Inexplicable Love.

I've been thinking about things I love without knowing why they appeal to me so much. I shall call these Things I Love Without Reason or "TILWOR" for short.

TILWOR # 1: Music.

Why is it so amazing?! It's just a bunch of different noises thrown together. Somehow those noises have the ability to connect to our emotions and our souls. I boggles my mind.

TILWOR # 2: Back Scratches.

The words are actually pretty unpleasant, despite how pleasing the actual experience is. Why is it that scratching the back is so much better than scratching anywhere else? (Actually, I have to say I reeeeeally enjoy forearm sctratches... is that weird?)

TILWOR # 3: Bubbletown.

I hope some of the people I associate with have stumbled upon this game and found it as entertaining as I do. It's not even that much fun to play, it's just addicting! I do like the faces that some of the bubble.. head.. things.. make. Yep. Funny.

TILWOR # 4: Peeling off dried up products from the containters they come in (i.e. glue, hairspray, mouse.. etc.)

I don't think I need to expound on this one. it's pretty self-explanatory and I don't know how common it is for somebody to find it entertaining..

Umm.. I have a new idea for posts. The person that leaves a comment with a joke that makes me laugh the hardest gets a post dedicated to them next week. haha. Let the battle for hilarity commence!

Sometimes I Hate Sarcasm..

Most of the time I love that I live in Utah. It's gorgeous here and we have all different types of weather! This last week or so... I have HATED it. I can't get warm.

This morning my parents left on a Hawaiian cruise.

For one week they will be relaxing, swimming, tanning, surfing, scuba-diving, eating, playing, and basically having the time of their lives.

I do a lot for my parents. I let them borrow my car and laptop sometimes, I tell my dad when he's being annoying so that he doesn't embarrass himself, and sometimes I even clean my room. Even though I do all this, they still don't feel the need to return the favor and they decide to go on a cruise without me! Can you believe it? I mean, even if it is their present to themselves for their 25th wedding anniversary, shouldn't they celebrate it with their children? I mean, they owe that to us, don't they?
*sighhh* I just want to be warm.


(hehe.. just kidding. I'm actually really excited for my parents. Oh, and WEEK LONG PARTY AT MY HOUSE!)

Oh, What a Wonderful Feeeeeliiiing..

I've been thinking lately about things that make me feel good. Here's a list! :D

• Just shaved legs + lotion
• Putting on headphones and brushing hair out from between them and my ear. (this is one of the strangest ones.. haha)
• Compliments from strangers
• Compliments about things that I don't find impressive
• Letting my hair down after it's been up for long time
• Putting on MY clothes after wearing a uniform
• Tight shoelaces
• Smiles from kids
• Making people laugh
• Arby's, Ice Cream, and Chocolate
• Blasting the songs that speak to my soul
• Imagining people doing bizarre things
• Singing with the fam
• Reading my Patriarchal Blessing
• Just-after sore muscles. Like.. tired muscles? I hope that makes sense
• Not wearing eye makeup so that I can rub my eyes
• Catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror and liking what I see
• Dancing in the mirror (come on, we all do it)
• Reading something that your brain has been trying to figure out (this one is hard for me to explain. Usually this is gospel related, but sometimes it can be philisophical)
• Reading or seeing something that changes my perspective on life
• Intelligent conversation
• Being with somebody that doesn't have to fill the silence
• Being extremely tired and able to go to sleep without feeling guilty
• Talking to people who love me
• Helping somebody with anything
• Forgetting stereotypes
• Giving money/food to hobos
• Watching the people I love excel at something
• Finding a new author who's work I enjoy
• Feeling productive
• Driving a just-washed car
• Wearing aviators-- everybody should own a pair
• Playing a song from memory for the first time
• Finding a new friend that understands sarcasm

I know there are more. Maybe I'll do one of these every couple of months. :)

Plastic in Motion

They are making a movie about Barbie. Not one of those cartoons we've all grown up with. A movie with REAL people. I think that's kind of cool..
Anyway. That's her the girl who's going to play Barbie. She's gorgeous, don't you think?!

I'm doing a speech on the controversies of Barbie in my Comm 1010 class. There are some really hilarious ones, some that are a little ridiculous, and some that make you want to smack people. All in all, I'm really enjoying putting this speech together. I think it will be entertaining for my class.

In spending so much time with my childhood friend, I've realized that I've verbally abused her in my teens, and I wanted to take some time to formally apologize.

Barbie, you did a lot for me. You allowed my imagination to blossom. You helped me develop my own picture of an ideal life. You helped me decide what was important in life. You made me recognize the importance of being an individual, instead of trying to be the "ideal" woman. You helped me to learn how to take care of my home (because of that grill-thing.. that was downright foul after a couple weeks). You made me want to take care of my figure. :D

So, my dear friend Barbara. I'm sorry for talking about you behind your back, allowing Eric to rip of your heads (and rip off Ken's leg so that he could pretend it was a hotdog), and abusing you in so many different ways. Thanks for always being there for me. Despite your perfect looks and the jealousy all girls feel toward you, you are a true friend.

Haha.. I can't decide if I was really being serious or mostly sarcastic.. I mean, I really do feel bad for all the neglect and cruelty Barbie faces not only from me but from most teenage girls. She can't help looking perfect! In fact, I'm pretty sure that if she DIDN'T look the way she does, girls would have no interest in playing with her in the first place and she wouldn't be nearly as successful as she is.. which is probably why the pregnant Barbie faced so much criticism.

On the other hand, I feel bad for the girls that make it their goal to look like her, because it's impossible. I mean physically, there's no way Barbie could exist with the proportions she has. Her waist to hip ratio wouldn't allow menstruation. Her ankles wouldn't support her weight. The company claims they make her with those proportions so that the clothes are easier to make, causing the doll to cost less.

Basically I loved playing with Barbie when I was little, I didn't care that I didn't look like her, and I don't mind that I don't look like her now. I'm pretty sure it all comes down to how confident you are with yourself.

SNL Lawrence Welk

best video ever made. :D

Love and Marriage.

Portrait of Jane Austen, reportedly drawn by her sister, Cassandra Austen

I hope that song is now stuck in every head that reads this title.

I've been reading Jane Austen novels lately, and I was reading a little about her background, and I came across this little quote from the novel "Mansfield Park"

"I pay very little regard... to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not seen the right person."
--Jane Austen

Just to be clear, we don't know exactly what Jane Austen's personal views were on marriage because in her books, the characters have such different views it would be impossible for her to have all of those opinions. HOWEVER, we do know she did not believe in marriage without love because of what she wrote in a letter to her niece, Fanny Knight, who had asked for advice about a serious relationship. Austen told her that "having written so much on one side of the question, I shall now turn around & entreat you not to commit yourself farther, & not to think of accepting him unless you really do like him. Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without Affection".

I love that in the first quote it seems obvious she believes there's somebody out there for everyone (even if it is just her character's opinion). It seems optimism is rare when it comes to relationships. I'll be honest, I have a similar reaction when people give me negative opinions on marriage. I think my reaction is natural because of the church and because I know why we are here, and how necessary marriage is for the plan of happiness.

I decided today that I'm not going to be anxious about getting married. Although being a mom is all I've ever wanted to do, I decided I'm going to have a backup plan. I've been very selfish with my time and efforts thus far in my life, and I'm going to change.

(In cause you're gullible, she's being sarcastic in the following quote, taken from the novel "Sense and Sensibility")

“All I want in a man is someone who rides bravely, dances beautifully, sings with vigor, reads passionately, and whose taste agrees in every point with my own.”
—Jane Austen

Life FTW!!

Life as of Late

Started at the Lion House. I'm working as a banquet server. Lovin it so far!




I've played at a couple of the Murray football games because Wilson is battling leukemia and their student teacher is clueless. Figure if I can help at all, I should. (If interested in doing a light the night for Wilson, join the group on Facebook.)


(It's creepy how many pictures there are of Murray on the internet because of David.)


Seriously, I will NEVER tire of Arby's. :D

Simple shoes. I've been seriously considering a purchase of them.

I
Can't rave about this series enough. If you haven't read them yet, GO READ THEM NOW!

Best Oreo's EVER! Love Halloween time for this reason.

and... that's all. :D

Ghosts.

Apparently there are ghosts in that picture.

It has officially been decided that ghosts now rank 3rd in my list of petrifying things. (Dolls are #1, followed closely by dogs.) Seriously. I can't imagine anything worse than being seen by something you don't know exists. I guess what really scares me are the possiblities of why they exist. What are their intentions? Do they have any? If so, do they involve me?

I had to sleep on Chel's floor last night. I couldn't drive the thoughts of invisible beings leering over me. Finally at about 3:45 I decided to ask my dad for a blessing. I fell asleep in about 15 minutes.

Gracious, I love the gospel. Without it, I'd probably be insane by now.

Blatherskite

Yes, Blatherskite is a real word. Yes, it applies to this post.

The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London.

Slugs have 4 noses.

Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue. (Really? How do they know that?)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

Coca-cola would be green if it weren't for food coloring.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

When a peacock makes a noise, it is called a "scream". For Magpies, it is a "chatter".

In the weightlessness of space a frozen pea will explode if it comes in contact with Pepsi.

Every three days a human stomach gets a new lining.

The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."

A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana.

Not all polar bears hibernate; only pregnant females polar bears do.

Serving ice cream on cherry pie was once illegal in Kansas.

Colgate faced a big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries. Colgate translates into the command "go hang yourself."

Emus cannot walk backwards.

Some octopuses have been known to eat their arms off when they are exposed to stressful situations.

The youngest pope was 11 years old.

Ramses II, a pharaoh of Egypt died in 1225 B.C. At the time of his death, he had fathered 96 sons and 60 daughters.

Okay, I'm done. That was fun, wasn't it?

Seriously?!?!

Dear, oh dear, do I hate hypocrites.

Warning: This letter is extremely personal and mostly my ranting and raging about something unimportant. If you are easily annoyed by emotions, DO NOT READ. Consider yourself warned!

I'll admit I can be rude sometimes.. all in jest. I wouldn't ever intentionally hurt somebody's feelings. Whenever I've gotten the slightest impression I've offended someone, I've done everything I could think of to make it right.

One boy in particular got offended multiple times by the jokes I told (please understand, they weren't dirty or inappropriate.. just very sarcastic), and each time I apologized (sometimes, I'll admit, I found the things I was apologizing for ridiculous, but because he was offended I really had remorse and I was sincere in my apologies.) I tried to be just as nice to him as I was to everyone else I knew, but for him it wasn't enough.

Then he left to college and I had other friends. We didn't talk for a while. When he came back after the school year, a bunch of us were hanging out and it seemed pretty normal. Then he left on his mission

A few weeks ago, a number of my friends were doing this thing called "Project:Happy" in which we would do everything we could to make those around us happy. I decided I would write letters to all those who had influenced me the most in my life, and this boy was included in that group of people. I wrote a very heartfelt, sincere letter apologizing yet again for my sarcastic behavior in high school (which, by now, was more than a year and a half prior) and thanked him for being patient with me.

I got a letter back today that started out with him telling me he was sick of forgiving me and didn't know if he could do it anymore. He told me he had been ready to forgive me when he came back from college but that he "felt anything from welcome. Not only from [me] but the entire group. But [he] expected more from [me]. For some reason [he] always had" He explained that he was "letting go of [his] grudge" but that he'd given up on our friendship. At the end of his letter he told me about a dream he'd had in which we argued and I told him he couldn't keep a grudge against me, and he told me he could do whatever he wanted. I then reportedly said "'lots of people look up to you. I thought you were better'". (I'll confess, the dream sounds pretty accurate to what would happen if I were to talk to him now.) He said that that dream had bothered him to the point where he felt he needed to write me and clear the air.

In the end, I ended up more hurt and annoyed than I had been before I'd written my letter. I thought about writing him a letter pointing out all the fallacies in his "clearing of the air", but I figured he should be focusing on his mission and teaching those around him. I'll let it go. I won't write to him again, I probably won't go to his homecoming. I'll stay out of his life, which seems to be what he'd prefer for me to do.

I just had to vent.

Chicken Nuggets

I just found that the smell of Chicken Nuggets makes me nauseous. To the point of gagging.

I find that incredibly sad, because I love to eat them. I guess I'll have to go with the whole "Noseplug" technique..

Prophet of God

I'm reading a book called The Story of the Book of Abraham. It's pretty fascinating, although it moves pretty slowly. Once in a while you come across a gem.

The following is an article from the New York Herald dated April 3, 1842.

This Joe Smith is undoubtedly one of the greatest characters of the age. He indicates as much talent, originality, and moral courage as Mahomet, Odin, or any of the great spirits that present infidel, irreligious, material, ideal, geological, animalmagnetic age of the world, some such singular prophet as Joe Smith is required to preserve the principle of faith, and to plant some new germs of civiliation that may come to maturity in a thousand years. While modern philosophy, which belives in nothing but that what you can touch, is overspreading the Atlantic States, Joe Smith is creating a spiritual system, destiny of the race.--Joe believes himself divinely inspired and a worker of miracles. He cures the sick of diseases-- so it is said--and although Joe is not aware of the fact, we have been informed by a medical man that his influence over nervous disorders, arises from a powerful magnetic influence--that Joe is a magnet in a large way, which he calls a power or spirit from heaven. In other respects Joe is a mighty man of God-- possessing large stores of human nature--great shrewdness, and as he has taken the management of the Mormon newspaper organ, the "Times and Seasons" into is hand, we look for many revelations, and some curious ones too, pretty soon.

We certainly want some such prophet to start up, take a big hold of the public mind--and stop the torrent of materialism that is hurrying the world into infidelity, immorality, licentiousness, and crime. Professor Lyell, Richard Adams Locke, Dr. Brisband, Master Emmerson, Prophet Brownson, Horance Greely, and all the materialists of the age, ought to take a leaf of common sense out of Joe's book.

How awesome is that?! To see someone back then that wasn't a member of the church, but still recognized something good.. that gives me so much hope!

The following is a very similar article from the Dollar Weekly Bostonian that Joseph Smith quoted in the aforementioned "Mormon paper" called the Times and Seasons.

Joe is decidedly the greatest original of the present day. He carries all before him when he undertakes an enterprise--knows no impediment--and never halts in his course till he has accomplished his object. His post, at the head of the Mormons, is a conspicuous one, and in a few years of such advancement as he has met with for the past year, will give him a numberless host of followers. We should not be surprised if Joe should become as omnipotent as ever the Pope was in his pamliest days. He is a genius--and a rare one--and all the armies of Satan, should they confront him in a solid phalanx, would be sure to meet with sore discomfiture, if not with complete annihilation. The true philiosoply of goaheadity--the quintessence of concentrated moral and spiritual energy--fears no combat--and although we cannot say it exactly courts danger, it never flies from the post of duty on its approach.--We have so high an opinion of Joe Smith that we intend to open a correspondence with him in order to acquaint ourself with all his secret springs of action, and thus get all the secrets of his success, public and private, worldly and ecclesiatical.

The chapter from the recently recovered Book of Abraham, and the unique cut which illustrates it, on our outside, has occasioned us some expense; but we care not for that so long as we please out patrons, which we mean to do at all hazards, trusting to the good sense of the most enlightened public in this, or any other universe, for suitable remuneration.

Yep. That's awesome.

August Apples.

Gotta have the sticker on there.

Holy Canoley, it's already August??

Hard to believe, I say.

Goodness Gracious. This past month I have needed to mature a lot.

I keep having the same realization over and over again. It goes like this: "Oh, wow. I'm not as grown-up as I thought I was."

I hate those moments.

Work is slow, so I'm looking for a second job. Woohoo..

I've cut into my savings quite a bit lately. I need to put a lock on my credit card pocket.

I've been low on energy lately, too. It's frustrating to me. I need to start the whole "Apple a day" thing. (Though I probably won't eat an apple every day. It will probably just be something as nutritious as an apple... cause I really don't think eating an apple every day of your life could be healthy. It's the whole "too much of a good thing" arguement. I tried to find a website dedicated to the disadvantages of eating apples, but apparently no one has thought of any yet. Anyway, here are some benefits of eating apples-- http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com/AppleBenefits.htm Here are directions on HOW to eat apples--http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-an-Apple Here are a bunch of quotes about apples--http://www.quotesdaddy.com/tag/Apple Here are some things to do in New York (aka the "Big Apple" hehe..)--http://www.walkingoffthebigapple.com/2009/07/25-great-things-to-do-in-new-york-city.html and this is a picture of an apple, in case you aren't sure what an apple really is.--http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q320/celestial24/apple.jpg) Yeah, I just need to eat healthy.

Uhh.. I can't think of anything else to talk about.. Sorry! I'll post more this month than I did last month. Hurray!

Goals:

• Eat healthy.
• Help around the house a little more.

Quote time!

"I'm not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked 'why?'"

-Bernard M. Baruch

"The apple blossom exists to create fruit; when that comes, the petal falls."

-Kabir

Mountains and Awesomeness.

Please meet Jill. She is awesome. We drive places. Places like mountains.

We hiked to the top of this one.

This is the sun. It is awesome, too.

Jewel. Ay!

Sorry I'm late on updating this month. hehe...
Not much to say.. so I guess I'll just post some pictures. :D

Stacey, Taylor and I had an awesome photoshoot a while back. This was my favorite edit. :D

I've been missing the Madness tons lately. Here's to amazing friends! (I feel like I should say something about Jill here. She is hilarious, awesome, gorgeous, and she came to me exactly when I needed her! Go Jill! Sorry I don't have any pictures of you yet..)

The Tree and rock

Tree, Rock, Water, and Sky. I still don't think I'm finished.
Probably my favorite part. The reflection.

I Guess I could talk about why I did a tree on a rock in the middle of nowhere..

Why a tree? I've always liked trees. I like most plants, but flowers are overrated and I feel like trees aren't as appreciated as they could be. I mean, think about all they do for us! They give us shade, let us climb all over them, and we can string up hammocks or tire swings! Who doesn't love a good tire swing? I did read a story about an evil tree a while back, and I know sometimes they cause hardships when they fall through ceilings and whatnot.. but I think the majority of the time they are our protectors, helpers, and friends. :D

Why a rock? I've always loved the idea of being able to do something that everyone thinks is impossible. I think that sometimes people can be ignorant of all the incredible things we're capapble of doing just because it seems like it wouldn't work. I guess that's why I wanted the tree to grow on a rock instead of normal land or something. Also, I've always loved the doctrine of having a "sure foundation" so it seemed appropriate.

Why the middle of the ocean? This one is a little harder for me to explain. I can be pretty antisocial at times.. so I think that had a little to do with it. Also, I liked that this tree didn't need help from anyone to grow except the water, sun, and rock. Again, it's kind of the "against all odds" theme again.. Yep. That's all.

Tell me what you think I can improve! There's still something missing, I think.

Goals:

• Second job.. (sigh..)
• Eat healthy
• $1 a day!!

Quote:

"When things of the world crowd in, all too often the wrong things take highest priority... Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people. Fill their lives with "good things" so there is no room for the essential ones."

-=-Richard G. Scott

iPhone3GS

I'm pretty much in love with this guy :D

Wordle.

Thanks to Larissa for this one. :D www.wordle.net
It's probably one of my new favorites. The possibilities are endless!



It takes the words you use on your blog (or in this case.. my myspace. Yeah. I'm cool) and makes the words you use the most often the biggest. I didn't even CHEAT! So.. I feel pretty good right now. Go play around with it! It's a party.

More..

Sorry about all these posts. Apparently that last picture wasn't the best of my dreads. They are quite "hairy", as Jake would say. ;) I'm hoping this one is a little better. If not, you'll just have to see me in person.

Gosh, I love editing. I love trying to capture the most emotion possible from any given moment. The only thing that I'm getting sick of is editing pictures of myself. Anyone want to have a photoshoot with me and allow me to mess with the pictures? It would be mucho appreciated.

June, Baby!

Well, I did it.

See?

Not extremely noticeable.. but perfect for me. I'm loving them! Thanks to both Christine and Chelsey, who spent about an hour each working on them. It took me about 6 hours to finish, and then today I've had to fix them quite a bit. They got really frizzy from playing in the rain and being washed. I really need a crochet hook to get the loose hairs, and I haven't found one yet. No worries, though. I'm not giving up. :D Seriously, I think everyone should get dreadlocks.

Also, I was going to try to put my skydiving video up, but I'm not as computer-saavy as I need to be in order to do that.. Sorry. If you want to see it, call me up and we'll watch it. Basically, it was the best experience of my life. If you have the opportunity to go (and can afford it) DO IT. Totally worth the time and money. I might even go again.

I've been thinking a lot about modern miracles.. and I've realized how often I fail to recognize God's hand in things. Even when bad things happen to us, it's comforting to know that He's watching us and knows what we can handle. :)

All my friends are leaving on missions. Very bittersweet. I'm excited for them, and I'm REALLY excited for my life to keep progressing.. but I'm realizing how little of a social life I have.. and now that I'm noticing, I want to fix it right when everyone's gone. I guess that means I need to make some new friends.. (sigh).. Meeting people is so hard for me. I hate talking.

Have an awesome month!

Goals:

• Less spending money on food
• Be Happier

Quote:
Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem.”
-Rollo May

Locks.

I think it's almost time for me to cross off number 16 from my Bucket list. For those of you who haven't memorized it... #16 is "Get Dreadlocks"

Now, let's be realistic. We all know I'm not going to give up on personal hygiene (which, by the way, hardly anyone does when growing dreads). I'll probably only do it for a month or two. Which means I can't go about the traditional methods. I heard Elmer's glue works for Mohawks. Would I be completely retarded to try in on my own head for dreadlocks? If it doesn't work out, I've done my research and it looks like it will wash out fairly easily. Sooo.. opinions, people. I need your opinions. (Okay, I'll be honest. Even if every single person that reads this says I'd be stupid to try it.. I'll probably do it anyway. Woohoo!!)

Oh, and these are the longest dreads in the world (Probably.) No one really knows because apparently there are some religions where you can't let anyone see your dreadlocks.. including your own spouse. Pretty interesting, eh? Oh, and I read somewhere that Samson had dreadlocks.. which isn't really that hard for me to believe! I should go read that story...

Thanks for your time! :D

May I?

Hellllllooooooo! (Jerry Seinfeld style)

It's MAY!! Woohooo!!

Today started off with a pretty cool rainstorm.. but I found myself wishing for lightning and thunder.

I think the most exciting thing I can say this month iss.....

In 21 days, this will be me.

I can't even contain my excitement. If you were near me.. you'd be able to hear the smile on my face. It would probably sound something like electricity.

Everyone keeps telling me how nervous they would be if they were in my postition.. but I'm not nervous at all! It's probably due to the fact that I haven't thought much about what I'm actually going to do..

Also, I'm ALMOST DONE with my wall! I'll put up a nice long display of the process. Except it might not be very long.. considering i've only taken a couple pictures.

May is my NO CHOCOLATE month this year. Let me tell you, after one day I'm already struggling. Especially last night at Maddi's party.. there were delicious looking brownies right in front of me.. and the smells coming from those things were glorious. You should all be proud of me, though, because i didn't partake of the goodness. I stuck with the fruit flavored tootsie rolls instead. haha..

Anyway, that's pretty much all I have to say at the moment! Hope you all enjoy yourselves!

GOALS:

• No chocolate
• Exercise
• Scripture Habits.. (I've been lacking in that department.)

QUOTE:

I have to thank Christine for this one. She wrote it in a letter to me once, and I loved it.

"No one can have the influence you have been prepared to have on all who come within your sphere of influence. Without question, no one can fulfill your foreordained mission. No one can do what you were sent here to do. No one." --Sheri Dew

Ready?

Are you all getting super exciting for May's update?

Sorry I haven't had much to say..

I've been very....

Content.

Ay, pruhl?

Hello Friends!

April's a happy month.

Apparently Mother Nature is playing her own April Fool's joke. It's like "Oh, April's supposed to be a spring month? HA! April Fool's! Here's some snow!"

In my institute class this morning, my friend Brevin and I decided that it would make even more sense for the snow to be bright green or something, just to top it off.

Well, I'm happy anyway. Why, you ask? Tomorrow's my birthday! I just love birthdays... even though my family has never really made big deals out of them. I mean, sure, we've had a couple surprise parties and fun presents.. but usually us kids never got each other presents, and we never really do anything too exciting. I love the way we celebrate. :)

Anyway, tonight is my party!! If you're my friend, come! It's at 401 East and Vine Street. It's a combined party with two other girls in my ward, Julie Taylor and Laci Wilson. Our birthdays are all on the same day! How cool is that?! (Oh, and a little shout out to Stacey's mom (who's got it goin on) that also shares my day of birth!) 7-11 p.m. Should be fun! Bring food if you want it, bring fun if you want it!

(I love the movie Over the Hedge.. mostly because of the music. Go Ben Folds! But you have to admit, those animals are hilarious!)

So. What's new in my life? Well. IIII'M painting my room today! FINALLY!! I'm hoping to get most of it done. So happy. So excited! I've been putting it off forever. I'm doing it!

This is going to be a short one, cause I'm listening to my dance mix and it's making me want to get up and do something. Thanks for reading!

Goals!

• Finish my wall
• Notice other people's good traits before their bad ones.
• Write a song! (gulp..)

Quote time!

(Lucky you! There are 3 quotes today)

"Confidence in nonsense is a requirement for the creative process."-=--M. C. Escher

"Don't be afraid of mistakes, there aren't any"-=-Miles Davis

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."-=-Joseph Chilton Pearce

Posting Frenzy

Don't worry, this will be a quick one also. In fact, I was going to wait and post this on my quote time for April, but I just can't keep it to myself. I'm reading "Antsy Does Time" by Neal Shusterman, one of my favorite authors.. because he is constantly writing about moral dilemmas. Anyway, in this book the main character, Antsy, is talking to one of his classmates who decides to tell Antsy he only has 6 months to live. In the following, Antsy is describing what he's always thought about death.

"Option one: It turns out you're less of a miserable person than you thought you were, and you go to heaven.
Option two: You're not quite the wonderful person you thought you were, and you go to the other place that people these days spell with double hockey sticks, which, by the way, doesn't make much sense, because that's the only sport they can't play down there unless they're skating on boiling water instead of ice, but it ain't gonna happen, because all the walk-on-water types'll be up in heaven"

He continues, but that's the most quotable part of the section. Anyway. Good author! My favorite of his so far is "Unwind", but if you're going to read it, be prepared to be a little creeped out. He takes strange situations and tries to make them normal. Actually, he's pro at making them seem normal.. so it will mess with your emotions a little. :) Good times.

Quickie!

Hi again!

I didn't want to post too soon after that last one.. cause I think it was probably my most useful post so far. However, it's been brought to my attention that not all of my followers are LDS! If I ever mention something church-related that you don't understand or want to know more about (i.e. Baptisms for the dead), I would recommend contacting your local LDS missionaries. If you aren't a people person, then I would recommend visiting the following websites: www.mormon.org gives some good explanations of our basic beliefs, and www.lds.org can give you more details. Hope I've helped!

p.s. The stake talent show was last night. I think it was the best we've ever played! Right before we played, I was adjusting the mic stand and it smashed the stretchy skin between my thumb and pointer finger.. pretty painful, but I didn't get blood on the drum, and I think I played better! Yay.

Another List

About a week ago I had some friends over at my house. My friend Maddi and I were all sorts of bored, so we went into my family's crawl space to have a look around. Lo and behold, we found many things to occupy our attention. Among those things was the most amazing list I'd ever seen. It was entitled "Bean's Awesome List of Stuff to Do". My brother's friend, Bean is hilarious, which you can observe if you continue reading. So Bean, if you're a reader (which I doubt).. many thanks for this incredible list that I'm sure I will use many, many times. Here it goes!

*should be done before any of the following activities

4-wheeling

Airsoft

Badminton

Balloon volleyball (air)

Baptisms for the dead

Bar-B-Que

Baseball

Basketball

Bike Ride

Board Games

Bob for apples

Bowling

Bubble-blowing contest (soap or gum)

Build a snowman

Bunko

Burn CD's

Butt-balloon popping game

Buy Bean random (but still cool, good, and most likely expensive) gifts

Call Bean* (most important)

Camping

Candlelight dinner

Candy Bar games

Card games

Chalk people

Chug contest

Climb Mt. Olympus

Color

Croquet

Dance (or walk, and/or sing) in the rain

Dancing

Dodge-ball

Donut Falls

Dot game

Drag State

Draw a picture

Draw comics or comic books

Dress up ridiculous date

Drink from a fire-hose

Drive around

Eat breakfast foods for any other meal

Eat cereal by candlelight

Eating contest

Eat various fruits with whipped cream on them

Endure to the End

Face-painting

Film your own movie

Finger paint (actual or edible paint)

Fishing

Fix Bean's car

Flour-penny ind

Fly Kites

Follow random people in their car

Football (tackle, touch, or flag)

Formal date for no reason

Freeze cars

Frisbee-golf

Gamble

Give Bean random (but still cool and good) gifts

Glow Sticks (use them for anything, it's fun)

Go caroling, even if it's not Christmas

Go for a walk

Golfing

Go to a cabin

Go to a concert

Go to a lake

Go to Europe with Bean (girls only)

Go to the mountains

Go trick-or-treating, even if it's not Halloween

Hale Center Theatre

Halo

Halo tournament

Hiking

Hockey (street, field, ice, or broom)

Hot air balloon ride

Hot tub

Hypnotist

Ice-blocking

Ice skating

Jell-O wrestling or fight

Jet skis

JUG ((Hi, Celeste here. I can explain this one if you're really that interested))

Kick ball

Kidnap your date

Lagoon

Lift weights

Look out (and make out) spots

Magic tricks/show

Make and host a game show or talk show

Make a practical joke video (like Candid Camera, Jamie Kennedy Experiment, or Punked)

Make Candy Bars (see below)

Make cookies, brownies, etc. (preferably for Bean)

Make dinner (see above)

Make homemade ice cream (see above)

Make Out (see above) (boy/girl only please..)

Marshmallow Fight

Movie (house, theater, drive-in, outside projector, in a pool, etc.)

Mud wrestling or fight

Munchkin

Night games (capture the flag, sardines, hide and seek, etc.)

Nintendo (suckle, etc.)

Nutty Putty Caves ((Celeste again.. apparently this has been shut down. soo.. don't plan on going)

Off-Broadway Theater

Paint a picture

Pajama Party

Parking Lot Dance

Picnic

Pillow Fight

Pimp Date

Play around in a store (hide and seek, etc)

Play computer

Play "Name That Smell"

Play on a playground

Play chess downtown

Play tag (any variation)

Play with little kids

Puppet show

Put cars on blocks

Racquetball

R C Willey (free hotdogs, pizza, and drinks)

Read a book

Reenact the war in heaven

Ride a tandem bike

Roast Marshmallows

Rock-climbing

Rollerblading

Rugby

Run

Run through Sprinklers

Saran Wrap cars

Scavenger Hunt (objects, video, audio)

Sculpt stuff (play-dough, mashed potatoes, etc.)

Sing songs (karaoke, guitar, piano, etc.)

Skiing

Sledding

Sleep over

Slip-n-slide

S'mores

Snowball fight

Soccer

Softball

Stickball

Stretchy stuff

Surprise people with breakfast in bed (early)

Swimming

Take Bean on a date (girls only)

Teen Olympics

Tell ghost stories

Tell jokes (about ducks)

The random people what they're doing (i.e. "you're walking around carrying a plastic bag with things in it that you probably purchased at the local convenience store!" or "You're mowing your lawn" or "You're walking your dog!" etc.)

Temple Square ((I've always wanted to do this some time other than the winter)

Tennis

Theme Date

Tic-tac-toe

Timpanogas Cave

Toe paint

Toilet paper people

Ultimate Frisbee

Visit Homestarrunner.com

Volleyball

Wake Boarding

Walk-off

Water-balloon volleyball

Waterfight!

Waterskiing

Wiffleball

Work out

Wrestling (real or "professional" with made up names and stuff... i.e. El Ni~no)

Write a song

Write Bean a letter on his mission (or any other missionary)

Welp, that's all. I suggest printing this off, because I don't know about you, but I always find myself trying to think of things to do. Yep. Hope you enjoyed it!

RESULTS!

So, I'd say the Talent show went fairly well...

We made it to the Stake talent show! Hooray!

So.. for those of you who missed it... you have another opportunity to show your support!

And Adam.. Nope! I actually borrowed Richard's.

yay!

Charm. or March... mixed up.

Hi!

Happy Green Month!

I like March. I like it for the same reason I like February! It's almost my Birthday!

One month from today, I'll be 19! That's pretty exciting. I'm ready to get out of my teen years.. even though I'm sure I'll miss them later in life.

So tonight Eric, Chelsey, and I are playing in our ward talent show. We're playing the Wedding Song by Colors. We struggled to come up with a name for ourselves.. so we decided on "A Girl, a Guy, and Another Girl." I'm proud to admit.. this was my idea. haha. Unfortunately, I think they decided I'm the "other girl". I can understand, though, which makes it even more sad. I'm playing the djembe, which Jason so proudly pointed out I was pronouncing wrong.

Whatever.

I'm excited though! I get to show off my rhythmic skills and sing at the same time. Woohoo!

I'm going to start painting the wall today. I've drawn the design, which I think is the easy part. I'm really nervous about painting.. cause it's never been my forte. I'm definitely the kind of person that needs an eraser.

I've started to do things that really scare me. It's so exciting! I have played the piano and sung along (loudly) while other people were listening. I'm playing an instrument I can't pronounce on stage. I'm painting my wall! I told Katie I'd go skydiving with her! I'm talking to strangers.. and I'm even starting the conversations! It feels good. I'm very happy.

Also, I've been exercis(z)ing more. (Spelling is more difficult lately.) My mom got the wii fit for Valentines.. and it all started with that. I just want to run, jump, skip, hike.. do everything! That also feels good.

I want to start cooking more often. I want to find my own recipes. I want to learn all my mom's recipes. I want to do more Mom stuff.. like.. cleaning, crafting, serving, cooking, sewing.. etc.. I just want to get better at all those things.

All in all, I'm really happy with who I am right now.. even though there are still things I need to work on. I think if there weren't things to work on, I would be very unhappy. :)

That's all I've got! Have a wonderful day/week/month/year/decade.. etc.

Goals:

• Daily Scripture Study
• More Cooking
• More Cleaning
• Smile more!

Quote!

"You know, when you stop being frightened, time really is on your side. And you can just go on being you. "--J.D. on Scrubs.

Vampires.

So I love editing. I put this one up on Facebook and my sister dubbed it "Celeste Cullen".

If it's that easy for me to make myself look like a Cullen, why didn't ANY of the characters in the movie look like one? Ridiculous.

Urgh.

I know I just posted yesterday, but I've got something to say again.

I think Parking Tickets are the dumbest thing anyone has ever come up with, and that's including all those dumb inventions in those Strange Japanese Inventions books.

So annoyed.

But in happier news, we had an awesome lesson in institute today. :) I'm in the class "Parables of Jesus" taught by Scott Forsythe and I am LOVIN it to death. Anyway, the parable we talked about today was Matt. 20, where the Lord of the Vineyard hires people throughout the day and in the end pays them all the same, even though some of them have struggled the entire day while others have worked for just an hour. Mostly we talked about those who worked through the "heat" of the day. We talked about what that means to us-- what is our "heat"?

We decided that our "heat" was opposition. Especially right now with the whole Prop 8 controversy, the church needs to be strong in it's beliefs. We talked about a talk that Neal A. Maxwell gave in 1979 called "A More Determined Discipleship" I was going to pick out bits and pieces, but it's all good, so I'm going to put the whole thing on here.

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presdiency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional, or political life.' This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly cital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ... Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted... This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simple because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortions will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face or prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy,on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees pit forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh'. Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

I think the reason I loved this so much was that he gave us warnings. It's frightening to know of all the things that will undoubtedly come. But at the end he gives us some incentive to go to work. He tells us that we are the hope of the world. We need to bring in our fellow men (and women) out of the heat and into the refuge of the Savior. :)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy that as much as I did. Have a wonderful day/week/month!

Ferbrurary

IIIIt's Singles Awareness Month! Besides that little fact, I like February. Weather's getting warmer... and it's almost April! (Kind of..) Which means it's almost my Birthday!! Woot, woot. I'm super excited to be 19. Mostly so that I won't be the youngest in the YSA group. Hehehe... yep. That's exciting. Being the youngest was nice, I'll admit. It kept the creepers far away and the cool guys didn't worry about leading me on or anything. Buuut.. having people that are younger than me will give me some authority over somebody! hahaha.. just kidding. but not really.

I wish I could give you all some good news about my wall, but the truth is I haven't gotten past the white paint yet. It's not that I don't want to do it, because i DO, most definitely. I'm just worried that I'll do something that I'll hate and have to start all over. That would be no bueno. Especially since I'm paying for the colored paint.

So at the moment, the SuperBowl is going on.. and I'm EXTREMELY dissapointed in the commercials. Not only are they stupid and not funny, but they're gross! Come on, America. Let's have some class. But the SuperBowl provides a good opportunity for family bonding and delicious food. MMhm.. can you say drumsticks, meatballs, funeral potatoes, Gorp, brownies, homemade ice cream, and chips and dip! Woohoo, that's what I say. Hurray.

Also, two hours of the Office tonight. Holy Hannah! So excited. So very excited. Unfortunately it interferes with Ward Prayer.. which I've been to every week since I joined the ward.. but... i think The Office takes precedent, so I hope they don't miss me too much. Fortunately, we might have movie night here.. which means I don't have to travel. Good news there.

(wow, that was a nice touchdown.)

Speaking of Valentines.. (what?) I'm going to SANTA BARBARA!! Leaving on the 13. :) Do you know what that means? This is my 2nd Valentines Day in California. I'm loving it! This is the perfect time for a vacation. Plus, I get to see my awesome, awesome sister play Lacrosse. (I think Eric is probably more excited for this than I am, which is saying something. I only say that because apparently there are 22 girls on the team, and the only one that isn't single is our sister.. woohoo!) Anyway, I'm pretty excited for that. I am LOVING the sunshine lately. I will spend a couple hours laying in front of our windows, just absorbing. haha, it feels fantastic. I would DEFINITELY rather die of heat than cold. and I'll say that in the summer, just to prove that it's not because it's cold right now.

(haha, i keep getting distracted. darn SNL.. those guys are hilarious. I recommend Gilly)

What else can I ramble about? hehehe. Oh, I know! I've been having the strangest sensation today. Certain things will make me think of something, and then just a splitsecond later I can't remember what it was it reminded me of, but I still have the feeling the thought gave me. It's happened so many times today, and it's really fuh-ree-king me out. Anyone else ever had that happen?

Annnnd.. now for the grand finale. Larissa, this one's for you. You are the bomb! I am constantly being impressed by your many, many talents and your willingness to learn more! You are hilarious, as your blog proves, and I find myself wishing all my friends knew you so that I could share the happiness you bring with everybody! You are INCREDIBLE. :)

(oh, and you're cooking skills are top-uh-notch.)

Alrighty, that's it!

Goals:

• Daily Scripture Study!
  
• Optimism!


• Holding my tongue.

Quote:

"Personally, I mistrust all handsome men. The superficial pleasures of this life come too easily to them, and they seem to walk the world as though they themselves were personally responsible for their own good looks." -Roald Dahl in Galloping Foxley

(Just to make myself clear.. I don't agree completely with that quote. I do trust some handsome men, but it's easy for me to see what he means. I love reading other people's thoughts.)

Mural.

Alllllrighty. Here's the deal. My dad told me that I could paint a mural on my wall. :) This is something I've always wanted to do, so i'm REALLY excited about it. The only problem is that I'm not sure which picture to use for the main idea... so i need some help deciding! Here are the options: Numba One

Numba Two

Numba 3

Numba 4

Numba 5



Annd.. Sorry to Stacey, but i would crop you and your sista out of Numba 5. hehe. Soo.. let's get some votes on this! Please!
:)

oh, what a day.

Does anybody else have days in which all you want to do is sing your heart out?

Today is definitely one of those days for me.

Music is the flavor of life. :)

two thousand and nine.

Whoa, Nellie. It's a new year.

I was cleaning out my backpack and thinking about what resolutions i would make... when i found a loverly thing i'd forgotten all about. In health last year, my teacher had us all write lists of 100 things we wanted to do in our lives. I figured that was a good enough resolution. I read through it and giggled a few times.. and i was pleased to find i'd done one or two of the things. Anyway, I'm going to put it up and I hope you all enjoy it.. and maybe even write your own lists. :) Here we go!!! (Oh, and these aren't in any sort of order.. )

1. Get married.
2. Have kids
3. Make someone else's wedding dress.
4. Take a ballroom class with husband (and possibly with kids)
5. Get a banana seat bike with a basket
6. Ride in said basket with a huge prom dress and hubby pedaling in a suit.
7. Get a black eye
8. Break a bottle
9. Hike Mt. Olympus
10. Run a marathon
11. Be in a movie
12. Learn how to say the alphabet backwards
13. Get an old Beamer and fix it up
14. Go to Africa
15. Write a freaking awesome song.
16. Get dreadlocks
17. Be a rollercoaster critic
18. Have an art room in my house
19. Get (fake) Henna.
20. Bum-wars! (Ask if you really want to know.)
21. Invent a non-water shower
22. Live in Cali or Mexico
23. Set a world record
24. Go to prison (not behind bars..)
25. Make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich
26. Be in a crew
27. Find a geode
28. Be in advertising
29. Be a photographer
30. Make a bomb
31. Umm.. this one's a little personal. hehe..
32. Skydive
33. Be on the cover of (any) magazine
34. Throw a brick through a window
35. Fire someone
36. Hit a pedestrian (not... hard..)
37. Become a ninja
38. Get past a bouncer
39. Make a seatbelt belt.
40. Ride in a helicopter (check!!)
41. Go to a fashion show in Europe
42. Perform a song on stage(check!!)
43. Have a car with a sunroof (check!!)
44. Spend a day in silence
45. Learn Italian (fluently)
46. Learn how to ride a longboard
47. Have a swing in my home
48. Hot tub in a snow storm
49. Donate to/start a charity
50. Pull awesome pranks on people
51. Set at least one couple up
52. Fall in love
53. Go on a safari
54. Have a song dedicated to me
55. (stolen from Walk To remember) Befriend someone I strongly dislike
56. Shoot the Tube
57. Roast Mallows in broad daylight
58. Pretend to be a bum
59. Play tunes for spare change downtown
60. Work in a haunted house
61. Run through a giant field of flowers
62. Write a book
63. Ride in a pedal-boat
64. Save a life
65. Buy a house with cash.
66. Make homemade butter (prefferably in a churn-thing)
67. Build a treehouse
68. Hunt for UFO's
69. Wear rainbow eyeshadow for a day
70. Ride in a hot-air balloon
71. Befriend someone who's terminal
72. Learn to cut hair (well)
73. Air Chair!
74. Learn to do a standing backflip
75. Wear only skirts/dresses for a month
76. Moonwalk like a pro
77. Convince someone my name is Travis and never tell them the truth
78. Learn to keep my room clean
79. Pretend to be a moviestar in public
80. Own a business
81. Pull an all-nighter
82. Learn Sign-language
83. Work in a preschool
84. Motivate people!
85. Fly.
86. Have a living funeral
87. Have pizza at my wedding reception
88. Smile for a whole day :D
89. Win a contest
90. Copyright a color
91. Have a star named after me
92. Learn Clair de Lune
93. and Rhapsody in Blue
94. Get a Hole in One!
95. Pet a Lion.
96. Swim in the Azores w/ family
97. Maky my dad eat an olive
98. Go a day(at home) without looking in the mirror
99. Scuba dive
100. Die. :)

(Umm.. I would do goal time.. but.. yeah.)

Quote Time!

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." -- Jim Rohn