Fifty-Two Project

So, over the years I have been in love with the idea of photography. I have loved learning about it and taking photographs. Over the Christmas break, yes nearly six months ago, I got my first DSLR. I'm not going to lie, I love it, but I am also afraid to use it. So, to help me get over this "fear" and become a better photographer, I've decided that I am going to complete this fifty-two photography project that I found on Pinterest.

Not going to lie, because of school and stuff I'll probably do a photo a week. So that gives me 52 weeks to complete this little project. I may get ahead schedule sometimes or post multiple pictures for a specific week. I just hope through this project I will become a better photographer all around! So feel free to embark on this journey with me at anytime and point!

I'm also hoping that by doing this, this project will help me close the door of my college years here at BYU-Idaho and open the next door of life! Here is to a new adventure!

Life, it can be good and can last forever.

So sad, the semester is coming to a close! Through out the course of this semester we have learned about dating, marriage, children and families, communication, and how families deal with crisis. So, what happens after marriage and children? What happens after everyone moves out of the house and it is just you and your spouse? There is a new dynamic in a sense. I like to think of it as time that you and your spouse get to spend getting to know each other all over again. You get to reconnect with out all the "distractions" of family life.

If you have a moment, and you haven't seen this video, you should watch it!

 

 In the video the music starts out kind of slow then builds up. It gets intense, dies down, then gets intense yet again at the end. I like to think of this as a metaphor for life. Our life starts out pretty great. We are born and grow up and get married. Along the way in marriage we hit a few speed bumps that slow things down but then picks up again through out life. There are multiple pitch changes and transitions through out the songs. There are multiple transitions that we go through in our lives. Some of these include adolescence, becoming parents, and becoming grandparents (empty nesters).  There are certain transitions that we have to go through even though we might not like them. That's part of life. In the end, when we meet our maker and go over our "score" of life, it will be a beautiful one.

Happily Ever After......right?

So in life we are all born, grow up, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after, right?

Sadly, sometimes that is not how it always works out. Did you know....

• Cohabiting couples are more likely to get divorced.
• More women than men are asking for divorces.
• 77% of men are remarried two years after they are divorced.
• 70% of couples say they should have saved their marriage after being divorced two years.

There are multiple reasons as to why some people get divorced. Some of them are because of financial issues, communication issues, and sometimes they even just fall out of love. 






In the end, sometimes divorce is the best option for a couple, even if it is hard on the kids. There are a handful of things parents can do to help their children cope with a divorce. Take a look at this website to find out more!

Little Humans...They Matter.

So this week we talked a lot about the family and children. Children have a special place in my heart and forever will. I one day hope to have some of my own as well as work with them as a child life specialist.

In today's world so many new trends are forming compared to our past. People are waiting to have children, people are having fewer children, more parents are hiring nannies to take care of their children and more children are being born outside of a traditional marriage.

Children matter. I don't think I can reiterate that enough. They are our future. Children bless so many that are around them in ways that we don't even realize. They teach us selflessness, patience, and give us a glimpse of how amazing our Heavenly Father is. From those I know that have children, it can be scary, but at the same time it sounds like a pretty amazing opportunity. They truly are gifts from God.

Today I had the opportunity to watch my friends two kids. We spent the day watching movies, playing outside in the snow, and making Christmas decorations. After we had finished making some Christmas decorations one of the kids looked at me and said, "I think we should tidy up the house." My friend had clinicals, so she had been gone since 4:30 a.m. and wasn't going to be back until about 5:30 p.m.. Her daughter knew that she would be exhausted and thought that if she cleaned and tidied up the house that would help her mom. So, instead of watching a movie with her brother, she and myself went to work. She helped me learn that at no matter what age you are, whether you are 8 or 24, there is always something you can do for others.

 The next time you are around children, I want you to take a step back and think about what you can learn from them. What can they teach you about yourself?

The joys of work....

So Monday in class we talked about what we as adults have come to love (yes, that was meant to be said in a sarcastic voice). We talked about work.

Okay, truth time. I actually love work. To me there is nothing better than the feeling you get once you have accomplished something you have worked really hard on. Work is a natural instinct that we have as human beings. If you look clear back to our first parents, Adam and Eve, they started working and it has been something we have done ever sense.

If you think about it, little kids love to work! I was talking to my grandma about work ethics one day (she recently got back from visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins) and she started to tell me about one of my younger cousins. This little cousin is number six out of seven, I think. My grandma went on to tell me that she will go and clean up any little mess that she can find. She is her moms biggest helper, and it is starting to rub off on the youngest (who I believe is about to be two). This little girl will do anything her mom asks her to and doesn't ask her to! She loves to work!

So, think about this....we have to learn to be lazy. We have to learn how to not love work. I know...this seems a little crazy but bare with me for a minute. Think of all the "fun times" you've had with your family. Sure, some of them may revolve around activities or movies and such, but some of them may revolve around doing dishes, cleaning up after a holiday meal, or even weeding the garden.

When we work together as a family, we grow as a family. I remember the times I felt the closest with my mother was when I was helping her weed the garden or do the dishes. It was during this time I talked with her. I told her about what was happening with my life and how things were going and such.

In my family, it seems to me, when we clean, we talk. I remember cleaning my sisters room with them after friends had played over and they would talk about what they did, who they liked, how life was, and what they were struggling with. I like to believe that it was in those moments that I really got to know my sisters and they got to know me.

So, I'd like to give you a challenge. Next time you ask your children to clean up something or work on something, do it with them and see what happens. If you don't have children, clean/work with your spouse and see what happens.

After all if you think about it, faith brings miracles, but faith requires work. So eventually, work brings miracles. Miracles in your family will happen if you work together.

Communication...it's a must have!

Communications has been one of my favorite things to study, that very well could be because that is what my clusters (minor) is in!

Get ready for some random communication/speech facts!

• 93% (about) of communication is non-verbal.
• You must hear something 3 times to remember it. 
• When hearing a contradictive message we have a tendency to believe the non-verbal hints we receive.
• 65% of what we learn about another person when communicating is by observing non-verbal body language.
• 7% of communication is what you say (words), 38% is how you say it, and 55% is body movement.

So as you can see, communication with others is pretty important. Communication occurs all of the time. We cannot not communicate! Go ahead, try it! Communication requires an exchange of shared meanings. For example, a gesture or a hand sign can mean one thing in America but a totally different think in China. Communication also requires feedback in order to be certain of exchanged meaning. If you aren't sure you got the message, you should always double check!

Bottom line: communication is naturally apart of who we are. We can't help but communicate, we just have to be careful about how we do it!

The Brush Strokes of Crisis

So,  I learned something new this week. In the Chinese language there are two brush strokes that make up the word crisis. One brush stroke means danger and the next brush stroke means opportunity. At one point in a persons life time they will most likely experience one crisis.

When we face a crisis we can respond to it in multiple ways. Some people deal with it the best they can with the help of friends, family, and other resources like religion. Others may deal with it by avoiding the crisis.

In the end all of our actions are due to how we choose to react to the situation. We have to choose how we react. If we let our brain go on autopilot we would be scared, overwhelmed, depressed discouraged.

I have concluded, from my own personal life events, that coping is a necessary skill. Some people cope and adjust really well and others don't. 

A coping saw is a specific saw used in woodworking or carpentry. It is also used to create moldings and joints. This saw allows you to cut very precisely and intricate(make tiny adjustments to make sure you can cut little pieces to fit in the places you need them). Coping on a pool keeps water in, protects you from the sharp edge (being damaged), protects against erosion from the water.

This is why it is important to be aware how we cope with events, stressors, and crisis  through out our life. If we have "good" coping skills we will be able to protect our selves from the damage that can be caused otherwise. 

There are multiple ways a person can cope with a crisis, event, or stressor.  

1. Taking responsibility. This means not just that you will not deny or avoid the problem or blame others but that you will not play the victim game. 
2. Affirm your own and your family's worth. Believe in yourself and your ability to deal with situations. Remind yourself that you and your family are people with strengths and the capacity to cope. 
3. Balance self-concern with other-concern. Take responsibility for your own well-being and serve one another. 
4. Learn the art of reframing. To reframe means to change your perspective on a situation. Redefine something you had defined as troublesome as adaptive and useful.   
5. Find and use available resources. There are a number of external resources that one can turn to in a time of need. These may include family members, religious beliefs, and counselors.  

In the end, it really does matter how we react to a situation. Our actions determine this. It is up to us on how we are going to cope with a stressor/crisis. So, let us act instead of being acted upon when it comes to a stressor or crisis. Cope the best way you know how using all your available resources.  

Turn the crisis into an opportunity instead of a danger.