Today in Church, I was sitting near two families with little children. I love little children, I really do and sometimes when Sacrament gets a little on the dull side (my fault for not paying better attention), I tend to watch what the children are doing because most times, it's entertaining. Today, however, I learned something that I want to share with the rest of you.
One of the little girls from one family (she's about 2) was walking around and happened to spot the little girl behind her (she's about 5). They started talking and the 5 year-old brought out these little books. Her mom whispered to her, "open the book and show it to her". So the 5 year-old opened the book and held it so the little one could see. She pointed to the pictures, explained who the characters were and why she liked them. She was so happy to share her books, completely fearless, and wanted the little 2 year-old to understand how much her books meant to her. It was incredibly precious.
It made me think about how we as adults share thing. I'm sure you've all recommended a book, a movie, some kind of music, etc. to someone at one point in your life. We share these things because we really like them and we want other people to like them too. Usually, we're not shy about it and it makes us happy to share with our friends.
But how often do we share our religion like that? Do we open to our favourite Book of Mormon or Bible story and share with our friends who the characters are and why we like them? Do we invite our friends to listen to General Conference with us or to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or special music programs? Do we share our testimony about how happy the Gospel makes us and how much it means to us?
I am a terrible member missionary. I love this Gospel and I love going to Church, but when it comes to inviting others, I completely freeze and clam up. While watching these little children today, I finally understood what Christ meant when he said to be as little children. I need to have the courage and the unconditional love for my fellow man, I need to open up my mouth and share what I know is true and why it means so much to me, I need to be like a little child and invite others so they can have the same happiness that I've had my whole life.
I'm so grateful for the Gospel, for the tender reminders I have each day that my Heavenly Father loves me and that Jesus Christ has atoned for my sins so that I can return to live with them. I love my family and am so grateful that I am sealed to my family and my husband for time and eternity. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, that he loves us all so much, that he receives revelation, and that I love him dearly. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, I admire his endurance and patience, and am so grateful for all that he sacrificed so that I can be a member of the Church. I know the Book of Mormon is true, I love the happiness and calmness that I feel each time I read. I am grateful for the Bible, for all that it teaches me, and for the examples of love therein. I'm grateful for the gift of prayer, that I can get on my knees and pray to my Heavenly Father, knowing He hears me and knowing that He will help me. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the restored Church on the earth today and I am so grateful to be a member. The Church is true; I know it and I cannot deny it. And I am so grateful.
Life is Beautiful
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
truthfully
I'm having one of those moments where i don't know how to explain what i'm thinking without either (a) sounding depressed and annoying; or (b) not hurting anyone's feelings. i'm not by any means mad and there hasn't been some life-changing single event that has happened that's made me bitter towards all humanity or anything of the sort. i just had some time to think to myself about my life (why hello, Friday night, you're looking ravishing) and the last little while of my life and it's made me wonder a thing or two about a thing or two.
My college experience was unlike anything i've ever known or seen in movies. My freshman year, i was friends with a huge group of people who were my family. We did everything together. ate. sang. danced. wandered Provo at 3am. went to concerts. ate. homework. truced (past form of 'truce', as in 'making a truce'). road tripped. Hee-Haw farmed. dollar theatered. talked. Olive Gardened. vendied. laughed. loved. everything.
Then half of the group went on missions, which was hard to cope with for more reasons than one. But I had my girls. and we were each others everything because we felt like we had nothing. This part of my life took place between my sophomore and junior year, and, along with many other things, it changed me, made me grow up and made me a lot of who i am today.
Then i went to Spain. initially, i went to Spain for 2 reasons: (1) to better learn Spanish and appreciate my Spanish heritage; (2) to escape my life. i realize the latter sounds kinda odd, but it's the truth. i wanted to forget whatever problems i was having at that time and go to a foreign country with a lovely friend (dearest Jaime) and live outside of what i was accustomed to because i didn't like certain aspects of my life. i don't recommend this for everyone, and in retrospect, i should have solved my problems instead of running from them, but i did what i did, and i don't really have any regrets about it.
Spain was completely magical. and, as many of you know, it changed my life in the best possible way because i met casey there and as cheesy as this sounds, he healed me. things that i had kept bottled up for months i could tell him and he listened and loved. this is by far my favourite thing about casey. but enough about that.
I came home from Spain with one pressure in my life, which i'm going to be vague about because if you really needed to know, you already would. what i will say about this is that i regret how i handled it, not necessarily what i did, but more what i didn't do. this is the reason why i'm writing tonight- i feel like because of this moment, i had a different senior year than i had expected.
how do i explain this? remember freshman year how i had that big group of friends? i didn't have them senior year. i had a few friends who i was (and thankfully still am) close to, but i saw them on an individual basis and rarely with the group as a whole. sometimes, i don't regret this because sometimes, it was definitely a good thing. however, other times, i do regret this because i feel like it was something that should have been a part of my life, but wasn't and now, there's no way to compensate for the friendships lost. don't get me wrong, it's not like there is animosity between myself and these people (at least, as far as i know) and it's not awkward when i see any of them (far from it, thankfully), but i feel this void/lack and it makes me a little sad. there was that point where i knew i was too far out of the loop and couldn't come back because that wasn't my place or my group of friends anymore.
to contrast, i should say that i met a ton of amazing and wonderful people, friends and family alike, that i adore and love for everything they do and the time i get to spend with them. i am so grateful for this, as well as the love of my own family, and can't express enough gratitude.
now i'm married. married life is the shiz. i love my life. i love my husband. i love lots of things. like before, i don't see my friends all that often. a lot of it is because my life, as well as theirs, is incredibly busy (borderline insane) and that is the fault of no one. but that void/lack feeling still comes up every so often, like tonight, and i miss those friendships. i spent the last 4 years of my life telling these people that we'd always be close, and now, as much as i'd like to, i can't say that to a third of them.
I know this is all a little depressing and i do apologize, i don't want to be depressing because life is beautiful and full of beautiful things. i suppose this is just more of a reflection for myself. there are things i want and things i have. sometimes they don't always match up, but that does not mean that they never will. i just have to try harder, be patient and keep my chin up. i'm surrounded by good people constantly. it's all going to be just fine :)
My college experience was unlike anything i've ever known or seen in movies. My freshman year, i was friends with a huge group of people who were my family. We did everything together. ate. sang. danced. wandered Provo at 3am. went to concerts. ate. homework. truced (past form of 'truce', as in 'making a truce'). road tripped. Hee-Haw farmed. dollar theatered. talked. Olive Gardened. vendied. laughed. loved. everything.
Then half of the group went on missions, which was hard to cope with for more reasons than one. But I had my girls. and we were each others everything because we felt like we had nothing. This part of my life took place between my sophomore and junior year, and, along with many other things, it changed me, made me grow up and made me a lot of who i am today.
Then i went to Spain. initially, i went to Spain for 2 reasons: (1) to better learn Spanish and appreciate my Spanish heritage; (2) to escape my life. i realize the latter sounds kinda odd, but it's the truth. i wanted to forget whatever problems i was having at that time and go to a foreign country with a lovely friend (dearest Jaime) and live outside of what i was accustomed to because i didn't like certain aspects of my life. i don't recommend this for everyone, and in retrospect, i should have solved my problems instead of running from them, but i did what i did, and i don't really have any regrets about it.
Spain was completely magical. and, as many of you know, it changed my life in the best possible way because i met casey there and as cheesy as this sounds, he healed me. things that i had kept bottled up for months i could tell him and he listened and loved. this is by far my favourite thing about casey. but enough about that.
I came home from Spain with one pressure in my life, which i'm going to be vague about because if you really needed to know, you already would. what i will say about this is that i regret how i handled it, not necessarily what i did, but more what i didn't do. this is the reason why i'm writing tonight- i feel like because of this moment, i had a different senior year than i had expected.
how do i explain this? remember freshman year how i had that big group of friends? i didn't have them senior year. i had a few friends who i was (and thankfully still am) close to, but i saw them on an individual basis and rarely with the group as a whole. sometimes, i don't regret this because sometimes, it was definitely a good thing. however, other times, i do regret this because i feel like it was something that should have been a part of my life, but wasn't and now, there's no way to compensate for the friendships lost. don't get me wrong, it's not like there is animosity between myself and these people (at least, as far as i know) and it's not awkward when i see any of them (far from it, thankfully), but i feel this void/lack and it makes me a little sad. there was that point where i knew i was too far out of the loop and couldn't come back because that wasn't my place or my group of friends anymore.
to contrast, i should say that i met a ton of amazing and wonderful people, friends and family alike, that i adore and love for everything they do and the time i get to spend with them. i am so grateful for this, as well as the love of my own family, and can't express enough gratitude.
now i'm married. married life is the shiz. i love my life. i love my husband. i love lots of things. like before, i don't see my friends all that often. a lot of it is because my life, as well as theirs, is incredibly busy (borderline insane) and that is the fault of no one. but that void/lack feeling still comes up every so often, like tonight, and i miss those friendships. i spent the last 4 years of my life telling these people that we'd always be close, and now, as much as i'd like to, i can't say that to a third of them.
I know this is all a little depressing and i do apologize, i don't want to be depressing because life is beautiful and full of beautiful things. i suppose this is just more of a reflection for myself. there are things i want and things i have. sometimes they don't always match up, but that does not mean that they never will. i just have to try harder, be patient and keep my chin up. i'm surrounded by good people constantly. it's all going to be just fine :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Calendar
So it's been a little while since I've been writing. and it's because life is freaking crazy. School has started, work is work, homework blows, and I'm always tired. always. BUT, there's been some awesome parts about this past month-ish too.
- We've made it a goal to go to the temple each week. SUCH A BLESSING. the temple really is one of those places where you can just leave everything that's bothering you right at the door, walk in and forget it all. amazing :)
- i made lasagna for the first time. and i do believe it was a success. you might think this is odd, but i've never really had what you call 'culinary skills' so i feel this was a highlight.
- i had a birthday and am now 22. it was a lovely birthday, filled with the breakfast with my girls, the Provo Beach Resort (ski-ball anyone? brig? jess?), wonderful food, lots of time with family and friends, and so much love that i don't know how to thank everyone enough.
- work sometimes drives me crazy. working with kids with autism is a struggle. sometimes they love you and want kisses. other times, they hit you or pull your hair or kick you or yell in your ear or smear poop on you (true story). when i first started, i was worried that i wouldn't have the patience for this job. but somehow, in the past month, i've learned to forgive and forget, to love these children because all they really need is love. i'm not saying i'm perfect- i definitely lost my patience with a kid today, but after 10 minutes of time apart, i gave her a hug and a kiss before she left to go home. this job teaches me to be christ-like and i'm grateful for it. i've got a long way to go, but i'm grateful to be working through the process.
- we might be taking a trip to africa!!! we were planning on going to Spain this next summer, but with recent exciting events in the family, we're shooting for africa! I would love to go to africa!! i mean, i've been to morocco, but that's not really Africa, you know? so yeah, our saving right now are going to africa, i really hope we get to go :)
- i really love my mommy and daddy. with everything that's been going on, especially with work, i've made a lot of phone calls home to my mommy and no matter what is going on in her busy busy busy life, she always takes the time to talk to me and make sure i'm doing alright. i want to be that amazing of a mother to my own kids and i've learned from the best :)
- i bought the new panic! at the disco cd and i'm in love with it. they're coming to salt lake in october and i really want to go. they just make me happy and i absolutely love his voice. i would recommend their new cd if you're looking for new music.
- i go to uvu now. more on this at a later post.
- i'm currently addicted to red pears. the ones i bought from Smith's last week lasted about 2 days (i bought 4). they're just so good right now!
- i get to go home in about 90 days for christmas break. i'm very excited to see my family and to play with my niece and nephew.
and now i have to go to class. but here's another highlight- on mondays, since i have class from 6 to 8:45, i treat myself to a dr. pepper. and you all know how much i love that stuff :)
hope you all have a wonderful week!
also, here's a link to my two favourite songs on the new panic! at the disco album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xDf-_8KvGM&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4U-i4mjZD0
- We've made it a goal to go to the temple each week. SUCH A BLESSING. the temple really is one of those places where you can just leave everything that's bothering you right at the door, walk in and forget it all. amazing :)
- i made lasagna for the first time. and i do believe it was a success. you might think this is odd, but i've never really had what you call 'culinary skills' so i feel this was a highlight.
- i had a birthday and am now 22. it was a lovely birthday, filled with the breakfast with my girls, the Provo Beach Resort (ski-ball anyone? brig? jess?), wonderful food, lots of time with family and friends, and so much love that i don't know how to thank everyone enough.
- work sometimes drives me crazy. working with kids with autism is a struggle. sometimes they love you and want kisses. other times, they hit you or pull your hair or kick you or yell in your ear or smear poop on you (true story). when i first started, i was worried that i wouldn't have the patience for this job. but somehow, in the past month, i've learned to forgive and forget, to love these children because all they really need is love. i'm not saying i'm perfect- i definitely lost my patience with a kid today, but after 10 minutes of time apart, i gave her a hug and a kiss before she left to go home. this job teaches me to be christ-like and i'm grateful for it. i've got a long way to go, but i'm grateful to be working through the process.
- we might be taking a trip to africa!!! we were planning on going to Spain this next summer, but with recent exciting events in the family, we're shooting for africa! I would love to go to africa!! i mean, i've been to morocco, but that's not really Africa, you know? so yeah, our saving right now are going to africa, i really hope we get to go :)
- i really love my mommy and daddy. with everything that's been going on, especially with work, i've made a lot of phone calls home to my mommy and no matter what is going on in her busy busy busy life, she always takes the time to talk to me and make sure i'm doing alright. i want to be that amazing of a mother to my own kids and i've learned from the best :)
- i bought the new panic! at the disco cd and i'm in love with it. they're coming to salt lake in october and i really want to go. they just make me happy and i absolutely love his voice. i would recommend their new cd if you're looking for new music.
- i go to uvu now. more on this at a later post.
- i'm currently addicted to red pears. the ones i bought from Smith's last week lasted about 2 days (i bought 4). they're just so good right now!
- i get to go home in about 90 days for christmas break. i'm very excited to see my family and to play with my niece and nephew.
and now i have to go to class. but here's another highlight- on mondays, since i have class from 6 to 8:45, i treat myself to a dr. pepper. and you all know how much i love that stuff :)
hope you all have a wonderful week!
also, here's a link to my two favourite songs on the new panic! at the disco album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xDf-_8KvGM&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4U-i4mjZD0
Monday, August 8, 2011
The Help
Sometimes in life, you join bandwagons. As of last night at 4 am, I joined The Help bandwagon and I love it.
I'm sure many of you have heard about The Help and have seen the trailor for it as the movie comes out this month and Emma Stone is THE actress to love right now (no worries, I've joined that bandwagon too. Easy A= hilarious. The House Bunny= hilarious. Zombieland= hilarious. I adore her, fake lisp and all). However, I've had people telling me about this book before the movie was announced and have been meaning to read it for about a year now.
I finally read it. in 2 days. 12 hours to be precise. It is an amazing and beautiful book. One of those books that you don't really know how to describe because you can't put into words how it made you feel nor how much you love it. Like right now, for example, I have so much that I want to say about The Help but I can't find the words. The best thing I can say to express myself is to read it yourself. It will change your life.
An interesting thing I realized after reading this book is that a lot of my favourite books are about Black history in America. My favourite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read it for the first time in 6th grade and have re-read it about 15 times since. I will forever love Atticus Finch and will raise my children to be like him.
Another favourite is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which was also made into a movie with Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah, but the book is infinitely better. I admire August Boatwright with all my heart and want to develop her compassion. As a word of advice: DO NOT Kidd's other book, The Mermaid Chair. No good.
Beloved by Toni Morrison is yet another book that I really love, not because it's a feel good story, but because it is a powerful story that truly reflects the time of slavery. There is not a more tragic and sympathetic character in literature than Sethe, nor one so wounded and dark. Note: if you're thinking about reading Beloved, remember it is a true story and incredibly sad. This is not Gone With The Wind or Song of the South. There are no cartoon birds or happy black slaves.
I think the real reason I love these books so much is because they make me feel and put into perspective a time that I can't relate to because I don't understand it. I mean, I understand slavery and the civil rights movements historically speaking, but I don't understand how things got that way or how they were justified. It positively blows my mind that less than 60 years ago, common thought was that black people had different diseases than everyone else that could be transmitted by sharing the same water fountain or toilet seat. I don't understand how they weren't allows to vote when they had roots just as deep as any white person's. I don't understand how four white men justified bombing a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, knowing there were children inside. It's a time in American history that I just cannot understand, but that I can feel when I read books like these.
If you haven't read any of these books, I would strongly recommend them all. They're truly life-changing and beautiful in their own unique ways. Also, if you have any recommendations of books you've really enjoyed, I would love your suggestions :)
I'm sure many of you have heard about The Help and have seen the trailor for it as the movie comes out this month and Emma Stone is THE actress to love right now (no worries, I've joined that bandwagon too. Easy A= hilarious. The House Bunny= hilarious. Zombieland= hilarious. I adore her, fake lisp and all). However, I've had people telling me about this book before the movie was announced and have been meaning to read it for about a year now.
I finally read it. in 2 days. 12 hours to be precise. It is an amazing and beautiful book. One of those books that you don't really know how to describe because you can't put into words how it made you feel nor how much you love it. Like right now, for example, I have so much that I want to say about The Help but I can't find the words. The best thing I can say to express myself is to read it yourself. It will change your life.
An interesting thing I realized after reading this book is that a lot of my favourite books are about Black history in America. My favourite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read it for the first time in 6th grade and have re-read it about 15 times since. I will forever love Atticus Finch and will raise my children to be like him.
Another favourite is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which was also made into a movie with Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah, but the book is infinitely better. I admire August Boatwright with all my heart and want to develop her compassion. As a word of advice: DO NOT Kidd's other book, The Mermaid Chair. No good.
Beloved by Toni Morrison is yet another book that I really love, not because it's a feel good story, but because it is a powerful story that truly reflects the time of slavery. There is not a more tragic and sympathetic character in literature than Sethe, nor one so wounded and dark. Note: if you're thinking about reading Beloved, remember it is a true story and incredibly sad. This is not Gone With The Wind or Song of the South. There are no cartoon birds or happy black slaves.
I think the real reason I love these books so much is because they make me feel and put into perspective a time that I can't relate to because I don't understand it. I mean, I understand slavery and the civil rights movements historically speaking, but I don't understand how things got that way or how they were justified. It positively blows my mind that less than 60 years ago, common thought was that black people had different diseases than everyone else that could be transmitted by sharing the same water fountain or toilet seat. I don't understand how they weren't allows to vote when they had roots just as deep as any white person's. I don't understand how four white men justified bombing a Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, knowing there were children inside. It's a time in American history that I just cannot understand, but that I can feel when I read books like these.
If you haven't read any of these books, I would strongly recommend them all. They're truly life-changing and beautiful in their own unique ways. Also, if you have any recommendations of books you've really enjoyed, I would love your suggestions :)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Summertime
It's been a little while, not because I'm super busy, but just because I've been enjoying life and relaxing. I have this feeling like this is the last summer of my childhood. I know that's stupid to say because I'm 21 and that whole "last summer" thing clearly should have been a while ago, but I feel it this summer because I think this will be the last summer that I'm not working or going to school or something. ANYWAYS. moving on.
This is my life of late, and I think it's great (and I'm a poet and I didn't even know it).
1) I got a job!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how much of a relief this is. Job searching is incredibly discouraging. I've had people tell me I'm not qualified for a position (understandable), that I'm too old for the position (I'm 21...) and the worst, that I'm too smart/educated for a position, which makes me wonder if I should have dumb-down those interviews (Interviewer: "So, Kristin, what interests you in this job?" Me: "I like pretty things and stuff that sparkles" Interviewer: "You're hired!"). Anyways, I was just hired to work for Clear Horizons Academy. Here's their logo, just in case you were curious:
It's a school for children with Autism, ages 3 to 13. I'm incredibly excited about this. Money aside, I know this is going to be such a growing and rewarding experience for me. There's something about working with children with special needs that really humbles a person and I feel like this will be such a blessing in my life. I'm very excited to start working on the 15th :)
2) I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. It was amazing. everything I had hoped for and more. I laughed, I cried, I clapped, I cried, I cried, I cried. Call me weird or whatever, but Harry Potter has been in my life since I was 10. I've grown up with him and the books and movies have been what I've looked forward to every summer since 5th grade. I was so sad when the movie ended because it's like the end of Harry Potter- WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE?!
But, here is how I'm coping with it: a) Hogwarts is real and it's in Orlando, Florida. I'll be visiting soon.
b) I swear an oath that my children will know Harry Potter just as well as I do and will wait for their owls just like I did (I'm still waiting...) and will love Harry Potter just like I do. It's like the Circle of Life. They have to know Harry Potter.
3) We got a table and chairs!! I know this doesn't seem like a lot, but our counter space in our apartment is approximately 1' by 1'. So essentially, table and chairs= more counter space. We got them from Casey's Grandma and they're in perfect condition, I'm so grateful to have them and I think they'll last us a while.
4) I made Scotcheroos yesterday for the first time and according to Casey, they taste just like Jill's. SUCCESS.
Here's the low-down on Scotcheroos: they are Casey's favourite dessert ever. and his best friend Jill has made them for him on all the important occasion in his life, including sending them to him on his mission. Of course, Jill's Scotcheroos will always be #1, but it's nice to know I can compete in the Scotcheroos department.
Here's the recipe in case any of you are interested, these things are seriously delicious and easy to make. I just microwaved the chocolate and butterscotch chips, none of that hot water melting method:
http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/chocolate-scotcheroos.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=scotcheroos&utm_content=Scotcheroos%2B-%2BHigh%2BVolume%2B&utm_campaign=Intention%2B-%2BBrand#/recipes/chocolate-scotcheroos
5) JANE HOLBEIN CAME HOME!!!!!!! For those who don't know, Jane Holbein is one of my dearest and most amazing friends. She just came home last week from serving a year and a half mission in Belgium, Dutch speaking. Jane is beautiful. She is a funny, talented, goofy, very smart, dedicated, spiritual giant and wonderful friend. I'm so happy she's back and I'm SOOOOOO excited to see her when she comes back to Provo. I just love her so very much :)
6) I got to go home last weekend because my best friends Mary and Brandon got married!! it was a great weekend full of CPR training (where I fulfill my want for black babies), doctor's appointments, hair cuts and dyes, seeing old friends, lots of hugging, and happiness. I love going home, it's one of my favourite places. I missed Casey of course (it was our first time being apart, aside from the Paintball War last weekend, which was only a night) and I'm making him come with me next time, but I just really love my family. My niece, Caroline, was blessed too while I was there, which was really nice and I'm glad I was able to meet her- she is adorable and I love her.
7) As mentioned earlier, I dyed my hair!!
After almost 22 years, I am officially no longer a blonde. And I love it! Don't get me wrong, I LOVED being a blonde, but I'm at that age where it was clearly no longer my natural hair colour, you know? So last Friday in between CPR class and the doctor, I dyed my hair. It's kinda like a brownish-reddish-blonde in the sun-ish colour and I really love it. The best part? I CAN FINALLY WEAR YELLOW!!!!!!!!!!! Yellow has been my favourite colour since FOR.EV.ER, but I've never been able to wear it because it washed out my face with my blonde hair. But with brown hair, I CAN WEAR IT!!!!! and it's grand. I actually wore yellow for Mary and Brandon's wedding- so so so grand. Time for a shopping trip to buy yellow thingsssssss:)
8) and last but not least, our wedding pictures came!! and they are beautiful, I could not have asked for a better photographer or pictures. Pictures was the one thing I really didn't mind spending a lot of money for because they are memories and beautiful ones at that. I'll be posting some on facebook and I also have quite a few good photos of people that I should email to them, but there's about 850 photos soooo it might take some time. But yes, I love our photos, I loved our photographer and I love May 14th :)
Here's our photographer's website in case any of you are interested, her work is really quite beautiful, especially her en caustics: http://www.moniquefeil.com/3/artist.asp?ArtistID=13444&Akey=ACRTB3M7
Life is pretty great right now :)
This is my life of late, and I think it's great (and I'm a poet and I didn't even know it).
1) I got a job!!!!! I can't even begin to tell you how much of a relief this is. Job searching is incredibly discouraging. I've had people tell me I'm not qualified for a position (understandable), that I'm too old for the position (I'm 21...) and the worst, that I'm too smart/educated for a position, which makes me wonder if I should have dumb-down those interviews (Interviewer: "So, Kristin, what interests you in this job?" Me: "I like pretty things and stuff that sparkles" Interviewer: "You're hired!"). Anyways, I was just hired to work for Clear Horizons Academy. Here's their logo, just in case you were curious:
It's a school for children with Autism, ages 3 to 13. I'm incredibly excited about this. Money aside, I know this is going to be such a growing and rewarding experience for me. There's something about working with children with special needs that really humbles a person and I feel like this will be such a blessing in my life. I'm very excited to start working on the 15th :)
2) I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. It was amazing. everything I had hoped for and more. I laughed, I cried, I clapped, I cried, I cried, I cried. Call me weird or whatever, but Harry Potter has been in my life since I was 10. I've grown up with him and the books and movies have been what I've looked forward to every summer since 5th grade. I was so sad when the movie ended because it's like the end of Harry Potter- WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE?! But, here is how I'm coping with it: a) Hogwarts is real and it's in Orlando, Florida. I'll be visiting soon.
b) I swear an oath that my children will know Harry Potter just as well as I do and will wait for their owls just like I did (I'm still waiting...) and will love Harry Potter just like I do. It's like the Circle of Life. They have to know Harry Potter. 3) We got a table and chairs!! I know this doesn't seem like a lot, but our counter space in our apartment is approximately 1' by 1'. So essentially, table and chairs= more counter space. We got them from Casey's Grandma and they're in perfect condition, I'm so grateful to have them and I think they'll last us a while.
4) I made Scotcheroos yesterday for the first time and according to Casey, they taste just like Jill's. SUCCESS.
Here's the low-down on Scotcheroos: they are Casey's favourite dessert ever. and his best friend Jill has made them for him on all the important occasion in his life, including sending them to him on his mission. Of course, Jill's Scotcheroos will always be #1, but it's nice to know I can compete in the Scotcheroos department.
Here's the recipe in case any of you are interested, these things are seriously delicious and easy to make. I just microwaved the chocolate and butterscotch chips, none of that hot water melting method:
http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/chocolate-scotcheroos.aspx?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=scotcheroos&utm_content=Scotcheroos%2B-%2BHigh%2BVolume%2B&utm_campaign=Intention%2B-%2BBrand#/recipes/chocolate-scotcheroos
5) JANE HOLBEIN CAME HOME!!!!!!! For those who don't know, Jane Holbein is one of my dearest and most amazing friends. She just came home last week from serving a year and a half mission in Belgium, Dutch speaking. Jane is beautiful. She is a funny, talented, goofy, very smart, dedicated, spiritual giant and wonderful friend. I'm so happy she's back and I'm SOOOOOO excited to see her when she comes back to Provo. I just love her so very much :)6) I got to go home last weekend because my best friends Mary and Brandon got married!! it was a great weekend full of CPR training (where I fulfill my want for black babies), doctor's appointments, hair cuts and dyes, seeing old friends, lots of hugging, and happiness. I love going home, it's one of my favourite places. I missed Casey of course (it was our first time being apart, aside from the Paintball War last weekend, which was only a night) and I'm making him come with me next time, but I just really love my family. My niece, Caroline, was blessed too while I was there, which was really nice and I'm glad I was able to meet her- she is adorable and I love her.
7) As mentioned earlier, I dyed my hair!!
After almost 22 years, I am officially no longer a blonde. And I love it! Don't get me wrong, I LOVED being a blonde, but I'm at that age where it was clearly no longer my natural hair colour, you know? So last Friday in between CPR class and the doctor, I dyed my hair. It's kinda like a brownish-reddish-blonde in the sun-ish colour and I really love it. The best part? I CAN FINALLY WEAR YELLOW!!!!!!!!!!! Yellow has been my favourite colour since FOR.EV.ER, but I've never been able to wear it because it washed out my face with my blonde hair. But with brown hair, I CAN WEAR IT!!!!! and it's grand. I actually wore yellow for Mary and Brandon's wedding- so so so grand. Time for a shopping trip to buy yellow thingsssssss:)8) and last but not least, our wedding pictures came!! and they are beautiful, I could not have asked for a better photographer or pictures. Pictures was the one thing I really didn't mind spending a lot of money for because they are memories and beautiful ones at that. I'll be posting some on facebook and I also have quite a few good photos of people that I should email to them, but there's about 850 photos soooo it might take some time. But yes, I love our photos, I loved our photographer and I love May 14th :)
Here's our photographer's website in case any of you are interested, her work is really quite beautiful, especially her en caustics: http://www.moniquefeil.com/3/artist.asp?ArtistID=13444&Akey=ACRTB3M7
Life is pretty great right now :)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Lucky :)
I know it's super cheesy to write a post about how great your husband/significant other is, but I'm doing it anyways because my husband is just that great.
Today, Kristin woke up with the nastiest sore throat and about 4 canker sores in her mouth, one of which she managed to bite later during lunch (seriously, it looks disgusting, like I almost want to take a picture. that disgusting.) Needless to say, after church and family dinner was over, she went on a no-talking fast because talking hurts like the dickens (what are the dickens, by the way?).
Enter fabulous husband.
Casey is the light of my life and I love him so very much. He makes me laugh when I need it, he makes me dinner and chocolatey milk (possibly the best thing he does), he gets my drugs for me (possibly the second best thing...), he plays charades with me because I can't talk, he gives me big hugs and lots of kisses, he does funny little dances to make me smile, he sings 'touch my body' by Mariah Carey because he knows I think it's cute, he always asks how i'm feeling and what he can do to help me feel better, he gives me number options so i don't have to talk, he watches movies i want to watch even though he won't like them, and he tells me at least every 10 minutes that he loves me and that he's so glad i'm his wifey.
I know that list doesn't seem like a lot to some, but it means everything to me. I know we've only been married around 2 months, but it's been the best 2 months of my life and i'm so grateful for my Casey. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I couldn't have married a better man.
and now, to eat some Mac and Cheese a la Casey :)
Today, Kristin woke up with the nastiest sore throat and about 4 canker sores in her mouth, one of which she managed to bite later during lunch (seriously, it looks disgusting, like I almost want to take a picture. that disgusting.) Needless to say, after church and family dinner was over, she went on a no-talking fast because talking hurts like the dickens (what are the dickens, by the way?).
Enter fabulous husband.
Casey is the light of my life and I love him so very much. He makes me laugh when I need it, he makes me dinner and chocolatey milk (possibly the best thing he does), he gets my drugs for me (possibly the second best thing...), he plays charades with me because I can't talk, he gives me big hugs and lots of kisses, he does funny little dances to make me smile, he sings 'touch my body' by Mariah Carey because he knows I think it's cute, he always asks how i'm feeling and what he can do to help me feel better, he gives me number options so i don't have to talk, he watches movies i want to watch even though he won't like them, and he tells me at least every 10 minutes that he loves me and that he's so glad i'm his wifey.
I know that list doesn't seem like a lot to some, but it means everything to me. I know we've only been married around 2 months, but it's been the best 2 months of my life and i'm so grateful for my Casey. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I couldn't have married a better man.
and now, to eat some Mac and Cheese a la Casey :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Le Freak
So remember how Casey and I moved into an apartment? Since moving in, we've gotten some mail for the couple who lived here before us. Usually, it's been bank statements, stuff from Capital One, nothing too thrilling.
But today, we struck gold.
I thought the couple who lived here before us were normal people. We met them when we came over to look at the place and they seemed nice, a little goober-ish, but nice.
FALSE.
I'm not exactly sure how to preface this so I've decided to let the pictures speak for themselves accompanied by some commentary from yours truly.
Note: this is real, I took these pictures myself and nothing has been photo-shopped-the only thing I did was crop the pictures and brightened them so you can see them better. I'm sorry there's so many, but I feel like these needs to be shared.
This is the cover. I'm not sure how to pronounce this, but this is 'The Budk Catalogue'. If you think the cover is good, just you wait, Henry Higgins.
Dragon Ashtray, quite the elegant touch for any living room. in Hell.
This was my first indicator that this magazine was... different. and by different, I mean meant for white supremacists or guys who live in their parents' basements.
I feel soooo much better knowing that these were actually tested in Mekong, like who would buy ass-kicker boots without that assurance? Clearly anyone who buys non-tested in Mekong boots is an idiot.
Am I the only one who sees a phallus-like quality to these?
What the rainbow blade? This was actually the first thing I saw when I opened the magazine and I just laughed. Bless the rainbow blade and all its glory!
This is clearly not Johnny Depp. How insulting.
Needless to say, there are several things upsetting about this item: 1) it's balls. 2) it's a repeat sell-out item, which means people actually buy this. and 3) there's a 2 for $10 offer- WHO NEEDS 2 OF THESE?
Cute cat key chain + something to gouge out people's eyes= every Cat Lady's dream. Priceless.
A Confederate bedspread, a Wolf bedspread, a Wildlife bedspread, and a Tiger bedspread. 80s/90s t-shirt revival.
My favourite part about these little babies is the add: "Stainless steel device locks thumbs so close together that a person will feel foolish at how helpless they are!". I don't know how to say this, but I'm fairly certain that if my thumbs were 'locked together', I think I could still use my other 8 fingers.
at least it's the Union hat that's shown bigger, right?
So much for the Union... (ps- these were next to each other)
"Cool" is a relative term. If I'm in the World of Warcraft office, yes, this is cool. If I'm anywhere else, not so much...
Would these not be the most awesome New Year's Eve drinks? Like seriously, every Orcs dream.
This was my favourite sequence of products. Here, we have a creepy leather scripture case with creep cross on the zipper...
... Which was right next to the Anti-Cross (Would Jesus really have a dagger? No.)...
... Which was right next to these guys. The perfect Religious White Supremacist Sunday accessories.
and last, but certainly not least, the crystal wolf. It's just so elegant and graceful, I can't help myself.
and that was the Adventures in the Budk Catalogue.
I have so many questions for the people who lived here before us.
But today, we struck gold.
I thought the couple who lived here before us were normal people. We met them when we came over to look at the place and they seemed nice, a little goober-ish, but nice.
FALSE.
I'm not exactly sure how to preface this so I've decided to let the pictures speak for themselves accompanied by some commentary from yours truly.
Note: this is real, I took these pictures myself and nothing has been photo-shopped-the only thing I did was crop the pictures and brightened them so you can see them better. I'm sorry there's so many, but I feel like these needs to be shared.
This is the cover. I'm not sure how to pronounce this, but this is 'The Budk Catalogue'. If you think the cover is good, just you wait, Henry Higgins.
Dragon Ashtray, quite the elegant touch for any living room. in Hell.
This was my first indicator that this magazine was... different. and by different, I mean meant for white supremacists or guys who live in their parents' basements.
I feel soooo much better knowing that these were actually tested in Mekong, like who would buy ass-kicker boots without that assurance? Clearly anyone who buys non-tested in Mekong boots is an idiot.
Am I the only one who sees a phallus-like quality to these?
What the rainbow blade? This was actually the first thing I saw when I opened the magazine and I just laughed. Bless the rainbow blade and all its glory!
This is clearly not Johnny Depp. How insulting.
Needless to say, there are several things upsetting about this item: 1) it's balls. 2) it's a repeat sell-out item, which means people actually buy this. and 3) there's a 2 for $10 offer- WHO NEEDS 2 OF THESE?
Cute cat key chain + something to gouge out people's eyes= every Cat Lady's dream. Priceless.
A Confederate bedspread, a Wolf bedspread, a Wildlife bedspread, and a Tiger bedspread. 80s/90s t-shirt revival.
My favourite part about these little babies is the add: "Stainless steel device locks thumbs so close together that a person will feel foolish at how helpless they are!". I don't know how to say this, but I'm fairly certain that if my thumbs were 'locked together', I think I could still use my other 8 fingers.
at least it's the Union hat that's shown bigger, right?
So much for the Union... (ps- these were next to each other)
"Cool" is a relative term. If I'm in the World of Warcraft office, yes, this is cool. If I'm anywhere else, not so much...
Would these not be the most awesome New Year's Eve drinks? Like seriously, every Orcs dream.
This was my favourite sequence of products. Here, we have a creepy leather scripture case with creep cross on the zipper...
... Which was right next to the Anti-Cross (Would Jesus really have a dagger? No.)...
... Which was right next to these guys. The perfect Religious White Supremacist Sunday accessories.
and last, but certainly not least, the crystal wolf. It's just so elegant and graceful, I can't help myself.
and that was the Adventures in the Budk Catalogue.
I have so many questions for the people who lived here before us.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
America's Sweetheart
When I was little, I watched a lot of old television. I've seen every episode of 'I Love Lucy', 'Scooby-Doo', 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', etc. I don't exactly know how this happened- maybe because my parents trusted TV-land and early morning Cartoon network more than other networks, but whatever the reason, it resulted in an undying love for old-time television (I still am in love with Dyke Van Dyke).
One of my favourites was 'The Golden Girls', not particularly because I love older lady drama, but because I LOVE Betty White. Since I was 8 years old, one of my dreams has been to meet Betty White. I want to be her when I'm old (I also want to be Queenie from 'Larkrise to Candleford', in case you were wondering).
Yesterday, while flipping channels, I came across the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award for Morgan Freeman and there was a introduction by Betty White. and I about died. I think she is easily one of the funniest ladies in Hollywood, and she's just so darn cute! You know if she was your grandma, you would love every minute of your life.
So in honour of my favourite Golden Girl, here are some of my favourite Betty White moments.
Enjoy :)
The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award
Opening Monologue on SNL
SNL Gingey
Superbowl Snicker's Commercial
Betty White on Craig Ferguson (some language, but so funny)
Betty White acceptance speech for the SAG Awards
also, in case you were wondering, Betty White has written a new book called 'If you ask me (and of course you won't) and it's the best.
I just love Betty White :)
One of my favourites was 'The Golden Girls', not particularly because I love older lady drama, but because I LOVE Betty White. Since I was 8 years old, one of my dreams has been to meet Betty White. I want to be her when I'm old (I also want to be Queenie from 'Larkrise to Candleford', in case you were wondering).
Yesterday, while flipping channels, I came across the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award for Morgan Freeman and there was a introduction by Betty White. and I about died. I think she is easily one of the funniest ladies in Hollywood, and she's just so darn cute! You know if she was your grandma, you would love every minute of your life.
So in honour of my favourite Golden Girl, here are some of my favourite Betty White moments. Enjoy :)
The AFI Lifetime Achievement Award
Opening Monologue on SNL
SNL Gingey
Superbowl Snicker's Commercial
Betty White on Craig Ferguson (some language, but so funny)
Betty White acceptance speech for the SAG Awards
also, in case you were wondering, Betty White has written a new book called 'If you ask me (and of course you won't) and it's the best.
I just love Betty White :)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Good Things
There's been a lot of good things this week that make me smile.
- THE MAVS WON!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!!!
It's not like I'm a huge Mavs fan or anything, I just think Lebron James is way over-rated, but thank to James, Bill Simmons has been writing some of the funniest articles ever.
- our apartment is mostly done and unpacked and it feels great! I'm the type of person who gets really stressed/bothered by things in boxes so getting the things out of the boxes or up on the walls is great. The only thing we need now is a kitchen table and chairs and we're finished :)
- my sister is going to have her baby soon!! we are very excited to welcome a new little baby girl into our family and I know my sister is done with being pregnant. My nephew, however, may not be as excited- he's been the apple of his parents' eye for the last 3 and 1/2 years so this is going to be quite the adjustment. The other day, he told me that he wouldn't be sad that I was getting married if I promised to love him more than the new baby... He's also proposed that the new baby live at Grandma and Grandpa's house while he lives at Mommy and Daddy's... it's gonna be rough for the little guy.
- today is our 1 month anniversary and it's been the best month of my life. I definitely have married one of the greatest and most amazing people on earth. Funny things that have happened in our first month of marriage:
- bad food poisoning on the honeymoon (this wasn't actually funny, but we got to know each other A LOT better).
- saying the same things at the same time all the time
- knowing what the other person is thinking without them saying it (it's like being married has given us ESP)
- drinking a gallon of chocolatey milk in 2 days.
- eating 2 packs of cookies in 1 day.
- almost hitting a group of quails while driving home (I screamed, 'YOU CAN'T HIT QUAILS' at the top of my lungs, which scared the quails.)
- placing a book shelf somewhere else in our bedroom because we don't want to move our bed (the bed is also blocking what would be a very useful plug in the wall)
- hanging up a picture of Middle Earth and both screaming when it fell down while watching a movie
- Casey won his soccer game tonight and we got Dr. Pepper after- 2 for 1 :)
- Katy Perry came out with a new music video today, 'T.G.I.F.; it's hilarious and makes me love Katy Perry more. Even better is that the video co-stars Rebecca Black. I feel like it's a huge 'IN YOUR FACE' to the world- every one ragged on her because she recorded one of the worst songs in music history and she gets to be in a music video with Katy Perry, which is my dream (second to being in a Kanye West music video). Touche, Rebecca Black, touche. Here's a link if you're interested in watching: http://www.vevo.com/watch/katy-perry/last-friday-night-tgif/USCA31100045
- Our dear friends Brigham and Jess got the apartment kitty corner (and up a level) from ours, which means we'll be neighbours and we'll have friends!! we're excited for them to come live by us in August :)
- our fish, Jaws, is eating and it makes me happy to know he's not going to starve to death. I've also tried feeding him bits of people food, just to see what happens- so far, he likes cheese, but doesn't like bread or oats.
- we own all of the Toy Story's :)
- My friend Emily comes home this week from her mission in Argentina and I'm very excited to see her.
- we merged bank accounts this week, which was one of those, 'yeah, we're married' steps in life. I liked it :)
and that's everything I can think of right now. I still don't have a job, which makes life really boring and stresses me out, but I'm looking and I have faith that something will work out. If anyone knows any recommendations, they're greatly appreciated :)
- THE MAVS WON!!!! WOOOOOOO!!!!!
It's not like I'm a huge Mavs fan or anything, I just think Lebron James is way over-rated, but thank to James, Bill Simmons has been writing some of the funniest articles ever.
- our apartment is mostly done and unpacked and it feels great! I'm the type of person who gets really stressed/bothered by things in boxes so getting the things out of the boxes or up on the walls is great. The only thing we need now is a kitchen table and chairs and we're finished :)
- my sister is going to have her baby soon!! we are very excited to welcome a new little baby girl into our family and I know my sister is done with being pregnant. My nephew, however, may not be as excited- he's been the apple of his parents' eye for the last 3 and 1/2 years so this is going to be quite the adjustment. The other day, he told me that he wouldn't be sad that I was getting married if I promised to love him more than the new baby... He's also proposed that the new baby live at Grandma and Grandpa's house while he lives at Mommy and Daddy's... it's gonna be rough for the little guy.
- today is our 1 month anniversary and it's been the best month of my life. I definitely have married one of the greatest and most amazing people on earth. Funny things that have happened in our first month of marriage:
- bad food poisoning on the honeymoon (this wasn't actually funny, but we got to know each other A LOT better).
- saying the same things at the same time all the time
- knowing what the other person is thinking without them saying it (it's like being married has given us ESP)
- drinking a gallon of chocolatey milk in 2 days.- eating 2 packs of cookies in 1 day.
- almost hitting a group of quails while driving home (I screamed, 'YOU CAN'T HIT QUAILS' at the top of my lungs, which scared the quails.)
- placing a book shelf somewhere else in our bedroom because we don't want to move our bed (the bed is also blocking what would be a very useful plug in the wall)
- hanging up a picture of Middle Earth and both screaming when it fell down while watching a movie
- Casey won his soccer game tonight and we got Dr. Pepper after- 2 for 1 :)
- Katy Perry came out with a new music video today, 'T.G.I.F.; it's hilarious and makes me love Katy Perry more. Even better is that the video co-stars Rebecca Black. I feel like it's a huge 'IN YOUR FACE' to the world- every one ragged on her because she recorded one of the worst songs in music history and she gets to be in a music video with Katy Perry, which is my dream (second to being in a Kanye West music video). Touche, Rebecca Black, touche. Here's a link if you're interested in watching: http://www.vevo.com/watch/katy-perry/last-friday-night-tgif/USCA31100045
- Our dear friends Brigham and Jess got the apartment kitty corner (and up a level) from ours, which means we'll be neighbours and we'll have friends!! we're excited for them to come live by us in August :)
- our fish, Jaws, is eating and it makes me happy to know he's not going to starve to death. I've also tried feeding him bits of people food, just to see what happens- so far, he likes cheese, but doesn't like bread or oats.
- we own all of the Toy Story's :)
- My friend Emily comes home this week from her mission in Argentina and I'm very excited to see her.
- we merged bank accounts this week, which was one of those, 'yeah, we're married' steps in life. I liked it :)
and that's everything I can think of right now. I still don't have a job, which makes life really boring and stresses me out, but I'm looking and I have faith that something will work out. If anyone knows any recommendations, they're greatly appreciated :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Put Me Down
I had an experience today that made me wonder if I'm living my life the way I want to. It starts with a confession: we went to J-Dawgs. for the 3rd time this week. It's clear we have an addiction (J-Dawgs also as Dr. Pepper- it's like I get my 2 fixes every time I go. no good). But that's not what this is about.
So we're in J-Dawgs, we order and walk down the line like standard protocol and behind us was a family of 7. For those of you unfamiliar with J-Dawgs (I'm sad for you), you have to wait a little while for the hot dogs to cook and sometimes, they call things in the order of the hot dog type being cooked (beef or polish) and not the order you are in line. Casey got his dog first (polish) and usually mine would be next, but they did all the polish dogs next, which belonged to the family behind us.
So they go through about 4 polish dogs and a beef dog comes up, which is mine. However, the lady behind me (who was now next to me), turned and very sharply said, 'My order isn't finished. That isn't yours. I will finish my order'. I was very surprised by her mean response and told the poor guy at the counter that I'd wait until their order was finished at my seat (he looked so uncomfortable because he knew that was my hot dog too, but was just as intimidated of this woman as I was).
For whatever reason, this lady's actions really pissed me off. like seriously. I went over to Casey and fumed about her for a good 10 minutes. I hate being pushed around by people who think they are better, bigger and louder than me and this lady had all three going for her. She knew I wouldn't say anything because I'm a small girl who wouldn't say anything. This isn't the first time this has happened in my life and I think it comes with the territory of my personality- I don't like confrontation and it's easier just to let people be jerks than to start something and get it done my way. I really wanted to go up to the lady while she was seated and tell her that I know that blasted hot dog was mine and that she was wrong to push me around, but I didn't.
And that's why I'm writing. Should I have approached that lady and told her she was wrong? or was it better to leave it as it was? Like I said, I hate being pushed around and I hate it when people don't respect me because they think they're better than I am and undeserving of their respect. But then I wonder if telling this lady that she was completely rude and a beezy would do anything because she wouldn't listen to me anyways and I would just be stooping to her level (and then another part of me laughs because this is all about a hot dog... but it is a J-Dawg, which is clearly superior to the average hot dog).
Obviously there are times in life when you need to be assertive and need to tell people what's up, but where's the line between letting people be push-overs and keeping your self-respect? It just made me wonder if I should be more assertive instead of passive and fuming about it later in private. I mean, anyone who knows me knows I'm a very expressive person, but when push comes to shove, I frequently back down, don't say what I'm really thinking and let the other person throw the stones. It's like I don't know how to find a balance. With J-Dawg Beezy, maybe I should have approached her later and just told her firmly that she was wrong and rude to me, and left it at that. But who knows what kinds of problems that could have caused.
I don't know- the point is I don't want to be trampled anymore, but I don't want to trample. I just need to find the balance.
in happier news, we went over to Ben and Alex's tonight and had lots of fun eating pizza, playing 'Battle of the Sexes', which I swear was rigged, and watching Youtube videos. I also spent a good portion of it coveting their dog, Mocha, and laughing with good friends. We had an excellent time and I'm excited for the next time we all get to hang out.
Our fish, Jaws, hasn't eaten in 2 days and I can't tell if he doesn't like his food (I can't say I blame him...) or if he's just adapting to a new environment. It's freaking me out either way and I wish he would stop it. Why can't he eat like the fish on my blog, dangit.
My best friend, Mary, is engaged and I'm so happy for her!!!! I get to go home for the wedding in July and it's going to be a blast. and hopefully they'll come live by us in the fall.
Still no job, which is kind of stressing me out, but I've just got to put my head down and power through. and pray a ton and apply for everything I can.
Happy Sabbath to you all :)
So we're in J-Dawgs, we order and walk down the line like standard protocol and behind us was a family of 7. For those of you unfamiliar with J-Dawgs (I'm sad for you), you have to wait a little while for the hot dogs to cook and sometimes, they call things in the order of the hot dog type being cooked (beef or polish) and not the order you are in line. Casey got his dog first (polish) and usually mine would be next, but they did all the polish dogs next, which belonged to the family behind us.
So they go through about 4 polish dogs and a beef dog comes up, which is mine. However, the lady behind me (who was now next to me), turned and very sharply said, 'My order isn't finished. That isn't yours. I will finish my order'. I was very surprised by her mean response and told the poor guy at the counter that I'd wait until their order was finished at my seat (he looked so uncomfortable because he knew that was my hot dog too, but was just as intimidated of this woman as I was).
For whatever reason, this lady's actions really pissed me off. like seriously. I went over to Casey and fumed about her for a good 10 minutes. I hate being pushed around by people who think they are better, bigger and louder than me and this lady had all three going for her. She knew I wouldn't say anything because I'm a small girl who wouldn't say anything. This isn't the first time this has happened in my life and I think it comes with the territory of my personality- I don't like confrontation and it's easier just to let people be jerks than to start something and get it done my way. I really wanted to go up to the lady while she was seated and tell her that I know that blasted hot dog was mine and that she was wrong to push me around, but I didn't.
And that's why I'm writing. Should I have approached that lady and told her she was wrong? or was it better to leave it as it was? Like I said, I hate being pushed around and I hate it when people don't respect me because they think they're better than I am and undeserving of their respect. But then I wonder if telling this lady that she was completely rude and a beezy would do anything because she wouldn't listen to me anyways and I would just be stooping to her level (and then another part of me laughs because this is all about a hot dog... but it is a J-Dawg, which is clearly superior to the average hot dog).
Obviously there are times in life when you need to be assertive and need to tell people what's up, but where's the line between letting people be push-overs and keeping your self-respect? It just made me wonder if I should be more assertive instead of passive and fuming about it later in private. I mean, anyone who knows me knows I'm a very expressive person, but when push comes to shove, I frequently back down, don't say what I'm really thinking and let the other person throw the stones. It's like I don't know how to find a balance. With J-Dawg Beezy, maybe I should have approached her later and just told her firmly that she was wrong and rude to me, and left it at that. But who knows what kinds of problems that could have caused.
I don't know- the point is I don't want to be trampled anymore, but I don't want to trample. I just need to find the balance.
in happier news, we went over to Ben and Alex's tonight and had lots of fun eating pizza, playing 'Battle of the Sexes', which I swear was rigged, and watching Youtube videos. I also spent a good portion of it coveting their dog, Mocha, and laughing with good friends. We had an excellent time and I'm excited for the next time we all get to hang out.
Our fish, Jaws, hasn't eaten in 2 days and I can't tell if he doesn't like his food (I can't say I blame him...) or if he's just adapting to a new environment. It's freaking me out either way and I wish he would stop it. Why can't he eat like the fish on my blog, dangit.
My best friend, Mary, is engaged and I'm so happy for her!!!! I get to go home for the wedding in July and it's going to be a blast. and hopefully they'll come live by us in the fall.
Still no job, which is kind of stressing me out, but I've just got to put my head down and power through. and pray a ton and apply for everything I can.
Happy Sabbath to you all :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
c'est la vie
There are a lot of things I want to/should write about because it's been a little while and life has been pretty exciting as of late (say hello to the new Mrs. Greer- it's a little weird to see in writing, but I'm loving every minute of it). But. This.has.to.come.first.
So we got married. and with marriage comes presents. For the most part, we got a pretty good haul, not too many things we didn't register for, nothing too weird and it was nice to be able to take most of the stuff we didn't want and get monies for it (hey there, $700+ for Target). However. there's always a rogue gift. and our rogue gift is from Hell.
But first, a story: Once upon a time, Casey served a mission in Tulsa Oklahoma. and after said mission, Casey decided to live with some of his mission companions/people who served in his mission. In theory, this was an excellent idea. In practice, not so much. For privacy sake, we shall call one of these companions 'Cheap 'N Tacky'. Now, we didn't know that Cheap 'N Tacky was cheap and tacky until we got married, but we did know after spending about 10 minutes with him that Cheap 'N Tacky likes to talk about himself. a lot.
Anyways, back to our story. Cheap 'N Tacky got married the same day we did (May 14th :) and came with his new bride to our open house here in Utah. We said hello to them in line, everything was cheery and there was no mention of The Gift.
Later that evening, Casey and I started opening our gifts and were having a jolly old time until we opened the present from Cheap 'N Tacky.
The first sign this was going to be bad was the card, featured below.
Yes, my friends, this is a used card. Cheap 'N Tacky ripped out what was written to him and his wife, wrote a note to use on the left side and tried to make it look okay by writing, 'ps- I'm not sure what happened to the card...'.
So this is bad, right? and I thought after opening the card that maybe they were just trying to be funny (even though their note gives no indication of such) and they would make up for their tacky-ness with a nice gift.
No. No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.
This was the present. WARNING: the following image is sinful and formerly belonged to Satan.
Where to begin? This thing is awful and straight out of Satan's kitchen. and sadly, it looks worse in the box than on the outside. From the classy price tag in the top right corner to the small piece of tape with gift wrap still attached (not pictured), this thing easily takes the cake of the worst gift I've ever gotten, which is saying a lot because my Grandma Long was notorious for giving bad gifts. Where the heck did they get this thing? Who makes this? Why do they make this? Doesn't Satan miss his cookie jar? WHO EVEN LIKES CAMPBELL'S TOMATO SOUP? WTF?
and more importantly, who gives this as a wedding gift? I mean, I could understand if close friends of ours had given it as a gag gift, but also gave us/did something nice, but Cheap 'N Tacky? I would have preferred the $2.75 they may or may not have spent of the bag and tissue paper (it was hard to determine if that too was used) than this. W.T.F.
However, there is a silver lining. Initially, I didn't know what to do with it. I felt too guilty to give it to D.I. and throwing it away just didn't seem like it would give me the satisfaction I needed. So solution: we told dear friends of ours about this gift and guess what their newest hobby is?
shooting.
we've been wanting to go with them for months and now, I have more motivation to go than ever. To be able to shoot this sinful piece of junk will give more satisfaction than words can express. Thank you Jill and Woody. I could kiss you both.
So that's that. Sometimes, life is just funny and you have to laugh, you know?
In other news, married life is great. I've never been happier.
and we bought a fish!! His name is Jaws and I love him. here's a picture so you can love him too.
and now, to play Halo Reach with Casey. I love spouse bonding time :)
So we got married. and with marriage comes presents. For the most part, we got a pretty good haul, not too many things we didn't register for, nothing too weird and it was nice to be able to take most of the stuff we didn't want and get monies for it (hey there, $700+ for Target). However. there's always a rogue gift. and our rogue gift is from Hell.
But first, a story: Once upon a time, Casey served a mission in Tulsa Oklahoma. and after said mission, Casey decided to live with some of his mission companions/people who served in his mission. In theory, this was an excellent idea. In practice, not so much. For privacy sake, we shall call one of these companions 'Cheap 'N Tacky'. Now, we didn't know that Cheap 'N Tacky was cheap and tacky until we got married, but we did know after spending about 10 minutes with him that Cheap 'N Tacky likes to talk about himself. a lot.
Anyways, back to our story. Cheap 'N Tacky got married the same day we did (May 14th :) and came with his new bride to our open house here in Utah. We said hello to them in line, everything was cheery and there was no mention of The Gift.
Later that evening, Casey and I started opening our gifts and were having a jolly old time until we opened the present from Cheap 'N Tacky.
The first sign this was going to be bad was the card, featured below.
Yes, my friends, this is a used card. Cheap 'N Tacky ripped out what was written to him and his wife, wrote a note to use on the left side and tried to make it look okay by writing, 'ps- I'm not sure what happened to the card...'.
So this is bad, right? and I thought after opening the card that maybe they were just trying to be funny (even though their note gives no indication of such) and they would make up for their tacky-ness with a nice gift.
No. No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.No.
This was the present. WARNING: the following image is sinful and formerly belonged to Satan.
Where to begin? This thing is awful and straight out of Satan's kitchen. and sadly, it looks worse in the box than on the outside. From the classy price tag in the top right corner to the small piece of tape with gift wrap still attached (not pictured), this thing easily takes the cake of the worst gift I've ever gotten, which is saying a lot because my Grandma Long was notorious for giving bad gifts. Where the heck did they get this thing? Who makes this? Why do they make this? Doesn't Satan miss his cookie jar? WHO EVEN LIKES CAMPBELL'S TOMATO SOUP? WTF?
and more importantly, who gives this as a wedding gift? I mean, I could understand if close friends of ours had given it as a gag gift, but also gave us/did something nice, but Cheap 'N Tacky? I would have preferred the $2.75 they may or may not have spent of the bag and tissue paper (it was hard to determine if that too was used) than this. W.T.F.
However, there is a silver lining. Initially, I didn't know what to do with it. I felt too guilty to give it to D.I. and throwing it away just didn't seem like it would give me the satisfaction I needed. So solution: we told dear friends of ours about this gift and guess what their newest hobby is?
shooting.
we've been wanting to go with them for months and now, I have more motivation to go than ever. To be able to shoot this sinful piece of junk will give more satisfaction than words can express. Thank you Jill and Woody. I could kiss you both.
So that's that. Sometimes, life is just funny and you have to laugh, you know?
In other news, married life is great. I've never been happier.
and we bought a fish!! His name is Jaws and I love him. here's a picture so you can love him too.
and now, to play Halo Reach with Casey. I love spouse bonding time :)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Time and Confusion
I have a lot of things to say right now. and some of it I should have said last week when it was pertinent, but now is alright too.
So. I graduated last week. It's weird getting to this point in my life. I've lived my whole education career to make it to University, that glorious place where the work load is unbearable, the professors are merciless and where you GPA defines EVERYTHING about you. In truth, University wasn't nearly that bad. It had it's moments when I felt like I was going to die, but for the most part, University wasn't all too terrible.
The funny thing is no one tells you what to do post- University, that part some how never comes up. I mean, they tell you to decide on major and to think about a career, whatever that means, but they don't really tell you what to do after your classes are over and you have this piece of paper that tells you that you made it through your major. I'm grateful I've always wanted to teach, but even though my brain is pretty set on that, my heart sometimes backs out of it. It's bizarre.
Graduation was another odd thing. I will gladly say that I enjoyed my time at BYU, that I learned a lot, had life-changing experiences both in and out of the classroom, and that I'm appreciative for what I've been able to do these past 4 years. But I was also ready to leave. It's hard to explain, but I was ready to get out of BYU and move on with whatever was next. The last thing I expected at that graduation ceremony was to cry. but I did. and I wanted to cry more but when I looked around and saw that no one else was crying, I stopped.
I still can't quite figure out why I felt the way I did; it wasn't sadness per say, but it wasn't tears of joy for finally making it either. Part of it was all these people standing and clapping for the achievements of myself and the other graduates- there was something moving in that, people recognizing and applauding you for your accomplishments. But I think the other part of it was because I realized that a chapter of my life was closing. These last 4 years have defined me in a lot of respects and made me who I am today. The people I've met, the friends I've made, the teachers I've had, the lessons I've learned, the trials I've faced have all done something to me and for some reason, I felt all of them at that ceremony. There's a lot of memories that are now sealed because BYU is over, things that I'll never reopen and experience again because they're done. They've served their time and now, they're over. It was a sobering thought.
All in all, I'm happy to be graduated and I've enjoyed my time at BYU; I'll miss a lot of things and friends and memories, but I'll also keep them close. That's how it's supposed to be.
The second thing that's on my mind is fresh as of today (May 1st) and I don't know how to write it so people understand me without thinking I'm a crazy anarchist and America-Hater. I'll preface it with this: I love America, I'm grateful I live here, I don't support Al-Qaeda or terrorism, and I'm pro-peace. I think that ought to suffice. Right, moving on.
I'm sure you all know that Osama bin Laden was killed today by American forces in Pakastan. It was announced tonight and President Obama gave a quick speech about the ordeal, what happened and how this is a positive step in the right direction towards ending terrorism throughout the globe. And for the most part, I agreed with him. I felt he addressed the sensitive issue of 9/11 resectfully, gave credit where it was due to American troops who have worked and continue to work against terrorism, and that his main message was justice was served. and that's all fine and well.
What upset me most about this ordeal was actually the response it got on facebook. This is where I'm seemingly unpatriotic. As I checked through my newsfeed, there were so many statuses glorifying Bin Laden's death and saying all these things that just really upset me. I agree that he probably should've died and that he was an awful man, but I just have a hard time celebrating his death because I feel like it's really vengeful and also somehow elevates the terrible things he did to thousands of people. My dad and I were talking about this, how sometimes when really bad people do really awful things, they're mentioned so frequently and given so many labels that it somewhat elevates what they did (Osama has been labeled the world's "biggest","best-known", "foremost" and "greatest" terrorist by several news sources). Even though it's a level of evil, it's still a level that people recognize and give some sort of placement to. Does that make sense?
I sometimes feel like it would be better to mention the deeds and names once and never speak of them again. I feel like the repetition of these kinds of evil things and giving them a place in society gives other people this fuel for hatred and retribution, which I think can swing both ways. In this instance, I can almost guarantee that Osama's death will spark quite the reaction from Al-Qaeda leaders and that not much will change because of it as there are probably a few people who can easily and willingly step into his place. And from the other side, I just have this feeling that the line to stop killing and start speaking is growing fuzzy in America, that so many people want revenge and that death seems to be the solution. I just don't think peace always comes through killing people.
Maybe I'm being naive and stupid about this and don't know enough about the situation and can't relate to the grief and sadness many experienced because of Osama bin Laden. That's probably true. I just have a hard time with it. It all just seems so sad to me. It makes me wonder what Christ would do, how much compassion and forgiveness would He have, and if people would listen to Him if He were here. I don't mean to sound preachy and I'm certainly not condemning anyone for how they feel. I guess I just feel sad and want Christ to come back. hahahaha that's not so much to ask, is it?
Wow. Never in a million years did I think Graduation and Osama bin Laden would be in the same post, but lo and behold, there they are. Life is just full of all sorts of odd happenings, isn't it?
On an exciting note, I get married in 13 days- about freaking time.
also, move in to the apartment was this weekend- we have keys and clean carpets, which is good things.
my mom made my favourite dinner tonight (Macaroni and cheese caserole- I live for this stuff) and I got to play with Jonas today, who informed me that he will be happy and sad when I get married, but as long as I love him more than the new baby, he'll be alright. Bless his little heart.
and last, something humourous: i put this ointment (i really don't like that word, btw) near my eye today because this little hurty/itchy/burny especially when wet red mark showed up under my eye and my mom thought it was eczema. so i put the stuff on and didn't think anything of it until i went to wash my face before bed. and my skin where i had put said stuff was bleached white. as of right now, i have this white sideways oval the goes from under my eye to about my temple. and the hurty/itchy/burny red mark is still there and still hurty/itchy/burny and red. awesomeeeeeeeeee... but it did actually make me laugh... provided it's gone in 13 days.
and now to read and go to sleep. I finished The Last Battle (last book in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia) and started reading The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. I really liked her first book (The Secret Life of Bees- If you haven't read it, you should, it's marvelous), but this one is very dark and I'm not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. If anyone has any book recommendations, I'm all ears.
and now goodbye for reals,
goodnight and good sleeps :)
So. I graduated last week. It's weird getting to this point in my life. I've lived my whole education career to make it to University, that glorious place where the work load is unbearable, the professors are merciless and where you GPA defines EVERYTHING about you. In truth, University wasn't nearly that bad. It had it's moments when I felt like I was going to die, but for the most part, University wasn't all too terrible.
The funny thing is no one tells you what to do post- University, that part some how never comes up. I mean, they tell you to decide on major and to think about a career, whatever that means, but they don't really tell you what to do after your classes are over and you have this piece of paper that tells you that you made it through your major. I'm grateful I've always wanted to teach, but even though my brain is pretty set on that, my heart sometimes backs out of it. It's bizarre.
Graduation was another odd thing. I will gladly say that I enjoyed my time at BYU, that I learned a lot, had life-changing experiences both in and out of the classroom, and that I'm appreciative for what I've been able to do these past 4 years. But I was also ready to leave. It's hard to explain, but I was ready to get out of BYU and move on with whatever was next. The last thing I expected at that graduation ceremony was to cry. but I did. and I wanted to cry more but when I looked around and saw that no one else was crying, I stopped.
I still can't quite figure out why I felt the way I did; it wasn't sadness per say, but it wasn't tears of joy for finally making it either. Part of it was all these people standing and clapping for the achievements of myself and the other graduates- there was something moving in that, people recognizing and applauding you for your accomplishments. But I think the other part of it was because I realized that a chapter of my life was closing. These last 4 years have defined me in a lot of respects and made me who I am today. The people I've met, the friends I've made, the teachers I've had, the lessons I've learned, the trials I've faced have all done something to me and for some reason, I felt all of them at that ceremony. There's a lot of memories that are now sealed because BYU is over, things that I'll never reopen and experience again because they're done. They've served their time and now, they're over. It was a sobering thought.
All in all, I'm happy to be graduated and I've enjoyed my time at BYU; I'll miss a lot of things and friends and memories, but I'll also keep them close. That's how it's supposed to be.
The second thing that's on my mind is fresh as of today (May 1st) and I don't know how to write it so people understand me without thinking I'm a crazy anarchist and America-Hater. I'll preface it with this: I love America, I'm grateful I live here, I don't support Al-Qaeda or terrorism, and I'm pro-peace. I think that ought to suffice. Right, moving on.
I'm sure you all know that Osama bin Laden was killed today by American forces in Pakastan. It was announced tonight and President Obama gave a quick speech about the ordeal, what happened and how this is a positive step in the right direction towards ending terrorism throughout the globe. And for the most part, I agreed with him. I felt he addressed the sensitive issue of 9/11 resectfully, gave credit where it was due to American troops who have worked and continue to work against terrorism, and that his main message was justice was served. and that's all fine and well.
What upset me most about this ordeal was actually the response it got on facebook. This is where I'm seemingly unpatriotic. As I checked through my newsfeed, there were so many statuses glorifying Bin Laden's death and saying all these things that just really upset me. I agree that he probably should've died and that he was an awful man, but I just have a hard time celebrating his death because I feel like it's really vengeful and also somehow elevates the terrible things he did to thousands of people. My dad and I were talking about this, how sometimes when really bad people do really awful things, they're mentioned so frequently and given so many labels that it somewhat elevates what they did (Osama has been labeled the world's "biggest","best-known", "foremost" and "greatest" terrorist by several news sources). Even though it's a level of evil, it's still a level that people recognize and give some sort of placement to. Does that make sense?
I sometimes feel like it would be better to mention the deeds and names once and never speak of them again. I feel like the repetition of these kinds of evil things and giving them a place in society gives other people this fuel for hatred and retribution, which I think can swing both ways. In this instance, I can almost guarantee that Osama's death will spark quite the reaction from Al-Qaeda leaders and that not much will change because of it as there are probably a few people who can easily and willingly step into his place. And from the other side, I just have this feeling that the line to stop killing and start speaking is growing fuzzy in America, that so many people want revenge and that death seems to be the solution. I just don't think peace always comes through killing people.
Maybe I'm being naive and stupid about this and don't know enough about the situation and can't relate to the grief and sadness many experienced because of Osama bin Laden. That's probably true. I just have a hard time with it. It all just seems so sad to me. It makes me wonder what Christ would do, how much compassion and forgiveness would He have, and if people would listen to Him if He were here. I don't mean to sound preachy and I'm certainly not condemning anyone for how they feel. I guess I just feel sad and want Christ to come back. hahahaha that's not so much to ask, is it?
Wow. Never in a million years did I think Graduation and Osama bin Laden would be in the same post, but lo and behold, there they are. Life is just full of all sorts of odd happenings, isn't it?
On an exciting note, I get married in 13 days- about freaking time.
also, move in to the apartment was this weekend- we have keys and clean carpets, which is good things.
my mom made my favourite dinner tonight (Macaroni and cheese caserole- I live for this stuff) and I got to play with Jonas today, who informed me that he will be happy and sad when I get married, but as long as I love him more than the new baby, he'll be alright. Bless his little heart.
and last, something humourous: i put this ointment (i really don't like that word, btw) near my eye today because this little hurty/itchy/burny especially when wet red mark showed up under my eye and my mom thought it was eczema. so i put the stuff on and didn't think anything of it until i went to wash my face before bed. and my skin where i had put said stuff was bleached white. as of right now, i have this white sideways oval the goes from under my eye to about my temple. and the hurty/itchy/burny red mark is still there and still hurty/itchy/burny and red. awesomeeeeeeeeee... but it did actually make me laugh... provided it's gone in 13 days.
and now to read and go to sleep. I finished The Last Battle (last book in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia) and started reading The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd. I really liked her first book (The Secret Life of Bees- If you haven't read it, you should, it's marvelous), but this one is very dark and I'm not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. If anyone has any book recommendations, I'm all ears.
and now goodbye for reals,
goodnight and good sleeps :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
the simple life
check it out, my title isn't orange anymore. thank you Alyssa Ball, you've saved me.
sometimes i'm grateful that the little things in life make me so happy :)
and now, to sleep and to papers and to finals.
and then it's temple, 3 weeks of family time and last minute wedding business and the best day ever. 32 more days- it's gonna be great :)
sometimes i'm grateful that the little things in life make me so happy :)
and now, to sleep and to papers and to finals.
and then it's temple, 3 weeks of family time and last minute wedding business and the best day ever. 32 more days- it's gonna be great :)
Friday, April 8, 2011
HOW DO I MAKE THIS NOT ORANGE?
fellow bloggers,
i don't usually blog twice in 1 day, but this is urgent. as you'll notice, i've changed my blog template. i was getting tired of the old one. but now. problem: the text/title above each blog entry is STILL ORANGE. this was fine and well for my old template, but it clashes with the new one. and that bugs me. i have looked ALL OVER to try to find where i change this, but i can't find it. does anybody know where it is? i would greatly appreciate some help :)
thanks mucho,
kristin :)
i don't usually blog twice in 1 day, but this is urgent. as you'll notice, i've changed my blog template. i was getting tired of the old one. but now. problem: the text/title above each blog entry is STILL ORANGE. this was fine and well for my old template, but it clashes with the new one. and that bugs me. i have looked ALL OVER to try to find where i change this, but i can't find it. does anybody know where it is? i would greatly appreciate some help :)
thanks mucho,
kristin :)
Savory Truffle
I'm writing my thesis paper for my Hum420R class. I don't want to, but it has to be done. and so, to make things better, I've been listening to The Beatles all day. I had forgotten how much I really love The Beatles. You can call them trendy, overrated and overplayed all you want, but The Beatles revolutionized music. I had a boyfriend who despised The Beatles and I never understood it; to me, that's like hating chocolate because it's too delicious. Anyways, the point is that I'm glad that even though writing about Camille Claudel isn't thrilling, at least The Beatles are helping.
Happy Friday, I hope you all have a great weekend :)
ps- for those of you who haven't heard of Cirque du Soleil's 'Love' and who like The Beatles, you need to get this sound track. it will blow your mind.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
we have a miracle
so remember yesterday how i was complaining about housing? turns out, miracles happen and prayers are answered. we have an apartment!! and it's exciting. it's small (not like the claustrophobic small) and it's nothing to brag about, but it's ours. and that makes me happy. move in day is may 1st, which means a lot of work for casey as i'll be in california, but it's still good and exciting.
huge stress lifted of shoulders=really really good :)
huge stress lifted of shoulders=really really good :)
Rushin' Headlong
I have a lot of random thoughts swimming around in my head so I figure I need to spit them out somewhere so I can get some sleep tonight.
- apartment shopping is no bueno. we've been looking for a place FOR.EV.ER. and just when we think we've got one, it's sold to someone else. right now, there's a place we really really like and we're in a good position to get it- I'm praying with a lot of energy we do because not having a place to live makes me anxious.
- General Conference was amazing- i was really impressed by the theme of service and it's interesting because i've been thinking a lot lately about what i can do to be more useful in the world and i've been wanting to do things. now, i have a command to do them, which gives me more motivation. i also really liked the talk about tithing because it's a principle of the Gospel that i've never really tested or applied full-heartedly to my life. but i want to and i will :) and President Uchdorf's jokes about planes and aviation just make me smile. we're guided by such wonderful, good and inspired people :)
- my apartment has this weird smell, something like old eggs, brown, and mop water. i wish i were kidding. i'm very excited to be going home soon. seriously.
- we bought an N64 last weekend and Super Smash Bros. needless to say, i feel this is the best thing i've invested in all semester.
- the invitations are here! and we have to send them out to peoples. and that's exciting :)
- i have to write a 14 page thesis paper for my Humanities 420R class- i haven't started. and this time, our papers are being submitted to a board of Humanities teachers to be read. why couldn't that have happened last semester when i wrote one of my best papers yet or more importantly, when i had more motivation?
- i watched Tangled twice this weekend. i really really love that movie. it makes me happy and laugh and i just feel good. thanks Disney for giving the princess movies another go. although someone told me it's the last princess movie they're doing for a while. i hope not.
- sometimes i feel like i'm a bad friend and family member. i feel like i'm selfish and can't get past my own problems to help those around me. i let my life and stresses get in the way. i need to be better about that.
- birth control does NOT make your cramps better; whoever told me that was very clearly lying. thank goodness for my heating pad and chocolatey milk.
- a little while ago, i wrote a blog about this song that i'm in love with by katy perry called 'E.T' feat. kanye west. the music video came out last week and i can't tell if i like it or not. it's weird- i keep watching it, trying to decide if i like it and sometimes i don't but then other times, i do. it's weird. here's the link if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Sd5c4o9UM
- my mom is the greatest and most amazing person i know. i really love and miss my mommy and i'm excited to see her in 2 weeks.
- i think i have an addiction to Jdawgs. i believe it's in the secret sauce, which i suspect is laced with meth or cocaine. since last thursday, i've been to Jdawgs 4 times. this has got to stop.
- i want to go to the beach and lay in the sand and have that feeling of warmth all over.
- we're thinking of getting smart phones for a new plan through Sprint, but can't decide if we want them or not. i'm scared of new technology, but if it's more cost efficient and full of awesome features, we should do it right? but it all depends if we have internet where we move to. either way, i'm in for a new phone, which is exciting as my phone resents me and won't let people call me anymore.
- speaking of technology, i got a new computer. Lula finally gave up the ghost... well mostly, i think she can be fixed but my dad wants a computer and my parents offered to buy me a new one so i opted for that. it's another macbook and i love it, i haven't named it yet, but i'm sure something will come.
- i'm writing this other paper for my English class about Cormac McCarthy's novel, 'The Road' and i'm relating the characters to the Holy Family and the changing of the role of the Virgin Mary. i regret not starting this paper earlier because the topic really interests me. i also can't decide if i liked the book or not. it's so sad and i'm a bit of an optimist so i have a hard time with sad literature. would i recommend it to people? hard to say... i also want to see the movie, but it's rated R. moral decision time...
- something i'm excited about is having all these sticky notes on my computer desktop go away because it means that the semester is over, i'm married, we have a place to live, i've bought music from iTunes and it's summer :)
- i have to register for classes at UVU tomorrow night- i'm kinda excited, but i'm not really sure why. maybe because it's something new. i'm excited for the new.
- i'm on my last Redwall book as Brian Jacques passed away a little over a month ago. this makes me sad. i've grown up on these books and Jacques has been writing them all through my life, what'll i do when i finish this last one? i just love these books :)
- one of my friends on facebook has the same wedding dress as i do and she looks stunning in it- i only hope i can look half as good as she does :)
and i think that's everything.
good night all, sweet dreams :)
- apartment shopping is no bueno. we've been looking for a place FOR.EV.ER. and just when we think we've got one, it's sold to someone else. right now, there's a place we really really like and we're in a good position to get it- I'm praying with a lot of energy we do because not having a place to live makes me anxious.
- General Conference was amazing- i was really impressed by the theme of service and it's interesting because i've been thinking a lot lately about what i can do to be more useful in the world and i've been wanting to do things. now, i have a command to do them, which gives me more motivation. i also really liked the talk about tithing because it's a principle of the Gospel that i've never really tested or applied full-heartedly to my life. but i want to and i will :) and President Uchdorf's jokes about planes and aviation just make me smile. we're guided by such wonderful, good and inspired people :)- my apartment has this weird smell, something like old eggs, brown, and mop water. i wish i were kidding. i'm very excited to be going home soon. seriously.
- we bought an N64 last weekend and Super Smash Bros. needless to say, i feel this is the best thing i've invested in all semester.
- the invitations are here! and we have to send them out to peoples. and that's exciting :)
- i have to write a 14 page thesis paper for my Humanities 420R class- i haven't started. and this time, our papers are being submitted to a board of Humanities teachers to be read. why couldn't that have happened last semester when i wrote one of my best papers yet or more importantly, when i had more motivation?
- i watched Tangled twice this weekend. i really really love that movie. it makes me happy and laugh and i just feel good. thanks Disney for giving the princess movies another go. although someone told me it's the last princess movie they're doing for a while. i hope not. - sometimes i feel like i'm a bad friend and family member. i feel like i'm selfish and can't get past my own problems to help those around me. i let my life and stresses get in the way. i need to be better about that.
- birth control does NOT make your cramps better; whoever told me that was very clearly lying. thank goodness for my heating pad and chocolatey milk.
- a little while ago, i wrote a blog about this song that i'm in love with by katy perry called 'E.T' feat. kanye west. the music video came out last week and i can't tell if i like it or not. it's weird- i keep watching it, trying to decide if i like it and sometimes i don't but then other times, i do. it's weird. here's the link if you're interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Sd5c4o9UM
- my mom is the greatest and most amazing person i know. i really love and miss my mommy and i'm excited to see her in 2 weeks.
- i think i have an addiction to Jdawgs. i believe it's in the secret sauce, which i suspect is laced with meth or cocaine. since last thursday, i've been to Jdawgs 4 times. this has got to stop.
- i want to go to the beach and lay in the sand and have that feeling of warmth all over. - we're thinking of getting smart phones for a new plan through Sprint, but can't decide if we want them or not. i'm scared of new technology, but if it's more cost efficient and full of awesome features, we should do it right? but it all depends if we have internet where we move to. either way, i'm in for a new phone, which is exciting as my phone resents me and won't let people call me anymore.
- speaking of technology, i got a new computer. Lula finally gave up the ghost... well mostly, i think she can be fixed but my dad wants a computer and my parents offered to buy me a new one so i opted for that. it's another macbook and i love it, i haven't named it yet, but i'm sure something will come.
- i'm writing this other paper for my English class about Cormac McCarthy's novel, 'The Road' and i'm relating the characters to the Holy Family and the changing of the role of the Virgin Mary. i regret not starting this paper earlier because the topic really interests me. i also can't decide if i liked the book or not. it's so sad and i'm a bit of an optimist so i have a hard time with sad literature. would i recommend it to people? hard to say... i also want to see the movie, but it's rated R. moral decision time... - something i'm excited about is having all these sticky notes on my computer desktop go away because it means that the semester is over, i'm married, we have a place to live, i've bought music from iTunes and it's summer :)
- i have to register for classes at UVU tomorrow night- i'm kinda excited, but i'm not really sure why. maybe because it's something new. i'm excited for the new.
- i'm on my last Redwall book as Brian Jacques passed away a little over a month ago. this makes me sad. i've grown up on these books and Jacques has been writing them all through my life, what'll i do when i finish this last one? i just love these books :)- one of my friends on facebook has the same wedding dress as i do and she looks stunning in it- i only hope i can look half as good as she does :)
and i think that's everything.
good night all, sweet dreams :)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
ready and waiting
I'm ready to leave.
I'm ready to get out of here.
I'm ready to get married.
I'm ready to leave behind the things that keep nagging and pulling.
I'm ready to forget the upsets and bad things.
I'm ready for a new life. cuz this one is gettin' old fast.
only 4 weeks left.
I'm ready for the end.
I'm ready to get out of here.
I'm ready to get married.
I'm ready to leave behind the things that keep nagging and pulling.
I'm ready to forget the upsets and bad things.
I'm ready for a new life. cuz this one is gettin' old fast.
only 4 weeks left.
I'm ready for the end.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Guetta Blaster
Statement: it's hard not to love nerdy French men who are DJs and Kelly Rowland.
I was listening to Pandora today (the Lady Gaga station- it's good, real good) and the song, "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta feat. Akon came on (apparently it also has a little more colourful name, but that's what Pandora called it so I'm going with Pandora). I'm sure you've all heard this song (here's the link in case you haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTwzU826qD4 - favourite line: I'm tryin' to find ways to describe this girl without bein' disrespectful. Thanks Akon. also, minor language- you've been warned). And I danced in my chair a bit while writing my Roman paper.
Anyways,it sparked my interest to Wikipedia David Guetta to see who he is and what other songs he's written. Turns out the guy's way awesome- he helped write/produce Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feelin", which is one of my favourite jams of all time. He's French, which is cool because everyone rags on the French and he's a gem to be proud of. He's worked and produced with a bunch of people, including Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, Madonna, Lil' Wayne (MY.HERO.), Flo Rida, Chris Willis, Taio Cruz and Rihanna. He's won a bunch of awards from all over the globe. He did a cool cover of David Bowie's "Heroes". And he's just super great.
I know I'm about 2 years late, but in my search of all things David Guetta, I found this song. and I'm in love. It's called 'When Love Takes Over' featuring Kelly Rowland. and it's beautiful. I love it because it's happy, makes me want to dance around and really shows how powerful Kelly Rowland's voice is, enough to make you wonder why she hasn't been as popular as Beyonce. Here's a link to the video (he's the smiley guy pushing around the DJ equipment). There's kinda a weird underwater bit, some glimpses of a hott make-out and this guy with fire thingies... just remember you're listening more than watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxPrbhmci4A
I love the high five at the end.
I <3 David Guetta.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Love Isn't Easy
I sometimes keep track of my weeks in terms of how many large Dr. Peppers I drink from Wendys or McDonalds; today is Thursday and my count is up to 6. Tonight is the first night I don't feel like I NEED a Dr. Pepper to survive, although it would still be nice to have one.
This blog isn't about my addiction to Dr. Pepper though. It's about lessons learned and the value of love.
Aside from my icky Roman art history test, this week has been an emotional breakdown that was mostly solved by a 4 hour nap today and is now okay to digest. I don't need to go in to detail, but the basic sum-up is this: I was deeply offended by someone close to me, who also was offended by something I had said, and we had a blow out yesterday. I'm not one who is pro-contention; I frequently avoid talking to people until I'm ready to confront them in a more calm way because I have a nasty tongue and it can easily get the better of me.
So yesterday was the day I finally felt like I could talk to the person and it didn't go how I thought it was going to. at all. and after talking to this person, I felt awful. really awful. and I cried for about 23 minutes. and then went to my Roman review. it wasn't a good day.
Since yesterday, I've been trying to figure out what I need to learn from this so that it won't happen again and so I know what to do in case it does. and the answer is this: love them anyway.
One of my favourite writings is by Dr. Kent M. Keith called 'The Paradoxical Commandments'. (Mother Teresa also had a similar set of commandments). I feel that a few of them are pertinent:
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway...
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway...
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Sometimes it's really hard to love people, especially when they've done you wrong. It's easy to focus on their faults, to find their weaknesses and expose them to get back at them or teach them a lesson, to think the worst of them because it makes you feel better. I've done all these things, some quite recently, and I realized yesterday that I can't keep doing this.
There are some people in this world who just need to be loved. They might not show you love and reject you with harsh words, but they still need to be loved. These people probably aren't going to change and that's something they're going to have to deal with on their own terms. but they still need to be loved and have compassion shown to them. If I focus on all the things that drive me nuts, the things that hurt, the things that make me angry, or the things that I feel like I need to teach this person, I'm going to go crazy and my blood is going to be 90% Dr. Pepper, neither of which are good results. I have to love them anyway.
We have a phrase in my family that comes from the tv show 'Malcolm in the Middle' and my dad says it any time someone gets mad. 'Let it go, Lois'. Sometimes we just have to let it go. and love them.
and that's the right thing to do.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
So Sorry
If you're breathing, you've heard about Brandon Davies in the last few days.
If you're holding your breath, this is what happened: Davies was kicked off the BYU basketball team because of an Honour Code violation and will no longer be playing in the tournament and could possibly be expelled from the University.
And needless to say, people have been in a bit of an uproar about it. The announcement was made yesterday and I've heard about it in each class, between each class and on ESPN*.
Granted, I'm not a BYU fan, but I don't hate them either. I'm a little sad and it's not because BYU chances of winning the National #1 title have gone down a ton; I think the mark of a truly great team is being able to pull it together after unexpected problems arise and I think BYU has that potential. They're an amazing team, they deserved their win against State last weekend and I think they have the skill and the chemistry to work together and take this. I hope they do, I really do.
Here's why I'm sad: Brandon Davies will forever have a tarnished reputation. I'm not trying to pardon him for what happened- he knew full well when he signed the Honour Code what was expected of him if he played at BYU and it is his fault that he disobeyed those expectations. But this does not make him a bad person.
We're all human. We all make mistakes. Very few of us enjoy the spotlight so when we do falter, our mistakes aren't broadcasted to the world. However, when you step into the lime light and trip, everyone sees and everyone knows. What normally is a private affair taken care of with very few people is publicized, gossiped, and criticized by many.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Christians, I don't think it's our job to assume what happened and point fingers. We don't have the right to know what happened nor judge what we think happened; that's not our place. "He that is without sin amoung you, let him first cast a stone" (John 8:7). I'm not without sin, I sin daily- I can't be angry with Davies for something that I'm just as guilty of. I can be upset at the outcome, but I can't blame him because he's human just like me.
Good luck Davies. I hope things turn for the best, I really do.
* ESPN was really good about this, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of ragging on BYU for the strict Honour Code, they supported BYU, calling it 'refreshing' that students are held accountable to good and clean living. They commended the school for their choice of action and that, though unfortunate, they admired BYU for holding to their expectations and encouraging students to be honest, good people.
This is the discussion: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6174077
If you're holding your breath, this is what happened: Davies was kicked off the BYU basketball team because of an Honour Code violation and will no longer be playing in the tournament and could possibly be expelled from the University.
And needless to say, people have been in a bit of an uproar about it. The announcement was made yesterday and I've heard about it in each class, between each class and on ESPN*.
Granted, I'm not a BYU fan, but I don't hate them either. I'm a little sad and it's not because BYU chances of winning the National #1 title have gone down a ton; I think the mark of a truly great team is being able to pull it together after unexpected problems arise and I think BYU has that potential. They're an amazing team, they deserved their win against State last weekend and I think they have the skill and the chemistry to work together and take this. I hope they do, I really do.
Here's why I'm sad: Brandon Davies will forever have a tarnished reputation. I'm not trying to pardon him for what happened- he knew full well when he signed the Honour Code what was expected of him if he played at BYU and it is his fault that he disobeyed those expectations. But this does not make him a bad person.
We're all human. We all make mistakes. Very few of us enjoy the spotlight so when we do falter, our mistakes aren't broadcasted to the world. However, when you step into the lime light and trip, everyone sees and everyone knows. What normally is a private affair taken care of with very few people is publicized, gossiped, and criticized by many.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Christians, I don't think it's our job to assume what happened and point fingers. We don't have the right to know what happened nor judge what we think happened; that's not our place. "He that is without sin amoung you, let him first cast a stone" (John 8:7). I'm not without sin, I sin daily- I can't be angry with Davies for something that I'm just as guilty of. I can be upset at the outcome, but I can't blame him because he's human just like me.
Good luck Davies. I hope things turn for the best, I really do.
* ESPN was really good about this, I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of ragging on BYU for the strict Honour Code, they supported BYU, calling it 'refreshing' that students are held accountable to good and clean living. They commended the school for their choice of action and that, though unfortunate, they admired BYU for holding to their expectations and encouraging students to be honest, good people.
This is the discussion: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6174077
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