blerg.

twenty-twelve

2012-01-04T16:45:00.002-07:00

Lately, I've spent some time catching up on some of my friends blogs. Your welcome. Because I probably read yours. You know what? A large majority of their "recapping 2011" posts included: marriage, babies, houses, anniversaries, jobs, missions, college graduations...etc.

There's even this photo with me and my cousins, in which the person who posted it captioned something to the effect of: "the back four are all married and either mothers or mothers to be! They sure have everything on track, wow, just look at them." But what about that knock-kneed mullet kid in front? Oh-- that's me.

This is pretty typical. However, all of a sudden I'm feeling like like everyone abandoned me here in Neverland.

My year consisted of things like spontaneous travel, finally getting that 9-5 desk job I always wanted, impulsively buying human hamsterballs and rolling down hills, skinny dipping at family reunions, playing in a city kickball league (and being genuinely upset when we lost), finally going to the prom (see here), concerts galore, taking a paragliding lesson, attending weddings, breaking the bank with gifts for baby showers, bridal showers, bar mitzvah's, etc., and keeping my second date count to exactly 0.

Impressed yet?

Since everyone else is making goals for the new year, I figured I would do it too, if for none other reason than to pretend I fit in with the rest of my age demographic when I'm up at night watching Disney Classics and Boy Meets World reruns by myself. I'm living the good life.

So here's what I came up with. This ever-impressive list of goals for the new year. Cheers.

2012:

listen more

talk less
thank more
complain less

write more

doodle less

do more

sit less

become more

regret less
~~tone down the sarcasm just a notch~~
(note: goals should be "attainable")

change

2011-10-18T01:11:00.000-06:00

The only constant thing in this world is change.

{lovely}

Fall is my favorite season - as it is the same with many people. There is something about the changing colors of the trees and the crisp bite in the air that makes me feel alive and causes my body to ache with the need to be outdoors.

Maybe it's the excitement of a new season, maybe it's the silent goodbye's, but something just reminds me to take advantage of every moment. More and more I am reminded that time is the most precious thing we have, and I don't want to look back and wonder what I did with it.

{let me know if you figure it out}

MTC

2011-09-15T21:22:00.003-06:00

Dropped Josh of at the MTC last Wednesday. Goodbye's are hard.

See you in two.

Click HERE to see a video I made saying goodbye...

Click HERE to read his letters and visit his blog.

Happy Birthday Mom

2011-08-11T12:25:00.003-06:00

My Mom is Great.

But if you have ever met her, you know that already.

She is the most genuine person I know.

She once returned a nickel she found in a vending machine.

who does that?

{my mom does}

She is generous.

She is always looking for people to serve whether it be making a meal for someone in the neighborhood, or buying groceries for a homeless man on the street.

She loves music.

She is always looking for new "hip" songs on her iPod

She is brave.

She isn't afraid to walk away from a situation, or out of a movie...

She is involved.

She attends most every soccer game,

lacrosse match,

wrestling tournament,

piano recital,

basketball game,

parent teacher conference,

choir concert

football game

etc...

She volunteers every week at 5:30 am at the temple.

She is in the PTA at our schools.

She is involved in local politics, and she educates herself on issues

She loves our country.

She is sensitive.

She cries in every movie that is slightly sad/romantic/sentimental

...like when the ferris wheel fell on Mighty Joe Young.

She loves and values family

She once made us drive 4 hours to Idaho, to be at a reunion for 2 hours, and drive back again.

She is a good example.

She makes her bed every morning.

She is strong.

She teaches gospel doctrine.

She has a testimony...and shares it.

She studies her scriptures every day.

She prays every day, for everyone else.

She is selfless.

She can tell when it's going to be one of those "I forgot my..." phone calls, and she still answers.

She is funny.

She once led us 4 hours in the wrong direction on family vacation...while looking at a GPS and a map.

She laughs.

Even when we are all laughing at her.

She works hard.

and doesn't get enough credit.

So remember, when you feel like you don't do enough, you're not remembering enough what you do!

Happy Birthday Mom.

There's no one else I'd rather run my race with.

Open Mic

2011-06-09T18:09:00.001-06:00

Through some serious coaxing and encouragement from some friends (i.e. Lindsey, Spencer, Jonny) I summoned the guts to play and sing some of my songs at a local open mic. It's scary for me to share my music with people because it represents deep emotions and personal experiences that are sometimes hard to put out there. That thought alone sends my body into paralysis--leaving me wide eyed and shaking like a poodle on a shish-kabob stick. I've got a long way to go.

Here's one of my songs called "Could've Been"

I literally wouldn't be able to do it if it wasn't for my friends and family who came to support me, listen, and cheer loud at the end of every song. I love you guys.

More coming soon! (Maybe...)

I Wish I Was A Hamster.

2011-05-21T12:50:00.001-06:00

I wish I was a hamster, so I could do this all the time.

Lindsey and I bought hamster balls.

It's definitely one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.

New Yorkie

2011-05-16T20:56:00.008-06:00

Lindsey's mom is convinced we are both going to end up dead.

Or in a van down by the river.

Or Both.

Why? Because we get these ideas that always end up just on the other side of sane, but not close enough to full on crazy that anyone stops us. Like my Grandma on QVC home shopping network.

We met up with friends.

<--Me, Lindsey, and Kaitlan in Central Park!

--> Siri and Michael let us stay at their cute apartment and took us to some amazing places. It was wonderful to spend some time with them. They are so great!

We did artistic things... like museums.

And we had tons of fun.

New York... We miss ya.

Balance.

2011-03-27T13:45:00.003-06:00

I have a tendency to bite of more than I can chew. {It's unfortunate}
You think that I would learn from previous instances where I have done the same thing--with the same end result. I'm the rat in the testing cage that keeps going for the kibble even though they get shocked, somehow thinking that this time, it's gonna be different.

SHOCK.

I have been working at 1-800 CONTACTS for almost two and a half years. Impressed? Don't be. There's only so far a call center can take you before it takes your soul, and we were getting dangerously close to that point. So it was time for me to get a new job. And I did just that.

It's hard for me to let go of things, so I decided that I would just work both jobs. I've done this before and it didn't work out, but I was so sure this time I could handle it. I found myself working from 9-6 PM at my new job --with a 2 hour break for my classes on Tuesday and Thursday, and then going to 1-800 CONTACTS to work 7 PM to Midnight.

SHOCK.

Somewhere in my thought processes it should have dawned on me that 55+ hours a week at work on top of 15 credit hours at school is just too much. And this seems obvious to most people, but to me it worked because I could pull out a sheet of paper and cram every hour of my day with something and not overlap. Makes sense. I wish the voice of reason spoke louder to me. Or maybe I've been shutting it up for so many years, I just can't hear it anymore.

Turns out my Dad is a pretty smart guy with some decently valuable advice. He talked to me about Balance, which apparently means finding a happy medium for money-making work, school-work, and church and social activities, etc.

huh. That makes sense I guess.

I found this talk by M. Russell Ballard which helped put things into perspective.

"Think about your life and set your priorities. Find some quiet time regularly to think deeply about where you are going and what you will need to do to get there. Jesus, our exemplar, often “withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed” (Luke 5:16). We need to do the same thing occasionally to rejuvenate ourselves spiritually as the Savior did."

So I quit 1-800 CONTACTS, (Tick that one off the ever growing "to-do" list.) And I have never been happier. Because now I have time to do things that scare my mom again. Like when she saw this picture of me on a longboard holding on to the outside of the car.

BALANCE.

This time, I will learn.

Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

2011-03-21T00:59:00.002-06:00

Prom Checklist

~~1- Get asked.~~

~~2- Wear a pretty dress.~~

~~3- Get picked up by a cute boy.~~

~~4- Take lots of pictures.~~

~~5- Ride in a fancy car.~~

~~6- Have my brother there... NOT as my date.~~

~~7- Go out to a nice dinner.~~

~~8- Slow dance.~~

~~9- Be in a group with my best friends.~~

~~10- HAVE THE BEST PROM EVER.~~

Now that I can put a big check next to my high school years, it's time to move on to things that college kids do--like stay up all night, prank call assisted living centers, and go streaking on campus. Anyone?

(yes, my date is actually a part-time model.)

There you have it.

I have officially graduated high school.

(feel free to send cards, cash, and/or gifts)

Prom

2011-03-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

High school was kind of a different experience for me. I didn't do a lot of the things that normal high school kids do. I won't make a list right now, because believe me-- it's extensive. But one of those things that I never did, that I actually wanted to experience, was the prom.

It's a good thing my parents have another daughter that will most likely get to do these things, because mom's love that stuff, and I would hate to have my teenage malfunction affect my her esteem as a parent.

I like to think that I was just so popular and intimidating, that all the boys were scared to ask me... so they just asked all my friends instead.

Yep, I was that girl that while her friends were dancing away at what could potentially be one of the most magical nights of their entire lives, was hanging out at walmart trying to decide which brand of ice cream to buy.

Luckily, Lindsey was right there with me: Prom night and dateless. So she understands perfectly. And I''m thankful in a way, because it's the perfect excuse as to why we do certain things. Like when I leave all the cupboards in kitchen wide open. Lindsey just says, "Well, it's because you never went to prom." And that makes it ok. I mean, I probably wouldn't have the habit of doing that if I had been able to go.

I would never say that my high school years were my "glory days" (or days that I even want to remember at all). I would say that my best years have presented themselves post-high school, and the holes inside me that high school experiences left void have been filled in different ways.

But still... PROM.

Then the ward did something magical, something that would make my dreams come true. They will be having a prom. An 80's PROM.

(Honestly, it would work out better for me if the theme was something like "2005 prom", but beggars can't be choosers, and we are both excited. )

Lindsey and I have even roped in a couple fellas to take us. You heard me right. Real live boys are taking us to a dance.

So on March 19th, the giant void in my teenage-hood will have been filled (almost 5 years later).

It's going to be magical.

All my dreams will come true.

My name is Nicole. I am 23 years old.

And I'm (finally) going to the PROM.

This is what happened.

2011-01-31T02:09:00.007-07:00

This weekend I got a little bit BORED.

So I dyed my hair pink... and bought a guinea pig.

my mom says i'm impulsive.

Twenty-Eleven

2011-01-29T13:02:00.002-07:00

New year, new blog layout. Maybe I'm becoming a little bit gangster in my early-to-mid twenties, because I was trying to think of a new name for the blog (because "Catch 22" doesn't work when you're, gulp, 23) and I couldn't get this song out of my head.

I got to thinking about what it is I blog about. Recently, it's been a whole lot of nothing, but that might change. just maybe. And I don't really want to imply that my life is literally like graffiti on a wall behind a bar, but it goes along with my belief that sometimes the most beautiful things are found where you least expect them. It's not to say that I even particularly like graffiti... it's just, well... yeah, ok sometimes I DO like it.

I'm trying out this theme: looking for the incredible in the most unincredible places. Because I think sometimes we find what it is we are looking for.

Half Marathon

2010-12-01T20:39:00.004-07:00

I am not a runner. In fact, I hate running.
Like I really hate it.

I couldn't really tell you why I decided to run a half marathon, but I did. It was kinda fun, and surprisingly not as hard as I thought I would be. Next time, I'd actually like to do a full marathon...though you may have to scrape me off the pavement at the finish line. I think I'll give it a try.

My mom and I did the "Shun the Sun" half marathon race in Mesa on November 13th. It was so much fun to get to run, get free stuff, get away from the Utah cold weather, and hang out with family.

At Hohoken stadium before the race

This was about mile 1

Home stretch:mile 13!

Me and mom after the race

Me and Grandpa

We got to run across home plate at Hohoken stadium to finish, where my native Chicago Cubbies practice during the winter. Here we are chillin in the dugout.

It was a great run on a perfect day. And now I find myself looking for more races to sign up for... oh no. If I'm not careful, I think I could actually end up enjoying this sport.

please no.

Highlights

2010-08-30T12:56:00.000-06:00

With August nearly over and Fall just around the corner, my first instinct is to wonder where summer went. Then I realize, that despite not completely ticking everything off my "to-do" list, I sure made a big dent. Maybe this is why I have blogged only once in the past 3 months.

This summer has been kind of a monumental one for me in many different ways, I did a lot, I learned a lot, I laughed a lot, I worked a lot, and I had a lot of fun. That's a lot of lots, but lets face it, lots has happened.

First of all, I survived summer school got my degree in Communications from UVU. Huzzah! Now back to school to study music.

(if you have a kazoo, blow into it now and wave your arms in the air for me)

Secondly, I moved into a giant house with two of the greatest girls I know.

I got a second job as a gymnastics coach, and I absolutely love it. Brings back so many memories of my former passion. So now I work two jobs and go to school full time. I love being busy!

One of the Summer Highlights was our house party/benefit concert, where CAMERON RAFATI came and played. He is incredible!

{Check out and support his music! You will love it!}

For the first time ever, I played a few of my original songs for an audience. I went on right before Cameron, so when he is big, I can say " I Opened for Cameron Rafati!"

Not only did I get to open for Cameron, but I got to play a song with Cameron...

{this picture provides you with a rare look into one of the best moments of my life}

Something Corporate came into town for their reunion show, and Lindsey and I waited in line for 7 hours to be in the front row!

It was awesome to see one of my favorite bands, & musical idol Andrew McMahon so close! I even walked away with the lead guitarist's pick. I am one incredibly lucky girl!

{we brought white boards and wrote messages to the band}

So Andrew is pointing right at us. That's right. US.

Camping and Four Wheeling with my friends and my brother topped off our last weekend of Summer. It was fantastic!

If there is one thing I learned the past few months it's this:

good things fall apart

so better things can fall

together.

I know that in the moment, when things are going wrong, you can't always see how it's going to turn out.

But keep smiling, because they do.

They do.

so bring on Fall.

I'm ready.

don't tell dad...

2010-07-22T12:25:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I did something that I've been wanting to do for a long time...

Wasn't it nice of them to put me in an orange jumpsuit? If I was any closer to the prison in that thing, I would have been tasered.

We jumped head first from 12,000 feet

and fell for about a minute at speeds of over 100 mph

(check out his cheeks!)

It's a good thing I didn't tell my father until after the fact. He may not have made it through the day knowing I was going to be hurling myself from an airplane. But it was easily one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Another check off the old bucket list!

a thought

2010-05-13T01:12:00.009-06:00

"Always when judging who people are,
remember to footnote the words: so far"

{Robert Brault}

I came across that quote the other day and haven't been able to get it out of my mind. This picture is my friend Brady on top of Arthur's seat in Edinburgh...getting ready to conquer it. He's pretty cool if you ask me.

I think it fits.

my mom

2010-05-09T03:50:00.004-06:00

"No painter's brush, nor poet's pen
In justice to her fame
Has ever reached half high enough
To write a mother's name."
~Author Unknown

My Mom is Great.

But if you have ever met her, you know that already.

She is the most genuine person I know.

She once returned a nickel she found in a vending machine.

who does that?

{my mom does}

She is generous.

She is always looking for people to serve whether it be making a meal for someone in the neighborhood, or buying groceries for a homeless man on the street.

She loves music.

She is always looking for new "hip" songs on her iPod

She is brave.

She isn't afraid to walk away from a situation, or out of a movie...

She is involved.

She attends most every soccer game,

lacrosse match,

wrestling tournament,

piano recital,

basketball game,

parent teacher conference,

choir concert

etc...

She volunteers every week at 5:30 am at the temple.

She is in the PTA at our schools.

She is involved in local politics, and tries her best to know what's going on

She loves our country.

She is sensitive.

She cries in every movie that is slightly sad/romantic/sentimental

She loves and values family

She once made us drive 4 hours to Idaho, to be at a reunion for 2 hours, and drive back again.

She is a good example.

She makes her bed every morning.

She is strong.

She teaches gospel doctrine.

She has a testimony...and shares it.

She studies her scriptures every day.

She prays every day, for everyone else.

She is selfless.

She will drop everything and do anything for you.

She is funny.

She once led us 4 hours in the wrong direction on family vacation...while looking at a GPS and a map.

She works hard.

and doesn't get enough credit.

So remember, when you feel like you don't do enough, you're not remembering enough what you do!

Happy Mothers Day

to all the mothers I know.

Especially:

My three wonderful Grandmas- Where would I be without you?

My Aunts:

LoyAnn,

Dona,

Sarah,

Keri,

Shannon.

My friends:

Marie

Grammy Staffy

Amy

and everyone else I forgot to write. I love you too.

Moms...you are pretty great. We literally can't live without you.

new stuff

2010-05-06T00:42:00.006-06:00

I decided to start another blog specially dedicated to my photos. It probably won't have a lot of posts, but I hope you enjoy what I occasionally put up there! You can check it out here, and I'll try to let you know when I put something up there so you can follow along if you want to.

I also have a photography website I have been trying to get up. It's a work in progress, with a temporary home at this address.

I also put links to both of these websites right below my blog title...

Feedback is always welcome, I'd love to know what you think!

You're probably thinking...Two blog posts in two days? Is she OK?
Yes I am, thanks for your concern.
And to explain myself I'll just say that this post is in response to Marie's request. You probably shouldn't expect this much online activity from me in the future...

good news

2010-05-05T20:03:00.005-06:00

Good news everybody. During my absence, I survived finals week, moved apartments, kept my job, created a website, and maintained my sanity...well mostly. That part is debatable.

Having been out of school for only a week, it's only natural that summer semester starts tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Oh good. I didn't want a break anyways.

{I win again}

Today was great because I got to spend some time video chatting with the kids I used to nanny in England. They are so ca-uute! Though I'm pretty sure the only reason they like to video chat is so they can make faces into the camera.

I love being able to talk with them face to face from half a world away courtesy of skype.

Note to self: brush up on "brittish-isms" before talking to my English friends next time. Couch = Sofa, Trash = Bin, Yard = Garden, etc... this will avoid my speech being corrected by ten year olds.

Good Thing It's Sunday

2010-04-18T21:59:00.018-06:00

Love

You

A simple phrase, commonly said in over 800 languages across the globe since the beginning of time. And we all need to hear it... you know, every once in a while. Sometimes the most meaningful expressions of those very words are not even spoken, but said just as plainly through our actions. Today I was reminded of that.

I'm not generally a person that likes to be alone.

There. I said it. Surprised? You shouldn't be.

I genuinely enjoy the company of other people, which is kind of unfortunate cause I live in a place with just one other girl. It's weird.

And the people upstairs make the ceiling squeak.

I really ~~hate~~ don't like it. At all.

Another fun fact about me is that I
thoroughly enjoy a good pity party.

{So if you are in need of one, I am your go-to girl}

I was doing just that when my old roommate & soul sister Julia called me up. It was not possible for her to have more perfect timing.

Love

Good Friends

{& sunday walks}

This girl is AWESOME. She is always thinking about other people. And not only does she think about them, but she acts on those thoughts, which makes her a miracle worker. (slash pity-party canceler)

Yep. She's THAT great.

So just remember, that when we are in the service of other people, we are in the service of our Lord. And as we serve Him, we grow closer to Him. And the closer we are to Him, the more fully we feel of His love for us.

And that makes us happy.

And being happy is what it's all about my friends.

"Adam fell that men might be...
and men are that they might have joy"

...And finals week is to remind me
that I'm not as smart as I think I am...

And that I should probably study harder next semester.

{oh boy}

I'm Thinking

2010-04-08T18:23:00.008-06:00

You are pretty great.

There are so many people out there that would trade places with you in a heart beat.

You are smart, and everyone loves you

Especially me, and don't you forget it.

When your feet get tired and you want to give up,

just keep going.

You are stronger than you know.

Just tell yourself good things.

And believe me, you can.

{photo taken at the great salt lake}

I have recently been intrigued and enlightened

by the law of attraction.

It's amazing, really.

Our thoughts are powerful

we can have anything we want

we can be anything we want

just think about it

{cause it makes sense}

"When you set a goal and commit yourself to the necessary self-discipline to reach that goal, you will eliminate most of the problems in your life. Spend your energies doing those things that will make a difference. Then you become what you think about."

--M. Russell Ballard

{"Go For It" October 1981}

I highly suggest these books to anyone and everyone:

As A Man Thinketh by James Allen

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

The Master Key System by Charles Haanel

you won't be disappointed.

California

2010-04-01T08:43:00.000-06:00

I have a trip fund. It's small, and whenever I have a spare penny, I feed it.

Thursday started out as an ordinary day--then I got a phone call from my brother. By some miraculous stroke of luck, that little sweet-talker managed to convince my dad that letting us go to California was a good idea. Not only that, but he also let us borrow his convertible. I'm still trying to figure out how we got so lucky, and I can only figure that someone gave my dad captain crunch-berries for breakfast. it's the worlds best cereal, and therefore makes it impossible to be sour with that ungodly amount of sugar in your system. Thanks Cap'n.

So I left work early, we packed up the car, and within 2 hours of receiving this phone call, we were on the road. The spontaneity of this trip was a beautiful thing. We didn't have any maps, we didn't know where we were going exactly, we had no idea where we were going to stay--all we knew is that we were sunshine and beach bound.

To make this easy, I'm breaking this down into our

Super Trip Top Six

Six: hanging out on the beach

We really love the beach.

Please pick your jaw up from the floor...this is my little brother.

Five: Surfing

I caught my first wave!

We went the self taught route when trying to surf for the first time. We did pretty good!

Four: Downtown Disney

I love seeing thing street performers...they are great!

Nobody loves Disneyland more than this kid

But we didn't have enough money for a ticket to the Happiest Place on Earth

(Maybe money does buy happiness...just a little...)

Everyone at Disneyland is taking such happy pictures...we decided to do just the opposite

Three: Seeing old friends

We met up with Devon Plott, an old family friend, and he hooked us up with a place to stay and a few meals!

{Awesome}

Two: Bamboozle

Bamboozle is probably the dumbest name I've ever heard of for a music festival, but it was easily the best one I have ever been to.

We met lots of good bands. Here I am with my new love Adam from Anarbor.

We went around collecting all the free things we could. We ended up with several CD's, t-shirts, stickers, guitar picks, bags, etc.

One: Something Corporate!!!

Ok, let me explain. Something Corporate is one of my favorite all time bands, with lead Andrew McMahon who is one of the greatest singer/songwriters I have ever had the privilege to blast through my car stereo. (Sorry Elton...you're a close second)

Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with leukemia at age 21 right after signing his second record deal, there's even a documentary made about him called Dear Jack, that I also recommend.

Something Corporate has been broken up for five years, and they came together at the festival. To say it was simply Magical wouldn't do it justice. You would need to find a word that encompassed Mind-Blowing, Inspirational, Crazy, Incredible... I'm afraid the English language falls a bit short. Either way, to see such a musical idol of mine up close was amazing.

*some photos credited to my new friend sussie!

Josh and I were about three heads back from the main stage, but it was nuts with all the people clamoring to be by the stage, I could barely come up for air. I still have bruises in odd places from the mosh pit. When you're in a crowd like that, the only way out is up. So I had my first experience crowd surfing--and I got right up within a couple feet of the band before security grabbed me and helped me out. Below is a short compilation of the concert--you can see where I'm close, and when I'm far away... Watch it if you want, the quality isn't great, but it gives you an idea!

This was easily one of the best nights of my life!

Older & Wiser

2010-03-14T13:10:00.010-06:00

Dear Sir Elton John,

You got it wrong.

Sorry isn't the hardest word.

Goodbye is.

Your Most Loyal Fan,
Nicole
{confused? See here}

Brady Wiser and I have been friends on this green earth
since February 20, 1988 {his birthday}

...back to when pooping your pants was the cool thing to do
(and boy were we cool)

{here we are at lake michigan, age 3}

Brady came to visit this past week, and he spent 35 long hours on a train just to get here.

I loved it when we: went dancing & saw movies

played basketball against 14 year old girls (and lost.)

went to a party & out for pizza

Played pool & ate mexican food at midnight

stayed up too late playing apples to apples

I didn't love it when we had to say goodbye.

Brady joined the army and signed on for 3 and a half years, and today he goes into boot camp. I'm going to miss him, but I'm grateful that he's chosen to serve our country.

Godspeed my friend, until we meet again.

Fail.

2010-02-26T18:18:00.039-07:00

Today is Friday, and it's a good thing.

{cause this is me}

Have you ever noticed that sometimes you don't have to put forth a lot of effort to do well. Sometimes (and I'd like to believe it's most of the time) accomplishment is the result of hard work. And then, there are those occasions, even when you try your very best, you fail.

{That's the one I hate}

Today, was a fail day for me. But Tommy buoys me up a little with his words:

“There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them.”

Tom Kraus

SO I'M FOCUSING ON THE GOOD THINGS:
~Imported English cheddar cheese. {thanks mom}
~The Elton John Billy Joel concert on youtube.{cause I missed it live}
~Smiling at strangers {and getting smiles back}
~Just discovered Mint.com {it keeps my pennies balanced}
~Warm Laundry {and enough spare change to get it done}

And when missionary brother sends pictures.

He said that he was so excited not only to see grass, but to find some that he could actually lay on.

Gratitude is riches.
Complaint is poverty.

Failure is not falling down,
but refusing to get back up.
And I guess at the end of the day, at least I have grass
{even though someone else's might look greener}

This week is going to call for some more intense studying I think.

oh, hey.

2010-02-18T13:58:00.012-07:00

After a long hiatus from blogging, I have decided to dust off the cyber cobwebs, give my page a makeover, and even write a little bit. With school about to bury me, the always steady flow of phone calls that keeps work busy, and the constant tug of my eyelids to shut, I feel like there is little time in the day to do anything exciting.

On December 26, 2009--I turned twenty-two, and now I feel the uncontrollable urge to lie about my age. Why? I don't know. Someone asked me just the other day how old I was, and without even thinking, I told them I was twenty.

Twenty.

Clearly I'm living in denial. It took me a few seconds to correct myself--first with twenty one, then I stuttered the true number. Who knew that 2010 would be the year that I join the large demographic of American women who line up for botox and lie about their age. Except I don't do botox. My mom is so proud.

Apparently this new year has also made me a new kind of boring. Just this week I was accused of being a no fun-homework-loving-thirty-something-hermit. I'm going to try to get that put on a t-shirt.

So I have a little bit of a hard time admitting I'm 22, but it's only because I feel like I'm 19, and apparently act like I'm 30. It's confusing.

It's going to be hard make this year live up to the previous ones I have had in my young adult life, because this one probably won't involve me trekking across some obscure place on the European continent. It will have to require the active use of imagination and creativity, but I set out this year with the belief that it can be done. So, I will live this age as if this dictionary definition that I made up is true:

If this is the case (and it is) I have a lot to do and a lot to look forward to. Maybe this year is about seizing the smaller moments and making them great. I mean it's a whole lot easier to "Carpe Diem" when you wake up in London every day with the entire European continent on your doorstep, and a little harder when you're living paycheck to paycheck in a rundown Provo apartment from the 1960's.

And there you have it.

so I went on a trip.

2009-07-26T23:36:00.002-06:00

So, by both popular request and fear for my life, I am updating on my trip abroad. This trip set a few records for me. And you know what they say about records...

1-It was by far the longest vacation (by name) I have ever taken
2- I took an unprecedented 2,578 pictures
3-I hiked 115 kilometers (just over 70 miles) in 5 days (not to mention the biking, and other walking)
4- Visited 11 cities, 6 countries, in 7 days, and then did the el camino. I am my father's daughter.

ENGLAND

I landed in London around 7:30 in the morning after being delayed 2 hours out of NYC. I tried to sleep on the plane but they had so many free in-flight films that could be comfortably accessed through the touchscreen on the seat in front of me it was hard to close my eyes. Once I landed I had to wait in line for an hour, then use every last bit of brain matter in my head to convince the immigration officer that I was not, in fact, intending on staying in the country more than 4 days. It took far longer than it should have, with him cross checking ever reservation I made for the entire trip. He was treating me like I was a penguin applying to stay in the elephant pen. Which, drawing on past experience, says he wasn't far off...but this time, I really was leaving. Finally I did get my stamp and headed to Trafalgar Square to meet Sarah where we would continue back to Sevenoaks. Much to my delight, there was a tube strike during that blessed hour that I decided to travel, so a regular 20 minute tube journey took me 3 hours by bus. It was just so much fun, I'm going to skip telling you about it--re-living it might make my heart stop, and besides, you'd just be too jealous.

I did finally make it to Sevenoaks, and when we arrived we headed straight to Callum's cricket match--where I slept on the grass, only waking up to pokes in the back telling me that Callum was up to bat, at which point I would lift my 70 pound head off the grass, squint my eyes at the sun (yes...the SUN. in ENGLAND) and watch Cal take a swing. Then it was straight back down, eyes closed, sleeping before I could count down from 2.

I had so much fun with the family while I was there, I miss them so much. We went down to Hastings to visit the coast. A trip that, without fail, always consists of the following:

1- putting our feet in the freezing water of the English channel

2- Riding rides on the pier

Abby (the current au pair/nanny) Gems, and Myself riding a suprisingly scary flippy-turny ride

3- Fish and chips (the best you'll ever have)

One thing the kids loved to do was jump on the trampoline. Gemma started practicing her tricks as soon as she found out I was coming so she could impress me with her skils--which she did beautifully. So here's a couple of us playing on the tramp:

I could have stayed in England and hung out with the kids for another week (or month or...) and been just fine. But I was excited to continue on to Italy. Next stop: Venice. 6:30 am flight means leaving the house at 3:30, waiting in long lines at the airport, convincing security that my way-too-big and way-too-heavy carry-on actually does comply with the standards (which it does not), and finally being packed into the plane like a sardine. (I think the proper term is "A** to Ankles") And the flight is so quick, by the time you close your eyes you're being tapped by the flight attendant and told to take your earphones out of your ears, even though they weren't playing any music to begin with because you didn't actually have a chance to push the 'play' button between the designated times. So sleep was impossible, and I was starting another day on just 3 hours of z's. But how can you complain when you're in Venice? Answer: You cant.

Italy

Venice We started out the day finding the hostel, sightseeing, eating gelato, getting lost, getting found, and just enjoying our time wandering around the watery city. About half way through the day, we both agreed that hitting the beach was a great idea, so we hoped a water bus to the island of Lido and to ocean. Now we don't have pictures of this little outing, because I thought bringing my camera to the beach and leaving it on my towel was only fractionally less conspicuous than putting up a flag and a sign that said: "free camera". We played in the water for about an hour, swimming alongside the spedo-loving Venicians, and took the next hour to "dry off" (or nap...) on the beach. It was a slice of paradise.

On top of Rialto bridge

Sitting on the edge of the grand canal eating gelato

Our day in Venice concluded with what could quite possibly be my favorite activity of all time: Standing in St Marks Square listening to the orchestra play. It sounds so simple, but I can promise you this one thing-- that nothing compares to this seemingly minor event, and at that moment there was no happier person than myself upon the face of the whole planet.

FLORENCE Our journey took us on to our next destination all to quickly, and seeing the cathedral in Florence never fails to take my breath away.

Inside the Cathedral

Florence is so beautiful, and in my opinion, there is no better way to soak it all in than to watch the sun set over the city from the Piazza de Michelangelo.

And of course, live music on the Pont de Vecchio was a highlight for me

GERMANY

Heidelberg The first real bump in our journey was hit in Germany, we were supposed to make it to Rothenburg the first night, and found out once we were there that, unfortunately, that was not going to be a possibility. So, with big bright smiles we re-routed to Heidelberg--but not before I called my dad and asked for help finding a hostel in our new destination. Of course, he was nothing but helpful in finding a pleasent place called Steffi's Hostel. As we boarded the coach from the airport the sun was setting--and it was one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen! (I also dare anyone to go through my blog and see how many times I have used that phrase)

It was actually really nice to sit on a comfy bus and cruise the German countryside. When we got to Heidelberg we had no idea where the Hostel was, or where anything was for that matter, and my German is enough to barely order a cheeseburger. So, after walking for literally 20 seconds this man came up and asked Sam something almost unintelligible in Gerenglish (which is what I call English subtly mixed with German, spoken in such a heavy accent that you can't really understand it) I wasn't really paying attention for a minute, because I just thought he was trying to sell us something. Sam just said "no" and he started walking away, when it suddenly clicked that he had said my name, and I caught him before he went away. He said that he had come looking for us because a) it was late and b) he figured we were lost. Which was correct. It really was amazing that he would just come out on his own search and recovery mission to find two American girls looking for a hostel.

Sam and I spent the remainder of the night walking around the altstadt or the "old city" of Heidelberg, and it really was beautiful. It never ceases to amaze me how so many places can have such contrasting differences and surprising similarities all at the same time. I love it. In the morning we started off early so we could see the town in the daylight before we went to Rothenburg...and besides...I wanted to hike up to the castle :)

Steffi's hostel--which was actually located on the 2nd floor of a supermarket, and was an old tobacco factory. Charming.

Heidelberg streets about 7am

Heidelberg Castle

Rothenburg A three hour hop, skip, jump, (and $70 cab ride) later, we finally made it to Rothenburg--A place that was the inspiration for the village in Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and also where they filmed parts of Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang. Rothenburg is great, because even though it started in about 950 AD, it has never really been damaged or ravaged by war , so all the houses and buildings are authentic and original. It kind of feels like you are stepping back in time, especially since a significant portion of the walled city is car-free.

Sam and I started off the afternoon with some lunch, where I indulged in the ever-so-delicious platter of Bratwurst and Sauerkraut (thus reiterating my self-made horrible-pun slogan of: "Germany, it's the Wurst!")

One of the cool things about Rothenburg is the year-round Christmas shops. It gives you that delightful Christmas giddy feeling mixed with the glow of summer...its absolutely superb. However, the kid inside me gets a little confused and disappointed when the adult reminds me that it is only June.

For me, a highlight of the day was visiting the Medieval Crime and Punishment museum. It's not something that I can really explain, so I think it's best I just show you some pictures of the memorable things I learned about the subject.

This is actually a lot more comfortable than it looks.

...and this one is probably not as comfortable as it looks...

Variations of this "mask of shame" were worn as a public display of a person's "crimes" such as: gossiping and being nosy, treating women poorly (as the mask above was used for), as well as other things.

If you can read this one, it's pretty good!

Now this one is my very favorite...

Now wasn't that fun? It gives you a little insight into the way of thinking and the way of life way back when. Now, the other major highlight was going on the night watchman's tour of Rothenburg--this guy was legit.

Me looking especially grotesque, outside the city wall of Rothenburg.

This is the view from the spot where Sam and I sat in the Martktplatz watching the night talking about everything: life, love, and laundry.

FRANCE

Alsace is a region in France right on the boarder of Germany. It's known primarily for it's fine wine, picturesque villages, and it's famous "Route Du Vin". We started out in Colmar, which was our home base for exploring the region. Colmar was a good place to start, and I loved it there, but it seemed like every village we went to got better and better!

In Petite Venice, Colmar

Our lovely hotel...without hesitation the worst place I have ever stayed.

Mediocre picture of Petite Venice at night

We rented bikes at a little bike shack, 6 euros for an entire day, and biked the Route Du Vin. It was so incredible! The landscape was so beautiful, vineyard after vineyard on the rolling hills with church steeples peering through the green. It was perfect!

We started out with a moderate ride to Kayersberg, where we stopped to have the region specialty meal, baeckeoffe.

Me next to my favorite spot on the bridge in Kaysersberg.

The best Eclair ever!

We hiked up to the castle/fortress in Kaysersberg, and the views were great. From here you could also see a hill appropriately named "bloody hill" after a great battle that took place here during WWII. There is also a memorial in the distance waving an American flag in honor of the troops that helped liberate the Alsace region.

On top of the tower
Coming down the tower steps

Our trusty travel guide: Bleeders (blog and readers--that's you) meet Rick Steves.
We're Buddies.

We continued on the Route Du Vin to Eguisheim, which was my favorite out of all the villages. I didn't know I could love a place more than Colmar until I saw Kaysersberg, and didn't know there was a spot more beautiful than Kaysersberg until I saw Eguisheim. It's one of the smaller wine villages, but I think that's part of its charm. We didn't have much time there, but I was literally snapping away on my camera around every bend. This is the perfect escape from the modern world. Walking through you have little vendors poking their heads through shutters in the buildings with fresh Macaroons and Sausages. So perfect.

Sam looking chipper riding her bike on the cobblestone streets of Eguisheim.
We loved these bikes because they had a basket and a bell.

SWITZERLAND

Basel From Colmar we trained down to Basel, Switzerland...a completely unexpected detour in our trip, but I love doing things spur-of-the-moment like. Since it was Sunday, we decided to take things sort of easy. This included sitting on the bank of the Rhine river catching up on our journaling, feeding the birds, and walking around the empty streets (everything is closed on Sunday).

The beautiful Rhine River!
I have waited so long to see this river, I walked eyes closed to the center of the bridge before looking out on it. The moment had to be perfect.
I just have to throw this in here, it's the most amazing guitar I have ever seen.

Basel, in all honesty, is not the most exciting place to plant yourself on a Eurotrip. Fortunately for us, the YMCA Hostel we stayed at gave us free public transportation passes so we could ride any of the the trains for free. I met a couple girls at our hostel who were feeling the boredom sink in, and we decided to pick a train, and ride it to the end of the line and see where we wound up. In this case, it was a charming little spot-on-the-map called Fluh. We stopped to talk to a local, and he told us that about 20 yards from where we were was the French boarder. So we actually walked from Switzerland over to France.

This is me with Rona and Pauline, our travel buddies

Sam and the France sign, believe it.

From Basel we took a flight to Madrid, where we would spend a day and then go up to start the El Camino de Santiago--a portion of the trip that deserves it's own post entirely, because not only is it the best part of the trip, but it is also one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in my life thus far. I'll write about it when I get time again, which will hopefully be soon!

just keeps gettin' better

2009-03-25T21:55:00.047-06:00

After a short hiatus, I finally clicked on my blogger link on my toolbar and decided (after being heckled at a family get together...you know who you are...) that I should probably put an update on here. As per usual, I am busy, but not the exciting busy that originally initiated this blog. No, its school, work, homework, occasional sleep time, and if I'm really lucky...a shower. So you see there is no time for me to blog. But today, my friends, I'm foregoing my shower just to write, so you should feel good about that--good because you get to see some pictures, read my commentary, and get all caught up on my life, without having to smell me while I write this.

My roommates aren't so lucky.

Lets just touch on a couple of highlights this semester:

First of all, Heidi left for her mission to Tacoma, Washington February 11th! The first couple weeks were hard to adjust to without her attached to my hip, but its great to have her out there!

Also, Jared made the transition from MTC to Argentina! So far the food isn't all it was cracked up to be, he is always hungry, dogs try to chew him, it smells like poop, he doesn't really understand spanish as well as he thought he did, and the poor boy makes a potty break every 10 minutes...but he is having the time of his life!

(Now for the really exciting stuff)

VEGAS.

First trip with my roommates, fun fun fun! One of my roommates is actually from sin city so we were able to stay at her house, and get fed by her parents. This allowed us to be able to be a little bit more liberal with our funds, and splurge on rides at the Stratosphere.

This is us just as we bought our tickets...before going up the 109 stories to the top of the Stratosphere. On the lineup first was the BIG SHOT, which is just like it sounds. And since every time my family has ever passed through Vegas on a vacation they have denied my of my right to pursue thrills at this particular site, I took great pleasure in calling my dad at the top and telling him that I DID IT!

And after that adrenaline pumper we just had to keep going, so we rode the INSANITY. The name, again, very fitting. This one propels you off the edge of the building, leaving you to dangle, and wonder the entire time if THIS time the ride will break down and sent you diving head first to your death. After getting off the ride and feeling lucky that we survived, we tested our fate one more time on the X-SCREAM ride, which in my opinion, was the scariest of them all!

This one takes you out and dangles you off the side of the Stratosphere, but it spins you in sickening circles as well. The other rides I was scared, and then ok...but every moment on this ride felt like my last...and it was incredible!

View from the top!
(Dark. Windy. Freezing. Amazing.)

We also spent time at the Venician, and Bellagio hotels, the M&M and Coke Factory, and just hanging out on the strip.
The Gondolas inside the Vencian... so cool! I felt like I was in Venice again!

The Bellagio had the most amazing gardens with Iceland Poppies!

The M&M Factory

(don't tell my mom.)

It also turns out that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was doing a house the weekend we were there really close to my where my roommate's family lives.... so we popped over there in hopes of seeing Ty Pennington.
(please ignore my shoes)

A security guard that travels with the show...he was our friend.

And what are the odds of coming across an authentic British car with the steering wheel on the right and everything? HONESTLY.

Moving right along...

Last night, I went to the TAKE ACTION tour concert.
*ROCK ON*
it was Incredible.

We got to see a great lineup:

Anarbor
Every Avenue
Breath Carolina
Meg & Dia
and....
CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR

Here's us, loving the concert.

And here's the concert, loving us.

(So basically what I'm saying is that)
"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can"

Photoshoot!

2009-01-18T23:31:00.003-07:00

As anybody who has previously read my blog would know, one of my greatest loves in life is the taking of photographs. I love to take pictures of anything and everything, but especially people. Recently I was able to take Jared's pre-mission pictures, and they turend out so well, I was asked to do Joe's mission pictures too! I really enjoy doing this, and I didn't know how much I would like doing it in more of a "studio" (if you can call it that!) setting. See, A couple months ago I buckled down and sprung for a small studio set which included both a black and white background, a hanger, and two umbrella lights. Not too shabby, and with a decent camera, I think the pictures turned out quite well! I am pretty excited with the result. The first two are the pictures both boys chose for their plaques, and the last one is just a photo that I thought turned out nice from the shoot.

Both boys are now off and in the Missionary Training Center, and I wish them both the best of luck, they are going to be great.

the latest in hollywood videos

2009-01-04T21:04:00.006-07:00

The first video here is a very late, Merry Christmas shout-out to all of you

And this is a video from our trip to Disneyland

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Times a Ticking...

2008-12-09T18:21:00.015-07:00

So it comes down to the last couple weeks before Jared leaves--cue hallelujah chorus-- which means its about time that we get some good quality family togetherness in. What better way to do that, then to pack the Yukon full of passengers and drive westward approximately 12 hours. That's right, we went to Disneyland.

This trip, some unusual things happened to us...some lucky things, and they have changed my life forever in some very valuable lessons that I will share with you today. Go ahead, keep on reading.

You see, my dad, bless his heart, couldn't get that lead out of his foot if he tried, and because of this genetic condition, he was pulled over. The officer came around to the side of the car and said, "Sir, I clocked you going *** in a ***." (I blotted the speeds out to protect the individuals involved, but lets just say, there is a reason we made the 12 hour journey in only 10.) My dad humbly apologized to the officer, and the man moved on to his next question. "Where are you guys going?"

And the award-winning answer is right here. "Disneyland" my dad said, as he sort of sunk his head and put on that puppy-dog pout. Immediately the officer said " You're going to Disneyland? Well I'm not going to give you a ticket!" And just let us drive off, didn't ask for a license, insurance, or anything.

Lesson one: When in trouble, just claim to be headed for the happiest place on earth. It sure works.

When we finally arrived at our hotel which was within perfect walking distance, slept for a few hours, and began the day bright and early with our special entry passes--which allowed us into the park an hour before it opened.

First thing we did was bolt straight for Space Mountain, at which we found no line, and we were able to ride 3 times in a row without waiting longer than 5 minutes. Awesome. After that the morning temperature started to rise, so we did what anybody would do with the oncoming heat: we hit up splash mountain. We were actually able to ride it 4 times without even getting out of our log!! It really was great. It's after Splash that my second lesson kicks in. Jared (for some reason) decided that he wanted to ride the Winnie the Pooh ride. There was no line, of course, so we just walked on. I actually enjoyed the ride more than I thought, since it is one I have never been on. After we got off though, there were nice people with big smiles waving mickey ears at us saying words like "Congratulations!" and "You've Won!!" and then proceeded to slap Mickey Mouse ears on all of us. These are ears that you can't buy, so everywhere we went workers were congratulating us on winning. It was great.

We found some similar ears in the shops, running around $14/pair. Times that by eight, your looking at over $100 worth of free merchandise.

Lesson two: ride little kids rides, you'll get free stuff.

Honestly, just look at the happiness.

See page above:

1) Teacups. Mom and I don't do teacups (when we do, lunch follows...if you follow) So we had a teacup challenge between the 6 players that are not affected by circular motion. Jared, Siera and Jake were in one; and Dad, Joe, and Josh in the other. See Jared's face in this picture as he watches Jake try and spin the cup by himself.
2) Again, Dad's face is priceless. Joe and Josh sit back while he wins the spinning competition. Wonderful. What champs!
3) Splash mountain: Josh rode that log like a rodeo all star! (and came out looking like a drowned gopher)
4) Check this boy out. They should warn people about this sort of thing.
5) This is the classic Jared picture face. This is what happens when no one "makes him smile"

Page Two:

1) Grizzly rapids, one of those rides we hit when the clouds came in and the temperature dropped. For some reason, people weren't eager to get soaked, which made the wait time next to nothing and allowed us multiple rides. We love getting wet!
2) Jared is known for pulling faces on roller coasters that no human can make naturally. This is but just one example.
3) Check out the decorations!
4) This is how Josh "ran" to the theme park. Yes, he is awesome.
5) The best quartet I have ever heard! These guys were world-class, and we caught them just as they were finishing up.

some of the characters we met

This bottom left picture was great. Joe (Jared's friend and portable family photographer) was going to take the picture for us with Mickey. And before the picture, Mickey demanded that Joe get in the picture. But there was a problem, we were short one pair of ears. So Mickey, in his chipper and lively fashion, proceeded to find the most innocent bystander possible--a little girl about 4 years old, and snatched the mickey ears off her head and gave them to Joe for the picture. This poor girl didn't know what hit her, I would compare the look on her face to one that a child forms the second after you break the news that her dog is dead. It was heartbreaking. And Joe, thinking that this should be a family picture, politely ducked down. You can see him there just behind Josh...with his stolen ears.
Lesson three: Mickey steels from children. The Parade:
1) Not that you can see behind him, but it's Santa himself back there. Josh was more excited than Elf when he said "SANTA!!! take my picture, take my picture!" So, I took his picture. and Santa didn't come clear in any of them. Sorry buddy.
2) If I could have a pet, it would be one of these snowmen. They are so cute!

D'ers some happy people!

So we were standing around, waiting for one of us to get out of the bathroom when this lady comes up to us and says "Hi, I'm Katie, and I'm with the year of a million dreams team, you guys look lost. So I am going to take you to whatever ride you're looking for!"
The blank stare on all of our faces must have just confirmed to her that we were indeed, lost. (even though we weren't...I don't think...)
We asked her to take us to the new Finding Nemo submarine ride--which had a 2 hour line that had not dwindled all day long. We got to talking, and she told us something very important. They have people on lookout there for Disney-goers that look lost, they call them Bogies, and they radio them into someone like Katie, and she picks them up and takes them to a ride. So that's exactly what she did for us, and not only did she just take us to the ride, she took us in the exit, straight to the front of the line! It was a dream come true!

Lesson four: Look like a Bogie.

Us with Katie, as she was skipping us to the front of the line

This is what my house will look like at christmas...someday.

So the trip went well, lots of fun, lots of magic, not a lot of sleep, and mostly smiles! I do believe that this is the most magical place on earth!!

One quick word...

2008-11-06T21:35:00.006-07:00

In light of the recent election, I thought that my friend Sarah had some very well-written words concerning the outcome. I encourage all of you to read her post here and if you want a good read, check out the rest of her blog as well! This post is definitely not to be missed.

Also, I thought I too would like to the two candidates speeches and encourage everyone who (somehow) hasn't heard them, to take a minute and listen to both McCain's speech, and our president-elect, Barack Obama. If (by chance) you don't have time for that speech, I thought this was a good, shorter alternative.

one fine day...there was a war.

2008-11-06T20:54:00.009-07:00

This was one of those days. One of those days that you wake up and can immediately tell that it's going to be a good one. The snow came down in flurries and there was aready 4 inches on the ground when I woke up. Yes, 4 glorious inches. I spent the morning doing what hard-working college kids do: Homework. Then busted out my gloves and hat to head out into the magical weather. I was home alone, with mom gone and none of the kids to play with, I was feeling a little lonely. In fact, I probably would have gone completely insane had it not been for Jack (my dog) keeping me company. Anybody watching me would have probably opted to check me into the looney bin, because after all, isn't that what you do to people who carry on full conversations with themselves and their "dog", when they are the ones on both sides of the conversation? Yeah. Good thing I was alone. Jack and I decided to build a snowman. I think the neighbors passing were thinking..."is that??? no.... Nicole? alone? making a... well I can't tell what that is". It's true. My snow "man" looked more like a snow "thing".

My trusty, well spoken partner.

Alas, not withstanding the strange glares and the near collisions I caused, my final product was something beautiful.

Yes. My name is Nicole. I am 20 years old. And when I am home alone...I make snowmen up to par with a first grader. And ya know what? I am Proud!

Part of the reason I made the snow-thing in the first place was because nobody would be home to greet the kids as they came from school. So I hired this guy to do the job, and he did it most cheerfully. And then, in some tragic twist of fate, he was caught in the cross-fire of a pretty nasty little snow fight. When I came home from work I found my friend in bits across the lawn, and his mishapen head resting in the flowerbed, blueberry eyes still intact. I was heart broken. I had to find the culprit, and my gut told me where to go to get the confession. Josh.

I did the only thing I to do in this situation... take a hostage.

Sometimes...revenge is so sweet....
(especially when revenge is capable of baking a delicious assortment of cakes and pastries, sure to sooth any broken heart)

Yes, I kidnapped the doughboy and made a list of demands. The note goes as follows:

Dear Josh,

If you want your precious Doughboy back in one piece (a courtasy not hitherto given to my snowman) you must meet the following terms:

1- submit to be my working slave for one hour.
2- massage my feet for 20 minutes (or to my complete satisfaction. outside of the hour above)
3- Take me to see High School Musical 3....and pay. Also, I want wingers, and popcorn.

If these terms are not met by 6:34PM on November the 12th, your precious doughboy will be decapitated, and dropped from the 3rd floor of 1800-Contacts to his death.

Now if anything happens to doughboy, remember, it's not my fault! I will update you when the 12th draws nearer....

Until then, the doughboy won't see the light of day!

What can I say...

2008-10-20T22:54:00.009-06:00

Who would have ever thought that being home would bring so much excitement every week? I didn't. When I was in England I tried to do something every week, because my time there was so limited. This has been a principle I have been trying to apply in my life at home, and it's not that my time is limited per say, but its all about living the moment, and trying to make the most out of every day. So in between my 15 credit hours of school and 35 hours a week at work, I am finding time to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. Before I go any further, let me just spill the news that has had me squealing since day one. Jared got his mission call. I have never been good at waiting for things, and I am pretty sure I topped Jared on the anxiety charts every time we checked the mail. If I hadn't been at work when the call finally came (on a Saturday) I probably would have steamed the letter open and attempted a re-seal before anyone else had even realized it was here.

Argentina, here he comes! (I call Jared's iPod)

Speaking of people going places, my friend Maria recently took of to the other side of the world, a place that is 14 hours ahead of us, and almost as exciting as tomorrowland--China. We attended the Italian festival in Salt Lake before she took off, and it was so exciting, we just ended up taking pictures in front of old brick buildings and graffiti.

And speaking of Salt Lake City and going places (I am trying to keep a structure here...) Heidi and I have decided that every Tuesday is not just a Tuesday, but a SUPER TUESDAY. This means that we do something super--the definition of which being rather loose. Most of the activities on this day include things that I have never done before. And I know what your thinking...you mean there are actually enough things to do in Utah, that you haven't done them all in your, what is it now, 13 years of living there? And the answer is no. Surprising? Not really. You just have to know where to look!

I have never been to the Great Salt Lake.
Nope, never. So off we went just in time for the sunset, and it was so great that my camera battery died, so pictures are limited. This was honestly, the most incredible place I have ever seen a sunset. Ever.

We Went up the canyon as soon as it snowed.
Some people don't look forward to the snow the same way I do. I just love it! In fact, when there isn't enough on the ground at my house, I go searching for more. And that's what we did, and snow we did find!
Some super tuesdays are camera-less.
And only now did I realize that some of our more recent adventures have not involved a camera, but that doesn't mean they weren't amazing!

Today I went hiking with my dad and my brother.

If anybody is sick of pictures of trees and leaves...just scroll

And this is the tree that greets me from my window every morning.
He's a happy tree.
I think Siera loves the fall (almost) as much as I do!

And finally, wrapping things up. I can't believe I am old enough to have friends home from missions. We have had 2 homecomings in 2 weeks, and my friend Siri's farewell, and it doesn't stop there. They are just going to keep rolling in for the next 8 or so months. It's so fun to have these homecomings and farwells (for the girls!) where I get to see my high school friends again. And I think it's true what they say about your high school friends being your friends for life, because even though it's been so long since we have seen each other...its almost like nothing has changed. I just love it.

It's been crazy, but I hope it never slows down!

Hello Fall

2008-10-08T08:12:00.013-06:00

I have been just dying to go to Park City and do the Alpine Slide ever since I have been home, and yesterday, I finally dragged some friends up there with me. My dad was even so generous as to let us take the convertible, and it was wind-in-the-face good the whole ride up there. Fall is my favorite season, what with the slightly cooler temperatures and the changing leaves. Mix that with a little alpine slide, friends, art galleries, Arbys, and star gazing and you have the perfect day in your pocket.

On the lift

After finishing up with the slide and the art galleries on main street, we grabbed some dinner at Arby's and waited for the sun to go down before heading back to the car. We drove up Gardman's pass, which goes all through the mountains, to get to the top and go star gazing. Before we sat back and relaxed though, we noticed that the snow wasn't too far away from us, so we hiked a little ways up the mountain to get to it! First snow of the season!
Now here we are star-gazing. It was so perfect up on top of the mountain, and the convertible's open top made things very convenient for watching the stars!

God Bless America...and everyone else too!

2008-09-15T21:47:00.012-06:00

Every year, in commemoration of September 11, 2001, the field behind the Target Superstore is covered in Red, White, and Blue. This is--no kidding-- on of my favorite events of the year. They have 2 separate fields, one field housing a flag for everyone lost on 9/11, and the adjoining field supporting a flag for every soldier fallen in the war we are currently fighting. It is an incredible sight. It always inspires me with such patriotism and appreciation. My heart aches for the families who have lost loved ones, and yet is full of gratitude for the sacrifice they have all made. It gives me a chance to silently and reverently reflect, and then learn from what I hear rising from the silence. Because this is one of my (many, many) favorite things, my camera worked overtime. I think that the pictures speak about what it was like better than anything else, so maybe you can kind of feel like you were there too. It really was amazing.

the ribbons tied on the flags for our soldiers

Some people laid flowers at the flags of the utah soldiers

they had a little "exhibit" type thing that talked about what a blessing it was for people to come here, and the experiences documented of those immigrants who saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time.

It was very good.

To Sum It Up

2008-08-07T11:13:00.023-06:00

Instead of apologizing for my long absence from the blogging community, I am going to flood you with pictures that do all the explaining, because seriously folks...I've been busy! My entire family came out to visit me and we toured around Europe for just over 2 weeks, which was the longest holiday in the history of holidays for my family. Some pictures I don't have my hands on just yet... but I will soon. So I will put up some of the pictures that I do have that include the latter part of our trip--Italy. This being the case, I am going to skip the first week-and-a-half of our holiday for which I am lacking in visual aids, and show you that which I do have entertainment for.

First stop with pictures, the amazing Cinque Terre. The five villages nestled along the Italian cost line are unlike anything I have ever seen. Colorful, beautiful, charming, and full of life and fun (and tourists) it was probably my favourite spot!

Mom and me on the trail between Corniglia and Vernazza. There are neat hiking trails that connect all 5 towns, it was so beautiful!

Corniglia, the village we stayed in. All the villages looked like this, so picturesque and beautiful!

Jumping in the water in Vernazza! We spent most of the day swimming and having fun!!

The picture of tired travelers, waiting for a train at the Florence station.

We continued on to Rome, (hitting Florence and Pisa along the way). We saw all the sights, the Colosseum, which was within walking distance of our apartment, the Vatican, Palatine Hill, The open bus tour took us to all the important sights, and we even spent a day in Pompeii!

Boys "Gladiator Fighting" at the Colloseum.

My brothers are awesome.

Me in the Sistine Chapel. I have this thing where, if someone says "no photography", I have an uncontrollable urge to take a photo. They are so strict on pictures here that they have been known to delete entire memory cards and/or confiscate cameras from naughty tourists. This just adds to the excitement and I cannot resist. Apparently, I come by it honestly though...because who knew my dad was the same way. He was taking pictures here like it was his day job. GO DAD!

Mom and me at the Vatican.

Trevi Fountain!

Family at Pompeii

I like this one because you can see Vesuvius in the background.

Pompeii

After that it was a lot of sad goodbyes at the airport (even though I look...happy? What a bad picture) before the family headed back to the colonies and I to London were I spent a week before...

Europe Trip number 2. This time, with friends. A completely different experience staying in 16 bed hostels rather than 3 star hotels, and I was in charge of everything. Passports, train tickets, plane tickets, timetables, places to stay, where to eat, what to do, making sure nobody gets lost... I now know exactly how my dad felt on the family trip. Its still fun...but the moments of my brainlessness and air headedness were limited.

We started in Paris, where--much to my grief--my camera was stolen. So, I have no pictures of my last time in Paris. And I don't have a camera any more...which put a small damper on my attitude towards the responsible party in my group. I did, however, kidnap my friends camera for the duration of the trip and though it didn't take quite as nice of pictures as mine did, it wasn't bad. Better than nothing I guess!

Stop number two, and best stop of the trip, was Switzerland. We arrived into Interlaken, took a train, a bus, and a tram to get to our destination of Gimmelwald. It is this small little farming village nestled into the Swiss Alps. You walk out of the hostel and the scenery explodes in your face, and you think that perhaps you have died and gone to heaven. It is absolutely perfect! We spend the days hiking around, and relaxing under breathtaking summer skies, snacking on Alpskasse (Alp-Cheese). The last day we were there, Ryan and I were going to hike to the top because the view from up there was supposed to be incredible. But then, on our ascent, we saw a parachute fly above us in the air...and we just couldn't help ourselves. We went Paragliding instead! It was definitely one of the better moments of my life.

Since Gimmelwald is a small farming village, they have these cowbells that they put on the cows according to size.

I bought this cheese from a little Swiss lady who spoke almost no English, so I had to rely completely on my German (which is not "Swiss-German" by the way) to keep me from starving. I did pretty good and we managed to understand each other quite well!

If Heaven isn't all it's cracked up to be, Send me back to Gimmelwald!!!

Driving the Parachute!

From Gimmelwald, we took the tram, the bus, and the train back into civilization, then boarded another train to Milan, where we caught a flight to Barcelona. It was a long day, especially for me, trying to keep track of everything and every one! Luckily, we made it, on time and in tact, still in possession of our one and only camera. Thank goodness!

Like this picture too.

Barcelona was great, though the guys I was with didn't particularly care about seeing the sights, they just wanted to "Chill." So the first day, I complied, hoping that they would see reason after one day of doing absolutely nothing but... my logic didn't win through. We spend the majority of the first day just hanging on the beach, working on my tan. I did get in the water to go swimming, which was...interesting. I was just playing in the waves with Brady and Ryan, when Brady suddenly starts swimming towards shore. Ryan and I just thought I was tired. Then, about 10 minutes later, I felt a sharp burning pain on my hand and my leg, and looked down to see Jellyfish in the water all around me! I started freaking out a little, so much that I couldn't really yell and Ryan who was about 10 feet away from me in the water...I just booked it as fast as I could to get myself out of the infested water! When I came back and sat next to Brady on the beach, he was like "oh yeah, I saw those jellyfish, that's why I got out". Thanks for the warning. Another good warning came 20 minutes later when the cost guard raised the yellow flag "due to jellyfish present in the water". Thanks for that. My skin turned a horrible shade of red and started bubbling up. What did I do about it everyone asks? No, contrary to beliefs either based on fact or a particular episode of Friends, I did not pee on it. I didn't even seek medical help (I don't know why...I just didn't) But I just dealt with the burning in my leg for the next 6 hours. I didn't get back in the water after that.

We tried this new fruit...Ryan loved it...I thought it was nasty. Wish I knew what it was called!

I spent the majority of the next days by myself in Barcelona, touring the sights and seeing everything Gaudi. I had a nice time. After our 3 and a half days in Barcelona (too much time there, not enough in Switzerland!) we flew to Edinburgh. I was concerned about this flight because, if you recall, the last time I entered the country (not through Ireland, where there is no passport control) the Immigration officer who stamped my passport said that I would not be allowed back in if I left. So for good reason, I was worried. The nice little Scottish man at the border was questioning me, and it seemed evident to me at one point that he was unable to let me pass. Then, he looked back through my passport and said to me "Utah huh? Are you a Mormon??" My wide eyes stared at him while the giant lump in my throat came closer to the surface. I told him I was. Then he said, "Well, then I know you're honest, and you won't stay past the allotted time" (my flight back to Utah was in 5 days) and just like that, he stamped me in. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor to thank him and be on my way.

Edinburgh was more beautiful than I had remembered. Some may recall at the starting of this blog, that's where I was living before making the leap down to London. I got to see some old friends and visit the sights a little. It was so nice!

That big hill/mountain you see behind them...we climbed that. Pictured are Paul (Brady and Ryan's friend) then Ryan and Brady. LOVE this picture, probably one of my favourite ever. It has a distinctive subliminal message...if anybody picks up on it.

When we got to the top of that hill/mountain I told you about, Brady decided he was going to skateboard down it.... And Ryan kept doing back flips and handstands on the edge. I was a little stressed.

Back to London again, we spent most of the time with the family I have been staying with, which is what I wanted to do, and one day in London. The family even surprised me with a going away party and invited most of my friends!

I can't believe it is over, and that my time in England is history...I will keep this blog up though because, heavens knows, there are many more (local) adventures to come!

a little Wicked moment

2008-07-14T18:47:00.005-06:00

If you read the last post, you know that I promised bleeders that I would post some of my wicked Wicked video as soon as I could. And wait no longer my friends, for that moment has arrived! I sat front row with camera in hand, unfortunately I am trying ever so hard to conceal my camera (from who??? the cast??? I don't know...) so the footage includes stunning shots of my finger and handbag. I do have some footage from the second act of the play on a second memory disk that does not include finger footage, but I cant get that on here. When I do, I will post it! This video doesn't exactly do justice the girl that played the role of Elphaba, because she was absolutely incredible, but it gives you just a little front-row (sitting behind a bag) taste! Video includes 2 bits of the Wizard and I and Defying Gravity at the end, so if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled by prematurely seeing how the staging or anything is done, then don't watch it. :) Enjoy!

Leave of Absence

2008-07-10T09:22:00.019-06:00

So it has been about a month since my last blog, but believe you me, it has been a crrrazy month! We could start of with one of my best friends coming all the way from Utah to see me. We had a blast! As luck would have it, the Saturday I met up with her was the Trooping of the Colours--or the "official" birthday celebration of the queen. We saw the entire royal family, and after winking multiple times and blowing kisses our direction, Harry and William got out of their car and proposed marriage to us both! Isn't that just the best news!?!? OK....so that last part might have been a little bit exaggerated...but we did see them, and we waved, and they waved back!

One of the days she was here I took her down to Brighton, following a lengthy shopping trip to Bluewater (the biggest shopping mall in Europe) It was so nice to have a friend here to spend time with, to shop with, to drive with, to take pictures with, and eat fish and chips on the pier with! Ahhh Siri I miss you already!

The day after my dear friend left me, the family arrived. It was so good to see them again after nearly 14 months away from the siblings and 11 away from the parents. What a good reunion! The first day we spent touring around London, and I got to show them all my favourite hot spots and even took them to the best Jacket Potato with beans and cheese Covent Garden has to offer. That night, Siera and I went to go see Les Miserables--which was one of the highlights of my entire life! That musical was so incredible, the music so moving, the acting so believable, I was in tears several times during the production. WOW with a capital W. I hope I get to go see it again before I jet back to a land where there is limited musical theatre, no subway, and no jacket potatoes!

The next day all seven of us got cozy in a car barely suited for 5, and we had 6 suitcases packed for 2 weeks on top of that. We all had our knees to our chins with a bag or two balanced on top of our heads, or knees, and under our feet. It was a fun ride, but we made it to Aveburry Stone Circle, Stonehenge, Bath, and Lacock all in one day. Good for us it happened to be summer solstice so there were plenty of gypsies and weirdos hanging around painting their dogs and smoking who knows what. It was cool to get to see both stone circles in one day because the stones from stonehenge actually came from Avebury. I guess the ancient peoples of england had nothing better to do than drag 50 ton stones 20+ miles and put them in a circle. I am glad I live in the 21st century!

Going in to every aspect of the trip would make this entry devastatingly long, and despite that all the pictures from the holiday went home with the family--so I don't have them. (odd...I know) You know they say pictures are worth a thousand words. I took a little over 2,000 pictures...so you do the math. Simply stated, I haven't that many words, nor the will to write them. I will just say a few things.

4/5 of the kids ran straight into stationary poles during the trip. Jared in Normandy, Siera in Rome, Josh in...well, Josh runs in to so many poles it's hard to really remember, and mine happened in Salzberg. You see, I was just trying to navigate us using the GPS handheld system, holding it in front of me--I was deeply engaged in the maps and listening intently to everything the GPS lady said. When all of a sudden, I heard a loud thud metal smacking, at the same time a throbbing pain erupted just below my hairline--When I lifted my head in horror and shame, my humiliation was multiplied by each set of eyes that turned in my direction on the fairly crowded street. I place all blame on the GPS lady, who--had she been paying attention--should have warned me about that one. It was altogether embarrassing, especially after when I still (don't ask me why) was in charge of navigation, and my mom insisted on leading me by the elbow and loudly announcing any stationary object within 5 feet of me to make sure I didn't collide with it. Thanks Mom!

Jake is the only one that did not hit a pole. Jake is also the only one out of the Skousen kids who does not bear the mark of a scar on the top left of his forehead. He is the only boy out of the Skousen kids who was not born in Chicago, and he is the only Skousen kid to have the coveted blue eyes. I have a few theories I am going with, one being that he was probably adopted...or perhaps he was dropped off nappy and all by a giant bird...I don't know. Any other theories as to why my brother is a blue-eyed-scar-less-pole-avoider are welcome.

I will tell about my favourite destination. Ok, Ok, they were all my favourite in a different way. But I just have to say that visiting the Cinque Terre was one of the (many) highlights of the trip.
We woke up early in our village of Corniglia, and hiked to Vernazza where the best pastry chef in all of Italy resides at the Pirate Bar. After the hour long hike on empty stomachs, we stopped in for some refreshing fragola-limon (strawberry-lemon) slushies, that were more like heaven than actual slushie, it was amazing. The man at the Pirate Bar picked us out an assortment of his favourite home made pastries, and boy were they good! We spent most of the afternoon swimming in the ocean and jumping off rocks, returning to the Pirate Bar for lunch. Pesto is a specialty of the Cinque Terre, and I had the most delicious pesto dish of my life up there mixed up with a bit of Gnocci- something I had not previously tried. Them pirates know how to make it good.
We went to all but one of the villages, and spent a lot of time swimming, taking pictures (me) and wandering around just kicking back--this being literally the only day we turned down turbo mode and took time to breath. The ocean was so flat and glassy it was more lake-like than ocean, there were virtually no waves! This induced an entire hour of floating contests--and it was discovered that Mom, Siera and I have to do nothing more than lift our legs up and relax completely to float perfectly in the water. Jared, Josh and Jake couldn't float to save their lives and were a little annoyed at the fact that we kept floating there soaking up the Italian sun. So they suggested a contest that perhaps they were better at--sinking. Jared in particular, thought it would be great to have a "who can touch the bottom of the ocean" contest, which is really typical considering he is at least a foot taller than the rest of us at his towering 6'4''. It was fun though, and everyone except Mom could actually touch the bottom (we made Jared touch it with his knees to even it out). It was just another day in Paradise.
More exciting news from the trip will be posted when I get my hands on some pictures, until then, I guess I will just leave you guessing! I did, however, almost fill up an entire journal with entries from this Europe trip, so I have a lot of good tid bits to blog later.

Ashley, a friend from home has been here at the house having my job for the past few weeks. The family is away in sunny spain so we have the house all to ourselves, and we have been having a blast! The other night we went to see Wicked, it was the third time I have been to see it, and I must admit that out of the three...this one was the very best! I took some video that I will try and upload here for you all to see. We had really good front row seats, and my cheeks are still sore from the giant grin that was painted on my face for the entire three hour show. It was so incredible.

In exactly one week, I will be off again to mainland Europe with my friends Brady and Ryan from Chicago. Our dads were mission companions, so I guess you could say that we have been friends before we were even born. I am really looking forward to seeing them, and seeing new places! Our itinerary takes us to France, Switzerland, Spain, and then up to Scotland so I can see all my old friends again! I am enjoying this time of re cooperation, because goodness knows, in a week I will have to turn the meter up to turbo again and go go go!

Until next time my faithful bleeders--

Adventures of an off-week

2008-06-11T15:52:00.021-06:00

So my life has been a little bit...unblogged lately. Let me fill you in on the past couple weeks. First up, the Ide Hill Village fair. A fantastic event that, on a sunny fair day, will bring roughly 4,000 people to our lovely little village. A few weeks before the fair begins, everyone makes these little Scarecrows and put them around their homes, the village green, in trees, etc. Half the time they would make me jump or have me waving at them because i actually thought they were real people. I mean that completely seriously. There was this one hiker girl mannequin-scarecrow (who I don't have a picture of) that someone put right next to the bus stop, and every time I came around the corner for the first week she was there I thought there was a person about to dive in front of me on the road and I would hit my breaks really hard--much to the dismay of my passengers. I think maybe some others had the same problem I did...because someone took off her head...twice.

Unfortunately on the day of the fair the great English weather kicked in and did what it does best--rain. This really knocked down turnout numbers by quite a bit, though I was surprised still at the amount of people that still showed up. When you consider that American Baseball is canceled when there is so much as a cloud in the sky, these guys put out full on fairs in freezing temperatures and buckets of rain...its quite a contrast. The weather doesn't bother them, or rather, they don't let the weather bother them. I admire every single person who stood out there for the entire day. I, on the other hand, had to take my outside in shifts. What can I say...I just don't like being soaked and cold (but at least I wasn't stuck on a horse...see Wet Windy Wales).

Inside the church there were loads of flower displays under the theme "The High Street".

Gems trying to knock coconuts off their stands. If you knock one off, you get to keep it!
Score
Gemma: 0
Callum:6
(but Callum shared his with Gems...poor girl, she tried so hard, she just couldn't hit anything but tarp!)

Village Tug-O-War
Just one of the many events put on to keep the blood flowing. Really a shame that i didn't get any pictures of the cheese rolling. For anyone unfamiliar with this fantastic activity, let me explain. Someone takes a big round of cheese, sets it rolling down a hill, and a whole bunch of people chase it to the bottom. The first person to get the cheese is the winner, and they get to keep the delicious lump that they caught. It's sort of strange, but loads of fun!

The day of the fair was only the beginning of a fun filled week of half term. See, in America (or Utah at least) we get...oh...maybe one day off school for half term, these guys get a whole flippin week! This meant I was responsible for entertainment of the kiddies all day, every day, for 4 days (there was minus one because of the fair). I must admit I was secretly dreading this week of break because it meant I couldn't stick to my regular routine, but we ended up having a really nice time!

We did some baking....

Some bowling....

Some exploring....

Our picnic!

this rabbit was gigantic, like, literally the size of a badger. This must be what was eating people on Monty Python. I was scared.

All this in the Enchanted Forest. It didn't stop raining the whole time we were there...the fairies must have had the day off.

the kids are tree huggers.

We played a game of giant chess...in the rain.

Some Shopping....

I went with my friend Lyn to Ikea and Costco for the first time here in the UK, it was lots of fun, and we bought lots of food for the church activity and tested out all the sofas!
Some Bleeding....

It's a battle wound.

Some Flippin....

I taught Gems how to do a front flip, and she did it beautifully with a landing!

What a FAB week!

Dover

2008-05-25T16:32:00.009-06:00

"I felt a sprint in my feet that said GO, and I went"

I have been craving the ocean you know, and though it was not as soon as I anticipated, I finally made it! I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to the sun shining through my window (which is rare...) and thought to myself, "I think I'll go to Dover today." And off I went. 19 pounds and an hour and a half later I arrived at the Dover Priory station, headed off to find the tourist information center on foot. They told me everything I needed to do and see, and even were so bold as to suggest that I would need three hours in the castle--to which I silently snorted and rolled my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I do like castles, but I find I get bored of them rather quickly. I like to get in, learn some stuff, take some pictures, and get out before my head starts screaming at me to do something more fun...like watch grass grow. From sea level, I looked at the castle on the hill and started my ascent. It was long, it was steep, and I was panting and gasping when I finally reached the ticket booth, but it was worth it.

I was exceptionally lucky this weekend, because the castle was having it's National Heritage Festival, which, roughly translated, means there are a bunch of people running around in costumes. They had several different periods represented in the castle, and the first one (and my favourite) was World War I.

They had this life size model airplane that they use to film in movies there, and these chaps did a little play/reenactment of what it would have been like on a reconnaissance mission. They said that most of the pilots had fewer than 20 hours actual flying time, and they were going up against seasoned enemy planes. Most of them didn't last more than 2 weeks airborne, which is really sad to think about. But the skit was entertaining and the acting was good. I even asked for my picture with them afterwards!

They had tents set up just how they would have had them there in war time. I loved all the little trinkets and things from the period that they had! It felt like I stepped back in time.

This was the best. They had a WWI "Trench Experience" where you went inside a reenactment of the trenches. I caught a little bit of video from it because I liked it so much. It actually did feel like I was there, and men were shouting, dirt was flying, and guns were going off. They did a demonstration on how they could pinpoint a sniper by using a dummy head to stick up, get the sniper to shoot it, and then use the bullet hole to find where he was hiding. I really enjoyed it!

This video is of the Trenches

Walking further along up into the castle, I came across people from the Medieval period. I stopped and talked to this lady for a bit who said that coming and doing things like this is a hobby of hers and she really just loves living 13th century life! I think that is just so cool, because if you are doing it you get to really experience it how people would have from that time. You eat the food they did, sleep how they did, dress how they did, yadda yadda you get the picture.

I also watched a battle reenactment that was incredibly cheesy...but surprisingly entertaining!

Moving on to Tudor times, I actually got to meet King Henry VIII! Well you know, not really, but the guy doing the portrayal was incredible. I actually felt like I was in the presence of the king. I even saw him on several occasions walking around talking to people (or criticizing them) and just mingling as I would expect maybe Henry would in public. It was great!

This is an backgammon board that was inside the castle lounge area that I liked the look of, so I snapped it.

These guys were playing instruments from the period outside, and they were actually really good!

WWII was alright, they had some interesting stuff, but not quite as good as the first world war's. I did get talking with these two people though who were quite knowledgeable about everything to do with the war (naturally) and I learned a lot through them.

They had a table set up of all these old things that were found during war time. The trumpet mouth piece was my favourite, made me think of Dad and Stick!

This dog is Jack's WWII ansestor I think.
Do you see a resemblance?
Maybe it has just been too long since I have seen my puppy!

I also visited the Secret Wartime Tunnels, which are dug right into the under the castle. There is a hospital down there too which was really cool. Almost everything is just how it would have been at the time of WWII. Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take any pictures down there, which is why you see no pictures to follow. I know that's disappointing...sorry!

Here is a man from the Roman Era!

I looked at my watch when I left the castle and immediately felt ashamed that I had ever doubted the ever-so-knowledgeable brunette at the tourist information counter when she said I needed 3 hours at the castle, because I spent nearly 5 hours there!! Yes folks, it was that good.
I made my way down the hill from the castle to the ocean side, where the same woman told me to go once I had seen my fill up there. This was done with the intent to get a good look at the cliffs. I had a nice little stroll along the beach for a little while before I realized that the only way I was going to get a picture of the cliffs, was if I hiked to the top. At this time I had already hiked roughly the same distance up to the castle and been on my feet for the past like 6 hours, and I was muttering something like "there is no way in #$%%^@#$%#$%$ I am climbing all the way up there!" under my breath. But then again, I didn't pay 20 pounds to get here so I could not see the white cliffs of Dover. So I put on my brave face and started climbing.

Once I got to the top, I collapsed in the long grass along the edge of the cliffs, took my shoes off, and closed my eyes for a little nap...everyone was doing it.

After the rejuvenation of my nap, I was able to hike some more to get to these stunning views!

I scaled down this steep little hill

So it turned out to be a very nice day, and as the song goes, there was "blue skies over, the white cliffs of Dover" for my visit, so I was pleased! Now today my whole lower body is sore from all the hiking and and hills I did, but it was all worth it. That's another tick off the list, and thank you Aunt Loyann for the suggestion! If it wasn't for you, I probably would have never gone. And I must admit the whole time I was there I kept saying to myself, "this is one of the best days ever!"

I finished off the day with an ice cream on the beach. It was the perfect ending to a pretty darn perfect day.

Cheerio!

Picture Time

2008-05-14T13:45:00.006-06:00

"Photography takes an instant out of time,
altering life by holding it still."

--Dorothea Lange

As all my bleeders probably know, I am quite passionate about taking pictures. I snap snap snap until the people I am photographing can no longer see straight and their mouths are incapable of releasing their smile, or my camera simply goes into overload-mode and gives up on me. It's always something, because once I put my finger on that magical button--I simply can't stop. Thank heavens for digital photography, without it, I would be broke from developing costs. Also, I don't have to deal with the complaints from my brother telling me I am wasting film. (Now he just accuses me of wasting battery, but I can handle that one.) Anyways, I told the kids we were going to have a photo shoot, and believe it or not, they jumped for joy and ran up the stairs to get changed as quickly as possible. We just went into the back garden for these, and I hope to take them out sometime soon and take some more because they are amazingly photogenic, and the scenery here is stunning.

This is my favourite one from the day!
I think it should be on an add for a children's play set. ;)

As you can see, it was barrels of fun...for me at least. I think the kids will re-think their hasty reaction to the words photo and shoot in the same sentence next time. I am happy because I got a few good shots! Boy am I going to miss these kids when I leave.

XOXO

I love the Temple!

2008-05-11T16:07:00.003-06:00

Today was a good day. I was sitting in my room after talking to my family on Mothers Day, and I had the idea that I should go to the temple. So I charged my camera and headed down there!

I met this really nice family from N. England who I walked around with and talked to for about an hour. The man was a photographer, so he took some pictures for me!

They close the temple at night and don't let anyone in, but I talked to the security guard and convinced him to let me leave for about 20 minutes and come back when the lights were on! It was so beautiful!

Not a lot to write about today, but I think the pictures speak for themselves. I love the temple and I feel so close to a higher power when I am simply on the grounds. It's amazing!

Oh what do you do?

2008-05-05T15:49:00.002-06:00

Bank holiday weekend. Time off. Kids away. What's a girl to do with lots of spare time and no spare money? I was fortunate today because we had...(drumroll please)... SUNSHINE! It's a novelty around here, which means everyone and their dog (literally) goes out--which makes going anywhere like waiting in line for space mountain at Disneyland. Oh well, I survived. Today I went to the park. And I assure you, it was more exciting than I am letting on. See, March/April is Daffodil season, and there are amazing yellow flowers popping up everywhere...in between cracks, the sides of the road, in the middle of fields...you name it. They are everywhere! Well now it is Bluebell season, and I have been highly anticipating the arrival of these little beauties! I know you may say to yourself, 'how many pictures can someone take of the same flower before it gets old?' Answer: It never gets old! I took so many pictures of bluebells my camera almost exploded. I love this time of year because now everything is turning green...the trees...the rocks...the roads... I guess they call Kent the Garden of England for a reason! The bluebells give a nice contrast to the green, its absolutely stunning.

Well, thats my weekend in a nutshell. The Park. I had an incredible urge to go the the beach today, but unfortunately the traffic was too bad and I didn't have enough time or else I would have, its only a 30 minute drive. I decided to move it onto next weekend's agenda, hopefully it is sunny! If I'm lucky--you will be looking at pictures of the English Channel next week!

a bit.

2008-05-01T12:53:00.005-06:00

As far as things go, it has been a fairly uneventful weekend, much to my disappointment, because it is bank holiday weekend which means we get monday off. And on top of that, the kids are away at cubs camp the entire weekend. I know, I know, I can't believe I didn't go anywhere either!! With non-stop weekend action the past month or so, my travel fund has seen better days...so I am nursing it back to health right now in hopes that I will be able to do a trip with some friends coming up.

Anyways, I promised some videos and I took this one while in an Irish pub. This guy did this show that was supposed to be really good. I hated it. It is about a man who is closing his bar for the last time and basically he goes through pints like nobody's business the whole time he does it. You could say that it was an hour of crude jokes and distasteful songs, but there you have it.

Here comes the sun

2008-04-27T10:01:00.018-06:00

Make Today Tomorrow's Dream
Then it will be a Yesterday worth Remembering

Finally! Some nice weather, t-shirt weather, weather that I don't need a jacket to go out in. It couldn't have been a better day to go to Windsor Castle. I invited Linda (Sarah's Mum) to come with me on my adventures today, and it was nice to have someone to share the experience with! I would have to say that the highlight of the entire day came when we first arrived at Windsor with the intent of seeing the changing of the guard. We were walking up towards the castle and there were so many people lined up on the streets, and we just assumed that it was for the changing. We were wrong in that assumption, and we missed the changing of the guard, and we had no idea what we were even waiting for...but we waited. And turns out, it was so totally worth it. Here is what we saw:

That's right, it's the troops coming home!

It was so good I just had to take a video, because pictures are not sufficient enough to show the emotion that was there. I wish you could see the men's faces. My eyes were leaking tears as I watched these soldiers march down the street in uniform, with the band playing and flags waving. Some of them had tears of their own creeping down their cheeks as they saw the welcoming crowd. I even got to wave a flag, and I must admit that I felt supremely patriotic at that moment. I felt patriotism towards the British soldiers, and felt proud and privileged to be able to be there in that moment holding a flag welcoming home the men who had just returned from a war-torn country, who had faced battle, and some who had paid the price of freedom with their limbs, and other's with their hearts. It was a truly humbling experience, and there were a lot of people like me who could not keep their eyes dry! Linda and I both agreed that seeing the precession was the best part of the day!

Following that we walked up the hill and paid a bone-breaking 15 pounds to see the castle. For goodness sake, they charge so much for everything here! The petrol alone for the drive was 20 pounds, and the parking was 11!! Go ahead, convert that to the US Dollar...(good thing I was splitting this 2 ways or else I probably would have passed out on the pavement, hit my head, and woken up the next day in hospital with a bill and a ticket on my car) Anyways, here are some pictures from the Castle--the favourite home of the Queen.

Check out this tree!! It is a fiery red with yellow and orange to boot, it looks like it belongs in the autumn, not spring. It was my favourite piece of nature I saw there on the grounds, and they were really beautiful.

These guys march all over the grounds, and they never break pace or stop. A few times I saw some people walking absent-mindedly in the direct line of them, and one of the soldiers would shout "Make way for the Queen's Guard!" and people would scramble out of the way sometimes with only seconds to spare before the red-coats squashed them.

St. George's Cathedral, where lies the remains of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, as well as the late Queen Elizabeth and her Husband, along with several other important historical and royal figures. It was cool. And on a side note, I am wearing my new capris, new pink top and new tan top t-jacket, which I bought all on very good sales...and that puts a smile on my face.

It takes me a really long time to upload videos, but I have some pretty good ones from Ireland that I will try and put up here this week so you can see. Hope everyone had a good week and a good weekend! I am trying to figure out where next weeks "adventure" will take me... I am thinking Nottingham and Sherwood forest? or perhaps a day in London? I haven't been to Cardiff... if you have any suggestions or ideas shoot them my way, please. Or maybe we shall just see where the train takes me! Cheers everybody.

Ireland

2008-04-24T02:31:00.026-06:00

I think the best way to describe my trip is through a picture tour, so...scroll down and visit my favorite spots in Ireland!

THE CLIFFS OF MOHER

The tower overlooking the cliffs--wow.

They have these signs all over...to stop people from, you know, hurling themselves from the cliffs.

Yes, we went past that sign and stood on the edge of the world! It was great...and scary...and amazing!

Me and my friend Sarah from Australia.

Not quite sure about this one...but it shows you just how right-on-the-edge we were!

Sarah is a good photographer.

DRIVING & LITTLE COUNTRYSIDE ATTRACTIONS

This is our minibus that caught the eye of everyone we passed...I mean, how could it not? The bright green stands out for sure, and the clearly labeled "Paddywagon" with a big leprechaun head kinda makes people point and laugh at you when you are driving through town. On the upside, it was always easy to spot when it was amongst other tour buses at all the hot spots.

During the famine they made starving people build these walls of rocks just so they could have work to do to earn money.

We drove along this tiny, curvy, bumpy coastal road along the western shores of Ireland, It was a beautiful ride!

Views from the drive

We stopped at Corcomroe Abbey, which still has 12th century Spanish graffiti on the walls. Super Cool.

This is the Rock of Cashel, where supposedly St. Patrick himself was converted to Christianity in the 5th Century AD.

BLARNEY CASTLE

Going down to kiss the stone... You have to hold down and bend backwards to get to it!

Kissing the Stone! I now have the gift of the Gab. Yes. I'll talk your ear off.

The grounds of the castle, they were so beautiful!! It is so easy to see how stories of ferries and leprechauns and other mythical creatures came about when wandering in a place like this. I half expected tiny winged people to come sprouting out of the ground myself! It was magical.

Witches stone cause it looks like the face of a witch...?

The wishing steps! Make a wish while closing your eyes and walking backwards down them, and in a year your wish will come true. I'm counting down the days!

She snapped my picture right as I was saying "right, ok, I have my wish!"

Sarah walked behind me to make sure I didn't crash! And there were two other girls from Philadelphia that took pictures for us.

The tour ended on Sunday around 5:00. It was somewhat of a relief actually because our bus driver/tour guide was a little off her rocker that third day. She woke up an hour and a half late, after being out until 5:30am drinking. Everyone on the bus was sure she was still intoxicated after about the 3rd curb she hit. What can I say, she was Irish.

Sunday night was nice because i just chilled. I didn't really go out at night because as we drove back into the city our driver pointed out all the places we should really stay away from especially at night because they were a bit dodgy. And if she thought they were dodgy, I was definitely staying far, far away. Problem is that these areas were quite close to the main streets and I could see myself, while looking around, easily walking into these drug dealing zones. Besides, there comes a certain time of the night in Ireland where everyone is so drunk anyways, it's not fun anymore. So it was an early, stay in and chill night for me. It was cool though because it let me relax some of the tension that had been building in me all day riding in that bus...

Monday, I met up with Sarah to go to Kilmainham Gaol (Jail). It was probably the most worth-while thing I did while in Dublin. I learned a lot about the history of the death penalty, and a time in Ireland where people really struggled to be free. Any resistance was taken to the jail and shot or hung by public execution. People were starving so badly because of the potato famine that they would commit crimes just to be put in Kilmainham so they could get a guaranteed meal. Because no matter how bad the food was in there, it was better than having no food at all outside of it. Ok, enough with the history lesson. More pictures!

The exercise yard, where prisoners would have to walk with their heads down in a single file circle for one hour every day.

One of the prisoners painted this one the wall after they executed her husband.

After the jail, I went to Trinity College which is one of the oldest colleges in the world, and it houses the book of kells which I saw, and the long library. No photos were allowed, which is too bad because it was all pretty cool.

I did some more sight seeing/wandering later that day before heading off to the airport to catch my flight.

the Guinness Storehouse...

The Famous Temple Bar!

Of course. They had Adds like this for the black stuff everywhere!

Well, That's my trip in a nutshell! It was so much fun and I had a really great time...and I had no problem getting back into the country! woot! Look out for more exciting stuff this weekend when I take a day trip to Windsor Castle with Linda--weather permitting!

So Far...

2008-04-19T01:36:00.008-06:00

Ok so I have been in Ireland for about 2 days now, and I find myself with extra time to kill at a hostel in Galway and an internet connection. What better thing to do than update my blog? So I arrived in Dublin Thursday evening, it was supposed to be afternoon but my flight was delayed... so I spent precious Dublin time sitting at the airport. I spent the remainder of the evening walking around O'Connell Street, trying to find somewhere cheap to eat, and some cool sights to see. Turns out, the entire society from what I can tell is based on Guinness, Ireland's own beer. People spend money to come to Ireland and get wasted. Anyways, here are a few pictures of my first day.

Statue of O'Connell himself, at the bottom of O'Connell street.

O'Connell bridge

This monument was erected in 2000 for the millennium, it is enormous, and underneath it is buried a time capsule. It is called the "stiffy on the Liffy" by the locals. The Liffy, for those that don't know, is the river running through Dublin.

Sunset on the Liffy

Yesterday I was really looking forward to starting the tour, and seeing a bit of the country outside the beer city. Our first stop of the day was at a place called Clonmacnois, which was founded in the 6th century by St Ciaran, the monastery became a great centre of learning and many famous manuscripts were written here, including the Book of Dun Cow written in the 12th century. Amongst the many remains at Clonmacnois are two complete High Crosses plus the remains of another. It was a pretty cool place to see! Here are some pictures of it

Perhaps I shouldn't look so happy amongst gravestones...

Ruins of the monistary

We arrived in Galway around 2:00 yesterday afternoon, and basically just had the rest of the day to kill in this city. I actually think I prefer Galway to Dublin (from what I have seen so far) but only because it has quaint little shops and the buildings are colorful and cute. I appreciate cute buildings.

Well, that's all for now, maybe I will get the chance to post before I get home, but if not I will definitely put up more pictures when I get home!

Hello, Goodbye

2008-04-14T17:02:00.009-06:00

It's crunch time for me, yes I am realizing what a short while I have left here in England, and thus trying to fill every weekend with maximum activity. This past weekend was the kids' last days of their Easter Break (even though easter was what like a month ago!) so I went with the family to Centerparcs. It was so nice to break away for a few days and enjoy the woods and adventure that nature has to offer--but first things first. On the way up to CenterParcs, we stopped in at Cambridge University, and it was absolutely amazing. It opened my eyes a little bit to how the 'other half' live, you know, the incredibly bright substantially rich folks. It was incredible! I never in my life thought I would visit the campus of such a prestigious university where great minds like Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, Rutherford, and Tennyson studied. What an incredible place to be!

This is the mathematical bridge, supposedly designed by sir Issac Newton to be able to hold itself up without any screws or bolts--but a group of students took it apart and could not reassemble it without supports.

The punts on the river!

After Cambridge, we stayed in a Travelodge nearby for the first night before heading to Centerparcs the next morning. Gems and I shared a hotel room...

We had fun :)

The next morning we arrived at our nice little villa deep in the backwoods of Elveden forest. Ask me to describe that in one word? Fantastic.

The serenity of the woods takes to my soul the same way the fresh sea air does, and it makes me feel rejuvenated and free! It was so beautiful.

These pretty little white flowers were popping up on the trees everywhere.

Sunday morning I went on a horse back riding excursion, my one splurge for the trip. I got to ride good ol' Lee pictured here with me, and we were able to actually run through Elveden forest. I kind of felt like I was being splashed onto the set of Lord of the Rings...minus the goofy hat and lack of costume.

They had a little wildlife observatory overlooking a spot where they found evidence of people like 12,000 years ago. These lovely, singing yellow birds would always come quite close to get the food--they were my favorite!

CenterParcs is great because there is so many activities available to you--providing you have the funds to cover them all--and even if you don't (me) you can still enjoy the peaceful surroundings and biking in the woods. You see, except from designated times on designated days (2x per week) Cars are not allowed into the Park. So everyone was on bikes! The whole place is catered towards cyclists, so it's really easy getting around and navigating, and the kids really enjoy the freedom of the wheels. I wish we had some place like this in Utah... I think it would be a big hit!

And as I said before, it is definitely crunch time for me, which means that this weekend I am am headed off for a very fun, potentially rainy weekend touring Dublin and Ireland! I'm so excited, and you can look for a post from me next week following my return to real life on Tuesday!