Sunday, December 21, 2008

So worth it!



Portland was so much fun. Jessie and I talked and laughed until we couldn't talk or laugh any more. It started the second she picked me up and we would have still been laughing when she dropped me off except the weather was terrible and I missed my flight but regardless...I had the time of my life.

We did Portland like proper tourists, spent hours in Powell's City of Books, ate at Jake's Famous Crawfish, wandered around in the Pearl District, explored the Saturday Market, ate cinnamon sugar elephant ears and totally took advantage of Oregon's ZERO sales tax! All that and add good company and tons of laughs it was just what I needed to snap out of the grumpy funk I have been in for about a month.






Thanks Jessie for such a fun time!!!

Keegan bought a car


Monday, December 8, 2008

I'm going!


Yep...I'm calling in sick on Friday because I'm headed to Portland! CAN'T WAIT!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Lorelai, Rory and some stuff I had in the house...


Yeah...they're my new favorite!

And yes...I had all of these things in my house.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

Pillows

My brother Bryan is freakin' hilarious! As he was getting ready to leave our parents house last night I walked over to give him a hug. He had his arms crossed over his chest and rather than uncrossing them he lifted them up and put them over my head for a tight squeeze. He then proceeded to explain that he doesn't usually give full front hugs because he is so tall (6'6") and girls heads end up resting right in his "clevage" or "pillows." He gave me another big hug to demonstrate the problem but this time, for added enjoyment, he made the pillows dance. Thanks for the hug Bryan!
Just in case you were wondering what his pillows looked like;)

Monday, November 10, 2008

They say nice things too:)

My little delinquents are a constant source of...well...you name it, stress, annoyance, entertainment, joy. They are often brutally honest and that can turn out to be cruel or complimentary. If it is complimentary I usually suspect some ulterior motive but sometimes they are just cute.

On Friday one of our therapists was casting out demons by burning sage, (I know, weird right?) and it smelled a little like pot. One of the kids pointed this out saying, "man yo, someone up in here smells like weed!"

To which one sweet 14 year old patient responded, "It's not Hilary, she smells like flowers." Thanks kiddo, and thanks Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom.



I'm not gonna lie, it made my day!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Ode to the hair!


Check out that goal keeper! He had to cut that crazy awesome hair last night because the basketball coach wont let him play if it is long. We will all miss it. Nice save Keegan!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Letter to the red states


Dear Red States:


If you manage to steal this election too we've decided we're leaving.

We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue

States with us. That includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington,

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We

believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially

to the people of the new country of New California.



To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.

We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of

Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get

WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85% of

America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get

two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay

their fair share.



Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22% lower than the Christian

Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of

single moms.



Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and

anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at

once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have

kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no

purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their

children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and

hope that the WMDs do turn up, but we're not willing to spend our

resources in Bush's Quagmire.



With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80% of the

country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple and lettuce,

92% of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's quality wines, 90%

of all cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and

soybeans (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living

redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools

plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.



With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with

88% of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs),

92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100% of the tornadoes, 90% of the

hurricanes, 99% of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100% of all

televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the

University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.



38% of those in the Red states believe the earth is only 6,000 years

old and Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale; 62% believe life is

sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun

laws; 44% say that evolution is only a theory; 53% that Saddam was

involved in 9/11, and 61% of you crazy bastards believe you are

people with higher morals than us lefties.



Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed

they grow in Mexico.



Peace out,





--the Blue States

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Not the answer I was looking for


One of my new favorite rides is Tower of Terror at California Adventure Land. These two guys were next to us in line and as we were buckling in one nudged the other and said, "talk to them, they're cute."

The dude next to me immediately engaged me in some light-weight conversation leading to a question like, "so have you ever been on this ride before?" I gathered from the talking that the boy next to me worked at Disneyland and had been on the ride countless times...so I asked, "So are you gonna scream like a girl?"

When he finished guffawing he gave me some tough guy response like, "chaaa, NO!"

I simply stated, "oh, I am!"

The ride began, I giggled and screamed...like a girl. When it was all over the boy turned to me again and said that he hadn't even heard me screaming. I just smiled and quietly thought to myself, "that's just because it blended in with your screaming."

So boy, whoever you are, the answer to the question is, "of course I'm gonna scream like a girl." Because even if you are not going to scream I'm gonna think you're funny and confident and if you do scream, hey...you're covered!

I woke up Friday morning...

After all the catastrophe I decided that the happiest place on earth was a good place to go. I hit snooze a couple of times and then...all of a sudden...BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM CRASH! WTF? I figured one of the cats had pulled something over. I knew it wasn't someone in the house because I knew if I couldn't break in nobody else could. After much searching I discovered that the giant mirror over the sink in one of the guest bedrooms had come a-tumblin' down. Hmmmm? I just left it. The house keeper can clean it up next Thursday before Joanna gets home...I was going to Disneyland.

Disneyland was fabulous. I got to go on all the rides I wanted to go on and I didn't even get wet on the water rides...sweet! The park was open until midnight because of UEA and we had fun fun fun up until the very last minute.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Fortune cookies

I just ate too much Chinese food and topped it off with 2 fortune cookies.

"Next week your luck color will be green!"

and,

"You'll accomplish more later if you have a little fun this weekend."

I love fortunes.

Yeah, let me tell you about it.

Yesterday started off pretty lazy. I had to take Candice to the Long Beach Airport and once I got back, showered and decided to head to the beach it was lunch time and I still needed to buy sunscreen. No worries, I decided to take the PCH up past Malibu to a really great beach. I found a Target and a Jack in the Box on the way and though it took a bit longer than anticipated to get all the way up there it was well worth the drive.


I wanted to go see The Duchess and found a theater near the house that was showing it at 9:45. I changed my clothes, grabbed a quick bite and paid my $10.50 to see Keira Knightly in a variety of 30lb wigs.

When I got back, Charlie the cat was waiting for me in the driveway. I got in the front door and left it open for him while I set my stuff down. He is still a little leery of me so I walked back out to grab him and the front door closed behind me. I don't remember if the F word came out of my mouth or not but you wouldn't blame me if it had. Their front door locks automatically and I had just left the only key sitting on the entry table...I knew I was screwed.

If you've done the math you know it was around midnight at this point. Luckily the house across the street still had a few lights on. After trying all the doors about 3 times and doing pretty decent damage to one that seemed a possible break-in route, I walked sheepishly across the street hoping maybe Joanna left a key with one of the neighbors. No such luck. I used their phone, because of course mine was in the house next to my keys, and woke up my mom. To make a really long story blogable, Gloria (the caretaker of the old man who lives in the house across the street) let me make about 100 phone calls and eventually told me to go to bed in a spare room and worry about it in the morning. By the way...most of those calls were to locksmiths who advertised 24 hour emergency service (for about $200), I left at least 5 messages and didn't get a single call back. NICE!

While laying there fretting I remembered that Joanna's house keeper was scheduled to come between 8 and 10:30 the next morning, saved. I got up at 6:30 and headed back to Joanna's to sit on the porch and wait. Gloria sent me with a cup of tea and 3 papers had been delivered so at least I had entertainment. Marcie, Gloria's replacement, brought me toast and orange juice at about 10:15 and the housekeeper finally showed up a little after 11.

Now I am just tired, embarrassed and worried about how I am going to mend the door I shoved (with apparently a lot more aggression and adrenaline than I thought).

So, that is my vacation so far.

Monday, October 13, 2008

A double 2'fer


On Saturday, Marie had the brilliant plan to go get the 2 for 1 massages at the Utah College of Massage Therapy. That makes the $25 hour long massage a mere $12.50. You don't have to ask me twice! We got there around 3 expecting a long wait as is usual for the Saturdays when they do the 2 for 1. Instead, they told us it would be30-45 minutes...score! When I emerged from the 50 minutes of bliss, one of the guys who worked there indicated that they still had students that needed to give massages and they were short on clients. They asked if the 6 of us would stay and get a second massage for free. Um...YEAH! Two hours of pure relaxation for the scanty price of $12.50, that's a no brainer!

Friday, October 10, 2008

I decided!

The jury is in, I'm headed to California on Monday. I'll be staying in Aunt Joanna's beautiful house, she'll be in Hawaii. I'm gonna do L.A. like a tourist, The Getty, the Queen Mary, La Brea Tar Pits, Disneyland, the BEACH...and maybe dinner with some old friends. Can't wait! And Meg...I have never kayaked with work!

I did some fun stuff this week too. I got to see some mission friends at Lacy's 30th and it was so good to catch up.


And last night Natalie and I went to the Jazz game.

Even though it has been a good week I still can't wait for my mini-break....

Monday, October 6, 2008

I need a break

For the last few years I have been lucky enough to go somewhere great about every six months.
I have come to depend on these trips to keep me balanced. Though I love my job it does not come without a significant level of stress and its fair share of challenges. The time off is only one of the reasons these trips are important to my sanity. It gives me something to look forward to, something to plan, a motivation to save money and yes...a reward for all the hard things in the previous six months.
I am going on a great cruise in February so I thought that I would be able to survive until then...I was wrong. REALLY WRONG! I am going crazy, 11 months is really just too long. I have fall break from school next week so I am looking for a last minute vacation that I can do on a budget, a beach is preferable but not necessary. I have a few places I could go and have a free place to stay, some of those places are within driving distance, the others would cost about the same for a flight as it would to drive somewhere. I am at a loss.


Here are some of my options...

Los Angeles--drive and stay with friends

San Francisco--drive and stay with friends (maybe get a hotel in Carmel for a night or two:)

Florida--fly and stay with a friend

Houston, TX--fly and stay with a friend

Or I could find a last minute package online and go somewhere I have never been and I can explore. I need help so make your suggestions and tell me your favorite getaways.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Secret Crushes

Natalie just posted a blog about her secret crush, or not so secret crush...Well I have another crush to tell you about. I was talking to some friends the other day and we got laughing about how we have little crushes on Disney heroes. So for your enjoyment...








Natalie has always had a fatty crush on Eric from The Little Mermaid,







I wouldn't mind a hot date with Phoebus from The Hunchback of Notre Dame,










Michelle has the hots for Beast (not sure if that is
before or after his transformation...












...and Anna thinks dating Tarzan would be like going out with a hot foreigner







Who is your secret Disney crush on? (P.S. if you Google images of Disney heroes there are some pretty funny and sexy pictures of these cartoon hotties!)

Friday, August 22, 2008

You're jealous!


Yesterday we took 6 patients to Jordanelle for boating, tubing and jet skiing. I got thrashed on the tube and spent at least 30 minutes with my arms wrapped tightly around a very handsome man (not one of our patients) on a wave runner. What did you do yesterday at work?

Oh yeah...and my boss is the best! Michelle and me.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Cause its just fun!


Danielle and I kayaked down the Provo River last Saturday and had tons of fun. I only sunk my kayak once and flipped it twice. Danielle said the second time didn't really count since we were already pulled up to the shore and I was getting but that is the time that gave me the most bruises. I'm a klutz, get over it haha! It was a great time and was topped of by fresh Alaskan salmon BBQ with Danielle's family afterwards. YUMMY!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

No she didn't!

We pulled into Sebastopol at about 1 in the morning. It's not a big town but the streets were just confusing enough that we couldn't find our hotel. We were following my parents when they pulled into a grocery store parking lot. "Good idea," I thought to myself, thinking someone would run in and ask directions. Not so! There were two police cars in the parking lot surrounding another car where the accused was sitting on his bumper in handcuffs being questioned. My mom hops out of the car and slowly walked over to one of the officers. "NO SHE ISN'T!" was the resounding sentiment from everyone watching from the mini van...she did! I guess she doesn't know the rule about not approaching an officer while he is busy arresting someone. Nice one mom!

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hotties!

We actually saw Mama Mia but couldn't pass up the chance of a photo with Batman! Too bad it wasn't Christian Bale:(


So my questions is...Paid employee of the theater or strange fanatic?

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Nice Shirt

Today when I walked into the cafeteria, a group of boys had just arrived for lunch. I purposfully walked directly to the vending machines and began inserting quarters for a Diet Coke. My name must be fun to say because they sure say it a lot. "Hil-uh-reeeeeee, Hil-uh-reeeeee" in a sing songy voice, over and over and over. I finally looked over, smiled and said, "hey guys." To which I got the response:

"Hil-uh-reeeeee, I like that shower curtain you're wearing!"


----------->


The funny thing is that I think he was being sincere! Huh?


(Later that evening I went out to dinner with friends in said shirt...That is Nora, Dyan's darling baby girl!)


Sunday, July 13, 2008

Does it hurt...being a teenager?

I should have known when the minivan dropped off a load of teenage boys that the music would not be my only form of entertainment for the evening. I had been unable to obtain accurate information about what time each band would be playing and not wanting to miss the 2 I was going for we arrived early. Thank goodness or we would have missed not only the ridiculously long will call line but the super white trash fight between some dude and his girlfriend. I didn't see the whole thing but I heard that she was holding her jaw like she'd been hit and was mouthing off a string of profanities to her boyfriend who was being held back by several large men. In true female form she burst into a torrent of tears as soon as security arrived and called out to the teen who had caught the whole thing on his handy video cell phone that he better delete it or she'd get him too! Yikes! Since we had 2 less desirable acts to sit through we had the opportunity to observe the gross display of teenage insecurities, bad fashion and hormones gone wild. We marveled at the styles kids are wearing these days, verifying that we are in fact getting old. More than once Candice wondered out loud how parents could let their child leave the house looking the way they did. One teen was wearing a cute turquoise dress that was actually just a long shirt and super high pink patten leather heels. The rhetorical question was answered when we saw the girl momentarily pull down the leggings that she was wearing as hot pants under her "dress." My personal favorite was the pubescent boy who had removed his shirt and had it tucked in the back of his pants, between his legs and had it hanging out the front again in classic diaper style. Hmmmm?

Good Charlotte played a fun set, they even got me jumping and waving my arms. Nicole Ritchie sat quietly in the sound and light area about 15 ft away from me. Can I just say how itty bitty that girl is. I know that people in Hollywood have a different standard than the real world but she looks like a 12 year old. I got a huge kick out of the teenage girls who would come stand by me to get a picture of her over my shoulder. A couple of them were so excited they were almost in tears. Sorry, there just aren't very many celebrities who could get me that worked up.

Boys Like Girls were lots of fun too. They have been my motivational running music at the gym lately and they were actually a decent live show despite all their annoying teen fans. Some of their lyrics are extra cheesy but the 17 year old inside me just loves them.

Overall, the evening reinforced my gratitude for maturity and self awareness. There is not enough money in the world that could persuade me to re-do my teen years. They are deeply repressed in my memory somewhere and I have no intention of digging them out and dusting them off. A visit to the world of teens is enough and begs the question, does it hurt? I mean it is as painful as it looks to be a teenager?

Saturday, July 12, 2008

My neighbor

I just met one of my downstairs neighbors. He knocked on my door which was propped open about 4 inches on my chain to let in the cool air from the hallway (ghetto AC). He indicated that he was just outside talking "just talking" with his friends and someone had called the police. His accusing tone left no doubt in my mind that he thought that someone was me and the alcohol on his breath made me wonder if I should have even opened the door. I'm not gonna lie, I have called our landlord once to complain that he smokes outside my window despite several notices that there is no smoking within 30 ft. of the building. He is also known for playing music (bad music) with his band very loudly at inappropriate times (3am). Apparently I am not the only one who has complained because he informed me (not quietly but mellowly?) that he got a note on his door this week that said he had to be out in 3 days but that he had talked to our landlord and convinced him that he would be good until the end of the month. I empathized, nodded and practiced active listening while he explained, professed and accused. I told him I was very sorry, I had not called the police and was not currently bothered by his activities outside my window. He continued (not quietly) to explain that he wasn't even being loud (our halls echo terribly) and that he was just sitting outside talking with his friends. I think he thought I wasn't getting it so I told him again that I was sorry and offered to let him see my cell phone to check my call log. He declined and apologized and then talking more generally to the hallway than me he griped that someone was really f*$#ing with his life, there was no way he could move out in 3 days and now he was probably going to have to and that it is just so messed up that someone felt the need to f*$k with his life like that. At this point he indicated that he was from Philly and was just having a hard time adjusting to the Mormon culture here in Utah. Then I understood.

What I said:
"Yeah, I'm really sorry someone called the police. I just got home a few minutes ago and you weren't bothering me at all. So, good luck and I hope your night gets better."

What I thought:
Wow, you weren't bothering me before but now that you are standing in my doorway drunk and loud and smelly I kinda wish the cops would have arrested you. Apparently they don't teach people in Philly about manners and accountability. If you were so concerned about getting kicked out maybe you should have moved the talking to your friends place for the evening. And listen freak...If you were bothering someone it probably is some old person that you woke up not the mormon girl who just walked in and is wide awake and didn't even notice your existence until you knocked on her door to accuse and insult her. My advice to you, be sorry sooner next time and stop blaming the world dumb a**! Now will you go away, you're bugging me!

Some people!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Nice Recovery

I was at dinner last and there was a large table full of girls sitting next to us. After a few minutes I realized that I recognized the girl at the end...almost. She was the twin of a friend of mine. Just moments later I realized that the girl sitting closest to me was my friend Danielle so I leaned over to say 'hi'. We chatted for a minute...only catching bits and pieces of what was being said over the live music and restaurant chatter. As I was leaving I realized the twin I knew was in fact at the table and I gave her shoulder a squeeze as I walked by. We said quick hello's and then she looked at my friend and mouthed, "are you on a date?" I nodded and she gave me a silent rock on fist while mouthing something else. As we left my date recreated the motion with his fist and asked..."what was this for?" I shrugged my shoulders and responded, "I couldn't really hear her, I think her team beat my team in softball last night!" Nice recovery...!?!

By the way, I highly recommend the Ham and Havarti at the Citris Grill...Mmmmm TASTY!

Monday, July 7, 2008

This Land Is Mine


From behind these walls I hear your song
Oh, sweet words
The music that you play lights up my world
The sweetest that I’ve heard
Could it be that I’ve been touched and turned
Oh Lord, please finally…finally things are changing

This land is mine but I’ll let you rule
I let you navigate and demand
Just as long as you know…this land is mine
So find your home and settle in
Ohhh, I’m ready to let you in
Just as long as we know…this land is mine

After all the battles and the wars
The scars and loss
I’m still the queen of my domain
and feeling stronger now
The walls are down a little more each day
Since you came, finally…finally things are changing

Follow the days I’ve travelled alone
In this cold and colorless place till now
It’s what I had to pay

This land is mine and I let you rule
I let you navigate on demand
Just as long as you know…this land is mine!

--Dido

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Friendly People

Let me tell you a little about myself. First, I would not consider myself a friendly person, or maybe I am just not outgoing!?! I am quite shy and a little stand-off-ish. It is usually perceived that I am stuck up and that bothers me sometimes but not enough to change. Second, I like to people watch. I find infinite entertainment and amusement in watching people interact, maybe that is why I majored in sociology. Humanity is an interesting thing and individuals are just so unique (is that redundant, did I just say the same thing twice? haha). Third, I am not particularly athletic. Though I enjoy most sports there are some I find impossible and usually I just like to be a spectator. I am a great fan!


My work has a softball team and they play on Wednesday nights and I have enjoyed watching the games. I always make sure I get there a few minutes late to make sure I don't get asked to play, they never seem to have enough girls. This Wednesday I arrived a few minutes into the game and found my usual spot on the bleachers. I generally have someone with me but this week I went alone and didn't recognize any of the other fans cheering for my team. There were two men a few rows up who were obviously rooting for the other side but I was getting a huge kick out of their commentary and disdain for the strange and seemingly made up rules they were playing by. One of them turned around and made some friendly chit chat when he realized I was a fan of the opponent and I did my typical nod, smile and one word answers. The other was a little more persistent at being friendly...He won me over when he offered me a water from his cooler. He said he'd like to offer me a grown up drink (beer) but I didn't look grown up enough. Anyone who thinks I look under 21 can most definitely be my buddy! I laughed, accepted a water and proceeded to have a great time talking to Paul (that's his name) for the rest of the game.

So, I learned a few things about myself. First, maybe I should be a little more friendly, it doesn't hurt. Second, engaging in conversation with a stranger can be just as fun as watching strangers. And third, I am still no athlete and still enjoy being a fan!

Monday, June 30, 2008

Too Fast!

It seems I spoke too fast. It seems I also drive too fast since I was pulled over again this morning on my way to work.

It just doesn't seem fair that because it is the 30th and they have to fill some quota...I drive to work on Beck St. via Victoria Rd. They have recently changed the speed limit on Victoria from 50mph to 40 because they have been doing some construction. The speed limit on Beck St. is and always has been 50 and I always make sure to be going pretty close to that since there are always police. Well this morning I was not paying as much attention and got up to 59 (still a reasonable and safe speed for Beck St.). I saw a motorcycle cop had pulled someone over and slowed my speed just as I saw officer #2.

He asked for my license only and explained that he had clocked me at 59 in a 45. This was clearly false information as I was pulled over directly under the 50mph sign...so I told the officer so. Apparently that is where the speed changes, it is 45 before Victory Rd. turns onto Beck...who knew! How can I be held accountable when the only sign I have ever seen on that road indicates 50 is the speed limit.


Okay, okay, I know, either way I was going over the speed limit. So when the officer came back with the citation for me to sign, he begged my pardon and asked what my weight was as he was certain it was not represented correctly on my drivers license. RUDE! I couldn't tell if he meant that I looked heavier or thinner than said weight, my picture is from before I lost any weight but the actual weight is only about 10 lbs more than what I weigh now. I don't know how any of this information is critical for a speeding ticket but apparently our protectors of the peace are all about accuracy? He expressed his confidence that I would be more aware of the signs and my speed in the future. Thank you sir for your confidence, I will be sure to look out more carefully for cops next time!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Bryce Canyon

WOW!



I have been so busy and so tired but when Candice texted me on Friday morning to ask if I wanted to go to Bryce Canyon I was all over it! We probably could have planned a little better but spontaneity trumps organization any day. We drove to St. George on Friday afternoon and stayed and the Crawford's house there. We considered getting up early to get there before it got too hot but it turns out that Bryce Canyon is much cooler than the rest of southern Utah so we got up around 8 and were finally on our way by 10am. It was kind of a long drive back up to Bryce and just past Cedar City I got pulled over. The speed limit is 75mph and I was probably going about 87...still kinda fast but really? Officer Clint something was really nice and accepted my sincere apology and promise to set my cruise control at 75 and let me off with a warning. He even gave me permission to go 80, what a great guy! Before we got to Bryce we stopped in the general store and shopped...I love general stores, they have so much fun stuff. We finally got to the park and had a great time wandering. It was really so beautiful and different than anything I have ever seen. It is pretty amazing!




We decided to take a little different route home and found highway 14. It was a gorgeous drive to which Candice commented something like, "wow, look at the expanseness...sometimes I just don't have words!" The views were incredible and we were so happy we took the scenic route.




It is so good to get out of town for a few days, I really need to do it as often as I can. Another little perk of this trip is that I got to see the Gatlins. Can I just tell you how little 4 year old Lexi recited several of the most difficult Articles of Faith all by herself. Wyatt is going to be in the Music Man in a few weeks and showed me his dance to Shipoopie and it was just so fun to see them even though it was just for a few minutes! I had a GREAT weekend...lucky me!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Unwinding

While a man is perfectly satisfied to sit around with a cold beverage in one hand and his balls in the other while he watches a sporting event on his big screen, the de-stressing of a female is a much more complex problem. I recommend a night out will 1 or more of "the girls" with activities ranging from a chick flick, good food, better dessert, lots and lots of talking and of course...a pedicure!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Expectations???

Is life really what we make of it? Do we just get what we expect...or deserve...or is it a crap shoot? We took our first group of boys to do the ropes course today, they also happen to be our most difficult group, and when I was asked how it went I didn't have a ready response. After giving it more thought I determined that it had gone better than I had expected but not as good as I had hoped. I am not going to lie, I was a little disappointed in the whole production but I couldn't put my finger on why. After the kind of discussion that only happens in a therapeutic environment, I felt better about my day, but why? Did I just adjust my expectations to match reality? Isn't that what we do, instead of being optimists or pessimists we become realists? What comes first, the reality or the expectation? Is it all just self fulfilling prophesy?

I believe happiness comes from having realistic expectations and being thankful when things exceed our expectations. When our expectations are not met we need to a) concede that we have aimed too high b) believe it will be better next time or c) amend our expectations so we are satisfied with what we have.


I wont always fine-tune my expectations to fit the situation, I simply refuse. I think that if expectations are set too low there is no effort made to be anything better than average. I look at my life and I wonder, are my expectations too high? Am I asking for more than my fair share or better than I deserve? Will having high expectations always leave me feeling disenchanted? There are some, I believe, who truly do have preposterous and unreasonable expectations, they are unhappy. There are others who set their expectations just out of reach and are confused and bitter that they never grasp their unattainable ideals.

Is it wrong to ask to live in an idealistic reality? Is it possible to find the happy medium, having high hopes and practical expectations? I shall try!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Jessie found my list

I went to a birthday lunch a couple of years ago for a friend and that morning she had been on a hot air balloon trip. She said it was on her list of 30 things to do before she turned 30. What a great idea, having a list of things and giving yourself a deadline. Really, I am probably going to want a list of cool things I've done to make turning thirty a little easier. Last March, as Jessie and I drove to Las Vegas to fly to Hawaii, we made our lists. Mine was sitting on my bed when I returned home today, she must have found it in the move and since she is currently staying at my place she returned it to me, yay! I enjoyed reading ove it and have even done some of the things already!

30 things to do before I'm 30:
  1. See the Grand Canyon
  2. Go visit my mission (check)
  3. Go river rafting (check, check)
  4. Watch the sun rise from Mt. Timpanogos
  5. Start writing a book
  6. Learn to quilt
  7. Start investing in retirement
  8. Buy a pair of designer jeans
  9. Choose a career (in progress)
  10. See a new country each year (check: Greece, Turkey, Hong Kong)
  11. Sing karaoke by myself
  12. Go to spiral jetty
  13. Travel somewhere on a train (check, Bucuresti to Istanbul)
  14. Read "Mere Christianity"
  15. Go sailing
  16. Attend a Sundance movie
  17. Go to General Conference at the conference center
  18. Learn to play tennis (in progress, haha)
  19. Run a 5k (training in progress)
  20. Watch "Casablanca"
  21. Read Doctrine & Covenants
  22. Wear a size 6 (in progress)
  23. Live alone (check)
  24. Send out Christmas cards
  25. Sew something I can wear
  26. Go snowshoeing
  27. Go to a session at the Logan Temple
  28. Go to a session at the Manti Temple
  29. Document trips in a photo album
  30. Learn to snowboard (check)

Most of them are simple, not expensive and certainly within my grasp. I have 10 months left, feel free to help in any way you see fit!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Its hard work (Part 2)

COLORADO RIVER TRIP
29 May 2008

I really do have a super fun job. It was a long day, we left for Moab, UT at 6am and were on the Colorado by 11am. We went for a little hike at lunch time and then it was back on the river for 3 more rapids.



We got back to the hospital at about 9:30, everyone was exhausted from all the fun! The boys were in awe of how beautiful everything was and they were so humbled by the experience. It is something most of them would never imagine doing or ever have an opportunity to do. I am so lucky to be a part of all of this.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Quotes from the court..and other things

Candace and I decided to play tennis tonight instead of doing the normal gym routine. I use the term "play tennis" loosely because really we made a good effort but it was more comedic than anything. Shagging balls is a great workout and so is laughing! Here are some of the things you certainly wont hear on those clay courts in France...

"Do you get mulligans in tennis?"
"I need to move faster...or just not stand in the middle of the court!"
"How many balls can you fit in your pants?"
"Lets wear skirts next time."
"No, that was good, at least you hit it!"
"Ooooh look, a kitty!"

We had lots o' fun and plan to continue trying until we can actually "play!"

Other things:

I started a blog about my trip to Denver, which was a blast, and the blog was so bad I deleted it. I'll post pics later.

Have you ever heard the song "I want love" by Elton John? The music video is awesome if you love Robert Downey Jr. I highly recommend you look it up on YouTube!

I went river rafting on the Colorado last Thursday with 7 of my boys and get to go again on Monday. I can't wait and will post pics of that later too.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

I hate MANURE!

I love the Back to the Future movies. Remember how the bully Biff is always picking on Marty McFly? One of the best parts of the movie is when McFly gets him back and Biff is all pissed because he wrecks his car. That would have been good enough for McFly but it gets even better. Biff had crashed into a manure truck and gets the whole load of s*%t dumped on him. SUCKA!!!!



Today I felt like Biff. I am not a bully and I did not deserve to feel stupid! It turns out feeling foolish just wasn't enough...I got the whole load of manure. NO FAIR!

On a happier note, it is the 2 hour season finale of Gray's Anatomy tonight and then I am going to see the new Indiana Jones movie. That is HOURS of distraction...yippee! And tomorrow I am flying to Denver to see Mandy and her family...YIPPEE! Life goes on.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The BEST motivation...


I went to the gym last night and kicked my own butt with a vengeance. It didn't occur to me until later what had motivated me to push myself so hard. So, apparently:


BRUISED EGO + NEW SWIMSUIT = MOTIVATION

Who knew? I was on the treadmill for 45 minutes and I ran about half of that time...for those of you that know me you know I HATE to run. I walked uphill for a while and pretty much soaked my t-shirt through with sweat, yikes! Hopefully this will last a few weeks as I do not recommend intentionally putting your ego on the line and really...how many swimsuits does one need?

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Oops...sorry!

I do dumb things all the time. Since you read my blog you deserve to benefit from some of these absurdities.

Last week I was doing my laundry in the basement of my apartment complex. I came up the stairs and walked into my apartment. It seemed a little strange that the knob turned so easily, usually it kinda sticks. Hey wait, this isn't my apartment at all, its number 10. YIKES! I closed the door as quickly as possible and quietly walked toward my door hoping the tenant in #10 would not notice. I heard him open his door and slowly turned around, my cheeks bright red, and apologized. "Sorry, I just got mixed up, sorry!" He assured me that it was okay and laughed uncomfortably. I am such an idiot!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

He's HOME!!!

Brandon got home from his mission last night. I don't know how we lived without him for 2 whole years. It was so fun to see him and I can't wait to hear all about Samoa!



Ladies and gentlemen, its "a skirt that does pockets" at least that is how it translates.

"I love my sisters"

All the brothers together after 4 years! They are the BEST!!!!