And then I said...

Truly Letting Go

2012-01-30T22:34:00.003-07:00

I had a final epiphany this week. I have been struggling with/through something for the last few months, and I came to the realization that I want to have people in my life that want me in their life. I deserve to have people who show me that they care, who show me they want me to be in their life. I want people who truly know me, instead of thinking they know who I am. I don't like when people make assumptions about me...you know what happens when you assume...This week I finally let go. Let me tell you, it has been a difficult road.

If there is someone/something in your life that has been a good thing, it can be almost impossible to truly let go until you get to that point for yourself when you understand that you aren't being true to yourself, to who you are trying to become, to your future. It makes me sad to have to be done with this part of my life, but it wasn't making me happy, I was trying to fix something that apparently wasn't worth mending, and I came to the realization that I deserved more.

I even have a reminder on my mirror :)

I have done all I can do. Now I get to move on. Truly letting go is liberating.

Quick shout out to my friends and family who have been a huge support through the last few months! THANK YOU!!

My mom...

2012-01-30T22:28:00.003-07:00

This past week, my mom, this adorable lady, had a birthday!

I was thinking about the example she has been to me throughout my life, all she has done for me, and it got me to thinking, how do I show my appreciation for all she has give and done, all her sacrifices, and her example?

The answer came to me in the example of the Savior..."go and do likewise".

My mom will most likely be embarrassed by this post, but I have to share the thoughts about her example. I can strive to become like she is, to be giving, serving others, to have a great sense of humor, to be humble and prayerful, creative and crafty. I don't think she has any idea at how amazing she really is. If I can "do likewise" to her life, I will become an amazing person. AND, as I become like her, I will also become like my Savior, Jesus Christ. She has been that example to me.

SO, I encourage you to find people in your life, and determine what qualities they show you, and then "go and do likewise", or "go and BECOME likewise". You will be happier for it. I promise!

Emotional Ramblings :)

2012-01-23T09:49:00.004-07:00

The last few months have been...personally educational. I don't really feel like going into details, but just know I have been ALL over the place.

One of the most educational parts of it, was coming to terms with a wide spectrum of emotions. I think often times when we are greatly blessed in our life, when other elements and parts of our life are going along fine and dandy, when others seem to handle similar situations better (in our eyes), we feel guilty about feeling anything other than happy.

Let me tell you. Happy is NOT the only emotion. Sad is not the other choice. There is a wide variety, a plethora in fact, of emotions that we can, and from time to time SHOULD, feel. We feel guilty because other than this little thing (which can in actuality be a BIG thing for us) we shouldn't complain. Feeling emotions is not the same as complaining.

We are allowed to feel emotions like anger, frustration, confusion, betrayal, hurt, contentment, hope, jealousy, envy, (there is a difference between those two), sorrow, joy, happiness, esctasy, fear, acceptance, amusement, just to name a few. We SHOULD feel these emotions, and any others that come our way.

It is what we do with them that makes the difference. If we wallow in self-pity for a long time, that is not the same as taking some time to wallow. We need to feel the emotion, validate the emotion, learn from the experience, and work towards a more positive emotion (if we are experiencing a negative one).

There isn't a set time for how long we feel something. How do we know? I have wondered that quite a bit over the last few months. How long SHOULD I feel this way? How much more time can I take to heal? How am I supposed to feel now? I strongly feel like it isn't a set time, but what we are doing with it. Are we validating it, working through it, and looking forward to when we are feeling better?

I feel so blessed to have had wonderful people in my life who have pushed me to feel and figure out the TRUE emotion that I have been feeling, and not just the surface "sad" or "fine". When I allowed myself to feel and to not feel bad for feeling, I felt better, even when I was feeling attacked and betrayed. Every day is a new exploration as to how I feel.

I think if we each took more time to figure out how we were truly feeling, we would be better equipped to deal with it, no matter what comes our way. I am not saying it will all be sunshine and buttercups, but when we recognize the issue and emotion, we are more able to handle the issue. It will still be a process (LOVE THOSE!) (I seriously do!) but through the process, it will just be better as we are honest with ourself and allow ourself to FEEL.

I know this is rambly and all over the place, and if you have made it this far and you somewhat understand what I am saying...great job!

I just had to get it out there. Thanks for reading :)

Wait for Halloween?? NO WAY!

2012-01-23T09:45:00.002-07:00

Another reason I love my job?

I get to use my creatively gross make-up skills.

Each year we do a simulated emergency, and we have victims. This year, I suggested that we could put make-up on the victims, instead of just using a piece of paper with a description on it. I was able to use my Theater Make-up Class skills from back in the day, and it was SO fun!

Recapping, for your catching up pleasure :)

2012-01-15T21:19:00.004-07:00

I decided that a good way to start this blogging year goal joy is to catch up with what has been going on the last little while in my life.

*Work: I am still working as a Hall Advisor. I realized recently how much it irks me when people don't realize what I do for work. What I mean by that is so many people presume I am working part time as a Resident Assistant (which I did as a student for 2 years many moons ago). I then get to tell them that I do have a 'grown-up' job that is a full-time job with all that goes with it. I hate to say it, but I am kind of a big deal ;). I LOVE the RAs that I am working with this year, and my associate HA is someone I worked with back when we were both students, so it is fun to have an old friend. Russ and his wife, Adri, are just fun to be around and great to work with. I am living in one of the new Heritage buildings. (For those of you familiar with BYU, it is where Deseret Towers used to be located.) I love seeing the growth and development of the residents and just the fun that they bring to my life.

*Family: The Kennedy family has been growing! Baby Teagen joined our family at the end of July, and in December, Baby Oliver joined our family as well! I feel blessed to have been able to meet and cuddle all of my nieces and nephew (the older ones are less cuddly and more play-ey). I LOVE being an aunt!

It is a little sad to me, that I have exciting things for my work and family, and nothing really else to report about in a recapping form. However, I am looking forward to adventures in the New Year! Let me know what else you want to know about in my life!

A goal...not a resolution...

2012-01-08T22:47:00.001-07:00

So, I like goals, rather than resolutions. Here is one to share with the class. I am making the goal to blog at least once a week. Let's see how it goes!!!!

An Example of the Believers

2011-11-27T21:13:00.003-07:00

This post may be a bit late, but here it is, nonetheless.

There is a woman who I have had the privilege of knowing for the last 4 years or so of my life. She has been an example of kindness, goodness, love, caring, charity, service, and a disciple of Christ. This woman and her husband took me in for 6 weeks while I anxiously waited for my mission call. While I was living there, I got to see the every day living of this phenomenal wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Alice showed me an example of how to live a Christ-centered life in a humble, every day way that didn't require flash or praise from anyone. She lived her life the way she did because of her testimony and desire to do what was right, not for the praise of others. I got hugs all the time from her, and I know that she was genuinely interested in the things we talked about, and our conversations were meaningful to me then, and precious to me now.

When I moved back to Utah after my mission, I got to see a completely new, and amazing side to Alice. Her true love was battling for his life, and she was (if it was possible) more dedicated to Joe. I saw every time I was over at their house her love, concern, and devotion to her eternal companion. In the midst of this, she still made sure that her kids and grandkids knew without fail that they were fiercely loved by this amazing woman.

After Joe passed on, I got to see yet another part of Alice. She showed strength, dignity, and faith that still inspires me. I feel blessed to have been able to witness the example of this woman.

Recently, Alice joined Joe to continue their eternal life together. I was able to go to her funeral, and to be uplifted by her children. I am inspired to be a better person because of the lessons, memories, and examples shared by her children and family. She lived her life humbly and would probably be upset at me for going on and on about her so much. Anyone who met her knows of her incredible capacity to immediately love. You never left the house without at least one big hug and an expression of love whispered in your ear. I have seen Alice live her life in a way that you KNOW, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Alice knows and loves her Heavenly Father and her Savior, Jesus Christ, and was striving each day to become like Them. I am privileged to have a real life example of the believers.

Even now, I get to see the legacy Alice (and Joe) left in the Raynes children. I see love and concern and the genuine desire to do what is right and best for everyone. I am blessed to have my part in their lives.

Here is what they shared about their mom:

Alice Nielsen Raynes, age 63, passed away peacefully November 9, 2011, surrounded by her eternal family.

She was born March 31,1948, in Provo, Utah to Vernon C and Olive Nielsen; she was the oldest of eight children. Her childhood was happy and filled with love. She graduated from Granger High School; kind and fun, she was voted by her student body as the Lady Lancer.

While attending BYU, Alice met Joe, her Prince Charming—it was love at first sight. They married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 27, 1969. They have ten children, all redheads like their parents. Being a mother was central to Alice’s life. She was a constant example of Christ, especially evident in the nurturing of her family.

Life is all about choices, and Alice humbly made the right choices. Alice always chose kindness. If you have met Alice, you have felt the Savior’s love. She never said an unkind word about anyone. She loved others the way the Savior asked us to love—unconditionally and without reserve.

She chose to have ten children. They were born to a mother who cherished them and their differences, a mother who was constant in her love, guidance and example. All of her children know secretly that they are their mother's favorite. Her grandchildren also felt her never-ending love. She spent every moment she could with them, cuddling and "smell-kissing" them. Her home was always open and everyone felt welcomed and known by her. She was a mother to all.

Alice chose lifelong learning and had an amazing mind. She graduated from BYU with her Bachelor's Degree and used it every day in raising her children. She participated on the BYU Ballroom Dance Team, and could rumba and cha-cha like no other. She read voraciously, played and graciously won all trivia and word games. She was a master of the English and Spanish languages. She was an accomplished tailor and clothing designer. She sewed each of her daughters’ wedding dresses, each one custom made. She drafted designs for her homes, and Joe built them—for her.

Alice chose music as her talent and love. She played the piano, organ and cello with incredible aptitude and found great joy in music. As a teenager, she took organ lessons at Temple Square in the Assembly Hall. She instilled a love of music in her children, and was happiest when they were singing. She shared her talent by happily accompanying vocalists. There was always music playing in her head. Joe would often ask her what song was in her head and she would name the song and composer and hum him a few lines. Heaven will be richer because of her music.

Alice happily chose to serve; spending her days in constant service of others. She was a proud and faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She magnified her every calling, serving as Relief Society President, temple worker, organist, and in a myriad of auxiliary positions at both the ward and stake level. She spent thirty years playing the organ weekly in the temple, offering peace through music.

Alice chose to follow Joe to the distant corners of the earth. Wherever he was, running water or no, Alice was by his side. When her eternal love and companion in life was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, Alice chose optimism and faith. She led her family with her example of turning to Christ and finding strength in Him.

She chose to be humble. She chose to be loving. She chose to be charitable. And her children watched and learned. They know where to turn for peace because they watched their mother find it in Christ.

We choose now to honor her legacy by being happy, ever-serving and faithful.

Alice Nielsen Raynes is preceded in death (by only 10 months) by her adoring husband Joseph Lincoln Raynes, and her parents, Vernon C and Olive Nielsen. She is survived by her ten children: Janelle (Nathan) Gerber, Michelle, Denise (Paul) Pitcher, Alison (Marshall) Smith, Melanee, Stefanie (Nate) Farnsworth, Jonathan (Daniela), Danielle (Bryan) Kennedy, Derrick (Alexa), David (Sydney), and 17 & 8/9 grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings: Ruth (Tom) Rich, Chad (Karen) Nielsen, James (Giana) Nielsen, Kathleen Nielsen, John (Gayla) Nielsen, Lillian (Sterling) Clark, and Jocelyn (Michael) Goldberg.

Epiphany

2011-10-14T23:03:00.003-06:00

I am not getting my life back...I am moving my life forward.

It is nice to have it simply put. I came to this realization last night, and it is simple and concise, and yet it is everything I need. Sure, it will still be hard at times, and will hurt, BUT I am moving forward. I can't expect to get the things back that I had before this all went down, but I can expect the new things in my life, and if some things are supposed to remain in my life, eventually, someday, in some way, I will have the things that I need again in my life.

To everything there is a season.

Heavenly Father is always aware of my 'seasons' and knows what I need more than I know what I need.

I am blessed.

1 step back

2011-10-14T22:57:00.002-06:00

Have you ever been going through a process, and you are making progress, and then you do something that you know isn't good for you, but you just HAVE to do it? AND then you end up at least 1 step back from the progress you have been making?

I am not sure why I do that. Am I a glutton for punishment? Am I testing myself to see how much progress I really have made? Do I enjoy the pain? Or is that I hope the person somehow, in an odd way sees my pain and realizes how much hurt I am still experiencing?

I know I am doing well most of the time, but then there are moments where I know it will hurt, and yet I give myself that pain. (I am not physically hurting myself, just so you don't worry) Does it help me feel alive in an odd way??

2...already!

2011-10-03T22:57:00.002-06:00

My niece, Charlotte turned 2 today! She is one of my best friends. I love that she calls me "lala" which is relatively close to aunt in Bulgarian. I just love this girl and how she hugs and the kisses she gives, the light she brings to my life. I love how she dances, and that her body automatically responds to music. I love how she breathes life into everything around her, even at the age of 2. I have been blessed by having this amazing girl in my life, and am fortunate to be her aunt.

Music

2011-10-03T22:32:00.003-06:00

It is so interesting to me that songs about VERY different things have touched me so much recently.

Songs that have touched me as of late:

Adele: Rolling in the Deep
Adele: Someone like You
Adele: Make you Feel My Love
Adele: Don't You Remember
(Really ANYTHING by Adele because she basically rocks at life and her music speaks to my soul)
Kelly Clarkson: Behind These Hazel Eyes
Kelly Clarkson: My Life Would Suck Without You
Sara Bareilles: Uncharted
Sara Bareilles: Gravity
Coldplay: Viva la Vida (this one ALWAYS feeds my soul)

I may add more as I find them.

Feelings

2011-10-03T22:23:00.002-06:00

I have realized that the question, "How are you?" can be a very tricky one, especially when you don't really know how you are. How do I feel? There is a tumult of emotion and feelings in my life right now, and I am not happy not really knowing how I am feeling. It is frustrating to not know how I am feeling, to try to know, to try to feel, to allow myself the full spectrum of emotions.

I apologize if I am answering that simple question in an odd way if you ask me for the next little while.

Lost

2011-09-27T18:44:00.003-06:00

What do you do when you don't know what to do? Where do you go? How do you feel? How do you find the direction?

I think there is a bit of time of self-exploration and going through processes that help you to be ready to make whatever that next step may be. It is hard, especially when you REALLY don't know the direction you are supposed to be going.

What do you do in that time before you move? How do you have that peace while you are preparing yourself?

What do you do if you feel like you have lost a part of yourself in the process? How do you get that back?

How do you become unlost?

MADE ME LAUGH

2011-08-04T08:15:00.001-06:00

I stole this from a friend's facebook status, who also stole it from a friend. I hope you enjoy!

For all you single ladies who are in such a hurry to find someone, here's a quick piece of biblical advice: Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz. While waiting on YOUR Boaz, don't settle for ANY of his relatives: Broke-az, Po-az, Lyin-az, Cheatin-az, Dumb-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, Goodfornothin-az, Lazy-az or Married-az..... and especially his 3rd Cousin Beatinyo-az !!!!

Blessed Assurance that He Cares

2011-07-11T23:30:00.002-06:00

It is interesting how amazed and yet not at how blessed I have been in my life by the people, and more specifically my close friends. They have seen me through my worst moments, which have included heaving sobs, gushing tears, splotchy and red eyes, and the silent hugs that wrap me in healing. They know when to give me words of wisdom, and when to let the quiet teach me what I need to learn. They know me better than I know myself at times, and help me to see where I can stretch and grow. They gently, yet firmly help me understand my life, my issues, and my solutions, especially when I don't necessarily want to see them for myself. They show courage when they challenge me, and point out ways I can improve, always showing me love. They want me to become more.
There are also so many tender mercies from those who I have come in contact with, who reach me when I need them the most, when they don't realize what strength and love they show for me in the little ways. From a message from a sister in the MTC on facebook to a comment on my blog to a thank you from a stranger that I helped at work...these all help me more than I can say.
They truly are tender mercies from a loving Heavenly Father. While I may say I am amazed at the love He shows me, at the same time, why wouldn't He show me that love? I am His daughter. He wants me to feel His LOVE and it is there, every day. The question is, do I look for it? Do I allow it in my life? Sometimes it has to be like a 2x4 for me to get it, but other times, when I take the time to pay attention, it comes over me like a light whisper of the summer breeze. He is always there, always loving. I am truly blessed.

Reasons Why....

2011-07-05T22:31:00.003-06:00

Summer Storms make my heart UNBELIEVABLY happy!
*The weather is warm enough that I can stay outside in the rain for a LONG time and not get cold.
*The rain isn't too hard, but enough to make it worth walking through and dancing in as much as I want.
*The smell of rain always makes me happy, but there is something about the smell of rain on warm pavement.
*The sound of rain.
*The sound of rain on leaves.
*The lightening not only illuminates the entire sky, there are bolt of lightening that cut through that illumination at the same time!
*The rumbling and crackling thunder completes the dance of thunder and lightening in its own time, sometimes in a softer, almost whisper of a thunder, and sometimes announcing its presence with a loud, majestic roll.
*The feeling I get of calm liberation from the heat of summer. There is a general liberation as the rain comes down and fortifies my soul in a way that I can't exactly describe.
*The knowledge it gives me of Heavenly Father...yes, even in a rainstorm. I can see His hand, His power, His love.

BEST Vacation EVER Recap (part 4, the grande finale)

2011-06-15T22:11:00.006-06:00

After spending a day making the most of Paris, we were TI-RED!!! We had a pretty chillaxed day, just hanging out at the house, with Spencer's family. We got to make pizza. By make, I truly mean make from scratch. It is SO good! We watched a few movies and then headed off to bed before our next grand adventure the next day.

We set out a little later than we thought (when on vacation never stop, or else you might not be able to start again) but we headed off to Stratford-upon-Avon. Yes, we went to Shakespeareland. We were able to see his birthplace, his grave in the Trinity church, as well as the theatre there and some really neat shops.

It was a lovely village with really neat buildings and structures.

It was pretty funny because they ask for a donation before you can go see the actual grave, and we didn't have enough small bills/coins, SO we went to the gift shop to break a larger bill to be able to see the grave!

They say this bust is quite the likeness to the bard himself because it was sculpted while his wife and daughter were still alive and they were a part of the creation of the sculpture.

This is the theatre that is there. It is a beautiful building.

The closer we got, the more detail jumped out at us.

I did a little happy dance when I saw this shop. I immediately thought of my parents, my dad especially.

It had A LOT of ornaments and such. Spencer stayed outside while I took it all in. I am my daddy's daughter in this way :)

After we wandered around a bit, we headed off to Cambridge. We had some AMAZING fudge, I had authentic fish and chips and we were able to go to King's College Evensong. It was so beautiful and spiritual and I felt the testimony of those who sang, and I know they weren't singing for us, but singing a praise to the Heavens.

SO DELICIOUS!!!

GORGEOUS

We had a bit of an adventure getting home, in that we thought we lost the car key, and after a stressful few minutes and a phone call or two, we found the key! YAY!! Celebrate good times! We made it home in pretty good time, and were able to watch a movie with family and friends.

Now, here is the thing. I don't generally watch scary movies. There is a very good reason for that. I get scared. Freakishly so. I jumped and squealed and possibly even screamed a little. We watched "What Lies Beneath" which I have seen, but only once and it was YEARS ago. Well, I survived the movie well enough and was doing fine, until I went on the computer to check my flight information for the next day, and Spencer comes creeping up behind me and scares the living daylights out of me! You better believe I screamed. His mom was not happy with him and gave me permission to do basically anything to him for retribution. We were then talking and someone came up to the front door (the ride for some of the kids). BUT he didn't just knock on the door, but he popped his head in the window next to the door. Mini-freak out again? You betcha! I did get to sleep that night, and didn't have a scary dream, thankfully!

Spencer and I made our way to the airport the next morning, but I had to take one last picture:

This is the place I called home for the last 10 days. Let me tell you, I felt so welcome and comfortable, it just added to the awesomeness that was my best vacation ever!

The airport proved to be an adventure as I misread which terminal to go to, so we ended up taking trams and escalators, and getting through to security was an adventure too, and then in Chicago I took a million more escalators and trams, but I made it back in one piece.

I hope you have enjoyed this walk with me through vacation memory lane. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go to England (and Paris), and for the generosity of the Bugg family. I have precious memories of the BEST Vacation EVER!

BEST Vacation EVER Recap (part 3)

2011-06-14T08:41:00.019-06:00

Are you ready for some more of a grand adventure??
So, our next stop was to go BACK to London. Man. We got to take a train into the city, and it was beautiful. I love taking trains because you get to see parts of the country that you would not normally get to see when you travel on the road.
So, we went to London and went to Westminster Abbey. Something that made me laugh was one tourist asking where exactly the wedding took place, and the information man so patiently pointed out exactly where everything went down. I wonder how many times he has been asked that question. The different tombstones and markers are so intricate and beautiful. There are so many people there! We saw Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Chaucer, William Wilberforce (he's the man!) Winston Churchill, and of course many royals that are there. There is amazing architecture throughout, even on the outside. There are some more recent people that are honored on the outside, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's me! SURREAL!

Dr. King is 5th from the left.

It's SOOO big!

We then headed over to a little theater, to see a little play you may have heard of. It is called:

That's right! I have finally seen Wicked! I love it when you know music from a musical pretty well, and then you finally get to see the show and see how the storyline comes together and weaves through the music.

While we waited, I took in the granduer of the theatre.

What am I looking at?? The COOL ceiling.

Now, it isn't really this color, but this picture turned out so cool and shows the detail well.

We can't wait!!!! YAY!!!!

The show was absolutely amazing! The music, costumes, actors, chemistry! Our Elphaba had some soul to her, and had the most amazing voice! I really liked the chemistry she had with Galinda (the "Ga" is silent) as well as with Fiero.

We also wandered around Piccadilly Circus for a bit and bought a 'pocket watch' because we needed one for the next day, and neither of us had one!

Pretty sweet, right? Made us laugh.

Our next stop was a whirlwind, one day tour of Paris. Yeah. Crazy, I know! When Spencer first suggested it, it was a cool thought, but I never thought it would actually happen, but he made it happen! We got to take the train through the Chunnel over to Paris and hit all the big spots we wanted to see.

We started the day in the Louvre. I kept thinking about the book/movie The DaVinci Code while we were there.

The Louvre is HUGE. We could have been there for days and not seen everything, so we had to see a few things that we really wanted to see.

It was so cool to be there!

Apparently, I am a funny photographer. Actually, I think a random person was unaware of anything around them (including us) and had been in the way, or something like that.

SO intricate and detailed and ornate!

So many people!

Yes, that is Spencer. Yes, that is the Mona Lisa. Yes, I was there too. It was quite the battle to actually get our pictures with her!

Venus de Milo is beautiful.

I loved the paintings!

Beautiful art.

We headed out and towards our next stop, and while on our way, we passed the pont neuf and also the bridge with all the lovers' locks. There is a LOT of love!

Our next stop was historic...well, pretty much everything we saw is, but this one was so epic and historic that Disney has even invested in the story. Yep, we went to Notre Dame!

I half expected Quasimodo to come out at some point, alas, he did not. BUT I did get to see the French police with their BIG guns patrolling the area. I thought something was going down, but I was informed that they normally do that.

The next 2 places we went were absolutely beautiful. We went to the Musee D'Orsay as well as Musee L'Orangerie. Musee D'Orsay had amazing art of Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, and many others. It used to be a train station and is the perfect size and not too overwhelming.

It is just a beautiful building.

Spencer is trying to become one with the art!

It was pretty funny because we got there at a good time, the line was going pretty quickly and then, just as we were going to go in, the guard stopped us, and we had to wait about 20 minutes to get into the museum because there were too many people in there!

I could have stayed in the Musee L'Orangerie forever. You want to know why? They have huge murals of Monet's Water Lilies. Take a look!

This will give you a little perspective as to the size of these murals. (plus, I love the fact that I match the paintings!)

They have benches in the middle of the room, and you can just sit there, taking them all in.

I love this one, with the sunset colors and the extra depth to it.

They all took my breath away.

Makes my heart happy!

Of course, we couldn't go to France without partaking of the deliciousness known as a crepe.

Let me tell you...these things can be so messy...but SOOO good!

Our next stop of the day was to this little known place called the Eiffel Tower. I have one word for this place. GINORMOUS!!!!! Seriously, the closer you get, the bigger it gets, but you think it can't get any bigger, but it does!

Just taking it all in. The day was beautiful and breezy. I ended up taking a little nap right here :)

I couldn't believe that I was actually there!

Spencer liked it too!

It was so neat because there were people just there on their lunch break, having a picnic by the Eiffel Tower!

We had fun with a little photo shoot. However, we were by no means the only ones. Some people were ALL sorts of into posing in all sorts of ways!

Seriously. GINORMOUS!

I could have strained my neck!

Beautiful!

Looking up...pretty cool, huh?

There was a nice lady who came up and offered to take our picture. NICE! We were able to be in a picture together that gets more than an arm's length of scenery :)

We headed to Arc de Triomphe and walked along the Champs-Élysées. While there, we saw the Abercrombie and Fitch models just hanging out...

Our last stop of the day was the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, or in English Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. There are a bazilliondy steps to get to it, but it is SO worth it. The view of the city is breathtaking and the Basilica itself is gorgeous.

It was the perfect end to our one day in Paris.

Now, there are a few things that I found in the train station in London that you might enjoy. I love the statue of the military man and the details on the base:

We also found a very magical part of the train station:

Thus ends this part of the recapping joy. I do believe I can get the rest into one recap, so I am almost done. I know, I know, you will miss these grand adventures, BUT don't fret, there is still one more recap!!! See you soon!

BEST Vacation EVER Recap (part 2)

2011-06-12T22:16:00.021-06:00

So, to pick up the story....
We headed off to Sherwood Forest. Yes, indeed. Robin Hood, Little John, and the rest of the Merry Men. We even found the Major Oak that is rumored to be the tree that they would all meet up in before heading off on their adventures.

The Forest Preservation people have actually taken a lot of care to protect this tree. There were SO many posts and poles holding the tree up! We were able to stroll around for a bit, and saw some beautiful trees and nature in general. It was SO green!

Our next stop made my heart SO happy. I got another chance to geek out over Pride and Prejudice! We made our way to the Chatsworth House, which to all you newer P&P fans is known as PEMBERLEY!!!! Yep. I got to go to Mr. Darcy's house!!!

It was pretty cool, because we were allowed to take pictures INSIDE the house!

This sign made me giggle. I wonder how many people thought it was a drinking fountain??

This is the veil lady.I don't know what the actual name is, that is just what I call her. You see her in the movie, but generally, she is in a beautiful oak room, and she stands out even more vibrantly against the dark wood.

This is me, having an Elizabeth Bennett moment in the statue room. I was able to walk around, taking it all in, and it was SO surreal!

This is the formal dining room. GORGEOUS. One thing I noticed was the intricacies in so many of the ceilings in all the places we went. For some it was mural paintings, others it was ornate woodwork and carvings.

This is an amazing mirror. The angled mirrors just were so fun to look at, and find yourself all around the framing of the mirror!

As amazing as the house was, the grounds were absolutely phenomenal. It was breathtaking. I loved being able to just walk around, and there was a variety of types of gardens within the grounds!

There was this amazing little garden of a wide variety of tulips! There were so many different colors, some solid, some mixed in the same flower.

The pink flowers were SO bright! The flowers themselves were pretty big.

We were able to stand on this rock area and look over a portion of the gardens. I could have stayed there all day, but alas, we had to go exploring.

"What are men to rocks and trees?" GOOD QUESTION!!! :)

This was right as you walk out of the house, and gives you a nice introduction to the rest of the grounds.

While we were there, it decided to rain. This wasn't a lovely little drizzle, but there was actual HAIL. Luckily, we found a tree to stand under to have some protection from the pelting hail and rain.

There were lovely statues throughout the grounds.

I LOVE the green/grey (gray) combination in nature; the green just looks so much more vibrant!

There was one portion that had SO much yellow!!!I was in flower heaven!

It is just SO green!

This fountain was so pretty, and we got to see them turn it off...they still use the old school pole and literally turning the fountain off.

The next part of our trip had 2 surprises...one was planned, and the other was a complete surprise to the both of us. Spencer told me he had a surprise for me awhile before I went over, but would not budge at telling me what it was. Well, the day FINALLY came. We drove for about 4 hours to get to the surprise. However, we were both in for a surprise on the way there. We kept seeing signs for this place, and I thought to myself that maybe that was the surprise. As we were driving, this place was RIGHT off the road, so we decided to get on out at see it. We were both equally surprised to see this:

THAT'S RIGHT!!!! STONEHENGE!!!
We didn't feel like paying to just walk around it, especially since we had our planned surprise SO we just did a quick photo op:

I can't ever imagine going on vacation alone....

Who would take pictures of you??

We quickly got back on the road and headed to our planned destination of surprise! We pulled into this place called Stourhead and Spencer asked if I wanted to tour the house and the gardens, or just the gardens. My response was "I have NO idea where we are, so you might want to decide." It was funny, because we made a bathroom stop before we went in to buy tickets, and I was hoping to get some sort of clue as to where we were, but they just had information about pottery that they make on the grounds. Spencer tells me that it is more about the grounds, so I say to only do the grounds tour. We walk into the building to buy tickets and I see this HUGE poster:

photo credit: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-stourhead/w-stourhead-garden.htm

I almost started hyperventilating!!! Spencer got a good laugh out of it, but I think he appreciated how excited I was to be there. For those of you unsure of why I was freaking out so much, this is once again, from Pride and Prejudice. This is the location where Mr. Darcy first proposes to Elizabeth (it is raining in the film). I had actually asked Spencer about the possibility of going here when we were planning our grand adventure, and he had said it was way up north and too far for us. While he lied to me, I appreciate it IN THIS CASE because the surprise rocked! The gardens were breathtaking. We talked about how it makes perfect sense that Eden was a garden. It was picturesque the whole time. I could have stayed there forever. In fact, I wanted to become a modest wood nymph and run around the garden all the time forever and ever and enhance the garden experience for all the visitors. Yes, I am an odd duck. don't judge, just love. ANYWAY, here are some pictures of one of my favorite places.

I honestly just felt at peace the whole time I was there. I knew we had to leave, but I didn't want to!

We were also able to stop by Oxford. I know...stopping by Oxford! It was neat because we got to do a park & ride, so we went up to the top of the double decker bus...let me tell you, that messes with your depth perception and perspective!

It's funny taking pictures of each other, because then you end up getting almost panoramic pictures of things.

Oxford itself is GORGEOUS. Once again, I had those thoughts of "this building is older than my country!" The architecture is amazing!

I was in awe the whole time. I felt like a baby bird sometimes, looking up with my mouth wide open (although I tried not to look TOO touristy). It amazes me the patience and devotion it took to complete these buildings.

Thus ends part 2 of the adventure...but don't you fret...part 3 will be full of adventures and travel!

Recap Break...for a vain moment

2011-06-02T23:54:00.003-06:00

I realize that I am sometimes a little vain, especially when I have a new something. Usually this something has to do with my hair, because, let's face it, it's fun to change it up and do something new with it. I got my hair cut a few weeks ago, and it has grown out a little bit, and I can now flip it out. This whole post sounds trivial and vain. And it is the truth. BUT I have to share my cute flipped out 'do before I go to bed and it never looks quite like this again.

I appreciate you not judging me too much for this blog entry, and will return you to recapping my trip shortly.

Fear.

2011-05-22T16:14:00.002-06:00

Why is fear such a powerful thing? It amazes me the things we stop ourselves from doing, and when we sit down to figure out what has stopped us, how often we determine it is fear. It doesn't have to be big things, but simple things, that we don't do because of fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of what others will think, fear of not being yourself, fear of change, even fear of improvement.

How do you get over the fear? I know that faith and fear cannot co-exist, but how do you develop the faith to overcome the fear? I am not looking for 'Sunday school' answers, and it may be a rhetorical question, one that each of us must ask ourselves, but I think it is something to think about.

BEST Vacation EVER recap...Finally! (PART 1)

2011-05-22T13:02:00.015-06:00

Please be patient with me as I give you a bit of a recap into my trip.
Here we go, with Part 1:
I know it has been a long time coming, (or maybe it is just the guilt of not blogging in general)but I now present to you a recap of the best vacation ever (official title) in England (and a hop over to Paris).
I started off with a pretty uneventful trip over to England. This is exciting for me, because I love traveling and love it even more when it goes smoothly. I arrived, went through customs, and went to find my good friend, Spencer. I looked around and couldn't find him and had a moment of baby-panic, but then I heard my name over the loud speaker, telling me to meet Spencer at the :insert mumbling here: oh great. So I go to the information desk, and they point me to the "meeting place". I kid you not, there is a big sign that says MEETING PLACE. love it! And lo and behold, that is where we met! YAY! We dropped off my stuff and then headed back into the city. I rode the tube (love it!) and as we came out of the tube station, this was the first thing I saw:

Let me tell you, not too shabby of a way to start a trip! We toured around the city a bit, hitting the famous spots, like Buckingham Palace, where THE royal kiss happened:

I am grateful that I missed all the craziness from the wedding by a week, but still got to see lots of memorabilia from the wedding. We went to Trafalgar Square, stopped in at the National Gallery, where we saw performance art people, strolled through St. James Park, my first of many strolls in parks that made me fall in love love love with England, and realize that America is missing out on the awesome parks!There was a bit of traffic on the way back to Thetford, but it was nice to have that time to catch up and talk. It was a little strange riding on the other side of the car and driving on the other side of the road, but I adjusted pretty quickly.

We got to spend the day with Spencer's parents! We headed to this beautiful place, and had a lovely time.

The grounds at the London Temple are beautiful! We then headed to Dover...as in the white cliffs of Dover:

There is an amazing fort there, one of the oldest in England. There are secret wartime tunnels from World War 2 and it is just a lovely place. We saw France! We had dinner on the way home, and there was a menu with Fajitas on it, and the thing that made me laugh was that there was a pronounciation guide! (FA-HEE-TAS) I guess we take it for granted.

After church, we headed to the Ely Cathedral. It is BEAUTIFUL! We were able to take a tour of the Octagon Tower. I forgot that I don't really like heights until our guide, Doug, started describing the details of the tour. Luckily, I survived!

This last picture is the view DOWN from the inside of the top part of the tower. I barely looked down...it was more of a reach over the edge and snap the picture moment. Luckily, Spencer didn't make too much fun of me! What a great friend!
Random movie trivia for you: In "The King's Speech" there is a scene at Westminster Abbey before his coronation BUT it was actually filmed at the Ely Cathedral, and they have the chair there...SO I sat myself down in the king's seat! :) (geek out moment because I LOVE that movie!)

Our next stop was to Bourghley House...also known as Rosings Park to you Pride and Prejudice fans (the newer one). OHMYGOODNESS! It was so beautiful and ornate. I didn't realize that royalty would just pop over to visit people and stay there, and so there were rooms that were decorated just for the kings and queens!

The gardens there are magnificent. They had the Garden of Surprises, which was more geared towards children...there were fountains they could play with, old lawn games and just a place for them to have fun!

There was also the Statue Garden. I thought it would be geared towards period statues, but oh no. They were quite modern. Some of them were just odd. BUT the gardens themselves were LOVELY!

On our way out, there were DEER, just hanging out!!!

But wait...there's more!!! (stay tuned for part 2)

Dancing Diaper QUEEN!

2011-04-19T08:22:00.004-06:00

My niece, Charlotte, LOVES to dance. If there is music on, her body just starts moving. Here is a video that just makes my heart happy. Her diaper/boots combo really completes it! I hope you enjoy it!

55 Questions and Answers

2011-04-13T00:18:00.002-06:00

*55 QUESTIONS*

I stole this from Levi..pretty fun!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? From laughter? Tonight during the RA staff meeting. Not from laughter? Last Saturday during Elder Cook's General Conference talk3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Depends on the day, and the style I choose to write in.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not yet
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would like to think so
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Probably too much
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Nope
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Multigrain Cheerios or Corn Chex
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? In what manner of the word?
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Mint Cookies and cream
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Smile and eyes
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I am too hard on myself
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My best friends
19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? I am not wearing any right now
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? popcorn
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The clicking of the keys and my squeaky chair
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Bright yellow
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? good smelling boys, fresh cut grass, right after it rains, vanilla
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Natalia
25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE? Beach
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Football and gymnastics
27. HAIR COLOR? Brown naturally...I am going auburny red these days
28. EYE COLOR? Hazel
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yep
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Don't have ONE
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Megamind...SO funny!
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? A bright blue that people keep telling me is a great color on me...I might have to do something about that...
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? SPRING!
35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs AND kisses, but probably more hugs...
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Lemon cookies
37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO? Cardio
38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION? computer
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Chicken Soup for the College Soul, The Friendly Persuasion, The Hunger Games
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don't have one
42. FAVORITE SOUND? men singing, babies laughing, friends
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Bulgaria
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can fit my fist in my mouth
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Woodland, CA
47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW? Provo
48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE? Cinderblock white
49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR? I don't have one...yet!
50. DO YOU LOVE SOMEONE? Yes
51. WHERE DO YOU WORK? In my apartment...I am a Hall Advisor for BYU
52. FAVORITE ACTIVITY? Being with friends
53. FAVORITE HOLIDAY? Light-hearted=St. Patrick's Day. I LOVE Christmas and Thanksgiving
54. FAVORITE COLOR? Yellow
55. FAVORITE THING TO WEAR? Diado shoes

Playing Catch up...

2011-03-08T11:49:00.007-07:00

SO, going out of town really throws off my schedule. Where was I? OREGON!! YAY for roadtrips. We left EARLY on Friday, stayed in Florence for 2 days, and then headed back to Utah on Monday. Thank goodness for the 3-day weekend. Here are a few pictures. of the adventure:

I got to spend some time alone at the beach. It was so nice because the weather was so pleasant and I had time to think. Also, had the sensation of having the ocean rush over my feet, and then have the sand settle back under, it was a strange feeling!

While there (the purpose for the other people I rode with to go to Oregon) I got to go the baptism of Brother and Sister Flood. Their daughter, Tammy, is here in Utah, so we all rode together. We had some fun afterwards taking pictures.

Emalee misses me SO much that she wants to be asclosetomeaspossible when we are together.

We had family night and played some games. Bananagrams is a fun game, and I am pretty decent at it. I love being able to spend time with my family!

Emalee is a Rhody princess, with a legit tiara and everything, so I got to play pretty pretty princess! What do you think?

Some other happenings of late:
I went to a Treti Mart (march 3rd) party for Bulgarian missionaries. There is a celebration of the coming of spring, and so we got together to make martinisti and just have fun together!

I love being with people from my mission!

On that note, the other day, my friend Carolyn, from my mission and I were talking, and another friend was there. Carolyn had to go, but she had to talk to me about something private, and she told my friend this. I thought we were going to get up and go somewhere, but NO...she just started speaking in Bulgarian. I LOVED IT! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. It's the best secret language EVER!

Pi Day (March 14... 3.14) is next Monday, but I have to work, and don't have much time off before then, so I decided to have a "practically pi day pie party". I went to town, and a little overboard, with my pies. I ended up making 6 pies and a few other friends brought pies too. I still have some pie, if you want some! I tried all new recipes, and they turned out pretty well. I really enjoyed making the pies!

YUMMY!

Reasons why I love my friend, Lacey? Even though she doesn't really like pie, she came to the party anyway, and just brought herself cheesecake! LOVE IT!

A Hodge-Podge of Life

2011-02-14T00:09:00.005-07:00

Change is a comin'! I found out this past week that I will have a new adventure the next school year. They are currently building new buildings as a part of Heritage Halls where Deseret Towers (DT) used to be. There will be a men's building and a women's building ready in the fall. I will be the hall advisor in the women's building, as well as the hall advisor over Young Hall, which will be a women's hall as well. What does this mean? I will have about 300 girls to watch over next year! I am excited, but also a bit overwhelmed and nervous. I know that I can handle it, that I won't be alone, and that I will have 5 amazing RAs (whomever they may be...)Here is a little preview of what my new digs will look like (at least from the outside of the building, and what they say it will be)

I also got to see some very special people in my life today. As you know, my MTC elders are home. I had the opportunity to go to see Michael Jensen and Todd Nelson at their home wards, and hear them speak. It was an amazing time for me, a wonderful day that I feel very blessed to have had. I also got to see some of the other people from my mission, some who I hadn't seen since I have been home before today!

Bingham and I still think we look related. I think this picture helps prove our point.

I love when my friends and I get a little silly with a camera around.

Slumber Party

2011-02-06T20:27:00.003-07:00

I had this weekend off, so my friend Nicole invited me over for a sleepover at her house. I was really excited, thinking back to slumber parties of my youth, and about all the random things we did, and the stories we told and the games we played. I knew we were watching a movie with some boys, then kicking them out, and there would be 4 girls. The movie was great...I love Clue! We then got the air mattress all filled up and then decided to pop in The 3 Musketeers. We watched for awhile, and then turned it off...why? Because we were tired and wanted to sleep!!! WHAT!??! What happened to our stamina of staying up all night? What happened to the kooky things we did? I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and we did get up early the next morning to help clean the church, but I wonder...what happened? Can I not stay up anymore? Do I get wiped out? I guess the other question is...When in the world did I grow up this much!???! :)

They're coming HOME!!!

2011-02-01T11:12:00.003-07:00

Let it be known, that today is a FANTASTIC DAY!!!! You want to know why??? MY ELDERS ARE COMING HOME!!!!!!!! That's right. They are flying right now. I am so grateful for them in my life. They have been such a blessing and a strength to me. We had our ups and downs, FOR SURE, but I wouldn't trade my relationship with them for ANYTHING.

(We look a bit different these days...2 years is a bit of time)

TRAGEK Unity

2011-01-30T16:57:00.004-07:00

As a Hall Advisor, I have 3 buildings that I supervise, and I also have an Associate Hall Advisor, and she has 3 buildings that she supervises. We work together throughout the year. We have been pretty close this year, and we have tons of fun together! We even made up a name...TRAGEK, which is the first letter of each of our halls. We do a cheer at the end of each staff meeting, every week, and we had matching bandanas for RA training. Well, this past Saturday, we had an RA Recharge, to get the RAs excited about this next semester, to have fun, and to just get a boost. One of the activities was to build the highest Twinkie tower they could with 6 Twinkies, a few knives and forks. Our RAs got pretty creative and had fun.

I want you to notice our cool shirts (well, not mine because I am not in the picture), but the RAs all have shirts with "tragek" on the front, and their hall number on the back, and Fine, Fresh, Fierce, also on the back. Lacey and I got camo shirts...GOOD TIMES! We were so united the whole recharge. It was so fun!

Reconnecting

2011-01-23T22:25:00.006-07:00

I think it is amazing how in the last few weeks I have been able to see a plethora of missionaries from my mission, when before, I was going months without seeing more than Ben, who I see at the MTC each week. Not that I don't love seeing Ben each week, but it is nice to see others too.

Adam McKee and Trevor Beckstead (Becky) came to see me about a week ago. Adam was down in Orem, and so they came by. We ended up making a late night Denny's run. GOOD TIMES!!! They are so funny! I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard that much!

The next day I had dinner with Carolyn Haynie and Emily Schroeder. We decided to go to the devotional together that Tuesday because it was Elder Kikuchi, who had an article that was used quite a bit in our mission, and he talked about morning devotionals, and it just so great! We were so excited. Flash to Tuesday. It ends up being not only the 3 of us, but Serena Dayley and Haleigh Schofield. A mini-sisters reunion. SO fun!

THEN, I get a message from Scott Hammond, who lives in Magna, that he is coming down on Saturday. SO, we get together with John Hopkins, and hit up J-Dawgs...SO good! Love it!

I am so grateful for the friendships and relationships from my mission. I am truly blessed. Speaking of, my MTC elders get home in about a week!!! YAY!!!!

Can you imagine?

2011-01-16T23:52:00.003-07:00

Can you imagine knowing someone who had Christ at the center of his life, and you knew it within minutes of knowing him? How about someone who selflessly served each day to the fullest (and sometimes overflowing)? What would you say if this person took you into their home for more than a month while you waited for a life-changing white envelope? Imagine this person having conversations about the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a wide variety of people, and loving every minute of it. Imagine learning about the holy temple from this person. Picture this man asking your opinion on a variety of matters. Imagine sharing tomato sandwiches while talking about his adventures around the world, while still being one of the most humble people you know. Can you see the love he has for his family? Imagine seeing him in big group settings with his family, and in one on one settings with each of his children, and feeling the love for each of them. What about the love that he has for his wife, which has been described as "the kind of love poets only dream about"? Can you imagine the example of such a man? Can you feel the love this man has for you, as an adopted member of the family?

I am incredibly blessed, because I don't have to imagine. I KNOW. I had the privilege of knowing Joe Raynes for the past few years and seeing him in his different roles. Joe recently returned home to his Heavenly Father after a courageous battle with cancer. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for knowing Joe, for being a part of the Raynes family, and for having him in my life.

I want to share a little bit about him...

Joseph Lincoln Raynes PhD, age 64, passed away peacefully January 10, 2011, surrounded by his eternal family, after a battle with brain cancer.

He was born June 21, 1946, in Provo, Utah to Beth Milner and Lincoln Frances Raynes; he was the second of eight children. Much of his childhood was spent on the Oregon Coast. While at BYU, Joe met his beautiful wife Alice Nielsen in a laundromat and it was love at first sight. Their first conversation began with his joke about both having red hair. They married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 27, 1969. They have ten children, all redheaded. It was impossible to be around Joe and not know he loved his family, the Gospel, and serving others.

Joseph completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees at BYU and earned his PhD at Texas A&M University. He served and inspired others throughout his lifelong career in Education. He was an Elementary School Teacher, Principal at Joaquin Elementary, Dean of Continuing Education, Dean of Trades and Technology, and Associate Academic Vice President at Utah Valley State College. He was instrumental in bringing the Education Program to the now Utah Valley University. He loved being a Professor of Education. His influence is carried through the countless teachers he molded.

Traveling the world extensively, Joe was always in search of opportunities to serve others. Fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish, he lived in Bolivia and traveled throughout South America with his young family while working with the Bolivian government. He lived in Colonia Juarez, Mexico working with the Juarez Stake Academy, and traveled to Mongolia to develop their higher education programs during their transition from Communism. He was a gifted storyteller who weaved his life experiences into tales that both entertained and edified.

He was a dedicated servant of the Lord, who served an honorable LDS mission in the Brazil North Mission. He labored as Branch President at the MTC, Bishop of Cascade 2nd Ward, High Council Member in Orem Cascade Stake, Ordinance Worker in the Mount Timpanogos Temple, and a member of the Curriculum Resource Committee. A gifted teacher of life and salvation, he lived to bring action to the Gospel’s precepts.

Joe was a builder of homes, ideas, and lives. A gentle giant, who was steadfast, thoughtful, humble, and strong; he spent his life in quiet service. His greatness was shown by his Christ-like love, the warmth of his smile, the power of his patience, the richness of his intelligence, his ability and desire to teach even the hardest of hearts, his comedic timing, and his gift to uplift others through his faith, stories, and unconditional love. His love of the Savior showed in everything he did.

He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Alice Nielsen Raynes, and their ten children: Janelle (Nathan) Gerber, Michelle, Denise (Paul) Pitcher, Alison (Marshall) Smith, Melanee, Stefanie (Nate) Farnsworth, Jonathan (Daniela), Danielle (Bryan) Kennedy, Derrick (Alexa), David (Sydney), and their 17 grandchildren. He is also survived by his father and five sisters.

I only hope to carry on the lessons he taught me in every day life throughout my life. Thank you, Joe, for all you have done for me, even when you may not have thought anything of what you were doing. Thank you for bringing me into your family and helping me feel loved. Thank you for being an example of Jesus Christ.

New Year, New Adventures!

2011-01-09T23:12:00.002-07:00

One of the perks of my job with the university is that I can participate in classes each semester. I have taken advantage of this opportunity, and have decided to audit 2 classes. I am taking an Old Testament class, taught by the same person from whom I took the first half of the New Testament. I LOVED her class, and am looking forward to this class. I am also taking a general psychology class. I am intrigued by this topic, and I figured a class would be a great way to learn more about it. One of the beauties of auditing is that I don't have to worry about any grades! I don't have to do the assignments or papers...Just pure learning without the stress. I plan on doing reading and such, but it is nice to not be concerned with MLA or APA!

Another new adventure in my life happened when my bishop at church asked to meet with me before Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. I knew I hadn't done anything wrong (smile here) so I thought maybe it was a new calling. Oh yes. It was. He called me to be in the Relief Society presidency in my ward! OH my! I look forward to this new adventure and am grateful to be able to serve.

I feel like my life is going in a positive direction. I feel more engaged and fulfilled with these new adventures in my life, these challeneges and opportunities for growth. I look forward to learning and developing.

PS...my MTC elders come home in 3 weeks!!! (that means I have been home for almost 6 months!!!)

Christmas, Oh Christmas!

2011-01-02T22:18:00.004-07:00

I wanted to give you some snapshots of my joyous time in Oregon! Some things were more random than others. I was able to be there for about a week and it was wonderful! There was one day that was GORGEOUS so Jessica and I went to the beach with her dogs. While there, we found a dead seal on the beach. I loved spending time with my family, being there for all the traditions and decorations.

I did get to reflect on my Christmas last year. It will always be near and dear to my heart.

However, new times bring new memories, and I want to share them with you!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and a small look into the joys that were my vacation!

Happy New Year!

December of Joy!

2010-12-31T11:42:00.008-07:00

This December was a fun one! I was able to travel a bit and see some people who are near and dear to my heart! There was also some random joy too! Let's have a looksy:
My friend Doug and I decided to test our mad puzzle skills. This puzzle is a 3-D holographic type one. When Bryan gave it to me a few years ago, I thought he hated me or something ;) JUST KIDDING. But here is our final product!

I had the fabulous opportunity to go to California for a few days! I loved my time there and was able to do some fun things! My original reason of going was for my psuedo little brother, Blake's wedding. It was so amazing to see my adopted family for the first time since before my mission! PLUS I got to see a lot of people from Woodland from my growing up years! Here are a few pictures from the wedding:

The cake was SOOO good! Melissa, Blake's sister, made the cake!

Sarah, Jill, and I haven't been together in I don't know how many years! It was so great to be together again, and to meet Sarah's kids!

Pretty, huh?

I also got to spend some time with my nieces, Trinity and Taryn. Lucky for me, I got to go to Taryn's birthday party! Afterwards, I got to help her with her Barbie pool. I also got to hang with Trinity. She tried to teach me how to do the worm, and then gave up and made carpet angels! (What else do you do in California??)

It's been awhile since I have worked with Barbie, but I got it figured out!

She has mad skills!

I also got to spend some one on one time with Trista, my sister-in-law, which is super nice, because I didn't know her very well (as I had been gone for awhile) and it was fun to just hang with her. We even got pedicures!

Do you like my snowflakes?

Alas, there was a bit of sadness in my California adventure. I was given a poinsettia from work. I forgot about watering it before I left, and didn't think about it until I got home. It was quite pathetic. BUT I watered it, and it was somewhat revived! Then I did some trimming off of deadness and I had a poinsettia palm plant! AND I gave it to Bryan and Dani before I left for Oregon :).

I also had a bit of birthday joy throughout the month! I was only in Utah for one Sunday in December, so Bryan and Dani surprised me at Sunday dinner at the Raynes with a birthday cake at the beginning of the month! AND there was a whiteboard of birthday joy for me at work. AND then there was a birthday cheesecake on my actual birthday in Oregon. I thank you all for remembering me!

AND I thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes as well!

I will be posting Christmas on its own..soon! I promise!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

SO...

2010-12-23T12:29:00.008-07:00

I know, I know. I am horrible at this whole blogging thing. I am trying to get better. I also know that you don't try...you either do or you don't. BUT I am a firm believer in processes, so this trying to improve at blogging is indeed a process of doing. HA!
SO...over Thanksgiving break we had The GREAT Heritage Flood. The construction crews broke a water main and we had thousands of gallons of water flood through Heritage Halls. I was the only Hall Advisor around, SO I was in the trenches, shoveling out water. It was actually a lot of fun, even in the midst of the chaos and the worry. Makes me grateful for the people I work with.

SO...also over break I was able to go to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights with Bryan, Dani, Charlotte, and Alex-Dani's nephew. We had so much fun, and Charlotte was LOVING it. We also had dinner at the Lionhouse...DELICIOUS!

SO...of course we had Thanksgiving. I got to spend it with the Raynes family. Oh, how I love them!

SO...we had snow, and my RAs got a taste of the joy of shoveling. The funny thing, is these two, Eric and Melany, are from Arizona and California, respectively, so they are novices with shoveling. BUT they had fun...I think!

SO...I have the tradition in my family to make a Thankful Tree in the month of November where we write down one thing every day that we are thankful for. I made one in my hall, and invited residents to write on leaves as well. This is what we ended up with.

I will try to update you all on December happenings soon! Have a wonderful day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Random Happenings of Late

2010-11-20T17:09:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to give you some quick updates and pictures from my little corner of the world.

Lacey and I went to the Midnight Oh Eight showing of Harry Potter! I can't remember any other midnight-ish showings I have gone to for a movie. It was so fun, with random crazies!

A friend from my mission is on the BYU Hockey Team. I started going to games after a LONG hiatus, and have been enjoying them. I promised Tim I would make a sign...so I did! It is hope in Bulgarian, which is his last name! (Aren't I clever??)

For Missionary Week at Heritage Halls, we had a culture night. There was a booth about Bulgaria, and I got to help out a bit. It was fun to have things on display and to talk some about it.

Here are some of my peeps from Heritage. This was from Missionary Week. Chalene, Kristen, Lacey, and Melany. We are all in the same core group of HAs and RAs. We have some of the FUNNIEST staff meetings! I cry laughing sometimes.

I hope you have enjoyed a few snapshots of my life in the last little while!

SO CUTE!

2010-11-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

See Charlotte. See Charlotte dance. See Charlotte groove. See Charlotte walk. Enjoy!

Entertainment Value

2010-10-19T23:36:00.000-06:00

Tonight we had a party/break night for our RA Staff meeting. We took care of a little business, but then we busted out the movie "How to Train Your Dragon", which I highly recommend. BUT the most entertaining part of the movie for me was watching my RA, Eric watch the movie. He was SOOO into it. He shushed us a few times, and was so expressive in his concern and was just so enthralled. I haven't seen anything like this in SO long, I am actually laughing while writing this blog thinking about Eric watching the movie. It showed a whole new side of him. Maybe it works with all guys...maybe it is like a test for them, to see if they can get emotionally involved in the movie. Maybe. Or it just has a high entertainment value, especially when watching it with Eric!

I just have to LAUGH!

2010-10-15T19:48:00.001-06:00

This was a sign in the room of 2 of my current freshmen residents. A lady in their home ward made it for them before they came out to school. I just had to laugh!

Mission Reunion

2010-10-10T00:32:00.000-06:00

I didn't have my camera, so I stole this picture from someone else...oh the beauty of Facebook! ANYWAY. We had a reunion the weekend of Conference, and the Bennetts were there. Here is a picture of most of us that were there. I hope you can find me in the mass of people. I am so grateful for the people who I met on my mission, that I have that bond with, who are my 'war buddies'. I love you all! (Can't wait for the next one!)

Happy Birthday, Charlotte!

2010-10-04T22:45:00.000-06:00

My niece, Charlotte, turned 1 (see previous post) and so of course, there was a party. It was so much fun, and the highlight of entertainment was Charlee deVOURing the cake!

One Year Old(er)

2010-10-04T08:35:00.000-06:00

SO, my niece, Charlotte is now 1! I just can't believe it. Granted, I didn't meet her until she was about 9 months old, but still. Time is flying by! She is absolutely adorable and we are best friends. :)

FIERCE

2010-10-04T08:33:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to share a picture from RA Training this year. Here we are, getting our FIERCE on at Camp Williams.

My Job

2010-09-23T00:30:00.000-06:00

SO. I have not really said much...well about anything...BUT especially about my new job. I returned to the world of BYU Housing as a Hall Advisor, something I have wanted to do, but didn't really think it was going to happen. While I was on my mission, and people kept asking me what I was doing afterwards, the thought came to me to find out about being a HA. I found out, and applied, and miracle of miracles, I got the job!
I started on August 13, just in time for RA training! That week was pretty overwhelming because I had NO idea what was going on, and they kept saying, "just ask your Hall Advisor". I am sure I had a deer in the headlights look for most of the week. I have been blessed with amazing co-workers and awesome managers who are helping me and supporting me. It surprised me how many people I actually know who are still with Housing. I feel like I am coming home.
I supervise 3 RAs...2 women and 1 young man. They are absolutely amazing and so much fun to work with everyday. I am trying to get to know the residents in all 3 halls. I was stressing out about it, and then I realized that I needed to relax. As soon as that happened, names and faces became actual people. Granted, I still have A LOT of people to learn, but it is coming along, for sure.
It is interesting to be the HA, and let the RAs do their jobs. Not that I think they are not doing them, but to take on that leadership/mentoring role. I had some great examples while I was an RA (shout out!), and I only hope that I can be that positive influence on their lives. I have come to realize that I need to be helping people, guiding them, and as I do that, I feel more purpose and direction in my own life. I saw it in my teaching, my mission, and I see it now again, which gives me that extra confidence that I am doing what is best right now. I am grateful for that knowledge.
*PLUS...some of the residents have started calling me "mama k", which I LOVE!*

Memory Flashbacks

2010-09-20T07:45:00.000-06:00

So, the other day "Becoming Jane" was on TV, and I got sucked in to watching the last chunk of the movie, which reminded me of the first time I watched the movie. It was the summer of 2007, and I was living in Branbury with DeAnna and Jessica, and next door to the girls. We all went to see the movie, and I thought all knowing about Jane Austen's life. However, just before the end of the movie, Alissa starts getting really upset and said that if she doesn't end up with THE guy, she is leaving. Well, as we know, Jane Austen never got married, and Alissa stomped out, possibly cursing as she went, refusing to watch it end.
I hadn't thought about this in SO long, but as soon as the movie was on, my mind flipped to that memory almost immediately.

I think it is so amazing how you can not think about something for the longest time, and then have a small trigger and then it all comes back to you? Now, I realize I have already blogged about this (in 2008) but I just had to share it again. Our minds are absolutely amazing and have an enormous capacity. James M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan said, "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December". I fully agree with that. It is a way that His tender mercies are given to us; as we remember these random times, we have little signals that He is aware of us, and wants us to be happy and have rich, memory-filled lives. What a blessing!

I STILL look forward to Mondays

2010-08-30T08:30:00.000-06:00

I didn't think I would still look forward to Mondays as much as I do after my mission. BUT I forgot that some of my favorite people are still on their missions, and so I get to wait for the Magic Monday to roll around so I can hear from them! It makes me laugh. My heart was so full this morning as I heard from dear friends and fellow warriors in the work.

Slacker!

2010-08-29T08:14:00.001-06:00

I apologize for being such a slacker in the blogging-ness since I have gotten home. Quick updates:

*Spent a week or so with my family in Oregon
*Had Mexican food for the first time since before my mission and it made my heart SO happy!
*Spent almost a week in Windsor, CA for a family reunion
*Hung out with the cutest nieces on the face of the planet! (I have 3 of them)
*Went to the Medford and Oakland temples (I MISSED the temple!)
*Traveled to Utah with Bryan, Dani, and Charlotte
*Started my job as a Hall Advisor in Heritage Halls at BYU
*Went to the wedding reception of 2 of my favorite people (they married each other, how precious is that?)
*Talked with dear friends from before the mission (yes, life did exist before, and there is life afterwards too...which is an interesting thought, comparing the mission to mortality, but that is a different blog topic completely)
*LOVING LIFE!!!!

I'M BAAACCCKKK!!!

2010-07-29T01:37:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I am back in the States!!!!!

Six months in the field. . .

2009-08-07T22:45:00.000-06:00

and this is the first addition to Kristen's blog - who ISN'T she sending an email to every week? Kristen is having some great experiences far away in Bulgaria. Currently, her companion is Esther Dahle, a friend that she knew from Woodland, California. She got a new mission president around July 1. She says it is really hot there now - "It is SOOO HOT! I don't want to complain, but I can't wait for the Fall. Our apartment faces the east, and so we get the sun first thing in the morning, and it heats up our apartment. We did cover the windows with aluminum foil a while ago, and it made a dramatic difference. I am grateful it is not as hot as it could be, and that when we are in the shade, I don't mid it too much. The word for shade is promounced 'See-awn-ka' (Bianca with an S)...I was thinking about that as a middle name for a daughter someday, to show my appreciation for the shade on my mission." She is in Ruse right now. She received a proposal the first week in Bulgaria - but so did her companion - a man who desperately wanted an American wife. The country of Bulgaria is beautiful. During the summer season, the fruits and vegetables are delicious. She has also expressed appreciation for the delicious bread. She has many opportunities to do service on her mission. Just getting people to know that there is a God, much less knowing Jesus as a personal Savior, is a challenge. The missionaries also teach English classes. Most importantly, Kristen's testimony is being fine tuned. She is emailing many family members who are not members, who are learning a lot about the Gospel through her emails, and are feeling the Spirit. Her great-uncle Harry has purchased 'Mormonism for Dummies' and says that between that and Kristen's emails, he is getting a better feel for the Mormon faith. She is well. She looks well. Her mission presidents have both been good about emailing pictures from zone conferences, etc. She loves the work and can't believe she will be home in one year. Keep her in your prayers.

Letters, anyone?

2009-02-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love mail. I would love to get mail, especially while I am in the MTC. Here is my basic address. There is a PO Box that will be added to it once I get to the MTC, but for now:

Sister Kristen Kennedy
Bulgaria Sofia Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 North 900 East
Provo, UT 84604

Love you all!

The End...

2009-02-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving for the MTC this week! My blog will be less regular, as my mom will be putting up stuff when she has time among the gazillion other things she has going on! Love you all!

I am SOOOO special!

2009-01-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that a person gets a song written for them. It's not everyONE that gets a song written for them either. BUT ladies and gents, I am one of the special, lucky ones. Emalee wrote a song for me on her guitar. She performed it for me. Because I like you all so much, I recorded it and am including it here on my blog. I hope you enjoy the musical stylings of Miss Emalee Joslin. Ü

HOLY COW!

2009-01-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

I have had my mission call since September. I have been "going on" a mission for quite some time. NOW I am actually going on my mission. It is hitting me and I am excited but a little nervous at the same time. I will be in the MTC in one week. That's right! I will be back in Provo, but separated from my friends and family. Kinda funny! Jessica Light-now Mitchell and I used to walk by the MTC and the missionaries every week without thinking much about it, and now I will be one of those missionaries! wow.

Natalia...here you go!

2009-01-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Natalia has been wanting me to blog about something...anything! The problem is that nothing too exciting has been going on, aside from the normal getting everything in before I leave on my mission stuff. I have decided to put up some pictures of the goings on as of late. Some of them are the same as facebook, but some are a little different for your viewing pleasure!

This is a view outside the car on our way to Medford. My mom and I went to the temple. I have been to the temple 4 times since receiving my endowment...and to 4 different temples! I have been to the Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, and Medford Temples!

Jessica and I love quilting!

This is Hobbit Trail! This is the trail that made me think of my friend Neil. He would have a BLAST taking pictures on this little jaunt of a hike.

It was on this beach that I found an almost whole sand dollar! It is just missing a little piece of the middle. If I remember to take a picture, I will and then I will put that on here too!

Weekend o' JOY!

2009-01-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

I have some of the best friends in the world. That is a general statement for ALL of you...and some of those friends made this weekend AMAZING! Jill and Fernando came up from California this weekend to see me. They traveled through fog and elk and the dead of night just to see little old me. I feel so lucky! We had fun! We went to Old Towne, we met up with my Florence friend Jessica. They all hit it off, which makes for that much more fun! We ate at Mo's...delicious! We also went to the beach to look at the ocean (duh) and at the lighthouse. Mind you, we didn't hike to the lighthouse, but we did see it from the beach. We headed back to my house where we rocked Candyland, Clue, and Monopoly. We all won a game...except for Fernando. Oh well. Side note: my mom is the coolest. She made us a snack while we were playing! It was popcorn and orange slices and chocolates. She is the best! We then headed out for a little later night fun...which resulted in us going to Jessica's house because there is nothing to do in Florence after...well, does early bird special mean anything? Seriously-but that is a whole different blog topic. Anyway, we watched a movie, but we fell asleep watching it, and then, for some odd reason, we put another one in, and had that on too! We finally made it back to my house, where we crashed for a few hours...I do mean a FEW. We went to church and then hung out a bit after church. Alas, Jill and Fernando had to leave to make their way back to California. I am so grateful for them and their sacrifice to come see me one last time before my mission. I truly think that friends are some of the best blessings we receive in this life! They make my heart HAPPY!

Here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Mission Hair Chop!

2009-01-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

I decided to chop my hair in preparation for my mission because a) I needed my hair cut b) I was needing some change c) I want it short because who knows when I will be able to cut it, so starting short seemed like a good idea. What do you think?

Music STILL speaks to my soul

2009-01-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have to write about music again, because I had a new experience with the joy involved. As you know, in our church we often only sing the verses in a hymn that are in the staff. There are other verses, but they don't get sung as often. This Sunday I was looking over the last verses of "How Firm a Foundation" and I was absolutley blown away. I think sometimes when we sing songs we miss the meaning because we sing them and either don't pay attention to the words or the song breaks are not in line with the words, so there is a bit of a loss. SO I was reading the other verses and it hit me. The words in the other verses are amazing. I was especially hit with the 5th verse; it talks about dross to consume and gold to refine. I had not ever really thought about the words and the message, but as I actually looked and read and let it work on me, the song took on such a stronger meaning, especially for me at this time in my life. I would strongly encourage you to read songs, not just while you are singing them, but to read them as they are written, there is great power!

Oh. My. Goodness.

2009-01-11T22:41:00.001-07:00

I don't know about your family, but ours tends to get silly, just on Sunday nights. Tonight was no exception. I was kneeling, and Emalee was kneeling next to me, but she wanted me to shift over just a bit. She said, "You just need to move your butt". I said, "it is kinda big". Derek came back with, "You are going to be such a cute pregnant lady". :blank stare of confusion over where this statement came from: My response,"Well, we don't carry our babies in our butts..." Laughter ensued for a few moments. Derek is dying of laughter and says, "That would give new meaning to baby-sitting!" We were able to calm down enough, but just a little taste of Kennedy family prayer on Sunday nights.

Side note to Dani...I think this would be a Derek-ism...

Young Love...

2009-01-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Emalee is on the forensics team at school. To clear up some confusion, it has little if anything to do with dead bodies. It is actually a name for speech and debate. The kids do things from poetry interpretations to Lincoln-Douglas style debates. It is creative and unique and quite interesting.

I had the opportunity to be a chaperone for her forensics meet for her school. I was able to judge events, meet some of her school friends, and interact with kids! I really do love being with kids, and trying to have some connection with them. This point leads to the point of my entry.

Many of you know that I am leaving in about 3 weeks on my mission, and because of that fact, boys and dating and such have not been my focus recently. However, this weekend, it was kind of pushed into my face because one of the boys on Emalee's team was totally flirting with me. Don't you fret, I did not flirt back! It was so funny to realize what he was doing, to have the kids make comments about it, and to have him deny the whole thing. He even said something about the senior girls being "immature" about some things and not getting that he and I could just talk without flirting. I did enjoy talking with him, and trying to be someone he could talk to, but I did not intend for him to practice his flirting skills on me. It was entertaining, to say the least. I appreciate his efforts, but sadly, I will not be reciprocating. Alas, my heart is locked for the next 18 months, but after that, who knows?? ;)

Zone Conference!

2009-01-08T22:11:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to go to a Zone Conference for the Eugene Mission. President Macdonald and his wife had invited me when they came to our ward and I had talked with them after. When they found out I was going on a mission, they invited me. It was an amazing experience. I got to spend the day with the sisters in the zone, and they are all wonderful. I felt immediately included and had fun with them. The conference itself was also amazing. We learned about being diligent in our scripture study, giving things up to the Lord (and being blessed when we do give things over to Him), and becoming low maintenance and high yielding missionaries. We learned from the assistants how to be more unified and how to have productive companionship inventory. It was a great day and I was grateful for the opportunity to get a taste of mission life, especially now as I am getting so close to my mission and things are happening all around me.

Music Speaks to My Soul!

2009-01-07T19:50:00.001-07:00

I have been going through a rough patch the last few days. No need for real details; that is not the point of this entry. HOWEVER, I have to tell you how much joy music brings to my soul and how healing it truly can be. I am not only talking about hymns or soothing music, but how artists like Nat King Cole and Aretha Franklin also help my heart and soul. And we cannot forget how the music of Kelly Clarkson blaring also helps the healing process. I am specifically talking about the album "breakaway" that always deserves to be blasted when played. I can't hit the right notes, but since it so so loud, it does not matter.

Music is an incredible gift that we can use in our lives, that speaks to us on different levels. A guest lecturer in a theater class once said that words speak person to person, but music speaks spirit to spirit. I believe that is so true. There are ways we are touched by music that just speaking cannot do.

More 'S' happiness...

2009-01-07T17:24:00.001-07:00

I have found a couple more things that start with S that I also love:

S is for Skies that have rainbows in them:

S is for Socks that have puffins on them:

I love puffins! They make my heart happy. They are so awkward, but that just makes them more endearing!

My NEW Alphabet

2009-01-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you have had the chance to look at the Cyrillic Alphabet. This is the alphabet I will be using on my mission. My mission president suggested that I familiarize myself with the alphabet to make my time in the MTC a bit easier. Just thought you would like a look-sy. You may want to pray for me a little extra when it comes to my language learning. Enjoy!

picture compliments of:
http://www-tc.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/reference/img/cyrillic-alphabet.gif

Karma....

2009-01-05T10:28:00.001-07:00

strikes once again.

bite me.

Recap!

2009-01-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

I realize I have been remiss in keeping this updated, but it doesn't really feel like anything too exciting has happened. I can give you a picture recap of the past little bit.

Lora was able to come up for Christmas this year!

Samuel came up too! He was the driver in the excursion.

It snowed on Christmas morning! Amazing! It didn't stick to the ground, but snow was involved.

Jessica and I celebrated New Year's at a YSA activity in Salem. Good times!

Nothing else has really happened. Getting ready for my mission, turning 25, that's about it. I have about a month until I leave, and I am getting more and more excited!

S is for...

2008-12-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Many of you may remember the S-Hall T-shirts from when I was a Resident Assistant at DT. We created the "S is for..." shirt. People always ask about it when I wear it. Well, when I saw this on the side of a game, it made my heart so incredibly and unbelievably happy! I had to put this on here, so you all could enjoy the wonderful-ness that is S is for...things!

Seriously?!

2008-12-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

My ward here in Florence, OR has a weekly quilting group where ladies come together on Tuesdays and they make quilts for humanitarian aid, newlyweds, new babies in the ward. It is a well known fact that many of the ladies that come to quilting are flowers that have more fully bloomed in the age of life. I am by far the youngest person there and I do enjoy the time I spend with them. We usually chit chat about different things, but this week it took an interesting turn. There is music playing on a CD player while we are working, and this week it instigated a converstation I never thought I would hear in all my life. The artist we were listening to had the first name of "Alonso", maybe "Alonzo" but that is not really the point. The way one of the ladies said it made me laugh so hard. She was rolling his name off her tongue like butter on a hot roll. These ladies then started talking about "Mr. Groban" and these other singers that they all loved. Some of the artists were of yesteryear but some of them were pretty contemporary and young! I ended up blushing so much because I never expected these things to come out of their mouths. I was entertained and enlightened, to say the least. I wonder what will happen next week...

The Most WONDERFUL Time of the Year!

2008-12-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

I love Christmas. Not just the present parts (which is nice) but the change that happens to people. They are nicer, more giving, and trying to live up to the "good will toward men" thing. I love it so much. The day after Thanksgiving, Christmas music starts...all the time. I just love it all so much! I don't think I can say it enough and actually express the amount of love that I have for this time of year.

Can you feel the love?

2008-11-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

While we were in Washington for Thanksgiving, I had a surge of love from my uncle and cousin, David. We got to talking about when I get married (eventually). They both offered their services of marksmanship when I decide to get marriage serious with a young man. My uncle specifically offered to send a target that shows three bullet holes that can be covered with a dime. That's how good he is. My cousin also offered to show his guns and skills to my intended. How can a girl not feel loved as her family offers to defend her and protect her happiness in regards to the man she will eventually marry? I sure felt the love!

Oh, Happy Day!

2008-11-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

As Thanksgiving Day is tomorrow, I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for a few things. First of all, I am grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am able to build my testimony, to grow closer to my Heavenly Father, my Savior Jesus Christ, and to try to become more like them. I am grateful to be preparing to serve a full time mission in Bulgaria, to share the gospel with the wonderful people there. I am also grateful for my family. We obviously have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day, there is a lot of love and we do have fun. I am so grateful for my friends and the wonderful influence they have in my life, the support they give me, and the fun we have. I am grateful to know that I am a daughter of God and the peace and direction that gives me in my life as I strive to become better than I was the day before. I love you all so much! Thank you for all you do!

I KNOW You Wanted to Know...

2008-11-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

5 things I was doing 10 years ago

1. Freshman year of high school, but for me it was the last year at Lee Jr. High
2. First year of EARLY morning seminary
3. Anxiously waiting to turn 15
4. Loving Student Government class!
5. Moved across town

5 things on my to-do list
1. Wash my bedsheets
2. Check something for my mom
3. Help the kids after school
4. Start thinking about Christmas stuff
5. Mission Prep

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Sourdough bread
2. Peanut Butter M&Ms
3. Chocolate covered pretzels
4. Triscuits
5. Fruit

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire
1. Visit all my friends before my mission
2. Pay completely for my mission
3. Feed people
4. Pay for my parents to go on a vacation
5. Donate to good causes

5 places I've lived
1. Provo, UT
2. Woodland, CA
3. Florence, OR
4. Orem, UT (I know this is a stretch, but hey, 6 weeks!)
5. That's it

5 jobs I've had
1. Bagger at Raley's
2. Bakery worker at Raley's
3. DT RA
4. DT Desk Attendant
5. Provo High Driver Education Instructor

4 things I'm passionate about
1. My Family
2. Self-Worth/identity/etc
3. Personal Relationships
4. The Gospel

4 things I say often
1. "That's not what your mom said"
2. "That makes my heart happy"
3. "Bulgaria, but I don't leave until February."
4. "Girl, PLEASE!"

4 things I want to do before I die
1. Travel the world
2. Have quality relationships with my family
3. Serve missions
4. Visit all 50 states

4 things I want/need
1. Open communication
2. A vacation to Utah...strange, I know
3. A car to drive while I am in Oregon
4. The new Betsy Brannon Green novel

4 places I want to see/visit
1. Hawaii
2. Ireland
3. Australia
4. Africa

How about 4 TV shows I've enjoyed in the past 3 years
1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. Anything on the Food Network
3. One Tree Hill
4. Bones

4 things you don't know about me
1. I used to be a yellow, now I am a blue
2. I love crossword puzzles
3. I love me some me-time
4. I still sleep with my stuffed dinosaur that I have had for as long as I can remember.

Burnt to a Crisp

2008-11-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

Our family has Family Home Evening on Sunday nights. This week was my turn to provide the treat. I decided to make s'mores. The small issue is that our stove is an electric one; it makes it a little tricky to toast marshmallows over the coils. I know it's not impossible-my wonderful roommates have done it in the past. However, it takes a lot of patience, which I don't have when trying to get the treat for 5 people at once. My mom thought that maybe we could use the oven and use the broiler and that would be great.

I assembled the grahams and then put the mallow. We put the rack on the top, and waited so patiently for the oven to heat up. I put the mallows in with the intention of toasting them and then pressing the chocolate in after it was out, and then the other graham on top. Oh, the best laid plans.

About a minute later, there was a unique smell and a little smoke coming out of the oven. The smoke detector went off. I quickly took care of that and went to the oven. When I opened the oven, flames flew up at my face, so I quickly closed the door.

"Um...dad? There are flames in the oven..."

The kids quick response was to jump up and see for themselves while I backed away to avoid the flames. My dad opened it back up, took the tray out and blew out the mallows like a birthday cake. They looked so special. I tried it again, making a few changes and had much better results. Derek ended up eating one of the original s'mores, and he liked it. a lot. Don't ask.

Here are a few pictures of the "s'mores":

My Dog Loves Me!

2008-10-27T23:17:00.000-06:00

I had the experience of spending a bit of time with my family's dog today. She is a friendly dog, and I got a lot of that friendliness today. She decided to sit on my lap and have a little cuddle. The thing is, Missy is a boxer...not a small dog, but she still hung out on my lap and gave me some special kisses. Oh my, I have never experienced such a thing in all my life! She is a loving dog and showed me that love today. She also left a little part of herself in the form of dog hair ALL over me! I sure do love my dog.

She also likes to sit like a person when she is on her couch. She looks like a person sitting there, waiting for something to happen!

Oregon!

2008-10-26T22:20:00.001-06:00

I am now in Oregon. It was an uneventful ride up to Oregon from Woodland. For most people, this is an expected thing, but if you know me and my traveling history, this is actually a cause for celebration. Go ahead, break out the streamers and party hats! It is interesting living at home again, as I have not been here for more than a week or so in over 5 years. I have 2 kids that both love to talk to me, and sometimes, more often than not, they try to do it at the same time. We are learning about taking turns! I love being with my mom and dad, that is for sure!

The ward is plenty nice and definitely friendly. They are all so excited for me and I just hope that I can remember people and get to know them.

The temple was wonderful! I met some lovely people there, and I can't wait to go back so I can pay more attention to what is going on instead of being a little nervous about all that would potentially happen...you know what I mean!

ANOTHER transition...

2008-10-21T23:48:00.000-06:00

So my time in California is rapidly coming to an end! I can't believe that it has already been 3 weeks! My parents are coming in to town tomorrow, I get to go to the temple on Thursday morning and then we head on up to Oregon! I am excited and nervous (in a good way) about the changes that are this week!

I have loved being here and seeing people from my past! I have seen my family, those who I have loved like family, friends from high school, people from church, and random people I know! I got to see "The Drowsy Chaperone" with GILBERT BLYTHE...I mean Jonathan Crombie, try sushi, go to In-N-Out twice with Linda, read some good books, relax, and hang with my family!

I realize how blessed I am to be able to connect with those that have touched my life and helped me along my path, sometimes without me really realizing the influence they have had on me. I am grateful to be able to thank them for the impact they have made on my life and use their continuing example in my future!

It will be interesting to transition once again to living with my parents and with Derek and Emalee. I haven't ever really been with them for an extended period of time and this will be an adventure, to say the least!

Roots

2008-10-05T23:37:00.000-06:00

I am back in Woodland, CA for 3 weeks! It is kind of strange to go back to the place you grew up when your parents no longer live there. Yes, 2 of my siblings still live here, and another was here until a little over a year ago, but it is still strange to be somewhat out of the loop of things. Another crazy part is the kids growing up! I see kids in my ward at church who were itty bitty when I left who are now real people! (oh you know what I mean) I am still not adjusted to the fact that I am not going back to Utah until I go to the MTC in February. I miss it~strange, I know! I think it is more the people I miss...you know who you are! Anyway, it is good to come 'home' before I leave for such a long time!

Called to Serve!

2008-09-15T22:41:00.000-06:00

I received my mission call! I will be serving for 18 months in the Bulgaria, Sofia Mission. Bulgaria is surrounded by Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, and the Black Sea. I will speak Bulgarian. I enter the MTC in February 2009.

Oregon...FINALLY!!!!

2008-09-15T22:12:00.001-06:00

So, quick is not the reality in this case, but I did move, do my mission papers, get my mission call, and have a life somewhere in here, but here we go! I took notes of the things we did each day while there so I have a better record to make this fun and succinct. This trip was at the beginning of August.

Saturday: We drove to Oregon. (By we I mean Bryan, Danielle, and myself.) It was pretty uneventful minus the 15 minute traffic standstill near Boise. One highlight was the replaying of "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay over and over...I LOVE that song, and actually learned the words by listening to it a bazilliondy times!

Sunday: It was an adventure finding the church, and we were a bit late (A LOT!!!) but we enjoyed it. We visited that night and got our family reunion shirts. Thanks Grandma and Auntie!

Monday: We had a trip to the tide pools, where there was a minus tide, meaning that the water was even further out than normal so we got to see even more specimen. One little somewhat tricky part about this trip was that I did not bring tennis shoes. I brought a pair of docs, but they were not about to get all tide pooly. Dani and I had fun with our flip flops! We also visited and toured the Yaquina Lighthouse. I hate heights, so as we went up, I just looked straight ahead and didn't look down AT ALL! It was a beautiful building! We also went to the interpretive center where we learned about wild life, and saw a little statue of my beloved puffins! We played games that night and Lora and I watched a movie too!

Tuesday:I spent most of the day reading "Breaking Dawn", which was a good conclusion to the saga o' Bella and Edward and Jacob. We had a family FHE where we shared family memories and had a family birthday party.

Wednesday: Mom and I took a drive to Lincoln City where we did a little shopping for a kite and she ended up getting me a loaf of sourdough of my own! I do miss good sourdough while I am away from the west coast. I had a nice long visit with my Aunt Kitty, which always brings joy to my heart! We took our family pictures, which is always interesting! Bryan, Dani, Lora, and I watched a movie that was kinda dumb that night!

Thursday: Bryan, Dani, Derek, Lora, and I went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. We saw so much, including my PUFFINS!!! Have you ever seen a puffin try to fly/land? It is so awkward it makes them endearing! We also went to the sharks and Derek actually looked at them! Dani LOVED!!! this part of the day. We went to Flashbacks, a 50's style restaurant with pretty good food. The water was GROSS!!! We shared a ice cream sundae at the end...yum!

Friday: Grandma, Wally, Aunt Kitty, Uncle Andy, Aunt Karla, Lora, and I all went to Izzy's for lunch. It was fun to spend time with them in a smaller group! Aunt Karla, Lora, and I went browsing in a leather shop in Depoe Bay! Everything was cheap, but good. We also had a nice visit with Celeste, Dennis, and little Michelle. Uncle Andy was there for part of the visit too! That night was the opening ceremonies to the olympics where I saw Jill Camerena on TV!!!!

Saturday: We drove...a lot! There was this rain that was the misty kind of rain, so when you got out of the car you got wet by mist. There was a gorgeous waterfall, and there were bathrooms there that were GROSS!! Just thought you should know! We went to a Taco Time in Baker City, OR and it reminded us of Delta, UT or Spanish Fork, UT...if you know what I am talking about, you are just that cool. We were cruising right along, as we were getting ready to cross the Idaho/Utah border we got a flat tire. We put the spare on, but it was flat. We called around and someone could come help us, but we were 4th on the list. Then the storm came. We found out later that it was one of the worst storms they had had in quite some time, and we were sitting in the middle of it, waiting to be rescued. We watched "The Italian Job", and balanced between having fresh air with windows down and rolling up the windows to prevent too much rain from coming in. Our hero man came and helped us and we got our tire in Tremonten. It was a long day! I seriously cannot travel without SOMETHING happening!

That is a quick little ditty about my trip...as late as it was :)

Soon...for real!

2008-08-14T13:55:00.001-06:00

I am going to get my oregon trip up soon!

A quick jaunt to Vegas!

2008-08-14T13:29:00.000-06:00

We decided to go visit our dear friend Cari Dahl in the lovely Vegas desert.
Our trip down there was a bit eventful, in that it is HOT!!! We started running the air conditioner but that quickly ended as we were afraid of over heating the car. Jennifer and Heather became quickly synchronized in their window rolling up and down skills. We did almost die when there was a traffic jam and we had the windows down, the heater on, and then there was stripping down to the bear minimum. Luckily the traffic cleared up and we were on our way again. It got so hot that when we would bump into each other, we would stick to each other and then slowly rip the skin apart.
We really appreciate the greenness of the Dahl's lawn! It was the first thing we noticed as we pulled up to her house. We were all so excited to see her, but all feeling a little ripe at the time. We had a wonderful time that night, eating some delicious food and hanging out with Cari's family. The next morning, after a French toast FEAST, we headed out to the Old Mormon Fort to have some sort of education on our trip. It was interesting enough and it is funny that Vegas was settled by the Mormons. We...the we I am talking about is: Cari, Heather, Jennae, Jennifer, Jessica, Kristen, Nick, and Phillip; we headed for the strip for our next adventures. The Las Vegans showed us the strip, and then we got to wander. We went to a plethora of places, including the Venetian, where we saw the human performance statue man, wax Blue Man Group people, and the gondolas. We also went to Caesar's Palace, the Bellagio (and saw areas from Ocean's Eleven), just to name a few. The architecture is absolutely amazing! I loved just strolling around and looking at the sites. We also made money by watching and evaluating a tv show and a movie trailer. We came back later that night and watched the fountains at the bellagio...4 times actually...2 times in the car on the way in and then 2 times when we had actually parked. We also had fun with the cops on the way to the stratosphere...don't ask. We went to the stratosphere and most of our group decided to go on the ride, but a few of us opted out. I hate heights and it took a bit for me to actually go on to the deck. It was fun but a late night.
We made it to sacrament meeting, and then headed out for the road. We checked our water levels and put a LOT of water to keep the car as cool as possible. We had fun on the way back, including driving through a few rain/lightening storms, having guys show us their phone number with face cards, and cheering when we were close to home.
All in all it was a fun trip and it was great to spend time with the PCN clan and the Dahl clan in Vegas!

What a Trip!

2008-07-23T12:21:00.000-06:00

So, I thought about doing a day by day thing, but then I realized that it would take A LOT of BRAIN POWER (rockband, anyone?) to do that, so I decided instead to give highlights and excitement that happened....HERE WE GO! (It will probably still go somewhat in order of events...)

*We left Monday morning and getting out and about was no problem. One of the great things about our car was that it had an XM radio, and we listened mostly to all broadway, all the time. I felt a little sad for Derek because he REALLY wanted to hear "People" from Funny Girl and he never did. It broke my heart a little.

*We had this GPS system that helped for the most part, but didn't help at others, but it added to the adventure of it all!

*Mom had said we were camping, and boy did we! The first night we were in Ogallala (I think that is right) Nebraska. We got in kind of late because the spots were a little hard to find, and we ROUGHED it that night. We got there and quickly set up our tents. On the first night, the "we" in the tent setting up was everyone but me because I was a little inept at this point AND I was getting attacked by mosquitoes. Also, they were not kidding when they used the term "primative"...the toilet was a stinky outhouse that freaked Emalee out and I had to check it before she would even think about going in. No sinks, no lights, nothing! I think it was character building! I got to sleep alright, but Emalee was freaking out at every noise, which was funny. We got up the next morning at 5:20 AM...yes, that early! I was feeling very ripe and gross, so mom, the wonderful person that she is, found us a place to shower...I do love me a shower!

*Our next day of travel got us more through Nebraska. We also got the chance to go to Winter Quarters. We had the opportunity to see the Visitor's Center, the Temple, and the Cemetary. We found it thanks to Jenny, and her mad googling skills! I loved being able to stop off at different church history places. We made it into Newton Iowa. This was my favorite place to camp because we got there earlier to set our stuff up, the kiddles got to go swimming, we had a dinner feast and it was the first night we saw FIREFLIES!!!! ALSO, there were SHOWERS!!!!!!

*I love fireflies so much it is a little ridiculous. They just seem to make things magical and lively. They go on their way, leaving a little light trying to find that someone. I don't know...I just love love love them!

*The next day was the one of an unexpected but AWESOME adventure! The plan was to go to the Chicago Zoo. We made it into Chicago with no problem....but finding the zoo is a completely different story, and this is where the awesomeness comes in. We got to drive around Downtown Chicago. It is an absolutely breathtaking city. The architecture, the size of the buildings, the people, the scenery is all amazing. It was funny because I would see different buildings and remind everyone in the car that this building was from such and such movie, or from that TV show. It was neat to see them all in person. We saw one of the Great Lakes, a few times as we tried to find the zoo. We eventually stopped for directions twice and found the zoo. HOWEVER, we couldn't find any parking that was less than an arm and a leg for any length of time and it was already the afternoon and wouldn't have been worth it. Derek was a bit emotional by this time because he loves zoos and he was hungry, so we left. We were going to go to a bookstore, but there wasn't any parking there either. Parking in Downtown does NOT exist!

*The girls in the car all loved the day and joked about it, but Derek was not in the best mood about the whole thing. As we drove out of the city we tried to make light of it, but Derek was not having it. I still have to smile about the whole thing.

*We saw a McDonald's oasis~seriously, it was in the middle of the road right after the toll booth. We were planning on stopping but we didn't think oasis meant in the middle of the road, so we drove right past it. We ended up at a Long John Silver's and it was good grub, but while we were there we heard the employees talking about the coming storm. We got a little nervous, as we were camping that night, but we figured we would be fine, a little rain never hurt anyone. (I wonder if that is what the people in Noah's time thought when it started to rain.)

*As we arrived at our campsite for the night, things were looking good. There were showers, another pool, laundry, and fireflies! The check-in lady warned that if it was storming, we would have to go to either the laundry room or the bathrooms. HA! We got the tents set up. (I became quite the tent putting up guru by the end of the trip.) I took the kids swimming again, but this time there were other people there and I ended up getting pelted with water toys a couple of times. We went to bed and life was good.

*HERE IS THE ADVENTURE!!!! We had the bug screens as the doors for our tents when the rain started. We quickly zipped up the more protective 'door' and took inventory of the wetness of the tent. There was a little from the rain, but it didn't seem too bad. A few minutes later we heard mom and Derek getting out from the tent and booking it for the car. I thought Emalee and I were okay, and I was checking every few minutes and things seemed to be fine. However, we wound up swimming in our tent so we jumped out of the tent, zipped it up and knocked on the car door. Emalee and I piled in to the back seat with mom, while Derek was in the front seat (the driver seat had stuff piled on it). After trying to get situated, my mom suggested that because I would be driving for a while the next day that Derek and I switch. I was perfectly fine with this idea, but Derek was a understandably little hesitant, but he was a trooper and made his way to the back of the car. My mom was in the middle with a kid on either side of her AND THEN the car got steamy! We would open the door a crack to let air circulate while trying to prevent the rain from coming in. Eventually, we all fell asleep and the rain ceased. The next morning we were a little grumpy but we made the best of the situation, tried to dry everything as much as possible, and get on the road again.

*I got to drive for quite a bit this day. By the end of the trip we noticed that it seemed to rain when I was driving.

*We went to Kirtland, Ohio. I had never been before and it was wonderful to be able to actually SEE where the Saints lived, to walk where they walked, to imagine myself as a part of their world. We also drove to see the Kirtland Temple. Although we didn't go in, it was nice to see the first temple of this dispensation. It is interesting because while it was a beautiful building, there was a lack of the spirit of temples there. I am so grateful to have the priesthood and the work of temples restored to us and to be able to go to the House of the Lord to feel His presence.

*Our next stop was a blast! We went to visit my mom's long lost brother (technically half brother, but who cares?) in Cleveland, Ohio. I had only met my Uncle Leon and his wife Laura one other time before this trip, so I was a bit unsure of what to expect because the last time it was a BIG group, it was a few years ago, and things have happened that change people. I was greatly reassured about the visit the second I got out of the car. Uncle Leon gave me this big hug and welcomed us with open arms into his home. He and Laura were the best hosts, they bent over backwards and are so loving. We had a home cooked meal and were able to relax. I was grateful to get to know him better, to see him, to be with him. (it was another bonus because we got to use a computer) He let us TRY to play his guitars, and use the computer, watch TV, and Laura was just as accommodating. The next day was Independence Day. We got to go to the Cleveland Zoo. Derek was quite excited that we finally got to go to a zoo. It had been years since Leon and Laura had gone too, and they were *really excited to go! It was really cool because the zoo put up signs for any animal that was a patriotic color of any sort. They have many beautiful animals that we got to see, which was neat, but it makes me sad for them at the same time. We also had a BBQ that night.

*We also had the opportunity to visit my mom's Aunt Olive while in Cleveland. She was unable to go to the reunion, but mom wanted to see her, so we stopped by. Her home is amazing! They have little birds, beautiful fish, and ducks. There is also a little downtowny feeling place with a salon,a cafe, a chapel, etc.

*The next day was the actual reunion. We got off to a bit of a late start, so we arrived late in Michigan, but it was so nice to be with family. It can be a bit awkward talking to family you haven't really spoken to or seen much, but it got better and I was able to talk to family and get to know them better. One good thing was that mom had been put in charge of activities, so she had us shift around the room, in different groups, depending on things like the decade we were born, the time zone we were born in, the one we currently live in, and things like that. We did some other activities and talked. I am in full support of not doing too much but getting to talk to others.

*We headed out to the Pierson's farm in Hastings for a bonfire and weenie roast. We were given the musical stylings of Derek on his clarinet, my aunt and her husband's vocal stylings and my mom's cousin Mark played his guitar for us while we were all singing. It is interesting to hear the songs that other church's sing-the tunes as well as the words that are sung. It was great fun, although my marshmallow toasting skills are not really up to par. I had a great time and wasn't eaten too badly by the mosquitoes.

*I am totally loving my mom's cousin Mark. He is funny and sassy, and lets me sass him right back. We have this connection that bridges the eons of time between our ages!

*We got to spend the night at Aunt Orpha's house. (she is my mom's aunt) We went to their church the next morning. They go to a Free Methodist Church. They had a piano (played my mom's cousin, June), an organ, a flute, a bass guitar, a guitar and 4 song leaders. It is a different atmosphere than our church. On our way to the cemetery to see Uncle Arlo's grave (he passed almost a year ago and is Aunt Orpha's husband), Uncle Harry asked me about the difference in our services. It was nice to have a few minutes of a missionary practice to share about our church. Our talk was very short, but it was nice to know that Uncle Harry is interested in our church to some extent.

*We had lunch at Larry and Janet Nicholson's house and it was GOOD! We had ham and potatoes and good pasta salad. I tell you these Michiganians (?) sure know how to cook up some delicious grub! We then made our way to Aunt Ella Mae's for strawberry shortcake.

*Aunt Ella Mae's house is one of my favorite places on earth. No doubt in my mind that it is in my top 5 places I would choose to be, even for just 1 day. We were there with a bunch of family, kind of the last hurrah of the reunion weekend. I liked having a bunch of different activities because we got to talk to a different group of people at each place. We looked at family pictures and heard stories about my grandpa who passed away when my mom was 18. I could stay at Aunt Ella Mae's house forever. I love sitting on her porch and just listening to the world. There is often a light breeze blowing, making the wind chimes dance together in a symphony. There are birds talking to each other and the colors are so vibrant. The trees are green, the sky is so bright blue, and the sunsets are an amazing watercolor of orange, yellow and red. We had the chance to stay the night at her house and leave early the next morning for our trip home. Before we went to bed I had the chance to sit and talk with Aunt Ella Mae and just talk to her. I have only been to her house 3 times, but I have loved it so much each time and feel fortunate to have the memories I do of the farm.

*I feel so lucky to have the wonderful people I have in my family. My great aunts and uncles are all wonderfully loving and welcoming people and they have wonderful families.

*The second part of our trip was a wonderful Church History Tour. I had been to many of these places when I was 6 or 7, but it is so nice to have gone again when I can really remember and appreciate. We first went to Carthage Jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were martyred. It was amazing to go there and to see where Joseph and Hyrum sealed their testimonies with their blood. The door still has the bullet hole that killed Hyrum and the well that was next to where Joseph fell. I feel that this church history tour was so good for me before I go on my mission. I am reminded of the sacrifices that were made that I can go on a mission, that I can share the truth with others; that I am who I am because of those who came before. We also went to Nauvoo. We arrived in the late afternoon, so we went to the Visitor's Center and then headed for the "Night on the Mississippi" performance. It was PHENOMENAL!!! The couple missionaries as well as the performing missionaries made it a night to remember!

*The next morning mom went to the temple while I took Derek and Emalee to Nauvoo. Our first stop was the horse-drawn wagon ride around the historical parts of Nauvoo. It was not the down town part, but more country and the stories of the people that helped build the town. We saw a well close to where King Follett died and we got to see Inspiration Point. It was a wonderful ride and I love hearing the history of the town. We then went to the print shop, the school, the bakery, the Family Living Center, the brickyard, the blacksmith, and the Cultural Hall. We danced a bit where Joseph and Emma danced! We went to the family accommodation center for the temple and watched an interesting video. We were only able to go for a day, but I am dying to go back and spend at least a week there to get to go EVERYWHERE!

*We headed for Liberty, where we visited the jail and then to Independence. The Independence Visitor's Center is the only Temple Visitor's Center that is running before a temple is there. Both places are incredible and I feel so much more for the early pioneers and the many sacrifices they made. I think that one of the words that can always be used for our church and choosing the right is SACRIFICE. We have the choice and ability to make our lives go in the direction we think is best, but it comes with some sacrifice. Sacrifice helps Heavenly Father mold us into the people that become more than we are.

*The rest of our trip was uneventful. We drove back to Utah to drop me off, but not before we had the chance to sleep in a rest stop in Colorado.

*It was a great trip and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to travel with my family and to visit so many places and to get to know my family that much better!

Soon...I promise!

2008-07-12T10:41:00.001-06:00

I will give a synopsis of my trip soon...I promise! I am trying to get back into the groove of things, and then I will be all about telling you all about my recent adventures.

Animal Kingdom: Provo

2008-06-25T06:37:00.000-06:00

On my way to work every morning I have to make my way through the gaunlet that is the sidewalk after the sprinklers in Provo. I have to work around the hoards of ants that seem to build their hill in the same place even though they always get 'rained' out. The sprinklers are on the same areas at least twice a week. The next part of my journey is to weave and step lightly through the trail and pockets of worms that also come up after another area gets watered. I don't want to step on them because it is mean, and let's face it, really gross! Watch yourself as you walk down the streets in the morning hours in Provo, UT.

Rigoletto!!!

2008-06-16T20:49:00.000-06:00

So I went to a fireside on Sunday night to enjoy the musical stylings of "1856 the Musical", and let me tell you, it was amazing! First of all the music was really good, but the most amazing part was the fact that RIGOLETTO was there! They announced that this man was portraying Brigham Young, he got up and THERE he was!!! I was pretty sure it was him, and then he began to sing and I knew for sure! He has the most amazing voice and it was rich and beautiful and rang true! The rest of the performance was great, but he made the night for me and made my heart oh so happy!

Sad, but True

2008-06-14T10:02:00.000-06:00

I realized I haven't written much lately on this here blog, and I came to a sad, but true realization...there isn't much to say as far as new and exciting in my life. In honor of that sad fact, I will give you an unexciting recap/update of my life.

*I am currently teaching Driver Education at Provo High School during the month of June. I teach 2 periods a day, each one an hour and a half. I start at 8am and I am done at 11:30. I have a half hour space between each class, but I usually have student from my first class staying for a bit or students in my second class coming in early. I am enjoying this teaching experience much more than my class in May. I think I had to have it rough in order to truly enjoy the greatness and ease that seems to be with this month of teaching. I love teaching and am glad that I have found something I will enjoy for a long time. I also will probably do some behind the wheel...not my favorite, but I can handle it!

*DeAnna and Jenny McGraw were here for almost a week, and it was FABULOUS!!! I love being with them and having crazy adventures. Another fun part of them being here is getting to see their family. I love being with them, including their cousins. I feel included and loved in their family and they are just so much crazy fun!

*I am planning on traveling a bit this summer. At the end of June/beginning of July my mom, Derek, Emalee, and I are going on a road trip! We are driving to Michigan for a family reunion! We are also going to hit up Kirtland and Nauvoo. We are going to visit Uncle Leon before the reunion and party it up across the country. At the end of July, for a quick trip the roommates and I are going to trek down to Las Vegas to visit the one and only Cari Dahl and the PCN Crew. I am so excited because the extent of my Vegas experience has been the airport...not my favorite with the slot machines constantly going ding-ding-ding. ALSO, we have a Kennedy family reunion in August in Oregon. I am so excited for that because I will be seeing family I haven't seen in quite some time.

*Two of my roommates are engaged, which is always a fun adventure! I love both of their fiances, making the experience much more enjoyable than if I didn't like them. (I have been on both sides of that coin!)

There is some more excitement coming, but I am keeping it a secret for now, but don't you fret, I will let you know when the time is right!

Tag, I'm it!

2008-06-07T14:35:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by Ashley!

Four places I go over and over:

Provo High School
Apartment 207
Church
Temple

Four people who e-mail me regularly:

My mom
My sister
Dodi
Facebook!

Four of my favorite places to eat:

My parent's house
Olive Garden
Cafe Rio
Los Hermanos

Four places I would rather be right now:

Florence, OR
Woodland, CA
Hawaii
On a cruise

Four people I talk to on a daily basis:

Jessica
Jennifer
Heather
Jennae
Karlie (I had to make a fifth to include all roommates)

Four TV shows I watch over and over:

Gilmore Girls
Crossing Jordan
Grey's Anatomy
Bones

Four people I’m tagging:
Jennifer
Heather
Catie Lutz
Cari Dahl

A Summer Goal Accomplished...FINALLY!!

2008-05-31T12:41:00.000-06:00

My friends, the time has come that I accomplished a goal that has been a long time coming. I finally returned my BYU rented computer!!!! I have had it for years, and have been graduated since the end of December! My computer is gone from my life. It's pretty funny because I haven't been using for quite some time, and now there is room on our desk for something! I feel great about it, and a summer goal is done! Check mark for me!

Arachnaphobia...Group Chaos!

2008-05-17T00:19:00.000-06:00

I have discovered that my roommates all seem to have arachnaphobia. Not only are they afraid of spiders, but when they are afraid it spreads to the other roommates that are in the area. They freak out together and then I try to come and save the day by attempting to get rid of the spider. They are frightened for a bit and I have to laugh to myself. We all think it has gotten worse for them as they have lived together. I guess the mob mentality works for fear with spiders as well in this here apartment!

Cinco de Mayo comes but Once a Year...sadly!

2008-05-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

As you may know, my roommates and I love to celebrate the most random holidays (sometimes not in the most PC ways...remember Crutchy?) in fun ways. We had originally planned on going out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant for the day, but because of circumstances, we decided to be a little more low key and just have chips and salsa, and invite some friends over for the fun. The party planned quickly expanded and grew to include virgin strawberry daiquiris (made by yours truly) and a pinata named Pepito and saying "OLE" as much as possible. We had quite the group of friends over and we all took a whack at poor Pepito. We had a blast! I only wish Cinco de Mayo came more than once a year so we could have this much fun every time! Oh, what joy fills my heart when more random holidays come around. Armed Forces Day is just around the corner...

For your viewing pleasure, I have included some pictures of the festivities, including me whacking Pepito, Heather showing off our fake sombrero, and Pepito's new home in our apartment.

Highlights of my Oregon Adventure

2008-04-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

Here are just a few of the highlights of my weekend trip!
*The woman at Rancherito's saying "Tank-oo".
*The good smelling flowers outside Denny's in Pendleton.
*The tomato basil soup at Denny's.
*It taking Derek 10 million years to figure out that Bryan, Danielle, and I were there waiting to pick him up from school.
*Hearing that I am not the sister he talks about.
*Seeing my family!!!!!!
*Watching "The Wedding Dress" because my mom loves it! (I liked it too!)
*Going to a writer's workshop in Eugene
*Having the poet laureate of Oregon think I was 14, yes 14!
*After finding out I was a college graduate, he laughed about it for at least a minute!
*Library pamphlets
*Surprising Grandma and Wally at Mo's.
*Going to dinner at Mo's and expanding my dining from a cannonball bowl.
*Having Emalee invite me to her YOUTH dance, and telling me there were going to be "lots of cute boys there". Yes, Emalee...cute BOYS! I am not desperate enough to prowl the youth dances quite yet.
*Doing Emalee's hair for her dance.
*Driving Lora's car!
*Our whole family trying to squeeze onto one bench at church, and having to sit basically on one side of my body for a large portion of the meeting.
*Seeing Derek pass the sacrament for the first time.
*Eating mom's homecooking!
*Eating a TON of GOOD sourdough bread.
*Leaving at 5am
*Wearing the traveling pants, and tying them just below my knees. (my roommates told me later that I pull of the grunge look very well...I think that is a good thing. I think I looked quite cute!)
*Driving in a car, sitting in unique positions, causing Bryan to ask if I was ACTUALLY comfortable sitting like that.
*Almost crying when Bryan told us how far we really were from the Utah border.
*Rest Stops!
*Seeing the Boise and Portland temples
*Hanging out and talking with Bryan and Danielle. I LOVED IT!!!! They rock!
*Getting out of Utah!
*Getting back earlier than expected

*If anyone can think of any others, let me know!!! It was a great weekend!

Time FLIES!!!

2008-04-20T15:47:00.000-06:00

Oh, I can't believe it! Derek is 12 today!!! Time flies so fast! I still remember the first time I saw him; it was a Saturday, and I was on my way to John Robert Powers, and grandma and I stopped by the hospital on the way out of town. He was so tiny and I instantly fell in love with him. Over the past 12 years, he has become one of my best friends. I am so proud of him and all of his accomplishments and the wonderful young man he is becoming. I am so amazed by him, and I am sure that people get sick of me talking about him, but I don't care! I want the world to know how great he is, and how lucky I am to be his big sister! I love Derek!

I am in LOVE...with a food!

2008-04-17T18:14:00.000-06:00

Is it a crime to be in love with a food? Because if it is, cuff me now! To celebrate the end of tax season for Heather, we went to The Cheesecake Factory. The food was good enough, and I loved eating avacado! (random, I know) The food that I am willing to go to jail for is non other than cheesecake. Now, this is not a typical cheesecake...this is a chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake. The beauty of this outing is that the 4 of us that went each got a different kind of cake, and we rotated to taste the different kinds. We wanted a variety, so mine was the 'fruit' one. We also had black tuxedo cheesecake, dulce de leche, and peanut butter fudge ripple. They will all wonderful, but I am seriously IN LOVE with my chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Take me away, I am IN LOVE and will shout it from the rooftops!

A little foolish to achieve a goal

2008-04-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

My roommates and I like to come up with goals each semester. I have decided to get a head start on my next goals. I decided to finally learn how to roller blade, after owning them for many years. We needed something to do during the priesthood session, so we strapped on the roller blades and went to work. It is quite embarrassing, but I am sharing some of the pictures with you...it is definitely a goal in progress! This is me, getting ready to go!!! I really like this one! Oh, yeah!!! Check me out! Watch out world!

Sisters?

2008-03-30T21:46:00.000-06:00

So, a girl came up to Jennifer and I after ward prayer, and started chatting with us. As we were talking, she asked if we were sisters! This was the first time this has happened with Jennifer! It was quite exciting! It goes to show that you do start to look like those you spend time with. Just thought you should know!

Festival of Colors!

2008-03-30T15:42:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, 3 of my roommates and I went to the Hare Krishna Temple for the Festival of colors. It is a celebration where people throw colored...chalk, basically, to celebrate the holiday. They also have a bonfire where they symbolically burn this lady who used to burn children. It really is an interesting story, you should look it up! Anyway, when we went, we ran into some old friends, and it was great fun! We ended up not buying any of the powder, but that was NOT a problem. We stood in the middle of the crowd of hundreds, if not thousands of people and were BATHED in the dust.

The beginning was cool, but then we couldn't see anything other than each other, the air was filled with pink dust, yellow dust, green dust, etc. We couldn't really breathe either, and ended up choking a bit. We had to spit a lot, close our eyes to the dust, and try to breathe through it all. I wondered if that is what it would be like to suffocate. I wasn't such a fan of the not breathing, but the colors were a blast!

This is a group shot of the lovely colors.

Here is a chance to see more of the colors.

Here is the top of my head...dusty!

Afterwards, we took turns showering, and washed our clothes together. They said it didn't stain, but some of our clothing ended up PINK! My thermal that was white with blue flowers is now pink with blue flowers. The best thing I can say is that it is an even dye job. We ended up vacuuming Heather's car to get rid of the dust, and all in all had a BLAST!

The Sweetest Brother!

2008-03-29T08:02:00.000-06:00

Bryan called me the other day and asked if I would like to go to dinner...just the two of us! Dani had dinner plans with an old friend, and so they thought it would be fun for the siblings to get together for dinner, so we went! Brick Oven is a lovely place! It was so great to be with him, to talk about things, to deepen our relationship. I really like loving my brother not only because we are siblings, but because we are friends. It makes life that much better!

A downside to this wonderful night? Our server kept calling me ma'am! Yes...MA'AM! Jibbely, jibbely!

Bryan rocks my socks!

Oh, what songs of my heart!

2008-03-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

You know how there are some sounds or smells or other sense things that can transport you to another place and time so easily? This happens to me at times, and it makes my heart so happy. There is one that speaks to my soul so much, and I had to share it! There is an apartment in my complex, and my ward, that has wind chimes and those wooden looking chime like things hanging on their balcony. The first time I heard them, (and saw in the case of the wooden thing) I was immediately transported back to my Grandma Winans house on Carlisle Drive in California from ages ago. She had about a bazillion wind chimes outside her house, and when the wind picked up, it was a symphony of chimes, ranging in tones from deep and soulful to light and airy. I loved listening to those chimes, as well as spending time with my grandma, and those chimes make my heart so happy and take me back to those precious memories I have of my grandma. The music speaks to my heart!

I appreciate how our senses are intertwined with our memories and how we are connected to our pasts and presents through those intricate, specific memories, and how they shape who we are, how we see the world, and our attitudes towards life.

A few of my favorite people!

2008-03-25T09:18:00.000-06:00

I am PSYCHED!!!! You want to know why??? I get to see some of my favorite people today!!! That's right! The Andersons are coming in to Provo to take Blake to the MTC tomorrow, and we are going to get together today! It makes my heart so happy. They are the family I have chosen (and thankfully they have chosen me back), in addition to the family I was born into. They are my big family when I go back to Woodland; if I am not with my sister, I am with the Andersons. It feeds my soul to be with them, and I will get to feast today! I am so grateful for them and soooooo happy to see them!

Oh, the joys of Spring!

2008-03-25T09:14:00.000-06:00

The last few days have been those of absolutely GORGEOUS weather, and it makes my heart so happy! I can wear flip flops and my toes don't freeze. The warmth of the sun radiates over my body as I walk to and from work. There is a slight breeze that keeps it from getting too warm too soon, and blows the lightness of the air all over. I really love the spring weather and the renewal of life that comes through on the trees, plants, flowers, and the grass! I am grateful every day for the beauty of the earth and the simple joys in provides in my life. I know every day that Heavenly Father loves me, has provided an amazing world for me to enjoy and shows me that love in the little details of the world. Man, are we lucky!

Teacher Fair Roller Coaster

2008-03-19T22:40:00.000-06:00

So, I am currently attempting to find a teaching position for the Fall. I am looking all over the United States, not too picky on where I ended up. My main requirement is that I move out of the area. If I end up here, I would be okay with that, but I really want to have a new adventure in my life. I had my heart set on going to Virginia, but I found out that to teach health, you have to be certified to also teach Physical Education, which I am not. So, Virginia is out, and the other states are all in. Some people gave me a look of pity when I told them my subject area...sad! I went around the fair and talked with several places, but not one that particulary stood out. I was freaking out about the whole thing, but I am now calmer and more trusting in the Lord for my future. I know it will work out, there is a specific place for me to be in the Fall, and I will find that place when the time is right. I need to put more of my trust in Him, not doubting that there is a bigger plan for me than I have even imagined! This is a time to figure out where I really want and need to be, and finding the best way to get me there. I will keep you posted on the happenings of my adventures in finding the next step of my life! Please keep me in your prayers, and if you hear of anything, please let me know!