Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

All the happenings

2011-09-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been really good at posting anything lately. Life has been as crazy as normal, but here's the run down of the past couple of months.

Ethan is HOME!!! I am so happy to have my youngest brother home from his mission. He was an incredible missionary and was able to teach the Gospel to many. Its just nice to have him here. He adjusted quite well actually. His second day home, he had a cell phone, a job and a registered car. I love him dearly and I am so proud of him for his accomplishments.

I now have 2 roommates living with me. They are wonderful ladies and I love them dearly. I am learning a lot though. I will readily admit that I have OCD when it comes to my house being clean. Its amazing how cluttered it can get with three people living there instead of just me. I'm learning to not sweat the small stuff and just enjoy the company. Its been great fun.

I am taking an institute class. I haven't taken an institute class since I was in college. It seems like forever actually, but I am really enjoying the class. Its a Doctrine and Covenants class and my instructor is awesome. Its nice having a lesson that I'm not teaching from someone so knowledgeable about the Gospel. Its a nice uplift for the week.

I am still teaching Gospel Doctrine in my ward. Scary calling, but I think I may be getting the hang of it. I've been praying to find a way to really study my scriptures and Heavenly Father provided :) My team teacher moved out this week, so I'm alone now. I'm hoping that they'll call someone soon. Its nice having someone to help. I also play the piano for the choir. Its not a calling, they just can't find anyone else to do it, so I do it. There are plenty of people in my ward that can play the piano, they just choose not to let us know :)

I've decided that I need a budget. I've never really had to worry about home repairs or the likes, so I just have spent money. I've realized though that if anything big happened, I wouldn't have any money to pay to get things fixed. I need to change that, so starting today, I'm going to make sure that I budget my money. It just needs to happen. :)

That's about it with me. I do lead a very boring life, but I also lead a very good life. The Lord has been good to me and I have nothing to complain about.

Getting caught up :)

2011-07-18T06:58:00.001-07:00

I have two roommates moving into the house with me, which will make finances a whole lot easier. I have some pretty large expenses coming up, so this will be a great blessing in my life :)

I got my back fixed after really throwing it out last week. I contorted my pelvis enough that I made my right leg a half an inch shorter than my left leg. I was flat on my back for about 3 days until I was able to make it into the chiropractor and get myself adjusted. A lot of people think chiropractors are a crock, but I absolutely love chiropractors. They always make things better :)

My youngest brother is getting home from his mission on August 8th! I can hardly wait to see him. He's been such a great support of me and my life. He's never made me feel less of a person because of choices I make or things I do. He's always shown love and support, even while on his mission. I'm excited to have him back home :)

That's my life. Lots of good things going on and I'm blessed. I need to start taking my camera places so I can get pictures.

Vacation has been canceled

2011-06-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm so bummed, but we had to cancel our vacation in June, so now it looks like it won't be until August until I get some time off of work. I haven't had any time off since Ethan left on his mission and he's coming home in August. I just keep thinking how pathetic I am that I don't take time off, but then I remember that I have absolutely no money and couldn't go anywhere, even if I wanted to. So, hopefully I can take some time off and enjoy my yard or something :)

I NEED A VACATION!!!

2011-05-26T11:59:00.001-07:00

I am completely burned out and need a vacation!!

Singles Ward and lots of changes

2011-05-09T07:44:00.001-07:00

Its been a long time since I've posted. There's not been a whole lot going on in my life, just the usual work and working on my yard this spring. The biggest change by far has been to the YSA program in the Church. I'm so grateful for the changes as far as there has never been a really organized program for YSA in the Church. We have student wards, singles wards or activities in family wards, but nothing really solid. These changes that were made were definitely a long time coming and I'm hoping that the changes will work.

Basically, all of the student wards have been dissolved. You attend church based on your geographical area. So, if you are a student, you just attend the ward where you are currently living. It leaves you two options: you attend your Family Ward or the YSA ward that you are assigned. Ward hopping should hopefully be a thing of the past. The Church Leaders have mentioned many times that you go to Church to worship and not to socialize. It is not appropriate to go to a ward based on if you're friends are there.

They have created YSA stakes and wards under those stakes. My Stake is the Taylorsville YSA Stake and my ward the Granger 2nd YSA Ward. We had our first meeting as a ward yesterday. I am optimistic. I just hope they keep me busy. I've only attended singles wards where there were between 40-60 active people, so your opportunities for callings and serving was much greater than in bigger wards. My ward has about 150 active people but around 400 records. Our goal is to find these people are bring them back to the Church. We have a lot of work to do, but I have a feeling that things will work out because this is an inspired program.

So, this by far is the biggest thing in my life. I'm just enjoying life and trying to make things work. I am still looking for piano students, so if you know of anyone, let me know :)

Life is Good!

2011-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to apologize for the negative tone of my recent blog posts. Sometimes, you need to take a step back from all the bad things that are happening in your life to see the positive. I have finally taken that step back and I'm realizing how truly blessed I am. I have a home, I have my health, I have a family that supports me and I have friends. Things stink sometimes, but that's part of our mortal experience and I for one am grateful for taking this step back that I can realize that it is truly for my good. :)

Thank you for all of you who support me and love me, even when I'm negative and ornery :)

Becoming Better

2011-02-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

So, I'm going to be better and look at how I can change to become the person I'm meant to be. I'm tired of people dictating to me how I need to act and where I should be in my life.

I am Dawn and I can do this :)

To my friends that read this blog, I hope you all know how much I love you and how grateful I am for all of your support. Sometimes life stinks, but its people that give their love and support to you in those times when you realize who your true friends are. Love you all!! :)

Things Happen for a Reason

2011-02-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

There has been so much drama in my life, and I'm really so very tired of it. Its amazing to me how when you're doing everything possible to make the right choices and do what you're supposed to do, things around you seem to fall apart. I'm actually starting to feel like I did growing up in my ward. There are falsehoods and gossip and I'm generally feeling like a pariah in my ward and at work. Its really hard to see what good can come from all of this drama, but I'm trying to remain optimistic at the same time. I know that my Heavenly Father won't leave me alone to fight this battle, but sometimes, I feel very, very alone. So, I have to remember that things happen for a reason and I usually end up stronger for it.

Wanted: Piano Students

2011-01-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

I am trying to make ends meet and am seeking more piano students. I'm charging $40 a month for 30 minute lessons once a week. I have been teaching the piano for 12 years and would love the opportunity to teach others the joys of playing the piano. If you know of anyone that's looking for someone to teach them lessons, please send them my way. I teach all ages and love doing it!

Pictures of the House and Other Such Nonsense

2011-01-06T07:21:00.001-08:00

So, here are some more pictures of the house and the decorations. I hope you enjoy

This is my family room. Its a little cluttered right now because we needed to make room for the Christmas Tree.

Isn't it beautiful??? My family goes out every year to cut down Christmas Trees. This tree is the real deal and made my house smell wonderful :)

This is my fireplace right now. I'm in the process of figuring out how to make it usable. Right now, it was wired to become a gas fireplace, but I would definitely prefer a wood burning kind, so we'll see what the future brings :)

This is the front of the house. I thought it looked pretty with all of the snow and icicles :)

So, life has been interesting of late. I am looking for an additional roommate, and its been really hard. I'm looking for a second job so I can make other changes around the house and work at the BC has been pretty intense. All in all though, things are going well and I am so truly blessed by my Heavenly Father. I couldn't ask for more than I've received.

If anyone that reads my blog knows of someone looking for a place to live, please send them my way. I'm pretty desperate at this point.

Christmas

2010-12-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

So, can I just say how much I love decorating the inside of my house for Christmas. My family and I went out to the hills of Nevada and cut down trees, like we do every year and I got a beautiful, big tree. I could never do anything huge when I lived in my apartment. It smells so good and I'm loving having a big tree in my family room.

I have realized a lot how many people really expect you to buy them gifts for Christmas, even people that you really have no contact with. It kinda blows my mind to be honest with you. I am completely broke this year and haven't been able to do things like I've done in the past. Although Christmas will be small, its not the reason we celebrate it. The best gift of all has already been given to us through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Christmas this year has been rough without my brother, Ethan, around. How much I miss that kid and can't wait for August to come, so we can play. We've also added a new member to our family this year and I'm wondering how he's going to feel about Christmas in my family. He tells us constantly that we're weird. Family dynamics are definitely different this year.

But, with everything else, I love this time of year, with the music, the cheerfulness of people, the love that seems to permeate everything. I love Christmas!!

I Need A Life!!

2010-12-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided I need a life. Not sure what that entails right now, but its definitely time.

Pictures of my Sister :)

2010-11-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from my sister's bridals. Hope you enjoy :)

She had her pictures taken at This is the Place :)

Life in General

2010-11-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've been realizing that I don't have much going on in my life right now, but how truly blessed I am for everything I have been given and continue to receive daily.

I have such a wonderful family and have received my big brother (finally!!). My Dad just received a promotion at work and is actually working normal work hours. No more getting up at 4:30 a.m. for family prayer :) Mom continues to amaze me with all of her surgeries and family health problems, she continues to be the one that seems to hold us all together. Michelle and Joe are in la la land and I expect they will be for a while, but marriage has been good for both of them. Matt (aka "Fatty") is going to school full time and working as much as he can. He's dating lots of girls and enjoying life. Ethan is still serving his mission in the Washington Everett Mission. This kid is my hero. He is incredible and has grown so much on his mission. I miss him like crazy, but I have no complaints, because he's where he needs to be.

The new house is AWESOME!! I finally have most of the bugs worked out and most of the unpacking done. I'm loving my new house! I am still looking for a third roommate, which has been a difficult process, but I'm praying one comes.

I love my new ward! I think I pretty much have the best Bishop ever! He is different than any of the other bishops I've ever had. He takes the time to get to know you and he wants to be there to help in anyway. I currently have 3 callings in my ward. I'm the choir director, mingles committee chair and a member of the compassionate service committee. They are definitely keeping me busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm growing and learning. My ward members are great to include and make sure everyone has someone to be with. No one sits alone in Sacrament meeting, which is such a wonderful way to engage people. Yes, I have been truly blessed with my ward.

Friends . . . not quite sure where to begin with this. I have so many marvelous friends in my life. I've decided that because I didn't have many friends growing up that my Heavenly Father finally took pity on me and gave me the best of friends. I couldn't begin to name everyone that has had such a positive impact on my life. I'm sure that if you're reading this blog, you are one of them and I thank you for allowing me to be your friend. I cherish my friendships because they seem hard to come by for me.

My job. Well, I've had quite the humbling experience with my job a couple of weeks ago and it taught me some valuable lessons. I hope that I never have to repeat those two weeks. I've learned that sometimes, you just can't say anything that will make things better for your employees. You can't be friends with your employees. You have to be the boss, a kind boss mind you, but not someone that your employees call and you hang out. I think the hardest part of my job is being a manager, but having employees older or the same age as me. I'm learning though and I pray that my Heavenly Father will continue to guide my hands on the best way to approach being "the boss."

I seriously love my roommate. I pray for her constantly and hope that she knows how much I love her. :)

That's my life in general. It comes with its ups and downs. Its happy and sad days, but I'm generally happy and am grateful. :)

Wedded Bliss!

2010-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

No, its not my wedded bliss (who knows when that will happen), but my younger sister, Michelle, got married on Friday to a marvelous man named Joe.

It was a hectic week last week and I didn't get many pictures, but I'm hoping that as soon as I can, I'll post some pictures for your enjoyment.

Wednesday: Time for Bridals. Michelle and Joe wanted to wait for Joe to get here before they did Bridals. Well, after months of waiting for the visa, he got here the Thursday before the wedding. So, I was in charge of the makeup for my sister, so I left work early to head to my parents to get her makeup going. Michelle is one of those girls that just has such a natural beauty. I had a good time playing around with the makeup. We settled on a brown mid tone, a ivory highlight and a cranberry accent. It looked beautiful with her subtle red highlights in her hair and her fair skin and blue eyes. I think she got it all when it came to the gene pool :) After the bridals, we headed to her and Joe's apartment (my old apartment) to spray for spiders. That basement is notorious for spiders and not little ones. I hope we killed them off :)

Thursday: Whew! Where to begin? I took the day off of work and thank goodness I did. We started the day by decorating for the reception and getting things ready for the next day. I got to meet some very attractive British men and ride in cars with them. Note to all: British people drive on the wrong side of the car and will give you many scary moments, especially if its a truck and you're sitting in the back :) Once we got that done, I went home for a quick nap and then headed over to my parents to get my sister's dress clean. She had accidentally rubbed up against the car the day before and left a black mark on the front. Unfortunately, we couldn't dry clean the dress, so we scrubbed at it with baking soda and got most of it out. I was pretty proud of myself. Then I had the opportunity to hang out with the British Bachelor's and Claire for the Bachelor party. We went to Chili's for dinner and it was so fun. The waiter took good care of Joe when he found out he was getting married the next day. Joe ended up with two glasses of lemonade and proceeded to hold them up and proclaim "I love America!" It was awesome! After dinner, we headed home for some sleep. :)

Friday: The Big Day! I woke up when the alarm went off, but I think my roommate forgot to turn her alarm on, so I was running around trying to get showered and ready to head over to my friend, Angel's house for her to do my hair. I just didn't want to worry about it and Angel did a magnificent job. Then we headed off to the wedding lunch. We went to a place called Madeline's and it was so awesome! I just was so happy to see Michelle and Joe together and know that they made the right choice. Off to the wedding at the church. Michelle asked me to play the piano for the wedding ceremony itself and I was scared to death. I didn't want to screw anything up for her. I am happy to announce that the practicing paid off :) The wedding ceremony itself was very touching. I am so happy for the two of them. Then we had pictures and then the reception itself. It was pretty ordinary, until I had to run home and find the garter for Michelle. Found it just in time for me to catch the bouquet. Everyone keeps asking when its my turn, I keep telling them I don't know :) For the couple's first dance, Matt went and tapped on Joe's shoulder so Michelle and Matt started dancing with each other and then Joe and I started dancing. At this point, Joe looked at me and said that he feels like we're going to be good friends. It made me feel like a million bucks. Then I looked at Joe and said we should probably switch partners, Michelle overheard and she and I started dancing together and Matt and Joe started doing the cha cha. Joe fits right in :) Once the reception was over I took Joe and Michelle's gifts over to the apartment and then to their car. I kinda hid their car, but the British folk found it and wrote in soap on the windows and filled it completely with balloons. We got them on their way and they are now happily playing at Disneyland.

Its kinda weird to think that my sister is married, because its just been the four of us for so long. Its a happy union though and I'm thrilled to death that Michelle found someone that can make her happy. I'm also thrilled that Joe accepts me and wants to be a part of our family's life.

That's the wedding. As soon as I have pictures, I promise to post :)

New Adventures

2010-09-14T09:11:00.001-07:00

Adventures are always fun and I'm always finding new ones to get myself involved in. This weeks adventures includes canning, yard work, and unpacking boxes.

First, canning. As a little girl, I used to help my Mom can peaches and other things from my Dad's extensive garden. I never really appreciated canning and the fact that you are able to store the food that you've worked all summer to grow. Now that I have a very large room (the pit of despair is what I like to call it) to store my food, I decided it would be a good idea to learn how to can and bottle food that we grow. I called my Mom up and she and I are going to attempt Salsa on Saturday. I'm grateful my Dad is letting me steal all of his tomatoes and peppers and onions out of his garden :) I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Second, yard work. As a first time home owner, I never really appreciated all of the hard work my Dad went through to have grass that you could lay in and watch the clouds. My yard was a mess when I moved in. There were definitely more weeds than grass and I was a little nervous because I swear that none of my other neighbors had any problems with weeds in their lawns. Well, I had a sprinkling system that came with the house that needed some TLC badly. Dad and I got that running, did Scott's Weed and Feed (which I swear by) and then I started working my 60-80 hours a week at work. So, my lawn looked good for a bit, but I've noticed the weeds are starting to try to take over the lawn again. So, I took initiative and went to Western Garden Center and bought some powerful weed and feed. I sprayed it last night and I'm supposed to water the lawn tonight. I hope it works :)

Third, unpacking. Well, amongst all the other fun things going on in my life, work, trying to date, yada, yada, I never really got to unpacking. Now that I'm not dating anyone and working normal hours at work, I finally get to unpack and organize my house. I'm actually really excited to get everything unpacked and get my house ready for my Dad to come and dedicate it. I feel that it needs to be as nice as possible before I dedicate it to my Heavenly Father. It's going to be awesome!

Thank goodness for some fun adventures :)

Life Changes

2010-09-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well, lots has happened since my last post. So, here we go!!

I had one roommate move out and another one move in. My new roommate, Katie, is absolutely amazing! She's so helpful and kind. I love spending time with her and I'm truly grateful for the blessing she is in my life. Its amazing how when you put your trust in the Lord, he'll make sure that you're taken care of :)

Work has been insane like usual. We actually have a deadline for the first time ever in our 124 year history. We are pushing our cap and I'm denying people. Its actually been very hard for me. I had such a wonderful experience here and hate knowing that I'm turning people away that could have that same opportunity. I just pray that the Lord will guide my hand to find those people that need to be here.

Things with the house are going good. I just wish I was home more to enjoy it. I'm hoping to get off early today to mow my lawn. Its growing super long! Never realized how much work a house was, but I feel the effort is worth it. I love seeing the house that was ready to fall apart take on a character of its own and thrive. Its been wonderful :)

Its been a busy couple of months, but life is good :)

Pictures

2010-08-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

So, I know you've all been waiting for this, but I finally have some pictures of the house. Its been a work in progress and I'm still unpacking and finding places to put things. I didn't realize at the time, but this house has absolutely no closet space. So, hopefully I can fix that in the next couple of years, but for now, don't look at the boxes and mess :)

This is my living room/music room. Its so nice to have my piano in my own house that I can play anytime I want.

This is my kitchen. I had to replace the cabinets on top and will hopefully be able to replace the cabinets on the bottom, eventually :)

This is the outside of the house. I just got the siding put up and it looks like a brand new house.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures :)

Plumbing Woes

2010-07-16T06:17:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've been talking a lot about the house and all its problems. But, hopefully, this is the last one in a very long time. So, apparently, if the house is vacant for a while, it can cause your sewer drain to clog up. Tuesday night, after getting all of the other plumbing fixed in my two sinks, my toilet started making a funny gurgling sound. I walked downstairs and found that my feet were suddenly wet from water in my carpet. The drain had apparently backed up and I had a good inch of water on the floor. Thank goodness my friend, Scott was there, to help me get the carpet lifted and fans on it. So, phone call to the rooter place. I found a place that actually was much cheaper than most and he did an excellent job. So, plumbing woes should probably be done for now. Now to get the carpet dried. Its still not dry after 3 days of fans on it. Maybe I should break down and rent a rug doctor :)

Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong . . .

2010-07-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

It always does!!! So, if I didn't know that buying this house was the absolutely best decision, I would tell everyone I know not to get sucked into it.

This house of mine was a foreclosure. It had a lot of work that had to be done, but no problem. I know lots of people that can help me fix things. Well, before I could close, I ended up paying $3,200 for repairs so I could actually get a home loan. Ridiculous, you say? I thought so, until I started working on the house. I had to paint the whole house, rip out kitchen cabinets, get rid of the dandelions and morning glory growing in my lawn and other places. The air conditioning wouldn't work. It was $300 to get the electrical wiring redone to it. Apparently all of the electrical wires were cut. I have to get new siding on the house to replace the rotting wood before winter sets in. So, two months and almost $9,000 later, I'm moved in. Still some work to do, like the fact that I only have one sink working in the whole house and you can only get hot water out of that sink. I have a friend that will be finishing up the kitchen sink and fixing the upstairs bathroom sink.

All I can say is, thank goodness all of this is almost over. I would like to not be so exhausted and sore anymore :)

I'm sorry about the lack of pictures. I've definitely been slacking. When all is moved in and settled, I'll post pictures :)

2010-05-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's Mine, its finally mine!!!

Pictures to come!

The End

New House Continued

2010-05-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've decided that things that are worthwhile are as such because you have to work really hard to get them. There have been so many complications, costs and such in regards to me buying this house. I still feel good about it, but I'm kinda wishing I had a rich uncle who would just take care of it all for me and allow me to just breeze through the process, but alas, no such luck for me.

On Tuesday, we rescheduled the appraiser to come and look at it and verify that the work had been done that needed to before we could close. Well, the report came back and stated that none of the electrical work that needed to be done in the basement was done, so he couldn't give us clearance to close. In talking with my contractor, he wasn't even aware that work needed to be done in the basement. It was going to cost an additional $215 to get all of that done. No problem, my realtor stated that we were going to pursue the sellers to see if they would reimburse me for the $1,400 I already paid to get some of that work done. Well, my realtor got back to me last night and its a no go. They offered the $500 towards repairs when we went under contract and they will not go anymore. So, as I'm figuring out how to go ahead with all of this, my contractor called. He was feeling really bad that he missed the work, so he went ahead and did it because he was sure the seller would be paying for the work. Alas, so I have to pay him the $215 and then we'll be able to reschedule the appraiser, get the final inspection done, and hopefully close on the house.

So, that's the up to date version of my house purchasing woes. I have to keep smiling or else I think I would cry :)

New House

2010-05-10T05:46:00.001-07:00

So, I did it! I'm in the process of buying a house. Its such a huge process and has cost me around $4,000 already and I haven't even closed on it yet. The house is a foreclosure house and the people beat it up pretty badly before they left. When the appraiser went to look at it, there were a few repairs that had to be made before they would even consider closing on the house. So, here we go!! We got all the electrical back up to code, replaced the kitchen floor, patched up the 20 + holes in the walls, replaced most of the doors because they had holes in them, had to paint some wood and the likes of all of that. Needless to say, I'm really stressed out about the whole thing because I am buying a house and that makes it hard to spend money on anything else, especially if you don't have it.

Well, last night, I was talking to one of my best friends about all of the stress and angst over this whole process and she asked me if I'd had a blessing. I hadn't even thought about it. (I know, awful, eh?) I went over to her parent's house and received a beautiful blessing from her father and am feeling peace over the whole process. I know this is the right decision and I didn't make it blindly. How grateful I am for the Priesthood and the blessing it is in my life.

So, alas, we are proceeding and it'll be awesome when I finally get everything taken care of. It's a big enough house that when/if I get married and have my family, I truly will never have to move. Here we go, off to another great adventure in the life of Dawn :)

Big Decisions

2010-04-12T06:04:00.001-07:00

So, lately in my life, I've decided to make some pretty big decisions. Sometimes I wonder how my decisions will affect my life for the positive or negative.

I made a decision about men a while back, and I'm still feeling good about the decision. I tried the online dating scene for a bit, but after some creepy guys emailing me and asking me out, I decided I was done on there forever. But through this process, I realized that I really was tired of pursuing men. It seems if I ever wanted to go on a date or my married friends wanted to do something, I was always asking the guys out. So, I decided that I was tired of pursuing, but instead wanted to be pursued. I'm not quitting dating altogether, although with my dating experience, it may look that way. I just feel like if a guy wants to go out with me, he can call me and ask me.

I've also been toying around with the decision to purchase a house. Its such a good time right now to do so and now that I'm mostly out of debt, I'm considering taking a huge leap of faith. I will be making a 30 year commitment. I've prayed about the decision and feel good about it. I'm hoping to find some roommates that can help me if I get into a house.

I've also been toying around with getting a second job to help supplement my income. I love my job at LDSBC and I love teaching piano, but I'm thinking another steady job to help me put money away into savings for a rainy day would be good. I'm single right now, so why not. Its an interesting idea for me to think about.

So, with all the big decisions I'm making, I'm hoping that they are the right ones. Things will work out for the best, I know they will. Now for that leap of faith . . . sometimes the first step is the scariest. Wish me luck!

Family and Friends

2010-03-23T07:22:00.001-07:00

This last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with two of my very best friends, Cynthia and Kalon (aka KC) and their family. Cynthia has been telling me for quite some time that her family loved me as their own and I was basically adopted as one of them. I never quite believed her, but I have come to realize that I'm truly a part of the Evenson family and I love it. Its so nice to get to spend time with them and I have come to love them as my own family. We had quite a lot of adventures this week.

Last Friday, I went over to Elly's house (Elly is Cynthia's older sister and I love her dearly) and taught her how to make baby receiving blankets. I had to get four blankets sewn for two baby showers I had the next day, and Elly was so nice to help me out to get them laid out, pinned up and ironed. All I had to do was the sewing, which is my favorite part :) I had such a blast and am looking forward to many more sewing/play dates with her.

Saturday morning, I woke up to dark clouds in the west, KC and I were determined to go to the zoo. So, we hopped in the Moose and drove up to Hogle Zoo for a fun time. It was pretty chilly up there, but the animals were really active. I even saw the Cheetah attack a magpie for trying to eat its meal. It was awesome!! Once we decided it was time to go, the snow started falling. Wouldn't you know? So, we headed back for home. Then we had dinner and got to play Chippy Chasers. Chippy Chasers is an awesome game that KC came up with. I'm getting my very own copy soon and I can't wait! I love it!

Sunday and Monday were normal days. I was released from the FHE Committee Chairman position, so I decided to skip out and I rejoined Weight Watchers. I'm so committed to losing this weight. I bought a pedometer and plan on going for lots of walks and I'll be skinny for my sister's wedding :)

Tuesday, I went over to the Evenson's for dinner and play time. I always have such a great time with the family, so it was an enjoyable time.

Wednesday, I had the awesome opportunity to go to the temple with the Evenson Clan. Caleb is getting ready to leave on his mission to Japan, so he was able to receive his Endowment. I love the temple so much and it was awesome to be there. I was honored that Caleb asked me to be there. During the session, I had the opportunity to sit between Elly and Cynthia, and as we were getting ready to leave the temple, there were numerous comments on how the three of us could be sisters. I won't complain. I love them both dearly and would be honored to call them my sisters. After the temple, we were going to go to the Mexican restaurant, Rafael's, but it had closed early, so we ended up going to Chili's for some family fun. I really love this family!

Thursday, KC, Roo, Caleb, Mariah and myself headed to Braza grill. Its a Brazilian restaurant with some amazing food and Guarana on tap. For those of you that have no clue what Guarana is, its a delectable drink and I would recommend it to anyone. Then we went for a walk next to the Jordan River and had a great time.

Friday, I took the day off and cleaned my house and got laundry done. I'm a bit OCD about my house being clean and it was driving me crazy. It was nice to get it clean.

Saturday, it was time to head back up to Logan and take KC back. Roo and I went and picked them up and kidnapped Mariah and made her come with us. It was so much fun. We went for a walk next to the Bear River and saw wild turkeys, some rodents, but my favorite of all, we saw a Great Horned Owl. I think they are such beautiful creatures. Then we went to Gossner's and got cheese, then off to get Aggie Ice Cream, then we made some homemade pizza. KC is brilliant when it comes to making pizza. It was an enjoyable time for all, but alas, it was time for us to leave. Its always so hard to leave KC behind, but we only have 7 weeks until they are done with the semester. On the way down from Logan, Mariah and I had the opportunity to talk school. I really hope she decides to come to LDSBC. The College is marvelous and I think she's have a great experience here. Once we got home, we headed to Elly's for games and socializing. I headed home early because I was exhausted, but had a wonderful time.

I love spending time with the Evenson's and Lauber's. I'm looking forward to many more opportunities to spend time with them. Thanks for adopting me into your family. Its an honor and I love you all!!

Huzzah!!!

2010-02-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

Well, as I had said in other posts, I have a disease called Hypothyroidism. It takes its toll but its a manageable disease. I take a pill every morning that allows me to function throughout the day. Well, in the last three months or so, I started putting on the weight that I have been working so hard to lose, suffering from depression, utter exhaustion and a bunch of other things. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I was doing everything I was supposed to, eating right, exercising, going to bed at 9 p.m. so I could get up at 5 a.m. It was maddening!

Needless to say, I turned to the Internet to see what people's thoughts were in regards to losing weight with they hypothyroidism, because I wanted to lose weight for my sister's wedding and all I was doing was gaining weight. I noticed a trend with symptoms of people suffering from the disease, like weight gain, depression, etc. etc. So, I finally called my doctor because I was being awful, I felt awful and I knew that people around me wanted nothing to do with me.

I went in last week and met with the doctor and got some blood work done, and huzzah, my thyroid medication had indeed quit working for me. I had been on the same dosage of the meds since I was diagnosed three years ago. So, they have me on a new dosage and I can't begin to tell you how wonderful I feel. I am so grateful for modern medicine that has helped me feel like a million bucks. Now, I'm off to the struggle of losing the weight again. It is a harder process for me because of this disease, but I think I'm up to the challenge. :)

Long weekends are the best!

2010-02-16T06:37:00.001-08:00

This weekend was a ton of fun. It started out with me working from home on Friday. I've been having some health issues of late and can't seem to function properly, so my boss allowed me to get my work done from home. I got more accomplished in three and a half hours than I got done in two weeks.

Friday night, I went to my friend, Jennifer's house for a girl's night party. We had tons of food and we watched "I Hate Valentine's Day." It was actually a really cute movie. None of us ladies had a Valentine this year, so it was a fitting movie. :)

Saturday, I went up to Logan to see two of my dearest friends, Cynthia and Kalon. These two are such awesome people. Cynthia has helped me through some rough patches in my life, especially the health issues one that I'm dealing with right now. Her brother, Caleb and I headed off early in the morning, only after I got my awesome new apron (Thanks Elly!). Caleb and I actually had an enjoyable visit all the way up. When we got up there, we, of course, had to go by Gossner Foods so I could get me some cheese. I'm so addicted to cheese. Then we ran off to Lee's, a local grocery store, to get Cynthia and Kalon's shopping done. While there, we found Guarana and I had to buy some for our homemade pizza later that day. Then we headed back to their apartment, where Kalon, the master chef, made us Chicken Parmesan. Then we headed up a canyon to Hardware Ranch. For all of you who don't know what Hardware Ranch is, its like a winter camp for a herd of Elk. We got to ride on a wagon right among the herd. I hope you enjoy the pictures :)

This is the view from the top of the hill

Cynthia and Kalon

Cynthia and Me

A bunch of the herd

After that, we went and got Aggie Ice Cream. I have to say that I'm a huge fan. I got their chocolate almond, two of my favorite things in a waffle cone. :) Then we headed back home to play Chippy Chasers and get ready for some homemade pizza.

After pizza, we played some more games and then we headed home. Caleb had some awesome music and I have an awesome stereo in my vehicle, so we had another party on the way home. (Actually, Caleb was doing his civic duty and was trying to keep me awake)

Sunday was actually an okay day. It was Valentine's Day and it really holds no significance to me, it really never has, so I just went to church and then went home and sewed.

Monday was the day I went to the doctor to hopefully help figure out what's really wrong with me. I get my blood work done today and I'm hoping that it'll be something that they can fix. Then I went to FHE with my old branch. There was an Afghanistan War Veteran there and spoke to us about what's happening there and the people there. It helped me remember how grateful I should be to be born into the United States of America. It also reminded me that everyone in this world is my brother and sister and I need to be better to make sure that I treat everyone as such.

What a wonderful weekend!!

2010-02-08T06:07:00.001-08:00

This last weekend was one of the best I've had in a long time.

Friday night, I went to my friend, Jennifer's house and made homemade macaroni and cheese for the two of us, we went and played games and Jalene's (a new gal in my ward who'd pretty much awesome) house and then I got to sewing my baby presents I'm making.

Saturday morning was my little friend, Rosie's baptism. Her mom, Angel, is one of my very dearest friends. I love participating in baptisms because it reminds me of the covenants I made and how very grateful I am for them. After the baptism, we had a luncheon for Rosie and I got to meet a lot of Chris and Angel's family and friends. I am so grateful for Angel's friendship and the opportunities she gives me to be a part of her family :)

After the luncheon, I went home and got back to work with the sewing machine. I'm absolutely in love with sewing right now. I've been making quilts, baby blankets, and pillows. So, I put in some movies and got to work on my project. It only took 5 hours, and I'm not quite done, but I got a lot accomplished.

Saturday night, I got to see one of my very best friends, Cynthia and her husband, Kalon, who came down from Logan for a baby blessing. I love this family and they have officially adopted me as one of their own. We played games and just had a grand ol' time. I need to go over and spend more time with them. They make me happy :)

Sunday morning was little Timothy's blessing. Timothy belongs to my friends, Matt and Elly, who also happen to be related to Cynthia and Kalon, so they're pretty much family :) Going to a singles ward, I don't get many opportunities to experience baby blessings. It was a beautiful blessing. I love holding baby Timothy and realizing where he came from and what a valiant spirit he must have to come into the world at this time. Its also so nice knowing that he was born into a home where the Gospel is lived. I am so excited to see where this little guy goes in his life. After the baby blessing, we went to Matt and Elly's for a potato bar. It was so good to be surrounded by people that just love one another. I had such a great time!

Sunday night, we celebrated my sister, Michelle's 25th birthday. We just did the normal, cake and ice cream and presents. I absolutely love my sister and I'm so excited for all of the adventures she's about to embark on. :)

So, with all of that said, I could really use another day to get my laundry and my house work done, but I wouldn't trade any of it away.

Suffering from Hypothyroidism

2010-02-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

Many of you may not know, but I have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about 4 years ago and have been suffering the effects of this disease. I didn't realize how much your Thyroid and the TSH hormones did in the human body. Because of this disease, I have a much lower metabolism (through the floor actually), I get cold easily, and I can't take off weight as easily as most people can.

I joined Weight Watchers about 2 years ago and I absolutely love their program of making good eating choices and physical activity. I did really well with their program and took off 25 pounds in about a years time. Although I never changed my eating habits, or my physical activity habits, I have put all of that weight back on.

The reason for this post is to ask any of you if you may know of things that will help me get my disease in better control and that will help me through my journey of weight loss and combating my disease.

The end of January

2010-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else feel like time is flying? Time is sure flying for me and on this day, as I reflect what I've done in January, I wonder sometimes what else life has for me. I'm grateful nothing serious is truly happening. Sometimes no news is good news, but I also wonder if I'm ever going to feel like I am accomplishing something marvelous. I have worked at LDSBC now for coming up on 6 years and a couple of weeks ago, my boss pulled me aside and said things that I am trying to take as constructive criticism, but am wondering if I'm actually doing all that I need to there. Most of my dearest friends are dating someone, engaged or married and having families and I wonder if I'm supposed to be on the sidelines cheering everyone on while they seem to be able to move on with their lives. My ward is wonderful, but I'm not feeling like I'm growing at all. I feel like in my callings that I'm alone and there is no one to help me accomplish them. I'm trying to involve everyone, but their willingness to help is greatly lacking. I have wondered what else I should be doing to make me feel like I make a difference in this world, with family, with friends, but I've had a lot of questions this last month wondering what I could do more. Life is truly a blessing and I'm grateful for all I have learned and all that I have been blessed with. The Lord truly does take care of us and is mindful of us. I guess we all land in ruts and I think my rut is full of really sticky mud and I'm not moving much at this point in my life. Hopefully my 4 wheel drive will kick into action soon :)

Questions & Answers

2010-01-22T07:21:00.001-08:00

So, my younger sister, Michelle, is engaged to be married to a wonderful man and we are thrilled to death that she has found someone so wonderful! The fun part is that Joe is actually older than I am, so I'm finally getting the big brother that I've always wanted. Joe is the baby of his family, so he's pretty excited to be my big brother. Hopefully, I don't make him regret it. When I found out that Michelle was getting married, it was a rough couple of days for me. I'm the oldest, I should be getting married first, right? Well, I realized how completely selfish I was and I needed to be happy for my sister. So, here we go for the adventure of planning a wedding. Joe is British, so we're going to try to figure out the Visa stuff (fun, eh?) and get them married on October 15, in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I am so excited for the two of them. They are really a sweet couple and when my time comes, I'll be ready for it. :) Here's a picture of the happy couple for you to enjoy!

Life in General

2010-01-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

So, sometimes I wonder why I keep a blog, because I live a very boring life and really don't have much to say to anyone. I had a wonderful Christmas with my parents and my brother. One brother is on his mission in Washington state and my sister was in London with her boyfriend, now fiancee. I figure I'll just post pictures and tell you what they are. Sorry to take so long to blog.

This is the quilt that I made for my parents for Christmas. Its called "Trip Around the World." It was so much fun to make but even more fun to see their expressions when they opened it up :)

One of my dearest friends, Michelle, got married in October. We all have people in our lives that change us for the better. Michelle is one of those people for me. She's always been an example of Christ-like love and patience. I was so happy for her when she met her sweetheart and wish them an eternity of happiness :)

This is one of my best friends, Cynthia. Every time I go up to her house in Logan, she always makes this incredible homemade pizza. I love her dearly and get to visit her tomorrow. I'm stoked :)

This is the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Temple. I had the opportunity to receive my endowments in this temple and went again on Wednesday. Sometimes, my life seems to be falling apart and I'm not sure how to deal with it or how to succeed, spending time inside the walls of the temple always seems to make life livable again.

I'm sorry for the random post, but when something exciting happens with me, I'll be sure to post again.

God Loves Me!!!

2009-11-17T06:18:00.000-08:00

I had an amazing experience last week, but I need to share some background first. I was in a car accident a little over a year ago that totalled my car and sent me to a chiropractor for a year. I had to take out loans to cover my medical expenses because my auto insurance only covered $3,000. So, to say I was a little stressed over the money would be an understatement. I owed around $1,200 on medical bills and it had to be paid off by February or I would be paying 26% interest. Not my idea of fun.

Well, last Thursday I got a call from the insurance company of the kid that hit me last year. They had reviewed my medical charts and were willing to give me a settlement of $5,000. WOW!!! That only took care of the medical bills, but all of my other debts (except for the car). I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that heard my prayers and helped me when I wasn't sure if I could help myself. I am truly blessed :)

Gratitude

2009-11-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

In my office at LDSBC, we set up a gratitude wall and all of our office staff have written things that we're grateful for. Some are cheesy, but others are very profound and have caused me to reflect on what I'm truly grateful for. Here's a small list:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the opportunity I have to be a member of the Lord's true church here on the earth. I love knowing that there's a plan for me. I may not like some of what happens or the length of time it takes to get what I think I want right now, I know that my Heavenly Father is looking out for me and helps me on a daily basis to become all that He knows I can be.

The Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All I can say is Wow! What an amazing sacrifice. Sometimes when I feel the most alone, I know that my Savior understands me and will help me to be strong, and optimistic. What a blessing it is to know that I can return to my Heavenly Father because of this unfailing sacrifice of love.

My family and the fact that we are eternal. I am so very grateful for Parents that lived their lives so that when they had the opportunity to get married, that they did so in the Temple. They have been wonderful examples to me and have shown me the way many times. I have 3 amazing and wonderful siblings. My little sister is truly a Saint to have put up with me and my bad attitude for so many years. My two younger brothers helped me to relax and enjoy life, and they have also helped me to see how important the Gospel is. The one brother has returned home from his mission and the other one is currently serving his. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be with these people for the rest of eternity.

My friends. There are too many to count and name in this post, but I hope everyone knows how grateful I am for them and the positive impact they have all had in my life. I have friends that go to the temple with me, who I work with or have worked with, people from my ward and branch, and people that I attended school with. They have all had a positive impact on me. I am very grateful for them.

My job. Many people in our world have lost their jobs through all of these economic hard times. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I've had to work at LDS Business College. My job has been stable and secure and I have learned and grown so much. Its such an amazing opportunity to work with the people I do. They have taught me many Christ-like attributes. I love the fact that I get to talk to members of the Church worldwide. I have also had many opportunities to meet the Church's general authorities. I love my job and am grateful for the opportunities it affords me.

I have been truly blessed. Although 2009 hasn't been one of the best years on record for me, I have had many opportunities to learn and grow. I pray for more opportunities so that I can become a more Christ-like person and exemplify those things which are truly important.

Okay, Michelle, this one is for you :)

2009-10-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

My sister, Michelle, kindly reminded me last night that I hadn't posted on my blog for a while, so here's my life in a nutshell.

The beginning of Fall began with a bang and we just barely got through our Fall files, two months after it started. I'm so glad to be done with that, but we're working on the Winter 2010 semester and I already have people applying for the Fall 2010 semester. It seems overwhelming at times, but the people that apply early get the best classes :)

I'm absolutely loving my singles ward. After teaching 3 lessons in the Relief Society, they released me and put me in charge of FHE. My bishop assured me that I did nothing wrong, but they just felt that FHE was a good calling for me. That is one calling I've never had in church, so it make me nervous, but excited for the opportunity to grow from the experience. I'm hoping that it will work and that everyone involved will enjoy themselves.

For the exciting news, I had the opportunity to go through the temple and take out my own endowments. Its was an absolutely amazing experience. I walked away feeling full of the spirit. I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father that gives us the opportunity to partake of the spirit and to learn in His holy house.

Because I was able to go through the temple, I had the amazing opportunity to be to two of my good friends sealings. My friend, Brooklyn, married her missionary in the Logan temple and my friend, Michelle, married the man of her dreams in the Mount Timpanogos temple. It was a marvelous experience and I'm truly looking forward to the day when I will have the opportunity to go to the temple with my choice eternal companion.

That's my life in a nutshell.

Not much to say . . .

2009-09-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

I don't have much going on right now in my life. School started two weeks ago and our new student enrollment was up 26%. I admitted over 1,000 students to start the Fall 2009 semester, and 3/4 of them showed up. I was putting in between 12-16 hour days for a while, but now I'm down to 8 hours a day. Hallelujah!

I have joined a new single's ward and I'm absolutely loving it. Get this, I have only 1 calling. They asked me to teach Relief Society. Its truly a Godsend and I'm having so much fun with the people there. I hope to continue there for a while.

There are no men in my life and I'm perfectly content to not worry about dating at this point in time. I just want to enjoy being single. I'm embracing it, I guess you could say. :)

That's my life in a quick paragraph, but I'm happy. :)

Ode to an Awesome Brother

2009-08-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened . . . Ethan left today to start his mission. He was called to serve in the Washington Everett mission. Its in the western side of Washington state and it includes Seattle. Boy, I have not stopped crying since yesterday. Ethan and I have always been very close. He's going to be an awesome missionary though. Ethan always has included everyone in his life. It didn't matter who you were, what you'd done or were doing. He just considered you a friend. I have learned some valuable lessons from him throughout our lives growing up. I just wish him the best of luck. He's going to be an awesome missionary!!

UPDATE!!!!

2009-07-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well, its been a while since I've posted anything on my blog. A lot of wonderful things have happened and I've learned a lot of new lessons.

The beginning of June started out with a bang. I had the most wonderful employees working for me, and then all of a sudden, they quit the same time. Nicole found a wonderful full-time job, next to her new house, so you couldn't begrudge her for that. Lindsay moved to California so she and her husband could finish school. Worthy causes, but headache for me because it was the first week of Summer Semester and there weren't many nice people coming in. Well, thank goodness for the awesome Helpdesk people on our campus, I made it. I hired two more gals to come and work for me and they started 3 days before I left for a 10 day vacation. They are amazing though. I did not have one voicemail or email that I had to answer back. Everything was taken care of. I think I got the best of the best :)

Well, I went to the Shop Hop with my rent-a-mom, Marilyn. The Shop Hop is a bunch of quilting stores all over the state of Utah. Marilyn has gotten me hooked on quilting. I love it! I just wish it wasn't so expensive. Anyway, I found some wonderful things to keep me occupied for a while. I'll post pictures when I begin finishing these projects.

The next day, we were of to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a last vacation with the six of us for a while. My youngest brother, Ethan is headed for Washington State to preach the Gospel in the next week or so. My brother, Matt, Grandpa and I drove the 6 hour drive listening to cowboy music and singing along. Our trip was full of adventure! We went fishing, shopping, roasted marshmallows, held Sacrament Meeting in my Parent's trailer, and froze :) It rained and hailed quite a bit the beginning of the week. I even got to wash my hair under the spigot while it was 30 degrees outside. Talk about adventure!! We went to the Bar J Chuckwagon for dinner and a show. When we got there to wait in line, there were a couple of gentlemen playing cards and joking around with us. They invited Jake (my rent-a-brother) and I to play with them. They were YM leaders from Rexburg, ID and had brought 21 Priests and Teachers up for camp and rafting down the Snake River. So, I got to play cards with a bunch of darling YM. Too bad they weren't 10 years older ;) Dinner was awesome and so was the show! I enjoyed it immensely. Unfortunately, I found out later that one of the YM leaders, Craig, drowned in the Snake River the next day with his YM. It taught me how fragile and precious life is. I only knew Craig for 3 hours, but I knew where his heart was. I have decided that I want to live my life so those around me that I meet will know where my heart is. It was a wonderful trip and I really enjoyed spending time with my family. I think I have one of the best!

Then, I went to Girl's Camp! Yay for Girl's Camp!! That is my only regret with going to a singles ward is that I cannot be a part of the YW. I love the YW of the Church!! I had 5 beautiful girls that I took with me and I had a blast. We went to Tabiona, UT and spend 3 amazing days up there. It was definitely a testimony builder for me.

During this time, I have left my singles branch and have started going to a new singles ward. I've only been going for about a month, but I'm enjoying it immensely. :)

Unknown Reasons

2009-05-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

So, as I said in a previous post, I was dating a wonderful man in my ward. Unfortunately, all of that came crashing down on Sunday night. Needless to say, I was crushed. There were mixed emotions, but as I was getting ready for work this morning, it all started making sense.

When he mentioned that we should date, I felt the Spirit confirm that decision to me, so we went for it. For the last month, I've been working so hard on making the relationship work and didn't feel like he was making any effort at all. Apparently, he just didn't have any feelings beyond friendship for me. When he told me that on Sunday, it cut me to the core, but as I look at it now, we never changed in our relationship. We were just good friends. The hardest thing for me to figure out is why my Heavenly Father told me it was okay to date him. Although, I'm not sure if it was a test of my obedience or I needed to learn something, I'm just grateful that He knows enough and cares enough to teach me something. I have no bad feelings for him (the guy I was dating). I feel bad that I wasn't noticing the same things he was. I guess I was just ready to move out of singlehood forever.

Needless to say, I'm single and I'm ready and willing to learn whatever I need to. I'm doing everything I can to live the way I know I'm supposed to. I'm putting this whole matter in the Lord's hands and I'll be just fine.

Weekend Fun!!

2009-05-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

So, my last weekend was tons of fun. On Friday, on my way home from work, my check engine light came on in my brand new XTerra. Needless to say, I was pretty upset because I've had the vehicle for 6 months. What could possibly be wrong with it??? So, I called my youngest brother, Ethan, who works on Nissans for a living and he said as long as it wasn't making funny sounds I would be okay.

So, I went to my friend, Angel's house to play. We played Guitar Hero and just had fun gab sessions.

Saturday morning, I woke up early to go to Cabela's with my Mom. Dad had to work, so he sent us on an errand. We had a great time down there. On our way back up from Lehi, I asked if we could stop at Wal-Mart because my shower head was ready to die and I really needed a new one. Then Mom and I helped each other with our Saturday chores. My friend, Cynthia, called me and said that she and her husband, Kalon wanted to take me on a picnic. I've never been on one, so I was stoked. So, we took the XTerra (yes, with the service light on) and went up the canyon for a picnic. It was beautiful up there!! I love the mountains!! On our way down from the canyon, Cynthia volunteered Kalon to put my new shower head on. So, we headed over to my house to put it on. My bathroom in my apartment was not put together all that well, so when Kalon went to take the old one off, the pipe broke. No water thankfully, but it was a bit distressing. Cynthia and Kalon felt awful, but I did not blame them one bit. It's the bathroom. Thankfully, my Dad and brother also know plumbing, so we did get the pipe fixed. But in the process of fixing the pipe, we had to cut the sheetrock. My uncle who did the bathroom did not use green sheetrock and so we found black mold growing all over the sheetrock. So, needless to say, I will be having to rip my bathroom up to get rid of all of that sheetrock. Whew!!! More money that I don't have, story of my life ;)

Sunday was like any normal Sunday. With all of the callings I have, its never a day of rest and I really don't get to enjoy the spirit of my meetings because I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Thankfully, I was able to go to my Parent's house for dinner and we had a wonderful discussion. I am truly blessed to have the parents I have. They are amazing people!!

Monday, Ethan took the XTerra in to his work. It started making funny sounds on Saturday after the canyon (I know I probably shouldn't have taken it up there), so I was driving my Sister's car, called The Little Put-Put. It's tiny! I didn't hear from him all day so I was going crazy trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with the XTerra and praying it would be covered by the warranty. When I showed up at my Parent's house, the XTerra was sitting in the driveway but Ethan was no where to be found. I asked my Dad if he knew anything and he thought he's heard Ethan say something about $430. Ouch!!! So, Ethan finally showed up and I asked him what was wrong with it. Apparantly, one of my sensors wasn't working any longer, so they needed to replace it. Sensors weren't covered so I owed him almost $600!!! Double OUCH!!!! So, I got real quiet, trying to figure out if I truly needed to eat for the next month and then Ethan got his little smirk on his face and told me it was under warranty. The little punk!! I was ready to deck him one, but I restrained myself and thanked him for taking care of it.

Needless to say, my weekend was an adventure. I'm just grateful that it wasn't as costly an adventure as it could have been. :)

Okay, Okay . . . I'm sorry :)

2009-04-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

I know its been forever since I've posted and many of you have let me know that its time that I get my act together and post something about my life. You asked for it, so here we go.

My little brother returned home from his mission to the McAllen Texas Mission. It was so good to see him. He's been keeping himself very busy with dating, working, and just being the awesome kid he is. I didn't realize how much I missed him until he came home. I don't know how I made it without him.

I was released from my choir director position but was immediately made the choir pianist. So, for now I'm the choir pianist, the ward organist, a Gospel Principles instructor and a visiting teacher. I am really busy in my branch, but there's not a lot of activity in the branch, so those of us that are faithful members get all of the callings and assignments. It can be hard but I feel like my testimony of the Gospel has grown considerably. I'm loving every moment of learning and feeling the spirit. It's been a wonderful experience and I'm trying to be better.

Work at the Business College has been busy and wonderful. We had our commencement on April 9, 2009. It turned out really well and it was fun seeing all of our wonderful students finally reach that mark of graduation. I am still in the admissions office and I have two wonderful student employees. Nicole and Lindsay are THE BEST!! They are so on top of things and they really don't need me or my help. Some of our students won't talk to me because they want to talk to Nicole or Lindsay, because they run the office. It's so much fun because I'm working with two of my best friends :)

Things in my personal life have been interesting to say the least. I have met a wonderful man and we're trying the dating scene out. He is just a little under a year younger than me. He got home from his mission in December and we've been doing things together since January. We decided to be an official couple last week, so I'm still trying to figure all of this out. He is a good man and I'm excited to see where things go.

My youngest brother has put his mission papers in. We're hoping to get his mission call within the next couple of weeks. We're not sure where he's going to go, but we know he's going to be a great missionary.

My sister is a lucky bug and gets to go to London for three weeks, all expenses paid!! How does she get so lucky!! She's going to tutor one of my Dad's cousin's sons with his schoolwork. Dow is so bright that it doesn't surprise me that she's being sought after. I've always admired her dedication to school work. I know its something that I could never do.

That's my life as of now. I hope you enjoyed it!

Trip to Moab

2009-02-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, my friends Kristene and James were trying to convince me to come down to Monticello with them to visit her family. I really didn't have the time to take off of work, so we decided to go over the President's Day Holiday weekend. We had a blast.

We left last Friday for the long drive down, loaded down with snacks and beverages to keep us occupied until we got there. The drive wasn't too bad. We saw some elk and deer through Spanish Fork Canyon. It was kinda snowy, but nothing we couldn't handle. We pulled into Moab around 7:30 p.m. and stopped for a quick bite and headed to Monticello where we had reserved hotel rooms. Let me tell you, I have never stayed in a place more disturbing than that place. The room looked pretty clean until I walked into the bathroom and saw the ants. Kinda disturbing, but there were only a couple of them, so I didn't worry about it too much. The three of us decided to go for a swim, and there were dead ants in the pool. Yeah, let's just say if you're ever going to Monticello, give me a call before you decide which hotel to stay in.

The next day, we decided to head back down to Moab and head to Arches National Park. I've never been there before. It was so much fun. The best part is just seeing all of the different formations that red rock make. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

Then James decided if we were going to go on any hike that Delicate Arch was the one for us. He also said it was just a quick jaunt around the bend. What he didn't say was it was one of the strenuous hikes in the Park. By the end, my back was killing me, but the hike was beautiful.

We made it!! It was so windy (hence the hair) and cold, but it was definitely worth the effort and the fear of heights to see it. Once we got down from there, we decided to just drive around the park and find things. We found lots of things to take pictures of.

That night, because it was Valentine's Day, James took both of us ladies to dinner. He's such a nice guy. We then went to Kristene's parents house. I was excited to meet Kristene's dog, Tucker for the first time. Unfortunately, as soon as we opened the car door, we could tell the Tucker had been sprayed by a skunk. So, needless to say, he didn't get the loving he wanted. He's still a cute dog, hopefully the smell won't stick with him for long.

The next day, we were off. We decided we had had enough of that hotel, so we headed down to Moab to find a new hotel to stay in. The Motel 6 in Moab is the place to go. It was nice and refreshing to be in a clean place. On our way to Moab, we made a couple of stops. We stopped at Wilson's arch first.

We then went to this place called Hole 'n the Rock. It's amazing. This man and his wife in the early 1950's inherited land, so he dynamited and basically he and his wife lived in this rock until the day they both died. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the inside of the home. It was pretty fun though. They had running water and electricity in this home too. Amazing!

Then we all went to our hotel and James wanted a nap. So Kristene and I went on a Sunday Walk. It was so nice and peaceful.

We walked for a while until we noticed it was getting dark. We headed back to the hotel for some R&R.

We went to a nice Mexican restaurant for dinner that night. I felt pretty bad that it was Sunday, but next time I'll be planning ahead so we don't have to break the Sabbath.

That night we went and sat in the hot tub for a while. After a couple of minutes a couple from Colorado joined us. They were making small talk and asked us where we were from and where we worked. All of us work for the Church, but I didn't think anything of it until later. I got up and left a few minutes later because I was sufficiently cooked and went to my hotel room. I guess Kristene left a few minutes later for her and James' room. The gentleman from Colorado turned and asked James if it was okay that he drank a beer while sitting in the hot tub. James said it was not a problem, he had his own problems to deal with. The guy then looked and James and said, "Well, yeah, with you bringing two wives down here, that must be rough." James had a great opportunity to explain that we don't have multiple wives anymore. It was kinda funny to think of though because I was sitting pretty far away from James and Kristene in the hot tub. I guess you never know what people are going to think.

The next day we packed up and headed for home, not before we stopped off in one more place. We went to Moon Flower Canyon. It was a beautiful little walk.

It was a great trip. I hope to go down there again when we have more time to explore the treasures down there.

I'm Back!!

2009-01-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry its been so long since I've posted anything. It's been a little crazy in my life, but I thought I would update everyone on what I've been doing. December started out pretty badly, but my international admission deadline was December 1, so I was busy with that, and my employees were exhausted because of finals, so needless to say, we were ready for a break. The last day of the semester, we decided to go out to Cafe Rio and then go bowling. The married couples and I had a great time. There was no awkwardness or anything and I loved it. Here are some pictures.

We all had a great time and we're trying to plan another time to go.

I then had to opportunity to go and visit my rent-a-kids in Lehi. I've missed them so much and haven't seen them for almost a year. I can't believe how much they've grown.

That's all really I have done for me. Work has been super busy. The first week of school, I admitted between 150-200 kids. Whew! Needless to say, no one has seen me much.

This is my life up to now. I'll hopefully be posting again soon. Until then . . . TTFN!!

The Best Employee

2008-11-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday, I was having a poor me day. I don't know what triggered it, but something did. I went to lunch for a work meeting yesterday and when I got back to my desk, this is what I found.

Thanks Lindsay!!! You made my day brighter!!

My New SUV

2008-11-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

So, after my car was totalled a week ago, I had to go out and purchase a new vehicle. It was rather depressing to think that I had to go into debt again, but I'm excited because I got an SUV. I've always wanted one so I could go camping and fishing whenever I wanted to. I'm not too fond of the gas mileage, but it's a lot of fun to drive.

So, if any of my dear friends want to go camping, give me a call and we'll go and play :D

Ode to the Lightning Lancer

2008-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 6, at around 4:10 p.m., the Lightning Lancer breathed its last breath. It fought a courageous battle, but was unable to fight off a truck with a kid on a cell phone. It died peacefully, and will be sorely missed.

I was hit by a 20 year old kid on a cell phone and he pushed me into a Jeep. There was no hope for the lancer. It has been totalled out by the kids insurance, so farewell Lancer. Thanks for all the memories!!

JACKSON TRIP 2008!!!!

2008-10-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got some time off of work to play. And, of course we went to my favorite place on earth . . . Jackson Hole, Wyoming!! We left on October 8 and left on October 11. The drive up there was beautiful. The Fall colors were really showing . . . of course, I was driving so I didn't get any good pictures. I rented a cabin up there with queen size bunk beds . . . yes, queen sized bunk beds :D

They are a bit messy, but we'd just slept in them. Our cabin was super nice. It had a small kitchen, a table, a couch and our bunk beds.

When we got there, we had just driven for 5 hours, so we decided to go shopping. We had tons of fun and found lots of cool things. Anyone up for a game of poker? :D

This is my best friend, Kristene, holding Christmas lights made from shotgun shells. We got a good laugh out of that. We got alot of fun things and I probably spent more money than I should have, but hey, I'd saved the money for it.

Early the next morning, we decided to go the Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Kristene had never been to either. So, we pile in the car, and head off to the North. Unfortunately, the weatherman told stories again, and it was snowing. We almost made it up to Yellowstone, but the snow got bad and my car starting to slide, so we turned around and headed back into Grand Teton National Park. We did see some beautiful things and had fun in the car, when the roads weren't slick.

It was a cold morning. But we had a fun time driving around. The Lake is called Jenny Lake, and it's usually a pretty blue color. We thought it looked pretty.

This is Kristene Armstrong, myself, and another friend of mine, Camille. Thank goodness for warm cars and beds. That night it was only 19 degrees. A big change because it was in the high 50's the day before. Later that same day, we went shopping some more and then we barbequed steaks. I love barbequeing on the grill. Our cabin was equipped with a grill in the front. Kristene I loved playing in the fire. Plus, our cabin mate, Camille, is cold-blooded and it was really hot inside the cabin. So, we had to escape the heat.

We went shopping again in town, because I didn't want to watch TV anymore than I had to. I could do that at home. and then we played at the cabin.

The next morning . . . everyone was still sleeping, so I took my car and went for a drive. I saw my beautiful mountains.

After the drive through the Tetons, we ended up going shopping because it started to snow again. The leaves were out and Camille and Kristene played in them.

We then got a picture under the elk arch. There is an elk refuge just outside of Jackson Hole. They make these arches and they are placed around town square in Jackson Hole. We got a picture of the three of us under the arch.

The next morning, we decided to get up early and try to beat the storm home. We made it all the way to Cokeville, Wyoming before the snow came. The snow was coming in horizontally and it kept pushing me off of the road. It didn't get too bad until we hit Randolph, Utah. The roads were snow packed and I was everywhere. And wouldn't you know . . . the snowplow was behind me :D I pulled over to oncoming traffic lane when no one was coming and let him pass and I got behind him. That saved my life and we made it back safely.

Perspective

2008-09-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting two weeks in my life. My mom had some major surgery done last week. As she is home recovering, she is under some really tight restrictions. She is basically down for a month and can't lift anything as much as a cookie sheet. If you know my Mom, she's going crazy at this point in time. She's always up and doing. On Sunday, my youngest brother, Ethan, was ordained an Elder in the Priesthood. We are all so proud of him. He invited a bunch of people over for dinner after the ordination. My Mom called me around 9:30 a.m. and asked me to come over because my siblings and Dad had left for Stake Conference and the house wasn't quite ready and dessert needed to be made. So, I went and helped my Mom do the household chores while she put together my choir folders for my ward choir. I am so grateful for my Mom. She has always done so much for me and helped mold me into the person I am. I just hope that I can give a piece back to her of what she's done for me.

As I watched Ethan be ordained to the Priesthood by my Dad, I was so full of gratitude for the Priesthood in my life. I have been so blessed to grow up in a home with a Father that honored his Priesthood. I hope that Ethan will follow our Father's example in his life with his future family.

My dearest aunt in the world was diagnosed with breast cancer this last week. Wow! I didn't know quite how to respond to that. She caught it early enough that they believe that she'll be just fine, but the thought of cancer can give anyone chills up their spine. We are praying that all will go well and she'll continue to live her life to the fullest.

As for work, I believe I work with the best people in the whole world. They are so kind and patient and are willing to work with the students. The atmosphere on the 2nd floor cannot be found anywhere else in the College. It reminds me of what we had at the Mansion. We all have different bosses, but we are all here for one purpose, and that is to help the student succeed. I have had my rough spots the last couple of months, but I truly love my job and the people that I work with.

Exhausting Month and More

2008-09-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

Fall Semester started with a bang on Monday and at that point in time, I have admitted around 750 people. Whew! I'm exhausted, but it's gratifying to me to see these students here and know that they've made a positive step in their lives. I, myself, am a graduate of LDS Business College and I had a wonderful experience and made some true best friends here. I hope others get the same opportunities that I did.

I am taking two classes this semester at the Business College. I finally broke down and am taking the Eternal Marriage Institute class. I hope it's a gratifying experience. I've known the instructor for quite a while, so I'm looking forward to learning about how I can better myself. I'm also taking a class called Foundations of Learning. The instructor that is teaching it is phenomenal. He is so in tune with the Spirit and uses it to teach the class on how to Study by Learning and by Faith. It's going to be an awesome class and I'm looking forward to making everything I learn a part of my life.

My ward is keeping me super busy. I have 4 callings right now, but one that I'm truly struggling with. Can anyone give me any ideas what my choir can sing for Christmas? (I know Christmas is a few months away, but after the disaster that was Easter, I'm not taking any chances.) I need arrangements that will help inspire and bring the Spirit to the meeting, preferably hymns. Your help would be much appreciated.

This weekend, I finally get to spend some time with my rent-a-kid, Natalie. (Rent-a-kid is a term my Mom made up, I don't have any nieces or nephews, or children of my own, so I have adopted my friends children and made them my own, just in case you were wondering.) I feel so awful that I've been so busy to spend time with her, so we're having a sleepover this weekend. I'm not quite sure what we're going to do, but I'm going to leave it up to her. She's such a sweet girl and I really love her.

My friends Kristene, Camille, and myself are planning a 4 day getaway to Jackson Hole next month. We have 27 days until we go. The vacation is much needed by the three of us. We rented a cabin up there with a kitchen, wireless Internet, and cable TV (big thing for me :D). It also has an indoor pool and gym. It's going to be tons of fun. I can hardly wait.

That's what's going on in life right now. Thanks for all of your love and support!! Have a great one!!

Whew!! Here We Go Again!!

2008-08-12T06:58:00.001-07:00

Well, the Fall Semester at LDS Business College begins in 4 weeks and it's been crazy. We have a lot of prospective students applying for school and we've admitted quite a few. At first, I had lost all patience with the procrastinators, but I've since had a change of heart and realize that they are human beings just like I am. I'm trying to be better and remember that everyone has their reasons and I shouldn't judge them. So, here we go, lots of overtime and an opportunity to meet members of the Church, all over the world.

In my ward, I received another new calling. This is calling number 4 and I'm definitely feeling that. Currently, I am the Gospel Principles instructor, Choir Director, Relief Society Pianist. I haven't been sustained yet, but I will be getting my new calling this Sunday. Are you tired yet? I am, just thinking about it.

My social life has not suffered though. I have spent lots of time playing. My friend Kristene and I have been basically together every day. We scrapbook together, I went to a barbecue with her and her husband, James last night. They are a lot of fun and I enjoy being around the two of them. I've also spent some time with my friends from my ward. I've also gone to Bountiful a couple of times with my friends, Tiff, Laura, Kim, and Jill. We've watched movies, talked, watched Emmett (Tiff's little boy) dance, etc. I have such wonderful friends. I can't complain much about anything. I have been so blessed with everything I have.

So, there's the update. I will try to be better about posting about what's going on. Have a great day ya'll!!!

My Exciting Trip to Idaho

2008-07-09T06:31:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I decided that a break was definitely needed, so I headed up to Idaho Falls to spend time with one of my best friends from College, Sarah. Her husband, Justin, has to work crazy hours, so we just spent time together and did some fun things, but overall, just relaxed. It was so nice to enjoy time and not be rushing everywhere. Here are some things we did.

We went to the 4th of July parade in Idaho Falls. It was small, but entertaining. I loved the feeling of patriotism that was shown. Its nice to remember why we are free.

We then went to a barbecue for Sarah's Family. The food was good and so was the entertainment, which was watching the Eaton Family play badminton. The pregnant lady in the top picture is Sarah's sister, Jessica. She's expecting a little girl next month.

We were getting ready for the fireworks show. This is Sarah and her husband, Justin. We just laid around until the show started at 10:00 p.m. It was quite the show. The fireworks were beautiful and it was worth the wait.

The next day, Sarah's family decided to introduce me to garage saleing. I've never been before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was a bad weekend to go because of it being a holiday weekend, but I did get two movies for a $1. That was exciting. Then Jessica, Sarah, and I went out for lunch. Then Sarah and I went back to her place for some movie watching. Well, I fell asleep when Sarah was baking cookies and Sarah fell asleep when I was making dinner, so we really didn't talk much, but it's nice just to take a nap when you need to. When Justin came home from work, we decided we wanted to set off our own fireworks, so we went and bought some and headed over to Sarah's parents house and to the elementary school right behind to set them off. Of course, there was a playground and we had to go down the slides and play on the swings.

The next day was Sunday, so we went to church and then went home and did nothing. We ended up going to Sarah's Parent's house and played card games and chatted until midnight. It was nice knowing that I didn't have to work in the morning.

On Monday, Sarah and I slept in really late and then we decided to do makeovers. Well, I gave Sarah a makeover. She looked fabulous, but of course, I forgot to take the camera out. We then joined Sarah's Mom, Cindy, and Jessica for lunch and this wonderful bakery. Their sourdough bread was to die for and I very much enjoyed the visit.

That was my trip and I have to say that my body and brain thank me for the R&R that I got there.

Life in the Last Few Weeks

2008-07-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, there's a lot to tell all of you. Life has been so crazy busy that there's been no time to talk about what I've been doing. So, here it goes, have fun reading.

May 31, 2008:

My branch decided to go on a hike up Ensign Peak. I myself have never been up there, but we had a grand ol' time doing it. One girl got sick and another couldn't make it all the way, so those two went down, but the rest of us made it to the top. I have to say it was enjoyable and the view spectacular.

My friend Oni, Mary, myself, and Corinne at the top

The view from the top. Isn't it beautiful!!!

June 5, 2008:

My youngest brother, Ethan, finally graduated from High School. I wasn't able to go to the ceremony since it was ticket only, but we had a pie and ice cream party afterwards. I'm so proud of him. This year has been really hard, but he did it and he did a great job.

June 26 - 28, 2008:

GIRLS CAMP!!!!!! I had the amazing opportunity to go to Early Bird Camp with the 12 year old girls from my Stake. We were at BOOT (Building Our Own Testimonies) Camp and it was a blast. I had 4 girls in my unit that were beautiful and talented. There was Marie, Yoleen, Glynda and Amber. Here are some pictures of my adventure:

Here is Amber. This is on our way to camp.

This is Glynda (smiling), Yoleen (sunglasses), and Marie in my car on our way to camp

After setting up all of the tents, we went to the Duchesne River to cool down. It was running high and fast and the water was COLD!!! But it gave us the relief that we needed.

We had an All-American Dinner our first night there. We had burgers, hot dogs, watermelon. It was delicious.

We had an enjoyable time. I'm so grateful for everyone there, for their patience with me. Needless to say, I was a little stressed out about the choir, but all of the leaders stayed up until 1 a.m. helping me put folders together. I think I've made some lifelong friends out of this experience.

June 29, 2008:

Well, I don't have any exciting pictures for you on this day, but my choir sang in front of 3,000 young single adults. I was a nervous wreck. I was afriad of what my capabilities were, but it turned out. I know there were Heavenly Hosts singing with the choir. We ended up with 85 members (53 girls and 32 boys). What a blessing it was to have the opportunity, but I'm very grateful its over with. Now, I'll need to find a hobby to fill in all of the spare time I have now.

I hope I didn't bore you, but look forward to a new edition next week called "My Trip to Idaho." Until then, take care!!

Sometimes Life is Just Too Busy

2008-06-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

My life has been so busy lately that I've been neglecting the things that are important. I currently have 5 calling in my ward (6 if you count my opportunity to go to girls camp in two weeks). The biggest thing right now is the multi-regional choir that I've been asked to lead. The choir is going to be singing for a summit of Young Single Adults on the western side of the Salt Lake Valley. It's quite intense, but I'm hoping that it will all work out and that we'll get people there to sing. I also teach Gospel Principles, I'm the Branch Choir Director, I'm the Relief Society Pianst and a visiting teacher. Sometimes I think I get so involved in my callings that I really don't have the time to remember why I'm at church and what I'm supposed to be feeling. The Regional choir will be done at the end of June and so will I.

With my my job, it was the first week of the summer semester and I'm exhausted. When I clocked in this morning, I had already worked 32 hours for the week. The overtime will be nice, but so would the sleep. I do love my job in the admissions office, but somedays are just overwhelming. I also had my student employee budget cut so I have one student employee that can only work 20 hours a week. I did, though, get the go ahead from my boss yesterday that I can start looking for new employees. They will definitely be an added benefit to me and my sanity.

I'm also trying to maintain a social life, which hasn't been easy. I do things quite often with friends, but it's usually at the expense of sleep. This weekend, I'm having something at my house Friday night and then Saturday night, a big group of us are going bowling and getting Asphalt Pie from Wingers. I have good friends that are patient with me. I'm grateful for them.

I do have a good life and I'm truly grateful for what I have. I just hope that I can always keep a good perspective on what's going on around me. Thanks to all of you that help me keep that perspective and help me keep moving when I don't think I can move anymore.

My Exciting Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

I had a very interesting but exciting Memorial Day Weekend. It all started on Friday after work. I had the opportunity to go car shopping with my friend, Stefanie at CarMax. I've been having this urge to trade my Lancer in on something new, so I was hoping this would get rid of the itch I've been having. Stefanie and I got to test drive a Mazda 3. It was a really fun car and Stef decided to buy it. After she filled out all of the paperwork and her payments are over $350 a month, I'm grateful for my car and my $223 payments every month. After we bought the car, we went over to the Bown's house (Brother Bown is the first counselor in my branch presidency) for some fun. We ended up watching P.S. I Love You, in which Stef and I cried the whole movie. We went home after midnight and needless to say, I was exhausted.

On Saturday, it was my day to go grocery shopping. I went and took care of that, got my house cleaned and laundry done and watched a movie. Kristene called me and said I could come to her house early, for which I'm grateful or I would have gone crazy being alone. Once I got to Kristene's it was nonstop until about 9:30 p.m. She had a Stampin' Up party at her house and we made cute little cards. I spent $250 on stamps (thank you economic stimulus) and we had a barbecue. I felt bad for poor Kristene, she had two groups of people that never really talked to each other, so she was torn trying to be the hostess. I tried my best, but sometimes you just don't know what to say. We had our food, watched the dogs fight with each other, tried to talk to everyone and said goodbye. I ended up staying at Kristene and James' until 12:30 a.m. I felt bad, but they are so easy to talk to and I really like the two of them.

Sunday came, and as usual I had choir practice before church. I actually had 3 men at choir practice!! It was exciting and we had a great practice. Church was good, I got to teach Sunday School. I teach the Gospel Principles class and I love teaching that class. It's always nice to remember why you believe what you do. After church, I went over to my Mom and Dad's to play and eat their food :D. They are so patient with me. About 8:30 p.m., Marilyn Bown calls me and asks me if I'm going to Branch Prayer because I never go because they have it at 9 and I have to get up early to go to work on Monday. Because I didn't have to work, and because Braydee (my piano student and their granddaughter) was going to be there, I told her I would come. So, as branch prayer was over with, Marilyn invited me over to her house to see what Braydee had been doing. Stefanie, her brother, Jens, and I all headed over and started watching Jeremiah Johnson, but Jens had to get up early the next morning, so him and Stef left early and the Bown's put the movie Rigaletto in. It was a great story and I enjoyed it immensely, but yet again, it was 12:30 a.m. when I left the Bowns.

Monday, it was my scrapbook day with my friends Ember, Natalie and Kristene. Kristene texted me late Sunday night and told me that James' aunt had fallen and broken her hip and so she couldn't make it to the scrapbook day. I was sad she couldn't make it, but I understand that you need to take care of your family first. When I showed up at Ember's, we got right to work and scrapped most of the day while watching the first three Indiana Jones movies. About 7:30 p.m., Natalie got a call from her husband, Aric. His horse had bucked him off and he was hurt bad. So, Ember and Natalie took off and left me with Natalie and Aric's three kids. So, we watched Nanny McPhee and played with legos until Ember's Mom could come and take the kids. She was out of town, so she didn't get there until 10:45 p.m. So, I quickly packed up my stuff and headed home. I got home around 11:15 and realized that I had washed my sheets and hadn't made my bed yet, so I quickly made the bed and tried to get some sleep, but was so wound up, I couldn't fall asleep. It was around 1 a.m. when I finally fell asleep. Just as a side note, Aric broke his pinkie finger and sprained his ankle, but is doing relatively well.

So my weekend was full of excitement and lack of sleep, but I definitely felt it was worth it.

Chloe or should I say Cleo :-)

2008-05-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

I spend the weekend with my Mom and family and had an enjoyable time with them all, but we especially had fun playing with my Mom's new pet, Chloe. Chloe is tons of fun to watch. She has so much energy, she prances around the room and attacks anything that moves. She especially loves bare feet and fingers. Chloe and I get along really well and her favorite place to sit is on my shoulder. She took a nap there she sits there and watches things that happen around her. It's so nice to see my Mom have something that she has to take care of that is appreciative back. We all definitely love Chloe.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

2008-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

For my mom for Mother's Day, my Dad gave my Mom the one gift that she's been asking for for a couple of years. Needless to say, I think my Dad's "honey do" list got significantly shorter. Look at the pictures below to see this gift . . .

Her name is Chloe and she's 7 weeks old. She's as fiesty as my mom but a lot of fun. Happy Mother's Day Mom!! We Love You!!!

Zion Expedition

2008-04-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

My friend and fellow coworker Camille and I spent the last 4 days in southern Utah for some rest and relaxation at Zion National Park. It was beautiful, but windy, but we survived the dirt and have a story to tell.

It was so windy our first night there that our buns for our burgers were falling apart they were so dry. This is my friend Camille eating her burger with a knife and fork.

This was the view outside of our tent. This is Watchman Tower and its at the entrance of Zion.

This is my friend Camille looking very happy sitting on the edge of a cliff. Needless to say, this is as close as I got because I am terrified of heights. Camille would probably say that I'm not the best person to go hiking with in Zions.

We made it to the top and I can say that I survived the heights. It was a proud day for me.

This was the view from the top. I have never been surrounded by so many cliffs. They were truly awe inspiring.

Then we visited Weeping Rock. This was truly amazing. There was water coming out of the rocks. I guess that the sandstone holds water in and it lets it out gradually. You can barely see the water coming out of the rocks in the picture above, but it was truly beautiful.

Then we went on the river walk. We live in such a beautiful world!!!!!

There were these fat squirrels everywhere. They weren't afraid of humans at all. I think they were looking for some compassionate soul for their dinner.

The next day, Camille and I went hiking up to the emerald pools. This is a photograph under the waterfall at the lower pool. It was beautiful to see the different colors on the rock.

This is the middle pool of the emerald pools. It was a beautiful sight.

This was the view on our way down. I couldn't believe how high I was.

These mountains are called the Three Patriarchs. The one to the far left is Abraham, the one in the middle is Isaac, and the white peak behind the red one is Jacob. The red peak is Mount Moroni. You have to have a little Mormon naming going on here.

Overall, I had a great time and was grateful for the time off of work. It's nice once in a while to remember why you're here and where you're going, and our Heavenly Father's creations always have a positive impact on my life. I look forward to my next trip soon.

Scrapbook Expo

2008-04-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I had the extreme pleasure of going to the scrapbook expo with my friends Kristene, Ember and Natalie. It was a ton of fun and I got about $150 worth of stuff for only about $60. Life is good :D I look forward to next year's trip!!!

My friend Kristene at the expo

My friend Ember at the Expo

People

2008-04-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

As I was reading my friend Renato's blog this morning, he got me thinking of people that have touched my life and affected it for the positive. Though there are numerous people that have been a positive influence in my life, I'm going to try to name some of them.

My Mom and Dad - Although as I was growing up, I never thought that they were doing what was best for me, I'm grateful for their patience and love. They helped mold me into the person that I was to become.

Emily Beck - Emily touched my life in a way that still has positive affects on me. Emily came into my life when I had no one. I had no friends in my ward or many in school. She helped me focus on the positive and move forward. As she got married and had five children, she has kept in contact with me and I'm eternally grateful for her hand in my life.

Kathleen Chisholm, Sally Meier Cluff, & Lauren Rowley - These three young ladies kept me sane through high school. I've always hated school, but they kept me moving and made a positive impact in my life. I'm grateful for them and their continued friendship.

Joe Berry, Paul & Astrid Fullmer - These three kept me laughing through hard times growing up. I actually had a very rough time with my Young Women Leaders and the young women in my ward growing up. They didn't like me much and they made my life miserable for about 10 years. Joe, Paul and Astrid kept me going and taught me the importance of a laugh.

Jeff Berry - Jeff was my first relationship that I've ever had. Jeff taught me how to love. Although Jeff's and mine relationship never worked out, I'm eternally grateful for his ability to care for me and make me feel like a queen.

Tiffany Morris Wallace, Becky Janssen, Emily Widmer & Kathy Skene - These ladies were my best friends through college and we still remain friends to this day. They are wonderful ladies with differing personalities that keep things interesting but fun. I hope they know how much they've impacted my life for the better and made me into a better person.

Michelle Jones, Brooklyn Roth & Oni Jackson - These three ladies and I served in the Jordan 9th Branch's Relief Society presidency about two years ago. I had just barely moved out of my parents house and on my own for the first time. They helped me "grow up" and find out who I truly am. They still are good friends and help me in life.

Camille Johnson & Kristene Armstrong - These two make my life at work worthwhile. Although work has its perks, sometimes you have your down days. They keep me laughing as we help students and coworkers throughout the day. I'm truly grateful for them and their love and friendship.

My Savior, Jesus Christ - Although I've never met my Savior, his example and sacrifice to me have made me feel that I'm important to Him and my Heavenly Father. How grateful I am to have him as a part of my life everyday, by praying and by reading my scriptures. I only hope and pray that it will be my opportunity to meet him after my life here on this Earth.

There are a lot more people that have affected my life for the better, but these people have molded me into the daughter of God that I should be. I love all of you!!

Penelope

2008-03-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

I went and saw Penelope this weekend with a couple of my friends. Can I just say, WOW!! Loved it!! For those who haven't seen it, it is definitely worth the money. I hope to be able to see it again in the theaters soon.

Just thought I'd share . . .

Las Vegas

2008-03-18T06:28:00.000-07:00

I has the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas this last week for a PeopleSoft conference for work. I was pretty excited because I was getting away from the office and the trivial things to learn something to help my office run smoother. The conference was pretty good and I learned some new things to implement in my office. Las Vegas on the other hand, didn't impress me all that much. Renae, Tamra and I did go to the Bellagio to see the fountains, which were beautiful and impressive. That's the only thing I found interesting about the strip. But Renae, Tamra and I also were staying in a suite at the MGM Grand Hotel and we were in the lap of luxury. Our room has every convenience available. We has a flat screen TV, a microwave, a stove, a jetted bathtub . . . are you getting the picture. So, I just preferred staying in the hotel room and reading my book I brought with me. Overall, it was a nice trip away from the office, but it was sure nice to come home in the end.

Bellagio Fountains

A Couple Pictures . . .

Me at the Harley Davidson Restaurant

The Eiffel Tower

The Ceiling in the Bellagio. These flowers were individually made from glass. If any of you have seen the glass sculpture in Abravenel Hall in Salt Lake City, the same artist made these glass flowers.

Me again . . . I just liked the fountain

The Coolest Brother

2008-03-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

While I was in Las Vegas last week for a PeopleSoft conference, I lent my car to my youngest brother to use. He drives an old 1978 Ford Thunderbird and needless to say, my 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer gets better gas mileage than his vehicle. So, while I was gone, Ethan did a major tune-up on my car. He flushed all of my car systems, i.e. Power Steering, Oil, Radiator, etc. He also changed all of my belts. He then added treatments into my car to help it get better gas mileage and to run generally better. He spent a lot of time on my car and I'm truly grateful.

Piano Lessons

2008-03-07T05:54:00.001-08:00

I have this wonderful piano student that I've been teaching now for about 5 months. Her Grandmother asked me to teach her back in September and cautioned me that Braydee can be a little shy, but she has great potential. Braydee is amazing at the piano. An average person takes about a year to complete a set of books, Braydee finished her first set 2 weeks ago. I've been really working with her to help her realize that she's an amazing pianist and has a lot of potential. Well, last night at our lesson, she looked at me and said, "My Grandma was right." I asked her how her Grandma was right. She looked at me and said, "She said that I would be good at piano and look at me." It was gratifying to see her believe in herself.

Being Sick is For the Birds

2008-03-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

Well, I finally caught what I've been trying to catch for the last three months. I woke up last Wednesday with a horrible sore throat. It truly made me mad because I was supposed to go on a retreat for work and was so looking forward to it. Well, my Dad gave me a blessing and I woke up Thursday feeling great!! I went on the retreat and had a great time. I did end up losing my voice on Friday from the constant coughing that was going on, but I was good. Saturday, it was the same story, coughing no voice. Sunday altogether was a different story. I woke up with the worst sore throat, the cough moved deep in my chest and my head was going to blow up. I took care of my callings and went home and vegged. Monday I had to miss work because it was worse. Yesterday, I was feeling pretty good, so I decided I could come to work. Then, I couldn't go to sleep because I kept coughing, so I was granted about 3 hours of sleep and here I am at work, with no voice again. I guess I just can't win. But hey, the sun is shining and it will be a great day!!

Enchanted

2008-02-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Brittany, Sean, Daniel and I went and saw Enchanted last night. It was AWESOME!!!! I love the moral of the story that true love isn't always what you think it should be and that it can come in any shape or size. I also liked the thought that marriages can work out as long as you're willing to stick together through the rough patches. But my all time favorite thing was the squirrel, Pip. I believe he made the movie for me.

My favorite quote "Thanks for taking care of my bride peasants."

I Heard a Bird Today

2008-02-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

I heard a bird chirping this morning as I was getting in my car. Do you know what this means?!? It's getting closer to warmer weather!! Hallelujah!!!! Daylight Savings Time begins on March 9, so we'll be able to enjoy longer days soon as well. Life is good!!! I hope all y'all are having a great day!!

Weatherpeople (to be politically correct)

2008-02-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Have any of you noticed that weatherpeople are the only people that can lie and still keep their jobs? Interesting fact, eh?

By the way, Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

The Tale of the Flaming Blowdryer

2008-02-11T06:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, it was as any other Saturday morning, I was taking my sweet time getting ready because I didn't have to be anywhere for an hour.

So, as I was blowdrying my hair (note: the blowdryer is around 15 years old), it was acting funny, so I turned off the blowdryer and it suddenly turned itself on and sparks were flying from it and I could see other parts of it sparking underneath the plastic. The only way to get it to stop flaming was to unplug it completely.

Needless to say, I am grateful for the extra blowdryer my Mom happened to purchase for me. It's not as nice as the former blowdryer, but hey, it works and it allows me to make myself presentable.

Pot Roast and Sweet Potatoes

2008-02-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

So, me, trying my culinary skills decided that I was going to cook dinner for my family last Sunday.

Saturday, I went shopping and purchased dinner, realizing how expensive it is to feed my family. Dinner cost me about $50, needless to say, this won't happen often.

I woke up super early on Sunday morning to use my new roaster oven my Grandma Honey bought me before I moved out of my house 2 years ago and was set to go. I pulled out the 2 pot roasts (there were 7 of us, which included 4 men, one a teenager) and stuck them in my roaster oven on 200 degrees with the water and all the seasonings. Well, then my sweet mother called me and instructed me that 200 degrees was too low, to turn it up to 275. Everything looked good, so I went off to take care of callings and go to church.

Meanwhile, Grandpa comes home from church and smells something burning in my apartment in his basement. He rushes downstairs and sees that the water is completely gone and my roasts are basically frying in my roaster oven.

I get home from church and still smell the lovely burning smell. I rush downstairs and see that my oven has water in it, but its been turned down. The meat looks kinda dark, but the inside looked good and tender.

Dinner turned out well, with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (I owed my Dad some), homemade rolls and drinks. I have learned that 200 degrees in the roaster oven is plenty if the roast will be cooking for about 6 hours and that my parents will eat anything that I cook. The roast actually tasted pretty good. I think I'll have to try it again someday.

President Hinckley

2008-01-28T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our dear prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has gone home to our Heavenly Father, last night, January 27, 2008.

Today is a bittersweet day for members of the LDS Faith because we have lost our beloved leader, but yet, he is with his eternal sweetheart on the other side of the veil. How grateful I am to have been a member of the church, to see how much the Gospel has spread during his time as our prophet.

President Hinckley is the only prophet I have ever known and I'm in shock, but grateful for the life he lived and what a profound example he was to me. I only hope that as I live my life, I may touch lives like he did. I may not reach as many people as he has, but if I can make a difference as he has done, then my life is well lived. I pray for his family that they may have the Comforter with them during this time.

Thank you President Hinckley, for your faith, your testimony, and devotion to our Savior, Jesus Christ. You have been a strength to me!! You will be sorely missed!! God Be With You Until We Meet Again!!!!

Good Parenting . . . .

2008-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought this clip was amusing, I could see my Dad doing this to me if I watched movies like this. Enjoy!!!!

Resolutions?

2008-01-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Kristene's blog this morning, I decided that I haven't set goals for a long time, or if I have, they haven't been much of anything because I forgot.

I've decided that I need to get out of debt. I don't have a lot of debt, but it would be nice to not have certain bills anymore, like my student loan payment.

I have been so blessed by my Heavenly Father, and I'm truly grateful to Him for all he has given me. I want my relationship with my Father to grow and my testimony of the Gospel to grow. I know its true, but I think I could always do more to make myself a better person.

I need to be grateful for everything. The people in my branch, the people I work with, and my family are so patient with me and I should show more gratitude for them and all they do for me.

Also, my goal is to get asked out on three dates this year. When it comes to dating, I'm always doing the asking, so I decided that I would like to get asked this year. We'll see if it comes true, but I'm always hopeful :D

Life is wonderful and I'm in a good place!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-12-21T14:04:00.000-08:00

To all of my friends and family, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!! May the season of Christmas help us to remember the Reason for the Season!!!

SNOW!!!

2007-12-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

So, my question to all of you is, why do we like snow in December, but once it's January it's supposed to be Springtime. I know it adds to the Christmas spirit, but it doesn't make it any easier to drive through. Maybe I should just be grateful that the only time we get those storms is when it's the weekends and I don't have to go anywhere. So, there's my soapbox.

WE LOVE YOU BRITTANY!!!!

2007-12-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Here in the admissions office at LDS Business College, we have an amazing employee named Brittany. Brittany is always optimistic and cheerful and she roots for all of us. Tuesday night, Brittany's dear grandmother passed away from this life, but instead of us cheering her up, she uplifted us and helped us remember our testimonies of the Plan of Salvation. We wish her and her family the best during this time, but we especially want to thank Brittany for her unflinching faith and her friendship!! We Love You!!!!

NEW CARPET!!!

2007-11-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I have been living in a basement apartment with no windows and bright orange carpet. It's been a bit depressing, so I took matters in my own hands and replaced the carpet in my apartment. So here are the pictures . . . .

Drum Roll Please . . . . .

As you can see, I don't live in such a dismal place any longer and its so comfortable to walk on. HOORAY!!!!!

THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-19T06:41:00.001-08:00

Well, it's finally here!!! We get a short week at work and we get to eat food!!!!!! Mmmmm . . . food!! I hope all of you have the best Thanksgiving ever!! Much Love!!

Why I Hate Thursdays

2007-11-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

Thursdays are the worst days!! Because you're so tired and you'd really like to sleep in, but yet, you still have one more day that you have to get up early. Thank goodness for next week, because we only have 3 days to work and Thursday is not one of them.

2007-11-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

This is Mary, Myself, and Terah at our last Branch activity

These are my good friend Michelle and Brooklyn

So, on Saturday, I was kidnapped from my bed from my good friends Michelle and Brooklyn to attend our branch's annual Turkey Shoot (no turkeys were harmed during the activity). Everyone went shooting guns and had a great time. It just reminded me of what good friends I have and how much fun we all have.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHERINE!!!!!

2007-11-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

Today is Katherine's 19th Birthday!!! She's one of my student employees and a great worker. I'm so grateful to have her working for me!!! She's awesome!! I hope your birthday is AWESOME!!!!!!

2007-10-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

So, last Friday, I went to Trick or Treat Street with my rent-a-kid, Natalie. We went around and got candy and other prizes. We both had a spectacular time.

Scrapbooking

2007-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Ember Davies (from college) has me stuck into scrapbooking. Who knew that it was such an expensive habit, now I know why I avoided it for so long. But, the good part about this is that I get to have a scrapbooking party with Katherine and Brittany and we're going to eat junk food (because Brittany and I can be persuasive with Katherine and make her eat it), and watch movies while we play with our pictures. So, if you have any secret stores that maybe you get things for cheap, let me know!!

Addition to Previous Post

2007-10-25T14:26:00.002-07:00

Well, I just wanted everyone to know that I still have a job at the LDS Business College. I will be the Assistant Director of Admissions (I hope for a while).

It's Finally DONE!!!

2007-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

So, here at the wonderful LDS Business College, I was working three full-time jobs, which kept the social life pretty much non-existant (well, there never was much social life to begin with). I was working for the President and all of the VP's of the college, I took care of all the hosting, and I was the Assistant Director of Admissions. Well, since July, I've been doing all of these things, but they finally hired someone to take my place!! Hallelujah!!! I'm now able to only work 40 hours a week!! Isn't that exciting!!! Maybe I'll begin to have a social life and I'll be able to go on a date!!

It's Cold Outside!!!!!

2007-10-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Okay . . . so it's only October and there shouldn't be snow on the ground, well at least in the mountains!! So, I went to Idaho last weekend and had a blast, but I think I dropped my brain on the way back or something, because I can't think straight and I think my office staff is losing patience with me and my corny ways. Oh well, hopefully, someone will find my brain and send it back to me, because it's very much needed.

2007-09-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

So, me and my amazing brilliance, I've decided not to purchase a house, but I'm going to be remodeling my apartment. I'm going to paint and get new carpet and redo the bathroom. I'm so excited to see the changes take effect. I'll definitely keep you posted on the progress.

2007-09-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever played catch phrase with markers? Well, its fun!!!

Pleasant Surprise

2007-09-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have the best office staff ever!! When I walked in this morning, they had left me a sign on my overhead cabinents saying "Hi Dawn." The best part is is that they did it with ID Cards. I love working with these students, Brittany, Renato, and Katherine. They are awesome and they are a lot of fun to be with.

2007-09-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

So, here is my cute brother that is serving a mission in McAllen, Texas. He is currently serving in a city called Kingsville. He's right on the coast of Texas and has been evacuated a few times for hurricanes. He loves being a missionary and has been out for almost 9 months.

Barbeque!!!

2007-09-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

So, my amazing office staff and I took our amazing dates on a barbeque last Friday. With the lightning show and the wind, it added to our amazing fire show in the barbeque. I'm surprised that our burgers weren't completely burned and were edible. The barbeque was literally on fire. Then we ate this delectible pasta salad that Brittany made. Oh my gosh, its the best one I've ever tasted. The fire was fun until it started to rain. We took off and went home, but we had a good time.

Queen of Admissions

2007-08-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working with the administration of LDS Business College now for a year and I got this great opportunity to work in the admissions office. I'm loving my new job. I have the most amazing boss and she's a genuine person. School started on Monday and it's wonderful to me to be able to help people come to school to help them in their lives. Sometimes I wonder if my decision to admit them changes their lives so drastically, but it's something that I'm loving. So, if anyone decides to come to the college, give me a ring.