1. If I could live off fruit alone, I would do it
2. I drink sugary drinks until I make myself sick
3. I can’t sleep with lights on
4. I don’t hold a pencil properly
5. Sometimes I like to do things the hard way
6. I have to eat grapes in two’s. I don’t know why.. I just have to.
7. The smell of grass is my favorite summer time scent.
8. I really miss having roses everyday in multiple rooms of my house at home
9. I miss smelling double delights
10. Sometimes I am allergic to pineapple
11. I not only got addicted to hummus, but I got my roommate hooked, too.
12. Sometimes when people ask me a question and I answer it too quickly, I say the opposite answer that I really meant.
13. Deep water still freaks me out.
14. I love summer nights
15. I have yet to get an icee (slurpee) yet this summer, which is weird.

The Canadian Tenors

Something hit me today, that has been bugging me for a while. People see me as a disease and 3 herniated discs. They don’t see me as a person. Yes, I have a condition, but my condition doesn’t defy who I am. I just find it kinda sad that people don’t invite me to certain things because of my back. It would be nice if they invited and when I said “I don’t know… I probably can’t without hurting tomorrow” they say maybe “you could still come and watch us” or “come be our team cheerleader!” or something like that. You can still invite me… it’s not like I am a leper. And it kinda sucks that people consider taking me on dates, then they find out about my back and they don’t want to “mess my back up more”. I still have a life, and have to live. I just have to do things differently. I can’t be the most physically active person, but I can at least try as much as I can. Is it that hard to try to be nice?

Everything leading up to it was stressful, the day was perfect. One of my favorite stories from the day was when all of us were sitting at the table for breakfast and we say “This is going to be a LONG day! We need something to get through it” and crack open the diet coke. And also when Nana asked about my boyfriend “Uh Nana, I don’t have a boyfriend”  Megan chimes in “OH NANA! My boyfriends great!!!” and Nana gives Megan a look of shock and “huh??”. Got to love my Merganator.

It was a sweet & sour day for us Fernstens. Yes, we were thrilled that Nathan got married and that RT is now our sister, but all of us were sad that dad wasn’t there to enjoy his only son getting married. Although he was there in spirit, all of us wish he could have been there in person for that one day. It’s days like this that I realize how much I miss him.

My pictures aren’t loading, but I’ll try to get up a few of my favorites !

Congrats Nathan & RT ! Welcome to the Funsten family !

I am kinda nervous but still excited !!!!!!

EMBRACE LIFE

]]> http://laura.fernsten.net/?feed=rss2&p=117 1 http://laura.fernsten.net/?p=113 http://laura.fernsten.net/?p=113#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:54:23 +0000 admin http://laura.fernsten.net/?p=113 While hanging out with Nathan last night, he seemed upset that I hadn’t blogged in a while, even though i’m pretty sure I have more posts than him

What’s new in Laura-land?
I applied for the Huntsman Cancer Institute internship ! I talked to my teacher and he said it was highly competitive, but since my father passed away from cancer, I have experience that nobody else has, and I would be able to relate to other people and if they were dealing with cancer in their families, etc, and he said because of that I have an edge over everyone else, so cross your fingers !

While waiting for that, I don’t know what i should so this summer… take classes and work, just work, go home (ehhhh)or what to do!! I could take the majority of my classes during spring, but summer the teachers kind of peace out. I have a feeling that I need to stay here though. Summer I could still work for catering and get a second part-time job to save up some green. Decisions, decisions. I wish I could just be like Alice in Wonderland, smack my head, have a bizarre dream, and when I wake up, and know exactly what I want to do in my life. Wouldn’t it be nice!?

I have realized that I am getting a bit frustrated with some people in regards to my condition. My friends don’t seem to understand that I can’t physically do some things anymore, and they still keep inviting me and trying to get me to go running, bowling, etc. And it’s frustrating that they don’t understand chronic pain and people who are dealing with chronic pain. any advice to help them understand?

Advice from Elder Busche

Here is the part that he speaks about:

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.

* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.

* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.

* First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don’t permit anything to detract you from this awareness.

* You cannot communicate with God unless you have first sacrificed your self-oriented natural man and have brought yourself into the lower levels of meekness, to become acceptable for the Light of Christ.

* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.

* Pause to ponder the suffering Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the awareness of the depth of gratitude for him, you appreciate every opportunity to show your love for him by diligently serving in his Church.

* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.

* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us–everything will fall into its place.

* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.

* When you cannot love someone, look into that person’s eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.

* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.

* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.

* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.

* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.

* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.

* You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.

* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.

* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.

* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

His full talk can be found here.