A 26 Year Old Baby

My younger sister (Arin) and I lived together in college for a semester. It was a blast! She's very patient with me, as is my whole family, but she really could put up with what I call my "fake whining." It happens from time to time, especially when I'm stressed. When it does I make a face…Arin started calling it my "baby face". On these occasions when I whined about having to do homework (or just get up and get myself some milk) Arin would show me this picture:

It cracked me up! It still does. 

I just realized last week, that's me. That's what I am. I am a 26 year old baby. Nothing has changed since college. I also believe that's what a lot of my generation is these days. (And congrats if you don't fit this mold.)

We run from anything deemed hard, too much work, or inconvenient. 

I always justified my messy room, eating out every night, or my list of undid "to do's" to that mentality….'I'm an adult I can do what I please when I please', when really we're all just acting childish.

Being an adult doesn't mean anything about shirking responsibility, it means rising up to those less than exhilarating jobs and doing them anyways. Let's just face the facts…refer to the list below.

Being an adult doesn't mean I can watch whatever show or movie that is out there because "I'm mature enough", it means saying no to viewing things that will drive away the Spirit and making the better choice with what goes into my mind and how I spend my time.
There's a lot of justification that goes into this one…

Being an adult doesn't mean I can eat out whenever I'd like because "it's my money", it means making a true effort to save money by grocery shopping and actually using the groceries you buy.
My new grocery shopping day is Thursday.

Being an adult doesn't mean I can eat whatever I please, it means taking care of my body (especially my type 1 genetically passed down diabetes) in a way that will allow me to spend my time on the earth doing good for others. 
I'm hitting the gym 5 times a week…so that just happened last week, but I plan to keep it up!

Being an adult doesn't mean I can stay up until all hours of the night, it means having the discipline to say "I'm going to bed." even when everyone else is still having a good time.
Man this one is difficult for me. I'm writing this at O-Dark-Thirty.

Being an adult doesn't mean I put off laundry until I have no more undies to survive, it means making an effort complete a load a week, this includes all of the steps. Wash, fold, put away. 
A work in progress. Do not come and inspect my room, please.

Being an adult doesn't mean I always get to do what I want, it means rising up the responsibilities placed upon me by my job, my family, or my God.
It isn't always going to be conducive to my schedule, and I need to be flexible.

Being an adult doesn't mean things are going to come easy to me just because I try to be a good person, it means working harder to maximize my potential. 
I could do well at so many things if I just put in more effort. 

Being an adult is letting go of the baby face, getting up and getting my own milk. It's about putting off the natural man and becoming a saint. (Book of Mormon- Mosiah 3:19) It's about being, not just physically, but spiritually mature.

Let's grow up.

Of course through the course of my adulthood I expect there to be fun, laughter, and adventure…there's no doubt about that. Maybe I'm a little hard on myself from time to time, but I have goals. I believe if I can grasp onto the idea that I  just need to be an adult, I can accomplish most of what I stated above.

So the question stands to be answered, are you an adult?

The Script of the World

Hello World…I'm still alive. Alive with thoughts. Yes…what has brought me back to the blog game? Nope, not my wedding plans.

Michael Sam.

I grew up watching professional football. It's actually a family past time. As the years went by and my love for baseball took over I realized…I didn't have a team I really cared about in the NFL. I lost interest. I didn't even watch last season. I'll watch a game here and there, I'll even get into it, but I don't follow it.

 I am a current fan (and have been for a while) of Jimmy Fallon. I can take a joke. Even when it's about my race, religion, or politics. I can take it. I don't get offended. If you don't believe me, head on over to this post. If you can't make fun of yourself then you're not living.

I like to hear Jimmy's monologue on The Tonight Show at the beginning of each episode. In Monday night's episode Jimmy made reference to Michael Sam.

Here's the clip. 

(Watch it here because it will start at the right time.)

Sure, sure everyone's excited that an openly gay man has been drafted and accepted into the NFL. Yay for being different! Yay for standing up for what you believe in! Yay for equality!

Wait…shouldn't we be saying that about Tim Tebow?

Being "Different"
I am so sick of society throwing things in our face over and over and over again and calling it…"different"!

Tim Tebow made it known, whether publicly or not, that he was waiting until marriage to have a sexual relationship. Isn't that different than society? Why weren't people jumping up and down, crying, or celebrating that the Broncos had drafted a virgin?

Standing Up for What You Believe In
Any time…ANY time…a Christian stands up for their faith they are made fun of and belittled for being "old fashioned", "close minded", or "judgmental". If Michael Sam is standing up for what he believes in by stating his sexual orientation, then more power to him. My issue is, Tim Tebow is constantly made fun of for how he stands up for his position while Michael Sam is revered.

Equality
Everyone wants to be equal and treated the same, but the truth is no one ever actually treats each other that way. The world only wants equality for people who are different in the way they deem worthy. You can't seek equality for one group of people but not for another…what's that called, what's that called?…oh yeah! A hypocrite.

The hypocrisy is evidenced over and over again. 

This same thing happened back when Jason Collins came out.

In conclusion, I am still a Jimmy Fallon fan, but it made me realize that most-if not all-of what is shown on T.V. is just views of the world. It's a script. It's all written the same.

When it comes to the NFL draft, shouldn't they focus on football anyways?

The end.

How to Produce Magic

I've often professed to be a nosey person. But this is not true. I'm inquisitive. I like to learn about people. I like to know their stories. I try to grasp their minds. This is why I've seen a pattern in my life. First off, I paint myself as a very open and extroverted person. (Honestly, I have a blog…can we say quite literally "open book".) The pattern is this; I meet people who are shy, introverted, or stubborn and they become some of my dearest friends.

How? I slowly but surely chip away at their shuttering shyness, their introverted independence, or their stern stubbornness. I bide my time and then…BOOM…they suddenly tell me their life story and all of their feelings. Oh the feels!

It reminds me of this from Parks and Rec:

(Let's hope not…)

Or a good ole quote from The Office: (I can't find a video!! Grr)

"Every success I've ever had at my job or with the lady-folk has come from my ability to slowly and painfully wear someone down." ~Andy Bernard

Why are you still reading this??? 

Why listen to Arica talk about how wonderful she is at making friends???

BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED SOMETHING! Stay tuned…

It's been proven time and time again, that people of this very nature are amazing. (See it's not all about me.) They are! Here's why they are amazing…it's because not many people know them very well…they wait and wait until someone takes the time to dig deep enough to get what I'd like to call...the magic. The magic…being themselves; their personality, their humor, their weirdness…THE MAGIC. Most people miss out on the magic by taking things at face value.

We all have the magic but we all show it differently. It's not bad that I'm a little more outspoken, loud, openly funny, or even that I'll kindly but honestly tell the waitress my food was wrong. My magic is a little more out there. Is that all there is to me though? Because I express myself openly is that how deep I am?

ABSOLUTELY…..NOT! 

The moral of my story is this: People have more to them than what you see.

The movie/book Flipped has this same message, when this quote is said a father is telling his daughter about painting…later the protagonist tells of how we can relate this to people.

“A painting is more than the sum of its parts,' he would tell me, and then go on to explain how the cow by itself is just a cow, and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers, and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light, but put them all together and you've got magic.” ― Wendelin Van Draanen, Flipped

All people, introvert and extroverts alike, are more than the sum of their parts. 

Just a reminder.

Arica and The Birthday….

I turned 26 this week. I don't believe I'm old. I still feel like I'm 20 with a little more life knowledge. And let's face it, age is relative.

Let's make a list!

Old Arica

I'm teacher of young children...

My knee would try and me think I'm old because it gets tight after I run…

Cracking my neck multiple times a day

Starting my day off with a breakfast essential shake

Watching Fox News and caring about politics

Living on my own, paying my bills, and being responsible…(sometimes kicking and screaming…)

Young Arica

My messy room complete with a clean clothes pile and a dirty clothes pile, that sometimes intermingle

Eating cereal at or after midnight with my roomie

Staying out/up late when I have to work in the morning

Using emojis in my text messages

I'm Fergalicious, my body staying vicious…I be up in the gym just workin' on my fitness…he's my witness….

I can quote Fergie.

Technology doesn't scare me yet!

I always try to have my nails painted.

I will strive to seize the year of 26! It should be a good one!

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." 

~Ferris Bueller~ 

How Pepperton Celebrated Christmas

Every Page (& Goniea)

Down in Pepperton

Liked Christmas a lot…

All the Page girls slept in slightly

ready to make their yearly southern breakfast. They'd rush around brightly!

And then! Oh, the joys! Oh, the joys! JOYS! JOYS! JOYS!

It's one of the only days you'd see Arica happy in the morning! The JOYS! JOYS! JOYS! JOYS!

Then the Pages, young and old, would sit down to a feast.

And they'd feast! And they'd feast!

And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!

They would start on liver-pudding, and most things you find only greased!

Which was somethings the Johnston children couldn't stand in the least!

And then

after a couple of people say "let's go, y'all"!

Every Page down in Pepperton, the tall and the small,

Would snuggle close together, enjoying the pleasants.

They'd sit side-by-side. And the Pages would open their presents!

Arica Page exclaimed: "How could it be so?

They included all I wanted! It included amazing things!

It came including running clothes, a poetry book, and matching remembrance rings!"

And she left her home; yes, she left through the door.

Then the Arica recalled something she heard once before!

"Maybe Christmas," she thought, "doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And why did she think this as she walked away?

Well…in Pepperton, they say

That the Arica's heart

Grew three sizes that day!

And the minute she got to Trevor's house, her heart was ignited,

She was greeted with warmth and felt so invited.

She spent time with her boy! And enjoyed her blessing feast!

And she…HERSELF…Arica Page…

remembered her Savior, who was never last, nor least. 

To Spell it Out: 

*I hoped to make this post fun. To clarify, I want all to know that I count my blessings daily. I'm so grateful for my Savior, for His birth and also His sacrifice. He has given me so much and helped me through everything.  It's through Him that I was born into the most amazing family in the world. It's through Him that I can be with that family forever. It's through Him that I became closer to Trevor and the whole Baker family. It's through Him that I have my employment and an understanding of what I need to do with my life. I owe Him everything. 

I am grateful for all of my gifts, but really I'm grateful at the thought everyone put into their present to me. The thought really shows me how much you care.

 I love you.*