2018 is finally here

THIS WAS A YEAR TO REMEMBER

not because i traveled the world, or because i found the love of my life, or because i gained a thousand followers, or because i accomplished every single one of my goals (because i definitely did not), but because i grew. 

holy moly, i grew in so many different ways. 

at the beginning of the year, i cared about what people thought of me. i always wanted to impress people and if people did not like me, i let it really get to me. i let it change the way i thought of myself and it really upset me. i have always been challenged with this. BUT this year i changed that. this year i decided i would be kind to people no matter what, i would focus on not gossiping or talking bad about others, i would focus on not caring about appearances but focusing on what was inside. i knew that if i did the best i could, that is what really mattered. i knew that i would never make everyone happy because it is literally impossible. I MEAN IT IS HIGH SCHOOL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. but i knew if i did everything i could to be the best i could be, that is all that really matters. now, i am not perfect. i still mess up and i still let things get to me, but it is nowhere like it used to be. i have found a way to handle the stress of situations and the drama of high school. 

these are some of the ways i have found to push through the hard times. they all follow a simple, yet difficult category. 

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE GOOD

- surround yourself with good friends. now, if you have a friend(s) that constantly makes you upset or puts you down, it is best to let them go. friends are supposed to be there to raise you up, they are supposed to make you a better person, and to always be there for you. this was a hard concept for me to understand. at the beginning of the year, i had to take a step back and realize that many of my struggles and hurtful thoughts were brought on by some of these people i surrounded myself with. many people drop these friends, but i also do not believe that is necessarily the case either. for me, i just made myself more distant with them. i will still say hi, and hang out with them in classes, and even hang with them at games, but i set my boundaries and put my main focus on the people that truly make me happy. 

- surround yourself with family. last year i always wanted to have plans. if i did not i felt bad, and i felt lonely. now that i think back on this i feel so ridiculous (because i now choose to stay home saturday nights 99% of the time), but it honestly made me feel awful. but now i look forward to the nights that i come home and watch movies with my family, or the nights my aunt and i stay up talking, or the nights me and my brother play video games, or the nights me and my mom read books side by side of each other. these are the moments that i will honestly, cherish forever. soon all my friends will be moved away and so will i, but no matter what i will have this great family of mine to come back to. anddd for that i am so grateful. 

- surround yourself with christ. this is by far the most important concept i learned this year. last year (2016), was a challenging year for me. and i knew i needed a change. and thanks to my best friend i found that change. he challenged me to read the book of mormon. and honestly, it was the best thing i could have EVER done. i grew up knowing the basic doctrine and stories found in this book, but not until this year did i really understand the true importance of it. by reading the book of mormon every night and saying my daily prayers i found true peace. now it did not take the whole burden away, but it made it bearable and it kept me on a path to constantly improve: in the gospel, and in my life. if anyone has any doubts of the book of mormon or of the gospel or even just needs a little boost of happiness... i promise you, you can find it by reading this book. 

that pretty much sums up this last year. now, there was obviously so much more to it: i traveled, my friends and i did a lot of dope/fun adventures, i found a job that i love, i saved money, i worked hard, i read a lot of books.. BUT when i was thinking about the last year the important concept that stood out to me was that I grew. andd i did not grow necessarily because of those things i previously listed, but because i learned how to surround myself with the good. i am happy about this year, and i hope you guys are too. 

NOW LETS FREAKING CELEBRATE

2018 is finally here and i am welcoming it with wide arms

IT IS THE YEAR I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

i am so pumped for this year and i cannot wait for what is in store for it. i have a feeling it will be the BEST YEAR YET !!!

i will see you guys next year. lol. 

xx//lex

light it up

this year the church i belong to gave us the challenge of "lighting the world" through service through a 25 day calendar from december 1st, all the way until christmas. despite the constant text reminders, and the dozens of Instagram stories with the challenge of the day, i still managed to miss many days. however, when i took the challenge, it was so worth it. EVERY SINGLE TIME. most of the acts of service I did were pretty simple, and "basic": leaving uplifting sticky notes on people's cars, christmas caroling to the elderly, gathering cans for the food shelter, etc. butttt, that did not make them any less fulfilling. now, i am not here to brag about all the service i did, because i kid you not i missed more than half of the days of the challenge... BUT my point is as the new year comes up i am seeing so many dramatic rants on twitter and instagram about how people spent too much time in 2017 "caring too much about what people think" and that they are going to spend 2018 "focusing on themselves" and "doing what makes them happy." well that is just great. that is really great. now, i agree that life is better when people do not care what people think of them and are not trying to constantly impress others. however, i promise you that happiness never has and never will come from self-indulgence. it comes from genuine service. do not get me wrong i forget this all the time and end up reading in my room for hours trying to "find myself." but whenever i find myself in a rut, i always come to the same conclusion.. 

WE CAN FIND PURE JOY IN SERVING OTHERS

if anyone is having problems with boys, drama with friends, stress of school, or trouble with family.. focusing on others through service WILL help.

not that it makes any of those problems go away, but it lightens the load and assures that you can find peace and happiness even in the worst of times. i know that you've heard this concept in some form or another almost your entire life, but this idea isn't something that your parents stole off of an infomercial. its the REAL DEAL.

even though the world is already lit by december's challenge, let's not stop there. 

peace, love and blessings... and service haha,

-lex

lovell holiday card

it is the holiday season, so here are your annual family pictures from yours truly, the lovell family. 

we are slacking this year and haven't even began to make our christmas cards, so i am just going to throw these on here, so they do not go to a complete waste hah. 

these pictures accurately explain my family.

todd: he can never take a serious picture. during the session he is always making goofy faces, so we have to take the picture over and over.

natalie: my mom is an under cover super model.. no big deal.

alec: he's the serious one of the family, or at least that is what he leads people to believe.. he is actually one of the craziest people i know. we bring it out in each other.

lexie: then there is me.. not much to say about that haha

i hope you guys liked our holiday cards

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

- with lots of love, the lovell family:)