MY FAVORITE STUFF

-Laminator
-Electric blanket
-My new scriptures <3 <3 <3
-Quilt my mom made me for my wedding
-Poetry book from my parents
-Bed / Comforter
-Wedding ring
-Planner
-Original PINK sweatshirt
-Hospital waterbottle
-Kitchen table that Cob made for me while I was in mexico <3
-Magazine collection (specifically The Ensign and Real Simple)
-Furry vest

-Pink sweat pants
-Colored organizing shelves
-Wedding portrait hanging in my bedroom
-Basket under entertainment table
-Ribbon collection
-TV table
-Blue coffee table tray
-Quilt from India
-Jewelry box my dad made me
-Box that William made me
-Collection of white binders
-Christus statue
-Our new vacuum!
-3 glass jars
-Vocabulary.com app
-Highlighting pens
-Pink hole punch

-Holiday Fire DVD

-My cookbooks

-Cookie jar

-Hair straightener

Love, Rebecca

BIG

"Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier -- certainly no more difficult -- than small ideas and small plans."

David J. Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking Big

WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE

Last week I got the most amazing email from my favorite cousin, Peter. He is serving a mission in Sweden and he is one of the most hardworking, passionate, faithful, and expressive people I know.

He mentioned a principle he was taught in Zone Conference just a few days before. His mission president's wife, Sister Beckstrand, was a cheer coach in Utah before moving to Sweden to serve with her husband. She said several years ago she wanted to take her cheerleading team to Nationals. When she was talking to her husband about it, he said, "Honey its ok, (they needed A LOT of money to go) you've done enough for them." Sister Beckstrand replied, "I'm unstoppable." Later, Jim (her husband) went to work and she went to work on the phone. In just five days she raised 27,000 dollars and her team got to go to nationals. Three of her girls came home with gold medals. She said to the dance moms in tears, "The Lord wanted us at nationals." 

Sister Beckstrand went on and told the missionaries that one day, our children would come to us and say, "I'm the worst basketball player, I didn't make the team, I'm so worthless..." and we will have to dig deep and dig into our strengths to help them. She said her daughter called her last week and said, "I'm stressed, the car is broken, the kids are screaming and messy, the house is a mess and my husband is tired..." and she said with tears, "Britney. You're unstoppable! You're strong. You can do it." 

Peter continued his email saying, "A couple times in my life I have felt unstoppable. I feel that when I perform my concertos, I feel that when I push through my walls as I run in the mountains, finally losing those 50 lbs, as I gain the courage to ski off that cliff at Snowbird. I feel unstoppable when I contact people on the street, or knock doors. I think in my head, these people think they are holding us back by saying no, but they don't know that I'm here knocking on their door for my children. I'm being faithful and obedient so my children can be faithful and obedient. I wan't you all to know that I am unstoppable. I choose goodness, I choose light. I choose rightousness. I choose obedience to the commandments and to the covenants I have made. I choose a temple marriage. I choose an eternal family. I choose eternal happiness."

I LOVE the way Peter talks. It is hard for me to remember times when I felt unstoppable. I felt unstoppable when I danced in the musicals, when I went to India not just once but twice, when I memorized The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, when I got accepted to the advertising program and then the creative track, when I got an awesome job as the marketing designer for a dance company, when I married Cob, when I started this blog, and every time I bear my testimony. 

The gospel makes me feel unstoppable. I'm so grateful for a loving Father in heaven who loves me and guides me every step of my journey through life. I know that if we will always rely on him, we can truly be unstoppable.

Love, Rebecca

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COB!

Sunday was Cob's birthday! It was such a great day. We woke up and went to the Ogden Temple dedication with my sister, Abby, then came back to our apartment and opened presents. I had a hard time knowing what to get for him, since we've been so blessed with wedding gifts over the last few months. I got him a chambray shirt from H&M (which I hope he wears even though he thinks it's trendy) and the game Bananagrams and a DVD player for our apartment. Nothing too exciting but fun nonetheless.

After stopping at the apartment, we drove home to Salt Lake to visit my family. When we walked in the door, everyone was wearing colorful party hats. It was hilarious. I LOVE how my family gets into silly things like that.

After dinner, we went to the Peterson's house and made dumplings and goulash for dinner. I'll be honest, it was delicious, but it gave me the worst stomach ache. I do not handle spicy foods very well! We skyped with the out-of-town Petersons and then hurried off to a musical fireside. Claire Sorensen, one of Cob's family friends, just returned from her mission and put together a musical fireside in lieu of an open house after her homecoming. It was absolutely beautiful. There is something so powerful about good music that I just love. There was nothing in particular that stood out to me, but I felt the spirit confirm the truth of each hymn as it was sung. It was a wonderful experience.

After the fireside was over we went back to my house for more cake and presents, and then we made the trek back to Provo. At Abby's request, we sung the entire soundtrack of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from which my voice is still recovering. It was just a fun day. Cob is the best part of my life.

Happy Birthday!

Love, Rebecca

THOUGHTS AND THINGS

Random stuff about my life right now:
-I take like a 40 minute walk to school everyday and I'm learning to love it because I force myself to put my phone away and just think and pray and talk to God.
-I've been eating a lot more fruits and vegetables and it gives me energy and I feel so good.
-I drink water. Tons of water. Water is delicious!!!
-Whenever I'm feeling festive I listen to Christmas music and it makes me so happy.

-Cob's birthday was on Sunday and we went home to visit my family and when we walked in the door everyone was wearing these ridiculous party hats. Hahahaha
-On the way back to Provo that night, Cob and Abby and I sang the entire soundtrack to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and my voice is still recovering from it.

-My electric blanket finally stopped working and I am DEVASTATED. It is my favorite material possession.
-I'm planning a halloween party for the Pace cousins and I'm literally so excited for it I can't stop thinking about it or planning for it.

Highlight of the week:
We went to a musical fireside on Sunday after having dinner with the Petersons and it was amazing. There is nothing more inspiring to me than the songs in the hymn book. With every piece that was played I felt the spirit confirm to me that the message was true. I loved the second verse of the song, "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul"

Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.

God is good. I love life. I think I might go to McDonald's after class today.

Love, Rebecca

PIED BEAUTY

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

Gerald Manley Hopkins

UNINSPIRED

I've been wanting to blog something for a while now, but every time I start writing, I run out of things to say. I try so hard to be happy all the time. Not just happy. I try to be good and busy and enthusiastic and spiritual and studious and a slew of other nice words. But today I am none of those things. I'm just hot and sweaty from walking around campus in 90 degree weather with my art board and computer and sweatshirt and book bag. Lalalalalalala... Why am I so opposed to using a back pack?

Oh well!

I'm going to buy myself Chick-fil-a and take a nap in the secret room of the library before I head to my last class of the week. Should be fun.

Here's to a great weekend!

Love, Rebecca

HOW TO LIVE

Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world. Start with 7am, then 6 am, then 5am. Put on a big coat and scarf and go up the nearest hill and watch the sun rise.

Push yourself to fall asleep earlier. Start with 11pm, then 10 pm, then 9pm. Wake up in the morning feeling rested and re-energized.

Get in the habit of cooking yourself beautiful food. Slice up tomatoes and top them with olive oil and fresh basil leaves. Fry an egg. Smother your toast in butter and way too much homemade jam. Sit and eat and do nothing else.

Stretch. Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then try to touch your toes. Roll your head. Stretch your fingers. Stretch everything.

Find a large waterbottle. Start pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in one day, then try drinking it twice. Put lemons in your water and drink it with a straw.

Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, homework assignments, favorite foods, and things to do that day. No detail is too small.

Strip the sheets off your bed and empty your underwear drawer into the washing machine. Pour in a large cup of scented fabric softener and wash. Make your bed completely and take a nap on it.

Organize your room. Fold all your clothes and get rid of anything you don’t want. Clean your mirror and your laptop. Vacuum the floor. Light a small candle.

Take a luxurious shower with your favorite music playing. Wash your hair, scrub your face, brush your teeth. Lather your whole body with moisturizer and get familiar with your legs, then your toes, then the back of your neck.

Push yourself to go for a walk. Take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. Bring a friend and enjoy their company without talking, just walking.

Reach out to old friends. Share a joke, reminisce, ask about their life. Suggest a catch up soon, even if you don’t follow through. Push yourself to follow through.

Think about what interests you. Crime? History? Romance? Find a book about that subject and read it. There is a book about everything.

Listen to good music. Turn off the radio and find an artist who really speaks to you. Wrap yourself in a blanket and listen to one song, then another, and another.

Be kind. Let cars merge into your lane when driving. Laugh and say, “It’s OK” when your waiter spills on you. Smile at babies. Compliment strangers on their clothes. Challenge yourself not to ridicule anyone for a whole day, then two days, then a week. Look people in the eye, find out who they really are. Talk to acquaintances until they become friends.

Lie down in the sun. Daydream about the what your life will look like a year from now. Open your eyes and take small steps to make it happen.

(This post was inspired by something I read on Twitter last week. I wish I could credit the source, but there was none listed.)

Have a happy week!

Love, Rebecca

THIS IS IT

“But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets - this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience.”
Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of 
Everyday Life

REAL LIFE IS SO GOOD

Are you tired of hearing about how much I love being married yet? Yes? I'm sorry!

I LOVE BEING MARRIED.

I can't help it! Being married is the best! But, I know how annoying girls can be when all they do is talk about their husband. So without boring you to death of the details of our relationship, I’ll tell you what happened today that reminded me how great real life is. Earlier tonight, Cob and I went to a mission reunion hosted by his first mission presidents. They are sweet and British and just absolutely lovely. He roomed with a few elders from his mission when he first got to BYU so I had met some of his companions before, but I loved meeting so many new people (especially their wives haha) and hearing stories about Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Later that night we went to some concert at The Velor in Provo. Neither Cob nor I are very into the whole loud music and dancing scene, but we went to support a friend’s band, and we had a good time. When we got home, we realized that the next day was fast Sunday and we had NO food. So after a quick visit to my recipe board on Pinterest, we drove to Smiths. We didn’t finish shopping until about 1:00am and the whole time I just felt so happy. I told Cob on the way home, "I could not feel happier right now. I feel absolutely, completely, 100% happy."

I don't want to paint a picture of my life that isn't accurate. Cob and I are not a celebrity couple. (Even though it feels that way when everyone is so nice to us!) We're pretty typical newlyweds. We haven’t been to Europe, we don’t have a fancy camera, we don’t even eat at really expensive restaurants. We do regular things. We watch movies together, we return wedding presents, we go grocery shopping, we pay rent. We’re real people living real life. And it's not perfect, but it's really really good.

“And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."
2 Nephi 5:27

Love, Rebecca

MASTER THE TEMPEST IS RAGING

“All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives. A few of them, though temporary like these on the Sea of Galilee, can be violent and frightening and potentially destructive. As individuals, as families, as communities, as nations, even as a church, we have had sudden squalls arise which have made us ask one way or another, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” And one way or another we always hear in the stillness after the storm, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

We will all have some adversity in our lives. I think we can be reasonably sure of that. Some of it will have the potential to be violent and damaging and destructive. Some of it may even strain our faith in a loving God who has the power to administer relief in our behalf.

To those anxieties I think the Father of us all would say, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” And of course that has to be faith for the whole journey, the entire experience, the fulness of our life, not simply around the bits and pieces and tempestuous moments. At the end of the journey, an end none of us can see now, we will say, “Master, the terror is over. … Linger, Oh, blessed Redeemer! Leave me alone no more.”

Howard W. Hunter

--

Master the Tempest is Raging

Master, the tempest is raging!
The billows are tossing high!
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness.
No shelter or help is nigh.
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threatening
A grave in the angry deep?

Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul,
And I perish! I perish! dear Master.
Oh, hasten and take control!

The winds and the waves shall obey my will;
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons or men or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies.
They all shall sweetly obey my will.
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey my will.
Peace, peace, be still!

Master, the terror is over.
The elements sweetly rest.
Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,
And heaven’s within my breast.
Linger, Oh, blessed Redeemer!
Leave me alone no more,
And with joy I shall make the blest harbor
And rest on the blissful shore.