"K" is for Kindness

Everyday I wake up and say to myself, "Try a little harder to be a little kinder." It's kind of my mantra. I am grateful for the kindness that many others have shown me. Roommate, friends, teachers, parents, employees...the list of names is endless. But ultimately there is One above all else that has shown endless and everlasting kindness to me. He is my Savior and my Friend. I hope you know Him too.

"For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord."-Psalms 117:2

"J" is For...

"J"

The illusive letter "J".

I've been stumped by this letter!

I seriously have tried to write a "J" gratitude blog multiple times and I've got NOTHING!

What am I grateful for that starts with "J" that isn't covered in another category?

But here are the things I love:
Julie-my sister.
Joy-the emotion.
Jelly Beans-but only the tropical Starburst flavored ones that only come out at Easter time.
Jovialness-the act of being jovial
Jane Seymour-in The Scarlet Pimpernel
Jennifer Love Hewitt-in Ghost Whisperer (I really like that show)
Jackson Emery-Um... HELLO BEAUTIFUL! Need I say more?

So, there isn't much there but it's all I got for now.

"Sick and Tired..."

You hear that phrase a LOT. "I'm sick and tired of..." you fill in the blank. As for me? I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired...and in pain. For the last few months I've been suffering from pain in the upper right hand side of my abdomen. Right on my gallbladder. SO my doctor ordered an ultra sound for me. Great. But it wasn't so great to hear, when the ultra sound came back, that they couldn't find a reason for my pain. No gallstones. Which means I'm in pain with no answer as to why. That's the worst in my mind. Now, I've not been praying for gallstones, but at least gallstones would've been an answer. Now I'm left with nothing. I spoke with my doctor over the phone and she suggested I get what's called a HIDA scan. This is a little more in depth but can go further beneath the surface and reveal other things such as sludge or what my "ejection fraction" is. (An E.F. is how much bile your gallbladder ejects. Healthy is between 35%-75%.) I guess we'll see. The biggest bummer is that I have to wait until next Thursday at 7am to get the scan done. I'm trying hard to be patient and mature but all I want to do is cry. It's tough...playing the waiting game. But what doesn't kill ya, I suppose...

"I" is for Identity

Me.

My name is Caitlin Eileen Andersen.

I am named after my great aunt Eileen.

My parents are Clayton and Bonnie Andersen.

I look a lot like my mother's biological mother, Lee, when she was younger.

I am mainly Danish and Irish.

I am 5'4", with reddish brown hair and brown eyes.

I am 21 years old.

I sing. I act. I manage theater stages.

I have a very special spot in my heart for children, animals, music and films-especially old ones.

I can relate to Jane Austen's heroines, Elizabeth Bennett and Elinor Dashwood.

I have poly cystic ovarian syndrome and gastro esophageal reflux disease.

I am not the girl I was two years ago.

I am strong, compassionate, sometimes impatient but always willing to learn more.

I can only snap with my thumb and pinky fingers.

I am can be classified with OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder)

much much different than OCD and because of it, I am detail oriented and organized.

I make "To Do" Lists on a daily basis.

I have color coordinated my closet and my class schedule.

I make my bed everyday.

I like to get dirty when I play sports.

I like to play sports and play them hard.

I love Italian & Mexican food.

I dislike Fish.

My favorite color is Purple.

I want to be as elegant as Audrey Hepburn, as flirty as Marilyn Monroe.

I want to be as brave as my Mom and as patient as my Dad.

I love to travel and if I had a million dollars it would be split between, paying for the rest of my college career, a shopping spree and traveling to all of the places that I have ever wanted to go.

All of these things add up to me. But I would be remiss if I were to leave out the most important part of my identity.

I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father.

He is a King.

Because of that, I am an heir to that same throne.

I am A Divine Princess of a Heavenly King.

He loves me and I love Him.

I am nothing if not for Him.

"H" is for Hugs. And Humor

Have you ever just been sad or lonely and all you really wanted was a hug?

I'm a hugger. I love hugs. (Except for the awkward ones but even then I'll take it.)

Hugs in my mind can cure a lot. I love the feeling of someone just taking me in their arms to give me a big, loving hug. In my mind, there isn't a better way to show someone you love them, care about them and want them to feel wanted.

Humor is also another way that I feel loved.

Growing up, I had a very humorous family. I still do... Though sometimes it wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear, especially if you were mad, there were times when it just made life easier.

Currently I have a roommate who really knows how to make me laugh.

She's my best friend and she's taught me how to laugh when life just sucks.

I could expound but quite frankly I am buried in a to do list the length of me and just don't have the time. But I am grateful for hugs and humor.

"G" is for Google

Insane?

Yes, I kind of am. But I LOVE GOOGLE.

Honestly!

There are so many times when I say,

"Hmm, what is the name of that song that I can only remember half of the chorus lyrics too?"

THEN BAM! A couple of keystrokes later I am not only given the title of the song but multiple youtube videos and such.

It's a beautiful thing Google.

In fact I use Google Chrome because the web address bar doubles as a Google search bar!

Isn't that BRILLIANT?

I can look up how to spell a word if my pathetic brain can't muster the energy to remember, I can look up the score of a game, I can look up my neighborhood in Kentucky while sitting on my couch in Provo. I can find recipes, blogs, crafts, documents, sales, shoes, clothes, cheap plane tickets, weather forecasts, shipping speeds and SO MUCH MORE! It's an endless pool of information and I can't get over how awesome it is.

Seriously, I think all technology is cool but Google is just plain amazing.

I've tried Bing.

I don't like Bing.

I'm a Google Girl...ALL THE WAY!

"F" is for Friends

I have a lot of friends.

I consider myself to be a pretty friendly and outgoing person.

But I am grateful.

I have moved so many times

and have made a lot of friends over the years.

Some have stayed close.

Others, not so much.

If you're a friend of mine, and you know if you are, Thank you.

I hope you know I love you.

A lot.