30 Things Challenge (#2)

#2
Describe 2 legitimate fears that I have--and how they became my fears.

That milisecond when you know that you're gonna die because you tipped just a little too far back on your chair.
Fear of Falling.

After living in Northern Utah for almost 7 years now--- I'm still terrified of driving in the snow at night.
Actually-just driving in snow *in general*
I've seen soooo many accidents and I've watched many slide off's first hand- I'm so so scared of it happening to me.

30 Things Challenge (#1)

So I was poking around Pinterest the other day... not suprising...
and I came across this list for a '30 challenge' ... my favorite things...
And here I be--ready to start up another one. Enjoy!

Question #1
20 Random Things About Myself...

*I like soup spoons---if theres a choice between using a soup spoon or a regular spoon.... SOUP WINS EVERY TIME!!

*When I'm stressed out about something- I craft... be it just coloring in a book or full on Gun-Ho scrapbooking-crafting is crafting and it's my therapy.

*I Love to Read...and I have about a list of 20 books waiting to be opened and read.

*The last time I laughed out loud- I totally fell to the floor cause I was laughing so hard.

*The last time I cried was two days ago...not ready to go into why yet...that story is for another day.
But I felt better after wards (:

seriously? 20 ?!?!

*I've been a Brunette, a Blonde, and a Red Head. My natural hair color is dish water blonde....now you see why it's changed so much (:

*I totally think out loud.... all the time!

*I love sleeping on my stomach.

*I grew up in the house that my Great Grandpa and Dad built.

*In High School- I played Softball-was a Cheerleader-and in the the Choir.

Half Way!!!

*My favorite color is Yellow

*I think Pop Tarts are one of the most incredible things in the world.

*I'm the youngest of 4 kids. I have one brother and two sisters. Yay Caboose!

*If listening in on someone elses conversation--I'll totally give my opinion to them in my mind. (:

*I drive a Red Honda Civic that I've had since I learned to drive...and her name is Roxy

ALMOST DONE!

* "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." did anybody else just about start to sing the rest of the song...?

*I can play the piano and the organ

*I can curl my tongue

*If I were to hear an N*Sync or BackStreet Boys song right now--I'd still know every single word of the song. They're ingrained in my brain for life!

*Contrary to popular belief---I really did know 'everything' when I was 17..but as soon as I turned 19 it all went away.

WAHOO! I made it to the last one!

But I can't think of anything!

Awe Shoot!

Umm.....



*Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night because you sneezed in your sleep?
I HAVE!!!



ya know how hard it is to think of 20 things?

Had No Idea!!!

So I've kinda decided that I sometimes have pretty random thoughts and questions....

Took me long enough to figure that out (;

Anyway- Since time is kind of hard to come by these days and I'm not able to blog quite as often as I would like---
Here's how I'm getting back into it...

Random Google and Bing searches!!

By typing in just a few words into the search box---it's amazing what kind of stuff you can find out about.

For instance...

Steven Spielberg has won three Oscars for "Schindlers List" and "Saving Private Ryan"

Richard Simmons is actually 66 years old

Scarlet Fever comes from the same bacteria as Strep Throat

Had No Idea!! till I Googled It!

When a twenty four year old turns back into a four year old

Yes I went to see Beauty and the Beast at the theater today....and yes I turned back into a little four year old girl. It still remains my favorite Disney movies. :) seeing it in 3D made it even better!! Go See It!!!

This Will Be My Year!!!

This Will Be My Year---

that I get things done!!!!

There are so many goals that are so close to being realized- that I'm just itchin' to have them be done.

My 25th year in this world is gonna be great!!! I can just feel it!

I wanna totally wear out my suit case on a trip..... to where you ask?
.......But I'm goin' !

Now I do in fact have a lot of hobbies....don't ask me what because I sure couldn't say right here on the spot (; But this year- I wanna find new ones. Keep things lively (:

Here I am with this one again...... I'm so ready to get up and going though- I feel like I can conquer the world!

I've had an idea in my head for the past 4 or 5 months to write a story/book. Not saying that it will go any farther than my pencil and notebook....But I just need to get it written and done. That way I can say that I did it!

It's always my goal to be Happy!!

So Here I Go! It's My Year- And I'm Gonna Grab It By the Horns!!!

End of another year and Finally!!.... After 20 years!!!

With Christmas being all of a sudden at my doorstep... I find myself completely grateful for EVERYTHING. Literally everything. I've been so very blessed this year- how do you possibly hope to count them all. I of course have a wonderful and WONDERFUL family that I feel has rallied around me and boosted my spirits so much this year. I'm so grateful for the support system that I can always "go home" to.

Awesome friends! I can honestly say- there's not a single bad apple in the bunch. I absolutely adore every single one of them and I'm so grateful to have every single one of them in my life! As the saying goes "You are who your friends are..." Well my friends make me look AWESOME just by being awesome themselves!! :)

I've been so blessed with the jobs that I've had this year...Sure there were definitely some rough patches...but I feel I've learned many life lessons that I probably would have learned else where---but I was able to learn them sooner :) and now I have a job that is not only challenging and rewarding- but it will teach me those life lessons that will prepare me for that BIG job that I hope to one day have... Mom. :)

And last but not least. A loving Heavenly Father. Need I say more. :)Everything comes through him. And he gave us the greatest gift-his son Jesus Christ. And because of his gift- I can be with my family forever. Relationships that I make here won't have to end with death. And I have the chance everyday to just flat out be Happy.


Also with Christmas being here- I'm reminded of many past Christmas'

I remember making neighbor gifts...for practically the entire town :) with my mom. Using the Home-made ornaments for the tree. Using the same stocking from birth and as our family grew how the fireplace started looking smaller and smaller.
I do remember being 6 or 7 and getting up early and sneaking downstairs and totally opening my presents before anybody else woke up. Yeah.....
Some years later- waking up to see a trampoline in the backyard and about 10 years worth of memories that came afterward with that gift.
Driving around town to look at Christmas Lights!
The silent competition between my dad and our neighbors with Christmas lights.
Christmas programs put on by the Elementary school-as well as the middle school and high school.

And here is the FINALLY!!!

let me back up a bit
I think that I was about 4 or 5--- It was getting close to Christmas...and me being the 'snot-nose' kid I was ;) I probably totally brought this on myself....but maybe not.
I told my older sister that I knew what our mom and dad had gotten her for Christmas. And she comes back with "I'll tell ya what I got for you if ya tell me what mom and dad got for me."
Me being gullible as well..... I told her exactly what she was getting for Christmas. She in turn "told me what she got me for Christmas"

Well---I was pretty excited about the gift that she "got" for me. But when Christmas morning rolled around...this "gift" was no where to be found.

Hmm....I'd been dooped. :)

Well- I'm proud to say that after almost 20 years... I finally got that gift from my sister this year. Took long enough :) hahaha!

and even after all these years.... I still get excited over new BOOKS!!! :)

Pinterest ..... is the Devil.....

Yep- that's right I said it. Pinterest is the Devil! ;)

No I'm not addicted......

I can stop anytime I want.....
lie.



hahaha! Pinterest now has one of the coveted spots on my computers "Favorites" bar....so it's kind of a big deal.

It doesn't let ya get away easily either. After ya log out-it will show ya more pictures that you might like and in order to Repin them....op gotta log back in.
Trick-sy!

Although I don't think I can really complain either- I've spent many happy hours of Bliss while on there. I've gotta so many great idea's- heard lots of wonderful quotes- and gotten lots of "Laugh out Loud" moments.

So if ya haven't been to the dark side...
you must.





just sayin. :)

Baby Crushes.....

So a bit of Nostalgia for "Nostalgia Wednesday" :)


I recently purchased a movie that I previously owned on VHS...one that I haven't really been able to watch for quite a while because of that fact.

As I was watching it- I was reminded that I used to have such a huge crush on the main character of the movie and then the natural progression of my thoughts went straight to all of the other "Baby Crushes" that I had.

Yes- it was Footloose that I bought and watched. I Love Love Love this movie!!!

My dad always listened to Elvis (and still does) so I was convinced at a very early age that I was gonna marry Elvis Presley! you can probably imagine how crushed I was to learn that he had died before I was born. Still love him though!


Here's a couple more Studs!

Hahaha! Can ya blame me?! Robin Hood- Indiana Jones- Wesley- and let's not forget Danny Zuko. :) What more does a little girl need?

"Baby Crushes" of a baby girl back in the late 80's and early 90's.

Hahahaha! Gotta Love It!

Disney Villains 'Grim Grinning Ghosts'

I WaNNa Go To DiSNeyLaNd!!!!!!

100 Days Left!!!!!

hahaha! Just a little side note-

100 Days til my Birthday!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)





that is all.

My Redwood Road Adventure

Can anybody say Redwood Road without totally sounding like a 4 year old ?
(Wedwood Woad)

Because I sure can't....

Well what a great and exciting day I had.

I was able to go and babysit some of THE coolest kids that I know. My really good friend Brandee got to go to Park City for the weekend and so I went to watch her kids for the day.

Many games of CandyLand
Yummy snacks
10 episodes of Phineas and Ferb
Toy Story
Monsters Inc.
2 naps
One culprit caught red handed....literally.
4 diaper changes
1 picnic lunch
2 Tickle Battles
Up the stairs....down the stairs....up the stairs....down the stairs....
Outside-Inside-Outside-Inside-Outside-Inside
0...thats right Zer0! Hissy fits or Meltdowns
and one delicious dinner...
...later
I was on my way home.

On the way-I had my last adventure of the day.

Just randomly-I decided to see how far Redwood Road went. ha ha ha.
I saw many beautiful homes. Utah Lake. And pretty much a view of the entire valley. Point of the Mountain to the "Y" to the Spanish Fork windmills to West Mountain on the opposite end of the county. Mountain to Mountain and everything in between. Breathtaking!!
So as I'm driving down this road---I start to get out to a lot of ranching community. Out in the Boonies-fo sho C;
It's starting to get dark outside.
I keep on driving---
somethings gonna start looking familiar here soon right?

Right????

no.

However- after living in Utah for about 6 years now...I've heard about a couple of small communities that are in the area...one's that I'd ONLY heard about-never been to- never seen...
You bet I found every single one of them on this excursion.

Half way to totally being lost by this point-I start trying to make my way towards where I think I wanna be going...finally I hit Santaquin. I overshot a little bit-but here was familiar territory
...during the day at least...
at night though....
just stick to the Main Street-it will take ya right to the freeway. Straight shot home from there...
until there were police cars, ambulences, and fire trucks at the last intersection before the freeway...and they weren't letting ANYBODY through. After driving around the block 5 times trying to possibly come out somewhere near the freeway---no chance.
So I go find Center Street and decide to just head North and just Hope.

Pitch dark outside- can't see anything.

Got just a little prayer in my heart that this would work and a "promise" to NEVER EVER do this again. ;)

not two seconds later I come out of a grove of trees- I look out my side window and see a church. The Hope Baptist church.

"That sorta looks familiar...."

up ahead I see a whole bunch of lights in a field.
passing by- It's the Cornmaze.

just a little bit further....
"That's My Gas Station!!!!!"

"YES!!!!!!"

Just having some good time paparazzi fun!

So this doesn't quite have much to do with the Photo Challenge...per say... but here are some photo's that I decided to dink around with!

P.S. Photoshop is Awesome!!! :)



before...

after!!!!!

before...

after!!!!!

Before.... ain't she a cutie !

After!!!!!! yep...still a cutie !

I think I found a new hobby!!!! :)

Hooray!!!

And so begins one of my favorite months of the year.

OCTOBER!!!!

Why?

AuTuMN TiMe BabY!!!

So in effort to celebrate...as well as to ensure that I'm actually updating this blog more often... :)

Here comes another picture challenge.

30 things I love about Fall!!

#1

Cooler Temperatures!!
Yes Please and Thank You!

ya like that huh?

Not too Cold---Not too Hot--- light jackets and pull on the cute scarves-Good To Go! :)

Dilemna!!!!!

So with my birthday...just around the corner ;) .... I'm torn between two themes.

With the overall theme being "Menace to Society" I'm torn with the "sub-theme"

the 1920's or the 1940's.

I know right?

With the 1920's I'd wanna have it be very.... Prohibition (promise it will just be root beer C: ) very Gangster-ish style

With the 1940's I'd want it to be Old Hollywood.....

the 1940's is probably by far one of my favorite decades to learn about.

but I'm kinda thinking the 1920's would fit better with the OVERALL THEME.


AHG! When did I decide to make this harder than it needs to be???

September 11, 2001 : Where were you?

It's hard for me to believe that it's really been 10 years... it feels like just last week to be quite honest---yet at the same time, a lifetime ago.

I think that most everyone who is old enough to remember---knows exactly what they were doing at that moment. They don't ever hear the words "9-11" without immediately clicking to thoughts of that day. Things were thrown into perspective and you started to see things in the 'big picture' mode.

Things that seemed to only happen in the movies--was suddenly happening in the real world.

September 11, 2001

I was a Freshman in High School

6am I was in the back seat of a car on the way to seminary.

We heard it on the radio--but we at the time weren't really paying too much attention. It had to be an accident...right?

During Seminary class-it went pretty much like normal.

But as soon as we got to school afterward--totally different story.

By that time the second plane had gone threw the second building... a third plane had crashed into the Pentagon...and a fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania.
so it definitely wasn't an accident.

I remember that no one went to regular class that day- we all mostly gathered into classrooms and watched the national news for pretty much the entire day.

I think thats went it hit me. Things were about to change.

Going home after school- I walk in to see my parents sitting and watching it on TV as well.

The days and weeks that followed- were filled with so much patriotism. I remember that everyone put a flag in their yard. Every car had a flag. Musicians were writing songs. Everyone came together so quickly. The high school, every morning, would raise the flag in assembly. There were firesides with President Hinckley addressing it to everyone in the church. It was almost a complete different world. It changed for the better. It made us remember what was important.

Now here we are 10 years later.

A life time ago-yet it feels like last week.

My wish is that we never forget. That we could get back to those days and weeks after---when we were thinking of more important things like friends and family...and not the "next big" "latest" "greatest" "newest"




"The resolve of our country is being tested, but make no mistake, we will show the world that we will pass this test."
-Pres. George W. Bush

7 Day Service......

So really- I might've just realized that maybe I'm in a rut cause I'm kinda stuck on myself....

That's right. I said it.

Bein stuck in a rut means it's all about MUAH! ME! ME! ME! yep. myself #1.

So whatdahyado?

"Forget Yourself And Go To Work!"

"Forget Yourself And Go To Work!"

"FORGET YOURSELF AND GO TO WORK!!!!!"

ouch.

Now with that said- Let the days of serving others begin....

Stuck in a Rut.....again......

So for about the past 2 weeks-- the tale tell signs of "STUCK IN A RUT" have been creepin in....again.....

I work-I school-I eat-I sleep-I work-I school-I eat-I sleep-I work-I school-I eat-I sleep-I work-I school-I eat-I sleep-I work-I school-I eat.......

ENOUGH ALREADY!

So I pose the question...

What do you do when you're stuck in a rut ??

One of my good friends and I were talking about this not too long ago--and as she is telling me about her "rut" I find myself thinking that I'm pretty much in the same boat. Suprise Suprise-full circle comes right down to 'fellas' 'boys' 'guys' THE MALE SPECIES. Good Grief-Why?!?!

Work Neither of us have fella's workin there.

School Both occupations are pretty well girl dominated

The Ward eh...the fellas seem only interesting in dating 'other girls' or we've been thrown into the 'Friend Zone' ... Hahahaha! How do get to being the "other girls?"

so there we have it.

Full Circle also comes around to TIME.

Never have enough time to do anything. And if we do- we're pretty well too exhausted to do anything.

Feel Like Life is Runnin Away- and there ain't a Chance of Catchin it or Slowin it Down...

There being just not enough hours in the day to get anything done.

I really wanna have time to go and do things with friends and family again.

Find some balance in my life.

But..... How? .....

Hmm......

your thoughts?

Summer!!!! still hangin on.....

When asked how my summer has been--- this year I can say "it's been good."

Why has it been "good" ?

No idea......

Didn't get to take any kind of trip..... unless you count spending most of the month of July working in Price .... ??? I don't think that I will ;)

Didn't get to really have any sort of vacation or any kind of extended time off.....

But still---
it was "good"

I switched jobs and now work closer to home.

Still pluggin along in school.

Nothing too exciting...

Nothing too boring...

just "good" :)

But here we are---at the end of Summer and I gotta say ... it's been a whirl wind summer and I have no idea how August is just days away from being over. But the HOT HOT HOT days left remind me that it's still hangin on....for dear life. Soon enough it will be September -the start of my absolute favorite season!!! Bring it on Autumn!!!

Summer this year really consisted of Friends-Family-Movies-Snowcones-Water-Amusement Parks-Birthdays-Store Opening-Shopping-Summer of the last Harry Potter-2 new flavors of Mt. Dew-Friends-Family-Movies...repeat...
So as you can see my Summer has been "good" :) ... actually GREAT!!!

HipHipHorray For SuMMeRTiMe!!! :) :) :)

Lessons ReLearned: What I "re"learned in Price, Utah

But first----some pictures of the adventures...unfortunately some of the pictures that I took weren't so great....so I had to find and use some other ones......But mainly just for the point

It really was a fun time all around. Kind of a 'small-ish' town.

Really such a pretty place when ya think about it--- Ya got your burnt orange, red, brown mountains and then a lush green valley right smack dab in the middle.

It's almost a split between Greek Orthodox (they had a Greek Days Festival one of the weekends that I was there) - LDS - and Baptist religions....LDS really being more of a minority (which in Utah--is a rare find indeed...probably the only place that you don't see LDS churches everywhere)

They do a lot of Mining around the area.

There is indeed a college in town.

The big thing around there is Dinosaurs...if you couldn't tell from the cop car C; There is a pretty cool Musuem in the middle of town as well as a Fossil Quarry on the outside of town.

Groggs is THE best place to go eat.... just take my word for it.

The second picture---there's this Italian Restaurant that most people absolutely raved about, so I tried to get over there to eat. But seriously I think I only saw the "Open" sign up once. ONCE! and it was a time that I wasn't able to go in. How sad!

Isn't that J.C Penney so cute looking????

One of the things that I found a bit interesting--- the store that I was working at was in a strip mall-ish area... that also had a Smith's. The whole area shared a big parking lot. Anyway- every night that I closed I would look out the window and see all these tons of cars in the parking lot---and a bunch of teenagers hanging around.
In the Parking Lot ????
Poor things had nothing else to do.
One of the girls that I worked with down there who was actually from the area filled me in on what was really going on...
APPARENTLY-- The Smiths parking lot was a big huge meeting place where they would all decide where the hot destination was to be for the night...
so APPARENTLY they had places to go---they just all needed to congregate beforehand.

Two Movie theaters in the town- 2 movies between them....they each only played one movie---Coincidently the same movie most of the time.





But also-----








A very humbling experience.... Coming from a job where I knew EVERYTHING and jumping into a job where I know NOTHING. I had to pull myself back a bit from the building frustration and remember that at my previous jobs...it took me a minute to learn everything there too. I started out at the bottom and worked my way up everytime. I remember on one particular night after a bit of a rough day--sitting alone in my hotel room. Thinking and stressing about everything that went on during the day- I found myself feeling pretty low and my confidence was completely shot if not totally non-existant. It was late and I was exhausted--physically and emotionally. I was starting to miss being home...I was completely drained... completely alone all by myself.

As I'm sitting there-I pulled out my scriptures. I started over with the Book of Mormon and at the time I was in first Nephi....which I'm sure I've read a Skillion times... but this particular night a very 'old' and 'familiar' story came and hit me in suddenly a new way.

When Nephi broke his bow..... totally have read this story so many times and ya gotta wonder why I never picked up on this before.

After his bow had broken-they were unable to get food for their families while they were in the wilderness....and of course this made everyone mighty awnry and they began to murmur against both Nephi and the Lord. They had left the comfort and luxury of their home in Jerusalem. They were all out there alone in the desert-without food...they could have easily died. I can see how things could've been a bit overwhelming...

Catching the hints yet?

So as I'm sitting there reading through this story--- I was 're-Learned' this.

Nephi never once looked to the Lord with a "Pity-Party" attitude. Never Complaining. Always the "Can-Do" attitude.

What does he do??? He Builds A Better Bow! One that probably wouldn't break or loose it's spring.

What I really took from this little experience is this...

Things can always be fixed. Things will always get better. I never have to feel alone. Comfort is always right there waiting for me when I need it.

I can honestly say that my time in Price, Utah was not a waste....if nothing else-I Learned that.