Me da mucho gusto poder enviarles unas pocas palabras antes de reunirme con la familia y niños en esta tarde para celebrar juntos una Feliz Navidad.

El Elder Carlos H. Amado de los setentas estuvo con nosotros el domingo pasado y nos recordo que nos unimos con los Cristianos del mundo entero para celebrar en esta noche el nacimiento de Nuestro Salvador y Redentor Jesucristo. Que hermoso saber que por Él hemos recibido, recibimos y recibiremos muchas bendiciones más.

Este año ha sido un año de milagros. Mi abuelita que muchos de ustedes conocen ha seguido mejorandose después de tener una operación de corazón abierto en marzo. Cada día está más fuerte y me imagino que en este momento ya tendrá la olla de tamales listos para la familia. Estoy tan agradecida con Carlos y Lilia que estuvieron constantemente con nosotros durante este desafio que hemos podido superar juntos. También a cada unos de ustedes por su apoyo, oraciónes y buenos deseos durante estos meses. Aparte, Tía Lupe ha cumplido sus 92 años y sigue tan lucida, alegre y coqueta como siempre. Gracias a Nuestro Padre Celestial nuestra familia está muy bien, saludables y siempre listos para servir. Por mi cuenta, estoy agradecida que pude sobrevivir un viaje a Mexico en junio con 24 alumnos de Provo High pero más contenta que pude sobrevivir la pulmonia que me dio en julio y que me duro mas de 3 meses para mejorarme. Ahora yo estoy preparandome para empezar mi maestria y encuanto sepa todos los detalles se los pasaré.

Gracias por su amistad despues de tantos años. Les recuerdo con mucho cariño y un corazón agradecido de haber podido tener lindos recuerdos con ustedes.
Uso más mi correo de gmail y se los dejo si prefieren comunicarse conmigo de esa manera:
ayalabelinda@gmail.com
Que la pasen super lindo en esta Nochebuena! y para mañana
¡Feliz Navidad!
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I am grateful to have the opportunity to send you a few words before I gather with my family and the children in our home on this evening to celebrate Christmas.

Elder Carlos H. Amado of the Seventy was with us last Sunday and he remind us that we gather with Christians around the world to celebrate on this night the birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to know that all we have received, receive and will receive comes from Him.

This has been a year of miracles. My grandmother, whom many of you know, continues to get better day by day after having open heart surgery in March. She is stronger everyday and I am sure she is has the pot full of tamales ready for tonight. I am so grateful to Carlos and Lilia who where a constant during this difficult time making it easier to cope with. Also to each of you for your support, prayers and good wishes during this time. Tía Lupe turned 92 and is with it, happy and flirty as ever. Thankful Heavenly Father has blessed my family with health and has allowed us to continue to serve. On my behalf, I was able to survive a trip to Mexico in June. I am however, more grateful to have survived pneumonia in July even if it took three months. I am now preparing to begin my masters and will let you know where I will be doing that with in the next year.

Thank you for your friendship after so many years. I remember you with kindness and a grateful heart having been able to share lovely moments with each of you. I tend to use my gmail account more so here is my email if you would prefer to communicate with me that way: ayalabelinda@gmail.com

I hope you have a very Happy Christmas Eve and for tomorrow
Merry Christmas!

Feelings, nothing more than feelings, . . .

Feelings in my life are not as complicated as I make them to be 
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings" . . . pardon me as I break into song!
I posted a little bit about this on facebook but what can I expect when 1/3 of my
friends are under-aged adolescents who haven't even heard of this song. 
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
So this is the deal. . .why is it that I feel something and it lingers and lingers 
and lingers and what do I do? ignore it. Yes that is where it can turn complicated
althoughthe original feeling itself is not. I don't really want to share and I'm sure
you don't want me to either but I'm just trying to realize and understand when
I will trust more on those feelings.
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
Why have these feelings if we are not going to trust in them. I'm not having an
existential angst or anything but really- by now I should know better.
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
So this is the plan, because in all things their should be a plan, I am giving in.
I have fought with this thinking that as long as I am rational (you know just thinking
with the noggin') then I will have nothing to fear. However, my feelings don't come
from the brain they come from the heart. I can't change that and I can't change
what I am feeling so I give up! No more trying to make it make sense. I'm just
going to go with my feelings. As my BFF always says, my feelings never betray me.
And in the past when I go with them for good or for bad, I know what's up but
when I try to ignore them or set them aside I just get all jumbled up in my life.
So no more jambalaya in this girls life (LOL). . .it's time to focus on the heart
and let the brain join in instead of having the heart try to catch up to the brain.
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
"Feelings, wo-o-o feelings"
The truth is . . . I already FEEL much better!

Twilight Reunion

The truth about BFF's is that we can do silly things together and not care about what others think. Yes, it is true we have read the Twilight series, fallen in love with Edward and one of us has even dressed up like a Cullen's. Therefore, why would we deprive ourselves of a Friday 12:30 am showing of the video version of our imagination and dreams. Yes! I went into it with low expectations and slowly yet surely I fell in love with Edward as I sat in the theater with more twelve year olds then I would dare guess. They came well prepared with slippers, blankets, Fan t-shirts and treats. We, well lets just say we showed up ready to feast on the film. Thank you to Moody for bringing the girls together and providing the I Love Edward pins (so we wouldn't feel left out of course!). Oh and yes I did make it home at 3 am and worked from 7:30 am-3:05 the next day. . . ask my students who made me laugh about nothing for about 15 mins. trust me no one was happier then me that it was a Friday . . .and that my friends is the truth.

FALL-el otoño

I love the fall in Utah . . . and this is the truth. Here is a short list of what I love about it. What about you?

Me encanta el otoño en Utah . . . y esa es la verdad. Aquí hay una pequeña lista de las cosas que me encantan ¿Y a ti?, ¿qué te gusta?

dancing leaves in the wind -hojas que bailan en el viento
the colors red, orange, brown, gold, yellow -los colores, rojo, anaranjado,café, dorado, amarillo
smiling pumpkins -calabazas que sonrien
time to reflect and be thankful -tiempo para reflexionar de lo que estoy agradecida
homebaked cookies -galletas horneadas en casa
day of the dead bread -pan de muertos
flowers -flores
jumping in piles of leaves -saltar en las hojas que han caído
BYU FOOTBALL -el fútbol americanode BYU
crisp chill in the morning -los fresco y frío de las mañanas
walks and deep breaths -caminar y respirar profundamente
fleece blankets -cobijas de tela polar
little children's eyes -los ojitos de los niños
people helping me rake -aquellos que me ayudan recoger las hojas
mountains looking like they are on fire -cuando las montañas parecen que están encendidas
apple cider -té de manzana
sunshine through the clouds -el sol entre las nubes
smell of fresh rain -el olor de la lluvia
new scarfs -nuevas bufandas
girl talk and hot chocolate -chismiar y tomar un chocolate caliente
and so much more! -y ¡mucho más!

la verdad

La verdad . . . un fenómeno que a veces siento me atrasa en vez de lanzarme hacia adelante. Dicen que la verdad nos libra pero enfrentarnos a ella a veces es mas de lo que podemos soportar. Tal como lo hice en inglés con la ayuda de mis amigos en la Real Academia Española encuentro que la verdad tiene muchas definiciones. Entre mis favoritas existen las siguientes de su sitio Web:
la verdad
* Conformidad de las cosas con el concepto que de ellas forma la mente.
* Conformidad de lo que se dice con lo que se siente o se piensa.
* Juicio o proposición que no se puede negar racionalmente.
* Cualidad de veraz. Hombre de verdad
* Expresión clara, sin rebozo ni lisonja, con que a alguien se le corrige o reprende.

La verdad no es solamente un decir sino que es algo que analizar. Decimos que sabemos la verdad, que vivimos la verdad, que buscamos la verdad, que deseamos la verdad mas la verdad existe adentro de cada uno de nosotros ya que consiste de un concepto. Solamente cuando analizamos seriamente ese concepto y podemos juzgar de una manera racional con los sentimientos y pensamientos en armonía es que podemos realmente ser verídicos con nosotros mismos.

Por eso este blog se llama Siendo verídica en inglés . . . por que la verdad de mi vida existe en mi. . . y la verdad de la suya en ustedes y aunque uno sienta que la verdad lo detenga a uno, la realidad es que es lo único que nos fuerza a ser mejores cada día si la aceptamos.

Tag stolen . . . oh yeah and your it!

Stolen from my friend CB's blog . . . but here I go again being true

ONE word answers only

1. Where is your cell phone? found
2. Where is your significant other? MIA
3. Your hair color? black
4. Your mother? inspirational
5. Your father? blessing
6. Your favorite thing? breathing
7. Your dream last night? confusing
8. Your dream/goal? eternity
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? middle schoolers
11. Your fear? confrontation
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? perfect
15. One of your wish-list items? time
16. Where you grew up? Grandview
17. The last thing you did? arrive
18. What are you wearing? comfy
19. Your TV? The Office
20. Your pet(s)? No
21. Your computer? dying
22. Your mood? steady
23. Missing someone? Always
24. Your car? Paid
25. Something you're not wearing? jewelry
26. Favorite store? affordable
27. Your summer? adversity
28. Love someone? YUP
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. The last time you laughed? "linner"
31. Last time you cried? thinking . . .

Pass it on to 7 bloggers . . . don't know that many yet but will soon!

Being true . . . I have it on a tile in my living room but what does it really mean? According to my friends at www.merriam-webster.com/ there are 16 ways the word true can be used. As I looked through them here are a few of my favorite definitions.

TRUE (Adj./Noun/Adv./Transitive Verb)

steadfast, loyal, honest, just, fully realized or fulfilled true, ideal, being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed, consistent, legitimate, rightful, narrow, strict, without deviation, to make level, square, balanced, or concentric.

"Be true to who you are" says the tile that faces me day in and out, it could as well say "Be steadfast", " Be loyal", "Be ideal", "Be consistent", "Be balanced" . . . well you get the drift.

So as I begin this blog journey be patient with me as I am as "true" as I can be.