ketchup

Time to catch-up!

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do something that was on my bucket list: I shot a gun! A few of them, actually.  One of them was a Luger, or a semi-automatic pistol that was the standard issue for the Germans during WWII.  It is still in good condition, but, I mean, it could have been used during the war.

And another old Czechoslovakian-made gun (I think--it was old).  And then a new all-American gun.  I liked that one the best because it was like being in a movie.  So cool!

This last weekend, Anna came down to P-town and we went to Guru's for dinner (our fav). Then, with Anna being my scary movie buddy, we saw "The Woman in Black."  I'm bummed about not being able to see the play in London, but I'm half ok with not seeing it because I heard it was scaryyyy.  "Nerve-shredding," in fact.  But I liked the movie and I suggest it.

And I only thought about Harry Potter once...When he was having issues with opening a door, I whispered to Anna, "Alohamora!"  Would have solved all of his issues.  Too bad wizardry didn't convert over to scary movies.

I am loving my job as a TA for Dr. Mcfarlane.  It's a fun job and I love to work with the Dr.  

I am also loving my spinning class.  I'm glad that BYU added it recently because it is fun AND a superb work-out.  

Plus some baking and yummy stuff.  Plus crazy times in the 224.  The usual.

Have a lovely weekend!

xxx

check

I completed a task off of my bucket list.  My bucket list is composed of mental notes of goals that I want to accomplish before I kick the bucket.  Meet someone famous.  Get published.  Go to Italy.  Stuff like that.
I have been learning Spanish since my sophomore year in high school and I took a few classes in college.  I consider of level of proficiency to be I-could-survive-in-another-country-like-finding-the-bathroom-or-ordering-food-but-couldn't-discuss-politics.  What does this have to do with my bucket list?  I have wanted to finish an entire book in a different language.  So I read the Book of Mormon in Spanish.  I just finished last night and, though it took some time, I'm so happy I did it.  Not only did I prove to myself that it could be done, but it helped to further prove the truthfulness of the book to me.  There were well-known scriptures that I read that used words that meant slightly different things in Spanish than they do in English.  This helped me to gain new insight into scriptures that I had heard multiple times.
For example, in Moroni 10:32, it says: "32  Sí, ^avenid a Cristo, y ^bperfeccionaos en él, y absteneos de toda impiedad, y si os abstenéis de toda impiedad, y ^camáis a Dios con toda vuestra alma, mente y fuerza, entonces su gracia os es suficiente, para que por su ^dgracia seáis perfectos en Cristo; y si por la gracia de Dios sois perfectos en Cristo, de ningún modo podréis negar el poder de Dios."
The phrase "y ^camáis a Dios con toda vuestra alma, mente y fuerza" in the English version means "and love God with all your might, mind, and strength."  The word "alma" in Spanish literally translates to "soul."  So we are commanded not only to love God with all of our might, but with all of our soul.  I thought that made that statement even more powerful.  And this is just one example of many.   This was a fulfilling task to accomplish.