It's Christmas time!

I am finally writing another post after a long absence. Not that I really have any readers...but alas I write anyway. Soooooooo, here goes!

I LOVE life because...It's Christmas time.

A not-so-good picture of my parents house for Christmas.

If any of you have seen my house around Christmas you would know that it is wonderful. I absolutely love the way my parents house is when it's all decorated and fancy. It just makes me so happy when I'm there, which also makes me a little sad now because I don't get to be there as much this year. It has the beautiful tree in the living room with all of these ornaments that my parents get from a great little Bavarian "village" in Washington called Levenworth. It's probably my absolute favorite room this time of year. The picture does not do it justice, but when you see it in person it is just awesome.

This time of the year is just so great. It's the end of a school semester and everyone just seems to be happy for the most part. Ever since I was little this time of the year has always been special to me. I just love the feeling of it. The music, the decorations, but most of all just the atmosphere. I still get giddy the night of Christmas Eve even though I am way past the age of getting surprised on Christmas. It's great to be around family and friends and just everybody that loves you and wants to enjoy your company.

Now being LDS, there is the Christian aspect of Christmas too. It's not X-mas...its CHRISTmas. That has been something that has bothered me for a while. If you write it with the X then you take out the whole meaning of the season. It's the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It's not all about presents and getting wasted and having a good time, but it's about remembering that one night, when a Savior was born. It's a season to recognize the love that God has for us, and the love that we have in our lives. I apologize for two churchy posts in a row, but it's just what happens to come up. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year.

I LOVE life because....it's Christmas time.

I'm a Mormon

So, I know this is a really iffy topic for some people, but I felt like it was something that I should write about. This is a very religion-based post, and quite personal, just as a heads up to anyone reading.

I LOVE life because...I'm a Mormon.

Now I know that everyone has their own opinion about religion. Many people think that this church is true, or this one. Other's don't believe in religion at all. Whether someone believes in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or not, it doesn't really matter that much to me. I think that everyone has a right to their own opinion and their own views. All I ask is that if you are reading this, and have no intention but to write a rude comment below, please stop reading now and leave this page. If not, feel free to read away and try and enjoy what I have to say.

Now I have been LDS my entire life, and have become the person I am today because of it. To many, I was known as "The Bishop's son", or the over-used "Peter Priesthood". Those, in title, made me feel like I had to be perfect in everything I did spiritually. I always did what I was supposed to, and tried my hardest to stay out of trouble. Later, I realized that I didn't really have a testimony of the church. I was just riding on the coat tails of others. I was just feeding off of the testimonies of others, and sort of made it my own. It wasn't until I was about 18 that I realized I needed to gain a testimony for myself. I was preparing for a mission as all 18 year old, male Mormons do. As I prepared, and took a Missionary Prep class at the Institute, I finally began to gain a testimony that was my own. 

I served my mission in the Washington Tacoma Mission. I thought this was really interesting when I got the call because I had family that was living within my mission. I was so excited to be serving a mission, especially because I was told many times that I would not be able to serve because of my health. I served for about three months until I returned because of health problems. If you know me, I have a whole caboodle of health problems. This brought me down, down to a level of depression that was terrible for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I didn't know what to do, and I thought that I was a terrible person for coming home from my mission early. Don't get me wrong, there are wonderful people in the church, but some people just made me feel even worse about myself while talking to them. 

I will admit that I have struggled with the church many times in the past, and sometimes still do. Quite recently I thought about leaving the church for good, but something stopped me. I can't really explain what happened, but I had a sort of epiphany. My life wasn't going the way that I wanted it to, and I realized I needed to change something. I realized that I was ready to turn my back on all that I knew, and a lot of the people that I loved. It was one of the hardest times in my life...I can't even describe the pain that I was feeling. I resorted to hurting myself, and sometimes suicide attempts, but I know that I was protected for a reason. I knew that I wasn't finished here. I had a purpose that I needed to fulfill.

I was, at first, a little resistant to listen to General Conference that happened just a couple weeks ago. I did listen though, and I listened well. It was such an amazing experience for me to listen to Conference and hear the testimonies of the leaders of the church. It reminded me of the love I have for the church. The love that I have for God and for His son, Jesus Christ. It made me want to turn my life around, and try and be the best person I could be.

The beautiful Logan Temple

Today we had Stake Conference which gave me an extra spiritual boost. It made me realize that I love the gospel and want other people to know of it too. After that I walked around the Logan Temple with my roommate Jeremy, and just had a nice Sunday afternoon.

Now I'm not saying that I am perfect, because I am nowhere near that. I am just trying my best to follow the things that I believe are true. If anyone reading this has interest in the LDS Church, I encourage you to seek someone out who can help you understand more about it. I know this isn't a funny post or anything that I usually write, but I just felt the need to write this. Have a beautimus day, week, and life!

I LOVE life because....I'm a Mormon.

Relationships

I know when you see this title you'll think, "Eww, relationships? Really Steven?", but I am completely serious about this topic. I don't mean just relationships that you have that you hope to move towards marriage or something, I just mean relationships in general. Relationships with family, friends, and even your dog :)

I LOVE life because...Relationships can be made.

Lately I have realized that relationships are an important thing in this world to make. I have been thinking about this a lot lately because we have been talking about them in my psychology class. One thing I love about psychology is that it makes you think, a lot, about thinking and pretty much every aspect of your life. Something I learned recently was when we start to make the links in our brains that we have a relationship with someone. In the first six months of life we don't really know much of anything. We know that we eat, sleep, and put boom-boom in our pants. We just have survival instincts, because every animal is inbred with these instincts. It is not til the second half of the first year of life that we begin to realize some connections. At this time we finally realize a thing called Attachment. In psychological vernacular, attachment is defined as: the strong affectionate tie we have with special people in our lives that leads us to feel pleasure when we interact with and them and to be comforted by their nearness in times of stress.

How amazing is it that we are biologically programmed to attach to someone on an emotional level? There's a whole study on this with monkeys and it's super interesting, but I'm not going to go into that because it would take a really long time...anyway. The bottom line is that we all want relationships and closeness to somebody, unless you are Sheldon from Big Bang, then you are excused. 

The cutest picture of my parents

The first relationship we develop is that with our family. Specifically our mother. If you know me, you'll know that I love my mother with all my heart. She is the best person I know and knows me better than I know myself. I can't even describe how much I love this woman. She has been there for me through every single thing in my life. The good, the bad, everything. She is the most amazing person I know, and I would not be here today without her (biologically and emotionally speaking). The most common relationship that comes next is with the father. My father is one of the strongest people I know. My whole life he has been sick, but he has always seemed so strong to me. I guess I follow in his footsteps in the being sick part, but I hope to be as strong as he is someday. I may not always agree with what he says, and he probably doesn't always agree with me, but I love him so much.

Me and my beautiful sisters

Next comes our relationship with our siblings. I have four beautiful older sisters. Some people ask me if I like being the only boy and the youngest, and all I have to say is that yes, I loved it. Of course I always wanted a brother, but having four older sisters has prepared me for a lot of things that others aren't prepared for. My sister Corinne is the oldest. She is very headstrong and won't take crap from anyone, not even her husband haha. She's not afraid to tell me when I'm being stupid, which I need sometimes. Megan is next and she has a wonderful spirit about her. I can't really explain it, but she makes me want to be a better person. Hence, she was part of the reason I started this blog. Shalynn comes next. She is such a wonderful sister and cares so much about my well being. She has been through a lot herself, but she still makes sure that I'm okay. Last but not least is my sister Janae. Janae is the smartest person I know. She is beautiful and makes me remember to get out there and try new things. She inspires me to get out of my bubble. ALL of my sisters are incredibly beautiful and loving. I love them so much and couldn't ask for better sisters.

So, I've talked a lot about familial relationships, but there are relationships that can be just as influential as family. That is the relationships we make with the people that we call our friends. I love my friends and I have made many throughout my lifetime. There are those that you know you will have fun with when you see them, and those that you can always laugh with. Those are all great. One of the important ones though, are the friends you can be yourself around. The friends that love you even though they know all of your faults. ALL of your faults. These are the friends that you know you'll have for life. I can think of quite a few that I will always have. Whether they be very old friends, or not so old friends, they are there to stay and I love them. 

In life we all make soooo many relationships. We'll have teachers, cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody. There is one relationship that we all know of, and that is a relationship of love and commitment. This is an interesting topic for many. I am definitely not going to say whether this relationship has to be between a man and a woman or not, it is just a relationship everyone knows about. Each and every person, even animals, want to find a relationship with another person and spend part, if not all of their life with that individual. I honestly can't say that I have a lot of experience in this area, but I can't definitely say that I have found someone that I think I could be with for the rest of my life. I don't know if they know that or not, and they may not for a while, but someday I will see what happens there.


I'm sorry if  you came into this post hoping for something short and funny, or something that maybe makes a little more sense. I really just needed to get things off my chest and write them here for others to see. I know it was super long, but I think it was time well spent. I encourage anyone to really look at the relationships that they have made, and cherish each and every one. That is all for now, peace out world.

I LOVE life because...Relationships can be made.

Fall is here!

I was walking down the street and I saw this leaf fall off a tree. I stopped and watched it lightly float to the sidewalk in front of me. I walked up to it, and stepped on it. What sound did it make? The wonderful and oh-so satisfying *crunch* that only the leave of Autumn bring.

I LOVE life because...Fall is here!

I absolutely LOVE the Fall season. It is just soooooo wonderful. One of the best parts of fall is crunching the leaves underneath your feet. There is just something so satisfying about hearing that sound of a crisp leaf under the soles of your feet. It has to be a good crunch though. It needs to be LOUD and exciting! Have you ever seen the Winnie the Pooh movie from 2007....at least I think it is 2007?  There is a part in the movie where Pooh, Piglet, and Rabbit are in the woods and there is fog everywhere. Well, Rabbit goes off by himself trying to prove that he can find the way out without help. As he is out his imagination runs wild and all the little things in the woods start to freak him out. Anyway, to get to the point, part of those noise is a Caterpillar eating a leaf. It makes a super loud, bone-crushing *crunch*. I feel like that is the acceptable sound of a crunchy leaf. It is just the best :)

Another great thing about fall is the color that the world transforms into. The beautiful reds, oranges, browns (yes browns), and yellows, are just so enjoyable to look at. If you have never driven up Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Fall, I highly suggest doing so. The leaves are just so pretty and you feel like that is what nature was intended to look like. Don't get me wrong, when everything is green it is nice to, but that usually means that it is pretty hot outside. Which brings me to my next point...

Fall means that the weather is cooling down. If you know me, you would know that I am warm ALL the time. It's a bit ridiculous really. I can go a very long time without having to wear a jacket outside. I absolutely love Fall weather because it isn't too hot and it isn't too cold. Autumn is my favorite time to do things outside because I don't have to worry about going outside and ending up in a pool of sweat after a few minutes. That cool Autumn breeze is just so refreshing that you just want to sit outside and soak it all in. It is just so peaceful outside that you can't help but feel like this is the reason you are here. To witness to beautiful things created on earth, even though there are so many "ugly" things in the world. 

Oh and just a lighter topic. I really love corn mazes. They are super fun especially when they are haunted. Mostly people don't like being trapped in a giant maze of crops, but I find it rather enjoyable. I haven't been to many, but the times I have been it was really fun. So make sure you go to a corn maze this year, and always bring fun people along with you. That can make a big difference too. Welp, that is all for now. I hope you enjoy the beginning of Fall just as much as I am. Stay crispy my friends.

I LOVE life because...Fall is here!

Animals are the best!

So I'm just sitting in the Fine Arts Building, just sitting there minding my own business and I feel something wet brush against my cheek...it was a dog!

I LOVE life because...animals are the best!!!

Some people would have been disgusted with a random dog licking their face, but I was quite elated. It was a "seeing eye" dog, which I met last year in choir. A cute golden lab that is the nicest thing ever. I continued to pet the dog until his owner was done talking with the other person in the hall.

If you know me at all you should know my love of animals, especially dogs. There are dogs on campus and I always want to go and play with them. I put a photo of my puppy on here, and I love the crap out of her.

My little baby, Penny :)

Penny, my doggie, is the best pet I have ever had. She is a Pekingese with a cute little flat face and I can't get enough of her. We don't cut her like other Pekingese but she is ten times cuter the way we do it. One downside to living in a different place for college is that I don't get to see my Penny every day. Anyone who knows Penny can't help but fall in love with her. She is very energetic, and if you don't like her she will be all over you until you do :)

I know this is kind of a random and lame post but I'm waiting for a class and got bored. Seriously though, animals are the best. It doesn't really matter what happens during the day because when you go home to a pet, they are just glad to see you. Animals love you pretty much unconditionally, and that's something that seems to be hard for humans...

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Pomsky.

One dog that I will definitely be getting someday is the Pomsky. It is a freakin cute dog that's a mix between a Husky and a Pomeranian. I always wanted a Husky slash Alaskan Malamute, but they always got so big and I just wanted them to stay little. Weeeeeeeeeell, they made it happen and I can now have that dog.

I suppose I should give a little shout out to cats. I really do like cats, just not as much as dogs. I do like that a cat will just curl up with you though. That's something I've tried to train Penny to do, but I don't think that is every going to happen. My little nephew, Dean, loves this cat that lives on his street. It is hilarious watching him follow it and pick it up once he catches it. It's a very patient cat ha ha. Kittens definitely get an A in my book though. Their little "meow" makes me melt...oh boy.

Welp, I don't care what you are, girl, boy, straight as board, gay as rainbow, or whatever; if you don't like animals you are pretty much dead inside...just kidding. But seriously...

Anyway, yep I love animals and I miss mine every day. Someday I'll live in a place where they allow pets. You can bet I will have a dog once that happens. Welp, that's all for now. Live long and prosper!

I LOVE life because...animals are the best!!!

I'm an uncle :)

Hello Everyone!

I am starting this blog because my wonderful sister Megan, suggested I do so. I think this will be a great thing, because lately I have been very pessimistic. I want to look on the more positive side of things, and so I shall on this blog. Some of the things I will write about may be funny, serious, or whatever really. It's just going to be a new experience and hopefully a therapeutic one at that.

Here goes my first blog post!...

Logan Christopher Suchan

I LOVE life because...I'm an uncle.

I cannot describe how much I love being an uncle. When my first sister got married I wanted her to have babies straight away. I was always jealous of others that had nieces and nephew, but now I get to rub it in other peoples faces ha ha. It just makes me happy having those little kids in my life again. After a certain set of cousins left Utah I felt like there was a void in my life, but now it's filled again! (I still wish those cousins never left though).

Right now I have two awesome little nephews and one beautiful niece, with another nephew on the way. Let me tell you a little bit about them:

Logan Christopher Suchan is the oldest nephew I have. I love this kid so much that it pains me he doesn't live close by anymore. Logan is a little ball of fire and can lighten any mood. I melt every time he says my name and he's getting even better at saying it now (Which is a little sad because I liked the way he said it before). Logan loves to play pretty much any sport and he is SUPER good at all of them. And he is only 2. He will be a big star one day, I know it. He also loves "choo choo's". Whenever he comes over to my parents house he always wants to play with the train set I had when I was little. I set it up for him every time he asks me too, who could resist really?  He's such a cute kid and I can't help smiling when I see him. He's getting so big and will be a fine young man.

Dean Kjar Worwood

Dean Kjar Worwood is my second nephew. Boy can this kid tire you out. He is full of energy and doesn't let you forget it. I had the wonderful opportunity to watch him last night, who doesn't love playing with kids? I felt very proud last night because he ate his dinner for me! I have never been able to get him to eat very much, and from what I understand neither can his parents ha ha, but he ate for me last night! He's almost 2 years old and just a cute little munchkin. I love his little smile and his funny little laugh when he is avoiding trying to talk. He is also very good at sharing food, he holds his food up to you until you take a bite, it's really funny. I love this kid and can't wait to see how he does as a big brother.

Paige Elizabeth Suchan

Paige Elizabeth Suchan is my first and only niece. Paige's little smile makes me soooooooo happy it's ridiculous. She isn't even a year old, but she has won my heart over. I got to see her a lot when she was born, but now I don't see her much. I do get lots of cute pictures and videos of her though. Making her smile and giggle was one of my favorite things to do. There is nothing better than a babies little laugh and bright smile. I love to just hold her and make her smile. Unless she poops...other people can take care of that. She did poop on me once...but I still love her with all my heart.

Well, there you have it. Through everything that happens in life there are these big chunks of happiness I call my niece and nephews. I LOVE life because....I'm an uncle.