The war is ON

Yesterday after work I came out to my car to find this wretched piece of metal attached to my beautiful BLUE car...

All I have to say is...the war is ON! I'm pretty sure those involved in this terrible act of car vandalism don't know who they are messing with here. Apparently YML hasn't heard about my prank war record. I always win. And I don't resort to lying to do it either. So beware.

P.S. I'm still waiting for my peace offering. :) Oh yeah, and just for the record...I promptly removed that hideous thing from my car and stomped on it a few times for good measure. :)

Way to Be

Wow. What an incredible example of what it means to be a great man and to truly live life to its fullest in the service of the Lord. President Gordon B. Hinckley has been the prophet of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the past 13 years. And he passed away last Sunday night. I feel so honored to have come to know and love this amazing man, and be a recipient of his love, teachings and leadership. I truly feel that I have become a better person because of his example. And I know that the world is a better place because he was here. What a great example of a true disciple of Christ.

Being involved in the media industry myself, I was always intrigued by his interest and actions in the media. I enjoyed watching him raise awareness of the church and our values through his many media appearances and endeavors. I love his books, Way to Be and Standing for Something. They focus on being and doing and becoming. And President Hinckley was a true example of that. He was always working and improving and progressing. I love that about him. He worked so hard right up until the very end of his life. He never slowed down. He was always on fire. That is something I aim to emulate.

I loved his ability to interact with people. He was comfortable with anybody in any situation. You could feel his love and charisma radiating the moment he entered a room. You could tell his smile was sincere and he had a twinkle in his eyes that just screamed love. His caring and humble personality shined through in every situation. I loved his ability to connect with people of all ages and in all circumstances of life. I love that he made the effort to allow the members of the church the opportunity to see the prophet in person and also how he focused on bringing the blessings of the temple to all members of the church around the world. Having lived in a foreign country, I know that both of those things mean a lot to people.

I’m amazed at the growth of the church these past 13 years under his leadership. I know that his talents, skills, ideas and simply who he was are truly preparing us for the future. I will miss hearing his powerful talks, seeing his cute smile, smiling at his witty remarks, watching him wave his cane around, seeing him enjoy every moment, and learning from his words and his example. But I am happy that he is now in a better place continuing his wonderful work.

And soon I will have the opportunity to sustain a new prophet. And I am looking forward to what the Lord has prepared to teach us through him.

Thank you, President Hinckley for your incredible example. It will not be forgotten.

Wedding Announcement

So my sister Laurie is getting married and she wanted me to make her wedding announcements, so here is what I came up with. I think it turned out really cute. Maybe I should start a business to make wedding announcements...it was a lot of fun to make.

Decisions, decisions

I got this today...It is my acceptance letter to the University of Utah graduate program to get a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Student Affairs. Taking that class last semester must have paid off! Now I need to decide if this grad program is what I really want to do. I love opportunities but sometimes I hate making decisions!

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I Am Ariel! (I seem to get her a lot when I take these things.)

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.
Which Disney Princess Are You?


Speaking of Disney personality quizzes, one time my friends and I were discussing what Disney character we were most like, and someone nominated me to be most like Nala from the Lion King because "I was caring and determined, fun-loving and adventurous, and could help people see their true potential and do the right thing." I liked that.

P.S. Thanks everyone for your opinions on where I should go on vacation this year. Even though China got the lowest number of votes, that is where I have decided to go! I'm so excited! I'll be going the end of May and I'm trying to get into the Great Wall of China 5K race...how cool would that be? I really hope I can get in. I chose China over the other two because a) the cost would be significantly cheaper than the other two options. b) my friend April will only be living there until the end of the summer, and what better opportunity to visit China than when I have a friend living there? c) the other two vacations are guided tours and going to China would allow me to create my own itinerary and choose my own travel buddies. China, here I come!

Officially Declared: Crazy and Insane

I just had the best weekend of the year so far! I decided I wanted to escape the sub-arctic temperatures of West Jordan, Utah and head down to St. George to do some hiking. So Caron, Garrett, Matt and I headed south for a quick road trip.

We stopped for dinner on Friday night at the One Man Band Diner in Nehpi. (And yes, it was spelled that way on a giant billboard.) We had a lovely small town experience complete with a wonderful assortment of country tunes and some interesting dining partners.

We made it to St. George, and when we got there I was so excited because when I breathed outside I could not see my breath! Oh it was so glorious! We woke up Saturday morning to an absolutely beautiful day and headed off to Zion National Park and the famous Angel's Landing.

My awesome grandpa came with us. He is 81 years old and is a hiking guide for Green Valley Spa in St. George, so he knows all the cool hikes and everything about the geology and history of the area. I love hiking with him--he is so amazing and can still kick my trash. When I grow up, I hope I'm still as active as he is.

We were doing great for about the first 1.5 miles up the trail. It was sunny and gorgeous and I just really loved being outside. I have missed the sun and being outside so much!

Here's my grandpa climbing up to and peeking out of the peep hole in the rock. After about 1.5 miles up the trail, we reached what is known as "Walter's Wiggles". It is a series of steep switchbacks and we came to discover that it was completely iced over. Well, being the die hards that we are, we proceeded to climb up the ice ridden switchbacks. We only slipped a few times. :)

We made it up Walter's Wiggles to Scout's Lookout. This is where the adventure gets scary. To proceed up to Angel's Landing, you have to climb up this narrow, steep ridge with sheer cliffs on every side of you. Luckily they have chains you can hold onto to keep yourself from plunging into the depths of Zion Canyon. However, as we proceeded to climb, we discovered that the trail was super slippery because of the ice. But Caron, Matt and I were determined to go anyway. Garrett and Grandpa elected to climb the West Rim Trail instead.

We made it about halfway up before we realized how extremely crazy and insane we were, and decided to turn around and go back. It just kept getting more icy and perilous, and we decided that it wasn't our time to go so we better turn back before we died. Getting down from there was much worse than going up. At one point, I decided I might just have to stay there until spring because I was too scared to move.

This was the point at which we decided to turn around. As we were figuring out how to get ourselves down off the cliff and clinging to the blessed chain, we sang our favorite hymns to keep us alive. If you ever do this hike, be sure to memorize the words to "Hold to the Rod" and "How Firm A Foundation" :) It will be your saving grace! :) Luckily since I am writing this post, that means we are all still alive and did not slip and fall to our death.

When we got back to Walter's Wiggles, we had the great idea of just sliding down all the switchbacks. It was SO MUCH FUN!

Matt decided to take it "snowboarding" style and slid down on his feet. It was hilarious!

We then hiked to Emerald Pools to discover these amazing icicle waterfalls. Wow! It was so incredibly cool. Despite the ice and snow, it was sunny and 50 degrees and beautiful all day long. The red rock against the bright blue sky was like a dream come true. These pictures don't even do it justice at all.

After the hike, we headed back to my Grandpa's house for dinner. On the way to Grandpa's house, Caron, Matt and Garrett nearly got attacked by a crazy driver so they had to pull some tricky driving manuvers to lose their followers. But they were successful and made it there safely. Grandpa and his wife AnnaLou were telling us tall tales about rattlesnakes and bears. Garrett was intently focused on the rattlesnake story and was so dumbfounded when it wasn't true. It was so great!

Sunday we went to church with my aunt and uncle and then basked in the sunshine on the GRASS! It was so fantastic.

We stopped off to see the St. George temple and enjoy more of the warm weather before driving home. Oh yeah, and we drove with the sunroof OPEN! And wore sunglasses.

It seriously was so great and exactly what I needed. The whole trip just made me so happy. I loved not having an agenda, being out in the sunshine and nature in good company, doing silly things and not caring how silly they were, having a near-perilous adventure, hanging out with my awesome grandpa, and just having a fabulous time. So if that declares me crazy and insane--bring it on!

Note: This post was brought to you by the song, "Friends in Low Places".

Drinkredpunch.com

Those of you who know me well have most likely heard my schpeil about how to be "approachable" at social events. Basically it consists of 3 rules. 1) Wear items of clothing or carry props that invite conversation. 2) Wear items of clothing that invite touch. 3) Be holding a beverage (preferably a red beverage rather than a clear one) .

Well, a few days ago at lunch I was educating a few of my coworkers about how they could become more approachable. So yesterday they all came up to my desk wearing items of clothing that invite conversation and touch and each of them was holding a cup of red punch. They nonchalantly said hello and just started chit chatting away with me. Until I realized what was happening and then I was rolling on the floor laughing. They proceeded to give me my very own little packet of red Kool-Aid powder so I could be sure to make my own red punch at every event--even if it wasn't readily available.

We then decided maybe we should start an Internet service informing others about these very important matters of social ettiquette. The site will be called http://www.drinkredpunch.com/. Look forward to extremely useful information about your own approachability coming soon.

Conversion is possible

Some people just need a little help pointing them in the right direction until they realize the error of their ways and convert on over to the light. :)

The primary colors are 1, 2, 3...

At church the other day our friend came up to Caron, Alison and me and said..."Hey, you're the primary colors!" It was so funny we thought we should take a picture. So here it is. However, it wasn't nearly as funny as the lion incident that happened later on in the day at Alison's house. I am proud to say that I now know the true source of stress relief. Thank you, Alison!

Before I Die...

I Would Like To...

Have children
Climb the Great Wall of China
See the pyramids in Egypt and ride on a camel
Kiss the Blarney Stone
Go on a humanitarian trip
Ride a gondola in Venice
Be a motivational speaker
Sing “The Hills Are Alive…” and eat schnitzel with noodles while hiking in the Alps
Serve a mission with my husband
Go on a sleigh ride through the forest in a one-horse open sleigh with jingle bell reigns
Participate in the Puxatawney, PA Groundhog Day celebration
Go on an African safari
Visit all seven continents
Eat a Ruths Chris steak
Swim in the Great Salt Lake
Hike the Inca Trail
Run a marathon (and run a race at Disneyland while wearing Minnie Mouse ears.)
Ride in a hot air balloon
See Mount Rushmore
Attend the Kentucky Derby wearing a fancy-schmancy hat
Ride a double-decker bus
See the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in person
Watch a meteor shower
Hike the Narrows in Zions
Wear a southern belle hoop skirt
Eat chocolate at Max Bremmers
Win the cherub in Trivial Pursuit
Go to the White House
Dance at a ball til the stroke of midnight

I totally stole this idea from here. What's on your list?

I have a gospel question…

Consider the following scriptures:

Matt. 11:28-30: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mosiah 3:19: For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

And that quote (that I can’t find right now) that says how if you turn your life over to God, He can make much more out of it than you can.

Anyway, I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is to a) help us overcome physical death and b) help us overcome spiritual death so that we may return to our Heavenly Father. The wonderful thing about the atonement is that we don’t have to do it all ourselves. Because none of us can. He has done for us what we can’t do for ourselves.

My question lies in what do you do when you believe that, but you still feel like you’re alone and you don’t know how to cast your burdens at His feet and take His yoke upon you and partake of the wonderful peace he offers and really feel like you don’t have to do it all yourself? How do you truly use the atonement to overcome the natural man and really become a saint?

So if anyone can shed some light on the subject, I would be much appreciative.

P.S. If you have voted on my poll about where I should go on vacation this year, please tell me why you voted the way you did. I’m curious to know your reasonings.

Team name

My next triathlon is on May 10 in St. George. So far I have successfully recruited a bunch of my friends and my dad to participate with me. (I am still working on talking a few others into it, so we might have some more if I can help them realize how great it will be.)

Anyway, I was thinking it would be fun to come up with a team name and a team cheer to get us all excited for the race. (We are doing weekly group training sessions too so we will be ready!) And I’m going to make us some team sweatbands or something. But I need a team name! Any ideas? Help!

Here is a list of our fabulous triathletes-to-be (in case that helps to inspire the team name):

Me
My Dad
Caron
Rachael
Emma
Matt
Roy
Katie
Almarie
Amanda
Mike

And Raymon (as soon as he comes to his senses and realizes that he really does want to do this!)

Yay for ________ (insert team name here)!

The Great Foot Attack of 2008

This short poem was inspired by an extremely traumatizing experience I underwent this weekend of being attacked by feet in a hot tub. And by Mr. Theodor Geisel.

Left foot. Right foot. I hate feet.
Wet foot. Dry foot. Still hate feet.
Socks off. Shoes off. Hate bare feet.
Up in the air feet. Under the water feet.
On the volcano feet. Next to my drink feet.
Matt’s foot. Darin’s foot. I even hate Nate’s feet.
Help! Here come more and more and more feet. Aaagghh!
Left foot. Right foot. Gross, gross feet.
Oh how cruel is attacking me with bare feet.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! And welcome to 2008. We had a fantastic New Year's Eve party--complete with lots of friends, fun, and 5 different kinds of fondue and plenty of stuff to dip in it.

I made my annual New Year's Eve stuffed mushrooms especially for Ryan, Raymon and Sarah Ann (my mushroom-loving friends). Mmmm....

We played lots of fun games. Don't ever challenge Garrett to a game of Mad Gab--you will lose miserably. However if you happen to be a princess, be sure to challenge a bunch of boys to a game of Disney Princess Go Fish--you'll be sure to win!

Can I just say that I have really great friends?

Emma and Matt treated us to an impromptu karaoke and interpretive dance performance in conjunction with the Top 10 songs of 2007. Don't worry, we got the whole thing on film (thanks Darin!) and it will be debuting on YouTube shortly. :)

Of course at midnight we counted down the seconds to the new year, made a big ruckus, blew our horns, popped some confetti poppers (although most of them got used up before midnight), hugged everyone, and I sprayed everyone with silly string.

Then Kyle stole the silly string and covered me in it. It would not come out of my hair until I washed it the next day! He even got some in my mouth--gross!

Matt decided my leg was a good footrest. And then he decided it would be a good idea to drink the leftover fondue! I think he was a little sick the next day. :) But finding the lovely new addition on his car made everything much better.

Anyway, it was a great New Years. And here's to a fabulous 2008! I have big plans for this year--it's gonna be a good one. :)

And speaking of a fabulous 2008, it's time to post my New Year's Resolutions. This year I resolve to:

1. Increase my temple attendance by at least 50%. (This means I need to go at least 3 times a month. I'm going to try for once a week though, but I'm giving myself some leeway.)

2. Lose 10 pounds. (I know everyone says this, but I am serious and I am really going to do it. That will put me right at where I'd like to be. And besides, I've already lost 45...what's another 10? I can totally do that.)

3. Strive to become more Christlike. (I am going to do this by really focusing on Him in my scripture study, my actions and my prayers.)

4. I have one more resolution, but I have decided not to post it here for a number of reasons. Maybe if you ask me about it in person, I will tell you.

So if you could please follow up with me throughout the year about these goals and keep me on track, I would really appreciate it! Thank you and good luck in all your New Years Resolutions.

Note: These resolutions have been brought to you by the letter A and the number 22.