The Day I was on ESPN

I traveled down to the BYU v Ole Miss game this past weekend. It was a fantastic trip. And what made it complete was getting on ESPN. Truthfully, you can't really see my face and you had to know I was there. But still I was on TV. And I am most definitely counting it. So many people stopped us and asked to take their picture with us or just to take our picture. It was ridiculous. But awesome at the same time. And of course, I loved it.

Here we are before the game

Oh, and we won. That made it even better too.

Here we are after we won!

City Life or Not

Things I Hate About Living in the City

Traffic

Lots of people

Traffic

Sewage smells

Traffic

Stars aren't visible

Traffic

Traffic

Traffic

Traffic

Traffic

Traffic*

Things I Love About Living in the City

Lots of things to do**

*okay, so I HATE traffic. Absolutely. Positively. I hate crowds of people and of cars...

**Yes, this is the only thing on the list. But it encompasses SO many things! There are so many things to do and lots of free things. It is awesome. I love having places to go to eat, shop, museums, festivals, concerts, movies, parks, etc.

Spider Conspiracy

Do you ever have that feeling after you kill a bug that all it's little bug friends are going to come after you? Yes, no, maybe?

Well I certainly do. And lately I have been believing it. Here's my story:

I live in a basement in MO. Two best words to describe this place: humid and buggy. And basements are just a bug's own little paradise. But this story is more about spiders than just any bugs. I have never been scared of spiders really. I just think they are disgusting and freak me out a bit. Well, I am becoming more and more scared of them. It might be turning into an irrational fear. You see, I kill at least 1 spider a day. AT LEAST. Fantastically gross. It wasn't a big deal until the fear came. I'm not sure why but now I hate them... not that I ever liked them.

But I feel like all the spiders in the area, maybe the world, have a mission to terrify me and maybe attack me. (So far none have come close to me or shown any signs of aggression but you can never be too sure.) Too prove my point: one day I killed 7 spiders. 7. And now the spiders are not just in my basement they follow me. I see them everywhere.

And tonight at an outdoor concert little gnats kept landing on me. No one else. Just me. Well that may have been because I had some many food spots and spills on my shirt it was like a little feast, but that is another story for another time. Basically, I spilled something at every meal today. Good times.

Anyways, the moral of the post: spiders are coming after me. Simple as that.

PS: Last night I almost hit a skunk which would have been disgusting. Then tonight I almost hit a rabid raccoon. Like it seriously was running really ridiculously and I am positive it was rabid or had something wrong with it. And when I say almost I mean almost. Close call both times. Yuck.

I can't seem to catch a break...

Sometimes I think my body hates me or is rebelling for something I did to it. What I did to it I don't know. But anyways lately I can't seem to catch a break. Here's my story:

This summer has been a good one but filled of physical pain and disease. I started it off with stepping on a nail when I was doing tornado clean up in Joplin. 30 minutes into cleaning up... not even kidding. It went pretty deep into the arch of my foot. That was painful for a couple of weeks.

Then a little while after that was gone I got MRSA on my calf! You might recall me having a bad case of MRSA last summer. This stuff is not fun and is going to be with me for the rest of my life apparently. So I was down with that the weekend of my birthday and the 4th of July into the whole week after that... I didn't get back to work or anything till the 11th of July.

So the case of MRSA was pretty intense and they had me taking SOOOOO many medications... I should be taking them still but then something else happened and this is the worst part...

(This I have to tell the whole story to do it justice) Thursday July 14th I wake up with hives covering my body. My first time breaking out in hives and it was not fun. My doctor told me tree tea oil would help keep MRSA away (every doctor has told me something different). Anyways, I had bought new body was the day before and used it. So I thought it was that. I took an allergy pill and went on to work. The hives kind of disappeared. But then in the afternoon my hands and feet started hurting and I could tell they were swelling a little bit. I was a little concerned but I had to work so I just dealt with it.

Well I worked until 9pm and my hands started hurting some. BUT it was the night of the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2 premier and I was not missing that. I went to the theater and got in line. While in line I could tell my hands were getting worse. We got into the IMAX and were sitting in out seats. I was in so much pain but so determined. This was the end of Harry. I had to be there. I had to. At about 11pm I caved. My hands looked like Aunt Marge's. And I am not exaggerating. (If you know me at all you would know that they had to be HORRIBLE for me to give up on Harry and go to the ER.) My hands were deformed from the swelling. Everyone around me was scared for me. My parents were looking things up online and getting freaked out. So I did I got up and left the theater and went to the ER.

I learned something at the ER when your hands look like balloons they don't make you wait. They took me right in to be seen. My body had an allergic reaction do the antibiotics I was on. So now I am not taking the antibiotics but I am on 4 other types of pills... I have been so full of drugs lately its ridiculous. And then after they shot me up with drugs in the ER I had to lay there and lay there. They said they had to watch me to make sure my body wouldn't react to what they gave me. So I was in the ER later than I would have been if I had gotten to see the movie. Oh well. It was a good choice. The doctor did tell me that if I would have waited my blood pressure would have dropped and I would have had trouble breathing and then we would have had a really big problem. So I made the right decision but I was not happy about it. I was probably more upset then I should have been but I was really mad/sad/frustrated/and all those bad feelings.

The next day I worked even though I am taking benadryl 4 times a day. It makes me so tired and a little loopy because I am so tired. Then I went to a wedding reception. Then I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Did I love it? Oh yes I did. I cried when the movie started. Not even kidding. I was just so happy that I was actually seeing it. I am a bit ridiculous, I know. But this has been such a big part of my life since I was 11! That's half my life people!

So the point of this story is I have bad luck... Oh well. Go see Harry if you haven't seen it yet. I am going again on Monday because I am determined to see it in the IMAX like I should have on opening night...

harry...HARRY...potter...POTTER

The end is here. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes out in 24 hours. I have so many emotions I can hardly stand it. Half my life I have been a Harry fan and this is the day that it all comes to an end. Some might wonder "what will Tasha do with herself?" That is yet to be determined. But somehow I think I will go on. It's what Harry would want after all.

Haha, but in all seriousness. I am EXCITED. And a little sad. But mostly so excited to see the movie which is exactly why I am not sleeping right now when I should be...

dream come true

I love life. Actually, I love my life.

Why, you may ask?
Well all those normal things: Faith and Gospel, family and friends, work, etc...

But today I mostly love my life because of the AMAZING things I have coming up:
1. Going home on wednesday for my BIRTHDAY and the 4th of July
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 tickets are bought--- and I am seeing it at the IMAX in 3D. Woah. I might have a heartattack during the movie. But it's all good.
3. I am seeing Paul McCartney in concert! This is the dream come true. I am so excited and can hardly believe I really am going. It's going to be the best thing EVER.

Happy day.

The Hollywood Effect

I am one of those people influenced by Hollywood. Crap. Not in the "I want to be super skinny so I am going to have an eating disorder" way. Not in the "I want to beautiful so I am going to have so much plastic surgery I don't look like I used to" way. Not in the "I want to be incredibly famous so I am going to do something stupid to get noticed" way.

No, not those ways. I am part of the group that loves fictional stories and tries to make them real in my life. Yes. So here I am admitting I have a problem. First step is admitting.

As a child I loved to play make believe. I would use my imagination and come up with different lives for me to live. Well, it wouldn't be all my imagination truly... it would all start with whatever movie I saw. That's the life I wanted and that's the life I would pretend to have. Well, until the next movie came out and I moved onto the next thing.

When I was like 5 years old I ruined the Batman VHS because I watched it so many times. I would tie a blanket around my neck and run around the house pretending to be Batman. I also would make my little sister tie a blanket around her neck at be Robin.

After Mighty Ducks I wanted to be a hockey player, which is laughable to anyone that has seen me ice skate... I would play in the kitchen just with socks or outside with roller skates.

I used to watch The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I then wanted to be a detective. Again, making my sister come along I would ask my parents for cases for me to solve. My favorite was when I asked my dad if he lost anything that I could help him find. He responded with "his brain." I went to my mom all sad because he wasn't playing along with me. My mom then told me to get a frozen pea out of the freezer and give it to him saying "I found your brain." My dad thought it was pretty funny luckily. :)

I made a family newspaper after I watched a movie about a reporter... I can't remember the movie now. I thought it would be so cool to be a professional skater after seeing Brink. I would run around outside or inside pretending I was doing skateboard tricks (my dad would never let me have a skateboard... see nickname post for a good explanation on why).

So there are some examples from my childhood. But that's what kids do. So I don't really think it is a problem. But it didn't stop in childhood for me...

After the Da Vinci Code I wanted to learn more about symbols. I would look for symbols and patterns in everything.

It was after seeing the Beatles movie, Yellow Submarine, that I became a huge Beatles fan.

In college I was trying to decide if I should switch my major to archeology. My dad jokingly asked if it was because I just saw the new Indian Jones movie. I said no... but truthfully it was around the same time. I have always been interested in archeology but I am not so sure if the movie didn't have a little influence on wanting to switch.

There are some examples of how Hollywood influences me... ridiculous? Maybe. Thankfully, I don't really let movies make my decisions. I haven't seen any movies about recreational therapy and I certainly didn't move to St. Louis because of Meet Me In St. Louis. But occasionally a movie will spark something in me.

So what sparked this post? Fast Five. Yep. Something in me thinks it would be so fun to drive my car like they do in that movie... Just once. (Because I would be dead after that one time) I do have control, so don't worry. I won't be speeding around corners or jumping ramps any time soon.

Random Thoughts

Today I feel like life is rushing past me. Not in a Debbie Downer sort of way. Just a fact. But I want to do something about. So I am going to put down all the thoughts of things I want to do and somehow I will make them happen. Not just the BIG dreams. But the little ridiculous things I have always wanted to do. Also, all the things I recently keep telling myself to do but just don't think I have the time. And what better way to make myself accountable then to write them publicly? Awesome.

1. Go to England.

Status: Savings account opened and money slowly adding up.

Plan: Keep saving. Keep dreaming and planning.

2. Triathlon.

Status: Training schedule made and in use. Confidence growing in the swimming area...

Plan: Stick to schedule.

3. Make a necklace out of sea shells.

Status: Sea shells sitting in bucket.

Plan: Just do it!

4. Own or make room dividers.

Status: Looked online.

Plan: Do more research. Look at actual stores.

5. Stick to my exercise/diet.

Status: Been good for 3 weeks.

Plan: Stay positive. Think about the goal.

6. Do something exciting each week.

Status: After the awesome vacation it's been sort of blah.

Plan: Look for the exciting things. Make the exciting things happen. Be creative!

7. Finish my scripture study journal.

Status: It's a work in progress.

Plan: Remember to actually study...

8. Organize my space.

Status: Sort of getting there...

Plan: Just do it! And keep it that way. :)

9. Try something I have never done.

Status: I have some fun things in the works. Hopefully they will work out.

Plan: Nail down plans. And do it!

10. Keep educating myself.

Status: Books and articles piled up...

Plan: Actually read them in my spare time. Pick things I am interested in.

Looking at this list it seems like a lot of things. But it's not like I have a time frame I have to finish all these things... Most are things I need to always be working on anyways. Plus, I feel better when I have a plan and am doing things.

On a total different note: I would just like to say that I really have the best profession in the world. My jobs are so rewarding and I absolutely love them! I work with some of the most amazing people. They brighten my day every single day. Seriously. Some times it can be hard and challenging but without fail one of my clients will do something to totally change my day around. They have the purest and sweetest spirits around. I'm so grateful for them and the opportunities I have to work with them.

Family Vacation 2011

Dolphins, Harry Potter, Rollercoasters, Magicians, Food, Beach, Lighthouse

Awesome vacation to say the least. I didn't want it to end. But atlas it did. We had such a great time though.

Things you need to know:

Metling Pot- though expensive, totally delicious and fun meal

Discovery Cove- awesome. If you ever get a chance go. If you ever get a chance to swim with dolphins just do it.

Wizarding World- AMAZING. Most magical place in the world, simply put. Go. And I will go with you.

Sea World- Has this really crazy ride. You sit on the ride then it tilts you so you are on your stomach. And the ride is like that the whole way. Weird feeling, but closest thing I have ever felt to flying.

So many firsts were crossed off my list on this vacation. And I loved it. Man, I have such an awesome family.

The Small Things Help Us Focus On The Big Picture

Today, if it wasn't for the small things I would have broken down. Things happen all the time in life that bring us down. That's a fact. But it's okay because life is still great. Reminding ourselves of that is sometimes hard. We all have worries and more worries and more worries. But we MUST keep our focus on the big picture. That, my friends, is also a fact. Having an eternal perspective isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it makes life easier. Funny how these things work.

I am going to use myself as an example. Because I am the one writing this blog... imagine that. I think that I love to be busy. And most of the time that thought is true. But I have exceeded the amount of busyness I like. I don't want this to be a post filled with complaints or pessimism. Because that's not who I want to be. Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people complain about being busy all the time. Because everyone is busy. Way to be a hypocrite, Tasha. So basically all you need to know is I work a lot and apparently if I am not doing something I think its time wasted. For some one that preaches a balanced life, it seems I am not the best at practicing what I preach as of late.

In my life:

focusing on being busy=exhaustion=crabby, irrational, irritable, down-on-herself Tasha

Not exactly the Tasha I want to be. This is the way I see it. We all are busy. Life is just that way. But it is what we focus on that influences our perspective and attitude. It is also how we choose to react to the busyness. So, we focus on the good things. The things that bring real joy in our lives. Focusing on the positive will help us have a positive outlook on life. That in turn will help us have a good attitude to the busyness of life.

Okay, what do we do to focus on the BIG picture or the positive things? Well, the little things of course. I don't pretend to have all the answers but here are some of my thoughts on what I can do to change my focus.

1. Prayer- Our loving Heavenly Father listens to our prayers and will answer them. Because He loves us! Just remembering this fact lightens the load. One of the most comforting scriptures is found in Matthew 11:28-30. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." So, pray, PRAY, PRAY!

2. Scripture Study- Right along with praying is of course scripture study. This is also what I think it means to "come unto Him". Strengthening our testimonies through scripture study is vital to having a positive attitude. I don't think it is possible to come away from reading the scriptures with a bad attitude. If you do, you weren't really reading. To quote another scripture: "Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3) So we read the scriptures and the Spirit will guide us to what we need to be doing. This can help us schedule our busy lives and be able to prioritize.

3. Listen to the promptings from the Holy Ghost. And to go along with that recognize the promptings. We are guided by the Spirit all the time. We get promptings all the time, but are we always listening or recognizing the promptings? Every time we listen and recognize a prompting from the Holy Ghost our testimony is strengthened. We also become more in tune with Spirit. This helps us recognize and listen to future promptings.

Insert personal story--- Last night I was getting ready for bed and remembered I needed to make my lunch for tomorrow. I was exhausted but thought it was a better idea to make it the night before. Heck, if I am waking up a minute before I have to! The next morning I remembered we were going on a tour of the Edwards Jones Dome for work and I could possibly get something while we were out. So I thought, "oh, I will just buy lunch as a treat". So I finish getting ready and I am about to leave when I get the impression "No, you should bring your lunch". I actually sat there and thought about it for a second. In the end I decided to just bring it. Well, we get to where we are going to sit down and eat and one of my clients brought something she had to microwave to eat. We were out and didn't have a microwave. She was stuck without a lunch and didn't have any money to buy something. So, I ended up giving her my lunch. Now this wasn't a big deal, but I truly believe I was prompted to grab my lunch at the last second for her. And from this simple act I came away with the great feeling that the Lord does send us promptings through the Holy Ghost. My testimony was strengthened with this small act that I could have possibly forgotten in a day or two. But since I realized it was a prompting it has made an impression on me that I will keep with me. I will be able to use this experience to help me look for other small whisperings of the Holy Ghost.

4. Look for the small things. I didn't know how else to title this one. But what I mean is: every day things happen to us that make us smile, make us feel good, make us feel loved, make us want to be better. These are the things we need to focus on. These are the things we need to be thinking about when we go to bed at night. These are the things that need to stand out about our day. These are the things we need to talk about. These are things that will help us live our day to day lives. Look for them, recognize them, remember them. And if you feel so inclined write them down. I think it helps to write them down because then when you are feeling down you can go back and look at them. Then you will remember those times and it will help you think of other things that make you feel good.

Insert personal small things from today--- As I look back on today I realize I can't count the number of good things that happened. Because there were so many. And I started writing this post because I was feeling way down. But atlas, I have gotten to myself. Today was a good day. Scratch that. I had a GREAT day. Some small examples: When I walked into the door at work a client got all excited and ran and hugged me. While during the tour another client hugged me just because. One client helped another client throughout the day in so many ways. Just seeing this makes me so happy. My early morning client was chipper and smiley when it was way early. My boss thanked me. Someone sincerely asked me if I was doing okay. I talked to my mom. I talked to my best friend. I read my scriptures and a talk by Elder Ballard. These just scratch the surface. There are so many things that made me feel good today. Yes, life is great.

Well, a long rant later... I feel like I just wrote a talk or something. Haha. :) But in all seriousness, this has lifted my spirits more than I could ever imagine. It is the truth the small things help us focus on the big picture. And that makes life so much happier.

Inspiration or Curse?

When I was wee little thing my dad dubbed me "Biff". Yep. This is the nickname my dad gave me when I was learning to walk. He says it is because I fell down, ran into things, rolled off things, etc. But what baby doesn't? As I grew older I continued down the path of being clumsy. Not only in my walking, but in most areas of my life. And as I look back on these 22 years I begin to wonder "Did my dad curse me or was it inspiration to what I would become."

Some incidents that come to mind:

1. In 2 days I injured both my thumbs. No, not in some awesome way. Pure clumsiness. Oh, and maybe some stupidity. What 22 year old burns her thumb on the cigarette lighter in the car? Or cuts her thumb pretty bad while cutting an orange?

2. How many times did I fall on BYU campus? I started to count but then the number just became ridiculous. Snow, rain, or sunshine. Didn't really matter I could find a way to end up on the ground. I will just pick one from those 3 different weather conditions to share with you. Because I know you are dying to hear them.

Rain- This wasn't too horrible. I was walking with a group of people up to the Marriott Center for a basketball game. It was a group that I just started hanging out with and so they didn't know me very well. We are walking a long and next thing I know I am on my back on the ground.

Sunshine- Walking across campus, enjoying the sun, and leaving a voicemail for my friend. I am leaving the library so I have my backpack on full of books and everything. I still don't even know how this one really happened. But ka-blam I was down. And the best thing it wasn't straight on my back. Because I had a bruised knee, bruised elbow, scraped up hand, and a broken phone. It was quite a scene. Pass-byers didn't know what to do: ask to help me, laugh, etc. I just laid on the ground, raised my hand up, and said "I'm okay."

Snow- This time I was actually talking to a friend on the phone. I think he still doesn't know that I fell while talking to him. I was coming down some steps about to cross the street by my apartment. I slipped off the top stair and landing in a pile of snow on the side of the road. All the cars at the intersection stopped. I got up and just walked across the street. And my friend just kept on talking.

3. I have destroyed a number of cell phones. The one I have now is a trooper. It has been through countless drops (including a 2 story drop onto cement), dropped in water twice, the battery being lost in countless places (fields, my car, etc), and many other things.

4. I can't walk in high heels. No joke. It is always a ridiculous disaster.

And I am going to leave it at that. I had others to add, but I don't think I need to. So I am not sure if it was inspiration or a curse. But either way I think I live up to the nickname.

Surprising But True...

This isn't a picture with me in it....

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh

I love to laugh so most pictures could qualify as this. And as I found out recently (trying to pick out a picture for my mormon.org profile), most pictures I take are ridiculous. Usually I am making some crazy face or something else out of control. So it would be quite easy to put a picture of me on here. Most pictures of me make me laugh. But this picture is, as people say these days, "EPIC"!!! I love it. It makes me laugh and I think it is just a great moment captured.

It's Sad But True...

Day 6: A picture of your most treasured item

Too lazy to take a picture of my actual one. Though it does have a cute cover on it... Anyways, yep my ipod. It might be ridiculous but it's true. The world is totally turning over to technology.

I do almost EVERYTHING on my ipod. I read my scriptures on it. The app even has this cool feature where I can add my own notes right into the scriptures, talks, lessons, etc. I love that about it. I check my email on it. I check Facebook on it. I read my daily Dilbert on it. I use it for directions. I take notes on it. I have my Bucket List on it. I check the weather on it. I check Redbox on it. I read the news on it. I use it as my dictionary when I need to look up a word or know how to spell a word. I check my ESPN on it. I use it to look up all the useless facts I think I need to know. I play so many fun games on it. Oh and I guess I listen to music on it too. Haha.

Woah, reading this makes me think it is a little pathetic. But it is just so useful. And I don't really think it's bad. It is pretty amazing all the things I can do on this little thing. Well there you have it, my ipod. :D

Are we talking about a "REAL" person?

Because if not that would have to be Ginny Weasley. No joke there. But since I guess this means a real person I will go with someone else.

Day 6: A person you would love to trade places with for a day

J.K. Rowling. Obviously.

It would make my life to be able to trade places with her for a day. And not so I could have the money or fame. No, I would want the knowledge. There is so much of the Harry Potter World that she didn't have space for in the books and I want to know all that information. Obsessive? Maybe. But really. J.K. Rowling is amazing...SO talented. She is seriously one of my heroes.

Too Many To Choose From

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

Family vacation 2006: HAWAII!!!

AMAZING. We had so much fun. I loved everything about Hawaii. One of my dreams is to live there. One of the biggest reasons is because of the laid back culture. We had so much fun. Great things we did: snorkeling, swimming, bogey boarding, great food, time with Nana Bug, touring, Polynesian Cultural Center, etc. I also had the best birthday ever there. 18th birthday. Spent the day scuba diving with my dad. Then my family went to a delicious steak dinner at a restaurant on the beach. :)

The Fuzzier the Better

Day 4: A picture of your night

Well, it's winter and the night outside is cold. So I thought I would use a picture of what my nights truthfully consist of. And that my friends, would be my pillow and two fuzzy blankets. Then there is the usually movie and my ipod. I play games on my ipod and I do my scripture reading on it too, so it is always with me when I am getting in bed. I love falling asleep to movies. It's kind of strange. But I put Day After Tomorrow in there because that's the movie my body is trained to fall asleep to.

And the Winner is....

A tie. I just couldn't pick one. And I will tell you why.

Day 3: Picture of the cast from your favorite show

I decided I could pick a reality TV favorite and a regular TV show favorite. Cheating? Maybe. But that was even hard. Yes, I know, I need to get a life. I am pathetic. But I like TV and maybe some day I will get over it. Probably not.

1. Survivor

I have watched EVERY episode. And that's a lot of episodes. My family and I make a big deal of it. We draw names and have a Survivor competition every season. So really you could say it is a bonding family activity. ;) Since there are so many different Survivors from all the season I decided to just put a picture of my favorite.

2. Psych

Hilarious. That's basically all I have to say. It is so fantastic. I love the dialogue. It is the kind of humor that I really like. I don't really know how else to explain. It is just an amazing show. Watch it if you don't believe me.

Parents Rock

Day 2: Picture of you and the person you have been closest to for the longest.

Obviously, this would be my parents. I have always been close to them and I am so thankful for that. People in high school were always surprised to see my relationship with them. They are my best friends. I am so grateful to have so wonderful parents that have taught me so much. I look up to them in every way.

Fifteen Facts

I am going to copy Lindsay's idea and do the 30 Day Challenge. I just think it looks like fun. So here we go!

Day 1: A picture of yourself and 15 facts.

1. I like to live in imaginary worlds. Reading and watching movies are some of my favorite pastimes.

2. I am an avid gamer. No, not a video gamer. A board, card, and pretty much anything else gamer.

3. I like to make people laugh. And I tend to make myself laugh the most.

4. I like to watch documentaries, all kinds. That nerdiness surprises people.

5. When I was younger I designed what I wanted my future house to look like, but I haven't once thought about what I want my wedding to be like.

6. I am lactose-intolerant. And mint-chocolate chip ice cream is my downfall. Or cheese.

7. I don't just like things, I obsess over them.

8. I have watched every season of Survivor and Amazing Race. No, I am not ashamed.

9. I would seriously eat mashed potatoes at every meal.

10. I tend to not care about fashion rules. Actually, I don't even know all the fashion rules.

11. I work with people with disabilities, adults and kids. And I absolutely love it!

12. I can't sleep with socks on.

13. I am really bad about answering my phone or text messages. And I wonder why no one calls or texts me anymore...

14. I would rather ride than drive.

15. I have trained my body to fall asleep to the movie The Day After Tomorrow. I fall asleep so fast if you put that movie in!

Sorry for the previous ugly post

I HATE PUTTING PICTURES ON BLOGS! It never stays in the format I put them. But I was fed up with trying to fix it, so there you have it. The post is still good, so read it, even with the annoying pictures.

HAPPY 2011 EVERYONE! :) Let's make this another great year.

Gratitude and Acknowledgement

4 years of my life I spent out in Utah. During those good years I had many friends that touched my life in their own special ways. Now call me nostalgic or sappy or whatever you want, but I just wanted to go through some of those people. They all helped me become the person I am today. I thought about writing this post a few weeks back but decided not to because I thought it might embarrass someone or whatever. Then Sunday in Relief Society we had a lesson on gratitude. The teacher talked about the importance of expressing it and it made me think of this post. Maybe, there is a better way to express my gratitude for the many people in my life. But I think this way it also helps me recognize what each person has done for me. And hopefully it's a little refresher so I can continue to try and learn these lessons. This post will probably be long, so feel free to skim or skip it altogether. :)

FRESHMAN YEAR

Becky "Dos"- Great example of how one simple act can make someone's bad day a good one. She was so observant of how others were feeling. I can't count how many times she did small simple things that really changed my day and ultimately my outlook on life.

Rachel- Taught me "somethings are worth getting up at 6am to wait in line out in the cold" :) Seriously though, she was so good about making everything fun. I am pretty sure there was never a time that Rachel and I got together and didn't laugh and have the best time ever. Also, she taught me laughing is contagious. And she has the best laugh ever!!! She was also my sports buddy! I am so grateful I had her to go to sporting events with and watch them on tv! My college years would have been very boring if it wasn't for her.

Lisa-A fantastic example of what a true friend is. She always seemed to be doing something for her friends. She truly does all she can for the ones she cares about. I probably still owe her for everything she did for me.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

All the guys I hung out with Sophomore year- I definitely learned many "dos" and "donts" of dating from them. :) But I also learned many other things in my time with them through their examples and discussions with them. I have some very fond memories from times with them. Specific things from some of them: Tagg- A great example of sincerely making a person feel special and appreciated. I still have a list of "Taggisms". Wes and Brian- They were good examples of always trying to do the right thing. Jason K.- He showed me the beauty in not rushing. Taking time to sit back and enjoy God's creations. Devon and John- Sometimes you just have to let loose and act like a little kid. We always had a good time enjoying life. Jake- He always took the time to listen to me when I needed someone to talk to. Jake was there when I truly needed a good friend.

Char- Thinking of Char brings to mind being happy, positive, and many other good thoughts. Char was a perfect example of having a good attitude. Even when life would try and bring her down she would take a positive look on things. She loves life and is always up for anything. I truly loved that about Char. We went on so many fun adventures!

JUNIOR YEAR

Summer of 2009 Group- That summer was one heck of a good time, as summers always are. These people showed me that sometimes staying up till 5am talking, playing drinking games with lemonade, watching tv shows, and doing whatever else is better than sleep. Sleep you don't remember but I will always have those memories. (Until I have dementia, and at that point I will catch up on all the sleep that I missed) One more thing, the group was extra fun because of our dynamic. We were all funny and crazy in our own way which made for some pretty fun and funny times!

Rusty- He was true to himself. Rusty is one of the funniest and best guys around. And one of the wonderful things about him is he doesn't put on a show. He is who he is. And I LOVE it!

Lindsay- She is one of those people that are good all the time. :) She is a wonderful example of being nice to everyone and being everyone's friend. Another thing she was way good at supporting and being involved in Church things. She was such a great example to me in that way.

Mary- I like to think that I became more witty after knowing Mary because she is the most witty person I know. And I love it. (Though her skills probably didn't rub off on me.) Mary helped me with lots of little things that she probably doesn't even realize: spending my money wiser, being more organized, listening to music on youtube, wasting time on the computer ;) etc. She was also good at making the most of the time we had.

Matt- One of the funniest people I know, but he knew there was a time and place for it. And this may sound funny, but he was truly humble too.

Andrea- She was an example to me in leaving Utah and moving somewhere totally on her own. She had so much courage and spontaneity. Her example helped me realize change is a good thing and I could move on with my life too. She also made life fun all the time! You couldn't help but enjoy yourself when you were with her.

SENIOR YEAR

Brett and Josh- They were my home teachers my Senior year. And quite possibly the best I ever had. They truly cared about me and made such a great effort. Both were such good examples for me when I needed it.

Guys at BYU Food To Go (Spencer, Drew, and Chris)- These guys made work so much fun. But they also were such good examples of how a husband should treat their wives. I often thought that I want my future husband to have some of the qualities these guys have.

Todd- Todd was such a great example of always trying his best at everything. Even on days when we didn't really want to work he would put in 100%. Something I also really liked was that he was always reading a new book on something that interested him. It showed the importance of continuing your learning outside of school.

Ben- He showed me that simple funny texts can really make your day. Ben is always making people smile. And he is so good about giving people compliments. You always feel good about yourself when you are around Ben.

LAST TWO :)

Michelle- I think I can honestly say she is the nicest person I have ever met. She sees good in everyone and would never say anything bad about anyone. Sometimes I teased her about being too nice but it was something I really did admire. Being friends with Michelle was easy because I knew she would never judge me. If I was to be more like anyone I would want to be more like Michelle. I loved being able to act like a little kid with her and just enjoy life. We never cared what anyone thought and that made life so much happier!

Vanessa- She was with me all 4 years and I have NO clue what I would have done without her. She was what I needed in a best friend at college. It was pretty perfect: what we needed to be alike on we were alike. But then we were opposite on the things that we needed to differ on to help each other. It was great to have her around. She was my family away from home and I always knew she cared for me and would be there for me, even after she was married. She was an example to me in many ways. Some included: the ability she had to love people, her hard work ethic, her strong relationships with her family, and enjoying life's simple pleasures. Someday I wish to have as good of a relationship as her and her husband have. They are both great people and I am so happy to call them my friends. (Woah, this one was little sappy. But it's okay because it's how I feel and I really love Vanessa and TJ)

Sorry for the soapbox. If you read it all, I applaud you. If you didn't, I understand.

THE END. Finally.