Rachel's Ramblings

I See a Trend Here...

2011-04-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

June 2009... March 2010 (I'm back!!!) ... April 2011. My last 3 posts.

I don't know how I managed to post so frequently in the past. I've never been a great journal-writer or documenter. Sure, I love to write but for some reason I don't make time to do so. Additionally, even in my humble spiral notebook of a journal that no one will ever read, I feel like documenting my world will literally take life from people by boring them so thoroughly that they just die. Or something.

This has always been my struggle, but I want to document my life more. Time is going by too fast not to write stuff down. Plus... I'm getting old and I forget fun things that I've done in my life. I'm having more and more "Oh yeah, I think I remember that (after 5 minutes of trying to remember)" moments. So... now that I have an hour and a half to blow after I get off work with a computer that can't access Facebook but can access Blogger, I'm going to do better. I'm also going to read more blogs! I used to love that... Sure, Facebook status updates are nice, but I get a better sense of my friends and family's lives when I read more detailed reports of their adventures on their blogs. It's a good time.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my continued ramblings :)

I'm back!!! :)

2010-03-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really TOTALLY back yet- I have intentions to write a MASSIVE blog, which shall chronicle the last year or so of my life with what pictures I have and as many details as I can recall (don't count on getting much) but for now I just wanted to say that I have intentions to return to the blogging world.

So... where am I now? I finally got a job here in Utah- one I REALLY wanted with a company that is close by doing data entry. I start on Monday, March 29th. I've been going back to church, in a ward here that I really love and am making new friends in the ward. There are so many good things happening in my life right now and I have been so so so so SO SO blessed! My family has supported me in every way possible and I love them all so much. I know God is mindful of me and is guiding my path and I feel really happy with my life right now and excited for some fun changes that will happen in the next few months.

So, I'll post again, back tracking in my blogging and hopefully I'll be able to keep up from now on!

Utah!

2009-06-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

So... as of last weekend, I'm OFFICIALLY a Utahn! Okay, I've only lived here a week and I don't have a job or car yet, but I'm officially living in Utah now.

My last couple of weeks in Nevada were bittersweet. It was awesome spending so much time with my friends but it was really hard to say goodbye to them and my family that I left behind.

My friends and I randomly hung out a lot the 2 weeks before I left and Ashley and Anna even helped me pack a couple of days. A week before I left, we checked out this karaoke bar. It was a lot of fun.

The next night, we just hung out at my friend's house and had a little going away sleepover thing with me and some of my favorite people! Unfortunately, I didn't get many good pictures that night. :) For my last night in Henderson, my friends and I went out to Olive Garden and then hung out until the wee hours of the morning. It was so sad leaving! At first I was sort of too sad to cry, like it hadn't even hit me yet and then right before I left I got SO emotional! I was totally bawling. These friends of mine are SO amazing and I'm going to miss them so much!

It will also be sad not living with Mom, Ben, Taryn, and the kids anymore. We've had some great times in the past few years and it will be weird to only see them when they or I visit. Same with Cari and Roger and their kids- It'll be weird not seeing them every Sunday, but hopefully we'll be able to visit a lot and I'll enjoy getting to know my siblings and nieces and nephews here in Utah.

Its been a crazy week and it still feels like I'm on vacation or something but I think I'll start to settle in here soon! I've already had a lot of fun with my family here. Candice has been moving this week, so a couple of days, Tara, Laura and I went over there to help pack and clean. I wasn't much help (I'm a horrible packer and was only proficient at the jobs she gave me when they involved just throwing everything in a bag) but I got to hold Kayleigh and Cameron when they cried so that their moms could get some stuff done. It was the BEST job! I love those two cute babies! Unfortunately, I took pictures of them on my phone and the adaptor to my phone's memory card got left in Vegas... maybe I'll post pictures of them later.

Friday, May 29th was Jana's birthday, so Tara helped me make Jana breakfast that morning and then we went to Mimi's that night and rented some movies to watch. It was fun! Then on Saturday, the whole family got together for Jana's b-day too. It was a fun weekend.

So, I have a little group of girls in Utah to do stuff with! Okay, okay, 2 of my 3 friends are related to me (Jana and Arin, my sister and cousin) but Chandra isn't related! She's not obligated to hang out with me but she does! Miracles do happen! ha ha jk. Maybe I'll get out there and make more new friends but I'm happy with our little group! :) We're a barrel of laughs- maybe I'll take some pictures soon, we didn't take any on Jana's birthday for some reason.

Anyways, it has been an interesting transition for me, leaving the ones I love back in Henderson and getting set up here in Utah, but I think this will be good for me. I'm currently job-searching (wish me luck!) and was able to acquire a vehicle that I need to get inspected and registered (Thanks Steve!) so hopefully my life will level out soon. I hope everyone is enjoying this warm weather!

Uh oh...

2009-05-31T21:44:00.001-07:00

The obsession continues...

CON-GRADUATION!

2009-05-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

On May 9th, I graduated college!!! Woo! I got my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. It has felt like such a long journey, especially these last couple semesters, and I'm happy that I have finally reached the end of it. Graduation day was a LOT of fun! In the morning, mom, Laura, and Jana gave me some cards and flowers that were really funny and sweet. Jana's card said CONGRADUATION! It was a Really funny one, so was the one Laura gave me that had money in it and said "Ka-ching!" They both were those talking Hallmark Hoops and Yoyo cards-Both were super funny. We went to Olive Garden for lunch, my whole family that lives here as well as Jana, Dad, Laura, and Dalton who came from Utah to see me graduate. Thanks for that mom, it was a lot of fun to have all of us there, celebrating! I really appreciated it. The ceremony was pretty boring but I did get a little emotional when we were walking in, thinking of how I really was finished! I actually dropped my name card when I was walking down and they won't call your name without it, so I picked it up really fast and looked like a dork! Mom caught it all on video! I sat next to my friend Ashley who graduated as well so that was fun. We giggled together a bit when John, our student speaker, had his tassel blown into his mouth several times while he was speaking and also shared a little smiley moment when it was our turn to get our diplomas. It was awesome to walk across that stage and get my fake diploma and shake hands with (or hug) some of my favorite professors. I suppose it was good to see the not-favorite ones as well. :) Anyways, after the ceremony, we took a ton of pictures and headed over to Ashley's house for a combined party. Her parents went all out and made a really nice party. A bunch of our favorite people were there and it was just really great to celebrate with my friends. It ended up being a really well-rounded day, where I got to celebrate with my family, friends, and fellow students. It was awesome! Here are some of the pictures I took that day:

Before Graduation- Me trying to look smart! Lol.

Jana and I before Graduation

Ashley and I in the sea of graduates. They look pretty bored, but we were EXCITED! :)

Right after I got my fake diploma! YAY!

Ashley and I- Finally done! Woo! :)

Anna, Ashley, Myself, and Jana after Graduation

Sisters and Mom after Graduation

The whole Graduation clan- Thanks for coming, everyone! It meant a lot to me!

The BEAUTIFUL flowers I got- Laura arranged them from bouquets I got from Jana and Mom! SO pretty!

Me and my flowers

I LOVED my flowers! Can you tell?! :)

Ma and Pa and I after Graduation!

Ashley and I at the After-party!

All of my favorite ladies at the After-party! L to R: Jana, Anna, Myself, Ashley, Ashlee, and Trina- Love you girls!

So, now my life as a student has come to an end. I have one more class to finish in the summer to make it official and then I'll get my not-fake diploma :) Freshman year seems like SO long ago, and yet it was really just a blink of time from there until now! Jana asked me on Graduation day if it felt weird that I had spent as much time in college as I did in high school and it does feel weird! I have learned so much from my experiences in school and I owe SO much to my parents and family for helping me through it all. If it were up to me, they would all get honorary diplomas for how much they've done to help me finish. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME!

GRADUATION OUTTAKES:

So... I couldn't decide whether to put these two pictures in my post, but I just can't help myself- they're too funny! For your viewing pleasure, the outtakes:

HA HA. Ashley's tassel in her mouth. This picture is priceless.

ha ha. Maybe you had to be there to REALLY know how funny this was, but I think the picture does it justice pretty well... Jana told mom and dad to kiss me on the cheek for a picture- Dad was making me laugh and mom was saying "My nose touches her glasses" and it was just REALLY funny. You can see in the picture how funny I thought it was.

Catching Up

2009-05-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

So, since I've been so very distracted with school this semester and it is now completed, I thought I should probably update my blog! I haven't had TOO much going on, but there has been some fun stuff in the past six months to document. I really haven't updated about my life since New Years, so here goes... Around New Years, my sisters had babies so I now have a new niece and nephew! They are SO CUTE! Below are some pictures right after they were born. I was lucky enough to spend some of January in Utah before school started so I got to hold them a lot :D It was great.

In February, mom and I stayed in Utah for a week to catch both of the baby blessings. It was a lot of fun and they looked adorable in their blessing outfits! They're so cute! It was a fun week.

Some of us also got a chance to karaoke while we were there that week! Below is a picture of me, Jana, Holly, Arin, and Holly's friend Elizabeth. It's always a good time when we go there- you Utah people should check it out! Click here for more info!

In March, I threw my friend Anna a birthday party. She had a lot of her friends there, Trina and Ashlee pictured below, and we did karaoke, had some tasty food, and had a good time. Taryn and I had a little bit of fun decorating for it, stringing streamers across the room and on the windows and doors. I should probably say that Taryn executed it and I merely handed her tape, just so I'm not getting undue credit. I did hang the Happy Birthday sign on the window all by myself though! :)

Also in March, Jana came here for a week for my Spring Break and birthday! It was SO much fun to have her here again and we did some fun stuff for my birthday. It's was really hard to part when she left that time! I think both of us are ready to live in the same state again! I didn't take any pictures while she was here! I was kind of a slacker! Owell... there will be plenty of time to take pictures when we live together!

Easter weekend, we had the WHOLE family here! It was so much fun! We even got the chance to see Erica, Don, Brooklyn, and Ava Stepro. It was a lot of fun to have everyone here and have a big Easter egg hunt in the three main rooms of the house. The babies were of course SO CUTE (Are you seeing a theme to this post?! ha ha ha)! These pictures are of them in their Easter-y outfits. They're adorable!

So, Those are some of the big events from the last six months! Sorry there aren't many details- that's the downside to blogging months after something happens. I've mostly been working on my last semester of school and hanging out with friends. I graduated on May 9th! I'll post some pictures of that in a later post! Now I'm just packing and spending time with my friends for the last week I have left in Henderson! In less than a week, I'm moving to Utah and will be starting my job search. I'm excited to get there and get established. Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and all is well with you.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day everyone! I'm sorry to everyone out there who thinks that THEY have the best mom out there- 7 of you could be right- but sorry, my mom is the best! She's the most unselfish, thoughtful person and she would do ANYTHING for her family and for anyone else who needs it. She has spent her life taking care of her kids and working for her family. I love her TONS and am SO GRATEFUL to have such a fantastic mother! Happy Mother's Day!

I really LOVE Music

2009-03-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

So, recently, I've been adding and organizing music on my computer (thanks to Jana's MP3 player and network sharing) and I'm reminded how much I LOVE music! Of course I love to sing, karaoke, and blare the radio and such, but going through some of my old and new favorites on my computer makes me remember how much recorded music has affected my life! I used to get new cds and listen to them and take out the booklet and read the lyrics and REALLY experience the music. I loved it! I actually did that recently for the first time in forever. The source of this devotion: Brandi Carlile's The Story album. I LOVE this whole cd. I heard The Story on a GMC commercial during the Olympics and eventually looked it up and bought the cd... and played the cd... and then the obsession began. It's awesome. I love it. You should buy it too. ha ha. jk. But really though... it'd be money well spent!
I used to go through phases when I would just have one cd in my cd player for like a month or two at a time and when I listen to those cds now, they're SO nostolgic! I know them like the back of my hand because I listened to them so much. A few cds I played endlessly were the I am Sam soundtrack, the Def Leppard Vault album, Green Day Nimrod cd, the Beatles white album, the Creed Weathered cd, Monster Ballads, The Weezer blue album, The 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack, a ton of the Now cds, and SEVERAL others. I used to/still love making mix cds too! I have so many random mixes in my cd case right now, it's not even funny. Good times... Lately I've been really into music that's kind of simple with a really talented vocalist and acoustic guitar, maybe some piano, and not a ton more... okay, probably drums too, but you get what I mean- really chill and simple, yet amazing music. I can't get enough of that stuff. Anyways, I'm taking rambling to a whole new level with this post, I just wanted to vocalize my recent re-recognition of my love of music. If anyone has any bands/singers I need to check out, please let me know!

Blog Slacker!

2009-03-06T03:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys. I'm officially a Blog Slacker!

Blog Slacker [blŏg slak-er] (n.): 1. One who slacks off on their blog; 2. Rachel Brown.

I have to write a blog today before its a whole month since I've blogged. So just an update...I'm still alive... going to school... looking forward to May 9th... and having fun (probably too much in fact!)

I'll hopefully write a more interesting post soon! Loves.

25 Randoms

2009-02-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

I did this tag on Facebook and I thought maybe I'd copy it on here. Some of you may not know the extent to which I am a dork, but you’re about to find out! Here you are: 25 randoms, facts, and hobbies:

1. I’m a chapstick addict. I go crazy if for some reason there isn’t chapstick in my pocket or purse at all times. Blistex Deep Renewal is my FAVORITE! I also like the Chapstick mint kind... and it reminds me of Jillian!

2. Sometimes I color in coloring books even when I’m not watching any kids. It’s very relaxing! Just listening to my MP3 player, coloring… it takes me back to my childhood and is really soothing. Try it!

3. I sleep in until noon or later everyday and sometimes don’t go to sleep until my mom is awake and getting ready for work.

4. More than half of my favorite bands had their glory days before my time (Beatles, AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Metallica to name a few)

5. I really love chef/cooking shows, particularly Iron Chef America and Take Home Chef. I always say I’ll take some of their simple gourmet recipes and apply them, but I never have.

6. I can honestly say that I like all vegetables. (Well at least all of the ones that I’ve tried) In fact, spinach and broccoli are a couple of my favorites.

7. I ditched more than your average teen in high school but still pulled off a 3.66 cumulative GPA somehow.

8. I sang a mini solo at my graduation… scariest moment of my life, I think.

9. I’ve never had to get stitches but had 3 “broken” bones before I was 3. They call it a green break or something because the bones aren’t fully developed.

10. I’m pretty crafty and know the basics of a lot of areas (sewing, crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching, etc) but the only area that has caught my interest long enough to finish a project is scrapbooking (aside from the numerous pairs of pants I sewed for girl’s camp one year.)

11. I love camping and my family goes about once a year to our Cabin in Fairview UT.

12. I love learning about the history of my ancestors and one of my favorite memories is spending a week with my grandpa, writing his memories down.

13. The best compliment I’ve ever gotten was when I had just gotten out of the shower, had my hair in a towel and no makeup on and I didn’t know that my late grandma’s sister was visiting, so I sauntered through the living room, extremely embarrassed, only to hear her say as I left “She looks just like DeOn!” (DeOn’s my grandma) I guess makeup and hair product don’t matter so much if I can get that kind of compliment without it.

14. I love board games, Karaoke, and Sims and have an embarrassing collection of all of these hobbies.

15. I just bought a laptop that can sign me into websites using my fingerprint

16. I’m writing a novel

17. I’m really sarcastic and have a weird sense of humor so people who don’t know me very well just think I’m mean.

18. Sometimes I AM mean.

19. I’m definitely the black sheep of my fam, despite what the rest of them say. If they deny it, deep down they know it’s true. Lol.

20. I like to ramble on about basically nothing sometimes, as you know since you're reading my blog right now.

21. I LOVE kids but don’t necessarily know if I want them.

22. I draw very poorly

23. I dislike the color purple more than most girls and even some guys.

24. I only have one semester left of college and even though I thought I’d be sad (I used to LOVE College), I’m totally ready for graduation.

25. I love musicals (what would the world be like if we could just bust into song, wherever we were? Awesome… that’s what it would be!)

As always, I tag you all, though I doubt there are 25 people that read my blog :)

I am the Walrus (koo koo kachoo)

2009-02-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!

4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

So there's not a LOT of variety on my mp3 player right now (and my 30 gig is out of commision for the time being) so there are some repeats of cds, but I think it worked well. Ü Also, for some reason Blogger is chunking everything together, despite the fact that I spaced it out a bit when I composed it, so I'm coloring the actual question red, so there isn't any confusion. Ü Anyways, here goes...

If someone says "Is this ok?" you say: The Story of Nothing- Aquabats [Yeah, I guess if its NOT ok, I’d say nothing? See if they figure it out? Ha ha ha.]
How would you describe yourself? One Short Day- Wicked soundtrack [It's true... I am pretty short Ü]

What do you like in a guy/girl? In Love with a Girl- Gavin Degraw [Um… confusion… I don’t like girls. OH… maybe I like guys who are in love with THIS girl. ;)]

How do you feel today? This is such a pity- Weezer [I couldn’t have said it better myself! Ha ha ha.]

What is your life’s purpose? Over-rated- Gavin Degraw [Ha. Having a purpose in life is SO over-rated! Lol.]

What is your motto? I thank you God [Seriously! I’m so blessed!]

What do your friends think of you? Grace Kelly- Mika [I’m a classy gal?]

What do you think of your parents? It Ain’t Me Babe- New Found Glory [Maybe I’m not what they expected… but I sure do love ‘em!]

What do you think about very often? Follow Through- Gavin Degraw [Yeah, the follow through of goals is something I ponder on frequently…. Maybe that’s the problem. Too much thinking, not enough action! Lol.]

What is 2 + 2? Be Yourself- Audioslave […and then math will just make sense Ü]

What do you think of your best friend? Life in Technicolor- Coldplay [Maybe I don’t need to comment on ALL of these Ü]

What do you think of the person you like? Girl You Know- Scarface [Wow. I feel the need to reiterate: I’m not into girls. Really... I'm not. Ha ha. I LIKE GUYS... okay, I'm glad we're clear on that Ü]

What is your life story? Bella’s Lullaby- Twilight soundtrack [I WISH my life story was Bella’s Lullaby! Ha ha ha.]

What do you want to be when you grow up? Long time gone- Dixie chicks [It’s true, I do think about getting away sometimes Ü]

What do you think of when you see the person you like? Wall to Wall- Chris Brown [Yeah, I got nothing on this one... but I AM relieved that the title doesn't have the word 'girl' in it. Ü]

What will you dance to at your wedding? A Message- Coldplay [Not too far off!]

What will they play at your funeral? A Sentimental Man- Wicked soundtrack [Okay, okay... I get it. I think my mp3 player’s just confused about my gender!!! That’s what it is… I probably should’ve gotten a hot pink one or should put some Britney Spears on it or something so there's no confusion.]

What is your hobby/interest? Welcome to the Black Parade [Sure, I like parades as much as the next guy Ü]

What is your biggest fear? Flightless Bird- Twilight soundtrack [This could either be really deep (Fear that I won’t make anything of myself- A flightless bird) or could be in reference to my fear of heights… I don’t know which Ü]

What is your biggest secret? Shiver- Maroon 5 [hmmm…]

What do you think of your friends? Goodbye my Lover- James Blunt [See ya later, friends. It’s been real.]

What will you post this as? I am the Walrus- Beatles [Is that some kind of fat joke? Ha ha ha ha.]

Well... that was fun. Ü Tune in next time for the next installment of useless knowledge about Rachel's life! Over and out.

HAP-PY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-11T23:37:00.000-08:00

I've been sort of busy here in Utah so it's taken me a while to post about New Years. This year was a bit different because I'm here in Utah. Jana and I were just planning to relax at home with Tara and Jay on New Years eve but then Tara had a baby so she was in the hospital! It's okay though... it was a fair trade to have Kayleigh here a little sooner than planned. :) We went out to Candice's instead and it was a lot of fun. We played games and chowed down. Usually at midnight we would go out to the desert in Vegas and watch the fireworks and bust open sparkling cider, but it was too cold outside (and Randall made the excellent point that the cider would make yellow snow) so we just brought in the new year in the warmth of Cand and Rand's living room, raising our glasses of cider. It was a lot of fun! So Happy New Year everyone! Best of luck on your resolutions and hope 2009 brings great things for you!

Christmas and other Joyous Events...

2008-12-31T01:53:00.000-08:00

So yay! Something to blog about! Christmas! ha ha. I spent Christmas in Utah this year. Spending it away from mom and the family in Henderson was sad, but the Utah fam and my dear sweet Jana made it so awesome! A few days before Christmas, Jana and I (with Steve and Jessica's help) decorated a gingerbread house! I've been wanting to do that for years, so Jana bought a kit for us :) ha ha. It was fun.

I spent Christmas Eve at Grandpa Jensen's house. Again, it was good to be around the whole family even though we missed him. Jana and I wore red and green without even planning it. ha ha. We're so funny.

Christmas morning, we woke up and opened presents at Steve's. Jana got me a new KARAOKE MACHINE and an MP3 player! I know, I know.... She totally spoils me. It was fun watching Laura, Dalton, Steve, Jess, Kaleb, and dad open their stuff too. Then we went over to Candice and Randall's to watch their kiddies open their gifts and then had breakfast/brunch there and played some games. It was a really fun day! On dad's birthday (Dec. 27th) the clan got together again and it was a blast- I got to try out my new karaoke machine, which was great! Good times...

Other fun things... THIS JUST IN- I have a new niece as of a few hours ago: Kayleigh (sp?) Elizabeth Turpin. Isn't she a doll?!

I'm really looking forward to New Years and the birth of Cameron (also sp?) now. This is a fun time of year for us and I can't wait to see what fun things the next few weeks bring. :)

The Rumors are True!

2008-12-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

It's snowing... A LOT... here in Henderson! It's like Utah snow too.... packable and everything! Woo hoo! We haven't seen this much snow since we moved in 16 years ago! I'm excited! Ü

I drove home from the mall in it and even though I was going super slow (with all of the other Vegas people who don't know how to drive in snow), I was skidding around a lot in Ben and Taryn's rear wheel drive truck. I'm grateful I survived Ü

School's Out Forever...

2008-12-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, not FOREVER, but atleast for now... So all of you who are sick of hearing me complain about school, it's you're lucky day! I will no longer have any schoolwork to complain about! Until January 20th that is! ha ha. I officially only have one more semester to go... let the countdown begin!

November

2008-12-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

Wow... the end of November was a whirlwind! So many things happened, both happy and sad, and I just can't believe that December is already here! Soon it'll be Christmas and I'll just have no idea what happened to the year 2008. I'll try to recap November as well as I can.

On November 17, 2008 my beloved Grandpa Moyle C. Jensen passed away. Let me just say it out loud for everyone to hear: I love my grandpa Jensen! He was the best grandpa anyone could ask for and I hope someday to find a husband that is even a 10th as amazing as he was. He worked hard, loved his family, and cared for his friends and neighbors. He cared for everyone, really. He always told it like it was, but we grew to appreciate his blatant honesty. He was a sweet, sweet old man with a twinkle in his eye who would scold us if we didn't give him a big hug when we walked in the door and again when we left. He always told us to "Remember whose you are!" He was loved by all who knew him and he will be missed dearly. I, his little Padiddle, will miss him dearly.

At midnight the night before my grandpa's funeral, the Twilight movie was released. I had NO intention of going, partially because we were all pretty emotional and down right around then and because I knew I had to sing at the funeral the next day. No sleep+emotions+singing=bad, so in spite of my excitement about the movie's release, I had decided to put it off a week... until my cousin told me that she had tickets that she was just going to waste! SO, because we couldn't stand the thought of wasted midnight Twilight movie tickets, Jana, my cousin Arin, My cousin Shaylynne, and I went to the movie. It ended up being so fun! We laughed and were dorks waiting for the movie to start, which was great because I don't know how many more years we have left to just be silly little girls for a night, and then of course enjoyed the movie too! I know some people didn't like it, but I REALLY did. In fact, I went again the next week with my sisters. Anyways, I also got enough sleep and wasn't too tired the next day! I think sometimes the Lord just knows what we need at different times and gives it to us! I was able to have a fun night with the girls and still be awake and ready for the funeral the next day.

Thanksgiving was great too. It was nice to have all of the family together again for this holiday at my grandpa's house for what may be the last Thanksgiving we spent there. Grandpa was missed but it was a time for all of us to be there together and share the love and memories... Oh yeah, and some amazing food too!

The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is annually a pretty eventful day for our family as well. We all sort of enjoy getting good deals, so we're always at the stores before dawn on this particular day every year. Last year Candice had to put herself over her baby's carseat (which was in her shopping cart) to save her baby's life. She was nearly mauled by a pack of women seeking a Barbie car. This ain't no joke, people. ha ha ha. Anyways, this year, I was the casualty. At 3 o'clock am, Tara, Candice, Jana, and I pulled up to Walmart to start our adventure, but I didn't make it past getting out of the car. (FYI: the weak of stomach may want to quit reading here... and don't look at the picture either. ha ha.) Don't ask me how I did this, but when I got out of the car and shut the door, I slammed my thumb in the door. OUCH. I tried to stay calm, politely asking Candice to open the door (I thought I'd locked it) and when we got the door open, it was bad. The nail was broken across, horizontally, and it was gushing blood. I said a few choice words before walking swiftly into Walmarts bathroom (passing a useless employee who looked completely confused by the phrase "first aid kit") and put my thumb under the water in the bathroom. It hurt REALLY BAD and was still bleeding, so we headed back home and dealt with it there. Long story short, I missed out on Walmart but was able to go to some of the other stores after sleeping a couple of hours. It was definitely a Black Friday memory for the books! Here is a picture of my sick thumb taken exactly one week, to the hour, after it was slammed in the car door:

All around, the end of November was a sad time, but filled with a lot of great, great times with family. It was a time when all of us, with my cousins and aunts and uncles and all, could regroup and get to know eachother again. It's always sad when a death brings us together, but grandpa would've liked to see us all together, supporting each other through the sad days.

And now I close the book on November and look forward to the events of December. I'm excited for this semester to end (only one more week!) and of course all of the Christmas festivities. Happy Holidays, everyone! Spread JOY CHARITYand LOVE this holiday season!

Update: Hair

2008-12-05T00:42:00.000-08:00

Here it is: My new hair color. Pretty similar to the last time I dyed it dark, but with a little more red in it. I know you all were just DYING to see it (excuse the pun), so now you have.

Changing Locks

2008-11-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

So, there are two things you should know about me for this post: I'm a copy cat (I stole this idea from Taryn) and I really enjoy changing up my hair! I've dyed and cut my hair tons of different ways at different times, so I thought it would be fun to make some form of compilation of pictures documenting this! I started out with the baby tidal wave, which I love, and then sported "The Rachel" in Jr. High and that got me started on tons of different styles and colors through the next several years. I'm about to dye my hair again, so maybe there will be an update soon. Ü Make sure to comment me and tell me which look you like the best so I can consider that in my dye selection process! ha ha. Thanks! Ü Okay... here goes, in attempted chronological order:

I'm pretty sure I like the dark red/dark brown/ almost black pictures the best. In fact, I only added that picture that shows that back of my head (as well as ADORABLE baby Carter!) because it's the one I'm leaning closest to for my next change... I think I want a really dark red of some kind, but I'm going to try to avoid purple. Ü Let me know what you think!

One Awesome Tag

2008-10-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! (Do you like how I say 'hey everyone' as if SO many people read my blog and are just itching to hear what I'm going to ramble about next?! ha ha)

My mom made up this tag and I'm finally getting around to posting it! I'm excited to put something of depth on my blog for once! Ü

Favorite scripture: Well, ONE of my favorites (for there are many) is 2 Nephi 2: 6 "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth."

Favorite hymn: Again, there are just SO many. To name a few, Be Still my Soul, Where can I turn for Peace?, Abide with Me, Lord, I would Follow Thee, and God be with you til we meet Again

Favorite scripture stories: the Good Samaritan, Stripling warriors, and Jesus' visit to America.

Young Women/Men Leaders: Lots of good ones! Terri Clark, Tami Day, Kathy Nelson, Julie Robbins, Lorna Cavalieri, Brenda Brand (not Brand anymore, but I don't know her last name), Brenda Toia, Connie Stolworthy, Jessica Gunderson, Shannon Guthmiller, MY MOM! Ü ( I included some of my YW teachers and camp leaders too... I dunno if they were supposed to be included, but they were a big influence on my life so I wanted to give a shout out, even though none of them will see this! Ü I'm sure I'm forgetting people too, but these were just some that made a great impact on me.)

Favorite calling: The only real callings I've had as an adult are Visiting Teaching District Leader and to be on the Linger Longer Committee of my Singles ward. (For those of you who don't know, Linger Longer is a lil activity where us Singles Ward folk sit around and socialize while we eat together after church once a month) So since the District Leader calling didn't require me to heat up a hundred hot dogs in the microwave during the third hour of church, I would say it was my favorite Ü ha ha, No really though, I liked it because it gave me a reason to call a handful of ladies in my ward once a month and because I could really see the divine inspiration of Visiting Teaching through that calling.

Least favorite calling: (See Above) ha ha. Seriously... ONE HUNDRED HOT DOGS. Alright, I'm sorry, Linger Longer committee really wasn't THAT bad, but I suppose of the two, it was my least favorite Ü

Jesus was happy today because you: Well, it's still early, but I've been in the scriptures a bit, prayed, I've written to a missionary, and am planning on writing to another missionary. Hopefully that makes him happy, but like I said, it's still early Ü

Who made you laugh today?: I can't say that I've laughed out loud yet this morning, but I'm sure one of Ben and Taryn's kids will say something to crack me up a little later. It's a daily occurrence. (Okay, since writing the above, I added a picture of a pile of hot dogs to this post and that made me laugh! In fact, it made me laugh really hard. ha ha. Ok, I'm willing to admit that I'm a big dork Ü)

Who's happier because of you today?: Mom! She's happy that I'm filling out her tag! Ü

Describe a sweet experience you've had recently: Well, about a week ago a bunch of us girls from high school (From L to R, Anna, Jana, me, Jillian, Holly, and Demitris) were all together to say goodbye to Jillian, who went into the MTC this week. It was horrible saying goodbye, but sweet at the same time that all of us were together for her. Ü Also, yesterday I made sugar cookies for the kids and I to decorate for Halloween and Shelby gave me a HUGE hug! It was so cute!

What makes you mad?: Nothing today! I started thinking about what makes me mad and nothing came up in the first few seconds, so I thought a little harder and then I decided I better stop because if I had to think that hard about it, it must not matter enough to get mad about in the first place!

What makes you sad?: Being away from family. :( I'll always be too far from someone, no matter where I go. Another thing that makes me sad is lost or dwindled relationships. I wish we could stay at the highest attained level of friendship with all people we've been friends with in the past, no matter how much time passes or how different our lives are now, but it doesn't seem to work that way unfortunately.

What do you want to accomplish?: Well, graduating from college of course (have I mentioned it'll happen in MAY?! Okay, I know I have mentioned it PLENTY of times, but I have to keep saying it to myself so I can trudge along and finish. Ü), becoming a responsible adult, making the gospel #1 in my life, and having a family of my own.

What makes you want to get up and do something?: Dance movies... They make me want to get up and dance! Then I remember that I can't. Ü

What's your favorite kind of exercise?: I can't say that I have a favorite, because that would denote that I like exercising to some degree, which would be false. Ü Okay, Line dancing in the front room has been a fun one! And I do like to play soccer as well.

How do you pull yourself out of a bad mood?: I'm not very good at this one. I usually just fall asleep and the next day is better. But some things that have worked in the past are reading, playing games or watching a movie with the family, or my neices and nephews sometimes have a way of improving a bad mood too.

What talent are you most grateful for?: easy learning and singing. I don't know how I'd make it through college without some of the gifts I've been given mentally, and I don't know how I'd make it through life without music.

This post was fun! I find myself wishing it weren't over yet! You all should do it! Tag, You're it!

Karaoke Night!

2008-10-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been really bad at blogging lately! Not even a TAG post in almost a month!

Part of the reason for this is that school has been cah-razy lately! I used to think that I would love school like I did my freshman and sophomore years straight up until graduation but unfortunately that is not the case! It's intense (while also being boring?) this semester and next semester is going to be even worse! But then I'll have a Bachelor's degree, whether or not it will get me a better job. Ü

The second reason for this delay is that I spent two weeks in Utah. So even though this was two weeks ago, I wanted to post some pictures of karaoke night while I was there! Jana, Laura and I went out to Pleasant Grove to karaoke and I met a few of my other friends there too. It was so fun! I think it's no secret that I enjoy karaokeing so it's no surprise that I had a blast. We even went again the following week, bringing mom, dad, and Steve with us. SO fun!

This past weekend was a ton of fun too, as Jana, Holly, Laura and Dalton came to visit in Vegas. It was a busy weekend! When they got here Friday night, we went to dinner with friends and just hung out the rest of the night. On Saturday, we hung out with friends again during the day (I of course had to multi-task this with writing a paper Ü) and then had a Murder Mystery party that night. It was fun to dress up for. Yesterday, Jillian (who is leaving on her mission on the 22nd) spoke in her ward and then we went to a luncheon for her and were, of course, the last ones to leave. Jana won't see her again until she comes back because she left to head back to Utah this morning. It was an emotional goodbye when we did finally pull ourselves away. All around, it was a fun, emotional weekend! I'll have to post pictures when Jana emails them to me.

If I haven't said it lately, I LOVE my friends and family! I know everyone says this, but my friends and family are the BEST. Recently, I've just had so many experiences that have confirmed this to me and it makes me feel SO blessed! I love you all!

Another Tag! Gotta Love it!

2008-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Since I've always aspired to be as cool as Kilee, I guess I'll do her tag :) Sorry for the continuous tag posts... I don't have anything cool to write about. If you want to learn why, read my very first post. ha ha ha.

8 TV SHOWS I LIKE TO WATCH
1. Friends
2. The Office
3. Iron Chef America
4. Heroes (So excited!)
5. One Tree Hill
6. Gossip Girl (I know, I know...)
7. America's Next Top Model (Tyra's conceitedness CRACKS me up.)
8. So You Think You Can Dance

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
1. PF Changs (yum! Eating left-overs from there right now! ha ha)
2. Olive Garden
3. Chilis
4. Macaroni Grill
5. IHOP (I know that's kind of a lame one, but there's LOTS of memories there! Midnight bowling! Woo woo!)
6. El Torito
7. Pei Wei
8. Sam Pan
(Me and Kilee have really similar answers to this! Can you tell that I like Chinese and Italian food best? ha ha. I might've put Panda too, but didn't know if it's considered a "restaurant" ha ha)

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
1. I wrote an essay
2. I wrote another essay
3. I started ANOTHER essay (ha ha I know, right?! Keep reading... it gets better! :))
4. Went to PF Changs with the fam
5. Went to Walmart
6. Watched Baby Mama (Funny, funny)
7. I continued on the third essay
8. I determined whether I look more like my mom or dad! ha ha ha
In case you're interested:

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs - Collage - Morph

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. The family coming this weekend!
2. Trying out Rockband 2
3. Spending 2 weeks in Utah with Jana!
4. Twilight movie!
5. Day after Thanksgiving (need I say more?!)
6. Christmas!
7. Graduating in May! Woo!
8. Finding a job, deciding where to live, and becoming an adult... sort of :)

8 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FALL
1. School supplies
2. Cooler weather
3. Hoodies! (My favorite article of clothing)
4. hot chocolate
5. Holidays (this moves into winter a little)
6. Cool nights
7. Stars
8. TV shows returning (such as The Office and Heroes :))

8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST
1. Laptop
2. Diploma
3. Car
4. New wardrobe
5. Hawaii vaca
6. Money lol
7. New MP3 player (mine's out of commission)
8. Various movies and cds

As always, I tag everyone :D

Here we go...

2008-09-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here's my most recent time-waster tag Ü

I am: awesome?
I think: too much... gives me a headache sometimes.
I know: the church is true.
I want: to know what direction my life is going in.
I dislike: conceited people... they drive me crazy.
I miss: my sister Jana!!! And all of the rest of my family in Utah. But September 20th is just around the corner!
I fear: being a complete failure
I feel: tired! I dunno what's wrong with me this week.
I hear: lots of random noises right now.
I smell: milk and honey soap (I just washed my hands with it)
I crave: baked goods. And Sonic drinks Ü
I cry: when I feel the spirit really strong (has happened a lot lately) and when I feel lost in my life.
I usually: sit around doing homework and browsing the internet all day
I search: the internet frequently
I wonder: what my life will be like. Don't we all?
I regret: doing stupid things in the past.
I love: my family! They're awesome!
I care: about people. Really, I do.
I always: let people down.
I worry: too much.
I am not: one of those people who is capable of holding her tongue.
I remember: lots of good memories with family and friends
I believe: in myself... most days.
I dance: VERY rarely... almost never Ü
I sing: ALL the time!
I don’t always: do what I'm supposed to.
I argue: when know-it-alls are wrong and I know it.
I write: a lot! I love writing! This excludes writing for school... that is NOT fun Ü
I win: Friends Scene It ha ha ha. And sometimes Scrabble too.
I lose: basically every other game
I wish: I were the person I want to be
I listen: really well, so if you ever need to talk...
I don't understand: people... well, not all of them anyways.
I can usually be found: in front of my computer, with a textbook in hand, or sleeping lol
I am scared: of the dark... no really Ü
I need: to finish some homework
I forget: things a lot... that's why I write them down Ü
I am happy: when I'm around my fam and good friends. Ü

I tag you all! Do it! Ü

Warning: This Post is Boring! ALMOST as much as Philosophy! Ü

2008-09-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking for some time now that I need to write a new post! Unfortunately, I have had NOTHING good to write about! Ben and Taryn have moved in and that's been fun! I also started school but that ISN'T fun (ha ha ha) so I've been left subject-less. So... because I have nothing better to write about and this is on my mind...here goes.

(This is where the boring part starts!) So for those of you who don't know, my major is Psychology. I signed up for a Philosophy class this semester because I thought "hmmm... Psychology.... Philosophy... they're friends, right?" Um... no. Okay, it's only week 2 so I'm willing to keep an open mind about it but I THINK that Philosophy and Psychology aren't friends like I thought. In Philosophy, the philosophers ramble on about the POTENTIAL for some alternate thought or alternate way of being but seem to TALK THEMSELVES IN CIRCLES instead of really making any kind of evolution in progressive thought! Psychologists are all about progressive thought but they create experiments and trials to prove their theories, instead of TALKING about it. Okay, okay, the Psychologists of Socrates' time might not have been as progressive as the ones today, but I still think my point stands. Alright... I'm done... that's my ramble, brought on by an assignment to read a 31 page philosophical perspective on whether or not people are real (gag me!) so thanks for listening! Apologies to all the Philosophy majors out there! I'm sure... err... it's a cool area of interest? No.

Someone give me something to blog about so I don't have to write anymore horrible blogs like this. Ü

Song Titles Survey

2008-08-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

I stole this... It was pretty funny coming up with songs titles to answer the questions. My band is the Beatles.

Are you male or female: Her Majesty
Describe your self: Dear Prudence
How do people feel about you: Here Comes the Sun
How do you feel about yourself: I’m a Loser
Describe your current relationship: Help!
Describe where you want to be: Here, There, and Everywhere
Describe what you want to be: Tomorrow Never Knows
Describe how you live: Think for yourself
Describe how you love: I Will

Share a few words of wisdom: Let it Be

So there it is boys and girls. I think the answers for how people feel about me and how I feel about myself switch places from time to time depending on the people and the day, but other than that, they're fairly accurate. I'd like to try this with some other bands too... funny stuff.

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had to name this post simply "Breaking Dawn" because the title "Wow..." was already taken by my last post! I have to say though... "Wow" is a more appropriate title!

If you know me much at all or have read my blog, you know I'm a BIT of a Twilighter! I love this series and I think that Stephenie Meyers is an amazing writer and I love to read her books.

Having said that, this fourth and final book of the Twilight Series, Breaking Dawn, was a quite a rollercoaster! Perhaps it was partially to do with the sleep deprivation that came along with reading the book, but this book was really heavy and deep for me! There were definitely more adult themes in this novel than the other three of the series and while I was a bit disgruntled during a few parts of the novel, I thought it was fantastic and ended perfectly!

Read it! Ü

That's all...

Wow...

2008-07-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

Wow... That's all I can say about the So You Think You Can Dance results! Chelsie should have won it all and she got booted tonight! I even voted for her, which I never do (and then I get annoyed with how America votes), but this time I literally voted for her so I'm allowed to complain that she got kicked off. Ü Not cool America... not cool. She's pictured below with another SYTYCD casualty: Gev.

It's a good thing I've got the release of Breaking Dawn tomorrow to look forward to and raise my spirits Ü

Memories...

2008-07-23T22:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm copying everyone! Please follow the instructions below and leave a memory! I emphasize that even if you don't know me well or think it's a stupid memory or whatever, share it anyways!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

Thanks ya'll! Love ya!

Sad Day in SYTYCD

2008-07-20T16:42:00.000-07:00

So this week on So You Think You Can Dance, Kherington and

Gev were eliminated... they definitely aren't the least talented people on the show so I was sad to see them go. :(
They'll be missed.

Fourth of July

2008-07-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a SPLENDID 4th of July! I know that mom and I sure did. It was definitely different this year, being just mom and I, but we had a lot of fun! We played games and relaxed all day and then watched State Fair and various fireworks at night. Mom got two versions of State Fair in a musicals set that she got for Mother's Day (one made in 1945 and one in 1962) and so we decided to watch them back to back and see which one we liked better. And the Winner is.........1945! The State Fair made in 1945 was a lot cuter and old-timey but we enjoyed different things about both! In the middle of watching these films, we went outside and watched our neighbors on both sides do fireworks on the street. They both had some really cool fountains! Also, we have a couple of other neighbors who are probably a couple of streets over who set off some illegal ones, so we got quite a fireworks show right in our front yard! It was a really nice, relaxing, fun day. Hope everyone else had a great Independance day!

ONLY ONE MORE MONTH!

2008-07-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that today's date it July the 2nd, 2008. Only One month from today, I'll be closed up in my room reading Stephenie Meyer's 4th book of the Twilight Series: Breaking Dawn... CAN'T WAIT!

Another Addiction: So You Think You Can Dance

2008-06-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

So I thought it was time for me to fess up to another addiction I have right now: So You Think You Can Dance! I got hooked on it last year when staying with Candice over the summer and this year is so good!

My favorites are:

Twitchington

Chelsea and Mark

and Joshua and Katee

I think my lure to the show is that... I can't dance at all. So it's nice to see that some people have talent :) I like to see how versatile all of these people are. It's an awesome show :) This dance by Chelsea and Mark was my favorite from tonight's show but Twitch and Kherington and Joshua and Katee did awesome too.

Anyways... that's just the latest in my favs... check back to see what I'm into after these obsessions fade out :)

Twilight

2008-06-13T00:58:00.001-07:00

Hi. My name is Rachel. I've been addicted for a little over six months now. My addiction is... (conflicted hesitation) ...the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. I'm an official Twilighter. If anyone else wants to get their Twilight addiction out now, this is a safe space :)

Around New Years this year, my dad peeked into Jana's room and found both Jana and I engulfed in black hardcover novels. Several days later we could be found in the same place until we'd both completed Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse. These novels are amazing! If you haven't read them by now, with all the hype that you've undoubtedly already heard, seriously... Read them!

I've been re-reading these books this week, which I never do (because once I know a story it is sort of difficult for me to re-read it) but it's pulled me back into my hardcore addiction. I'm trying to be patient while waiting for Breaking Dawn to be released on August 2nd but it is very difficult. :) I am also very excited about the December 12th release of the film Twilight.
Here is a link to the preview of Twilight the movie!

In honor of this blog and the connected addiction, I've posted a poll on my blog regarding who Bella Swan should end up with in the final book... The warm-hearted Jacob Black or the classic romantic Edward Cullen. I'm not going to lie... to me it seems SO clear! EDWARD! I've heard some other points of view recently though and am curious to see what everyone thinks! Okay, I think I'm done rambling about my addiction... I just wanted to get that out there!

May I also suggest The Host by Stephenie Meyer? It was really good as well. :)

Here is a link to Stephenie Meyer's website

Thanks for listening to my ramblings! :)

PS. I heart Edward.

Okay, I'm really done now :)

Lagoon!

2008-06-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, Since it's been a week since we went there, I thought I should probably blog about Lagoon! It was so much fun! I kind of took it easy this time, only going on a few really adventurous rides and mostly sticking around Tara, Candice, and the kids. Jana and I also took Jayden, Carter, and Lydia on a few of the non-kiddie rides that weren't too intense. We took Lydia on the Tilt-o-Whirl (resembles the tea-cups at Disneyland) and while Jana and I were laughing our heads off (because it was a particularly spinny ride that time), she was freaking out a little... She didn't go on that one again. She did love the Space Scrambler though, so we took her and the boys on that one a lot. They liked a lot of the kiddie rides as well. Carter and I went together on the OdySea (A new water-ish ride where little dolphins and whales squirt you) and got really wet because Carter liked it when we stayed low (underneath all of the sprayers). It was funny. As ever, the Rattlesnake Rapids ride was my favorite and we went on it a few times and got really wet! :) Anyways, the weather was nice (as my minor sunburn reflects) and we had a lot of fun...it was a really great day!

PS: None of the Pictures Really Coincide with what I said in the above descriptions of the day, so I'm just going to post them all at the bottom. They're all of Carter, Lydia, and Jayden (accompanied occasionally by Randall, Jay and Jana) on the kiddie rides and then Randall and Jay's catapult into the sky!

School is For Fools

2008-05-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

So I finished the Spring semester of School!!! WOO HOO! I'm officially a Senior in college! Who would've thought that this underachiever whose ditching record in high school was abysmal would even GO to college, to say nothing about making it this far! ha ha. One would think this would be a great time to relax before embarking upon my last two semesters, but I, instead, decided to take classes this summer.

These two summer classes I signed up for started yesterday, so I went online to check them out and they freaked me out! They're both 400-level classes and both condensed 6-week versions, but additionally, one of the classes is with a teacher I've had before and hated and it looked ridiculously intense! So... like a true scholar... I bucked up and... dropped the class! :) I replaced it with a class that starts in July. :) I know, I'm a wimp, but I need to keep my mental health intact for the next year so that I can graduate in May 2009!

Speaking of my mental health... I had a dream last night that I found out last-minute that I could graduate this year, in 2008, and so I was scrambling to get the the graduation ceremony (which was a week and a half ago, mind you) and then I woke up. I think these last several semesters of intense schoolwork have made me go a little wacky in the subconscious. I guess I shouldn't complain. Some people spend countless years going to school, and I'll be able to complete my degree in 4 years, thanks to a little scholarship I like to call the Millenium and the TONS of help I get from my Family. I am very blessed and am looking forward to graduating in 2009 :)

Anyways, thanks for listening to me rant about school. I did stick with the one class, American Literature, which should be fun despite the tons of reading required. I hope you all find yourselves in good spots in your lives! Thanks for stopping by :)

I've never been very good at tag...

2008-05-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

So I got tagged and didn't want to punk out so here it is, but let me just say: This is probably a lot cooler for people who have kids and/or weren't asked to recall what they were doing when they were 11 years old Ü ha ha ha.

What is the best thing you cooked last week?

Actually, I haven't cooked much since I've been here at Steve's Ü I'm gonna go ahead and say that the mashed potatoes that "I" made last week were the best though... I'm allowed to claim that I made them because I chopped them up after someone else peeled them and before someone else cooked, mashed, and seasoned them. Ü Those mashed potates were delicious. Ü

If time, money, and babysitting were no object, where would you go and with who?

WELL, since time, money, and babysitting are no object, I'd take my whole family on a huge trip... First, visiting the church history sights, then catching a flight to Europe, hit Australia for a couple weeks, hit Hawaii, and then camp somewhere cool to finish out the trip. We'd probably take the kids so that they can see kangaroos and such, but we'd bring along several babysitters so that Jana and I can see the sights too! ha ha ha. Yeah.... it would take us a couple months but it would be a blast. Ü Dream big, right?

When was the last time you cried?

Stepmom... Last week... Gets me every time.

List 5 things you were doing 10 years ago. (1998)

Well... Age 11 was a big time for me. I'm pretty sure I was excited to be leaving Elementary School and embarking on my Brown Jr. High memories... We probably had a Nintendo 64 by then... I sure liked that. I was probably "going out" with a fellow 11-year-old...which didn't mean much. Ummm... I need 2 more noteworthy things from 1998... I started babysitting a little and I wrote poems. PHEW... I wasn't sure I'd get through the dullness of that question. Hope some of you are still with me Ü

List 5 things you were doing 5 years ago. (2003)

Now we're talking... The coolest thing that happened around May of 2003 was the Choir Trip we took to Disneyland. It was Jana's senior year, my sophomore, and we won like all of the awards they offer for choir so we felt pretty awesome... it probably didn't hurt that we were in the Happiest Place on Earth Ü Earlier on in the year Jana and I went to All-State Choir in Carson City which remains as one of my favorite memories ever. I've always loved to read, so some of the summers in high school I would read a ton of novels. I was probably, as ever, enjoying my lil' neices and nephews (there were only 9 of them then!) as well. Basically, I was just enjoying being 16: Driving, Dating, and Ditching School a lot Ü

List 5 things you were doing 1 year ago (2007)

Jana and I both quit our jobs and spent a month in Utah. It was SO fun! We shopped and went to movies and hung out with our awesome family in Utah. It was fun. I would have also just been finishing my Sophomore year of college and deciding not to go to summer school (for my first and only summer with no classes in college!) It was a good time.

List 7 of your favorite hobbies.

Karaoke

Board Games

Reading

Hanging out with family and friends

Watching The Office

Scrapbooking

Writing

Name 5 of your favorite foods.

Fettuccini Alfredo, Delicious veggies cooked perfectly, Tacos, Sandwiches, and Fruit (particularly watermelon, oranges, strawberries, and rasperries Ü)

Name 5 places you have been.

If it weren't for school trips, I would only be able to say Nevada and Utah, but thanks to choir trips, I've also been to various locations in California and also Orlando, FL.

List 5 of your favorite Memories:

Oh man... This one is really difficult because I have SO MANY favorites. I think all I can do is say my 5 favorite categories of memories...

I loved high school... LOTS of fun trips, dates, and weekends with friends. If I'd have known I would be making some of my favorite memories, I might have taken advantage of it a little more Ü

The Cabin is my favorite place and I've loved spending atleast once a year there since childhood. I loved going there and getting dirty when I was younger. Some favorite times: when everyone was sick with the flu ( I know everyone else thought this year was a nightmare, but I thought it was really funny and what else would have brought us together and bonded us like a massive outbreak of various symptoms of the flu?!) Another memorable one was the year Randall came (his first trip with the family) and got a tree limb to the face... poor guy. With the card games, hikes, and fresh air, this group of memories won't soon be forgotten.

Another group of memories which I love are the late-night talks with my family and friends. I've laughed harder and been more honest in these talks than in any other time of my life

Tons of Road Trips with my family and friends come to mind!

All of the Holidays with the Family are some of the best times I've ever had. Our Christmases have been sweet and fun. Memorial Days that we've visited our angel sister Tami's grave as well as our beloved grandmother's bring us together and make us excited to see them again. The Day-After-Thanksgiving early-morning sales adventures have been awesome... We are basically pros at this point Ü Valentines Day cookie decorating turned "chubby bunny" contest--- hysterical and caught on tape Ü Really, everytime we're together on the Holidays (or any other time for that matter) we create more of my favorite memories.

I'm adding a sixth one to say that one of my favorite memories was when we were sealed as a family when I was 9. I get to be with all my awesome family forever! Ü

So at this point in this game of tag, I think I'll just hypothetically sit in the grass and not tag anyone because everyone has already been tagged by Candice Ü If anyone wants to be "it", feel free to do so. Ü

Penelope

2008-05-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

To keep everyone posted on my adventures in Utah: Jana and I just had such a fun night! We went to dinner and then to 2 dollar movies! You have to LOVE cheap movies! It was $7 total for both of us to see 2 movies and it was only that expensive because its Saturday night. That's a big bonus that Utah has: Dollar movie theaters.

Anyways... We watched Vantage Point and Penelope. Vantage point was alright, but the way that they chose to show each character's vantage point annoyed me more so than intriguing me. It really was pretty good, but not as good as it could have been if some stylistic features weren't in it.

But Penelope way outdid my expectations! It was SO good! I expected it to be some kind of "Love yourself the way you are" film (which it was) but I didn't expect such cute side stories. And the love story in it is so dang adorable!

Anyways, It was super cute and I suggest that you Utah folk hit the Dollars to see it ASAP and hopefully it will come out to DVD soon for everyone else!

Anyways, as you can see I'm continuing to enjoy my indefinite stay in Utah and as soon as I finish this semester (one more week!) the fun will just multiply!

Life is Good

2008-04-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who don't know, Jana has officially moved to Utah! I've lost my partner in crime in Las Vegas! What am I going to do now?! I suppose I'll probably just finish school and then join her when I graduate in a year, unless something else keeps me in Vegas.

Anyways, I came with her to Utah this past weekend and was dreading saying goodbye to her on Sunday... so I decided to stay a bit longer instead! We had a fun trip to Utah. With Jana's belongings all packed up, we belted out Rascal Flatts (even though I was really sick! It probably sounded horrible, but we didn't care) and also some old school rap (you gotta love Baby Got Back) That was enough to entertain us until we got to our destination. It was fun.

So since I'm staying in Utah for a bit, my life lately consists of hanging at Steve's house trying to do schoolwork but I'm just barely coming out of my "I'm sick and can't do anything" phase so it's been more difficult than I'd thought! I rejoice that I only have 2 weeks left of this semester though and am having fun with my fam here in Utah! Life is good... Life is good.

March Madness!

2008-04-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

In the past couple months I've had some really fun things going on that I thought I would share.

Some friends and I checked out the Toby Keith Bar in February.

We also went on a road trip to Monroe, Utah to welcome my friend, Natalie, back home from her mission.

But March is when things got really crazy...

I cut off like a foot of my hair!

Me and my ponytail! ha ha

School got really difficult because a bunch of my teachers wanted to pack in a lot before Spring Break, so after I survived all of that craziness, I spent my Spring Break relaxing in Utah! I got to spend a lot of time learning about my grandpa's life and hanging out with my siblings and neices and nephews in Utah. While I was there, I took some "make a silly face" pictures of my neices and nephews and was highly entertained by what they came up with! Can you guess who took the prize in this activity?! Yep... it was Lydia!

On March 23rd, I turned 21 (Woooo! 21! ha ha ha) and the day before, my friends and family got together to surprise me with a party that was so much fun! It included all of my favorite things- friends, family, and karaoke! And you can't have a 21st birthday party without a Disney Princesses pinata, right? Ü Thanks to everybody that made it the awesome surprise party that it was!

That weekend also brought a bunch of family together for Easter, which was a lot of fun as well. We had an easter egg hunt in the backyard for the little kids and because Jana and I are still the "little girls" we got to find easter bags out there too. We were warned that Randall and Ben hid ours in difficult places and went out to find them. As I walked out the back door, my easter bag fell onto the patio (sorry, Randall... It was a good idea to hide my bag on the roof, but the wind made it pretty easy for me to find. Ü) It took a little cooperation to get Jana's down from the wall, but she was able to knock it down with a rake as I caught it. Because gravity and the weather were on our side, it may have even been easier for both of us to retrieve our bags than for the boys to hide them in the first place! Ü

Overall, it was a super fun Easter and we really loved having family from Utah here to share it with us..

March gave me the chance to practice my new hobby of making random (and quite ghetto, if I do say so myself) cakes also. I made birthday cakes for Anna, Lydia, and Taryn. It was fun.

That pretty much sums up my March Madness! Thanks for all the fun experiences, everyone Ü

Ode to the Youngins...

2008-04-12T22:34:00.001-07:00

I thought of a way to get a lot cuter pictures up on my blog than of me sleeping! Here goes:

Let it be noted that I have the coolest and cutest nieces and nephews ever. They are all so dang funny and smart and I love them all to pieces! There are 18 of them in all and each one of them is so different.

To start with Cari’s clan: Steve, 15, Derek, 13, and Madeleine, 12, my three step-niece and nephews, are all really loving and helpful with the kids, not to mention how fun they are to play games with!

Meghan, 7 ½, is SO smart and has always been a care-taker for her siblings and cousins.

Ryan,6, is rambunctious yet tender-hearted.

RaeLeigh, 5, just loves everyone and loves having new experiences.

Olivia, 3, is up for anything, despite the harm it may cause her.

Mallory, 1, is so sweet and cute and loves exploring.

Laura’s son Dalton, 5 ½, is really smart and has interests in many areas, like video games and extreme sports. He gets along with everyone and is very outgoing.

Tara’s oldest son, Jayden, 2 ½, is zany and adorable and loves his family.

Ethan, 1, is the sweetest thing that ever lived! One look from him will make your heart melt... especially if it’s his sad face!

My brother Steve’s son Kaleb, 2, was born with a sense of humor and is always making us laugh! He is always doing something fun and takes some amazing pictures!

Candice has three little cuties: Carter, 5, makes everything an adventure and loves learning and doing new things, especially if these new things are for “big boys.”

Lydia, 3, is sweet and kind and loves cuddling up to her aunts, uncles, and grandparents to tell a story or sing a song.

Meleah, almost 1, isn’t very amused by us, as her facial expressions show, but she’ll smile, scream, and laugh on her own terms.

Ben’s kids share a love of Disney that their mother infused in them. Stryder, 4 ½, is a very adventurous pretender and is always enthusiastically acting like some superhero or character.

Shelby, 3, is a princess in every sense of the word and is always happy. She’s been known to get after us adults if we say the word “stupid”… she’ll let us know that “that’s a bad word!”

Soren, 2, is so loving and happy. He is always giving hugs and loves to run around with the big kids.

As you can see, I’m so blessed! These bright little angels light up my life in so many ways! They teach me things and make me laugh and are far more forgiving than adults. I hope I get kids someday that are as cute and fun as my awesome nieces and nephews!

This Should Be Fun...

2008-04-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

So blogging seems to be the new cool thing lately... After my sister Candice made an adorable blog filled with fun little things about her kids, I started to think about making one of my own! I emailed Candice, telling her how cute hers was and gave her a little description of what my blog would be like. I told her it would be really boring because I don't have kids, am an unemployed student, and am pretty antisocial. The example blog that I gave went something like this:

"I slept in a bit (insert picture of me sleeping) and then did hours of schoolwork on the computer(insert picture of me sleeping at the computer).
Then I watched an episode of The Office that I recorded lastnight. After a couple hours of browsing the Internet (insert picture of my glazed-over 'browsing the internet' face), I did a couple more hours of schoolwork and spent my Friday night reading (insert picture of me absorbed in a book)."

She insisted that I start it anyways, so here it is, boys and girls!

This Should Be Fun! Ü