New Blog!

Hey everyone (well my family and a few friends that read this blog)!


I started a new blog over here and I think you will enjoy it. I will start posting on that blog, but keep this blog for a while longer.


If you didn't click on the here above, here is just the whole link: www.allipointsbulletin.blogspot.com

Never Forget

Ten years ago.


I was in 8th grade and had just been getting ready for school when I heard my Dad in his room watching TV. He said that a plane had just crashed into one of the World Trade Centers in New York. I ran into the room and I saw the second plane crash into the other tower. That image will always be in my head.


I honestly couldn't believe that a plane had actually crashed into a building, that's stuff you only see in movies, not in real life. I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend that it didn't happen. I felt the pain that the people in New York and the people who had loved ones in those buildings, on the planes (not only the ones who hit the towers, but the other ones that crashed). I will never know how it felt to be there, but I can understand the deep despair people must have felt.


September 11 is comparable to Pearl Harbor, with the blatant attack on the United States and all the death and destruction. It just hurts my heart to think about people still suffering from aftermath of the attack. I wish we, as a country, would be how we were the months after the attack; strong and united. 


We live in a free and chosen country. Things happen for a reason, and we need to remember them so they are not repeated. We need to protect the United States and keep it alive for future generations. We need to remember and never forget the victims and the courage of those who risked their lives on September 11, 2001. God Bless America.

Funny

While you patiently wait for new posts and a whole new blog...





Enjoy!

Still Here

Anyone still reading my blog?

I apologize for not blogging very often this summer. I've just a tad busy. But I do have some posts I am working on and a new blog (it's still a major work in progress but I am pretty excited about it). So keep your eyes out.

Just a quick update for the past little bit... I completed my internship, visited the Pacific Northwest, went to an orientation for my graduate program, and am doing some training for one of my new jobs. This has all happened in the last 7 days. My cousin's farewell is this weekend. Oh and school starts on Monday.

Welcome back to the real world!

UP

I like Disney stuff. Maybe not as much as my sister, but I like it quite a bit. I was perusing my Google Reader and came across a story about Herriman, UT and the house from UP. You should go read the article. (I provided the link below, but if you don't want to read my post, you can click here)

Turns out that "Carl, Russell and the house from Disney/Pixar’s 'Up' are coming to the Herriman Towne Center development in the 2011 Parade of Homes. Bangerter Homes is building a replica of the cartoon creation, complete with balloons."

{Photo by Paul Fraughton | The Salt Lake Tribune}

How neat is that?! The house has a couple of rooms that are from the movie, but the rest of the house is from the imagination of the builder. The article also mentioned that they asked Disney for permission to build the house and what not. I am very tempted to go visit the house. If you want to read the whole article and see more photos, check out the story here.

State Prints

So, I am loving typography prints and other types of prints. I decided to try my hand at replicating them. Here's my take on those state prints that I've seen on other blogs...

 It is really easy to change the colors, so if you are interested in a print with a heart where you live, let me know! 

Yet Another New Header

Hi, my name is Alli and I am addicted to making blog headers. 


Okay, I'll admit it again. I have a problem with making new blog headers for myself. I really will attempt to make you, yes YOU, the person reading this post, a header if you so desire.


I am really liking chevron things right now (Chevron is a also a place to get gasoline and has a chevron logo, but I am talking about the design of chevron, not the gasoline station). 


Anyway, I made a new header with a drawn chevron background. I quite like it. 

Oh, I also added some words to describe myself since this is a blog about my life. And I have another project that I did that I will post soon.

Serving the Lord

My family is the best. We all truly love each other. I am so thankful for having such an awesome family, immediate and extended. These past few months, we have been helping my Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Fred prepare to serve as the Mission President in the Chile for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am happy for them because they are doing something magnificent and they are sacrificing their lives for three years to serve, but at the same time, I am going to miss them immensely. 


These past two weekends I have had the opportunity to go up to Logan and be with them before they leave at the end of June. Since I have been at school, we have these family get togethers at Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson's or Sue's for anyone in Logan on Sunday. I have been able to spend time with my Aunt and Uncle on those Sundays, as well as other family members and realized that my family is wonderful. The Essigs are such great examples to me of service and putting their trust in God. 


During a family reunion at Lagoon, I was on the Music Express ride (the one that spins fast and you can't help but smoosh the other person in the seat with you) with my Aunt Mary Ann. I was younger at the time and thought I would be cool and hang on and not squish her. Like I said, I was young. I didn't have that much strength and pretty soon I found myself letting go and allowing myself to enjoy the ride. I think that story is a bit of how they are feeling, I will attempt to make sense of this. Sometimes you want to be strong on your own, but in the end you usually wind up needing someone to lean on. They are lucky they have each other as well as the Lord and their families to support them. We will be here for them and I know they are always there for us. Family is the most important priority. 


Before I left Logan for my internship, I was having a rough time with starting something new. I love change, but it's scary. I remember feeling very insignificant and extremely nervous. I don't cry very much, but I was balling that day. I was lucky enough to receive a blessing from my Grandpa and Uncle Fred that day. I don't remember everything that was said, but I do know I felt the Spirit and was calm. Of course, the tears still were coming and they continued until the morning, but for that short moment I was calm and knew I could handle it. I am grateful for the priesthood and for my Uncle being willing to bless me. 


I have been blessed with my years in Utah to have gotten to know the Essigs better and to learn from them. They can do anything. It will be hard to not see them every week like I have for the past few years, but the cool thing about technology is that it's always changing and making it easier to communicate with your loved ones that are not nearby. I know the Essigs will do great and will be great examples to all the missionaries they will be looking after. 


Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Fred, I love you and can't wait to hear stories about the craziness that will come from being the Mission President and the Mission President's wife/Mother to all the missionaries. And I hope you enjoy looking at all the photo booth pictures from the party!!!


Buena suerte. Te amo.

Happy Father's Day

{I'm a bit behind in my posting, I apologize. I have been a tad busy...}


I just wanted to wish all the fathers a happy day (yesterday). My siblings are all up in Washington right now. I am the lone one still in Utah (why am I in Utah? I am here because of my internship and the fact need the money to pay for grad school) HOWEVER, I hope they enjoyed being with our dad. 


Anyway, I am grateful for my daddy. Who else would carry me on the beach and sing "Alli Girl" (imagine the song "Surfer Girl" by the Beach boys, but with "Alli" in place of "Surfer") and call me to ask me questions about Apple products and teach me the value of hard work and be there for me and read this blog and love me and continue to surprise the family and give me a love for running and go on great vacations? 


That's right, my dad. He is wonderful and I am lucky to be his daughter. And now for some pictures from the past...

Check out that mustache! (that's not me as a baby, that's my eldest sister)

ZOO RUN! I wish I still had those spandex.

This is one of my favorite family pictures. Aren't we just so precious?

I also want to say thank you to all the grandfathers and uncles and father-figures out there. I especially want to thank the men in my extended family for their greatness and willingness to serve. 


I made this for my dad...

I hope everyone enjoyed their Father's Day! Stay tuned for another little project that I have been wanting to do for a while...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

{I forgot my camera in Kaysville, so I have no photos except for the one I took with my phone}


June 4 was Mom's birthday. Her 50th. She doesn't look like she's 50, that's for sure. Anyway, Dad decided the best gift was to send her to Utah to visit her family. So, he enlisted the help of the Three Sisters and we were able to get Friday off for her. She flew out Thursday night... she thought they were going up to Federal Way to eat at this new restaurant, but little did she know she was going to the airport to fly to Utah! She was so stunned. It was a great surprise. Oh, I forgot to mention, Dad and Brother sent her down to Utah with the essentials: toiletries, makeup, jammies, underwears, a jacket, and some exercise shoes, plus an extra pair of glasses (which came in handy since she misplaced her other pair). Gotta love how boys pack. Dad gave her some money and told her to buy some clothes when she got there. How awesome is that?! I love my family. 

We've had a lot of fun this weekend. We have played, shopped, and eaten lots of food. On Saturday, her actual birthday, she got her hair cut, went shopping some more, and relaxed. We had a family get together with the people in Logan at Fredrico's. The Three Sisters made 72 cupcakes, okay it was just me who did the actual baking, but the other sisters did help. We made some for the cupcake jars, and then some to eat. Good thing I love to bake. Below are the jars and other cupcakes with a vase of flowers that smelled fantastic.

After we ate, we made Mom leave the room as a distraction so we could set up a projector and a screen to watch a movie that we put together for her. It's below, if you hadn't noticed. I love my Momma and am grateful for everything she does for me and everyone else. She is amazing and I want to be like her when I grow up. And I hope her 50th birthday was as wonderful as it could be. Enjoy the movie!!!


Peggy's 50th Birthday Movie from Alli Brown on Vimeo.


This is what Dad sent out in an email...
"ONCE UPON A TIME PEGGY WAS TURNING 50.  IT WAS A FUN TIME GOING TO THE AIRPORT AND LOOKING FOR A RESTAURANT THAT DOES NOT EXIST.  WHEN WE WENT TO AIRPORT PARKING SHE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE WHY ARE WE HERE AND NOT AT THE RESTAURANT?  WE HAD TO TELL HER THAT MAYBE SOME FAMILY MEMBERS WERE FLYING IN TO CELEBRATE HER 5OTH.  SHE WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THEM.............................AND THEN WE HAD TO PULL OUT HER LITTLE SUITCASE................SHE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS?.................FINALLY WE TOLD HER THAT NOBODY WAS COMING AND THAT SHE WAS LEAVING ON A JET PLANE......................SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T LEAVE BECAUSE SHE HAD TO GO TO A WEDDING SHOWER AND TO WORK THE NEXT DAY!  I GAVE HER AN E-MAIL FROM HER PRINCIPAL FROM ONE MONTH PRIOR SAYING SHE THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT IDEA!  THANKS TO EVERYONE AND SURPRISE !

TONY AND I WERE STILL HUNGRY............WE DECIDED BALLPARK FOOD SOUNDED GOOD AND THE M'S WERE IN TOWN SO WE WENT TO SAFECO TO SEE FELIX PITCH AGAINST THE TAMPA BAY RAYS AND MR SHIELDS.  A GREAT MATCH UP.  THE M'S HIT 4 HOMERS AND WON 8-2.  WE SAT IN FELIX'S "KINGS COURT" A VERY LIVELY SECTION OF FANS WITH SPECIAL TEE SHIRTS FOR A SPECIAL DAY.

LOVE BOB"

Weekend Wrap-Up

{In advance, this is a long post without photos... and it's kinda late, but please enjoy...}


I have been busy but not so busy as of late. I spent my Memorial Day weekend visiting a friend in Provo for a few hours (more on that later), watching my nephew and hauling him around in a storage bin and playing with tennis balls, hanging out in Logan (staging a photo shoot, making breakfast, spending time with family, and getting a gnarly stomach ache). It's been a fun weekend to say the least, minus the feeling icky Monday. 


After work on Friday, I went and visited an old friend in Provo. He took me around BYU's campus (my favorite part was the library, yes, I am a nerd) and we ended up watching "Mysteries of the Solar System" at the Planetarium. We laughed the whole time and even more so when our stomach's growled. For some reason, he and I always end up doing something "science-y" when we're together. It's great. We ate at Olive Garden and had a fantastic waiter, Troy. I met his roommates who are also from Washington, go figure. And I wrote on their whiteboard and left pretty awesome messages. Then I had to drive back to Kaysville...


The next morning I woke up, went running, and then helped my landlords clean out the shed, which really meant I just watched their son while they cleaned out the shed. It was fun. I came up with a fun game of shooting tennis balls into a storage bin and then dumping them out and making my nephew just laugh and laugh. Then me being a cool aunt, stuck him in the bin and dragged him around the yard. We went by his mom and dad and he said "WHOA! Momma Wah-tch" and when I would stop for a rest (bending over and pulling a kid in a storage bin takes a toll on the back) he would say "ah-den" and I would do it. It was a fun morning. Then I headed up to Logan...


I got up to Logan and went flower shopping with Grandma Sorenson and Sue. They got some beautiful flowers, but it's been horrible weather to plant. After flower shopping, we got to stage a photo shoot for Tom and his friends for Prom. It was a blast, even if I dropped the wicker bench on my foot and couldn't walk for a couple of minutes, dropping something on the top of your foot hurts bad. The weather stayed pretty okay, save for the few drops of rain and all over coldness. We ate dinner and looked at old pictures.


On Sunday I went back to my YSA ward. There are many new faces and it seems smaller than it was when I left a few weeks ago. It was a good Sabbath day and we had a fun time at Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner and family party that happens every Sunday.


I could not fall asleep Sunday night, maybe it was because I knew I had to get up at 7:45 for breakfast... so I got a few hours of sleep and then got to help make breakfast. We helped move some furniture and ran errands. And I got a nasty stomach ache but eventually got over it. After a couple of hours of just resting, we went to dinner at Center Street Grill. It's such a fun place. I love the decor and the food was delicious. I left Logan and headed back to Kaysville and got there later than planned, but hey, life is unscripted and it just happens. We've just got to go with the flow even if it's hard sometimes.


If you made it this far through the post, congrats. I wish I had more photos to share, but alas, I don't. 

Some Happenings

Well folks, I got a 4.0 this last semester! I hope I can keep up my grades next semester. I think I did so well because they were fun, applicable, use in my everyday life, type of classes.


On another note, I survived my couple weeks of interning. It's pretty fun although exhausting (I'm usually up by 6 or 6:30 and work till 4:30 or 5 every day). I love the atmosphere and they people are wonderful. And I am so grateful for my sister and brother-in-law for letting me live with them. I love them! There is never a dull moment in my life, especially when you live with an almost two year old, a pregnant lady, a hard worker, and an intern that is always so sleepy. It's great! We've been eating some tasty food (skinny pancakes, eggs and ham, homemade spaghetti sauce, roasted chicken, ballpark food, etc...) and watching TV (The Bachelorette, Modern Family, Dateline, The Food Network, Blue's Clues, Olivia, and lots of Disney shows) and just playing (which means being bossed around by the almost two year old, but I don't mind).  


It's even more fun when the pregnant lady and hard worker invite you (me) to a Bees game out of the blue to come help with the almost two year old. I sure do love baseball. I have missed going to M's games while being here in Utah. The Bees were clobbering the other team and it was getting late, so we left after the 7th inning stretch. The almost two year old calls them "BEANS" it's hilarious. He is such a cute kid. Ask him to say "beautiful cheese" or "orange" next time you see him. You'll be happy you did. Enjoy the photos below.

He likes to wear my awesome shades...

Such a great night for baseball! Doh Beans!

Pardon the photos... I forgot my camera so I had to use my phone to document this fun outing.

HAPPY DAY!

Today is my Aunt Sue's birthday! She is an amazing woman and I am so lucky to have her in my life. She is such a great example to me. I owe her so much. I call her my "second mom" because she keeps me on the right track and is always there for me, no matter what. 


She is the best Aunt Sue ever!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I LOVE YOU MORE!

Moms are GREAT!

I love my Mom! And I love all the women in my family. Women are great. For the past two years I have had to speak on Mother's Day in church, but this year I didn't have to. Go figure.


I found this awesome photo the other day...

I just love it. Mom is rocking the bobble and I am such a chubby baby!

I Survived!

I finished my first semester of grad school and survived! To celebrate, I got my hair cut and colored, but I just went more of a natural brown. So here's to the end of a semester and a beginning of a new adventure!!!

Awkward Bus Rides

You know what's awkward? (Besides the word awkward itself.)


Being the only one of the bus with the bus driver... especially when the driver is an older man that is on his last route of the night and wants to just go home.


But, he did let me off the bus by a driveway so I didn't have to walk in the mud. That was nice.


Oh, and another awkward thing, when someone sits by you on the bus and starts a conversation that begins with, "can I sit here?" You can't say no. BUT then the person sits next to you and starts questioning you with all sorts of questions... and also saying, "you look like someone in my ward." YEP. I get that a lot. I guess it's my brown hair and blue eyes and my face that makes me look like everyone on the USU campus. I have no idea if that's a good thing or not. 


My bus riding experiences have been interesting. And I will probably be riding the bus into Salt Lake this summer... so I will have some other interesting stories. Oh yeah, I probably forgot to mention I am interning down in Salt Lake this summer. It should be a hoot!

BUZZ and WOO-EE!

To infinity and beyond!

Cee made that sweet Buzz Lightyear apron for Pah and an awesome bib for the Parster.

 OH NO! There was an issue with keeping his pants up...

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today is my Grandma's birthday.


Here are 10 reasons why I love her...


1. She is an amazing baker and taught my mom how to make rolls and then my mom taught me how to make rolls. Cool huh?
2. She had three children in ONE year.
3. She raised 5 great kids, one of them being my mother.
4. She tells fantastic stories and enjoys playing the piano.
5. She keeps tabs on us grandkids.
6. She is a wonderful mother, wife, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
7. She reminds me to save my money and keep track of my spending.
8. She is a strong woman.
9. "Move along" (inside joke with the family).
10. She is a fine example of how I want to be when I grow up.

Love you Grandma!

This photo is from my high school graduation. My grandma is the one in the middle (if you didn't know...)

Conference Weekend

My parents came to Utah for a few days. We got to go try new things and just play around. Here are some of the photos from that weekend. I just love my family (even if they bug me to do blog posts). 

Pah and Par just relaxing. Thanks Cee for the photos.

Par just hanging out in the yard.

Playing the in water at Temple Square.

After the Saturday Morning Conference Session. Such a great atmosphere. 

Listening to the Saturday Afternoon Session from left to right, Tie-ee, Cee, Par, Tone-e, and Alice. We are the grandparents in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Thanks Aunt Sue for making that extra-long blanket for Lindsay and Jake!

A Quick Visit

This little man doesn't sit still for a second! We went to The Gateway and played around. He kept running from each water feature saying "WHOA" and running to the next one. He liked throwing coins in the fountain and loved looking at "pwanes." And he likes to say "HI!" to everyone he sees.

Don't you just LOVE that face?!

Homemade Hostess Sno Ball-Cupcakes

This is my version of a Hostess Sno Ball-Cupcake... and the best part is it's DAIRY FREE!!! However, it is not calorie free, but they are sure delicious. I made a batch one Saturday and they lasted till Monday night. Don't they look divine?! I will admit I got the idea from another blog I read, but I gave it a twist. I only used the cream filling portion of the recipe. Without further ado, below the photo is the recipe I use.

 

Homemade Hostess Sno Ball-Cupcakes

A box of Devil's Food Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines since they don't put milk in most of their products).

Bake the cupcakes according to the package directions.

Once the cupcakes are totally cooled, use a dowel (or wooden spoon) to punch holes into the center of each cupcake so the filling will have a place to go. 

Cream Filling

1/2 cup of butter, softened (I use non-dairy butter sticks, but that's just me)

7 ounce jar of marshmallow

1/3 cup of powdered sugar

1 tablespoon of water

Mix all the ingredients with an electric mixer until fluffy.

I just use a Ziploc bag to pipe the filling into the cupcakes, with one of the corners cut off. This is my favorite part, even if it's messy.

After the filling has been piped into the cupcakes, liberally apply white vanilla frosting to cover the filling hole and then dip the frosted cupcakes into sweetened shredded coconut.

There you have it. My homemade Hostess Sno Ball Cupcakes. They are delicious!!!

Sara Jan Sorenson

Sara comes home today!!! Sara comes home today!!! Sara comes home today!!!


I can't believe it's been a year and a half since she left. I can't wait to see her on Sunday at her homecoming. 


It's on Sunday March 20 at 9:00 am at the church building located at 1785 E 400 S Springville, UT.

Oh Seesters!

Oh I just love my sisters!

Birthday Party

 Thanks to Teresa for this photo! This is my birthday party in Vegas. Coco made me a beautiful birthday crown (thanks to Tyler for suggesting she make me one). I had a great birthday! We had a delicious dinner before this took place and we watched the Academy Awards. Thanks to everyone for such a fantastic day!

Last Day

I accomplished my goal of blogging every single day. We just got back from Las Vegas. It was a fun trip, even though the majority of us got a cold. I had a great birthday! It's fun being 23. Although, I misplaced my license so it looks like I will have to go get a new one this week. It's going to be a tough week, but I will get through it.

Thanks everyone for reading this month of my random thoughts. I hope everyone has a great week and maybe I will blog again soon.

Happy Birthday, To Me!

I AM 23 TODAY! 

I am grateful to be alive and to have such a wonderful life. I got an eReader from my parents. I know, I know, the girl who LOVES books got an eReader? What has the world come to?! 


Well, I still LOVE books (you know the tangible ones with the pages to turn). However, with the way technology is moving, most everything will be electronic sooner or later. I thought I would get a head start and try out an eReader and see what it can do. Me being the reader I am, having a device that can hold up to 1,000 books is just AMAZING!


I like to think I have the best of both worlds... I still have my tangible books and now I have the ability to download a book and read it on a little device and I don't have to haul pounds of books around. Yep, I've got it pretty good.


I just love my family... they are the best!

Wedding Day

Weddings are fun! Today, my cousin Matt is marrying Peyton. I wish them the best! It's so fun to be with all the family and have a celebration!

Warhol

I made this for one of my classes... I kinda like it.

Mistakes

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."

-Albert Einstein

We have to make mistakes in order to be better and to learn something new.

Schedule

Sometimes it's nice to have a schedule... except when you press snooze too many times. Yep. I snoozed too long this morning. I was only a few minutes late to work. I took the bus and luckily it runs twice an hour. For some reason the bus hasn't been very packed the past few times I've ridden it. But I don't mind having my space.

My schedule is really thrown off and it won't really be back to normal until next week. I will be even more busy. That's what I get for having two jobs and going to grad school full-time, plus having my family in town throws my routine off. I love my family though! I am excited to see more of them this weekend.

Amzanig!

This is neat!

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? 

Abraham Lincoln

Abe Lincoln is one of my favorite presidents. He's just an amazing man. He tried and tried and failed and failed, but never gave up and finally succeeded in what he wanted to accomplish. That's what you call perseverance. 


Some interesting facts about Lincoln that I found online here...

• He was the first president to have a beard.
• He was born on February 12, 1809 and died on April 15, 1865 at the age of 56. (GO FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS!)
• He was the first president to be assassinated. 
• He was the tallest president (6 foot 4 inches).

He was president at a time of great turmoil in the country but he handled it extremely well (at least I think so) and he has some great quotes.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be."
"A house divided against itself cannot stand."


(These quotes came from BrainyQuote.com)


Who is your favorite president?

It's Your Choice

Today has been a busy Sunday. It snowed quite a bit. I shoveled last night AND this morning. My body is exhausted. At least I am sleeping better since I'm so tired. During church we talked about faith, following the apostles, and working and being happy about it. 


I have a sign that says, "It's Your Choice" above my door. I see it every time before I go to sleep and when I wake up. It reminds me to choose to be happy rather than miserable. It's much easier to be happy than to be unhappy. I have a lot to be grateful for and I shouldn't complain about my life. I have a great life. I am healthy. I have a wonderful family. I am blessed with the ability to learn. I have a roof over my head and food to eat. I can make decisions. I know the gospel is true. I believe in it. There are so many other things I am blessed with and thankful for. Hopefully this week I won't be as frustrated with life. I need to remember what I have in my life and how grateful I should be for everything. 

Running Outdoors

I love running outside... I like being able to see my surroundings and what not. Treadmill running is fine for when I can't go outside, but if it's not too cold or super hot or bad weather, then I will be outside. Today was one of those in between days... it was pretty cold and on the verge of snaining (rain and snow). But I put on my running tights (basically long spandex), my jacket, and the awesome crocheted headband that Sue made me. My ears stayed toasty! Once I got going I warmed up and it was just a short run, but it felt good to be outside. I can't wait till it gets warmer for real and I can go barefoot running in the grass (that's for YOU Jamie). YAY FOR EXERCISE!

(Yep, that's me post run without makeup, crazy hair, and a messy room!)

Happy Friday!

Well, I don't really have much to say today. I have been super busy this week and I will be even more busy this weekend. But I am excited to see my parents next week!!! I get to travel to Las Vegas for a wedding next week as well. 

It's going to be a crazy week!!! Enjoy the weekend everyone!

New 'Do!

I got my hair cut and colored... it's shorter and more textured and it's dark (if you couldn't tell). Sorry about the poor photo quality. It's from my phone again.

After leaving the salon, I came out to my aunt's car and found this... 

Yep. That's a lot of snow... I would say it's a good six inches or more on there. It sure was fun brushing the snow off the car. Once I got home, the garage door decided to discontinue its habit of working (in other words, the chain came off the mechanism that makes the door go up and down) so we get to manually open and close the door. And then I shoveled the walks and driveway. It didn't really matter though because it snowed again. What irks me is the fact that it was 50 degrees yesterday till about 4:00pm and then BAM! A snow storm. I didn't die driving though, so that's a good thing. I did see police lights while I was shoveling. Yesterday was a rough day.

Silly Putty

Oh, just another random fact...

"Silly Putty started as a mistake in a New Haven laboratory, and was turned into a consumer hit in the 1960s. According to engineers, Silly Putty is a self-contradiction. Chemically, it is a liquid, but it resembles a solid. The molecular structure will stretch if the structure is slowly pulled. But if tugged, it snaps apart. The toy has a rebound capacity of 75 to 80 percent, whereas a rubber ball has only about 50-percent capacity. A silicon derivative, Silly Putty won’t rot; it can withstand temperatures from minus 700 Fahrenheit to hundreds of degrees above zero. On top of all that, it picks up newsprint, which often appears sharper than the original. "

Thank you Useless Knowledge gadget on my iGoogle page.

Interesting Facts

I love learning... especially random facts... like these ones...

All porcupines float in water.

Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.

An average person laughs about 15 times per day.

The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."

Almonds are a member of the peach family.

Bats always turn left while exiting a cave.

You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in a lifetime.

The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in Jello.

The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year. 


ENJOY! I hope you got 1or more of the 15 laughs for the day!

Happy Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

The Sabbath

Today I had the opportunity to go to Stake Conference. It was really good. I love it when you hear things that you know you need to hear. It's just wonderful! What I got out of it was that we need to rescue those in need, we need to feel worthy and good enough (if we don't, we should work on it), we all need to have a change of heart, and that we are immensely loved by our Heavenly Father. That last one always hits me the hardest. No matter how much we mess up, He is always there for us with open arms waiting for us to come back to him. We need to get back to Him. It's like how our parents down here are looking out for us... Heavenly Father is looking out for EVERYONE. That in itself is pretty amazing.


After that, we headed over to Grandma Pat's for lunch and got to see some more family. Emily, my cousin, has an interview tomorrow at USU for a scholarship. She will do great! 


Finally, we went to The Joseph Smith Memorial Fireside. Elder Ballard spoke to an almost filled Spectrum. It is a wonderful feeling to be in the presence of such a great man of God. I just love the gospel. I really do. He spoke about how the Lord prepared a way for Joseph Smith to restore the gospel to this modern day. Generation upon generation helped in the cause. There is a plan. Heavenly Father knows what we need, when we need it. He doesn't do things on a whim. It is comforting for me to know that He is always there and that His Son, our Big Brother, suffered so much for us so we can live with Him again. The gospel is really true. I have a testimony of the truthfulness and how much we can learn from having it in our lives. I LOVE THE GOSPEL!

Very Mutch!

I got to go down to Kaysville to hang out with my sister, brother-in-law, nephew... and my other sister, brother, and two cousins. It was a blast! We had lots of fun watching Par. He entertained us the whole time. He's talking a lot and saying funny things. I taught him to "squeeze" instead of just hug. It's really cute, if I do say myself. He likes to blow kisses and play with "boons" and he knows "Do As I'm Doing," plus he ends "I love you very... MUTCH!" He's adorable. We played "side" (outside) for a while. I forgot to take my camera, so I don't have any pictures. I am so grateful to have my family nearby and that they love me very mutch. It was fun night and day just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. 


I love my family!

WOO!

Aunt Sue got a lot of little toys for the pinata we had the other day. One of the toys was a ring where you have to get the two metal balls into the holes for the eyes. It's much harder than it looks. BUT I ACCOMPLISHED IT! Go me!

Sorry, the photo is blurry (it's from my phone).

Theater Etiquette

You know when you walk into a basically empty theater and you sit as far away from the other people as you possibly can? And then another person or group walks in... and where does he/she or them decide to sit? That's right.  

Directly behind or in front of you.

Really people? How hard is it to sit at least a row behind or in front? I understand if the theater is crowded, but when it's nearly empty, there's no reason to sit by someone or someones you don't know. 

That's my rant for the day. So, next time you go to a nearly empty theater please remember to NOT sit by the people that are super content with their choice of seats. Or just go super early to the show so you can have first pick for your seats... and put jackets, bags, shoes, etc... around your area so you don't have to worry about loud people or smelly men or women, for that matter.

New Header

I didn't have any homework last night, so I made a new blog header...  

Police Blotter

Utah State has a Police Blotter in the Utah Statesman every week. Sometimes there are hilarious stories and other times there are serious ones. This is one of the stories that cracked me up this week...

"USU Police responded to Wasatch Hall for a Fire Alarm. A student did not remove a pizza from the box before he cooked it. The Officer educated the student on the proper way to cook a pizza and how to deal with smoke in the kitchen. The alarm was reset."

You may have a laugh now.

Comfort Zone

I love my life. I live in a bubble of family, a few friends, school, and work. I enjoy my comfort zone.

However, I came across the following quote...

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” 

–Neal Donald Walsh

The more I think about that quote, the more it makes sense. I have never learned something while in my comfort zone. I have never been very outgoing in my comfort zone. I have never been afraid in my comfort zone.I have never wanted something more in my comfort zone. Once I was out of my comfort zone, I learned, grew, and became a better person. I made mistakes and quickly retreated back to where I was comfortable for re-enforcements. However, I think of how much I've learned by making decisions (good and bad) and how I wouldn't change anything. I am the person I am today because of what I have chosen. Every single day I try to go out of my comfort zone, just a little bit, so I can learn and grow. I hope to continue to become a better me.

Truth

The gospel is true. Plain and simple. 

I loved having Jamie up this weekend so she could come to church with me. We giggled when our stomachs grumbled and watched the shoe parade. 

This week will be a doozy I'm sure, but I am still enjoying my classes and my life. 

Blogging every single day may get a bit difficult, but I will complete my goal... I hope!

A Great Video

I just love this! Enjoy.

Saved by the Aunt!

This morning I had to be to work at 8:00am. But let me take you back to last night... I stayed on campus later than I usually do on Thursday nights and went to the Fieldhouse to go for a short jog. And I got home, ate some dinner, and took a shower. While I was about to wrap my hair in the towel... BAM! I smacked my elbow really hard on the counter. As a result, I got this lovely injury and I wanted to swear, but I refrained. I should have know that this would be the start of a great Friday...

Somehow I slept through my alarm... not a good occurrence when you have to be at work at 8:00am. My aunt came upstairs before she left work and woke me up! Saved by the aunt! And thank you Sherie for hauling me up to campus! I had about 12 minutes to get ready! And I DID IT! It was lucky that I had gotten everything done the night before. Whew. What a morning! And I am super excited to hang out with Jamie all weekend!