Happy Birthday Little One

It's not every day that your baby sister turns 22.  I remember 22.  It was a pretty good year.  My guess is that your 22 will be very different than my 22.  I hope that you have some high hopes, and some big plans for the upcoming year.  Maybe I'll finally convince you to go skydiving with me or something.  Unlikely, but possible. 

I wanted to celebrate the occasion, but apparently you did too, and understandably, your uncool older sister/roommate came in below friends and boyfriend on the list of people to party with on your birthday, so I thought I'd document the celebration for you. 

I even took pictures:



Since our family has never really been great at celebrating birthdays I didn't know exactly what to do, so I bought you a cake and I put candles on it for you. 

Since you weren't here, and I didn't want the candles burning the house down, or ruining perfectly good angel food cake, I had to blow them out for you.  Don't worry, I mentally sang you happy birthday.  I did it mentally for several reasons, first, since you weren't here, I figured I might as well sing it in my head where it sounds better than out loud where I would be reminded of my terrible singing skills.  Second, I didn't want to kill the neighbors with said singing skills, and finally because I thought my thoughts would travel faster to you than singing out loud. 

It seemed wrong to sing happy birthday and blow out candles and not eat cake.  Since you weren't here to eat it yourself, I helped myself.  It was pretty tasty if I do say so myself.

I ended the celebration by watching a few episodes of our TV show.

It was a great birthday celebration.  I only wish you could have been here for it.

With Love,

Your Older Sister

Anywhere in the World

I've recently had a thought.  This semester is in rapid descent.  The middle of the semester somehow came and went without my even noticing.  The middle of my LAST semester as an undergrad.  I think we're down to something like 5 weeks left of classes.  Five weeks of mind numbing lectures and ulcer producing papers.  And then finals.  My last five finals.  The end of sitting for hours on end in the testing center, searching out the best seat (because we all know that the seat one chooses in the testing center is the biggest factor in how well one does on their test).  No more driving to Provo for classes.  No more spending hours and hours in the Smith Fieldhouse.  No more papers.  No more assignments.  No more laps in the RB pool.  I was thinking about all these things, and how strange it would be. 

And then it hit me. . . .

I COULD GO ANYWHERE!!

In all honesty though, the idea of ANYWHERE is a tad on the daunting side.  How do you choose something when your choices are ANYTHING?  All of a sudden the reality of the vastness of the world set in.  It's easy to forget sometimes when you live in Utah.  I'm pretty sure that six degrees of separation in Utah is really two.  Everyone knows someone somehow.  It's actually kind of creepy sometimes. 

I've always liked the idea of taking a map, throwing a dart at it and moving where ever the dart ends up.  I still may do this, however, there are some things that are must haves as far as the place that I end up, so I sat down and started to make a list of the most important things.  Here is my list so far:

1.  Red Fire Trucks

Beauty isn't it?  I may or may not have been guilty of firetruck chasing on the day this picture was taken.

So my friends, in an effort to narrow the scope of ANYWHERE just a little, I ask you, what color are the fire trucks where you live? 

Dear Henry

Dear Henry,

I want to start by apologizing for the trauma you were forced to endure this week.  I don't know if officially becoming a Utahn is more or less painful than becoming an official Californian as I have yet to do the latter, but I can imagine the transition is not free of pain as there is now little to distinguish you from all the crazy native Utahns out there.  Just stay true to yourself.  Those of us closest to you know your proud roots. 

I know it in no way makes up for the trauma, but I do hope that you are appreciating the new gifts you also received this week.  it does seem that the new tires, and alignment adjustment have you in a better mood, as it has taken a lot of coaxing to convince you to that it's OK to drive under 75 miles an hour.  I know it's been a while since you've been able to drive so fast, but just so you know, I really can't afford a ticket for going 20 over in a work zone right now, so while I do want you to enjoy your new found health, could we try to keep the celebration within reasonable limits?   I respect your dream to be a great racer, but now is not the time to fulfill that dream. 

In other updates,  I've been working hard to find you a steering wheel cover before the sun completely eats the top of the steering wheel away, but I can't seem to find one with fire trucks on it.  We may have to just go with something simple, but as it's just now coming into winter, I think I have a few more months to look before giving up completely.  I also promise to continue working to untar your front end as soon as I am out of school and have some extra spare time on my hands.  It will happen, it's just a very time consuming process.  I have also been considering changing out your antenna topper, but haven't yet found anything suitable.  Would you like to take a trip to Disneyland sometime to see if we can find something there?  Perhaps sometime this spring?  Just let me know, and we'll add it to the schedule.

Sincerely,

Your Driver

I Love to See the Temple

I really do love to see the temple.I love that I live so close to a temple that I can nearly see it from my house.  But more than seeing the temple,  I love being inside the temple.  Six hours in the temple can turn any bad day in to a day of joy.  Two hours in the temple can generally do that too, I was just fortunate enough to be able to spend six hours there today, and it was six hours that I greatly needed.  Six hours to refocus my thoughts and feelings on what really matters.  There are few worldly experiences that can come close to comparing with the peace and serenity found in temples.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had when I was younger, to live relatively far from a temple.  Until I was 12, our nearest temple was in Mesa Arizona, a 7 hour drive from home.  Not too far, but not exactly close either.  I fondly remember the biannual ward temple trips.  Although I was too young to attend the temple at this time of my life, I am grateful for the opportunity that I had to come to understand the importance.  No matter the cost, no matter the circumstances at the time, the sacrifice was always made.  The car was always packed, and the trip made.

I am equally grateful for the chance I have now as an adult to live in a place where temples are seemingly everywhere around.  I can see 5 in a normal days commute, and a 4 mile jog can take me up and around the one just up the hill from where I live.  I could go to a different temple every day of the week without ever traveling more than an hour.  I am so so so blessed with such an opportunity to learn and take part in such a wonderful part of the gospel.

I also had the chance today to follow a session where a future missionary was coming for the first time, which has me thinking a lot about missionary work, and the exciting changes that are taking place.  To think that in another year, there could be more than 100,000 missionaries out!!  In some ways I wish that I could go again.  The hubbub from the recent announcement I daresay has many a passionate return missionary in the throws of nostalgia.  I feel like I know so much more about how to be a good missionary than I did when I was a missionary.  I know the gospel better, I have a more sure testimony, and I better understand people and how drastically the gospel changes lives.  Of course, that is the point. . . to keep growing and learning, and applying the things we keep learning.  Just moving forward with faith, and learning to enjoy every step of the journey one day at a time!

Since I seem to be on a Mormon Messages kick lately, and since I still seem to be incapable of taking pictures (in all fairness, my camera is still in my mother's car in California, and my phone is on deaths door step). . .

Those of you who can- find time to go to the temple this week.  For those who can't, find yourself a refuge from the world somewhere (in the mountains, in a quiet place, it doesn't really matter where) for an hour or two.  I promise, whether your life be perfect, great, good, bad or terrible, it will improve it!

Fall Delights

I know that this is from last conference, but it was so good, and a concept I am really trying to focus on obtaining an understanding of in my own life.  Too often I am the little currant bush trying to be a shade tree. . . or perhaps anything that is not a currant bush. 

Conference this last weekend was absolutely supreme!  Too many of the talks were too touching to post them all on here, I'd have to post all 10 hours of conference.  Not that I don't recommend watching all ten hours to anyone and everyone, but no one comes to my blog for that.  I did especially enjoy President Eyring's talk, so I suppose that if I were to recommend just one talk to watch again soon, it might be that one, but ask in ten minutes and I might change my mind. 

On another happy note, to all my New Mexico stalkers, Happy Balloon Fiesta!  I dearly miss waking up on crisp October mornings to the sound of balloons above my house, getting up insanely early in the morning to make the journey to the field before the sun is even a thought on the horizon.  Warming my fingers on a cup of hot chocolate as the first rays of light slink over the horizon, and the balloon trucks show up one by one.  The bustle of ballooners making ready, and the roar of the fans as the balloons start to life.  The roar of the crowd's approval when the wind test determines that the balloons will indeed go up. Hundreds of balloons on the horizon in any direction you look.  And of course, the ever present smell of chile roasting through the city.   I hope you all go and enjoy it and take lots of pictures so I can ogle over them in extreme jealousy.  (Video below for those who have never had the joyous occasion of this wonderful occasion).

HAPPY OCTOBER!

A Tribute to Three Gentlemen

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:

It goes on.

-Robert Frost

In many ways, this summarizes how I felt this summer.  The assault of challenges and ailments seemed at times relentless and without end.  Between immobilizing back pain, taking care of friends, mono, the painful reality of **Scumbag's wedding, and several other events, my reserve tank frequently hit empty.  Fortunately, my life this summer was also blessed by the presence of three gentlemen.  (Yes, feel free to double check that number, but I assure you that you read correctly.)  Contrary to popular belief, gentlemen do still exist, and perhaps are not even that scarce.  These three gentlemen each played a beneficial role in my life, and thus this blog stands as tribute of my appreciation.  With the help of these three men, a summer that otherwise may have been one of the worst of my young adult life, will in all likelihood be remembered as one of the hardest, but most rewarding and fulfilling of any summer.  Perhaps most astounding; many of the circumstances were completely or mostly unknown to these men at the times of their greatest assistance. As summer draws to a close, and some major hurdles cleared, I felt it appropriate to dedicate some time to express my gratitude. 

In some ways, perhaps this blog is a cheat way of expressing my gratitude.  I am about 85% sure that not one of these three gentlemen have ever, or will ever read my blog.  It's getting harder to determine though as I gather a larger crowd of blog stalkers from various locations.  I am also fairly positive that if they were to read it, they would all be in denial about to whom I am referring.  Despite this, I feel this is the best way for me to vocalize (in a manner of speaking) my thanks.  I have tried verbally, but I always come up short, and none seem to truly believe they have been so influential. Since I know I will never see at least one of them again, at least this will immortalize the impact they have had.  So, without further ado. . . a special thanks to each individually.

Sir Pres:   Sir Pres has set an exceptional standard for home teaching.  It will take an outstanding and dedicated home teacher to equal his example in the future.  Poor Sir, was my home teacher by default, but he understood the real importance of home teaching.  He put up with my bizarre requests, and I feel we gained a genuine friendship over the course of the summer.  I know I can always count on him for valuable insight and wisdom, as well as to keep a level head. 

Sir Teres:  Oddly, Sir Teres was probably the most helpful gentleman this summer, and he would probably be least likely of these three to believe so.  Unfortunately, I will never see him again, and will never have the chance to return the favor.  It is hard to describe exactly even how his friendship was so beneficial to me this summer.  I think the closest I can come is to say that he created a simple environment of fun.  I often feel like the "fun" side of me spends a lot of time buried, and somehow Sir Teres had a gift of pulling that side of me out and magnifying it.  The gentleman tolerated my banter, and threw it back at me.  There were parts of myself that I'd almost forgotten existed, things I'd forgotten that I enjoyed doing, characteristics I'd kept buried for such a long time.  There is no way that I could ever thank him, and he would never believe or accept the thanks.  Regardless, I am grateful, and hope he can understand in at least a miniscule bit, how much I am grateful for our few weeks of friendship.

Sir C:  I've known Sir C for a while.  We first met last fall when I was trying to figure things out with the Scumbag, but had almost no contact with him again until about a month ago.  Again, Sir C probably has no idea how grateful I've been for his help, but I'm not sure how I would have gotten through the last month without his support and understanding of the circumstances.  It has been so helpful to have someone who has had similar experiences and can give empathetic encouragement.  The encouragement as well as the friendly invites to help get me involved again have been just what I needed. 

To these three men, and all the gentlemen out there, I offer my sincere gratitude.  I also offer encouragement to continue being gentlemen.  Believe it or not, it is noticed and appreciated by many of us of the female gender. 

**Please note, especially to all the new blog stalkers I've picked up the last month or so- Scumbag is a name given years ago with the greatest love, and a name of which he has approved and responds.  It is not intended, nor is it to be used as a derogatory slander due to current situations.

My Second Weekend in September

Well, the second weekend of September has come, and I find myself sitting on a couch in the hallway of the Smith fieldhouse instead of camping in Yellowstone.  Yellowstone had been the winning option for my September weekend of freedom trip, but BYU brought my preparations to a screeching halt by improperly disbursing my financial aid.  So, my tuition is paid, my bank account is empty, a fatty check with my name on it is lost somewhere in the wonderful thing we call the mail system, and the fall colors of Yellowstone are a dream that must wait another year.. at least for me. 

So, it looks like I'm up for local options of ways to distract myself for the next few days.  I have an excess of time on my hands since I requested the days off of work, and an extra intense need to fill those extra hours with something.

In the mean time, I thought I'd dedicate this blog post to the reasons I will probably never date again.  This is a post I have been thinking about for a while, and this weekend seemed an appropriate time to organize those thoughts.  I even have a couple of pictures. . . *collective gasp here*  But don't get too excited, the pictures are few, and rather boring.

I actually have my mother's family to thank for planting the seed for this blog.  A few weeks ago, I traveled to Arizona to visit my grandparents and saw some of my Aunts and Uncles.  The next week another Aunt and Uncle came to visit here in Utah.  During this time spent with family, it seemed that various forms of a certain question were unavoidable.  Essentially, family's concern for my welfare boils down to this question: "Why are you not married yet?"  well, honestly, that is an easy question to answer.  Since typically marriage is preceded by dating, the simple answer is that I'm not married because I don't date.  Unfortunately, this seems to beg the question of why I don't date.  Well, with some help from others, I've compiled a list of possible reasons people have told me that I don't, and probably won't date.

Reason #1:  My Wardrobe
I have one aunt in particular (yes, you know who you are) who desperately aspires to help me improve my dating potential.  When I came home from my mission, she took me out shopping, and I came home with a bag full of hooker man-catcher shoes.  Since the first three pairs obviously haven't been doing their job, I received a fourth pair of man-catcher shoes on my latest visit to Arizona.  I now have a shelf in my closet that looks like this:

Did you know you are supposed to remove price tags from shoes?  This is a knowledge I gained just recently as a bridesmaid in a wedding.  But, I digress.  I hate to admit, but it is likely that the reason that the shoes have been unsuccessful at their intended purposes has little to do with the shoes themselves, or rather the reason has nothing to do with the above pictured shoes, but rather these:

The above pictured shoes are my daily wear shoes.  Note the Red arrow, or rather note the hole the red arrow is pointing to.  Pair these with a t-shirt, and a good pair of basketball shorts, and you have 70 % of my wardrobe. My other pair of daily wear shoes. . . for slightly cooler weather is a pair of old mission shoes.  Classy, yes I know. 

Reason #2:  An Uncle disagrees with the theory that the problem is my wardrobe is the problem, and instead insists that the problem is this:

I'm not sure any more explanation is needed here.

A friend's husband however disagrees, and believes that it is the combination of #1 and #2.  So...

Reason #3

BASKETBALL SHORTS + SPINNING WHEEL = DATE FREE LIFE

I guess there is something about the combination that is too much.  Men can handle one or the other, but not both?

Reason #4:  I am too independant

This is actually probably the number 1 or 2 reason that people tell me I don't date.  If I can do it on my own, I will do it on my own, and if I can't do it on my own, I'll probably do it on my own anyway, or at least try to.  I don't really have any problems doing things with people most of the time, but I'm not going to wait around for someone else if I want to do something.  I'm not sure exactly why this makes me undatable, but as I said, it is one of the more common things people tell me I should change if I want to date.

Finally,

Reason #5  Please see either this or this post for an explanation.  

Several men have told me that I am intimidating, or that I seem very cold.  Apparently being a "robot" can cause problems.  One has to portray a desire to date in order to date, and I'm not exactly sure how to portray that desire, and in all honestly, often times, I'm not sure even how to feel that desire.  

Anyway, I'm not sure  I agree or disagree with any of these reasons, I've just compiled the list.  Let me know if there is anything that needs to be added, and I'll be happy to expand.  

In the mean time, I hope that everyone has a great weekend!  I am going to go buy myself some ice cream and perhaps go on a hike.