A Lefty's Life

2011-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Portland - Week 4

Ok, so I'm a little late with my weekly post, but not by much. This week has been really busy. I had work and then something every single night, yes every single night. I guess I'm getting back into the swing of having a social life after avoiding it for so long. Its good though, tiring, but good.

Things I've Learned this week:
1. I need to invest in a REAL office chair. My bum is killing me!
2. I'm learning more who I am through being outside of my comfort zone. Some good and some not as good.
3. Sometimes I do crazy things when know one knows me ;)

This past week started off with Halloween! Not my favorite holiday. I'm not sure what happened between middle school/early high school and then college, but I didn't really like dressing up anymore, so its always a stressful thing to know what to be and make an effort. Anyway. Because I am in a new place and trying to get outside of my box, I decided to go to the Tri-Ward FHE Halloween Party. My new roommates have a bunch of costumes, so that made dressing up easier. Although, I'm sure I drove Jill nuts trying to decide. Finally I chose the gypsy costume. It actually was really fun. I talked to some people I already knew and met some really fun new people as well. Maybe Halloween won't be dreaded as much in the future ;)

Me as a gypsy

Me and Jill, my roommate

Me and my new friend Katie

Lewis, Robert, and Jeff...I thought they just looked so happy!

Me, Katie, and Lyndsey

Me and Amber

A group of us at the party.

The rest of the week was pretty standard with work, ward temple night, institute and hanging out with new friends. I'm starting to stay up later which is killing me, but I am enjoying it at the same time.

Oh, but about halfway through the week I realized that I probably should deal with the fact that it is now November and my car's registration expires...meaning Oregon DMV here I come. Because I don't own my car, it is a bit more complicated than just going and waiting forever and walking away with it all done. I kind of had a panic attach that it won't be done before it expires, but I guess I might just have to go back and get a temporary trip pass, or whatever its called. We'll see what happens, but at least what I have to do is done....Yes, I did pass the super confusing written test! You would think after 12 years of driving it wouldn't be stressful, but they try to trip you up!

I also hope that I've found a new place to live. I turned in an application and we are just waiting to hear back. Hopefully it goes through because the room is bigger than a closet :) and there is a closet, and its just going to be cute! If it all works out, I will be living with a girl from my ward and her dog. I'm a bit nervous about the dog situation, but I figured I'd try it out and see how it goes. Moving to Oregon is all about trying new things!

Speaking of which....I guess I won't wait until Sunday to post what new thing I tried yesterday. So our ward held a date auction for charity. There are three families that we are buying Christmas presents for. So how it works is people in the ward plan a date and offer it at the auction. Then others in the ward put their name in for the said dates and there was a drawing. If you win the date then you buy the gift that the date is "worth." Its a bit different this year because in previous years it has actually been an auction with canned food. Anyway. So my new thing was to offer a date (me and my soon to be roommate planned it) AND to put my name in to win a date! I know, crazy...who is this person and where did Whitney go??? Not sure, but I guess I figure these people don't know me, and what do I have to lose.

Life is all about experiences right? Learning and growing? At least that is what Courtney said to me in an email making me feel less crazy for all of the new things I'm doing to get outside of my comfort zone. At this point, I'm WAY outside of it, so might as well keep stretching!

2011-10-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

Portland - Week 3

There is beauty in the moisture, and the clouds here in Portland.

1. I've already commented on the wonderful colors, but one night this week, I noticed glowing trees! Maybe its a Halloween mystery, but I seriously had to drive by a couple of times to figure out if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I couldn't really capture it with my camera, but here are the best shots of the glowing trees.

Such bright colors glowing in the dark!

2. There is moss everywhere. I recognize that this could create some issues, but it is also beautiful and bright green!

3. HUGE LEAVES! I saw this leaf on the side of the road on my walk. I decided it was worth carrying the rest of the way.

You can't even see my head behind it!

5. I went for a walk/run yesterday and was amazed by all of the leaves on the ground with perfect droplets of water just sitting there. It was around 1 in the afternoon and the water was just sitting there! I was walking by bushes that looked like they had little diamonds inside because of all of the water droplets on them. It was so beautiful as the light would catch those drops.

Now that my nature appreciation has been taken care of...

Church was inspiring today. There are so many beliefs that were strengthened by confirmation of the Spirit, but I also realized that I need to do better at so many things. My actions are not speaking very loudly lately. I feel I've been self absorbed in a lot of aspects. Yes, I know, a lot has been going on...but that is always the case. And aren't we taught that true service and love is when we reach out to others no matter the circumstances, and even more when it is not at all convenient? I just kept thinking over and over today that I need to stop having a timetable, stop having an agenda. I know that it is important to plan and have structure, but sometimes I think I let that get in the way of following the promptings that guide me to help those around me, or lead me to experiences that will strengthen me and help me to become my best.

In our joint meeting, our bishop asked how we show love to those around us. There were several comments, but I thought of families. In a family you love each other for who they are, for their individual characteristics, their quarks and even their crazies :) But I think that love also grows as we know who they are and what we all have the capacity to be. We begin to see those we love as the people they can become, the best part of them. There is encouragement as we see each other through trials, joys, sadness, falling down and getting back up. No matter who the person is, you love them, you care, you don't let them go it alone.

But how do we show this for those outside of our families? How do we extend our circle? Especially when our associations change so often. This is where I feel I am struggling right now. I don't know many people and they don't know me. How do you share the love of the Savior, the pure love that overcomes everything with those you hardly know? I think that I am pretty open to loving others, but I think it takes a bit of warming up to "let it all out there."

For the millionth time in my life, I have been reminded that I need to not shy away from opening myself up to those around me. I need to sincerely reach out, even if its uncomfortable, even if I feel awkward, or feel like others will think I'm weird. Sharing that love is worth it. I am worth it and so is the other person. We don't have to go it alone, no matter our circumstances. Love is what it is all about!

"All of us, single or married, are eternally part of some family—someway, somewhere, somehow—and much of our joy in life comes as we correctly recognize and properly develop those family relationships. We come to this earth charged with a mission: to learn to love and serve one another. To best help us accomplish this, God has placed us in families, for he knows that is where we can best learn to overcome selfishness and pride and to sacrifice for others and to make happiness and helpfulness and humility and love the very essence of our character." -John H. Groberg

2011-10-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Portland - Week 2

Things that I've realized in week 2:
1. My life is still the same as it was before. I work, I go to church, I go to FHE (although now its called HEG), I go to ward activities. But its nice to be in a new atmosphere with new faces.
2. Although I like my new place, I miss my family and friends.
3. I'm still me.

So the highlights this week are a trip to the temple for a session, beautiful fall leaves, and the Tualatin Fall Festival.

I love going to the temple. That has not changed. It is definitely smaller, smallest session I've ever been in, but still the same. Thankfully :) There is so much peace and joy felt there.

I love the bright red/pink color of these leaves! Its one of my favorite fall colors. It looked so great next to the bright green grass. Thank you moisture!

As you will see in the pictures below, we watched people race around the lake in PUMPKINS! Not kidding. Huge pumpkins were carved out and they got inside and raced around the lake like they were in a kayak...a VERY large, VERY heavy, ORANGE kayak. It was AMAZING! So fun to watch. It was perfect weather (no rain) and I had a lot of fun.

Not my favorite picture of me, but check out that pumpkin! Seriously huge!

This was the cutest thing ever. This boy was so excited to meet Superman "for real." He was just awe struck. I think I caught the perfect moment :)

This was the 2nd heat. The Tualatin Fire and Rescue vs. The Army Corp. It was a relay and yes they are really inside a pumpkin!

The Army Corp won for the third year in a row. But it was amazing that any of them were able to do that. One man did go overboard, but swam pushing his pumpkin the whole way. Now that is determination and endurance.

2011-10-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Living in Portland!

Wow has it been a while. I can't even remember all of the things that have happened since the Symphony last summer. Life has been a whirlwind, but isn't is always?

So...I live in Portland now. As of a week ago. I know, crazy right? I'm sure like everyone, you are probably wondering WHY PORTLAND?!?! Well, here's the scoop. After having to move out of my grandparents house in Lehi, I needed a change. Somewhere out of Utah. So, I made a list of places I thought it would be fun to live, and Portland won first. Seriously. I love Utah and never thought the day would come, but it was time to move on to hopefully even better things.

It was a super long road to get here, which felt like forever, but it actually was only a couple of months. There was a lot to work out and I'm finding there is still more to figure out. There is always something new to learn.

Things I've learn about Portland so far:
1. Rain does not always equal the Midwest thunderstorms I imagined. I miss those, but when you get rain everyday, its nice that most of the time its just a drizzle.
2. Its super dark at night. There just don't seem to be enough street lights to light up the roads.
3. The people are very friendly. Different, but friendly. It definitely is different hearing "its a great hangover breakfast" at a restaurant, or having a nice woman strongly recommend getting the rain boots at Costco just because she overheard me debating with my sister. All those I've met so far have been great!
4. OSU Beavers are orange and black and (school name??) Ducks are yellow and green. Your new, super loyal, Beaver fan roommate will notice if you buy rain boots with yellow and wear a dress with yellow. Definitely not in a crazy way...just in a huh? never knew people cared that much when a game wasn't actually being played kind of way.
5. Oregonians (yes that is what they are called) like their windows open and don't use umbrellas in the rain. I enjoy the window factor. The fresh air is so refreshing!
6. Not having to pump your own gas is GREAT! Especially with the rain/drizzle all of the time.
7. NO SALES TAX! When you see the price of something, that is the price you pay at the register. Its so fabulous!
8. Beautiful. Even when its raining and foggy. Its so beautiful.
9. My family is still here, even if they aren't here. They call and email and genuinely care about me and everything that is going on, even if they can't see me everyday. I'm not at all surprised, but its definitely note worthy to mention how WONDERFUL they are.
10. I can do this.

I know I've left out a lot of details on the path that got me here. I know that how you got there is just as important as where you are, but sometimes those details are not to be broadcast and frankly, there just is too much to write and catch up on.

So now I'm here, I might as well tell you what my life has been for a week. Camille drove up with me last Friday (THANK YOU Spencer for making that possible). The drive actually went pretty fast and it was really fun. We talked and sang and thought and beheld the beauty around us. We pulled into Portland around 6 pm or so. As we drove into the neighborhood with my new apt, I was getting nervous and excited. The houses are just so cute! With the help of google, I had already seen my new place from the outside and I was shocked that it was in this neighborhood. Such a cute neighborhood and my place is well, small and old. My new roommate gave me a tour of the new place. I tried to keep my cool and not stress out. It is so TINY! I've started to say that I live in a closet with a shelf for my closet. Its pretty much true. I've started to be creative. I stored my flip flops under my nightstand (which doesn't actually fit by my bed) and I've doubled my clothes on my hangers, all 18 of them. Not kidding, that is all that fits. Oh, and yes, as you'll see in my pictures, my closet also stores the water heater. Even though I feel like I'm back in college in a dorm or something, There are some good things about my apartment. List to follow.

1. Cheaper than I ever paid in Provo
2. My roommates are nice
3. Close to Costco, Winnco, Joann's and Jack in the Box
4. Five minutes from church and THE TEMPLE! (so lucky)
5. Got me to Portland

My new "office" I sometimes rotate between folding chair and exercise ball as my chair. Figured I'd follow Ann's footsteps and work my abs at work.

My "closet" with water heater and 18 hangers with 2 pieces of clothing each

My flip flop storage

But even with the tiredness and stress of the place, I still felt so peaceful to begin the next chapter of my life. It felt right even though my housing wasn't the best situation. That peace is such a great feeling.

Camille stayed to help me get situated. We spent Saturday running errands and then my new roommates took us down town. We walked around the city and had dinner. We stopped by Powell's Bookstore (an ENTIRE BLOCK of books!) I specifically told Camille to restrain me. There are so many rooms of books they are color coded. We also stopped by and got a Voo Doo donut. It was yummy! Crazy long line, all for a donut, but it was all for the experience. I didn't get the one with bacon on top, but if I go again, I'm going to. I hear it tastes like breakfast all in one bite. Pancake, Syrup and Bacon. When you think of it that way, it doesn't sound so weird.

Camille and I waiting in line

Me and my pretty donut

Me and my new roommates...I don't think we were all ready for this picture :)

My first week of working from home was good. Oh yeah, Justin and DGI decided they would rather keep me, even though not in the office, than train someone else :) I'm excited to stay with DGI and change my surrounds. It was such a blessing. Anyway, I was so productive because no one was around to ask me to do random things. I always like being the helper though, so that will be different. I'm sure it will get hard to not see my work friends everyday and have the camaraderie, but I'm glad I can still work with all of them and keep that bridge standing. Oh and I love the commute from my bed to my desk and the new uniform :)

View from my "office"

I'm working on finding the balance of friends and self. I also am finding the balance within myself of wanting it all now and realizing it takes time. I went to a few things this week for the ysa ward. There is something every night. Which is great because its good to have options and enough things for people to get involved and find something that works for them. I want to go, but I also enjoy time to myself. But I really want to start building friendships here and feel that I've a place. Its hard to not want it all to be just as I want it to be right this second. I know things take time and effort. So I'll just keep plugging away.

I think that is all I have to say so far. I have so many other highlights to share, so see below if you want a sort of recap of the past few months. Also, stay tuned for my post of adventures with visiting my family this year.

Timeline working backwards:
(family trips covered in separate blog post to come)

October: Moved to Oregon
September: Saw Courtney in Hawaii!
August: Decided to move
July: Was hit from behind on University Ave
June: Moved out of Lehi and in with Spencer and Camille and family
May: Moved into grandparents home in Lehi

HAWAII

I can't believe that I was able to go to Hawaii again. I'm so lucky! This time I went with my cousin Stephanie (Gigs). We decided to make a full vacation out of it and rent a condo in Turtle Bay so we could also have a pool and so Courtney could get a vacation from her apt. It was so fun, and was even better when we got UPGRADED. Instead of a studio apt, we got a 1 bedroom with a loft. We each had at least a full bed and there were three bathrooms :) Thank you soldier that extended your stay!

We had so much fun and saw so many things. We went to the beach of course, the temple, the market in Honolulu, the Dole plantation, the PCC, Kualoa Ranch, snorkeled at Sharks Cove and Turtle Bay, had acai bowls (mmmmm.......) and ate a Kahuku Grill TWICE! We bought so many cute things at the market, and it was so cheap! We walked forever and it was tiring, but I love everything that I got. Kualoa ranch was fun and was something that we didn't do while I was there for Christmas. We went on a movie tour and then on a catamaran, which was AWESOME! Oh, and night swimming at the pool was so peaceful and felt so good after a long day in the sun. We also played games and laughed and talked a lot! The PERFECT break from the craziness of my life. So great to be there, but hard to leave Courtney when it was over.

Day 1 at Sunset Beach

Isn't Courtney GORGEOUS!! On our tour at Kualoa Ranch

Courtney and I on the catamaran

View from the catamaran

Gigs and I getting ready to snorkel for the first time! So cute, I know

After going to the temple! What a blessing to go and be together!

To Move or Not to Move

This was a hard decision for me, but I do believe that the events leading up to it really helped me to be ready to make it. I loved living in Utah. I loved being close to family and being with my friends. I loved the area and I loved what was familiar. I don't think it was time any sooner, but now was the right time. I kind of thought about it privately for a while and didn't really tell anyone. Once I decided to move, I kept it quiet where I was feeling I would go. I just wanted it to be my decision. I love advice, but I needed it to be just about what I thought this time. I needed to be 100% behind it before telling people. For a while, I felt that I was convincing people, so it was good that I knew it was right.

Just Pile on the STRESS

It the end of July I was rear ended while turning and it was stressful. I was glad that I was ok and the other girl was ok. It definitely could have been worse, but it was pretty hard. It was during training week, so stress was already high and I was struggling with changing my whole world. The girl was nice and felt so bad. My car looked so sad. It really was fine, it just was one more thing to add to the pile of things I had to figure out. I got over my fear of the chiropractor though. It kind of became a necessity for a while.

Can you believe it?! $4,500 worth of damage. But it looks all pretty again :)

My rental car was one of those Kia Souls. You know the hamster commercials with the thugged up hamsters? If not, find it online. One of my favorite commercials, but I always thought the cars looked pretty funny. After a couple of weeks of driving it though, it grew on me. No trunk space what-so-ever, but it was cute and you felt up, without being an SUV.

So red, so short, but kind of cute after a while

Moving To/From Lehi

When I was trying to figure out where to move after the red house in Provo, I decided I would step outside of Provo for a bit. My grandmother had passed away in January and my grandfather years before her. Their house in Lehi was empty for the time being. I decided I would ask about living there. I moved in and LOVE IT! It was kind of weird being there alone, but also felt at peace because it was comfortable. I always loved being there growing up, so it was familiar to me. I started working really hard to learn about the yard and garden and tried my hardest to keep up with Crystal. She is the wonderful woman that lives next door. We became a lot closer and talked every day. She taught me how to do things that I never learned because we didn't have the same type of garden growing up. She always worked so hard and always helped others around her. It was really nice to live next to her and be there for each other. I really enjoyed the ward and realized that I could live outside of Provo...important realization that came in handy in future months. I honestly loved living there and felt so great! I don't think I realized how good I felt there until I was told that I needed to move.

Unfortunately only 6 weeks after moving in, my cousin and her husband called saying they found a job in SLC and were planning to live in the house. They were moving in in 2 weeks! I tried to be happy about it and appreciate the time I had there, but as those two weeks went on, I had a really hard time with it. Those both happened to be training weeks, so it was VERY busy and I didn't really have time to process where to go, what I wanted, etc. Because of a lack of options, I decided to move in with my brother and his family in Spanish Fork. Moving in with family is not really my first option, but it is so nice to have them to support you! It worked out nicely, but I was sad to leave Lehi. I had really felt secure there, felt like I belonged...Maybe it was just preparation and strength building for what I would do a few months later. What a blessing to live in the house my dad grew up in and I have so many fond memories of.

So there is the brief (I know it doesn't seem brief, but how do you sum up a year in just a few words) highlighted version of what's been going on with me lately. I'm excited for this new adventure and my new saying is "it will all work out." I just realize that it might take several tries!

Independence Day Celebrations

2010-07-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Utah Symphony at Sundance

We went up to Sundance for a patriotic concert by the Utah Symphony. It was so fun! They played a few patriotic songs, but it was mostly a tribute to American music. What a great way to start out the weekend.

Playing Uno during the 20 MINUTE intermission. I just feel that that was excessive, but oh well. We had fun playing games and chatting...we even had to get some hot chocolate because it was chilly in the mountains.

Stadium of Fire

Jess and I had a great time at Stadium of Fire on Saturday. We spent most of the day just hanging out and planning our weekend. We also spent some time outside in our pool...yes, we have a pool. Small, but still.

Jess was being funny and once we looked at the picture it looked like someone was punching her...but don't worry, its her own fist.

The sunset was beautiful. I wish I was a better photographer and had a better camera to capture the beauty. I love sunrise and sunset!

We also got to see Carrie Underwood! Fabulous! I wish she would have sang some of her newer stuff, but I just LOVE her. She was a fun entertainer and sounded great!

Here is a bad recording of part of her singing Some Hearts. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 4

When Jess and I got home from Stadium of Fire, we planned our outfits for Sunday, yes we coordinated. I think we represented the flag quite well, don't you? And yes, we do have matching shoes :)

So I got this tiny Harley Davidson grill from the Hampton Inn because I work with them for work. Never used it until Sunday July 5 when Jess and I had our own BBQ. It was an adventure, but worked.

This past week

This is not during that weekend, but I babysat my nieces and nephews this past week and Lia was just so darn cute, I couldn't resist.

Also not 4th of July weekend, but figured I had to keep this current, so here is a program from this past Friday. Mary and I went to the Pioneer Commemoration with the MOTAB. We learned so much about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They had little clips that showed how far they have come since 1910 when they were organized, and all of the amazing work they did with early recordings. They are so wonderful. It was such a fun night!

2010-06-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

Trip to Vegas to meet Eleanor Dixon

This trip was going to be a surprise for my parents, Emily and Cameron. I found out early Friday that Eleanor had been born and decided while at work that I would go down to Vegas and surprise them. Emily Herrera and Solenne decided to come with me and surprise her family as well....unfortunately our plans were somewhat foiled.

As we headed down to Vegas, there was an awful accident in front of us. There actually was an accident on the other side and that caused the one on our side. We ended up having to sit on the highway for 6 HOURS! Yes, you have that right, we sat with the car off in the dark for longer than it takes to even get to Vegas. I was so glad that I wasn't in the accident, but waiting was somewhat difficult. I was sad too, because I had to let my parents in on the secret so they didn't freak out when I walked into their house at 4 AM. They were still happy to have me come, but the surprise was going to be fun. I still got to surprise Emily and Cameron though!

After like 4 hours, Emily and I started taking pictures to entertain ourselves. Here they are. (Don't forget that we had been in the car for 5 hours driving, and then we had been sitting for 4 hours....so we might not look as nice as we normally do ;)

Emily could not keep a straight face when we were trying to have angry faces...We laughed a lot.

Trying to sleep while waiting

Happy faces...trying to look awake.

I didn't know we were being angry :)

Didn't know at the time, but still had 2 more hours to wait.

Solenne finally fell asleep, but was SO good the whole time.

Sad faces

We are so lucky to have technology. We finally broke down and started watching Stardust on my iPod. Thank you technology.

Once I got to Vegas, I spent a lot of time with my parents, which was really nice. They made me food, we made cookies, we went to a baptism, and they taught me how to make bread and popcorn.

This is the BEAUTIFUL crib that my dad made for the grandchildren. It has mostly been used by my sister Sarah and her kids, but it came in the mail the day before I got there. We put it together and oiled it so that it would be ready for Eleanor when she came home from the hospital. My dad is amazing!

My mom is also very talented and made this quilt when she was in high school! It was so beautiful. I should have taken a close up so you could see the stitching.

So, since my mom is amazing with a sewing machine, she helped me to hem my bridesmaid dress for Marsha's wedding. It was so nice to have her help me with that, and saved me the hassle of having to go to a random seamstress.

My mom has a lot of fabric and stuff that she doesn't want to get rid of. This picture is to document the miracle of her not throwing things away and how it can be handy sometimes. I didn't even realize that I probably should find thread to match the fabric....but my mom had some in her sewing stuff! How awesome is that!!

Because of timing and such, I didn't get to see the Dixon's until later on Saturday night. Here are a few pictures of my newest niece.

She has long feet ;)

So adorable, and so quiet! It was so fun to meet her and hold her the day after she was born!

Marsha and Nick Arnett - Wedding on June 19, 2010

These guys looked so nice in their gray tuxedos. So handsome!

All of the bridesmaids waiting for them to come out. It was so fun to spend the day with a lot of my really close friends. I love you girls!

Time with Stef, Will & the twins, Ethan and Evan

Stef had Ethan and Evan at the end of March. I've been able to go help with the boys every Wednesday. I also was able to spend a week with her and the boys while Will was down in St. George. Twins are a log of work, but it has been so fun to see them grow and spend time with all of them. They have just moved and it will be really weird to not spend so much time with them.

It definitely gave me a better understanding of what my parents went through with me and Courtney. I have always appreciated them, but this brought it to a whole new level. I can also see where it is all so WORTH IT!

Me and the twins...so cute!

Stef and I trying out the baby bjorn's that they just got. We had a fun walk!

Marsha's Shower

2010-05-31T14:36:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?!?! Stephanie and I just threw this shower last Tuesday. I think I am setting some type of record for the fastest blog post I have ever had :) Maybe this will start a new trend.

I think I am also setting another record for the number of showers thrown by one person. My life is like 27 dresses, although not all of the showers are for weddings. My friends are now moving into the baby cycle! I don't know how many showers I have been involved in planning, but lets just say A LOT. Maybe one day I will figure out how many, but I've loved being a part of all of the celebrations!

At least I didn't have to throw this one alone. Stephanie and I did it together, which was so much more fun!

Kate's Bachelorette Party and Wedding

2010-05-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! Courtney started her blog and it gave me motivation to post pictures on my blog. Here are a lot of pictures from both of my trips to St. Louis. My first trip was really short and was for the Bachelorette party and the second one was for an entire week leading up to the wedding. Sorry its so long, but figured people can just skim if they don't want to look at them all.

These are the menus that Maria, our chef, made for dinner. The colors matched perfectly!

Here is our table that Mrs. Hildebrand helped me set.

Here is one of the vases. The flowers took forever to get worked out. Quite the fiasco, but I actually am quite proud of how they turned out, so here is a sample!

Table behind the food table. Super cute pictures!

Before the shower began, we had Kate come and put on her crown and her shirt for all of the girls to sign. She was in a super cute outfit, so I felt bad making her change, but she was a good sport about it.

We had a game where we had to kiss the man on the back of the door, and whoever got closest won. We all had really hot purple/pink lipstick on. It was a really fun game!

Here is the whole gang with our super cute chef, Maria. She was so wonderful!

This is the start of my second trip to St. Louis. This portion is from my trip down memory lane.

Being here reminded me of how much I miss and love all of the people here! What an amazing ward and stake, made up of wonderful people. You can't find anything like this anywhere else on earth!

My middle school

West High School! Right below this is where we practiced color guard for hours on end!

The back of our house. View from the pool!

Oh how I miss this pool!

Our Elementary School.

Queeny Park. So many Sunday walks and ice skating, and horse shows. Such an amazing park to live near.

Kate had a work conference, so I was so lucky and able to go to the temple while I was there. It was so wonderful!

This is Kate's house...well her family room. I love the windows!

After we picked Chelsey up from the airport, Kate and Ben were nice enough to take us to Ted Drewes. That was so fun because I can't even remember the last time I had it...probably girls camp.

I am not a huge fan of this picture, but it was so great of Kate's mom to do my hair for the wedding, I wanted to give her credit. She was so cute and offered to do my hair so it wouldn't be boring. I just love her!

Kate and Dana's parents. They looked so snazzy!

Kate and her Maids of Honor waiting for the ceremony to begin

Me, Lucy and Chelsey before the ceremony

Kate and Ben love Carl's Drive in. They thought it would be fun to take the wedding party there for lunch before we took pictures. The food was yummy! Kate was so cute and made us personalized aprons so we didn't ruin our dresses! They put so much time and thought into all of the details of their wedding!

Me and the newlyweds before they left the reception. This was such a wonderful day that went off without a hitch. I was so grateful to be able to be such a part of it! Wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Preview to Upcoming Post

2010-04-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

My visiting teacher, Lynnell is going to help me fix the pictures so they aren't thumbnails. I want to post pictures of my trips to St. Louis, but won't have time to do it all tonight I don't think...but here are a few.

Thanks Lynnell!

I will post again soon I promise!!!

Me, Kate, Dana

I'm Still Here

2009-09-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone...I know, I know. Its been forever. I'm sure my faithful friends/family will see that I updated and say to themselves, "No, this can't be possible. Is there a pig in the sky??"

So apparently I thought blogging would be so fun, and then I got busy, so I just forgot about it. I do think its fun, Honestly, it had been SO long that I couldn't figure out how to log in to my blog :) I know, rediculous!

So what's new??? Honestly, not too much is new, but lots of things have been going on....as I said before, busy, busy, busy. It will probably be easier to divide into topics. We'll see how it goes. (If you don't make it through the whole update, don't feel sad. I am just glad you are reading at all!)

Work:
Lets start here, because its the most boring :) Still working for Digital Gateway (software company) in their training department. I do not train, but I help our Documentation and Training Director with everything. I also help with some of our accounting, etc. I really like my job. It definitely is "work" but I like it. I enjoy learning something new, which has happened quite a bit lately. We have been working to improve and restructure our internal processes as far as contract creation, billing, stuff like that. We have been learning more and more of the software. It has been stressful, but fun to learn new things. I like that part.

Church:
Well, my ward is all part of a complex called Sparks. I don't actually live in the complex, but its just about a block west of where I live. I am working in the Relief Society. I do think that that is my place for most of my time from here on out. I guess we'll see what happens when I'm in a family ward, but I tend to be in the Relief Society and I think that works for me. I am over Enrichment, which is fun. I enjoy working with the sisters and serving them.

I do need to work harder to get to know them, so that is one of my goals.

The other major knews on the spiritual aspect of my life is that I went through the temple a few months ago. I'm sure anyone reading this know that...but figured I would put it on here as an update. It was a major decision for me to make, but I am so happy! It was wonderful and has been an even greater blessing since the first time. We are so blessed to have a temple so close!

Roommates/Housing:
I still live with Marsha. We have lived together for quite some time. We get a long and know each other really well. We live in a duplex that her parents own. Which has been nice because we can paint, decorate, etc however we want. Plus, I have my own room. I hope I'm not getting too set in my ways, but I love having my space and a place to go when I just want to read or do my own thing.

I did have the priviledge of mowing our lawn the other day. It was EXTREMELY long. For those of you that know, it wasn't as long as it has been in the past, but it was still LONG. That is a whole other story that I don't particularly need to put on this update...but lets just say the whole house maintenance has been an experience. I will say this though, I don't take for granted all of the work my parents did on our houses as I grew up, or the work that they had us help with....Having a place of your own is a responsibility and I'm glad I've learned to own up to that responsibility.

My other roommate that just moved in a couple of weeks ago is Kristin. She is Marsha's brother's girlfriend. She is a sophomore at BYU and pretty much sticks to herself. Most of the time, its just me and Marsha. Pretty much, we marry off anyone that lives with us :)

Social:
I'm feeling a little old for the crowd I am around most often. I don't know if I have just settled and become a boring adult...actually, I think that is what has happened. I enjoy their company and they are all very fun people, but most of the stuff they do does not appeal to me. And most of the time, it just would take too much effort to get outside of my box that much. Most of the time we do just end up hanging around just talking about whatever...so sometimes I go and sometimes I don't.

I do have a group of friends that I enjoy being with, but sometimes feel like the progress of friendship is stagnant. If that makes any sense. We do have Sunday dinners and that is really fun. I really do enjoy being with them. I just need to get out of my self and just have fun.

I am however, going to try harder to just let go and be a "younger" version of me. Sometimes it goes well and other times, it doesn't. Its a vicious cycle. I'm working on it, just bare with me :)

Boys:
Well, this is about as boring as my Social category. Right now, and for quite some time, nothing is going on. There are a few people that I would enjoy getting to know better, but right now, nothing to update on. Sorry! I know, this should be the most exciting section.

Other:
So on Saturday I broke one of my records...not one that I am particularly proud to have broken. I threw up, which I haven't done since I was a freshman in college. It was not a pleasant experience at all, but Marsha took care of me. Oh, and I left the nice present in some bushes over by 24 hour fitness and Albertson's in Provo. Just fyi...stay clear of those bushes!

I am trying to step out of my comfort zone a bit in the next couple of weeks. Krista, at work, volunteers for Ragnar Relays. They are having one in Washington, DC in about a week and a half. They needed another volunteer at the last minute, so I said yes...I know, can you believe it?!?! Whitney Powell made a decision to fly across the country over the course of about an hour or so! (I'm working on my decision making skills, along with everything else) I will be flying to DC on September 23 and coming back on September 30. The race will take up my time until about Sunday morning, and then I am going to tour DC for Monday and Tuesday.

Why is this a stretch do you ask???
1) Not a huge fan of flying...it always makes me nervous
2) I have NO IDEA how to be a course manager for the race
3) Driving around a strange city, all by myself (I am borrowing GPS though, Thanks Kelly!)
4) I think I will have to be up for like 30 hours for my shift (YIKES!)
5) Being a tourist all by myself
6) I also had a bit of a panic attack about how long I would be away from work

With all of these hurdles, I am determined to have a good time and actually quite excited for all of the adventures. Plus, IT'S FREE! Well, most of it. I will just have to pay for what I do on my own after the volunteering is done. The FREE part definitely made the one hour decision making process a lot easier!

I think that is all I can think of at the moment. I did have a really fun time in Tahoe with my family this summer and have a ton of pictures. I will try to figure out how to post pictures soon. I really will try to be a better blogger! Stay tuned to see how I do.

Been A While

2009-01-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it has been a while since I have even gone to this website...sorry, still working on figuring it out :)

Things are good in my life. I am working on being assertive and proactive, so that has been interesting, but has made my life more enjoyable. I am getting a little more involved in my ward, which is good. Trying to meet new people. I have been doing a lot with my visiting teachers and my friend Mary.

So apparently I don't have much to update you all on because not much is coming to my brain.

Oh! My old roommate Christy is getting married in a couple of weeks (another one bites the dust). I am so happy for her...they are PERFECT for each other. It was so great to see this set of old roommates a couple of weeks ago. We had dinner and it was SO wonderful!

Marsha is thinking of going back to school for her masters, so she is studying for the GRE. She wants me to also...I am thinking about it.

I have tickets to WICKED in APRIL!!!! That is SUPER EXCITING!

I'll have to think of something more exciting to post soon :)

In the words of Camille, I'm a "Techno Tard"

2008-10-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

So I tried to add a slide show (below) of my room and my new house. I can't figure out how to make it a normal size, and not itty bitty. If any of you advanced bloggers or non techno tards know how to help, let me know. For now you will just have to squint, sorry!

To Catch Up

2008-09-16T13:50:00.001-07:00

So, to fill everyone in on my life, here is a list of stuff to catch up on what I have been doing

1) Went on a cruise in April with Marsha (my roommate). I highly recommend them!
2) I was in the Relief Society Presidency over the summer. It was really challenging, but I learned a lot about myself and working with others. I was over Enrichment, so that was fun, but I did make my life and the life of my committee VERY busy. It was good for the girls though.
3) Attended so many weddings/bridal showers I can't even remember.
4) Moved into a duplex with Marsha and Stephanie.
5)Painted our family room and got everything set up
6) Courtney and my friend, Emily Mendenhall Hererra had her 1st baby! Solenne Kathrine Hererra (SO CUTE!!)
7) Came to grips that I was in a new ward (After 3 years in my WONDERFUL BYU 181st ward) and had to move on and meet new people. I forgot what it was like to walk in a room and not know ANYONE except the person you came with. We got over it and began meeting people. It was good, eventually. \
8) Went to the Utah State Fair in SLC with my roommates
9) Went with my roommates to the BYU vs. UCLA game...yes, we did win 58 to ZERO! The first half was AMAZING!
10) Took roommate pictures in our backyard. Yes, we have a backyard! Its wonderful.

I will add pictures/slide show soon :)

The Beginning (of this blog)

2008-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! I have been thinking of starting a blog, but never had time. Who knows how much time I will put into it, but starting it is the first step right?? I have so many friends and family with cute blogs, I wanted to join the crowd. My only worry is I'm not super creative...as you can see with my title :) Any suggestions, let me know!