Some of my Favorite...and Unfavorite Things

My Favorite Things (in no particular order)

1. The sound of a baby's laughter.
2. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate. mmmm
3. Autumn strolls.
4. A good recipe.
5. The smell of homemade bread.
6. Jane Austen novels.
7. Crossing off the last item on my to-do list.
8. Grocery shopping.
9. Quilting.
10. Christmastime.


11. Girl talk.
12. Cuddling with Shaye.
13. Getting A's.
14. Sarah Palin
15. Raspberry Herbal Tea
16. Cafe Rio
17. Seeing an old friend.
18. Holding a baby.
19. Babies in general.
20. Laughing my guts out.


21. Feeling the spirit.
22. Connecting to someone in a different culture.
23. Cooking.
24. The Twilight Saga.
25. Adele's music
26. The Beatles, any song
27. Rainstorms.
28. Being with my family.
29. Getting Bubble Teas with Angie.
30. Watching my siblings grow up.


31. American Idol
32. Crying (I know that's weird)
33. Realizing that I learned a new lesson.
34. Being a listening ear.
35. Being with Shaye.
36. Giving gifts.
37. Relief society.
38. Pep talks from my mom.
39. The feeling of warm sunshine on my back.


40. Lazy days.
41. Writing music.
42. When Shaye gets home from work.
43. Meeting new people.
44. Italy!
45. My iphone
46. Going to the temple
47. Feeling like I am where I belong.


Just to balance it out, here are a few of my most unfavorite things:
1. Endometriosis
2. Roger (those who know me well understand what this refers to.)
3. Bad hair days...or fat days.
4. Frustation and/or disappointment.
5. Obnoxious television.
6. Being misunderstood.
7. Waiting... and waiting....and waiting.

But( to keep it positive) if I've learned anything lately, its that I, and all of us, have to focus on the positive things to evade the negative. As Shaye always says, there is a good wolf and a bad wolf--the one that thrives is the one that you feed the most. I try to feed the good wolf, and hope that my problems will eventually be solved.

MAY YOUR DAYS ALWAYS HAVE SUNSHINE AND HALF FULL GLASSES. :)

My New Job!

As many of you know, I just started my new job teaching beginning writing (ENG 1010) at Dixie State College. Needless to say, this has been a huge undertaking for me--first, trying to prove to myself that I am ready to be a teacher, and second, trying to convince myself that I'm not still a freshman in college. :) It's also been stressful because I'm in my last semester for my MA degree with Northern Arizona University, and I was worried that I would not have enough time to get everything done.
But despite my fears, I am happy to report that my job is going splendidly. I LOVE TEACHING! What a relief after going through 6 years of college for this profession, that I actually do love what I went to school for. My students are bright, intuitive, and good people. I'm so exciting to continue teaching. Maybe one day I'll get my PhD so I can hang out with the cool kids (the higher up professors), and not only teacher ENG 1010. But for now, I LOVE IT!

My parents' dogs are PRICELESS

So, you know that saying that people look like their pets. I really hope it's not true. Sure, I love my parent's dogs...but do I want a flat nose and curly tail... no! My sister bought this gross hair piece at the dollar store. It looked ridiculous on her... and even more ridiculous on the pugs! Here are some priceless pictures of Maggie and Millie. Seriously, 2 Qt 2 B 4gotten!

Millie

Maggie

Breaking Dawn Release Party

So, I know... I'm a dork. It's true. But I LOVE the Twilight Saga!!! My Mom and I went to the Breaking Dawn release party at Barnes and Noble last Friday night and had such a great time. Don't get me wrong, there were definitely crazies there, but nothing too scary. In fact, half my parents' neighborhood was there.


At midnight they made us all line up outside and they called us in in groups of 25. My Mom went and got in line for a wristband at 8 am, so we were one of the firsts to get the book!! YEY! We ran into the store and bought the book and walked past no joke, 1500 or more people waiting and for the book! It was such a rush.


SO... I read the book on Saturday, and I LOVED IT! (Don't worry, I won't spoil it for any of you.) The book has had mixed reviews, but seriously, when can you make everyone happy? Anyways, I loved it!

Jeff's Mission Call

Just wanted to let you all know that my brother Jeff just opened his mission call on Friday! He will be serving in the Alabama Burmingham mission and is super excited! He leaves Oct 22. I can't believe that I have a brother old enough to go on a mission, it seems like yesterday that Shaye left on his mission. We all tease Jeff that he's going to come back with a drawl and weigh 300 lbs. :) Aside from his uncanny association with Forest Gump, he's REALLY EXCITED! YEY FOR JEFF!

Our Trip to Beautiful Washington!

We just got back from the most fun, exciting trip to Washington State. It was especially fun for me to be able to experience all of the things that Shaye enjoyed during his childhood in the Bellingham area where we stayed is his family's favorite vaca spot. The trip was amazingly fun because everything we did was centered around the outdoors. Every day we went on cool hikes, and saw the most beautiful places. I can't believe how pretty it is up there! It's good to be home, but I sure do miss those gorgeous, lush mountains!

Look at all the GREEN!

Mt. Baker

As we were so close to where the Twilight Series is set, I couldn't help but read the series again while we were up there! It's seriously SO GOOD!

The deer are so tame in Sudden Valley, you can walk right up to them.

The view from Deception Pass. Don't let the Caribbean water fool you, it was freezing!

Me at Starfish Beach.

The boys went cliff jumping... I was only a spectator, of course. :)

We found this pretty pond in the middle of the forest.

Heirlooms

The other day my Mom and I went to visit my Papa Joe (maternal Grandfather.) We had a pretty normal conversation, but for some reason he was extra nostalgic and he started talking about lots of family memories... many of which occurred long before I was even thought of. My Grandmama passed away last fall, and so Papa Joe has been really tender lately. All of the sudden in our conversation he turned to a corner of his living room and retrieved a beautiful, familiar thing--a tiny rocking chair that I used to sit in as a little girl. It was my special little place. My Papa Joe told me that he wanted me to have the rocking chair and put it in my nursery when I have

children of my own. As I took that little chair from his house, I was so touched. It's amazing how much nostalgia and emotion can be stored in a little, family artifact. For now, the chair sits in the closet until I have a little one to sit in it.

A little later I looked around our condo and saw so many other heirlooms that brought a similar response. I saw the Easter tree that my Grandmama gave me a few years ago. I know that its June, but I still haven't put it away yet. :) Grandmama always bought me the funniest gifts, and I could never fathom where she had found them. But this Easter tree somehow became very special. It is even more special now that she isn't here to give me advice or tell me about her brave life.

When I went into my kitchen, I saw the Christmas dishes that my Granny gave me. My maternal grandmother was such a special person, and passed away when I was 12 or 13. I remember a few months before she died she called me over to her house. She was lying on the couch and had her oxygen on. We knew she didn't have much longer. It was the last time that I was alone with her. I wrapped the dishes in newspaper and we talked about so many important things. The things Granny said were always important. Now I see those dishes and it seems that a little part of her still surrounds them.




Though I know that we can't take anything material with us into the next life, I am grateful for the blessing of heirlooms. Sometimes when I feel alone, or am missing a loved one, I have something to hold onto to remind me that they're not really gone.