Camping

Here's a tidbit about me: I love camping. Being outside, legitimately dirty, sleeping in a tent. Love it. Now could I do it more than a few times a year? Probably not, but I enjoy it every time I go. This was the only picture I have of our latest camping adventure:

Owen and Liz decided they wanted to sleep next to me. In true fashion, Owen woke up around 6:30am so I gave him my iPod to listen to so he wouldn't wake up everyone else. Didn't really work but he sure loved it!

In completely unrelated news: I decided that I hate the way I title my posts. I started doing it just because it made sense with the title of my blog but now it annoys me. But because I'm slightly OCD (see previous post) I kept doing it. I have decided, however, to rebel against myself and do whatever the heck I want. So there.

...I Discovered Fresh Produce

The store- not the food.

I found this store while wandering around Boulder, CO. The clothes were more things my mother would wear (not that that's bad) but I loved the jewelry. The colors were amazing.

... I Waited

And this was my thought: good things come to those who wait.

....I Would Like to Thank

One Mr. R. Kirk Strong and the Brigham Young University Admissions Committee. Tonight I received a wonderful e-mail which enclosed my acceptance to BYU...again. So needless to say, these people are my favorite right now.

Confused? Thought you might be. So here's a little explanation: I graduated a year ago from BYU with a bachelors degree in Political Science. After graduation I moved to Salt Lake City and worked, played, and just enjoyed being done with school. I explored some different career options and found myself really wanting to teach. I always thought that I would teach elementary school, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I wanted to go into secondary education. Just one little hitch- my lack of a teaching license. After more research into obtaining said license, I decided to go back to school at BYU and complete the social science secondary education teaching program. It took some work and a lot of stress, but I met with all the appropriate people, submitted my application, and prayed. I was a bit nervous because I had heard that BYU didn't admit post-bacc students often, but because I'm incredibly awesome I totally got back in. Ha! Yay for me.

... I Went to Mt. Arbel

This is one of the most incredible places I've ever been. It's a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee and it's the most peaceful, beautiful, and breathtaking place. We only stayed there for an hour or so but I could have spent the whole afternoon on top of that mountain. It is still one of the highlights of my trip to the Galilee.

...I Had a Birthday

Shout hooray! About a month ago I turned 23 and had a fantastic birthday weekend.

The festivities began with an amazing double date to an Indian restaurant my brother and sister-in-law took me to.

My date was pretty awesome and such a gentleman- he only sat on my lap and ate my food three times. I forgave him though when sang "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" to me and kissed me good night (which is more than I can say for some guys I've been out with).

Then my parents came into town and we celebrated my mom's birthday, my birthday, and Father's Day. We spent one afternoon in Boulder exploring Pearl Street, one of my favorite places. It's full of random, quirky shops and even more random, quirky people including this fun little trio whom I lovingly called "the Bluegrass Jonas Brothers"

The kids ended up having a blast after we found them a train ride to go on and a candy store full of every candy you can think of (candy buttons! wax lips! bubblegum cigarettes! don't worry- I didn't give those to the kids). We then had a big party for everyone complete with presents, cake, a delectable strawberry pie that I made because I'm awesome, jokes, barbecuing, insults, and face painting. You know- the usual. Please note my mother in the following picture. She is eating frosting with a spoon. Love it.

Best. Dad. Ever.

Don't be jealous that my mom is cooler than your mom.

Oh- and we taught my dad how to play Wii MarioKart. After teaching him, I promptly kicked his trash.

...I Live By These Words

"I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now."
- Thomas S. Monson

...I have OCD

And I am also a minor germophobe. True story. I'm not terribly bad, but there are some things that I am totally OCD over. For example: when I wash my hands in a public restroom, I always take three paper towels to dry them off. I don't know- I just have to take three. Once I start a project, I have a hard time stopping it. Once I start a book, I have a hard time not finishing it- even if I don't particularly like it. I also can't stand dirtiness. I can handle things being a little messy- but downright dirty is awful. Things have to be cleaned frequently and effectively. I'm a bit of a snob about that but hey, if there's anything to be snobby about, cleanliness is good right?

...I Found Ten Thousand Villages

I love going to this store. Ten Thousand Villages is an amazing place and loads of fun. Here's a little tidbit about them that I stole from their website: "At Ten Thousand Villages, we work with over 130 artisan groups in more than 38 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East to bring you fair trade jewelry, home decor, gifts and more. As one of the world's oldest and largest fair trade organizations, we build long-term relationships with artisans that are based on mutual understanding and respect. Fair trade enables artisans to earn a fair wage and provides the opportunity for a better quality of life."

Love it.

...I Had a Friend

And this friend made me realize this:

Life is precious- don't waste your time being bitter or jealous or offended. Be as kind as you can as frequently as you can. Remember that every person is amazing and deserves to be treated with respect. This friend taught me how to care about people, that kindness isn’t prejudiced, and that life is meant to be enjoyed and lived to its fullest.


Thanks Blake. Miss you.

...I Had a Red Head as a Sister-in-Law

Which makes for some pretty fun times. Like when we went to the midnight showing of Eclipse:

Jenn is pretty awesome and I'm so glad to have her as my sister-in-law. We've had a lot of fun together and she's always been very patient with me when I have a hard time understanding girl things (I don't have any sisters, ok!!). She's a great mother, wife, friend, and sister. I love her to death and am so happy to have her!

P.S.- It was also her birthday yesterday! Happy Birthday Jenn!!

...I Went to the Elah Valley

Syke! Didn't go- almost did, but didn't. The Elah Valley is the location in Israel/Palestine where David faced Goliath and it would have been awesome if I could have seen it. I, however, was doing this:


Story: I get car sick sometimes. Ok, most of the time. Especially during long, windy bus rides- and that is exactly what happened on this particular day. Jake, Manda, and I all got incredibly car sick on the bus ride to the Elah Valley so we had to take a van back to the Jerusalem Center. This was meant to be a day-long field trip so we pretty much had the center all to ourselves. We ordered pizza (which was actually pretty good), watched movies, and ran amok all afternoon until the rest of the group got back. While I'm still a little sad I didn't get to see the Elah Valley, I'm glad I got to have a fun afternoon with Jake and Manda.

...I Gardened

This summer began with lots of gardening. It was great!

First we planted a garden in Tom and Jenn's backyard and later in the month we went the the Denver Temple to plant flowers.

They didn't have enough flowers for everyone to plant so Liz, Owen and I went around and picked up pine cones.

...I've Been Thinking About This

"We can know that we are forgiven when guilt is replaced by wisdom."

I recently read this quote and it gave me a lot to think about. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it is very true. At least it has been in my life.

... I Liked These Movies

I like zombie/monster/alien movies. Go ahead, judge me. I don't even care. In the last couple weeks I've watched the following:

28 Days Later
28 Weeks Later
I Am Legend
Cloverfield
District 9

And I liked them all. No shame.


* The rated R ones were all edited though- I don't do so well with bucketloads of gore. And yet I still love these types of movies... huh.

...I Found This Book

My sister-in-law, Jenn, recommended this book to me about a month or so ago. Since then I've bought it and read it three times. Seriously. It has the perfect combination of humor, love, and grief all mixed in with a little history. It takes place a year or two right after WWII and follows the story of an author who makes friends with people in Guernsey- a little island in the English Channel. Its a fascinating tale and a lot of fun to read. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society- go get it.

...I Had Thought #2

And #2 is this: life is too short to be afraid of things.

...I Lived with a Boy

A two year old boy to be specific. His name is Owen and I'm in love with him. Seriously though- I really do love this kid like crazy. Living in Colorado this summer has been really fun and Owen makes it better and better every day. He's hilarious, smart, fun, and sweet. He lets me squish and kiss him all I want and he is constantly making me laugh. Here's a little sampling of the funny things he does:

Dresses himself,

He rolls around in dirtiness,

Acts silly,

Gets stuck in weird places,

Wears my shoes,

Is always sticky,

Sleeps in the middle of eating,

Decides to eat cupcakes without using his hands,

Goes pantsless,

And gives me lots of loves!


I love my little guy! He's the best and makes me sooo happy!

... I Hiked Through a Cave

Last Summer I went to Guatemala with my cousin Anna, her husband Daniel, and Daniel's friend Sergio. It was incredible and we had a blast! One of my favorite things we did (and favorite things I've ever done while traveling) was hike through a cave in an area called Semuc Champey. It's one of the most beautiful places I've been- you are literally surrounded by jungle and there's a huge river and natural hot pools to swim in. Gorgeous.

Anyway, there's a cave that you can hike through with a Guatemalan guide for a handful of quetzals. But when I say hike I really mean swim. Most of the time is spent swimming through the cave, climbing up waterfalls, and cliff jumping into deep pools. And did I mention this is all in the dark? I've never seen such absolute darkness- we're talking can't-see-your-hand-in front-of-your-face dark. It was amazing! We were given little candles to take with us and that was our only light source. We had to carry them in our mouth while swimming and it was hilarious trying to keep them lit. I absolutely loved the whole thing. The only nerve-wracking part was toward the end when we had to jump down a little hole into total blackness. We literally couldn't see what we were going to land in (turned out to be another pool). So fun! I'd go back and do it again in a second...except for it's in Guatemala. Dang it.

About to climb a waterfall.

Daniel and me getting ready to swim across another pool.

...Lizzie Turned Four

Happy Birthday to the Liz! She turned four yesterday so this last weekend was spent partying! Friday night was the family party (Whitmill side), Saturday afternoon was the friend party, and then Sunday was her actual birthday. Her party theme was Fancy Nancy- a children's book character who wants to make everything fancy. So naturally we had to have a super fancy cake:

It was so much fun to decorate! I loved it!

We read some Fancy Nancy books to the kids and made wands, purses, and flower pens. They had a blast.

We also gave them a little sparkle makeup to make them look extra fancy. Add in the feather boas and princess crowns and ta-da! Pure fanciness. It was a ton of fun helping with the party and playing with the kids. I'm totally having feather boas at my next birthday.

Of course Owen couldn't let the girls have all the fun! This little guy cracks me up.

I love my Liz so much. She's a pretty amazing little girl who makes me smile every day. I love to watch her learn and grow. She is probably one of the most stubborn, silly, and nicest kids I know. She tries so hard to make everyone around her happy- even if it means sharing her favorite toy or giving the last bite of candy to someone. She is constantly sharing with her siblings and trying to please them. It's honestly amazing to watch her.

Tori was having a pretty rough night tonight and was throwing a huge fit so I told her she could have what she wanted as soon as she calmed down. She is awful at stopping when she starts into a fit so it took her a while. Finally when I couldn't hear her crying anymore I peeked into the bedroom to see Lizzie sitting next to Tori and stroking her head. She was telling her that everything would be ok and that she just needed to calm down a little. It was so cute to see. Liz is amazing and I'm so glad I get to spend this summer with her!

(Sunday Sentiments)... I Figured this Out

This little tidbit is about the lesson I had in church today in correlation with a conversation I recently overheard. Part of the lesson magnified how everything, literally everything, was created as a manifestation of God's power and glory. I was thinking about that as I overheard a conversation in which one person told the other that it would be hard to raise children in a different country and she wouldn't want to do it. Now maybe these two things don't mesh in your head, but they do in mine. I'll try to explain as best as possible...but I don't promise anything. Often things make sense to me that may not to most others.

The thing is, I want to raise my kids in a different country. Perhaps not for their entire life, but for a good few years of their childhood at least. I think it would be magnificent to be able to do that. Granted- it would be difficult, but raising a child in and of itself is difficult. So why not do it in a different atmosphere where the child can gain various perspectives of the world? I not only want my children to be grateful for the United States, I want them to know why they are grateful for it. I feel like so many people don't realize the incredible blessing this country is- that the simplest of conveniences are a true treasure. It isn't until you have to go without those things that you truly gain an appreciation for them. It isn't until you see how others around the world live that you realize how bountiful American life is. This is where the gospel lesson came in for me: every little thing, from toilet paper to shoes to clean water, comes from God. How easy it is to forget to be grateful for the small things. This is part of the reason I want to raise my children in a foreign country. I want them to learn to be grateful for the small things as well as experience a different worldview and realize the great blessing it is to be an American.

(Saturday Secrets)...I Told a Secret

Here's a little tidbit about myself: I am impulsive. Most of the time this serves me well. My impulsiveness has led me to multiple different countries, different adventures, and different people. Some of the best things I've done in life are a result of my lack of thinking things through. I find nothing wrong with this.

And yet...

There are some things I'm not terribly proud of. Like that ugly yellow shirt I bought that one time. Or that relationship I got into (yep- should have thought that one through...). My impulsiveness can get me into trouble and that is when I'm not too happy with it. I'm learning to reign it in a bit and take a step back every once in a while. Sometimes things do need a deeper look. But even after everything, I still say that sometimes we shouldn't think twice- amazing opportunities can be lost in the thought process.

My impulses have been mostly good for me so far so I'm just going to keep on trusting them.

(Friday Finds).... I Went to this Website

And fell in love with it! Cute cute cute.

http://www.modcloth.com/

"Founded by high school sweethearts, Eric Koger and Susan Gregg Koger, and built on a foundation of love for vintage and retro clothing, ModCloth.com is an online clothing, accessories, and decor retailer that aims to provide a fun and engaging shopping atmosphere for you, our customer."

The stuff here is awesome- I've bought a couple dresses and some shoes and I absolutely love them!

(Thursday Thoughts)... I Realized This

That the things I get in life aren't the things I want as much as the things I need.

And for that I am eternally grateful.

(Wednesday Wonders)... I Saw This Guy

This is a shout-out to a guy I like to call "toilet man."

He was just moseying around pulling his toilet.

Classic.

(Tuesday Travels)... I Touched the Jordan River

It's true- I did. A little over three years ago I went on a study abroad to Jerusalem. If you know me at all, you definitely know how much I love Jerusalem. But that's for another post. On March 8, 2007 I, along with the 43 other students who were on the study abroad, visited the Jordan River. It was magnificent. The water was...um...a little less than appealing, but the spirit of the place was amazing. It was fun to sit at the river's edge, stick my feet in and just think about how life had led me to that point. It was really hot that day and we had to walk a little distance to get to the river so it felt amazing to just sit and dip my feet in.

See- not quite the beautiful water I had imagined.