Wanderings of a single gal

Quick Update

2012-01-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Well things will finally start to calm down around here. I finished clinicals the week before Christmas and I have been lazy every since. I sleep in (all the way to 6:30) and have time in the morning to workout and study before heading off to work. I am still at Jenco for the holidays. Speaking of holidays...they were wonderful. I spent most of it with family and friends, and is there a better way to spend the holidays??

On a different note, now that I am done with school I should probably find a job. Well good thing I did! I start at Ogden Regional the middle of January. I am excited to get going. I was a little hesitant to work at a hospital and be on call and what not, but I think it was just too good of an opportunity to miss. Even though I will be on call at nights and weekends, I think that I will really enjoy the work. I guess more on that to come :)

Now that I am done with school I will have more time to post updates on here. Also, I now have the 9:00 am church, so there will be plenty of time on Sundays to update. So don't give up on this gal...I will be better and more posts will come.

10k Mud Run aka The Dirty Dash

2011-11-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

So this is a little old, but it has taken me a while to get around to posting the pictures. These aren't even all of them, but they will have to do for now (I don't want Katie to get any madder at me for my lack of posting).

A few months back my friend Missy called me up and asked if I wanted to do a 10k mud run. I told her that I would and asked her when we were going to run it. She said, I would have about a week to prepare. A WEEK!!!! Now as everyone knows, I am not the best runner in the world. I just don't really care for it. I would much rather burn off my calories doing something else, anything else really. So if I am going to sign up for a race, I need a little bit of time to get into running shape. Any by a little bit of time I mean more than a week.

Well a week is all I had, and I ran probably twice to prepare myself for the run. Now I had never run in the Dirty Dash before and so I didn't know what to expect. I went to www.thedirtydash.com to check things out and found this awesome video.

After watching the video I got really excited for our run. We got up early on Saturday and drove to Park City for the run. The weather had just turned a little cold, but you didn't really notice it during the run. We had to jump over hay stacks, jump over mud holes, swing across mud holes on a rope swing, wade through Deere Creek, walk across a balance beam, climb a rope ladder and crawl (army style) through barrels full of mud. It was so fun. Even though I hadn't been training, I felt good after the run. We had to stop so often and wait in order to proceed with the next opstical that we had time to catch our breath.
I don't know how long it took us, but we sure had fun. Afterwards they offer showers, but the water was so cold that I couldn't even stand to be in there very long. We went back to the car and I used baby wipes to get some of the mud off me. Three showers later, I was still finding mud! If anyone is looking for a fun little run, sign up for the Dirty Dash, you won't be sorry you did.

#4- Run a 5k with my dad

2011-11-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

I have officially checked one of my 30x30 items off the list. On Saturday (Nov. 12) my dad and I ran in our first official 5k. Yep, that is right. I have run Ragnar and a 10k Mud Run, but I had never run a 5k. When I was looking for a 5k to sign up for, I remembered that the DATC had one. About a month ago I had to run to the DATC to meet with my instructor. While I was there I grabbed a brochure about the run and brought it home to my dad. That night we signed up for the run.

I hoped that by signing up for the race, it would help give me the motivation to come home after work and run. However, I was a little too optimistic. I wasn't able to train for it as much as I had hoped to. The morning of the race came and I was excited to go out and run with my dad. Imagine my surprise to come upstairs and see that it was raining! It was in the low 40's and raining hard. I wasn't worried about running in the cold, but I didn't want to have to be cold and wet! Luckily for us, the rain died off before the start of the race and it was perfect running weather.

My dad did a fabulous job. He is amazing! He kept pushing me and motivating me. We crossed the finish line together and I couldn't be more proud of him. We finished in 33 minutes. My dad came in 2nd in his age division. I still can't believe what a good job he did. We are going to turn this little run into our family tradition. So everyone can start preparing now, next year around this time...for the family 5k!

30 by 30 Update

2011-11-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

I have been 29 for almost three months, so I should be pretty far into my 30 by 30 list. However, doing my clinicals have kept me pretty busy. So I thought that I would do an update on how my list is coming...kind of as a reminder to myself and to re-motivate myself.

1. Participate in a triathlon- I have been looking around for one to do, but with the weather turning bad I will have to wait until the spring or early summer to get this one checked off.

2. Participate in Ragnar 2012- I have signed up for Ragnar 2012 and am really excited to do it.

3. Visit every temple in Utah- Haven't started on this one yet, but once I am done with clinicals I will have more time to do this.

4. Run a 5K with my dad- I will pass this one off next Saturday. On Nov. 12 my dad and I will be running a 5K. I am excited to be able to do this with my dad.

5. Become a temple worker- Like I said, right now I don't have the time, but come the first of the year I will have more time.

6. Read all the standard works- I am almost finished with the Book of Mormon and then I will start on the D&C.

7. Read one new book a month- I have worked on this one. I have read the Secret Garden and am currently working on two other books Jane Eyre and The Lord of The Rings.

8. Learn the guitar- Charity is helping me on this one. She is giving me lessons, I don't feel like I am learning to quickly. But I will keep practicing.

9. Go on a monthly date with a niece/nephew/brother/sister- I have failed miserably on this one.

10. Finish my mission scrapbook- Nope, haven't even started.

11. Reduce my debt by 1/2- Just adding to it right now, until I have a paying job...I will only be adding to it.

12. Try one new recipe a month- check and check, I have been doing this one. It's nice having someone else cook for you.

13. Learn to scuba dive- A few months ago, my sister-in-law sent me a link to a deal that Groupon was having. It was a discount for the first lesson on how to scuba dive. So I bought one at the discounted rate. I haven't taken advantage of this deal yet, but I am well on my way to learning how to do this.

14. Go on a scuba diving trip- Can't really do this until I pass of #13

15. Learn to make my grandma's blanket- I will be posting pictures of this soon. I am almost done with the blanket. My grandma and I have been working really hard on it, and I believe that on Monday we will finish it. I'm so excited!

16. Learn to drive a manual car- I need someones help with this one. I don't have a manual or know anyone who has a manual car.

17. Visit a church history site- Probably won't do this for a little while. Need to have a job, so that I can travel.

18. Do something out of my comfort zone- Working in the OR has done this on a repeated bases. I will have to write about some of my experiences.

19. Buy dinner for a stranger- I haven't yet to do this. I don't eat out all that much.

20. Make children blankets with my mom for hospitals- Unfortunately we haven't been able to start on this project yet. I haven't been to my moms for a while, so I need to work on that too.

21. Visit Lori in New Orleans- Nope, not yet...but maybe come spring

22. Visit Missy in Kansas- She doesn't live there yet, so I can't really visit her until after the new year.

23. Do a complete temple name- Haven't done anything with this yet.

24. Learn to play the piano- I have been working on this one. Every so often I sit down with Faith and we go over some things and she helps me. But I can only do basic things as of right now.

25. Start a journal (and write in it often)- Nope, haven't done this once. I am going to start off small, maybe once a week.

26. Do a cross-stitch- I am going to go this weekend and find one. I have been thinking of it a lot lately and just need to find the time to go to the store and get one.

27. Go horseback riding- This will have to wait until the weather is warmer. Maybe I can get Shane to help me out with this.

28. Go skydiving- If only I can convince my dad to do it with me.

29. Make a budget and stick to it- Its not hard to stick to a budget when you aren't making any money. The true test will come once I have a job and have income coming in.

30. Go a whole month without eating out- I have done 3 weeks of this, I believe I will be able to accomplish this goal really soon.

So there you have it. I have started on many of them, just not accomplish them. Some of them will take all year to accomplish. But I am glad that I did this update, it was a good reminder that I have actually accomplished a lot. This way I am not discouraged!

Number 30...part 2

2011-09-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm sorry to say it...but number 30 will have to wait. I am pretty sure that I am going to have to amend it. I have realized that it is kinda hard to do a whole month without eating out. So I might have to do a week at a time. Or maybe amend it down to two weeks. We will see. So for the time being I will have to hold off number 30.

Number 30

2011-08-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

When I was in college I never ate out. Once I moved to Salt Lake, I started eating out every once in a while. Lately, it has been a lot more. The other week I counted that I had eaten out 5 of the 7 days. They were all for different occasions (with my grandma, with my mom, with my friends) and they were all fun times. I love getting together with people and sharing a meal and laughing together. Now doing get me wrong, I am not opposed to eating out, not at all. But 5 times in 7 days was a little over the top. So I wanted to set the goal to help me tone that down a little. And I am happy to report that I have gone a whole week without eating out. Now I know it isn't much, but I am happy about it. Now, only three more weeks to go and I have one of my 30 by 30s done. Wish me luck!

30 by 30

2011-08-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Friday was my birthday...and I turned 29. I thought about what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday...and I thought...and thought...and thought. I finally decided that I would do a 30 by 30 list. 30 things I wanted to do before I turned 30. And let me tell you, it was a lot harder to think of 30 things than I thought it would be. Given my current situation (going to school and hardly working) I don't know how many of these are actually going to happen, I only have so much money after all, but I am going to try my hardest to get it done. So without further adieu, here is the list (not in any particular order):

1. Participate in a triathlon
2. Participate in Ragnar 2012
3. Visit every temple in Utah
4. Run a 5K with my dad
5. Become a temple worker
6. Read all the standard works
7. Read one new book a month
8. Learn the guitar
9. Go on a monthly date with a niece/nephew/brother/sister
10. Finish my mission scrapbook
11. Reduce my debt by 1/2
12. Try one new recipe a month
13. Learn to scuba dive
14. Go on a scuba diving trip
15. Learn to make my grandma's blanket
16. Learn to drive a manual car
17. Visit a church history site
18. Do something out of my comfort zone
19. Buy dinner for a stranger
20. Make children blankets with my mom for hospitals
21. Visit Lori in New Orleans
22. Visit Missy in Kansas
23. Do a complete temple name
24. Learn to play the piano
25. Start a journal (and write in it often)
26. Do a cross-stitch
27. Go horseback riding
28. Go skydiving
29. Make a budget and stick to it
30. Go a whole month without eating out

I know these are random and some of them I might not be able to accomplish due to lack of funds, they are all things I want to do. If anyone wants to help me accomplish these, just let me know. And I do plan on taking pictures so everyone can see my efforts :)

Redesign

2011-07-19T07:53:00.003-07:00

I'm in the processes of redesigning the blog...so bare with me while I update it.

Recap

2011-07-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

So I know I am a slacker and should try harder to update my blog. But I just feel like nothing of importance has happened lately. However, my little sister keeps harping on me to update...so here I go (this is for you Katie).

As most of you know I went back to school last September. Because the DATC is self-paced I set a goal for myself to be finished with my bookwork by July (making it 10 months since I started the program). I am happy to say that I finished all of my bookwork on June 30th, so just in the nick of time. Since finishing, I have had to play the waiting game until there was a clinical spot open for me. I just found out that come September 6th, I will be spending 300 hours at Ogden Regional. I am really excited about getting started and all the things that I will learn while I am there.Also of note, my little brother left for the MTC on July 6th. He was very excited to go. I wasn't able to go to the MTC with him, but I was able to spend all morning helping him pack and get the last minute things together. I was kinda shocked to find out that he still hadn't packed that morning. When I went to the MTC I think it took me a week to pack all my stuff. The morning I reported I didn't want to have to stress about anything. I guess that just goes to show you the difference between the two of us. I sure do love Forrest and miss him already! But I know he will do an amazing job.Every year my family gets together and goes to the Ute Stampede in Nephi. This year was no exception. We had the Hansen Family Reunion on July 16th in Lehi, and afterwards we drove to Nephi for the rodeo. I love going to the rodeo with my family and look forward to it every year. This year my dad, Faith, Christian, Charity, Katie, Jeff and Kayley came down as well. One of my favorite moments of the rodeo is right at the beginning. The highlights of the evening is when a skydiver jumps out of his plane with a giant American Flag strapped to his feet. I can only imagine how heavy the flag must be as the man soars through the air. It is quiet a sight to see. I was actually able to snap a picture this year of him coming down. So those are just some of the fun things that have been going on this summer. I promise to write more often and keep everyone in the loop about what is going on in my life.

Manti Temple

2011-04-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

My little brother, Forrest, just got his mission call. He is heading to Eugene, OR and leaves July 6th. I am so excited for him. He is going to be a great missionary. Because he is going to school in Ephraim, he wanted to go through the Manti temple prior to school being over. On April 8, the family drove down to Manti to share in this experience. I had never been to the Manti temple and was excited to go.My dad and brother-in-law, Jeff, were able to be his escorts. It was so nice of Katie and Jeff to drive down from Rexburg to be there.It was a really neat opportunity. I love the temple and really enjoyed being there for Forrest. I sure do love him and think he will be a fabulous missionary.

WAC Tournament

2011-04-10T12:34:00.001-07:00

Last month I had the privalege of going to Vegas to watch WAC Tournament. Utah State had won the WAC regular season title and were poised to win the WAC Tournament title as well. With a win, the Aggies would get an automatic birth to the NCAA tournament. It was fun to watch the Aggies play two games and be there to see them win it all!Missy and I were able to go down with Josh's parents and his sister. It was fun to spend time with them. They are really a generous family and they treated me like I was family.Missy and I really had a wonderful time. We were able to escape the cold weather in Utah and spend the afternoons laying out by the pool. Unfortunately even though the Aggies won the WAC tournament and made it to the NCAA tournament, they once again lost in the first round. But I had a fun time supporting the Aggies while I was in Vegas. Thanks to the Willis family for such a great trip.

KU/KSU

2011-03-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I know I am a slacker...my sister reminds me that I haven't posted in a while. So sorry about that :)

Growing up in Kansas I grew up a KU fan. I lived and breathed KU basketball. In fact, to this day I always pick the Jayhawks to win the tournament each year. I love college basketball, but I LOVE KU basketball. The real question is, how did I grow up in Kansas and NEVER make it a KU game? If I was to make a bucket list, going to a home KU game would be on there. There is something about hearing the crowd do their Rock Chalk chant that sends chills through your body.

Well my friend Missy heard of my desire to go to a KU game and made it happen. Her fiancee's parents live in Liberal Kansas and are big K-State fans. So she called them up and was able to get us tickets to the KU/K-State game. Now it wasn't a home KU game, but it was just as good. We went out to visit Josh's parents and was able to go to the game as well. it was a fun weekend. I wore a K-State shirt (since Josh's parents got the tickets from one of their friends), but I silently cheered for my team. I probably should have cheered for the Wildcats...after all they did win, and win big. But it was all really fun.

The New Year

2011-01-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

2011! Wow, where did the time go? I feel like we were just celebrating the start of 2010 and all of a sudden it was over. When I was a little girl I would come out to Utah every summer to visit my mom. One summer the trip ended quicker than I wanted and I wasn't exhited about coming home. I was at my grandma's house just crying that I had to leave. My grandma took me by the hand and said, "Lexie, a year isn't that long. Before you know it you'll be back with us again." I looked at here and said, "Grandma, a year is FOREVER!". And you know what? To a little girl a year is FOREVER! But you know what, as I get older I realize my grandma was right, a year really isn't that long. The older I get the quicker the years go by. So enjoy 2011 while you can, because before you know it the year will fly by.

Family Pictures

2010-12-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

At the first part of October everyone got together for the blessing of my little niece. We decided that since everyone would be together needed to take a family picture. We took one in October of 2008 and since that time we have had four people join our family. This was our picture from 2008. Since that time Katie has gotten married and had a baby, Reese has added another boy to his family, and Thomas has gotten engaged. Our family is quickly growing. Below is our new picture. I can't believe how old we are all getting.The following picture is all the boys in the family. From left to right we have Thomas (20), Forrest (18), Jeff (Katie's husband-23), Reese (29), William (Reese's boy-4 months), Daniel (Reese's boy-3) and Christian (10). Now for the girls in the family. Also from left to right: Celia Renee (Thomas' fiancee-20), Katie (age 22), Kayley (Katie's girl-1.5 months), Charity (15), Lexie (28), and Tammy (26). So there you have it...the whole family. Man I love these guys.

What's new?

2010-11-01T20:11:00.001-07:00

When I decided to move home, I told myself that I would be better at writing on my blog. Well, I'm happy to report that I have FAILED in that regard. Ok, maybe I am not happy about it, but at least I'm honest with myself in stating that I have actually failed :).

A while back I told you all that there was a reason I moved home. Believe it or not, that reason is the reason that I haven't been posting much on here. So without further ado, here is the reason:
In case you don't understand my picture...I have decided to go back to school. I applied and got accepted into the Surgical Tech program at the DATC in Kaysville. I was skeptical about going to the DATC, after all, it is the DATC. But my program director is really renown in the field and very respected. I started school the end of September and hope to be done with the program in about a year.

So if I don't post very often...don't kill me, I'm just busy working and going to school. :)

Shingles

2010-09-14T16:28:00.001-07:00

No, I am not talking about the shingles that hang on the roof...I'm talking about the viral infection caused by the chickenpox virus (the pictures of shingles are too nasty to post on here...hence the roofing kind). A long time ago my brothers and sisters had the chickenpox. Due to the fact that my mom and my stepmom couldn't remember me ever getting chickenpox, it was my responsibility to put the calamine lotion on the kids (thus putting me at risk for getting the chickenpox). Three kids later, I still didn't have them. I thought I was immune to it and thus didn't worry about it. Before I left on my mission we figured it would be a good idea to get the Varicella Vaccine just in case. Due to that vaccine, my body was introduced to the virus to prevent me from getting it in the future. The thing that the vaccine also did was allow me to become susceptible to shingles. Only those who have had chickenpox can get shingles.

Monday morning as I was getting ready for the day I noticed I had 4 or 5 bumps on my neck. I figured a spider had gone to town on me during the night and didn't think anything of it. That afternoon my neck started to get sore to the touch and by the time I went to bed I couldn't lay on my left side without my neck hurting. The next morning as I was getting ready I noticed that the bumps were now 8 or 9 in number and red! As I went through the morning my ear started to ache and it hurt to swallow...I finally came to the decision that these were no ordinary spider bites and headed to the instacare. As soon as the doctor saw the bumps he knew they weren't spider bites and went on to explain about shingles.

After I got back to work I googled shingles for more information and found out that they are most commonly brought on by stress. I thought back about the last week and have had a relatively stress free week. It also said that it is most common in people over the age of 60. I did a quick recap and figured that I was only 28...which is no where near 60. It is also common in individuals who have lower immune systems (i.e. Cancer or AIDS)...nope that isn't me. I can't figure out how they came about...but I do have them and that sucks!

All in all it isn't too bad. I got a Rx to help with the rash and to help with the pain...the doctor says it will get worse before it gets better...I'm not really looking forward to that...but I will keep you all posted on how things are going. For now I am in isolation, as shingles is contagious to those who haven't had chickenpox. So if you haven't had them...stay away for a couple of weeks.

Another baby=another blanket

2010-08-26T18:39:00.001-07:00

On July 17th my brother Reese and his wife Tammy had their 2nd little boy. Because it took me a lot longer to make Katie's baby blanket than originally thought, my mom and I got started on W's blanket the day after he was born. Thinking back on things, we probably should have done W's blanket first since he came a full month before Katie's baby...but that is besides the point. The point is we finally finished it and were able to give it to baby W. I think the fabric we chose turned out beautifully. I really think it came together nicely. Here is a close up of the design and how it all came together. Now I can't take full credit for this blanket, my mom did a lot of it during the week when I wasn't there. But I think it is beautiful!Now that we are all caught up on baby blankets and we don't have any babies to prepare for my mom and I have decided to make baby blankets to donate to a local hospital. We haven't decided what type of blanket and I should probably contact the hospital and see if they have any certain requirements first...but I am excited to do it.

Best Aunt Award

2010-08-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Being 28 (almost) and not married, makes me the perfect candidate for the Best Aunt in the Whole World award. I am pretty sure I have won the hearts of my other niece and nephews but I wanted to cement my award with Katie's baby.

I few months ago I got into my mind that I should make Katie a blanket for her baby. I don't really sow and never really had the desire to learn. Last year I decided to make a jean blanket and that experience was fine because you couldn't really see my mistakes. But with this blanket I had to do my best to not have any mistakes. I called my mom and asked her if she would help me make Katie a puff quilt. I had seen my mom's finish puff quilts and loved how they looked! So really how hard could they be?

Man I was wrong. It was so much harder than I imagined. Ok, so maybe that isn't true. It wasn't that hard but very, very time consuming. I am really happy with how it turned out. I know the pictures aren't that great, but in case you can't see what is on the blanket they are "Little Monkeys". I thought this fabric was PERFECT for Katie and Jeff's baby. For those of you who don't know Katie and Jeff they are both tall and skinney
So really...they will have little monkeys for kids...skinny and thin!

All in all I am happy with the how the blanket turned out. I am sure I have the Best Aunt in the Whole World award basically wrapped up :)

Dead? No...just moving

2010-07-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted anything. Many people have asked if I died...I simply respond "no I haven't died, just moved...which sometimes feels like dying". I have been busy moving home, which is a lot harder than just moving to another location. When moving to another location you simply pack everything in boxes and away you go. However, when moving home you pack the things that you don't need for a year into boxes so they can be stored somewhere. You pack the things that you will need into other boxes...it just seems so much harder. Maybe in reality one isn't more difficult than the other...but one just seems so much more dreadful.

That one, of course, is moving home. Though I love my family and look forward to spending more time with them, I dread the idea of moving home. Sure I've been told that I will be left alone and given a sense of privacy and that I will be able to come and go as I please, but let's be honest...I don't really see that happening. While moving home allows me to pursue other things (which I will discuss in another post) I lose something in the process. I haven't lived at home for an extended period of time since I was 17 and just graduating high school. Sure I lived at home during the first few years of college during the summer and for a few months before and after the mission...but now we are talking about living at home for a year. You don't hear of too many 28 year olds (next month) moving home.

However, I know it is the best thing for me to do. And I know I will survive...I can do anything for a year! I just wish that knowing it was the right thing to do and feeling like it was the right thing to do felt the same. I am sure after a couple of months I will fall into the normal routine and I will fill right at home...but until then...I'll put a smile on my face and be happy.

The Madness of March

2010-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how much I love March Madness! To me it is the best time of year. It is hours upon hours of basketball, where the under dogs are cheered for and upsets are often found. Every year I fill out a bracket and very rarely do I pick the champion. This year...to show our support, my roommates and I made a HUGE bracket. If you can't tell by the picture...we turned our huge front room wall into one large bracket. I'm excited to watch as much basketball as possible and to see the bracket fill in during the next few weeks.

Aggies all the way!

2010-02-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

As most of you all know I grew up in Kansas...Wichita to be exact. Although I didn't ever go to a Wichita State basketball game...I was a fan of their baseball team. So image my surprise when I learned that my Aggies were playing the Shockers in the annual bracket buster game. My dad...being the great guy that he is, decided we had to go to the game. He wanted to go and cheer on the Shockers and show his WSU pride. I hadn't been to an Aggie game yet this season and so I jumped at the chance to go.
My dad wore his Shocker baseball shirt and my brother wore a black shirt to show their WSU support...I of course wore my Aggie blue shirt. The game was a blast (even though it started at 10 pm!). I love Aggie basketball and was happy to be able to see another game. Reese and my dad were good sports even though their team lost. Reese only got yelled at once for cheering against the Aggies :) Thanks dad for a great game!

Snow + Backyard = Snowman

2009-12-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

I believe that it has been years since I have actually built a snowman. But then again, it has been a long time since I have lived somewhere with a lawn capable of building a snowman.

The other day I was watching my friends kids for her and decided it was time to decorate the yard with a good snowman. Imagine my surprise after I got the kids in their snow gear to realize that I had no snow gear for myself. Oh well...it was still a lot of fun.

Kell, Braden and I went into my backyard and started building the first snowman. We got him all built and then needed to find something to decorate his face with. Kell asked if I had coal for the eyes...nope, what about little rocks for the eyes....nope, but I did have cups I could cut to make the eyes. Then she asked if I had a carrot for the nose...nope but I did have a long pretzel. So maybe I didn't have the normal things for a snowman, but I did have other things. We needed to find some type of stick for the arms, however my backyard has no trees. However, in our veggie garden there was a tree/weed thing growing that we never cut down. So I went to the shed and got a shovel and chopped off the branches for the snowman arms.It sure was a lot of fun! Braden started getting cold and so he went inside. Knowing he would do more damage if left alone inside then Kell would do alone in the backyard, I went inside with him. I kept checking on Kell to see what she was up to and I soon saw that she was building a few snowmen of his own. I couldn't believe that she could roll the balls and lift them on her own. Now the back yard is like a snowman forest.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-05T18:14:00.000-08:00

One thing that I was really excited about this year was finally being able to decorate for Christmas. Christmas time is my favorite time of year. I love driving down the street and seeing all the lights on the houses. More than anything I love the feeling you get when you walk into the house and you see all the decorations. It just makes everything feel some comfy and coozy.
I never really decorated for Christmas when I was going to school. For one I didn't have the money to get the decorations and then we always got time off after finals and I never spent Christmas there. Even though I have been graduated for a few years now, this is the first time that I have had a place to decorate.
Sarah had a tree and so we were able to put that up. Between Sarah and I we were able to fully decorate the tree. There is something special about Christmas trees. When my family first moved to Kansas I had a hard time sleeping during the Christmas season. One night I got under the Christmas tree, turned on the lights and fell asleep. That was where I slept the rest of the Christmas season. My parents couldn't even put presents under the tree because there wasn't room with me under there. Even today, I love plugging in the tree lights and sitting in the dark looking at it.
I figured that we would really only have a tree for decor and that was good enough for me. However, when Sarah got home from Thanksgiving she had a little surprise for us. She brought back stockings for each one of us...not just plain ol' stockings but she took the extra effort to personalize each of them.Slowly we are getting our house set up and decorated but I am 100% in the Christmas spirit. I love this time of year and am thrilled to finally have a place to decorate.

Pumpkins

2009-10-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

The other day my roommates and I had a little roommate bonding. It was a lot of fun. Thursday was Sarah's birthday and we all were all going to be gone, so we celebrated the night before with pizza and soda. After eating our little hearts out and watching a little football, we decided that it was time for use to carve some pumpkins.
I'm not a fan of carving pumpkins, mainly because I'm not very creative. But I love cooking the pumpkin seeds afterward. Missy and I had a brilliant idea, we figured we would share our pumpkin...she would carve one side and I would paint the other side. That way during the day you would see my painted face and at night with the candle you could see hers. Candace and Sarah each got a pumpkin and it was fun to sit around and have a fun night together.As you can see the pumpkins turned out so cute.

Football in the Fall

2009-10-12T19:26:00.001-07:00

There is nothing greater than football in the Fall. As everyone knows, I love sports! My favorite channel is ESPN. But nothing says fall to me more than football. I love going to football games and bundling up to stay warm. And even if you have to pay $6 for hot chocolate... it is all worth it because it is part of the experience.

On Monday Sept. 28th my dad and I had the following text message coversation:

dad: what are you doing on Friday?
me: I don't know
d: are there any football games?
m: I don't know
d: BYU/USU???
m: oh that is right
d: if I found tickets...would you like to go?
m: depends on where the seats are ;)

At this point my dad decides that he is done texting and gave me a call. Honestly I'm surprised he lasted that long. Anyways, it turned out that our friend Joy, who has season tickets was unable to go to the game due to the Elk hunt stilling her husband. Not only does Joy and Don have season tickets but their tickets are on the 50 yards line front row!I was torn on who to cheer for. I love USU and wanted them to do well...so secretly in my heart I was cheering for them. But we were surrounded by BYU faithful and I didn't want to get ridiculed when USU got slaughtered. Deep down I was hoping that USU would play well and make it a game. And for the first little while they held their own. But then they became the USU of old and folded.
Well, needless to say...my dad and I had a great time. So Joy...thanks for the tickets...it made my Fall!

Not to be out done

2009-09-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Over the 24th of July weekend, my family (on my mom's side) got together for our annual family reunion. My mom's cousin has some property down near Scipio and so every year we bring our trailers and have a great weekend doing the reunion thing.

One of the great things about Lyle's property is that he has a repelling wall right in the middle. Barry and his boys always bring their gear and are more than willing to help everyone and anyone. A few years back my mom's aunt (that would be my grandpa's sister-in-law) decided to go repelling. At the time she was only 85. Well here we are two years later and she said she was up to doing it again! She amazed us all in many ways. One that she was able to climb up the ladder in the first place. I know by experience that you have to really reach to make the next step. She just flew down that wall...and even gave us a little pose at the end :)

Next in line came my little niece Ronnie Jo. Last year Ronnie was to scared to do it, but she really wanted to go this year. I'm so proud of her. She did a great job. Even after she got down she was really excited to jump back up there and do it again.So as to not be out done by my 7 year old niece and my 87 year old great aunt, I had to take my turn of it. Now, my mom must have done some bragging to her cousins and their children, because when I went to put on my harness one of the boys said "after all the crazy things you've done...we better give you the fast release". Now I will admit that I have done some crazy things in my life (bungee jumping, sky diving, white water rafting in the Nile) but I had never done repelling and didn't know the first thing about it. So I was a little nervous about getting the "fast release". But then I thought "if my niece can do it and my great aunt can do it...what could be so hard...ok give me the fast one!" Once I was on the wall though...there wasn't anything to worry about.After the first jump...my nephews and I even had a contest to see who could jump down the wall in the least amounts of jumps. I think we all tied with two jumps.All in all it was a great weekend. It was great to see family again and catch up with people I hadn't seen for a long time.

Attack of the killer tomatoes!

2009-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this might not be a post about the 90's cartoon show, but our tomato plant is seriously taking over the garden. I have never seen one so huge as the one we've got growing. Now I understand that when planting veggies one should take into consideration the planting advice given on the white little plastic thingy. But really...who ever does? As you can see from the pictures...we should have.As you can see the plant is taking up the whole garden bed

The tomato plant has already over grown one of our strawberry plants and two of our pepper plants. And I do believe that it is just going to get bigger. For the longest time I thought we bought a dud. The plant was growing and growing but there weren't any tomatoes. Then they started to appear. However, they are still green and we are hoping they ripen up before it gets to cold. After consulting the white plastic thingy...I realized that our tomatoes will grow to be 10-16 ounce each. That is almost one pound of tomato! I can't believe it. So if you are even in the mood for huge tomatoes and bushes that grow like crazy....grab a Burpee Big Boy (I guess I should have know from the name they'd be huge!)On that note...our garden is growing quiet well. We are finally getting peppers on the three plants that aren't getting over ran by the tomatoes. I'm really excited for those. We did plant some red pepper plants...how ever those would be the ones the tomatoes decided to squash out.
Our corn is doing really well and I can't wait for it to finish. They are growing so big and I can't wait to cook some up. Candace heard from one of her Physical Therapy buddies that you should plant beans around the corn to help keep the bugs away. I do believe that it is working...but not only does it keep the bugs away...we have beans now. Luckily I'm the only one who likes them :)I do believe we planted the cantaloup and watermelon a little too late in the season. But as Missy was watering on Sunday she did spy this little guy. I doubt he will be big enough to eat before it gets cold....but we can always hope.
We have four or five little cucumbers growing. It seemed like for the longest time nothing in our garden was growing. But then over night all these things started to appear. I love cucumbers and can't wait to start eating them.We also planted carrots (sorry no pictures) and strawberries. The carrots are growing and should be done soon. I know that strawberries are an early spring thing...but we are getting some every now and again. So all in all our little garden is doing so well. If only I could keep the tomatoes under control!

Snorkeling in Hawaii

2009-08-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happens at night when I get home from work. The hours at night go by so much faster than during the day. But I am bound and determined to start making this blog a priority and updating more often. About two months ago...I went to Hawaii and had a great time. One of the highlights was going snorkeling.
In 2007 I decided to purchase a new camera. I got my old digital camera while on the mission and I knew it was time to upgrade. So I headed over to Best Buy to do a little searching and see what type of camera was best for me. When it all came down to it, I ended up purchasing an Olympus Stylus Tough. It was a great find. The thing that sold me on the camera was the fact that I could take it underwater. When I went snorkeling in Belize I had to purchase one of those underwater disposable cameras and my pictures turned out awful. I didn't have any that turned out and therefore nothing to remind me of that great trip. So when I heard you could take it in the pool, ocean or rain...I was sold.Since I got the camera I have taken it surfing with me a couple of times and it worked great. But this trip to Hawaii was the first time that I actually used it under the water! Man was I surprised with how well it actually worked!
The snorkeling was great! We were able to go out on the boat and have two different trips. The first trip was to Molokini Crater. I was amazed at the clarity of the water and how much you were able to see.
After Molokini Crater, we were able to go to Turtle Bay and see tons of sea turtles. The water was deeper than at the crater and therefore a little darker and so the pictures didn't turn out quite so well. But it was cool to swim after the turtles and watch them go by.All in all I loved snorkeling in Hawaii and had a great time. I finally got to use my camera and think it was a great purchase. I am so happy with my purchase!

Fun in the sun

2009-06-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Tiny came up to me and said that her, her friend Mayra and her sister Missy were going to Hawaii and that I should come with. After looking at the price for the flight ($375 round trip) I told myself I couldn't possibly pass up that great of an opportunity. So that day I booked my flight and about two weeks later we were on our way.We flew into Maui and were able to stay at a great condo for the week. We were just across the street from the beach! We basically played on the beach, snorkeled and ate the whole week long. I am sad to say that I did get fried and so that cut down on some of my beach time. Unfortunately most of our pictures were taken during dinner and as we were walking home (hence all the sun set photos).
It was such a fun trip. Tiny and Mayra were a blast to hang out with. They definitely made the trip a blast. So thanks Tiny for the invite and let's do it again soon.

And I'm Back

2009-06-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I have been gone for so long. Moving to a new place really does take it's toll on you. After fighting with comcast for two weeks we finally got the internet up and running. Now I wil be able to take a few nights and catch up on all the things I've missed. Just to get your excitement up for what is to come...there will be pictures from Hawaii and our great snorkling trip :) So stay tuned for more!

Moving

2009-04-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come to finally move. I'm so excited about the house we were able to get. I've been wanting to move for a while, but have been biding my time until my friends came down this way. Well Candace and Missy graduate the first part of May and so we have been looking around to find a place to rent. It has been hard to figure out how many bedrooms we want, where we want to live and making sure the price was right. After weeks of searching we were finally able to find the perfect one.
In the past she has rented the house as an upstairs apartment and a downstairs apartment, so the upstairs and downstairs mimic each other. There are two bedrooms upstairs with a bathroom, kitchen and frontroom. Two doors lead to the back yard where there is a nice lawn and an area for a garden. Going downstairs there is another two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and frontroom. There is also a door that goes up to the backyard. I think it is going to be great. Now we are just searching for a fourth roommate so that rent is not out of control.

I've been looking online for some furniture to fill our empty house. It is kinda exciting to have a home to come home to. I'm excited about being "grown up". So anyone who might be in the Bountiful area is welcome to come by and take a look around the place. It might be a little bare for the first little while...but with time it will look just like a home.

YW Basketball

2009-04-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, for the past few months I have been helping out with the Young Women's basketball team in our ward. We got together every Wednesday after school to practice and then we had games every Tuesday night. I had a blast as I worked with these young women. I am so proud of them. We only lost two games all season! We got invited to regionals based on our record and even won the first game. Unfortunately the ball didn't fall for us during our second game and we ended up losing. But I am so proud of these girsl. They worked hard and gave it their all. After the season we had a hot tub party at Debby's house with pizza and soda...I mean what can be better than pizza, soda, and a hot tub? The girls had a blast.

Seattle Trip

2009-04-02T18:51:00.001-07:00

Well just so you all know...I didn't die. A friend needed to borrow my computer for a little while, so I didn't have access to my pictures or the internet. But I'm back and ready to post lots of pictures.

My friend Missy had an interview in Seattle over Spring Break, so I thought it would be fun to drive up there and make a little Spring Break trip out of it. We left Thursday and drove up to Seattle. I was ready to be bored out of my mind during the trip, but luckily Missy's mom made us a care package. She had a package for us to open every hour. And I'm telling you...the trip goes so much faster when you have something to look forward to every hour. So thanks Jane...that was great.
Missy's trainer from the mission was from Seattle and they allowed us to chill at their home. Friday morning Missy ran off to her interview and I planned out the afternoon. Once she got back from her interview we headed off to explore what Seattle had to offer.We first headed down Pike's Market. I didn't know really what to expect from the Market but I sure did enjoy it. We stopped by one of the fruit markets and had the best raspberries and peaches ever. They were so good I just had to buy some. The experience of the afternoon came when Missy and I tried to buy salmon. I don't eat fish so I really wouldn't have that much experience purchasing fish from a market. Well we learned that it was cheaper to buy a whole salmon than to purchase it already cut. Plus the market fillet it for free for us! It was such a great deal.That night we headed off to a nice seafood restaurant down on the pier. Like I said, I don't like fish and rarely eat seafood. The only seafood I really eat is shrimp, so I figured that I would just order that. But get this...the restaurant didn't have one item on there that had shrimp on it. So I didn't know what I was going to do. I heard that salmon was very mild so I ordered that. I must admit that I LOVED what I ate. It was so good!Saturday morning we got up and headed back home, stopping in Boise on the way. It was such a quick trip...but I enjoyed it all the same. I definitely need to get back and see what else there is to see in Seattle. I know in our short time we barely scratched the surface. I want to say thank you to the Richards family for letting us stay with them. They were great hosts.

Back in 1994

2009-02-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

Back in 1994 when I was just a little ol' 6th grader at Brooks Middle Magnet, it was required that every student took Home Ec. The semester was divided into three sections...a cooking portion, a sewing portion and a lecture portion. Well for the sewing part of the class we had to make a pillow. We had to pick out the fabric and bring it to class and sew around the fabric to make a square...thus making the pillow. I know, it sounds pretty difficult...but knowing me I probably aced it. Well I decided it was time to tackle that little project again...but on a much larger scale.

For Christmas last year, my mom made me a jean blanket that I absolutely love. It keeps me so warm! Well I was trying to figure out what to do for my friend's birthday and the thought came to me that I should make her a blanket as well. She seems to be cold all the time so what could be better?

I got together with my mom once a week and got to work on the blanket. I know it isn't perfect, but I finished it. I have to give myself a pat on the back...after 15 years...I still got it! Here is the finished project.

Luckily my mom helped me out a ton. She had all the squares already cut out so I just had to sew them together. She also helped me tie it together and then pinned all the edge together so that I could just come and sew. So a special shout out to my mom for helping me out so much.

Missy really liked it and I think it will keep her plenty warm up in Logan. I also had a little material left so I made a pillow (but I forgot to snap a photo). So who knows...maybe I will pick up sewing after all. :)

Here we go again

2009-02-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well it is that time of year again. The Super Bowl was probably one of the greatest games I've ever seen. The Pro Bowl...well is the Pro Bowl and let's just be glad it's over. And the Brett Favre saga is in full throttle.

Last year at this time as tears were falling down his face, he told all the Packer fans out there that he was walking away. He said he couldn't play anymore. Everyone in Packer nation believed him. Why wouldn't they? He was THEIR quarterback. They said their goodbyes and moved on.
Well a few months later, Favre decided he still had some playing time left in him after all. He came back to the team that made him who he was and demanded his starting position back. The only problem was that the Packers actually moved on. They had the audacity to believe that Farve had retired and they started reforming their team.

This didn't sit well the the future hall of famer, he didn't come out of retirement to sit on the bench! So he demanded a trade. The Packers gave it to him and he signed with the New York Jets. Well after a 9-7 season and missing the playoffs, Farve has desided to hang up the cleats...one more time.Personally I think he should have stayed retired the first time around. He had nothing to prove by coming back for one more season...especially playing for a team like the Jets. So what do you think? Do you think he will stay retired? I guess only time will tell.

Reading

2009-01-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed reading and found great pleasure in reading for hours on end. In fact growing up my dad didn't like it when I got wrapped up in a book because I literally got wrapped up in the book. Everything around me seemed to stop until I finished the book.

When I finally graduated from college I made a goal that I would read one new book a month. Well that didn't last too long. I read the first one just and the second month I chose to read Les Mis. Well it took me longer than a month to read it and once I finished it I was kinda burned out.

Well it is time to start my goal again. I have joined a book club. Now I've never joined a book club but I'm looking forward to it now. The nice thing about this book club is that we do everything online. I don't think I'm terribly busy at night...but chances are that once I have something "planned" something else comes up. This way when I have time I can comment.

Well if any of you are out there looking for something to do and want to joined...come on over and join us at A Momentary Escape

Bear Lake

2009-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

Every summer Missy and her family go up to Bear Lake for a week of fun on their boats and jet skis. I was able to go with them this past June and had a blast. Well as you can imagine I jumped at the chance to go with them again over New Years break. But of course we didn't get on the boats and ride around. This time we jumped on the snow mobiles and rode around.
Now this is the first time I have had the opportunity to actually drive a snow mobile. The first time I was on a snow mobile was my freshman year of college and I rode on the back of one. It was fun...but I never imagined how fun driving one on my own would be.
We rode around for a good part of the afternoon and I was so sore. I mean...I work out and everything so I didn't think I would be that sore...but the next morning when I woke up...I was completely sore. Now that I have done it once...I don't think I will be able to go back. I'm officially hooked. You never know...I might get brave enough to do some exploring and not just trail ride.So I want to say thank you to the Jenkins for showing me the ropes and for letting me tag along...once again. You guys are the best!!

Christmas in Africa

2008-12-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

I know it isn't Christmas yet...but I wanted to post some pictures from Christmas last year. We woke up early Christmas morning to take a boat ride up the Nile River. We got on the boat right as the sun began to rise and the steam and mist began to leave the river. Along the banks of the river we were able to see Africa come to life. The animals all came to the river banks to get their morning breakfast and enjoy a cool off. We were able to see alligators, hippos, birds etc. What a wonderful way to start our Christmas day...out in nature with all of God's creations.We got back to our tents for a few hours of rest before heading off on our safari. While we were out and about during the safari we were able to see elephants, girafees, kobs etc. We had such a great time out there. We were gone for about five hours or so. Our tour guide was great and we were able to actually climb on top of the van to get a better look at all the animals. We cam across three elephants trying to cross our path. The mommy elephant didn't like how close we were to her baby and stared us down. Later on in our ride we came across another elephant who was not too happy with us. The van driver threw the car into reverse as the elephant started to charge. Luckily he got distracted and left the path and we could continue on our way.We got back to the camp later on that afternoon. We spent the rest of the day lounging around...reading, playing games and just enjoying the holiday season. That night the camp gave us a great Christmas dinner. You can see from the menu posted just how great the dinner was. The avacado appitizer was to die for...though I did have to scrap the mayo out from the center. I couldn't stand to eat a scoop of mayo. Dinner was great and the dessert was good too.
Even though I couldn't be with my family for the holiday...it was nice to be with friends. It will be one of the Christmas's I remember most.

One Year Ago

2008-12-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Well I am sure many of you are sick and tired of me talking about Africa. But since I haven't been out of the country in a year...it makes it hard to write about anything else. So for the next few week I will be doing a review of our trip to Africa last December. Most of these pictures will be new for you. It turns out I didn't post many pictures of Africa after all.
Early in the morning of Dec. 8th the team met at the Salt Lake Airport. We would quickly become great friends. The flight wasn't bad and many of us tried to catch up on sleep. Since we left so early in December, many of the students had to take their finals early. So the 24+ hour flight was just what many of us needed.

I want to give a shout out to Dr. Grenney who made this all possible. Thanks for being the best mentor out there. To all my Africa friends....I miss you and can't wait to come back some time soon.

8 Items!

2008-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here are the rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Answer the six "8" items.
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1. The Office
2. Gray's Anatomy
3. Prison Break
4. Sports Center
5. Biggest Loser
6. Reba
7. ER
8. any sporting event

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to Church
2. Ate dinner with Melissa, Garrett and Missy
3. Slept in till 11
4. Spent way too much time on Facebook
5. Checked my email
6. Planned next weekends activities
7. Prayed...a lot
8. Played Disney's Scene It

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. The holidays
2. Shopping for my person
3. Not having to work
4. Going to Forrest's play
5. Visiting somewhere fun
6. The weekend
7. Sleeping
8. Going to the gym in the morning

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Olive Garden
2. Chili's
3. Wingers
4. Firehouse
5. Red Lobster
6. Cafe Rio
7. Texas Roadhouse
8. The Cheesecake factory (I've only eaten there once...but it was GREAT)

8 Things On My Wish List:
1. Everone to be happy
2. Another trip
3. More time to do what I want
4. More money so I can play more
5. Friends close by
6. Go back to Africa
7. All my pictures scrapbooked
8. A place of my own

8 People I Tag:
1. Who ever wants to do this.

Fall Break-Vegas style

2008-11-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

As many of you know...Lori is in Vegas going to UNLV. Well, Missy and I thought it would be fun if we took a little trip out there to see her. Since Missy is a study-a-holic...I figured it would be best to go over Fall Break...plus that way we got to experience the warmth again.

Since Missy's brother lives in St. George we figured we would drive down there Thursday night and spend the night at his house. That really worked out well...we made good time and were able to spend some time with his wife and kids. So here is a little shout out to Andrea and the Kids...thanks for letting us crash there! We got up Friday morning and jumped in the car for the quick drive across the border and on to Vegas.

It was so nice to see Lori...we really hadn't all been together for months and so it was nice. Since we have all been to Vegas many times...we didn't want to do the "typical" Vegas stuff. Missy and I haven't had the chance to do baptisms since we were endowed...so we all went to the Temple to do baptisms. That was such an experience...if you don't know the story...and want to...give me a ring!

Last spring when Lori and I went to Vegas for Spring Break...we went hiking around Red Rock. Well, Missy had never been there...and Lori and I loved it there...so we headed there for one of the afternoons. It was fun to get out there and hike around in the warmth!

All in all...it was a rather fun weekend. Thanks Lo for letting us come out there and take over your condo! We need to do it again some time.

Where in the world?

2008-09-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

As many of you know...my friend Lori and I were able to go to Europe during the summer of 2007. I was talking to Lori the other day and we are itching to get out and go on another trip. So my question to the blogging world...is where should we go. We want to go some where out of the country. We thought about going to Egypt, but kinda just need some feedback. So let me know where you think we should go. Remember, she is a poor grad student and I'm a poor office manager :)

Moved in

2008-09-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well after about a zillion years...I finally made it into my condo! That is right...on Saturday afternoon I finally got all my stuff moved in. I am happy to finally have own place again. A special thanks to the Jenkins for letting me crash with them all summer long. Also a shout out to Forrest for giving me his bed when I crashed at my Dad's for a few weeks.

Here is a special shout out to anyone in the SLC area...I need visitors. Please come and see me...or I'll come see you...but let's get together!

I guess now that I am back to life...I hope to have more posts. Sorry for the lack of blogging the past few months. I hope to have more to share with you in the future. I might even take a picture of my place when I get it all put together (i.e. pictures on the wall etc.).

Growing Up

2008-09-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it is time that I grow up. As many of you know, I turned 26 the other day and so you would think that I would be grown up by now. But I like to delay responsibilities as long as possible :)

Well this weekend, I could delay it no more. I went out and bought a grown up bed! That is right, I won't be sleeping on little twin beds that the student housing provides for you. No more restless nights as I sink to the center of my bed. No more storing my crap under my bed because it is set up on cinder blocks. No more storing my clothes on shelves because the apt. doesn't provide a dresser. That is right...no more kid stuff.

I am happy with my purchase and can't wait for it to get delivered so I can finish setting up my grown up bed. I guess being a grown up has it's perks.

Lessons Learned From The Olympic Games

2008-08-14T16:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but this past week has taught me a lot...mainly due to the Olympic Games. Who would have thought that you could actually learn something from these games. Here is what I've learned.

1. Don't piss off the Americans.
~ How did I come to this conclusion? Did anyone see the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay? The French come out and say "We are going to smash the Americans, that is why we are here!" Did he honestly think that we were going to cower under his words? On the other hand...we took what he said and shoved it back in his face! The 4 x 100 freestyle relay was probably the best race I have ever seen! We appeared dead in the water, but give credit to Jason Lezak who appeared to ride the surf of the French team, to pulls us from behind and give us the win. Final time: USA-3.08.24.....France-3.08.32. So next time you want to piss of the Americans, make sure you can back it up!
2. It is all about mental toughness.
~ Let me explain. Last night I was watching the incredible Women's Beach Volleyball team of May-Treanor and Walsh. These ladies are amazing. They are the teams that everyone is picking to win gold...and for good measure. With their win yesterday, their winning streak is now at 105 matches. They haven't lost in 105 matches!!!! That is unbelievable. The games yesterday showed just how tough these ladies are. The Belgium came storming out and put up a pretty good fight. They actually believed that they could beat the Americans. Well I thought they might just do it. The Belgiums held a 20-17 advantage in the first set. All they needed was 1 point to win the set. But the Americans refused to play three sets against this team. This is when their toughness privaled. They came back to win the set 24-22! I couldn't believe it. After throwing away the first set, the Belgiums lost all confidence (again it's all about mental toughness). The Americans wons the 2nd set 21-10, it it took all of 15 minutes. 3. It's not over til the fat lady sings.
~ Ok, I'll be honest...I thought Phelps had lost the 100 butterfly. I counted him down and out. I thought "there goes his goal". But as the saying goes...it ain't over till the fat lady sings. Until they posted the score, I still didn't think that Phelps had won. I can't believe it! Five of his gold medals came quiet easily (four with new world records), one gold came on the back of his teammate (see lesson 1), but the seventh one came a little harder. Going into the race I thought he would have no problem. But with time running out, it looked like out Champion had run out as well. But instead of coasting to the finish (which is the wisest thing to do) he took a leap (literally) and it got him the gold.
4. 16 year old Americans are a lot more developed then 16 year old Chinese.
~ I am sure everyone has seen the photos and has developed their own conclusions. But I must say, that the Chinese don't appear to be 16. It must be something in the water here, that makes our youth sprout up and develop. I don't care what you say about training at a young age and what not...but nothing can stunt the development that much. Honestly, some of their gymnasts look no more developed than my little sister...and she is 12! I know their passports (which are government issued) say they are 16 but come on, there is no way. Like I said...it must be something in the water.

26...can it be?

2008-08-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Yep that is right...I've lived to see another birthday. As many of you know I have hit the big 2...6...! Actually, is 26 that big? I don't think it is any bigger than 25, nothing really special happens when you are 26. I mean honestly, at 16 you can drive...18 you are an adult...21 you can drink...25 you are a quarter of a century...so basically 26 is just another year.

The other day at work my boss asked me if I had any questions he could answer while he was in the office...I told him "well according to the song...I'm another year older and wiser too" so I shouldn't have any".

So here is to another year. Hope 26 is just as great as the previous 25 have been.

Tetons in the morning

2008-06-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted about spending a week "working" in the Tetons. But I thought I would post a few more pictures. Some of our participants wanted to get up at 5:30 to do a photo shoot. So I got up and drove them around. We hoped to see different animals along the way and some great scenic pictures. My group didn't seem many animal (besides your basic elk and bison), but one group saw a bear. When I see the photographic evidence of that....then I will believe. Being on the road by 5:30 allows you to see the sun rise...and when it does...the Tetons just glow. We also ran over to Jenny's Lake for a little photo shoot there. By the time we got there the water was getting a little choppy and so it wasn't smooth. But you can clearly see the reflection of the Tetons in the water.

Unemployed

2008-06-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well I have officially joined the ranks of the unemployed. I will keep you posted on how things go. But I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be living in SLC for the next little while, while I am searching for a job. So those in SLC...let's play.

Can life get better that this...?

2008-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

...I submit that it can not! Now how many of you enjoy going to work every day? This past week has been an amazing one. We have a yearly conference that is usually held in Park City. Now don't get me wrong, I love Park City...but it can't compare to where we had the conference this year. This is what we get to look at every day! Now tell me this...who wouldn't want to come to work every day, when this is the view you have?This year is our 10th anniversary and we decided to head to Jackson, Wyoming. What a view. We wake up every morning to see the majestic Tetons. I went on a hike yesterday afternoon and got lost in the beauty that surrounded me.And after seeing all this...I have to ask myself...why am I leaving? What other company pays for you to spend the week in Jackson? So thanks Geoff and STI...it was great.

Enrichment Night

2008-06-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, one thing I've learned..is I MUST have the internet at my house, or I go crazy. Since I am moving in a few weeks, I canceled my internet...and now I learned that I can't live without it. That is my excuse for the marathon of posts. I forget to bring the pictures with me to work to post...then I feel guilty about posting them at work...so usually I don't. But I will get better.

So last night we had enrichment. I don't feel like I am the most crafty person in the world. But when they said what we were going to do, I was excited to go. For the past little while, many of my roommates had boards that they were able to put pictures on. I thought it was cute, and wondered how to go about making them. Well that is exactly what we did at enrichment. This is the board that I ended up making. When we got there I saw the fabric I wanted right away. All of the frames in my room are black...so I wanted to go along with that theme. I thought the ribbon added a little to it. The best thing about it, is that they are so easy. I think I had mine made in about 20 minutes. You can also do it in all shapes and sizes. Such a great gift idea. I just wanted to send a shout out to Candace for putting the activity together...thanks friend!

Graduation

2008-06-12T09:23:00.001-07:00

The other week...I had the opportunity to head home for a special weekend. On May 30, Thomas graduated from high school and Charity graduated from 6th grade. They both worked hard to get to that point. Charity...I'm proud of you and your efforts in class. I can't believe you had perfect attendance. I never had that! Good job. Thomas...thanks for making it. You know I would have had to beat you up if you didn't :) I both love you tons.Thomas and I after he finally made it!Charity with her teacher. Now don't think that Charity is freakishly tall (she is tall) but her teacher is just really short. :)

I'm proud of you!

2008-06-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post some pictures of my brother. He graduated this year! I'm so proud of him. He is such a good example to me. Thomas and I have always been close. We have had many conversations over the year and I just wanted to let him know that I love him so much. Thomas...I'm so proud of you!

Sailing

2008-05-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I swear I'm not dead. We canceled our internet for the summer since we didn't want to pay more for it and I haven't been able to get on here to post for a while. But I'm back with a determination to do better.

Last week I was able to go to California for the Open House of Melissa and Devin. While I was there Bryan took us out sailing. Now, I have been out to Cali a few times to visit Melissa's family and I have yet to go sailing. I was pretty excited when we finally got to head out. Hope you enjoy these photos.

Daddy B., Erin, Nate, and Angie chillin' while Cody drives.

Erin, Melissa and I enjoying the water.

Devin, showin the love.

The newlyweds!

Cheesin' it.

Lookin' hot in my sailing attire.

Nate and Erin doing the "Titanic".

Lessons Learned

2008-04-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ok so the weather is finally warming up and spring seems to have finally arrived in Logan. I love the warm weather and am excited to enjoy yet another summer in Logan. As the weather warms up and people are emerging from hibernation, it could only mean that one this is upon us...finals and the end of another school year!

Now I know that most of you are thinking...come on Lex, you've graduate...you don't need to worry about finals. And you are right...but for the past I don't know how many years....I've looked forward to this week. Let's be honest...it took me longer to graduate than other people. I graduated high school in 2000 and finally finished my undergraduate in May 2007. Now I did take a year and a half off to go on a mission, but it still felt like I was in college forever. In reality I was only in school fro 4.5 years, so that isn't bad.Was it worth it? Absolutely! There are things I learned while in college that I wouldn't have learned elsewhere. Like who knew that shooting a cupcake from a skeet shooter would destroy the cupcake upon launch? We learned that the hard way...the only way to really launch a cupcake was to throw it.
I learned that everything is better with chocolate and friends. Whether it was having a chocolate fountain party or home made pazookies, if there is chocolate and friends involved...it is bound to be a good time.

I've learned that mentos and dry ice really do make a large bang when combined and placed in a 2-liter soda bottle. You might not think that it does, but you will be surprised. And when I say a large bang...I really mean a LARGE bang, so plug your ears.

I learned an important lesson about roommate bonding. Don't ever try and come between three roommates. When placed with the dilema of kicking one of the three out of the apartment, they will go to extreme odds to stay together. That includes trashing the apartment so that the "clean freak" that wants to move in (and kick someone else out in the process) sees the apartment she is forced to change her mind.

Like I said, was it worth it? Absolutely. The student loans needed, the hours of studying, working part time along the way, all nighters to cram for a test, and then being so tired you sleep through class is what college is all about. Where else would I have learned these valuable lessons?

Becoming a betting individual

2008-04-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Since I was so good at picking the winner of the NCAA tournament I thought I would take my odds to Vegas. I felt like I was on a winning streak so I called into the office and told them that I wasn't going to be in for a couple of days, jumped in the car and 7.5 hours later showed up in Vegas.
Luckily I have a friend who lives right outside of Vegas who was willing to let us crash in her spare room. Here is a shout out to Lisa...thanks for letting Lori and I crash there. It was great. We will definitely have to do it again.

While in Vegas we hit the strip in hopes of using my recently found talent (picking a winning school...there were 1 in 64 chances don't you know) to hopefully get a little money to pay of my student loans.

While on the strip we stopped by the Bellagio Hotel and saw the amazing fountain. I was blown away to watch the streams of water as they shot into the air set to different songs. We probably spent about 30 minutes in front of the hotel watching the different water songs they had going. If you have never been to Vegas...this is definitely worth the drive. I was so amazed at what they were able to do with a fountain of water that I completely forgot to put to use my amazing talent. Maybe I can save that for the next trip.

Taking a moment to gloat

2008-04-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have to admit that I have been a slacker as of late. I haven't taken many photos in the past few months...hence the lack of entries..and basketball has been my life for the past month. I would like to take a moment to add to my glory and say that I did in fact pick KU to win it all. The day of the game I was emailing back and forth with some of my friends and I even picked KU to win by 8. I know they only won by 7...but not to shabby. So here is a shout out to my team.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWKS....KU!

This is why I love March

2008-03-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

I don't know who has been following the madness of March...but this is why I love it. This is what it is all about. What Cinderella team can carry their team to new heights? I mean come one...who has ever heard of Siena? Who is this Stephen Curry kid and why is he averaging 35 points a game? Western Kentucky...you must be mistaken...you mean the Kentucky Wildcats. Who would have thought that Kentucky would have a team in the tourney and it wouldn't be the Wildcats? And I went out on a limb and actually chose Villanova...just because I like their uniforms :)

Let the madness begin!

2008-03-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

There is a time in year...where everything just seems to be going right. During this particular time of year it seems like nothing can go wrong. Of course that all changes when your team loses, but until that happens everything is good and right in the world. You don't even mind if your team loses, as long as it is a good game. But given the time of year, you can't stay upset for long. After all, there is just too much goodness going on, to stay mad. Of course I am talking about March Madness. It is the one time of year that I can turn on the TV at any time and watch as much basketball as you want!

It is the only time of year you can sit on the couch and watch for hours as teams battle it out with more heart than the NBA has put together. It is the only time of year that you can't wait for the clock to show your team down by 1 with :10 seconds left and your favorite player with the ball in his hand.It's the only time of year that makes you so anxious you don't know what to do. You can't sit still, so you get up and start pacing the front room. Soon your heart is beating so quickly that you feel like you've been running up and down the court with those players. Depending on who has the ball, those last :10 seconds can seem like an eternity or a blink of an eye. It is the only time of year that sends grown boys into elation or tears depending on how the ball falls.

It is the only time of year when the sound of "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" can send chills down your spine and you long to be sitting in the stands and chanting with the rest of them and the sight of this has the same spine chilling effect...but in a negative way.
And when it all comes down to it, it is the only time of year that you can't wait until the final game. Let's be honest...even if your team isn't in it anymore you're still going to watch. Because you know there will be plenty of good basketball to see. Just to watch someone cut down the nets and know that they are the best is what March Madness is all about.And finally, it is the only time of year that you can see that the players play for the love of the game and not for the love of money. In a world that is full of billion dollar contracts, it is nice to know that there are people out there who really do love basketball...simply because it is basketball. To those individuals I say thank you. Thanks for making this the best time of year.
And to the rest of the world I say....let the madness begin!!!

Les Miserables

2008-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I grew up in a hole or what, but until January of this year I had never heard of Les Miserables. Ok, I had heard about it in passing, but I didn't know the plot and I had never heard the music. In January my brothers high school put on the production of Les Mis and since both of them were in it, I drove down to Layton and went to one of their shows. As I sat there and watched the first act, I was completely lost. I had to have my step mom explain what was going on during intermission. I decided I was going to tackle to book.
I don't know how many of you have attempted to read the book...but it is super HUGE. The unabridge version contains 1488 pages! My goal this year was to read two books a year, but because Les Mis is so huge I decided it could could for three books. I've now been reading 8 weeks and I am on page 1084. So I don't have much left!

I also was able to track down someone who had the music. I listened to it pretty much all day yesterday and even when I slept I had the music playing in my dreams. Crazy! I highly recommend this book to anyone (if you have some time)...or just go see the play. You get the idea.

Two Flavors-One Box

2008-03-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

So my co-worker gave me some cheez-its the other day. I love cheez-its and don't allow myself to buy them because I usually can sit down and eat a box in about 10 minutes (ok...so that is only a slight exaggeration). Yesterday I went to the store hungry (never a good thing) and I ended up buying these:
There is just something about mixing the two flavors. I am in heaven. I know I shouldn't have given into temptation...now I am hooked. They are so good. Just thought I would share my new find with you.

Adventure seeker

2008-02-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I never considered myself an adventure seeker...but I am starting to realized that I am. My first great adventure was in 2002 when I decided it would be fun to go skydiving. My mom's friend Dave invited me to go to Ogden and participate in this great little adventure. It was his birthday and he rented out the hanger, provided a band, and had Famous Dave cater it. So I drove up from SLC and had the time of my life. I don't know how many of you have been skydiving, but the first time you go you are strapped to an experienced diver. You hook yourself up to the diver before getting in the airplane and then once you reach the desired altituted you are suppose to slide over to the door where you put your feet on a platform that is attached to the plane. You usually rock back and forth and then you just fall out of the plane. The only problem I had was that my diver had such a big belly that I couldn't sit in the plane and reach the platform. So really I was just hanging out in the air with nothing around me, until my diver decided to fall out too. The rush that you feel when you are free falling, is absolutely amazing. Little did I know that my love for adventure was born that day.

The next little adventure came during the summer of 2007 when I was in Europe. Lori and I were in Switzerland and we were looking for something to do. So we decided that it would be fun to go paragliding. I mean...how cool is it to say that you have been paragliding around the Swiss Alps? So we rode in a van up to the top of the mountain and got strapped up to our guide. Once you are hooked in you run towards the end of the cliff and basically just run off the mountain. As soon as you run of the side of the mountain the wind catches your sail and you just sore. If you ever want to feel like a bird...you need to go paragliding. you basically just catch the wind drifts like birds do. You go around in large circles slowly circling upwards. Then you can do dives and tricks to go all over the place....then you catch an air drift and start circling back up. The view from up there was absolutely amazing. It was so gorgeous. But I must admit that paragliding is not for the faint in heart (or maybe I should say those with a weak stomach). You do end up going around and around in circles a lot and get to pretty high elevations. But don't worry...they have puke bags...just in case you need them.

The last and most recent adventure was while were in Africa this past December. I have always wanted to go bungee jumping...but never knew where. I guess you could say that I always wanted to do it somewhere fun. I mean...paragliding in Switzerland sounds so much cooler than skydiving in Ogden. :) So when we found out that we had the opportunity to bungee jump not only in Africa...but into the Nile, I jumped (literally) at the opportunity. I went first (out of our group of four) because I was the one who was the most excited. I sat there and got strapped in and felt extremely confident about it. That is, until I got to the end of the platform and looked at how far I had to fall. Once I jumped though all fear left. It was the most exhilarating feeling I have ever had.

So basically I am in search of the next big adventure. Let me know if you think of anything. As a disclaimer...it is true that I went White Water Rafting while in Africa...but I am going to save that for another post.

Look what I've learned

2008-02-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I just LOVE my mac. I know I wrote about my mac a few times ago. But I just learned something so cool about it. So there is an application that comes with iLife '08 (which is installed on all macs) called iMovie. I never knew what the purpose of iMovie was, but I learned the other day.

As some of you know, I went to Africa in July and December. While I was there I was able to shoot about 7 hours of video. I didn't know how I was going to edit it, but I was really excited to learn how. Well I was talking to my boss about it and wondering what I was able to do. That was when he told me about iMovie.

So the last couple of days at work I have been able to watch my movies and edit them. I had a presentation today and I made a video for it. I hope you like it. It might not be that great, but I am happy to say that I did it all on my own.

Are you kidding me?!?!?

2008-02-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

So I have a great story for ya. A few posts back I wrote about my love for my Chaco sandals. It was no exaggeration...I really do love them. I wrote it thinking that my family and friends would get a kick out of it. Well they did. I got emails about how funny it was and how creative it was. Well I thought that was the end of it...that is until I got an email from a Chaco employee. He wrote me the following:

" I went ahead and forwarded your e-mail address to our director of Marketing. He actually sent a link out to your blog to everyone at Chaco, so you've been seen by lots of people!"

Yikes, I hope they liked what they saw. Apparently they did, because the next day I got an email from the director of Marketing saying:

"Pretty passionate blog you got there, sister! What's your shoe size and address?"

I couldn't believe what I had just read. Where they serious? So of course I wrote back and gave them my shoe size and address. What do you think showed up in the mail today? Yep...a new pair of Chacos...only this time it was a pair of shoes! I am so stoked. I can't wait to wear them! Check out my new kicks.
So I guess I have to say thank you to Chaco. I never imagined that I would actually get a free pair of shoes out of it. Yeah I might have hoped, but I never thought it would really happen. I have to give a special shout out to the Chaco employee who contacted me first (you know who you are). Thanks for getting the ball rolling! Also, thanks to the director of Marketing for actually sending me the shoes. You two guys are the greatest!

Tag...

2008-02-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Let's see...10 years ago I was 15 almost 16 and a Sophmore in high school. The middle of February was always a busy time of year for me. Basketball season was winding up and softball season was already beginning. I would spend nights practicing for basketball and during the day I could be found in the girls locker room talking with my softball coach. The varsity was on a roll and we were getting ready to head to State. Even though I was excited for the chance to go to State with the "big girls" I was counting down the days till it was over so I could get outside and start playing softball with my team. It was also around this time of year that I fell in love with Caesar Salads. I ate one every night when I got home from basketball practice. I think that phase lasted about two months...can you imagine...nothing but Caesar Salads for two months!!!! What was I thinking?

5 things on my "to-do" list today...
1. Work-out
2. Read Scriptures
3. Go to the temple
4. Men's volleyball game
5. Play basketball

6 snacks that I enjoy...
1. Beef Jerky
2. Cheetos
3. Chex-Mix
4. Cheez-Its
5. String Cheese
6. Cottage Cheese
(can you tell that I like cheese?)

Bad habits...
1. Biting my nails (can't seem to shake the habit)
2. My SportsCenter obsession
3. Spending way to much time on facebook
4. Getting sucked into a book and forgetting about life.

If I were suddenly a billionaire I would...
I would make it so that my mom wouldn't have to work...she could stay at home and take care of herself and her family. I would have to steal Kami's idea of a private jet...that way I could fly over to Africa whenever I wanted and visit Kasekende. I would also make a college fund and put money in it for all of my brothers and sisters, that way they wouldn't have to take out any student loans (cuz those just suck).

Places I've lived...
1. SLC, Utah
2. Wichita, Kansas
3. Rexburg, Idaho
4. Layton, Utah
5. Charlotte, North Carolina (and surrounding cities)
6. Logan, Utah

Jobs I've had...
1. Penny Power Distributer
2. FantaSea Employee
3. Home Depot cashier
4. Taco Time worker
5. Tasty's worker
6. EK Ekcessories
7. IOWSE-Utah State University
8. STI-Utah State University

5 things people don't know about me...
1. I only have one full brother
2. I've jumped out of a plane (skydiving), jumped off a platform 100 yards up (bungee jumping) and jumped off a cliff (paraglyding)...but the thought of going down a mountain with nothing but two thin pieces of wood strapped to my feet (aka...skiing) terrifies me.
3. Growing up I HATED corn with a passion...but it has now become my favorite veggie.
4. I learned how to surf this summer and even though I might not be good at it yet...it has gotten into my soul!
5. I don't like wet hair getting stuck in between my fingers.

Now I'm tagging...
1. Reese
2. Tammy
3. Melissa
4. Scott/Laura

Como se llama...Obama

2008-02-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Now I am not saying that I support Obama...but you have to admit that this song is really catchy. I don't know who else has a song about them...but this one is great. Enjoy.

And if you want the words here they are:

Oye mi gente este es un hombre preperado.
La esperanza ha llegado.
Como Se Dice…Como Se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Dicen que no contamos…
Invisibles porque no votamos…
Pero aqui estamos y todo esto va cambiar…
We did the marchas y ahora vamos a votar.
Listen to me gente, es tiempo para algo diferente..
What we need is un nuevo presidente…
Como Se Dice…Como Se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA! (Repeat)
Mexicanos como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Puerto Rique_os, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Peruanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!

En esta gran nacion ya no existe una buena educacion,
Dicen que todo el dinero va a la imigracion
Es facil culpar el que no vota
El gigante Latino esta que brota
Despierta!
Vamos a eligir alguien que de veras entienda…
Colombianos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Dominicanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Los Cubanos, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Los Brasilieros, como se llama?
OBAMA! OBAMA!
Salvadore_os, como se llama?
Latinos!!!
Es un Hombre preparado…
La esperanza ha llegado…
Obama! Obama!*

Chacos

2008-02-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Chaco Company,

I recently purchased some of your sandals. All of my friends just ranted and raved about how great they were. I decided to take them with me on my trip to Europe...surely I would see if they were all they were talked up to be. I strolled up and down the streets of London in them, climbed up the Eiffel Tower with them strapped to my feet, and stood on them in the Sistine Chapel.

I came home with Chaco lines on my feet and felt proud that they had held up as well as they did. So I continued to wear them all summer long. I wore them to work...I wore them to the lake...I even wore them to church. If you look at this picture you can see that I wore them tubing down the Logan canals. We were inseparable. I took better care of them then I did most of my other personal belongings.

Then after returning home from Europe and playing the summer away, we decided to take another trip. This time around we decided to go to Africa. Oh the fun we had as we took a boat trip down the Nile and watched as the elephants and giraffes walked by. We even stopped and had a moment on the Equator. We have shared many great moments over the past few months. Never once did they give me any troubles. They were such troopers as I walked and walked and walked. I'm sure they were tired...but they never gave up on me.

Now Chaco company...all I have to say to you...is thank you. Thank you for making such a great product. My only question is...can I have a free pair? I'll even give you this picture for marketing purposes. It's worth a shot...don't you think?
Your valued customer,

Alexis

Where has the time gone?

2008-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

Man at times I feel so old. I know that 25 isn't that old and most of the time I don't feel old...but the other week something happened that made me realize just how old I was. On January 21 my little brother got baptized. Now for most of you that wouldn't make you feel old. But you don't know the relationship that Christian and I have. He was born my Senior year of high school. When I came back from my Freshman year of college I would take him to the store and more often than not I would run into someone I knew in high school. They would usually stop me and say "Alexis, I didn't know you had a baby". I'm like "wow, did you not know me at all in school?"Christians baptism not only symbolizes that I am eight years older...but that I have been out of high school for eight year. Where has the time gone? I have been able to do so much and accomplish so much these past few years. Would I change anything? No way. I am who I am today because of what I was able to do these past few years.

It also made me realize how great it is to be baptized. What a great blessing the Lord has given to us. So Christian, I hope you realize just how special January 21 was for you. I am proud of you and your decision to get baptized. I sure love you!This is our first family photo since Reese and Tammy got married...let alone had a baby. Man we should seriously work on that.

One last tribute

2008-02-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

So, I was looking at my brother's blog this morning and he had this video posted on it. I really liked it and thought it was one of the better ones that I have seen. Hope you all enjoy it. I don't know how many of you were able to watch President Hinckley's funeral, but I did. I thought it was great. Let's all remember to stand a little taller.

We Can Do It

2008-01-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia states: "Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the six million women who worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and material during World War II. The women took the places of the male workers who were absent fighting in the Pacific and European theaters. The character is now considered a feminist icon in the US, and a herald of women's economic power to come. Rosie and her slogan were featured on posters, magazines and more."Now I don't know how many of you have seen this poster. I was trying to explain it to Faith when I got back from Africa and she had no idea what I was talking about. In jest, I said that it was from her time period...how could she not know. I thought everyone knew about this poster.

So you might be wondering why I would post something like this. After all, Wikipedia says the "the character is now considered a feminist icon in the US". I am not a feminist but the poster has been on my mind for a while now. Why you might ask? Well while we were in Africa Melissa and I always wore a bandanna around our head. Every time I put one on I thought of this poster.

Now it is up to you. Let me know what you think. Do we look like Rosie?

You will be missed

2008-01-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I guess I never realized just how much I loved the prophet till I heard he was gone. Last night as I was getting out of a church meeting one of the girls in the meeting stopped me at the door and asked if it was true? I asked her what she was talking about and she said that she got a text message saying that President Hinckley had passed away. As it turned out, it was true. I was shocked at first.

The feeling I have remind me of the movie Legacy. Do you remember when the prophet Joseph passes away and you see the couple sitting at the temple site. The man says that he doesn't know how things can go on. Yet they must and they will. President Hinckley has always been around. It is hard to think of the church without thinking of President Hinckley. You can't imagine how things will go on without him. Yet you know that things will.

He will always be the prophet of my youth. I don't remember President Benson or President Hunter. President Hinckley signed my mission call (all three of them) and will always hold a special place in my heart. One girl put it perfectly, President Hinckley showed you that it was ok to have fun while living the gospel. He showed that you didn't have to be a staunch religionist to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. He showed that it was ok to laugh and enjoy life to the fullest.

So to you President Hinckley, please know how much you are loved and how much you will be missed. But we also know that you are in a better place with your beloved wife. Until we meet again.

Man that is cold!

2008-01-24T19:00:00.001-08:00

So, many of you know I love my Mac. I have become an huge Mac fan. I will never go back to using a PC. One of the cool features that I use everyday is my F12 button. Now you might ask...what does the F12 button do? Well it pulls up my dashboard. Now you can program your dashboard to contain whatever widgets you would like to. I happen to have a sticky note, dictionary, calendar, ESPN basketball updates, positive quote of the day, Mac tip of the day, sudoku, calculator and 5-day weather forecast. I probably hit my F12 key 30 times a day. Most of the time I am using the calculator widget but lately I have been clicking away and focusing on the 5-day forecast.

Usually when I get to work in the morning I like to click the F12 and see what the temp. is outside. Lately, I haven't liked what I have been seeing. For the past few days it has been showing negative numbers for a good portion of the morning. Tuesday when I got to work it showed a -13...now that is cold.

Before I got my Mac I could find out what the temperature was outside by listening to the radio or calling 1-800-555-TELL and asking for the weather (learned that on the mission). When I was going to school in Rexburg you could just breathe in through your nose and if your nose hairs froze you knew it was cold. So even though those methods are still practical, my Mac is so much cooler! So for all those who don't have a mac...I would recommend it. Think of how much time you could waste looking at all your widgets!

What is this...New York

2008-01-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

So in August 2006 I was able to go to New York City for the first time. It was so much fun. My friend Melissa was working in DC for the summer and I flew out to see her. We took a weekend trip with her roommates up to NYC and had a great time. Now, when I think of New York I automatically think of taxis. Every where you look, you see those little yellow cars. I was even able to ride in one on the trip as Melissa and I rushed from Grand Central Station to church.Now you might be thinking that I can't honestly be writing a whole blog on the taxis in New York City. Don't worry, I'm not...I'm going to tie this to Africa (surprise, surprise). Now Africa doesn't have these little yellow taxis...but they do have something so much better. They have boda-bodas. Now you might be thinking that those are simply motorcycles...and you would be right. That is how most of the people get around. They have vans that hold 15 people, motorcycles or bicycles as their mode of transportation. Our goal in July was to ride on a boda-boda. However, we ran out of time and didn't have the opportunity. This time around we did have the opportunity and we took full advantage of it.These boda-bodas are great fun. You get where you need to so much faster than any other mode of transportation. They can swerve in and out of all the other cars and even at times go up on the curb. The only time I was scared to ride on one what when I was on the back of a really slow boda-boda. All the other cars had to swerve around us!

Not only do these boda-bodas get you where you need to go quicker, they serve many purposes. While we were there we saw the many different sides of the amazing boda-boda. Now you can see with the picture below, there is just enough room for Melissa and I with our driver. Can you imagine one other person on there with us? That is right, we saw one boda-boda with four adults on there. What about if we weren't there and instead there was not one twin bed, but TWO on the back (yep, saw that)! Finally, we saw one boda-boda going down the road with a crate on the back, and what was in that crate? A pig!So there you have it. While New York has their little yellow taxis, Uganda has their boda-bodas. Personally, since I can now say that I have rode in both, I will take the quick moving boda-boda of the taxis of New York any day.

Congrats!

2008-01-15T17:41:00.001-08:00

I know this is a little late...but I wanted to give a shout out to my dear friend Melissa and her fiance Devin. They got engaged on Jan. 4th while they were in California for the break. I met Melissa in July and we became best friends as we traveled to Park City, Rexburg (do you remember that trip?!?), Africa and California together all in a span of 6 weeks. Devin came around this last semester and the first time Mel saw him she turned to me and said "if he ever asked me out, I would marry him". Ask her out he did, and before you knew it he had gone and stole my best friend, but I couldn't think of a better guy to lose her to. Thanks guys for letting me be a part of all of this. I sure love ya and think the world of the two of you!

Adoption

2008-01-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

Many people get married first and then have children. But I have found my first two children. Now all I have to do is find a husband...I guess that is the hard part. So you can call me a little backwards...that is ok...I know I am. Obviously, from my posts on this blog you can see that I am smitten with Kasekende. But I never thought I would fall for his sister too.

Many people have told me I need to start blogging and posting pictures about Africa so I guess I will start with some snap shots of my kids. Aren't they adorable? How can you not fall in love with them? So if anyone has any eligible male friends...I'm looking for a husband. The only requirement is he has to be willing to adopt right away.Kasekende shows off his modeling ability.

How can you not love a boy that looks like that and holds your hand with both his hands?

Kasekende and his sister Namayanja

Look at that smile

My new little family...all I need is to find a husband

He remembers!!!

2007-12-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am going to try and put the cutest pictures of my son Kasekende on here. When we got to the school on the first day I was so excited to see him. We got out of the van and I said hello to Sister Rose (the head nun) and then looked around for him. She came up to me and said "he is at the church". She than turned to a near by student and told him to run to the chapel and get Kasekende. I waited around for him to come and this is what I saw running down the hill. It was so cute. He was so excited to see me.

I was worried at first because I thought that he might not remember me. I mean, lets be honest he is only 3 and I don't know if he remembered July. I mean, I am sure that he remembered me being there, but I didn't know if I made that much of an impact on his life. As you can tell from most of my blogs, he sure has made an impact on my life. So it really made my day to see him booking it down the hill to see me.

I was talking to Master Peter later that day, and he mentioned that Kasekende really was lonely when we left in July. He didn't eat for two days as he waited for me to come back. That about broke my heart. I don't want to imagine how he will be after this trip. It was fun to see how much he had grown up since I had last seen him. He was a lot more talkative and his personality has really begun to develop. Master Peter also told me that Kasekende kept asking him for his cell phone so he could call me. Peter told him to go and ask Sister Rose for the phone number and when Kasekende returned he had a number. Of course it was just a number that Sister Rose had made up, and when Peter told Kasekende that the phone wouldn't connect, he was really put out.

Just like last trip, Kasekende stayed by me the whole time. He was my little shadow and biggest helper. Not only did I get to know him better, but I got to know his sister Namayanja too. She is a doll and I will miss her a lot. My heart breaks when I think that I might never have the chance to see them again. They are so cute.

Ok, so the picture didn't work. I will add it as soon as I get home.

Africa here I come!

2007-12-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

Well everyone, the time has finally arrived. I leave for Africa on Saturday. I know you all are just dying to know how the trip is going. I would love to keep you all updated, but that is kinda hard to do. Good thing I have a blog, huh? Well I wish I could say that I am going to update my blog daily, but I don't think it is going to be that easy. I have another blog that I have to keep updated for the trip. The national chapter likes each team to provide a blog to keep people posted and since I am the only one with experience, that responsibility falls on me :)

So I hope to have time to update both blogs, but if not my job comes first. Please bookmark my African blog and see what is going on. I will be there from Dec. 8- Jan. 2. My goal is to update the blog at least every other day. So hope you enjoy learned about what we are doing. The url is uganda-usu.blogspot.com so go there and enjoy some great reading. I'll catch up with y'all when I come back.

I love crayons

2007-11-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.
You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.
Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.
While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.

Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

and I KNOW you do this too

2007-11-26T19:09:00.001-08:00

What is it about cameras that make people go crazy? I don't know what it is...but whenever there is a camera laying around people just have to snap a photo. And it usually isn't just one casual snap shot...it typically consists of multiple photos with a wide variety of faces.

Now you are probably thinking to yourself...I don't do that. But of course we all know that this type of thinking is a lie. We all do it. There is no denying it. I'll use a little personal example to illustrate my point. Just the other day I was in Rexburg visiting my younger sister. We decided to head down to IF (see the last post) for some supper. The whole drive down to IF my sister and her roommate sat in the back of the car and participated in these crazy photos. They even went as far as to give each picture a theme.

I thought, "surely this is something that only young sophomores participate in". Being the "old" mature one, I would never do such a thing. While we were eating, Nate grabbed my camera and proceeded to take his individual candid photos. So I thought to myself again, "well Nate is used to being in front of the camera (he's a news anchor man), but I wouldn't never do such a thing".

But of course you know that I am about to be proven wrong. The next day Melissa and I went to Nate's house to play around. And before I new it...Nate's camera was in my hand and Melissa and I were going crazy. I don't know what it is. All my thoughts from yesterday didn't make sense. I wasn't the young sophomore and I wasn't used to being in front of the camera...so why was I drawn to it? What is it about the camera that makes us act young and careless?

I have yet to figure it out. I don't know what it is about the camera that makes us all act a little crazy...but cameras are a great thing. I know you have all done it. So don't hide your feelings...grab a camera and take some great photos!

Reliving the old times

2007-11-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

So I will admit it...I went to BYU-Idaho...I know...shocking! A few good things came from attending that University. One of which was finding The Mongolian Grill. I can't figure it out. I don't know how I found this great little place...not many people who went to BYU-Idaho seem to know about it. But it is GREAT! We started going to The Mongolian Grill my Freshman year. On our first temple trip my roommates went there to eat. I was in a different car and so I didn't make it that first time. But I sure have made up since then. Every time we went to Idaho Falls we stopped at The Mongolian Grill. Whether it was a temple trip or a trip to the mall, we stopped and had a great time.
Now I don't know how many of you have eaten there. But it is great! Let me explain to you how this works. First you choose a bowl (small, medium and large). Now you should know that a small bowl is plenty of food. I can have a small bowl last me for two meals. After you choose your bowl...you choose what food you are going to eat. You can choose between frozen chicken, pork and beef that are in thin strips (I don't make choices very well...so I have all three). They have a ton of vegetables to choose from as well. The thing that is so nice is you can put whatever you like on it...it's made to order. Finally there are about 10-15 sauces to choose from and of course there are noodles.Now, the trick to getting the most out of your money (which is what most college students are after) is to do it in reverse order. Most of the time you would put the noodles on the bottom and then put the vegetables and meat on top. But that isn't the way you should do it. First put your meat on the bottom, followed by your vegetables. Then you put the noodles on top. It is easier to hold noodles that are over flowing then vegetables. Finally you add your sauce. When you are done with your bowl you give it to a worker and they put it on a giant wok and it is cooked right in front of you.

This weekend Melissa and I went up to Rexburg for a business meeting. She went to BYU-Idaho and had never been there...and my sister is currently attending BYU-Idaho and had never been there. So I decided that this was the weekend to relive the past. Melissa and I showed up in Rexburg and picked up my little sister and her roommate. Then we met our friend Nate at the restaurant.

And let me tell you...the good times were rolling. We had so much fun. I think if I lived in IF or Rexburg I would have to eat at The Mongolian Grill every week. So next time you are in IF make sure you take a trip down to The Mongolian Grill. It is off of 17th right by the mall. And remember...at a place like this...there is no such thing as too much meat and too much sauce.

My true calling in life

2007-11-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

So thanks to my co-worker...turned best friend....turned other half...I have found my true calling in life. Here is the low down. While Melissa and I were in Africa last summer, she convinced me that I needed to buy a plane ticket and fly back to California with her. She is from the LA area and was planning on flying to Cali the morning after we got home from Africa. I have found that I am definitely an impulse buyer...so of course I thought "what the heck" and I bought the ticket. We landed in SLC about 9:00 Thursday night and I had to drive up to Logan to get stuff to take to California (i.e...cute clothes and a swimming suit), and then drive back to SLC that night so we could catch our 8:00 am flight the next morning.

Mel promised me the best weekend of my life...and she was right. We basically lived on the beach. Now...a little side note...this was the first time I had been to the beach since I was 5 and my family went to Florida. I forgot how beautiful it was. We surfed every day that we were there (except Sunday) and had a BBQ on the beach as well. It was great. It was then and there that I found my true calling in life...i was ment to be a beach bum forever!

Now don't let me fool you. I wasn't a great surfer at first (I don't even know if I am that good now). Swimming in the ocean with the waves was harder than swimming in a pool. I didn't get up on my first try. I could hardly sit up on the board the first time I went out. But with practice I slowly got the hang of it. We were enjoying ourselves so much that I almost missed my flight home because we stayed at the beach longer than we planned. Basically my flight left LAX at 5:30 and I got to my gate at 5:23...that is what I like to call "cutting it a little close".

Coming back to Utah and being a little land locked (ok a lot land locked) was hard at first. So when Mel asked if I wanted to go back to Cali with her for her friends wedding I jumped on the opportunity. Again thanks to my impulse buying I got online and bought an airline ticket. This time around we didn't spend as much time on the beach...but the time that we did spend was great fun. I guess you could call me a pro surfer now...in fact...I am thinking of quiting my job and turning pro :). I figure if Mel's sister was good enough to go pro and I use her sister's board then I am good enough to go pro.

So if you don't hear from me for a while it could be because I am quiting life and living on the beach.

The goodness of chocolate

2007-11-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

Two years ago my boss bought a chocolate fountain. At that moment my passion for chocolate fountains were born. The only problem is I don't have a chocolate fountain. Luckily, Geoff is very good to me and lets me use his whenever I want. However, I don't think he would have agreed to it if he would have known how often we would take him up on the offer. For the first chocolate fountain party we didn't have a great turn out but we sure did have a lot fun. The popularity of our parties have only grown. Last Friday we had our most recent party and it was our most successfull party yet.
So why do we do it? Why do we have these parties? Because chocolate solves all problems. We use birthdays, end of finals or really just about anything as an excuse to have a chocolate fountain party. So, you might ask..what do you need in order to have a sucessfull chocolate fountain party? Really it is quiet easy...all you need is chocolate (lots of it), food to dip in it (any type of food) and friends. This is my receipe for success. So to those who are looking for something to do, I would recommend running down to the nearest Sam's Club and purchase your own chocolate fountain. I know I have yet to take the plung and purchase my own, but I will one of these days. Even if you don't like eating the chocolate, it is a great excuse to get people together. So chalk one up for the chocolate fountain...I highly recommend it.

Change of mind

2007-10-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

So today we had a meeting with my boss. Well really we have had meetings all week about Africa. We have been debating about whether or not we should go. I have had my heart set on going (as you can tell from my last post), but yet I can see the reason behind not going. I would have been ok with not going, but yet I would have been WAY excited to go. After talking and talking and talking about it, my boss decided that we should go! So come December I will be in Africa. I will miss Christmas (but I am use to that from the mission), but yet what a great way to spend Christmas...helping those in need. I don't know the dates yet, but I will let you know as soon as I find out. So to my little Kasekende....I can't wait to see ya.

Kasekende Cooper...how cute is that?

2007-10-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

So many of you know that I went to Africa this summer. It was a great experience. While I was there I fell in love with a little African boy. Here is the back ground information on him. His name is Kasekende and he is about 4 years old (no one knows for sure). One day the director of the school was walking past the dumpsters and he found Kasekende inside. Kasekende was very sick and basically on death's front door, but the director took him in and brought him back to life.

Well Kasekende and I became best friends. He would wait for us to show up in the morning and he became my shadow while we were there. He would hold my hand and walk around the compound with us. He would work when we would work. He was so cute. He just wanted to be around us all the time. We would eat lunch together every day, and when he got tired he would crawl into my lap and fall asleep.

Because he was so little, he didn't speak much English (or so I thought). So I would talk to him while we walked around and never really expected a response. I was surprised one day to find him singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to himself. That became one of our favorite things to do together. He would often start mumbling in his native language and then throw in some English words. Finally, one of the teachers came up and said "do you know what he is saying". "No, I don't have any idea", was my response. "He keeps calling you his mom and when the other children try and get close to you he tells them to leave you alone. Because you are his". It about melted my heart.

I found that Kasekende was really becoming attached. It got to the point that when we would leave at night to return to our hotel room that he would bawl. He finally would calm down and the next morning he would be waiting for us to come back. As soon as he saw the van pull up he would run over to it. The crazy thought popped into my head that I should just adopt him. That way I never had to leave him. But lets be honest...what good would I be to him (hello...single parent).I love that kid so much. And I miss him like crazy. The only thing keeping me sane was the thought of seeing him again in December. I just found out from the boss man that he didn't think we would be able to go in December. Now I am missing him even more. So to my little son, just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you.

About me

2007-10-17T20:47:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this is my first post and I don't know what the heck I am doing. I guess I will say a little bit about me. I graduated from Utah State in May with my degree in Exercise Science. I loved school but all I can say is thank goodness I am done.

I still try and live the college life. I worked at USU during my schooling, and got hired on full time once I graduated. I love my job. I work for the Substitute Teaching Institute (dealing with ...hello...substitutes...). We work with school districts through out the United States and England). I also work with the International Office for Water and Science Education (dealing with water education internationally). Basically work paid for me to go to Africa and I had the time of my life.

Besides working, I'm just trying to enjoy the single life. Hopefully I'll be able to update this a lot. I don't know how exciting it will be, but hopefully y'all like it. And if it isn't too much trouble, I might go back in time and add some Europe, Africa and California pictures. If you haven't noticed, I love to travel.