blessings.

Psalms 121: 7-8

"The lord will keep you from harm-- he will watch over your life;

the lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore"

You can receive blessings in many ways:

• receiving a fathers, bishop or priesthood blessing
• serving others
• patriarchal blessing
• Choosing The Right
• and more..

Now don't get me wrong but i have not been very active these last couple years and i have recently started back up at going every sunday to church. But i have never felt so much comfort and joy in my life since i have been back. It is crazy how you can see your life change so much just by knowing that you are in the right place and being where you should be. I may not know much about the gospel, but one thing i do know is that i have been receiving so many blessings in my life just by the acts of kindness i have done, by returning back to church, by the choices i make and so on and so forth. 

I had the chance to receive a blessing from my bishop today as i am preparing to go in for a serious surgery and the comfort i felt as they had their hands laid upon my head and the words that the bishop had to say, i knew right there that those were direct words from our savior and that everything was going to be ok. This is just me wanting to share with you guys that i know that our lord and savior are here to helps us on this earth and to receive these blessings is what is going to get us back to thee to live with him once more! I have felt such comfort today that it has put the brightest smile up on my face and has made me feel of the gospel and has taught me. 

"not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them

is the true measure of how we give thanks."

I feel so blessed to be a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints and know that if i follow what the lord has in store for me i will receive many more blessings to come! I am so grateful for my family and my friends who have all helped to to get back onto the right path and to hold on firmly to the iron rod and to never let go so that i may get back to heavenly father, jesus christ, and my loved ones who have past on before me!!

blonde moment.

well as many of you know i may not be the brightest... or smartest.... or whatever else you may think of me  haha. But, the one thing everyone knows for sure is that i have many dumb blonde moments.

   So i just thought i would share this one with you guys!! today my dad and i were listenig to the stereo and it was talking about low book sales.. Well i turn to my father and i said dad, why would someone seriously get a freaking commercial for books??? Many stores sales books for pretty cheap so why would someone go just to this store to get books? unless they are like on SUPER SALE, which i doubt they are!

   Of course my dad just started busting up laughing and looked at me and said "are you being serious shantel marie??" well uhhh should i not be?? That is then when he proceeded to tell me that low books sales is a car company.

  Ok so my next question that i ask is... Why in the heck would a company selling cars be called low "BOOK" sales? I don't understand it? But apparently its quite hilarious that i had no idea that it was a car company which in my mind i think i have a legit reason as to why i would think it was a book store! :))  

this is what i had in mind                                                                     

but really this is what it is!

As for the rest of my day i mostly sat around the house being quite lazy!! But i did go and see my bishop tonight and let me just tell you.. It is so extremely crazy how amazing and happy you can feel after leaving that room and feeling the spirit you have there with you! Not only that but i have an amazing bishop who really knows how to talk with young adults and really help them out! I just wanna thank him from the bottom of my heart for always being there and willing to listen to me and to support and help me in my life!!

Today has just been a really great day and all i can think about is how thankful i am for the people in my life especially my family and friends, they mean the world to me and i think the world of them! I am for sure blessed and i could not ask for anything else!!

a special letter!!

Wow i think it is amazing how sometimes it seems that someone really knows when you are down and they can make your day so much better just like that!!! If you are wondering what i am talking about i have not had the best week but today i received a letter in the mail today that totally turned my frown into a smile very very quick!! :)))

I received a letter from the amazing ELDER BRANDLEY he just seems the always put a smile on my face! The best thing is, he knows me inside and out and i swear he knows when something is wrong and to always write me. Let me inform you guys on the history of him and i... its been a while:
    It started out the beginning of our senior year.. Ever remember going into class that first day of school and you are pacing and standing in the back of the room searching for someone you know so you can go sit next to them because you don't wanna look stupid just sitting there by yourself? Well that was me, i stood back there searching and searching, but sadly i knew absolutely no one. The only person i see is this really cute guy who had on his lettersmen jacket showing that he played basketball. Just the sports i love watching guys play.
   Of course though me being like all other girls i refuse to talk to the guy first they have to approach me first to get my attention... 3 days later he ends up coming and sitting next to me and starts talking to me. We instantly connected and he then asked me for my number. We would sit and text all day and night, we could just not get enough of one another. Finally one night we were texting and he asked me if he could come over and hangout so i said sure that'd be fun. We came  down to my basement and started playing the game hoops, of course i won i mean whats new? hahaha.
  We ended up getting together shortly after meeting one another. He is the one guy that i have ever loved so much that i just could not live without this kid whether it is just friends or us being eternal companions. He is the sweetest, kindest and most caring guy i have ever met! When i was sick he was there for me, no matter what he was doing he'd drop it to come be with me, but not only that he always had flowers, ice cream or some sort of gift for me to show how much he really cared about me. Oh and not to mention he is the only guy that my family absolutely wants me to marry... will that happen? guess we will find out! Anyways in this letter today he pretty much just expressed himself to me and had said he had a feeling he really needed to write me and let me know! Kinda crazy when you get those big feelings that you need to do something. Heavenly Father really is there for you in some sort of way  because for me it was a letter from jordan michael brandley to really help me out and to keep me going through my day to day :).

 167 days left 

today for sure has been a great day, though some is not as planned for tonight but i will make it a good night!!! :)))

hardships.

Ever had something you had to do but really did not want to?? Though you know it is the best thing to do? well yup i just had to feel and do that today!! Was it easy? NOPE not one bit! But all i can think about is this is the right thing to do this is what is going to be best. Through the tears that i shed i know deep down that one day the happiness will come out!!

"even during the worst hardships, when all other things seem to fall

apart in our lives, we can still find peace and eternal love

in god!"

All I can do for myself is smile and be as happy as i can be and to know that everything will fall into place the way it is suppose to be. Everything that happens, happens for a reason and that is the one quote that runs through my head over and over again!! So for me i know everything will be ok! I got my heavenly father, my mom, and myself to tell me everything is fine and is the right thing!! Just didn't know something like this would hurt me so bad, and to tear up so much! wow. 

Although i really can't let something like this be on my mind right before surgery i gotta focus on me and my life and my health and having this surgery coming so soon, i need to worry about ME, MYSELF!!! not someone else.. wow this will be tough. Just know shanie... 

ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

can it get any worse? yes!

Hey friends! thought i would update you all on this whole stupid surgery shiz i got going on! As we all know i am having to get hip surgery March 1st of this year. Well lets just say i knew the basics of the surgery like the having to stay in the hospital, being in a wheelchair, crutches etc... Oh boy was i wrong there is soooo much more!

Today i had to go to a hip class! like really a hip class? am i back in school or something? i had a packet that i had to fill out and had to be lectured for an hour and a half.. oh did i mention that every person in that class was OLD besides me?? yeah i felt pretty stupid for having to get something 60 year old's get! bahaha.  I do have to admit though old people are freaking hilarious they were for sure cracking me up while sitting in class!! there was an elderly woman who was sitting there the entire time asking a crap load of questions that had already been talked about like 5 times, but what makes it funnier for me is before i had even gone into the class i was texting my friend Kory and was just explaining to him i had a feeling some elderly person would be repeating things over and over and over! well i was right! haha.

Well anyways we had a booklet that we had to look through along with things that we have to get for after our surgery! let me just show you some of the things! you will just die of laughter at these crazy technologies that people have come up with:

this would be called a toilet riser! i have to use this cause i cannot go that low to sit on the potty! haha

we call this a sock donner! this is how i have to put on socks and i have one just like that to put my pants on as well!!! 

well if you didn't know what this is called your dumb first off.. its a grabber! this is how i will pick up anything i need or want! i will not be able to bend i have to stay 90 degree angle!

well of course this is my mobility and these are how i will be getting around for the next 8 months to a year!!

also i will be getting a new bed! i have to have a bed that is level with my waist if not shorter so i will be able to get in and out of the bed at a 90 degree angle, and all i will be wearing for these next few months is sweats and baggy t-shirts! how sweet is that? not having to get ready! wahooo ha. 

SO as you can tell... i am pretty much going to be handicap and will not be able to do much or have any mobility! haha But seriously like if you just look at some of these pictures i cannot help but to just laugh!! Especially the toilet seat one! bahahaahahaha. YOU are all going to be jealous i know and understand!!! so you people best come visit me! i will need it! :))))

valentines day.

shouldn't you love your spouse all the time?? so why have one day all for the love of one another??? i don't get it....










stupidest holiday ever!!!! 




that'll be all! :)) have a great day!

interesting facts.

So tonight my brother and sister in law showed up at my place to hangout with me. Which was way freaking nice of them because i have been sitting home alone since wednesday and i am that kind of girl that cannot STAND to be alone. So having company was really nice! No one else seems to care to come around which is kinda sad but whatever who cares about them.
Well we sat and watched the BYU basketball game and wow.... though we won what was up with jimmer today? only having like maybe 15 points if lucky reaching that when usually he is up somewhere in the 40 point range? Man that was not to good. All that matters is the fact that we just got another W on the charts! :). After that game we ended up watching like two other NBA basketball games. Do not remember what teams but ya know i just never really care about any other teams but my jazz baby! Then we got to the point where we got pretty bored so we got out the phase ten cards and thought we would hurry and play a quick game.. I am super duper ooooper pissed because i was in the lead the entire time then i reached the stupid 2 sets of 4 and got stuck on that one forever!! so of course Kim and Jordan came back and pass me! how ridiculous right? totally!! Jordan ended up winning. booooo.
Any how we some how got onto the subject of spirits and my brother was telling me how he knew this kid who was studying the whole paranormal kind of stuff and was telling my brother that 90% of the time you feel like someone is by you or touching you there really is someone there!! i thought that was SO crazy but at the same time really neat! Also he said that usually if someone has passed away in the house you are living in or a family member has passed before us they will return to the house and protect the house pretty much! Well for my family that is the case for us!! My brother has had a few crazy cool experiences where he has seen a full body figure spirit, but when we tried to follow it or look at it, it would hide. Why would my mom want to hide from us? can we not see her or something? is that like a rule god made? Anyways i just thought some of those facts were really interesting and way cool! Oh and the best fact is that when you are looking in the mirror and you feel like someone is behind you there usually is someone behind you and if heavenly father really thinks its necessary that you need to see them that you will be able to catch a glimps of them in the mirror! SO PLEASE HEAVENLY FATHER LET ME SEE MY MOM!! that would be the most amazing thing ever!!
Well bloggers that was my excitement of the weekend and hopefully this comforts you more than it does scare you! I was actually really scared and weirded out when i first heard all of that but the more i come to think of it, it is so comforting to know that my mom is here all the time watching over us and protecting us. Most of all maybe she smacks jessica and beats her up whenever she stays the night here! GO MOM!! :))) hahaha.

well goodnight bloggers!

my weekend.

Well once again i am on here after like a month trying to catch you guys up on the events going on in my life. I have decided that i really really suck at staying caught up on this whole blogging thing, but maybe its because a lot of times i just have nothing to blog about because i don't really do much. ha ha. but.... this weekend was eventful and its totally something to blog about. so....
FRIDAY: i actually went out with some friends and we hung out and just chit chatted and caught up on a lot of things. Its probably one of the best things to be able to sit and talk with some of your best friends and get everything that you have been holding back that just needed to come off the chest out of your system. so thanks girls for the great night and the fun talk!!!
SATURDAY: i actually had to work from 11-7 on saturday but nothing new with that, that is the normal working time for me on saturday's. But this saturday was a bit different because there is so much drama and tension going on at work that it was very awkward being there. There are two girls who are best friends that are now not so much friends and don't talk and there is a girl who talks soooo much crap about all the girls and of course we all find out about what she had said about us so she felt stupid and text us all apologizing. Did we all accept it? no we didn't because we all know she'll do it again. I am so glad i am done after this coming saturday. I love my job but wow that drama is so ridiculous, but i guess i should of known that is what it would be like working with so many girls right?? Anyways it was an eventful day at work that is for sure. haha.
Well after work i was suppose to go out with my friend Brent and a couple other friends but i ended up canceling because my hip and lower back were absolutely KILLING me so i just came home and got into my sweats and got my pillow and blanket and watched a movie called "takers" with my dad and his girlfriend jessica. That was actually an extremely good movie i would like to watch that one again.
SUNDAY: I drove down to provo to go watch the super bowl with Kory at his buddy Calvin's place. Well when i reached Kory's place he had the "surprise" waiting for me, if all of you did not know i absolutely HATE surprises i do not do good with them, but everything i asked him what it was he would not tell me. what a butt right? yes!! haha. So i was really excited to open it!!! He kept dragging on and on about talkin and would not let me open it. Finally i got to open it and it was a betty boop bag and t-shirt that i absolutely LOVED and he is seriously amazing!!!! Most guys usually would not remember something like that but he sure did. I had totally forgot about even telling him that. here is a picture of the bag.
Well we went over to calvin's about an hour or so early and right when we get there what does Kory do??? He goes and starts playing black ops with his buddy Caleb. Oh goodness.... boys and their video games. Finally the game was about to start so everyone started showing up and wow there was so many people there it was crazy. Watching Kory was probably the funniest thing ever because if packers had a good pass or throw or anything its like he is jumping for joy and one little thing that was to go wrong instantly he is pissed off. His emotions were up and down the entire game. hahaha. So i am very happy they won because to be honest i don't think i would of wanted to stay the night if they had lost!!! :/ scary sight.
That night we watched forever strong.... Well i should say he did. He was not liking the fact that he was watching it with me so i went into the room and tried to fall asleep, but could not then i had received a phone call from a friend of mine so i ended up talking with her for a while. All in all my weekend was pretty great!! :))))


ps. i totally have a thing for sean faris!!!!!!! mmmm :))