Promises...

I don't take any credit for the tree. It isn't how i would have liked it but I delegated and didn't micromanage when it was done.

I like to think of myself as an artist. I have no real artistic abilities, however, i can get an image of a room with decorations in my head and make something that turns out (hopefully) good.

It usually take the help of others to get the outcome of what my vision consists of; this garland took many hands and those of: Hannah, Michael, and Rocio. One of my finest visions, a tall sign in table, wasn't engineered alone, thanks bRAD.

Thanks to santa I can now take pictures on my very own camera!!! I think the fireplace picture turned out amazing.

True Happiness

As a young single adult, one might think of me as love-less. However, I have fallen in love in my life and I still have a place in my heart reserved for that love. We were together for a time but it has been many years since we have been together. (It is mostly my fault, as mentioned earlier, I moved out of the country.) I am holding out all hope that during this holiday season, we can find each other again.

The Beautiful and I

The More Reserved Side


True personality coming out


Ridiculous and ugly friends

I set out on a quest to find my love and come to a state of peace and joy in my life. I have only been able to find others that on the outside look alike but can't be compared to the beautiful. Nothing will ever match up, I'll never be able to find one who compares to the original!!! Oh no!!!

An obvious FRAUD

If anyone has seen the source of my happiness please fill me in on where to find it again.

Eggs

I served a mission for my church. I spent a year and a half in Brasil teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Part of a mission is to be fed by others. We were assigned one family a day to eat lunch with. However, for breakfast and dinner, we either fended for ourselves or thanks to the Brasilian culture, if we were in someone’s house when they had food, it was a given that we'd get some. In the U.S. we can get away with saying, "I just ate", or "I'm fasting", or even "no thanks". However, in Brasil, there’s no way. If you are offered food, you eat it. And all of it.

Well, if I eat eggs I get sick. I think to a degree I am allergic to the little devils. (Deviled eggs, yuck) But I can eat cookies that have egg in them, so my allergy must be some sort of case-by-case allergy. In my dad's opinion, it is all in my head. But for real, I get a stomach ach if I eat scrambled eggs (good bye breakfast burritos [sad day]), sunny side up eggs (no breakfast sandwiches), fried eggs (the most common in brasil, even used as an entre for meals when meat is too expensive), pouched (I’ve actually never eaten), and even the boiled egg (no potato salad!!! I love potato salad but most everyone puts eggs cut up into it!! WRETCHED).

On mentioned mission, I told everyone I was allergic to eggs. I made sure that the word was spread far and wide in order to avoid any incidents with upset people. (I wanted to say the same about fish because I hate fish but didn't feel I could because I don't have any adverse reactions to fish.) So, was I lying as a missionary of the Lord? I never felt so. If you won't let me politely tell you I don't like eggs I have got to step it up and make my point clear by telling you it is an allergy, albeit undiagnosed.

My real point today is that I hate eggs. However, it feels as if there is one attached to me at all times. This is what my brain is:

A fried egg!!!




Bring on Christmas Vacation

There's one Bakers dozen I love!!!

A bakers dozen is so stupid in my opinion. I mean we have a dozen, which is 12. Why have a bakers dozen? Which supposedly is 13, however, it shouldn't even exist. In our culture we will use this word "dozen" in order to put a number on any given item. But, come on, has anyone ever used a bakers dozen? It is longer to say that than to just say thirteen.

Well, there is one bakers dozen that I love. I never knew I could love a bakers dozen, but it happened. There are 13 young women that I work with that I am so proud of!!! We had an evening of excellence a few weeks ago and I got to know them better and was completely impressed with each and every one of them. Here are some pictures of these pieces of art...

The best worst invention ever!!!

There are many times one needs to use glitter.

Such times may include; puppet making, Christmas card making, child entertaining, and many more that can be left to the imagination.

The negative side of glitter though is that it isn't convenient. You need to find regular glue, not a glue stick, I mean we are in the 21st century who even has Elmer's glue? Once the glue is found it then needs to be spread, causing a mess. Then, apply the glitter which requires actually a lot more glitter than desired just so that it gets over all desired regions of the project. After that is applied one needs to have an area to shake off any excess glitter and figure out how to not waist the extra glitter and fit it all back into the small whole provided in the container of glitter for the glitter to fall out of, obviously not to go back into in order to conserve.

















When GLITTER GLUE came out, I thought the world was about to end because it was too good to be true. I mean it would cut out all the tedious stages and move strait from start to finish without the hassle.

HA!!!

If it actually worked how it has potential to, it would change my world. However, it has only made me more frustrated than the old fashioned way. The glitter glue never can be used after a first use because it gets all plugged. It also is very hard to manipulate where you need it. Then this supposed god send takes three times longer to dry than regular glue with regular glitter.

Maybe I should steer clear of any tipe of glitter because it obviously doesn't do me nor my stress level any good.

fer

What's "fer" dinner?

I'm going to the zoo "fer" the day.

What you doing that "fer"?

What's that look "fer"?

Did we need a works cited "fer" that paper?

What are you getting her "fer" Christmas?

I've been sick "fer" the past three days?

The phones "fer" you.

I know I am a culprit of saying this myself. But why do we do it? Is it an Arizona thing? It sounds like we have thrown one word from the southern drawl into our accent. If one why not all, or if just one why any at all?

Do you use "fer"?

TIA!!!




You pretty much can't get cuter than this!!!

Rachel Is 1 Month Old!!!

Christmas all over my hands!!!

We all know that I love Christmas. Always have, always will.

(Oh, The dreaded day before...the anxiety!)

It makes me happy. There are not many times when I can say that I am truly happy, one hundred percent, no disillusions, just happy. That may sound like I am a un happy person, however, if you look at your life you can be happy many times but to be unadulteratedly happy is different and is far less common. This happiness comes to me at christmas time.

(Really, does it look like there could be a happier girl in the world?)

This is why I love Christmas. I can be unadulteratedly happy.

(The festivities are getting started and you can see it in my face.)

Thinking of the sacrifice that Christ made for me and the abounding love that He has for me makes me feel...warm, full, and cozy inside. I love being able to listen to Christmas music that celebrates Christ's life and love for us.
(Come on mom, how did you let me wear that?)

This is also a time in my life that I have been able to see, physically, the love that my family has for me. My family isn't the most outgoing when it comes to mushy stuff. No hugs or kisses. "I love you" is very seldom to be stated. We just don't do those endearing acts because it is a given fact; I love you. Why say it? So, during Christmas when we get to think about each other in a more personal way, thinking of things that hold special meaning one to another, makes me see with an outward gesture that my family loves and appreciates me.

These are just two small reasons that I love Christmas and Love this soap that makes me have Christmas all over my hands when ever I want, anytime of the year.

"...starving children in Africa..."

I remember always hearing "you are wasting that food when there are starving children in this world ?"



That is the the reason I don't like left-overs. They make me feel guilty. I feel guilt of throwing them out in the first place so, I keep them. Then after they have completely turned rancid in the fridge, I feel horrid that I didn't eat them. But, I am not responsible for any cooking at this point in my life (yeah college life) so I am technically off the hook.

Poor Poor Poor Mothers!!!

I for one am glad that I am not a mother.

What the heck would I do with all those left-overs? I don't like left-overs (with the exception of restaurant left-overs). I don't like inventions made out of left-overs. I don't like to feel guilty for eating something new when there are more than a dozen Tupperware bowls filled with leftovers. And, the worst part of left-overs, is that when one decides to throw out everything in those looming tupperwares, the garbage smells so so so bad and sometimes is even leaky!!! YUCK!!!




I will leave the left-overs to all the mothers in the world and hope that I will never have to deal with them...

Waste not...want not!!!

"You know how much happier we'd all be if we just learned how to love lotion?"

Pretty much the best quote ever.

But really, lets take a deeper look at this; who loves lotion?

Babies
Dermatologist
Massage therapists
Rich people (who get it applied to them frequently in by the above mentioned lotion lovers)

As we can see, those whom love lotion can be placed into a catagory of "happy".

Look at babies, they just eat, sleep, poop, and get held all day long... recipe for a happy day.

Dermatologist, they get payed way too much to do nothing at all, they don't even have to get their hand dirty or perform any sort of hard labor. If I made that kind of money and had that job description, I'd be happier.

Massage therapists, always rubbing people, always working with soothing music and lighting, not having to talk to others as you work... happy.

Rich people who get massages all the time, can be nothing but happy.

So, I full heartedly agree with Christina who said the above mentioned quote. I know I can use a few happiness points in my life, so maybe I should start loving lotion.

Them Dutch, they're ahead of their time!!!

Maybe I wouldn't HATE school now if I had learned this earlier...

POLDER, not boulder, or folder, or shoulder but POLDER!!!

(Brown area=polder)

As I sat watching 6 hours of lecture on my very favorite black computer, TIBBER,

I was enlightened to a new fact. The definition and explanation of a polder. At the start of the 11th century, the dutch found them selves in a plight. Too many people and not enough land. What are they going to do? Well, remember in the bible how at different times there was destruction and many of the lands were sunk into the water? Well, them dutch remembered that too. In fact they thought it wasn't fair that such a thing would happen to such a good piece of land so they resurrected said lands. They made all sorts of ingenious inventions to make the water drain off the land so they could make use of such a valuable resource. Canals are used widely to take water away, also with windmills to keep unwanted water out, and the use/construction of dikes to make the city higher and further away from the water they are avoiding. How could I have gone all my life and not known of this amazing thing known as a POLDER???? Have you ever heard of it? If not, I hope I have opened your eyes to the amazing things that can happen. I however, would never live on such land. I mean if God sunk it once, who's to say he won't do it again?

Selfish Son of a . . .

On most all accounts, I don't consider myself selfish. (Nor Humble). But lets delve into the topic a little more. . .

self⋅ish
–Adjective
1. Devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
2. Characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives


self⋅less
–Adjective
Having little or no concern for oneself, esp. with regard to fame, position, money, etc.; unselfish.


Looking at these two definitions, I can truly state that more than 80% of the time my motives are selfLESS. (That number would be higher but one must take into consideration sleep time is selfish {although not always, I am such a beast when I am tired that sometimes it is a favor to those around me}, shopping, movies. You know, the things that keep one sane.)

However, there is one topic in my life that I know I am selfish about and I can't help myself. . . My best friend. She lives in Canada but will occasionally visit. While she is here, I want to monopolize all of her time, making her spend time with me. Helping me with life, going on ddp runs, empathizing with me, and really anything that entails being together. It kind of sounds a little stockerish but she is my best friend and closest confidant so I have to take advantage of the few days we get together.

(Our first out-of-highschool road trip to Disney Land)

Her last trip here was no different; however, we had an excuse to actually spend more time together. We were both painstakingly working on a project that turned out just as it should have: two people consenting in their nuptial ties. This left many of her family a little begrudged by the lack of attention to them. For this, I am sorry to cause strife, however, not sorry that the time was spent with me.

(A carriage ride through central Park)

So, the fact that my heart breaks every time she goes home and I just wish she could stay here, is that selfish of me? I mean, I know she has her priorities and number one is her husband (whom I love and appreciate for freely sharing her with me on occasion) as it should be and I would never ask her to leave him and come back but if they both ever considered coming to live here together, I would be the number one supporter of that idea.

(An eventful day of findings in Hoboken New Jersey.)

However, I feel so selfish for thinking that because she needs to live her life, strengthen her roots in her new town, gain new friendships, and move on with her life. But to even think of her moving on and not including me in her future life kills me.

So, I will not increase my percentage of selflessness because I will never stop hoping that my best friend will one day live close again. But I should lose some selfish points because I would truly do ANY thing for her.

Black...Everything!!!
{No this is not a racial slur!}

What the heck!!! How does one get black circles that start above the eye and work themselves down under the eye. They are called "black circles UNDER your eyes". Never have I heard, "over" ones eyes. But, they exist, I am the proof.






Spray paint under ones nails to leave them black.






This next one you might not know what it is. It is one of the many black and blue bruises that I received from lugging bags and other items on my arms. You might think that means I am a sissy but you wouldn't believe how many bags and junk I have lugged the past few days with just my short little forearms to help me. Poor little guys.




And, who the heck knows what is all jumbled up on my feet?