Day 9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Other than my parents, my Savior, Jesus Christ has gotten me through the most.


I have had a lot of rough times in my life, especially lately, and Christ is the only one who completely understood what I was going through. He led me out of the darkness and into the light. He leads me to a better life. I would be utterly and completely lost if I didn't have Jesus Christ in my life.

Day 8

A picture that makes you laugh.



For this post, I decided to go through all of my pictures on facebook and choose the first one that made me laugh. Voila! This is it!

This was a fun night with my wonderful friends, Mary and Tasha. We had just gone to dinner with Taylor and we were waiting for her while she got her haircut. We had a major case of the giggles that night and took a series of pictures, but this one is my favorite. Love it! And love those girls!

Day 7

A picture of your most treasured item.




That would have to be my scriptures. They provide me with so much comfort, guidance, wisdom, hope and love. I'm so grateful to have the Book of Mormon, the Bible and the modern day revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. They have brought me closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my Father in Heaven.

Day 6

A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

Ummm....I have no. friggin'. clue.

Someone with an awesome job? An intellect- so I know what it feels like to be smart? A humanitarian- so I can change someone's life? An athlete?

Nah, I'm going to settle on someone superficial....like...

Because she's gorgeous, sweet, and gets to watch basketball games with boys like Taylor Lautner.
If I got to be Taylor Swift for a day, I'd totally get back together with Lautner.

And actually, the cop idea earlier triggered this memory...

Back in the days of 24, I dreamed of working for the FBI and working a similar job to that of Chloe O'Brien on 24. I wouldn't want to be Ms. Cranky-pants-Chloe but I'd love to see if I could handle the pressure of a job of that nature. It sounds so thrilling to me- trying to save the US!

Or I could totally settle on Lautner.. :)

Day 5

A picture of your favorite memory.

Oh boy, this is going to be hard- too many memories with some of my favorite people (my family and all of my different groups of friends). This could be like the TV post, but I don't have time for that today. So, I'm going to choose the first memory that came to mind....

This has to be one of my favorite vacations....

DISNEYLAND with the cousins! Spending time with my cousins is always fun but it's even more fun when we go to Disneyland together. It was such a great trip! Our hotel rooms were next door to each other, we had matching rental cars, and we got to spend 6 days in wonderful Southern California. That trip was also blasted hot. Everyday was over 100 degrees. But we got lots of pool time. :) We went to Disneyland, Universal Studios, a waterpark, In-N-Out, and Laguna Beach. We have so many wonderful memories, traditions and inside jokes. I can't wait to go again with them when Trev comes back!

Day 4

A picture of your night.

A picture of tonight? Or a typical night? I wasn't sure...so this may be cheating but it's just too cute to pass up. This is a picture from the other night when I was filling out app's.

Sorry, it's a little blurry but I love it. :)

Day 3

A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

OK, this is tough one. I've thought a lot about it and I can't choose ONE favorite show. There are just too many and I have so many favorites from different phases of life. But here is a glimpse of my favorite things to watch right now:


Modern Family. Love it. This will become a classic. The writing is so funny and so true. Plus, I love how Jay always ties things together at the end and leaves with a good-feeling message. This picture is also from one of my favorite episodes.


Psych. Another favorite show of mine that's currently still on air. It's clever, funny, and I like to try to solve the mysteries along with them. The banter between Shawn and Gus reminds me of Lorelai and Rory in Gilmore Girls, another show I loved. Plus, BYU gets a shout out next season? YAY!

Other shows currently on air that I like:
The Biggest Loser
Ace of Cakes
What Not to Wear -- I'd looooooove to be on that show someday!!

Here are some shows that I love to watch repeats of anytime:
Friends
Seinfeld
Everybody Loves Raymond
Gilmore Girls
I Love Lucy
The Cosby Show
24


...Oh boy, this turned out to be alot longer than I expected. Time to cut back? Probably. Yes.

Day 2

A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.

Definitely my parents. We've always been pretty close but once I moved to BYU, we became even closer. I talked to my parents at least once a day while I was at school but it was usually more. I love them!

Day 1

Post a picture of yourself along with fifteen facts.

1. I'm a lefty.

2. I have a Frankenstein scar on the right side of my neck.

3. I love sports- playing and watching. Favorite teams: BYU Football, BYU Basketball, UO Football, Portland Trail Blazers, BYU Soccer, UofP soccer

4. And I love exercising in general. 24 hour fitness= home away from home, especially now that I work there. :)

5. I also loooove to read Fitness and Health magazines. I learn a lot from them and they inspire me to live a healthier life.

6. My first job was at Haggen Grocery in the Meat & Seafood Department. So stinky.

7. I am a college graduate! That's still so weird to me....Go COUGS!

8. I love to travel and explore new places.

9. But one of my family's favorite places is DISNEYLAND! I've been way too many times to count. I know my way around SoCal pretty well.

10. I only have 1 younger brother...pretty small Mormon family. Fortunately, I grew up living near my cousins and we became more like siblings than cousins. We're really close.

11. I am more likely to cry in a movie when a dog dies than when a person dies. I know, I'm messed up.

12. I cannot fall asleep on my back. I'm in big trouble for when I get pregnant.

13. I met the Jo Bros. Twice. Haha.

14. I've been published in a book.

15. I have a fear of showering when I'm home alone. Thus, my mother told me I'm never allowed to watch Psycho.

30 Day Challenge

I'm going to try this challenge to try to get me to post more often. :) Who's in?!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

Don't Believe Everything You See in the Movies

Well, all of my KC co-workers know that I'm Mormon now. :) I work with at least one girl that I can tell attends a Mormon-bashing church. She had the "oh you poor soul look in her eyes" which made me chuckle. It's going to be fun. I've already had to dispel a few rumors. Hooray for missionary moments!

Somehow, the new series, "Sister Wives," was mentioned in conversation and one lady mentioned something along the lines of "Oh those darn Mormons..." Immediately, I went into Missionary Mode.

"Well, actually, the family featured on that series is not Mormon-"

"Really?" "No, they are, they said that they are in a Mormon community."

"Well, they LIVE in a Mormon community but they do not practice the Mormon religion."

"No, I'm pretty sure they do. The LDS church believes in having plural wives. I saw it in a movie. Brigham Young had 27 wives."

"Yes, that's true. The LDS practiced polygamy back in the 1800's, but that stopped long ago. Polygamy is not practiced in the LDS Church today. The FLDS church is known for polygamy today. But the LDS and FLDS Church are two separate religions. The family on the show are members of the FLDS Church."

"No, you have it wrong. It's the LDS Church that practices polygamy. I saw it in a movie!"

What I wanted to say: A very sarcastic "Because movies always tell the truth..." Maybe with a rolling of the eyes and a "what the heck are you thinking" look.

What I really said (with a smile and chuckle): "Listen, honey. I'm Mormon. I'm LDS. I KNOW they do NOT practice polygamy. The family is FLDS not LDS. They are two distinct religions."

She bowed her head and a quiet little "oooooh" came out of her.

We ended up having a little discussion afterwards about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and how the two churches were formed. It was a good discussion-brief but I taught them truths. :) It's always interesting to see how other people view us and what they think they know about our beliefs. I have a feeling that this will not be the last religious discussion and I'm A-OK with that. I love talking about my beliefs, my religion, and my TESTIMONY!

Moral of this story: Don't believe everything you see in the movies.

therapy

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams

I know some of you won't understand this. Some of you may find this ghastly. I used to.
Tonight, after many not-so-great of days, something triggered the water works. I felt so alone and so awful about so many things in my life that I just sat there on my bed sobbing. All of a sudden, this little guy pops in my lap and starts to wash away my tears.


Sure, it may be repulsive to some of you, but for me it was exactly what I needed. He showed so much concern and love for me. He got me to smile, laugh, and most importantly, to stop crying. Best. Therapy. Ever.

And a wonderful tender mercy from the Lord. :)

P.S. For all of you germaphobes out there, don't worry, I washed my face with warm, soapy water afterwards.

I Wish I Had A Better Story

I wish I had a cooler story to go along with these stitches. Something that showed my bravery or awesome-ness. But alas, I have to settle with this...

Today was a day full of weird sensations.

I had a huge cyst removed from my neck today. I've had a small one on the right side of my neck since January. I never really thought any of it; I honestly thought it was pesky zit that would never leave. When I returned home from school in April, I had an appointment with my physician to renew my migraine medication. While I was there, I had her check it out. She told me that it was probably just a sebaceous cyst, nothing to worry about unless it started to grow. She didn't think it would grow since it had been the same size for 4-5 months.

Well, Dr. Murphy you were WRONG! About a month ago, my mom kept mentioning that she thought it was growing. "Are you sure it's not growing?" I kind of just tossed it aside. Mom's a worry wart.

Well, Lindsay you were WRONG! About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I looked in the mirror and realized that I had a HUGE lump on the side of my neck. It must have tripled in size, at least. No joke. It was so gross and it hurt like crazy. I kept telling myself that it would return to its original size but that never happened. On Tuesday, I finally went to my physician to have it checked out again.

When we got back to the room, the nurse asked me why I came in today. I pulled my hair back into a pony tail and heard her gasp, "I"m guessing it's for that..." Ya think?

Dr. Murphy took one look at me and said, "Yeah, you're going to have to go see an ENT. I'm not messing with that." She poked at it a bit and told me she thought it was still a sebaceous cyst (which means nothing to worry about) but she wanted an expert to remove it before it was sent to the pathologist. She said that there was "no chance in ____" that she would try to remove it because it was near too many nerves and she wasn't sure how deep it went. She told me that she wouldn't be surprised if the ENT had to put me out when he removed it. Wow, way to freak me out, Dr. Murphy.

So, today I had an appointment with Dr. Hertler (pronounced HURTler..ha...ha), the ENT. Good news, he didn't think it was cancerous and he could remove it right away. So, he gave me a shot of numbing stuff (which was the LONGEST SHOT EVER, I swear the needle was in me for at least 2 minutes). The numbing stuff also had a bit of adrenaline mixed in with it. My heart was racing sooooooooo fast. I thought it was going to burst out of my chest. That freaked me out even more with my heart condition and all. Fortunately, that sensation only lasted a couple minutes. I started feeling really jittery though, like I could not stop bouncing/tapping my feet or messing with my hands. It took awhile for the numbing feeling to come on but once it did, man, my head felt like it was floating. Now, that's a weird sensation, too. WOW.

Dr. Hertler then proceeded to remove the cyst. The drugs did miracles and I could not feel a thing. However, I could hear EVERYTHING. If there's a next time, I'm listening to my ipod. I could hear the little scissors cutting away at my skin and I was freaking out. I started singing hymns in my head to distract me. I tried to recall the GRE vocabulary that I studied the night before. I tried anything to take my mind off the fact that he was cutting me open. I failed miserably and tried so hard to be brave. It's a lot harder when it's being done on you.

I wasn't bothered too much while he stitched me up. Although, I could feel the vibrations when tugged and pulled at the string. Another very weird sensation. He had to do 3 layers of stitches because it ran so deep. Now, I have a nice big scar on my neck. Mom says the stiches are about 3 inches long. Right now my neck is so stiff and sore but I'm relieved to have it out of me! Good riddance, cyst! I'm also grateful that it didn't require anesthesia to remove and that the doctor was able to easily remove it without hitting any of the nerves. And I'm EXTREMELY grateful that it's not cancerous.

Now, I just need the vicodin to finally kick in so I can get some sleep.

OH! And I got to see the little bugger that caused so much pain...it was about the size of a grape! I wish I would have taken a picture of it because it was actually kind of cool looking.

Wow, I didn't intend for this post to be this long. I'll have to print it and stick it in my journal so I don't have to rewrite the whole story in there. :)

My physician also compared me to an 80-year-old man on Tuesday. Thanks for everything, doc. You're the best.

A Place in This World

Couldn't have said it better myself, Taylor. Bravo.

A Place in This World

Taylor Swift

For audio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdzFekmOhHU

I don't know what I want, so don't ask me
Cause I'm still trying to figure it out
Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking
Trying to see through the rain coming down
Even though I'm not the only one
Who feels the way I do

I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in
This world

Got the radio on, my old blue jeans
And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve
Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine
Could you tell me what more do I need
And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh yeah
But that's ok

I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in
This world

Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission
But I'm ready to fly

I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on
I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in
This world

Loyal, strong and true

AHHHHHH! BYU Football has finally arrived! Oh how I love to watch BYU Football games. Love, love, love it. Today was perfect. It was a good game; it was close but we pulled out a win (23-17). I love the anxious/nervous feeling I get towards the end of a close game. It makes the game so much more intriguing. I also love it when BYU beats a team from the NW, so I can wear all of my BYU gear around for a day or two. Tonight I went to Walgreens and the gym in my BYU Alumni sweatshirt, BYU football shirt, and BYU basketball shorts. I was a very happy girl. :)

Last year, BYU's season opener was against #3 Oklahoma in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. What a game. I was stoked about this game, so I naturally invited everyone over to my apartment to watch the game. We had a pretty full apartment- maybe 25-3o people? Although I was slightly annoyed that I couldn't hear any of the commentators on the TV (even with the volume maxed out), I had so much fun. It was definitely one of my favorite days, so far. The game itself was so intense. Loved it. BYU pulled out an upset. Loved that even more. Ah, beautiful. Provo went crazy after that game. I'll never forget that night. Everyone went up and down University honking and blasting music. Mobs filled the sidewalks. We danced, jumped, ran across the street (illegally) and, of course, screamed/sang/yelled 'til our vocal folds were swollen shut. The best part was that this was all a sober party. Haha, only in Provo. We ended up at the stadium for some more craziness. It was awesome.

Mary, Tasha, Me, Matt and Rusty partying out in the streets.

Not sure why the picture is so tiny, but this gives you a better idea of what it was like after the game.

Afterwards, a few of us decided to head over to McDonald's to treat our poor larynxes to a cold treat. While we were there, a mass text went out about getting people together to meet the BYU football team at the airport. My friends, Matt, Tasha and I considered going but decided that it was late and we were exhausted. The team was expected to arrive around 1 a.m., so that meant we wouldn't be home 'til 2 at the earliest. So, we decided against it. We parted ways about 11. Chels and I couldn't stop talking about the amazing game back at our apartment. She watched the game up at her dad's place, so this was the first time I had seen her all night. I told her about the mass text that was going around about meeting the team. Immediately she said, "Well, let's go! What are we waiting for!" I gave her the list of reasons we came up with at McDonald's. Her response: "Sooo." I realized that I would probably never have an opportunity like this again while I'm a BYU student, so I reconsidered it. I texted Tasha and Matt to see if they wanted to go. Matt said that he was already in bed, so no. Tasha agreed to come with us. At this point, it was just after midnight (maybe 12:10ish?). The team was scheduled to arrive at 1.

Chels and I grab our purses, cameras, and some food for the road and we pick up Tasha. We finally get on the road about 12:30. I'm driving, so I put Tasha and Chelsey on cop duty because we had to get to the airport fast. I was driving speeds that I am too embarrassed to admit on here. I had someone looking out for me up above, because Chels and Tasha FAILED at cop duty. They were too busy singing and dancing and changing the music on the ipod. Anyways, we made it there safe and sound, ticket free and only about 5 minutes after 1. We pulled into the short term parking lot and noticed it was kind of empty. So, we drove down to the next terminal, still empty. Huh. We weren't that late, there's no way everyone would have left already. We parked and sprinted inside. Empty airport. So, we sprinted back down to the other terminal. Keep in mind that it's 1 a.m. The airport has only a few random employees and stranded passengers hanging out. Here we are, 3 coeds literally sprinting around the empty airport in 1/2 BYU gear, 1/2 PJs. We looked at the monitors and couldn't find any arriving flights from Texas listed. "I don't see a flight from Texas!" "Where are they?!" I'm sure those few random people in the

airport laughed a great deal at us.

Dejected, we left the airport and walked back to the car. "How in the world did we miss them?" "I just don't get it, we were only 5 minutes late." "They wouldn't have arrived in the international terminal, right?" We were so confused. Bewildered. Puzzled. It was such a mystery.

As I pulled out of the short term parking lot, I heard Tasha say, "You guys are going to kill me." "Uhhh, that's never good....why?" "Well, I reread the text and the team was flying into the Provo airport."

We laughed the ENTIRE way home. Not even kidding. I got the best ab workout that night from all of the laughing. Oh my goodness, we couldn't believe it. We couldn't believe it was at the Provo airport. We couldn't believe at what we had just done. It never even occurred to us that the Provo airport was big enough to land a plane big enough for the football team. So, on our way back, we decided to drive to the Provo airport to see it for ourselves. Sure enough, there was a gigantic (obviously private) jet sitting on the runway. And once again the airport was deserted.

I will never ever forget that night. Thanks for the good memory, Chelsey and Tasha. :)

Sparkle in the Sky

Aren't fireworks beautiful? There's something so patriotic about fireworks (other than the fact that they are a U.S. tradition). They are always used in celebration of something wonderful. In this case, they are used in celebration of our wonderful country. The boldness, brightness and loudness of the fireworks signify (to me) that we (the US of A) stand tall and proud. We will never let any group of people instill fear into our lives. At the risk of sounding even cheesier, I am so grateful to be an American. I am so grateful that all of my grandparents and great-grandparents decided to take a risk and move to live the American Dream. Anyways, my REAL post...

I used to be afraid of fireworks. Terrified, actually. I have this vivid memory of one Independence Day evening when I was probably 8 years old. We (my family) walked around the corner to a neighborhood block party. The kids played out in the street until it was dark enough for fireworks. Then, when twilight came we all gathered on the neighbors' front lawns and watched the fireworks. These weren't just the normal neighborhood fireworks. These were the real fireworks. Loud, bright and overhead. I loved them. But I also hated them. They were too close to me. I startled easily and everytime a firework went off, I freaked out. I think I was also afraid of the "fire" part of "fireworks." In my little kid mind, I had the idea that the firework was going to fall on me and burn me. I distinctly remember clinging onto my uncle's arm that night as the fireworks shot off overhead. He chuckled at me and asked me what I was so afraid of. It didn't matter how hard he tried to reassure me, I was still terrified.

Perhaps my "fear" of fireworks was really the start of my respect for fireworks like they always say to "respect" the ocean. The ocean is a magnificent part of our Heavenly Father's creation. While we should enjoy this creation, we need to be aware and cautious of its dangers. Fireworks can be beautiful, when used cautiously and appropriately. I like to believe that I was just uniquely aware of that at such a young age.

Even with my unique fear, I still loved fireworks. There were many years that we went to Tigard High School to view their fireworks show. We sat out at the Seminary Building's lawn with some friends and family and it was beautiful. I have another vivid memory of coming home (at the old house!), opening my bedroom window and staying up watching the neighbor's fireworks. Even after they ended, I left my window open in hopes of hearing a few more before I drifted off to sleep. I did this for many years at my current house, too.

There's something about fireworks that makes me so happy now. I'm no longer scared of fireworks (NOTE: Ground fireworks never terrified me, just aerial fireworks). I am definitely not as crazy as Trevor or Matthew when it comes to lighting fireworks, but I can light the fuze without having a mini panic attack. In fact, Trev and I always argued over who got to light certain fireworks. Anyways, the point of this paragraph is that I can't seem to get enough of fireworks now. They fascinate me.

Last year, I was in Provo for the 4th. Every year BYU holds a concert and firework show in LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Jo Bros were on deck for 2009. So, my friends and I skipped the concert and decided to watch the fireworks from campus. We ended up lying down on the grass right next to the Cannon Center. I believe the fireworks are launched from Helaman Field, so we were right next door. It was amazing. They were gigantic- so large that you couldn't see it all at once. You could also feel the ground rumble in response to the launch. What an incredible experience!

Another favorite firework moment was just this summer. I went to the fabulous NYC a couple weeks ago and was fortunate enough to visit some good friends. Friday night, we took the subway to Brooklyn, grabbed a couple of pizzas and ate by the bridge. We had a fabulous view of the NYC skyline (and you know how much I love the sight of city lights at night). It was gorgeous. Then, I spotted fireworks going off in the distance. My inner child came out (not the fraidy-cat child, but the giddy child) and I shouted, "Fireworks!" as I pointed in that direction. The fireworks were sort of to the side of the skyline (more towards the Statue of Liberty direction) but I could still see the skyline. And the fireworks. Perfect.

I wish I had a better camera, so I could have captured that moment. But it looked somewhat like this, except it was later at night and the fireworks were way over to the left (over the water):

Everytime we visit Disneyland, I make sure we stop to watch the fireworks show at least once. I have learned to watch the fireworks show on the first night possible. Over the past 5ish years, Disneyland changed the launching site or height or something. Everytime I go now, we have at least 1 night of canceled fireworks "due to high winds." One trip, it was canceled every night! I was really bummed that year.

Anyways, Disneyland does a spectacular fireworks show set to music. It's so fun to sit down after a long day at the park and just enjoy the show.

It's also really fun to catch certain rides during the fireworks show, if you can time it right. The first time I saw the fireworks from a ride, I was on the Matterhorn. I think I was in high school. Anyways, we rounded the corner and came out from the mountain and there were the fireworks lighting up the sky and the castle. Another picture perfect memory. Since then, I have also been fortunate to see the fireworks from Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. I will never forget those moments either.

Of course, it's also been incredible to watch the fireworks from my cousin's backyard every year. Their property borders part of Summer Lake. When we sit out on their deck, we can see fireworks from every direction. Fireworks literally surround you all 360 degrees. The prettiest fireworks are those that reflect off Summer Lake. We have many good memories (and a couple close calls) shooting off our own illegals.

I still want to see fireworks on the beach someday.

As well as Washington D.C.

Perhaps I'll have to take a trip next year.

Growing up?

At school I didn't have much time to watch TV but now that I have time, there's nothing on! 24, Modern Family- ok, those are the only shows I really followed this year- are over. I can't even watch a good game on TV because all of my favorite teams are on hiatus. So I have had to find some other shows to relieve me from my boredom.

Apparently, my television show interests have dramatically changed. My father even called my taste "boring" the other day. Seriously, Dad? Of all people....

Don't get me wrong- I still love a good episode of Friends, Seinfeld, I Love Lucy, etc. However, lately I cannot get enough of HOUSE HUNTERS. Or House Hunters International, My First House, Selling New York. Let's just say HGTV is my new favorite channel. The concept of these shows seem pretty boring- watch a couple tour homes, pretty lame, huh? But for whatever reason, these shows fascinate me. I love seeing the different designs, architecture, neighborhoods and trends all across the country and the world. It's definitely made me excited about someday owning a home. Every house that they show, I think about what I like, what I would do with each room, the yard, etc.

Here's what I have learned that I like:

-an open floor plan

-a kitchen with granite tops, stainless steel appliances and plenty of counter space. Perhaps some like this:

or this:

- Master bedroom on the same floor as the kids bedrooms (at least while they are young) and preferably on the second level

- A backyard is a must. A big backyard is preferable. Too many homes have such small backyards now. I would like enough room for the kiddies (and dog, duh!) to run around and play.

P.S. Wouldn't it be fun to have an outdoor eating area like this?

- I definitely have a much more modern/contemporary design taste, well at least more modern than my parents. I like the traditional style furniture (no funky shapes, fixtures or wall art for me) but with the chicness of the contemporary/modern style. Something along the lines of this:

-Make sure there is enough storage space- cupboards, pantries, closets, etc.

Well, a girl can dream, right?

So my second favorite channel right now is the Food Network. This is the channel that my father actually finds boring. A few years ago, I guarantee you that I would have said the same thing. But believe it or not, I'm growing up. I kind of like cooking now. Well, I do like to cook when I have people to help me eat it. However, I really like to bake. I definitely get that from my mother and grandmother. I love baking cookies, pies, cupcakes, brownies, cakes- which is probably why I love watching Ace of Cakes. Love, love, love it. Yesterday, my dad came down and sat with me while I was watching an episode that I had DVRed. When the window popped up, "Do you wish to delete this recording?" he could not believe that I had DVRed such a program. In fact, I think his exact words were, "You wasted our DVR space on this?!" Well, it's not like we are recording a lot of shows these days. When Trevor was around, DVR space was precious; our box would be full of Hannah Montana episodes. Anyways, I'd eventually like to take a cake decorating class, even though it seems as if everyone is into cake decorating these days.

I also love a good episode of "Good Eats" or "Dinner: Impossible" on the Foot Network.

My other favorite channel: The Travel Channel. I love learning about different places and cultures. I have a long list of places that I would like to visit someday.

Hmmm...well, I guess these shows really lack a plot or character development. Maybe I am boring now. Ha, oh well, it's better than some of the other trashy shows on TV right now, right? Right. At least that's what I will keep telling myself. Football season better hurry up!

I ♥ OREGON

Why I ♥ OREGON....

- It's HOME! I lived in Oregon until I went off to BYU. Oregon is still and will always be considered home.

-GREEN. I love seeing green all around me. It is absolutely beautiful.
-TREES. I love love love trees.

-RAIN. This will be my 5th winter in Utah and I have grown to love and yearn for rain. I love the days where it rains non stop. That rarely happens in Utah and I cherish those days when they do come around.
-FOG. Yesterday it was foggy all day. It was awesome.

-FAMILY. Most of my family is here in the Portland area. I love coming home and spending time with them, especially at the holidays.

-PUPPY. I love my dog with all my heart. I really miss Duke while I'm at school. I never knew how much a dog could/would change my life and mean to me until we got Duke. He truly is a best friend.

-DIVERSITY. Portland and Provo are on opposite ends of every spectrum.

-SALES TAX. Or the lack thereof. A JBC off the dollar menu is really a dollar!
-SNOW. When it snows, everyone freaks out. The news is on 24/7. No one can drive. Everyone is outside sledding, making snowmen, and just having a good time. The best was when school would cancel for an inch of snow. Ahh, the good ol' days.

-CHIPOTLE. The Mexican goodness needs to come to Provo (within the next 4 months).

-HIPPIES. Enough said.

-BLAZERS. Rip City.

-VALET PARKING. For bikes.

Half Marathon

I decided last night that I want to run a half marathon. I've always wanted to be in good enough shape to run a marathon, so this is a good start. I've decided now is a good time to start and if anything it will get me to the gym (or outside runs!) to relieve all my stress. I'm actually quite excited and motivated to start training. Plus, doesn't this half marathon just sound plain amazing??
Disney Princess Half Marathon
You get to run around Disneyworld for 13.1 miles. Discount tickets to the park. Discount hotel prices. Awesome shirts. And you get to say you ran a half marathon!! It's not 'til March 7, so that gives me plenty of time to train. Now, I just need someone to do it with me....any takers?!

New Beginnings

I've decided a blog could be lots of fun and it would be nice to record what goes on in my crazy, non stop life. I'm here at BYU for my senior year! I am so excited to graduate and go on to graduate school. For those of you who don't know, I'm planning on getting my master's in Speech Language Pathology. This fall semester is all about prepping for grad school, getting my resume all nice and spiffy, taking the GRE, and filling out those app's. It's pretty scary and crazy! I am really scared about going off to a new school by myself but I'm ready for a change- ready to get out of Provo and start fresh.. I'm rarely in my apartment; honestly, I just sleep and shower here. I'm either on campus (typically in the library) or at the gym. It is quite a change from the summer but I do like being busy. It's been good and I can't believe September is almost over. I have a feeling the semester is going to end before I know it.

Off to finish my homework!