STEPHANIE

Books Read in 2011

2011-12-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is my list of books read in 2011. I really liked this idea of keeping a record, and I plan on continuing it. This year I have really expanded my previous reading material and have read many different kinds of books and really liked doing so. My book taste has been much more eclectic as I have read fiction, non fiction, young adult novels, historical fiction, dystopian, fantasy, memoirs, fairy tale retellings, paranormal, inspirational, and holiday. I plan on continuing to expand my reading material this next year and I already have more books than I can read planned for next year. I am sure the list will only get longer. Here is the list of the books I have read this year in order:

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
2. Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman
3. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
4. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
5. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
6. Pretties by Scott Westerfield
7. Before My Heart Stops: a Memoir by Paul Cardall
8. Specials by Scott Westerfield
9. Extras by Scott Westerfield
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth
11. Between Shades of Gray by Rupta Sepetys
12. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
13. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
14. Possession by Elana Johnson
15. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
16. Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans
17. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
18. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
19. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
20. Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans
21. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson
22. The Giver by Lois Lowry (reread)
23. Entwined by Heather Dixon
24. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
25. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
26. Steel by Carrie Vaughn
27. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
28. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
29. Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories, anthology edited by Meagan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
30. Matched by Ally Condie (reread)
31. Variant by Robison Wells
32. Lost December by Richard Paul Evans
33. Crossed by Ally Condie
34. The Battle of Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
35. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
36. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
37. Legend by Marie Lu
38. The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (reread)
39. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
40. Gathering Christmas by Larry R Laycock
41. The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke

*I am currently in the middle of reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis , so that will be on next year's list

Almost all of the books I have read this year I have really liked, some of them I loved! Here are pictures of some of my favorites from this year:

Samuel wanted to include his little list of books he read this year as well. He was very proud:
1. The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Day by Cornelius Ryan
2. Calvin and Hobbes: Weirdos From Another Planet by Bill Watterson
3. Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders (He had almost finished this one before he misplaced it, so he will finish it once he finds it again)
4. The Kolob Theorem by Lynn M Hilton (Half of it, he still needs to finish the rest)
5. Massacre at Mountain Meadows by Ronald W Walker and others

I hope you all found some good books to read this year as well!

Christmases Past

2011-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

With Christmas coming in only a week, I am thinking of memories of past Christmases. We have had some good times!

My brothers on my first Christmas

Yes, I am the camel. And Jeff is the wiseman. He made me give him a ride on to the stage.

Santa came to our house!

We had a lot of fun building this

Snow football!

Enacting the Nativity Story

Helping Hyrum go through his stocking

Samuel met my family last Christmas and some of us went caving

Christmas Eve last year

Festival of Trees!

2011-12-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Samuel took me on a surprise date to the Festival of Trees. I loved it! It is an event where you can go see a ton of decorated Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, wreaths, centerpieces, etc. People had donated them and they had been auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to the Primary Children's Hospital. There were also other activities and food which, along with the entrance fee, donated money to the hospital. It was a great idea by Samuel because I loved it! I love Christmas and I love things done in a theme like many of the trees or gingerbread houses were so it was great. Also I loved that everything went to charity. Many of the trees were donated to family members who had died or had been patients at the children's hospital and had pictures by the tree which was really cool to see. Samuel said that last year they made over a million dollars. We spent several hours looking at everything and ate some caramel apples and coconut macaroons.

Here are pictures of some of the Christmas trees we liked:

Beauty and the Beast tree!

I thought the men in my family would like this Trail to Eagle tree

Harry Potter tree

This was one of my favorites: a "Tangled" themed tree!
They had all the little details from the movie, I loved it!

Samuel liked this emergency preparedness tree titled "Prepare for Santa"

Snoopy tree

Based on the movie "Up!"

"Master Carpenter" tree

The gingerbread houses were so awesome to look at it! I took the time to look at each and every one. Here are some of the many that we liked:

The Weasley's Burrow from Harry Potter

I loved the Rapunzel's Tower from "Tangled"!

This one didn't even look like it was made of gingerbread, super impressive!

This one shows scouts out shoveling the snow, I thought my dad would like it!

We took a picture of this one for Hyrum because he loves Lightning McQueen and Mater

Loved the cute farm

"Madagascar" themed

I really liked this one!

The house from "Up!"

Samuel liked this one...haha

There were a lot of musical and dance performances:

I was so amazed at people's talent and creativity. And it was great that they could use it to raise money for the children's hospital!

Samuel loves Penguins

We had a great time!

Gratitude Week Part 4

2011-11-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

This will be the last post in my series of gratitude post. Samuel and I were both so grateful this past week for a visit from the family. It was such a fun Thanksgiving break as we had lots of quality time with the family. Today the apartment seemed so quiet without everyone here and we both commented on how the day after everyone leaves is so sad. It was a lot of fun for us to host everyone at our place even though it is pretty small. We were grateful that people were willing to hang out in our small apartment and cook dinner in our small kitchen. It was great to have Brad, Jet, and their boys Hyrum and Benson spend the nights in our apartment and get even more time with them! We kept busy during the week with hiking the Y, cooking lots of food, playing ultimate frisbee, shopping, playing games, Skyping with Greg and Kristen, and having lots of laughs and fun moments. We are sad it is over because we aren't sure yet when the next time we will see them will be, but we are grateful for all the memories we made. And also, for the leftovers they left in our fridge :).

Gratitude Week Part 3

2011-11-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

I know that I have not been consistent in writing my gratitude blog posts, but I have been so busy this week having fun with my family that has been in town(which I am grateful for!). So I want to finish it out with a couple other posts today.

I am grateful for the kids in my family and all the joy that they bring. I have two awesome nephews from Brad and Jet...

... and another one on the way from Greg and Kristen(they are not finding out whether it is a boy or a girl ahead of time)

Kids bring such a unique dimension to the family and they are so fun to have around! Samuel and I both really enjoyed spending time with the Hyrum and Benson this week. It was neat to have them staying at our apartment with us and getting to spend even more time with them. We had fun with them while feeding the ducks, hiking "Y" mountain, playing cars, playing "My Raff" with Hyrum's stuffed giraffe and so much more. And we are very excited to meet Greg and Kristen's baby next year and to have a great addition to the family!

Gratitude Week Part 2

2011-11-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

Another thing that I have been especially grateful for recently is my family-in-law. I first met Samuel's parents last Thanksgiving when I went home with him. Even before I met them, Samuel's parents immediatly welcomed me in to the family and made me feel cared about. And they have only continued to make me feel welcome and special since that first trip. It could have been easy to have blended in with the two other daughter-in-laws that joined their family within months before and after me, but I think that they are very good at making each individual person feel unique and special in their family. I am also very grateful to know all of Samuel's siblings. This past summer was a lot of fun with all of the many things we got to do with his siblings who lived in town. I really got to know them all personally and we had a lot of good times. Going back to Seattle and getting to spend time with the siblings in Washington has been great as well. They all have something unique and great that they add to a really wonderful family. With the holiday season approaching I am especially grateful for this since we will always be switching off which family we spend the holidays with. Even when I am not spending it with the family I grew up with, I still know that it will be great because being with them feels like being with family.

Gratitude Week Part 1

2011-11-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

In this week leading up to Thanksgiving I want to take some time to write about some things that I am grateful for. There are SO many things I could talk about, but I will just be highlighting a few.

In the past few years, months, and especially this semester, I have been especially grateful for my parents. It seems that the more I learn about parenting and other people's experiences, the more I realize how good of a job my parents did at the world's hardest job. I feel bad for my immature times when I would notice their faults despite how few they had. I have been so grateful for these past months when my parents have been able to come visit us and spend time with us, including this week for Thanksgiving! I am also grateful for how openly they have accepted Samuel into our family and how they have made it such an easy transition. I have also realized that I am becoming more and more like my mom as I go through life's stages and if I become anywhere near as good a mom as her I will be happy!

Holidays

2011-10-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have always liked celebrating holidays. In middle school I used to try to decorate my bedroom for each of the holidays, but there is only so much you can do in a little bedroom. But now that I am married and we have a place of our own, it is much easier and much more fun! The day after my birthday I came home from work to find that Samuel had surprised me by decorating the whole front room with Halloween decorations. He did a very good job and was very thorough. It is really hard to get a picture of the whole apartment, but here are my attempts:

Kylie had given me the trick-or-treat plaque in the picture above for my birthday so it was cool that Samuel could find a home for it so quickly. It has been a lot of fun to have the decorations up for the couple weeks leading up to Halloween.

Last week we had hot chocolate and carved jack-o-lanterns with our friends and neighbors Pete and Dani and it was a lot of fun.

Our pumpkins are all on the steps in front of our apartment in a nice little pumpkin family.

Last night we had a Halloween party and had some of our friends and family over. These are the Halloween treats I made:

Apples for bobbing, candy bowl, orange drink, ghost cookies, and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

We have been getting a lot of good use out of the orange dishes my mom bought for the wedding. And the cake platter/punch bowl that Becky gave us as well:

Samuel really wanted to have an apple bobbing contest and so we did and it was fun. The girls did a lot better than the boys though :)

We have done some other things to celebrate Halloween as well, like making Halloween crafts at a relief society activity, making Halloween cookies and other treats, etc. It has been fun and I am excited for all the other holidays coming up as well. Especially Christmas! I love Christmas season!! And it is definitely the most fun to decorate for. We are hoping to find a little mini Christmas tree we can put up if they aren't too expensive. And I already have ideas for other decorations swimming around in my head. I love nativity scenes, especially seeing ones from around the world, so it will be fun to, some day in the future, have some of those in our house. We have also already been talking about the different Christmas treats we could make. I have a tendency to plan way ahead when I am excited about something so I have had ideas for Christmas for a long time. But now we aren't very far away at all and stores are starting to put Christmas stuff up already. Yeah!! I love all the aspects of Christmas. SO EXCITED!!

Samuel's Fashion Sense

2011-10-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

Since Samuel is such a "manly man" who is into all things masculine and would be very offended to be told he is not a man, I was surprised to find that he actually has quite a few opinions about women's fashion... and good ones too. I never really liked shoe shopping that much until I met Samuel. A little while back I let Samuel go shoe shopping with me and pick out a pair of high heels for me. These are the ones I came home with:

They might not look like it in the picture, but they were higher than any other pair of high heels I owned. Surprisingly though, they were not uncomfortable and I really like them.

This summer I said something to Samuel while we were in a store about how I thought I might want to get a purse for my birthday or Christmas since I have only ever had the small ones that hold nothing more than my wallet, and the tote bag I had used for a long time had worn out with a hole in the side. Instead of waiting until later Samuel took us over to the purse section right then and proceeded to pick out different purses while others he pointed out as "too old woman like" or "not fashionable." We narrowed it down to two and then this was the one we picked out:

I didn't think I would ever own an alligator skin type purse, but I actually really like it and it has gotten a lot of good use.

Another time that we were walking through the mall Samuel spotted these teal high heels through the window:

I had looked all over for teal shoes for the our wedding but I hadn't found any until now. They were not very expensive and so Samuel said "We have to get them" (Yes, his words, not mine :) ). There was a buy one get one 50% off sale on the high heels and so we also got these black high heels:

It's not very often that we buy shoes, clothes, etc with our limited budget but it has been fun to see a different side of manly Samuel who has a good fashion sense :).

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

2011-09-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago today I was in fifth grade and first heard about the terrorist attacks from my classmates. Several of them were talking about how it was probably the Japanese getting us back for World War II. They were also talking about how we might be at risk because we had the national laboratory in our town. I remember that one of my good friends was genuinely terrified for her dad's safety when he returned to work. School was closed early and all the students were sent home. It was then that my parents explained that it had nothing to do with Japan and I learned about a part of the world that I don't think I had ever heard of before, but would hear about for years to come as the war on terror began. For the rest of the day and for days to come we were tuned in to the news and listening to all the developments. There were a lot of stories and personal accounts told. For some reason the story that I most remember is of a little girl who was with her parent on the way to one of the World Trade Centers but was hungry and wanted to stop for a sandwich. For that reason they were not in the tower when it was hit. I remember when I heard that story that my dad told me that the Lord touches the hearts of the little children.

Despite all the awful things that were happening with 9/11 and all of the deaths, missing people, and split up families, the stories that I remember most are the ones of the simple, heroic things that ordinary people did during this tragic time. I remember stories of people on the airplanes who risked their life to try to stop the hijackers. I remember stories of people who helped others, including the handicapped, down the staircases in front of them even though it meant they might not get out in time, instead of pushing their way to the front in a fight for survival. I remember stories of firefighters and police officers sacrificing their lives to try to save others. I think that in the world now there is a lot of talk of the evil of human nature and of all the cruel or selfish things people do. But in a crisis like 9/11 where evil acts are very apparent, there is also seen the good of humanity through the selfless acts of countless people. In an intense crisis fueled by fear, where no one would have blamed a person of thinking of only saving themselves, people stopped and thought of others. They didn't gain recognition or praise for their acts and in many cases lost their life, but they still did it.

The United States has changed so much since that fateful day 10 years ago. Security measures have forever changed, especially at the airport, but I think it has made America more patriotic and unified as well. It is crazy to think that kids growing up now never experienced 9/11, but they are definitely living with the effects of it. It is going to be something that will never be forgotten and that my kids will learn about in history textbooks. It is kind of crazy to think that I experienced it.

Here is a video dedicated to the heroes and victims of 9/11 with the song by Alan Jackson that I like called "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?"

2 Year Anniversary of My Blog

2011-09-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today I was thinking about how long it's been since I started my blog so I went back and looked at my first post and discovered it was on September 4, 2009...two years ago today! It's always interesting to go back and read all the things I have written about in the last couple years. Click here to read the very first post I wrote. It explains the reason I have the phrase that I do at the top of my blog and I realized that I have never changed the basic design of my blog. But I haven't grown tired of it yet so I don't have any plans to change it in the near future. Thinking about the reasons that I first started a blog I see that a lot of the reasons are the same but I have some new ones as well. I am definitely glad that I did start it though. A big part of the reason I have a blog is for other people to see the things that are going on in my life but it is also a really good way for me to go back and reread things to see how I have changed or to remember the thoughts I had when I posted the blog. For all my friends and family who have been reading my blog, thanks for the comments you've left or for just taking the time to read and care. I appreciate it and it gives a point for me to keep writing. I hope there are many more great blogging years to come!

P.S. Don't miss the great post that Samuel wrote below this one on his love of knives :)

Samuel's Knives

2011-09-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

I like knives. Ever since I was little. So I also enjoy getting a new one and building my collection. Before my mission, I flew home for a few days before entering the MTC and in one suitcase, all of my knives were safely stashed away. But I never saw that suitcase again; I assume it was taken by another passenger who was surprised to find a cache of knives when they opened the suitcase up to unpack. So since my mission I have slowly been building my collection of knives. I admit that it isn't reasonable to have tons of knives. One knife is all that is needed to open boxes, or gut fish, or play mumbly-peg, clean your fingernails, or whatever else a knife may come in handy for. But let's say a bad guy busts into your home and you need to protect yourself. You are not going to want to use this:

It would probably be better to use something like this:

This is a man's knife. Technically this is a bayonet to be fitted at the end of a rifle, which would scare off most bad guys.

Or the one below. It is a Smith and Wesson. This is my newest and most prized knife. I bought this one today. It was 80% off so and I couldn't res

ist(Stephanie gave me the OK to go ahead with it). This knife is equipped with a seat belt cutter and a glass smasher for whenever we are in an accident and can't escape through the doors.

But my Batman Smith and Wesson isn't the only new addition. I also added a Smith and Wesson S.W.A.T. It is seen below alongside the Batman. This one was 75% off and I received the OK from my lovely wife.

Knives are also good for making good first impression, they say a lot about who you are; especially at places like Scout Camp. The cooler the knife the cooler the Scout. I am proud to say that I usually dominated at being a cool Scout. I never showed up with one of these:

There isn't even a point on the blade. Everyone would think you were a Cub Scout carving a bar of soap. So I showed up with these:

These Old Timers were pretty cool. My Grandpa had one, my Dad had one, and I had one. But I also had a couple of these:

So right now I am only up to six knives. I suppose I will be satisfied for a little while longer. But until I get more, we are prepared for anything. If an earthquake comes and swallows up our utensils and scissors, we will have knives. And if there is no food, we can still catch and kill, because we have knives. And if a bad guy comes, don't worry. We have knives. And if I ever become a Scout Leader, who will be the cool leader that all the kids like? It will be me because I have(and will have more) cool knives.

Stephanie is so happy that I have these to protect her with and I know she feels so lucky to have married me. I will continue to build my collection of knives as long as our budget(and Stephanie) allows it, but the next thing that I want is a hatchet...and maybe some throwing knives.

Our New Home

2011-08-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Samuel and I moved in to our new place on Tuesday. We really like it so far and if we continue to like it we will probably be here for the rest of our time here. The apartment was already furnished except for the bed so that was really nice. The furniture and design is more old fashioned but it is cute and homey so I like it. I took some pictures for those who want to see them:

It is a house that has been turned in to a couple apartments so it is pretty neat. There is a big lawn out front which we like too.

The entry way

Our apartment is up the stairs

The couch and coffee table in the family room

Samuel's Chile wall and the entertainment center

The bookshelf and the tiny kitchen

The kitchen is really small but there is a lot of storage with all the cabinets so that is nice.

The bedroom

The bed with the nice quilt that Samuel's mom made and the dresser

Bed, desk, and bathroom... the bathroom is pretty big with lots of storage

Samuel's favorite part of the apartment is the bench by the window with secret storage under the cushion. He wanted to be the one to organize that because it made him feel like a spy. We also have His and Her's closets... I bet you can guess which is Samuel's.

The second bookshelf(which we already had) and the printer

Well that's all! It feels like home already and we think we will like it!

I Met the Man

2011-08-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

I finally met the man who has been the inspiration for a lot of my blog posts...

Richard Paul Evans!

Anyone who has been reading my blog posts in the last while knows that I have read a lot of his books, I use a lot of quotes from his books, and reading his books usually puts me in an inspirational and contemplative mood which often leads to a blog post. For anyone who does not know, Richard Paul Evans is the author of over 20 best-selling novels including his first and probably most famous book The Christmas Box. I have read all but three of his books. So when I found out that he was coming to the Provo Library I made plans to be there. The event was to celebrate his new book that came out last week. This book is the first in a new series and really different from his other novels. It is a Young Adult adventure novel whereas his other books have been inspirational stories geared more towards adults. This is a picture of the book:

It is definitely still created to be inspirational though. I got to the library early and was able to get a front row seat. It was really cool to see Evans in person and to hear him talk about his new book. He talked for about an hour and I always love hearing about the creation and process of his books because it is unlike any other author I have heard. He is an LDS author but his books are not LDS, although he does usually have some mention of God and general religion in his stories. And as he was talking about all the amazing things that happened and fell in to place he made it clear that he knew there was a higher power guiding him along the way. It was pretty amazing to hear his stories of things that definitely fell in to place too perfectly to be coincidence. He also shared a little more of the religious symbolism and things that he had put in to the book since we were a mostly LDS audience.

It was also really inspiring to hear about the difference that his book has already made for people who were advance readers and people who had already finished it. The main character in the book is a boy with Tourettes Syndrome (which Evans and his son both have) and so he wanted to give a voice to that since a lot of people don't really understand what it is and also empower the boy who had been picked on a lot by kids at school just as Evans, his son, and many other people with Tourettes have been. Evans has gotten a lot of response from such kids that told him that for the first time they felt special for who they were. So that was really cool to hear about.

After listening to him I waited in line to meet him and get my book signed

I am excited to start the book as soon as I finish the book I am in the middle of now!

Birthday Wishes

2011-08-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my Dad's birthday and I wanted to dedicate a blog post to him, showing some of the many things I love about him...

He has never lost his child like excitement for life

He is always up for an adventure and often turns otherwise average occurrences into adventures

He loves my mom a lot

He is one of the happiest people I know

He makes being a nerd cool

He has an eye for the wonders all around him

He is always a good sport

He supports his kids in all that they do

He makes everything more fun

He tells me that I will always be his pretty, precious, princess

I love you Dad!! Happy Birthday!!

Tribute to Harry Potter Saga

2011-07-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

I had wanted to write this blog post earlier, right after I saw the last Harry Potter movie, but I didn't get a chance. In the days before the last movie came out I was thinking a lot about the last decade of Harry Potter: when I first started reading Harry Potter and got hooked...how many years the saga has spanned ...the fans of all ages who love Harry Potter ...the times I have reread Harry Potter and been amazed at how thought out it all was ... the fact that J.K. Rowling was told her books would probably never sell... the years that the movies have been coming out with almost entirely the same cast every movie despite the huge number of minor characters... and how Harry Potter has become a household name--you would be hard pressed to find someone in the developed countries who hasn't heard of Harry Potter.

I actually was a little bit of late bloomer in becoming a Harry Potter fan. My third grade teacher read us the first book in our classroom soon after it came out and I really liked it, but he never read another one to us since one of the mothers of a kid in my class was opposed to it being read in the class. I don't know why I never read the next book when it came out since I have always been an avid reader. Maybe it was the crazy girl in my class who made Harry Potter seem like a freaky cult as she worshiped Hermionie and chewed out anyone who would refer to Voldemort by anything other than He Who Must Not Be Named or You Know Who. But I had a lot of people tell me I would really like the series, so finally, for my 13th birthday I asked for the first four books in the series. After that I was hooked. I flew through the books, wondering how I hadn't read them before. I especially remember reading the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban, as it was my favorite. I remember where I was when I finished it: on the bus to Albuquerque for a school field trip. The fifth book had come out earlier that year and I got that book for Christmas. I remember that Christmas morning I was playing with my brand new Harry Potter Lego set when my dad came in and asked, "I know I just gave you the book as a gift, but do you think I could start reading it?" In the previous months my dad had been reading the books to Wes every night in the rocking chair in the living room. But one night my mom and I noticed that after their time reading Wes had already gone to bed, but my dad was still out there. We went out to the room and sure enough my dad was out there reading ahead in the book and he looked up at us with a guilty smile and a little laugh. From that time on, he kept two bookmarks: the spot where he was with Wes and the spot where he was by himself. When the last two books in the series came out I read them on the day they came out and read them all the way through. I have reread all of the books several times.

My copies of all the books

Other than the first two Harry Potter movies(since I wasn't an avid fan yet) I have seen all of them in theaters, and the last three movies(ever since going to college) I have seen at the midnight showing. To prepare for the last movie Samuel and I had gone back and watched all the previous movies in order. It is pretty cool to see all the same cast grow up with the movies, from when they were just little kids until now...

For the three midnight showings I have gone to I have had a special t-shirt, courtesy of Kylie's dad. And for the sixth movie and for this last movie(7th movie part 2) I have thrown a Harry Potter party to celebrate.

For the sixth movie, Kylie and I threw a Harry Potter party at our apartment with lots of awesome Harry Potter treats and some Harry Potter Scene-it ...we had lots of people come and it was fun!

We had chocolate frogs, licorice wands, cauldron cakes, acid pops, and more!

In the movie theater with Kylie and my cousin Chloe

The seventh movie(part one) came out last November. Rachel designed the shirts and Kylie's dad printed them.

For the last movie(seventh part 2) I had a party at our apartment with Samuel's siblings and Kylie. Once again, Rachel designed the shirts and Kylie's dad printed them.

I made butter beer, a Harry Potter cake, and pretzel wands

We waited in line for about five hours!

It's pretty hard to believe there won't be any more books or movies coming out, but the next thing on my Harry Potter list...

Harry Potter World Theme Park!!

9 States, 2 Receptions, and 1 Wedding Later...

2011-07-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have written a post and a lot has happened in that time. The end of May and beginning of June were very full and busy with all things wedding. Everything went well, it wasn't stressful, and it was fun...but I am glad to be done with the endless To Do List that comes with planning a wedding and starting a marriage, as well as all the traveling we did in those weeks. It's nice to be able to go home to the same place every day and to not live out of a suitcase.

Samuel and I drove up to Washington the Friday before the wedding and were able to spend some time with his family before the wedding and to prepare for the wedding. On Wednesday all of my family came in to town along with my three good friends Kylie, Brianne, and Rachel. Under the direction of Jet, we prepared all the flowers and made the bouquets, boutonnieres, and filled the vases. The flowers were beautiful and Jet did a great job of assembling them.

That night we had a dinner with all of Samuel's family and all of my family in order to help the families get to know each other and it was a lot of fun. I felt really blessed to have my entire family at the wedding and all of Samuel's family as well. It was the first wedding of our family that everyone could be there due to missions, babies, etc so I felt really special. That night I stayed with my family at their hotel and Kylie stayed with us as well so that she could do my hair and make-up in the morning. A big thank you to Kylie for taking on that job, it was really helpful and I think she did a great job.

The morning of the wedding(Thursday) my dad brought in the newspaper and showed me the front page headlines which we found amusing for the wedding day:

It was supposed to rain the day of the wedding but it was a clear and sunny day. The sealing went really well and was very special. When we came out of the temple it was great to see everyone. The teal and orange turned out looking really good and I was very happy that I chose them as colors.

My number of brothers has doubled!

After taking pictures we went a luncheon at the Old Spaghetti Factory that Samuel's mom had planned. Everyone who had been at the temple plus a couple others were there. Then a couple hours later we had a reception at a recreation center near Samuel's house. The decorations were beautiful and everything went really well.

The day after the wedding we headed back to Utah and dropped a bunch of things off and then headed on to California to catch the cruise for our honeymoon. The cruise ship left from Long Beach and went down to Mexico and back, making two stops along the way: Catalina Island and Esenada, Mexico. It was really nice to be able to relax and to have all kinds of food available to us. We had a really great time.

On Catalina Island with our Cruise Ship in the background

We got to go snorkeling on Catalina Island as well

Ensenada, Mexico

After we got back from our cruise Friday morning we drove down to New Mexico for a wedding reception at my house the next day. We got in late that night and then the next day we prepared for the reception and spent time with my family and Samuel's parents who had come down for it as well. We got all set up for the reception and the weather was looking really nice, but then right before it was time to start, the crazy New Mexico winds started up and blew everything on our tables over no matter how much we tapped them all down. So we had to take everything off until the wind died down, but it all worked out alright. It was great to see all the people that I have known for so long come to the reception and help us celebrate.

Sunday after the reception we took Samuel's parents to Overlook Park

After spending Sunday with family, Samuel and I headed back to Utah on Monday morning. By the time we got back we had driven through nine different states and we were glad to be done traveling. We have been having a really fun summer and have been able to spend a lot of time with Samuel's siblings and other friends. I could put some pictures up of our apartment, but we will be moving to a different apartment in about a month(which we are excited about) and so for now I will just share a picture of my favorite addition to our apartment:

:)

Why I Read Dystopians

2011-03-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

I go through different phases of which kind of books I am really loving at different times and right now I am definitely in the phase of dystopians. For those who do not know what a dystopia is, it is defined in literature as: "an often futuristic society that has degraded into a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian." Dystopians have become pretty popular recently which has provided me with many good books to add to my To Be Read list. I have found myself explaining to different people why I like reading them so much because, I admit, it sounds pretty weird to say you like books about the world falling apart, a corrupt society being formed, etc. It sounds like it might be pretty depressing as well, but it's not for me. I find them inspiring and thought provoking for a couple different reasons.

First, the dystopians that I read usually take one or a couple different elements of our current society and exaggerate them in a futuristic setting in order to caution against those things getting out of control and the possible consequences. For example, in the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield (which I have read the first book of and am now reading the second one) the author takes the obsession with physical beauty that our society has and exaggerates it to create a future society in which every person when they turn 16 years old receives an operation that makes them beautiful(according to what the society has defined it as) and anyone before that age is considered and treated as ugly. Many interesting ideas are explored throughout the book about what beauty is, how people's perception of beauty and other things can be altered by what they are told is the standard, etc. It is an exaggerated world, but the ideas it is based on are very prevalent. The amount of cosmetic surgery in our country is steadily increasing and the 'ideal image' that we are all told we should strive after is constantly portrayed in advertisements and fashion magazines. Another example is The Alliance by Gerald Lund. In the dystopian he creates, crime and other emotions like anger and prejudice are eliminated because of the computerized control the society has over the citizens through a computer chip that they implanted in everyone. A world without crime, anger, and hate may sound like a pretty good idea; however the book explores the importance of agency and how people are not really good if they are being forced to be good.

Another reason I read dystopian is because it gives me a greater appreciation for certain things that I may take for granted. I think a lot of the time people get caught up in all of the things that are wrong with America and lose sight of some of the many great privileges that we have by living in this free country. For example, when I read Matched by Ally Condie I realized how much freedom I have in so many different aspects of my life that I hadn't even really thought about. The society in Matched is one in which everything is taken care of by the officials...where to work, what to eat, and who to marry. Everything is based on statistics and probability and there is a pretty narrow limit on what the people are able to make decisions about, but in return they are guaranteed a safe and predictable life. In their society they had an approved list of a 100 poems and 100 songs that they were allowed to read or listen to. I read Matched right before going home for Christmas break, and when I went home I was excited to see all the new books that my dad had added to the family's bookshelf. They were books that he wanted to read and not anything at the top of my list but I still love looking at books and seeing everything that there is out there. It makes me happy and so grateful knowing that I will never run out of books to read instead of being confined to a list. I also found myself appreciating little things like being able to choose what to eat for a meal. The mere ability to choose is such a blessing, one that I sometimes take for advantage.

Another example of this is Delirium by Lauren Oliver. In this book, which takes place in future United States, love has come to be considered a disease because of all the pain, craziness, unpredictability, etc that it causes. They said that love kills you both when you have and when you don't. The society has developed a cure to eliminate love and each person receives it at their eighteenth birthday. I do not believe that we, in this country, will ever get to the point that we are fed up enough by the pains caused by love that we would actually try to eradicate it, but I have known people that have been scorned by love that, through many different variations, try to close themselves off from love and any future pains or vulnerability. And how often to people try to numb the pain through various means such as drugs and alcohol? To some small extent we already try to block out love. This book was largely a romance as the main character, who previously was very excited to be receiving the cure soon, falls in love and starts reevaluating everything she had been taught by her society. I of course liked the love story and everything it was saying about falling in love, but I also really liked all the other aspects of love that it portrayed. The main character's mother had been taken away for being considered 'infected' by love when the main character was young and as she had memories of her childhood, laughing and having fun with her mom, it was clear how different her childhood was from her peers due to the love her mother had. So many small, simple things would be lost if we did not have love...things we take for granted every day. There was one point in the story when one of the main characters, talking about a loved one who had passed away, said something about how pain serves as a reminder of the love we have for people. I really liked that perspective.

Finally, dystopians can be very inspirational as the main character decides to think for themselves, sees the flaws in the society, and makes a stand against it. The way a lot of the characters fight for their beliefs when they are not popular and there is a lot of opposition is pretty courageous and inspiring. I like the idea of society being made up a lot of individuals who can think, act, and fight for themselves rather than being pieces of a machine churning away in order to achieve the desired result.

Tangled

2011-03-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

2 posts in 3 days...I am doing better! Last night I finally saw the new Disney movie "Tangled." People had been telling me ever since the movie came out that I would love it. But due to frugality I had never seen it in the main theaters and was waiting for it to come to the dollar theater. Well last night was the first night it was showing there and so Samuel and I went to see it. Everyone was right, I loved it! It was so cute and funny and had great characters, music, and storyline. I loved the whole movie but I am going to have to say the lantern scene was my favorite because it was so beautiful! I attached the video below, the sound is not super good, but it shows the general idea at least:

When we saw the movie they were only offering it in 3D which I am not that fond of, but I have to say, it was perfect for this scene and made it even more beautiful. Back when Tangled first came out I saw a 'Tangled list' that a friend had created and put on facebook with a list of their dreams, inspired by a quote from the movie. After seeing the movie and reading the list I realized that I was thinking a lot about my own dreams and wanted to make my own list, so here it is...

Quote from the movie:

Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?

Flynn Rider: It will be.

Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?

Flynn Rider: Well, that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.

My list of dreams:
-Go to New Zealand- I would love to travel the world in general, but right now that is the country at the top of my list
-Never stop reading, and loving it as much as I have from when I was a child until now
-Go back to Chile with Samuel (it is where he served his mission)
-Serve a mission with Samuel
-Go scuba diving, and it would be really great if my dad could come along too since that is also one of his dreams
-Be a marriage and family therapist
-Have a library in my future home, full of all kinds of books
-Have all of my future children get married in the temple
-Keep writing in my journal regularly the way I do now throughout the rest of my life
-Go back to the London LDS temple, and this time actually go inside
-Ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the snow
-Have a porch swing at our house that Samuel and I will sit on when we are old and gray... holding hands, watching the world around us, and not having to say anything at all
-Do some sort of humanitarian mission in a foreign country
-Never lose my "aww" reaction to cute or touching things, and never lose my love of love
-Work/volunteer at a library when I am older
-Have a piece of artwork done by Rachel hanging in my house
-Attend a masquerade ball
-Read to my kids regularly... and anyone else who will listen :)
-Go skydiving
-Go on a Church History trip
-When I am old, having a house covered with pictures of my children and grandchildren
-Never lose touch with my closest friends

Some of the dreams are a lot more important/meaningful than others, but for better or for worse, these are my dreams.

Masks

2011-03-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

Something that has been on my mind a lot this week is the masks that people wear around, hiding pain and secrets from all those around them. For the last several years I have had in my mind this metaphor of masks which people wear to conceal their pain. I don't know what first planted it in my mind, but I do remember the first time I wrote about it. It was for my sophomore English class in High School when we had to write a poem that was modeled after the style of some other poet. This was my poem:

The disheartened maiden looked afar
The tears grew silently in her eyes
She bore a Mask of confidence
But the tears the mask defies

Her emotions are an open Book
A single glance could not perceive
But through assessment is apparent-
A Pain that could not leave

If one would look across the room-
A handsome Man you'd see
Who through unfaithfulness-
Caused her this way to be

A break in her Heart
The kind you can not mend
Shall forever stay-
An Everlasting Pain

And then for my creative writing class in freshman year of college I wrote this poem about masks. Poetry is definitely not my thing, so it's not too great, but it portrays the idea:

Masks to hide pain
Appearance of control and peace
Unbreakable, complete

When eyes turned away
Mask swiftly falls, pain exposed
Can pretend no more

But audience is gone
And no one will ever see
Truth forever hidden

From my experiences in life I have seen this to be true. People always throw around statements about how you can't be too quick to judge because you have no idea what's going on in the person's life. It is definitely true and I think most people would agree with that idea and have had stories of it with people in their own lives. But I think it oftentimes is so much deeper and more true than we think. I have written before about how one of the reasons I like to read books is so that I can gain a deeper understanding and empathy for people in certain situations and trials. And my dream of being a marriage and family therapist, or even of just being able to serve as an informal version of it by being someone who can listen, care, and offer support, in large part comes from this idea of masked pain. How exhausting it must be to always be holding on a mask, partially wanting to allow people to see who you were without it, but more afraid of the vulnerability, pain, and judgment that might result from exposure that makes it too much of a risk. I think of the scene in the later part of the Phantom of the Opera movie in which Christine is able to take away the Phantom's mask and look at his disfigured face without disgust or fear. As a therapist, I feel like I would in some way be able to fulfill that role- be able to remove the masks people cling to, and then see and accept what has been hidden beneath.

This metaphor is something that I always kind of have with me, but there are a couple reasons that it has been more on my mind this week than normal. On Tuesday in Human Development class we had someone come in to talk to us about eating disorders. She had suffered from bulimia for about 15 years, and now she is going to school to become a therapist like the one who helped her. To me that is very inspiring. She told us a lot about her personal experience- how it first began, the progression of it, the times she tried to end it, the treatment process, and how it still effects her now. I learned a lot about the emotions and thoughts behind eating disorders and feel like I gained a better insight into people struggling with similar things that I am likely to encounter in the future. When she was talking about her experience it was interesting to hear how she had hidden her problem from everyone. Literally everyone, including her parents and her husband. No one had any idea of the immense pain and struggle she was facing alone. Her presentation and story combined with recent experiences I have had of learning truths about people I care about have brought these thoughts of masks and concealed pain to the front of my mind. People have said it over and over, to the point of it probably becoming cliche, but the truth is: you really never know what is going on in the parts of people's life that you can't see. It is something to always remember when tempted to pass judgment, when someone's life appears to be so perfect and easy, or when maybe someone is attempting to take off their mask and is looking for an understanding and loving person to accept them. They are things I strive to remember and apply but, of course, always have so much room for improvement and an increase of understanding.

Bookshelf

2011-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

I made a decision at the beginning of this year that I was going to keep a list of all of the books that I read during 2011. I have seen other people do it on their blogs or other places and I really like the idea. So in 11 months you can expect to see that post! I have already read two books this year that have been added to the list. I think I could remember almost all of the books that I have read in 2010, but I decided not to post a list since I don't know the exact order or if it I might have missed any. But I do remember everything that I read this last fall semester and the order that I read them. I started writing a post with the list in December but I never ended up finishing it. Since I discovered some really good ones this last semester I decided to post it, even if it is a couple months late. If you want to see what any of the books are about, just click on the name and it will take you to a link that includes a description of the story:

-Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
-All's Fair by Julie Coulter Bellon
-The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
-reread Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
-Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
-The Alliance by Gerald Lund
-The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans
-The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
-Matched by Ally Condie
-The Christmas Box Miracle by Richard Paul Evans
-Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans

I really liked all of the these books, and a lot of them I loved, but I have to say that "The Alliance," "Matched," and "Mockingjay"(the third book of the Hunger Games trilogy) were my favorites. It was definitely a semester of good reads!

Our Story

2011-01-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

Samuel and Stephanie

We both lived in the same apartment complex and the same church ward and we were also assigned to the same dinner group(in our complex, those who were interested participated in a dinner group where we rotated each day who cooked and so you got a nice meal every night but only had to cook once every two weeks). I met Samuel on September 12 which was a Sunday night when he came over to our apartment to meet the girls that would be in his group and make sure everything was on for dinner group the next day. He later told me that he had come over because he felt like he hadn't been very social in the ward so far and so he wanted to meet some new people and decided to go by our apartment. And I, of course, am very glad that he did :). He stayed over at the apartment talking to us for a little while and, as I wrote in my journal, I thought he was really cute and seemed really cool as well. I found myself really looking forward to dinner group the next night and the rest of the nights of the week and I was very thankful for the excuse to see him and talk to him every night.

On Saturday mornings Jeff and I would always play basketball at the court at our complex along with several other people in the ward. When we found out that Samuel liked playing basketball we invited him. He was excited about it and came that first Saturday after I met him. All through the week I definitely knew I was liking Samuel and playing basketball with him that morning only strengthened it. He was really good, easily one of the best, but he was also humble. He was never talking other people down or talking himself up. He would compliment other people, pass the ball to everyone(including me, the girl and definitely not one of the best) and always had a good attitude. As I found out later, it was also the time that Samuel started becoming interested in me.

The next Tuesday(so a week and two days after we met) was when he asked me on our first date. After dinner group I had left my apartment with Samuel and his brother(who was also in our dinner group) because Samuel had a ball pump that he was going to fill my soccer ball with. After filling it and thanking them I left, but as I was walking back to my apartment he came after me and asked me on a date for that Thursday to go to a concert at BYU along with his best friend and wife. When he was getting my phone number his hand was shaking a little and it was really cute to see him nervous and I think that, to this day, it is the only time I have seen him get nervous. Right after he asked me I went back to my apartment and was SO excited, basically dancing around telling my roommates. Jeff was there also and he commented that he had never seen me so excited about a date(and he was right....that is not normal behavior for me).

So that Thursday, September 23 was our first date. It went really well and I had a great time. The biggest things that struck me were how natural everything was with him and how easy it was for me to talk to him. We could talk about all kinds of things, both serious and funny. After the concert we went to his friend and wife's house for dessert. I had been having a really great time with him and really hoped that he had been too. And so I was thrilled at the end of the date when he asked me on another date for two weeks from then.

We ended up doing something together(outside of dinner group) every day after that. We played games, went shopping, went to the library several times, made cookies, and played basketball with just the two of us. It always felt so natural to be with him and everything just progressed so easily and so well. On Wednesday night after we had gone to the BYU soccer game together he had walked me to the door and we talked for a long time at my doorstep before finally saying goodnight. People from our complex had kept walking past, coming and going from things and were commenting on how long we had been out there, but I didn't realize how long it actually had been until I went inside to look at the clock. It had been 2 hours!

Then on Friday night, October 1 Samuel invited me to go to a haunted house and haunted forest with him and his siblings and cousins. During a particularly confusing part of the haunted forest Samuel very smoothly held my hand and kept holding it the rest of the night. After his brother dropped us off back at our complex he asked me if I wanted to go on a walk and on the walk he told me that he liked me and wanted to date me in his own sweet and unique way. So that was the time we officially began dating exclusively.

Through the next weeks and months I had many great times with him and we grew in our relationship...

We carved pumpkins with Samuel's brother and girlfriend(now wife)

We were Calvin and Hobbes for Halloween

At the midnight showing of Harry Potter

We went to Temple Square for the David Archuleta and Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert

Over Thanksgiving break I went home with Samuel and met his family and then over Christmas break he came home with me to meet my family. I really liked his family, they were a lot of fun and very nice. And my family loved Samuel and missed him as soon as he left.

On the ferry from Seattle

Overlook and the science museum

Then Friday night, January 14, Samuel proposed. We had already decided to get married and had already been ring shopping so it was not a surprise, but it was still very sweet. We started the evening by going out to eat at Olive Garden(which he knew was my favorite restaurant). After the meal we went to a park that we have been to several times on our frequent walks. He had a wrapped present for me. After unwrapping it I found a box with a note taped on top. I opened the box and inside was a tea kettle. We have had an ongoing joke about tea kettles because he always thought I was not experiencing hot chocolate the right way by merely heating in the microwave and he often joked about buying me one. A rolled up piece of paper was stuck through the lid which had a nice note on it and poem telling me to open the pot. The teapot was full of Dove chocolates(my favorite) and the ring inside the open ring box. He asked me to marry him and I of course said yes :).

With the tea kettle he gave me

The ring...I love it

We are planning on getting married May 25 in the Seattle LDS temple

To be Continued...

2010

2010-12-31T23:30:00.000-08:00

It seems like I just barely wrote my post last New Years Eve all about 2009 and I can't believe I am doing it again already. 2010 was quite a year. I was greatly blessed in many ways and I also had many learning experiences. I definitely feel like I have grown a lot this year and learned many important life lessons. There have been a lot of new people come in to my life this year as well from whom I have learned much. It is always interesting to look back on the year and all that has happened.

2010 in review...

In February, over President's Day weekend, I traveled down to Las Vegas with Kylie and several other people to go to Kasidy's mission farewell. I also got to see the sites of Las Vegas for the first time and spend time with Kylie's family.

In April, our ward FHE groups each created a movie and then we showed them at a Oscar Night. My roommate Hayley did a great job with our movie and it was a hit!

Also in April, my family came to visit and we attended General Conference. We had quite an adventurous time getting locked in random hallways and coming out of holes in walls.
Yet again in April, my family came to visit again for Brad and Kristen's graduation. Brad was getting his Masters degree and Kristen was getting her Bachelor's degree.

Summer at home
I kept very busy during the summer I spent at home. I wrote a long post all about it, but here are a few things...

I participated in a lot of activities with the YSA group.

I went on a great trip to New York City with the family

Three of my friends from Provo came to visit me at home and it was a highlight of my summer.

I got lots of quality time with the family.

In September I met and start dating Samuel

In October I had friends over on my birthday to have cake

Rachel made me this awesome Hunger Games cake

In November, I went to Seattle with Samuel for Thanksgiving.

And I got to meet his family.

At the beginning of winter break in December, Samuel came home with me. One of things we did was go caving.

On Christmas Eve we reenacted the Christmas story...20th anniversary!

2010 was a great year and I have high hopes for 2011...

Family

2010-12-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

With this Christmas season I have been thinking about family even more than past Christmases. I think it is because this is the first Christmas in many years that the entire family has all been together. Also, this Christmas marks the end of many things for our family and the beginning of many new and great things to come.

This Christmas Eve we all celebrated at Brad and Jet's house. One highlight was when we reenacted the Nativity story and it was the 20th anniversary of the first time we filmed it as a family since it began on my first Christmas when I played the part of baby Jesus.

It has been so great to see our family grow through in-laws and nephews and to see the new element and personality that each of them bring to the family. We will only continue to grow and develop and it will be so fun to experience.

I think back on all the memories I have had with my family through the years and it really has been quite a journey.

The last time, before this Christmas, that we were all together.

I just finished reading "Finding Noel" by Richard Paul Evans(yes, yet another book by him) and I came across a quote about family that I thought rang true. It is something I have really come to realize in the last few years as I have discovered that, just as any other family, we are not perfect and do not always say or do the right things, but the beauty is not in the perfection, it is in the creation.

“I’ve come to know that our families are a canvas on which we paint our greatest hopes—imperfect and sloppy, for we are all amateurs at life, but if we do not focus too much on our mistakes, a miraculous picture emerges. And we learn that it’s not the beauty of the image that warrants our gratitude—it’s the chance to paint.”

-Richard Paul Evans

A New Tradition

2010-12-23T13:25:00.000-08:00

At the end of this semester I read "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans. It is his very first novel, the one that started everything for him, as he had never planned on being a writer. For some reason I had not read his first and most popular novel, although I have read almost all of his other books. I am very glad I finally did as it is contains an extremely important message. Then on the drive home from Utah this Christmas Break, I read "The Christmas Box Miracle: My Spiritual Journey of Destiny, Healing, and Hope" also by Richard Paul Evans. It is the amazing true story of the man who wrote the story, what made him who he was and lead him to that point, and then the story of how his novel became a #1 New York Times Bestseller and spread rapidly throughout the world, touching and changing lives everywhere. I was drawn in to the book from the very beginning and read the entire thing without a single break. I was blown away with how many miracles there were surrounding this novel and the unbelievably great amount of lives that were effected by reading it. It is an amazing story.

The following is a quote from "The Christmas Box Miracle":

“The Bible says that ‘God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.’ There could be no better explanation of the Christmas Box Miracle than this; through a small Christmas story, thousands, maybe millions of lives are somehow affected for the better. And if I cannot fully explain these miracles, it is of small concern to me. I’m satisfied just to be a part of it—a journey where the end, perhaps, was known from the beginning. The words of my grandfather’s blessing have come to pass. But in the blessing there is also this warning and reminder: The greatest work you will ever do will be as a father in your own home.

When I step far enough from the tress to consider the forest, I wonder at the scope of the miracles wrought by this little book and I cannot help but marvel at my role in it and wonder, Why me? There are better writers and better people. Maybe I was just the only one listening when the story needed to be told. I intend to ask God, if I ever get the chance.”

The little 90 page book "The Christmas Box" really did change the world. Anyone who reads of all the people whose lives were touched can clearly see it. I decided that I want to start a new Christmas tradition for myself: I want to reread "The Christmas Box" every Christmas season. It is not a long book and so I think it will not be too difficult to take the time to read. The messages it carries are ones that we all need to remember. As it says at the beginning of the book, “I find that each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas Box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss it as seems them good. As for me, I believe. And it is, after all, my story.”

It's that time of year again...

2010-12-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

...and by that I mean the BEST time of the year! I love December and I am so excited that it's here! Last December I wrote a blog post about several of the many many things I love about the Christmas season. Those things are definitely still true and it has been so great seeing all the decorations and lights(I got to see the lights on Temple Square this weekend), having Christmas lessons and singing Christmas songs in church, buying presents for people, reading Christmas stories(I read The Christmas List over Thanksgiving break and I am going to read The Christmas Box next-both by Richard Paul Evans, and I have read some Christmas picture books too), drinking hot chocolate and eating candy canes, thinking about all of the people who are important in my life, and so much more!

I really CANNOT believe that an entire year has passed already. It completely blows my mind. I have realized that I have been saying things like this a lot in the last two years and that time probably isn't going to slow down again anytime soon so I should get used to it. It is pretty interesting to think back to a year ago and where I was at that time, who was in my life, and what was on my mind. At this Christmas season I have been reflecting back on last Christmas...

Last Christmas break everyone except Greg and Kristen were there. We had lots of good times...

Acting out the Christmas story was quite an experience...

Hyrum had grown so much....but nothing compared to how much bigger he will be when I see him this year!

I had my wisdom teeth removed and looked like a lovely squirrel...

My family discovered a love for the game Settlers of Catan that has not died out at all...

With only about a week and a half left until I head home for Christmas break, I have been pretty excited thinking about what it will be like this year. Many things will be like they always are...

*Playing lots of games as a family*Mom's delicious cooking*A very weighed down tree full of ornaments collected through the years*Wes waking up at the earliest time allowed by the parents to see what Santa brought*Plenty of snow(hopefully!!)*Much laughter*Naps by the fire burning in the fireplace*Visits from carolers and friends*Making visits to friends(and keeping our caroling very basic to avoid scaring people off)*

But there will be several new things this year as well...

*The ENTIRE family will be there(no one will be on missions or with their spouse's family etc)*A little boy will be walking around and causing excitement*Samuel will be with us for the first couple days of break*Grandma and Grandpa Skidmore will be there for a short visit around Christmas*There will be more females present than there has been in my entire life*Our family is up to 10 people now!*

Everybody

2010-11-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about love in all of its various forms(romantic, family, friendship, etc). Anyone who knows me very well at all will not be surprised at this since I am kind of known for my 'love of love.' One of the many reasons it has been on my mind recently is because of a song that I discovered a couple months ago and that has become one of my favorites. It is called "Everybody" and it is by Ingrid Michaelson. Rachel has deemed it 'Steph's theme song.' And its kind of true, because not only is it about love, but it talks about the universal desire that each person has to both love and be loved. Also, I don't think it portrays love in a 'everything is perfect and no one ever gets hurt' kind of way because that's not how I believe it is. I have been thinking a lot recently about the universality of love and how the fundamentals of it are the same for everyone. One of the deepest and most innate desires people have in this life is to love and be loved in return. I have put most of the lyrics to the song below as well as the actual song, because I don't only love the words, I love the way she sings it too.

"Everybody"

We have fallen down again tonight
In this world it’s hard to get it right
Try to make your heart fit like a glove
What it needs is love, love, love

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Happy is the heart that still feels pain
Darkness drains and light will come again
Swing open up your chest and let it in
Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

oh everybody knows the love
Everybody holds the love
Everybody falls for love

Everybody feels the love
Everybody steals the love,
everybody heals with love
Oh, oh, oh, oh, just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, Just let the love, love, love begin

Everybody, everybody wants to love
Everybody, everybody wants to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Everybody feels to love
Everybody steals to be loved
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Countdown of Gratitude Part 3

2010-10-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is my last post of the countdown but there are still SO MANY things I have not touched on. But here are a few more things I am super grateful for in the last 20 years....

Sister-in-Laws: I loved growing up with my four brothers, but it is definitely nice to have some girls in my life. Both my immediate and extended family is really scarce in the girl department. So I was super happy in the last two years to have two sister-in-laws added to my family! They both bring new and great things to the Skidmore family and it has been so great to get to know them and to actually have sisters!

Jet- She joined our family in November 2008 and I remember hitting it off with her from the very beginning. The first night I met her when she came to meet our family Brad, Jet, and I all stayed up late talking together and I remember thinking that I was so glad to find I was not losing Brad to someone at all, but instead gaining a new sister. I have had the chance to live with Brad and Jet for a month on two separate occasions and I have many good memories of those times. Jet and I can talk for hours about all kinds of things. I still enjoy being able to talk to her on a regular basis while I am in a different state and I miss her, Brad, and Hyrum a lot!

Kristen- She joined our family in August 2009 and I got a second sister! I remember the first time I met Kristen as well when our family came up to Provo to visit and she was very easy to talk to and get to know. And then later in the year when she came down to New Mexico with Greg for my high school graduation and other family events I remember thinking how well she fit in to our family and that no one seemed to be acting any differently with her there. Kristen is a lot of fun with a great sense of humor and is also very kind and good at reaching out to people around her. I really miss having her and Greg here in Provo and getting to visit them whenever I want!

FRIENDS: It has really struck me this summer and school year how many amazing friends I have been blessed with. Friendship is such a beautiful gift that can be found in any circumstances and I have been so blessed to have found friends in so many different contexts and that I have always had people with whom to laugh, swap stories, make memories, and really care about and be cared for. I could say so much about each of them, but for now I will just have to share a piece of it through pictures:

Countdown of Gratitude Part 2

2010-10-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Some more things I am grateful for in the last twenty years of my life...

Happiness- What would life be like without laughter, smiles, and those perfect happy moments? I can't even imagine. I am so grateful for the happiness of those around me, the people and things that make me happy, a heartwarming smile, and laughter... lots and lots of laughter! I have written school papers, church talks, blog posts and more about the value of happiness and the role that it can play in your life and I am sure there will be many more. There is nothing greater in life than happiness and those things that cause it.

-A GOOD CHILDHOOD- Looking back on my years of happiness and innocence growing up and having heard about the experiences of so many others that was not like mine, I have seen how truly blessed I have been. Everything was not perfect of course but I was definitely provided with a safe and loving environment that helped me develop and learn effectively. I was able to begin life's journeys and face new trials without the burdening down of damaging childhood experiences. Most of this is due to my parents and there is a lot I could say just about them, but I wrote about parenting in my blog a couple months ago so for now I will just say that I am extremely grateful for the environment that my parents raised in and for the example and guidance that they have offered me.

~Beauty~
"Some people in this world have stopped looking for beauty, then wonder why their lives are so ugly. Don't be like them. The ability to appreciate beauty is of God. Especially in one another. Look for beauty in everyone you meet and you'll find it. Everyone carries divinity with them. And everyone we meet has something to impart."
-from The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

There has been so much beauty in my life through so many different aspects and I would feel ungrateful not to recognize it. I love the idea that this quote presents because there really is beauty in everything and everyone. There are the miracles of nature all around and the beauty in the smiles and spirits of everyone we encounter. Just a few of the innumerable beautiful things in my life...

Countdown of Gratitude Part 1

2010-10-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am and how many things have 'gone right' for me(which is really easy to forget when a couple things go wrong). And with my birthday in less than a week I have been reflecting a lot on the last two decades(yes, I have been alive that long now-crazy!) and the many blessings that have scattered throughout. I have SO MUCH to be grateful for, and so over this week before my birthday I want to give focus to some of the many things that have made my life the great one that it is...

*My Brothers*
Yes I did always long for a sister growing up, but I never would have replaced any of my amazing brothers. I had a lot of fun and good times growing up with them and over the last couple years I have gotten even closer to all of them. As I moved out to college and went through more life experiences I grew in my relationship with my older brothers in many ways. I love each one of them so much and treasure my relationship and interactions with each of them.

-Wes- there is always a guarantee of a good time and lots of laughs with Wes! We really stretched our imagination with the many games we played as a kid. Who else would build huge Lego towns/Hogwarts, play restaurant when we wanted lunch, play with both Barbies and Star Wars action figures, build forts, and be so closely matched to me in Harry Potter Scene-it that a wrestling match was added to the end of intense game? And he can still be counted on for many laughs and competition in ANY sport.

JEFF.... Ever since he got back from his mission over a year ago I have been able to get to know Jeff and grow in our relationship more than ever before. The last two school years we have lived in the same apartment complex and it is awesome to have him so close by. We have a ton of laughs and some heart to hearts too. It is fun to have some of the same friends and be able to do many different things together. We have found that we can be complimentary in several ways... he helps me with homework I don't understand and gives me rides and I help him figure out people and relationships and cook for him. I can and have learned a lot from his example and greatly enjoy all the time we have spent together.

~Greg~ Growing up we were the two black sheep of the family together. We have always had more in common than everyone else in the family. Greg has also had a special talent to make me laugh and I have many memories of laughing at the things he has said. He is definitely one of the funniest people I know. But he is also extremely kind and wise. I enjoy the serious conversations I have had with Greg and he has a lot of wisdom and insight. It was great to have him living so close by when I moved out to college and to get to know him on a new level. I have a lot of friends that are surprised to learn that I talk to my brothers about boys and about personal things because they cannot do the same with their brothers, but Greg is a great example of this. He is always one of the first people I tell about guys or about other important things in my life. I have loved seeing him go through the process of marrying Kristen and starting a life with her. He is great and I am so grateful for all he has done!

BRAD-- Brad is someone that I have always been close to and has always been one of my best friends. I can talk to him for hours about anything and I have especially loved the deep conversations we get in to. I feel like he brings out the best in me and he is always interested in what I have to say. He is unceasingly supportive and always there for me. Whether we were living just a couple minutes from each other or in different states, we have always been able to maintain our close relationship. I saw him through the process of finding someone to marry and I am so happy to see him with the beautiful family he now has.

That's all for tonight... more to come soon!

Read a book, read a book, read a book, book, book!

2010-09-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

I love to read and I have ever since I was a little kid. I remember my Mom teaching me to read before I had even started school. I remember going to Kindergarten and that reading books was one of my favorite parts, and then coming home afterward and reading more with my mom. My love of reading has remained and continued to grow through the years, and I am very convinced that it will stay with me for the rest of my life. I have noticed that my passion for reading has come in waves over the years. I have always liked reading, but there are certain times in my life that it has been more prominent than others. And my reasons for reading has changed some through time as well.

In Elementary School I read because I loved the stories and loved to be a part of them. I had a huge imagination as a kid and would play make-believe stories all the time. Reading probably made that grow even more. I would make up my own stories in the games I was playing by myself, with characters and their relationships and a storyline that I acted out. And when I was old enough, I would even write out the stories I came up with. The library was one of my favorite places to go as a kid and I always participated in their summer reading programs. Many happy hours of my childhood were spent reading.

Cute, right? The only problem is, I recognize this book and I am pretty sure it is the How Babies are Made book. So maybe not the best example... haha

The beginning of seventh grade is when I really discovered Harry Potter and I was completely hooked. I will talk more about Harry Potter later, but discovering this series made me hungry for more books and I continued reading all through middle school. I remember that I read all the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites books during this time too.

At the very beginning of high school I don't think I was reading very much, but then one day I was looking through a Desert Book magazine when I came across a LDS romance book that really caught my attention. I bought it, read it, and LOVED it. Ever since then I was hooked on romances. I had known for a long time that I had a sweet spot for a good love story, but I didn't realize that there was a whole category of books that were romances...and that there was a whole collection of clean, uplifting romances at stores like Desert Book. What followed was a very long wave of my passion for reading and especially romances, that has never really subsided. My sophomore year of High School is the year that I read all the time. Seriously, all the time. That year was a really hard year for me with friends, boys, etc and so I think reading definitely became my escape. I read for entertainment, I read to, in a way, 'meet people' through the characters, and experience new places. I learned so much about people and life from reading so much, but I also know looking back that I was living life on the sidelines. I was reading about life and learning a lot from that, but I was not getting first hand experience.

Wes and I shared a love of reading and most days I could be found to be reading in various spots like this one.

Later in High School as I regained a lot of the confidence I had lost through a difficult year, I spent a lot more time with friends and doing other things. Reading was not consuming my life quite as much and while it was definitely still ever present in my life, it was not as much for an escape and I was not as reliant on it. As I took an AP Psychology class and was really starting to discover my interest in people and relationships and discovering that it was what I wanted to do with my future, I began to realize other reasons of why I loved reading so much. At the end of my senior year I wrote an essay for a local library scholarship in which I was supposed to write about a book that had influenced my life. I wrote about one of Richard Paul Evans'(who is one of my favorite authors whom I will talking about again later) books and some of the quotes from it that have really influenced me. When I was talking about the quote that is written at the top right corner of my blog and that inspired this blog's name, I said the following:

I have a sincere and genuine interest in the lives and feelings of other people. It fascinates me that each person has their own individual and unique story that is unlike any other. My love of coming to understand the lives of others, with their joys and struggles, is one of the main reasons that I love to read novels. I like to be able to understand how people in a particular situation feel. Novels that give insight into the problems and struggles of various people give me a type of knowledge that I cherish. I use that knowledge to attempt to not judge people by how they appear, but rather see them for who they are beneath their outside appearance. When I understand how others feel and how they view things, I am able to treat them with more respect and develop compassion for them. I try to remember this quote when I am tempted to judge people without really knowing them.

This sums up the reasons I had for my love of reading then and it is definitely still true. When I finished High School I was still reading a lot, but when I went to my first year of college it took a break for a little while. I was experiencing so many new things and enjoying everything around me, and I was afraid that if I got hooked in a book I would get distracted from schoolwork. I remember talking to my dad on the phone one day and he said something about how I wasn't reading very much anymore and that it seemed like I was busy living life now instead of reading about it. I had never told him about what I said above about sophomore year and how it was my escape, but I guess he figured it out on his own. It was not until toward the end of winter semester when I had a lot lighter school load than I thought it would and found a lot of extra time that I started to read a lot again. I was trying to expand the type of books I was reading during that time too and discovered some great books that I wouldn't have otherwise. It was also when I discovered the first two books of the Hunger Games trilogy which I loved and I will talk more about later in this post as well. Then this summer I was able to read a lot too. Not quite as much as I had originally planned on since I was busy having a life as well, but I read during my lunch breaks and at other times and really loved it. I feel like I have reached a pretty good balance of living my life while also reading about life, and I have also figured out how to balance it in my college life. This semester I will definitely still be reading and actually I have already read three books(granted one of them was the last book in the Hunger Games trilogy and so I read in a little over a day). I have found that it is a really good way to fill my half hour bus ride to school and again home from school, and it is also a good break and relaxer when I need to take a break from schoolwork. So as long as I don't get carried away, I think it actually helps me rather than hurting me.

My family has a lot of pictures like this from our various travels...

This blog post originally was just going to be about my favorite books with just a short background at the beginning. But as you can see from above, it didn't end up being so short. Opps. So my favorite books.... First of all let me say that I have read SO MANY books and of those there have been SO MANY that I love, but these are just some of my favorites that always stand out in my mind and hold a special place in my heart.

*Harry Potter- I know there are so many people that agree with me and that this one doesn't need a lot of explaining. I have reread this series many many times, but I got to reread most of them this summer for the first time doing since the last book has been out. Going back to the first book when I already knew the end and the whole story was a really cool experience. I am blown away by how J.K. Rowling had the whole story in her mind and how well she was able to connect and tie everything. Things that were introduced in the first books that seem minor come back in to be important in ways you would never imagine. I also think it is amazing that she successfully created this unique, detailed world that seems like it could be so real.

*The Hunger Games Trilogy- Wow. That's all I can say. I have been talking about this trilogy a lot recently. And that's because it is so amazing!! Seriously, I loved these books. The premise of the story is unique; the characters are so great and so REAL; the distopia she creates is chilling and makes you really think about the world around you and your place in it, as it should; and she captures human nature and human conflict so beautifully. Also, I have to say the love story is great too :).

*The Work and the Glory series- I read this series in High School during the time that I was reading a ton and I loved them!! I love the author Gerald Lund and have read almost all of his other books as well. I loved this series for many different reasons. They gave me a much greater appreciation for the events in LDS church history as well as a much more personal perspective. I have always heard about the events that happened, but when the characters in the story--characters that you have come to know and love like friends--are facing those events it becomes so much more personal. Another reason I loved these books is because Lund is so talented in understanding and capturing people and their relationships and emotions. Seeing the Steed family through time and trials and growing as others joined their family was quite an experience.

*All Richard Paul Evans books: I could easily write a whole blog post about him and all his books, and I think I will sometime. There is SO much to say. But for now I will just say that I love his books and all of the insights into life and relationships that they offer. I have read almost all of his books(there are a lot of them, but the only ones that I haven't read are his very first ones which I intend on going back to read in the near future). I always know that I will like his books, because they are always a story about love. Not necessarily a romance, although many of them are, but about all kinds of love. And his books are always full of so many great quotes. Usually, he begins each chapter with a short journal entry from the main character and they are always so insightful. His stories often compel me to want to make a difference as well. And actually he gives you that opportunity. One of his novels was based around an actual orphanage in Peru and he has donations and projects set up to help and contribute to the orphanage. And there are many other similar things he does. So much of the money from his books goes to helping those he write about and I think it is amazing that he is making a difference both through his words and his money.

*All of Josi Kilpack's books- The part of my essay that I put in here that talks about one reason I love reading definitely applies to why I love Josi Kilpack's books. When it comes to LDS fiction, she is who I love. She writes it like no one else does because she takes real life problems that plague the world today and then thinks about how that problem would be in the life of a member of the LDS faith and writes from that perspective. She had written about prescription drug addiction, infertility, divorce, internet predators, identity theft, abuse, and so much more. I realize that probably sounds like a lot of depressing books, but they are not. She writes about them in a way that helps you to understand the problem, sympathize with and better understand those that face it, and presents a hopeful and realistic solution for the character through the gospel. I love and own all of her books(except for one that I hope to get soon). And currently she has been writing a culinary mystery series that is a lot of fun. As seen in the picture, I got to meet her last April and it was so great!

*Ella Enchanted:
This one probably seems a little out of place with the rest of them seeing as it is an easy read from elementary school, but I love this book! I love the main character Ella and I think it is such a great story and sweet love story. I have reread it several times and love it every time that I read it :).

*The Last Song: I have not decided for sure if this one goes on my top favorites list yet, but since finishing this book today is what inspired me to write this blog, I definitely felt like it deserved a spot :). I saw the movie that was based off of this book on Labor Day when I was at Brianne's apartment and really liked it. Brianne and her roommates had all read the book and kept telling me how great it was. So after the movie Brianne told me that I should definitely read the book because it was the kind of book I would like, and I borrowed it from her roommate. I finished it today and she was so right, I loved it! It has a really cute love story which is enough for someone to recommend it to me, but it was more than just the love story. There are so many great stories throughout the whole thing and so many different relationships with interesting dynamics. It is a love story(and a good one!) but it is also a story of family, friends, change, forgiveness, maturity, parenthood, faith, mistakes, truth, life, pain, happiness, God, and so much more. Although there is a main character, there are four different characters from who's point of view the story alternates and I love that aspect as well.

Like I said these are just a few of the many, many books that I love and I am pretty sure that there are many more amazing books to come!

What a summer...

2010-08-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Ok prepare yourself! Because I was neglectful of my blog during the summer due to being so busy, I have a lot to make up for and this is pretty long...

Wow, where to start?! This summer was not at all what I expected in so many ways. This was what I pictured: a pretty laid back summer of hanging out with the family and a few of my friends here with lots of down town when I wasn't working. I was considering picking up extra work through people I knew to fill the time. And I was thinking of all the books I could read or movies to see since I'd have lots of extra time. Now here is what the summer was really like...

*I actually had a busy social life! I didn't expect this one at all. I was not really planning on being super involved in the Young Single Adult activities in my stake, but I went on a temple trip to ABQ at the beginning of the summer and ended up having so much fun! I realized that a lot of my girl friends from high school were still here and still so much fun to hang out with. And then there were several guys who were here working for the summer that were a lot of fun to get to know too. So after that I decided to go to some of the activities now, and then ended up going to almost all of them! It was so great to reconnect with old friends, really get to know people that I had sort of known before, and to meet new people. I really had a lot of friendships strengthened or formed this summer and it was very exciting!

Brianne and I at one of the YSA temple trips

Cami's Harry Potter birthday party!

Some of my girl friends and I started our own little book club to discuss some books. It started because some of them hadn't read The Hunger Games yet(*gasp*) and so we wanted them to read it and then discuss!

YSA pool party in Santa Fe! We had the place all to ourselves!

YSA overnight conference in southern New Mexico

Hanging out with friends from High School!

And there were a whole lot more fun things too!

*New found confidence: This kind of goes along with what I was talking about above. Its not that I was unconfident, because I wasn't, but I guess I'll say I had some insecurities. Looking back on my year at school I would say I did a good job of breaking out of my shy tendencies from High School for those I don't know that well. I was really happy that I had been so successful and had been able to make lots of friends, but I also realized that I could have done much better. I did tend to still stick with my roommates or group of friends and I could have reached out to more people, let my personality show more, and not stuck to the background in groups so much. This summer I was able to take a huge leap forward in that. I was around a lot of my church friends from high school which was a context in which I was always comfortable and myself, but then I was able to meet new people in that context and still be myself with all my quirks and craziness. I discovered the obvious: when you are yourself, people who would want to be your friend are naturally attracted to you. Like I said before, I made several new friendships and strengthened and developed old ones. I was able to reach out to those that were not as social as well and to just get to know and get along with everyone in the YSA. I would go to activities without knowing who all was there and without needing any 'comfort friends.' And when I was at activities, I was in the middle of it. Not the center of attention, cause that's not what I want, but still very involved. I definitely want to take who I have been this summer and bring it with me to college because I feel like I will have more friends, more fun, and be able to help others more. I definitely reached a new level of confidence in myself and where I stand with others as well. In past experiences I have felt that in most of my relationships with people I would usually care about the person and friendship more than the other person did. It may have just been insecurities, but I think it was more than that. Well for the first time I can really say that it is not true anymore. I have had many friendships really develop this summer, both with people still in Provo and people here. I think one of the best feelings in the world is knowing that there are people who care about you, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the great friends that I have been blessed with!

*Soccer every week!: A definite highlight of my weeks this summer were Thursday nights when a group of us would get to together to play soccer at the park. It varied every week in skill levels and number of people there, but we usually we had a pretty big group and had competitive games even if all the people there were not intense soccer players. I love soccer!! Seriously the more I play it the more I love it! It was awesome to be able to do something to stay in shape and to have fun and get to know people.

*Best. Weekend. Ever. At the end of July my previous roommate and close friend Kylie came to visit. It was something we had talked about doing for a long time, but we were not sure it would be possible because her car couldn't make the drive. But she ended up being able to come with a new friend of hers that had been roommates with Desta (a girl from my town) and also wanted to visit. Kylie was here for 3 days and 4 nights. I was also able to have two sisters from my ward in Provo that I was friends with visit at the same time. We had talked about having them stop by to see me on their way home from their trip around the country and so they planned to come the same weekend as Kylie(they had been her roommates this summer), but to leave it as a surprise for her. And surprised she was! Every seriously worked out perfectly during this weekend and I would not have changed a thing. And it was definitely the highlight of my summer!

So she got in Thursday night and I met her at Desta's house where we all caught up and then got to have a real New Mexican meal from Desta's mom. Then we went to my house where we talked to Jeff for a while, and then to Brad and Jet's house where we were going to be staying and talked to them for a long time, and then the two of us got ready for bed and talked again! Sensing a pattern? :) It was so great to finally be able to talk in person again!

Friday I showed her all around the town including the science museum(which was at the top of her list of things to do!) and then we met up with Desta, Staci, and Stephanie K(Desta's two roommates that came) and we all bought awesome t-shirts and then headed to Santa Fe, stopping along the way at Camel Rock. Then that evening we went to a party at Desta's house.

The Science Museum! Complete with the video "The Town that Never Was" about the secret history of our town.

Most popularly sold t-shirt in Los Alamos!

Camel Rock!

Shopping around the plaza in Santa Fe... so many different neat homemade things!

Yummy meal containing lots of New Mexican foods and sopapillas!

Saturday morning me, Kylie, Staci, and Stephanie K went to Bandelier National Monument and hiked around and saw some Indian runes and caves. Kylie and I hung out at Brad and Jet's for a while in the afternoon and then Heather and Stephanie G got there and surprised Kylie! We went to a stake activity at my church for a bit and then went back and talked for a long time and caught up on everything. It was so much fun and I love all three of those girls!

Outside of a kiva, an underground room used for prayer and meditation.

Surprise!

Sunday we all went to church in my ward and I got to introduce them all :). Then we went by Overlook park and then spent the rest of the day at my parents house because they had just gotten back in town. It was so fun to relax and talk and have fun. A perfect Sunday afternoon. In the evening Jeff gave us a detailed tour of Los Alamos complete with commentary, facts, stories, and exclusive access to the national laboratory.

Before our adventure in the backyard in which Kylie picked and tried her first raspberry... and liked it! We also picked and snapped green beans, and picked cucumbers.

Monday morning all three of them left and I went back to work, wishing it could have lasted longer!

*Grew in appreciation of both Los Alamos and New Mexico: This goes along with the things above as well, because what better way to appreciate what you've got then when you are sharing it with someone else? And when I was trying to help Kylie experience Los Alamos and New Mexico I actually got to do somethings that I have never done or have not done in a long time. One of the main ones was shopping around the plaza in Santa Fe! I had actually never done that before(when I've got all brothers there aren't a lot of opportunities :) ) and I loved it! Stopping at the Camel Rock and going to Bandelier were both things I have not done since I was a kid. I already knew I liked Los Alamos, but I realized this summer how much interesting history we really have!! Going to the museum again and hearing Jeff's tour was pretty cool. But I can't say that I was a huge fan of New Mexico. There are still a lot of things about it that I don't really like, but there is also a lot of culture, a unique kind of beauty, and actually a lot of things to do!(Only if you like outdoor stuff though, which I realized I really do).

Ok really New Mexico can be quite pretty.

The hand crafted turquoise rings that Kylie and I got in Santa Fe. New Mexico is known for its turquoise and it happens to be Kylie's birthstone too! Now I will always have a piece of New Mexico with me, and I'm ok with that :)

Another way that I have been able to grow in appreciation of New Mexico is through work(at a YMCA child care summer camp)

The lavender farm that we toured and got free products from!

Abiquiu Lake: we took the kids here to look out at it, and I also got to go cliff jumping here with the YSAs!

Jemez Falls: There is big waterfall and then on the river above it there are several spots like this that people can get in and play and swim around.

Once a week there is a farmer's market in Los Alamos. We took the kids one week and I hadn't been there in a long time, if ever. I loved it! I love places like this and in the Santa Fe plaza where the people who made or grew the products are right there selling them to you. Since I liked it so much with the kids, I went back again with Mom a couple days ago. There is lot of variety and between the two of us we got a fresh scone, potatoes, peaches, a couple different breads, lavender products, and flavored honey sticks.

*An awesome trip to New York City! Another highlight of my summer... I got to go on a trip to New York City with my parents and Jeff and Wes to see where Jeff served his mission. It was so neat to be in a city that has so much of America's culture. I saw so many things that are always referred to or in stories. I saw so many different cultures, languages, and types of people. We got to meet people from Jeff's mission as well. Each day was packed full of adventures, sites, and neat experiences.

Here are just a couple of the many many things we did...

So neat to be right by the statue that was such a symbol of hope to so many!

I loved the skyline!

On top of the Rockefeller Center

Wax Museum!

*Hyrum will one year old in less than a month! When did that happen? It's been so fun hanging out with him this summer and seeing him grow! And on Thursday he took his first steps!! I was really hoping I would get to see it before I headed back to college and I got to see it just in time!

*AND... Thanks to work and having to wear tennis shoes everyday, I got the best tan line I've ever had: No words needed...

Let me tell you about a girl...

2010-07-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

**disclaimer: I totally starting writing this before Kylie did her blog post, although hers was posted first :)

Meet Kylie. Yes I know she's awesome.

I met Kylie over a year ago when we were randomly put together as roommates. What followed was an exciting summer full of adventures and bonding...

Then Fall and winter came and there was a switch in some of the roommates but the adventures continued...

Kylie is basically amazing and can make me laugh SO much but can also really touch and inspire me with her insights and opinions. There is no one else like her and I am SO excited that she is going to be coming to visit me in two days! Yeah!!

Parenting

2010-05-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Parenting is something that has been on my mind a lot recently. I have been living with my brother and sister-in-law for the last two weeks and have had a lot of time to interact with my 8 month old nephew. That exposure in addition to interesting talks with Jet, listening to conversations from other young mothers, and my years of working at a daycare has taught me one big thing about parenting: EVERYTHING that a parent does when raising a child has some sort of effect. It is kind of a scary idea that developing children are so impressionable and that if a parent makes a mistake in raising the child, it can have effects for years down the road. I have heard stories of how a thing as little as always holding the bottle for the baby can keep the child from ever learning how to do it on their own and always be reliant on their parent for it. Every decision and the finding of a balance in such things as helping too much or not helping enough has direct results. Such questions are encountered as: How long do you let the baby cry? How can you teach a child a lesson without being too harsh? It this something he/she should learn to do on their own or is it something I should be doing for them? When is the right age for everything? With so many tough decisions to make and such a great amount of responsibility and power, it is a miracle that anyone ever chose to be a parent. Any person who exercises all their effort to be the best parent that they can be deserves to be commended. So although as I have gotten older I have seen things that my parents may have not done quite right when raising me, or things that I will plan on doing differently when I am a parent; I can also see all that they have done right. I have seen so many ways in which their good decisions or sacrifices have made a difference. So here's to my mom:

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!! I love you and I thank you for all that you have done for me to make me who I am today. Thank you for ever taking on the challenge of raising me(and I know that it was a challenge!).

And thank you to all the parents everywhere for all the hard decisions and experimenting that you have done to try to raise the best kids that they can. Although you may not always be able to see or feel it, you are all appreciated and loved for what you have done. Keep up the good work!

Lessons I Learned from The Walk

2010-04-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

I recently read "The Walk" by Richard Paul Evans which was about a man who lost everything and thinks he has nothing left to live for and so he decides to take a walk across America. This is the beginning of a series, and so he has only crossed his state of Washington so far, but already he has had many interesting experiences. I love all of Richard Paul Evans' books and one thing that I love about them is that there are so many quotable and inspiring lines. For most of his books that I have read I have gone through and typed up many of the quotes. This book didn't have quite as many as the other books by him that I've read, but there were still a lot of good lines, which I included in this blog. Reading the book has really made me think about my walk in this life... all of the people whose paths have crossed mine and have had an influence on me...all of my unique experiences... developing and growing to become who I am meant to be...seeing how I can make a difference in others' journeys...and all of the lessons that I have learned.

Here were some of my favorite lines from the book...

"Kierkegaard wrote that 'we understand our lives backward, but must live them forward.' He was right, of course; but in looking back on the hammer strikes that chisel and shape our souls we understand more than our lives and even ourselves--we begin to comprehend the sculptor."

"I do not know what lies beyond the horizon, only that the road I walk was meant for me. It is enough."

"The assumption of time is one humanity's greatest follies: we tell ourselves that there's always tomorrow, when we can no more predict tomorrow than we can the weather. Procrastination is the thief of dreams."

"...the only real sign of life is growth. And growth requires pain. So to choose life is to accept pain. Some people go to such lengths to avoid pain that they give up on life. They bury their hearts, or they drug or drink themselves numb until they don't feel anything anymore. The irony is, in the end their escape becomes more painful than what they're avoiding."

"Some people in this world have stopped looking for beauty, then wonder why their lives are so ugly. Don't be like them. The ability to appreciate beauty is of God. Especially in one another. Look for beauty in everyone you meet and you'll find it. Everyone carries divinity with them. And everyone we meet has something to impart."

"It's a rare human who spends more time looking for truth than protecting their already-held beliefs."

"This is what I've learned. We can spend our days bemoaning our losses, or we can grow from them. Ultimately the choice is ours. We can be victims of circumstances or masters of our fate, but make no mistake, we cannot be both."

Mixed Feelings

2010-04-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Today is my half birthday (which means I am only 6 months away from being 20...crazy! I seriously can't believe that!) and also marks my last full week in Provo for a while. I am always blown away by how fast things seem to happen and change. It has been almost an entire year that I have been in Provo, and now I am going back to Los Alamos for the summer. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this quickly-approaching change. There are a lot of things that I will miss from Provo that cannot be found in Los Alamos, and also a lot of things that I am looking forward to in Los Alamos.

Things I will miss...

My awesome ward and apartment complex. Having so many options of things to do. My roommates. Being able to meet so many new people. Greg and Kristen. Having my own apartment. All of my new friends. Getting invited to so many fun things. FUN. Being only 30 seconds away from lots of awesome people. Skidmore-Zimmerman siblings dinners. Having a dollar theater. New experiences and opportunities for growth. The proximity of so many things that comes with living in a town bigger than Los Alamos. Having so many people my age around. Saturday morning basketball games. Getting unintentionally serenaded by the people who live in the house behind my window (it is happening right now).

Things I am looking forward to...

FAMILY. Actually being able to work and make money. No school! Mom's home-cooked meals. Hyrum(today also marks his 7 month birthday!). Less stress. Bonding and girl time with Jet. Trip to New York City. Talking and spending time with Brad. My job at the YMCA summer camp. My parents. A more relaxed environment. Simple, wonderful moments with the family laughing together. Wes. Saving money. Being able to learn and grow in a different kind of way. Seeing my High School friends. Free membership to the YMCA. Living with Brad and Jet for a month. A nice, warm summer that won't be quite as hot as Provo. Playing games with the family. Family meals.

I think that the draws of Los Alamos outweigh the things I will miss, and so I am happy with my decision. Of course, I will be sad to leave Provo, but being sad at the end of something only means that whatever it was must have been good! And the best part is that it is not really an end. And as I have said in many blog posts, time flies! Before I know it I will be back in Provo and missing things in Los Alamos...

Positive Psychology Oscar Awards

2010-03-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last week in my Positive Psychology class my teacher showed us an article in which Ryan Niemiec who is a pretty big name in the Positive Psychology field created a list of 'Oscars' for Positive Psychology movies in 2009. He described them as: "films that both appeal to a wide audience and have important messages. Many are perfect for use in the classroom, the therapy room, and the coaching relationship. I hope you will view them yourself and reflect on how you and your clients might benefit from thinking and talking about them. These films allow us to explore ourselves (through common dialogue recreated on the screen), feel deeply and learn about the world (through the characters’ journeys), and see the greatness that is possible (through virtuous role models). Let go of preconceptions, approach each film with mindfulness (openness, curiosity, and controlled attention), and the benefits will come."

I was really interested in this list, because I definitely agree that from certain movies you can learn so much about yourself and the world around you and then be inspired to become greater or to make a difference in the world around you. Each of the movies was chosen for a different aspect of positive psychology that it exemplifies. I had already seen 4 of the 10 movies, but I saw 3 more of them this week. So I thought I'd share the list with you guys and give you my own opinions on the movies. Two of the movies are rated R and one of them does not have any appeal to me, so I just skipped those three on this list.

Number 10 for Flow: Whip It!

Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of this movie, and I think there are other films that better portray flow....but maybe not in 2009. For those who do not know, flow is "the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity." I think I probably just wasn't a huge fan of the plot or the execution of the movie, but I could see clearly how it demonstrated flow. But for all of you, my faithful readers, it wouldn't be a movie that I would necessarily recommend.

Number 7 for Goal Setting: Julie and Julia

I saw this movie in the dollar theater and would definitely agree with this award. It is based on two true stories...one about Julia Childs, and one about Julie, the self-trained cook who starts a project to replicate all of Julia Childs' recipes and keep a blog about her findings. As his article says, "Julie’s goal follow-through and maintenance is extraordinary and inspirational for any coaching client." I completely agree and think that this was a great movie to show all the aspects of goal-setting and following through....all the setbacks, the moments of doubt and considering giving up, determination to push through the tough spots, and then the euphoria when you succeed.

Number 6 for Savoring: Up

This was such a cute movie! His article talked about how a repeated theme in this movie was the "adventure book" full of photos of him and his wife who had passed away. Later in the movie he discovers that his wife had added pictures in it that demonstrate their love and connection. And "as he savors the memories, he realizes he has lived a full life." I would definitely agree with their review and would recommend this movie to anyone...it is super cute!

Number 5 for Integration of Medical Model and Positive Psychology: The Soloist

I watched this movie today and thought that it was really good. It is based on the true story of a homeless musician and the newspaper reporter who discovers him and writes about him. The musician's struggle with schizophrenia is an important part of the story. As the article says, the "film integrates a focus on mental illness with what is strongest and best in people" which is a main goal of Positive Psychology. I agreed with the article when he said, "as it portrays a burgeoning friendship, significant creativity, and the schizophrenia of musician Nathaniel Ayers, it refuses to shy away from the pain, suffering, and realities of mental illness." I feel like movies like this are important to see because it helps me better understand mental illness and to have more knowledge and compassion towards the situation.

Number 4 for Positive Application: The Blind Side

I am sure that everyone who has seen this movie is not surprised that it made the list. What an incredible and touching true story! Sandra Bullock does an amazing job of playing the assertive and loving woman who takes in a young man from a difficult background and teaches him to "tap into what is strongest in him" and helps him become a successful football player. It is a perfect example of positive application and definitely a movie that demonstrates positive psychology. I would recommend the movie to anyone, and based on the large amount and great variety of people that have told me how much they loved it, I think it is a movie that anyone and everyone can love.

Number 2 for Cinematic Elevation: Avatar

This movie was definitely more than just high quality special effects for me. I think the article says it best: "Avatar powerfully portrays moral courage, love, and racial harmony, and is ripe with inspiring messages for viewers to act more courageous, loving, more grateful, or more hopeful upon leaving the theater." It worked for many people and led to more articles on how Avatar demonstrates Positive Psychology. If anyone is interested in reading more, I really liked this article: http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/louis-alloro/201001297785. My favorite lines from it were: "Avatar is real-life, not just a sci-fi epic, if you’re open to seeing it that way. Ultimately, this is what positive psychology is about for me – being willing to see things in different and perhaps more positive ways. It is a mindset that can be built consciously, over time by challenging old habits of thinking, speaking, doing, and ultimately, of feeling."

And now for the winner...

Number 1 for Depiction of Character: Invictus

I saw this movie at the dollar theater this week and it is definitely inspiring, as well as full of Positive Psychology and depiction of character. It is the true story of Nelson Mandela and how he united South Africa through the game of rugby. Although it includes both, it is not a sports story or a story about race, rather it is a story of human potential. As a special shout-out to my family, I think you guys would really like this one, especially Dad. The poem that is encompassed throughout the movie and is the source of the movie title, is definitely a good one that is made more meaningful through the movie. It is:

Invictus
By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

These are just a short list of some of the year's Positive Psychology movies, and although I strongly agree with a lot of it, there are many more out there that are not listed. I just have to stick one of my own in here at the end, because I recently saw it and it was much better and more meaningful than I had expected....

Love Happens

I think this movie has probably been passed by as 'just another chick flick,' but it is definitely more than that. I don't think I would even label it as a chick flick, it is more of a story of character development and the healing process. The love story is not even what the movie was all about, it is only one aspect of it...a very important part, but not what the movie is all about. I was surprised at how meaningful this movie was, and definitely a tear-jerker. When I watched it I had been thinking about all these Positive Psychology films and it struck me how much this movie exemplified it. The main character in the film is the author of a self-help book about overcoming the death of loved ones and he uses the experience from his life with the death of his wife to connect with his readers and those that attend his conferences. But it is seen throughout the story that all of the advice he is giving to others, he has not applied in his own life. His realization and recovery is a process throughout the movie that is natural and realistic...two qualities that this movie captures wonderfully. I really liked this movie and felt like it had a lot to offer!

Well that was probably more than anyone wanted to hear, but I hope that it demonstrates the messages of Positive Psychology that can be found...not just in movies, but all around us. Many of these movies were based on true stories, so these things are happening all around us, if we are willing to look for them.

Oh, The Places You'll Go...

2010-03-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

"So, what do you like to do?"... This is a question that I often get asked on dates or when meeting new people. After giving my standard answers of playing soccer and just hanging out with friends, and maybe a few other random things, I can't really come up with anything else. This seems pretty lame and boring so I thought about it some more....what DO I like to do? My love of traveling and experiencing new places came to mind. It really is something I love and have been blessed to be able to do. So one of my new answers has become that I love to travel when money and opportunity allows. It does not even have to be anywhere big or that far away...I really love all forms of traveling. It is especially fun for me to be able to visit the hometown of a friend and see where they came from. A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go down to Vegas for the mission farewell of my friend Kasidy. While seeing the Strip and the other tourist attractions of Vegas was really cool, a large part of what made the trip special was getting to see Kasidy and Kylie's homes and where they grew up.

All of this has caused me to think about the places that I have been and the places that I one day hope to visit. Some of my favorite trips I have been on...

Family trip to the Seattle area, the summer before my eighth grade year:

It has been my favorite area in the United States that I have visited.

We took a one day cruise around the San Juan Islands.

Family trip to France and England in order to explore Greg's mission in Southern France.

Castle in Southern France

Getting caught in the rain at the Normandy Beaches

At the Mediterranean Sea

Inside a hedge maze near London

Trip to the countryside of England with my Dad on an extended family reunion in order to see significant sites in our family history.

Castle ruins on the border of England and Wales

Exploring a coal mine

Some of the places that I want to go(there is pretty much an unending list of places I'd want to go, but these are a few of my top choices)....

Italy

There are SO many places in Italy that I would want to go, but this picture is of Trieste, Italy. My Grandpa has a framed version of it because he has traveled all over the world for his job and he told me that this is the one place he loves the most.

Ireland

I love the green, and what place has more green than Ireland?! Every time that I see pictures of Ireland, or when movies are filmed there, I have such an urge to go there!

New Zealand

Everything that I have read or heard about New Zealand makes me want to visit this beautiful and unique place!

India

This is actually a new one for me, it has never been one on my top list before. I have recently gained a lot of interest in India, because it has such an interesting and beautiful culture that I would love to experience.

Australia

My grandma, who has traveled all over the world with my grandpa, told me that her favorite place she has visited is Australia. Among other things, she loved the people there. It is another unique place that I would love to visit.

This is only a fraction of the many places that I would love to go, but whether my journeys lead me across the seas to foreign countries or somewhere new that is not far at all....it is always fascinating to see the places you'll go....

The Puzzle of a Person

2010-02-04T15:51:00.000-08:00

I remember in my Junior year of High School that my AP Psychology teacher would talk about how she watched the TV show Lost. I didn't really know much about it, but from what she said it sounded like a show that I would enjoy. It sounded like it had lots of good psychology elements to it. But I never ended up watching it and I kind of forgot about it. However, recently I found the full episodes of all 5 seasons online. So I decided to give the show a try and see if there really were all those interesting psychological aspects to it, or if it was just a thriller about being deserted on an island and fighting all of those things that go bump in the night. While the latter is a fairly large part of the show, it is not the focus and adds some excitement to the story without being overbearing. The thing that I love most about the show is the people and their stories and interactions with the other characters. In the very first episode you see the 48 survivors of the plane crash all over the beach and their reactions to what just happened. You have no idea what happened in the crash or who all of the people are. Through flashbacks from the different perspectives of the characters you begin to put pieces together and better understand the characters. Through the first season, most of the episodes would be focused on one individual character and their past, and how they came to be on the flight that crashed. The episode would begin with a close-up on the eye of the character that is being explored in that episode. I love that concept because the eyes are the window to the soul and each person has their own unique eyes and their own unique story. I love that the show was set up like this because it is representative of life and relationships. When you are getting to know someone, they do not start at the beginning of their life and chronologically go through all the events and experiences that made them who they are today. Instead, you see little pieces at a time. Through a story from their past, a secret they share, a hobby or interest you discover, a quirk or personality trait they manifest, you begin to put together the pieces of the puzzle of who that person is. You will complete much more of some people's puzzles than others... like those in your family, the person you marry, your closest friends....but you never complete the puzzle. There will always be more pieces you can add. That is the beautiful thing about getting to know people, it never ends. This concept has always been of great interest to me, which is why I cherish those moments when someone confides in me or shares a story or piece of them with me...it is one more piece I can add to a beautiful puzzle.

Of course, there are several aspects to Lost that I enjoy, but that is definitely the greatest of them all. During free time on the weekends, or times during the week that I need a break from homework, I can be found with my headphones plugged in to my laptop and my gaze affixed to the screen...with my occasional sound effects of various different emotions which often result in frightening Kylie or causing Rachel to say, "Let me guess...Lost?" I am currently in the first part of the 2nd season, and pretty excited to see what else is coming. Last week they had the season premiere of the 6th and final season. So I have been known to change the channel on TV, or close an advertisement online, in a frenzied rush in order to avoid giving anything away. I am determined to make it through the last season without anything significant being revealed, we'll see if I make it...

What a Year...

2009-12-31T15:45:00.001-08:00

Some years seem to take forever and drag on, making you wish you could just fast forward to the end. Other years fly by so fast that you are almost surprised when they are over. 2009 was one of those years for me. Except that it went by so much faster and was so much more eventful than any other year that I can recall. Looking back, I think that I have changed and grown more in this year than the several years before it combined. It has been a year of choices, opportunities, changes, firsts, and so many memories.

At the beginning of the year, life altering decisions were made that led me to a college, a ward, and an apartment that was the location and cause of the changes and opportunities to follow. Two days after my high school graduation, I drove away in my brother and sister-in-law's car to move away from home and on my own for the first time in my life. I remember the weeks leading up to my departure and the moment of driving away from my parents and my house. I kept waiting for the normal, typical reactions and feelings of a change this big to fill me...the anxiety, uncertainty, excitement, nervousness and other combination of feelings that someone in my situation should be feeling...but they never really came. Talking to a friend from home on the phone a couple days later, I told her that it still hadn't hit me yet but I was sure it would soon. 7 months later and it still hasn't 'hit me.'

I don't know how to explain it, how in the last 7 months I have had so many new experiences and changes. How I have adapted to a completely foreign and new environment and people, and there still has never been that moment of doubt, fear, homesickness, and overwhelmedness. I feel as if I have flown through this year and all the new experiences and I can hardly believe it is already over. It is when I stop and look back at the year when I can see all that has happened. It really has been quite a journey...

Highlights of 2009
(there were so many things I had to leave out, and it still so long)

April: Visited UVU for the first time and received strong feelings of confirmation that this was where I was supposed to go

May: performed in a community play along with my Dad...it was a great learning experience and all of the family got to come and watch the final show

May: graduated from High School with my family all there to support me

June: Lived with Brad and Jet for a month after moving away from home while also attending the singles ward that I'd be moving in to....learned so much from them and had a lot of fun. This picture was taken at the Kelly Clarkson concert at UVU

end of June: Moved in to the Monticello apartments....where I found a great ward, great friends, and so many great experiences. Also, it was my first time living on my own.

July: Skidmore family reunion in Colorado....

great times with the family...

...and so many adventures. Here, my brother and I are zip-lining.

Summer in Provo

I had awesome roommates that I had so many great times with...here we are at the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie

Me and Kylie played on a coed intramural softball team

Skidmore cousin dinner

August: my brother Jeff returned from a two year mission for our church in New York City. He moved in to the same apartment complex and ward as me.

August: my brother Greg was married to Kristen...and I got another sister-in-law!

I got two new roommates in the fall(and got to keep one of the old ones!) We have had many exciting times.

October: I got to go home for a couple days and meet my brand new nephew Hyrum!

November: my parents and little brother came up to Provo for Thanksgiving

I played on a women's intramural soccer team and we won the championship!

December: I went home for Christmas break...

We acted out the nativity scene...

...and I got to spend time with Hyrum! and the rest of the family of course...

And now I get to look forward to the year of 2010 and wonder what new experiences it will hold. So much changes in just one year and I am excited to see what 2010 will bring...

My New Favorite T-shirt... and More Soccer Adventures

2009-12-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

By popular request, I have been asked to blog about my recent adventures with the intramural soccer championships. I was planning on doing this anyway, but my parents suggested something more. In my dad's words, "the culmination of years of a colorful soccer success story." I realized that there really is quite a journey involved in my soccer career, with high points and low points and stories and lessons scattered along the way. So I decided to think back through all the memories, excitements, pain, changes, friendships, insecurities, confidence building, and growth that has come from the great sport of soccer and my long journey with it.

I started playing soccer when I was eight, the first age that you could. Other sports came and went through elementary and middle school, but soccer was always my favorite and I played it every fall and spring. Very early on my favorite position to play was forward. The feeling of dribbling down the field, shooting on goal, and seeing the ball hit the back of the net is priceless. I played that position as much as I could. They introduced the position of goalie and rotated everyone through playing it and I liked that too, but forward was still my favorite. I played soccer all through elementary school and saw all the good players start going towards the competitive teams. None of my brothers had done competitive sports because it was a big time commitment with all the long drives for Saturday games and not very convenient for our busy family. But through several convincing factors and the help of my brother Greg, my parents let me try out for the competitive team at the end of my 6th grade year.

I made the competitive team and played with them for two seasons during my 7th grade. It was a great experience for me and I learned so much more about soccer, improved my skills, played with people who were better than me so I was really challenging myself, and just stretched and grew in so many ways. I played a couple different positions on the field until one game when our goalie got hurt and the team needed someone to take her spot. I was feeling a little sick and didn't want to run around a lot, and I had enjoyed goalie in the past, so I volunteered. It was a pretty close and intense game, but I managed to hold my own. After that game my coach and team decided that I would be playing goalie for the rest of the year. My dad told me afterward that he had been praying on the sidelines that I would be able to stop the goals so that I would have confidence as goalie and keep at it. He got his wish because I went on to play goalie for several years.

The next year I tried out to play on the same competitive team again. To my complete surprise and heartbreak, I did not make the team. It was really unexpected, because once someone makes that team, they usually stay on it. I clearly remember the next day at school when all my teammates were consoling me and expressing their confusion and shock at me being cut. My coach gave me some reason like there wouldn't be enough playing time for the rest of the players if so many people were on the team, but from what I heard through the season, due to injuries and other reasons they sometimes were short players. When this happened I was completely crushed because I thought that my soccer career was over. My visions of playing high school soccer faded away. There was not really another team that I could play on, and our high school soccer program was intense enough that missing one year would make a significant difference. I began to think of my other options (my mom kept hinting at cross country, sorry Mom...) and finally the idea was reached that I could tryout for the high school team as an eighth grader. It was recommended that eighth graders try out in order to gain experience and know what was coming, but they didn't usually get put on the team. So I tried out along with most of my old teammates.

They needed a goalie on the C-team so I tried out primarily as a goalie, and I made it! The season that followed was full of more learning, stretching, and growing as I expanded my skills and gained more experience. My abilities were really challenged as I was the only eighth grader on the team and was playing with people older and more experienced than me. But I learned a lot and at the end of the season I was voted the Most Improved Player by my teammates. Through the season I became more confident in my goalie abilities, but I still longed to play on the field as a forward as well. At the beginning of the season, there were two goalies and we would each play one half in goal and one half on the field. That was the ideal situation for me, but I began to doubt my abilities as a field player through derogatory comments and feelings from my coach. Despite assurances from my teammates and assistant coach, I lost confidence in my field playing and focused instead on goalie. My coach began playing me as goalie for the entire game, because he said I was more reliable. There was at least something that I could have confidence in, and as I helped lead my team to a victory in the end of the season tournament, I was sure that goalie would be the position that I stayed with for the rest of the season.

The next spring I played on a competitive team since the school team plays only in the fall. I was the only goalie and only eighth grader on a team that was a mix of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. We had to play in the league that the oldest people on our team would be in, so as a scrawny, short little eighth grader (no exaggeration, I was a scrawny little stick back then) I was playing in a league of people several years older than me. I was definitely not your stereotypical goalie, and I am sure I looked very out of place. I was sick with nervousness before several of the games, but I pushed through the season and continued to learn more, and was then voted the Most Improved Player once again.

The next fall was my freshman year and I tried out for the high school team again. This time all of my old teammates were trying out with me again, but now they were trying out much more seriously because if they didn't make this team there was no other soccer option. Let me remind you that my school's soccer program is very intense. Many a girl has moved in to the town and decided that they want to try soccer, but then show up to tryouts and realize it is no joke. It is never a given that as you get older, you move up to the next level team. The varsity team truly is elite, and even people who have played on the high school team the first three years of high school are not guaranteed a spot on the varsity team. I have seen many of them turned away. I was nervous to see what would happen now that all my old teammates were trying out for the same positions as me. I ended up making the JV team with only two other freshmen. The rest of my old teammates were on the C-team. That season was probably my favorite soccer season that I have had. I loved my team, my coach, and just the whole general situation. My coach really stretched me and helped me to grow and learn. He also started getting ideas that I would be a good forward, and throughout the season he gave me little opportunities to try it out. Games in which we were winning significantly, he would put someone else in as goalie and let me play forward. Memories of how much I loved forward came back to me, and he kept encouraging me and telling me that I should try it out. I wanted to, but I still had all my insecurities developed from my old coach that were always bearing down on me. I played goalie with an older team again the next spring, but my coach worked with me during the summer and then sophomore year I tried out as a forward. I made JV again which was what I expected, because I had to make up for all the lost time and develop my skills. It was another year of stretching and challenging myself as I tried to push and improve myself. I had the same coach and he kept encouraging and helping me. The next spring I played with a lot of the same people and continued to play forward.

My junior year was a tough year, and I did not make varsity. I was not expecting to, because I still felt like I had so much to improve and learn. I would have been fine with it, except that I had a different coach and he made it a very difficult season. I know that you cannot blame everything on a coach, but it does make a big difference. He just seemed to have it out for me from the very beginning and didn't seem to like me at all. He didn't give me a lot of playing time and just had a lot of negative vibes and actions toward me. Soccer was supposed to fun, that's why I started it in the first place, but the fun seemed to have been lost amidst all the politics, competition, and biases that had developed. I decided not to try out for the varsity team the next year, because there were too many things going against it. I needed to work and save money for college and I was not willing to put in all the time and stress that would be required in order to play on the varsity team and the coach that went with it. I never regretted my decision and I think it was the best thing for me to do, but there were many of those moments when I really missed soccer.

Enter intramural soccer! This fall I got to play on a girls intramural soccer team and it was such a great experience. I did not really know anyone on my team, they were all people who had lived in my ward before I moved in, or friends of the people on the team and they were all at least a couple years older than me. But I got to know them all and they were such nice, fun, friendly people and I had a great time playing on the team with them. It was so good to be able to go back to soccer in a comfortable, low-key setting. I played forward for the first few games, and let other people borrow my goalie gloves to play goalie. Neither of the girls had really played goalie much, and one game we were losing pretty bad, and I felt like I should try to do my part. I volunteered to play goalie for the second half, and everything came rushing back. The first time that the ball came to me and I had to dive for it, I remembered why I had played and loved goalie so much. My teammates all decided that I should play goalie for the rest of the season. There has been this everlasting rotation between goalie and forward, and I am sure that it will continue. As corny as it may sound, there are times when I am meant to play forward and there are times when I am meant to play goalie. This was a time that I was definitely meant to be goalie, and I felt like I would have been abandoning my abilities if I hadn't stepped up and volunteered.

Our team ended up winning all the games in our tournament and then made it to the final four. I never thought we would have made it that far, but we actually ended up winning the whole thing! Last week we played in the finals and through a huge and dramatic comeback, we won the tournament! We became intramural champs, and won the shirts that are known as the most coveted t-shirt on campus. It was such an exciting day for me, and not just for the tournament victory (which was very exciting on its own!). There were so many other victories won that day as well. I was able to go back to soccer, conquer all my fears, and bring back that positive association that I have always had it, but seemed to be missing. I was also able to become part of a team again, and a team that I felt like I was a significant part of. I felt needed and important, which are feelings I had been lacking, and I knew that people truly would notice if I was not at a game. One of my teammates went as far as to say that our team would not have won without me. While I don't think that's true, it is still such an amazing feeling to have someone think that. There is nothing in the world like feeling needed, noticed, and appreciated.

Sorry that this got so long, I am sure the people who asked me to write it did not mean for it to be so long, but I realized that there really are so many stories and lessons from soccer. And there are so many others that I didn't include. But one thing is for sure, my life would not have been the same without soccer...

The Best Time of the Year

2009-12-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the best month of the year....DECEMBER!! Seriously, I love December! I love that people basically celebrate Christmas all month long. Some of the many things I love about December and Christmas time:

~~Christmas decorations....seeing all the lights and trees and other decorations just makes me so happy. I seriously need to get to work decorating our apartment this weekend!

~~Christmas music: I went through my i-tunes yesterday and put all of my Christmas music on to one playlist. Most of my favorite hymns are Christmas songs and I am so happy that we have started singing them in church. And I love having all my Christmas music from my computer playing in the background. Some of my personal favorites are: Oh Holy Night, What Child is This, Silent Night, My Grown-Up Christmas List(by Kelly Clarkson), and A Baby Changes Everything(by Faith Hill)

~~The whole message of Christmas: Christ's birth and his whole life. So many things today are trying to take Christ out of Christmas, but he is what it is all about!

~~The spirit of service and love that everyone seems to have in their heart. Christmas time reminds everyone what truly matters. There are so many acts of service and love around this time. The best in people seems to really come out.

~~Picking presents out for people: I absolutely love trying to pick something out for each person that I think they would love and then watching their reaction when they get it. I pay attention to what people say and so when Christmas time comes, I can get something that they mentioned once that they liked or wanted. Or sometimes coming up with something on my own that completely takes them by surprise. I wish I had more money, so I could get more presents for people!

~~Christmas stories: I love Christmas books and movies and any other random Christmas stories. My family has a pretty big collection of Christmas movies that I look forward to seeing every year, but my favorites are: It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Christmas Wish. There are countless Christmas stories that are all so wonderful, but one in particular that stands out to me is "A Christmas Dress for Ellen" by Thomas S. Monson.

And so many other small things that add up to the best time of the year....

*Being with family*Hot chocolate*Snuggling up with a blanket*Giant snowmen built specially by the Skidmore family*Christmas caroling*Candy Canes*Family traditions*White Christmases*Annual Christmas ornaments from Grandma*Nativity scenes from around the world*Secret Santas*Holiday socks*Curling up by the fire*Being warm inside while it is snowing outside*Random acts of service*Getting Christmas cards, letters, and pictures from family and friends*Staying in pajamas all day*My mom's amazing cooking

One man's life touches so many others...

2009-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

It breaks my heart every time I hear about something like this happening...

Last night my 12 year old brother rode the city bus up to his middle school basketball practice along with four of his teammates. When the bus dropped them off, two of the boys ran across the road in front of the parked bus and the boy in front was hit by a car that was driving down the road. The driver did not see the boy and so did not even put on his brakes. The impact was so strong that the boy was knocked out of his shoes. My little brother was standing on the sidewalk when it happened and could hear the impact and see his friend's body land. The boy was in critical condition and was flown to intensive care, but passed away this morning. It is heart breaking in so many ways....a twelve year old boy who had so much life left to live... a mother and three sisters who lost one of the most important people in their life...the driver of the car who, despite the fact that he had no way of seeing the boy coming, will have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life... my little brother and the other boys who had to witness this and will probably never forget.

I did not personally know the boy, but I knew who he was and had seen him play basketball games with my little brother. I talked to my mom about it today and heard all the details and about all the aftereffects. A facebook group was started for him after the accident happened last night, and after he passed away today a memorial blog was started for everyone to share memories and for people to know how they could help the family. I read many of the comments and it was amazing to see how many people it has affected. I am reminded of a quote from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life":

"One man's life touches so many others, when he's not there, it leaves an awfully big hole"

Hearing of all the tears that were shed at the middle school today and reading the comments on both facebook and the memorial blog from family, friends, teammates, teachers, classmates and more is definite proof of the truthfulness of this quote. Everyone had something to share and there were many fond memories of the boy being cheerful, sweet, and fun. As my little brother wrote on the blog: "Logan was a great kid, always smilling. It was even said that he was laughing right before the accident."

Hearing of something like this reminds me how fragile life is, and so unpredictable. There is no way to know when someone's life will suddenly be ended. As cliche as this may sound, it makes me want to always live my life to the fullest. You also can never know when the life of a loved one will be taken away, and so I repeat my strong belief that we must always make sure that people know how much they mean to us, before it's too late.