I Have The Wrong Name!

I am sure that everyone has been called by the wrong name on several occasions. Sometimes you get called a sibling's name, a friend's name, a name that sounds like yours, or the name of someone who looks like you. But have you ever been consistently called by the same name, that is not yours and sounds nothing like yours? I have! There is one main name that I am very frequently called. It's pretty funny how many times and how many different people have made the mistake.... and with the same name. So now you are all wondering which name it is, right? Or maybe you already know, because apparently I look very much like the name. I asked Rachel which name she thought I got called a lot, and she got it on her very first guess!

So drum roll please.... the name I am constantly mistaken for is..... Jessica! Sounds just like Stephanie, right? Uh, no. Luckily I like the name Jessica and I am not constantly called a name I think is ugly. And it doesn't really bother me that people get my name wrong because I know that remembering names is hard. It just really intrigues me that everyone calls me the SAME wrong name. You might think I am exaggerating, but let me share some examples...

It mostly started in middle school, and for very understandable reasons. My best friend's name was Jessica and we had all 7 classes together(completely a coincidence, we didn't plan it that way.) So since we spent so much time together, it was understandable for teachers to get us mixed up. But there were times when we had seats on the opposite side of the room and teachers didn't even know we were best friends yet, and we would still get mixed up. The funny thing was we didn't even look a like. She was blond hair, blue eyes.... and I was brown hair, hazel eyes. In our science class that we were partners for, the teacher would alternately call us by our first and last names so we had even more names to be mixed up. I learned to respond to four different names... my first name, my last name, her first name, and her last name.

Then High School came and we kind of went our separate ways. Since I wasn't hanging out with her all the time anymore I didn't think it would happen anymore, but I was very wrong. We had one class together in High School, and that was French class. We got to choose french names to be called in the class, and that was sometimes what we wrote on our papers and sometimes we wrote our regular names. Since my name is french I just got to keep the same name. But I was instead called by Jessica's name, or Jessica's french name. The same thing happened in our french class the next year. I don't think she ever went a class period without calling me the wrong name.

But I had several other things like this happen to me even when I wasn't in the same class or place as her. I remember a math class I had when the teacher was handing something back and she was calling Jessica to come pick it up. She kept calling the name, and finally I looked up and said "Are you talking to me? My name is not Jessica." The teacher was really perplexed as to why she'd been calling me Jessica, but it was definitely not the first time. And there wasn't even another Jessica in the class to get me mixed up with.

As this has happened to me on numerous occasions I have come to realize that it wasn't just the person Jessica that I got confused with.... I must really look like a Jessica. At a summer camp daycare that I worked at, one of the 4th graders that I was the counselor for would call me Jessica half the time, despite my frequent reminders that it wasn't my name. And there was no other Jessica working at the summer camp. Just last night, someone who was playing on the intramural soccer team with me was trying to remember my name. When she said "it's Jessica, right?" I just had to laugh. Mom and Dad, I guess you named me the wrong name...

"Yeeeah, I live for little moments, like that...." and more Brad Paisley adventures...

Saturday night, while everyone else was hiking to the BYU football game, I was headed the other direction to Salt Lake City to go to the Brad Paisley concert. I had bought the tickets to the concert before I knew that the first BYU home football game was on the same night. But I wasn't going to miss my opportunity to see the wonderful Brad Paisley live, and I wasn't going to waste the money I spent on the tickets. It was with a little pang of sadness at seeing everyone all decked out in blue and excited for the first home game that I left town... but it was definitely worth it. And as it turned out, I didn't miss much of a game. So in faithful little jeepy with Rachel at the wheel, we headed off for the concert...



The two openers for the concert were Jimmy Wayne and Dierks Bentley and they both did a great job. But of course, the best part was Brad Paisley!

I love silhouettes!

As it seems is a pattern for my concert experiences, there was some rain....


Brad Paisley put on a really good concert. He was funny, fun, entertaining, and he sang a big variety of songs. One of the things that I love about him is that he sings really funny songs (i.e. I'm Still a Guy, Celebrity, Online, Me Neither, many more...) that are so hilarious, clever, and fun. But then he also sings beautiful, meaningful songs (i.e. Then, Letter to Me, He Didn't Have to Be, When I Get Where I'm Going, etc...) that really touch your heart. He has such a great variety of songs, and it was really evident in the concert. Also, I really admire his character. For all the fame and glory he has had, he has really been able to stay down-to-earth. He has not been caught up in the many temptations of stardom and the tabloids are not full of scandalous stories about him. He is aware of all the unnecessary hype surrounding stars, as he writes about in his song "Celebrity." Basically he is just a solid guy who loves his wife and kids, who also happens to be talented with a guitar and write great songs...

~ I'm an Aunt!! ~

This morning at 5:02 a.m. Hyrum Edward Skidmore was born! He is 8 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long. I am so happy for Brad and Jet and so happy to have a little addition to our family. I remember clearly all the moments that led up to now....when they told us that Jet was expecting... when we found out that they were going to have a boy... looking at ultrasound pictures... helping Jet pick out baby clothes....and feeling little Hyrum kick in Jet's stomach. I can't wait until I will be able to see him and hold him. To have his little hand wrap around one of my fingers and be able to look at his perfect little face. Until then, I will just have to look at pictures. But even they capture his beauty and perfection:

Hyrum Edward Skidmore

The new family.....Brad, Jet, and Hyrum

When I first saw this picture I almost cried. His face is just so peaceful and innocent. I can't help but think of how recently he left his Heavenly Father. He is still so perfect and innocent! Also, I have to marvel at the miracle of life. It is so amazing what two people could create together. I am so excited to see where his life goes and everything that he will experience and accomplish. So for the first time ever, I am an aunt! Yeah!

Everyone Just Wants To Be Loved...

So I have always been fascinated by relationships. Primarily guy-girl relationships, but family relationships/friendships/etc as well. That is a large part of the reason I want to be a marriage and family therapist. The entire line of work is based around improving relationships.

I have had this interest ever since I was a little girl. I clearly remember all the imaginitive games I would make up to play (usually by myself since I had all brothers and for some reason they didn't want to play house and princess. I can't figure out why not...). My favorite part of my little games was creating the relationships between the characters. I always had the main character (me, of course) an established set of friends, family, and of course...romantic interest. I would do the same thing when I played with barbies, paper dolls, legos, etc. I always prefered the 'people' toys because I enjoyed giving each of them a personality and relationships. And I was always interested in the love stories or other relationship stories in the movies and books that I read. Not that there were a lot of them in my house, seeing as we were a very male dominated household. But, not to worry, one day when I was older I discovered chick flicks and I have been hooked since.... :)

I know that a lot of people do not understand the love that me and numerous other females have for chick flicks. I have heard the many complaints by guys. Most commonly heard.....'Chick flicks are so predictable. They are all the same: boy meets girl, they don't get along at first, boy and girl fall in love, there is a misunderstanding that threatens to ruin relationship, boy and girl overcome misunderstanding and live happily ever after.' I am not claiming that chick flicks are not predictable or similar in story line. However, as I have explained to many people...it is not the end of the movie that is so wonderful or unique... rather, it is the journey. The entire process of how the two people fall in love and overcome their differences and misunderstandings is what I love. It is not so much what happens, but how it happens. And every couple, both in real life and in movies, has their own unique journey and story.

So I guess that relationships are sort of always in the back of my mind. I have a tendency to watch and observe people in their interactions with other people. Just ask Brianne about the time we went to a basketball game together....She was watching the game and I was watching the people who were watching the game. I tried really heard to pay attention, but the people in the stands were so much more fascinating! I am a Behavioral Science major, I have an excuse.....right??

Anyways, relationships have been on my mind even more than usual recently for various reasons. First of all, I am taking a marriage/relationship class for my major, which is really interesting. Also, last night I was with a group of people and someone wanted advice on something with a girl so he told us the entire story of their dating and break-up. The story led to a discussion about relationships, etc. And then today, when I came home from school, my roommate was watching "27 Dresses." I love that movie and it always gets me thinking and talking about things. After the movie, we had a big discussion about the quality of the relationship in this movie and how two imperfect people are made better through their interactions with eachother. (Yes, our watching chick flicks together usually results in a big dicussion)

The best thing about relationsips...everyone has them. Whether you are a husband, girlfriend, sister, father, friend...they are all important. Some people claim to not want relationships because it opens you up to the possibility of getting hurt badly. There is no denying that. But I also know that it is worth all the risk and sacrifice. There is nothing better in the world than to love and be loved in return. I came across a line in the book for my marriage/relationship class that really stuck with me. It is particularly relevent now, at a time when people are doubting marriage and family and many other good things in the world:

"All the cynicism of the world cannot smother the fire that burns in each of us for connection at the deepest levels of our heart and soul."

On that note... :)

So I have joined the world of blogging...

I have always had two main things that have kept me from making a blog. First, I didn't know how to do it and didn't want to try to figure it out.....enter Kylie! Second, I didn't think anyone would want to read about the what is happening in my life. But I realized that I really enjoy hearing or reading the random stories, thoughts, opinions, and insights of other people. So maybe other people feel the same way. Also....one of my favorite quotes by Richard Paul Evans says, "Rarely do we invest the time to open the book of another's life. When we do, we are usually suprised to find its cover misleading and its reviews so flawed." I have always had an interest in learning peoples' stories and what makes them who they are. Blogging is another way to do that, so hence the title "Open the book of another's life." So hopefully I will get to know a little more about people and they can get to know me as well!