Universal Studios!!!

 8 August - 14 August 2022

I finished my Track 1 residency for my master's program on Monday. I worked on homework assignments and then went to bed. Nothing too crazy. I loved that there were wild turkeys that would roam Matt's neighborhood. I'd always be on the lookout for them when we were driving out in the mornings. I spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday inside the Universal Parks, and I mean that literally. Between the two days, I spent 27 hours in the parks. It rained in the afternoon or evening on both of the days, which made some rides shut down for a while, and it was a TON of walking (25,000 steps each day). But I had a very enjoyable time! It was surreal to see Harry Potter World in person. I spent the morning of the first day in Diagon Alley. I went on the Escape from Gringotts ride, which I really enjoyed, and then explored all the shops and parts of Diagon Alley. I really got SO much more done in the mornings than the rest of the day, honestly. It just got so so packed. I was able to end the first day by going on Hagrid's motorbike ride, which was my favorite rollercoaster ride. I had to wait until the end because the line was always so ridiculously long, like 2 to 4 hours long! Matt joined me in the evening and went on that with me, and we didn't get out of the park and home until 10pm! (The park officially closes at 9pm, but they're not going to kick you out if you're in line before then). The second morning, I spent the morning in Hogsmeade. I'd gone there the day before, but it was CRAZY packed, so I felt like I didn't get to explore as much. I did the Forbidden Journey ride the first day and wasn't as fun. But the second day in the morning, I actually went through the entire line instead of the single rider line, and I enjoyed it SO much more and felt more connected to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, because there is so much of the castle that you miss if you don't go through the long line (such as Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, the fat lady, etc.). It was super cool. I also explored the other parts of the parks in Universal, going on almost all of the rides. It was so cool. Like, it was just fun to be able to explore new things and go on rides having no idea what to expect (most of the time being pleasantly surprised, and other times disappointed). It was definitely an adventure, and I got to meet new friends and people, and I ran into an old friend there as well! My favorite parts of Harry Potter World (besides Hagrid's and Gringotts ride) was the Triwizard Spirit Rally and the Hogwarts castle light show, which was a great way to finish my last night in the park. It was bitter sweet being in the park, because on the one hand, you love Harry Potter so much and almost get to feel like you're there. But on the other hand, you can tell it is fake. The brick isn't real, the castle is smaller in scale than it'd be in real life, and everything isn't positioned exactly like in the movies. And you see hundreds, if not thousands, of other fans, and you're all trying to pretend it's real, but it's not and it's never going to be. So I had some bitter sweet moments, but by the end of my time in Universal, I would say I loved it because it was a fun, adventurous time, and I could close my eyes at night and picture myself right outside the Hogwarts Castle or in Diagon Alley, and whether or not it's real, it's pretty darn cool. Then I flew home Thursday morning and have been adjusting to the time difference all over again. Man, last week was just so exhausting, but I'm glad I adjusted in time to be able to be alert and awake enough to enjoy Universal Studios. And while exploring other parts of the park was cool, it didn't speak to me as much as when I got to explore the Harry Potter parts. I posted TONS of pictures on Facebook, and I'll only post a couple here (all Harry Potter ones, cuz those were my fav).

Much love,

Emily Burnham

Birthday Week!

27 January - 2 February 2020

Perspective can turn a tough day or week into something sweet. I had a lot of hard things happen this week, but I was blessed to see so many small tender mercies that reminded me of my Heavenly Father's love and care. To top it off, I had an awesome birthday night!

Monday
I've had Harry Potter on my mind lately since I began planning a trip back to visit my mission and then to go to Harry Potter World... so surprise surprise... for FHE, we had an art night and I drew Lord Voldemort as "the scream" with my partner. It turned out pretty good--scary, actually.

Tuesday
I had a busy day, but I woke up this morning with the feeling to make dinner for a guy in the ward who had told me about a rough experience he was going through. I didn't know if it would be awkward since we don't know each other super well, but I decided that if it was a prompting, I would go through with it. I also got set apart today at the Provo City Center Temple to be an ordinance worker, and I'll start next Friday! After classes and work, I rushed to make a quick soup before my neuro review but no one was home when I went to drop it off. So I thought to myself, "Eh, forget the whole thing." But then later that night my roommate convinced me to follow through because it had been a prompting. He still wasn't home so I left it with his roommate. That evening was actually super fun because I went with two other people from the ward to the BYU Swing Dancing club night, and I actually danced with a lot of guys and enjoyed myself! I picked up on it pretty quick, and the guy in my ward even did a cool flip trick called the "can-opener" with me, which was pretty epic.

Wednesday
I got hired for a new job as a peer mentor for BYU Online! I will be helping to initiate a program for students who are failing their classes and will take an active part in reaching out to them and ensuring they receive any and all the help they need. Plus, with this new job comes a pay-raise to $14 an hour! What a huge financial blessing. The Lord is so good to me :) That night, I went with Kathrine to a Harry Potter party event and our house won overall! So we got free Creamery ice-cream coupons!

Thursday
I had a really cool experience this morning. When I woke up, I felt a bit anxious and had doubts creeping into my mind, but I fought them, recognizing they were lies. Then suddenly, all those negative feelings and insecurities were taken away, and I felt the presence of my Heavenly Father. I felt His love and warmth and knew He was so pleased with me. It was the best feeling in the entire world. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it completely filled and reassured me.

Friday
As birthdays start out, it wasn't the best. I ran out of breakfast foods and was so hungry, so I decided to go shopping before going to the temple. But then my car was making weird noises so I pulled over ot check the engine and called my dad who said to stop by AutoZone or somewhere. By the time all was said and done, nothing got fixed but I think it's alright. But then I had to go to work, so I didn't end up going to the temple, and I was still kind of hungry. I worked for a couple of hours and didn't eat lunch until almost 2pm. Then I had more homework to do, and then I went to code videos at a building on campus, but it wouldn't work for me, so I quit and went home to make a cake (that I thought I ruined, but then it turned out good). All in all, I was utterly exhausted and tired, but wanted to have a good evening. My favorite part was that the rink (upon my request) played Taylor Swift's song 22, so I got to skate around and dance to that, which was super fun. Then we had games at my house, and a really good number of people showed up, and there was lots of laughter and food. Kathrine was such a great friend and stayed behind to help clean up and talk.

Saturday
I went this morning to get my ice skates permanently mounted and sharpened at Shaun's place, then tried to do homework. It was actually such a nice day outside that I had trouble staying inside, so after taking a walk outside, I read from my textbook outside on the grass to soak up some sun. I didn't get super far in my reading, but I can at least tell you the difference between a cone and rod in the eye!

Sunday
I taught Sunday School today, and even though the projector stopped working half-way through, I just went with the flow (a skill I've really been learning to develop!) and Miranda said it was really good. I only made one funny joke: when the projector started having problems when I was trying to show a video of Nephi and his brothers, I said, "We need more Wi-Fi so we can have more Nephi." I was a bit nervous, but it turned out good overall and a lot of people shared insights. I didn't feel super well today, but I did fast! I also went to a meeting/dinner that was for set-apart ordinance workers at the church building tonight and got to hear a lot of cool things. It was reassuring to be blessed that the Lord would amplify the time I have and sharpen my mind to accomplish everything with school and work as I give up time to serve Him in the temple. I am so excited for the growth that awaits me this semester as I work in the temple.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Holly Jolly Christmas

23 December - 29 December 2019

I hope y'all had a happy Christmas! Lucy and I spent a lot of time binge watching Harry Potter and speaking in British accents this week. It's been nice being home because the weather is much warmer than it would be in Utah, I always have delicious food on hand, and I get to rest from school. The only downside is that I caught a cold, so I've been a bit sick this past week. We also watched a lot of movies this week, including the new Star Wars (which Lucy was crying about having to go see but then loved it and is now binge watching all the Star Wars) and Unitards (which mom and Lucy are obsessed with for some strange reason).

Wednesday - Christmas Day
I got woken up by an incoming video call from Aaron at 6:30am! Apparently, I was the only one who had my phone on and could hear him calling in. It was fun to go over and open presents with Aaron able to watch us. It was quite a magical morning. Everyone appreciated the gifts I got for them, and I got way more presents than I bargained for! I thought I was getting one or two, but I ended up with at least six! The real magic trick will be figuring out how to fit it all in my bag when I fly home! Sean and Lucy both received a magic kit box that they have been playing with ever since. We also had the most delicious lunch because my dad cooked a turkey and ham in the family's new smoker. We had the missionaries over. Soon afterwards, we all went over to grandma and grandpa Burnham's home to visit with all of the family there.

On Friday, I was able to babysit the Tilley's grandchildren. There were 11 of them, with the oldest being nine. I only had to change a couple of poopy diapers. They were really good, as always. I love babysitting all of them because they are such loving and cute kids and it helps me realize the kind of family I want to have in the future.

Saturday morning, Symantha showed up to visit. I painted her a cat on a tree as a present from me, and Lucy decided she wanted to paint something as well, so she quickly threw together a desert landscape on a mini canvas in roughly 20 minutes. I went to the temple afterwards, and I got to see Valerie for a split second in the initiatory room.

I went to church with Valerie and felt a recommitment in my study of the Book of Mormon. In Sunday school, we read over President Nelson's talk from Oct 2017 about the Book of Mormon, and what stood out to me was that in the promise he made, he said "daily immerse." That reminded me of how we are baptized by immersion, not by sprinkling water over ourselves. It caused me to reflect over the amount of effort I was making and how deep my studies really were. I want to be fully in. I have felt the difference between reading and studying the Book of Mormon. I have felt pure joy and the presence of the Spirit when my time reading the Book of Mormon is actual studying. There truly is power within the Book of Mormon that will fill us up with righteous desire and power. That evening, we went to support Zeb as he got his eagle. We were the only family on the Burnham side (besides gramps and grams) to show up to support them.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Harry Potter and Painting

7 October - 13 October 2019

Hey! So, in all honesty, this past week sucked. Not all of it. But I just didn't feel very well all week long and became overwhelmed and stressed with all that I had to do. Wow, I'm so grateful that it is Sunday so I can rest from the craziness that is my life! I have a headache for the third day in a row and will feel nauseous/dizzy on and off. Despite all that, the Lord has sent ministering angels my way and has strengthened me through it so I could accomplish the things I absolutely needed to get done.

Monday
I did not feel well today. Mostly emotionally/mentally, so I didn't go to my first class. Instead, I went shopping because I needed food. It was cool to run into six different sets of missionaries at Walmart! During my second class, we were asked to draw pictures of God, and mine actually turned out pretty good! So I gave it to Miranda as a gift. We had a Harry Potter themed Home Evening tonight, complete with a realistic looking Hagrid-made birthday cake for Harry. It was super cute and a lot of fun.

Tuesday
Ironically enough (or maybe it was planned, I don't know), the speaker for today's devotional related 5 principles from Harry Potter to the gospel. So that was pretty fun! That evening, I felt so sick and did not go to institute. Then I felt super bad and disappointed in myself. I think I have felt so bad these past few days because I was just on a conference-high and now Satan is striking me down. But not for long! I also surprised my roommate Kayla with some watercolor paintings I did for her because her room is so empty with zero decorations.

Wednesday
I ran into so many people I knew today on campus! I saw Whitney Callahan twice, Lexy Rowberry, and Spencer Ashworth! It was fun to get to chat with them all for a second before getting to class. I am also really enjoying my singing class, and think I'm getting better, but it's hard to tell. I also called and talked to Johnny for half of an hour, which made me so happy! I love hearing from the Wrights and the joy that comes from staying close to those you met on the mission that changed your life forever. He is doing well, but may have cancer in his ear, so I'm keeping him in my prayers.

Thursday
After my Social Psych class today, I was talking with Haley Bell and she thanked me for my comments that I give during class, which made me feel good. She showed me pictures of her cute kids and said she was open to being set up on dates. It was a really good conversation and I gave her a hug. Then I remembered she said she had the flu! So I stopped by the JKB on my way home for a free flu shot! I went to work at the MTC and had an amazing lesson with these two elders. What made it so great was how excited they got about teaching me the Plan of Salvation. It felt so good to obviously be helping them to fulfil their purpose. That evening, I spent a lot of time printing, cutting and finishing up my poster for my art class tomorrow. I had a small bit of time to do some readings but then needed to go to bed.

Friday
I went into work. I don't know why, because I felt absolutely awful. But I did. I got to talk with Ben and give him Haley's number so he could ask her out when his divorce is finalized (I never considered myself to be a match maker, but who knows what'll happen). Then I had my art class. It was really good! I got to present my painting projects and was super proud with how well they turned out. My teacher seemed pretty impressed. Then we had some free time at the end to work on our next project: guerilla art. I got the whole class in on doing a flash mob on campus where we will freeze in place for 4 minutes. I'm super exited about it and recruited some friends to help me out. I had a QPR training about suicide prevention for my TA job, and it was actually very good and informative. I held my TA office hours and went shopping and then to the temple, and then came home to do homework. I went with Whitney to a game night for about 45 minutes that evening. All my other time was spent doing homework!

Saturday
I did not sleep well, and I couldn't sleep in until 6am. My body was too stressed, I think. I had a service project out in Lehi, UT, so I left with Helena (she's in my ward but she's also in English class, which is the reason we had to do this service project) at 7:30am. I thought that when we showed up, they'd put us to work digging ditches for five hours or something. But no, we totally got spoiled! They had breakfast laid out for everyone, a junior high choir serenaded us as we ate. Then we got to pick which service we did (we helped paint the mural outside) and they had food trucks feed us for lunch. Plus they had water and snacks for us. I got to meet and talk with some pretty cool individuals and feel reassured that I'm doing the right thing. I brought home a doughnut from one of the food trucks for someone and ended up giving it to Kayla's fiancée, Matt. He was so happy. I quickly had to leave to go to work. I just packed a lunch with me and ate there. Then, because I only had one lesson scheduled, I was able to clock out for a bit to get some homework done, and then I also could leave early since I wasn't feeling all that well. My cheeks were flushed all day and I was a bit out of it. All week. I went to the Harman building for a few minutes to finish up some work and then went home to work on homework. I got a perfect score on my quiz! And I got pretty far on my essay that is due. I'll just need to wake up early on Monday to finish it up.

Sunday
I slept in a bit past 8am. And I still didn't want to get up. I'm so grateful that Sundays can be a day of rest for me! With how busy my weekdays are, Sunday is a mental rest day too! I started my fast and was almost ready for church when I started have violent waves of nausea and knew I had to eat something or I very well might have thrown up. So I ate a banana, but that's all I had! I enjoyed listening to everyone's testimonies today and being filled. I sat next to Lexy in Relief Society and we talked afterward about how time-consuming it is to cook for ourselves, and we decided to do a small food group. She'll cook for us on Tuesday and I'll cook for us on Wednesday. That way we have motivation to cook and don't have to feed ourselves once a week. Kathrine may be in on it as well. As we were walking home from church, Lexy and I stopped to talk to a guy in our ward named Isaac, and he said he is a videographer and offered to help film my weekly YouTube videos so they are not ghetto-quality. Wow, what a blessing! He is my new best friend. Also, I need to actually have more coherent and meaningful things to talk about... yikes! But it'll be good :). I posted some new videos to my channel today as well, and I don't think they are as bad as the first couple, so that's good! Vincent and Kathrine came over for Come, Follow Me study group, and it was nice having a small group today. I'm grateful for the many friends that I have and the ones I am making each day!

I've been thinking a lot about the joy and love we will experience in Heaven. I know that it will be so great--and so worth our every trial and hardship we had to go through here in order to get there. I am filled with hope that my hardships happen for a reason. Waking up for work at 5am, walking there in the cold feeling nauseous from hunger. That'll be a fun story to tell my kids one day! It has helped me see that I can do hard things and overcome anything with the help of the Lord. I know what awaits me in the future will more than make up for every misery I go through now.

Much love,
Emily Burnham