I Can Do Hard Things

So a few months ago I did something really ridiculous. I signed up to run the St. George Marathon...and I got in! Now suddenly I had to start training. I looked at different web-sites, asked advice from other people who had run marathons, and started running on my own. Running was not something I enjoyed when I was younger. I loved to run when playing sports, but running just to run was totally out of the question. Why would anyone run just to run?

Well, that question was answered this past weekend as I completed my first marathon. Despite how hard it was, I loved it! The first 7 miles were incredible and I felt like I could run forever. Then the next 16 miles were pretty rough, but went by pretty quickly. The last 3 miles were the hard miles I've ever run. My legs wanted to be done. My back was ready to break. But my heart and mind wanted to finish. People were lining the streets, cheering us on, and they helped light the little bit of fire that was left in me. I pushed forward and crossing that finish line was incredible. I had just beat myself--the negative voice in my head that was saying I couldn't do it. I beat every doubt and fear that I had allowed to keep me from doing hard things. I thought there would be major excitement and celebrating going on in my head as I crossed the line, but the word to best describe the experience would be PEACE. I felt so good inside and I gained a sense of confidence in knowing that I really can do hard things. I just need to believe in myself. It is in challenging yourself to do something hard that you gain strength and confidence to face other things that happen to you in your life. It is believing that you are a child of God and He created these incredible bodies for us and He fills us with strength to do hard things and accomplish His will. My marathon was a hard thing for me that I wanted to do. I needed to do it! We all have different hard things in our lives that we must face if we want to grow. Maybe its quitting a bad habit. Maybe its making a change in your life that you know you should, but being too scared to do it. Maybe its getting out of bed each morning. Maybe its saying something nice to someone else or expressing love to someone you've been witholding it from. Maybe its climbing a mountain. No matter what it is, do those hard things. I have other hard things to do in my life, and because I finished this marathon, I know its possible to do hard things. So now I'm moving on to the next hard thing I must do.....I'll let ya know how it goes.

me and my mom! we rock!

my battle wound!

I am still here!!!!

So I just realized that I have not blogged for quite some time. Some of you may think that I have disappeared. Others perhaps think I've run out of incredible blogging ideas. And some of you could probably care less. But I just want you to know that I am still here! I have not disappeared, I have written down some great ideas for blogging, and even if you could care less about me, I still care about you.

I was sitting here thinking about why I haven't blogged for so long and here is the answer: I have so many incredible blessings and have had so many great summer experiences that I don't even know where to begin. Honestly, my life is so full of good things right now and I am running around trying to take it all in. Sometimes people disappear when life gets difficult (been there) or they get extremely busy focusing on one thing (been there too), but I've disappeared this time because life is good and I am out enjoying it! I'm realizing that I really need to learn to enjoy the journey. When life is good I need to breathe it all in and enjoy every detail so that when the journey gets tough, I can look back and remember the good and know that I'll make it through, because my Heavenly Father always helps me through. He hasn't left me stranded yet, and I know He never will. And that is something to be happy about!!!

So its time to get blogging again! I am back!!!!

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!!!

My little sister, Ashley, and I took a trip down to San Antonio to visit our older sister, Jen, and her family. It was such a fabulous trip!!! We laughed a lot, ate a lot, and created a lot of great memories! Here are some firsts that I experienced in the great state of Texas:

-Eating at Rudy's BBQ: The Worst Barbecue in Texas!
The briskit was amazing and the cream corn was oh so good!
-Watching my niece, Livy, do her mad face! She had all of us laughing so hard!
She is so stinkin cute!!!!
-We had a sister's day and went to the San Antonio Temple, the bookstore, and had dinner at a great Mexican food place called Pappasitos! Ashley's friend told her that we needed to eat there and I'm so glad we did! It was delicious!!!!
-Touching Billy Ray Cyrus's hand! Yep, that's right! He touched my hand!!!! We took the kids to his concert at Sea World and we all had fun rockin' out!

-Climbing Enchanted Rock in Fredricksberg! We went with a family that is really good friends with Jennifer's family and we had such a great day. Enchanted Rock was a fun hike and so cool to explore and see the amazing views!
-Eating FRIED PICKLES!!!! In Fredricksberg we all went to dinner at this cool German restaurant and we all shared an order of Fried Pickles for our appetizer and they were actually pretty good!!!
I love Texas! Can't wait to go back!

Life's Lessons

I'm reaching a journey's end, but its not the end of my journey. New doors are beginning to open and I'm ready to take a leap. I took my first college class 7 years ago and now all I have left standing between me and my bachelor's degree is a 480 hour internship. I took my last exam, turned in my final paper, and breathed in a big sigh of relief. It has been a very long road these past 7 years, but there is nothing I would change. The lessons I've learned have taught me so much about myself, about God, and about what this life is really all about. I've learned a little bit in the classroom and out of the textbooks, but most of my education I've gained through my trials, my happy times, and everything else in between. Here are a few of the lessons I've learned these past 7 years as a college student:

-The greatest test of your character is the way you treat the people in your life that you do not need.

-If there is something in your life that you have always wanted to try or do, then DO IT! It doesn't matter if you fail, at least you tried! (And most of the time you'll realize that you will not fail, you just let your fears tell you that you would). Just last week I learned how to do a backflip on the trampoline, which is something I've always wanted to do but was way too scared to try. Now I can do it!

-Do not donate plasma if you have a tendency to faint or an uncontrollable bladder....or both! (Learned this one the hard way).

-God does answer prayers: in His own way and in His own time! I'm so glad He is in control. If I got everything I prayed for, my life would be so much different and so less exciting!

-The movie "Goonies" was not filmed at the studious in Wilmington, NC. Do not scream out "GOONIES!" while on tour of the studios, they do not like that.

-You can not make everyone like you and at some point you will hurt someone you love, whether you mean to or not, and it will feel horrible. But don't give up on the relationship, healing will happen and forgiveness will come, even if you have to wait for years and years, it will come.

-If you coach high school basketball and you tell a referee that he is pathetic, be prepared to receive a technical foul and for your team to proudly cheer you on for getting your first technical.

-The best place to go to feel God's love is the Temple, or the top of a mountain, where there is nothing else standing between you and heaven.

-If you are a girl, and you work out, and you sweat, you have about a 90% chance of getting SWOOB, and there's not much you can do about it!

-If you want to see my Dad have a laughing fit, just tell him that my sister Ashley is going to play on your basketball team. It gets him every time! It must be the mental picture he gets of Ashely running up and down the court.

-One of the most important skills to learn while you are young is how to manage your money! You really do not need much to be happy. Living on less will make your life more fulfilling. Live SIMPLY!

-If you go cliff jumping in Hawaii, don't let your 300 pound roommate jump off. You'll grow an ulcer worry about whether or not she'll pop back up out of the water. On that same note, if your best friend in Hawaii tells you she can't swim, don't let her jump either, thats just asking for another ulcer.

-It is possible to live 30 days without your precious cell phone. You will not die. In fact, your quality of life will most likely improve because you will not have that piece of hardware attached to your head or any other part of your body.

-The FAMILY is truly the central part of God's plan for all of us and my family is the central part of my life. They are my foundation, my strength, and my hope to be with ALL of them for eternity. It may be dysfunctional at times and there are painful challenges that occur, but the really good days (like building Legos together or dinners in the backyard) are like small glimpses of what heaven will be like.

-Friendship is about give and take. Its not always just about you! If you are selfish, you will find that your friends will not stay around for long. A friend is someone who shares, someone who listens, someone who trusts you enough to come to you when they are struggling and need help. True friends are there for the good times, and stick by your side in the bad times, even when you try to push them away. Trying to be a true friend to someone else is following in the footsteps of Christ. He is the truest friend there could ever be.

-Three weeks in the wilderness of Alaska, hundreds of miles from civilization, carrying your whole life in your backpack, sleeping on the ground, wearing no deodorant, blazing your own trails, surviving the weather, feeling so close to God, is the most liberating and humbling thing to experience. Everyone should try it.

-God loves you! No matter who you are, what you've done, where you've been, God loves you!

These are just a few of the life lessons I've learned along my journey so far. I can't wait to see whats waiting beyond this bend and along this next segment of life. There is still so much to learn and do!

Flat Tire Adventure

On a beautiful spring afternoon I left work. I had my roommate's (Kristin) car and was going to pick her up from school on my way home. Well, I got in the car, began backing up, and the car started acting really strange. I thought it was out of gas. But then I got out of the car to take a look and saw that the driver's side tire was totally flat. So I gave Kristin a call, told her the good news, and then slowly drove to the gas station just down the street to see if I could fill the tire with air. Needless to say, that didn't work. The tire was shredded! I had never changed a tire on my own before. I actually got a bit excited as I realized that I would be able to brag that I could change a tire. Well....it didn't quite work out that way......

First off, Kristin walked over from the school and we got everything out of the trunk. We couldn't figure out how to use the jack, so we created our own way of using it and were actually being quite successful in getting the car off the ground.Next, Brandon, a salesman of some sorts, was kind enough to offer some help. He also couldn't quite figure out the jack, but did his best. Of course, he did have to get out his blue Ikea bag to kneel on before he could actually do anything. While Brandon was jacking up the car, I was loosening the bolts on the tire. We pulled the tire off, and then THE CAR SLID OFF THE JACK! Yes! You heard it right. THE CAR SLID OFF THE JACK! It happened in slow motion. It slowly slid backwards off the jack, while we all helplessly watched.We were kind of at a loss of what to do after that. We were parked at a Sinclair gas station, and right across the street was another Sinclair station that just happened that change tires. So Kristin went across the street and came back with Cole, a Sinclair worker, and a huge jack!


Cole got the car back up in the air and then went back across the street to find us a tire. We sat outside on the curb and made friends with Warren, and another guy, who both worked at the Sinclair. They were standing by the dumpster having a little smoke break and kept us company while we waited.
Overall, we spent three hours at the Sinclair. It was quite a long process, but in the end, Kristin got a new tire and we made a lot of new friends while we sat on the curb. Sinclair has a new customer for life!
The lesson learned: Rule number one for changing a tire is to set the emergency break. If only we knew that before we had started....

Loving The Sweaty Pits!

Okay, so sweaty armpits are a pretty natural part of life. It happens. We're human. We perspire. But although it is natural, there are times when you may feel a bit uncomfortable when you have sweaty pits and you work hard not to lift your arms. The stress of trying to conceal the sweat seems to make you sweat even more. Its a never ending cycle.
Well last night I was proud of the sweat! I attended the Color Festival in Spanish Fork with a group of friends and we were right in the middle of the EXPLOSION of colored chalks. For a few minutes I could see nothing but a heavy mist of color. The sky was hidden behind the colors and the sunlight was gone. For a split second I wondered if I would survive. My lungs and nose were full of colored dust! But then the colored cloud broke and the sky came seeping back and it was amazing to see all of the thousands of people covered in color. The color carnage continued for another 10 or 15 minutes and we all walked away from the crowd splattered with colors!
Kristin, Katie, and I decided to stop on the way home and walk around Target to see what kind of reactions we would get. It was hilarious to see everyone staring and pointing at us. Little kids were tugging on their parent's clothes and asking them what had happened to us. We were checking ourselves out in the mirror in the clothing section and I started laughing so hard when I saw our armpits. Our sweat marks were brightly colored for everyone to see! I've never been more proud of my sweaty pits!

What Is Faith?

So for the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of studying on faith. I've really tried to gain a better understanding of what faith is and how I can have more of it in my life. One night while I was studying I just starting writing down what I understand faith to be. Here it is:

What Is Faith?

Its taking that extra step forward,
when all you want to do is give up.
Its getting down on your knees,
when all you want to do is go to bed.
Its getting out of bed in the morning,
when all you want to do is hide under the covers.
Its opening your Book of Mormon at midnight
because you've made a commitment to read it.
Its paying that little amount of tithing,
when the 10% could be paying for groceries instead.
Its constantly praying for your wayward brother
even when it seems like he will never change.
Its choosing not to see that movie you've been dying to see
because you promised God you wouldn't change your standards for something like that.
Its trying to look your best each day
because you know that one day you'll find love (or it will find you).
Its getting up early on a Sunday morning for 9:00am church
just because you know that church is where you need to be.
Its making time to go to the Temple during your busy week
because you need the peace and guidance that is found there.
It is praying for the niece and nephew that are in the hospital
because you know that their lives are in God's hands.
It is acting on the prompting to call a friend
and finding out that you are an answer to their prayers.
It is talking to the stranger sitting by you on the bus
and changing their life forever because of your simple testimony.
It is choosing to follow the Savior and study His word
and learning that He loves you and wants you to come Home.
It is choosing to live a good and simple life,
because that's what life should be: good and simple.
It is standing in the presence of God
and knowing that your choices brought you there.

Only One Word To Describe It: MAGICAL!!!

Growing up I always loved the game of basketball. Part of that is probably due to the fact that I have five brothers and I was always out playing with them. We'd play out in the driveway for hours. I later went on to play Jr. Jazz, Junior High basketball, and then Varsity basketball. It was a great ride! I took a few years off of basketball and then came back to the game as a coach. I was the head Sophomore coach at Lone Peak high school for 3 years and my love for the game grew even more! One thing that I've noticed throughout all of these years of basketball is that everyone who plays dreams of making that last second buzzer beater shot to win the game. When I was younger I would launch shots from half court and imagine myself winning the game and having my teammates lift me up into the air in celebration.
As a coach I would practice those long shots with my team before practice. All of us dreaming of swishing that game winner. Anyone who has played the game knows what its like to dream of making that game winning buzzer beater, but very few ever really get the chance. Well, I got my chance this past Wednesday night:


Let me set the stage. Our church ball team is an AMAZING bunch of girls. We have played 6 or 7 games and had only lost one game, and that one had gone into overtime. It was a tough loss. So this week we had the chance for a rematch and played that team again. We came in HUNGRY for a victory! Our faithful fans came to cheer us on and it was quite a crowd! The game began and it was quite the battle. The score went back and forth throughout the game. With less than 10 seconds left the other team scored and we were down by one point. All I remember is that I wanted that ball in my hands. Lori passed the ball into Aubrey, I ran over and called for the ball and she passed it to me. I took a few dribbles up to half court, a couple of girls were running towards me, and all I knew is that I wanted my team to WIN. So with about 3 seconds left I took that half court shot that I had taken so many times before. My heart started to sink because it looked like there was no chance that ball was going in. Then, by some magical force, the ball suddenly dropped and SWISHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! It was nothing but net! The crowd went wild! My team stormed the court and we were all jumping up and down in pure excitement! Our fans came onto the court and we celebrated our VICTORY together! It was as though we had just won the state championship! In the hundreds of basketball games that I've played in throughout my life, I've never quite felt the excitement that I felt as I watched the buzzer beater fly through the net! Who knew that church ball could be so thrilling and fun!?!?!?

Go 15th Ward Ballers!!!

I Stinky! Journal Entry October 6, 2003

"I Stinky!"
Song written by Angie Webb & Pilar Garcia-Perez

I run on the treadmill,
Sweat comes dripping down.
I'm the stinkiest girl
In Laie Town!

My feet get all sweaty
Inside my tennis shoes
Sometimes they smell like odor
Sometimes they smell like pooh!

I haven't shaved my armpits
In over a week!
I haven't worn deodorant.
Man, I really reek!

Chorus:
I Stinky....oh yeah!
I Stinky....oh yeah!
STINKY STINKY
STINKY STINKY STINKY!!!

I get home fromt he gym
And my house is so hot.
I sweat even more.
Oh man! I stink a lot!

My underwear sticks to me,
Its really, really gross!
I have body odor
and stinky stinky toes!

Boys don't come near me.
Dude, they're cold hearted.
They act like they don't know me,
or maybe think I farted!

Chorus:
I stinky....oh yeah!
I stinky....oh yeah!
STINKY STINKY
STINKY STINKY STINKY!!!

This working out
Its all for the boys.
They want us to be barbies.
They treat us like toys.

We're sick of this stuff!
We're going on strike!
Girls grow out your leg hairs
and stand up for what's right!

No more showers!
No more make-up!
No more dates on Friday nights!
We're gonna be stink for the
rest of our LIVES!

Chorus:
I Stinky....oh yeah!
I Stinky.....oh yeah!
STINKY STINKY
STINKY STINKY STINKY!!!

***Pilar and I were inspired to write this song one night as we were sitting at the table after dinner. We had gone to the gym earlier and were sitting in our stinky gym clothes. We laughed so hard while we wrote it. Pilar was my roommate at BYU Hawaii and our house was like an oven. It was always so hot and humid!

Inspirational Individuals

ANJANELLE

How do I know this woman?
I met this amazing woman at BYU-Hawaii. She was freshly graduated from high school and we met the first week that both of us moved out there for school. There was a group of four of us girls that hung out all of the time. Anjanelle told us all when we were first out there that she didn't know how to swim, so of course, that was my biggest worry whenever we were near the water. I always had to make sure she wasn't drowning! She loved to sing while we were walking through campus (sometimes so loud it was a little embarrassing), but she didn't care. She just sung out to her heart's content! Our second semester out there we moved into a house together with a few other girls and from then on we were pretty inseperable! My favorite memories were hanging out in my room, talking into the wee hours of the night, and both of us falling asleep in the middle of Anjanelle reading scriptures out loud. We had so many great adventures together!!! As I got to know Anjanelle more and more, she INSPIRED me! She had such an amazing outlook on life and such a great perspective. I found myself wanting to be a better person because of Anjanelle and I'll always consider her one of my dearest friends!
Born: Priest River, Idaho
Education: one year at BYU-Hawaii, associates degree from UVSC in Education
Job: Full Time Mom to adorable 16 month old daughter!!! Part Time admin assistant for Xango (works from home)

What is a typical day like for you?
I’ve been sleeping in until 7:30 – 8 every morning … and then start getting ready. My husband or I make breakfast, which always includes juicing fresh fruit and veggies. When my husband takes off to work my days vary. I too often watch too much Disney channel in the morning with my daughter… but sometime in there we will get all ready for the day, have a snack, run some errands, I’ll work on some XanGo stuff on my computer, have lunch, a nap, color, play with play dough, clean up the house, make dinner then hang out with dad.

What do you love most about being a mom?
What I love most about being a mom is how needed and important I feel to her. I know the huge responsibility I have and take honor in the role. I know she needs me, and my heart melts when she reaches out for just me, not wanting anyone else.

What is your favorite time of day?
My favorite time of the day is morning when I can feel productive and early afternoon – especially in the spring and summer when we can go outside. And of course – when daddy comes home!Most embarrassing moment?
I can’t recall any embarrassing moments… I think I’ll just let you choose one of yours …
Anjanelle used to keep us entertained for hours in Hawaii. She'd just tell us her many embarrassing moments and we would all be in tears from laughing so hard. I don't think I've ever known anyone with so many crazy experiences! Between driving a car through a gas station door, wearing a "see through" swimming suit to a public pool (not knowing it was 'see through' of course), and having her shirt fly up over her head while skydiving, this girl has done it all!!!

Best childhood memory?
My best childhood memories are the 4 of July’s. Getting up early to go to the town parade, hanging out at our fair where my sister would have a booth painting faces. Hanging out there and seeing neighbors and friends you having talked to in a while. Then going back home for our family barbecue, having family & friends over, playing volleyball in the yard and outside until its time to go to the fireworks up town.

What is something no one knows about you?
There really isn’t anything someone doesn’t at least know about me – I talk to much and am very open about myself.

What is the quality you like least about yourself?
The quality I least and most like about myself is the same, I can be very driven and motivated, but sometimes too much so that I don’t enjoy the journey and I push others too much.

Craziest thing you have ever done?
Craziest thing I have ever done was … I guess going to BYU-Hawaii something I didn’t think I’d ever do but turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. I even went skydiving there!

One word to describe yourself:The greatest piece of advice Anjanelle ever gave me:
On my 21st birthday I was living in Hawaii and Anjanelle wrote me a little note in my journal, on my birthday. I recently came across that note, and I love what she wrote at the end:
"I guess if I were to leave you with one thing it would be to never let that energy & love of new adventures ever escape you. Age can't take that from you!"
The energy is still there! Thanks Anjanelle for the inspiration and encouraging me to always live life to the fullest! You're the best!

Morning Run

Thursdays are the best days for me. I do not have school or work, so its kind of a day for me to relax, get homework done, workout, go to the Temple, and just chill out. This morning I planned on working out before doing anything else. Its a cardio day, so I was deciding between running, plyometrics, kenpo, etc. I decided a run would be nice, but when I looked our my window I saw snow and immediately changed my mind. I figured it would be too cold and too icy to run. But then I looked out again, and to my suprise I saw blue skies and clear roads. There was lots of snow on the ground, but no ice. So I threw on my clothes, grabbed my iPod, and headed outside.



This is what I saw when I walked out my door and looked up. The trees were coated with fresh snow and it was incredibly beautiful! It made me happy to be outside and I might have even started my run with a smile on my face.



In my neighborhood the streets are lined with large and beautiful trees. I don't think I felt the usual pain of running because I was too interested in looking all around me. I have never really liked winter, but when the earth is covered in white snow there is a beauty the calms and inspires me. At one point I ripped my earphones out of my ears, because I would rather listen to the sound of melting snow hitting the ground than Black Eyed Peas asking "Where Is The Love?"



The best part of the run was trying to dodge the falling snow as I ran. It was actually quite funny. I'd be running under a tree and all of this snow would be dropping and I'd try not to get hit. But secretly I was happy when I got hit by the snow. It made me feel more a part of this ever changing and amazing world!

Today On This Date:

My journal entry from Thursday, March 2nd, 1995 (exactly 14 years ago):

"I just wanted to right and say that I became a woman today."


So here is to 14 years of blessed womanhood and hopefully many more to come!

Woot! Woot!

Broken Things To Mend

So last night I was hanging out with some friends and I went to my room to grab my phone. I happened to drop my phone (which isn't an unusual occurrence) and when I picked it up I looked at the screen and I thought, "Oops! I did it again!" I was so mad! Another phone broken!!! I think in the past year I've been through 4 or 5 different phones. My wonderful friends tried to console me and I put up my best front as I mourned the loss of yet another beloved cell phone. We had a good laugh as we spoke of my other cell phones, like the flip phone that was held together only by a wire, and another phone that had a screen that turned black. Then a friend mentioned my camera with the broken screen and I thought about how so many things in my life have broken. So what do I do when things in my life break? Well, when my cell phones break I either buy a new one or inherit an old one from a friend. When my camera broke I learned to keep using it despite the broken screen. I just can't see the display of the pictures I am taking. So, whenever I use my camera, I am reminded of its brokenness. Whenever my car broke down I took it into a mechanic to get it fixed and then when it could not longer benefit from fixing, I got rid of it.

When I went to bed last night, I kept thinking of these broken things. Then I thought about broken hearts and hopes and dreams. Where do we go to "fix" those broken things? My thoughts turned to a talk given be Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called, "Broken Things To Mend." I pulled it up online and read it, searching for an answer. When we suffer from a broken heart where do we go to get it fixed? Do we take it in to be fixed and pick it up a few days later? Do we buy a new one? Or do we just let it stay broken and have a constant reminder of the pain that caused it? The answer, of course, is quite simple. Who mends our broken hearts? The answer is:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

When we have a broken heart that needs fixing, we take it to the Savior and He can fix it and heal the pain. He is the only One that knows how to heal us and make us whole again. Elder Holland said that during His mortal ministry the Savior was saying to us, “Trust me, learn of me, do what I do. Then, when you walk where I am going,” He says, “we can talk about where you are going, and the problems you face and the troubles you have. If you will follow me, I will lead you out of darkness,” He promises. “I will give you answers to your prayers. I will give you rest to your souls.”

We do not have to pay money for the healing and we do not have to live with the pain. All we have to do is come unto Christ. He has felt ALL of our broken hearts. Can you imagine? What a painful and horrifying experience, but He did it for a purpose. He suffered so that we don't have to. What an amazing blessing to know that when we are broken, we can be mended! All we need to do is take our broken hearts to Christ and He will mend them and make them whole once again.

In Nazareth, the narrow road,
That tires the feet and steals the breath,
Passes the place where once abode
The Carpenter of Nazareth.

And up and down the dusty way
The village folk would often wend;
And on the bench, beside Him, lay
Their broken things for Him to mend.

The maiden with the doll she broke,
The woman with the broken chair,
The man with broken plough, or yoke,
Said, “Can you mend it, Carpenter?”

And each received the thing he sought,
In yoke, or plough, or chair, or doll;
The broken thing which each had brought
Returned again a perfect whole.

So, up the hill the long years through,
With heavy step and wistful eye,
The burdened souls their way pursue,
Uttering each the plaintive cry:

“O Carpenter of Nazareth,
This heart, that’s broken past repair,
This life, that’s shattered nigh to death,
Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?”

And by His kind and ready hand,
His own sweet life is woven through
Our broken lives, until they stand
A New Creation—“all things new.”

“The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,
Desire, ambition, hope, and faith,
Mould Thou into the perfect part,
O, Carpenter of Nazareth!”

-George Blair

I am grateful for my broken phones and broken cameras and broken cars. They remind me that I am truly blessed. I am grateful for the broken hearts and hopes and dreams. They remind me that I have a Savior who heals me and makes me whole.

My Bucket List

So I am a person that likes to make lists. I don't always do everything on the list, but I like to write things down and then cross them off when I've accomplished them. Over the years I've made a number of "Things I Want To Do In My Lifetime" lists and so I decided to put them all together and create a Bucket List of 100 Things I Want To Do Before I Die. I wrote them all down and then printed them in a small book that I keep on my bookshelf. Its fun to write down all of these things and I hope to accomplish them throughout my lifetime. Here's the list. ENJOY!

1 Attend an Olympic Games
2 Attend World Championship Punkin' Chunkin' in Delaware
3 Bake the Perfect Cheesecake
4 Be a Foster Parent
5 Become a Mother
6 Be a Spectator at the Copper's Hill Cheese Roll in Gloucester, UK
7 Be an Answer to Someone Else's Prayers
8 Be an Extra in a Movie/T.V. Show
9 Be Content with Myself
10 Be in the Hill Cumorah Pageant
11 Buy a House and Turn it into my Dream House (must have wrap around porch)
12 Climb Mt Fuji in Japan
13 Climb one of the World's Seven Summits
14 Compete in a Triathlon
15 Finish Everything I Start (The Key To Inner Peace)
16 Drive from Coast to Coast in the United States
17 Enjoy HaLong Bay in Vietnam
18 Experience Weightlessness
19 Explore Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound in New Zealand
20 Explore the Beautiful Cities of Italy
21 Explore the Land of Anne of Green Gable: Prince Edward Island
22 Explore the Ruins in Tikal, Guatemala
23 Fall Deeply, Helplessly, and Unconditionally in Love
24 Find a Job I Love
25 Find My Voice and Speak Up For What I Know Is Right
26 Get a Graduate Degree
27 Get Married in the Temple to the Right Person
28 Get Out of Debt and Become Financially Literate and Stable
29 Give a Talk/Speech at the Podium of the Conference Center
30 Go Bungee Jumping
31 Go on a Safari in Africa
32 Go Skinny Dipping
33 Graduate From College
34 Have My Portrait Painted
35 Go For One Year Without Watching Television
36 Help Build a Habitat For Humanity House
37 Hike Into and Camp at Havasupai in Arizona
38 Hike Lone Peak in Utah
39 Hike on the Appalachian Trail
40 Hike the Narrows in Zion's Park
41 Hike the Tallest Peak in Utah: King's Peak
42 Make Someone Else’s Dream Come True
43 Learn to Play a Musical Instrument Well
44 Live in a Foreign Country for at Least One Year
45 Live to see my Grandchildren be Born
46 Make a Beautiful Quilt
47 Take Art Lessons
48 Climb to the base camp of Mt. Everest
49 Learn to Juggle with 3 Balls
50 Pay For Someone Else to Attend College
51 Perform Humanitarian Aid in a Foreign Country
52 Plant and Care for a Garden
53 Publish a Poem
54 Read Biography of Every LDS Prophet
55 Read Biography of Every US President
56 Read the Entire Standard Works
57 Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
58 Ride on a Helicopter
59 Ride the Costa Rica Zip Lines Canopy Tours
60 Do The Temple Work For My Ancestors That Have Passed Away
61 Ride the Tallest Roller Coaster in the World
62 Run a Marathon
63 Save Someone's Life
64 See a Broadway Show in London
65 See the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
66 See the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt
67 Send My Parents On a Vacation and Pay For It All
68 Serve a Mission
69 Shake Hands with the Prophet
70 Sleep in a Castle
71 Speak Fluently in a Different Language
72 Stand at Stonehenge and Admire Its Beauty and Mystery
73 Stand at the foot of Angel Falls in Venezuela
74 Stand on the Very Top of the Golden Gate Bridge
75 Step Foot on Every Continent
76 Swim in Plitvice Lakes in Croatia
77 Swim in the Largest Swimming Pool in the World (Chile)
78 Swim with a Dolphin
79 Take Dancing Lessons
80 Take Part in La Tomatina in Spain
81 Take Photography Classes
82 Teach Seminary/Institute
83 Teach Someone Illiterate to Read
84 Throw a Huge Party and Invite ALL of my Friends
85 Travel to Santorini, Greece
86 Visit Every LDS Temple in the World
87 Visit Every State in the United States
88 Visit my Ancestors' Homes in Sweden
89 Visit Nauvoo
90 Visit Siem Riep and Angkor Wat in Cambodia
91 Visit the Berlin Wall
92 Visit the Kremlin in Russia
93 Visit the seven Wonders of the World
94 Walk Where Jesus Walked-Visit The Holy Land
95 Walk on the Giant's Causeway in Ireland
96 Visit a Concentration Camp and Swear Never to Forget
97 Walk/Run 100 Miles in one Week
98 Watch the Eifel Tower in Paris During the Sunset
99 Write a Book That People Will Read
100 Write Down my Personal Statement and Hang It Up To See Each Day

A Spring In My Step

This morning as I walked to work, the sky was clear, the sun was shining, and it was actually WARM outside! It was quite amazing, because just the day before I had worn my puffy coat to school to keep warm, and now, it was so warm I was ready to take my jacket off. It felt so great to be outside and I had only one thing on my mind: SPRING IS ALMOST HERE! In celebration of the coming of Spring, I wanted to write down what I love most about this splendid time of year:

1) The snow is beginning to melt and that means Hiking, HiKiNg, and more HIKING for me! I'm sorry to all of you skiers and snowboarders, but I'm just not a fan of the snow and I love to see it melt away!!!

2) People begin to come outside! Today I noticed how many people there were outside walking around and it was pretty crazy. There were Moms out pushing strollers, people walking home from work, and kids playing out in the neighborhoods. Its like we've spent all winter trapped inside and finally Spring has come and opened up the door and we are free to run around to our heart's delight!

3) Visits to my parent's house for Sunday dinner will now involve taking the nieces and nephews out to the backyard and all of the adults relaxing on the grass. It doesn't get much better than that.

4) Spring Break! This blessed event could not come at a better time! After a long winter of being cooped up Spring Break allows for a chance to forget about school for a week and enjoy some time in the sun! California here I come!

5) All of the flowers and trees and plants come into bloom, adding extra beauty and newness to the earth.

6) My birthday! What could be better than being born in the Spring!

7) I always think its a pretty funny trick that Spring plays when you wake up in the morning and its cold and you have to wear a coat and defrost the car; then in the afternoon its so hot you have to turn on the air conditioning on your way home from work.

8) Going for a run outside and not freezing to death or breathing in ice cold air that burns your lungs!

9) Seeing all of the beautiful tulips on Temple Square during General Conference.

10) Feeling a newness of life as I shed off the winter coat and facing a world that is waking up from its winter sleep. A chance to renew, re-energize, and recommit to becoming my best self!

Why Get Out of Bed on a Monday Morning?

6:30a.m. Alarm clock goes off! I awake to my five year old nephew, Brayden, singing, "Nobody's Perfect! I've got to work it!" (I recorded it him singing it during their last visit to Utah and it is now my alarm clock tone on my phone). I quickly jump out of bed, grab my phone, hit snooze, and jump back into bed, with my phone, and drift back off to dream land.

6:40a.m. "Nobody's Perfect! I've got to work it! Nobody's Perfect! I've....." I hit the snooze button again and the thought enters my mind that I could just skip my first two classes and sleep in a bit longer and...

6:50a.m. "Nobody's Perfect! I've got to work it!" SNOOZE! I just want to stay in bed and sleep! But my favorite class, which is YOGA, is first and I don't want to miss it. I think about how much I love yoga and about how there's only a couple weeks left of that class, but I love to sleep and.....

7:00a.m. "Nobody's Perfect! I've got to work it!" I'm torn. Should I push snooze or turn the alarm off and get out of bed? Yoga or sleep? A good work out or more time in bed? I reach out to push snooze, but at the last second I turn off the alarm, get out of bed, and get ready for the busy day.

7:45a.m. I catch the bus to school and on the way I find myself singing "Nobody's Perfect! I've got to work it!" I think about Brayden and the song he learned from that teen sensation, Hannah Montana. Its so true, nobody is perfect. I decide that I really do "got to work it" and it begins by getting out of bed on Monday morning and facing the week ahead with energy and determination.

9:25a.m. Yoga class has just ended and I feel AMAZING! It was definitely worth getting out of bed!

Gratitude for the Journey

I was reading through an old journal today and I realized that I have a lot to learn from myself. I read quite a bit. When I went down to my parent's house for dinner this evening I pulled out all of my old journals and found myself remembering so many past experiences.

On November 15, 2006 I wrote:

"I love looking through my old journals and remembering experiences I've had and people that have been in my life. Its fun to read the silly things and sometimes I'm amazed at the thoughts, ideas, and testimonies I've written in the past. I realize how much I've grown up and changed. I also realize that I'm the same person I've always been. best of all, I am reminded of how blessed my life has been. I look back on my life and I see the Lord's hand and I know that He knows me and He loves me and He has always been there for me."

Wow! I am so blessed!!! Reading through my journals reminded me that life is good and such a great ride! Today I was reading the blog of a woman that I don't even know. She has four young children. She and her husband were in a plane crash in August and were burned all over. As I read this woman's blog she is so full of gratitude, optimism, and enthusiasm! (her blog is http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/) People are so amazing!!! Living a life full of gratitude is truly the way to go!!! I'm so grateful for the experiences I've been able to write down in my journals! My life is so full!!!!