The Wait is Over

I have been waiting, waiting, WAITING...for this summer. It's finally the second week into my summer schedule and I'm loving every minute.

Let's go back to February when my the parent of my student (Will) was talking to me about summer plans. His mother wanted to know if someone would be interested in watching Will from 1-5 after day camp. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to do. We hashed out the details and then we finally told Will this would be happening. He was stoked. (He even has a shirt that says that very word.) Then we started making all kinds of plans for this summer and guess what, this kid hold true to his word.

We've also gone on adventures! Will mentioned he wanted to get a smoothie, I was totally down for that, so we went to Smoothie King and the walked around the shopping center. He mentioned to me that there was "treasure" by a lamp post. I told him to lead the way and show me what he was talking about. We went up to a random light post in the parking lot and he lifted the cover on the bottom and a pill bottle drops out. I'm thinking 'DON'T TOUCH THAT! RANDOM PILLS!?! HOW DOES HE KNOW ABOUT THIS!' But before I voice any of this, I see that its an official Geocaching Game Piece. Inside the bottle is papers filled with peoples names who have found it. Will showed me where him and his sister had written their names. It was pretty cool to see and made me wonder where other things like this were hidden. So we found treasure, he knew what he was talking about.

Another thing I discovered about Will these last couple of weeks is that he knows directions so well. If you asked him to get a place he's familiar he could direct you right to that place. He needed a haircut so he directed me to his normal barber shop. I needed to get some bread and he directed me to his neighborhood Food Lion. This kid has it down.

Will has discovered things about me as well. He came to my house, found out we have two Wiis, a lot of movies he approves of, and apple juice. He helped me cook dinner for me and my roommate one night and came back over another day to play some games on the Wii. Watching him play "Starwars: The Force Unleashed" is probably one of the funniest, cutest things I've seen him do.

Will and I just jam. We jam in the car on the way to every place and I set up his very own playlist on Spotify. Mostly we listen to the main title song from Superman The Movie. I heard it at least once a day. The best songs we've jammed to are from High School Musical 2. We both know all the words and it's amazing. Plus, we have car dance moves that we do with each song.

My favorite picture of Will. 

He loves catching "lizzies" when we can find them.

Funny quote: As I was watching him a little later than usual this week, I asked him if he had a bedtime and he said "It's like on High School Musical 2." I believe only I would have gotten that because there's a lyric in one of the songs that says 'We can stay up as late as we want to...' HI-LARIOUS!

More Will stories and adventures to come,
Arica

On A Totally Unrelated Note

Haters can hate...but I'm watching "Ready For Love" on it's first season. The only difference in this dating show is the matchmakers they use to really try and find the best match for these three men. The rest of it's the same, the girls all seem desperate and are just vying for some attention from this one guy that is being spread thin by the number of women around him.

Here's what I think they need...a spin off version:

Ready For Love: The Middle Class.

Give 3 average guys who are hard working, good people, who haven't found love yet, a real chance. The chance of a life time to where they can't afford a match maker and these amazing date ideas they might have, but they can finally experience and share with someone. That would be more real and genuine to me. All three guys are loaded.

Next, the girls all have long flowing hair and are dressed in their high-faluting heels and strapless dresses. Let's get some girls on here that are average too. They weren't Ms. Puerto Rico or USA or they aren't super successful business owners themselves. I'm not saying let's have rednecks and hillbillies on the show, but there are plenty of nice people who aren't super posh and snooty that are "ready for love" too. 

Give people a chance who would never be able to afford it. Then I'd feel like you were REALLY helping someone. 

Ready for Happiness,

Arica

One Pearl and Five Stones

I feel that we often get in the way of our own happiness. We look around for things that are imperfect, misplaced, or not up to par with what we think our life should be. I was able to attend at fireside tonight where Elder Trip Meredith spoke and he spoke about the most important things. Things that can make us the happiest, if we will do them.

First he spoke of the Pearl. The doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ is the pearl of the Gospel. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the gospel. By faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. That is the Pearl. It's what we are most focused on.

But like David who was going out to slay Goliath...we have five stones. The way that David slew Goliath was very simple. It was a stone to his head. Elder Meredith pointed out that there are five stones in our lives, simple things; that if we do them, our life will fall into place. Often times these five stones are simple acts or ideas that can make a big difference. We hear about a lot of these things and just think "oh that's too easy to work".

Much like the example of the Children of Israel who were bitten by the snakes. The Lord told Moses to make a staff and carve a serpent into it, and if the people look they will be healed. Many did not look, thinking that it was too easy of a solution.

Much like the example of Naaman who needed to be cleansed, was told to bathe seven times in the river. He thought this was too simple of a request. He can't be blessed that easily. Sure enough when he went off and did the thing required, he was healed.

Much like the five stones we carry in our life will be able to heal us. Five simple things that will make it easier to live the gospel; to focus on the Pearl.

You might think the five stones are "read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church..." Elder Meredith says that the five stones (those simple things) are different for everyone. He did ask us to make one stone the Book of Mormon.

So here's the challenge:

Choose 5 simple things that you can do in your life to make things easier to focus on the Pearl. 

1. Read the Book of Mormon
2.
3.
4.
5.

The rest are up to you. They are private and they are personal. They are between you and the Lord. You may feel comfortable sharing them, that's great too!  I will share my five with you for examples sake, and because I'm okay if you know my stones.

1. Read the Book of Mormon
2. Pray Morning and Night
3. Stop Complaining
4. Be Where I Need to Be, When I Need to Be There.
5. Get Enough Sleep to Be a Functional Servant of the Lord.

These are five simple things I can do to be a happier person, and stop getting in my own way. Distractions come so easily. I want to focus on the Pearl.

Simply Happy,
Arica

Who Would You Rather Be?

Me, Me, Me.

My little sister has roped me into a couple of different shows, claiming "you'll love it." Some of them she acts are like a personal favor to her since she watches the shows I always suggest. This is how a couple weeks ago I started watching New Girl. Arin was right, I liked it. I started watching and Jess Day (the main character) is what people describe as "adorkable", which I haven't made up my mind if I like that word. I'm leaning toward not liking it. It describes her to a point. I thought I didn't like her at first but you get used to her idiosyncrasies and come to understand why she acts the way she does. I found we're more alike than I might have originally thought.

As I watch New Girl, I sometimes wish I could be a little more like Zooey Deschanel or Jess Day (who is basically the same person), but I made list as to why I am or am not like her.

I am Jess

We love to make people feel happy.

We can be very random and find the silliest things funny.

We like people to think we're funny.

I usually want to be "in" on the joke. Jess always tries to relate to her roommates, even when she can't.

We enjoy making things fun when they tend to be boring.

We hate being alone. We must always have plans, even if it's sitting at home watching a movie...it was in the plan.

We are teachers.

We don't mind talking about our feelings.

I like what I like and don't care who knows it. Popular or not. Jess isn't a hipster, she watches Dirty Dancing and likes popular sitcoms from the 80s. Most people who are hipsters will claim they only watch indie films. "Film purists"

I am Arica

I don't care so much about fashion. I enjoy looking nice but I definitely don't have the flare for what's hot and now in that industry. I sometimes wish I just had a knack for knowing about fashion or even a desire to know. I really don't care, if it looks nice on me I get it. I have my own understanding of what I like. (to my fashion demise? I'm not sure. Don't worry I ask my friend girls and that helps.)

I can't sing. I do want to take voice lessons some time in my life but that's too be determined. Also, I'm kind of sensitive about the fact that I can't sing, I'm not sure why.

I'm not trying to be mean because I like Jess, but she's kind of an airhead. I don't feel like I'm an airhead, maybe naive, but I have more sense.

I could never have a model as a best friend. My friends are beautiful, but models are a different breed and I don't think I could ever really trust their judgment. Models = untrustworthy.

Even if I wasn't Mormon/LDS, I don't think I could live with 3 guys. Maybe one...we'd be such great friends that we could wear matching rings on our left hands. :D (See what I did there...)



I often say, "don't compare yourself to others" because it's a huge life lesson I have applied to my life. So when I get a thought like "I wish I was more like Zooey/Jess" I have to really think "Do I?"
No. I don't. Of all the things we have in common, which I think are the better traits of us both, they don't out weigh the fact that I'm me and she's her. And that's how God made it. I can admire certain characteristics and some things I just am not passionate about. At the end of the day, I'm happy with how my life has turned out and the person I am. I only hope to improve upon it.

Happy about me,
Arica

Monday's with Ms. Arica

Almost like Tuesday's with Morrie, even though I never read that book I thought the title was fun. :)

Today was a typical Monday, where people complain that it's Monday. I'm not sure WHY people feel the need to blame a difficult day on what day of the week it is, it's not completely fair. It's an excuse as to why we can have a crappy day. It's like saying "Oh the sun came up...dang what a bad day." Everyone is overly crabby, sleepy, and sluggish on Monday claiming it's all because it's Monday. Let's be clear here; it's because it's not the weekend anymore. Leave Monday alone. It's not the day's fault that if comes right after a short weekend and for some people too many drinks.

Keep in mind I'm not blaming Monday for the off day my student had, but the weekend must have done something to him. See to the following example:

We are reading the book Holes as a class. The books that are used are not labeled with names, you just get one. They're identical. My student claimed one book was his specific book. How could he tell the difference?

Student: "Mine is the medium size one and this one is too small."

Me: "They're all the same size."

Student: "My book was bigger. Look it's not mine."

Me: (Holding the books beside and then on top of each other to show that the sizes are the same).

Battle won.

Why he thought they were different sizes is beyond me...he also tried to explain why Wreck-it Ralph is real.

He's one of my favorite people.

Happy Mondays,
Arica