chelsee's chatter

Annoyance

2012-01-22T19:31:00.001-07:00

I try really hard to be a good friend. I listen when they need someone to talk to. I drop everything if they need something. I let them vent when someone is bugging them. I don't judge them for things that they have done. I ALWAYS TEXT BACK WHEN THEY TEXT ME, especially when it is important.

I try. I always try to be the very best friend that I can. And there are a lot of times when I don't feel like other people care as much. It reallllllllly bothers me when it is someone who I am supposedly really close to. I understand that people are busy...I am busy too. But how hard it is it to make a little bit of an effort? Text someone back on your lunch break at work or in between classes. There are hundreds of times throughout the day that you could text someone back. It takes like 17 seconds to send a text.

I know that I am someone who hides my negative/sad emotions. I don't like people to know when I am blue or feeling down and the reasons why. But am I crazy in thinking that the people who I spend the most time with should know that sometimes I really need someone to make that extra effort every once in awhile? Is it really that hard to make an effort to show that you really are there for me? If I text you something, even if it is something trivial, is it hard to text back like 4 words? And I know that part of my problem is that I don't usually just come right out and tell people what is bothering me. I tried to avoid conflict, so I become super passive-aggressive. I just sit there and stew about things and then I get even more upset. Then I get angry and the people I am upset with don't know why. I am trying to work on that, believe me.

If you can't tell, I am feeling a little bit...neglected? I guess that is the word. I just feel like I put so much effort into making sure that the people in my life know that I care about them and would do anything for them, and I don't get anything like that in return. Last week was especially bad. Some of the people I would talk to or see Every. Single. Day. were basically non-existent in my life last week. And it was hard. And by the time Friday hit, I was seriously down in the dumps. I love my friends and I understand that I am not the number one priority in their lives. I understand that there is a lot going on in everyone's lives, mine included. I understand all of this. I just wish that...I don't know what I wish. Maybe that people could just read my mind? That might be helpful...as long as they can't hear everything I am thinking. Hahahaha.

To all of my lovely friends out there reading this...I promise that this is not directed at anyone in specific. It is just kind of a blanket annoyance this past week. I love all of my friends and am grateful for all at they do for me. I guess it was just a bad week? I don't know. Don't be offended. Anyway. I guess that is it. Peace and love.

yayyyyyyy!!!

2012-01-17T11:51:00.002-07:00

remember this? remember how i said that things were going to be better for me? well guess what? i went out and got me a job! that's right. after looking for 3 and a half months, i finally got something. i am verrrrrrrrry excited about it. i am going to be an executive assistant to the president of a company called Genesis PURE. they make health drinks and supplements and stuff (i think). it is only part time for the first little while, as a trial period, then it will go full time. i am excited. this is going to be a good year for me. plus...i can't wait to go shoppppppppppping again. i love shopping! :)

ok. that's all.

stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid

2012-01-10T17:09:00.003-07:00

guys. if you can't tell by title of the post, i realllllllly think something (more like someone) is stupid. and i'm about ready to punch someone in the face because of it. no lie. it has taken a lot of self control for me not to drive to price and kick some girl straight in the baby maker.
it's no secret that my sissy pants is one of my favorite people on this earth. she is kinda hilarious and one of the nicest people i know. and she is having a bit of a hard time. there is some 2-faced, jealous, not-nice-word-that-starts-with-a-b-that-i-would-say-but-i-don't-want-to-offend-anyone that has been spreading rumors about her to her teammates and friends. and it honestly has taken every single bit of strength i have not to drive to price and tell her what i really think about her. and then beat the shiz out of her.
can anyone please tell---WHY are girls so awful? what is the point of bringing someone else down? if you have a problem with someone, work it our or ignore them. but there is no need to spread nasty rumors or talk badly about someone.
i have had my fair share of problems with stupid girls. elementary school was rough. i went to an accelerated elementary school, so i spent time with girls who were way too mature for their age, myself included. that means the attack tactics were way more advanced than any 9 year old should be able to come up with. one particularly hurtful time came my freshman year of college. i had a roommate who made my life hell. it was to the point that i tried to find somewhere else to live and even considered transferring to byu (i know. shocker. that's how bad it was for me). but i pushed my way through, and it made me stronger.
but in all of my life, i never thought that something like this would happen to my sister. she is a good person who cares about the people in her life. she listens when someone needs a shoulder to cry on. she would do anything she can to help anyone. she draws people to her. people loooooooooove her. and now there is this awful, awful, awful, awful girl tearing her down and making her think she is not good enough, making her doubt herself and killing her self esteem. and i really want to know why this stupid person thinks it is ok to call someone a whore consistently or spread untrue rumors, especially about my sister who has never done anything to her.
i just don't get it. and i'm not lying when i say i am trying to find ways to get revenge on this stupid girl (bad. i know. i can't help it). but for now, i am just trying to do the best i can to help my sissy realize that she is a good person, and that she can't let this stupid girl bring her down. it's easy to throw rocks at things that shine. and to remember:

thank you pinterest :)

goals.

2012-01-03T14:50:00.002-07:00

holy moly...is anyone else glad that 2011 is over? i mean, don't get me wrong, it had it's positive times...i walked in graduation, i made some super awesome new friends (shout out to koby and the boys), i learned some verrrrrrrrry important life lessons. but other than that really, 2011 wasn't my favorite. so. i am bound and determined to make 2012 BETTER. it has to happen. it is my turn to have things go right for me. this time, i'm not asking, i'm telling. things WILL be better. they have to be.

so. here are a few of my 2012 goals. "new years resolutions" always sounds so cliche to me, but in reality, my goals are things i should be doing anyway. so i am just trying to better my life.

*first and foremost, FIND A GOOD JOB. i don't know why it is so freaking difficult. when i was in high school, my teachers always pushed going to college because it was so much easier to get a job with a degree. the reality of it is that now every place wants EXPERIENCE. how the eff am i supposed to get experience without having a job? it is majorly bumming me out. but i am trying to stay positive, and at this point, i am ready to take any job that does not involve serving/cooking/smelling like food. so if any of you out in blog land know of any leads, pleeeeeeeeeease send them my direction.

*read my scriptures every day. when i was working, this was so easy because i would read on my lunch break or when i didn't have anything to do. i felt so much more at peace when i was reading every day. but since being unemployed, i have been lazy. i haven't been finding the time to read them. i get sucked into looking for jobs on my computer or watching tv, and at night i am to tired or lazy to pull them out. so i am making it a priority in my life again, as it should have been the whole time.

*get healthy, which is actually something i have been working on a lot during the last couple of months. december, of course, has been the hardest month, because there is sooooooooo much going on and sooooooo many deliciously fattening foods to eat. luckily for me, sweets aren't nearly as appealing to me as they used to be, so it has been a little easier. i am still planning on running in a relay race with my friends in may, and that is a HUGE stress. i still HATE. RUNNING. MORE. THAN. ANYTHING. but it is something i want to do. so hopefully i can find the dedication to make it work.

*try to not swear anymore. there are 3 words that are my absolute favorite--words that i don't really consider swear words. hahahaha. but other people do, and i don't want to offend anyone, so i am working on not saying them anymore.

*get out of debt as much as i can. i really don't have a lot of debt at all, just my student loans and my car (which is close to being paid off), but i would really love to get walter paid off 100% and pay extra on my student loans every month, so it doesn't take me 8392043021 years to pay them off.

for the most part, i am happy with who i am. i finished college which is a bigggggggg deal. i have good friends, both the ones i have known for a long time and the new, great friends i have made lately. i have an awesome family that i like to spend time with. and, even though it is the WORST when someone says "you have a great personality, you'll find someone soon", i do have a pretty great personality. i am funnnnnnnnny. -not to toot my own horn or anything :) - but i do like the person i am. so. here's to a rockin' 2012.

a small update.

2011-12-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

well. it's been a cool minute since i have posted anything. wanna know why? unemployment=boring life. yep. i still haven't found a job. it is really starting to take a toll on me. the frustrating thing is that i haven't even had any bites. i have had ONE interview since i have lost my job. ONE. i really have no idea what is going on. every single job that i have applied for is one that i am more than qualified for (with a few that i know i am nowhere near qualified for, but i apply anyway). seriously i really don't know what is happening or why i haven't found anything. i have a good resume, i have a good cover letter. so what is my problem? it's a real kicker to my self esteem. i am trying to stay positive by telling myself that it just means the job i am supposed to have hasn't come along yet, but that gets difficult sometimes. oh well. guess i'll just keep chugging along.

on a different note, i have committed to run in the Red Rock Relay in moad next may. whyyyyyyy you may ask. the answer--i have no idea. actually it is because i am desperate to see my bestest friends from high school who are all running. brit lives in oklahoma and rosey lives in california, and both are coming to run. so i committed to running it. which means i have committed to making huuuuuuge fool of myself. i hope no one is there to video tape...

besides teaching myself to run (that's right. i have to teach myself to run because i hate it so much that i refuse to do it), i am making a healthy lifestyle change. i'm trying to eat healthier and be more active. and today, I WORE MY SKINNY PANTS. not my skinny-legged jeans. but my skinny pants that i got like 3 years ago. yep. i think that deserves a round of applause.

i am getting excited for christmas. just like the song says--it's the most wonderful time of the year! i looooooove christmas. it makes me happy. and as much as i hate unemployment, i am glad that it did happen this time of year. it gives me a lot of time to soak in the all the wonderfulness that is around me. i'm even throwing an ugly sweater party this year. it is going to be the social event of the season. yep. i am getting excited.

i do have to say though, that as much as a i loooooooooove the holidays, it is a hard time for me. it really just reminds me of how lonely i am. i am 24 years old and painfully single. i want someone to go to all of those holiday parties and to see the lights at temple square with and to buy presents for and to kiss under the mistletoe and to have a date for new years eve and all of the rest of the fun stuff. instead i am left trying to come up with excuses as to why i can't go out with my coupled/engaged/married friends and praying that none of my other single friends find a significant other...don't judge me for wanting others to be unhappy too. :)

so for now i guess i will just spend my time watching christmas movies and wasting away the days on pinterest (greatest. invention. EVER.). i hope everyone else has a suuuuuuuuuuper holiday! merry christmas and much love!

feel free to judge.

2011-11-02T16:27:00.003-06:00

i am one of thoooooooose people. halloween is over and guess what? i am listening to christmas music. yep. i do not wait for thanksgiving to be over. as soon as halloween ends, i am ready to move on to christmas. judge away.

missing.

2011-10-20T11:59:00.002-06:00

i am feeling a wave of nostalgia as of late. i just seem to be missing a lot of things, people, experiences. life was so much simpler back when...(which reminds me a the tim mcgraw song "back when"...not my favorite, but fitting for today). Here are some things i miss...

-my grandparents. it has been 5 1/2 years since my grandma passed away, and 2 years since my grandpa passed. i thought it would get easier with time, but i think i miss them more and more every day.
-utah state. college life was so fun.
-not paying any bills. being an adult sucks.
-summer. i am missing summer earlier this year than usual. usually i don't whine about wanting summer back until january.
-the era of the boy bands. nsync, please come back to me!
-people of my past. i know that i had to cut some of these people out of my life because they were toxic and always bringing me down, but i do miss them. there was a reason we were friends once before, right?
-alllllllllll those super friends who don't live close to me (and the ones that do live close to me but i never get to see)..sucks growing up and growing apart.
-the fruity, zebra bubble gum. i don't remember what it is called, but it was sure delicious!

on a happier note...i crossed off an item on my bucket list: black eye. yep. i've always wanted a black eye. all my years playing sports and getting elbows the face, i never got one. then last week, i was playing volleyball and got rocked harrrrrrrrd when a very large man ran into me. we were both going for the ball. i wish someone would have got it on film. i suspect it looked like something straight from a movie, all slow motiony and stuff. it broke my nose, and i finallllllly got my black eye. fortunately, i fixed the crookedness myself when i was blowing my nose in the church bathroom, so i didn't have to have a doctor rebreak it and then set it. now it is still a little swollen and a little sore. it hurts to blow my nose and i feel congested a lot. but for the most part, it is good. yay for broken nose!

i still don't have a job. i didn't get the one i interviewed for. bummer because it paid a lot. oh well. i feel like things will work out the way they are supposed to. since i am getting unemployment and have some income coming in, i am focusing my time on finding the right job and not just any job. it has been nice being able to sleep in and hang out with friends later than 10 pm. but i do feel like i am going stir crazy. i feel like i am not using my brain to it's full capability and that is bugging me. sitting at home all day every day is not my idea of a good time.

ok. that's all. peace. love. rock and roll.

betrayal

2011-10-05T15:09:00.000-06:00

monday after i posted the last post, i found out some more about the circumstances involving my being laid off. one of my coworkers, i'll call him d-bag, and i were friends from day one. we got along really well and liked to joke around. after about a month or so of working there, d-bag added me as a friend on facebook. against my better judgement, i confirmed him. i hesitated because facebook can be a pretty personal thing (and i have a hard time not voicing my opinions freely and openly), and i wasn't sure i wanted a coworker knowing that much about me. but i did it anyway. throughout the months, i kind of began to regret it. he made fun of me for liking "big brother" and when i got my legs waxed. still, it wasn't anything i should have been concerned about.

it was no secret at work that my boss and i did not get along. in fact, d-bag was a source of comfort for me on days when i wanted to quit. he let me know that everyone else in the office appreciated the job i was doing. he also told me that every other person in the office felt the same way about the boss, that everyone had problems working for him. after a particularly long day of being yelled at, i put on facebook that i wanted to look for a new job. the next day, d-bag messaged me on our instant message system and asked me if i was ok and if i wanted to talk about it. before i said anything, i asked him if it was just between the two of us and to please not say anything to anyone. he said, and i quote "facebook stays on facebook". so i told him that i didn't get paid enough money to deal with the stress of working with my boss, and that sometimes i felt like i was being taken advantage of.

come to find out, he went to said boss, human resources, and every.other.employee telling them that i was running my mouth about not making enough money to sit around and do nothing all day. and that is the reason why i lost my job. not because "it is just not economical for the company" to keep me at my wage. not because i had stopped performing my duties satisfactorily. but because a person i thought was my friend, a person i trusted, dug into my life pretending to care and then twisted my words around. i honestly have never felt more betrayed in my life. a person i trusted, a person who pretended to be my friend completely stabbed me in the back.

i know that this was my fault. i should not have said anything. but i honestly thought that i could trust this person. we had been friends since i started. but i guess that doesn't mean anything to some people. i have learned my lesson, though, and will never. ever. ever. again make that mistake.

ugh. stupid people.

there's a first time for everything.

2011-10-03T10:47:00.000-06:00

ever been laid off before? me either. until friday, that is. as i was locking the doors and getting ready to leave, my peach of a boss calls me into his office to tell me that "it just isn't economical" for the company to keep me at the wage they are paying me (oh? the wage that isn't too far above minimum wage that i have been struggling to survive on for the past 5 months? that wage? ok. cool). so they are going back to a minimum wage employee that will be "strictly there to answer phones and greet guests". the thing that pisses me off is that our firm is working on more projects now than when i started. so clearly, it is not an economic situation. it's not secret that i can't stand the man, and that i have had to go to the hr lady and the president of the company on more than one situation because of the way he has treated me. so, if you don't like me because i won't take you treating me like an indentured servant, then own it! don't hide behind some economical/financial bull shit excuse. i have a degree in business. i am not naive or stupid. i know how things work. do you wanna know what i don't think is "economical"? paying him a laaaarge salary to have him sit at his desk and sleep. i wish i was being paid to take a nap. so now i have two weeks left of work and then i am back to this unemployed business. i had an interview on friday for a job that i think i could really like, so i'm hoping that works out. if not, i will go back to the search. bummer.

wanna know what else bothers me about that whole "situation"? he told me at 4:50 on friday afternoon (way to ruin a weekend, right?). if he had told me the day before or even just a little earlier that day, i could have gone to the usu-byu football game. i had an opportunity to go. but i decided to stay and work. maybe it is a good thing i couldn't go, because it was a heartbreaking game for my ags. being an aggie fan is so stressful sometimes.

on a lighter note, didn't you just looooooooooooooooooooooove general conference? i did. like loved it a whole lot. i am so proud to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, proud to be called a "mormon". my favorite talk (and i don't have my notes with me so i don't remember who gave it) was the one that talked about "waiting on the Lord". it seemed to be exactly what i needed to hear at that time. waiting on the Lord means to hope and have faith in His timing. that is what i am going to have to do a lot of in the coming days, weeks, months. everything always seems better after spending two days listening to the apostles of the Lord and getting such inspiring revelation. i love it. can't wait for the conference edition of the ensign to come out!

i remember writing a couple months ago and saying how i was just waiting for that next crappy thing to come along. looks like it has. if anyone has any jobs they know about, pleeeeeeease let me know. being unemployed is not good for my sanity.

until then. peace.

a bunch of crap you didn't want to know.

2011-09-30T10:24:00.003-06:00

-i love getting mail. when i was unemployed, the highlight of my day was always mail day. and now, i come home from work and ask my mom every.single.day if i got mail that day (i usually don't. i need a pen pal).

-i once bought chapstick from bath & body works. it was $7. i never forgave myself for it.

-my favorite treat is chocolate covered pretzels. i never get tired of them. in fact, i made my mom buy me a giant bag from costco the other day. i have had to ration them out so i didn't down the whole package in one day. don't worry, there is still a significant amount left.

-sometimes i blog stalk people i don't know. and then i read about their cute "how i met my husband" stories and get sad. i want a cute story like that.

-i wish i was brave enough to pick up my life and move where no one knows me. sometimes a fresh start is sounds really appealing.

-i used to be the most anti-diet coke person there was. now i can't seem to get enough of it. seriously. i feel like one is permanently attached to my hand.

-i wish that i had the vocal pipes of a black lady. that might sound racist, it's not.

-i can't wait until that time when i have kids. i looooooove kids. i think i'll be a good mother some day. i'm not ready now, but i am anxiously awaiting when it is that time for me.

-i miss my grandma's pancakes. no one has ever made pancakes like her. they were dense and not really at all fluffy...and i like it better that way. my mom says it's because grandma used the greasy fat from bacon or melted butter. my aunts always say grandma's stuff tasted better because she made it with love (cheesy much?). i think it is because my grandma was just awesome. no one is as awesome as she was.

-i used to not appreciate general conference. at all. i can hardly remember anything from any conference before my 22 birthday. now i can't get enough of it.

-i feel like i have lost the touch of making new friends. i don't really know why. maybe people like me less than before? maybe i like other people less? maybe i'm destined to be a hermit? i don't know.

-i'm obsessed with leggings. i would wear a flowy dress with leggings every day. it's like wearing sweats that are work appropriate.

-i'm obsessed with zooey deschanel. her show '"new girl" is freaking awesome. i think she is so great.

-i love being sore after a good work out. my favorite kind of sore comes on the morning after a really intense night of volleyball.

-i love fresh peas. i don't think there is anything better than eating peas straight from the pod after they are picked from the garden.

-on the other hand, i hate cooked peas. they make me want to throw up. when i was little, i used to shove them in my napkin so my mom thought i ate them.

-i sometimes feel like i don't fit in anywhere, even though i know there are places that i will always belong.

-i have to stop myself from rocking out at work while listening to pandora. there are some songs, fleetwood mac especially, that just stirs up a need to belt.

-i wish i was creative. i see so many people i know making this cute stuff for cheeeeap. i'm afraid i am going to have to forgo my frugality and buy the expensive originals because i just can't do this creating thing.

red box

2011-09-21T15:21:00.001-06:00

not that red box. although, who doesn't like to get newly released movies for a dollar? when you can find a red box location with the movie you want, that is. no, the little red box i am talking about is that blasted facebook notification icon. who doesn't love to get on their facebook page and seeing that crimson square? it means someone found something you said important or funny. it is instant validation. "hey you. you are smart. you are funny. you are better than everyone else. really, you just rock. run for president. i bet you could win."

i admit. i spend a lot of time thinking about what i can say to make that perfect status. i try to be witty. and a lot of time i succeed. wanna know why? movie quotes. song lyrics. occasionally my own funniness (although i think i am funnier than i actually am). and i fail miserably sometimes. at that point, i delete the post and spend 20 minutes trying to come up with something better. this system seems to have a pretty high success rate. go me.

it's like magic really, if you think about it. this little red box is like an instant self-esteem boost. wouldn't it be great to have that little square pop to tell you how awesome you are whenever you are feeling sad? i want one to just sit on my shoulder at all times. some people have an angel and devil. nope. forget that. just give me little facebook notification box and i'll be good to go. bahhhh only joking. mostly anyway.

i admit, i wish we lived in a world where that awesome feeling just came all day, every day for every person. but until then, little red box of wonderful, keep 'em coming, would ya? much love.

Happy birthday, Baby Girl!!!

2011-09-19T09:16:00.005-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVERY!!!!

I feel so lucky to have 2 of the sweetest nieces EVER to grace the face of this earth, and this girl is one of them. Looooooooove you, baby girl!

advise me.

2011-09-13T11:24:00.003-06:00

i have recently been solicited to "spice" things up in my singles ward. apparently there has been a hard time getting people to attend fhe and activities. it's because the things we are doing are boring, if you ask me. so i was asked to come up with some ideas for family home evening and ward activity night that could possibly draw a larger crowd. the problem is--i am not so stellar at coming up with ideas. tell me the idea, and i am more than happy to plan it all out, down to the last detail. but that creative bone that some people have, i think i was skipped over when they were handing those out. good thing i know some awesome people who are willing to help a girl out...right??? what are some of activities that you have done in your wards (single or family) that are just soooooo much fun that people can't help but want to come? what are some service activities that are fun and can involve a lot of people? what are some fun activities that can be done away from the church house, ie scavenger hunts, camp fire/dutch oven, frisbee golf, etc? how can we draw out those members who don't really come to things like fhe? how can we unify the members of the ward through activities?

as a member of the church who used to hate going to fhe and activities, i can fully understand why these people don't want or like to come. i firmly believe that a lot of the reason they don't come is because they are not interested in the activity going on. and i'm not saying that every week has to be some big spectacle with fireworks and field trips and excitement, but i do feel like it is needed sometimes. people will stop coming to fhe if they feel like is a gospel doctrine sunday school lesson all over again (yes, that has been my experience lately).

so. do me a solid and think back to alllllllllll of those activities you have been to (good and bad) and give me some advice. because it makes me sad that more than half of the ward doesn't go activities and knowing that we can do something to fix that.

*let me apologize ahead of time if this offends anyone, especially if someone from my ward is reading this. that was not my intention.

Jammin'

2011-08-29T10:52:00.005-06:00

I'm a little bit obsessed with music. And by a little, I mean a lot. I don't know why, but for some reason I think that almost every single song ever written was meant for me. Conceited much? Maybe. But I have decided to share some of my favorites with you...these are the songs that I NEVER skip on my iPod and the ones that I am dying to hear on the radio. But remember...if you like them and jump on the bandwagon, I get credit for it. :)

-Garth Brooks: What She's Doing Now

-Adele: Someone Like You

-Christina Perri: Arms

-Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends

-Tilly and the Wall: Let It Rain

-Florence + the Machine: Dog Days are Over -- I just want to say that I knew this song WAY before Eat, Pray, Love made it famous. Like 9 months before.

-Fountains of Wayne: Hackensack

-Eminem: My Name Is...

-Jimmy Eat World: Hear You Me

-George Strait: Marine Del Ray

-Les Mis Soundtrack: Stars

-Tim McGraw: All We Ever Find

-Jack Johnson: Enemy

-Kalai: Be Still My Soul

-KISS: Beth

-Alan Jackson: Between the Devil and Me

-Iron & Wine: Flightless Bird, American Mouth

-Fleetwood Mac: Dreams

-Hawthorne Heights: Decembers

-Brand New: The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot

-Miranda Lambert: Bring Me Down

-Finally Friday: Catch a Glance

-Kenny Chesney: You and Tequila

-Chicago: If You Leave Me Now

-Steve Holy: Come On Rain

-Randy Porter: Condition of Desperation

-Tanya Tucker: Jose Quervo

-Duran Duran: Rio

-Marty Robbins: El Paso

-Rogue Wave: Eyes

-Andrew Bird: Fake Palindromes

-A Fine Frenzy: Almost Lover

-Dwight Yoakam: Fast as You

-Queen: Fat Bottomed Girls

-Glee Cast: Marry You

-Dan Fogelberg: Run for the Roses

-The Beatles: Yesterday

-Charlie Daniel's Band: The Devil Went Down to Georgia

-Gnarls Barkley: Crazy

-Owl City: The Saltwater Room

-Blake Shelton: She Wouldn't Be Gone

-Adam Levine: Moves Like Jagger -- OBSESSED

-We Shot the Moon: Hope

-Mumford and Sons: The Cave

-Death Cab for Cutie: Follow You Into the Dark

-Pat Benatar/Cyndi Lauper/Glee Cast: Total Eclipse of the Heart

-The Lemonheads: Into Your Arms

-The Ataris: The Boys of Summer

-Garrett Hedlund: Hide Me Babe

-Beyonce: Listen

-The Eagles: Best of My Love

-Chris Ledoux: Ridin' for a Fall

-Phantom Planet: California

-Miranda Lambert: The House That Built Me

-Merle Haggard: Silver Wings

-Foreigner: Juke Box Hero

-Garrett Hedlund: Timing is Everything

-Jim Sturgess & Joe Anderson: Strawberry Fields Forever

-George Strait: Last in Love

-Theory of a Dead Man: Not Meant to Be

-Coolio: Gangsta's Paradise

-Brad Paisley & Alison Krauss: Whiskey Lullaby

-Reba McEntire: You Lie

-Zac Brown Band: Colder Weather

-Quietdrive: Birthday

-Glee Cast: Hello

-Timbaland: The Way I Are

-Jason Mraz: Please Don't Tell Her

-Guns 'N Roses: Paradise City

-Rupert Holmes: Escape (The Pina Colada Song)

-Sublime: Santeria

-Neil Diamond: Hello Again

-Tiffany: I Think We're Alone Now

-Maroon 5: Won't Go Home Without You

-Billy Joel: She's Always a Woman

-Ben Folds Five: Brick

-Michael Jackson: Will You Be There -- Free Willy, anyone?

-Dashboard Confessional: Stolen

-Sugarland: Stay

-Coldplay: The Scientist

-Joe Nichols: She Only Smokes When She Drinks

-OneRepublic: Come Home

-Kenny Rogers: The Gambler

-Chamillionaire: Good Morning

-Vega 4: Life is Beautiful

-Big & Rich: Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)

-Secondhand Serenade: Stranger

-Jet: Look What You've Done

-Imogen Heap: Hide and Seek

-Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit

-Toto: Africa

I know this list is LONNNNNNNNG, and believe me, I trimmed it down a LOT. So if you ever get bored and want some AWESOME music, give it a little look through. You won't be disappointed. :)

Who doesn't like free stuff???

2011-08-23T15:27:00.002-06:00

Guys. Another giveaway from those cute girls at Pretty Life Anonymous. And let me tell you, these bracelets are ADORABLE. I want one. If I don't win, I may just have to buy one for myself. But, by the power of positive thinking, I'm pretty sure I'm going to win. :)

Let me tell you a funny story...

2011-08-17T11:37:00.004-06:00

So this past Sunday, there was a fireside for my stake. (Sidenote: the guy who was speaking rocked. Back to the story.) Caitlin and I were running just a teeny tiny bit late, and had to walk in after it had already started. My brother was saving us seats, which was very nice of him. But they were on the other side of the chapel, in the front, with 2 guys sitting on the end so we had to climb over them. Everyone was watching us walk in...I'm just glad I didn't trip off of my heels and embarrass myself. So we get all seated, and I see this guy staring at me. I was a little bit confused about why he was looking at me so much since I did not know this person. I could tell right away that he was handicapped, so I kinda just smiled and turned my head. Next thing I know, he gets up from where he is sitting on the front row, walks back to my bench, climbs over the 2 other fellas, and sits right next to me. He shakes my hand, gives me a hug and says "Best friends? Best friends forever?" I was a little confused, so I just kinda nodded my head. Then he grabs my hand, holds on for dear life, and lays his head on my shoulder. After like 7 minutes, he switches hands, and interlaces our fingers, slides a little closer, and tries to pull me as close as possible.

Now, I had no idea what to do. And I could not stop laughing. And every time I looked at my sister, she busted up laughing. It was a little comical. After about 15 minutes of hand-holding, my new BFF let go of my hand, jumped up, climbed back over the top of the 2 gentlemen, and went to find a new girl to sit by. He proceeded to do this throughout the fireside. I think I counted about 9 other girls he went over to. And here I thought I was special.

After President Samuelson was done speaking, the stake graciously provided us with brownies and ice cream. Cait and I were standing around talking to some friends, when my new found friend sneak attacked me from behind again and grabbed my hand. The others looked on in confusion as he layed his head on my shoulder (which was no easy task since I am so tall and he wasn't really). He apparently got bored with me again, and moved on to his next sighting, leaving me wondering what the H just happened at this CES fireside. And I still don't know his name.

*Disclaimer: I have absolutely no issue with handicapped people. In fact, I think they are great. I have no intention of offending anyone with handicapped family members. I just thought this was a funny story, and one that has gotten a lot of laughs out of me and the people witnessing this humorous experience. :)

B.A.R.G.A.I.N

2011-08-09T17:55:00.002-06:00

Who doesn't loooooooove a good deal? Well. Let me just share with you this rockin' blog that I was introduced to. It's called The Pretty Life Anonymous. These 2 sisters never buy any item of clothing that is more than $25...and most of their stuff is thrifted (I don't know how they find such cute stuff at the DI, but that is another topic for another day).

Currently they are having a giveaway for some of the cutest earrings I have ever seen, and I don't even really love earrings that much. Check it out. Maybe you'll win...although, if you do, I'll hate you because that means I didn't win.

Sibs.

2011-08-08T10:36:00.005-06:00

I have a pretty great family. We're really funny. I think if someone based a sitcom after us, it would do really well (except they would have to throw in all of that Hollywood-trashiness stuff). Here is why I like them:

TASHINA
Back when we were growing up, I think she thought of me as her stupid little sister. We fought ALL. THE. TIME. Constantly. I blame that on the fact that we shared a room for wayyyyyy too long. Now she is all married and has 3 super kids. She's an excellent mother and someone I would look to for advice when I have my own kids. Because we were too busy fighting, I never saw her testimony of the Church when we were younger. But I see how much she loves the Gospel while she teaches her kids about it. She's also pretty stinking funny. I love going shopping with her, especially because she is so bluntly honest if something doesn't look good on me.

A shared talent.

JONATHAN
Oh Jon. Jon is the perfect fit for our family. Seriously, Tashina could not have picked someone who better fit in with us. He is like the protective older brother that I never had. I value his opinion on things over most anyone else. He always knows what to say to make me laugh, even if it is highly inappropriate (those are my favorite ones!). Jonathan is a top-notch dad. Those 3 little munchkins love him so much.

This was Baby Girl's first fishing trip!

JD
Brudda. From the time we were little, I always knew Brudda would be in either the military or law enforcement profession. He is always the first one to stick up for me, or anyone else that he cares about...ever the protector. He is so generous and always doing things for people. I am so proud of him and respect him so much for what he does for our country.

Bahahahaha this cracks me up.

CAITLIN
My sissy. We have the same sense of humor...and that makes for some funny shiz. We are forever cracking the same jokes or quoting the same movies at the same time. People think it's planned...it's not. We are just that awesome. She is a freaking awesome basketball player, a talent that I envy (I was never as good as she is). Not too mention she is BEAUTIFUL. I'm glad that we are as close as we are.

San Diego 2009...we got some of the weirdest looks.

Some people are just lucky to be blessed with awesome sibs...looks like I was one of those people. :)

Blog Block

2011-08-03T12:57:00.003-06:00

I always feel like I get writer's block when my life is in a good place (which it is right now). My words seem to flow so much more elegantly when I am angry and have to vent about something. You would think that it would be opposite--that I would have a lot to say when I'm content with the way things are. Clearly that is not the case. Whatevs.

Anyway. In case anyone is wondering, I am doing great. I have a job that I love and a boss that I hate. I loathe driving in traffic every single day, but I suppose that it is just something I have to deal with. I love being able to pay my bills without having to stress about money. I love that I can go to a movie and not feel guilty about it. I was dreading going to my singles ward after I moved home, but I surprisingly am having a ton of fun with it. I was just called to the Sports Committee, which is actually pretty awesome. I love sports and it is forcing me to get involved. Last night, I got nailed by a bat during a softball game. I have a pretty sweet bruise. Love me some war wounds.

The only bummer I foresee in my future is Cait moving again. I have looooooved having her home. She is the person I can be my absolute self with and she gives me the confidence to be the bold person I once was. On the plus side---NO MORE ALASKA!!!! That's right. She will now only be an hour and a half away instead of a day and a half. She'll be playing at CEU, down in Price. It also means that we will get to see her play! I can't wait!

Awhile ago, a friend of mine had a link to a blog of an awesome girl back East. This girl has been through a ton and I have really enjoyed reading about her struggles and accomplishments. It really puts my life into perspective when I have days that all I want to do is whine. She kinda rocks. Keep it up, girl! And good luck with your move to DC!

I wish I had something more exciting to say. But, alas, I do not. My life is kinda boring...but a content boring. I'm sure it means that something crappy is going to come up, just to keep me on my toes. Or to give me something to blog about. Welp...bring it on.

A Gentleman's Response...

2011-07-26T12:43:00.006-06:00

Remember this? Well. I did get a response back from my favorite new friend. I must say, I was quite surprised that he responded...and not at all surprised with what he said:

"Tell yourself whatever lies make you feel better until all hope of love, family and kids are gone, then wait for the grave. If parading behind some liberal support ideology for fat people makes you happy instead of family, more power to you. The fact that people might feel bad about the truth doesn't mean it's not true -- or that nobody should be allowed to discuss it. The world is what it is, not what you fantasize it is. Wake up."

Being the person I am, of course I had to respond. He never replied.

"So...let me get this straight. All of the guys who married "fat" women did it out of what? Pity? And they all have kids by...artificial insemination? Because no guy will "want to be intimate with a them if they're even a little heavy", right? So obviously any children that are born to a woman who is "fat" must either be by scientific means or divine intervention. Am I understanding this correctly?

Your thoughts on the matter are in no way "truth". It is your own opinion. And it is an opinion that is going to cause a lot of pain and heartache to so many innocent and undeserving people, men and women both. The fact that you KNOW that your "truth" can have such detrimental effects on these people, and you still flaunt them around shows what kind of person you are -- a horrible, unfeeling man who has to make himself feel better by putting others down.

I go to the Riverton YSA 2nd Ward. We meet at 1 pm at the Brookwood building in Riverton, Utah. Feel free to come any time. I'm sure that there are a lot of people, myself included, who would just looooooooooove to meet you."

Well, there you have it folks. I will apparently never be getting married and all I have left to do now is "wait for the grave". Something to look forward to. :)

I'm going to throw up.

2011-07-14T09:33:00.006-06:00

A couple of months ago, my friend, Brooke, posted a little something on her blog (being the super blog stalker that I am, it took me almost 2 months to get caught up). She found this AWESOME WEBSITE written by a total D-Bag, who probably needs to be junk-punched. She wrote this really fantastic response to his uplifting words. Brooke has inspired me to write a little response of my own. (Side note: Rachel emailed this winner to see if this was, in fact, for real. He responded in the affirmative.)

*Warning: There is one small, 3-letter expletive in my response. Also. It's kind of long.

Dear "Hopper",

I am also completely baffled as to why a stand-up guy such as yourself has yet to find that perfect woman. I know that, had I met you at my singles ward, I would have tried my hardest to snatch you right up. Of course, that wouldn't have worked out either, since being an average size 14 has doomed me to be single for the rest of my life...unless I quit my job and spend all of my time focusing on losing weight. Naturally.

I honestly and sincerely hope that the many, many girls that attend singles wards and who are "overweight" (as you put it) and are struggling with their size, self-image, and worth of they are do not EVER happen upon your "essay". Did you even think about the negative consequences that your mean, hurtful, and completely untrue words could have on some of these girls? Not only will their self-esteem be shattered, but what if they stop coming to church? People have stopped attending church for a lot less than a feeling of worthlessness. And what about those girls investigating the church? Do you think they would ever attend a singles ward after hearing that, unless they have a perfect body, they'll never be wanted by anyone in the Church? YOU may be confident in the person you are (although, the put-downs of others and your self-congratulatory attitude suggest otherwise), but there are a LOT of people - men and women, members and nonmembers, skinny and overweight - who are not. Did you know...?

As many as 10 million women and girls suffer from anorexia and/or bulimia, in the United States alone.

Approximately one million men and boys suffer from anorexia and/or bulimia, in the United States alone.

An additional 25 million people in the US struggle with binge eating disorder.

86% of people with eating disorders report the onset of the illness by the time they reach the age of 20 (by no means is an eating disorder "less severe" when the eating-disordered person is above the age of 20).

An estimated 85-95% of people with anorexia nervosa and 65% of people with binge eating disorders are female.

A shocking 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat.

Young women that have anorexia are 12 times more likely to die than other women their age.

(I found these facts here)

Did you ever consider the possibility that maybe you, in your high & mighty wisdom and expert analysis, have already met the woman who would have been your perfect wife? But instead of giving her a chance to prove she is thoughtful, caring, nurturing, and willing to accept YOU and all of YOUR FLAWS, you decided she wasn't worth your time because she didn't fit your mold of what you think the perfect woman should be? You are so wrapped up in your skewed perception of reality that you are missing out on all of the amazing women who surround you.

I am also wondering - are you implying that every single young man in the church, including yourself, is addicted to porn? Furthermore, are you suggesting that the females who attend singles wards have the looks of porn stars? I am aghast that you can make such bold-faced accusations as to know, within seconds, which priesthood holders are addicted to porn, specifically by the women they "glance" at. EVERYONE GLANCES AT EVERYONE. You said there are usually only 4 girls per ward that you would even consider dating--obviously this means that you have "glanced" at every single girl in the room. Are YOU addicted to porn?

As a faithful and devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I try not to judge fellow human beings, and especially other members, too harshly and try to accept people for all of who they are; and I generally do a pretty good job at it. But I am completely and utterly disgusted by you and your apparent "expertise" on the young single adults within the Church. Your narcissism is worse than any other person I have ever been in contact with. "I have never broken the Law of Chastity - even though the thought as crossed my mind a few times, and has crossed the minds of girls I'm dating more than a few times"...with such obvious and over-powering studliness, how do these women EVER CONTROL THEIR URGES???? Your partial ownership in a private plane should be enough on its own to have all of the ladies proposing to you. Not to mention, I'm positive those piercing blue eyes that cause "whole rooms of people to fall silent and stare as you enter" make all of the girls go weak at the knees--be sure to have a fan and steady arm ready to help all of them that will inevitably swoon. However, your thinning brown hair is quite the serious problem...maybe it is one reason why you're not married.

In all seriousness, do you REALLY not understand WHY you are still single? Since this little essay has, no doubt, been circling around the LDS YSA community, I'm sure you've had a lot of suggestions on how to solve your little problem. Here's my advice--stop being such a self-absorbed ass. If you do ever get married and procreate, I hope your wife has the good sense to teach your children to be more accepting of people who don't fit your vision of perfect. And PLEASE, if your son should end up with your ridiculous views of what a woman should be, do us all a favor and send out a Public Service Announcement with the area you live in...I would hate to have any daughter of mine subjected to such a toxic influence.

Sincerely,

A completely-happy-with-my-size-14-self YSA member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Yes. I did send this to him yesterday. I don't expect a response, although I would reallllllly like one.

Quirky?

2011-07-12T08:09:00.004-06:00

I have recently come to a conclusion...I am really kinda weird. I do some oddddddddd things. Let me share some with you.

*Sometimes I miss the tube when trying to put the mascara wand back in. Then I end up with mascara all over my fingers.
*I refuse to drink milk unless it is 2% from Costco. All other milk tastes weird to me. Except chocolate milk, of course.
*I can't go to sleep at night unless I pee right before I turn the lights off.
*I have a crazy, over-active memory...I rarely forget anything. Sometimes this freaks people out, so I pretend I have forgotten something, when in reality, I remember everything about it. Some goes for people that I met once, years ago.
*I frequently start talking in random (and very bad) accents while talking to strangers. Most of the time, more than one accent comes out during a conversation.
*I hate wearing shoes.
*I can stick my tongue up my nose.
*I loooooove that I have the talent to stick my tongue up my nose.
*I can name almost all of the Idaho counties and county seats just from the identifiers on Idaho license plates. 1M-Madison County, Rexburg; 8B-Bonneville County, Idaho Falls; 1A-Ada County, Boise; 5C-Clark County, Duboise; etc.
*I have the uncanny ability to memorize lines from movies, a talent I share with my sister. There have been times when we have had full conversations of just movie quotes.
*I can rarely fall asleep anywhere but my own bed...unfortunately that means no power naps for me.
*I can make some of the ugliest faces ever seen and they are usually caught on camera.
*Public restrooms don't gross me out (even though they probably should).
*I have a tendency to talk reallllly fast.
*I honestly love to cry. It's one of my favorite things.
*I like to play out in my head the way I think conversations should/will go.
*I cannot go a day without getting some sort of ink from a writing utensil on my hands.
*I have a hard time relaxing. Even when I am watching tv, I have to multitask and play on my computer at the same time.
*I have an obsession with doodling my own name.

See? Weirrrrrrrrrrrrd.

I've been waiting an entire year for this...

2011-07-07T19:56:00.004-06:00

AND IT IS FINALLY HERE!!!!! Big Brother makes summer even more awesome.

Best. Summer. Show. EVER.

My bad.

2011-07-04T20:25:00.007-06:00

"Do you ever feel you've become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's box of all your secret, hateful parts - your arrogance, your spite, your condescension - has sprung open? Someone upsets you and instead of just smiling and walking away, you zing them? "Hello. It's Mr. Nasty." I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about."

Why is it so easy to become your worst to the people you love the most and who know you the best? I admit, I am guilty of it. And I think the rest of my family is too. In fact, I know they are. After almost 24 years on this earth, I have come to know that when my family spends too much time together, we get mean.

I can tell that is the case with my little sister and I. I looooooooooove my sister, Caitlin. I consider her one of my best friends, and we usually get along really well. But sometimes, we hit that little bump. And we know exactly what to say to make it hurt the worst. It seems to be happening a lot lately.

I have a crappy talent of being able to say things that really hurt (sometimes I wonder if it is a family trait). And after the fact, I feel really horrible. It isn't something that I'm proud of. But it has become a habit.

Who really likes to admit their flaws? I don't. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm perfect. :) Buttttttt....I'm not. Someone pleasssssssssssse tell me that my family is not the only one that this happens to.

Tired.

2011-06-29T10:22:00.004-06:00

Literally. I am so tired all the time. Lately, I have begun to wonder if I am going to be sleepy for the rest of my life. It doesn't even matter what time I go to bed or how many hours of sleep I get, I still wake up tired. Every morning that my alarm clock goes off, all I can think is "damn". And I know it is only going to get worse as the years go on.

Damn.

*PS...I don't think that I have any kind of problem besides the fact that I just wake up tired. I feel fine in other ways. It's probably the normal kind of tired that everyone has. I just want to be one of those people who wakes up refreshed every morning. :)

On a less serious note....

2011-06-07T08:42:00.003-06:00

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha we are so awesome.

Bahhhhhhhhh.

2011-06-06T08:25:00.002-06:00

I need some advice.

A person very close to me seems to be struggling and falling away from the church. The past year, this person was surrounded by a lot of non-members and subjected to a lot of influences that were not the best. As far as the church goes, this person just seems to be going through the motions to please everyone else--going to church but will not get involved, doesn't read the scriptures, refuses to pray, even if it is just a blessing on the food. This person has also started dating a non-member.

So. Help me out. The thing I am struggling with is accepting the choices this person makes and trying not to be too judgemental. I love this person with all of my heart, and it just makes me so sad to see them do stupid things. This person knows better and knows the right things to do. I also know that this person does, ultimately, want the blessings of the Church. This person also gets crazy defensive any time I bring up trying to be better or inviting this person to do things that involve the Church. I just don't want this person to throw their life away for something so stupid.

Seriously. If someone could teach me not to be so judgy of the decisions this person if making, I would kinda love it. :)

Alayna Hope

2011-05-20T08:54:00.003-06:00

Alayna Hope Abbott was born December 9, 2010. She weighed 3 lbs, 13 oz and was 17 inches long. When Tracy, my cousin, was 24 weeks pregnant, the doctors found some complications on an ultrasound. After some genetic testing, the doctors confirmed that this little baby had a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18. Trisomy 18 means that there is 3 of the 18th chromosome, and usually means that there will be no brain function and problems with the heart, lungs, intestines, and many other things. Many babies with Trisomy 18 will not carry to full term, and if they do, are most likely only going to live a few short hours.

Alayna surprised us all. After she lived for a week, we all knew it was a miracle. She kept fighting. She survived UTIs, blood transfusions, bacterial meningitis, bronchitis, and so many other things. She spent a good part of her life in the hospital, melting the hearts of all the doctors and nurses at PCMC.

On Wednesday, after weeks of being in the hospital, sweet little Alayna Hope passed away in the arms of her mom. She was 5 1/2 months old. She was truly a miracle and touched the heart of everyone who met her. I know she is not suffering any longer, but it will be hard without this sweet, special girl in our lives. I also know that Heavenly Father sends these special children to only the strongest and most faithful parents. Tracy and her family are truly an inspiration on how to have faith in the Lord's plan and how to love unconditionally.

Please keep Tracy, Joe, Jacob, Regan, Ciara, and Brielle Abbott and everyone else touched by Alayna's sweet spirit in your prayers.

These are a few pictures of sweet Baby Alayna Hope.

This was right after she was born. Her arms and legs were still clenched up.
This is Alayna at 5 weeks.

10 weeks old. Tracy, Joe, and the kids threw her a birthday party every week.

14 weeks old and celebrating St. Patrick's day!

This is the most recent picture I have of her.
She is almost 20 weeks old in this picture.

My Uncle Bill is a very talented poet, and wrote this poem for Alayna after she passed away. I would like to share it with you.

ALAYNA HOPE'S POEM

Don't cry Mommy,

Heavenly Father took me home.

Don't worry Daddy,

Up here I'm not alone.

There's people here that

Love me too.

They cradle and hold me tight.

Great Grandma Hirschi

Rocks me to sleep at night.

So don't cry Mommy,

My love will always be there.

And don't worry Daddy,

Even though it didn't seem fair.

Our Brother made it possible,

To be a family again.

Today I sat on His lap

And put my arms around Him.

So don't cry Mommy,

I'm sorry I couldn't stay.

Don't worry Daddy,

We will be together

Again one day.

Bill Hirschi

5.18.2011

A blog about...poop.

2011-05-09T12:03:00.003-06:00

Yes. You read that right. I'm hoping some of you are as immature as I am, so you will appreciate...

THE POOPIE LIST

The Ghost Poopie: The kind where you feel the poopie come out, but there is no poopie in the toilet.

The Clean Poopie: The kind where you poopie it out, see it in the toilet, but there is nothing on the toilet paper.

The Wet Poopie: The kind where you wipe your butt 50 times and it still feels unwiped, so you have to put some toilet paper between your butt and underwear so you won't ruin them with a stain.

The Second Wave Poopie: This happens when you're done and you've pulled your pants up to your knees, and then you realize that you have to poopie some more.

The Pop-a-Vein-in-Your-Forehead Poopie: The kind where you strain so much to get it out, you practically have a stroke.

The Gassy Poopie: It's so noisy, everyone within ear shot is laughing.

The Drinker Poopie: The kind of poopie you have the morning after a long night of drinking. Its most noticeable trait is the skid mark on the bottom of the toilet.

The Lincoln Log Poopie: The kind of poopie that is so huge you're afraid to flush without first breaking it into little pieces with the toilet brush.

The Corn Poopie: Self explanatory.

The Gee-I-Wish-I-Could-Poopie Poopie: The kind where you want to poopie but all you do is sit on the toilet and fart a few times.

The Spinal Tap Poopie: That's where it hurts so badly coming out, you would swear it was leaving you sideways.

The Wet Cheeks Poopie (The Power Dump): The kind that comes out of your butt so fast, you get splashed with water.

The Liquid Poopie: The kind where yellowish-brown liquid shoots out of your butt and splashes all over the toilet bowl.

The Mexican Poopie: It smells so bad, your nose burns.

The Surprise Poopie: You're not even at the toilet because you are sure you're about to fart, but oops...a poopie!

The Dangling Poopie: This poopie refuses to drop into the toilet even though you know you are done poopie-ing. You just pray that a shake or two will cut it loose.

This list was hanging in my bathroom during my last semester of college. Yes, I did live with 5 other girls. And yes, it makes me giggle every time I read it. So sue me. :)

Also.......

LOOK AT ME GO!!!!!!

L.I.F.E.

2011-05-05T08:58:00.004-06:00

This is just going to be one of those boring blog posts about my life. Nothing too special. Maybe I'll throw in a random joke somewhere, just to keep things interesting.

After 4 long, horrible, rip-my-hair-out months, I FINALLY FOUND A JOB. And it ROCKKKKKKS. I seriously love it. I am the office manager at an architecture firm in Salt Lake City. I am also doing a lot of the marketing projects...I'm like a marketing assistant to the marketing coordinator. I never ever though I would use my degree, but it looks like my thousands of dollars in student loans aren't going to waste! The people at my job are so fun. My personality fits in great...they give me crap and I give it right back. I don't think I would like my job nearly as much if the employees weren't so stellar.

Along with my job comes BENEFITS!!! If you read the last post, right down there, you would know that I have been uninsured since SEPTEMBER. But starting June 1st, I am free to break my leg and not worry about it! Such a relief. Seriously.

I'm still living at home, but planning on moving out after the summer is over. I thought about finding an apartment sooner, but MY SISSY IS HOME FROM ALASKA FOR THE SUMMER!!! And I want to be home so I can be included in all the fun! We're planning a little road trip to Canada, and I can't even wait. Driving all night and jamming out to music with my momma and sister is the best fun a girl can have.

I have also been working on getting healthier. I have been trying to eat better and reduce my calorie intake. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I LOOOOOVE the sweets. But, I'm doing really well and don't just sit and snack. I bought chocolate that I keep at my desk for the guys in the office, and I am doing really well at not eating it. SNAPS TO ME! I am also making sure I eat at least one fruit and vegetable serving a day. Go me.

Utah State's graduation ceremony is on Saturday. I was originally not going to walk, but now I'm kind of excited for it. I even bought a new outfit. It's smoking hot. I can't wait to wear it.

My next mission: make a killer playlist to listen to at work. Anyone know of some killer, super chill music that I should add to it? I am currently in love with Adele, A Fine Frenzy, Florence + the Machine, Imogen Heap, and such. So something along those lines. :)

Annnnnnnd. I can't think of a funny joke. But you made it all the way to the bottom without one. GOOD JOB!!!

Also...just wanted to add this little picture here because it cracks me up.

I am a HORMONE CASSEROLE!!!!

2011-02-25T00:53:00.002-07:00

*FOREWARNING: This is another bit of a rant post. If you are tired of them...well, it doesn't really matter because it is my blog.*

Back in September I turned 23. There is a post about it somewhere down there in blog land. 23 isn't really that significant of a birthday...except to an insurance agency. Well, maybe not every insurance agency, but the one that supplies my mom's medical insurance policy. Apparently, turning 23 means getting kicked off the policy with no notice besides the fine print when you first buy insurance from them (in this case...a really long time ago). Obama passed a law that allows a person to stay on their parents' insurance until they are 26. Unfortunately...that law didn't go into effect until October 1. The insurance kicked me off September 30. And according to the company, there is absolutely no way for me to get back on until the next open enrollment (even though it costs the EXACT SAME AMOUNT for all parties involved whether I am on the policy or not)...in September 2011. So. Here I am. Walking around uninsured and hoping I don't contract a life threatening illness until September. Not having insurance also means that my prescriptions are not covered. I have been off the BC for a month and a half...hence the HORMONE CASSEROLE. I'm not loving it. At all.

Maybe my little debacle from the previous paragraph is effecting every other part of my life, because every time I don't get a job that I apply for, I get more and more upset. Since I have moved home, I have had 5 interviews. And it seems to be the reason for my not getting the position is my qualification level. I sometimes apply for jobs that I am not even remotely qualified for, knowing that it is a long shot, but hoping for a miracle. There aren't many positions that are at my level of qualified-ness, so I mostly apply for entry level jobs. Back when I was preparing for graduation, I accepted that this would be the case. However, I never thought that my being over-qualified would prevent me from getting a job. But that is what keeps happening. All of these places are afraid that I would find a better job and leave since these are such entry-level positions. I try to explain to them that all I'm looking for is stability and the opportunity to prove that I can stay at a job longer than 4 months of a summer. But it doesn't help.

I try not to get upset about it, but the longer I am unemployed, the more irritable I get. I rarely get out of the house because I don't have the need or the money to do things. There are times when I just go walk around Wal-Mart because I think I'll go crazy if I stay indoors much longer. I know things will work out somehow and sometime, but it gets so hard the longer it goes. I hate the restlessness and stir-craziness that comes from being unemployed. Until I find a job, I would love to be able to go out and volunteer or do service, but that takes gas, which I can't afford either.

Anyone have any ideas for a hobby that doesn't cost any money? :) Also...I'm looking for some ideas of books to read. That seems to be my past-time of choice lately. Suggestions are welcomed and encouraged.

Rant.

2011-01-25T23:03:00.003-07:00

I need to rant for a minute. Today, I went to a basketball game. Well, 3 basketball games, actually. It was obvious that one of the teams was more experienced and had a bit of an advantage. My mom keeps the books and stats for this team, and I run the scoreboard for the home games. Since we sit at the score table, we hear just about everything--the coaches, players, refs, and fans. We also get to hear the opinion of the person keeping the books for the other team. Today, the whining started before the games ever began. And it just KEPT ON COMING. First of all, the lady had NO CLUE what she was talking about-not even basic basketball 101 (I honestly don't know how she got the job to do the books). Furthermore, she told us that she has no personal stake in these games and is only doing the books for a little extra money. She doesn't have a daughter playing and she doesn't work for the school.

The home-team won all 3 games, but they were by no means "blow-out" games. At the end of the night, this other lady went off on my mom about how "full-court pressing when you are ahead is unsportsman like". After she practically yelled at my mom for about 5 minutes, she then went to the administrator of both the home and away schools and continued to yell about full-court pressing.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that how a team keeps their lead? The minute you pull ahead, do you let up to allow the other team to score? NO. It is not fair to either team. The winning team should be allowed to play the best of their abilities, and the team that is down has the right and need to play their very best to try and close the gap.

The whiner is even trying to pass a law to get coaches fired for full-court pressing, if they are ahead by a certain number of points. Fired. Seriously? There is nothing legal or wrong with pressing, even if you are ahead. Thankfully, there is no way anything like this will ever go through.

Let me be clear--I can understand how it is "unsportsman like" to press and run up the points if the final score is, say, 108-3, like a game last week between some different schools. But this was in no way the case tonight. These girls were just trying to make sure they sealed the deal and won the game. There was no mean or malicious intent by the players. They were just playing their basketball game.

Ok. That is enough of my rant and annoyance.
Peace.

Lists.

2011-01-03T23:04:00.004-07:00

I have an obsession with lists. Seriously. I make them all the time. While I was in school and bored during class, I would make lists of anything and everything, just to pass the time. Since I have a LOT of favorites...I thought I may as well document them in lists via the blog.

Movies I NEVER get sick of:
1. You've Got Mail
2. Home Alone 2
3. Sleepless in Seattle
4. Easy A
5. Just Friends
6. The Wedding Singer
7. The Italian Job

Favorite Disneys:
1.Beauty and the Beast
2. Tangled
3. Princess and the Frog
(I'm rather impressed with some of what Disney has produced recently)
4. Pocahontas
5. Robin Hood

Reality TV Shows:
1. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
2. The Best Thing I Ever Ate
3. The Next Iron Chef
4. What Not to Wear
5. Say Yes to the Dress
6. Anything on NatGeo

Movies I am EXCITED to See This Year:
1. Country Strong (Thanks to GLEE, I LOVE GWYNETH!)
2. Beastly
3. Gnomeo and Juliet
4. The Roommate (don't judge me)
5. Rango
6. Jane Eyre
7. Rio
8. Fast Five
9. Something Borrowed
10. Cars 2
11. HARRY POTTER!!!
12. Crazy, Stupid, Love
13. Footloose (although, I am more than a little skeptical)
14. The Three Muskateers
15. Breaking Dawn
16. The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made

Biggest Pet Peeves
1. Flimsy silverware
2. People who drive 5 miles under the speed limit while in the fast lane
3. Microwaves that don't stop beeping when you open the door
4. When it takes someone 4 hours to text back (some people are exempt from this pet peeve--Rosemary, that means you. :) )
5. Pens that run out of ink while taking notes (or making lists) in the middle of class
6. Chapstick that leaves a funny film on my lips

Favorite Stores:
1. Costco
2. Old Navy
3. Ross
4. Amazon.com
5. Walmart (once again--don't judge me)

Aspirations for 2011:
1. FIND A JOB
2. Save enough money to go to EUROPE!
3. Meet more single people in the area I am living (Riverton is suffocating me a little)
4. Eat healthier foods--a major task since I have such an addiction to sugar
5. Play more basketball just because I like it
6. Take a roadtrip to California to visit my BFF Rose (Brit--I'll come to Oklahoma next year)
7. Pay off my car
8. Possibly take the GMAT

The. End.

2010-12-14T22:06:00.004-07:00

I. AM. OFFICIALLY. A. COLLEGE. GRADUATE.

Well, as of 12 o'clock tomorrow afternoon I am. I can't believe it is here. 4 1/2 years after starting at Utah State, I am done with my Bachelors degree. I have so many mixed emotions...I feel as if I have been on verge of tears for the last week and a half.

Besides this ------>

Here are a few things I will miss about Logan:
*AGGIE BASKETBALL. I will forever be a part of Stew's Crew
*Aggie Ice Cream, specifically Aggie Blue Mint. YUM.
*The Business Building. Tallest building in Logan. My home for the last 4 1/2 years. My heart belongs to the business building.
*Free food on campus. Utah State is famous for it. At least once a week, you can find somewhere to give you free food. It's amazing.
*Merrill-Cazier. Me and MC are TIGHT. MC selfishly takes a large part of my time and gets mad when I decided to do my homework at a different building on campus.
*Walking outside when it is SOOOOOOOOO cold it takes your breath away (also on the list of things I will NOT miss about Logan).
*Firehouse Pizza. I don't know what it is about this place, but I LOVE IT.
*The Taggart Student Center. My day does not feel complete until I can walk through the TSC...even if it is out of my way.
*Bishop Redd. He is my YSA Bishop this year and the BEST student ward bishop I have ever had. I have a great love for him, and the 18th ward. And his cute little wife, Sister Redd.
*Crappy, dumpy apartments. There is just something appealing about living in these tiny, gross places. FUN.
*Downtown Main Street. For those of you who have been to Logan, there should be no explanation necessary.
*The Pepperridge Farm Factory. 3 pound bag of Mint Milanos for $4? Um YES.
*The Logan Temple. SOOOO pretty. I love how at night it looks like a giant's house surrounded by puny little ant houses.
*My favorite look-out spot on Old Main Hill. So serene.
*My friends. Lots of them. In fact, I will probably miss them more than any other thing on this list. (Special shout-out to Syd...this blog is for you)

And. Just wanted to show this off a little. My friend Sarah is AMAZING. She took most of the pictures and made the announcement. I only look good because of her.

20 Days

2010-11-13T21:17:00.004-07:00

I've been having a hard time staying positive lately. Not about life in general, but about my future. I graduate from Utah State in exactly 20 SCHOOL DAYS. And I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen when that day comes. I am scared out of my mind. And when I get scared, I tend to feel down and not very positive about where things are going.
I have mixed feelings about graduating from school. On one hand, I am tired of the homework, group projects, tests, and stressing over grades. But I do love learning. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE being an Aggie. Utah State was the best thing that I ever could have done for myself. Seriously.
Besides making sure I pass my classes, my next stress is over a job. Where do I look? What do I even want to do? As I have come to know myself better and have a better understanding of the things that I am good at, I realized that I don't think I want to be in the marketing profession. And now I keep asking myself "WHY THE H DID I GET MY DEGREE IN MARKETING?!" I would much rather be doing Human Resources. But by the time I figured that out, I had 15 weeks until graduation.
Another dilemma I am facing is where I should live. My apartment is paid until the end of the school year, but the job market in Logan is even worse than it is other places. I could move home. I love living at home, I really do. But my social life down there SUCKS. It is basically nonexistent, with the exception of my few single friends who already have their lives in place. Plus. I'm not having any luck in the "finding a mate" department on a campus full of single guys. The chances of it happening at home seem pretty slim to me.
Limbo. That is where my life is right now--in uncertain limbo. And the stress is really starting to take its toll on me. I think I might be going gray at 23...

The Important things in life...

2010-11-02T22:27:00.004-06:00

Lately, I have come to realize the things that are most important in my life. There are the three staples-the Gospel, family, friends, blah blah blah. I'm talking about the REAL important things in life.

Here are my top 25:
-Aggie Basketball (And Seawolf Basketball now)
-Potatoes
-All things Disney
-Disinfectant
-Ice cream
-Costco
-Nail polish remover
-Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies
-Dish Soap
-Camelbak water bottles
-Garth Brooks
-A good set of ear phones
-Chinese food
-Monty Python and the Holy Grail
-Detoxifying face masks
-Books
-Skype
-The PedEgg
-$5 movie bin at Walmart
-Peppermint Chapstick
-Texting
-Dollar Stores
-A good mascara
-Tylenol PM
-Old Navy Clearance

The End.

Can't Get Enough...

2010-09-27T12:40:00.002-06:00

...of these 2 faces.

Cutest. Little Ones. EVER.

Old?

2010-09-12T20:21:00.011-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 23. I know that is not old at all, but it feels SO old to me. I don't see myself as 23. In fact, I still really only feel 20 or 21. I have to remind myself that I am 23 years old. In 7 years, I will be 30. 7 years ago, I was turning 16. That was not that long ago. I don't even want to think about how fast the next 7 years is going to go.
As I look back on the last year, I can't believe all that has happened. This time last year I was seriously depressed because I wasn't able to go back to school that semester. I was pissed off at the world. Everything seemed to be going wrong. It had been a rough year for my family and I wasn't making things better. I know that I was hard to live with. I had no social life so I was home all the time. The only bright side was that I had a job and I could go to all of Caitlin's games.
Since January though, things have gotten SO much better. Here are some highlights:
-I am back in school and LOVING it! I never thought I would love Logan as much as I do. I never want to leave. I'm finishing up my last semester of school. I'm actually in denial about it. I'm not ready to graduate. I don't want to graduate. I don't want to leave Logan. I don't want to be a grown up yet.
-I had the BEST summer job. Seriously. TOP NOTCH. I was a counselor at a kid's sports camp. I LOVED IT. There was not a day this summer that I didn't want to go to work. I could not have asked for a better job or better coworkers. I was so sad when August came around and camp had to end.

Some of the cool people I worked with. We're at a pool party. We played organized games. That's what happens when you run a kids camp.

-The Tim McGraw concert. We got my momma tickets for Mother's Day. It was so much fun. And he is BEAUTIFUL in person.

-One of my very best friends from high school got married. Miss Rosemary. I am so happy for her and love her so so much!

Most of "the girls" at Rose's wedding luncheon.

-Trips to Reno, Bear Lake, St. George, and Idaho. I love travelling...and as far as weekend trips go, these were AWESOME. RENO!!!!!!!

St. George
Bear Lake #1

Bear Lake #2--COLD!!!!!

-Caitlin moved to Alaska. Not really a highlight but a large event of the summer. I miss her. SO much. I text her everyday. She is probably really sick of me.

-Best tan I've had in years.

-Lost some weight.

-Best school news: I literally live 2 minutes from campus. On GHETTO DARWIN. Underneath a dentist's office. And I love my roommates.

-And I am LOVING LIFE. I just feel really happy all the time. I love that feeling.

Who knew that one day I would be grateful for all the crap I had to go through last year?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!

Bird Murderer

2010-06-30T19:51:00.002-06:00

Today was quite the traumatizing day for me...
We have a some big trees in my front yard. Today the wind was blowing really hard, and blew a bird's nest onto my driveway. I went out to my car (I was going to get some Cafe Rio...YUM), and saw the nest. I looked for any eggs but couldn't see any. After I pull back into my driveway and get out of my car, I see it. BLOOD. I get this sick feeling in my stomach. I ran over a baby bird. Barely hatched out of the egg, hardly any feathers, can't fly yet, baby bird. And there are three others lying next to it (not ran over).
So. I am a baby bird murderer. Freak. I would post a picture, but I would rather not relive this horrid moment in my life.

And...

2010-05-03T14:35:00.006-06:00

(This is for you, Syd...)

Reasons I love Summer:

1. SUNSHINE. I love the sun. I am fully aware that I might get skin cancer, but I plan on spending as much time in the sun as I possibly can.

2. Swimming. I love to swim. And swimming with my nephew is the best.

3. My family reunion. Father's Day weekend is my favorite time of the year. If you had as awesome of family as I do, you would love your family reunion too.

4. Fireworks. And the 4th of July. Fireworks make me happy.

5. Summer food. All food is good, but summer food is delicious.
6. Campfires. I love ending the night smelling like campfire smoke.
7. Shorts and tank tops.
8. Flip flops.
9. Being LAZY! I love sleeping in. I love lounging and doing nothing.
10. Big Brother. It is my favorite show.

Summer starts in 3 days, and counting.

Bye Bye Brudda :(

2010-03-21T13:33:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was a rough day. My brother, JD, and the rest of the 144th Area Support Medical Company, left for their year deployment to Afghanistan. I am scared out of my mind, but I could not be more proud of him and the work he is doing. I feel so honored to be the sister of a U.S. soldier who is fighting for our country and defending our freedom.
Here are a few pictures from the day...

JD and his unit in formation.

The 4 of us.

Me and Brudda

The family. And Aubree.

KSL was there doing a story of the soldiers leaving. Here is the link. If you watch closely, I am on the screen towards the end for about 2 seconds. My claim to fame. :)

ksl.com - 80 Utah soldiers deploy to Afghanistan; family and friends see them off

Yesterday was also the ALL-STAR GIRLS BASKETBALL GAME. Cait rocked it. She had 2 3-point shots, along with the rest of her baskets, countless rebounds, and about 18 blocks. She is such a super star. Apart from the All-Star game, which put the North schools vs. South schools, she also made the Second All-State team, along with another girl from her team. I'm sad her high school basketball is over, but I have track for the rest of this year. And college basketball to look forward to next year! Way to go Cait!

Am I Really Admitting This?

2010-03-08T15:12:00.002-07:00

Can I really not get a date by myself? Do I honestly need a website to do it for me? Last week, my friend, Megan, convinced me to join ldssingles.com. So I did. And I still can't believe I did it. This is so out of character for me. And I'm not sure how I feel about it, even now. It is fun to get on and see what kinds of people are on there. But I don't know if I am an internet dating type of person. I'm not judging anyone who is on there...how can I when I am on there myself? I just always had this mind set that these people on sites like this are older, divorced people looking for someone knew. Not for 22 year old, college students like me. But. To my surprise, there are a lot of people like me on there. So I'm just waiting to find my "soul mate" or whatever.

I do have one story. The other day, I have a message from this kid. I look at his profile, and I'm not attracted to him in the least (not to mention the fact that he was shorter than me). The message continues to tell me that I am really pretty and how he thinks we would be perfect for each other (from the 5 lines I had written about myself). I try to respond to everyone who writes me so I don't look like a biotch. I told him I was flattered and was curious what he thought we had in common. For two days, he kept sending me messages and trying to "chat" with me. Last night, when my chat was finally working, he started talking to me. Once again, not wanting to be rude, I respond. The first question he asks me is if I would be his girlfriend. Oh boy. I wasn't quite sure what to say. I told him that it was WAY TOO FAST. Especially since (a) I had never met him, (b) we hadn't had any kind of real conversation, and (c) I wasn't attracted to him (I didn't tell him this part. That would have been mean). He said we could be friends first. Then he starts asking all of these personal questions. Once again, I had to slow him down. Finally, I told him that I just wasn't interested. Bless his soul. I think I broke his spirits. I feel really bad about it, but I couldn't do it anymore. I had the creepiest feeling from him.

So, in 4 days of being on here, I have already had an offer for a boyfriend. Well...it is more than I've gotten in awhile.

Primary's Childrens

2010-02-06T00:09:00.005-07:00

My friend Katie posted something on her Facebook today...it is a link to a blog that just absolutely broke my heart, http://www.stakerzxposed.blogspot.com/. I don't know these people, but the last few posts have been about a sweet little boy who is about 3 weeks younger than little Avery. Last Saturday, he drowned in the bathtub, and they have had a long, hard road to his recovery. They are still at Primary Children's Medical Center, waiting to see what the effects of this tragic accident will be. It is breaking my heart.
Last week, my sweet little 5 week old niece, Kenadee, was at PCMC for 4 days with RSV. In November, my 5 year old cousin, Brilee, was rushed from Rexburg down here with a severe case of pneumonia. In December of 2007, my cousin, Alyssa, who was less than a year old at the time, spent about 3 weeks there, also with a severe case of pneumonia.
I have spent way more time than I have ever wanted to at Primarys, and I just want to express how grateful I am to live by this state-of-the-art hospital. They have saved the lives of more than one of my family members, and countless other tiny, helpless children. One thing that I love about IHC is that it will never turn anybody away who cannot pay or who doesn't have insurance.
Thank goodness for Primary Children's Medical Center.

I'm BAAAACK!

2010-01-19T15:08:00.002-07:00

Let me apologize to my readers of "Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products" for that brief little hiatus I had over the holidays. But I am back and ready to go. In my last post, I said I would start with J, but there are no Js. So onto the Ls.

L
LADDER:
(Everyone knows it is supposed to be bad luck to walk under a ladder. This superstition probably originated when criminals had to walk under a ladder on their way to the hangman's noose, while the hangman himself stepped around the ladder.)
*Create a rustic trellis--a rickety old ladder isn't safe for climbing, but it can make an interesting trellis for climbing roses or other vines.
*Hang pots and pans--suspend a ladder from your kitchen ceiling with rope or wire, and you have an unusual hanger for your pots, pans, and utensils.
(I don't really like any of these, but I needed to put something in for ladder.)
LEMONS:
*Clean out your microwave--if you've got hardened food on the inside of your microwave, don't scratch the finish with hard cleansers. Instead, mix three tablespoons of lemon juice into one and a half cups of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 10 minutes at the most. Then just wipe off the softened food with a dish rag.
*Freshen your garbage disposal--your garbage disposal can develop some interesting smells. Eliminate those odors by putting some ice cubes and lemon rinds into the disposal and turning it on. It will come out smelling lemon fresh.
*Dry up blemishes--instead of spending money on astringents or acne medications, try dabbing blemishes several times a day with lemon juice. (I've never done this with lemon juice, but I have used toothpaste and Listerine. The Listerine really works.)
*Bleach thyself--if your fingernails or toenails are looking a little yellow, or the skin on your feet is a funny color, go for the produce. Cut up a lemon, and rub the juices into the areas that are discolored.
*Make fluffy rice every time--add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the water first thing, and your rice will never be sticky again.

M
MAGNETS:
*Handy storage for your broom--attach a magnet to your broom with a screw, about halfway down the handle. Then you can store it attached to the side of your refrigerator, between the refrigerator and the wall.
MARSHMALLOWS:
*Frosting that's easy as...cake--out of frosting for your cupcakes? Don't worry. Plop a marshmallow on top of each one a minute or so before they're due to come out of the oven. Instant gooey frosting.
MATCHES:
*Unfreeze a lock--when you're dealing with a frozen lock, why not try a burning key? Heat your trunk or car door key with a match, then quickly put it in the lock and turn.
MAYONNAISE:
*Remove water stains--to get water marks off your wood furniture, rub in mayonnaise. Let it sit all night, then wipe it off.
*Make a hair conditioner--even if you hate mayonnaise on you sandwiches, you might like what it can do for your hair. For deep conditioning, massage mayonnaise in, let it sit for about five minutes, and wash as usual. Or you can blend together one-fourth cup of mayonnaise and half of an avocado. Use the mixture just as your would a commercial conditioner, leaving it on your hair for about five to 10 minutes. Rinse out and enjoy your shiny hair. (They also mention that you can use mayonnaise as a facial mask for dry skin...this grosses me out so much that I couldn't really put it in this post.)
MILK:
*Restore body to permanent press clothes--if permanent press items have gotten limp, add a cup of powdered milk to the final wash and wear rinse cycle.
*Thaw fish with added freshness--if you thaw frozen fish in milk, it will taste fresher. And maybe you can convince your family that you just pulled it out of the lake instead of your freezer.
MOTHBALLS:
(They sound disgusting, but can be helpful)
*Repel pests--scatter mothballs around your garden and flower beds to keep rodents and even cats away.
*No more rusty tools--place a few mothballs in your toolbox to prevent rust.
*Keep more than moths away--tucked away in drawers and closets, mothballs will absorb moisture and keep things dry, preventing mildew as well as moths.

Don't worry, friends, I'll try to keep up with this better now.

Logan Love

2010-01-10T14:08:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I moved back to Logan. And it is just as cold as I remembered! I am so excited to be back and even more excited for school to start tomorrow...hopefully my brain still remembers how to think! It has had such a long break that I hope it doesn't overload!
My apartment is SO small. It is definitely not what I have been used to. At all. I mean, even my dorm was bigger than this place! There is only 1 shower. For 5 1/2 girls. Kill me. My roommates (the ones I have met) seem pretty cool. They are all super super young though...freshman young. I don't know if my old soul can keep up with their all night partying! From what I hear, my room-roommate is never around. So it is almost like I have my own room, except I can't use the other half of the space.
School should be pretty good this semester. I'm taking a bunch of general classes because all of the ones I needed were full or Fall-only classes. So hopefully it should be a pretty easy semester.
Basketball game tomorrow...can't wait for my return to the Spectrum. Oh how I have missed thee, my old friend!
For those of you who did read my "Uncommon uses for Common Household Products", fear not...I just took a little break for the holiday. I will soon be returning, starting with letter J.

Superiority of Mind

2010-01-03T23:58:00.004-07:00

Sometimes, as I lay awake desperately trying to sleep, I reminisce about things that have happened in my life. I have a really great memory...I can recall the exact conversation I had with someone in the 2nd grade and experiences from preschool (It is neat, don't get me wrong, but it can be a curse...I always remember the stupid, mean, petty, or embarrassing things I said or did to people). Tonight as I was trying to drift off into dreamland, I thought a lot about high school and the reasons why I loved and hated it. One topic got stuck in my mind--people who think they are superior to others.

What makes someone think that they are better than someone else? I'm sure it has happened to everyone at some point and on both ends--everyone has felt like they are better than some other person, and everyone has felt inferior to another. I'm guilty of it. I can recall a lot of times where I genuinely thought I was a better person than somebody else. I can also remember so many horrible times when I felt inferior to someone else.

In Pride & Prejudice, my favorite book, there is a line during a conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Darcy says "Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride-where there is real superiority of mind-pride will always be under good regulation." This line always kind of bothered me. What is a "REAL" superiority of mind? Don't most people think they are superior because of pride?

I honestly think it all comes down to intolerance. People in this world are so willing to judge others because they don't look or act the same or because they believe something different. Look at all of the religious intolerance on this Earth. There are still people suffering from religious persecution in countries all over the world. I see so much judgement here in my glorious little state of Utah. I am LDS and proud to be. And I have been blessed with very tolerant and non-judgemental parents. My best friend in elementary school was not a member, and that didn't matter to us. But I had so many friends who couldn't play with others because they weren't members. It goes on the other end too...how many members out there have been judged because they are LDS? There have been times in college where I have felt judged by someone who wasn't of my same faith just because I am LDS.

On a daily basis, I feel like I am looked down upon by people because of my weight. I am not a size 2. I am proud to say that I am a 14. I'm not ashamed of it. And neither should the majority of the women in America because they are the "Average Size". I don't look my nose down on girls who are skinny...why do they think they can look down on me for not being skinny?

I think the majority of the problems in this world are caused by intolerance. Think of how much happier the whole world would be if we all just joined hands, sang Kumbaya, and drank hot chocolate together. Sounds good to me...

Best news of my LIFE!

2009-12-16T08:12:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was SUCH a great day! Not only did I get my hair done (I haven't had it done since FEBRUARY...my hair was hating me), but I found out that I will be going back to school in January!
These last couple of months have been so so so hard on me. I couldn't understand why no one could help me...not the government, the school, or any loan place. Finally, on Thursday, I talked to someone in the Financial Aid office who actually knew what they were talking about. I was still a little upset because, had I talked to her one of the other thousand times I had called, I could have been in school this past semester. But it is over and done with, and this lady is a miracle worker! I didn't get financial aid, but I did get a loan. And as much as I hate to go into more debt to go to school, I will do whatever I need to do to get back.
I really am so grateful that things have worked out the way that I wanted them to. After so many prayers, and begging and pleading, I finally feel HAPPY. I am so excited to be back in Logan.
Look out USU...Chelsee is BACK!

Home-made Dresses and Christmas Sweaters

2009-12-13T18:17:00.005-07:00

I love the Holidays. It is my favorite time of the whole entire year. I love the music, the treats, the decorations, and the way it just makes me feel.
This year, we had a little family Christmas party. There were only about 33 people in our little tiny house. No big deal, right? Makes things cozy. There was good food, good treats, and great company. We had a little white elephant gift exchange, complete with a Dollar Store pregnancy test and another feminine hygiene product. Ha ha. My family is best. We are loud and sometimes obnoxious, but always fabulous!
Here are a few highlights...

Caitlin and I went to the DI to find some sweet holiday outfits. She found this treasure. If she would have been able to sit down in it, I would have made her get it.

PHOTO BOMB. Ben decided to ruin our picture. But it is ok because Caitlin was ruining it with that face anyway.

Look how cute we are with our fun Christmas sweaters!

My little Maser. He makes me so happy.

We finally got a good picture of the 2 of us...sometimes he takes after me and makes ugly faces.

This was a wild game of Phase 10. I totally rocked it. That's a lie...I was stuck on the same 2 phases for about 8 hands. Awesome.

Also, one of my best friends from Utah State got married yesterday. I am so happy for Sarah and Danny. They are so fabulous and perfect for each other. And now I am pretty sure that I am close to the last single girl on the planet. Ok...maybe that was a little dramatic. But I am dwindling in single friends.

Merry Christmas to all of my dear friends and family! I hope yours is fabulous and I hope Santa brings you EVERYTHING you want!

SWEET VICTORY!

2009-12-03T08:26:00.004-07:00

Hail the Utah Aggies!

We'll play the game with all our might!

See the flying colors,

The Aggie Blue and Fighting White!

How they stir us onward,

We'll win the VICTORY alright!

Hail the Utah Aggies!

We're out to win so FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!

UTAH STATE HEY!

AGGIES ALL THE WAY!

GO AGGIES! GO AGGIES!

HEY! HEY! HEY!

I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love LOVE that Utah State beat BYU last night! It makes my heart melt with joy! It really just tickles me. I wish that I had been able to go to the game, but from what I hear, a bunch of my friends didn't even get in. I love that Aggie fans are so united...the entire crowd in sync with every cheer is FANTASTIC! I love that Stew is our coach....I definitely think he is one of the BEST coaches in college basketball. I love that, even though BYU thinks they are invincable, they are NOT.

I love EVERYTHING about Utah State Basketball.

REMATCH!!!

2009-12-02T08:50:00.003-07:00

Tonight, Utah State plays BYU in basketball. I don't know about everyone else, but this is a HUGE game for me. Last year, BYU was too chicken to come play in the Spectrum, and made Utah State play at Energy Solutions Arena. We ended up losing by 5...and it SUCKED! This year, Dave Rose decided to grow a pair and try his luck out at the Spectrum. Anyone who has been to an Aggie basketball game knows how hard it is for any team to beat the Ags in the Spectrum. I am hoping that my Aggies will KILL the Cougars.
I know this rivalry is nothing compared to the BYU-UTAH football game, but this is a big deal to Utah State fans. And speaking of USU fans...we are loud and fabulous!
I am so sad that I will not be attending the game tonight...it was a very hard decision for me to make. My little sister also has a game tonight. And I don't really enjoy driving through the canyon in the dark by myself (ok...so not really enjoying it is an understatement. I hate it). But you can better believe that I will be cheering on my Ags tonight!
I even wore my favorite shirt today, in honor of this game...
"YBU? Win or lose you STILL live in PROVO! 'NUFF SAID!!!!"
GO AGGIES!

Slacker.

2009-12-02T08:21:00.004-07:00

With the holiday last week, I didn't blog. I didn't even think about blogging. I know all of you are DYING to get to the next letter of my FABULOUS uncommon uses for common household products. So we'll get right to it.

H
HAIR DRYER:
*Clean silk flowers--your feather duster doesn't seem to make a dent in the dust accumulating on your favorite floral arrangement. Try using your hair dryer on the lowest setting to blow the dust off your silk or dried flowers.
*Soothe the itching under a cast--got a cast? Can't scratch? Don't despair-just shake some baby powder inside the opening of your cast and blow it in with a hair dryer. Just be sure to use the cool setting. (I sure wish I had known this when I broke my arm in the 4th grade and I was in a cast for 2 months)
HAIR SPRAY:
*Remove ink stains from clothing--your favorite ink pen leaked all over your favorite skirt. You may have to buy a new pen, but the skirt can be saved with an old remedy for ink spots. Just spray hair spray in the stained area, blot until the stain comes up, and wash as usual.
*Keep that zipper up--got a zipper that's always sneaking down? Spray it. That's right. Cover the rest of the garment so it doesn't get ruined and spray hair spray onto your zipper. Let it dry and no more worries. For this to work, make sure your hair spray contains lacquer.
HANGERS:
*Remove static cling from clothing or hair--static can make your hair stand on end and make your skirt embarrassingly clingy. One simple solution is to run a wire coat hanger over your hair or skirt, or between your skirt and slip. The static electricity will transfer from you to the wire, and you should be static free.

I
ICE CUBE TRAYS:
*Handy frozen veggies--if you've got extra onions, celery, peppers, or other seasoning vegetables, go ahead and chop them up. Place a couple of tablespoons into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill with water and freeze. Put the frozen cubes into labeled freezer bags. Next time your favorite hot recipes call for veggies, you're ready to go.
ICE CUBES:
*Remove fat from soup--you're on a diet, and you're trying hard to eat low-fat. Try sliding a few ice cubes into your soups and stews to remove excess fat. The fat will congeal around the cubes as they melt, and you can fish it all out with a spoon. Reheat, and you have an ultra-low-fat dish to enjoy.
*Fresh tasting rice the second time around--reheat leftover rice in the microwave with an ice cube on top. The added moisture will really perk up the taste.
INNER TUBES:
*Let slipping rugs lie--does your area rug slide around on your hardwood floor? Put the brakes on it by stitching a few patches of old inner tubing to the underside.
IRON:
*Hot tip for repairing furniture--if you've got a dent in your wood furniture, don't despair. As long as no wood fibers have been broken-you'll have to look at the damage carefully to determine this-you can literally iron the dent out. Grab a damp cloth and place it over the dent. Set your iron on medium, and hold it on the cloth. When the cloth has dried, re-dampen it, and apply the iron again. Repeat this until the dent is lifted.

(Just a side note--I definitely do not come up with this wording on my own. It is straight out of the book. And speaking of, it is time I gave credit where credit is due. This glorious book is called "Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products" and was written by the editors of FC&A. This particular copy was printed in 2002 by Frank W. Cawood and Associates, Inc. I also, for a brief second, thought about formatting this citation like I would on a works cited page, but quickly changed my mind...correct citation is not a strong point of mine.)

I'm running out of clever titles for these...

2009-11-18T12:16:00.006-07:00

Since I have started the habit of just blogging once a week (I need to leave something to do while I sit and do nothing at work...), I will once again do 2 LETTERS today! Wow...I am so nice to you guys.

F
FABRIC SOFTENER:
*Remove baked-on foods--if you're left with a baked-on mess to clean up, don't despair. Put a fabric softener sheet in the offensive pan, fill it with water, and let it sit overnight. The next morning, cleanup should be a breeze.
*Shocking solution to static electricity--if winter time means you're constantly generating static electricity in you carpet, try this easy solution. Mix one part fabric softener with five parts water into a spray bottle. Spritz your carpet and no more shocks. Your carpet should stay cleaners as well.
(Dryer sheets also repel mosquitoes. My grandpa would swear by it. At our annual family reunions, he always brought a box with him and handed them out to everyone. He was a champ)
FILM CANISTERS:
*Never be locked out again--put a house key in a film canister and bury it in your garden. It's safe there than under the welcome mat.
FLOUR:
*Track your fertilizer--when fertilizing your lawn, if you mix a little flour in with the dry fertilizer, you'll be able to see exactly where you've spread it and identify any areas you missed. Use this tip when you're planting seeds, too, and you'll never overseed one particular area.
FOOD COLORING:
*Test your toilet--you suspect a leak somewhere in your toilet,but you can't find it. To check if the leak is coming from the inside valves, dribble a few drops of food coloring into the tank. Now don't flush, just wait it out. If the coloring comes into the bowl without your flushing, you've found your leak.
FURNITURE POLISH:
*Help shower doors stay cleaner--spraying your glass shower doors with furniture polish or lemon oil will help keep them clean longer.

G
GARDEN HOSE:
*Make buckets easier on your hands--if you've ever had to carry a heavy bucket with a wire handle, you know it can really dig into your fingers. Next time, make it a little more comfortable with a piece of old garden hose. Just cut a short piece, slit it, and slip it over the handle of the bucket. You'll have a little cushion and a lot more comfortable grip.
GARLIC:
*Repair a cracked vase--if you've got a hairline crack in your favorite vase, take a clove of garlic and rub it along the inside. Let it dry. The crack should be sealed.
*Wage war on weevils--place a few cloves o garlic in with your dried beans and grains, and you'll never seen another weevil again.
GLASS CONTAINERS:
*Resize a vase--you've chosen the vase that has the look you want, but it's too large for your bouquet. No need to look for another container. Just put a slender olive jar inside the vase. It won't be noticed, even in a clear vase. And the flowers inside will stand up instead of flopping over the sides.
GLOVES:
*Give pet hair the brushoff--pet hair on the furniture can be a mess and an embarrassment. An easy way to get rid of it is to put on a rubber glove and rub your hand over the upholstery. You'll find the pet hair rolled up into an easily removable ball.
(WATCH OUT! Don't wear rubber gloves when you polish your silverware or use rubber bands to hold pieces of it together because rubber will darken silver.)
GLUE:
*Tighten a screw hole--holes sometimes get too large to hold in a screw. Here's the solution. Soak a cotton ball in ordinary white glue, stuff it into the hole, and let it dry for 24 hours. Then try your screw.
GLYCERIN:
*Wash away oily fabric stains--glycerin is a grease cutter that can usually be found with laundry products at the supermarket. It works well to remove oily stains on most washable fabrics except acetate, triacetate, and rayon. Make a solution of one tablespoon each of glycerin and liquid dishwashing detergent ad eight tablespoons of water. Shake these together in a squeeze bottle, then apply directly to the stain. Let it work for several minutes before rinsing.

2 for the price of 1!

2009-11-12T10:00:00.002-07:00

Since I have been slow on getting these out, I will do 2 LETTERS today! You lucky dogs! So...here are D and E.

D
DENTAL FLOSS:
*Easy way to layer a cake--want to make a fancy, multi-layer torte? Allow your cake to cool and remove it from the pan. Take a length of dental floss and gently saw your cake into the number of layers you need. You can use this technique to slice cakes and cheesecakes into perfect, no-mess slices, as well.
*Stitch a strong hold--heavy buttons won't come off coats as easily if you sew them on with dental floss. If you need a color to match the fabric, a colored marker should do the trick. The strength of dental floss is also a plus for repairing things made from heavy-duty fabrics, like tents, duffel bags, and convertible tops.
DENTURE TABLETS:
*Bubble away toilet stains--if you've got stubborn stains in your toilet bowl, try dropping in a few denture cleaning tablets. Let it soak for awhile, scrub the bowl clean, and flush those stains away.
DETERGENT:
(If you think detergent and soap are the same thing, think again. While they may perform similar tasks, they are chemicall different. Soap is made from fats or oils and alkali, but detergents contain surfactants and builders. Surfactants dissolve dirt, and builders softenwater so the surfactants can do their job better. That's why detergents work better in hard water than soaps do.)
*Protect electric cords--rub down your electrical and extension cords with liquid laundry detergent to keep curious pets from munching on the cords and shocking themselves.
DISHWASHER:
*There really isn't anything that fantastic about dishwashers in here. It basically just says you can wash your car wheel covers, kitchen sponges, dish drainer, greasy filters, and dustpan and brush.

E
EGG CARTONS:
*Store Christmas decorations safely--when it's time to take the tree down, don't just toss your Christmas lights into any old box. Place the bulbs inside an old egg carton, and wind the cords around the outside. Next year, no breaks, no tangles.
EGG SHELLS:
*Clean stains off glassware--do you have stains on your glassware or even your china? Try soaking them in a solution of vinegar and eggshells. They should come out squeaky clean.
EMERY BOARDS:
*Rough up slippery soles--if a new pair of hard-soled shoes has you slipping and sliding, give them a few scrapes along the bottom with an emery board or nail file.
ERASERS:
*Give glass a glistening glimmer (great alliteration) --use a blackboard eraser to make all kinds of glass surfaces shine. You can clear a fogged-up mirror or wipe a car windshield clean as a whistle.

If anyone has tried any of these handy hints, let me know how they work out!

Thank You

2009-11-11T07:55:00.008-07:00

IN HONOR OF THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO GIVE THEIR LIFE FOR MY FREEDOM AND TO THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO PROTECT ME AND THIS COUNTRY THAT I LOVE.

On this Veteran's Day, I would like to thank all of the brave men and women who are fighting to protect me and the great United States of America.

When I was younger, I never really understood the importance of Veteran's Day. When I was younger, it was just another one of "those" holidays. Now that I am a little older (and wiser, I might add), I truly understand and appreciate the sacrifice that these people had to make.

My brother has been in the National Guard now for a year and a half. About a month ago, he got his orders and will be deployed in March to Afghanistan for a year. I am so proud to have a brother that is willing to risk his life to protect me and my fellow Americans.

I feel so blessed to live in this beloved country. Sometimes I think we all take our freedom for granted. We have so many wonderful luxeries that most people feel they are entitled too, or feel that it is their "right" to have. I spent the entire summer without a job and without any money, and yet, I still had clothes to wear and food to eat. I whine about not being back in school this semester, but kids all around the world don't even have basic education.

I am PROUD to be an AMERICAN. And I am GRATEFUL for these SOLDIERS who FIGHT for my FREEDOM.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Next comes C

2009-11-04T10:50:00.004-07:00

I have been slacking on my blogging of awesome uses for common household products. I know you have all been patiently waiting for the C's. So here we go...

CANDLES:
*Help drawers slide smoothly--if you have a desk or chest with drawers that stick, remove them and rub the runners with a candle. Slip the drawers back in place, and they should move smoothly in their tracks.
CARDBOARD TUBES:
*Save that artwork for posterity--if you have children, yo know that each drawing they bring home is precious. But pretty soon you can be up to your neck in finger paintings. For easy, safe storage, save all your empty paper towel and wrapping paper tubes and roll the artwork up inside. Stick a label on the outside with the child's name and date. These tubes are much easier to toss into storage, and you don't have to worry about ruining those little treasures.
CARPET REMNANTS:
*Be prepared for winter emergencies--stock your trunk with a few pieces of old carpet in case you get stuck in the ice or snow. They'll slip under your tires to provide extra traction.
CAT LITTER:
*Keep your garbage can fresh--nothing smells as bad as garbage, right? Think again. A cat's litter box might be worse, and if not, it runs a close second. If commercial products can keep litter boxes from smelling bad, they should be able to keep your garbage positively fragrant. Just sprinkle some in the bottom of the can, and change it occasionally.
CHALK:
*Prevent silver from tarnishing--you love using you grandmother's good silver when company comes but hate having to polish it after every use. Try putting a piece of chalk in the drawer with the silver. The chalk will absorb moisture and slow down the tarnish. Put some in your jewelry box, and your jewelry won't tarnish as quickly, either.
CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES:
*Stamp out stumps--save money when you have a large tree cut down. Instead of paying extra to have the stump ground out, you can get rid of it gradually yourself. Each time you cook on the charcoal grill, when you finish the steaks and burgers, put the remaining live coals in the center of the stump surface. Each time it will burn a little deeper until finally the stump will disappear.
CLOTH SCRAPS:
*Feed your plants from afar--going away for a few days? Keep your houseplants watered with this handy trick. Line the bottom of your tub with several thick layers of old towels, then soak them well with water. Put your houseplants in on top of them, and they'll have water when they need it.
CLOTHESPINS:
*Use all your toothpaste--it's frustrating to throw away a tube of toothpaste when you know there's more inside. A clothespin can help hold the back of the tube flat as you use up what's left in the front of the tube.
COFFEE:
(I don't drink coffee, but I think that some of these are good ideas)
*Restore faded cottons--if black, cotton garments are looking brownish and dull, add two cups of strong Maxwell House coffee to the rinse water when doing laundry. They'll turn dark again.
*Highlight dark hair--add some highlights to brown or red hair with black coffee. After shampooing, just douse your head with cold, black coffee, then rinse with water.
COFFEE CANS:
*Keep toilet paper dry--when you're camping out there "in the rough," one luxury you don't want to be without is dry toilet paper. And empty coffee can makes a perfect waterproof travel container for this precious commodity.
COFFEE FILTERS:
*Keep the flavor, lose the fat--if you've got delicious beef or poultry broth to use for soups or gravies, don't worry about the fat. Simply strain it through a paper coffee filter, and you're left with flavorful, fat-free broth.
COINS:
*Buy extra time for your posies--keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a copper penny and a cube of sugar to the vase of water.
COOKING OIL:
*Pet food supplement--if you add a little Crisco to your pet's food every day, it will help his coat become shiny and lustrous. If you have a cat, it will also help prevent hair balls.
*Keep the crows away--fight crow's feet with olive oil. Just dab a couple of drops around your eyes each night before bed.
CORK:
*Keep your keys afloat--whenever you go boating or swimming, attach your keys to a cork. Then if they fall overboard, they'll float and you can easily retrieve them.
CORNSTARCH:
*Handy dry shampoo--when you go camping, does it drive you crazy not to wash your hair for several days? Take along a box of cornstarch, and you can at lest give yourself a dry shampoo. Just work it into your hair and brush out.
(It works. I don't like to wash my hair every day, but if I don't, I can't wear it down two days in a row. The cornstarch helps. In fact...I used it this morning.)
CORRECTION FLUID:
*Make scuff marks disappear--you are all dressed to go out when you notice a dark mark on your white shoe. With a dab of correction fluid (also known as white-out), you can perform a neat emergency touch-up.
CRAYONS:
*Cover bleach spots--you can recolor spots on fabric that got splashed with bleach. Choose a crayon that matches the color. Heat the area to be repaired by ironing it. Color in the spot white it's warm. Then cover with waxed paper, and iron again to set the color.
CUCUMBERS:
*Repel mosquitoes--for a natural mosquito repellent, try this trick. Peel and puree a cucumber. Strain the liquid into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Before you go outside, rub your face and hands with the ice cube. Mosquitoes will stay away.

I'll try not to make another week before I post the D's...

B is for...

2009-10-25T18:28:00.003-06:00

I know that you have all been waiting for this next one...so on to the B's!

BABY POWDER:
*Silence squeaky floors--if a certain spot on your hardwood floor sings to you every time you step on it, dust the area with a little talcum powder. Sweep back and forth until the powder has settled down into the cracks. (Makes sneaking out a lot easier!)
*Polish scratches off glasses--if your eyeglasses have tiny scratches on them, don't toss them out. Make a paste of talcum powder and water. Rub this gently onto the lenses and wipe it off. You'll be seeing things in a whol new light!
BABY WIPES:
*Remove mildew from books--to remove mildew from books, wipe the covers with baby wipes and apply powdered sulfer to the pages.
BAKEWARE:
*Bake potatoes--potatoes will bake more quickly and evenly if you stand them on end in muffin pans. Stuffed green peppers, apples, and tomatoes also bake better in muffin pans.
BAKING SODA:
*Drain cleaner--here's the recipe for an all-natural drain opener. Mix together one cup baking soda, one cup salt, and a half cup of white vinegar. Pour this down the clogged drain, wait 15 to 20 minutes, then pour a big pot of boiling water down the drain. A word of caution- don't use this method if you've already tried a commercial drain opener that is still standing in the drain.
*Ease acid indegestion--baking soda helps neutralize stomach acid, which can cause indegestion and heart burn. For quick relief, drink a half a glass of water mixed with a half teaspoon of baking soda.
BALLOONS:
*Practice clean and safe hunting--nothing is more dangerous than a dirty gun. To keep debris and foreign matter from getting into your gun barrel, slip a balloon over the end.
BANANAS:
*Shine your shoes--banana peels can make your shoes shiny. Just rub your leather shoes with the inside of the peeling, then buff with a soft cloth.
PS...contrary to popular belief, you should store bananas in the refrigerator. Although the peels will turn dark, the fruit will stay fresh and firm longer.
BASTING SYRINGE:
*Clean up spilled egg--if you drop an eff on your floor or counter, us a basting syringe to quickly such up most of the slimy egg, and just wipe the rest away.
BEDSHEETS:
*Scare deer away from your gardens--want to keep deer out of your garden without hurting them? Run a string around the perimeter, about three or four feet off the ground. Cut strips from a white sheet and tie them along the string every few feet. A flash of a white tail is a warning signal to deer. The white strips, hung about tail height, should frighten them away from your peas and corn.
BELTS:
*Make a temporary hinge--you can fix a broken hinge temporarily by nailing a short piece of a leather belt to the door and door frame.
BERRY BASKETS:
*Use as a colander--berry baskets make great colanders for draining small amounts of pasta or washing fruits and vegetables.
BLEACH:
*Save your garbage from marauders--are dogs constantly exploring your garbage and strewing it from one end of the neighborhood to the other? Sprinkle a bit or chlorine bleach inside the bag before you close it, and your canine friends will turn thier discriminating noses upat the smell.
BOBBY PINS:
*Protect your fingers from an angry hammer--don't try to hold a small nail with your fingers because your fingers are what you'll end up hammering. Instead, grip the nail between the prongs of a bobby pin.
BREAD:
*Wipe away lipstick stains--ue a slice of white bread to remove lipstick stains from fabric.
BUTTER:
*Keep your pasta in the pot--to prevent boiling pasta from boiling over, drop a lump of butter in the water before heating. The extra oil will help keep your pasta from sticking together, too.

Stay tuned for our next adventure...the C's!

Best Book EVER.

2009-10-22T13:53:00.004-06:00

Ok...so I am already bored with that A-Z blogging idea that I had. Forget that. I have found something even better!
When my Grandpa passed away, we had to go through everything in the house. I found this book called "Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products"...basically the name says it all. My mom told my I was stupid for taking it home...psssh, what does she know. It is the best book I have ever read! There are literally HUNDREDS of things to do with all of these products that you already have at your house...it blows my mind! There are 128 items, plus a completely seperate section called "Uncommonly Good Ideas to Make Your Life Easier", not to mention fun little tid-bits of totally random facts about everything.
This book blows my mind (yes, I am aware how totally nerdy I sound right now). So, instead of doing the A-Z blogging, I have decided to share some of these awesome facts that I didn't know could be done with cooking oil, garlic, ice cubes, peanut butter, spices, yogurt, and 122 other things! I'll probably do a letter each time I blog, and one or two things from every item within that letter. Unless there is nothing cool for that product.
Hopefully, something I post could maybe help you one day! I'm going to be such a good little wifey one day...

Let's start with the A's...
ALUMINUM FOIL:
*Sharpen dull scissors--layer several thicknesses of aluminum foil and cut through them a few times times with your dulls scissors. They'll come out nice and sharp.
*Twice the heat for half the effort--iron your clothes from both sides and cutyour ironing time in half. Simply slip a piece of aluminum foil between your ironing board and your cover. The foil will absorb the heat from your iron and reflect it up into your clothes.
AMMONIA:
*Remove stains from washable fabrics--ammonia will help remove nonoily stains- like those from blood, milk, perspiration and urine-from most washable fabrics. Make a mixture of equal parts ammonia, dishwashing liquid, and water. Shake it together in a plastic squeeze bottle. Apply it directly to the stain, let it stand for a few minutes, then rinse. This should not be used on acetate, acrylic, silk, spandex, or wool. For fragile fabrics, do not apply ammonia directly. Instead, hold the stain over the mouth of an open bottle of ammonia, and let the fumes permeate it. Then gently wash.
APPLES:
*Clean aluminum cookware--dull pots and pans will become bright again when you cook apples, rhubarb, or lemons in them.
ASHES:
*Cut the glare--if you don't mind looking like a football player, you can reduce the glare while driving or working in your yard. Moisten your finger with oil, dip it in ash from your fireplace, and draw dark half-circles under your eyes. (Please, please someone do this. Please)

A-Z Blogging...A is for ADRENALINE

2009-10-21T11:09:00.009-06:00

I like to blog, but I always have a problem finding things to blog about. So. I have decided to blog about something from every letter of the alphabet. I first thought about doing one a week...and then I realized it would take me 6 MONTHS to get through everything. Then I thought every day, and I'm not sure I have the motivation or dedication to that. So I am now thinking every other day...or whenever I get around to doing it.

A...ADRENALINE.

I know a lot of people who are adrenaline junkies...they will do anything for a thrill. I am the complete opposite. Don't get me wrong, I like the feeling that I get in the pit of my stomach when I go on a roller coaster, but that is about it. I am so afraid of heights, that I get that feeling when I am on the top floor of the mall.

Some people will even break the rules or the law to get that thrill. I have always always always been a rule follower...I HATE to get in trouble or even have the potential of getting in trouble. In high school, I never sluffed a class (except mayebe seminary). If I didn't want to go, I would call one of my parents and get permission. Or I got permission from my teacher.

I know that a lot of people think of me as a goody-goody...you know what I have to say? GOOD! I like being known as the one who is responsible and reliable, someone you can count on whenever you need a friend or a helping hand. I like knowing that if something sketchy happens, people won't suspect me because they know I am not one to do something like that.

So, for now, I will stick to roller coasters and walking close to the railing on the second floor of the mall.

Out of Retirement!!

2009-10-15T10:28:00.003-06:00

My soul mate, Garth Brooks is coming out of retirement! I love Garth. He is old, but I would marry him in a heartbeat...watch out Trisha Yearwood!

Garth is doing an extended show at The Wynn Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. I swear, before the show ends, I will go to at least one concert.

Welcome back Garth, my love.

Farewell to my Grandpa

2009-10-12T17:15:00.016-06:00

David J. Hirschi (May 28, 1925 - October 5, 2009)
David Junior Hirschi, 84, passed away October 5, 2009 at his home in Salem Idaho of natural causes. David was born in Salem, Idaho, May 28, 1925 to David Hirschi Jr. and Hedwig Aldehoff Hirschi, the last of four children and the only boy in a family of girls. He was a big baby weighing 13 lbs. and twenty-two inches long. Although he was a big baby he was always the smallest boy in his class. He attended school in Kilgore, Spencer and attended his last year of high school in Blackfoot, where he stayed with his Uncle Abe James. It was during his last year in high school that Pearl Harbor was bombed.
He met his sweetheart of 60 years on a blind date. It was love at first sight. He married Virgene Berrett on June 26, 1946 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple after a two year courtship.
David was drafted into the army in May of 1945, he took his training at Camp Roberts California and was in the Ninth Service Command which was a guard & escort company and he spent his time guarding army prisoners.
He was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a Branch President, Counselor in the Elder’s Quorum, Young Men President, High Priest Group Leader, 1st Counselor in the Bishopric and many other callings. He and Virgene officiated in the Idaho Falls LDS temple for seven years plus two more years after his wife was released for health reasons.
David and Virgene served a mission to the Dallas Fort Worth mission where they made many wonderful friends.
He worked for Ricks College for 24 years as a custodian. He worked at the Livestock Auction on Tuesdays for many years and was known for his ability to get hard tasks done in a most efficient way. He was a great horseman and in April of 2005 was inducted into the Eastern Idaho Horseman’s Hall of Fame.
He was an avid outdoorsman, hunter and fisherman. He farmed and ranched in the Kilgore and Salem areas and he could repair most anything. He loved his family.
He is survived by his seven children; Marné (Clark) Tucker of Roosevelt, UT, JoLynn (Brian) Davis of Salem, ID, RaeAnn (Roger) Hall of Idaho Falls, ID, Michele, (Bryon) Smith of Logan, UT, Michael (Barbara) Hirschi, Bill (Denese) Hirschi of Salem and Cindy (Jeff) Nelson of Riverton, UT, as well as 27 grandchildren & 50 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, three sisters, a grandson, and one great grandson.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 10, at the Salem LDS Chapel. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg, and again at the church from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be in the Kilgore Cemetery.

Last monday, my dear sweet Grandpa passed away. He was the best man I have ever known and one of my very favorite people on this earth. It has been a really hard week for me. But I know that he is happy now. He is spending his time with my Grandma and Ty and the rest of his family that has passed on.

I am so proud to have known and been loved by this man. Anyone who had the pleasure to know him was blessed by his presence and spirit. My grandma and grandpa were two of my very favorite people and the best of anyone I have ever met. This is a painting of my Grandpa that hung in their house for years. This captures everything that my Grandpa was. His love for cowboying, his softness, his spirit. I love love love this painting.

The main flower piece was on my Grandpa's saddle. He loved horses almost as much as he loved his family. He used to break horses for anyone. In 2005, he was inducted into Idaho's Horseman's Hall of Fame. It was the perfect award for him.
This is 23 of my grandparents 27 grandkids. 3 lived in Florida and couldn't afford to come out, and one passed away in 2003, but he was proudly represented by Cece. It has been a long, long time since this many of us have been together.
This is my very favorite picture of my grandparents ever. They were in Yellowstone right after they got engaged with my grandma's sister Louise and her fiance Harold. The 4 of them had a double wedding on June 26, 1946. My grandparents became more and more in love every single day. When my grandma got sick, my grandpa cared for her every day, and put aside his wants and needs. I only hope that my marriage can be like theirs was for 60 years.

This is the grandma and grandpa I remember. And I feel a little twinge in my heart every time I see it. When I think of how they will look when I see them again, this is it.

I love my grandparents so much. And while I am so so sad that my grandpa is gone, it is a bittersweet feeling. I know how happy he is with my grandma. And I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have because I KNOW that I will see them again. And I cannot wait for that glorious day. I also want to tell all of my family members how much I love them, and I hope it won't take another funeral for us to get together again.

Do What You Don't Want To Do

2009-10-01T18:16:00.003-06:00

Last night, I went to dinner with some of my really close friends from freshman year at Utah State. It was so much fun and very theraputic for me. It was a chance for me to talk about everything in my life to people who didn't know what was going on and who were unbiased about everything.
One of the girls has had a super hard couple of years, and an especially hard 2009. She gave me some advice on how she is living her life now, and that I am hoping to incorporate into my life now. DO WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO. Simple as that. Just do those things that you don't want to do.
There are a lot of things in my life that I don't want to do. And a lot a lot of things that I want to do, but am too embarrassed or shy or something to actually do them. So, I have vowed that I am going to start doing those things that I dont want to do. Here are a few of those things...
1) Go to a singles ward. I really really HATE singles wards. Especially the ones by where I live. Basically the people from high school that I want to talk to and want to see, I do. Plus, I don't like having a calling, so I have a habit of jumping from ward to ward every Sunday. Starting next Sunday (since this Sunday is Conference), I am going to go to a ward and stick to it.
2) Work out. I hate working out. I can never find the motivation to do. I like the way that I feel after I have a really good work out, but I just hate doing it. But, I need to get healthier so I am going to do.
3) Make new friends. Not being in Logan and around all the thousands of college kids, it is hard for me to meet new people. And I work at a middle school, so I am not meeting anyone there. But at home, most of my friends that I know here are married or moved away to school, so there is a major need for me to meet new people to hang out with. I'm tired of being such a home body.
4) Find myself a husband. Or boyfriend. You may think this is a joke, but I am serious. And I have had a lot of people tell me "Stop looking and stop wishing and stop waiting for it to happen, and it will happen." That is a load of crap, if you ask me. I'm hoping that if I do #1 on this list, #s 3 and 4 will happen too.
5) Stop feeling sorry for myself. I get so caught up in the negative in my life, and I wallow. And that seems to make me feel better for a little while. No more wallowing. It is going to be hard, but I am going to do it.
6) Don't get annoyed with my brother as much as I do. My brother, who I love dearly, is one of those people who just knows how to push every single button I have. And he bothers the crap out of me. I'm going to work on not letting his little quirks bug me.
7) Become a True Aggie. I have a huge fear of public embarrassment. I am terrified of standing up on that A and waiting to see if someone I don't know will come up and kiss me. But it is one of the those rites-of-passages that only Utah State Aggies get, and I am going to do it before I graduate.
The list is longer. There are a lot of things that I don't want to do on a daily basis, but that I am going to start doing now.
I think it is going to be hard for me to break out of my shell and actually do those things that I really just don't want to do, and it is going to take a lot of coaxing myself into doing them. But, I think this will really help me out a lot.
DO WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO.

Obsession?

2009-09-22T13:46:00.005-06:00

I love TV. A lot. Some may call it an obsession. Which it might be. But I really really love TV. Primetime hours in the fall make me happy. Thank goodness for TiVo.
Here are a list of shows that are on this season that I love...
Sunday:
-Amazing Race
-Cold Case
Monday:
-How I Met Your Mother
-Accidentally on Purpose (it's new...and rather hilarious)
-Two and a Half Men (I could take it or leave it...but it is one in between my other shows)
-The Big Bang Theory...LOVE
-House
Tuesday:
Oddly, there is nothing on Tuesday that I really care about.
Wednesday:
-America's Next Top Model
-So You Think You Can Dance
-Glee
-Criminal Minds
-CSI: NY
Thursday:
-Survivor
-Bones
-CSI
-Grey's Anatomy...still my favorite show ever
-Private Practice (just not quite as good as Grey's...)
-___________ (This is the spot that is left blank in my heart by the ending of ER...farewell my friend)
Friday and Saturday:
Who really watches TV on the weekends? =)

I think the reason I love TV so much is because my life is SO DANG BORING. It is nice to live in a fantasty world for a while.
Judge me if you will.

Scratch that...

2009-09-16T17:29:00.002-06:00

Hello Kitty and I have hit a speed bump. Or rather...a mountain. I am so raged right now. I got that second job at my mom's school. Super great. Fixed schedule. Fantastic. All I would need off at Sanrio would be Wednesday, Thursday, and every other Friday. I would still be able to work Saturdays and the holidays! But apparently that isn't good enough.
My totally AWESOME (or not) manager said that it wasn't going to work, because when I interviewed, I was able to work any day at any time. And since that has changed and I won't be available at her beckon call, things just aren't going to work. Why would she work around everyone else's schedules but mine? Why is she so opposed to me having a second job when she has one herself? As the STORE MANAGER, she works 20 hours a week max. She lets a 17 year old high school student RUN the store. Awesome.
To be honest, I didn't want to be working there anyway. But, I needed the money. And I was still available the most important times! But the way the whole situation was handled really chaps my hide. She was not very nice about. At least now, I won't have to worry about taking time off during the holidays when I want to go out of town for weddings and such.
Here is what I have to say...TO HELL WITH HELLO KITTY! Good riddance.

Doubel the C, Double the S, and you will always have SUCCESS.

2009-09-14T14:52:00.002-06:00

Ha ha I learned that on an episode of Full House.
So...I finally got a JOB! Actually, I got 2 jobs! After searching and searching, they just kind of fell into my lap. Which is AWESOME.
My first one...well, I don't really want to talk about. I am working at a store in the mall called Sanrio. Most of you probably know it as the Hello Kitty store. Not my proudest moment. But. They give me good hours...I will basically be working like 1-5 only. Or hours close to that. But I will never be opening or closing, which is fantastic. I do, unfortunately, have to put up with bratty little kids who ruin my cleanly placed displays all day long. Ugh.
My second job is a Mobile Lab Assistant at Elk Ridge Middle School. Thank goodness to my mom who works there and put in a good word for me! Basically, I will be taking around laptops to different classes and helping all of those annoying middle schoolers with Word programs. It should be pretty good, I think.
Finally things are looking up for me! I am glad to have something to fill my time besides rerun marathons of America's Next Top Model and solitaire.

Oh...and thanks to all for the birthday wishes! I had a pretty good day. It was pretty uneventful, but good. I was supposed to go to Disneyland for the day, and it just didn't work out. So that night, my BFF Brittany took me to dinner and a movie. Then on Saturday, my mom took me shopping for clothes. And then last night, we had cake and ice cream and stuff. So, it was good.

Today is the day!

2009-09-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!! That's right...I just wished myself a Happy Birthday. And I don't feel bad about it. =)

Love...part 2.

2009-09-05T12:28:00.003-06:00

Lately, I have been focusing on all the crappy things going wrong in my life and HATING THE WORLD. So. I have decided to remember all the things I love. Part 2.
*I love swimming.
*I love Imogen Heap...this is a new love.
*I love Dum-Dums...the suckers.
*I love making crafts.
*I love smelly candles.
*I love my UGG wannabe boots.
*I love putting old pictures in picture frames for the whole world to see.
*I love Lady Antebellum's new song "Need You Now".
*I love pens that write in colored ink.
*I love being outside.
*I love doing logic puzzles late at night.
*I love Logan (I have a new found appreciation for it).
*I love cheesy 80's movies.
*I love having my friends home from missions.
*I love the way my heart races at sports games.
*I love to sing.
*I love the 1962 movie "If a Man Answers"...every girl should watch it.
*I love Farmer's Markets...what treasures you can find!
*I love to ugly dance in the car.
*I love to bake treats.
*I love setting a goal and achieving it.
*I love that I sleep with a teddy bear and that I'm not ashamed to admit it.
*I love making lists (if you can't tell).
*I love my car...even though I said I would NEVER drive Ford Focus, Walter has treated me well.
*I love to edit papers.
*I love when Avery falls asleep in my arms.
*I love weddings. And wedding TV shows.
*I love America.
*I love the Holiday Season.
*I love TiVo...best invention ever.
*I love babysitting.
*I love having lazy days.
*I love listening to Christmas music whenever I have the urge...even in September.
*I love getting my hair done.
*I love to organize.
*I love the big red blanket my Grandma made just for me.
*I love chasing Mason around the house.
*I love thinking of all the possibilities for my future.
*I love to clean when I get mad.
*I love wearing comfy shoes.
*I love a good lotion.
*I love having a cleanly washed face.
*I love spending time with my mom and sisters.
*I love rugby.
*I love getting scared out of my wits in movies and haunted houses.
*I love dressing up.
*I love practical jokes.
*I love boys who sing and play the guitar.
*I love hand sanitizer.
*I love stargazing.
*I love to laugh.
*I love being right.
*I love coffee ice cream...it's my favorite indulgence.
*I love taking pictures.
*I love to cry.
*I love cheesy little trinkets.
*I love to push people's buttons.
*I love to daydream.
*I love Kilgore, Idaho.
*I love to play the piano.
*I love having shaved legs.

Craft Queen

2009-09-01T23:22:00.006-06:00

Or not. But I am trying to be more crafty. Since I am jobless and BORED ALL THE TIME, I am trying to get into doing more crafts and stuff to help occupy my time. My favorite thing at the moment is to make cards. I'm not all that great because I don't have all the fun things needed to make some freaking sweet cards. But I am having fun nonetheless.
And now I am in need of some more things to do. So. Any ideas? I know all you crafty/homemakey moms out there have some fun stuff to do. So pass along your infinite wisdom to this little, single, bored girl.
Oh...and try to make them cheap. Or free works too.
Much love.

Good Riddance!

2009-08-20T17:31:00.002-06:00

Summer is finally over. And all I have to say is THANK GOODNESS! I know that everyone else is so sad for summer to be over, but I think that it could not come soon enough. Since school got out in May, this season has been full of SO many ups and downs. And, unfortunately, lots more downs.

I found out Tuesday that there is a 98% chance that I will not be moving back to Logan until January. The news came as quite a blow...I have been an emotional wreck for 2 days. I honestly could not control my tears. I have been fighting all summer to be able to go back. First, the deal was, if I sold my housing contract at my old place, I could live somewhere cheaper. That was a task in and of itself. But I finally got it sold. And I was SO excited. I was going to be living by some good friends and it was going to be so great...I was planning on it being the best year I have had at Utah State. School was still up in the air...I was waiting on a lot of factors, but it turned out that I would not be going to school. I was OK with that...I would just work in Logan fall semester and start again in January. Well. Today I found out that my last 2% chance was gone and I will for sure not be moving tomorrow. It has been really really hard on me. My family is getting tired of me being depressed an crying.

So. My new attitude is POSITIVE THINKING. Everyone keeps telling me that there is a reason for what is happening. And I am going to try to see it from that point of view. My silver lining to this whole freaking crappy mess is that I will be able to watch Caitlin play volleyball this season. I rarely get to see her play, so I am excited to watch her during her senior year.

Hopefully, this fall brings some stability to my life. Everybody pray that I can find a job...

Groupie...my true calling in life.

2009-07-26T18:38:00.004-06:00

I knew that I chose the right place to intern at. Thanksgiving Point is great. Especially when they put on AWESOME concerts by bands that I LOVE! Last night was case and point. Secondhand Serenade came last night. And I love them. A lot.

Working for the venue has a LOT of perks. This includes:

-Free food.

-Free entrance.

-Driving the golf cart (not walking all over the entire park the entire night is quite a relief).

-Driving band members in the golf cart.

-Getting free CDs.

-Driving JOHN VESELY of SECONDHAND SERENADE to the bathroom.

-Becoming BFFs with John...maybe not BFFs, but we were tight. Bathrooms allow for great bonding time.

-Hanging out with attractive band members.

-Being the envy of everyone because I get to stand right next to the stage and not behind the barricades.

-Plus many more.

And. Just to make everyone more jealous. I will now put up pictures of my awesome night.

Just me and Cait chilling at the concert.

Meet John. He IS Secondhand Serenade. And my lover.

Cait backstage.

Just chilling backstage. AWESOME.

MMM...there he is again.

And again.

This is Jonathan. My other lover. I have a thing for men with that name. He is the lead singer of We Shot the Moon, formerly Waking Ashland. And totally cool.

Last night=BEST NIGHT EVER. Loved it. Once again, it is ok to be jealous of me. =)

Blogging Block.

2009-07-18T23:54:00.003-06:00

I am having a blogging writer's block. I have started 3 different posts and got bored. Hmmmmmmmm....what to say? I wish I had something witty and exciting to post about. Or some deep insights into life. But no. There is nothing.

One day I will get my blogging talent back...

Brother for Sale...only 50 cents!

2009-07-08T16:38:00.002-06:00

Bah hah Mary Kate and Ashley movies...LOVE THEM.

And by "Brother", I really mean APARTMENT IN LOGAN! I am selling my apartment contract in Logan for the 2009/2010 school year.

This place is AWESOME. Seriously. I love love loved living there last year and wish it had worked out that I could live there again. I loved being able to wake up 20 minutes before class started, leave 5 minutes before class started, and be ON TIME! Best thing ever.

The apartment is literally 2 minutes walking distance from campus. It is HUGE. My bedroom had so much space that I didn't know how to fill it all! I had a walk-in closet, my own bathroom, a gorgeous view of the Logan Valley. And...the apartment has its own washer and dryer. And utilities is included in the price. Awesome! I loved not having to haul all of my laundry home or pay for a laundromat. Plus...the people who live there are pretty cool too.

There are a lot of things I loved about this place. I so wish that things had worked out for me to be there again. It is a little more expensive than some of the other places up there, but it is TOTALLY worth it. If you or anyone you know might be interested or have any questions, PLEASE let me know. It would help me out a TON.

Gracias! =)

despair.

2009-07-02T20:18:00.003-06:00

I'm not one who usually broadcasts about my problems. Sometimes I don't feel like I have anyone to talk to about what is going on in my life because no one understands. It has gotten to the point where I just need to get my feelings out, and it looks like this is the only way I feel I can really do that without worrying that I am making somebody feel bad or making someone feel sorry for me. I am not looking for sympathy or pity. This is another one of those posts to make myself feel a little better. Maybe that is a little selfish. But it is my blog and I can do whatever the eff I want.

It has been so hard for me to stay positive lately. The financial burden on my family has been so hard. I try not to get involved or try not to worry but when it causes this much stress, it is hard to ignore. I don't even know if I can go back to school in the fall. And that breaks my heart. I complain constantly when I am in Logan about how much I hate being there and how much I want to be done with school, but I want to go back to school so bad. I love my family and I love being home...that is why I come home almost every weekend. But sometimes I need to get away. Living with roommates and being out on my own is so freeing.

I wish that I could do more to help my parents out. I do my best not to ask for money to go out or for clothes. I try to help around the house to relieve some stress. But sometimes it seems like it isn't enough. I looked and looked for a job and finally found one...I work 2 hours next week. At $6.75/hour. That doesn't even pay for my gas. I love my internship, but I put so much work and so many hours into something that I don't get anything out of except experience. Sometimes it seems like such a waste to me.

I just want life to turn around for us. Isn't it our turn for some relief? I try not to be negative. I try to be so grateful for the things that I have and the blessings in my life.

Life is just hard.

train. freaking. wreck.

2009-06-21T23:58:00.003-06:00

Emotionally, that is. I can't stop crying, no matter how hard I try. Even when I am in a really good mood, I am crying. It's weird.

This past Friday was the 3 year mark of my dear, sweet Grandma passing away. (Here the tears come again) And it has been really hard on me this year. I had gotten to the point where I could go visit my Grandpa and see her stuff and not get all emotional. I was making progress...must have been one of those 2 steps forward, 1 step back kind of progression.

My mom's side of the family has a HUGE family reunion every year over Father's Day weekend, which happened to be this weekend this year. I was so excited. I love love love love love my extended family. And I am so sad that I don't get to see the majority of them more than once a year...they really are so great. And I love being up at the old homestead in Kilgore, Idaho. If you are not related and you have heard of it, I will give you a cookie. It is this little tiny place that doesn't mean anything except to those people who have had the pleasure of spending time there. I love it up there, but this year was especially hard. I was having a great time visiting, but there was always that sadness in the back of my mind and in my heart.

And to make it worse, since I was super emotional, I was letting the littlest things bother me. Which, in turn, brings out things that aren't so little that I have been holding inside for a long time. When I was younger, anytime I would get into an argument with my sister or my cousins, my Grandma would always know the right thing to say to make me feel better. And I always knew that what she was saying was true, because she would never tell a lie if her life depended on it. And what was even more great about her, is that she would make me feel better without putting anyone down. So this weekend, I was not getting along with my sisters. When I tried to talk to my mom about it, she just kinda shrugged it off and told me to let it go. That was not what I needed. And my little tiny thing that should not have even upset me snowballed into this huge ordeal. Saturday night, as I was trying to sleep, I just began sobbing. I felt like no one knew what I was going through, that I didn't fit in with my family, that I was all alone. When what I was really upset about was that my Grandma wasn't there to pull me on her lap, sing me one of her favorite hymns, and tell me how special I am.

My Grandma was an amazing lady. The nicest, kindest, sweetest lady you would ever meet. Even when her Parkinson's progressed to the point she could barely leave the house, she always made sure to send out the grandkids birthday cards, or call the ladies in the ward just to see how they are doing. It was really hard for me to watch her the last couple of years because the Parkinson's Disease had taken away who my Grandma really was. But once in awhile, I was fortunate to witness one of those "clear moments" when she was able to be that sweet little lady again.

I miss her a lot. Especially this weekend. And other moments when I feel like nothing is going right in my life. She is one of the biggest reasons I am who I am today. She has touched my life and shaped me to a point that I cannot even explain. And I cannot wait for the day when I get to see her again.

I wish that my own computer was working so I could put a picture of her up, but just know that she is beautiful.

POVERTY.

2009-06-16T14:59:00.003-06:00

I am SO broke. But such is life. Maybe one day I will get a job. If I didn't love my internship so much and wasn't so dedicated to it, it might be a little easier to find one. But that is besides the point. Just because I am ridiculously poor doesn't mean that I don't want to find SUPER FUN things to do with my friends...I just need to find free things to do. And I figure that other people are poor too. So...I have compiled this totally awesomely long list of free (or pretty freaking cheap) things I have found to do in SLC/Utah/Davis/Weber counties. Maybe it will make your life a little less boring without spending a shiz load of money.

Here we go...

>Clarke Planetarium...formerly Hansen Planetarium. The shows cost money, but admission to the exhibits and stuff is free. I went there yesterday. I think most shows cost like $8 for adults and $6 for kids.

>Utah Museum of Natural History-free on the first monday of every month. It is $7 for anyone over the age of 17, and $3.50 for ages 3-17. And it is only $2.50 if you have a student ID.

>Great Salt Lake Shorelands Bird Refuge...located up by the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area and Antelope Island.

>Hill Aerospace Museum, about 5 miles South of Ogden. It is free, but donations are appreciated.

>Wheeler Historic Farm...there are wagon rides and farm chores!

>All of the awesome Church sites such as Temple Square, Tabernacle, Conference Center, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, etc...

>Brigham Young's grave...you could visit the grave and the Church sites in one day!

>Cathedral of the Madeleine...they offer tours that include the cathedral bells and the gargoyles.

>Capitol Hill and the Governor's Mansion...the mansion tours are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4pm.

>Fort Douglas Military Museum...closed Sunday, Monday, and all Federal Holidays.

>Great Salt Lake State Marina...the cost is $2, but there is swimming, picnicking, boating, and wildlife.

>International Peace Garden...open from dawn to dusk until September 30th.

>Liberty Park...this is not the druggie park.

>The Olympic Legacy Plaza Snowflake Fountain...or more likely known as the Fountains at the Gateway. I was also there yesterday.

>"This Is The Place" Heritage Park...admission to the village is free, but they have a Spring and Living History Season. For $8 (for adults) you get any (3) take home crafts, pony ride, or mini-train ride. Extra crafts or activities cost $1.

>Red Butte Gardens...$6 for adults, $4 for kids.

>Ice Blocking at Sugar House Park...a personal favorite.

>Memory Grove Park...has memorials to Utah war veterans.

>Utah Children's Museum...now known as Discovery Gateway. Admission is $8.50, and anyone over the age of 14 who is not accompanied by a child must leave a photo ID. Weird.

>Utah's Hogle Zoo...cost is $9 for adults, and $7 for kids, but totally worth it. Especially when you have a season pass and can get in free, like I do.

>Tracy Aviary...$5. Super fun, as long as the birds don't poop on you.

>Utah Museum of Fine Arts...my FAVORITE field trip of my entire life. $7...UofU students get in free!

>Timpanogos Cave...a Utah landmark. A $6 per car fee is required to get into American Fork Canyon. And guided tours of the cave cost $7.

>Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park...right next to Rice Eccles Stadium at the UofU.

>Kimball Art Center in Park City...closed on Tuesdays.

>Gardner Village. LOVE IT.

>Veteran's Memorial Park and it's Wild West Jordan Playground...I don't really know much about except that it has an AWESMOME playground.

>Factory Tour at Mrs. Cavanaugh's Candies Inc., Taffy Town, or Sweet Candy Company...YUM!

>Utah Botanical Center...a Utah State University creation, located in Kaysville.

>Salt Lake Art Center..."The purpose of the Salt Lake Art Center is to encourage contemporary visual artists and art which challenge and educate public perceptions of civil, social and aesthetic issues affecting society." Free. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

>Gilgal Sculpture Garden...formerly the Secret Garden of Salt Lake City, and has 12 sculptures and 70 stones carved with scriptures, poems, and literary texts.

>Springville Museum of Art-FREE

>Cabela's...lots of animals and exhibits. I love this place.

>Park City Historical Society and Museum...I take it back. It is closed for renovation.

>Park City Main Street

>Murray City Park...feed the birds!

>Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts...this museum focuses on Utah artists. Support your local talent.

>Gallivan Center...starting in July, there are free concerts every week. FUN!

>Miniature Golfing...Mulligan's is at a great central location.

One time, my totally awesome YW leader Charlotte gave me this list called "NO MORE MOVIES"...I will also share this with you. Some of these things on this list may be for the more single (and by single, I mean not married) readers. Don't hate.

*Badminton Tournament

*Basketball

*BBQs/Camp Fires/Camping in one of the many canyons

*Star Gazing

*Frisbee Golf-there is a park in Murray somewhere (I am not exactly sure of the address...but I think it is on 4500 South. Maybe.)

*Bike Rides

*Card/Board Games

*Boating

*Bubble Blowing Contest

*Candy Making

*Canoeing/Kayaking

*Croquet...I freaking love croquet.

*Dutch oven cooking

*Football/Steal the Flag

*Formal Dinner (I know all you girls are DYING to ear those old prom dresses again)

*Hike

*Horse back riding

*Karaoke...LOVE IT!

*Kite Flying

*Water Fight

*Swimming

*Finger Painting

*Picnic

*Racket ball

*Sand Castle Building...HELLO DAYBREAK! Perfect little beach.

*Scavenger Hunt

*Sidewalk chalk drawing

*Softball

*Tennis

*Tubing

*Volleyball

And that is that. This list was basically for my own benefit. (I am trying to become more adventurous/spontaneous) If you hate it, well then...whatever. My friends and I are going to try to do every single thing on here by the time school starts again. Wish us luck.

Oh..if you have any other awesome FREE/CHEAP ideas, please tell me.

The End.

Boo.

2009-06-10T16:17:00.006-06:00

I suck at this blogging thing.

That is all.

WAIT!

2009-05-22T21:08:00.001-06:00

I forgot to give a little SHOUT OUT to my little sister...4TH PLACE IN HIGH JUMP AT STATE! Woot! And Riverton Girls Track took State...first state title for RHS!

I love my baby sister.

Farewell...

2009-05-22T21:04:00.002-06:00

Farewell to my Summerhill-ites...I shall miss you. We have been in our new house for a week and a half now. And though I don't hate it, it is not my house. Or my ward. Or my neighbors. And yes, I do know that we are about 2 blocks away from the old house, and still in the same stake, but it just isn't the same.

But...I am very grateful to have a place to live. Grateful that I am not living in a cardboard box somewhere.

The End.

Ulcer...in my EYE? WTF!

2009-05-07T13:43:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's right. Ulcer in eye. Who knew that could even happen?! Well, I do now. And let me tell you...it hurts like a MOTHER. My is puffy and red and watery (or as my nephew would say "My eye is leaking!") and burning and I can't keep it open. Worst thing ever. Ulcerative Keratitis is what it is called. I would put a picture up, but the ones I found on Google are pretty disgusting. And to make it worse...I have to put eye drops in every two hours-including at night. That means I have to set an alarm and wake up every two hours to put these stupid eye drops in.

My life sucks.

If you ever get the urge to run naked, spray yourself with Windex-it will keep you from streaking.

2009-05-03T20:07:00.003-06:00

My brother said that to me the other day and it reminded me of this one glorious day in the summer of 2006...

Me and some of my friends (who will remain nameless-I don't really want to die) went to St. George as a little "Senior Trip" of sorts. One day, we went swimming at Sand Hollow Lake. While there, we decided to make a night trip back to the lake to do a little "skinny dipping", as some people might call it. The plan was for all 4 of us to partake in this adventure. So at about 9:00 we headed back (the park closes at 10, as the lady at the fee box so rudely informed us), and tell a little white lie to get in, since we're not allowed to be swimming after dark. When we get there, one of the girls decided not join us in the event (you know who you are-and I still love you). So she stayed in the car, lights pointed toward the lake, waiting for us to make our move. The other three of us, instead of undressing by the lake, take off our clothes at the car and run to the lake-stark naked, with our poor little friend watching us go the whole way. Instead of actually swimming, we kinda just ran into the water, got a little wet, and headed back.

And that was that. Bah hah hah hah...best night of my life. Only true friends will run naked to a lake with you (or watch you run naked to said lake). Love you girls!

Random Thought Wednesday-HELP!

2009-04-15T15:55:00.002-06:00

Today's Random Thought isn't really a random thought at all...more of a cry for help. I move back to Riverton for the summer in exactly 14 days. And I can't find a job to save my life...it is bad news.
Does anyone have know of ANY job? I am not in a position to be picky right now. Please please let me know of anything.
THANKS!
I guess I can put in one random thought...In Sweden, there is a ski-thru McDonalds. Wow...I didn't know people loved Big Macs that much.

Random Thought Wednesday...Useless Trivia

2009-04-08T11:26:00.003-06:00

Did you know...
-In Cleveland, Ohio, it is illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.
-The average bed is home to more than 6 billion dust mites.
-Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
-Your right lung takes in more air than your left one.
-In Iceland, tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult.
-Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
-During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food...the weight of 6 elephants.
-Maine is the toothpick capital of the world.
-Des Moines has the highest per capita Jello consumption in the U.S. (NOT UTAH! Wow!)
-Since 1896, the beginning of the modern Olympics, only Greece and Australia have participated in every games.

I'm full of this useless trivia...or I got it from the internet. Whatev.

2nd place is 1st loser...

2009-04-06T19:12:00.006-06:00

I just want to share with you how freaking cute my niece and nephew are. And by share...I mean RUB IT IN YOUR FACE that they are cuter than your nieces and nephews.

This is Mason Albert...

I love his CHEESE face!

He is so cute when he is happy!

And now to Avery Addison...

She has my nose!

This is my FAVORITE picture of her...so freaking cute!

Bah hah she has this look like "WTF"? =)

Sorry that you have to take second place...

Random Thought Wednesday...

2009-04-01T12:40:00.002-06:00

So, my friend Katie does a post every week called "Memory Monday" and I like the idea...but I want my own spin on things. While "Random Thought Wednesday" doesn't necessarily FLOW like "Memory Monday", I like it.

Today's random thought is about hybrid animals...the mule, the liger, and the wholphin are some of my favorites. These animals are supposed to be completely sterile, but when I was a junior in high school, the only living wholphin...had a BABY WHOLPHIN! Weird.

One time, when I worked t 1800Contacts, I won a prize for this random thought...a king size Kit-Kat bar. Sweet.

Here are a few pictures..

Bah hah...this mule is my favorite.

The wholphin and the supposedly impossible wholphin baby...

Look forward to more random thoughts from my random brain...

My RANT Post

2009-03-17T18:00:00.002-06:00

I am in the mood to RANT about all the stuff that bugs me. It might be a pretty downer post. So, if you don't want to read it...well, whatever.
-Why do people care if I wear sweat pants or basketball shorts to school? Some days I like to be comfortable, so sue me. I am not opposed to getting dressed up, but I don't like to do it every single day. I once had someone tell me that the reason I am not married is because I wear sweats in public. Well, you know what? The person I am supposed to marry will like my sweats, and probably wear sweats a lot too.
-While we are on the subject...I hate when people ask me WHY I am not married. Well, I believe the reason to that is because I wear a man-repelling perfume, an "I hate men" shirt every day, and I never shower. Wow. Why the H do you think I am not married?! Personally, I wish it was the other way around...just so everyone knows.
-I hate that I get sick after every single thing I eat. Seriously...worst thing ever.
-I am tired of being in Logan. I dread coming back on the weekends...and I don't even know why. I want to be graduated NOW. I want to be able to relax with my family on a Sunday night and not have to worry about driving home to Logan too late. I want to take a nap after church without thinking I slept too long to get back.
-Rude teachers. Everyone has had one. I currently have one. She is a BIOTCH. No joke. She yells in class ALL THE TIME for stupid little things. On a paper we had to write, I got knocked off a point for putting an E on the end of "Ginni". We have a 50 minute class, but our tests are all 6-8 essay questions that take at least a page each to answer. On the last test, half the students didn't even finish before the class ended. This is an INTRODUCTORY class...not even one of my upper-division classes. She bugs.
-Public Displays of Affection. I have a roommate who makes out with her boyfriend on the couch in front of the rest of us who live there. I feel like I am interupting a personal moment or something. It makes me uncomfortable. And then I feel like I have to get up and leave or something. In fact, it is currently happening right this very minute. And I don't like it.
This is the end of my ranting for the day. Do I feel better? I don't really know. But, I figure everyone has things that bug them...I just decided to write mine down.

Hail to our Riverton Pack!

2009-03-01T20:29:00.003-07:00

This is a SHOUT OUT to the Riverton High School Girls Basketball Team. What a FREAKING AWESOME season they had. 24-1, second place in state, and an amazing year. WAY TO GO GIRLS! I am so proud of you! Bri, Katie, Dani, Ashley, Morgan, Allee, Shelby, Angie, Alle, Mandy, Chelsea, Shaye, Kylee, Megan, and Caitlin---You guys rock!

My first tag...I am so COOL!

2009-02-21T21:01:00.002-07:00

6 Things Tag

1. Post the rules on your blog.

2. List 6 random things about yourself.

3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.

4. Let each person know the have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Randomness...I am good at it. So here I go!

1--My new favorite greeting is "Wingapo" from Pocahontas. I say it all the time...and do the hand motion.

2--I am addicted to treats. All kinds. And it is a bad thing...but I can't help it. Anyone who loves to make treats is free to have me taste-test them.

3--I have acid reflux disease. It is the worst thing ever...especially since some of my favorite foods give me the worst heart burn EVER.

4--I am obsessed with watching commercials since I started my promotions class...every ad is so freaking funny!

5--I have mad Guitar Hero skills...as long as it is set on easy. =)

6--I have recently decided that I want to be an event planner...I love to organize and plan and execute. And I am freaking great at it, so why not?!

Ok I tag...Annika, Natalie, Carly, Erin, Kateka, and Merinda.

I love...

2009-02-04T10:48:00.005-07:00

1. I love sweats. If I could, I would wear them every single day.
2. I love Colin Firth.
3. I love reading...it is an addiction.
4. I love old Disney movies...these new ones just aren't as good. Beauty and the Beast is my fave.
5. I love being my Grandpa's favorite granddaughter...it feels great being better than everyone else. =)
6. I love texting.
7. I love reality TV, which brings me to...
8. I love Jason Mesnick, the Bachelor.
9. I love watching Caitlin play sports...any sport and every sport.
10. I love Mason Albert Meldrum.
11. I love Avery Addison Meldrum also.
12. I love the Gospel.
13. I love cookies and ice cream.
14. I love Amanda Bynes...she is freaking hilarious.
15. I love Father's Day weekend and my family reunion.
16. I love that I am graduating in December!
17. I love Sudoku.
18. I love my kick A family.
19. I love water.
20. I love moccasins.
21. I love Fruit-by-the-Foots.
22. I love my friends...even all my married ones.
23. I love summer.
24. I love lip gloss.
25. I love camping.
26. I love hot chocolate.
27. I love my computer.
28. I love Pride and Prejudice...the book and the movie.
29. I love big purses.
30. I love my giant, comfortable, queen sized bed.
31. I love cowboys.
32. I love Secondhand Serenade.
33. I love SuperBowl commercials.
34. I love my roommates...and my roommies from last year too. And of course most of the ones from my freshman year.
35. I love comfy chairs that you can curl up and read book in.
36. I love having my fingernails painted...tho I rarely do.
37. I love having money...which isn't very often.
38. I love hats.
39. I love Utah State Basketball.
40. I love jumping as high as I can on a trampoline.
41. I love creepy old men who hit on me...ok, not really.
42. I love British accents...I wish I had one.
43. I LOVE DisneyLand...greatest place on earth!
44. I love shopping.
45. I love giving relationship advice... =)
46. I love 4-letter words.
47. I love sleeping in.
48. I love Missionaries.
49. I love my Grandma.
50. I love how totally RAD I am.

BRRRR!!!

2009-01-21T23:37:00.004-07:00

WOW...Logan is so freaking cold. Seriously. And even though it is like 3 degress outside (no joke), I have to sleep with my window open every night because the roomies insist on having the heater on ALL THE TIME. That's ok, I love them anyway.

School has started...once again. And besides having to get up ridiculously early every morning (ok, it's really not THAT early), and having to walk to school in the FRIGID winter, I am actually enjoying the semester. Weird, right? I sure am glad that I didn't change my major from Marketing...I actually like it now. My classes are fun, for the most part anyway. I do have a crap load of group projects, which I don't love. On the + side...I got a 91% on my first test. GO ME!

Random thoughts of mine...

*Mamma Mia...never gets old. I could seriously watch it everyday and not get sick of it. And my love for Colin Firth grows everytime I see it.

*Retainers are overrated...I hate wearing mine. And yet, I do. Like three times a week. I am basically awesome.

*Walking in this dang inversion is the WORST. By the time I get to school, I am practically wheezing. People probably think I am so out of shape...but I'm not.

*Welcome back to The Bachelor AND American Idol...I love reality TV!

*And for the most important of all...I have the CUTEST nephew and niece in the whole world. There is just no competition. Sorry if you thought that you did...but you're wrong.

Aren't they freaking adorable?!

Well...that is all. Unless someone can help me find a job in Logan. Seriously...I am getting desperate. And I don't like it.

PRIDE and PREJUDICE

2009-01-08T22:32:00.003-07:00

I have been absolutely OBSESSED with Pride and Prejudice this last month. Jane Austen is a GENIUS. Seriously. There has never bee a book that has tugged on my heart strings more (well, except maybe Twilight). Mr. Darcy has got to be the most loving character ever. The love that he feels for Elizabeth Bennett is so beautiful and real and deep...AAH, I just can't get enough of it! Yes, I am aware that it is just a book. Elizabeth's character and wit makes the book SO enjoyable to read. Oh, I just LOVE IT!

For your enjoyment, here are some of my favorite quotes from the book...

*It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

*Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance...it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.

*I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.

*Those who do not complain are never pitied.

*Stupid men are the only ones oth knowing after all.

*In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings for you will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

*She was convinced that she could have been happy with him, when it was no longer likely they should meet.

*...but to her own more extensive information, he was the person to whom the whole family were indebted for the first of benefits, and whom she regarded herself with an interest, if not quite so tender, at least as reasonable and just, as what Jane felt for Bingley.

*If you will thank me, let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to other inducements which led me on, I shall not tempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you.

*You must learn some of my philosophy. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.

*I do, I do like him. I love him. Indeed he has no improper pride. He is perfectly amiable. You do not know what he really is; then pray do not pain me by speaking of him in such terms.

I honestly cannot get enough of this story...the book and the A&E Pride and Prejudice television movie. Oh, it is AMAZING! I have never seen a movie that is based on a book that sticks so well to the story. Yes, it is 5 hours long (and yes, I did watch it twice in one weekend), but i would recommend it to anyone and everyone! If you want someone to watch it with, you know who it call! =)

Merry Merry Christmas!

2008-12-29T22:57:00.004-07:00

I hope everyone had as great of a holiday as I did! It was just small, but so nice. I got to hang out with my family and laugh and have tons of fun. And I am fairly certain that Caitlin was high on Christmas Eve, I'm just saying. This is what happens when she gets too hyper...

Yes...I wanted to kill her.

The day after Christmas, we packed up and headed to Idaho for the weekend. I was super excited because I hadn't been up since October. My aunt invited to have dinner and play games with her family. We played partner kick ball. Ever played that? If no, I would keep it that way. I think even the most coordinated people would have a problem with it. And let me just say...it is not easy sliding into a base when you are tied to someone else.

This is how it ended up...she was just slowing me down!

We then headed to Gramp's house. I thought we had lots of snow here...boy was I wrong! There was at least two feet of snow at my Grandpa's house...and it snowed the whole weekend we were there! And Rexburg is TERRIBLE at plowing the roads. Boo.
That Saturday, we had a baby shower for my cousin, Jeanie. It was a nice little family shower, and it was good to be able to catch up. Congrats Loa Jean!
I also got to see my cousin Clint, who I haven't seen in like 4 years. Woot.

It was a nice holiday weekend...now on to the New Year! I'm not sure what I am doing for New Year's...I need some more single friends! Oh well...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WELCOME HOME BRUDDA!

2008-12-22T00:14:00.005-07:00

My brother, JD, has been gone with the Military since August...it is still weird to me that he is old enough to be allowed in! Weird. Lucky for us, he gets 2 weeks home for Christmas...I couldn't be happier! Oh how I have missed him! Friday, he flew in from Texas. His flight was supposed to land at 1:35...oh, don't you worry, he didn't get in until 7:30! We got to know that airport lobby really well. His plane circled the airport for 3 hours, before finally being diverted to Boise to refuel. At one point, we decided to leave and just come back when he was leaving Boise. Well, it took us 45 minutes to go 2 miles...no joke. The snow was INSANE! Obviously, we didn't make it very far. So we headed back and waited some more.This is Mason waiting patiently with the sign he made.

Finally his plane lands! I had those little butterflies in my stomach because I was so excited! When we finally saw him coming down the escalator, I started jumping up and down like I was 5. Of course, Mason is the first to see him.

Mason has missed his Uncle JD!
My momma couldn't stop crying...she was so happy!

Needless to say, it was super exciting and it has been so much fun having home! Oh...I forgot to mention that he has lost 108 POUNDS since he left! Can you even believe it?! I hardly recognized him! Way to go brudda...I am proud of you!

After JD's plane landed, my momma and I headed straight over to the Energy Solutions Arena for the Neil Diamond Concert. Ok...best thing ever! It is quite possible, that I was one of the youngest people there. Let me just say, old Neil Diamond fans are CRAZY. I have never seen so many middle aged men and women acting like complete fools...but it was so great! Although he did not sing my favorite song, I love love loved the concert! GO NEIL!

All in all, it has been a pretty great weekend! Oh ps...MERRY CHRISTMAS! Can you believe it is here already?! Have a great one!

Oh there's no place like Home for the Holidays!

2008-12-10T23:36:00.003-07:00

So I am home...for the next 3 1/2 weeks. WOOT! I have only been home a day...and I am already bored out of my mind! I have decided to read some of the Classics...Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby (love love love it!), The Return of the Native, and, if I decide to be ambitious, Wuthering Heights. Hey, if Bella can do it, so can I!
I am also looking for a way to earn some money for Christmas presents...I can only make so many things by hand! What I am wondering is if anyone knows of someone needing some holiday help? I am an excellent babysitter, great candy maker, and stellar salesperson. And I'm also cheap labor. =)
Let me know!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Random Happenings in the 801

2008-12-10T22:51:00.005-07:00

This past weekend, Utah State played BYU in basketball. Since Dave Rose and the almighty Cougars are too CHICKEN to come back up to Logan and play in the Spectrum, they played at the Energy Solutions Arena. And, being the awesome Aggie fans that we are, my friends and I decided to make the drive down to the SLC. Highlights of the adventure include--
*Piling 5 people into my little Ford Focus...shoving the 3 boys in the back
*Almost dying in Brigham City because some stupid car can't read the dang speed limit signs and slams on their brakes, forcing the 18 cars behind them to swerve to avoid hitting everyone else...and causing me to say a few expletives in the process
*Jamming out to Chicago's Greatest Hits
*Making sure to stock up on tissues because our seats were WAY up in the nose-bleeds
*Patiently waiting the hour for the game to start

*GO AGGIES!
*YBU? Win or lose, you still live in Provo...'NUFF SAID!

*I love my Aggies

*Watching the game

*Loving Aggie fans and the signs they come up with-"BYU: Keeping ugly girls out of Utah State since 1888" CLASSIC

*Getting seriously frustrated with my Aggies

*Yelling loud for Jared every time he touched the ball...go Jared Quayle!
*Wishing that Stew Morrill would take out Jaxon Myer, especially after the technical

*Still wishing that Stew would take out Jaxon Myer

*Proving my point that Jaxon Myer should have been taken out when he let the ball roll right out of his hands, losing the chance for the tie-breaking shot

*Watching my dear Aggies lose the game...by 5 effing points

*Still hating BYU

*Driving to "the best pizza place ever"...so says David

*Being let down by "the best pizza place ever"-Firehouse is WAY better

*Hoping to not get attacked walking thru ghetto Salt Lake

*Searching for a semi-clean bathroom

*WTF kind of a gas station doesn't have a bathroom?!

*Needing a token to use the bathroom at Wendy's-we're not in Europe, people!

*Finally heading back up to Logan

*Straightening Travis's super curly hair...

*Travis looks like an 80's rocker...and I love it.

*Sarah and I should be professional hair stylists...seriously.*Finally getting to bed...at 2:30 that morning.

*And then having to wake up for church at 8!

*Making it all the way thru church without falling asleep

Oh the adventures of college! How I love thee! And my Aggies...even if they couldn't pull off the game. Maybe next year Dave Rose will grow a pair and come back to Logan...

GO AGGIES!

Just call me Martha...

2008-12-03T19:04:00.012-07:00

Gingerbread men. Lots and lots of gingerbread men. That is how I spent my afternoon...and it was great. Lindsey, Sarah, and I were full of Christmas spirit and this is what became of it. The first batch!

Homemaker SarahYUM!

Look how domestic we are!

The final product...best gingerbread cookies ever made.

Frustrations...

2008-12-01T15:27:00.002-07:00

I love love love my married friends, I really really do. And I think their husbands are so great. But sometimes it gets so frustrating when they don't understand why I don't like to hang out with all the couples. It just gets awkward when they are all there talking about couple stuff and I am the only single one sitting there uncomfortable. Me not wanting to be there has nothing to do with not wanting to see them. I wish I could see all of them more! But here is the thing...I am not married. My single life doesn't have much in common with married life. I love my girls and it sucks that we are drifting apart...but that is the way it is. I just don't know why they can't see it from my perspective...

It's the MOST WONDERFUL time of the year!

2008-11-26T20:53:00.004-07:00

I love love love the holidays! There is no better feeling than the one that comes from Christmas. Yes, I have been listening to Christmas music since Halloween. No, I am not skipping Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving!
Here are some things that I am thankful for this year...
*The Gospel
*Mason Albert and the joy he brings me
*My Momma and Daddy
*My sisters...even if I want to kill them sometimes
*My brother way out in Texas
*Avery Addison
*Grandpa...I miss living with him
*Amanda Jo
*All of my kick A cousins
*My aunts and uncles
*My friends...even if they are all leaving me to get married
*Utah State University and the classes that kick my butt
*My roomies and neighbors
*The missionaries
*Basketball Season
That is just a short list of the many, many things I am thankful for!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I'M BLOGGING!

2008-11-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Ok...so I don't really know how to blog. But whatever, right? So here I go...wish me luck!