mission. I know a mission is a sacrifice for the missionary but, our apartment is taking a MAJOR one for the team by letting her go! Jen really is hilarious. And she is so much fun to be around and to joke with. I think one of my favorite memories of Jen is when Genevieve were acting extremely... weird (which we very rarely do) and she was sitting on the couch. She would alternate giving us looks of absolute confusion followed by a funny remark and then laughing with us hysterically. I think we ended up calling that segment the Sophia and Genevieve Show. But, it most definitely could have been more appropriately named 3 incredibly sexy girls acting a fool. OH, and definitely Temple Square. I think watching her jump about 20 times in order to get a picture was one of the funniest things ever. The only thing funnier was well.. is there anything funnier than trying to do a tiger jumping picture in Temple Square? Maybe, but also maybe not. Oh, and she makes the best facial expressions. I am not sure if she knows that she does it but, they are awesome. Even when directed at you. Gosh, Jen brought such a light and a fun loving spirit into Apartment 112. There really is nothing negative to say. She has a beautiful testimony and such a strong desire to serve. The people of Tennessee are going to be so very lucky. There are many people there that Jennifer Johnson is going to touch for good. I know that for a fact. She is capable of so much and bringing her light into the lives of others is something she does so effortlessly. I mean, apartment 112 would NOT be the same without her. 

Sister Jennifer Johnson... WE WILL MISS YOU. 

p.s Dear Jen, 

I know I often refer to Tennessee as my "old stomping grounds" because it's on the East Coast and neighbors North Carolina. I can't recall ever actually spending any time IN Tennessee. Aside from driving through it. You'll love it though. As they will undoubtedly love you.

Love you always, 

Sophia 

2013

2013!

So... I tried to make my font just a little more exciting. And well, with the lack of options blogger offers... I ended up with a poorly colored title and the unavoidable tacky bright yellow that I am positive no one can actually read. 

Let's see... 2013 is going to be good. I am excited! Bring it on!

• I am officially into the major (but, that's old news). Which means all of my classes finally pertain to what I am studying. Which is Elementary Education. 
• I am taking 17 credit hours, working 20 hours a week and working out in the evenings Mon-Thurs. This makes for a VERY crazy and packed work week.
• I am in charge of Research Experience for Undergraduates in the Physics and Astronomy Department for Brigham Young University. (What a title?!)
• I am taking my first ever "spring semester" of college. 
• I am living away from home for an entire full  year. I miss my family. 
• Marissa, my sister, cousin, best friend, PiC, CuZ is getting married on May 3, 2013 to Michael Jensen. And I could NOT be more excited for that. She even asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I cannot hide my excitement. I am almost as excited for it as I think she is! Ahhh!
• And I think that's about it for right now...

You thought I forgot, huh? In the WONDERFUL month of June... Elder William Henderson Daybell comes home from his mission!!!!!  Holy cow. Has it been 2 years yet? Anyone who knows me or knows of me, knows words cannot express how excited I am for that.

It's going to be a good year that's for sure!

It’s been awhile…

It’s been an awful long time since I’ve updated my blog. This happens to be both painfully normal and abnormally unsatisfying. Allow me to explain:

1)     Normal- I never update my blog. Ok, never is too harsh of a word. I have a hard time of consistently updating my blog. Or maybe, I frequently do not update my blog. Yea, basically I struggle.

2)      Painfully- I want to blog. I really do. I think about good posting ideas. And then I even write posts in my head as I walk home/across campus. I just never put them in writing. Blogging time is so elusive that way.

3)      Unsatisfying- I want to blog. And then to have all these thoughts and discussions locked up in my head, it’s very disruptive. I mean think of it from my perspective. You have all these things you are thinking about saying and then never get them out because you’re too busy with school, work and everything else that claims your time. In the words of Mika “The things we left unsaid, are only taking space up in our head.” And some days, my head is very full.

4)      Abnormally- should one really be worried about not blogging? I would think not. But, who am I to make such a general assumption for a large population of half-bloggers (a group to which I belong).

I have nothing too notable happening. Well, except that I am feeling a sort of blog-arthis. or a blog catharsis. (Side note: I just looked up catharsis to make sure it really was the word I wanted to use… and I found that one of the definitions was cleansing or purging of the bowels… Totally using that from here on out.) Well, the definition was an emotional release brought about by an intense emotional experience. And that isn’t exactly the definition my 7^th Grade English teacher taught us when we read the best-selling novel, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakower.

I did not have an intense emotional experience, like previously mentioned, but I do feel like I just want to put some things down in writing.

First: One word…

SUMMER. A word not typically shrouded in uneasiness. In fact in my previous years it’s been nothing but excitement. No school. Going home. Ecuador. Summer jobs. Did I mention no school? Anyway, this year it’s a little more complicated. I just have a lot of things happening. And I need a schedule. Not really until January… but, I am just the planning type. I love spontaneity. But, I like to have my feet under me while I’m running. If that makes any sense at all. (Side note: I am not uneasy for the much anticipated arrival of William Daybell. In fact I am quite the opposite. I can’t wait. In that aspect Summer 2013 can’t come soon enough.)

CANCER. My mom is officially cancer free. Raise the rough. Shout for joy. Or jump for it. Party like a rockstar. And any other phrase/ditty that seems appropriate for the situation. But, really. Holy cow. What a ride? I could not be any happier. And I am hoping with all of me that it remains gone. Or at least far far away… and never comes back. (Lion King, anyone?)

PEOPLE. Allow me to introduce some new people to the blogging sphere. I will most definitely be mentioning them in future posts. Emma. Jen. Kate. Jeff. Mason. Joe. Good friends. I hope to keep them around for a while.

MISSIONS. Aside from the obvious reason I might mention this… everyone is going. Not just boys but girls. And I mean everyone. I have had more invites to mission farewells than I did all freshman year. And that’s impressive because I was in TWO different wards. So, I got a lot of farewell invites. Don’t get me wrong, missions are awesome. In fact, missions are admirable. And wonderful and those who choose to serve have my utmost respect. It’s just, everyone is going.

MARRIAGE. If you’re not going on a mission… you’re engaged. Or newly married. Or having a baby. Again the institution of marriage is a wonderful blessed thing. But, when you’re not going on a mission, with no boyfriend (at least in the country) and everyone else is…

Anyway, Thanksgiving is coming up. I have much to be thankful for. And I fear that this blog has sounded very petty, and annoying and ungrateful. But, I promise I am so thankful. So very very thankful.

Perspective...

I love definitions. I feel like Webster really just says it best. As I looked up the definition of perspective for this post, I came across various definition. However, the one that fits best is was...

Perspective: a true understanding of the relative importance of things.

Too often we are flying through life in a high speed chase, rushing from deadline to deadline that even the smallest road bumps irritate us more than they should. 

For example, as I sat in the Doctor's office today my mom called me on the phone. As we sat there, just chatting away she began telling me how to talk to the Doctor. Immediately I was irritated. Did she not KNOW how old I was? I mean I'm 20. Surely if I can live across the country on my own, she doesn't think I am completely incompetent. I mean how hard is it to tell the Doctor your symptoms? In just a year and a half, I'll be a College Graduate. As my exasperation grew, she concluded her speech on what/how to talk to the Doctor. We concluded our conversation with me in a far worse mood than a sensible human being should have been in.

As I sat there and I put my phone down... I began to focus all my energy on my intelligence which had so effortlessly (and unintentionally) been insulted. As I began to think even harder on how "mature" I actually was (oh, the irony), my frustrations ensued. 

And then... like a giant slap to my face, I stopped. As I sat there, and took a step back I became instantly grateful. My mom is wonderful, I know that. You know that. My blog is dripping with those words. My mom is wonderful. But, even more than that... I have a mom. If there is one thing we take for granted it's family. The children who changed my life so effortlessly in Ecuador this Summer have no parents. They have no mom to take them to the doctor, and will never have an experience similar to the one I had today. 

My attitude became one of disappointment in the way I had handled the situation and grateful for the many blessings I take for granted on a daily basis. 

Perspective: a true understanding of the relative importance of things.

My caring mother with my best interest in mind. My inner frustrations at being an independent, twenty-one year old adult who can handle things herself. The millions of children who go without every single day. One of these is not like the other. 

Take the opportunity to step back. To check your perspective on even the simplest and smallest events in your life. Find what's important... and act on it. 

Quotes...

“The generality of mankind is lazy. What distinguishes men of genuine achievement from the rest of us is not so much their intellectual powers and aptitudes as their curiosity, their energy, their fullest use of their potentialities. Nobody really knows how smart or talented he is until he finds the incentives to use himself to the fullest. God has given us more than we know what to do with.” 

“There comes a moment in every life when the Universe presents you with an opportunity to rise to your potential. An open door that only requires the heart to walk through, seize it and hang on.
The choice is never simple. It’s never easy. It’s not supposed to be. But those who travel this path have always looked back and realized
that the test was always about the heart. ...The rest is just practice.”  

“Every moment has infinite potential. Every new moment contains for you possibilities that you can't possibly imagine. Every day is a blank page that you could fill with the most beautiful drawings.” 

“It is a denial of the divinity within us to doubt our potential and our possibilities.”  

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around.” 

On the Downhill Slope...

In just 4 short days... there will be just 8 more months...