Before you ask me out, you'll probably want to know that...

There's this rule in my house about dating...well, actually, there are a couple rules. These are rules that are set by my parents, and are nothing personal to the guy in question, but I want to make it clear that I agree and follow these rules willingly, and it's appreciated when people respect them.

Before you ask me out, you'll probably want to know that...

1. I don't single date, and I can't be with guys alone. 
I can only go on group or double dates because single dating is considered more serious, and right now I'm not looking for a relationship, so there should be one or more couples with us on our date. The other part of this rule, which goes hand in hand with not single dating, is I am not allowed to be alone with guys at any time. This includes sitting alone in a car or just hanging out as friends. This is a safety measure. I don't want to be put into awkward situations where we might end up doing something we would regret. I understand that these kinds of situations don't happen often, and you're thinking "well I don't think of you that way anyway", but if that's what you think there shouldn't be a problem getting a few more people to go on our date or to hang out.

2. I won't steady date until I'm 18.
Let's be honest here. When you date someone, you're either going to marry that person or break up. I don't consider myself, right now, ready for a "serious relationship", nor am I old enough to be getting into one. A relationship is more than "hey I like this person, I'm going to hang out with them more". It's about commitment, give and take, trust, respect, love, and trying to know someone on a deeper level, getting to know who they are. To do those kinds of things, you need to be in tune with who you are, where you stand, and where you're going. What do they need from you? What do you need from them? What do you want? What about them? (etc....) I don't consider myself ready for that at the moment.

3. If I want to go on a date with someone, he has to be interviewed by my dad.
You have to meet the parents (well, just my dad) even if it's just a casual date, which I might have asked you on. Sorry not sorry.

4. I don't date people who aren't members of my church.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also called "Mormons". If you're not a member this one will be hard to understand. I don't think that members of my church are somehow better or more upright than non-members, because I have met several amazing people who aren't members of my church who I would date if they were members.
As a member of the LDS church, I believe that when I marry someone in our temple we are sealed for eternity and that our family will be together forever. Because I want to be married in the temple, I am looking to date those who are worthy to enter the temple. That includes not just their behavior, but whether or not they have been baptized into the church. This is something that is truly important to me, not a personal spite against someone who might ask me on a date and isn't a member, it's what I believe to be true and I am making my way towards that goal.

Well there you are. A guide to going on a date with me. Sort of. Maybe just...guidelines...or a warning...eh they're not that bad.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

5 Things To Do While You're Single

What? Another article not written by yours truly? It's okay, you'll have a full post from me eventually, but for now enjoy this wonderful list of things to do while you're single from Jarrid Wilson.

Being single isn’t a disease, it’s an opportunity for you to grow, learn, and experience life in a way that you won’t be able to when you are married.

Here are 5 things to do while you’re single:

1. Be firm in your faith. 
- Build your faith on a foundation that cannot be shaken, no matter whom you encounter. This will not only bring you peace during your season of singleness, but will also help you in your journey of finding the person you plan on being with for the rest of your life.Don’t let your beliefs change depending on whom you’re trying to impress. This tactic will always come around to hurt you in the long run.

2. Get grounded in your personal identity. 
- Know who you are before trying to explain it to someone else. Be confident in your purpose, your body, your identity, and your life choices. Relationships will not fix your identity problems, but they can be an added bonus to who you are as a person.

3. Focus on school, or starting you career. 
- You have a lot of time on your hands. Instead of spending it wallowing in your singleness, GO MAKE SOMETHING OF YOURSELF! You are worth more than what sitting on a couch waiting for your significant other makes you out to be. Step out into the world and take maturity by the horns. Start building your future instead of simply dreaming about it.

4. Learn to be independent until needed otherwise. 
- There is nothing wrong with aspiring to be a stay at home mom, or even being a man who works from home. But until either of these opportunities come into play, you need to make sure you are doing everything possible to provide for yourself, your future family, and your future aspirations. Don’t live day-to-day. Plan for the future, and look forward to the possibilities. You owe it to yourself to mature in all. 

5. Stop dating people you know aren’t right for you. 
 - While you’re single, stay away from mindless dating experiences. If you know they aren’t your type, don’t give them the time of day. All you are going to do is hurt them and eventually confuse your heart. Stop dating the wrong people and start focusing on becoming the right person.

***

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Learning New Things

I'm having an awful time with these great ideas that pop up from in my head or an outside source. They keep taking root in my mind and refusing to leave. Guess who decided what a wonderful idea it would be to learn the LDS Young Women theme in French?

If you guessed me, you're right. If you didn't guess me, well...kudos to you, but you lost.

The game.

Okay, enough trolling. Let's get to business. Once I saw this idea (yep, came from an outside source), I decided to look around the internet for the theme translated into French. I didn't want to just use Google translate. BUT, I haven't come up with anything solid yet.

My mom told me to find a boy who speaks French who can teach it to me.

Ha. HAHAHA ha. Okay.

Here's the theme in English:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love him. We will "stand as witnesses of God in all times and in all things, and in all places" as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity
and Virtue

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

~~~

Can I just say typing that all out by hand makes me appreciate what it says more than ever? Okay good, because it does.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

The Important Things

I was reading in my old journal and came across this entry. After some grammar and punctuation correction, this is going on my wall.

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

I've been reading a book called Secrets in Zarahemla. I just finished it a couple minutes ago. The love that Kiah and Jared share for each other and their faith in God is overwhelmingly evident.
That's how I want my marriage to be. I want my faith in God to be strong. I want to marry a man who loves me for me and who has a strong faith in God and the church.
I want to be worthy to enter the temple and sealed for all time and eternity to the one I love, and start a family.
I don't know right now what I want temporally, but spiritually...
I want to be strong in the Church, raise my children in the church with faith, and have family home evening every Monday, and scripture and prayer every night.
I want to visit the temple weekly, and keep God's commandments fully. I want to have a strong testimony of the church and of God.
And I want my kids to have that, too.

Sabrina <3

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Mormons

Heh heh heh.

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Five and Ten Year Plans

In Five Years I will have…

• Graduated from high school in the spring of 2014
• Been accepted to a college (an arts college or BYU) and attended my Freshman and Sophomore years (2014-15, 2015-16) studying dance, business management, and creative writing.
• Attended church diligently 

I could have…

• Taught at a local studio of dance for extra money
• Visited my family for holidays
• Gotten tan 

In Ten Years I will have…

• Graduated college with a (doctorate? Bachelors?) in dance.
• Gotten married in the temple.
• Opened a dance studio (with Renaye?) in (a state that’s not too warm but not too cold). 

I could have…

• Held a calling in the church.
• Visited with old friends.
• Watched Helen perform an amazing ballet piece with a ballet company.

My Goals

My Goals (Summer 2012)

1)      Dance at Sonja’s

a.       Ballet 2b

b.      Jazz 3b

c.       Lyrical 2

d.      Modern 1/2  

2)      Get through Pre-Algebra

3)      Catch up in Seminary

What I need

1)      Dance

a.       $700+ for classes and gas/food

b.      Advance in my classes during spring semester

2)      Math

a.       Workbook

b.      Time

3)      Seminary

a.       Scriptures

b.      Manual

c.       Time

My Plans

Dance

1)      Advance to the higher classes (mentioned above)

a.       Be more attentive in class

b.      Workout/Stretch Daily

                                                               i.      10 minute jog

                                                             ii.      50 crunches

                                                            iii.      Ballet ab work

                                                           iv.      Other stretches  

c.       Practice more

                                                               i.      Barre work

d.      More outgoing in class

                                                               i.      Ask questions (at the end of class, preferably)

e.      Eat healthier

                                                               i.      Not a diet, just healthier food. No more McDonald’s and soda all the time!

2)      Money

a.       Penny Per Page

                                                               i.      “I’m working towards a scholarship for dance”.

                                                             ii.      Maybe make a video of me dancing, and explaining what I want?

b.      Babysitting

                                                               i.      For gas/food money

c.       Photography

                                                               i.      Ask mom

Pre-Algebra

1)      Do an hour a day

a.       Stay on schedule

Seminary

1)      Do a lesson a day

a.       Extra when I can

2)      Read my scriptures

a.       Every night

The Man of My Dreams

Another "click on the picture to see the post" from my Auntie Amy. She is by far my favorite Aunt in the world, and she inspires me so much. I love this post about her husband, and hope someday I'll be lucky enough to find someone like him :)

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Sunday Morning Drag

Church starts at 1pm on Sunday.

There are currently eight children living at home and two parents; it takes awhile to get everyone ready. So, we sleep in until around 10am, and then slowly make our way around the house. We start making breakfast at around 10:30-11am,meanwhile the most productive people start getting showered, and we all eventually begin getting into our Sunday Best. By that time it is at least 12:00, leaving us with about a half hour to spare until we have to run out the door, get situated in the car, drive to the main road (Knik Goose Bay), just to realize we forgot the diaper bag.

This happens nearly every week.

On this lovely day, we're late. It's almost 10:30 and the only people out of bed are my dad, Ririe, and me. I had the misfortune or delight (you pick), to be texted by a friend around 9:30-10am this morning, waking me up. Instead of showering, which I should have done, I decided to dawdle on the computer. Kind of like I am now...anyway. The rest of the day will go on; we'll go to church, getting there twenty minutes early in order to get the sacrament ready. We'll sit in sacrament, listening to many people's testimonies (today is Fast Sunday, apparently...according to my friend's mom), and intermittently taking children out (screaming or in desperate need of a bathroom break).

By the end of sacrament, it's 2:15pm, and we scramble to make sure that all the children get to their individual classes. When I finally end up in my classroom, it's around 2:20-2:25. Then, we have the lesson. Boring or not, life goes on, we learn something (unless you're not paying attention, like many of the boys in my class), and before you know it it's 3-something (I don't know when that class ends, okay?), and we all head off to our other class; the boys to Priesthood meeting, and the girls to...The Relief Society Room. About 15 minutes in there, maybe less, and we leave to do our own lesson in the High Council Room, until around 4:00-4:15.

Finally, church is done. It's 4:30-4:45pm by the time we are all situated back into the car, and around 5pm by the time we get home. We have four hours until it's time to sleep, and somewhere around two or three hours until the sun sets. We have dinner, watch a movie, and go to bed.

Now, my reason for posting all this. Next year, our ward, Settlers Bay, will meet at 9am instead of 1pm. Guess how drastically this will change things? YES! We'll go to church, and then have a whole day of lazing left to us. We can rest, like we're supposed to. We won't be able to sleep in, but we'll have time for naps when we get home. We won't have wasted, or rather....used up our whole day. Ah, life is good.


~La vie est belle, Bri~