Turkey Walk

 23 November - 29 November 2020

Happy Thanksgiving week!

The first half of the week was super nice because most of my roommates had already left for home, and it's always nice to have the house to yourself every once in a while so that you can burst into song whenever you want. Plus, you have less distractions as you do homework ;).

On Monday and Tuesday, I spent a lot of time working on homework assignments, since I didn't have classes on those days. I also ran by the store to pick up something and decided to get some dark chocolate as motivation to do all the work I needed to! I also watched this super sad but good movie on Disney+ called "Clouds" that was based off of a true story.

Wednesday: I had a date with Braeden in the evening. We made dinner at his place, then talked and joked. He showed me that he was working on making a hammock out of plastic shopping backs, and then we tried lassoing with it. I was super bad, but somehow caught the nozzle of the spray bottle by knocking it over.

Thursday: A guy in the ward dropped me off at the airport, and to my surprise, my Aunt Symantha (with Lucy) picked me up! The flight went well (I didn't get motion sick and my ears didn't hurt!!) and I got to sit by a new mom who had her three month baby on her lap, and he was a cutie! Apparently, my family was starving! So by the time we arrived home around 1pm, everyone was anxious to eat! We had smoked turkey and of course a ham. Our neighbor, Amir, who was recently baptized and is taking lessons in our home, also came for Thanksgiving lunch. It was good to be back among my family, especially my two sisters. Look how cute we three peas in a pod are:

After eating the meal, mom left to deliver food to the old lady she ministers to and us three girls helped clean up. By the time we were done and everyone got back, I announced that we were all going on a Thanksgiving walk! My aunt said that was a great idea--so we could walk off the turkey and make room for the pie! Even dad and Sean came with us, and it was really fun. I was also really excited for dessert because Valerie had made me a gluten-free pumpkin cake! It was so good. Then we played games that afternoon (Skull Kings, which I did pretty good at, and Cover Your Assets, which mom dominated at). It was a wonderful day and I am glad I got to spend it among loved ones.

Friday: I worked a bit, went on a walk with Lucy and mom, and then worked on some homework. Whitney came over that evening with Kethura, and I showed them around the property and houses and let them try a bit of the smoked turkey. It was so fun to have Whitney come to my house! They were surprised by how short Sean made me look when he was standing next to me. After they left, I was working on homework again, when a distinct impression came to me to go and check on my mom. I went looking for her, but couldn't find her. I found dad locking up the chickens and asked him, and he said he locked up the workshop and hadn't seen her, but we went to the work shop and he unlocked it and turned on the lights, and we found her laying inside, crying. I was able to comfort her and get her the help she needed. It was a moment when I really felt that God needed me down here for this specific time to be a blessing to my family members. And of course, to be blessed by them, but it's good for me to feel like I am giving back as well. Later that evening, I watched Maleficent with Sean. He was so considerate in picking out a movie that I wanted to watch so we could watch it together. He even made us all popcorn.

Saturday: Mom and my two sisters left to go to Symantha's house in Florence. I stayed behind because I hadn't realized just how much homework I had due on Monday! It was good for the house to be empty most of the day so I could get a lot of work done. I finished up the rough draft for my essay! That was good. In the evening, the sister missionaries called and said they were short on time and wanted to know if we could feed them something real quick. We got together to-go containers filled with all of our Thanksgiving leftovers. They were very grateful.

Sunday: I attended the YSA ward with Valerie, Sean, and Aaron. It was fun to have all four of us in a YSA ward together. I also attended my Provo Zoom Sunday meeting, and then had a meeting for my calling afterwards. It was super fun to see a game I had made and prepared be put into action and work out so well! Aaron also took some pictures of me on his new fancy phone, and I also showed mom some features on our phone so she would like it better. That evening, Lucy, mom, and I went to grandma and grandpa's house. I got to see Kayla and her new baby, Jaylee. Lucy really wanted to play Skull Kings... she kept bugging us until we agreed. She even interrupted a video chat I was on with Braeden to let me know I needed to play with her! Haha, she is a keeper.

Much love,

Emily Burnham

Little Ms. Turkey Head

 16 November - 22 November 2020

Wow, I must apologize in advance for the lack of pictures lately. If anything, take it as a good sign! I'm so busy enjoying life that I forget to take a picture. I love being able to look back on photos of important moments, but I also believe that sometimes the current joy of an experience can be overshadowed by the "need" to take the "perfect" picture of the moment to post or share with others. Anyways, I'll stop preachin' and get on to tellin' y'all 'bout my week!

Monday: I somehow completely spaced doing my office hours as a TA, but on the bright side, at least I got extra homework done instead! Also, FHE over Zoom isn't all that bad. We just play a game together (and apparently I'm good target practice because everyone kept killing me in the game!!!!)

Tuesday: I held a workshop with the class I TA for, and it went well! I had lots of participation and the timing was perfect. I have realized that when I am in a position of "power" (like being in charge of students), I am more more prone to laugh at myself/joke because I want the students to feel that I am approachable and just like them. However, this often comes off as me not being confident, even though I am.

Wednesday: So, I texted Bradaen and asked if he'd like to go out in person sometime when the mandate was over, and he said yes! (Later in the week he texted to ask about my week and then suggested we make food together, so I'm excited about that.)

Thursday: As much as I haven't been a fan of online class, I was so happy that today was the last day of in-person classes because 1) I don't like wearing masks in class and 2) it means I'm that much closer to winter break!!!

Can you tell how excited I am for Thanksgiving?

Friday: I finished my graduate application to BYU's MFT program. While I did not do as well as I'd hoped on the video recording part of the application, I did the best that I could, and I am at peace with wherever I end up going to school. I also made some banana bread to celebrate finishing my BYU graduate application.

Saturday: I listened to the prophet's message on gratitude and am so grateful to have him as a guide. Already, social media has become so positive and uplifting with everyone posting what they are grateful for! I studied for and took a midterm (after a little too much procrastination...) and then went shopping to buy enough food to last me until I go home next week. Plus, I wanted a treat for making it through the week. (Can you see by now that I thrive off of treating myself for doing hard things?? haha).

Sunday: I had a great and busy day! Socializing after church is so valuable now that we don't have any other in-person activities in the ward. Fortunately it hasn't been too cold this week! I met with another Emily in the ward (there are about six, haha) and she taught me some really cool tricks for doing family history! Seeing how much she had accomplished and her passion was inspiring! I could tell she knew some of her ancestors very well. I am excited to go forth and develop that passion within my self. I then met with my Stake President for an endorsement for grad school, and as I told him about my Family History meeting just prior to meeting with him, he said, "Start with heart, and then a chart." It's important to come to know and love your ancestors with your heart before getting swept up into the research and data. Then I attended Relief Society via Zoom. I drove to Lehi to drop off an old camera I had to a person who wanted to purchase it for his daughter, but lived super far away. Then I went over to Whitney and Lacee's apartment to go on a walk, and it turned out to be very good because one of my friends opened up about her struggles and really needed to talk about it. We were able to listen and offer support and love. Then I stayed over at their apartment, eating chips and talking. We also shared insights from our Come, Follow Me study. Afterwards, we all knelt down together in prayer, and I was asked to offer it. There is so much power and sacredness when you kneel and pray with a sincere heart among loved ones.

Look! I found my match!! ;)

Much love,

Emily Burnham

Do Not Procrastinate Your Happiness

9 November - 15 November 2020

Hey family! And friends if any of y'all are reading this!

On Monday morning, I got a text from a guy who used to be in the ward that said he thought I should go on a date with his Elder's Quorum President. I said I was willing to give it a go, and the guy (Braeden) texted me. We set up a Zoom date for Wednesday due to the governor's new mandate to stay in your home. I was actually really looking forward to the date!

I have tons and tons of readings and homework to do, and so I have been working on homework right up until my bedtime! But such is the life of a full-time college student when the end of the semester is drawing near. Lots of papers and finals and work to do.

The date Wednesday night was fun! I may have talked a lot... but there's a reason that my nickname was "Emily-talks-a-lot" when I was a kiddo... haha. But Braeden is super cool and it was fun getting to know him better.

I have sooo much grading to do!!! AHHHH!!! But I'm trying to remain calm. I have loads to do in the next week and a half before I go home for Thanksgiving, but all I can do is focus on one day at a time. I'll do my very best each day and try hard not to waste time worrying about not getting everything done. Anyways, I truly believe you can be happy despite crazy circumstances, and I am having the opportunity to live through that right now. It's not easy, but with a determination to keep my mind focused on the present moment, it has helped me a lot. Whitney came over Thursday evening because I made her dinner (and dinner for my roommate Mira) and she really liked it!

Friday morning, Whitney came over around 9am and we worked on homework all morning. We also went on a "speed-walk" together. I had a work training meeting, and then later that afternoon I visited the doctor at the health center, did more homework, and then went shopping.

Saturday was a pretty great day! In the morning, I went over to my friend Becca's house to make hummus. After a while we got to talking about worst date stories, which is always fun. Also, they had received four books about marriage for their wedding that they said they weren't going to read, so they offered them to me (since I'm going into marriage and family therapy). I'm actually super pumped about that! I can already see the bookshelves in my future office lined with them ;). That afternoon, I went with some friends to the Shops at Riverwood. I got some nice lotion that was half-off, because it's that time of the year when my hands start drying out and bleeding... fun times. We also went to this shop where the owner travels around and buys expensive things from auctions from church history or from movie sets! We got to see a bible from the 1400s and props from different movies such as Harry Potter, Narnia, and Lord of the Rings. That evening, I had a date with a guy I met on mutual. We met at a Mexican Restaurant in Springville called Joe Bandido's. I'll be honest; I was definitely looking forward to eating Mexican food more than the actual date, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had a nice time with Nate.

Sunday was great! After church, a friend in the ward talked with me for a bit about books (he'd finished one that I'd recommended to him and had really liked it). Then after we parted ways, two girls gave me looks and one even texted me to let me know that they think I should go on a date with him. Mira made me some hot chocolate when we got home from church. I met with my ministering sisters over Zoom and one of them invited me to stay for their Come, Follow Me study group if I wanted. I decided to, and I'm really glad I did! There were some really cool girls on there that had great questions and we had a wonderful discussion. Plus, it always makes you feel good when they like your comments ;). One cool thing I thought of was that the best way to prepare yourself now for future challenges is to be your best self in the "now." Just as your current level of happiness on the future correlates with your present measure of happiness, so does your preparation. If you are doing your best every day to draw closer to God, to have meaningful prayers and studies, then when the time comes in the future, you will have built up that pattern and habit, and you'll be prepared. One quote I liked that someone said was, "Just as we should not procrastinate the day of our repentance, we should not procrastinate the day of our happiness." Then someone said that "repentance is happiness." Amen to that!

Much love,

Emily Burnham

P.S. I didn't really take any pictures this week... sorry about that... but I did take one photo of me out in the cold with a cute headband on that my sister got me for Christmas one year. So I guess I can upload that photo, though I low-key kinda look bald... ;)

Uncomplicating Dating Seminar

 2 November - 8 November 2020

Can I just say that I have learned my lesson and will never swipe up on every single guy on mutual ever again. I've had some messages that made me uncomfortable or were very cringe-worthy. But I guess on a good note, I had a lot of dates this past week than the rest of the year combined! On Tuesday afternoon, I went out with Cody to get tacos. That evening, Seth and I walked along the Provo river and talked (just going to add some commentary here... please don't bring up the fact that you're the only person not married in your family and your long history of ex-girlfriends and mutual drama on the first date). Wednesday afternoon I went with Dallen to get hot chocolate, and on Friday I got fries with Matthew.

Fortunately, I was able to watch this dating seminar that my sister told me about Thursday night, which was called "Never Have an Awkward First Date Again," and that helped give me some good tips to use on the Friday date. Dating is tough, but it doesn't have to be a game (as so many people call it). Be honest with your thoughts and intentions. Be straightforward. Stop experiencing guilt for things that are out of your control (such as not liking a person back and having to reject them. You can't help how you feel!)

Saturday night was fun because I got to attend a virtual mission reunion. It was good to catch up with some people, like Ali Palmer. It's always good to see the happy faces of my mission president and his wife. That evening, I went over to Whitney's house for a small game night, and we played Skull Kings. It was a pretty fun game, but I was so tired that I started to get a bit loopy... haha... making really bad puns, humming to myself... who even knows.

Overall, it has been a great week. I've been able to get a lot done, and I am loving my new daily routine. I wake up, do a 20 minute meditation, read my scriptures, and then get ready for the day. Around 11:30am, I go on a brisk walk for half an hour to get my heart rate up. Then I get in bed before 10:30pm. I have felt more energized and have been able to do more. I also officially started my application for graduate school at BYU! Also, it's been super cold this weekend! Winter is coming, but at least I get to be home in Arizona for December :)

On Sunday, I spend a couple of hours creating "Family History Bingo" cards for my calling. I am hoping to get people excited to research about their ancestors by playing this version of Bingo and having a prize for the winner! It was fun to make :) I know the Lord gives us promptings, and I know we can have the Spirit more fully with us as we work to magnify our callings. Focus on strengthening your community instead of worrying over the nation. Pray for the president, pray for the nation, but go out and do good in your own neighborhood.

Much love,

Emily Burnham

A Harry Halloween

 26 October - 1 November 2020

So, on Tuesday, I did something pretty stupid (but I didn't realize that until hindsight). I decided to get a mutual (again...) and to swipe up on all of the boys. Then I could sort through the ones that actually messaged me. But little did I know that in less than two days, I would have 102 boys messaging me! And most of them were definitely not my type. But on the bright side, I have a couple dates lined up for next week!

School has been difficult because it's mostly online. I am losing my patience with this whole "world pandemic" thing because of all the missed opportunities that have resulted and continue to result. I'm just trying to get through to Thanksgiving. It'll be nice to go home and get fattened up by my mom's regular (and delicious) meals. You'd think I'd know how to feed myself regularly after 22 years of life, but such is college life.

Friday afternoon, I went over to a friend's house to help her with her makeup and hair. Then I took her on a photoshoot at Bicentennial Park, which was very beautiful! That evening, I met up with a guy on mutual at that same park and we walked and talked. It was good to get to know someone else and put myself in their shoes. When I got home, I made cookies. I was meeting up with friends to have a bachelorette party for a girl who had previously been in the ward. I needed something to do to keep me awake while I was waiting for 10:30 to roll around. We went to Heart and Seoul Karaoke on Center Street, and it was pretty fun!

On Saturday, I went over to help Whitney decorate her apartment for a bit. We had a Harry Potter themed Halloween party in the evening. Just that morning, I'd searched for costume ideas and decided to dress up as Bellatrix Lestrange. I must say, it was quite fun to get ready. I twisted, curled, and sprayed the crap out of my hair. Everyone could tell who I was trying to be, so that was a success! The decorations were super cool, and we started with a "feast" in the "Great Hall" followed by some dancing and games. We even had a Harry Potter meme-making contest. I had a lot of fun.

Sunday was very good. I felt the Spirit during my scripture study and during the testimonies that were born at sacrament meeting. I am far from perfect, and I am so amazed at Heavenly Father's love and patience with me. After church, I got to socialize with some others in the ward for a bit. I went home and took a fat nap. Then I drove to Alpine to have dinner with the Mask family! The food was absolutely delicious, and it was so natural to talk with them and feel the spirit in their home. Their house was absolutely gorgeous, and I could feel the love and Spirit in their home. I'm grateful for the people that God places in our lives to strengthen us. My roommate had this beautiful crown, and it reminded me that we are all royalty, sons and daughters of a Heavenly King.

I have made a lot of mistakes--something that I am becoming increasingly aware of--but I still have hope through Jesus Christ that all can be made right. I know that peace can come from the Savior. Just as He spoke "Peace, be still" to the raging water, he can speak those same words to calm our raging hearts. I have felt that. I know that Jesus Christ lives. He is real. He is coming sometime soon. And I can't wait to see His face and witness firsthand his love and power.

Much love,

Emily Burnham