Gratitude

For the last week or so, I've felt really down. My motivation was gone and I felt like life wasn't really worth living. I didn't know what had changed! I was so happy only a couple of weeks ago....
A couple of weeks ago was Thanksgiving, and everyday for 15 days leading up to it, I would list 3 things I was grateful for.
I've realized that since I stopped doing that, I've also stopped looking for recognizing all the blessings in my life, and I think that's had such a big hand in why I've felt so blah.

What I ended up with at the end of those 15 days is a hodgepodge list, but it shows that there are so many things of different magnitudes to be grateful for. This is that list:

• My friendship with my mom, my little brother, colourful pens
• My warm bed, medication, literature
• My health, good music, opportunities to serve
• The Scriptures, the Internet, public transportation
• Institute, being alive, Tim Horton's
• General Conference, Latter-day prophets, Joseph Smith
• The Atonement of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, prayer
• Sweaters, exercise, hymns
• Water, my home, having graduated
• Breakfast foods, hair straighteners, dark lipstick
• Concerts, airplanes, driving
• My little cousins, missionaries, the sacrament
• Road trips, autumn, dreams
• Cats, cuddling, photo albums
• Fire, turkey dinners, LOVE

I am alive and healthy. I have family, friends, and a Heavenly Father who love me so much. I have all that I need and more, and I am so grateful!

Kaitlyn

Thanksgiving and my cute family

I am SO thankful for my family. I had an awesome weekend full of road trips, kayaks, turkeys, pictures, and cats. :)

Kaitlyn

Kayaking is scary

 Kayaking with my family this weekend was so fun! Our timing with the weather was PERFECT, and the lake was BEAUTIFUL. The water was low enough to be surrounded by beach, and it was so pretty. And the leaves! The entire ground was covered in gold.
However, nothing was more beautiful than my borrowed skort and water shoes. Kayaking has never been so stylish.
I almost fell in a couple of times, but I had a darn good time doing it!

Kaitlyn

Luke Bilyk

So, I got to meet Luke Bilyk (Drew on Degrassi). This was a little over a week ago, and it was sooo exciting! He was so genuinely nice and funny and cute. I'm still super happy about it. :)

Real happiness

A little while ago I found this quote on Pinterest:

There is SO much truth in that.

In the last couple of years, it has been so hard for me to feel truly happy. I never understood why things didn't just fall into place for me, or why people didn't notice me, or why opportunities never knocked. I was totally stuck thinking about myself and what the world could do for me, when really I needed to start thinking about others and what I could do for the world.
     Service is the greatest thing. Putting a focus on things and people outside ourselves is honestly the best way to be truly happy. You can't not feel good knowing you've lightened someone's load, made them smile, or changed their life for the better.
    On top of that, I've always had a problem seeking. Those opportunities I wanted? They were all there! I've had countless opportunities to join teams or clubs, or apply for volunteer work or jobs. All of it required me putting myself out there and me putting in effort... I've always been so scared of making mistakes or embarrassing myself in front of others... That has held me back from so much! It makes me sad to think about not only the happiness I could have obtained from seeking, but the happiness and help I could have shared with others. What friends could I have made? What lives could I have touched?
    
    
TO SUMMARIZE (because that was pretty ramble-y), put yourself out there and do good for others! I'm still working on that, but it's already brought me so much happiness. :)

xoxo
Kaitlyn

Waterton is my favourite.

It's been a very long but very happy week. A good chunk of it was spent in Waterton. Since SO MUCH happened, here is a brief summary of our trip:

Surrey bikes. Waterfall hikes. Gift shop crawl. Rock skipping. Chipmunk chasing. Chipmunk bites (oops). Three bear sightings. A thousand deer sightings. A million gopher sightings. Gill and Olivia and Sinea sightings. Pouring rain. Scorching sun. Lunch at ZUMS. Lots of ice cream. Lots of love. :)

xoxo,
Kaitlyn

Young Women's camp 2014

Us and all our camp leaders on the stairs behind our campsite. They were killer!

 

Sis Molcak, me, and Laurel on the hike

Aubryn, me, and Bailey, still hikin'

Caitlyn, Laurel, me, Aubryn, Heidi, and Bailey, before we left home

 

     This week was my last ever YW camp which is crazy and extremely sad! Camp was so fun though, and I'm glad I got to go!

     My first camp when I was 12 had at least 20 girls, and this year, there were only 7 of us. At first, I think we all thought that our small number would put a damper on camp, and I think we all agree that it was actually such a blessing! We all shared the same tent and got to do everything together. We all got to talk to each other and learn things we didn't know about each other. My love for those super cute girls multiplied by at least a thousand.

     Together we hiked, walked to the middle of a lake, sang our hearts out, and learned that gophers are evil (they ate through 2 of our tents!)

     My favourite part of YW camp has always been testimony meeting. Every year the Spirit is so strong and tears are shed. This year was no exception. I'm so incredibly grateful for the faith and the friendships strengthened this week!

 

xoxo
Kaitlyn