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

Happy Fourth!

Howdy friends, family, and everyone else! Wow, what a week. I was so blessed that I didn't have a lot of pressing things due this week because my sickness held on with a vengeance this entire week! I spent a ridiculous amount of time resting, drinking liquids, and then consequently having to use the bathroom ;).

Monday
I got to sleep in, since I didn't have to go in for work. I also didn't feel up to going to basketball class, but I made sure to rest and feel up to going to my psychology class at 10am. For home evening, we split into groups and dropped/flung paint down from the second story balcony of an apartment complex, trying to create an American flag on a canvas below. It was quite difficult! But we all had an enjoyable time!

Tuesday
Again, I missed work. I'd been hoping to go in today, but I woke up multiple times throughout the night and felt awful. I rested ALL day. Even when I wanted to do something, I forced myself to relax because I want to heal as quickly as possible. I had to cancel going ice-skating today, which was sad, but for the best.

Wednesday
I went in for work, even though I felt awful and had to blow my nose a lot. I finished my work as quick as I could and went back home to bed before I had to go to class at 10am. Blah.

Thursday
It was so nice to sleep in and not have to feel bad for missing work or basketball class... because it was the Fourth of July! I had to go shopping today, but still tried to take it easy. Then... I had to work concessions that evening at the Stadium of Fire, featuring Keith Urban! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. For five hours, I rented out chairs, sold water and kettle corn, and got to see bits of the show! And I almost didn't get paid for any of it because the machine didn't register when I clocked in! But I got it all taken care of. My favorite part of the night was when this old women walked up to the second floor

Friday
Ugh. I technically at work at 5am, but I didn't go in until 6am so I could get some more sleep, since I didn't get to sleep until almost 1am. I finished as QUICK as lightning so I could go home and sleep a bit more before  going to class and taking a quiz. That afternoon, I went ice-skating by myself for two hours, which was nice. In the evening, I went with Valerie to a hot balloon festival, where they lit up rows of hot air balloons to the beat of some songs they played.

Saturday
I got to sleep in again! I still felt sick, but who could blame my body after the crazy past few days?! I realized BOTH temples in Provo were closed! What?! So I went to the next nearest one, the Timpanogos temple, with Valerie. We went and did some sealings, since I had five family names that needed to be done. It was a great experience, and the temple was packed! I loved watching the different couples kneel across from each other and gaze at one another with such love and tenderness. The world today emphasizes so much lust and physical aspects of love, but the love that you see in these couples at the temple is deep, true love and charity.

Sunday
Wow, I am finally feeling better! Testimony meeting was wonderful. The theme of the meeting took emphasized Heavenly Father's infinite and individual love for each of us, and that we are all enough and just need to keep on trying. This past week, I was prompted to search through my previous scripture study notes, and I came across what I wrote from down from a Zone Conference: "Weakness is not a sin." This really struck me because I will find myself often repeating in my prayers, "Please forgive me for my sins," because I'm not perfect, but I also don't always recognize specific sins I'm making. All I feel is this sense of falling short. I feel weak. However, God has said that He gives unto us weakness. Weakness is not the same as sinning, but rather is a way to keep us humble and turning back to God. We must overcome them through the grace of God to be perfect one day, but meanwhile, we needn't feel so guilty all the time for falling short. We are not purposefully trying to sin all the time; we are falling subject to our weaknesses we were given. And we have God's promise of sufficient help in overcoming them.

Much love,
Emily Burnham

Some Sick Skates!

Howdy howdy! What a week! I had rough start to the week, then an amazing middle of the week, and then came down sick... quite the roller-coaster, I'd say!

Monday
Mondays and Wednesdays are so long because I have work from 5am to 9am, basketball from 9 to 10am, and then class from 10am to noon! So I have to pack a lunch and snack/lunch! Then I go home and eat and study my scriptures and rest. But it is nice having the rest of the day to myself! This evening for Home Evening, we had a ward Amazing Race, and I drove around Provo with Miranda, Valerie, Emily Allen, and this other girl, looking for clues! Often times, my group made me get out and run ahead to fetch the clues! At the end, we met in a field by the temple and had tacos. It was super fun!

Tuesday
Work. Basketball. Readings and relaxing that afternoon. Then institute that evening. I really love the class we are going to, "Women in the Scriptures." We are in the Old Testament right now, and I love learning more in depth about women I never really knew much about. They all really seem to come alive!

Wednesday
After classes, I was talking to my mom about how I wished I had my ice-skates already. She said to follow up with the guy I ordered them from. I was a missionary, after all! I texted him, asking when they would be in, and he responded that they were there! I made plans to go see him that late afternoon. While I was waiting to go, I worked on Photoshop, manipulating heights of men for our research project. We are trying to test if women find taller men more attractive than shorter men. Then I went to get my skates, and the coolest thing ever happened. So, when I showed up, he asked if I was the one he had been talking to about the "buy-out" skates. He pulled out two boxes of skates--the ones I had originally ordered that came, and then another box that was just the boot of a skate. I tried both on, but was mentally leaning towards the one that already had the blade and was ready to go. But then he said if I liked the feel of the one without the blade, I should go with that one because it was a nicer quality boot and would last longer and be more supportive. He had gotten it on sale because they were trying to get the next model in, but it was originally $400! And then he said he also got a smokin' deal on a set of blades to go with them, so he'd sell me the set for $150 (what I would have spent for the other skates). The blades were $300 originally! So I got a $700 set-up for only $150, much better quality than I originally would have gotten! Plus, he adjusted the ankle and fit it so it didn't crush my bone, and he put the blades on after sharpening them for free! I felt so blessed! God is really watching out for me! I was so excited and wanted to try them out that night, but my friend Whitney called and said her hot-water was out, and if she could use my shower that evening. The next open-time to skate is Friday afternoon!

Thursday
After work and basketball this morning, I spent a few hours down at the library, working on manipulating photos some more for my class project. Learning how to use the basics of Photoshop in 9th grade has been invaluable!

Friday
Today was the highlight of my whole week! I got to go ice-skating in my new skates this afternoon, and Olivia (a friend from work) met up with me there! She had to leave early, but I stayed the whole time. While my skates hurt a bit and need to be broken in, they are so amazing! I can already do much better tricks in them and feel more confident that they will support me! That evening, I went to Sammy's birthday party, and she had a full-on BBQ for all her friends and family. There was so so so much food! And I could eat most of it! And I probably did eat most of it!! I was extremely stuffed by the end of the night :) I left early and drove with Kathrine over to the Bishop's home for movie night, where we watched The Greatest Showman. I forgot how many good songs are in that movie. It was only my second time seeing it.

Saturday
You know that feeling when you wake up sick? That was me this morning. It hit me out of the blue, but I had a sore throat and a stuffy nose. I guess I partied a bit too hard this weekend! I took it pretty easy today. I went to the temple with Valerie, but then stayed home and relaxed for the rest of the day. I tried to do some homework but came down with the worst headache after an hour and had to take a nap. I was so sad because I wanted to go ice-skating again SO BAD! But I wasn't feeling up to it physically and didn't want to make myself more sick.

Sunday
I was still feeling lousy today, so I took it easy. Besides going to church, the only other productive thing I did today was host a Come, Follow Me study group in the evening. Kathrine (from the ward) and Vincent (a friend from work) came, plus Valerie was there. After about 20 minutes of studying, I see this guy from the ward walking to the door... we had said he could come but didn't clarify what time, so he came at 7:30, even though we changed the time to 7pm. Yikes! I hurriedly told everyone to pretend that we were just starting, so they closed up their books and scriptures as I went to answer the door. We pulled it off... with a mild giggle-attack that left him wondering what was happening. Let's just say, I am a terrible actress! Also, I made the most epic birthday PowerPoint to send to Sister Stites, the missionary I trained. And Val made me stay up to play a game with her, even though I was so tired. I had already texted my boss that I was sick and wouldn't be able to go into work tomorrow morning.