Attitude Is A Choice... Be Happy :D

I live in a swamp... okay not really, but it sure feels like it. Especially today.

7:45-2:15    School

2:15-3    chillin' time before work

3-6    work

6-7   dinner... haha, ice cream. That's what happens when mom's not home :)

7-8:30    mutual

now:   writing... duh!... then I'll probably read, after which I'm gonna crash.. go to sleep, just in case you didn't know that one for yourselves :D

Let's add to that list homework, which I'm procrastinating til tomorrow. Ha! Finally something I'm good at :D

Yeah, between school, work and mutual I'm dead on my feet..

Best thing about today??

In my photo class we made posters on good photography. Mine went something like this..

The Picture Your Picture Could Look Like

Hello Photographers! Look at your photo,    

now at mine, now back at yours, now back     

to my photo. Sadly, it isn't mine, but if you 

stopped using bad technique and switched

to good technique it could look like my photo.

Then we had 8 pictures in a square around these words... Haha, you know where they're from don't you?? The Old Spice commercial, we just messed with the wording :D Anyway, 8 photos surrounding with a black shadow line. Like, if it was the pic above the words, the top would have a black shadow, bottom right, the right side and bottom shaded. It was pretty cool.

The best part? 

The top picture was a pic of a lady falling off a horse.

We put the words "I'm on a horse." from the commercial onto the pic... You probably have to see it for it to be funny, but it made my day. Along with Kinsey's story...

The short version which takes place Saturday night during the storm:

A guy has a dog. A stupid dog. This particular dog runs into the road, gets struck by lightning then hit by a car... I started crying I was laughing so hard, but it gets better!!.... The next morning the guy walks into the street, grabs the dog's tail, and walks to his backyard, dragging the dog by his tail. So a neighbor goes over to make sure this dude is ok. He walks into the yard and the guy is muttering, "Stupid dog, idot, stupid dog!" while he proceeds to bury the dog. One problem. The dead dog is laying in the grass and this guy is shoveling dirt onto the dog. He's making a hole, but in the meantime, the dog is becoming a mound!!

This story is also much better with actions, but hey, now I have it forever :)

Okay, so I guess my day wasn't so terrible. But still. I feel like I had no time to myself...

Smile, be happy, say hi to people you don't know. It makes life better. It's true, I promise. I've been on the receiving end of all these actions and it has made my entire day :D

Cola

Diet Coke with Lime is a marvelous thing. You can't get better than that. At least I thought so.

This is my horse. Yep, I have a horse.. She's not even a year old.

I originally named her Coke, cuz you know, I just love Coke.. But then I got to thinking. Coke could be mistaken for Cocaine, especially because we recently started naming our horses after alcoholic beverages. Wine, Whiskey, Brandy.. and I'm sure the list will grow with time.

Anyway, I thought better of naming her Coke. Instead I chose Cola, like Coca Cola :D

I'm really loving her color, but honestly I hope she doesn't go white.. or full on gray. I know it seems kinda doubtful, but I hope she keeps some of her reddish tint. 

Besides name and color, I'm told by a very smart guy... cough cough, Dad... that she'll turn into a great horse. 

Back to the color thing...

Yeah, that's her mom. She's completely white, whereas the sire is a dark brown color.

At least Cola is a better name than Dog Face :)

Dog Face is, by the way, the name of our resident stud.

Not only is this a pretty good looking bull... Mr. 509, I'm pretty sure :)... I like how the birds are just chillin' on his back without a care in the world.

2 Weeks, 2 Words

What's up with all these lightning storms?!?!?!!

This is the 2nd one in the past 2 weeks... The last one was August 15th, so exactly 13 days ago I think. Weird how I know this right :)

Well, all I have to say is if we get one storm like this every 2 weeks for the next couple of weeks I'll be one happy girl :D

The best part of this storm? Easy.

I was standing in the middle of my culdesac with some friends and lightning was flashing all around us. One minute it would be in front, then to the side, then another side... and it just kept getting bigger and brighter. Amazing, truly amazing!!! My favorite was the strike that was right above us, it had 3 strands of lightning and was one of the brightest.. Yeah, we thought we were gonna die :)

Funny story.

Friday at work -I work at the library- this lady, total stranger, comes up to me and asks if I know how to write a resumé. I told her I've only written one in my life and that was last year in my Financial Lit class. She goes on to ask if I could help her write and upload her resumé onto an online application... Keep in mind, perfect stranger, in her late 20's to early 30's, I've never seen or met her in my life!!

I go back to the computer she's at and she shows me where it says upload resumé. I asked if she already had one written, and in response she pulls up a blank Word document and writes her name.

"Now, does this go in the middle??"

I again ask if she already has one saved somewhere, and she says yes, in her email. I have her pull it out while I run find "Your First Resumé" a book on how to write a resumé, and we start tweaking things. At one point this lady asks if I could find an address of a place she worked at. I run to my boss to ask permission to use the computers up front and say

"So I'm helping this lady write her resumé"

at which point she starting laughing... like, full on laughing!! My guess is she knew that I've never written a resumé before, seeing as this is my first job and I didn't have to when I applied... I started laughing, too, after which April (my boss) says sure, then goes on to say, but you could do it the old fashioned way, a phonebook. Okay, honestly, I didn't even know we had a phone book at the library!!! No worries though, I got to use the internet :)

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I kid you not, I helped this lady for an hour and a half at least!! Any neatness that went into her resumé were things I suggested.

I just thought it was one of the oddest things I've ever had to do while at work. Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but it was weird all the same.

By doing this, I learned the value of

*education*

being organized

having computer skills

knowing how to read a how-to book

*education*

At the very beginning, before she asked for my help I was organizing the movies. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this lady walking toward me, but then she was intercepted by one of the clerks. 

"Can I help you with something?" 

Lady: "Oh, I just need help with my resumé, and I need to upload it to a site." 

Clerk: "Hmm, I'm not sure how to do that."

Lady: " I was going to ask her, would she know?"

They were talking about me, but I was pretending not to hear...

Clerk: "I'm not sure, but you can ask."

Lady: "I think I will."

I have no idea as to why she thought I could help her, but you know what?? I could have turned her down. I could have said, No, I don't know how to write a resumé. I could have said, I need to do my work. 

But I helped her.

I helped this lady do something that was difficult for her and pretty easy for me. 

I gave her my time and my patience.

I gave her my suggestions and opinions.

You know what she gave me?

She gave me an understanding of what's important in the long run.

She gave me the realization of the value of education.

She gave me an appreciation for what I have.

She gave me her gratitude for my time.

She gave me 2 words.

She said thank you.

Thank you has never meant so much to me. I felt like this lady was seriously grateful. Yeah, it was odd and my boss thought it was funny. But I felt like I made a difference in her life. Somehow.

It made me feel good, like I'd done something meaningful.

The power of 2 words.

Who knew???

I sure didn't.

Chillin' at Deer Creek

Yesterday for mutual we went boating.

Pretty great, I know :)

About 20 of the young women showed up, which was a lot less than I expected. But get this, we only had 2 boats... I went once, but some of the other girls went a couple of times. I'm not complaining by the way...

I went tubing with Bailey and Annika. We told the boat driver, aka Annika's dad, to do his worst, and let me tell you, he did pretty good. I fell halfway in but pulled myself back onto the tube once... yes I am very proud of myself :) Then I don't know what happened, I think the edge of our tube hit a wave and we all flew, but I distinctly remember looking down at the water then plunging in feet first. Haha, I'm pretty sure I was parallel to the water for a couple of moments. All I know is it felt like I was flying :)

We went back to shore a little bit later. Annika stayed to help out her dad and my other friends got on the boat, which left me with a whole bunch of younger kids... yeah me!! Hahaha :)

Being the prepared person that I am, I brought a water gun.. you know, the kind that is like a stick. You put the end under the water, pull the handle to load it, then push the handle to squirt the water. Haha, I started a water fight with one of my leaders and one of the younger girls, Jenna :D 

Jenna totally had it coming though, so no worries.. 

This is the part that really made me happy though. As we were cleaning up and getting ready to leave, one of the mom's that came up with us walked up to me and the previously mentioned leader... Sis. Conder, the one I started my surprise water fight against... and started saying how she loves my personality. Now, I can't remember it exactly, but she said that she loves

my fun personality, I'm not afraid to be different and have a little fun, and that I'm a little trouble :D

Yeah, something along those lines. But let me tell you, it really made me feel good. The whole time we were there... and any other time I'm having fun, aka chasing someone with a cup/bottle/bucket full of water... I figured I was just another face in the crowd. And when I was dousing Sis. Conder then later Jenna, well, I can't say I thought I was invisible, but it just seems that nobody pays much attention. 

I don't know where I'm going with this, but to realize that someone.. and an adult at that... actually thinks of me, not as the immature 17 year old chasing her friends, some leaders and a few of the little kids, but as having a unique and fun personality... I just really love that.

It was, hands down, the best part of my day!!  :D

Come on, Seriously???

Lately I've been wanting to draw and paint... it's really weird and I'm not sure how I feel about this..

You see, I have no art or creativity genes.. Bailey took my portion.

So, I was sitting outside watching the birds and I thought

"It'd be cool to sketch one of the birds..." 

So not me!!

Then, in St. George the mountains.. We went to the Tuacahn plays, they're outside and done at night, like they start at 9 pm. Well, in the right light, you could barely see the outline of the red mountains against the dark, starry sky. I got to thinking, this would be awesome.. Maybe if I painted it, then I wouldn't have to be so precise with the details, just slap on some paint, make it look kinda similar...

I don't know what has gotten into me.. I'm not an artsy person, I just never have been.

Last night I couldn't sleep and I remembered seeing this one dude in Seattle doing spray paint art... Yup, you see where this is going?? Now, I want to buy spray paint, and maybe try to paint the St. George mountains!!!

Who knows though, maybe someday.

Today was the first day of school.. I am so not ready for the next 9 months. Not to mention it was 100 flippin degrees outside!!! Anybody up for a waterfight???

What Just Happened?!?!

Today isn't the last day of summer and I didn't just pick up my senior schedule... I promise I'm not in denial :)

For serious though, where did the time go??

I'm pretty sure we were given a couple months of summer, not a few weeks!!

On a happier note, my schedule doesn't look that bad...

Sociology

AP English Lit

AP Stats

Digital Photo 1... Business Math (semester 1 and 2)

Seminary

Spanish 4

Communications

Drawing 1... Popular Lit (semester 1 and 2)

See, not so bad... maybe except for the Spanish, but besides that :)

Spanish definitely isn't one of my favorites, but guess what?? I'm teaching myself Sign Language! I've already learned the ABC's, and even though I'm not super amazing yet, I'm learning :D

I want to know where the time went!! I remember being in elementary school imagining what it'd be like to drive and date... Haha, I'm still kinda wondering on the last one :)... I thought it'd be forever before I'd be a big kid, a teenager. When I was that young, I NEVER imagined college would be so close!!

Well, this just goes to show that everyday counts and no matter what you choose to do with your life, time keeps going. Make the best of it and have fun!! Live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment :D

Quotes, Cuteness, and Complete Randomness

A picture is worth a million words, right??

Well, here you go

I took this picture on my phone a couple days ago. I just think it is the cutest thing!! Usually when Kobe is laying like this by the stairs his underbite is especially noticeable :D

I know it's not the best pic, but do you see this lady's leg hanging out the window?? Me and Bailey saw her as we were stopped at a stop light on State Street.. I just thought it was kinda funny :)

I went to Deseret Book today to get a CTR ring. I can't remember the last time I had one, and even then it was just the cheapy ones kids have... Anyway, I had nothing to do today, so after dropping Bailey off at the mall, I wandered Deseret Book for awhile. I found a bunch of quotes, but liked these the best...

I love this, because now, no matter where you live, the world has this standard that it wants us to conform to. You really can be anything... so don't give in to pressure, and just BE YOURSELF!!

I saw this, and instantly thought of some people :) Also, I think it's a good reminder that being a good friend.. all it takes is a LITTLE effort. It's easy :D

And last but not least... another quote, except this one doesn't have a picture.

Life is an adventure.

It's not the destination we reach that's most rewarding. It's the journey along the way.

I love this, but I do have one thought.

Life IS a journey, but the ultimate final destination IS the most rewarding: Eternal Life..

In general though, I do agree. The journey along the way is a rewarding adventure :)

Need I say More??

I have a couple things on my mind, but one thing I especially don't want to forget..

So, a few weeks ago me and Annika were texting, just our usual teasings and banterings :) Well, in the middle of this insulting and demeaning conversation... Haha, no worries we are the best of friends and love each other to death, this is just our way of showing our love :D... she sent this text out to me and everyone else named. And I quote word for word:

If we went to jail...

WANTED: Vicious viper women!! $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollar reward) for each female, beware them. May pull stunts uncalled for.
Kylee- trespassing. She is the queen of breaking and entering
Bailey-vandalism... Books, walls, people... The statue of liberty...
Breanna- stalking, spying, people watching. She could tell you anything about anyone.
Shelby-illegal fire... Of any/all kinds... Breaking the law is her forte :)
Annika-harassing people... Old men, young kids, growling at all hours of the night...
Tori- being a partner of all crimes... This gal is one well-rounded criminal. Stealing might be her expertise though :)
Kinsey- murder. Have you see how fired up she can get? :)

Haha, this made me laugh SO hard!! How I love this girl... She's my absolute favorite :) She can make me laugh when nobody else can. Need I say more?? :D

Pinteresting

I remember hearing some good friends talk about Pinterest

and, seeing as I'm supposed to be asleep,

but am not tired... 

I decided to check it out :)

This is some of the stuff I found under one of the friends I mentioned above...

Needless to say,

I'm now pretty interested in this Pinterest thing :D

Terribly Fascinating

Driving home from St. George, we saw this...

A huge fire making its way toward the local Liquor & Wine Store on the south end of Cedar City... coincidence?? I think not... Haha, totally kidding :)
I really wish I had taken a few pictures from my own camera though,
I don't think these pics do it justice.

Oh, and by the way, no one was hurt... even the liquor store went unscathed thanks to these guys :D

When I was younger I was terrified of fire..

There was this one time, I was at my Dad's and a fire started a couple miles from where we lived. It was dark and from the street you could see it pretty well... I don't remember when exactly that happened, but I was little, and I was scared out of my mind. That was the first wildfire I'd ever seen and I think I thought it was going to get to our house and kill us all... yeah... that didn't happen.

Now? Well, I think fire is more fascinating than scary...

  Oh the memories :) ...

 but I should probably leave it at that.

:D

Seize the Moment

So, it's 1 a.m. and I am supposed to be asleep, but I heard the thunder and couldn't resist :) and let me tell you, I have never seen it storm so hard!! It's absolutely amazing!

I ran to my back door and almost instantly lightning lit up everything... the clouds, my backyard.. In that instant I could see everything like it was noon day. Soon after.. and I mean soon, like a couple seconds... thunder so loud shakes the sky.

I ran downstairs and insisted Bailey come see. Seeing as it's late, she didn't want to, but I made her :) Once she saw the show, she pulled me out to the middle of our cement backyard and pointed out the lightning streaks.

You could see the streaks so clearly, the only problem was the white light brightness and the suddenness of it all. Then in less than a second the booming of thunder. Mind blowing... literally. Between the FLASH and BOOM! I now have a pounding headache :D

We headed back downstairs because, even though it wasn't raining, it was cold. But I wanted one last look, so I ran outside again, only this time it was POURING rain like nobody's business. Again, I pulled Bailey up the stairs, and once again, as soon as she saw all the rain that wasn't there a minute ago we both ran into it. I kid you not, it had been raining all of 3 minutes and there was a pool of water at my feet. We danced in the rain, ran back to the house, then ran out again...

Bailey said, "It's like giant buckets are being poured!"

I definitely had to agree and

It was so fun :) 

I love that not only was this the biggest storm I've ever seen, but I seized the moment and, even though I was in my PJ's and settling down for bed, I watched the lightning, listened to the CRACK! of the thunder, and played in the rain :D

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

This was definitely one of those moments :D

Black, White, and a Shade of Gray

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints... Mormons... are often told that living Church standards is pretty much black and white.

I've recently learned from my EFY roomies, who live all over the US, that this is true.

Where they're from... Las Vegas, Wisconsin, California, and Texas... they are numbered in the minorities. Like, they're the only Mormons in their High School...

I learned from them that it's a piece of cake to tell who's Mormon and who isn't, which is where the black and white comes in. Mormons are different. We don't smoke,

drink,

be immoral,

swear...

that kinda thing. In all these places if you're a Mormon, people know and they watch. It's as simple as

Black and White.

Utah, however, is a huge mess of gray. 

I've lived in Utah my whole life, so I haven't really noticed until lately, since I've been in High School really, how... shaded... things are.  I think, because it's Utah and LDS is pretty much the predominant religion, we get kinda lax in our choices and how we present ourselves. 

In school we are a majority, not a minority, so perhaps it doesn't seem like people are watching, like in a school where you are one of three. I think because of this, people act as if the line isn't as defined.

In my high school, you walk around the halls and the student center, but for the most part any guesses are complete speculation.. then, when you get to seminary you see a kid and say to yourself

Wait, that kid is Mormon??

My roomies actually told me that they're grateful they live in areas where it's so defined. The choices are easier and the lifestyle less of a challenge,

 because you know what's right and you know people are watching

Where the rest of the world is black and white

Utah is all shades of gray... not so simple.

Don't get me wrong though, I love Utah

Seminary is during school :D

We have amazing mou'ins... mountains :)

There's zero humidity and hardly any bugs

It's home :D

Chirp chirp!

After work I grabbed a book and sat on my front porch to read.

Not only was it a warm night, but it wasn't quite dark and the birds were chirping and eating from our birdfeeders and playing on the walk in front of me.

You should know,

we have 3 birdfeeders, yes 3, and we are constantly filling them, yes all 3, with more seed at least once a week.

The birds are monsters...

but they're pretty cute :)

I was watching them hop around and I realized how small they are.

It helps that we have about 5 babies frequenting our feeders and living in various places around our house...

but as I got to looking, they are tiny!! 

They're legs are, like, way puny, and everything about them is so delicate and fragile.

I swear, for at least 10 minutes I was just staring at them, watching them play around, and totally marveling at the wonders around us.

There's a God, there has to be.

I wouldn't know how else to explain it.

Have I Done Any Good Today

1. Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,

A blessing of duty and love.

2. There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.

Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,

A blessing of duty and love.

I sure hope I did some good today...

Did I help someone,

give a compliment,

or do a favor??

I hope so.

Reading this song makes me want to try harder to be there for others.

I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of a smile that turns my day around,

and I just hope that I can do that for someone else.

Mismatched

I'd like to think I'm original...

Old Pioneer Cemetery in Nauvoo...

Yeah I know, writing on your shoe isn't original... I just think that's the saddest smiley face I've ever drawn. Not to mention, the rocks are ancient :) 

Mississippi River

I've been to both places..

obviously.

Why else would my funky shoes be in them?!

This summer I decided I needed something I can call my own so,

not only do I wear mismatched shoes, but I document my travel and fun with pics of my shoes.

Weird and so unoriginal, I know.

But for serious, I LOVE that pic ↑ 

Okay, on to business now.

Bailey got her learner's permit today...

and insisted on driving everywhere.

Well duh, 

I don't know why I expected anything less.

So, besides the nerves and the butterflies and seeing my life flash before my eyes multiple times, she did all right.

Until.

 We're driving home from the movies, it's dark, and Bailey's driving...

Who wooda thunk??

When she says:

"Did you guys see that shooting star?!"

(Hey Dad, remind you of anything, hahaha :D )

 Hahaha, funny right?? 

NO!!

I kid you not, my stomach dropped and my heart skipped a beat.

But besides the small issue of stargazing while driving, Ba did pretty good... for her first time :)

44th

This is my 44th post.

Why is that so important/cool/noteworthy you ask??

Well, 4 just happens to be my most favorite number of all time :D

Most people make a note when they get to the hundreds, but not me...

I stick to the 4's.

44 is a lot of posts.

For me anyway, since I just started :)

And lately a lot of people have been telling me they read my blog, which if you're still following me and my first draft ideas, then kudos to you.

You hear my thoughts, but... well, I rarely get to hear yours.

So.

For all you who have read my blog, 

what do you think??

Falling Skies

Normally, I especially hate sci-fi movies, books and the like.

Falling Skies is a new TV series, but see, it's as sci-fi as sci-fi can get... aliens take over the planet, kill the adults and use the kids... the whole bit. 

The thing is, I LOVE this show!!

Why? Well there's a couple contributing factors:

Lots of action and suspense

Creepy aliens that both kill and care

and last but not least...

Awesome/ hot actors :D

The actors are definitely a huge part in me liking the show

Okay, so obviously Drew Roy is hot... he's the younger guy :D

The girl to the left of him, Sarah Carter, she plays the tough chick. Guns and scouting with the guys.

The lady in the purple she's my favorite... Her name, her legit name is Moon Bloodgood. How cool is that?!! 

So yeah, usually I can't stand science fiction shows, but with these actors and with the catchy storyline, it's one of my new favorites.

Granted... 24, Alias, and Drop Dead Diva are higher up on that list, but still.. it made my top 4 :)

Quote of the day:
Max, from across the street, came over to pet my dogs.
Me: How has your summer been so far?
Max: Good. We're leaving in 3 days.
Me: Where are you going?
Max: San Diego.
Me: Oh, that sounds like fun!
Max: Yeah.. We're going to our sand house..?
Me: ...
Max: Beach house

Hahahaha :)
It was probably one of those
you had to be there
moments :D

EFY in... yep that's right. Nauvoo, Illinois

Going to Nauvoo for my very first EFY experience... I think YES :)

It was so super awesome!! We got to see and do so many things that both strengthened my testimony and were a lot of fun...

Joseph Smith home and more old Nauvoo sites

pioneer cemetery

Carthage Jail

Trail of HOPE

Baptisms for the dead in the Nauvoo temple :D

Jazz Concert/ Missionary Show

Devotionals and Morningsides

Testimony meeting

Variety Show

All these things were so amazing!! I would have to say my top experiences were baptisms, Carthage, and studying in front of the temple each morning. but also...

"...One of the few big bands that swings the way swing should be swung." - In the opening prayer before the jazz concert :D

I finished reading the Book of Mormon in the Nauvoo Temple, right after we did baptisms, then I bought an 1830 version Book of Mormon :)

And friends :)

My roomies were awesome. We got to know each other and became really good friends by the end of the week.

Melany, Emily, BreAnn, Diana and Melissa I miss you all SO much!!!

Mary, our counselor, was terrific :) I loved listening to her and just being around her. She's just one of those people, fun and easy to talk to.

I didn't particularly like the humidity 

or the bugs 

or the plane rides

or all the walking

or leaving

But I LOVED the experience!!

Top: Zach, Ryan, Zach, Eric

Middle: Brian, BreAnn, Melany, Emily, Diana, Bradlee, Hope, Mary, Miki, Brooke, Zach, Sean

Bottom: Melissa, Dani, Cherie, Taylor, and me

This was my company, and as I said before my roomies Melissa, Melany, Emily, Diana and BreAnn were awesome and I miss them tons! Mary, too :D

Carthage Jail

In the room were Joseph and Hyrum were killed...

Great picture though :)

Night and day of the

NAUVOO TEMPLE