General Conference

In preparation for this upcoming general conference I have been listening to the past October session on CD in my car. It is amazing how much my outlook on everything changes just from listening to conference. As I walk from my car up to campus I try to think about the things that I just listened to. Throughout the day things that I listened to come to my mind as they apply to what I'm doing. I love General Conference and I can't wait for April.

Books on CD

I have had a hardback copy of a book called, "The Total Money Makeover" for over a year and I have really wanted to read it but I have never gotten around to it. I finally ordered it on CD about a month ago. I listened to it once the first week I got it and I've listened to it again over the last couple of weeks. I spend a lot of time in the car and rather than just wasting the time listening to the radio I have been able to learn a lot. I am grateful for Books on CD.

Hullabaloo: Media in Kids Games

I wrote once before about my 3 year old niece Jaycee. She is always doing the cutest things and you can probably tell that she has me wrapped around her little finger. She wasn't singing any pop music this week but we did have a fun time playing hide and seek and other games. I came home for lunch on Wednesday between school and work and she wanted to play a game called Hullabaloo. It is one of her favorites.

For any who are not constantly around little kids I will explain the game. First, you spread out a bunch of little rubber mats of different colors, and shapes with different pictures on them. There is a stereo piece that directs you what to do. Everyone starts on a purple pad and then it tells you to either spin to, skip to, stomp to, fly to, or crawl to a different shape or color. After a few moves it tells you to freeze. It then asks if anyone is standing on the elephant or the piano, etc. Whoever is standing on that piece is the winner.

The whole reason that I am writing this on my blog is that it tells the winner to either take a bow or do a funky dance. Jaycee does the best funky dance in the world and her bow is quite impressive too. When she bows she puts one arm up in the air and the other across her stomach and then puts her head almost to the floor. I'll try to post a picture later. It is so cute.

Shaun White - You Tube Instant Replay

The only winter Olympic event that I really wanted to watch was the Men's snowboarding half-pipe competition. Sadly, I worked until 9:00 last night and then I had to go to the library to study the rest of the night away. My night would have been incomplete without seeing Shaun White's double mctwist 1260.

This is why I am grateful for You Tube. I was able to watch Shaun White's Olympic gold medal run just minutes after it happened. Someone had video taped their TV set and then posted it on You Tube immediately. I watched the instant replay of Shaun White's gold medal run over and over without having to go home and watch it on TV. I only had to pause my studying for a minute thanks to You Tube.

One of My Favorite Books

I very rarely read novels now in my busy life as a student. My favorite types of books to read now are religious books, self-improvement books, and financial books. I am especially interested in financial and religious matters. I recently read Secrets of a Millionaire Mind and the next book I am planning on reading is called The Total Money Makeover. One of my favorite books is one that would fall into the religious book category. It is called Men of Valor and was written by Robert Millet.

Men of Valor is a book about the traits of great men of the Lord and the principles that guide their lives. It includes stories of great men from the scriptures as well as great men from our day. It includes questions for reflection, application, and further study at the end of each chapter.

I love books that motivate me and teach me how I can be a better person. The reason this book impacted my life is that I am now at the point in my life that I am deciding what kind of man I am going to be. I am making decisions that will impact the rest of my life and it was helpful to read about examples of great men and learn of the principles that guided them to be successful and make a great impact in the lives of others.

6 Billion Others: Be Careful, You Might Get Addicted.

6 billion others is a project that was put together by a man named Yann Arthrus-Bertrand and some of his colleagues. Here is a short excerpt from the introduction to the website:

"5,000 interviews were filmed in 75 countries by 6 directors who went in search of the Others. From a Brazilian fisherman to a Chinese shopkeeper, from a German performer to an Afghan farmer, all answered the same questions about their fears, dreams, ordeals, hopes:

What have you learnt from your parents? What do you want to pass on to your children? What difficult circumstances have you been through? What does love mean to you?

Forty or so questions that help us to find out what separates and what unites us. These portraits of humanity today are accessible on this website."

I was introduced to the website 6 billion others working at the MTC. As teachers, we use these interviews to help missionaries look into the lives of people from varying circumstances so that they can learn to focus on individuals' needs, concerns, and challenges and help them to come unto Christ through the restored gospel.

I love learning about people and this site is an incredible look into thousands of lives.

Here is the link. But be careful. You might get addicted.

http://www.6milliardsdautres.org/

The Cutest Thing Ever

A little background to this post: I am currently renting out the basement of my sister's house and so I have the incredible blessing of hanging out with three of my nieces all of the time. Taylor is 12, Madison is 9, and Jaycee is 3.

I don't know if you have all heard the song, "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train but the other day I started singing the words, "Hey, Soul sister..." and Jaycee jumped in and completed the sentence, "Ain't that mister mister on the radio." I started laughing so hard. It was, as the title to this post hints, "the cutest thing ever."

Just try to picture the cutest little three year old singing along with Train in her tiny little voice. It just goes to show that kids pick up more from the Media than we realize.

I have to add what I think is the cutest thing that Jaycee says even though it has nothing to do with Media. My other nieces and Nephews call me "Lancey Pants" but when Jaycee was learning to talk she couldn't say the whole thing so she just calls me "Pants." Whenever Jaycee wants me to do anything with her she says, "Pants, I need you." How can you say no to that?