A Watermelon

I carried a watermelon into the house a few weeks ago.

It was heavy.

I decided to weigh it.

It was 20 pounds.

I've let go of more than an entire watermelon of weight that I was carrying around on my skeleton.

I feel like I talk about this too much, but honestly, it's more than losing a watermelon, it's gaining a new way to look at food. And I'm really happy that this new way of looking at food sits so well with me. It doesn't feel unnatural or burdensome. I'm really enjoying making healthier choices. The difference between how I feel dieting now, and how I have felt losing weight in the past is pretty nifty to me. 

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Yesterday was my first day of filming for Stop Pepper Palmer. 

I haven't been a film set in about 10 years.

I was nervous. I ran my lines a thousand times, but I was still nervous. 

Now I know why I spent 4 years doing yoga and relaxation exercises at BYU. You have to find a way to center yourself and find your focus. I focus with my eyes. I find the place or person I'm looking at and let things come together with the eyes. But I couldn't quite figured out how to look towards the camera, but not at it during my close-up shots. There's just a lot to think about. I had to look at three different spots during one of my speeches and the other actors stood in places for me so I could have places to focus on as they shot my speech. I was so grateful for their help.
 
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 My dad moved from Iowa to Utah on Sunday. It was a last minute decision, but I'm glad he's here.

I feel like there are good things for him to do here.

Now I'm hoping my brother Matthew will move here too.

Utah is a beautiful place, but more than that, every place you go is just a collection of scenery, people, conversations, post offices, grocery stores, and assorted hangouts. It's people that make a place more than just a place. I travel because I want to see people, not places. When Matthew moves back, I'll love Utah all the more. In the meantime, I'll just continue to visit Iowa every year, since it houses some of my very favorite people in the world.

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Today I am grateful for watermelon, the cast and crew of Stop Pepper Palmer, and family.