OK!!!

I suck. At blogging. Ha! So since my last post was in July, I think I need to bring ya'll up to speed just a touch.


As most of you know, I've started working full-time at my chiropractic office, while going to work. I'm also doing extra massages in all of my spare time, which leaves....not a whole lot. I go back and forth between moments of "BAH!!! This is INSANITY!!!!" and "This is awesome! I'm like a real live adult!" It keeps me balanced :)


But the main thing I've noticed in these last few months, is how acutely aware of each of us God really is. He gets me. More than I get me. This huge span of time has brought a whole slew of life changes for me, and I'm amazed at how exactly they were catered to my personal growth.


Most of my friends are married and the others are on their way to be. Included in this crowd is my best friend from the mission, Sharon Tidwell. It all happened so fast that I didn't even really have time to notice the change happening....just...Whamo! There it was. This summer she took a job as a counselour for EFY, an LDS summer camp. Which meant that she'd be working all day everyday for 3 months straight. As she left for this expedition the Lord oh-so-subtly scooted 2 very key people into my life- Randy Lasson, and Jared Snow (previously mentioned in my Memorial Day post). Since I've always been one of the guys I fit perfectly into their little duo, and enough fun was had to fill the BFF void.

When Sharon came back from her 3 month jaunt, she was engaged. There was a little more notice than that...but not much. :) If she didn't marry the guy, I would've wondered if something was wrong with her. Seriously wrong. He's a perfect fit for her, and I'm excited for them.

Realistically, when I look back at this summer that's all I'll remember. God working again to perfectly orchestrate people in and out of my life. I'm so grateful. So in honor of the good times of the summer, here's a Jared, Randy and Sarah moment from Halloween

P.S.
Did I mention I'm going to Italy for Christmas? :)

Ode to Jenny

So for those of you who noticed a few days ago on my facebook, my car was stolen last monday. It's been a really interesting experience, because I really actually....don't care. It's very strange, and I think it has something to do with all of my friends. I honestly have the most amazing friends in the history of the world. I'm so fortunate to have them. Let me give you some examples!

The morning it happened Sharon came straight to my house to comfort me (even though I was ok), and then picked me up on her lunch break so that I could use her car for the rest of the day. She's also offered me her car while she's at EFY for the next 3 weeks.

My roommate Susie has borrowed her parent's car for the weekend, and let me use hers until Sharon goes to EFY, and she wrote a poem about it. She's pretty good at poems.

I told my friend Randy and his first concern was that my massage table was in my car, which it was. My massage table is second only to my hands in terms of importance for my job. The car I don't really care about that much. My table....was really sad. So Randy called up all of my friends (that he knew) and started a fund to help me get a new table.

Before my mission I sold my scooter to one of my bosses, Dr. Vance. When he found out about my car, he offered me to use the scooter, or to help me find a new car.

My other boss, Dr. Adams, happened to have a massage table that someone asked him to sell in his garage that hasn't been used, and said he'd let me use it, and if I wanted to buy it, I could get a really good deal for it.

Not to mention all the phone calls, and people sending their regards to the late and great Jenny. It's been a really great experience for me. Which is amazing, because it should be something so devastating and difficult to deal with. The Lord has blessed me with such great people in my life, that it always makes big things seem so small and insignificant. It's also friends like this that will bind together stronger during these hard times. This experience has changed my persepective so much, and I owe it all to Jenny. Here's to you, wherever you are!

Here's some of the sweet stuff my friends did

We all went out to breakfast and and the money was presented with this beautifully handmade card.

This has become the current creative goodness on our whiteboard

Seattle

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Seattle to see a young woman I taught on my mission and her husband be sealed in the temple. It was defintely a weekend to remember!

Thursday morning we (Aubree Healey and I) left early, and braved the 14 hr drive up with my friend Darrin and his wife Anna (Darrin happens to be a brother to the groom), and had them drop us off in at our hotel that night.

Friday, we woke up early, rented a car, and went to see the city.

The funny thing about Aubree is that while we were mission companions we discovered that God put the same brain in two bodies. We're constantly thinking the same thing at the same time, and saying the same phrases. It's amazing, and made for cruising around Downtown Seattle, very exciting. I even had my first oyster shooter. Something I care to never do again.

We also found out that Rent was on tour with 2 original cast members (Roger and Mark, in case you cared), so we of course had to go see it! However, we both managed to forget our cameras during that portion of the evening. One time when having the same brain doesn't come in handy.

Saturday was the big day for Leslie and Devin. We went early and spent some time in the temple on our own before the actual wedding. The whole experience was the most rewarding, spiritual experience I've ever had. They love each other so much, and now they're able to have a family that will last for eternity. It was a really special moment, that can't be compared with anything I've ever felt.

That night we went up with the family and partied it up at the reception. We had an early flight and my friend Rachel was taking us to the airport on Sunday, so we left early, and met up with her. Spent the whole night chatting, got very little sleep, and then flew back for Salt Lake at 7am. And I even saw Mt. Ranier peeking out of the clouds while I was on the plane. It was the perfect end to a fabulous trip! :)

But it's Hard!

So this year started off just like any other- with a whole slew of resolutions I never really intended to keep. Of course there was the standard lose a million pounds, eat healthier, keep my room clean, read my scriptures everyday blah blah, but among a few others I also wanted to reteach myself the piano. As time went on I of course I just acted like I never made them, and continued on with my old habits. Until...

I went to the LDS Church's support group for black members (It's kind of like a mormon-baptist conglomeration and I'm a huge fan of clapping and dancing while belting out "Just a Closer Walk with Thee." So I go.), and the speaker there was an LDS inspirational comedian by the name of John Bytheway (That is his real last name). His whole talk was about gardening, and he correlated it with our lives. In the talk he said something that's stuck with me. He said "Weeds grow all on their own, they don't need any assistance. But to have a beautiful garden we have to work hard to cultivate the plants we want to be there." He related that to habits that we have. Bad habits exist all on their own. We don't need help wanting more chocolate, sleeping in, or wanting to be lazy. We don't have to work at those. But what we do have to work at is the opposite: being active and productive throughout each day.

So I left the evening having gleened some new info. I thought about that a lot, and decided on the habits that I wanted to cultivate, and the ones that I wanted to weed out. It pretty much seemed like it had come back to my New Year's resolutions. Oh good. I made out my list (only mentally) and then left it alone. Until....

Memorial Day weekend when I went to Bear Lake. I spent a lot of time in the back seat with my friend Randy. We weren't really friends prior to that, but when you're crammed in the backseat together for a while, it just kind of happens. Anyway! On our way home Randy somehow came in contact with a piece of gum, and was chewing it. So in our silence I asked a question

Me: Randy, what's you're biggest pet peeve?
Randy: People who quit things because "it's hard," Yours?
Me: People chewing gum.
Randy: I hate you.

While my purpose of the conversation was to tell Randy that gum chewing drove me insane I afterward realized what he said. His pet peeve was people who quit things because they're hard. I quit all kinds of things because they're hard! Heck, that's why I don't do new years resolutions. I make them because I feel obligated, but I never intend to follow through! That would require change....and effort! Heaven forbid!

So I stewed on that for a couple of weeks, and then in one of my pondering states the thought of "it's too hard" collided with "weeding out bad habits" and WHAMO! A light bulb went on. I decided to make a change.

I've started running. I am a self-professed anti-runner. I've considered making a facebook group about it. Not really. But you get the point. I decided, why not do something you hate? Especially if it's good for you. I can only grow from it. So I went and bought a fabulous pair of running shoes, as well as some shorts. And I love it. I've also started to play the piano. My fingers kill me during the whole process, and all songs are half the speed that they're supposed to be played at, but I can do both hands together!

I've never felt better in my life. The victory of overcoming fears, and bad attitudes is the biggest adrenaline rush of my life! So to all those who hate something so much, but know that you need to do it: Do it! One of the Presidents of the church used to have a poster on his wall that said DOn't quIT. Lots of things in life are hard, and most of 'em you just have to hit head on, and never give up. Even if it's too hard.

Memorial Day Weekend

My first long weekend in almost 2 years! I was so excited, and it was fun packed! Starting with Friday, my friend Brian had a birthday party for Bob Dylan. It was quite exciting. I actually got to be the Bob Dylan Proxy, those pictures were taken on someone else's camera, so one day I'll have the picture of me wearing the wig.

Saturday my friend Jared (he's more of an aquaintance really) had a birthday party which I went to. It turned out to be about 6 people: 3 guys, 3 girls. Aside from me, everyone there grew up together and apparently the guys used to duct tape people when they got bored...so they decided to try it again.

Jared, Mike and Randy are a bit like the 3 guys from the Princess Bride to be honest. Randy is the ring leader. He's always making up these schemes that really have no rhyme or reason to them, but it seems to be what keeps him going, so he does it. Mike is like the giant. He's Randy's secret weapon, and once he's got his hands on you, resistance is futile. Jared on the other hand, is just kind of there. He's not really into what they're doing, but he goes along with it anyway, mostly just because Randy's so convincing. They're entertaining to watch.

Anyway, they started with Laurel. Sharon and I made good efforts to combat them with lots of kicking and flailing, but in the end they won out and ended up getting us too. They were so kind to document the occasion with my camera. Look how proud Randy is.




The good news is while they were getting my ankles, I was trying to step out of the tape, and accidentally kneed Randy in the nose. Booya.

Then Sunday, one of my friends from the mission came in from Georgia, and after church she came with a bunch of us up to Sharon's cabin in Bear Lake. It was very laid back and a needed break for me. The weather wasn't very good so we didn't get to go out on the lake, but we rode the 4 wheelers and dirt bikes a lot, and even got caught in a hail storm while riding down the hillside. It hurt. Those pictures were also on someone else's camera. Soon to be posted. All in all, it was a great weekend. Sad to see it go, but life is for fun right? You have to make the fun all week long.

Mystery of the Week

So in case you're not in the know, I work in a Chiropractic office for 2 doctors. Both of which are pretty crazy...in a good way. In fact I should probably start posting some of the funny things they do...

Anyway, other than the Dr's there are 4 of us girls in the office. So today, Dr. Vance asked us all what size shirt and shoes we wear. Weird. I've never had my boss ask me that. Ever. So Ashley, Kellie, and myself started to speculate what it could possibly be, we came up with 3 options:

Option 1: Office Unity- Our semi-annual Patient Appreciation Day is coming up, which is pretty much a big deal in our office. Instead of scrubs, we wear normal people clothes. Which usually wouldn't be a problem, but some of the employees might happen to wear something immodest...so they've purchased shirts. And on the off chance we may inappropriately expose our toes they've purchased us shoes? Yeah, we're thrown off by the shoes too.

Option 2: Baseball- Both are pretty big sports buffs, and they've sponsored baseball teams in the past. Plus them and their chiropractic buddies are constantly throwing their unsuspecting staff into doing things they're not good at. Plus you need special shoes and shirts. I just don't wanna end up looking like that guy.

Option 3: Bowling- Let's be honest, this is the one I'm praying for. Regardless of the fact that I can score a perfect 10 with the bumpers in, I love to bowl. It makes me laugh. Plus, this sport definitely has the coolest uniforms.

In a couple weeks, when the fun of keeping a secret wears off for these overgrown 5 year olds, I'll let you know what the real reason was, and maybe even submit some pictures!

Chicken Ice Cream

So my friend posted this on Facebook and I found it equal parts funny and disgusting. So I thought I'd share it with you! :)

Mmmm Mmmmm Hot dogs!